Individuals form subcultures with different distinct values and norms within a larger culture (Innocente 2016). The subculture is usually influenced by many sociological aspects of society. Society helps form the values and norms which structure the way the individual will behave in his social group. I was born in Canada and studied in Canada until grade 4, then I was sent to an international boys boarding school in India. At my residence, I was given an identity of NRI (Non-residential Indian) by the care-takers. The first year was difficult, I was a minority and I had to fit into the NRI group consisting of other international students from America and other countries around the world. The rooms would always be organized so that all the NRI
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Evidence in the partition of the groups was in our different hobbies, as we NRI’s would usually pick Basketball as our primary sport. Throughout the year, we use to have 2 exams in grade 5. After the first exam, they posted the marks for the exam on the board making it possible to see everyone marks. For that exam, I end up failing the exam by 10%. From that day on I was bullied by all the kids in my grade for the marks I received and was also criticized by the caretakers, sports coach and teachers. Soon, I was the joke of the NRI group and was usually bullied in the group. From that day on, I worked extremely hard to study and achieve the best marks possible and always do my best. Also, when we woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning to run and exercise I would always be the first to complete my laps and exercise and would usually try to do extra. Only when the final exam marks were put up and I received an 85%, and I was made the vice–captain of the next year’s basketball team, I believe they had stopped bullying me and started to respect …show more content…
The basic norm and culture of the subculture were to work hard and strive to be stronger, smarter and to behave sociologically superior rather than be discriminated against the other students. This was the case because there was only a few of us and each of filled in a role to represent the country from which we came from but also the NRI group itself. As a result, if someone does not meet the expectation set out by the social group, then he is considered weak he tarnishes the reputation of the group. Therefore, is not supported by the group if he is bullied by the Indian students and is alienated from the group. The process of bullying and alienating the weak is enforced by groupthink which is group pressure to conform despite individual misgivings (Brym and Lie 2012:90). These behaviors can be better understood from the perspective of a conflict theorist as the relation between classes, produced a more competitive environment which helps the individual to improve (Brym and Lie 2012:5). In the views of a functionalist, the structure in which only the smartest and strongest was respected and allowed to join and stay in the group created a social hierarchy and enabled social inequality to persist (Brym and Lie 2012:5). The only way to increase your social class and gain the power to set different cultures in the group is to be the best at a sport and be smart. The
Evidence in the partition of the groups was in our different hobbies, as we NRI’s would usually pick Basketball as our primary sport. Throughout the year, we use to have 2 exams in grade 5. After the first exam, they posted the marks for the exam on the board making it possible to see everyone marks. For that exam, I end up failing the exam by 10%. From that day on I was bullied by all the kids in my grade for the marks I received and was also criticized by the caretakers, sports coach and teachers. Soon, I was the joke of the NRI group and was usually bullied in the group. From that day on, I worked extremely hard to study and achieve the best marks possible and always do my best. Also, when we woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning to run and exercise I would always be the first to complete my laps and exercise and would usually try to do extra. Only when the final exam marks were put up and I received an 85%, and I was made the vice–captain of the next year’s basketball team, I believe they had stopped bullying me and started to respect …show more content…
The basic norm and culture of the subculture were to work hard and strive to be stronger, smarter and to behave sociologically superior rather than be discriminated against the other students. This was the case because there was only a few of us and each of filled in a role to represent the country from which we came from but also the NRI group itself. As a result, if someone does not meet the expectation set out by the social group, then he is considered weak he tarnishes the reputation of the group. Therefore, is not supported by the group if he is bullied by the Indian students and is alienated from the group. The process of bullying and alienating the weak is enforced by groupthink which is group pressure to conform despite individual misgivings (Brym and Lie 2012:90). These behaviors can be better understood from the perspective of a conflict theorist as the relation between classes, produced a more competitive environment which helps the individual to improve (Brym and Lie 2012:5). In the views of a functionalist, the structure in which only the smartest and strongest was respected and allowed to join and stay in the group created a social hierarchy and enabled social inequality to persist (Brym and Lie 2012:5). The only way to increase your social class and gain the power to set different cultures in the group is to be the best at a sport and be smart. The