Katherine's Family

The social institution that is family has the ability to totally shape an individual and their future. I am incredibly interested in families and how individuals react to the people and situations within their family and how, in turn, it follows them throughout their lives. I often look inside myself for answers to why I think certain ways or do certain things. The pondering often winds back to my family of origin. Family forms a person in many ways. The people in one’s family teach each other how to socialize with family members and others in the world. Learning what is acceptable within your family socially may mold behaviors for lifetime. Family is your first school and the first place you see yourself through someone else’s eyes. These factors can be crucial when developing a sense of self and self worth. Katherine’s family had and has a definite roll in her self-vision and many of her actions and choices in life. Katherine is a lesbian in her mid 30’s. She currently lives in rural North Carolina with her partner, Kim and their 2 ½ year old twins. Kat was …show more content…
She was able to excel in school throughout college due to the support and encouragement of her parents. This allowed Katherine to enter into a profession, law enforcement, which pays college graduates more than non- graduates. On top of that, Dottie and Don saved Katherine’s whole life and she was able to graduate without an ounce of debt. She had a father who made enough money to support the family while her mother stayed at home. Dottie definitely takes a back seat to Don in every sense. Katherine did not adopt her mother’s ways in that respect, but her father’s. Dottie, Don and John were Katherine’s first reference group. These are the people she looked to for direction on how to live life from the beginning of her