High School Environment Analysis

Beginning our early childhood, we learn to accept and fit in with the society we live in. Ritzer explains that socialization is “the process through which a person learns and generally comes to accept the ways of a group or of a society as a whole” (Ritzer, 108). For example in our first years of life, we learn the “acquisition of language, identities, gender roles, cultural routines, norms, and values from our parents and other family members” (Ritzer, 109). From the youngest age we are being shaped into who we are, because we don’t choose the environment we live in, such as, socioeconomic level, religion, believes, culture and type of family. All of those factors will play a strong part in shaping us into who we will become in life. After …show more content…
However, as the time passes, peer influence plays more and more role. Closer to the 8th to 10th grade, it plays a very critical role, since this will decide if you will become one of the popular people or no. This is the time when students try to impress each other by their physical appearance and skills. School environment begins to shape student’ identities, and directly effects “fashion choices, alcohol and drug use, decision to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, choice of who your friends are, academic performance” (Becca, 2014). If before everyone was at about the same level on the social hierarchy, now it becomes really important on what level you will get. The higher you are on the social hierarchy in school, the more popular you are. The most popular people are usually respected and become role models, while those on the bottom level could be bullied and put down. And in the long run, this would shape each individual’s self-confidence, self- esteem and self-acceptance which are really important in life. Social hierarchy is the arrangement of individuals in a society by their status, or in this case popularity. When I moved to a new school in 8th grade, I got accepted into a pretty popular group because I was pretty and had my own since of style. I knew how to engage people and have fun. It was pretty easy for me to maintain at that high level, but I always knew I couldn’t slack of. Every day I had to look the best I could and no matter how tiered I was I had to have a smile on my face. I have to say that this really did shape me right now too, because something inside of me doesn’t let me to look worse than the best that I can in the public. It’s like a habit now. Also, my friends were engaging in sports, and I had to do that to. I know that it’s a good thing, but if not peer pressure I wouldn’t be doing