Susan Baker

Project: Socialization And Identity Project

How Religion Socializes Us All

Todays society is far from flawless, there is a dilemma that sets back any type of peace
the Earth may or may not achieve. This epidemic can be conveyed in different shapes and forms
all over the world in all sorts of ways, such as ones self image molded by others or the way
some are raised to believe.. But, there is a constant variable that is everywhere. This variable is
the Cycle of Socialization. This system is the river of expectations that are set by various things
which include ones race, age, gender, religion, ability or disability, sexual orientation and social
class. These identity categories all have agent and target groups that belong to them. An example
of this is gender; where the agents or dominant class are primarily males and the targets or
submissive group are females and those who identify as something differently. These targets and
agents, and the entire Cycle of Socialization, have been determined by a variety of different
effecting groups, such as school, peers, the media, religion, and parents/guardians. We are then
socialized by powerful sources in our worlds to play the roles prescribed by an inequitable social
system. explains Hardman and Jackson in the article The Cycle of Socialization. This cycle is
built on the idea of a normal society, made by the agent groups who prone the target groups to
either want to or become an agent, the ones who make up the majority of society. As a teenager, I
have been affected by most of the identity categories. One in particular, that most kids in my age
group seem to overlook, is how religion has affected nearly half of my identity; altering how I
view my gender, sexual orientation, and religion as a whole.
Belonging to any identity class will always come with a set of rules made by that
identity's agents. An example of this is the variety of different gender expectations. Because we
live in such a privileged country gender regulations have been loosened considerably. However,
a direct result of living in a free country is the allowance of the practice of religion. As I was
raised by a Christian mother and a hardcore Christian father, I respect the quote claimed by
Racheal Robnett from the article Girls Dont propose! Ew!; Both women and men tend to hold
traditional marriage preferencesespecially with regards to marriage proposals. Multiple
regression indicated that endorsing benevolent sexism was related to holding more traditional
preferences.. This quote is only one example of how religion shapes gender, as those
traditional preferences refer to ones religion. This proves that my religion, and many others,
may encourage the male partner in a relationship to take charge of the partnership. That the
woman is not the dominant but instead the man is. Because of some of these traditional
preferences, women around the world have been treated, not necessarily harshly, but instead as
lower use than their male associates. A less extreme example of this is instead of stacking wood,
they may be occupied with the laundry or the cooking. Both these chores are subdominant and
require less effort than mowing the lawn or fixing the garage door. This implies to some that they
are weaker and can not do things that males can. Another quote that supports this is stated by
Ellen Keim from Gender Roles and Religion, The thing about the Christian religion is that it is
hung up about sex. And since women are the objects of mens sexual desire, they are often seen
as temptresses and whores.. I have never been regarded as a whore, but it has greatly affected
the way I have thought of myself. If I continue as a female, which is inevitable, will I only grow
up to be a mindless whore, who tempts men into adultery? No, and perhaps thats not what the
core of my religion wants for me and other women. However it is a blemish on the thoughts my

family and others may have for me. I have been raised to believe that if I am not delivered into
Christ then I will become a mindless, indecent sex object. To say it in short: religion is the very
source of why todays society has gender roles.
It is a sturdy fact that, in some religions including Christianity and Catholicism, being
attracted to anyone besides the opposite sex is a sin so great that one can and will be punished if
committed. Many come of age only to discover this bafflement, and perhaps they will become
shaped by another sexuality with free will. Or, because humans are malleable, they may fight the
feelings to fit into their religion or parents expectations. Others who are not enveloped in
confusion may be completely accepting of others with a different sexuality. On the other hand
there are those who are disgusted with them; which is more often than not a result of religion. A
majority of young people believe religious leaders do not know enough about sexuality particularly youth sexuality. Others consider institutional religion a social control mechanism
that excessively regulates gender and sexual behaviour, without sufficient engagement with
young people themselves, Dr. Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip argues from the article Exploring Youth
and Sexuality. I strongly agree with the statement because I am one of those teenagers who are
prone to manipulation by my religion. I believe that, maybe, if all groups of people got together
and discussed our differences then we could understand and accept each others views. However,
because this is a completely intangible idea because instead of embracing differences those in
religious groups may shame homosexuals, which ties into the quote; If there is no God, no
divine lawgiver, then there is no moral law. If there is no moral law, then there is no real right
and wrong. claims William Craig from Can We Be Good Without God?. This is a key statement
that many religious groups ignore, which is that not everyone believes in a higher, divine spirit
who will punish them. Its not fair to bash others for their decisions solely because it goes against
ones values and morals, because those may differ from theirs. Everyone sins, its unavoidable
and blatantly obvious. If one is allowed to think that being homosexual is a sin, then I should
also be allowed to have a sinful sexuality.
As a teenager who was raised by a Christian family, and later on introduced into
Catholicism, my life has been greatly affected by my religious background. So how do you find
out what God thinks? The Christian says, you look in the Bible. And the Bible tells us that God
forbids homosexual acts. Therefore, they are wrong, claims William L Craig from A Christian
Perspective on Homosexualty. I resent this quote with all of my being. The bible is packed full of
laws and expectations that prohibit many of the things we commit everyday. Want to wear a gold
necklace? No, one can not because the Bible says not to. What about one getting their body
pierced in any way? Thats wrong too. But theres not nearly as many petitions to stop these
petty crimes than there are to outlaw gay marriage. I was told to overlook the smaller laws
simply because they were old. I was raised to believe that some sins are worse than others,
which will result in ridiculous consequences. Not all sins that are considered immoral are as
drastic as others, such as murder. But I have been socialized to believe that sexuality is one of the
greatest sins one may commit. I now believe the opposite and that my religion has actually
drifted away from its intended purpose. This acknowledgement is reinforced by Frank Powell
from the article 9 Reasons Why Jesus Hates Religion, explains, Religion turns every argument
and disagreement into an us versus them. , and Jesus didnt come to draw battle lines
between people. He came to draw battle lines between God and Satan.. This is basically stating
that Christians like my family should not target sinners. But instead, at the very least, they
should accept them as a human and not a walking, talking sin. That is what I, and many others,
should have been raised to believe.

Age does not apply when it comes to the Cycle of Socialization. It doesnt matter if one is
just taking their first steps or their last breaths, because they have already been affected by the
cycle. There are many means of socialization. May it be from ones family to the media one is
introduced to. One may be socialized based on their age, gender, race, and a whole slew of things
that shapes our human identity. There are, of course, those whose opinions differ from one
another, minor things like their personal values. Despite this, the majority is a shared, connected
system of morals that society has molded us into. Bobbie Harro states from The Cycle of
Socialization, We need to take a stand, reframe our understandings, question the status quo, and
begin a critical transformation that can break down this cycle of socialization and start a new
cycle leading to liberation for all. If we continue accepting notions solely because society
wishes us to, we are dehumanized from our true feelings and thoughts; taught by our families,
schools, media, and even our religions.
Mask Paragraph
My mask is quite complex, although it seems simple everything I placed on the mask
symbolizes something. The choppy nebula background is a symbol for myself, how my identity
has been cut up by religion. Religion is represented by both hands. The black nails on the left
hand symbolize the unholy and sinners. The blue nails on the right hand represent the pure
and clean. The purple middle finger nails show those who are in between sinners and holiness,
myself. The bloody holes on each wrist represent the way Jesus was hung on the cross along
with the crosses on all the fingers represent the religion that clutches everyone.