Peer Responses

Responding to Person 1

Hello,

Thank you for your response. The cultural trait of masculinity in your character example encourages emotional containment, unlike the familial obligation value in my Somali character. Your character is school- and peer-shaped to be the type of person who values successful emotional toughness, and mine at home and school, where duty and education discipline reign: Peer Responses.

There are no mentors like counsellors for your character, and there is little religious or peer pressure for morality in my character, limiting emotional and moral development. Your post raised insights about how societal pressures around masculinity can impose invisible emotional burdens on boys. It also prompted me to think about how the pressure to succeed might present differently depending on the social context.

Cultural norms shape how people interpret behaviors and guide what they value or suppress. This post helped me realize that privilege can be paired with emotional impoverishment. It also further cultivated my understanding of identity forged through gendered expectations and hidden vulnerabilities.

Responding to Person 2

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your post. The cultural throw of family loyalty in your example reflects the Somali cultural trait of familial obligation in my character, and both ideals prioritize duty over one’s desires. School and home build up your character, whereas discrimination at school makes her lack confidence and home responsibility builds up her character, communication, and values.

My character also depends more on family and school, with a heavier emphasis on  caregiving and little interaction with peers. Missing cultural relativism in your example also compares to my character. Your post, in general, brought up valuable insights about how being a cultural bridge can be a source of inner turmoil between assimilation and family loyalty. It also made me consider how discrimination can exacerbate language insecurity and social withdrawal.

Discrimination disrupts the socializing process in interactions through which cultural knowledge is conveyed. Your post opened my eyes to how young immigrant youth are regularly given adult roles at a young age. It broadened my understanding of how cultural navigation and discrimination intersect to form identity.

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Person 1

My Individual: Male, age 16, living in a suburban community near Des Moines, Iowa. His family is middle class, and he excels academically, but he struggles with anxiety and the pressure to conform to societal expectations of masculinity.

1. The usual idea of masculinity is an important cultural rule that stands out to this 16-year-old. Boys who grow up in a middle-class, suburban neighborhood feel a lot of pressure to be strong, independent, and not show emotions. For him, that probably means hiding his nervousness and acting like nothing is wrong.Because he is pushing himself, these expectations might help him do well in school, but they also make it harder for him to be honest about his problems. It seems like he can’t live up to this ideal of what a “real man” should be, even though that’s not how he really feels.
2. His friends and school have had a big effect on his life. Since he gets rewards for his grades at school, he probably works hard and feels pressure to keep doing well. That causes a lot of stress and tension, but it might also motivate him.His group of friends might also make the problem worse. He might think he has to hide his anxiety to fit in if they are all making fun of people who show weakness or acting like feelings don’t matter.He might not have support from people like counselors or adults who are open about mental health. He might not feel he can talk about these things if no one else does. It’s harder for him to find healthy ways to cope or even to realize his feelings are normal when he doesn’t have someone to guide or support him.
3. The fact that this teen is middle class, male, and lives in a suburb near Des Moines all affect his experience. He feels pressure to be “tough” and hide his feelings because he is a boy, which makes talking about problems like anxiety harder. But he also has benefits from being middle class, such as chances to succeed and getting a good education.But that also comes with big expectations. In a society that probably values success, independence, and hard work, mental health problems might be seen as a personal weakness instead of a common issue many people face.
   He might have some advantages, but the pressure to do well and look fine all the time can still wear him down. Even if he seems to be in control, he might be going through more struggles than anyone knows.
4. Things could get better for him if the people and places around him start to change. It could help a lot if families and schools were more open about mental health and showed that asking for help is okay. Teachers and counselors who check in with students or mental health programs could help lower his stress and teach him ways to handle his anxiety in a healthier way.Even social media might help. More people are starting to say that being a man doesn’t mean hiding your feelings, and hearing that could change how he thinks. Change takes time, of course. The idea that men should just “tough it out” is still common, so it can be hard to fight that. But if enough people around him challenge those ideas, he can start to believe he doesn’t have to handle everything by himself.
   

   Peer Responses

Person 2

• Female, age 16, living in Chicago, Illinois. Her family recently immigrated from Mexico, and she is fluent in both Spanish and English. She faces discrimination at school but also serves as a cultural bridge between her family and the larger community.

1. Cultural Context

Family would be the cultural value. The constraints of this would be that we as hispanics are taught at a young age to be loyal and committed to our families and in some cases if needed we will put our families before ourselves. This helps structure use into discipline, being honest, and respect.

1. Agents of Socialization

Major agents would be school and home. School shapes the introduction to race socialization, class socialization, and anticipatory socialization. She is being discrimenated at school which might mean that she may not speak English very well which would then shape her insecurities with learning the English language.

Home shapes the language, values, beliefs and behaviors. With her being the bridge of communication for her family this could shape her on the way she decided to communication with people. For instance she could be very quite when she speaks or she can be a nerves talker because she dose not want to misinterpret any information.

The missing agents in this scenario would be cultural relativism because she will not be able to asses her own standards on other cultures by experience she would only be assessing her standards based on her families information.

1. Intersectional Experience

I can see the inequality in her situation because asking for help or even going outside her front door isn’t easily done.  With her family recently migrating from Mexico the family might not be out in the community everyday which can cause isolation, depression, and other health issues.

1. Possibility for Change

As she and her family adapt into their community they can become more familiar with their surroundings. This can help them shape their cultural norms and learn about new languages, arts, and many more things out in the world. Social transformation would become possible as she learns about the outside world around them and then teach her family.