#moreacceptance

This is a picture of my family. This is my dad, his boyfriend, my sister, and I. I’m using this photo, because it reminded me of the readings from Sensoy & DiAngelo, Chapter 2- Socialization, Socialization is described as the systematic training into the norms of our culture, otherwise known as being told what’s normal for people to do. 

This picture is proof that the our society today is progressing with socialization for two different reasons. The first reason is that back in the day people wouldn’t be excepting of a public couple who is gay, let alone a couple who has two children. Not only are people accepting of my family, a lot of people express excitement, and tell me how cool that I have two dads. The fact that people get excited show me two things. One it shows me that having two dad’s isn’t socialized as “normal” in our culture. It’s not like I would get excited if someone told me they had both a mom and a dad, because that’s normal to see. The second thing it shows me is the slight move in our culture from it not being accepting, to accepting. If people were always accepting of gay relationships, they would just feel normal and be think it’s cool. The fact they get excited show that is a situation that hasn’t been completely socialized as a norm yet, but people are slowly accepting it is a more normal thing to see. 

The other reason I say that socialization is making progress is that my dads boyfriend is living proof you don’t have to comply to your “frames” and “lens” that tell you who you are to society. He is Chilean, and didn’t have all the opportunities as Americans did. Despite that he learned 6 different langues, fluently. Became an amazing translator. Then became a VP of Chase. He overcame his “frame” by being told by his family to be a doctor, and to be straight. Not only did he stay true to himself, but he also left his social group that he was born into, and moved into the upper class. His “lenses” is what he knows he is. He knows he’s a successful, driven, independent Chilean man. He doesn’t let his sexual preference define him, or hold him back from any future accomplishments. Back in the day he probably would have been oppressed or treated with prejudice, because of his sexual orientation or his race. The fact he has been able to come this far shows that socialization in our culture shows progress to a more accepting culture today.