Sociology

Provide professional and personal examples of how social groups (family, relationships, education, religion, and work) may influence you as an individual

Social networks are essential part of our daily lives. We oftentimes do not notice them, and rarely do we think about the benefits that they bring us. Social networks can be in any form yet we rarely think about the nature of their existence. Just as we dont spend much of our time thinking about the complexities of the chemical solutions of the air that we take, we also dont seem to think about the many ways that social networks or groups support and sustain our lives.

According to Stangor (2004), social networks are set of individuals, organizations, institutions and other social entities, connected by social relationships (p. 5). These social relationships can be in a form of friendship, loving and nurturing relationships such as that of a family, as well as other forms such as work and even information exchanges.

On the personal level, my family, as the most integral part of my life has been the basic but most influential social network I have. My family honed me into the kind of individual I am at the present moment. The values I hold are part of my upbringing. I was instilled with the values of individuality, of never giving-up attitude and of the sense of responsibility in everything I do. Whenever I face dilemmas or challenges in life, I always consult my family and ask for some guidance. In return, I always consider their ideas and insights because I know that they want to bring out the best in me.

When I faced the turning point of my life, it was my family who supported me all the way. I once had trouble in choosing for the kind of education I want to pursue, the kind of career I want to take. It was my family whom I first talked to. Its not because I dont have friends or close relationships, but because my family is the one closest to me and the ones who are always there even if I dont ask them to be there. Oftentimes, we tend to neglect those people around us. But in the most trying times, they are the ones who would stay. I am an independent person, but the concept of close family ties was deeply instilled on me. That is the reason why I always look up to my family when I am in a very difficult situation.

The very thing that helped me a lot during my most trying moments is the guidance of my parents. I was confused about my future and I did not know what path to take. I am what I am now because I followed my heart. I followed my heart because that was what my family told me. Indeed, the values that my family hold influenced the kind of life that I hoped to have.

Social networks such as relationships, education, religion and work also affect people in all walks of life. Education for instance influence us in the way we think, the way we react to certain situations, the way we reason out and the way we perceived our daily circumstances. Education can also forge us into better and responsible individuals who will eventually take on the challenge of transforming our very own lives and our society. Educational networks provide us with information and knowledge resources that are vital for us to be critical and rational in our dealings with others and in our daily circumstances. Education also enables us to view things in different perspectives and also facilitate our learning about the world around us. It has a great influence not only on our immediate needs but also on our future. What we have learned from our education will surely influence the kind of path we want to pursue.

Religion on the other hand, also plays a vital role on the way we view life. It influences us on the moral aspect of our circumstances. It gives us a different perspective on how to live life, how to deal with problems and helps us distinguish good from bad. Religion influences our actions towards others, our decisions, and our worldview. The values that our family holds may even be rooted from the religion they believe into. Aside from the spiritual enrichment that religion can bring us, it can also be a source of hope and inspiration as well as peace of mind.

Identify a social network with which you are a member. What is the role of social networks

Jordan (2006) wrote that social networks come in many different types and forms. One way to distinguishing one network from the other is through identifying who is involved and what role do they have in a persons life. Jordan (2006) classified networks into three general categories the informal networks, generalized network and institutional networks.

Informal networks are built among family members and friends. It is a type of network that is often characterized by strong emotion and complex, deep bonds. General networks on the other hand, are the kind of networks that are formed among people who belong to organizations or groups who share the same ideas, beliefs, values or common goals and activities. Examples of this type of network are neighborhood associations, faith-based organizations and professional associations. The third type of network is the institutional network. This network is often concerned about fairness of rules as well as official procedures. Institutional network is formed in relationship with or in response to directives from institutions (p. 11).

Examining the three types of networks, it is apparent that each of us can be involved or are oftentimes involved in all of the three types of network at any point in time. For instance, I live with my family, we share the same house and eat on the same table, and at the same time I also have several close friends whom I always stay in touch with. This can be my informal network. Sometimes, my networks can overlap especially when my close friends are also members of the faith community where I also belong. In this case, my informal and generalized networks are interconnected. My social networks, be it informal, generalized or institutional gives me support in any ways possible. The social support derived from my social networks is often the result of the interpersonal relationship I share with the people in those networks. These social supports can be instrumental, informational, emotional, and even spiritual.

One of the social networks I am into is my affiliation with a faith-based organization. It is that network whose role is more on giving meaning to life as well as empowerment. In this particular network, I deal with people who share the same goal and activities and even aspirations with me. When people have the same goal, they tend to act on the same direction. Its like the concept of many in body but one in mind. There is this collective action resulting from a common aspiration.

At the personal level, my affiliation in a faith-based organization enabled me to realize the vast potentialities I have in the depth of my life. The people in my organization helped me realize that happiness is something that we can achieve right now, irregardless of my background and experiences in life. My spiritual network provided me a framework on how to view life on the most profound sense. It also plays a major role in the decisions I make and in the kind of path I want to pursue. It enabled me to realize my mission in life as well as empowered me to truly transform myself from within.

In summary, social networks are important forerunners to our own development as well as of social support and the accumulation of social capital. They can influence us in ways that could eventually forge us into capable individuals. The existence of networks and social groups makes possible the collective action and mentality that fuels our passion to transform our lives and that of our society.