Where I Fit In

Where we grow up and how we are raised defines you as a person. It isn't until later in life where someone starts to find out who THEY are as a person.

I was born in Norwalk, CT. Being of Hispanic origin, I have grown up in a religious family who is deeply ingrained in tradition. Being brought up this way has instilled certain principles in my personality that i have already noticed. Things like respect, faith, and a sense of being "family oriented". While learning my hispanic family traditions I was also learning the ways of american culture. I'd go home after a day of all english and walk into a house blasting spanish novellas and the smell of arroz con pollo cooking in the kitchen. Both cultures have affected my life in countless ways, and now being in New Haven, one of Connecticut's largest cities, I am learning new ways to look at life and taking mental notes so that if i ever need this knowledge i'll be ready. As life goes on I will experience countless other cultures and it'll be then when I actually start to become my own person.

Does our social identity increase our responsibility of other people? I believe it does. I manage a good friend as a rapper and we have just recently started to work on starting our own record label. As a person who has been raised with in a "family oriented" mindset  if i had the means to put on friends and family then why not? I wouldn't give out money I'd give friends and family opportunities for them to live out there dreams. A friend of mines wants to become a Taylor. He has an incredible sense of fashion and has already begun work on his own line. If our music was to somehow catch on and spread through the masses it would bring our label millions of dollars, and with that success. I would invest in his clothing company and give him a shot to live his dream.

Earth is a messed up place full of selfishness and rats but i've always said to be the difference you want to see. We only have one life. If I get on, i'm taking as many people as i can with me.

            I believe the society we live in defines us more than we define ourselves. I believe there are certain things that define us no matter what the circumstances are, but they are not the majority. An example of something that the society I live in taught me to like is music by Eminem. This, for me, is societal because if I had grown up in strict surroundings and was only allowed to listen to say, classical music, I would be used to a certain sound and probably would not enjoy Eminem. People, who are bred to enjoy certain music, and dislike other music, tend to not change (with exceptions to extreme circumstances such as the rock and roll era). Something that I enjoy because of my own personal creativity is reading. I honestly think that no matter what my circumstances would have been if given the chance, I would always enjoy reading.

If I had to put a percentage on how much society defines us I would say about 80 percent, and I would contribute 20 percent to our personal choice/creativity. I choose this number because we are all born as people. I understand not everything is the same, but we are humans and we are made up of bones and muscles and skin. Most of us are given the same basic, capable package when we are born, but it is our environment which shapes us. It is the people we are surrounded by, the events which we live through, and the opportunities we are presented with that indefinitely shape us. There are concrete identities within our souls, but these identities are shaped by all the happenings in our lives.

I believe we as people do share a moral responsibility to each other. In the broadest sense we are all people and we are all trying to live and prosper. I do believe that we share a greater responsibility to those close to us, and I believe that is important. I am first responsible for myself, because if I am not well there is no way I can help other people. After myself I hold myself responsible for my family; my mother who is chronically ill, my sister who often needs guidance, and my nephew and nieces who need someone to look up to. My friends come directly next and I often treat my friends like family, most of my friends are very close to me and I would do anything for them. I am also a volunteer so I like to help out my community, state, and those who are less fortunate than me. I give to other countries far away when I can, and I believe if you are capable you should. But it is a sincere belief of mine that all people who are able should take responsibility for those closest to us. If everyone uses this mentality then eventually it will expand throughout the world and people who need help will receive it. If I had to make any type of moral law it would be to suggest people give what they can, and maybe try to prioritize some the extras in their lives. Many of us are wealthy in so many ways and take so many basic things for granted. It is important to realize how others suffer, and how we can make things easier for all people, one small step at a time.

Social Identity and Moral Responsibility

            I believe the surroundings people lives in, in our societies can shape our lives. People that live around and up can to. Some people are brought up in bad neighborhoods and therefore some tend to do bad things they regularly wouldn't do if they lived in a good neighborhood.  The people who live in better areas may do and think better than those that grew up in bad areas as well. They may do things that change the way people live their lives and how they will act in society. What defines us by our society is how we go about living our life in the surroundings we were brought up in. People don’t think so, but we are actually given chances in life every day, it’s like life gives us a new opportunity to do something different to change the way we were brought up that could give you a chance to change your life.

Something that the society I live in taught me is how to treat others with respect and how to never disrespect  the people you meet or know because one day you may need help and those you treat or treated bad will never help you. My mother always told me to be kind to those who don’t know what kind is and teach them how to be. You never know where that person came from or what they went through in their life to become the person they are today. Other than respect the society I live in also taught me how to act because when you see those around you, you tend to act different  learned firsthand in 6^th grade acting like others was no good and the price it came with was deadly. That day I took into consideration why people make certain decisions in their life and why some people act based on where they came from and the society they live in. My own choice resulted from my own choice of acting like others and I learned that being myself was better.

Our social identity does increase the responsibility for other people. Family and close friends were some examples that we went over in class and how we should feel responsible for them. How we grow up as a person can influence those around us as well as our community as a whole in either a good or bad way. Some feel that they’re obligated to be responsible for who raised them when they get older and that’s the way it should be based on how they brought you up as a child. It is our moral responsibility to help anybody who needs help family, friend or stranger.  It’s called paying it forward and It would be wrong to not help a person in need of help no matter how they were brought up or what area they live in. It is only moral to do so and to help others in need.

Social Identity and Moral Responsibility

Since the moment of an individuals birth, the world is imposed on them. The world that is imposed on them of course, differs from culture to culture. From childhood you try to emulate what your caretakers display. From the beginning you are taught what is good and what is evil. A child's reality is limited to what the individual is exposed to. As the individual grows up and starts to discover new experiences he finds himself in a contradiction.

For example lets say that the individual observes another person stealing. Now the individual reaches a contradiction. The individual was taught that stealing was evil. The individual then has a choice to continue to believe that stealing is evil; which was imposed by the environment growing up. Or denounce what he was taught, and give into doing evil. This I believe is what creates a persons identity. The decisions that the individual makes, and the way the individuals interprets the world is its identity. The identity is defined by the factors in society which the individual was exposed to growing up. Individuals are a product of their environment, however they do have the choice to change.

Growing up my father was in the military. Ever since I could remember I wanted to serve in the military; after all I wanted to be like my dad. As a result when I turned 18 I joined the military. A choice that completely rearranged the way I look at the world. Joining the military exposed me to things that I wish to never see, or experience ever again. Things that I honestly would not even wish on my worst enemy. This for example, was a choice that I did on my own will. Influence by my environment. In turn, this choice defined the way I now think and conduct myself.

War is hell. It is almost impossible to construct in words what is felt during war. Love, joy, pain, sorrow, and death are all but parts of the emotional roller coaster in war. Being in two wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, I learned some truths about humans. One truth was that we as humans are so powerful, we could create such amazing things, yet we could destroy them with a single finger. This helped to understand how important a persons life is. If I were to ever be elected in to congress, I would be the one that would vote against war almost every time; unless it was absolutely necessary. Experiencing war, taught me that we as humans are evil by nature. We will do what ever it takes to keep ourselves alive and hold on to what we believe, killing anyone that doesn't believe in our values.

War also taught me about love. How a person can sacrifice his life for his fellow Marines. When you go oversees, politics and government goes out the window. All you give a shit about is the person to your left and your right. There is no greater feeling in the world knowing that the people standing to your flanks will lay down their lives for you; and that you would do the same. It's a moral responsibility that we upheld to one another. We call it “Death before dishonor.” This just didn't carry for the guys that shared the same trench, but to everyone who was over there. It felt great to be part of a society that had this sort of unselfish love. People are willing to sacrifice their lives so that our country will continue to thrive on.

It's funny when I think of it that way because, in essence we fought for America. America includes the ones who hate me for the color of my skin, or where I came from. The ones that hate me for worshipping a different God. Truth is, that we are one country, one people, one culture. We have a moral responsibility to take care of our own people in our society so that we can continue into the future. I put my neck on the line for people that never helped me, and people that I will never meet. So to me giving money to the poor, helping out the elderly is nothing compared to be asked to give your life. United we stand, and divided we fall. I guess I just want my children to be born into a world that is not as jacked up as this one.

What Makes You... You

            As individual I believe that we are creatures of our surroundings. As small as infants, we recognize what is going on around us and try to mimic what we see. The societies that we live in help form the individual simply by just absorbing what we see. Families and friends also contribute to how the individual is shaped. Through both of these factors every individual is unique and will make different decisions. When an individual is put into a situation he or she makes a decision on with no additional help. The way that the individual is brought up shapes them but the choices that the individual makes the individual who they are.

            When I was in high school like everyone I wanted to do a sport. From my social environment, my mom and dad, they told me that it was not a good idea to join any sports because of my asthma and also the rigorous schedule of an athlete. For the first few years of high school I learned to accept it until I realized that I really wanted to join a sport. As a result I tried out for cheerleading and made the team. Deal with the asthma and schedule was difficult but I was able to do it. My parents we not very supportive in the decision but in the end helped me out some.

            Social environment in my life shaped me to make me who I am. My beliefs and vales come from my social environment. I believe that the social environment that an individual gives one their beliefs and values because of how we absorb information. What makes me an individual are my choices that I have made. I also believe that our social environment helps persuade our individuality but not completely.

            Our social identity does increase our responsibility for other people. We do have a moral responsibility to the people in our lives. The closeness to the person would make the responsibility greater than if the person was unknown. Also the people that raised us we would have a great moral responsibility because they took care of us and made us who we are. If the people that helped shape who you are was absent was not there most of the time I believe that the individual has a moral responsibility to help. Social identity gives a person somewhat of a responsibility to people that are unknown. If you are a person that is able to help out other you should. It is a moral responsibility as a person to give back to the people that need it. Others might disagree with this but it is because they have a different social identity and different morals. Regardless if they agree or not they should be responsible to give back when possible and help out the people that were close and helped shape them. 

Social Identity and Moral Responsibility

Alexandra Spencer

            I believe that we are all a product of our environment. Humans by nature are creatures of habit. We also do what is most comfortable to us and don’t very often stray from the norm. So to break away and become a complete individual away from the society norms can be a very difficult thing. I think that many are able to be themselves in some ways but are usually have more quality of their environment or social context in which they grew up in.

            I grew up in a very close knit community where everyone knows everyone. There are community gatherings and people are always hanging out in the social groups of the community. This always gave me a good sense of people and community and knowing that there will always be someone there to have your back. But on the other hand this has made many of the people living here close minded to other people of other backgrounds or allowing new people into the community. Most of the people that grew up here have stayed in the area and are married to the people from the area and now are starting families. While I do love my community and the people that live around me I have become a very open minded individual and very open to many different types of people from all different backgrounds. I also have no intention of staying and living here and getting married to someone here. This is a part of my own individual thinking that I want to be a different person and move on and move away from the social norms that surround me here.

            I feel that since I grew up in such a community of people who always have your back I think that you do have some sort of a responsibility to the people around you and that are close to you. If any of my family members or my very close friends needed me I would be there for them without any questions asked. My family and the people around me have helped shaped me because they have shown me to be the person that I want to be and don’t want to be. Even though I may more open minded than most of them and not want to continue to live here for the rest of my life I do, however, take the morals of caring for the people that are close to me and helping people that are in need. This could be even if you don’t necessarily want to help at the time but you know the next time that you need help they will be there for you as well. 

Social Identity and Moral Responsibility

We are greatly influenced by the societies that we live in. The people and environment around us shape who we are, but not entirely. I think that people tend to want to blend into the environment that they are in and use their environment as a way to define who they are. Sometimes when people blend into a bad environment it can be harmful. However, there have been many cases of people coming out of bad environments as good people so I believe that our societies don't entirely control out identity. I think that people cannot entirely do defined by the societies they live in. Societies are very complex so its hard to say they everyone in a particular society has a particular experience. Most people within a society have a similar experience and conform to their culture. People use the people around them to define and understand themselves.
I think that because I have lived in many different types of environments it has helped me to become a well rounded individuality. I went to a diverse high school that helped me to appreciate all different types of people and be accepting. I think a big part of who I am is the struggles that I have faced in life and they many lessons I have learned. Me being passionate about traveling has been something that has came up from my own choice and creativity. I was raised by my dad who isn't that into seeing new places but I have always have a passion for exploring new places for as long as I can remember. I am also the only person in my environment going up that was creative. I think that a big part of me is not shaped from my environment but rather my individuality and creativity.

I think that our social identity can increase our responsibly for others but not all the time. For example if there has been a person that has had a big positive influence on your life you have a responsibly to care for them. However, for people that have had a negative influence on your life you have no moral responsibility for them. It is possible for people to be close to us but not  have a positive influence on our life. However I think that a lot of what decides is right and wrong is up to the individual. I wouldn't be right to say that everyone has a responsibility for the people who have positively effected your life. Sometimes people are effected in a positive way by people who are negative and vise-versa.
Ultimately I think that moral responsibility for other people should be that if people do good things to you, you should return the favor.

Social Identity and Moral Responsibility

Everyday our surroundings have influenced us in some way and have somewhat shaped us into the person that we are today.  We define ourselves not only as what we think about ourselves as a person but what we surround ourselves with.  As I was growing up many events that happened in my life and my surroundings made me into the person that I am today.  I was raised in a divorced family, although this might be a very common thing in todays day I had a different type of divorced situation.  Both my mom and my dad remained best friends even after both of them remarried.  This event as a whole has 100% defined me into the person that I am.  This situation has taught me many life lessons that will stick with me for forever.  

Having divorced parents for many leads to depression, anger, guilt and many more negative emotions, but for me it was the complete opposite.  Having divorced parents shaped me into a very understanding, loving, forgiving, caring person just because it was very influential as I was growing up.  It made me find a growing love and passion for helping people.  I was always very happy because my home life was great and it impacted that way that I would act.  Ever since  I was in 6th grade I had decided that I would give my summers to those who needed it most.  I worked all day everyday at a camp for the mentally challenged and disabled.  I was more then overwhelmed that I could give all of my love and passion to those who needed it most.  Working at that camp for over 6 years has definitely influenced me into the person that I consider myself to be today.

Both your surroundings and your own choices affect who you are equally.  Although your surroundings might have a bigger impact on you you still at the end of the day make your own decision wether or not it is influenced by some outside force.  Each of these factors together make the person that you are.  Decisions in your life might be influenced but at the end of each day you are you and you run your own life.

Our social identity does effect others because we all influence each other is some way.  Whether its just a simple idea placed in ones head or if it is a very serious event, we effect each other in some way.  We were put on this earth to help one another not to put each other in danger even though this happens quite often.  Especially in a community type setting social identity plays a huge factor in this type of environment.  In life others shape you into and influence you by there presence because they too come with baggage.  We however are responsible for what ideas we put onto others, we must manage ourselves and others.  It is our moral responsibility as humans to care for one another, to take responsibility, and to influence each other in positives ways so that each of our social identities are positive and special.

Social Identity and Moral Responsibility

One way in which the outside world has influenced me, is when I started learning Spanish. When I went to college and started taking classes I decided that it made perfect sense to learn the language and I started getting interested. This interest was brought on by the many Spanish speakers in this country. I thought to myself that it would make me smarter, better rounded, and a better communicator. Just the thought of being able to speak another language and to be able to speak to others that you normally can’t, opened up the world.

 Something that happened as my own choice of creativity was becoming an eagle scout. When I was a cub scout my parents kind of forced me to do it, but over the years I really enjoyed it and chose to keep with it out of my own decisions. I chose what merit badges to do and I was determined to get eagle. I guess this event in my life stemmed from my love for the outdoors. I like camping and being outside so I influenced myself to stay with it.

When it comes to influence over our lives I think about 65% is determined by society and 35% is determined by personal desire. Most decisions are influenced by “what’s this person going to think” or “does this look good”. People take the opinions of other people very seriously and let it mold the good majority of everyday actions. Now when your home or in private or just on occasion everybody forgets and doesn’t care what others think and just do what they want. Although everybody does wish that they influenced themselves 100% that’s not the case.

Living in a society as most Humans do is something we’ve done in order to help each other out in our lives. We depend on each other for support in life. Weather its help in farming, building shelter, hunting, or any other things in life we need support from others to do it effectively. On our own it would be difficult to get everything that one needs to survive done on time. Yes our social identity does increase our responsibility of others. We need to be more responsible so that we don’t put others in danger. We need to help others out of danger so that we can continue to benefit from their help. Being part of a community helps us feel safe and somewhat secure from the outside elements of the natural world. You can depend on those around you if you really need to and you’re less likely to die. Society also gives people a sense of belonging by giving them a position that they can help the community benefit with. If you help the community survive longer than it gives you a sense of worth. Also it allows for people to concentrate fully on one job instead of minimally on multiple jobs. There is a reason why people don’t like camping or going out into the wilderness and this is because of the lack of civilization. This scares people and makes them want to leave.

Moral Luck

     Moral Luck is assigning moral judgment, blame or praise, to a person’s circumstance, even if said circumstances aren’t completely in the person’s control. An example of this in my own life would be something as simple as when I went to the movies with my Aunt, my cousin and my sister. After the movie was over we decided to exit out of a side door rather than walking back through the lobby. I later learned that at the same time that my movie ended a former friend of my, who my family hated, was waiting in the lobby for his movie to start. Although this example may seem nothing more than trivial, had I seen him that day at the theater, I would have never heard the end of it from the three of them. In many ways you could argue that many coincidences in life are an example of moral luck.

Kant believes that external conditions outside one’s control should not influence moral judgment, including character and blameworthiness. He wouldn’t give any credence to moral luck. According to Kant the intention behind an action is what determines whether it is ethical, not the consequences of the actions. Therefore, if the man who ran the red light did not indented to kill the child than he shouldn’t be judged based on the vehicular homicide but instead the reason why he ran the red light. If he intended the run the red light to beat a crowd or because he was running late than he should be judged based on his selfish behavior. On the other hand if he ran the red late because his wife was in the back seat in labor and he wanted to get her to the hospital as soon as possible than the moral judgment would be altered. All in all Kant denies the existence of moral luck, therefore making it impossible for it to be a serious ethical issue. Kant places the entire moral status of our character on us as an individual. I too do not believe in the idea of moral luck  because I do not think you can hold one responsible for the working of fate, so I do not believe that it is a serious ethical issue.