Gender Aspect
My female gender has affected my life in both negative and positive ways. The gender roles in the Hispanic culture have shaped my life because of being exposed to very tough roles and responsibilities that I have committed to undertake passionately. As a female in the Hispanic culture, I have been forced to portray high levels of responsibility in all my endeavors, be it religious and show maximum self-sacrifice in whatever I do. The exposure has helped me to develop quality values and principles in life that ascertain that I am always responsible in whatever I do. Through the religious commitment, I have been able to live a straightforward life based on my strong religious background.
My female gender has shaped my life by making me develop the virtues of patience and dedication in managing and running the household chores. The Hispanic culture has taught me to be responsible for the family issues and ensure all the activities within my family are done as expected (Mabogunje, 2015). As a Hispanic woman, I have gained a lot from the Hispanic gender roles since I have been raised in the culture and grown up in a very religious family too.
Moral Development
My moral development has been shaped by my experience having grown in a very religious family that embraces the Hispanic culture fully. The moral development process can be explained well using the Kohlberg stages of moral development, which are presented in three levels. The first level is the pre-conventional morality that is experienced by young people and it involves the stages of punishment and obedience orientation and individualism and exchange (Green & Piel, 2015). The second level of the theory is the conventional morality that is portrayed by adolescents and adults and it involves the stages of good interpersonal relationships and maintaining the social order. The last level of Kohlberg’s moral development process is the post-conventional morality, which involves the stages of the social contract and individual rights and universal principles.
Concerning the fourth stage of the Kohlberg's moral development process of maintaining the social order, my Hispanic culture has taught me to remain responsible and committed to serving my family and the entire community at large. I have developed the moral behavior of making judgments about my life in line with the already established principles and codes of conduct. I always try to uphold the laws governing the social life and avoiding committing mistakes that conflict with the status quo (Mabogunje, 2015). However, through my life experiences, I have advanced up to the final stage of the Kohlberg’s moral development process of universal principles. I have developed my set of moral guidelines, which apply to the principles of human rights, justice, and equality.
Cultural/Ethnicity Aspect
The parental and peer relationships play a major role in shaping the lives of people. They form the basis of the culture and ethnic background upon which the aspects of adolescent development are based on. Having been raised in the Hispanic culture by very strict parents and strong religious background, I have embraced the best aspects of my culture and the ethnic background. I have learned my culture through the interaction with my parents and peers, which has shaped my social orientation; hence, affecting all the aspects of my personal life. The Hispanic culture has taught me to be socially responsible to all the people who need me in their lives, having a sexual expression, and believing in whatever I commit to undertake (Green & Piel, 2015). Based on the lifestyle that I was brought up in, I have learned to be independent and show total commitment to the family responsibilities.
The Hispanic culture is responsible for my current social orientation since it has shaped my life to fit the cultural expectations of my society. It promotes male dominance in the society as females are viewed as minors in the families and the entire society. As women, we are expected to show patience and total dedication in running the household chores. We are very passive in matters concerning the development of the society and dedicate ourselves to family life (Mabogunje, 2015). The culture has helped me to develop a high passion for the well-being of my family but on the other hand, it has instilled rebellious behavior in me whereby I find it inappropriate to submit to the male dominance provided in my culture. It explains why I opted for divorce despite my parents opposing this move
Social Class Aspect
The parental social class has very intense impact on the human development of children as it influences their perception of life. I was raised up in a middle-level social class, which enabled me to attend some reputable schools. My family’s social class has influenced my life regarding my beliefs, my attitudes about life, my self-concept, and opportunities available for me (Green & Piel, 2015). It has given me the opportunity to interact with people from middle level and high-level social classes throughout my education and religious life. It has drastically shaped my attitude about life by preparing me to face life with a lot of confidence and with the surety of success in all my endeavors.
My family’s social class has also influenced my self-concept by boosting my self-esteem drastically. I have developed a positive belief and attitude about my personal capabilities making me realize that I can make things to happen in my favor. I am able to present my opinions and ideas about life to my colleagues without fear because of my high self-esteem. Despite the cultural orientation of the Hispanic society which gives males more power and authority, as a female, I have been able to challenge the male chauvinism adored in my culture (Green & Piel, 2015). I have broken the odds in the Hispanic culture by divorcing after 12 years of marriage without the approval of my parents. Although I find it necessary to be somehow conservative, I am liberal enough to make decisions that affect my personal life without consulting the external parties who may have contrary opinions and recommendations.
Identity Development
Identity in humans entails the self-definition that focuses on enduring the characteristics of oneself. Complete identity of individuals can be characterized by their morals, ethics, and standards within the society. My identity development process can be explained using the Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, which describes the process of developing a healthy personality based on ego identity (Kagitcibasi, 2013). Personally, I have developed a healthy ego identity in my life through the exposure to the strong Hispanic cultural beliefs and the overall social contexts. My exposure to challenging experiences in my family has shaped my identity since they have opened up my mind to see my capabilities in life using my independence.
The social learning theory of human development also argues that the personal identity is developed once self-awareness has been developed. Through my education process and interaction with people from different status, I have developed a strong personal identity, which has helped me recognize my self-worth. My identity has in turn affected my individual personality, life ambitions, interests, and my taste about life in general. The development of my identity has played a major role in directing my life since my identity has given me the courage to face life with determination and passion (Kagitcibasi, 2013). My personal identity development has been very instrumental in shaping my life as my current social status is based on my personal identity, which has been developed overtime.
Important Elements of My Identity
My personal identity is responsible for my current life; hence. I treasure the entire process of its development over many years. Through the knowledge obtained in all my levels of education, I can attribute my education to the development of my identity. Education has helped me to interact with people having a great personality who have boosted my self-esteem and developed my personal identity. My education status has shaped my career, which in turn has shaped my personal identity. Through my career, I have been able to realize my worth and appreciate the impact I have on my family and the entire society at large. My gender has been a significant contributor to my identity development since I have been exposed to the Hispanic culture, which favors males compared to females (Jones & Abes, 2013). Despite the challenge of female oppression, I have been able to rise and shine in a society where the perception is that women are only responsible for household chores.
My ethnic background has also influenced my identity since it is based on the cultural orientation that oppresses the female gender. However, this has served as my stepping stone since I have embraced the culture fully and at the same time devised ways of dealing with the oppressing provisions of my culture. My family has also molded my identity to a large extend. Being the youngest in my family of three with one brother and one sister, I have been able to learn from the experiences of my older siblings. The social class of my family, the strong religious background, and the strong Hispanic culture have shaped my personal identity up to now (Kagitcibasi, 2013). Considering the four elements of my identity development process, my gender and ethnicity have played more significant roles compared to career and family, whose contribution cannot be assumed.
Comparison of the Elements of my Identity
The four elements of my identity development have developed in different magnitude. The ethnicity element is fully developed because I am fully conversant with the Hispanic culture, and I have embraced it since I was a child. The gender element is highly developed because I am fully aware of the gender roles in the Hispanic culture to an extent of devising new ways of diversifying the female roles to more involving and significant roles. On the other hand, the element of career and family are still work in progress since they have not developed to the fullest (Jones & Abes, 2013). My career path is not fully developed since I have not reached the top level of my career while my family life is complicated considering that I divorced after 12 years of marriage after getting married young by the church.
Role Models Experiences
My parents have been my best role models because they have brought me up in a religious and culturally based life; thus, shaping the development of my identity. Their commitment to family and career life has inspired me to remain active in all my endeavors. My female lecturers in college have served as my role models because I believe that they were forced to break the odds of the Hispanic culture to pursue strong career paths which were preserved for the male gender. The role models have helped me develop my personal identity that has shaped my life (Jones & Abes, 2013).
References
Green, M. G., & Piel, J. A. (2015). Theories of human development: A comparative approach. New York: Psychology Press.
Jones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2013). Identity development of college students: Advancing frameworks for multiple dimensions of identity. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Kagitcibasi, C. (2013). Family, self, and human development across cultures: Theory and applications. London: Routledge.
Mabogunje, A. (2015). The development process: A spatial perspective. London: Routledge.
