Social Capital Autobiography

Tuition and finances are among the most commonly inquired topics regarding college. Socioeconomic status, one’s social and economic position within society, directly and indirectly influences the ability to attend college. It directly relates to the financial aspect of higher education. One explanation for this is the human capital theory, which suggests a negative correlation exists between parents’ income and educational level and the amount of student loan debt their

My mother is a enormous factor in my ethical thinking. Till I was about five years old it was just me and her. She is a strong working women and nothing can stop her. For the longest time I didn’t really think anything about it. It was just me and my mom against the world. I came to realize that she was someone I wanted to grow up to be. No matter what happened she was always there for me. Another big factor was my Aunt. She was about sixteen when I was born and thought the world of me. No matter if she was really young she would help my mom take care of me. She was never afraid to tell me what was right and wrong. With my aunt being so young I saw her grow up into a mature adult. Many people I am friends with are because

I was born in Dallas, Texas but when I was 3 years old I was taken to my parents’ home country, Mexico. My mother took my younger sister and me to Mexico while my father stayed in the United States and worked to provide for us. I spend 6 years in Mexico and I went to school there. I had an amazing childhood in the place my parents were born and had the opportunity to grow up around my family and culture. I became a fond lover of the traditions and the peaceful life of what I consider my country. I have many amazing memories from living in Mexico. The way everything called for a celebration where everyone was invited. The dedication that every festival I attended showed. Simply all the traditions that even when I live miles away from Mexico have stuck with me, things I still celebrate with my family every year. I love to be able to call myself Mexican American and to be able to share my parents. My love for Mexican culture plays a role in my decision to want to go to Spain. I want to see where some of the customs I know originated from and see where my ancestors came from.

College is the next stepping stone to better or advance ones social standing in life, whether it is moving from a blue collar lifestyle to white collar, or to continue to further their career path. However, it comes with an “unavoidable result.” Alfred Lubrano discusses this “unavoidable result” in his text “The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts.” Lubrano discusses the topic of how furthering ones education opens more possibilities but at the same time distances those held most dearly. He explains that the more knowledge gained, the bigger the gap caused between friends and family due to differences in levels of knowledge. That distance is greatly increase if one comes from a poorer region where blue collar workers are the social

I would say that Relay For Life is a good example of a social capital institution. Every person that is involved with Relay share's the common goal of raising awareness and money for a common cause. By being a part of an organization where you are surrounded by people with a common interest, not only can you benefit but the other people involved can benefit from it. I think that this is a great way to be engaged in civic life and to be involved with not only other people who participate in Relay, but also with other members of the community who benefit from all of the time and effort put into raising money for the American Cancer Society.

As technology evolves and the price of higher education increases, alternatives to College are considered. Some people don’t believe a college education is necessary to be successful. Instead, they decide to go into business for themselves, using the skills and crafts that they 've developed on their own time to become entrepreneurs. In this day and age, it is easier than ever to learn from the comfort of ones home and actually get a degree in something with a high pay out, such as a real estate license or accounting degrees. But what social skills will be gained from sitting in pajamas on the couch? In college, you not only finish with a degree, you get real world experience. College is necessary for success and survival.

What Is College For? By Gary Gutting is an analytical article upon the importance of a higher education to the public, he begins by discussing the statistics of what college has deemed worthful to people after their education. It was evident that many found it to be useful later on in life and helped them mature and grow intellectually. Gutting also points out that although many people find themselves to be successful later on after college that not everybody had the same experience, many had to drop out for the fact that a higher education was considered to be too expensive, or dropout rates too high. It is evident that he deems college to be an investment for many people who were fortunate enough to attend, therefore, providing the habits of mind of engagement, persistence, and openness to display how they play key points to the qualifying traits of a college student.

When I first saw in the syllabus the type of paper we would be writing for this course I thought about what culture means to me. What was the culture of my family? Where did we come from? How did we end up in Virginia? How did we end up believing some of the things we believe? To me culture was basically how I was raised—my behaviors, beliefs, values, and ideas cultivated during my youth and its evolvement as I grew into an adult. This truly was to be a very interesting and involved quest for information. Though I attempted to use websites such as www.genealogy.com and www.ancestry.com, I found most of the information from a couple of the adults in my family. Adults? I, too, am an adult, but in my family, age comes

Many recent college graduates have faced record levels of unemployment. This situation has lead people to question what they value about higher education. Some high school students and their parents are wondering if a college education is worth the cost. Others, however, believe that a college prepares students for more than just a job or career. Many people then present the counter argument that people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg did not have a college degree, but unlike them most people are not geniuses and do not have the same entrepreneurial opportunities available to them, let alone the innovative ideas and proper timing. A college education is worth the cost because it is a requirement for many jobs, college graduates make substantially more than high school graduates, and college provides more opportunities for personal growth and networking.

My friends and I study together as well as go places and hang out during the weekends. And to be honest, it has really helped calm me down. I frequently got burned out from studying or just felt defeated, but talking to people and doing social things is relaxing. I would say I had decent social capital when I entered NIU, I wasn’t an outcast, but I was not very outgoing. I really do think it is essential to be social and relax with friends, or else you can really put a strain on yourself. It also does not hurt to practice social skills and get to know people who could end up in positions of power. Relaxing and increasing your social capital are two very important aspects I have

• Describe the concepts of capital and globalization presented in the introductory essay. Karl Marx is describing capital as a social order based on the class of people (Longhofer).

Coming from an upper middle class family, buying the items I needed for college wasn’t cheap, however, because of the financial stability and amount of capital my parents make, the cost of college was manageable. For people in other countries, purchasing the clothes, technology, books and school supplies, would take them over 20 years of their salary to afford. The common cliche saying college students say is, “I’m a college student, I 'm not rich”. While compared to the super wealthy in America, yes, college students are poor. Many college students get jobs to pay for student loans, food, and other items that are both items of want and need. In many countries around the world, many people make $1.25 or less per day. They are working long, strenuous and arduous hours just to afford enough for survival and to keep their families safe. College students capital versus a person in poverty’s capital are quite polarized where a college student owns and has a plethora more amount

This is true because many people receive high grade point averages in college however, not everyone can build top-tier networks in search for jobs. In many instances, approving reputations built by parents transcend on their children. This gives the children an upper edge of others because since birth, the children are deemed to be just as or more successful than their parents. Networks help college kids get high-paying jobs without going through the hassle of staying with a company long term in hopes of getting a raise. There are many ways of creating connections such as fraternities and sororities, sports teams, or clubs and organizations. Facts from Investopedia and USA Today support the affirmation that networks and connections are more important which give merit to the

Man is a product of the culture in which he is born and brought up. For the same reason, no one can negate the influence of the society in forming one’s personality. I am well aware of the fact that my views, thoughts, and attitude have been shaped by the society I live in; hence, any attempt to sketch my personal experiences would be incomplete without referring to the part played by my surroundings. Throughout my life, I have paid utmost importance to initiating and maintaining interpersonal relationships with others. I had to face varied situations out there, both joyous and depressing. However, each instance was a great lesson for me to learn several things about my practical life – I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that I have learned more outside the four walls of my classroom than within them. My autobiography is closely associated with my social connections including my experiences with my family, educational institution, and the larger society I reside within.

Throughout life, people are influenced by others when it comes to career paths. For example, career paths can be directed by our backgrounds such as family and culture. The career path I chose has been influenced by family and those who support me and encourage me during school. The career path, I have chosen is to work with women survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. I will discuss how self-assessments helped me gain an understanding, which careers might be worth pursuing because of my interests.