Growing Up in The Park: Reflections on My Sub-Culture

As part of her master's work, Freya was asked to consider her own sub-cultures through several theories of social psychology. In this essay Freya objectively explores her experience growing up in the Glenview society of the General Church as a sub-cultural influence on her thinking and life choices. Her writing draws on her situation but prompts the reader to consider his or her own experience.

When asked to describe my culture, I could tell you that I was raised in a typical middle-class suburb of the Midwestern United States. However, when I probe further it becomes apparent that I belong to a particular and distinct sub-culture. Religious beliefs, community interactions, and family ties combined for over a century to produce the specific niche which I inherited. This culture is largely responsible for who I am today, and although my experience is unique, I can relate many aspects of my life to descriptions provided by prominent developmental theorists. Here, I will describe several significant stages of my life with regard to my specific sub-culture, and offer insights connecting my experiences to selections from the developmental theories of Erik Erikson, Lev Vygotsky, Urie Bronfenbrenner, Viktor Frankl, and Lawrence Kohlberg.

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