Autobiography

Autobiography

Name

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Author Note

Autobiography

Introduction

Human being have to depend upon others to fulfil most of his basic needs. Man lives in groups and societies to fulfil his socio-economic, and emotional needs. Living in societies is essential for human being for their survival. Individuals and society have a profound connection. Every individual's behavior determines the overall social and cultural norms of a society. In return, society also affects human behavior. Every individual's behavior is highly influenced by the events he faced in his life ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"2myYyl6e","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Macfie, 2013)","plainCitation":"(Macfie, 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":994,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/JJ5N4R8A"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/JJ5N4R8A"],"itemData":{"id":994,"type":"book","ISBN":"1-315-01652-4","publisher":"Routledge","title":"The individual in society: Papers on Adam Smith","author":[{"family":"Macfie","given":"Alec Lawrence"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Macfie, 2013). Society and people around him determine not only his actions but also affects the thought process of an individual. Each person we meet in our life has an impact and influence over our lives. Society influence our behavior directly or indirectly. The behavior of an individual somehow depends upon the socio-cultural norms of society and each individual's behavior affects the overall culture and nature of the society ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"iyUAEwqu","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Barrow & Smith, 1996)","plainCitation":"(Barrow & Smith, 1996)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":993,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/WR2RNIV3"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/WR2RNIV3"],"itemData":{"id":993,"type":"book","ISBN":"0-314-04444-2","publisher":"West Publishing Company Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN","title":"Aging, the individual, and society","author":[{"family":"Barrow","given":"Georgia M."},{"family":"Smith","given":"Patricia A."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1996"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Barrow & Smith, 1996). There is a two-way cause and effect relationship between the individual and the society. Society plays its role in determining the behavior of an individual and vice versa.

In the essay, I will discuss some of the life events that influenced my behavior as an individual and made me who I am. I will explain the socio-cultural impacts of these events that played a key role in the determination of my behavior.

Migration to the US

I was born and brought in Kenya, a county of the African continent. I belonged to a middle-class family of Kenya and I spent my childhood there. In June 2013, I migrated to the US with my family and started study here. Migration to the US was one of the most significant events of my life. This event of my life has very strong impacts over me and influence my behavior. Migration to the US from a developing country of Africa has entirely changed my life pattern and behavior.

There was a huge cultural and social difference between the US and Kenya. Kenya was a developing country with its specific socio-economic norms. While America was the land of opportunities. People around the globe come here for different purposes. They came from different socio-economic values and became a part of American society. American society was greatly influenced by these migrators. In the US, I meet the person belonged to different cultural and ethnic background. There can be found two tiers of cultures in American society. The first one was the overall and inclusive culture of American society. In the second tier of American culture, one could find huge socio-cultural diversity. There could be found people belonged to different ethnicities, races, colour, and nationalities. One could see people practising different religions. All these migrators were a part of American society. But at the same time, people who belonged to different backgrounds could be seen practicing their native cultural, social and religious norms. In the US, I was granted the opportunity to observe and absorb these cultural differences. In contrast with the culture of Kenya, America has a very progressive and liberal culture.

If I look back at the six years that I spent in the US, I found huge changes that came to me within this time period. During the last six years, I became a more social and communal person as compared to my social capacities in Kenya. In the early years of my stay in America, I also felt a sense of insecurity. The insecurity that came to a person when he had to live as a minority. The insecurity that a person felt in a new place and culture. The fear of rejection from society. Although with the passage of time, my fears and insecurities demolished. But they left a very strong impact over me. My insecurities of the early years of my stay in America made me a more polite and friendly person.

Finding the Truth

Another event that entirely trembled me inside out happened on 13 October 2017. On that day, I met my biological father for the first time in my life. After separation from my father, my mother married another person when I was a child. Throughout my life, I considered my stepfather as my biological father. My mother also kept it secret from me until the start of 2017. That was a shocking event for me to hear it from my mother that her husband is not my biological father. In my entire childhood, I never observe a good relationship between my mother and stepfather whom I considered as my biological father at that time. Disputes and clashes between my mother and stepfather were a routine matter. My stepfather was a very abusive and aggressive person. His abusive language and physical torching was not a new thing in our home in my childhood. Although I considered my stepfather as the true one, I never enjoyed an enthusiastic relationship with my step farther ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"leme9AJE","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wells & Rankin, 1991)","plainCitation":"(Wells & Rankin, 1991)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":996,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/K2RUL446"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/K2RUL446"],"itemData":{"id":996,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Social problems","issue":"1","page":"71-93","title":"Families and delinquency: A meta-analysis of the impact of broken homes","volume":"38","author":[{"family":"Wells","given":"L. Edward"},{"family":"Rankin","given":"Joseph H."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1991"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wells & Rankin, 1991). At that time, I thought that all fathers of the world practiced the same abusive things as the routine of my stepfather. This environment of our home had severe implications over me.

My first meeting with my biological father was a unique event in my life. I could not understand my true emotions at the moment when my mother revealed the truth. My feelings were a mixture of many emotions. I was curious to meet my father and at the same time, I felt sad to know this secret so late. After the revelation of this truth, I was better able to understand many of my past experiences with my stepfather. Before my first meeting with my biological father in October 2017, my emotions towards my father were also on a mix. I felt angry, curious, sad, and happy at the same time. But after the meeting with my father, we developed a good relationship. We often had meetings on weekends ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"dXaNUTvV","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Burchinal, 1964)","plainCitation":"(Burchinal, 1964)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":998,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/9G2FKSTN"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/9G2FKSTN"],"itemData":{"id":998,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Journal of Marriage and the Family","page":"44-51","title":"Characteristics of adolescents from unbroken, broken, and reconstituted families","author":[{"family":"Burchinal","given":"Lee G."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1964"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Burchinal, 1964). We spent time together and shared our thoughts on different issues. He often discussed my future plans and gave his views and suggestions.

Concluding Remarks

There are many events outside the control of a human being that can possess the power to determine the course of human life. People and society around a person not only can change the actions of a person but they also hold the power to influence the thinking process of a person ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"H9aDX3pN","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hodder, 2013)","plainCitation":"(Hodder, 2013)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":995,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/6PG2JXTW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/6PG2JXTW"],"itemData":{"id":995,"type":"chapter","container-title":"The Meanings of Things","page":"84-91","publisher":"Routledge","title":"Style and changing relations between the individual and society","author":[{"family":"Hodder","given":"I."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2013"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hodder, 2013). My migration to the US was out of my control and it has very strong impacts over me that would last forever. My migration to the US opens up many opportunities for me. I became more confident and ambitious about my future life. Gradually but unintentionally, I was becoming a part of American society. The socio-cultural norms of American society were becoming an integral part of daily life. While the impacts of Kenyan culture were faded.

In the same way, the second event of my life has lifetime implications on me. After observing the relationship between my mother and stepfather, I find it difficult to engage in emotional and romantic relationships ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"wIaI5sd9","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Farrington, 2005)","plainCitation":"(Farrington, 2005)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":997,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XCKTB9TT"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XCKTB9TT"],"itemData":{"id":997,"type":"article-journal","container-title":"Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy: An International Journal of Theory & Practice","issue":"3","page":"177-190","title":"Childhood origins of antisocial behavior","volume":"12","author":[{"family":"Farrington","given":"David P."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2005"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Farrington, 2005). My past experience with my family especially with my stepfather makes me more pessimistic about such types of relationships. This event of my life became a source of emotional instability for me.

References

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Barrow, G. M., & Smith, P. A. (1996). Aging, the individual, and society. West Publishing Company Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN.

Burchinal, L. G. (1964). Characteristics of adolescents from unbroken, broken, and reconstituted families. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 44–51.

Farrington, D. P. (2005). Childhood origins of antisocial behaviour. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy: An International Journal of Theory & Practice, 12(3), 177–190.

Hodder, I. (2013). Style and changing relations between the individual and society. The Meanings of Things (pp. 84–91). Routledge.

Macfie, A. L. (2013). The individual in society: Papers on Adam Smith. Routledge.

Wells, L. E., & Rankin, J. H. (1991). Families and delinquency: A meta-analysis of the impact of broken homes. Social Problems, 38(1), 71–93.