Integration

Going back to the time before undergoing the classes in SocSci, I used to view the world, people, society, others, and myself with a black-and-white lens. Despite this, something within me knew that things were not that simple, the world around and within me is much more complex than it seems, though I did not exactly know the deeper details as to how it was complicated. But slowly throughout the semester, I realized a few things about myself, the society or should I say societies I live in, and how these said societies and structures helped me in forming who I am today. For starters, I came to realize that I am part of a continuously globalizing world which entails that I cannot come to understand myself without understanding what it means to be a part of the globalizing community. I have a deeper understanding now of ‘who I am’, that there is not a single Chavit per se, but multiple identities, hybrid identities of myself that I can tap into whenever I see it fit for the environment I’m currently in, environments that gave birth to my identities. This is why I’m able to fit in multiple crowds and have varying cliques. Through taking a step back and looking more closely at my surroundings, I found that Society in general very much act the same way as bioecological systems, wherein in its complexity, in can be broken down into smaller subsystems. Societies are in a constant dynamic process wherein it continuously evolves and shapes me into the being I am, and in turn, I am able to contribute to how the structures within it are formed. But these societies are not limited to the real-life sphere, but also the digital field. I am able to portray a different side of me in the Online sphere given the relative freedom I have to pick how I want to be seen and which identity I want to utilize, this can be seen in my meme. Furthermore, I learned that at different stages in life these said structures, especially family, affect me differently in forming my identity/ies. I as a whole is created, formed, and molded by the realities, social structures, and cultures around me and as I continue to evolve, my contributions to those that preceded my being also change. But beyond that, I also saw that my understanding of myself is not as complete without the understanding of others. Through studying the concept of socialization, I am now able to question myself whether or not is who I am really who I am, or is it the manifestation of how others label me, and are the people around me really who they are or are they just acting in accordance to my personal perceptions of them? Lastly, I realized just how much an impact society and structures can bring to my Habitus as it is an embodiment of my social location. This goes back to while social structures do continue to mold me and evolve, it is through its influences that some aspects are maintained, and it is through my manifestation of those aspects that perpetuate the social structure that birthed my Habitus in the first place. Finally, I learned that even if I am shaped by the circumstances that surround me, I am not limited to what the world labels me as, and as a member of that world, I am able to go beyond my seemingly ‘defined’ self alongside others and it is I and they who make up the concept of each other’s selves.  And so as I end my paper, I think it is important that people understand that one can never truly know oneself completely as the road going there is long and complex and its finish line is constantly changing positions or maybe there isn’t a finish line to begin with.