Running head: ETHNOGRAPHIC

Tracy L. Hawthorne
Wayne State University
SW3510

ETHNOGRAPHIC

For me, a family means someone who can love another person
unconditionally with acceptance, for who they may be. People have a different
belief of what the word family means to them. Defining a family includes
three functions: getting married, having children and developing kinship
(Ashford, 2010, p. 151). That statement to me means, when two people
come together, gay and lesbian, people who may never have kids. My point
is in today world can you look at another human being and truly, in spite of
who they are, love them on a deep level. The most important primary role in
my life is family socialization, which plays a strong process as a human how
the childrens learnt and developed to be the adult persons they become.
Values and Religious Beliefs
In my family our faith is based on a strong Christianity foundation, it is the head of the
household. My familys cultural background as Baptists is structure and stability, as children we
were taught to value education as well. I agreed with belief as it is defined by the MerriamWebster Dictionary (2012) as conviction of the truth of some statement or the reality of some
being or phenomenon especially when based on examination of evidence (Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, 2012). My parents have instilled and taught me values at an early age, starting with
being raised in a Christian home. The technique that is shared by socialization is family beliefs,
ideas, values, tools and, norms that is how the childrens culture is formed.

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Through our culture, the children gain survival instinct that helps them adapt to society,
which helps them thrive in our environment. This means however, the most differences in human
behavior are a result of the environment (Ashford & LeCroy, 2010 p.72). Our family maintains
the interaction of close relationship with my mother continues dominant role in ongoing

socialization. This have influences the psychosocial development of my children socialization by

me instilled values that had strongly effect in my life into their life. However, another value my
father always taught us is respect was keyword letting me know it is earned not given to me. For
example, whenever making a commitment, keep your word by fulfilling your commitment, there
is no greater value than a person commit to keep their obligations.
By their being a high-value place on Christianity, family and friends, it bring me to feel
the most precious gift someone can give me is their time, simply being in today world people can
take back any and everything from another person. One thing you cant take back is that last
second or minute you spend with another human being. As a result, the teaching of values that
are taught as a child now shows up in my adult's hood and being a child growing up my family
always valued taking time out to do family active together. The values we were taught from both
of our parents side of the family were enforced. We came to celebrate tradition holidays and
birthdays were both side of the family come together as one. This value plant deep root feelings
down in my heart, when my grandfather move to Pensacola, Florida as a family we went there
every year on a two week vacation.
My parents would purchase enough seafood for every Friday throughout the year we will
have a fish fried at there home. As my sibling and I became adults, this became a regular

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tradition even as we develop our own family every year we are in Florida and every Friday Fish
being fried. Only one thing change since the death of my father is my oldest brother took over
the tradition that our father started with the fish fried. Nonetheless this is how today, I begin

having family gatherings at my home, the only different, is it dont have to be a special occasion,
for me to bring my family all together on a regular bases. My grandfather was a minister, who

came from a long line of preacher; he passed away years ago. Family values are similar to those
that our society holds; patriarchy, individualism, Judaeo-Christian Charity values, and
Democratic Egalitarianism. Patriarchy is a system in which power and authority are vested in
men (Day & Schiele, 2012, p.11). His first cousin Rev.W.L Cottrell is the
patriarch in my life, I learn a lot from him especially when moving to Atlanta, Georgia.
He play a key role in my education, to be 84 years old I admire how he get around by hisself and is still able to travel to Africa a lot at his age. My believes am still holding on to as a
Christian has been passed down to me from generation to generation, and I pass down to my
children. We believe God come first, then everything else will fall in divine order, and being we
are created equal means to me we should all be treated equally.
Family Norms
Social norms feelings that are fulfill by obligation and punishment may be the result for
not failing the complied to norms. To listen to our parents, to complete chores that are assign, to
give respect to each other, to be honest to each other and to behave. People are force to conform
to norms and certain punishment are decreases likelihood behaviors. We as children were
expected not to do drugs or drink alcohol, not to skip school, to do our homework, and be home

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on time after we are dismiss out of school. Once while in school my cosmetologist class was four
hours long, however I skip class my parents found out by the teacher calling to the house and
punishment was the result. The fear of being disciplinary action never allowed me to skip class
again. Due to this reason out of fear and consequences my response includes gender roles from
the family norms because of the masculine or feminine roles standards.

Attitudes Toward Illness and Death

My father retired from Chrysler Motor Company, as a retiree employees they are
mandatory to get a physical examination. During that time, a bump was notice on the back of my
father head. He was schedule to take a MRI exam, during the process there was an allergic
reaction, to the gadolinium contrast dye injection into him. Therefore, the hospital administrates
some Benadryl, as a result, my father looks as if he beaten in the head with a bat, and
hospitalized. During his stay at the hospital, it appears as if the skin on his face was peeling and
later he was issued some cream. For this reason, while speaking with my mom telling her he look
as if he was burn. Her reply at the time was {Tracy you are no doctor, stop questioning the doctor
and let him do his job.).
However, three day later my father was moved to Intensive Care Unit he was placed in a
bed made out of sand to absorb the fluid from his body. Apparently 24 hours later everywhere on
the human body where skin regenerates came off his body, making it hard for his body to
maintain interstitial fluids. He was burn from the inside out meaning subcutaneous, dermis, and
epidermis skin layer was damage. It took three hours daily to wrap his body from head to toe (He

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looks like a mummy). His body could not take it; his organs had started shutting down, in
conclusion, he dead of heart failure. This situation changes my life; I stood behind my beliefs

that my father body had react as if he had been badly burned. It was February of 2008, there was
forty cases reported, proofing the skin reaction as a burn when allergic to gadolinium contrast
dye.
The gadolinium attacks the organ shutting them down, and the result is heart failure
(Gerth. J 2013). However, the article was giving to my mother from me showing MRI is harmful

to some individual. For this reason, she went into a defense mechanism Maslows need (denial),
my mom never asks or spoke about it. Where sometimes it makes me wonder is that her way of
not thinking about if she should have asked more question. For this reason, February of 2008,
allowed me closer five years later after my father death and a beginning of my healing process
for me. On the behalf of the clients promoting social justice and social change is one of the
values myself determination makes me go over and beyond to complete a task. During this era
in life as a Surgical Technologist, integrity is practice on a daily base.
How May This Culture Influence Me?
For this reasons as a humanitarian, being a useful person is my life and reality. My life
has always been a part of helping people and every job opportunity, my work have been a
meaning in my life. In the social work my most population that is going be the most difficult for
me to advocate is assisting the group at hospice which I would work to improve care for the
dying and bereaved, In for this reason families be aware of places they have a choice of

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programs. And when the time comes to decide, information will by available by me to help the
family in this health care crisis that makes it difficult.
How Might My Culture Influence My Values?
Since being in this program, I never realize until participating in my class assignment.
How my family and cultural upbringing can impact the type of career or work
that I have

came to pursue. It also tends to shape the personal values and influences me
to be more informed when making decisions. Being awareness can serve as
an important reference point to help other, especially coming from a family
with strong roots in my culture thats hardworking industrious people.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I have examined the traditions and values of my family and how it plays a
great important role in socialization, beliefs, values, and teaching norms. It have allowed me to
understand my culture background from a research, taking a look at some part of my culture, I
have rejected some norms, certain values, and beliefs while on this journey will help me to be
unbiased to the clients.

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References
Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. W., & Lortie, K. L. (2006). Human Behavior In The Social Environment. L.I Gebo
(Ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning, Inc.
Belief. (n.d). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belief
Day, P. J., & Schiele, J. (2012). A New History of Social Welfare. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Gerth, J (n.d) Omniscan Specter of MRI Disease Haunts General Electric
Retrieved March 7, 2013 from
http://www.propublica.org/article/burn-the-data-did-a-company-try-to-hide-risks-of-ges-

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