Jack Rowell Primary vs.

Secondary I feel that my family and me definitely lean towards primary group interaction, though we almost certainly have secondary group tendencies in some areas. My families circle of friends is fairly large but all the relationships within are really close and more than a few I consider to be as close as family. My mom is a college professor and has a mother-daughter relationship with many of her former students to the point where I now consider myself to have five plus siblings when I in fact only have one biologically. However in more recent years my direct actual family has gone a little more to the secondary side of things. My dad bought a restaurant around two years ago which keeps him busier than ever, obviously during the school year my mom has her plate full, and now that Im in college, one hundred percent of our communication takes place in impersonal forms: a text, email, or short phone call. Simple vs. Complex Division of Labor The environment I was raised in was certainly a complex division overall but there was also a little of the simple system as well. For example my brother and I were never sat down and told by my dad how to run a restaurant but we both worked for him at some point and I have developed the incredibly thick skin and patience of a food service worker. Nor did my mom ever instruct us on how to teach sociology. However, we both throughout our childhood and older lives went with her on countless class events and while this does equal having an education in the matter I promise you that my outlook on many things would not be the same otherwise. So while neither of my parents has ever directly passed career knowledge to me and I will still be

going to college to get knowledge of my own they have both passed along skills and understanding to help me on my way. Traditional vs. Bureaucratic Authority The authority in my family was definitely an even split between my mom and dad. My grandparents have never had any real say in how my parents ran things either. So I would say that these things fit into the bureaucratic type. I know for a fact though that I never believed as a child that one day I would be in the office of parent and I listened to them not because of some laid out plan and rule system but because its what I was supposed to do. This fits better into the traditional system so I think that its safe to say that my family life was a combination of both systems. Norms vs. Rules I never actually realized it till I was much older and I didnt know the name of it until I took this class but the rules that dictated my childhood were very much in the norms camp. There was never a list of commandments for me or my brother and I recall every rule just being understood. I dont even remember it as being a touch a hot stove thing either, we just didnt get into a lot of trouble as children and I promise we still dont today. This type of thing can most certainly be an example of the kid remembering different than the parents but both of my parents agreed when I brought up how loose the restrictions had been on us as children. Outside of my personal life however my life if very much dictated by rules and regulations not even including things like laws. I have worked in an eatery so I am familiar with all the regulations that entails and Im a student so I follow the rules of the school I go to. I would say that my life has been a fair split between both traditional rules and modern rules.

Loyalty vs. Efficiency For this one Im not really sure where my family fits in. I would say that it is most likely a mix of both because neither of them sticks out as a dominant factor. I was never told that loyalty to family was everything but I was never told that it wasnt important either. Being successful in life over everything was never an idea pushed on me either. For us it was more being told that it was our choice and our parents would support us either way. Religion and Magic vs. Science and Rationality I believe that in this category my life is again split fairly evenly. My family is a religious one; we went to church every Sunday and prayed before every meal but we are much less religious than other parts of our family. My moms family is from Kentucky, and many of her relatives are both deeply religious and superstitious. The religion carried over but the superstitions did not. In fact, no one in my immediate family puts any stock in superstitions of any kind that Im aware of. My dads side is less religious than my moms but they dont have any superstitions. I would say that we have bit of a modern outlook as well. My parents for example have never waited on a miracle or luck to get us through a tight spot and have always been proactive with making sacrifices and cuts when needed rather than waiting for something external to happen. Particularism vs. Universalism This one is a split but leaning towards the traditional. I dont really recall it as a big part of how I was raised but I have no problem with special treatment for family and friends but neither do my parents so I probably picked it up from them rather than being explicitly taught. However I do know that I was taught to give help where it is needed and to avoid apathy. I will

most likely go farther for friends and family but I have no qualms about doing what I can for a stranger in need. Qualities vs. Performance I think this one is partially a combination of the religious aspects of my life as well as the universalism parts. Though like before I was never explicitly instructed by my parents to judge by character first it has become an important lesson to me. Before I ever had a job, I think character was really my only measuring stick but judging by performance as well becomes a large part of any job and has to be at least considered from time to time. Im sure once I start my actual career I will have to use it more but for now character remains important to me.