Who Am I

I am a twenty year old sophomore in college. Like many young adults, I would much rather ignore my responsibilities, and just do things that I enjoy. For instance, I enjoy snowboarding every winter, going to concerts, shopping, and especially, not working. I also love to travel, bring my dog to the beach, and attend sporting events. But as we all know, reality comes into play somewhere along the line, and having fun is no longer our number one priority. As for a career, I would like to be a teacher in an elementary school. However, to achieve my goals for the future, I must first overcome a huge obstacle.

To society, I am a very self-confident, fearless, and relaxed individual. The truth of the matter is that I am actually the complete opposite. Last year I began suffering from severe anxiety and panic attacks. These attacks basically took over my life. I found myself filled with so much fear and worry that I couldn't function. This fear stopped me from attending my classes at Manhattan College, shopping, going out with my friends, and even just enjoying myself. My friends could not relate and did not understand how serious it was because I always kept a smile on my face to avoid the negative attention. I could no longer go to the movies with friends or on the subway because of my constant fear of having another panic attack. It was very difficult for me to accept the fact that I had a problem. I feel that the pressure of society today to be perfect played a major role in my feelings at the time of my disorder. Thanks to my family, friends, and doctors, I am learning how to manage my fears and anxiety. Everyday is still a struggle, but I feel I have come a long way since last year.

Truthfully, I have never given a thought to the make-up of society. I never realized how many different sociological perspectives there are. After reviewing them all, I agree with the conflict perspective. It states that society is characterized by social inequality, and also explains that social arrangements benefit some groups at the expense of others. A great example of this would be the current condition that hurricane Katrina left in New Orleans. The majority of people from that area are considered poor, and therefore, had no means of transportation to evacuate in time. They were dependent on the help of the government, who failed them miserably. Healthcare is another area of society that I feel the conflict perspective