For my “other community” I think that I would like to write about children who have been diagnosed with Autism. Autistic children are apart of a separate community that is heavily supported by advocates and those who sympathize with the children’s needs. I have chosen to focus my assignment over these children because my sorority’s philanthropy raises awareness for the organization ‘Autism Speaks’. I also chose this community of children because I work with one young individual who has low functioning, otherwise sever, autism. With my job, I’ve realized how much this young boy has gone through thus far with over coming challenges other children his age had never thought twice about. It is fascinating to see how much he’s learned and how well he works with others to over come this disorder. I would like to analyze more of how other autistic children identify within the community and how the community identifies with them in return.

         I haven’t determined the text I will be referencing for this project however I do believe I will use about the group. I cannot use texts from the group because I will be studying younger children and those who have difficulties with a range of areas. I plan on using a variety of sources such as various online texts and articles. I may also reference informational videos and clips because there is a lot of information and studies conducted on these children. It will be helpful to find what some researchers have observed and published on their behaviors as well. I am not ready to start writing the first draft yet, however I will be brainstorming and allowing myself to think in many directions for these children. I will bring all my thoughts together from what I find researching and observing personally.

After reading Hanfler’s thoughts on social construction, I found many new interesting insights with society and myself. Much of what he way stated relates to me directly. I was very surprised and fascinated with what his text. I believe that social construction is everything that people create to be ‘normal’ or ‘socially acceptable’. The ‘social construction’ here at UNL is primarily modeled by the students; however, each person (the students, teachers and employees) has come together to create a culture for what is considered the ‘every day’ life. This is everything from language to appearance.

The part from this article that stood out to me the most was when Hanfler discussed how tattoos were viewed in society. I found this part personal because this summer I tattooed my foot. It was interesting because in his article, Hanfler mentioned that if you have stronger ties to organization and students clubs, you will be less likely to get a tattoo- If you have a certain career path or are religious, you are less likely to get a tattoo. All throughout high school I was involved in numerous clubs and student organizations while occasionally attending church. Even with all these factors, I still made the decision to tattoo my skin. However, the fact that my tattoo is placed on my body in a location that can be easily hidden still follows with what he later mentions. “Or you may get a tattoo but place it in an inconspicuous place… If you lack stable communities or have few job prospects, you may have fewer ties to mainstream life and thus be more inclined to become tattooed”. I had a very stable community and job prospects with my decision to get a tattoo. I think that society has changed what is considered ‘art’ and socially acceptable with expression. Even though it may not be very public of what is allowed and what is not, I think society is changing and conforming to what is personal art. This has not kept me from receiving any job because my employers will not see it, however, it has raised many questions from people on the street and those who do see it from my shoes.

This does change how people see me through social construction. They may see me as a rebellious teenager, someone who made a bad life choice, or someone who can express myself through body art. Each person’s interpretation will vary but overall, society cannot have one outlook on tattoos. I am glad with the choice I’ve made because it does give me different reputations and it’s a conversation starter.

 Lobrber’s text mentions, “In social interaction throughout their lives, individuals learn what is ex­pected, see what is expected, act and react in expected ways, and thus simultaneous­ly construct and maintain the gender order.” Although this is talking about gender identity, the difference between male and female, it also relates to people with and without tattoos.  In the past, society has disregarded tattoos, it is not the norm and not professionally acceptable. The people who have them are normally looked upon as dangerous or criminals. This has been traditionally reinforced- the difference between people with and without tattoos. Similar to the difference passed down between men and women. With society continually changing, social construction begins to see tattoos as more acceptable and women occasionally taking on male roles and vise versa.

In the text by Young it is said that, “This mean we should, for instance, teach how language functions within and from various cultural perspectives”. Although in this article, it is talking about language, this also relates directly back to the tattoo example as well. Tattoos may also be shared different among people within various cultures and various perspectives. This comes to show that social construction is always changing, reshaping, redefining everyday life, culture and perspectives.