Personal Narrative: Conformity In My Life

As a kid, I knew exactly what my life was going to be like. I would have a husband, two kids, a dog, a white picket fence and a stable job as a preschool teacher. Maybe if I was going out on a limb, I would also have a bunny, just to spice things up. Which seems like a nice life, a family to love and a job I would enjoy. However, it sounds quite a lot like the American dream and my parent’s dreams. It was not until high school that I began to question if that is something I would truly like, or if it was simply all I had ever known and all I had ever been praised for. For in reality, while there is no right way to live life, I have observed and experienced that conformity keeps a family content. By example, within my family, the majority have done well academically, and the bar has been set fairly high for educational expectations. My little brother, on the other hand, has adhd and my parents believe this is one reason he struggles in school. This does not mean he is unintelligent, but that he excels at learning in

In every family I have come across, however, there is at least a subliminal pressure to follow social constructs. Those that do not obey are disowned or outcasted in one way or another. Which is why, while one might associate conformity with ideas such as submission or oppression, I think of family. Granted, though submission and obedience are synonyms of conformity, so are harmony and agreement; it is not always a bad concept. In a way, it is because I want to be kind like my parents that I do not go out and steal from or injure others. It is conformity to live up to my parent’s standards that keeps me in school. For many families, it is also a way of maintaining valuable culture and traditions, which can simultaneously make us diverse.Whether the concept of conformity sets up a moral high ground or not, it is still one of many factors that keep a family