Once I was old enough to attend church, I was led to be a part of the Lutheran religion. When I was old enough for little league, I was influenced to play baseball rather than any other sport. Social control plays a big part in the decisions we make throughout our lives. The norms of the town influence us to conform to what society believes are normal.

As a child, I was thought of as a hardworking student that stayed out of trouble. This was to my advantage for many reasons. I compare it to the article "The Saints and the Roughnecks" in respect that the group of kids considered the Saints could commit

One thing that exists in our culture today, which I am glad to say I have never experienced, is racism. My family has always been kind to everyone despite their skin color or race. I understood that in many people's eyes, some minorities are considered a risk to have around, or are portrayed as "scary". This is discussed in the article "Confessions of a Nice Negro". Where as one black mans success relied considerably on the way he displayed himself.

the same deviant acts as the Roughnecks but see no consequences for them. I feel I can relate to this article because many times in high school I was involved in pranks and practical jokes, but rarely would I see punishment.

Although I am older now, my decisions are still being influenced on a daily basis. Once I arrived at college, the question of whether or not to join fraternity life was sti

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Pledge Allegiance, Rape Culture, Nice Negro, Saints Roughnecks, Electrocute Stranger, society influenced,
Approximate Word count = 577
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)