Question 3

I found the section on 'particular others' to be interesting. Wood describes this term as the other people who are significant to us, which pretty much covers everyone except strangers in our lives. I agree that all of these people come into play regarding how we begin to see ourselves. I can't help but wonder now how I might see myself if I had not know how many other people see me. My whole life I was told by others that I was either reserved, or that I was intimidating based on physical characteristics, and a strong personality. I never understood why people felt this way because inside I always felt insecure and lacked the courage to do so many things I wanted. Maybe if other people had told me they saw me as an insecure person, I would have tried harder to go against that image, but I guess I'll never know. Another interesting part about particular others was when our text discussed how Latino and African American families are often more extended than Caucasion families. I agree with this because my mother is German-Irish, while my father is Mexican-American, and both of them have different perceptions of family members. My father will refer to second, and even third cousins as cousins, whereas my mother has no idea who her second cousins are. I also have a best friend who is Mexican-American and she refers to second aunts as aunts, and even to some of her moms cousins as her aunts. It can get very confusing sometimes and now when she is talking to me about her family I have to constantly ask, "Okay so this aunt you are talking about it your mom's cousin right?" because her mom doesn't have any sisters so from my experience my friend wouldn't have an aunt. In these cases people end up with more particular others in their lives who shape who they are. I think it's a good thing for kids to grow up meeting particular others with different life experiences, and this may even help them grow more comfortably in their own skin.