The cultural and/or sociological factors that have influenced your life

You will write a brief (3-4 pages) autobiographical essay where you highlight the cultural and/or sociological factors that have influenced your life, your opportunities, your perspectives, your interactions, and/or your outcomes.  These could include social class/income, educational level, parents’ educational level, parents’ occupational statuses, gender, religious background, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, marital or parental status, nationality, regional background (urban/rural/city/small town), ability status, military/veteran status, and/or other socio-demographic traits. 
Requirements:  You must select at least two variables involving diversity to incorporate into your essay.  In addition, you must address the issue of privilege in your essay.  How has privilege worked for, or against, you in your life?  This will likely relate to other variables in your discussion, such as race, ethnicity, gender, social class, or others. 
Formatting & References:  You will need to follow APA formatting guidelines.  You must include a title page as well as a reference page although you do not need an abstract.  Ancillary pages do not count in the page length requirement.  A minimum of three references is required. 
Begin by introducing the variables you wish to discuss.  Offer a brief definition of each (i.e., what is meant by “ethnicity” as opposed to “race”).  Then, describe how these variables have structured your experiences, your outlook, your relationships with others, and - possibly – your life outcomes.  Has your
Revised 10/2003
income (or the income level of your parents, for example) had any effect on your opportunities?  On your friendships?  On your health?  On the likelihood of relocating at some point?  How has your religious background structured your relationships?  Has your race or ethnicity affected your opportunities?  Your interactions with other people?  Does your marital (or parental) status shape your experiences, your relationships, your opportunities?  If so, how?  There are many, many angles to take