Children Sociology It all started from the sense of self. When she first realized that she was a person, unique and separate from other people, she was about six. However this process was not a one-time, unexpected and fast experience, rather it stretched through age of four through seven. This path was like slowly approaching a an important notice; the closer you come, the less obscured and blurred the text becomes, and finally you reach the point when the word become visible and knowledge is revealed. This was the moment when her character conceived very early versions of self-confidence, pride, and even egoism. Her mother was a good-looking businesswoman, who liked order in everything, including her daughter’s room, sink in the kitchen, and nearly everything the mother came across. More over, her mother sometimes even attempted to change the order without proper authority, for example trying to convince a bank consultant that his calculations were wrong and needed adjustments immediately. Her mother knew she had been right, and that is why it was difficult to oppose her, especially for the kids. She always wore clothes that her mother bought, some of which were absolutely ridiculous and old-fashioned sweaters from truly glamorous and expensive brands. Her family was experiencing worse times each year. Her mother was eating her father for lesser salary, and for irresponsibility, which automatically made mother the head of the family. Such marriage had not a single chance, and gradually parents were moving toward divorce. What she and her younger brother felt was grief and misery, when overhearing parents yelling at each other in the middle of the night. Psychological trauma was imminent. For a long time she was feeling disconnected from her family, like on the four wheels, together but never close enough. Her unexpected depressions became more frequent because of the allegedly secret arguments in the kitchen downstairs. It is not a surprise that later she might experiment with illegal drugs together with her friends, because parents’ divorce is a very difficult experience for a child, and such children are more likely to get into trouble. By the age of twelve her parents have been already officially separated for several months; maybe they have already been divorced but she did not know that. Her father left and lived separately, but within the town, and this demarcation deprived her from the nurturing that she could only have gotten from her father. While her mother truly loved her and her younger brother, her love and general attitudes toward life and nurturing were distorted by business approach, and of course nervousness. And so as her dad left, quarrels have begun between her and her mother. Becoming a problematic teenager, she could not harass her aggressiveness incurred over several preceding years. She was famous for offending teachers and some fellow students. While she was walking on thin ice, and could easily be transferred to a specialized school for delinquent children, but she never crossed the line. She was becoming an egotist, rude, and arrogant teenager, but smart, humorous, and responsible at the same time. The majority of fellow students liked her originality and a leader in her. Famous among teens, she was also a frequent visitor of the principal’s office for misbehavior during classes, despite the fact that her grades were far above average. Her problematic behavior was an answer for mother’s demands and disciplines. She, together with her mother, was a typical example of parent-child problem; while parent tries to acquire respect and to help the offspring, younger brat takes this nurture for abuse and misunderstanding. Her physiology had outweighed her mind, and she found herself encompassed by delinquent teenagers, who drank beer and smoked marijuana. Although she was a part of their company, inside she was a kind and responsive person ready to help others and live a happy life. But the milieu she “hung out” in was stronger, and the sense of coolness was much more important for her friends, and as a result, for her. Instead of helping a disabled youngster cross the street, her friends acted cool and laughed at the kid. He only laughed with them because she could not listen to her heart yet, which was sensitive and clean. Such a clash in her is the result of parents’ separation and arguments, as well as mothers’ constant vigilant teachings. Thoughts about life were bothering her at the age of 15, when her body was experiencing colossal change. Depressions were becoming stronger and she even sometimes thought about committing suicide. Crying at night has become a habit, and thoughts of lonesomeness and isolation have become a daily routine. She then looked at parents’ separation though a different prism, and she then finally began to understand that relationship between a man and a woman are not something indelible, but a fragile connection, which requires constant support from both sides. She then understood that her mother was making more money than her father was, and that this was the primary reason for their separation. She was becoming a young women, and entering adolescence… Relationship with opposite sex is a grand issue at times of adolescence. Just like all her girlfriends, she attempted to look good, and to attract attention of guys. Loose jeans, dark shirts, snickers and fake indifference have become her attributes of flirting with guys. Her eyes and ears persuaded her that that style was cool, and that being this type of girl would drive guys crazy. Her heart and mind on the other hand understood the stupidity and pathetics of this approach. Although she convinced herself that this was the life that he wanted to live; to “hang out” with those cool and indifferent girls, and abusive guys, she felt herself an alien in their company more and more often. “Why would you dress like a nurd?” she he heard from one of her girlfriends when she dressed like she felt to – a dress and elegant shoes, and no cap on her head. Although such situation may have looked innocent at first, actually it was a social incompatibility with the social group she was in. The first serious thoughts about her being alien in the company started at the age of 17. Not only the clothing style has changed by then, but she also had changed her understanding of what a person should do, and what a good person should be like. Her perception of the world began to change, and it did not correspond to the one of her friends. Should she have stopped her conversion and relax, or should she choose her own way? What is the point in hanging out and smoking? Is there anything useful in what she did with her friends? When she subconsciously answered these questions, the process of her conversion to another life had started unnoticed. Dearest mates were not suffering from the loss, while she spent less and less time with them. Her social change from a delinquent teenager to a mature adult has begun… The realization of life, the feeling of life, and the need for knowledge, - these three ideas have become her most important issues for next few years. While her ax friends waste their time drinking and smoking, she understands that their coolness is spurious. Having become a different person, she now looks at her ax friends and sees their childishness and spuriousness, which is both funny and sad. In return, those former mates laugh at her when together, but when each of them comes home (having enjoyed parents’ yelling about recent academic achievements), understands that her way is the correct way. But when this mate sees friends again, this idea artificially vanishes. As they laugh at her together, she does not get upset but looks at them all from above and sees their pathetics. By the time she completely separates from the company, she turns 19. She has gone her way through delinquent years or booze and marijuana, but she has chosen to live another life. When her friends interested about her conversion and asked her to rejoin them, she understood one of the most important concept every person should go through in his or her life, namely that the life a person lives is his/her own, and is not a favor. A person’s life is for him/her only, and the person is the master of it. Why submit to spurious majority when I know the correct path? As she understood these concepts, she was gradually becoming a young adult, while her ax friends were still hanging and wasting precious time. The path of our heroine from childhood to adulthood has lied through many troubles and misunderstanding by fellow students as well parents and teachers... We have seen how she was a witnessed her parents’ divorce, and became a delinquent youngster. Her misbehavior at school had almost led her into a special school, but the girl managed to avoid this transmittal and adapted. She has changed her behavior, and she started to look at the entire world from a different perspective. During her middle teen years, she went through many physical problems, such as first period and body change. In addition, she has subconsciously changed her approach to guys. In her attempts to attract opposite sex, many a failure waited her. Instead of following the majority and pretending cool and indifferent, she listened to the inner voice and gradually changed her style. Having dropped smoking and drinking beer, she was confidently building up a path toward maturity. When she began to study and changed into a modest, kind gal, her ax friends we pressing on her and laughing at her when they saw her passing by. However, she understood that their spuriousness is nothing compared to her choice, and looked at them from above, with a feeling of compassion, pity, and sadness. Eventually, when she understood that it is her life she was living and that her life belongs only to her, she has become a mature young woman. She has forgiven her parents for their separation, and began to understand many things her mom had told her before. The rage has passed away, and she looked at her parents’ divorce with the eyes of a young adult. She has become an individual responsible, and reliable, learning mistakes. Her negative traits have gone with adolescence. Her conversion was finally finished. Bibliography 1. Driekurs, Rudolf. (1991). Children: the Challenge. Plume Books. 2. Clarke, Arthur. (1987). Childhood’s End. Del Rey. 3. Lareau, Annette. (2003). Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. University of California Press. 4. Montessori, Maria. (1982). Secret of Childhood. Ballantine Books. 5. Corsaro, William. (2004). The Sociology of Childhood. Pine Forge Press.