Throughout my entire life both my parents have always told me to "do whatever makes me happy."" This saying appears as if they are very open minded and accepting of whatever choices in life I make. However, in most aspects of my life I have realized that the saying "do whatever makes you happy- in actuality means do whatever we think will make you happy. For instance, throughout high school my parents always wanted me to choose a career in a field that I wanted. However, when I chose social work as a major, their supposed happiness in my choices suddenly disappeared. Now it was not about what would make ME happy, it was all about the fact that I would not make money, or that I would become a burn out. More or less, instead of support, I received constant criticism for my decision. .
I have also noticed this attitude towards my decisions in choice of eligibles. Just as there is hidden curriculum in schools; where kids are taught cultural values and attitudes through demands, rules and regulations, my parents use their own hidden curriculum in defining and teaching me who is right for me to be in a relationship with. Once again, my "happiness- is only possible if this individual is goal orientated, smart, well off, friendly, attractive, and so on. I am almost positive that if I were to bring home a guy that I was interested in who was not in school, and did not have a job, that they would freak out and tell me that I was making a wrong decision. However, I will analyze in this paper, why they would be so discouraging, but also how I have been socialized into following a pattern in which I would most likely not be interested in an individual who had made decisions like the above described. .
Who my mom defines as eligible for me is different for who my dad would define as eligible. Because my mom is extremely religious, whereas my dad is not, this poses large difference in their criteria.
