Social Forces within a Family and Creativity - Essay Example

Social Forces within a Family and Creativity

In today's world in the context of globalization, there is convergence and fusion of different cultures. The development of communication and transportation technologies, international cultural exchanges are allowed to take place millions of direct contacts between people belonging to different cultures (Fleras & Spoonley, 1999). To some extent, this is due to the fact that used in educational and medical institutions treatments, correction and prevention of mental disorders and adaptation disorders in children and adolescents are becoming more system-oriented in nature, include the process of assisting minors of their relatives, take into account the family context and various other factors of social and cultural environment (Connell, 1999; Doktor, 1998).

Concerning my family and me, I can say that I was born as the first child of my family and I have one younger sister and one younger brother. Korean culture is very influenced by Confucianism where there is a male chauvinism. An erroneous perspective of Confucianism brought the preference for male offspring because Korean elder people think that son continues the generation of the family tree and keeps the family name. The problem of ethno-cultural relevance of sociological knowledge, the release of a the influence of Western sociology and construction of such a system of knowledge that has relevance in relation to the specific conditions of Korea is at the forefront of Korean sociology.

The name of the first Annual Meeting of the Korean Association of Theoretical Sociology "Creating Korean sociological theory: overcoming the colonial dependence of Western theories" clearly indicates that, in some way perceived the problem. For example, the most radical of Korean sociologists believe that the sociological functionalism distorts the understanding of non-US social conditions. What are the distinctive features of Korean society, requiring the development of knowledge of the system, more adapted to the distinctive conditions? Korean sociologists of religion issues not interested in Korean studies, sociological explanatory power of religious variables is weak. In other words, the role of religion in Korean society in no way comparable to the role of Christianity in Western societies.

My family was one of them and mother had given birth until she could get the son, my brother. Having no son could be a reason for a daughter in law to be expelled even until 19th century. Therefore, the son, especially the first son of a family was the most cherished and takes the priority among his siblings if there is only one thing available in any situations. Although my father side’s grandparents were deeply influenced by Confucianism, my parents were fair for my siblings and me, so I had no experience of discrimination with the brother within the family. However, there sometimes asks me to give up things like entering university overseas when I graduated high school.

In this connection, it is possible to state that understanding of the family institution in art therapy combines art therapy, and family therapy. It uses visual tools to work with a family and at the same time is based on the theoretical and methodological development of family therapy. As well as family therapy, family art therapy deals with the diagnosis and psychotherapy of family problems, but as a leading tool of interaction with family members applying visual-plastic means. The development of a family art therapy occurred in parallel with the development of family therapy.

What is more, because my brother has an intellectual disability, the parents had to focus and spend more time on him. As the result, I was grown more mature than the other children of the same age, who rarely complains and cares oneself. At the school ages, I tried to be a nice girl who follows the expectations at the age level. I studied hard to be one of the top students. From the very early age, I hypnotize myself that all these deadweight of life are not put on me but they were born with me. I believe that it is a natural thing.

My parents were open-minded for choosing own major which was art and design at that time, but grandparents expected me to be a doctor or a judge which they thought honorable and intelligent class in Korean society. I had to dispute with grandparents for a long time since I entered the intermediate school. For that reason, I had to prove my talent and ability by showing them how I can do in the art field. I participated in art competitions and achieved high awards. There was no obligation to have their permissions but the social atmosphere was to follow elder peoples' expectations and orders, and not to disobey. I would like to describe this with the word ‘to obey.’

As we moved to New Zealand, I could get out from some of family expectations, but as my English was developed the fastest among other members of my family, I had to and still have to look after my family well. I became the representative of the family and needed to accompany them at all meetings and appointments that had been held in English. Family is my first precious one but sometimes nuisance. I always have to play a tug of war between the family and my own to not lose myself but to cherish my family as expected. However, by the stress of being a good daughter and sister, especially for my ill brother, I experienced hard time myself as having a bad health condition.

In addition, although I was quite free from the racism, I had one awful experience at the same time of getting exhausted in the family. There was a young professor who treats Asian (except someone born or grown in New Zealand from their age of baby) badly. There were only 8 students in the class and my Chinese friend and myself were only Asian who had only been in New Zealand for 1-2 years. Our English was qualified to enter universities but still very limited. We asked for help many times but denied most of the time. He said, "if you were not born in New Zealand and communicate as other New Zealand students, then why are you here and study in here? You'd better go back to your country". I was shocked and went to underground. I did not want to meet anyone and I was scared if every other thinks like that. That was the major cause of getting the moderate social phobia. I quitted design under this professor and had a year break to look after my health and emotions. I was fatigued in doing art and I didn't feel like to do any creative activities because I did not want to be judged by someone else's view. However, as time went by and took myself out of the art field, I could enjoy visiting exhibitions and watching other colleagues’ works. My extended family on mother’s side were very creative and artistic. My aunties were a classical singer, an art teacher, and a piano teacher. It was a natural thing that I have learned arts since I was only three – four years old. Even though my mother was not related in a creative job field, she was the one who brought me up and my love to art. Art and music were my breakthrough. I played musical instruments, sang songs, and did drawings and paintings when things are stuck on me. The deep concentration of doing these helped me to stop thinking about ongoing problems. This was my family who showed me the way the art is supposed to be perceived and applied. This was one of the reasons why I decided to study the art-therapy.

Turning back to the development of creativity in me and the social factors which influenced my family (and me, as a consequence) I can state that it is important to pay attention to the study of children's experiences related to the relationship with parents and siblings; the study of parental influence; the study of the past and current family experience; enriching the experience associated with the successful solution of family problems; the development of a family member the ability of independent operation (Bennink, Gussak & Skowran, 2003).

I think the biggest influence that affects my life is my family. Family is my first precious one but sometimes nuisance. I always have to play the a tug of war between the family and my own to not lose myself but to cherish my family as expected. I truly believe that family is the only thing a person has to appreciate in their lives. This kind of experience (or even result) has been achieved since the understanding that in both sorrow and joy, the only people who were next to me has always been my family. Understanding of this has been gradually coming to me since I was finding out the facts about the past of my family.

Furthermore, the wars my family members had come through had left the imprint on our lifestyle and habits as well as on the traits of character. We appreciate each other and we love each other. This is difficult to find in many families which are similar to ours. This was my family who brought me up and my love to art. This was my family who showed me the way the art is supposed to be perceived and applied. This was one of the reasons why I decided to study the art-therapy.

Another reason for the art-therapy studying was the environment we have been living in. The essence of Korean culture seems quite structured, there are quite rigid social rules and artmaking does not seem to be about personal expression but to be about using set symbols in set ways. This seems very different to how Western cultures such as New Zealand view social rules and artmaking. This difference in art approach helped me understand the better application of art and showed the way who art can help treat people from their own problems.