ldhood, a single mother looking for a father figure, struggle, and happiness. There are definite similarities between how I define and how society interprets my symbols representation; however, there are also differences. For example, I never have and never will be looking for a father for my child simply because she has one. The Labeling Theory has played a permanent role in my life in regards to fatherless children; therefore, I strive to accomplish my goal of remaining in Ohio and allowing the chance for a father-daughter relationship, as I have no family here. I am thankful for that decision because that relationship is very strong. Pertaining to the similarities of interpretation, I feel that Kayla does represent time-constraints, happiness, and responsibility. Those are the definitions that give rise to my identity quite honestly because I was so young when she was born and have managed to keep a level head and succeed. Yes I have time-constraints which pushes me to manage my time more efficiently, yes I have happiness in a child that I see having a bright future, and yes I have responsibility and that prepares my mind to not sweat the small stuff. Stemming from an abusive past it is societal nature to assume or to pinpoint failure, I am just happy to prove society wrong. I understand the issue of learned behavior but speaking from experience, we also learn what not to do as well as what to do from our peers. In conclusion, a very important lesson to be learned here is that communication is an ongoing process for which, at times, may not be intentional and for which we must always be aware of cultural differences in order to remain or survive within our society. A symbol comes with many meanings and how we perceive those meanings is based on social experiences; however, we must always be aware of the distinct possibility that what you believe that symbol to represent may be directly on the opposite side of the defining ...
