1. Identify a specific role you currently occupy that you would want to use for the following exercise: Mother

2. Internalization of norms: How are you encouraged to believe that you should want to follow norms that you didn't create? The answer should be very clear to anyone who is a mother and cares for her children. A mothers role in family is to provide a nurturing and loving environment for her children. Although "we" didn't create the norms by which we follow it is almost as though these norms are built into to us and tell us to do the right thing. I believe that we are a reflection of how our mothers raised us and they are a reflection of their mothers and so on. To break the cycle of someone growing up in a bad environment would take a very strong person ~ but the cycle can be broken and we can teach our children how to be successful in life and how to love and nourish their own children. All of us as mothers want our children to be successful and educated and have the best that the world has to offer. It is almost like we strive for something better than what we may have had growing up as children. I think most mothers tend to learn from past experiences to make life better for their children. Religion is something to me that is either there or is not. Mothers who grew up going to church every Sunday will influence their children to do the same and visa versa. Sports and activities tend to be a family tradition. Normally the father who was the high school quarter back tends to emphasize that same position to his teenage son. I know with me cheerleading was my life and I would love my daughter to do the same ~ in a way we re-live our childhood through our children.
The media plays a big part on giving advice for raising children. We tend to watch how others feel and what others do to cope with child rearing. The bottom line is most mothers will follow the norms for raising children otherwise you look like a bad parent.

b. I think the biggest social reward for obeying these norms is acceptance by others at how you raise your children. Getting other peoples praise for doing a "good job" is very fulfilling and gratifying. It makes you feel that all your hard work has paid off. The best thing to hear is "you must be so proud of your children."

c. Violating the norms would mean that society would hold you accountable for the actions of yourself and your children. In a roundabout way by violating these norms you would open yourself up to criticism and blame as well as guilt and shame. Letting your children stay out past curfew would not only get the child in trouble but also label you as a bad parent for not keeping track of your children and caring for their whereabouts. The bottom line is this....although society has all these socially acceptable "norms" for raising children everyone chooses what is best for them at the time. Sometimes we don't make the right choices or decisions but we do what we have to do for the time.