Reflective Paper: Wellbeing

Learning Activity:

Write a 1 page (MAX), double-spaced paper analyzing the effect that ONE institution (e.g., family, religion, education, politics, economics, and business&industry) has had on your well-being (either positively or negatively) up to this point in your life. Basically, you are to examine your well-being and its connection to ONE institution you have selected.

1. For this paper, you briefly define your own view of Wellbeing. For example, you may believe well-being primarily refers to your unique capacities or strengths—some aspects of realizing your true potential. You do not need to cite anything to support your view of wellbeing. By now, you should have some idea of what wellbeing is for you.

2. According to some sources, an Institution is a system of social control. An institution has rules and guidelines for “getting along” and institutions are the primary patterning element of behavior and human social relationships. In essence, our well-being is not developed or impeded in a social vacuum. It is shaped and formed via Institutions both directly and indirectly.

For purposes of the paper you need to select ONE of the following institutions: religion, education, politics/economics, business & industry. You CANNOT choose Family because that would be the easiest choice. You can discuss family but it must be in relation to another institution you have selected.

For example, the institution of Family refers to the core unit of members that you lived with most of your childhood. This could involve parents, siblings, or grandparents. Religion as an institution refers to the denomination of faith you consider yourself to be a part of, if any. For example, I was raised as Catholic and it definitely impacted my well-being. The institution of Education refers to the social setting of schooling (for most of us anyway). This could be public school, private school, even home school. For the paper you can review different levels of education (e.g, primary, secondary) or pick one specific level. Politics refers to our democratic form of governance and Economics focuses on concepts such as Gross Domestic Product. Business & Industry refers to commerce and the workplace. You must cite at least one required class reading that relates to the institution you have selected.  

Again, the main idea behind this paper is for you to make connections as to how your well-being has been shaped or influenced (positively or negatively) by ONE institution (this may take some HONEST self-reflection). How has this institution you selected shaped these capacities or how has the institution impeded the development of the capacities you believe are unique to you (i.e., your Well-Being)?