Sociology

This essay will explore the intersection between biography and history. It has been said that individuals construct their history and social structure through attributes such as gender, age, work, social class and ethnicity. These attributes then come to form an individual’s identity. The purpose of this essay is to summarise the biography of the subject that was interviewed but also to analyse how their life was constructed within the limits and pressures of history and social pressures.

There were many individuals that could have been the subject of this essay. The subject that was chosen was a close family friend for many years. The subject was delighted to be interviewed, the only problems that were encountered was time. The subject was on holidays with her family up until the end of April. The interview was simple, just in the home of the subject; the tape recorder was hidden so she felt more comfortable to talk. The last problem that was encountered was the tape recorder died in the last twenty minutes of the interview; luckily excessive notes were taken as well.

Jane was born in 1964 in New South Wales, Australia. Jane’s parents were care free and relaxing individuals. She came from a family of five, father, mother, on younger brother, one younger sister and herself. Jane’s mother was a housewife up until the age of fourty-five, when she became and underwriter for an insurance company. Jane’s father worked as a manager at the Road and Traffic Authority centre for fourty years. He did all the controlling of the machinery. Her brother is fourty-five and has a family of his own now. Jane’s younger sister is of the age of fourty-three has several children of her own. Jane’s family spent so much time together, Jane mentioned that she loved growing up with her parents they were so understanding of her and her siblings. She stated that her parents were really accepting of whatever life decisions she chose to make. Jane had said “my family loved picnics and...