Sociological Concepts of the Family Modern Day Family

Sociological Concepts of the Family Modern Day Family Introduction In this essay, I will be explaining the family structure of my case study (who we will refer to as Andrew to protect his identity and in keeping with the Data Protection Act 1998) and the influence the family has had in his life. I will identify and explain two sociological perspectives and compare them with todays idea of the family with the traditional idea of the family, I will also provide three sociological concepts and explain them in relation to the role of the family. There have been many changes to the family since the 1950s when a typical family would have been described as a nuclear family which was made up of a married couple and their dependent children, the husband would have been the bread winner and the wife the homemaker. Today, however the structure of the family has gradually changed over the years since then, we are now seeing a rise in single parent families which is defined as families with children (under 18 years old) headed by a parent who is widowed, divorced and not remarried, or by a parent who has never been married. In Scotland, it is believed that there are just over 170,000 single parents looking after 291,000 children (www.news.gov.scot/news/lone-parents), divorce rates in Scotland between 2000 and 2007 steadily rose and at its peak in 2007 stood at 13,767, since then the number of divorces decreased (www.statista.com) a total of 9,700 marriages legally ended in 2012-13, a drop of 14% over the previous 4 years (www.bbc.co. uk/news/uk-scotland-26714426). Nowadays there are also more couples choosing to cohabitate rather than get married as it is seen as more acceptable, in a report by the Telegraph it is believed that divorce rates are at their lowest in 40 years due to the rise in the cost of getting married and couples choosing to live as common law husband and wife. (www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12011714/divorce-rate-at-lowest-level-in-40-years-after-cohabitation-revolution.html). With more and more women becoming independent and building careers, the man is now seen to be sharing the responsibilities of the childcare and housework, this is known as the symmetrical family which basically means more similar roles exist. We have also seen a rise in a blended family, also known as step family, reconstituted family. It is when a family unit where one or both parents have children from a previous relationship, but they have combined to form a new family. The parents may or may not have children togeth er. In 2011 step-families made up 8% 26,000 of the population and household in Scotland (www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk). Andrews family structure could best be described as a single parent family before being taken into care. His mother ended her relationship with Andrews father before she gave birth due to domestic violence and them both being dependant on drugs, to date Andrew has never met his birth father. Sociological perspectives such as functionalism are a theory that all positions in society serve a function and is essential to the continuation and structure of that society. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was a sociologist who argued that society had to be studied in its own terms and not of that of the individual. Durkheim believed that societies were knitted together by everyone sharing the same values, which through time would change as these societies get bigger and more complex.   Durkheim referred as how society comes together through a shared view of rules, norms and roles. Mechanical solidarity is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in society maintain similar values and beliefs and engages in similar types of work, organic solidarity is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in society are interdependent, but hold varying values and beliefs and engage in various types of work.   Another perspective is based on the conflict theory, which is primaril y based on the work of Karl Marx (1818-1883). The conflict perspective focuses on the class divide, how the wealthy control the poor and the weak in the competition of scarce resources. The bourgeoisie represents the class with the wealth and means and the proletariat represents the working class or poor, Marxs theory was that the bourgeoisie would control the proletariat with their wealth and power therefor subjecting them to worsening conditions, bringing inequality to light and the possibility of revolt. If conditions were addressed to the concerns of the proletariat, the conflict circle would eventually repeat. Using these perspectives in comparison with todays idea of the family with the traditional idea of the family, the functionalist perspective has some similarities and differences. The similarities are that society still shares the same views, beliefs and norms, however through time these have changed, before the idea of the traditional family would be the nuclear family which would consist of a father, mother and dependent children, but with the rise in divorce rates and couples choosing not to get married in the past years we are now seeing more of single parent families. With laws and attitudes changing we are now also seeing it more acceptable in society for same sex couples getting married and starting families, something that would have been unacceptable in past years. The advance in technology is something that has had an impact on family life, before families would gather round for dinner, play games, watch TV etc. but with the technical advances in mobile phones, social media and gaming consoles this is something that has dwindled and we are now seeing less of. Using the conflict perspective, we still have the divide in class with the wealthy having the majority of power and means. We still see competition for the scarce resources and the poorer and weaker families suffering as a result, mainly due to low minimum wage, benefit sanctions and the lack of social housing. We have seen a rise in social conflict in that communities have been divided by religion and race, with the rise in terrorist attacks many minorities and people seeking asylum are feeling isolated and victimised as a consequence of other peoples actions. The roles of the family are broken down as mum, dad, sister, brother, grandparents etc., in Andrews case this is something that was quite confusing to him as he had never known his father and seen his older sister and grandmother as his primary care givers and parental figures. Even though his sister was not much older than him he realised that his mother was not acting in the role she should have been. This was due to neglect through drug use and his sister taking on the role of his mother and for Andrew his role as a son was never accomplished due being unable to form an attachment with his mother. This is something that we have seen all too often in Scotland which the Scottish government are highlighting through a report called Hidden Harm. It highlights that, parental drug use can and does cause serious harm to children of every age. With Andrew not having a father figure in his life he seen his mother as the sole provider of the household. With most of the financial resources be ing brought into the household being used to fund his mothers drug use, Andrew had noticed the social divide in class when he started school as the other children would be dressed better and spoke about the things they had that he didnt, this lead to Andrew being bullied which contributed to the behaviours he displayed at home. The norms of the family may include doing together such as going to church, having dinner, holidays picnics, watching movies etc., the definition of norm is something that is usual, typical, or standard. In todays society, it is much harder for families to spend time together. According to a report by the daily mail it is estimated that families spend less than eight hours a week together due to the stresses of modern life. this could be due to parent/parents working long hours or anti-social hours to keep up with the bills, with the advance in technology parents and children spending more time on social media, children playing gaming consoles and watching TV, however it is important for families to spend time together to create an environment that helps shape childrens character and self-esteem and brings the family closer. Family values are something that is passed on from generation to generation and contribute to the familys structure, function, roles, beliefs and attitudes. The importance of family values is something many people take for granted and is highlighted in times of crisis, this is when our values influences the decisions we make and seek protection from outside influences such as peer pressure. This is when parental guidance is needed, in Andrews case he never had the values or parental guidance needed to steer him through his childhood and adolescence, something that might have helped manage his behaviours towards others. Conclusion My research into the family has helped me to understand my case study more and how the influences of the family can have a big impact on how a person is shaped in society. Word count 1570 References http://www.statista.com/statistics/367809/scotland-divorce-rate/ accessed 06.02.17 http://www.gov.scot/news/lone-parents-in-work accessed 06.02.17 http://sheknows.com/parenting/article/831061/5-reasons-family-time-rocks accessed 09.01.17 http://www.gov.scot/resource/doc/114027/0027764.pdf accessed 27.02.16 http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk accessed 07.02.17 http://www.medlineplus.gov>ency>article accessed 19.12.16 http://www.psyhologytoday.com>basics accessed 19.12.16 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12011714/Divorce-rate-at-lowest-level-in-40-years accessed 30.12.16 http://www.sociology.com/001/Profiles/fl/Why-Emile-Durkheim-Matters-to-Sociologists.htm accessed 05.01.17 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-theory.asp accessed 06.01.17 http://.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-236193/No-time-family-You-Parents-children-spend-hour-day-modern-demands.html accessed 04.01.17 http://www.cecp.air.org/wraparound/family.html accessed 04.01.17 http://www.healthofthechildren.com/s/Single-Parent-Families.html accessed 05.02.17 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-26714426 accessed 06.02.17

Origin Of Species :: essays research papers

Considered one of the most significant, influential, and controversial publications in history, this book, I felt would be interesting to read and learn from. Although his content in this particular book is the subject of much controversy, Darwin's proffesional contributions and accomplishments will remain well known and respected. Therefore, I selected The Origin of Species believing that it would prove to be a stimulating and challenging reading experience. This famous book discusses in-depth many important aspects of the study of life. Darwin analyzes various issues including: creation, spontaneous generation, adaptaion, laws of organism variation, hybridism, and natural selection, all integral subjects in the science of biology. As I read this book, the magnitude of its importance became clear, and I learned a wealth of scientific information from the text that includes: geological succesion, morphology, and species variation. The convincing arguments and coherent evidence inhere nt in this great work induced subject retention and serious consideration of the topics that were comprehensively discussed. The theme of the nature of life (most importantly that of man) in The Origin of Species is still a subject of tremendous and continuing debate. Also, this important topic is related to a variety of current science events such as environentally concious efforts across the globe, the philosophy and science of "the survival of the fittest," and the popular studies of creation and evolution. I feel that this book is important to read because it is a publication which brilliantly discusses interesting and significant information, is often reffered to in scientific conversation and study, and defines perhaps the greatest debate of the Western World. Charles Darwin's engaging and pioneering analysis of flora and fauna calls into question the long-held and once widely accepted concepts of divine creation, spontaneous generation, and the unrelatedness of many species. Displaying original reasoning, he distinctly and defiantly challenges many ancient beliefs and makes an argument

Macbeth †Blind Ambition Essay

Q. The play Macbeth explores the dangers associated with blind ambition. Discuss. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is primarily concerned with exploring the dangers associated with blind ambition. Shakespeare presents the audience with a character faced with clear moral choices and who is led down a path towards destruction because of his tragic character flaw, his overarching ambition. We can see this in how easily Macbeth is initially convinced to start down this road by the witches’ prophecy. Finally we see how Macbeth is driven to ever greater extremes of cruelty in order to maintain the position that his ambition has allowed him to attain. The dangers associated with blind ambition are portrayed in the manner in which the crimes they commit take a terrible toll on the minds of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is initially presented in the play as a brave and noble character but it takes only a hint in the direction of kingship from the witches to enflame his ambition. Early in the play Macbeth is praised by the king for his courage and loyalty. He is a figure of admiration and is rewarded for his efforts with the Thane of Cawdor. Shakespeare gives Macbeth his first taste of power and ambition with the prophecy of the witches and this kindles a sense of curiosity in him about what the future may hold. He makes a leap between being a passive figure in the face of destiny to entertaining the idea that he may himself direct the workings of fate. As Macbeth says, â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap,† It seems to take only the merest nudge in the direction of his â€Å"dark desires† to cause a deep change in his character and to lure him into entertaining some awful crimes in order to achieve those ambitions. We are left with the question, would Macbeth have ever strayed from his noble character if he had not been given the initial push in that direction by the witches? The answer seems to be that the witches have merely allowed something that was dark and evil within Macbeth’s character to be pulled out into the light. If we begin to covet what others have then our ambitions can run amok and destroy us. Having achieved his goal to become the King of Scotland Macbeth is forced to become ever more brutal and cruel in order to defend his illegitimate position. Initially we see that Macbeth has a profound struggle with his conscience over the prospect and indeed finds many good reasons for not killing him. It is only the goading of Lady Macbeth over his manhood that keeps him on his bloody path. The murder causes Macbeth a great deal of mental anguish and we see a character distraught by the trauma of going against his essential character in the moments directly after the act. â€Å"†¦ Sleep no more: Macbeth does murder sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  As the play progresses he overcomes his compunctions and supresses his conscience completely. The implication is that in order to maintain his position he must become more and more bloodthirsty and that his character must become more and more deformed. Shakespeare is making the observation that ambition is like a ravenous fire that consumes all in its path in order to maintain itself. Like tyrants throughout history we can see that, â€Å"Who is all powerful should fear everything.† The fear, suspicion and paranoia created by supreme power illegitimately gained leads to an inevitable bloodbath as the natural order is destroyed and chaos is unleashed. Macbeth’s ambition is such a force for disorder in the play and causes not only his downfall but that of many other characters and the whole state of Scotland. The greatest element of tragedy in the play is the spectacle of Macbeth slowly losing his mind as a result of his guilt over the crimes that he has committed in order to fulfil his ambition. The beginning of the play portrays Macbeth as a noble warrior of sound mind and sound body. This however changes as the play progresses to the point where Macbeth becomes insane. This is due to the guilt of his actions. What emphasises the guilt that Macbeth feels even more is the core values that he has. He battles with his mind attempting to convince himself that it was justifiable yet his core morals and values tell him otherwise. â€Å"It will have blood; they say, blood will have blood† Here Macbeth reflects on his deeds after Banquos ghost disappears. This is  the start of his battle for his sanity. Because of his righteous core values, he believes that the evil deed that he has committed will ultimately result in his death. As the play progresses, his mental stability degrades with each evil deed he commits to the point where he has no desire to live anymore as he realises that all there is to live for, he has wasted away. â€Å"I have liv’d long enough: my way of life Is fall’n into the sear, the yellow leaf; And that which should accompany old age,† He comments that old age has come upon him hastily as his way of life has caused this.

Ida B. Wells vs. Booker T. Washington Essay Example

Ida B. Wells vs. Booker T. Washington Essay Example Ida B. Wells vs. Booker T. Washington Paper Ida B. Wells vs. Booker T. Washington Paper In post-reconstruction America, many Black writers, ministers, teachers and others eloquently argued on behalf of freedom and Justice for Black Americans, advocating various strategies for achieving racial and economic equality. Two such leaders who helped shape the political discourse were Ida B. Wells and Booker T. Washington. Urging politically divergent approaches, they both wanted African American people and men in particular, to be valued and respected by the white south. However, they differed significantly in the means by which they believed such change would come bout. Ida 8. Wells told the truth in a way that made many whites uncomfortable, addressing lynching and other racially motivated atrocities directly and proposing that African Americans collectively leverage economic power through strikes and boycotts, and individually protect themselves from lynches with weapons. In contrast, Washington was more conciliatory, appealing to whites to give African Americans the opportunity to prove their technical capacity and participate alongside whites as legitimate economic partners. While the gradualist gained unprecedented access o formal political power through his white benefactors, I believe Ida B. Wells argument that African Americans stop conceding power to whites was more persuasive In advancing racial equality for African Americans In post-reconstruction America. Wells and Washingtons thoughts were formed in the period immediately following reconstruction. The 14th and 15th amendments had been ratified in 1868, three years after the civil war ended, bringing much hope about the potential for an economically stable south with enough resources to go around. Wells was born a slave In Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1862. She started teaching In a rural school for blacks, and eventually taught In Memphis schools for African Americans. Around 1887, Wells started writing for several black-owned newspapers, Including Free Speech, which she co-owned. She frequently discussed the unequal education opportunities for whites and blacks in Memphis and was fired and ran out of Memphis by whites for the strong positions she took. Including in her March 1892 editorial response to the lynching of three black men, one a friend of Wells. Booker T. Washington was also born a slave in 1856, In Franklin County, Virginia. At 17, he attended Hampton Institute, a school for African Americans, spent three decades developing the Tuskegee Institute for African Americans, and received an honorary degree from Harvard College in 1891. By the time of the Atlanta Exposition Address in 1895, Washington was considered the most sought after African American speaker in the United States. Leading up to these speeches, which were given in 1892 (Wells) and 1895 (Washington), a scourge of lynching had begun which terrorized African Americans and claimed at least 1357 lives between 1889 and 1900. On top of this instant threat of murder through Individual lynching, the political establishments In southern states launched a series of official campaigns that would later morph into Jim Crow laws, which formalized and legitimated the segregated south. Another contenting factor was the region wide need for economic stimulus thirty years after the end of the civil war, the south was still struggling to define and realize its industrial potential in relationship to the North and the world. Wells and different audiences. Wells editorial spoke directly to African Americans, while Washingtons address spoke primarily to white business and political leaders, regardless of who was in the room. Wells editorial primarily argues for increased self-sufficiency through African Americans boycotting white businesses, organizing strikes against white employers when needed, and arming for self-defense as a form or protection against lynching. She gives multiple examples demonstrating the effectiveness of such campaigns, as in the case of the white street car company leadership recognizing the power of the black consumer, suggesting that African Americans could incite a bloodless revolution by attacking the white mans dollar which) is his god . Washingtons address primarily argues for hard work and friendliness towards whites, suggesting that African Americans cast down their bucket and learn that it is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. He further warns against the extremist folly of focusing on social Justice through artificial forcing, perhaps referring to the well circulated idea that African Americans should be given easier access to land without the severe and constant struggle which Washington actually praises and upholds as a true path to economic equality. Both documents had some immediate impacts for their authors and speak quite a bit to their own experiences. Following Wells editorial, the newspaper Free Speech was destroyed, and newspaper leaders including Wells were attacked, threatened, and/or forced to leave Memphis. In contrast, after Washingtons address, he was invited to dinner with President Roosevelt. This speech cemented his position as the African American poster boy for the noticeably faulty vision of a harmonious, interdependent south in which each component And each person Had a clearly defined place. Many signs pointed to the impossibility of realizing a peaceful south without mandating a means for African American land ownership, yet most whites, especially in the North, were happy to keep believing in the broken dream of racial equality without economic Justice. In conclusion, Washington was feeding white people with what they wanted to hear. Although he was also secretly involved in more radical work to give tangible opportunities to African Americans, his public concessions allowed whites to live in an illusion and believe they were standing on the side of good. His willingness to abandon his more activist peers ether than use his position as a bridge builder to argue for land reparations was unfortunate. In contrast, although her radical approach was more easily dismissed by whites, Wells spoke truth to power. She used her personal resources and print platforms to mobile, encourage, and incite change among African Americans. Ida B. Wells believed in the internal resources and organizing capacity of African Americans, which I still find to be perhaps the most persuasive of strategies for any oppressed group to achieve equality to value their lives and demand respect though collective economic power, rather than beg for it.

Supreme Court Cases Dealing with Pornography

Supreme Court Cases Dealing with Pornography The Supreme Court has addressed pornography more often than almost any other issue of comparable specificity, and small wonder why- the Court has read an implicit obscenity exception to the free speech clause, giving it the unenviable responsibility of interpreting an unstated 18th-century definition of obscenity two centuries later. And the more the Court has attempted to define obscenity, the more complex that definition has become.The Supreme Court made things slightly easier for itself in three cases, all decided between 1967 and 1973.Jacobellis v. Ohio (1967)Forced to determine whether the art film Les Amants was obscene, despite the fact that it was obviously not intended to serve as pornography, the Court acknowledged the difficulty of its job- before ruling in favor of the film on multiple, vague grounds. Justice Potter Stewart memorably captured the Courts challenge: It is possible to read the Courts opinion in [past pornography cases] in a variety of ways. In saying this, I imply no criticism of the Court, which, in those cases, was faced with the task of trying to define what may be indefinable. I have reached the conclusion, which I think is confirmed at least by negative implication in the Courts [recent decisions] that, under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, criminal laws in this area are constitutionally limited to hard-core pornography. I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that. These are the rights that appellant is asserting in the case before us. He is asserting the right to read or observe what he pleases the right to satisfy his intellectual and emotional needs in the privacy of his own home. He is asserting the right to be free from state inquiry into the contents of his library. Georgia contends that appellant does not have these rights, that there are certain types of materials that the individual may not read or even possess. Georgia justifies this assertion by arguing that the films in the present case are obscene.But we think that mere categorization of these films as obscene is insufficient justification for such a drastic invasion of personal liberties guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Whatever may be the justifications for other statutes regulating obscenity, we do not think they reach into the privacy of ones own home. If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a State has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his own house, what books he may read or what films he may watch. Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control mens minds. The difficulty is that we do not deal with constitutional terms, since obscenity is not mentioned in the Constitution or Bill of Rights †¦ for there was no recognized exception to the free press at the time the Bill of Rights was adopted which treated obscene publications differently from other types of papers, magazines, and books †¦ What shocks me may be sustenance for my neighbor. What causes one person to boil up in rage over one pamphlet or movie may reflect only his neurosis, not shared by others. We deal here with a regime of censorship which, if adopted, should be done by constitutional amendment after full debate by the people.Obscenity cases usually generate tremendous emotional outbursts. They have no business being in the courts. If a constitutional amendment authorized censorship, the censor would probably be an administrative agency. Then criminal prosecutions could follow as, if, and when publishers defied the censor and sold their literature. Under that regi me, a publisher would know when he was on dangerous ground. Under the present regime whether the old standards or the new ones are used the criminal law becomes a trap. In practice, all but the most harmful and exploitative forms of pornography have generally been decriminalized despite the Courts relative lack of clarity on this issue.

I Hate Homework. I Assign It Anyway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

I Hate Homework. I Assign It Anyway - Essay Example She says that despite hating homework, she still assigns it to her students just to conform to the formality of teachers assigning homework. She is not afraid to say that she does not give homework’s willingly. The only reason as to why she gives homework is because if she didn’t, she would be considered as an underperformer and a teacher who doesn’t care about improving students. At the beginning of her career, she gave lots of homework and did not care if the students complained about workload or not. She expected them to do the homework and follow the rules of the teacher without any complaints (Lahey retrieved from ). The writer seeks to justify her position by explaining that at one point she also gave homework just like any other teacher. By doing this, she tries to say that she has tried both sides of the issue before coming up with her stand. She manages her risk by providing a detailed explanation of why she considers her argument right. After being into the teaching career for thirteen years, she has raised a son, and she now experiences homework as a teacher and as a parent. She feels bad seeing her little, so Ben stressed up with homework (Lahey retrieved from ). She now considers the impact homework has to the students before assigning is to them. She says that the homework takes the place of her son’s childhood. When assigning homework, she never forgets the sacrifice that the child is going to give in order to order to complete the homework. She strongly defends her position in the issue and hopes to convince other teachers on the issue. However, her topic comes in a period when academic excellence has high value and parents are more interested in seeing their children

Article analysis about organizational culture Essay

Article analysis about organizational culture - Essay Example At a first level, a brief description of the article should be provided. After being 12 years in the firm, Greg Smith had realized that the behavior of the organization towards its clients was not appropriate. For this reason, Greg decided to leave the firm even if he had no complaints for his treatment as a member of the workforce (Urstadt 2012). The article is based on the experience of Greg, as an employee of the particular organization, and does not include details in regard to the firm’s employment policies. However, the article reveals an important characteristic of the firm: the lack of publicity in regard to the organization’s culture (Urstadt 2012). The article leads the reader to contradictory assumptions: at a first level, Smith had felt that he should terminate his contract with the specific firm as he could not tolerate the way that the firm’s employees had to treat the customers. On the other hand, Smith notes that despite his opposition in regard t o the firm’s practices the benefits that an individual can enjoy by working in the particular organization are significant. The article includes the personal views of the author, Urstadt (2012) in regard to the story of Greg Smith. ... A major firm, like Goldman Sachs, would be expected to have clear rules in regard to the promotion of ethics and fairness across its departments. Still, through the article of Greg it is revealed that well-known firms, such as Goldman Sachs, do not necessarily operate on the basis of a particular cultural framework. Rather, they can continuously alternate their policies, as appropriate, so that the success of their operations is guaranteed. In the context of a multidimensional analysis, the article would be analyzed by using different criteria. The article has been well-structured showing providing primarily a brief description of Greg’s qualities, as an employee, and of his position within the particular organization. Then, reference is made to the organizational practice that led Greg to leave the firm, i.e. the use of an offensive word by managers when discussing for customers (Urstadt 2012). At the next level, the author gives his personal view on Greg’s justificati ons in regard to his decision to terminate his employment contract with Goldman Sacks. Reference is made to the character of Greg, especially of his lack of awareness in regard to his actual capabilities. The benefits that Greg enjoyed as an employee of Goldman Sachs are also presented. In this way, readers are able to evaluate the appropriateness of Greg’s decision and his actual motives. Using the theory related to organizational culture, the following issues would be highlighted: the organizational culture of each firm needs to be clearly stated so that its stakeholders are able to understand their role in relation to the firm’s activities. However, it is possible, under certain terms, that the elements of organizational culture are not made known to the public.