Summary & Strong Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary & Strong Response - Essay Example Whenever the children practice, they have a fear in their mind whether they get injured or not. She stresses this point by taking the example of a boy who practices curve ball. She stresses this by quoting Koppett that muscle strain or even life lifelong injury may result when a twelve –year –old throws curved ball. She says even though they are not injured, they may have the fear in mind which always disturbs them during the practice. . The third point she mentions is the over stress that the parents and their coaches undergo. They really kill the happiness and innocence of the children. The example of a parent who raged against the other team is a typical example that she gives in the essay. I strongly agree with her arguments. Even though I had not read the essay earlier, I strongly felt the inevitability of keeping the children away from the organized sports events. It is an undeniable fact that these competitions are more overlooked by the parents and the coaches o r even the sponsors of the children than the children themselves. The parent’s agony about the children’s future is easily understandable from the above mentioned incidents. Once I happened to hear a member of a team expressing his relief after knowing that the leading player of the other team was hurt and therefore could not play. I really felt that the children are taught indirectly to keep away from the value system. The age is marked with both physical and mental growth. The emotional stress that they suffer in this period will have a long lasting effect. The unhealthy competitions are in a way harmful to the mental set up of children. Some schools have the grading systems to promote sports among children. Those who play sports will be awarded according to their performance. Sometimes they even give participation points also. This is also a cause of ill feeling in the minds of small children. If they want to compete, let them do it without the interference of exter nals. The interests of the children are to be valued more than the prize or the position. So the rigorous practice according to the selected item can done after the specified age. Winning at any coast becomes the issue of prestige for them. It surely kills the true spirit of sports. The meaning of the word of sports itself is ‘entertainment’. But we can notice that the child who wins the games also fails to express the happiness on face as expected of him. Thus it is clear that the children are under stress. Jessica points out some related incidents her essay. One parent from a team faces up a player of the other team and it led the team to arrange security guards for them Children want to enjoy sports and develop healthy relationship. This is possible in team plays. The entire aim of the sports arranged for children should the enhancement of team spirit and cooperation. Sports are a very good media which can be used to inculcate many social values in the young tender m inds of children. The authorities who set these for them should encourage them in this way. The experiences they get from these games are to be valued more than winning at any cost. I conclude here by strongly supporting the arguments of the writer. Competing theory is to be taken into account only from the part of the children. The interference of parents or adults is obviously misleading and the children cannot enjoy the true spirit in a positive way. The children are with the inbuilt capacity to realize the need of

Sociological Theories And Service Users Situations Social Work Essay

Sociological Theories And Service Users Situations Social Work Essay In taking the time to observe how sociological and psychological influences may impact on a service user or client group, the social worker can remain mindful of the wider context of a situation and not just take what she sees at face value. This knowledge allows the social worker to remain objective and to make informed decisions in order to maintain professionalism in her work. By applying Sociological and Psychological theory to the Bertrams case study I aim to explore the wider social context, outside influence and psychological implications from the past and present. Through this exploration I will uncover the varying viewpoints and sometimes contradictory nature of these theories. To gain a Sociological perspective on the case study I will be applying Functionalist and Feminist theories. I will be able to scrutinise the Bertrams current situation and apply the theory in order to gain a wider understanding of the social context. In order to maintain a balanced viewpoint, Psychod ynamic theory and Maslows hierarchy will enable me to consider the psychological impact with a focus on human and emotional development. By examining a situation from a Sociological perspective we can take into account how various aspects such as class, social structure, religion, disability can impact people from a wider social context. This is essential in gaining a holistic picture the situation. Functionalism By applying a Macro theory to the case scenario it allows us to look at the large scale features of society and how individual actions affect society as a whole and vice versa. Functionalism will enable me to contemplate the structure of society and how the Bertrams fit within that structure. Functionalist theorists regard society as a system with interlocking parts. It is believed that each part needs to function effectively in order for society, as a system, to work as a whole. It is often rationalised using biological analogy. The social role of individuals is an integral part of the theory. Each person is thought to have their individual role to play within society. From a functionalist perspective it is very clear that Mrs Bertram is not fulfilling her role as a wife. Due to her alzemers she is unable to carry out the duties that would have been expected of her. Durkheim believed that everyone had their place, and a womans place was in the home. In the context of the 40s, 50s wh en Functionalism was at its peak, this viewpoint would not have been uncommon, if a little out-dated by todays standards. None the less, it is not through choice that she has become dysfunctional within society. She has legitimate claim for not being able to carry out her societal role and Functionalism would automatically see her take on the sick role. This would enable her to function again within the system under a different guise. It could also be observed that Mr Bertram is a dysfunctional member of society. With his reckless behaviour, his outrageous spending, and the lack of care for his wifes basic needs he is no longer fulfilling his role of husband. A main proponent of Functionalism was Emile Durkheim (1858-1917). He saw marital vows as obligations. When I perform my duties as a brother, a husband or a citizen and carry out the commitments I have entered into, I fulfil obligations which are defined in law and custom which are external to myself and my actions (Durkheim, 1982). He believed that if a member of society was deemed as dysfunctional, then he was considered to be a deviant member of society. Deviance occurs when people are not functioning correctly, according to the norm. This could be through crime, or anything which affects their ability to carry out their societal role. Deviance needs to be controlled or managed. If it was established that Mr Bertram was in fact deviant then he may need some persuading that by providing the care and attention that his wife needs his wife would not be removed from the situation. Through this resolution, therefore, they would both be able to function appropriately. It could be observed that Mr Bertram had an alcohol dependency. If this was established then Mr Bertram too may take on the sick role. In which case a different method for resolving the issues within the house would need to be adopted. Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) believed that sickness was a social concept rather than a biological concept. So being ill meant acting in different, deviant ways to the norm. Being sick was therefore a form of social role (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). Parsons believed the rights of a sick person to be exemption from normal social obligations, the right to be looked after and blamed for their social deviance as long as they were genuinely sick. Obligations of a person playing the sick role would be to understand that they have to get well as soon as possible in order to continue their normal function and in order to do this they must receive professional help. Mr Bertrams condition would need to be treated or managed in order to enable him to function ag ain. In that case Mr and Mrs Bertram would be able to stay at home under treatment and the issues about care could be dealt with accordingly. He would no longer be considered deviant member of society. A criticism of the sick role would be that it is very difficult to apply to long term illness like that of Mrs Bertram. It is built on the assumption that the person gain help in order to gain function. This would not be possible for Mrs Bertram. Feminism From a Radical Feminist perspective it could be observed that Mrs Bertram has been oppressed by her husband. Through her devotion and his dominance she has succumb to subordination. Radical Feminists use the patriarchal social system as a concept to explain gender inequality. Patriarchy is the dominance of men over women in society. They view men as responsible for the exploitation of women from which they benefit greatly, through free domestic labour, sexual duties and so on. The case study describes how Mrs Bertram was swept off of her feet and totally devoted to Mr Bertram. In their current situation, Mrs Bertram is at home in squalled conditions and desperately in need of help. Mr Bertram is avoiding the situation by using diversionary tactic, selfishly seeking social activity and pleasure through drink. This further increases her oppression as she is fully dependent on her husband to provide the care and attention which she is desperately in need of. Shulamith Firestone, an early radical feminist writer argues that men control womens roles in re-production and child bearing. Because women are biologically able to give birth to children, they become more dependent materially on men for protection and livelihood (Giddens, 2006). Feminists could argue that for this reason Mrs Bertram has become vulnerable within her setting and just accepts this way of life. Jessie Bernard argued that Men need marriage more than women (pg 208 Gender). Perhaps this reliance on the domestic labour, comfort and sexual duties of a wife, which has been lost my Mr Bertram through his wifes condition is attributing to his behaviour. Mrs Bertram is no longer fulfilling her duties as a wife and this could be disrupting his routine. It would appear that Mr Bertram has never had to control the household, take care of his wife or finances, and may lack the ability or may simply consider it beneath him. It could affect his masculinity to have to carry out such c hores and duties believed to be part of a womans role. This may also be the reason why he is reluctant to accept help with the situation. He may feel he is being barraged and dictated to by his step daughters which may be resulting in a greater defiance. It is not clear from the case study, the nature of their relationship either. He may feel that family and professionals are undermining his authority as head of the household. Mr Bertram may be compensating for his lack of masculinity at home, by using his social appearance, bravado, drinking and defiance. This time away from the house for him may reaffirm his role as a dominant male within society whilst his dominant role as a man disappears at home. He no longer has command over his wife, no longer gets respect, adoration that he was once used to. Men are considered to have more influence within society; Mr Bertram has no influence over this situation or over his wife. Part 2: Using the scenario describe two psychological theories that can be used to help your understanding of the service users situation Humanistic theory Maslows hierarchy of needs Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) argued that humans throughout life not only want to have their basic survival needs met they strive for more in terms of personal growth. He believed that once basic needs for survival had been met that human development progressed toward higher psychological needs. He argued that people are motivated by the conscious desire for personal growth (Rathus, 2004). Maslow believed what separated us from our so-called lower animals was our capacity for self-actualisation (Rathus,2004). He believed that this self- actualisation was as important as basic needs but could not be met unless other stages of human needs were completed. He organised these stages into the hierarchy of needs, often presented in pyramid format. Each stage must be satisfied in order to progress to the next. At the bottom of the hierarchy are physiological needs. These are the basic human needs we all have in order to survive, like food, water, shelter, oxygen. Once t he first basic need has been satisfied, the following stage is safety needs, the need for security. The following stage in the hierarchy is love and belonging; the need to give and receive love, to overcome loneliness and achieve a sense of belonging in life. The fourth stage is Esteem needs; to feel self-confident, respected and not to feel inferior. Self-actualisation is the final stage in the hierarchy and can only be reached when all foregoing needs are satisfied and the person feels he has achieved everything he wants to in life and is the best that he can be. In the case of the Bertrams it is clear that Mrs Bertram is currently not even meeting the bottom of Maslows hierarchy of needs. It is noted that their flat is in an appalling state, she is unable to feed herself and left on her own for most of the day. You would expect most of her needs to be met within the context of her marriage to Mr Bertram; however, since he has neglected his role as a husband, he has placed her in a position of significant danger. Since not even her basic physiological needs are being met in the current situation then at present there would not be an opportunity to progress through the hierarchy of needs. If Mrs Bertram was placed in residential care then her physiological needs would be met. She would have food, water and care of her basic needs. She could then perhaps progress to the following stage of safety. She would no longer be at risk of hurting herself and she would be in a more secure environment. Although it could be argued that for an advance Alzheimers sufferer, the unfamiliar setting would disorientate her and she might not actually feel secure there. Because of her diagnosis, Mrs Bertram is unlikely to meet the third stage of love and belongingness. Her advanced Alzheimers may mean that she fails to recognise her husband, family members and have a declining ability to communicate. Mrs Bertram would never reach self-actualisation. The best that could be achieved would be basic survival and safety needs, whether this was achieved at home with the compliance of her husband, or in residential care. Although it could be debated that residential care would not be the best opt ion. As the GP states in the case scenario, a move to residential care might well kill Mrs Bertram. It would appear from the case scenario that Mr Bertrams basic needs are being fulfilled. However it is uncertain as to whether his s safety and security needs are being met. He certainly would not get a sense of love and belonging from his wife, in the latter stages of sever dementia. I would observe, however, there is some attempt from Mr Bertram to achieve a sense of self-esteem, since he spends the majority of his time with his compatriots at the golf club. It is clear that in this relationship and the current situation faced by the Bertrams that he too has no way of reaching self-actualisation. Maslow observes that it is mainly social factors that hinder the personal growth of humans. Potentially at least the first two stages of Maslows hierarchy could be reached within the context of their marriage, with the right services in place. Psychodynamic theory Through the Psychodynamic theory of personality we could speculate about Mr Bertrams past and how that has influence on his behaviour in the present. It would be difficult to achieve a comprehensive result in regards to Mrs Bertram because of her Alzheimers. Since her behaviour is wholly attributed to her condition. Studying Sigmund Freuds (1856 1939) theories, with a focus on psychosexual development, would be the most relevant to apply to the case scenario. Psychodynamic theory had been developed and evolved over the years. Freuds idea of Psychodynamic theory depicted humans as largely driven by unconscious motives and desires. He proclaimed that humans come into conflict when their basic instincts come up against social pressure to follow, laws or moral codes. At first this conflict is external, but as we develop it becomes internalised (Rathus, 2004). Freud explains the conflict of personality using psychic structures. The id, which Freud believed is present at birth and located in the unconscious mind, and revolves around our basic biological drives and instincts. It operates on what Freud called the pleasure principle. It demands instant gratification regardless of laws or moral rules. Another feature in the structure of personality is the ego. Formed from the id, developed through learni ng and experience. This is the part where conscious thought takes place (Beckett and Taylor, 2010). The ego operates on the reality principle. This takes into consideration what is practical and possible in gratifying needs (Rathus, 2004). When the ego senses improper impulses arsing it can sometimes deploy a number of defence mechanisms. The third psychic structure is the superego. This is formed throughout early childhood and is developed through standards, values, parenting and moral standards. Psychodynamic theory emphasises the way in which the mind stimulates behavior, and both mind and behavior influence and are influenced by the persons social environment (Payne, 2005) Freud believed there were four stages in psychosexual development. The first stage took place during the first year of a childs life. This is known as the oral stage. Much of the childs development is explored by putting things into the mouth and sucking, biting chewing. Freud believed it was possible to have arrested development through trauma. And be fixated on one of the stages. From the case study we could surmise that Mr Bertram is fixated on the oral stage of psychosexual development through his drinking. We could speculate that he may have had a significant trauma at that stage which has left him with a possible alcohol dependency, thus fixated on the oral stage. It could perhaps be identified that Mr Bertram is using psychological defence mechanisms in order to avoid the situation that he is currently facing. Part 3: Reflect on your own background describe it and indicate 1 sociological and 1 psychological theory that can be applied to you, giving examples The relationship I have with my father has often been fraught, difficult and tense. As a sufferer of a severe mental disorder, my father has often displayed irrational, delusional, paranoid and sometimes violent behaviour. Throughout his life he has had frequent hospitalisation. For me this is something I have grown up with and am used to dealing with on a day to day basis. I am acutely aware of how our relationship differs to that of my friends for example. I have as close a relationship as possible with him, and to that end I usually bear the brunt of his paranoia and aggression when he is unwell. I have witnessed first-hand the stigma attached to mental illness. I find it extremely difficult to trust anyone enough to tell them about the situation, and I strongly feel I shouldnt have to tell everyone that meets him, this only leads to labelling him as mentally ill, thus changing the way in which they treat him; which only compounds his paranoia. Some Sociological theorists believe that mental illness is a social construction in order to rationalise bizarre or irrational behaviour that cannot be in any other way explained. This is known as labelling theory. Scheff (1966) argued that people are labelled as mentally ill because their behaviour does not make sense to others. Scheff points out that labelling of a person as mentally ill is facilitated by stereotyped imagery learned in early childhood and continually reaffirmed, inadvertently, in ordinary social interaction and through the mass media. Thus, when a persons violation of social norms or deviance becomes a public issue, the traditional stereotype of crazy person is readily adopted both by those reacting to the deviant person and, often, by the deviant person as well (Lamb. 2002). Erving Goffman suggests that when someone is labelled as mentally ill then they are treated differently. When an interaction takes place with that person it is with this knowledge of the menta l illness, therefore creating what Goffman called a spurious interaction (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004). From a behaviourist view, Schizophrenia could be viewed as a kind of learned behaviour. From this perspective, people engage in schizophrenic behaviour when it is more likely to be reinforced than normal behaviour (Rathus, 2004). This could be the result of being raised in an unrewarding or punitive situation. It could also be observed that this kind of behaviour is reinforced within the hospital setting, where the schizophrenic behaviour is reinforced through attention from professionals within that setting. Cognitive theory argues that behavior is affected by perception or interpretation of the environment during the process of learning. Apparently inappropriate behavior must therefore arise from misinterpretation. Therapy tries to correct the misunderstanding, so that our behavior reacts appropriately to the environment (Payne, 2006) I believe the experiences I have had with my father give me the ability to understand mental illness without stigmatising. It also helps me empathise with the sufferer and the family. An empathetic approach to someone who was hearing voices for example, would be to understand that to the person affect, they are very real. I fully understand the importance of having the right services in place in order for that person to thrive. My experience allows me to observe the wider context of a situation and realise that it is not only the primary sufferer of the condition that is affected. The wider family needs to be considered as they have a huge role to play in the well-being of the person concerned.

Disorder in King Lear Essay -- King Lear essays

Disorder in King Lear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Order from disorder sprung." (Paradise Lost)   Ã‚  Ã‚  A [kingdom] without order is a [kingdom] in chaos (Bartelby.com). In Shakespeare's tragic play, King Lear, the audience witnesses to the devastation of a great kingdom. Disorder engulfs the land once Lear transfers his power to his daughters, but as the great American writer, A.C. Bradley said, "The ultimate power in the tragic world is a moral order" (Shakespearean Tragedy). By examining the concept of order versus disorder in the setting, plot, and the character King Lear, Bradley's idea of moral order is clearly demonstrated by the outcome of the play.       "By removing a 'degree' or not acting according to the 'natural' social order, disorder and disharmony in the whole of the universe are inevitable" (Sarah Doncaster). Bradley's idea of moral order is evident from the setting of the play. An excellent example from the play would be that of the storms. By using the technique of pathetic fallacy, Shakespeare creates a storm raging in the sky to reflect the storm raging inside of Lear. Upon the heath, Shakespeare intertwines this idea of disorder in the universe and disorder within Lear. King Lear says,       Rumble they bellyful! Spit, fire! spout, rain! Nor rain, wind thunder, fire, are my daughter: I tax you not, you elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children... (3, ii, 14-17)       Lear's feelings in this passage parallel the disorder of the storm. To bring order to the universe, Lear must start by bringing order to himself. This occurs when he becomes lawful and puts his daughters on trial. Soon after, Lear says, "When the rain came to wet me once and the wind ... ... statement because of the "innocent" deaths, it is these innocent deaths which further support the fact that moral order is supreme. The Phrygian Stoic philosopher, Epictetus said it best, "Since it is order which shapes and regulates all other things, it ought not itself to be left in disorder" (Epictetus)       Works Cited Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Macmillan, 1905 Doe, John. "Open Quote" Bartelby.com http://www.bartleby.com/81/14917.html Doncaster, Sarah. "Discuss the Representation of Nature in Shakespeare King Lear." Shakespeare Online.   http://www.shakespeare-online.com/essays/learandnature.asp 04 May. 2000 Epictetus. Discourses. Boston: Harvard University Press, 1928 Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Oregon: University of Oregon, 1997 Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998

What Is A Blog?

In recent years, we have been hearing a lot about blogs and how they can become a tool to generate income, to advertise a product or an idea, to pass information, to destroy other people’s reputations, or to express genuine human emotion. But what is a blog, in its very basic sense? Blog is actually a derivative from the words: web log. And that is actually the best description of a blog. It is a log of everyday events and occurrences published on the web. It is usually maintained by somebody with intent to regularly update it with commentaries, videos, pictures, essay, and graphics; much like a diary. However, unlike the usually diary, blogs follow a reverse-chronological order. So when you open the web page, you actually see the newest entry and will actually have to track back to view older entries. People who write, maintain and manage blogs are called bloggers and all bloggers, and everything that is written in any blog in any part of the web is encompassed in the term: blogosphere. This word is used to suggest that blogs and bloggers are connected through some kind of social network. Blogs are complicated and many, they fall under every and any category imaginable, the most popular being Personal Blogs which are much like diaries, where the blogger puts in anything s/he feels like sharing to the world. However, some other blog types are more organized and focused like a Corporate Blog which is usually used for marketing a product. You could also define a blog by its genre and the topics it focuses on. There are Political Blogs, Travel Blogs, Fashion Blogs, Party Blogs, Music Blogs, Education Blogs, Entertainment Blogs, Law Blogs and even Sub-Culture Blogs. Whatever topic one chooses for his/her blog, it still remains true that the Blog is one of the most ingenious inventions of our time. It allows us to talk to the rest of the world by sharing everything we want to, and much like a diary, fulfills our need to be heard.

Variable Costs

Assignment: Fixed cost Dora McKinney Hsm/260 Week 4 Instructor: Greg O’Donnell Fixed Costs, Variable Costs, and Break-Even Point Exercise 10. 1 Month Meals Served Total Costs July 3,500 $20,500Low August 4,000 22,600 September 4,200 23,350 October 4,600 24,500 November 4,700 25,000 December 4,900 26,000High In dealing with step 1-The difference in service volume between high-low periods is (4,900-3,500) 1,400 meals. In dealing with step 2-The difference in costs between the high-low period is ($26,000-20,500) $5,500. In dealing with step 3-The variable cost is now computed.The cost difference $5,500 is divided by the service volume of 1,400. The variable cost per unit of service is $3. 93. In dealing with step 4-Total variable costs are now computed. In the low time period the number of meals provided is 3,500. The service volume is then multiplied by the cost per unit of $3. 93. The total variable cost for the low month is $13,755. The same is done to figure the total variabl e costs for the high month 4,900 ? $3. 93 = $19,257. In dealing with step 5-Total fixed costs for the low period are now computed. The total program cost for the low month is $20,500.If the variable costs ($13,755) are subtracted from the total costs ($20,500) the remaining amount is the fixed cost at $6,745. If the same is done for the high month ($26,000 – 19,257) the fixed cost is $6,743. In dealing with step 6-The break-even point is ready to be inputed using the BEP formula and steps 1-5. The contracted service price with the City of Westchester for 45,000 meals is $5. 77. The variable costs per meal is $3. 93 per meal, but will earn $5. 77. The difference between the variable cost per meal and the revenue per meal is 5. 7X = 6745 + 3. 93X is $1. 84 per meal. This leaves 3,666 which is the monthly BEP. Then 3,666 ? 12 = 43,992 is the fiscal year BEP. The WHDM needs to provide 43,992 meals during the fiscal year to reach the BEP. The difference between the contracted meal s 45,000 and the BEP 43,992 is 1,008. The potential profit is 1,008 meals ? $1. 84 a total profit of $1,855. Exercise 10. 2 The newsletter yearly salary coordinator is $6,000 and the assistant total is $3,900 for both of $9,900 a fixed cost. The unit cost of preparing, printing and the mailing is $4. 0 for the period of six bimonthly issues is $4. 50 this is a variable cost. This newsletter is now $20 per annual yearly subscription. This information plus the BEP formula is used to add and complete the BEP. 20X = 9,900 + 4. 50X 15. 50X = 9,900 X = 639 In dealing with the BEP, I believe it will be 639. The new BEP is a acceptable solution because joined with the newsletter coordinator and with the corporation of handling up to the amount of 650 subscriber’s. There also is an amount of 11 subscribers that is able to subtracting the BEP Dora mckinney [email  protected] com