Ivaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ivaluation - Essay Example When the storm happened, Calixta’s husband and son were in town while Alcee’s wife was away. Despite their marital status, they had this intense sexual relationship that they could not find in their spouses. This presented a very liberating idea of the author about adultery. How could sex and love be different? Was she trying to say that a person can be emotionally faithful and committed but physically not? If that was the case, then any married person who could not find sexual satisfaction from his/her partner could deliberately have sex with anyone as long as it was just physical contact and mere sex, and as long as you do not get caught as the part â€Å"the actual storm passed by without doing any real damage, leaving the city as it had been before the storm† (Pope, 2010). Therefore, adultery would just be a normal thing in the society. One can always justify that having sex is just an act of fulfilling his/her sexual needs with someone who can satisfy it if that person cannot find it from his/her own partner. What is the essence of marriage at this point? Moving on, another crucial issue in this story was femininity. First, the character of Calixta was described to be â€Å"unable to conform to the society’s standards of acceptable conduct† (M, 2012) especially in the 19th century setting. Symbolically, it goes with the issue of chastity as Calixta was a married woman which went favourably with Alcee. Looking closely at it, a sexually mutual relationship compromised the affair of the two main characters. Calixta had her sexual longing and desire as a woman beyond her role as a wife and mother. Her marriage was seemingly repressing her and having a passionate sexual encounter with Alcee released her from the pressures of her married life. Giving in to Alcee was not because of love for this man but for the love of herself. It was her human nature that she needed to satisfy. This part of characterization was very liberating although not in a vulgar way, yet it made a negative impression among women in a patriarchal society. Taking into account that women have their own needs, let us say that they have the right and the freedom to voice them out and seek for their satisfaction, at what extent should they attain it? It is just to cheat on their spouse just to fulfil the physical and sexual fantasy and longing? How can the society or the women themselves distinguish their feminine satisfaction from immorality? Contrary to the first two themes, marriage that was supposed to be of high moral was given a different treatment in the story. It set boundaries among the characters instead of giving them space to grow as different individuals. Calixta found pressure in her marriage having a husband described to be undependable. Alcee, on the other side, being far away from his wife did not have a spouse to answer his sexual passion. At the end of it all, the elements lacking in their marriage pushed them to cheat on their spouses. Dishonesty in a marital relationship is immoral and sinful, but in the story, the sexual bliss served as a therapy both for Calixta and Alcee to be kinder and sweeter to their spouses. Ironically, their so called hypocrisy seemed to help strengthen rather than destroying their individual marriages. Personally, one thing I noticed in this story was the act of

Commercial office blocks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Commercial office blocks - Essay Example On some occassions, high rise buiding may also comprise o f both the retail and educational facilities. High rise commercial office block is considered as the most recent from of high rise building which is considered as a mixed – use building. Being one of the highest and largest buidings, the cost for construction is relativey high. Together with that, both the commercial and office functions of such buidings require a high degree of maintenance. There is a wide variety of commercial buildings that subsists mostly within the USA. The buildings ranges from customary sandstone architecture to the contemporary ones, that is, the multi-story and the high- rise structures. The construction of some of the most important swimming pools purposed for global swimming competitions, are featured by high technological level. For them to retain their position as international pools, use of contemporary and accurate techniques is not an optional thing (American Institute of Steel Construct ion, 2003). There are different forms of high rise commercial office blocks. These may include: i. Shopping malls. There has been a growing trend since the 1970s of building large shopping malls at the suburbs of the business districts for large cities around the world. These malls contain everything from the supermarkets, banks, movie theatres and even restaurants. ii. Hotels and pubs. From an architecturally point of view, most of the large hotels are monumental in respect to modern blueprint and depicts the level of commercial tourism of the region. They are built ion the heart of the business districts of major cities with impeccable landscape gardens, spacious lobbies, restaurants and specialty shops. iii. Retail stores. Self relying retail outlets such as large electrical and furniture stores and fast- foods outlets are present all over the in semi-residential areas, along highways and near the large shopping malls. Big commercial links often than not establish a similar desig n creating an architectural icon that can be linked to such a company. iv. High-rise office skyscrapers. It all started in the 1960s with the building of multi-story officer blocks and at present it is so much evident especially in large cities and coastal regions. v. Industrial estates. These are constructed away from the central business districts and residential areas due to pollution and noise and the fact that they usually feature a one or two story offices and warehouses with individual parking and loading bays. The commercial leasing companies construct industrial estates and their residential areas flooded with factory waste and pollution. Storage warehouse Warehouse the most universal type of storeroom although other forms such as storage tanks and computer server farms still exist. It is a gigantic structure that supports the offloading of several trucks and railroad cars that hold supplier’s products while at the same time loading other smaller trucks for transport ation to customers. There are 5 types of warehouses namely: i. Private warehouse. This is owned and an ran by resellers and suppliers that use them for their personal supply endeavors. ii. Public warehouse. This is basically a space that can be leased to take care of short-term supply needs. Retailers running their own warehouses may seek to use them if their facilities have

Effect of Globalization on Media Essay Example for Free

Effect of Globalization on Media Essay The globalization since it took over the whole world in its vintage has given new dimensions and shape to varying aspects of Media in its whole vicissitude. As transnational in character, media has crossed all the cultural and political boundaries to reach the world audience with depth in dimensions in the shape, style and pattern of various programs. These intercontinental and transnational media outlets have posed challenges to the boundaries, questioned the territorial integrity and given shape to the media spaces. When many of the media markets all over the world got saturated, the media companies began to look at the global market place to earn revenues for their own firms and industries and global audiences are kept in mind while generating media content. As the accounting and regulatory structures differ in different countries and there is no reliable global financial data, it presented challenge before the media economic researchers. The companies are competing in the global as well as in the domestic market to gain a maximum share of audience and advertisers revenue. The whole gamut of programs seems to be seen as the representation of commercial interests of the bureaucratic elite and rich at the expense of public opinion and democracy. Views and opinions of the people to create their influence on the masses diminish when large media players do not hold themselves accountable to the state regulations. In other words, globalization has become an issue of privatization. Big market players are using the media to gain their commercial endeavors in the form of advertisements. In his Preface to â€Å"The Codes of Advertising† Sut Jhally said, â€Å"The symbolic dimensions of needing and culture and the economic dynamic of capital accumulation are symbiotically intertwined in the new communication age of advanced capitalism. † (1990) Here the advertisements act as the modern mediators between the end consumers and big conglomerates. Shoemaker and Mayfield (1987), for instance, underlined the view that â€Å"Sources of finance like advertisers are generally strongly influential on all aspects of News production and that a funder’s ideology is likely to have an ultimate effect on editorial’s decisions relevant to this ideology. †(McQual 1992: 113) Most of the media content also depends on the advertisers will, their commercial propositions and their market position. The advertisers offer the contents, which are friendly to the audiences and cater to their taste and liking. For e. g. Television soap operas function as advertisements aiming at attracting audiences to stay in tune. The scriptwriters in soaps use the strategies in their writing to keep the viewers on hold. An advertising industry has come under heavy criticism among groups such as Adbursters who accused industry of becoming a powered engine of most complex economic production system. Suggestions are being forwarded by many public interest groups to tax advertisers for their continuous intrusion in the mental space of audiences. The advertisers too are indirectly dependent on the changes in the demographical set up and society in its various shape and magnitude creating tremendous impact on the way media industries capture the moods of the their audiences. â€Å"They have an insatiable appetite for media related content and services and as people live longer and obtain more discretionary income, spending on media will likely rise. These shifts in audience composition and makeup will present new pressures on media firms to develop content that will appeal to these unique and differing audiences. † (Downing, McQuail, Wartella Schlesinger 2004: 299) Graham Murdock treats advertising more as a cultural and social phenomenon rather than economical. (Jhally, 1990: 3). But the social influence is only a smaller stroke in a big game of Media players. For the New York Times and other companies associated with Media, as said by Naom Chowsky, the products are audiences, and customers as corporate advertisers. The product of New York Times is the paper itself audiences buy and it becomes an information for advertisers and therefore for them, the audiences that buy the products themselves become products for advertisers and it is the advertisers that bring in revenue for the companies. (Shah 2008: online). It would be most appropriate to mention that advertising is a â€Å"Superstructural facade† (Jenks 2004: 299) as they just not only are the expressions of capitalism but also produces and reproduces it. Advertising has reduced the concept of public opinion to cherish the desire of acquiring capital rather than fulfillment of personal desire. In the words of Marx, â€Å"In bourgeois society the commodity-form of the product of labor or the value-form of the commodity is the economic cell-form. † (Jenks 2004: 299) Audiences too reciprocate the same way. A certain kind of close relationship is developed between audiences and advertisers. Advertisers have created an image a global way making social relation, as a form of commodity yet creating an incredible influence on the ideological perception of individualism and consumerism. And in this atmosphere, political economy too is opening only a new door on the old platform- a typical characteristic of capitalistic society, whereas the content of media is being modified to keep to the capitalist standard. There is a whole new concept of audience ratings, used by the media companies to make the plans of their programs schedule and for studying the success rate of programs and media products. Government agencies, Government authorities and public service media organizations act as basis for making adequate economic decisions, endorsing regulations, and controlling the mass communications. Audience ratings are merged with research and also used by advertisers as tools to identify their target audience and prepare media plan accordingly. But these rating systems are being criticized on the ground as said by Liina Puustinen in her working paper on â€Å"The Age of Consumer audience† that â€Å"they do not give an adequate image of the consumers and audiences, and they objectify people into numbers and faceless masses†. (Puustinen 2006: Online edition). Number of theories, like audience receptive theories have been propounded to reflect the attitude and perceiving nature of mass audiences, which are contradictory to the rating systems. The rating system only give information of how many people have watched any particular program or advertisement but not how they perceived the program and what value they give to it, therefore the theories rightly said that the rating systems do not accurately represent audience satisfaction. Hypodermic Needle Model states that the media players make the contents of any program, idea or information enter into the consciousness of the people. In other words, audiences are manipulated to the ideologies and thinking of the creator of media product. Hans Robert Jauss and Wolfgang Iser developed the Reception theory by studying the people’s attitude and their receptive tendencies toward programs. The theory delves on the way people adapt to various programs and play their role in actual analyzing of the text. Another theory Culmination theory too deepens down the audience approach on the sensitivity of the programs. If they watch too much of the violence, they would in the years to come make you less sensitive towards violence in the same way if violence towards women are watched on year to year basis then it would make you ultimately less insensitive towards the issue. The audience receptive theory deepens down to the study of the psychological patterns of the audiences and how they reciprocate and adopt the programs and how the media players mould the sensitivity of the audiences to receive what they show. Some critics state that these theories are only based on their preconceived notions and assumptions. For example in 1930’s one of the advertising executive said about radio audiences: â€Å"The typical listening audience for a radio program is a tired, bored, middle-aged man and woman whose lives are empty and who have exhausted their sources of outside amusement when they have taken a quick look at an evening paper. Radio provides a vast source of delight and entertainment for the barren lives of the millions. † (Media studies: Online) It is not just about radio audiences, but we can hear about it for several soap operas or quiz shows. Every human being has his tastes, liking and his own way of perceiving the things. Some may be critical and some may be appreciative. In this scenario, it is the way media players reach their target audience becomes the whole crux of their strategies and plans of their programs. To hit the right audience at the right time, right moment and right situation is the motive of media players around which the whole of media content depends. And it is the only way advertisers are attracted to use the media content for their valuable business propositions for these right audiences. Number of programs like â€Å"Pop Idol† created by impressionist music maestro Simon Fuller became the most popular format for the first show on the European TV and also reached the other continents as well. The craze of the Pop idol carried Americans, Canadians and Australians as American Idol, Canadian Idol and Australian Idol followed by Spanish bonanza â€Å"Operacion Triunfo†, making the Latin and South Americans also to come under their sway. Ipod, a melodious device of new generation and a complete new innovation being carried by the young and old alike in Shanghai as well as Innsbruck rapidly transferred to the new generations across the borders. It is quite true that if digital home cinema has gained so popularity in Japan then why it shouldn’t reach the other continents? Well, it has reached the homes of other continents. (Reding 2005: Online Edition) More than the spread of news, the world of music has imbibed in itself international facets in its thematic expression and lyrical notes. Music has reached new dimensions in the technological advancement. According to Steiner, â€Å"The totally new fact is that today any music can be heard at any time and as domestic background music. †(Nesbitt 2006: 103). The other programs are now more of sensational, individualist and reductionist in nature as these programs touches the heart of audiences. Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet studied how the voters made the decision during 1940 presidential election campaign and got their results published in paper The People’s Choice. They found out that information did not directly reach the consciousness of the audiences rather modified and passed down by the opinion leaders, which was again passed over to lesser active associates. In 2002, Anthony Giddens, a sociologist in the radio national broadcast made the people feel the essence of Globalization. He said, â€Å"Globalization is like a code-word standing for the reconstruction of our social institutions, going all the way through from the family, gender, sexuality (because after all the changing position of women is surely a global phenomenon as much as any other one) through the economy, the restructuring of business organizations, a restructuring of the nation and government, through the restructuring of international organizations†. (O’Regan 2002: Online edition) The politics since last 2300 years have been influencing the communication processes in the state. But since last few centuries, the relationship between politics and media is being seen in much controversial light than it was seen in the past and it is due to the political influence and control over the content of media and thereby their indirectly control over the public opinion. The political control over media reciprocates the views of Marx who said that media is a product of ruling elite wherein there is no scope of any alternative ideas. In Marx’s own words, â€Å"The class, which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production, so that thereby, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it†. (Chandler 2000: Online) Marx further stated that mass media brings to the people’s consciousness false notions and ideas making media as a product of expressions of the ruling class. Graham Murdock too emphasized that economic factors play a determining role in the domination of ruling elite over media messages. The political economists look at ideological messages as superior to the economic criteria. (Chandler 2000: Online). In the 1966 article, Stein Rokkan brought into focus the two ways of decision making in the media circle: corporate system and numerical. In 1996, the whole of media was under the control of one or the other political party. But in the last two to three decades, we have seen number of changes in the way politics is being related to Media. Globalization has touched every sphere of human commodity from increasing a sense of risk to creating uncertainty. Interconnectedness in the global sphere increased the value of the humanity as a whole and an awareness of deep understanding and tensions between Global Diaspora, national and local perception of shared identities. (Gillespie, 1995: 3). It is no doubt a global village and we are all now a part of this global village where not only individual’s perception is taken into account but the perceptions of the whole in all its shades and dimensions is considered as the most virtuous and commercial proposition. REFERENCES LIST Chandler, D. 2000.Media as means of production in Marxist Media Theory. [Online] Available: http://www. aber. ac. uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism03. html [13 May 2008] Chandler, D. 2000. Media as amplifiers in Marxist Media Theory. [Online] Available: http://www. aber. ac. uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism05. html [13 May 2008] Downing, J. , McQuail, D. , Wartella, E. Schlesinger P. 2004. The SAGE Handbook of Media Studies. California, London New Delhi: SAGE Gillespie, Marie. 1995. Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change. Routledge. Hjarvard, S. 2003. News Media and the Globalization of the Public Sphere. [Online] Available: http://www. kommunikationsforum. dk/default. asp? articleid=10761 [13 May 2008] Jhally Sut, P. 1990. The Codes of Advertising. Routledge. Jenks Chris, P. 2004. Urban Culture. Routledge. Johnson, P. 2004. Are the media playing politics? USATODAY. com. [Online] Available: http://www. usatoday. com/life/columnist/mediamix/2004-10-10-media-mix_x. htm Media Studies. Audience (Adapted from Steve Bakers Media Studies website) [Online] Available: http://www. northallertoncoll. org. uk/media/audience. htm McQuail, D. 1992. Media Performance: Mass Communication and the Public Interest. California, London New Delhi: SAGE Nesbitt, T. 2006. Global Media and cultural change. China Media Research, Chang, et, al, Intercultural Symposium on Cultural Globalization, 2(3): 103. O’ Regan, Mick. 2002. Media and globalisation. The Media Report. [Online] Available: http://www. abc. net. au/rn/talks/8. 30/mediarpt/stories/s678261. htm [13 May 2008] Puustinen L. 2006. The Age of Consumer-Audience. [Online] Available: http://209. 85. 175. 104/search? q=cache:FsxLpxbPeeQJ:www. valt. helsinki. fi/comm/fi/english/WP5. pdf+The+audience+reception+theories+on+ratings+systemhl=enct=clnkcd=5gl=inie=UTF-8 [16 May 2008] Rantanen T. 2005. The Media and Globalization. 1st Edition. California, London New Delhi: SAGE Reding, V. 2005. The Media and Globalisation. European Forum Alpbach [Online] Available: http://europa. eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. do? reference=SPEECH/05/469format=HTMLaged=0language=ENguiLanguage=en

Child Observation Essay

Child Observation Essay Observation of young children allows for a naturalistic insight into child development, which more experimental methods fail to provide. The method of observation also means social workers can develop skills that would usually be difficult to learn, such as observing without taking notes a practice that is applicable in a professional social work role. Trowell and Miles (1996) emphasise the importance of observation as one of the foundational skills developed in social work, relating to the social workers role in making judgements, decisions and juggling the issues of race, gender and sexuality whilst making important decisions regarding peoples welfare. The observation took place across 5 weeks involving 5 different observation sessions, allowing the child to be observed across a variety of different times during the day. The observation study was based upon the Tavistock method emphasising not taking notes, becoming completely absorbed into the observation and placing importance on the observer recognising their own reactions and responses to what behaviours and dynamics may be displayed. The Tavistock model encourages observers to see what there is to be seen and not look for what they think should be there (p. 2, Reid 1999). This encourages the observers use of non-judgemental perception and not creating inferences about situations based on instinct without evidence. Whilst the Tavistock model traditionally uses weekly observation across the first year of a babys birth this observation was across 5 weeks. It would be hugely beneficial from a child development perspective to observe a newborn infant for a year, however I can imagine the process to be very emotional. I found it difficult to complete my goodbyes to the child I was observing, as I had become a relatively constant fixture in the childs life. Also from the process of observation I felt as if I had begun to know the child, as I had watched her intently and picked up upon habits, favourite activities and began to recognise and understand her personality traits. The age of the child being observed was also very different from the Tavistock model, however I feel that observing a child at the age of between 3 and 5 was incredibly useful. Observation of newborn infants can inform social workers of attachment development and the very first milestones. However an older child can start to infor m social workers of the way children interact with other adults, develop speech and how children themselves relate to others and the wider ecological system (Bronfenbrenner 1990) which can help inform practice, especially direct work with children. The use of the Tavistock model also helped me understand the usefulness of not taking notes, and I think it is a skill I have developed and already put into practice when working with children. Due to learning how to perceive what is going on around me and what is occurring for the child I have been able to transfer this to listening to children talk about their home life (specifically in wishes and feelings work) whilst being able to observe the childs body language. I have made it a point to not take notes when talking to a child, so that they feel I am fully focused on their story. The observation took place in an early years class, in a Roman Catholic School in a deprived area of Suffolk. The schools mission statement is to educate young people to meet the challenge of life courageously, to use their abilities to the full and to live the values of Christs gospel and there is an emphasis on a Catholic education, including religious iconography in all classrooms, regular prayers and a prayer garden in the school grounds. Children are also encouraged to take their first holy communion and attend mass regularly. The school itself is recognised as good by Ofsted, and whilst its main student population is from the nearby area and would describe themselves as White British, there are a small, but growing, population of ethnic minorities. This includes Philippines, Korean and Polish and due to the high incident of non-English speaking parents the schools website offers a translate service. The Ofsted report also discusses that the school has a higher than average numb er of pupils with special educational needs. The area is predominately working class, with an increasing problem with unemployment and poverty. Whilst it is well evidenced that children growing up in deprived areas are more at risk of health problems (McLeod and Shanahan 1993) and at greater risk of varying types of abuse (Aber, Bennet, Conley and Li 1997) the child for this study is developing within the considered normal boundaries, is not known to social services, and is white British. I fortunately already had links to the school due to previously completing work experience- I was therefore already known by members of staff, and had already gained their trust that I would behave in a professional manner. I approached the school and the school agreed to the observation study. I was then invited to come in and speak to a potential parent as she brought her child in to school. The teacher had chosen this child as she had no developmental concerns, describing her as average, the child, siblings and other family members were also not known to social services and come from a stable family. I approached the mother as she entered school and explained the project to her, she was interested and expressed no worries or issues with her child being the subject of the child observation. I was very surprised at the ease of permission, as there is a negative stereotype regarding social workers (Gibleman 2004), however when I spoke to the parent of the child she said that she unde rstood that everyone needs to learn. This made me feel positive regarding the observation as I wasnt immediately challenged or questioned and the parent did not ask for any feedback on the child development which I was initially concerned may be asked of me. I completed the observations on a Tuesday at a variety of times. Due to starting at the end of September I started my observation at 9am as C (as the observation subject shall henceforth be known) had only just begun school and was not yet attending full time. As time progressed I was able to complete observations during the afternoons. I chose the observation to focus on as C participated in a range of activities that appeared to demonstrate numerous facets of child development, including imaginary play, shared play, scaffolding (Vygotsky 1978) and cognitive development (Piaget 1964). I chose not to use the first observation I completed, as C cried for the most part of the observation and was very unresponsive to any task the class teacher had set and refused to participate in any activities, instead she remained on the lap of a teaching assistant. Whilst this in itself obviously indicated a great deal regarding development of attachment this essay would then primarily be focused of attachment rather than the other aspects of child development. The observation I have focused on was the second observation I completed, and is therefore still relevantly soon after C had started school, I could therefore begin to make inferences related to Cs first relationships with her peers and could observe how these developed across the following observations. Analysis of Observation: This observation was the second observation in the series of five. I chose it as I felt the child demonstrated a range of facets of development, including participating in shared play, imaginative play and I began to understand more about the childs individual personality. Language development: Language and communication development begins very early, with very young infants using eye contact and changes in the infants behavioural state in order to communicate their needs to adults. These responses begin to become more complex and reciprocal between adult and caregiver and the child begins to learn sounds ultimately developing language, an important tool in communicating to adults (Sheridan, Sharma and Cockerill 2008). The observation and school day began with the children asked to practice phonic sounds; in this observation the letter O. C (the child) used gestures as well as sounds to practice the letter, encouraging C to recognise the sound and value of the letters, however by 4 years and 3 months Cs language development was such that she could already construct sentences, engage with other children and instigate games and jokes (Pecceci 2006) This is evidenced with C asking another child to play the row your boat game. C is demonstrating her grasp of complex sentence structure using relative clauses (Clark 2003). Similar evidence of developed language acquisition is Cs ability to ask grammatically correct questions, for example when she asked for milk C demonstrated that she had developed an understanding of auxiliary verbs. Social and emotional development: Play is a central part of a childs social development including solitary play (mastery play, generative play), constructive play, locomotor and sociodramatic play. C participated in a range of play indicative of gender stereotypes for example playing brides with a friend, pretending to be a kitten again with a friend, all examples of imaginative and co-operative play. Piaget (1965) discusses the importance of peer interactions to the childs moral feelings, values and beliefs. In the above examples C is engaging in play where the two children involved are expressing their interests and desires (i.e. interest in animals and the desire to have a pet kitten) when the same interests do not exist, an disequillibrium occurs (DeVries 1997) and dependent on the value of the relationship, the child may try and re-establish equilibrium, which is why Piaget suggests peer friendships, and ultimately peer play is essential to a childs operational and co-operational development. C participated in a game with three boys, which involved building a structure. C had to work with her peers, this game was more structured and therefore more implicit rules which is how Piaget (1965) explains the development of childhood moral values. Alternatively Vygotsky (1978) believed that the life long process of development is dependent on social interactions and this leads to cognitive development, which is also known as the zone of proximal development. C worked with three other students to work together to build using the wooden planks, C resolved the problem of where to put the planks to build the most sound structure independently problem solving. There is also an emphasis on play leading to the development of an imagination. This can be evidenced in C becoming a kitten, and behaving as a kitten would- licking her hands as paws etc. Vygotsky (1966) argues that all play involves the creation of an imaginary situation, liberating the child from realistic situational constraints, ultimately Vygotsky implies that childhood play and the transition to adult imagination are both rule bound, and this first develops through imaginative play as observed in C. Emotional development, self-regulation and containment largely derive from the quality of the childs early attachments (Bowlby 1969). Cs mother bought C into the classroom and C appeared reluctant to leave her mother, but she was comforted by the teacher and waved goodbye and did not appear to be distressed. This observation was completed at an early stage of the child attending school full time, therefore a certain amount of separation anxiety could be expected. However C was easily comforted by the teacher suggesting C had developed a secure attachment to her mother but was able to leave her without being anxious. This has important implications for Cs future adjustment at school. Granot and Mayseless (2001) suggest that those children with secure attachments adjust to school better than those with disorganised, avoidant or ambivalent attachment styles. Intellectual and cognitive development: Piaget (1957) theory of child cognitive development states that the child constructs and understands the world around them by experiencing discrepancies from what they already know and what they begin to discover. There are four stages of development, which Piaget discusses sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational and formal operational. Due to Cs age (4 years 3 months) Piaget (1957) would describe C as being in the pre-operational stage mentally representing objects and engaging in symbolic play (seen throughout the observation). The pre-operational stage also links to Piaget and Inhelders (1948) stages of drawing. C demonstrated that she was in the later stages of the synthetic incapacity stage of drawing C had drawn a circular, closed figure with limbs but these were not in proportion, C has also not grasped a sense of perspective and the human figure did not fit the background feature in Cs case a bathtub. The synthetic incapacity stage of drawing runs parallel to the pre-operational stage hence why the picture was also in 2D, as C could only draw from her perspective replicating a bathtub from her internal mental representation. However Vygotsky (1966) theory of cognitive development varied from Piagets (1957) and he placed a greater importance on the cultural and social environment of the child being a vital part of the construction of knowledge. Learning through interactions with their peers, and the expectations, beliefs and traditions of their own cultures. Vygotksy (1966) also placed an importance of peer collaboration, as well as adult assistance in promoting the zone of proximal development, also known as the scaffolding process (Wood, Bruner, and Ross 1976). Scaffolding is very much used a teaching strategy and can be seen with C and her classmates. The teacher demonstrated the letter O and asked the children to copy both sound and movement, providing encouragement and reward when the task was done well. In this situation the teacher also split the task of recognising O down first explaining to the children, then asking the children to sound the letter out, before drawing on the whiteboard and asking the children to copy the writing action. C was then asked to draw the letter on a piece of paper, using the technique previously used by the teacher. C did this task well, suggesting the success of the scaffolding technique. In this observation C also began to demonstrate the beginnings of the development of theory of mind. Perner, Lang and Kloo (1999) suggest an intellectual and developmental shift in a child of around 4 years of age, including the acquisition of theory of mind and self-control. In this observation C and another child hid from a boy, they hid behind the shed, and therefore developed the understanding that if they hide from another that he will not know where they are. However Perner Lang, and Kloo (1999) also suggest a link between acquisition of theory of mind and self-control, but in the hide-and-seek game the two girls called the childs name and giggled, suggesting their executive control has not yet fully developed Moral and spiritual development: As previously described the school is a Roman Catholic school, and there is religious iconography in the classroom, including a picture of Mary and Jesus on the wall. The children are expected to pray three times a day as well as attend mass, collective worship and religious assemblies. There is also a greater emphasis on religious education starting from the early years class. Whilst the childs family are not religious, it is important to consider the impact that such a religious education may have on the childs concept of self and their moral, religious and spiritual development. Eriksson (1964) drew attention to the importance of religion and spirituality, emphasising that if successfully resolved at an early stage it can bring about the virtue of hope, transferring over time to mature faith and the ability to believe without evidence that the universe is trustworthy (Roehlkepartain, Benson, King and Wagener 2006). Eriksson (1964) also asserted that religion could provide a transcendent worldview, moral beliefs and behavioural norms. Cs religious development can be witnessed through her joining in the prayer at the end of the lesson time. C knew the words to the prayer and actively demonstrated the actions that accompanied the prayer. Whilst I only witnessed 5 sessions, if following the true Tavistock method, there may be more evidence of how C develops religiously, and whether attending a religious school affects her later outcomes in life as it has previously been suggested that religious schools have better discipline, school harmony and less racial discrimination (Jeynes 2002). Cs moral development was also demonstrated several times during this observation. On several occasions C helped out adults, as well as listening to the teacher and following instructions when asked. C did not demonstrate any behaviour that may have been construed as mean or selfish. The fact that C tidied up when asked would suggest that C has reached the pre-conventional level of moral development (Kohlberg 1971). C is responsive to the rules of the classroom and aware of the consequence of not following instructions. It could also be argued that Cs willingness to help at milk time could be seen as evidence of Kohlbergs stage 3 (1971), with C beginning to participate in good behaviour, to please and be approved by others. However Kohlbergs (1971) theory is considered to be gender biased with females typically scoring lower than males, Gilligan (1982) argues that females and males have differences in moral development. Without doing further observations it is not clear how C may cont inue to develop morally and how she would react to Kohlbergs moral questions. Concept of self: School is an incredibly important arena for a child developing its own concept of self, for it is the first time the child begins to identify itself in relation to a number of characteristics such as gender roles and racial identity. C is beginning to develop an internal model comprising of personality, self-esteem, stability and self-efficacy (Markus and Kitayama 1991). C is marking the beginning of her concept of self, by already demonstrating preferences for the type of play, peer relationships and her interests. She showed an interest in artistic activities such as painting and drawing (also seen in future observations) and mainly playing games with girls, however she did also participate in a game of construction with boys. However many children in early childhood cannot express their concept of self instead seeing the mind, self and free will as physical body parts (Damon and Hart 1982). This lies with children believing that animals, plants and some inanimate objects also possess a mind, whilst this did not occur in this observation; C clearly demonstrated this belief in a future observation believing a soft toy had feelings and thoughts of its own. How the child experiences their world: I felt that during the observation that C had a positive experience. Whilst she was initially reluctant to leave her mother, as soon as the teacher had led her into the classroom C appeared to forget about her separation anxiety and immediately became involved with the class. C appeared to do well at the educational task, and when she was given free time to choose a task she participated in several activities including playing with other children but also drawing on her own. She was very giggly appeared happy during the observation running around and playing. However as Piaget and Vonà ¨che (1929) reveal the difficulties in using the observation method to understand how the child experiences the setting and the culture within the school, as C does not spontaneously communicate her thoughts and feelings about her experience, and rather it is the observer who makes these judgements. Analysis of the observation as a series: Language development: C was the age of 4 years and 3 months when completing the observation, she has therefore begun to manage the concept of language and was beginning to experiment with more complex sentence structure and asking more complex questions. As would be expected of a child between the ages of 4-5 C was also developing her receptive skills and demonstrated an understanding of spatial concepts (McLaughlin 2006). For example the teacher asked C to retrieve the box of beads, which was behind the curtain and next to the green box of letter shapes and C was able to do this. She demonstrated that she could follow step-by-step complex instructions as well as the spatial concepts of behind and next to. However whilst C is developing what would be considered normally she also still has difficulty in pronouncing slightly longer words. For example C was playing a pretend game of hospitals with one child being ill and C playing the nurse, however C had difficulties in pronouncing the word hospital and instead pronounced it hopital. Children between the age of 4 and 5 are still developing their linguistic skills and word distortions do occur, and it is expected that in time C with encouragement from parents and teachers will be able to progress (Owens 2005). Cs continued behaviour continued to be much along the same level as the first observation and I was not surprised at her occasional mistakes, as she is not yet linguistically competent and neither would she be expected to be at the age of 4. Social and emotional development: As already discussed, the quality and nature of Cs early social interactions with her primary caregivers gives a template for future social relationships and is also integral to their general social and emotional development (Fabes, Gaertner and Popp 2006). During this observation and the other observations C appeared to have a very good temperament, disregarding the first observation C remained friendly and happy to be interacting with other children. During the 4th observation C was observed to share her own personal toy she had bought in for show and tell because another child had forgotten theirs, thus suggesting C is becoming socially competent and the beginnings of empathy. Sanson and Hemphill (2004) suggest that temperament has the potential to influence several behaviours including how children interact with peers and adults. This in turn suggests that C is able to self-regulate her own emotions. As Eisenberg Cumberland, Spinrad, Fabes, Shepard, Reiser (2001) suggests, those children who are able to self-regulate are more likely to seek out peer relationships and therefore are recognised as more socially competent. This was evidenced in Cs relationships with the other children in the class. C was observed to share her toys without pressure from adults, and she demonstrated an emergence of the understanding of others wishes and beliefs. Fabes, Gaertner and Popp (2006) also suggest that the development of social competence in school age children can be evidenced through the reciprocal relationships between peers, with positive interactions and the maintenance of social contact. Again during the observations I did not observe a negative interaction between C and another child. However I was only in the classroom for an hour a week, it is very likely that C had not completely developed socially, and is likely to have had negative experiences with some of her classmates. There may also have been the added effect of investigator bias, with the children realising that I was observing and therefore modifying their behaviour. Intellectual and cognitive development: Three of my observations were completed first session of the morning and included the routine of the register and phonics and learning to link the letters with the sounds of the letter and introducing an action to help the children represent this therefore using all aspects of learning (visual, auditory and kinetic). During one of my observations I arrived after lunchtime and before the children were again allowed to choose an activity. The class teacher had planned a numeracy session, with the children sitting on the carpet. The teacher would use an abacus and ask the children to count the beads along with her. I observed C and she participated in the task, and was able to count the beads. The teacher then moved three beads across and asked C how many beads were left to which she was able to respond 7. This is concurrent with Piagets (1980) pre-operational stage described previously. This is also suggested by Gelman and Gellistel (1978) who identified two types of numerical knowledge. The first being numerical reasoning and the second being numerical abstraction. Numerical abstraction ability is the process by which the child can abstract and represent numerical value. I observed C doing this when she was asked to move two beads on the abacus and work out how many were left, again an activity she was able to complete, indicating the development of counting principles and basic numerical abilities. As C was in the very early stages of her school life, there is very much an emphasis on play rather than academic activities, as this begins to be introduced later in the school year, therefore much of the evidence of Cs intellectual and cognitive development arose from the occasional structures activities and her interactions with peers and adults. Moral and spiritual development: Piaget (1965) suggested that moral development was a gradual process, running parallel to the stages of intelligence with each stage characterized by a different process (i.e. the pre-operational stage already discussed). He suggested that children go through a heteronomous stage guided by societies rules and boundaries which can be seen as very much enforced by school. As the child matures this becomes more autonomous as these rules and values become an ingrained part of the child. C is learning the rules of the classroom, and these eventually become fairly implicit (though occasionally children need reminding of the basics). Often I observed the class teacher telling the children to sit still, be quiet and to raise their hand when answering a question. Considering the age of C she did not break rules frequently. Occasionally I observed the teacher warn C if she was giggling and talking to a child sat next to her (not unusual behaviour for a 4-5 year old child) and C would stop the behaviour. There were children in the class who did not respond to verbal warnings and they were either asked to sit on their own in a corner, or as a more severe punishment sent to another class. C was therefore able to see the consequences of other childrens behaviour and realise that this could be applied to herself if she did not follow the rules. Bandura and McDonald (1963) also evidenced the influence of social reinforcement upon a childs moral development. They found childrens moral judgements could be altered using reinforcements and social modelling, much the same as teachers use during lesson time. Concept of self: C continued to display a marked preference for playing with children of the same sex. Whilst she would occasionally join in with boy games such as playing with cars and construction games she demonstrated an overall preference for playing dress-up (she participated in a dress up game in two other observations, including dressing up in an apron and playing out a cooking scene) and taking an interest in animals- expressed through enactment, picking a story about a tiger and through drawing (I observed C drawing a picture of herself walking 3 dogs.) As I found out when observing C, with the exception of her dad, she comes from a predominately female family. She has two older sisters who have also previously been at the school who are twins. Due to the predominately female environment that C has grown up in, it may be her preferences for gendered stereotyped activities may be learned behaviour, with children often learning perceived sex roles from parents and older siblings (Fauls and Smith 1956). Again it is difficult to discuss Cs concept of self, as it is largely based upon my observations. Whilst these observations were largely free of judgements it was difficult for me not to say how C appears to be developing in her concept of self. She appears happy and content during her time at school (excluding the first observation) as she could be quiet she had begun to establish good relationships with other children and appeared to be developing healthy self-esteem and positive self-concept. I felt this was due to her close and supportive relationship with her mother and class teacher both of whom appeared to take an interest in her work, encouraging C when she had done something well. How the child experiences their world: Only during the first observation did I feel that perhaps C might not be enjoying her school experience. During the first observation, conducted in very early September starting at 09:00 C was what could only be described as very distressed when her mum dropped her off in the morning. She clung to her mums skirt and was crying refusing to let go. The teacher took her had and led her in to the classroom and then arranged for her to be sat with a teaching assistant, who had the child on her lap. When C was encouraged to sit with her classmates she refused and began to cry again. This suggested that C was displaying separation anxiety (Bowlby 1973). However as Bowlby (1973) discusses this reaction will largely be due to a new and strange setting, considering it was one of Cs first days at school C was finding herself surrounded my new people without the knowledge that her primary caregiver was there so she could explore whilst having a secure base to which to return. However as I progressed through the observation series C began to settle into her surroundings and the new routine of school life. I observed two more sessions at the beginning of the day and C gradually became less distressed, though she still said goodbye and gave her mother a cuddle, suggesting a continuation of the secure attachment. Process of observing: Experience of being an observer: I initially felt very nervous of the whole project, though I felt this was largely down to the difficulties in securing not only a place to observe but also approaching a parent of a child who was going to be comfortable enough to allow a student social worker to observe. It is widely known that many people, especially parents of small children, have developed judgements of social workers largely due to the portrayal in popular media (Gibelman 2004). Fortunately I have very good links to the school I chose to complete my observations in having already completed work experience a few years ago, therefore there were no problems in securing a placement as they already knew and had built up a level of trust. The early years teacher introduced me to a parent, and I was expecting the mother to ask me lots of questions regarding the observation, whether they would be allowed a copy of my observations etcetera but the mother simply stated that it would be fine and that another of her children in the school had also been previously been involved in a study similar. I must have accidentally expressed my surprise at the ease of getting consent (I also thought that due to the age of the children many parents wou

Personal Narrative: Death in a Dream Essay -- Narrative Essay Dying De

Dream a Little Dream My grandmother always said, â€Å"you cannot choose between life or death while sleeping†. When you are sleeping, your body practically doesn’t belong to you. Its almost as though you have no control over anything that might happen to you in your dreams, especially if it is something dangerous. When I ask people why this happens, they theorize that a powerful force or being has entrapped your body. You could end up dying in your dreams, thus leading to your death or illness in reality. It’s possible for someone to suffer a heart attack from what they dreamt, depending on how frightening the situation was. I’ve heard of people going to bed one night and, the next morning, waking up not remembering who they are or actually becoming insane. It is with these mysterious beliefs that one becomes afraid to dream anymore. I had never actually experienced a life and death situation while sleeping, at least not until recently. It was in early November of 2001, if I remember correctly, on a Thursday night, when I was just closing my eyes to enjoy a nice peaceful sleep. I could feel myself floating almost like someone was taking me from my room. I couldn’t feel anything, since I was literally out cold. Suddenly, I was awake with my eyes closed and my body unmoved. I tried to open my eyes, but they could not open, I tried to move my body, but I would not stir. My efforts were futile; I eventuall...

Chronicle of a death foretold :: English Literature:

Chronicle of a death foretold Chronicle of a death foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a fictitious novel. It was originally written in Spanish but was later translated to English. The story began on the morning of Santiago Nasar’s murder. We are being told the story in first person view by an unnamed narrator who has witness the events that occurred. I think there is a surreal and repetitive tone; I get the feeling that the narrator is investigating the murder because we are told the story years later from an omniscient point of view and all the characters’ thoughts are shared. There were two main themes that I noticed. The main theme was how unpowerful the women are in the story. This is shown when Marquez writes "The brothers were brought up to be men. The girls were brought up to be married.† This excerpt shows the severity of the lives women lead in the reserved Colombian culture of the town. A woman's worthiness as a wife was measured by her beauty in conjunction with her ability to gracefully run all aspects of a household. The idea that the woman in a marriage is expected to suffer is significant-no woman enters marriage expecting to be happiness unless she is fortunate enough to love whichever man decides to court her. In this Spanish culture, unlike Western culture, marriage is not based on love. There is also the importance of cultural traditions like honor. The twin brothers murder Santiago Nasar because he took their sister’s virginity away. Also, I became aware the there in an emphasis on the dream that Santiago had, with the trees and the weather on the day he was murdered. Some recalled that it rained and some said that it was sunny. One technique used in the story as a motif as magic realism. This is the incorporation of fantastic or mythical into realistic fiction. I noticed that Marquez keeps on repeating the murder before it occurred, this helped to build suspense. From the second chapter I understood that the narrator implies that Santiago is innocent for the crime he dies for. But if he is innocent, then who took Angela Vicario’s virginity? The brutality of the social conventions surrounding women becomes clear in this chapter. Because she was not a virgin when she married, not only is Angela abandoned by her husband, but she is beaten by her mother. The double standards of her culture are highlighted by the fact that the narrator, Santiago and some other friends are all at a whorehouse doing whatever they please. This novel reminded me of the difficulty of understanding events.

How to Write a Compare-Contrast Essay

How to Write a Compare-Contrast EssayThe Elements of a Compare-Contrast Essay What is comparison? Explaining the similarities or points of connection between two ideas, people, or things to give the reader a deeper understanding of eachWhat is contrasting? Explaining the differences or points of disconnection between two ideas, people, or things to give the reader a deeper understanding of eachAdapted from Webster’s Third New International DictionaryOn what subjects can I write a successful compare-contrast essay?Your subjects will need to each be significant in their own right to merit discussion. They will also need to have some sort of relationship to each other so that showing them side by side allows the reader to learn more about each. In other words, there must be a reason to compare them. Here are some reasons to compare and contrast. To consider two subjects side by side and show their distinctions. To choose between two things.To explain one subject in terms of anoth er.What are the types of compare-contrast essays?Writing Strategies for a Persuasive Essay1. Read the question or essay prompt. Identify your topics and be sure that you understand what each really is. You may need to do a little research to be clear on this. 2. Decide what your purpose for writing is (to show distinctions, to choose, to explain). 3. Develop a thesis statement. Remember that a thesis statement must be more than â€Å"X and Y have many differences and similarities.†Your thesis should reflect which purpose you chose. Example: â€Å"Examining the similarities and differences between the  work of Hemingway and Fitzgerald allows us to see how the contexts of their lives affected their work.† 4. Decide what your points of similarity (connection) and difference (disconnection) will be. 5. Research! Find relevant, credible publications, web sites, and individuals that offer evidence that supports your thesis and chosen points of connection and disconnection. 6. Write!The style in which compare-contrast essays are writtenCompare-contrast essays are similar to persuasive essays in a couple key ways:Point of view Level of personal voicePoint of View and Personal Voice in Persuasive Essays A compare-contrast essay is almost always formal academic essay in which the writer presents a thesis, or. In most formal academic writing, the proper point of view for the essay is third person (using the pronouns he, she, it, they). It is OK to use first person (I, me, we) in the conclusionINCORRECT: First Person I think that Fitzgerald and Hemingway share many similarities despite their very different use of descriptive language.CORRECT: Third Person Fitzgerald and Hemingway share many similarities despite their very different use of descriptive language.Evidence & Citations Compare-contrast essays rely on a lot of direct evidence from several sources. You will need to quote extensively to be successful.Why use quotes? 1. They demonstrate you read the available information closely. 2. They serve as concrete evidence to support your position 3. They demonstrate a deeper level of understanding, which is persuasive to readers.Where can evidence come from? What can I quote from? Books, films, newspaper articles, credible websites, newscasts, etc.What can’t I use? Wikipedia, encyclopedias, other student essays, interviews with non-experts, etc.How should I weave in quotes and evidence?The S-C-C-C FormatThis is a very useful format for citations if you are not very familiar with citations and need to practice a tried and true method. As writers become experienced with citations, they can move away from this format and mix elements up as they see fit.1. Set it up. Set up the context that the quote is from, so that the reader knows when and where the quote is from and who is doing the speaking/writing.2. Citation. Write the quote out, in quotation marks.3. Commentary: Explain how the quote supports your argument. (Commenting on t he quote.)4. Commentary: further commenting on the quoteEXAMPLE:According to a recent article in the Seattle Times,† †¦[t]he seemingly sure bet that higher education will pay off can be upended by any number of factors: broken marriages, illnesses, lost jobs, substandard schools and unrealized dreams.† (With no way out of trouble, more students likely to default, October 6, 2008). Students used to feel that borrowing for college was always going to pay off, no matter what happened. Now, many are finding it harder to pay it back due to many factors.The Embedded CitationThis is useful when you would prefer to pick out very small phrases to prove your points. Write your own sentence beginning, include the quote, and write your own sentence ending. The quote flows into and out of the sentence.EXAMPLE: Borrowing to pay for higher education used to be seen as a â€Å"sure bet† but now some students are finding that their plans to repay student loans can be disrupte d by â€Å"†¦ broken marriages, illnesses, lost jobs, substandard schools and unrealized dreams.† (With no way out of trouble, more students likely to default, October 6, 2008). These unexpected obstacles may repayment difficult if not impossibleHow to Write CommentaryOf all the skills students must learn in writing, writing commentary is considered the most difficult. Writing commentary means giving your own opinion and interpretation about something, which requires a higher level of thinking than most students are used to using. Using commentary makes an essay interesting to read and shows that you can analyze and evaluate information.When you write commentary, you are commenting on a point you have made with evidence.Synonyms for commentary:analysis – breaking an idea into its parts interpretation – reading between the lines of an idea insight – adding personal experience to the explanation of an idea evaluation – judging the quality or val idity of an idea explication/explanation – explaining what an idea means discussion – – explaining what an idea means speculation – trying to predict what will happen if an action is taken or an idea is acceptedSource: Jane Schaeffer Publications, Style Analysis (1998)The Basic Outline for a Compare-Contrast EssayExample of a Subject by Subject Essay Introduction Thesis statement: Despite the fact that television and radio are distinctly different media, they use similar strategies to appeal to their audiences.Television Audiences Point One: Techniques for appealing to men Point Two: Techniques for appealing to women Point Three: Techniques for appealing to childrenRadio Audiences Point One: Techniques for appealing to men Point Two: Techniques for appealing to women Point Three: Techniques for appealing to childrenConclusion: Restatement of thesis or review of key points. Source: Kirszner and Mandell (1998).Example of a Point by Point Essay Introduction Thesis statement: While both Republicans, presidential candidate Mr. X is definitely more conservative than presidential candidate Mr. Y is.Fiscal Policy Mr. X Mr. YGun Control Mr. X Mr. YAbortion Mr. X Mr. YWelfare Mr. X Mr. YConclusion: Restatement of thesis or review of key points.TransitionsThink of a transition as a bridge from one thought or idea to another. It shows how one sentence or idea relates to another and also directs the thinking to a new focus. A transition may be one word, a short phrase, a sentence or entire paragraph. The following list cites several transition words and phrases and their meaning.Meaning Transitions Along the same direction of thought and, also, besides, furthermore, in addition, for the same reason, whereupon, moreover, whereby, indeed, similarly, likewise, butContrast but, yet, instead, nevertheless, notwithstanding, still, although, whereas, on the contrary, not only, but alsoComparison in fact, indeed, moreover, than, as†¦as, so†¦as .Affirmative alternative or, anyhow, moreover, still, else, whereas, whether, either†¦or.Negative alternative nor, neither, however, instead, otherwise, on the contrary, nevertheless, except that, only, whereas, neither†¦nor. Cause, result, reason for, so, accordingly, as a result, hence, as, consequently, thereby, therefore, thus, that, so that, inasmuch as, in order that, since, whereas, why.Condition although, as if, as though, though, provided, providing, unless, if, lest, once.Example for example, in fact, indeed, for instance, namelyException although, in so far as, though, unless, while, notwithstanding, in fact that.Time henceforth, meanwhile, than, next, once, as long as, as soon as, before, once, since, until, when, whenever, while, at length, first†¦second†¦third, till.