Functionalist and Feminist Views of the Family Essay

Functionalist and Feminist Views of the Family - Essay Example Traditionally, family is equated with the nuclear family of a married mother and father and their children. Marriage can best be defined as a legal or socially mandated arrangement between two people usually featuring sexual intercourse and consisting of both privileges and obligations (Kendall, 1998, p. 247). This couple, and its dependents, are 'a relatively permanent group of people related by ancestry, marriage or adoption, who live together, form an economic unit, and take care of their young' (Eitzen and Baca-Zinn, 2003, p. 436). This unit is primarily responsible for the 'achievement of adult satisfaction and social integration' (Ross and Sawhill, 1975, p. 3), which is why Sociologist are so interested in its functions and repercussions. Between the 1940's and 1970's, the prevalent theory in the field was the markedly anti-Marxist structural functionalism, which is most frequently identified with the work of Talcott Parsons. For the Functionalists, individual self-interest, although pursued with some frequency, is not the only motivator of people, as these would make organised societies impossible. Men and women behave in accordance to shared ethical standards and mutual expectations, and these behaviours are 'internalised in the motivational systems of individuals' (Johnson, 1993, p. 116). In this system, 'people act on the basis of their values; their actions are oriented and constrained by the values and norms of people around them; and these norms and values are the basis of social order' (Knapp, 1994, p. 191-192). So where does family fit in According to Parsons: A social system consists in a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other in a situation which has at least a physical or environmental aspect, actors who are motivated in terms of a tendency to the "optimisation of gratification" and whose relation to their situations, including each other, is defined and mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols (Parsons, 1951, p. 5-6). In other words, society consists of a large number of different people interacting in different physical locations. These people are able to communicate through culturally determined methods, and this mutually understood communication is possible even if the individuals are interacting for the first time. This socialisation is not natural-it is a skill, and the learning process begins at a very early age within the family unit. This is only one of the functions of family within the social order. In fact, the importance of family to the functionalist model lies in the universal functions it provides (Robertson, 1989). In addition to socialisation, these functions are: regulation on sexual behaviour; member replacement (providing society with new members via childbirth); safety and care; social placement and emotional support. These initial functions provided the foundation for the more complex relationships required for interaction with society on a larger scale. Although the functionalist perception of family as a heterosexual married couple with children seems rather stagnant and old-fashioned now, that does not mean it was a static concept. Even though the family did not cause great social transformation, it did modify when such shifts occurred. As families had existed for countless years and

Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Judaism - Essay Example But what sets Judaism apart from other monotheistic faiths, like Islam and Christianity? Cunningham and Katzew clearly explained that Judaism acknowledges only the the Torah as a source of revelation. The Torah, in general, comprises the thorough description of God’s plan for hmanity. In their essay, Cunningham and Katzew provide an exploratory, analytical, and thorough description of the theology and tradition of Judaism. They provide an explanation of practices, values, and beliefs, theology as conveyed in mythological stories, and standards of symbolic act and rites. They also talk about scripture and revelation, God’s teachings, the series of tradition represented in the narrative of the oral and written Torah, and signs and representations in Judaism. But more importantly, Cunningham and Katzew take a courageous leap forward by arguing that none of the historical epochs can be dismissed from the shared processes between Christianity and Judaism. The authors support the assumption that the major monotheistic religions are

Combating compassion fatigue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Combating compassion fatigue - Assignment Example In its entirety, compassion fatigue occurs when the caregiver remains focused on processes of giving care to others that they fail to realize and provide care for themselves. Notably, most of the caregivers went into the practice with the hope of facilitating assistance to those in need. Additionally, the caregivers rely extensively on their compassionate capacity to manage the intensity of the work that comes with the profession. However, at times, the intensity of the various situations and life experiences that the caregivers encounter causes them vulnerable to the possibilities of suffering compassion fatigue. In its nature, compassion fatigue entails all the symptoms that the caregiver experience causing them to suffer from overwhelming exposure to physical and emotional stressors that leave them feeling traumatized as helpers (Ochberg & Gift from Within (Organization), 2012). The core causes of the cases of compassion fatigue; thus, entail the exposure to the stressors that cause their feelings and experiences face challenges in managing their actions. Notably, the encounter with the clients exposes the caregivers to various elements, which can sig nificantly affect the cause of personal development of the caregiver. For instance, in a case where the caregiver is engaging with clients who suffer fears, pain, extreme suffering, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and hyper-vigilance; they face aspects of cumulative stresses. The caregiver bares the suffering of such people, in addition, to that of their personal lives such as family and friend issues can result to significant buildup of extreme states of anxiety and preoccupation of such sufferings (Ochberg & Gift from Within (Organization), 2012). These developments constitute the causative agents of the situations where the caregivers suffer compassion fatigue. The caregivers suffer vicarious traumatization, which results in various aspects of emotional, physical and

Domestic Violence Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Domestic Violence - Annotated Bibliography Example The other myth is that males cannot be victims of domestic violence. It is not true, though. These myths (and others) have to be demolished for creating full picture of the problem in its modern condition. There is a number of researches attempting to discover the causes of domestic violence. For instance, specialists of a Domestic Violence Intervention Project consider the cases and repeating cycles of domestic violence to be a result of a desire to establish control over the victim. The main factor of a man’s aggressive behavior is the denial of responsibility for the committed actions. Another theory, known as the theory of resistance, was offered by Allan Jenkinson, an American psychologist. He believes that social factors and personal features of a person may turn into obstacles which would not let a person treat women and children with respect. Among them there are traditions, cultural peculiarities, personal habits, values, and so on. According to this theory, reasons of aggressive behavior lie in a person’s concept of the self and the world around. There are potent methods of counterwork against domestic violence, such as effective laws and police procedures, educational and therapy programs for abusers, shelters for victims, public information campaigns for prevention of domestic violence, etc. Eventually the supreme goal of any research dealing with domestic violence is some proposition or learning of methods against domestic

Functionalist and Feminist Views of the Family Essay

Functionalist and Feminist Views of the Family - Essay Example Traditionally, family is equated with the nuclear family of a married mother and father and their children. Marriage can best be defined as a legal or socially mandated arrangement between two people usually featuring sexual intercourse and consisting of both privileges and obligations (Kendall, 1998, p. 247). This couple, and its dependents, are 'a relatively permanent group of people related by ancestry, marriage or adoption, who live together, form an economic unit, and take care of their young' (Eitzen and Baca-Zinn, 2003, p. 436). This unit is primarily responsible for the 'achievement of adult satisfaction and social integration' (Ross and Sawhill, 1975, p. 3), which is why Sociologist are so interested in its functions and repercussions. Between the 1940's and 1970's, the prevalent theory in the field was the markedly anti-Marxist structural functionalism, which is most frequently identified with the work of Talcott Parsons. For the Functionalists, individual self-interest, although pursued with some frequency, is not the only motivator of people, as these would make organised societies impossible. Men and women behave in accordance to shared ethical standards and mutual expectations, and these behaviours are 'internalised in the motivational systems of individuals' (Johnson, 1993, p. 116). In this system, 'people act on the basis of their values; their actions are oriented and constrained by the values and norms of people around them; and these norms and values are the basis of social order' (Knapp, 1994, p. 191-192). So where does family fit in According to Parsons: A social system consists in a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other in a situation which has at least a physical or environmental aspect, actors who are motivated in terms of a tendency to the "optimisation of gratification" and whose relation to their situations, including each other, is defined and mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols (Parsons, 1951, p. 5-6). In other words, society consists of a large number of different people interacting in different physical locations. These people are able to communicate through culturally determined methods, and this mutually understood communication is possible even if the individuals are interacting for the first time. This socialisation is not natural-it is a skill, and the learning process begins at a very early age within the family unit. This is only one of the functions of family within the social order. In fact, the importance of family to the functionalist model lies in the universal functions it provides (Robertson, 1989). In addition to socialisation, these functions are: regulation on sexual behaviour; member replacement (providing society with new members via childbirth); safety and care; social placement and emotional support. These initial functions provided the foundation for the more complex relationships required for interaction with society on a larger scale. Although the functionalist perception of family as a heterosexual married couple with children seems rather stagnant and old-fashioned now, that does not mean it was a static concept. Even though the family did not cause great social transformation, it did modify when such shifts occurred. As families had existed for countless years and

Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Judaism - Essay Example But what sets Judaism apart from other monotheistic faiths, like Islam and Christianity? Cunningham and Katzew clearly explained that Judaism acknowledges only the the Torah as a source of revelation. The Torah, in general, comprises the thorough description of God’s plan for hmanity. In their essay, Cunningham and Katzew provide an exploratory, analytical, and thorough description of the theology and tradition of Judaism. They provide an explanation of practices, values, and beliefs, theology as conveyed in mythological stories, and standards of symbolic act and rites. They also talk about scripture and revelation, God’s teachings, the series of tradition represented in the narrative of the oral and written Torah, and signs and representations in Judaism. But more importantly, Cunningham and Katzew take a courageous leap forward by arguing that none of the historical epochs can be dismissed from the shared processes between Christianity and Judaism. The authors support the assumption that the major monotheistic religions are

Children Education Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Children Education Psychology - Essay Example Different psychological principles that support the above concept will also be illustrated. This is meant to confirm that psychological principles can improve the quality of early childhood education. Other tactics that can boost the impact of application of psychological knowledge to deal with difficult children will also be recommended in the paper. They include staying in contact with the children’s parents, and applying proximity to control negative behaviours among others. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Psychology and Education 4 Development 5 Child Development Theories 6 Adaptability and Sociability 12 This can be ensured through incorporation of learning methods that allows flexibility among learners. For instance, the teacher should apply methods that exemplify concepts in the easiest way possible. 12 Motivation 12 Recommendations 14 How can an understanding of psychology assist teachers in their everyday management of difficult children in the classr oom? Discuss specific psychological theories and research in your answer. Childhood Education Psychology Childhood education normally focuses on children education through play during preschool age to the actual learning in schools (Ailwood, 2003:291). ... The achievement of this quality is dependent on the understanding of how children learn and develop by education practitioners. Learning encompasses dealing with both responsive and unresponsive children. It is the responsibility of the teacher to study and classify these children depending on their behavioural tendencies and formulate ways of teaching them fairly without discrimination. This approach requires dealing with difficult children to amend their behaviour. Psychological knowledge is thus eminent in dealing with difficult children. Psychology and Education Children construct knowledge through learning and utilize it to adopt new skills. They learn efficiently when the basic necessities are provided and the environment is safe. Most of the early childhood learners acquire knowledge through their own activities and develop while acquiring more information from social interactions with adults and other children. Their speed is dependent on their interest towards an object or t heir urge to know. Application of psychology on childhood education is centred on cognition and affect aspects. Cognition is related to skills and processes such as thinking while affect describes emotional attributes of children such as attitudes and feelings. All these factors come into play when dealing with difficult children. Therefore, it is eminent for teachers to understand, identify and solve these aspects when catering for the welfare of difficult children. Although some behavioural traits children exhibits are genetic, failure to provide them with adequate environment for learning makes then difficult. Children should be provided with secure attachment and emotional comfort, feeling of