Abstract This paper examines how the problems of female heads of households have their origins in the economics of the nation, which favor full-time work and reward males disproportionately for the same labor. It looks at how this initial imbalance is intensified by the social welfare system, which would rather punish female heads of households than help them, no matter what effect it might have on them or their offspring. It also discusses how any solution would need to be two-fold, societal and political.
From the Paper "Sharp noted that the market "ignores the long household work hours, the hours of care-giving, and the work imposed by traditional familial roles of the larger society. But a greater commitment to the labor market by women poses problems for women's economic health for two reasons" (1998). Moreover, the problem for working female heads of households is even more severe. "First, the incomes earned by many women are not significantly above the levels sufficient to support a family at a standard of living above the poverty line" (Sharp, 1998). For all women, he noted, household tasks and market labor, taken together, add up to long hours and low pay for all women, but for female heads of household, the 'environment', as Sharp calls the complex of paid and unpaid labor, is even worse."
Abstract This paper argues that the economy favors men as the main breadwinners. It explains that the problems of female heads of households have their origins in the economics of the nation, favoring full-time work and rewarding males disproportionately for the same labor. The paper points out that this initial imbalance is intensified by the social welfare system, cut once (and likely again) in the recent past by a Republican administration that, by its actions, would rather punish female heads of households than help them, no matter what effect it might have on them or their offspring.
From the Paper "The huge numbers of Baby Boomers has worked to intensify the effect, making competition for scarce jobs and benefits more intense than for any previous generation, at the same time increasing the amount that generation pays in taxes to keep Social Security payments to its parents-voted into being by those parents-going up. While all this is problematical for female heads of household, it is even more dire for African American female heads of households, with a new problem-the recently recognized 'marriage gap'-to add to the difficulties. Any solution would need to be two-fold: societal and political. While it is true that one cannot legislate attitudes, one can legislate policies and programs. Making those more 'female head of household friendly' would at least begin to solve half of the problems faced by that population group."
Abstract This paper discusses the home and the daily chores that are very necessary to facilitate the smooth running of the household. This paper classifies these daily chores into three categories: light, medium, and heavy weight. The level of hate that most people feel for their household chores generally corresponds with the level of work or thought that they entail.
From the Paper "Would you prefer to relax and enjoy a favorite movie, or unwind in a lounge chair and read an intriguing novel? I would definitely choose to do any of these pleasurable activities instead of performing household chores. I have classified household chores that I dislike in to three groups: light, medium and heavy weight. However, performing such chores is quite necessary for keeping my home clean. The first group of chores is the "light weight", group. Small tasks in the kitchen are light weight to me because it does not require too much physical movement nor is it a long, tiresome process. Normally when I wash dishes, I am planted in front of the sink, unless, I am cooking dinner and washing dishes at the same time. But usually, I just stand and move one arm from the sink, to the drainer, where I place the clean dishes. "
Abstract This paper establishes a model to elucidate how low-income heads-of-households (LIHOH) decide to purchase a home. The paper explains that after the decision is made, the model will predict the outcome for the homeowners when certain variables are changed, such as interest rates and income. The paper then establishes a hypothesis, proposes a way to prove the hypothesis using social science work done in previous studies, and then examines the outcome. Next, the paper examines what additional evidence might be collected in new quantitative studies to bolster or challenge the hypothesis. This paper also argues that the boom in housing ownership in the United States during the 1990s was largely driven by lower-cost loans, rather than changes in consumer preferences amongst lower-income heads of household. The paper points out that recent interest rate rises and changes in the job prospects of low-income earners in the US should predict a lower rate of house ownership in the future.
Outline:
Introduction
Hypothesis
Methodology
Income
Expectations of Income Continuation
Previous Home Ownership
Down Payment
Interest Rates
ARM's (Adjustable Rate Mortgages)
Reverse Mortgages
Increasing Housing Prices
Non-Financial Home-Buying Incentives
Completing the Model's Assumptions
Results Analysis
Critiques of this Model
Need for Further Study
Conclusion
From the Paper "Heads of household in poor households--defined as up to two times the official US poverty level of $16,000 per household (2004) in the US, or $32,000 (DeNavas-Wait). The rate of home ownership has increased in this segment of the US population during the 1990's (Belsky E. S. and Duda 1-45). Although many LIHOH figures are clouded by the mix between Hispanic, Black and other lower-income classifications, the trend towards higher homeownership in the 1990's is clear. According to the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, more than 55 percent of lower-income households held debt in 2004, up from 45% in 1989."
Abstract This paper explains that major changes in recent years in one of the primary institutions of society and the family have changed the theories of household economics. The author pointed out that one of the hypothesis is that women's power and status within the household are associated with their income-earning ability. The paper relates that many economists have developed bargaining models, which include the formation, function and dissolution of marriage, and family behavior by including information from evolutionary biology, anthropology, game theory, and economic research of family resource allocation and behavior.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Background of Study
Linking Household Economics with Anthropology and Biology
Hypotheses on Household Allocation Processes
Income Pooling
Family Expenditure Patterns and the Attachment Theory
Control over Income: Self-esteem, Power, and Decision-making
Interdependence of the Market and Household Economies
Economic Perspectives
Human Capital
Household and Family
Patterns of Money Management
Sociological Implications of Income Distribution
Social Perspectives
Extending Beyond Parents
Testing Economic Models
Conclusion
From the Paper "In summary, this study shows that fathers have the capacity for responsiveness and care-giving equivalent to that of mothers, but that in most cultures the mother is traditionally the primary caregiver. This pattern is slowly changing in Westernized societies. As of now, however, the mother remains the most responsive party to the child's needs, and therefore may be more likely than the father to spend money to meet those needs. This expenditure depends greatly on her access to resources, whether through decision-making power in the household or through control over her own source of funds. Who makes decisions about expenditures within the family, then, may have a significant impact on the use of resources for meeting the immediate needs of infants and young children."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that the increasing use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags has raised the possibility of using these around the household, in order to increase time management capacity and to obtain cost and expense reductions through better operational management. The writer identifies a series of household functions and situations where RFID tags can be used and evaluates the potential benefits that can be obtained from their usage. The paper proposes a business model that assimilates the household to a business organization that generates revenue through the household income, has different operations and operational challenges and has an output. The paper shows where RFID brings about better operational management.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Proposed Business Model Description
Concept of RFID Usage in the Household Household RFID Usage Benefits
Conclusions
From the Paper "In terms of access, there are two main directions where the RFID usage is targeted: facilitating access for the inhabitants of the household and security measures, that is banning access to individuals who are not to enter the household.
"The access facilitation segment can be done with the implementation of RFID for the garage and entrance doors that can thus automatically open when the household members approach the house. On the other hand, RFI tags can also be implemented within the household, for automatic doors between the different rooms of the house which can open when the individuals pass by it.
"The access issue is greatly improved by RFI tags on the security segment. Here, potential thieves will not be able to open not only the area giving way to the property (entrance and garage doors), but also the doors between the rooms. This thus limits their capacity of theft."
Abstract This paper focuses on the epic topic of household hazardous waste. A thorough description of what household hazardous waste is and where it comes from is provided. Following this, a discussion of safe usage, storage, and disposal of these materials is presented. The paper examines what can happen to the environment when these waste products are not disposed of properly. Finally, the paper discusses why household hazardous waste does not receive the same scrutiny by governmental agencies as commercial and industrial hazardous waste.
From the Paper "As mentioned, household products are considered to be hazardous if they have one or more of the following properties. If they are flammable or combustible, meaning they can be easily set on fire, they are deemed hazardous. If they are explosive or reactive, in such a manner that they can detonate or explode through exposure to heat, sudden shock, pressure, or interaction with incompatible substances, they are deemed hazardous. If the product is found to be corrosive, in that it exhibits a chemical action that can burn and destroy living tissues or other materials if it comes into contact with them, it is deemed hazardous. And, if the product is toxic, where it is capable of causing injury or even death if it is ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin, it is deemed hazardous ("Household Hazardous Waste Project")."
This paper is a research project which seeks to prove the link between children from single-parent households and poor academic performance in school and to pose specific solutions to reverse this trend.
Abstract This paper explains that, although the study could not determine if single-parent status is a sole cause, it does conclude that single-parent household status is linked inextricably to a low-income status and the propensity for the student to be involved in crime. The author states that data was gathered from secondary sources, such as textbook, journal, periodical and reliable internet sources, with an emphasis on establishing correlations through quantitative data and on suggesting policy and funding initiatives through qualitative data. The paper recommends that (1) teacher awareness of single-parent status is critical, (2) peer counseling helps to improve grades for students from single-parent homes, (3) administrative sensitivity to single-parent status of a school district's students is key, but confidentiality must be maintained throughout and (4) extracurricular activities help improve academic performance for students from single-parent households; therefore, funding for these activities must increase.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Introduction
Overarching Challenges Facing Single-Parent Students
Single-Parent Household Children's Challenges in School Districts
Teacher Awareness of Single-Parent Status of Student
Careful Student Peer Counseling is a Critical Necessary Component
School Districts Must Encourage Confidential Journal Writing Programs
Managing School District Administration's Sensitivity While Maintaining Confidentiality
The Effect of Extracurricular Activities
Trained Professional Counselors
Scholarships to Incentivize At-Risk Students to Perform Better Academically
Methodology
Approach
Data Gathering Method
Database of the Study
Validity of Data
Originality and Limitations of Data
Summary of Chapter
Data Analysis
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
From the Paper "And, needless to say, the missing parents are often not at all involved in their children's lives. According to the Alabama Department of Human Resources, nationally, 40 percent of children whose fathers live outside the home simply have no contact with them. And it is not as though those fathers who do have contact with their children are generally integrally involved. Specifically, the other 60 percent had contact with their children an average of 69 days during the year.Perhaps this is because fathers often are not geographically close to their biological children -- 26 percent of absent fathers live in a different state than their children, according to the Department of Human Resources at Alabama in 2005."
Abstract This paper examines how household labor, the work that must be completed to maintain family members and the home, continues to consume a significant amount of time, especially for females. In particular, it looks at how more significant than total time is one's perception of inequity within the division of household labor. Research is conducted on heterosexual cohabiting couples residing in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. In order to investigate this matter, a survey packet that includes a demographic information survey, the Relationship Assessment Scale, the Division of Tasks Scale and questions addressing perceptions of equity in the division of household labor is utilized.
Outline
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
From the Paper "Much research has examined the division of labor within households over the course of decades. Erickson found that although many may declare housework inconsequential, if not obsolete, with the need for two incomes, research suggests that household labor continues to consume a considerable amount of time, particularly for women (1993). Housework is defined in a variety of ways, but most often as the unpaid work that must be completed in order to maintain family members and the home or residence according to Shelton & John (1996). Regardless of sex, any individual can function as a homemaker, but in the United States, this role is customarily fulfilled by women. Davies & Carrier found that the division of household labor is more a reflection of beliefs about what a male and female should do, as opposed what they could do, their actual capabilities (1999)."
Tags: female, gender, housework, male, marriage, relationship, roles, sex
Abstract The paper discusses how the traditional economic model of household income and consumer choice is based upon the microe-conomic principles of supply and demand. The paper highlights that in this classical paradigm, household demand is made up of the two basic components of desire and ability. Ability to buy is based on the household's net income and desire is based upon the utility derived from the allocation of that income. The paper explains how utility "is a measure of pleasure or happiness." The paper further explains this phenomena by showing that utility diminishes with the quantity purchased and that a good example of this is that if we have high oil prices the resultant high food prices drive up the cost of living. As the price of gas goes up, demand for complementary goods, like gas-guzzling vehicles goes down, all resulting in a decrease of expendable income.
From the Paper "Although economists allow for certain modes of irrationality, such as the 'diamond' effect, or how scarcity drives up price and demand for a non-necessary good, in contrast to the lower price of water, consumer irrationality often exceeds such bounds. To take a non-U.S. example, in Japan, a country that used to be one of the most self-supporting economies on the face of the earth, today, "the typical Japanese breakfast today includes toast made from imported wheat, ham from pigs that eat imported grain and eggs from chickens that eat grain."
Abstract Head Start is thought of today as one of the most successful experiments in public programming that has ever been created and implemented in the United States to help children. Head Start has a 30+ year tradition of helping prepare children for school and is especially focused on children in the noted socioeconomic high risk category for failure in school - those who are considered to be living in poverty or below. The program is available in most areas on a sliding scale to those who exceed the federally determined poverty line.
The writer concludes that the long-term effects of the implementation of Head Start and Early Head Start seem to give an indication of success, as the children attending programs do prove better prepared for school.
From the Paper "Previously the fundamental issues of poverty were considered a problem among adults, that would be solved by helping those adults and their children would then be helped in turn through their parent's success. The fundamentally flexible manner in which programs were overseen and conducted during the time allowed a great deal more opportunities for change, than they do currently.
Shriver had an inherent interest in helping children, through his own and his wife's professional histories and Shriver also believed that poor children were a much more appealing cause to the general public, as they could not be accused of laziness or bad behavior and would likely not be a target for complaints with regard to the problems that the CAP program initially experienced. After a little more research, Head Start was then begun to prepare children for school through programming and structures that teach pre-reading skills and classroom expectations. Shriver structured and implemented the program after one he had visited that had been previously funded by the Kennedy Foundation."
Abstract This paper examines the incidence and outcome of head injury among children in the United States. The paper first discusses the mortality rate from head injury and the types of injury that can occur. The paper then looks at improvements in the area of neuro-trauma management and the methods which have evolved in managing head injury. The effects of hyperventilation on the outcome of head injuries is especially focused upon in the paper.
From the Paper "When applying the hyperventilation therapy and determining its appropriate depth, two circumstances must be considered (Stocchetti et al 2005). At higher altitudes, normal PaCO2 levels may fall generally below the accepted 35-45 mm Hg levels. These levels were fixed at sea level and the influence of altitude should be corrected. The influence of temperature is the second consideration, especially when hypothermia therapy is used. The risk, therefore, which comes with the benefit, suggested that hyperventilation should be used only on patients with raised ICP. And it should be applied only on a highly specific manner and under specific monitoring. The data provided by the study also revealed inconclusiveness in specific indications, timing, the depth of hypocapnia and duration. Conflicting data obtained supported a wide range of therapeutic options from an enthusiastic application of the hyperventilation therapy to its avoidance. The researchers suggested the careful use of hypocapnia in the short-term control of increased ICP. They also prompted the use of multimodality monitoring to specific patients who could profit from it without the risks (Stocchetti et al)."
Abstract This paper presents a detailed description of the ways that acute head trauma affects the brain. Using the author's personal experience with a head trauma several factors of the injury are related and explained in conjunction with the brain itself. Issues such as causes of head injuries and side effects are discussed.
From the Paper "The treatment and care of a person with a head injury will vary depending on the severity of the injury and the complications that are encountered with it. As in the case of the author, the stitches were the most immediate need, however there were several side affects such as extreme fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. The first course of action is to assess vital signs and be sure that the person is stabilized. Watching for signs of coma, internal bleeding and other problems is also part of the initial assessment."
Tags: Concussion, MRIs, CAT, scan, National, Institute, of, Health, Traumatic, Coma, Data, Bank
This paper discusses Head Start, a nationwide plan that provides education and services for nursery school children between the ages of three years to five years from low-income families.
Abstract This paper states that the aim of the Head Start program is to bring about a superior degree of social ability in children belonging to low-income families. The author applies the social control theory to the Head Start program. Members in society form unions with other members in society or associations in society, and through this socialization process, deviant behavior is avoided. The paper concludes that only 60 percent of 3 and 4-year-old children in poverty are assisted by Head Start due to insufficient financial support.
From the Paper "After the wants are ascertained, particular services are geared to each family. They are: family wants evaluation; enlistment and recruitment of children; society outreach; problem support and /or problem interference. Personal non-profit organizations or local public are given funds. The society must put in to twenty percent of the total cost of a Head Start. Head Start programs function in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. The majority of the Head Start program's appropriation finances local Head Start projects. The balance is utilized for research, demonstration and evaluation activities to test ground-breaking program models and to assess program usefulness; necessary monitoring activities; and training and technical assistance to support local projects in meeting the Head Start Program Performance Standards and in sustaining and improving the quality of local programs."
Abstract The paper discusses Maria Montessori's system of education and the American federal government's Head Start program that both stress the first few years of life as tremendously important to future achievement. The paper is of the opinion that the emphasis on the first years of life is but one of various models of early education. The paper points out that while neither Montessori nor Head Start appear to do children harm, they may not best serve children whose natures do not conform to what is said to be true of all young children.
Outline:
Introduction
Montessori Ideals
Head Start
Critical Conclusion
From the Paper "Maria Montessori's system of education can be compared to the American federal government's Head Start program in a concept of the first few years of life as tremendously important to future achievement. The latter is geared to equalization by early intellectual development and uplift for families, now investing in pregnant mothers and children from birth to the age of 5, as compared to Montessori education's emphasis on 0 to 6. There is a shared emphasis on prepared children who proceed without academic frustration in the case of Head Start learners, or the aggressive competition of conventional education dear to Montessori education. Both models involve fairly directive teaching with Montessori education an evolved field. As in the Head Start model, there is the need to induce a positive dynamic in the pre-school child that must occur early, the child unique but rather a blank slate; dormancy the teacher makes come alive with always constructive results."
Tags: early, education, pre-school, development, children
