Abstract A look at the changes in families such as divorce and one-parent families and how these may impact children's development. The author looks at the effects of such changes on the normal functioning and emotional development of the child.
From the Paper "The American family is in a state of crisis and change. The traditional image of the father, who is the sole bread-winner and the mother, who stays home to raise the children and run the house, has been shattered by drastic changes in family structure over the past generation. Today, 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Two-thirds of mothers with school age children work outside the home. And 70 percent of all children spend part of their childhood in a single parent home. Some changes, like greater equality in the home and in the workplace, are welcome. Yet, many of the changes add new stresses to family life threaten healthy child development. (Melvin, 1997)."
Abstract This paper studies the digital divide - the fact that many people have not yet been exposed to technology and other have. It discusses some of the possible reasons for this such as gender, socioeconomic conditions, ethnicity, as well as many other reasons. It discusses technology implementation in the school system regardless of ethnicity so that every child is given an equal opportunity. It concludes that technology access has increased in the recent years but there is still a long way to go, especially in schools.
From the Paper " ? The role of education in contributing to a fairer society has always been double edged. When successful in widening participation in learning, its contribution is powerful and positive. But too often, it can have the opposite effect of being socially selective, even divisive? (Istance, 2001, Abstract, p.1). The price for missing out on education is high. However, many people are not afforded the same educational opportunities as others. Differences in gender, socio-economic background, ethnicity, people with special needs, and people's experience with and access to technology limit their chances at quality education. With a world that changes and progresses as fast as it does, educational equity must span a lifetime."
Tags: computer, digital, divide, education, implementation, internet, technology, women
Abstract The paper addresses poverty as an issue which transcends all social, cultural, political and religious subjects. The author of the paper shows that poverty is not only a developing country problem, as can be seen by the number of impoverished in the United States. Poverty as a concept is defined, with a study into what is considered absolute poverty. The effect of poverty on economics and society in terms of politics, education and health are examined. The author of the paper concludes with recommendations for effectively addressing poverty, including teaching self-sufficiency and eliminating the negative factors which contribute to poverty.
From the Paper "Women bear a disproportionate burden of poverty and children growing up in poverty are often permanently disadvantaged. Older people, people with disabilities, indigenous people, refugees and internally displaced persons are also particularly vulnerable to poverty. Furthermore, poverty in its various forms represents a barrier to communication and access to services, as well as a major health risk, and people living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of disasters and conflicts. Absolute poverty is a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information."
This paper supports arguments in favor of divorce by discussing the advantages of divorce for people who have not sustained a loving and partnering relationship.
905 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 0 sources, 2002, $ 32.95
Abstract The following paper examines how divorce is yet another tool for making life more palatable. The writer focuses on the way in which it is a way for many people to enter new worlds, new adventures and new avenues they may never have pursued. Divorce may not be a breaking apart but rather a bringing together of things that some people may not otherwise have been privileged to enjoy.
From the Paper "Financially, divorce can be very beneficial for some partners. Women who may have been on a strict budget or were not aware of the family assets, suddenly through divorce come to "financial realization". They often find out that their partners had assets that they were unaware of and now in some cases, they have 50% of those same assets.
The argument for divorce will never be compelling but there are advantages that are often overlooked as stated in this paper. Even when children are involved, divorce can be a good thing. Think of all the fathers who never get that involved with their children while they are married. Once they are divorced and if they are lucky enough to have joint custody, their children are apt to see more of daddy than they ever did before.?
Abstract An in-depth study on how children from broken homes are affected emotionally, physiologically and from a behavioral point of view. The paper explores issues such as children with single-parent homes vs. two-parent homes, the benefits of friends and extended families, single parent attitudes towards children, effects on academic education and emotional behavior, socioeconomic effects, step-parents and single fathers.
From the Paper "Today, single fathers seem to be more familiar with these roles in home management and childcare than mothers. Furthermore, the tie and connection between single fathers and children as well single mothers and children have now become new focal points for self-direction. Both single parents have set the criteria for organization of more traditional spheres of work and social life such that now single fathers develop close relationships with their children and have a greater appreciation of responsibility in being the primary parent.
However, the fact remains that no mater how good mother or a father can be as a single parent, the negative and adverse effects of children's development proofed through various studies concludes that there's a price to be paid for removing one of the traditional pairs, and the old-fashioned concept and belief that to have a mother and a father is still a pretty good idea."
This paper reviews the popular movie "Pretty Woman" and relates the movie to sociology concepts, such as social influence, social norms and stereotypes.
Abstract The paper states that the two main male (Edward) and female (Vivian) characters come from different cultures; but, as people are not that different, they simply react to social norms differently. The author feels that the entire movie's concept is built around the dilemma of coupling someone who is used to conforming to the norms of polite society with someone who is totally clueless when it comes to these norms. The paper presents examples from the film that demonstrate the sociological principles.
From the Paper "Julia Roberts? character in ?Pretty Woman,? Vivian, the prostitute, strongly exhibits individualization. She is her own person, acting as she pleases, without worrying about what society thinks of her. Societal norms don?t affect her. Edward, Richard Gere's character, however, is different. He is a rich man who has been brought up in the aristocracy and has learned societal norms. He adheres to these norms strongly. He is embarrassed by others around him who do not conform to the norms of ?polite society.?"
Effect on human development. Defines various types of abuse & discusses studies that demonstrate developmental problems of sexually abused children into adulthood.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 4 sources, 2001, $ 23.95
From the Paper "Sexual abuse in childhood contributes to a number of problems later in life, and research shows that human development is affected by abuse in a number of detrimental ways. Among the problems are the fact that those abused as children tend to become abusers themselves. Various psychological problems also derive from sexual abuse in childhood.
Sexual abuse is defined in terms of a variety of actions involving contact and noncontact maltreatment. Contact abuse is sexual contact with a youngster, with examples including molestation with genital contact, fondling, intercourse, oral or anal sex, and object intrusion. Noncontact abuse includes coercing the child to watch pornographic films or pictures, to observe sexual intercourse, to perform sexual activities, and to ..."
From the Paper "Prostitution should be legalized for a number of reasons. Some of these include increased control society could exercise over prostitution through taxation, medical inspections, and similar actions that cannot be taken now because so much of prostitution is underground. The fact that prostitution is illegal creates more crime rather than less, preventing necessary controls from being implemented and creating a situation where there is greater danger to the public. The experience in Nevada is instructive, for legal prostitution there has brought revenue to the state, protected women from exploitation by pimps, and reduced the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases through medical inspections and certification.
In 1994, a task force in San Francisco recommended that city..."
From the Paper "A family is a complex natural social system complete with its own properties and processes. As in any system no part stands alone and no process operates without influencing, to a greater or lesser degree, every other process and every component of the system. Social Work assessments and interventions cannot, therefore, be based on the consideration of any individual or process in isolation. A review of four components of family systems--patterns of interaction, boundaries, rules, and homeostasis--demonstrates how these variables influence each other and how an understanding of these systemic interrelationships is crucial to those conducting Social Work assessments and designing interventions.
Family systems evolve rules, roles, and power structures as well as the various forms of communication, conflict resolution.."
Discusses the legal and social restrictions, historical overview, statistics, impact of integration on interracial marriage, socioeconomics, gender alignments and children of these relationships.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 10 sources, 1999, $ 63.95
Abstract "Interracial marriage between Black and White Americans does not make up a very large percentage of the total number of marriages in the United States. But the impact of the these marriages on society--as well as on the participants and, especially, their children--is much greater than numbers might suggest.
From the Paper "Interracial marriage between Black and White Americans does not make up a very large percentage of the total number of marriages in the United States. But the impact of the these marriages on society--as well as on the participants and, especially, their children--is much greater than numbers might suggest. The level of racism in America--which is largely responsible for the small number of Black-White marriages in the first place--has declined considerably in recent decades. But racism persists at outrageous levels and the children of interracial marriages will suffer from it no less than the children of African-American families. A discussion of the effects of interracial marriage on children will follow a brief description of the state of interracial marriage in America; including a summary of forces that worked against it in the past,..."
From the Paper "This research considers the issue of homelessness in American society within the context of three sociological paradigms. These paradigms are (1) structural functionalism, (2) conflict, and (3) symbolic interactionism.
Homelessness in the United States
Since 1980, the homeless have been emerging rapidly as a new segment of the underclass in the United States. This shift towards homelessness is, according to some observers, the direct result of reductions in federal funding for low-income housing (Fox and Roth 141).
Both the number and the demographic composition of the..."
Abstract The paper examines the many forms of abuse which take place against the some of the most vulnerable members of society - the elderly. It discusses the issues of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, as well as violation of basic rights such as proper healthcare and nutrition. The paper explores solutions for these types of abuse such as prevention and rest home quality management in the form of risk management/control teams whose jobs it will be to keep track and attempt to prevent all forms of abuse.
From the Paper "Another large chunk of abuse cases arise from self-neglect. As stated earlier, as much as 50% of abuse cases are cases of self neglect. There are several tricky issues with this case. For example, if an elder adult is capable of making the decision not to take care of himself/herself, is it really neglect. People have the right to refuse treatments, and pretty much do whatever they want to do in terms of care for their own bodies. How should the staff deal with this? The first step is to report the problem to joint personnel. Documenting the problems, informing family and friends of the problems, etc, can save the hospital from liability. More importantly, perhaps a friend or a family member can talk the elder into taking better care of himself/herself. It also needs to be determined if the person is indeed capable of making such decisions for himself/herself. Again, many people come into play here, like the psychiatric department and the pharmaceutical department, under the heading of the risk management, to determine the general health of the patient, and what can be done."
Abstract This paper outlines the approach taken by Weber and Durkheim, and compares and contrasts them. The argument that is presented through this paper is that Durkheim chooses to approach the subject of religion in terms of its greater role in the overall society, while Weber seeks to understand the role that religion plays in determining individual action. The paper illustrates the difference in perspective between Weber and Durkheim, as is evident in terms of their approaches, but emphasizes that each view is valid, and together they provide a very complete understanding of the social significance of religion.
From the Paper "To set the stage, Weber and Durheim are among the most important thinkers to have addressed the subject of religion from a sociological perspective. Each concentrated a great deal of their thinking on the topic, and as such a discussion of the thinking and approaches of each provides an effective demonstration of the overall methodology constructed by each. Although they differ in their approaches, together they provide an accurate understanding of both the individual religious experience (Weber) and the role religion plays as an institution in constructing and maintaining society as a whole (Durkheim)."
Abstract This paper aims to provide a basic understanding of the sociology of gangs, including the definition of gangs, the main reasons for joining gangs, sociological characteristics commonly found in gang members, behavior of gangs and the impact of gangs on today's society. According to guidelines, a gang is best defined as a group of youths that commit crimes and identifies with other members of the gang for this purpose. It discusses the conflict theory, that the juvenile becomes a delinquent individual due to conflicts and strain theory, that people are socialized to desire a cultural goal but denied the means to reach it and addresses how these theories can be applied to society.
From the Paper "According to Merton's strain theory, gang members are products of their society. Different social classes have distinct styles of crime due to differential access to institutionalized means of achieving socially acceptable goals. Therefore, youths that are economically and socially challenged do not have equal opportunities to financial success. Therefore, they may be more drawn into certain crimes than youths that have had better opportunities. "
Abstract This paper questions how much social responsibility the American individual should have. It shows that the past 250 years have provided Americans with the idea that their individual wants and desires supersede any social need. As the nation faces new troubles, such as terrorism attacks, a slumping economy and other problems, it is becoming important to blend the individual rights with a duty to recognize and act on social responsibility. The paper concludes that if Americans do not begin to spend more time on social responsibility the nation faces the possibility of having to fight for individuals rights.
From the Paper "This is the importance of human individual rights. The right to live peacefully and to pursue happiness is given to each and every person who resides within the boundaries of America. This right is so protected that the Supreme Court is charged with the decision in each case to know if the rights of an individual have been violated or not. If a federal or state government body tries to enact a law that infringes on individual rights the Supreme Court will intervene and stop the law. This is what the nation has been built on and it is what is upheld at the cost and exclusion of all else."
