Sociological Concepts of the Family Modern Day Family

Sociological Concepts of the Family Modern Day Family Introduction In this essay, I will be explaining the family structure of my case study (who we will refer to as Andrew to protect his identity and in keeping with the Data Protection Act 1998) and the influence the family has had in his life. I will identify and explain two sociological perspectives and compare them with todays idea of the family with the traditional idea of the family, I will also provide three sociological concepts and explain them in relation to the role of the family. There have been many changes to the family since the 1950s when a typical family would have been described as a nuclear family which was made up of a married couple and their dependent children, the husband would have been the bread winner and the wife the homemaker. Today, however the structure of the family has gradually changed over the years since then, we are now seeing a rise in single parent families which is defined as families with children (under 18 years old) headed by a parent who is widowed, divorced and not remarried, or by a parent who has never been married. In Scotland, it is believed that there are just over 170,000 single parents looking after 291,000 children (www.news.gov.scot/news/lone-parents), divorce rates in Scotland between 2000 and 2007 steadily rose and at its peak in 2007 stood at 13,767, since then the number of divorces decreased (www.statista.com) a total of 9,700 marriages legally ended in 2012-13, a drop of 14% over the previous 4 years (www.bbc.co. uk/news/uk-scotland-26714426). Nowadays there are also more couples choosing to cohabitate rather than get married as it is seen as more acceptable, in a report by the Telegraph it is believed that divorce rates are at their lowest in 40 years due to the rise in the cost of getting married and couples choosing to live as common law husband and wife. (www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12011714/divorce-rate-at-lowest-level-in-40-years-after-cohabitation-revolution.html). With more and more women becoming independent and building careers, the man is now seen to be sharing the responsibilities of the childcare and housework, this is known as the symmetrical family which basically means more similar roles exist. We have also seen a rise in a blended family, also known as step family, reconstituted family. It is when a family unit where one or both parents have children from a previous relationship, but they have combined to form a new family. The parents may or may not have children togeth er. In 2011 step-families made up 8% 26,000 of the population and household in Scotland (www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk). Andrews family structure could best be described as a single parent family before being taken into care. His mother ended her relationship with Andrews father before she gave birth due to domestic violence and them both being dependant on drugs, to date Andrew has never met his birth father. Sociological perspectives such as functionalism are a theory that all positions in society serve a function and is essential to the continuation and structure of that society. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) was a sociologist who argued that society had to be studied in its own terms and not of that of the individual. Durkheim believed that societies were knitted together by everyone sharing the same values, which through time would change as these societies get bigger and more complex.   Durkheim referred as how society comes together through a shared view of rules, norms and roles. Mechanical solidarity is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in society maintain similar values and beliefs and engages in similar types of work, organic solidarity is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in society are interdependent, but hold varying values and beliefs and engage in various types of work.   Another perspective is based on the conflict theory, which is primaril y based on the work of Karl Marx (1818-1883). The conflict perspective focuses on the class divide, how the wealthy control the poor and the weak in the competition of scarce resources. The bourgeoisie represents the class with the wealth and means and the proletariat represents the working class or poor, Marxs theory was that the bourgeoisie would control the proletariat with their wealth and power therefor subjecting them to worsening conditions, bringing inequality to light and the possibility of revolt. If conditions were addressed to the concerns of the proletariat, the conflict circle would eventually repeat. Using these perspectives in comparison with todays idea of the family with the traditional idea of the family, the functionalist perspective has some similarities and differences. The similarities are that society still shares the same views, beliefs and norms, however through time these have changed, before the idea of the traditional family would be the nuclear family which would consist of a father, mother and dependent children, but with the rise in divorce rates and couples choosing not to get married in the past years we are now seeing more of single parent families. With laws and attitudes changing we are now also seeing it more acceptable in society for same sex couples getting married and starting families, something that would have been unacceptable in past years. The advance in technology is something that has had an impact on family life, before families would gather round for dinner, play games, watch TV etc. but with the technical advances in mobile phones, social media and gaming consoles this is something that has dwindled and we are now seeing less of. Using the conflict perspective, we still have the divide in class with the wealthy having the majority of power and means. We still see competition for the scarce resources and the poorer and weaker families suffering as a result, mainly due to low minimum wage, benefit sanctions and the lack of social housing. We have seen a rise in social conflict in that communities have been divided by religion and race, with the rise in terrorist attacks many minorities and people seeking asylum are feeling isolated and victimised as a consequence of other peoples actions. The roles of the family are broken down as mum, dad, sister, brother, grandparents etc., in Andrews case this is something that was quite confusing to him as he had never known his father and seen his older sister and grandmother as his primary care givers and parental figures. Even though his sister was not much older than him he realised that his mother was not acting in the role she should have been. This was due to neglect through drug use and his sister taking on the role of his mother and for Andrew his role as a son was never accomplished due being unable to form an attachment with his mother. This is something that we have seen all too often in Scotland which the Scottish government are highlighting through a report called Hidden Harm. It highlights that, parental drug use can and does cause serious harm to children of every age. With Andrew not having a father figure in his life he seen his mother as the sole provider of the household. With most of the financial resources be ing brought into the household being used to fund his mothers drug use, Andrew had noticed the social divide in class when he started school as the other children would be dressed better and spoke about the things they had that he didnt, this lead to Andrew being bullied which contributed to the behaviours he displayed at home. The norms of the family may include doing together such as going to church, having dinner, holidays picnics, watching movies etc., the definition of norm is something that is usual, typical, or standard. In todays society, it is much harder for families to spend time together. According to a report by the daily mail it is estimated that families spend less than eight hours a week together due to the stresses of modern life. this could be due to parent/parents working long hours or anti-social hours to keep up with the bills, with the advance in technology parents and children spending more time on social media, children playing gaming consoles and watching TV, however it is important for families to spend time together to create an environment that helps shape childrens character and self-esteem and brings the family closer. Family values are something that is passed on from generation to generation and contribute to the familys structure, function, roles, beliefs and attitudes. The importance of family values is something many people take for granted and is highlighted in times of crisis, this is when our values influences the decisions we make and seek protection from outside influences such as peer pressure. This is when parental guidance is needed, in Andrews case he never had the values or parental guidance needed to steer him through his childhood and adolescence, something that might have helped manage his behaviours towards others. Conclusion My research into the family has helped me to understand my case study more and how the influences of the family can have a big impact on how a person is shaped in society. Word count 1570 References http://www.statista.com/statistics/367809/scotland-divorce-rate/ accessed 06.02.17 http://www.gov.scot/news/lone-parents-in-work accessed 06.02.17 http://sheknows.com/parenting/article/831061/5-reasons-family-time-rocks accessed 09.01.17 http://www.gov.scot/resource/doc/114027/0027764.pdf accessed 27.02.16 http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk accessed 07.02.17 http://www.medlineplus.gov>ency>article accessed 19.12.16 http://www.psyhologytoday.com>basics accessed 19.12.16 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12011714/Divorce-rate-at-lowest-level-in-40-years accessed 30.12.16 http://www.sociology.com/001/Profiles/fl/Why-Emile-Durkheim-Matters-to-Sociologists.htm accessed 05.01.17 http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-theory.asp accessed 06.01.17 http://.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-236193/No-time-family-You-Parents-children-spend-hour-day-modern-demands.html accessed 04.01.17 http://www.cecp.air.org/wraparound/family.html accessed 04.01.17 http://www.healthofthechildren.com/s/Single-Parent-Families.html accessed 05.02.17 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-26714426 accessed 06.02.17

Government Intervention Essay

The American government is practically in our everyday lives, including our private lives. The government is basically everything we do. It is the way we work, the reason why we look for a career, the way we eat or drink to conclude, the way we live. Sometimes it is a problem for most citizens but some other times, it is the real reason why they live better and maintain everything they have. The government is the people; it is education, entertainment, peace but can be completely different at certain periods of time. As a prevention from too much government intervention, the people of America have a representative dating since 1773,called the Tea Party Movement. This movement wants the government to stick to the real meaning and intent of the United States Constitution, meaning that the government should not use such law as the Elastic clause. The Tea Party Movement would also like to see the government reducing its speding, lower taxes and reducing the national debt and federal budget deficit. This means in one phrase, relief to the people. And yet, doing so would require more government intervention in our lives. The Tea Party is like the real representative of the people, because it would like to see the government accomplishing everything the people request, which is mostly impossible because to maintain the law, the government has to follow the Constitution. Yet again, some of the government’s interventions are necessary for us, like the famous healthcare and health insurances, the social securities, the military and even the food we eat. The Party thinks we should be left alone to use, organize and regulate our businesses, schools and other utilities. Therefore taking care of our own taxes and national debt. The Party thinks that the government goes too far with the taxation, national spending, and maintenance of public facilities. But surprisingly, it doesn’t disagree with the government totally. It is against the Abortion law in most Sates along with the government. It believes that no fetus should be removed prior to labor term and even if there is a situation of rape-pregnancy, it still believes that the victim hould carry the fetus until the end of the term. But for mostly everything else, the Tea Party Movement and the government still disagree with each other. The Tea Party Movement members believe that the government intervenes too much in the people’s business but yet, not intervening would probably hurt them and they would get mad at the government. 1) â€Å"In reading your article about the Tea Party movement, it is difficult to determine where the party stands on issues. Its members seem to want a strong military, but don’t want to finance it; they don’t like social programs like Medicare, but readily accept their Medicare benefits; they don’t like the federal bailout of our financial markets, but would be angry if the government did nothing and their investments and retirements went down the drain; they want strong border controls, but again don’t want to pay for it. Their thinking is chaotic and dangerous because if we do what they want they are going to be unhappy with the consequences. They are a mass of contradictions. Which explains in one simple sentence that, sometimes the Party exaggerates about what they want or not. The government’s intervention, seen from my point of view is highly necessary for us living under its control. And when I say â€Å"necessary†, I mean in some fields. Let’s state for example, sanitation. The citizens themselves can not really maintain a clean city, therefore we would need the government’s assistance but sometimes, the city governments probably think that they have bigger fish to fry instead of cleaning the streets. Lately, we have been seeing the streets so covered with snow, that they become ice right there. Why? Just because our representative decided that there were too many jobs out there so he cut all of these jobs where people would have to clean the streets from the imprisoning snow. This is a fact of minor intervention in a field where it is necessary. The government should be more active in that field because when it does not give the citizens that kind of help which is necessary to them, it mostly turns against them. As a result of the snow accumulation, you will have accidents, lateness, and people will get a bad perspective of the government. A quick and easy solution would only consist of creating fast and easy jobs where you would have people responsible of cleaning the streets from the snow and would also be very useful to their community and state. This field requires government’s intervention but sometimes, the citizens might pass of its need and you can always have the garbage ollectors to do that but it still is not their responsibility. The next field requires more government intervention than that last one except that it is mostly better taken care of. Nowadays, education is very important. And it has very expanded from how it was two decades ago. This is what Milton Friedman has to say about the government’s intervention in this field and its successful results. 2) â€Å"Education is today largely paid for and almost entirely administered by governmental bodies or non-profit institutions. This situation has developed gradually and is now taken so much for granted that little explicit attention is any longer directed to the reasons for the special treatment of education even in countries that are predominantly free enterprise in organization and philosophy. The result has been an indiscriminate extension of governmental responsibility. † These intelligent details about the new education system explains how education is getting easier to access and how the government plays a big role in its development. Education is so important and necessary that it is mostly paid for by the government itself. Which explains that the government’s intervention in this field is both very necessary and satisfied. From kindergarten to senior year in high school, the government pays millions for one’s education and after that, depending on your parents’ financial status, they will help you pay for college or even pay it for you. This is an example of when the government’s intervention is necessary and satisfying. The government’s intervention is enough in this field because it helps people to get an education which is going to be useful to both the country and the individual. By doing so, the American government gets a better perspective from foreigners and from its own citizens. This kind of resource will always be useful to the country. I believe the government should intervene more in the sanitation field, given the fact that the citizens can not accomplish some actions by themselves. I believe the government should have more workers in the sanitation field because it is necessary to have people cleaning the streets. By doing so, it would be a great advantage for both the state government and its citizens. Reducing by doing so, the multiple incidents and disagreements that would have happen if there were nobody to clean the streets and make it easier for people to circulate in the city. That would give more people an opportunity to pay their bills, put bread on their table, and stay out of trouble also. I think that the government’s intervention in the education field is great, not too much not too less. I am grateful to the fact that the government has to pay for my education given the fact that I would not be capable to pay for it myself. The government pays for education, feed the students and even give them a warm place to be in all day. I personally do not see what else the government could do for its students while giving them this great opportunity of learning something that can be useful for them later in life and giving them a way to put money in their pocket. The government intervention is great in this field and I think it should maintain the status quo until they find a better way to improve the way they educate and instruct the American population, which is by the way very weak compared to some poor countries.

What to Do About Essay on Current Topics Before It Is Too Late

What to Do About Essay on Current Topics Before It Is Too Late Broadly speaking, where there are reasonable grounds for discrimination on the grounds of age like the nature or location of the work discrimination could be justified. If you're a makeup student, here is where you must be. Indian law regulates and in certain cases prohibits the usage of contract workers. India's newest employment law on preventing sexual harassment is also resulting in a greater variety of sexual harassment complaints and extra processes to be followed. The Appeal of Essay on Current Topics These essays need to be more descriptive. The Essay Topics list is provided for English in addition to Hindi section. Tickets are available on the internet and can be bought at www.themakeupshow.com. Need of Computer Literacy in the current age. Everybody should know their take on those topics, since they might be more important than we realize. If it's the college debate competition, higher school, middle school, or simply plain fun, these topics will do the job for any event. If you're into medical themes and need to create a breakthrough in this region, join Hacking Health Camp. For additional suggestions and ideas about the way to use our Topic Guides, take a peek at our most recent resource pack for schools. These group discussion enables the recruiters to observe the way the candidate fares in team work and what knowledge does they have about the things which are happening around him. A few of the issues are new while the others are discussed for a while now. A positive response might only be the case if you robot that does not need rest. Don't neglect to have a look at the leaderboard and compare your result with other individuals! Type of Essay on Current Topics If you take part in debates, you're able to al so develop your research, note-taking, and analytical abilities, in addition to gain the capability to create balanced, informed arguments and utilize evidence and reasoning. The more research you can do in order to secure better at your upcoming profession, the better. Existing topics in pharmacology provide a selection of themes for researching. The key approaches of contemporary experimental pharmacology. Choosing Essay on Current Topics Is Simple Many businesses use answering services, and those agents find it impossible to answer the challenging questions and don't have a stake in the business or its customersWe ordered a quick research paper, provided very specific instructions, and gave a fair deadline. Business should plan tax filing schedule to prevent late filing penalties. So now people and companies need to pay only one kind of Tax that's GST. Don't be afraid to attend, just opt for a city Warsaw or Lodz! On 1st July the government of India announced a new means of tax payment that is GST which will produce the procedure for tax collection simple in comparison with the prior tax system. The purpose of launching this campaign is to offer Indian citizens electronic government services by cutting back on the paperwork. One of the greatest approaches to change anybody's mind is with an emotional investment. MROfor SaferSkies The primary focus of the theme is going to be on the Maintenance related errors that have led to accidents previously and the mistakes we can avoid in future. The Essay on Current Topics Stories You might find that a number of the topics can be adapted to suit almost any type of writing assignment. Choosing topics can be difficult. Also, remember your discussion topics must fit the other students' level some of them are able to be not able to deal with the topic that has too many facets to contemplate. Selecting an emotional topic is also a great idea. Within this circumstance, the debate may get confusing or embarrassing. If you're going to opt for this type, you are going to have to thoroughly study the subject you have and prepare a highly effective base of arguments and facts in order to show the validity of your opinion. Inside my opinion it's triplple talaque and halala. When you are requested to decide on a great topic for your argument, start with something you're acquainted with. To compose an excellent argumentative essay the students first must investigate several sides of the argument, allowing them to make an educated stance. These are a few of the topics you may have a healthy debate on. Argumentative debate topics cover specific problems, problems, phenomenon or subjects you may deliberate. Carry on reading to locate your ideal debate topic!

Genotype vs Phenotype

Ever since Austrian monk Gregor Mendel did artificial selection breeding experiments with his pea plants, understanding how traits are passed down from one generation to the next has been an important field of biology. Genetics is often used as a way to explain evolution, even if Charles Darwin did not know how it worked when he first came up with the original Theory of Evolution. Over time, as society developed more technology, the marriage of evolution and genetics became apparent. Now, the field of Genetics is a very important part of the Modern Synthesis of the Theory of Evolution. The Terms Genotype and Phenotype In order to understand how genetics plays a role in evolution, it is important to know the correct definitions of basic genetics terminology. Two such terms that will be used repeatedly are genotype and phenotype. While both terms have to do with traits shown by individuals, there are differences in their meanings. What Is a Genotype? The word genotype comes from the greek words â€Å"genos† which means â€Å"birth† and â€Å"typos† which means â€Å"mark†. While the entire word â€Å"genotype† does not exactly mean â€Å"birth mark† as we think of the phrase, it does have to do with the genetics an individual is born with. A genotype is the actual genetic composition or makeup of an organism. Most genes are made up of two or more different alleles, or forms of a trait. Two of those alleles come together to make the gene. That gene then expresses whatever trait is dominant in the pair. It could also show a blending of those traits or show both traits equally, depending on which characteristic it is coding for. The combination of the two alleles is an organism’s genotype. Genotype is often symbolized using two letters. A dominant allele would be symbolized by a capital letter, while the recessive allele is represented with the same letter, but only in the lower case form. For example, when Gregor Mendel did his experiments with pea plants, he saw the flowers would either be purple (the dominant trait) or white (the recessive trait). A purple flowered pea plant may have the genotype PP or Pp. A white flowered pea plant would have the genotype pp. What Is a Phenotype? The trait that is shown due to the coding in the genotype is called the phenotype. The phenotype is the actual physical features shown by the organism. In pea plants, like in the example above, if the dominant allele for purple flowers is present in the genotype, then the phenotype would be purple. Even if the genotype had one purple color allele and one recessive white color allele, the phenotype would still be a purple flower. The dominant purple allele would mask the recessive white allele in this case. The Relationship Between the Two The genotype of the individual determines the phenotype. However, it is not always possible to know the genotype by looking only at the phenotype. Using the purple flowered pea plant example above, there is no way to know by looking at a single plant whether the genotype is made up of two dominant purple alleles or one dominant purple allele and one recessive white allele. In those cases, both phenotypes would show a purple flower. To figure out the true genotype, the family history can be examined or it can be bred in a test cross with a white flowered plant, and the offspring can show whether or not it had a hidden recessive allele. If the test cross produces any recessive offspring, the genotype of the parental flower would have to be heterozygous, or have one dominant and one recessive allele.