Article Review

Unchecked discrimination

Increase in the act of lesbianism, gay as well as bisexual act, has impacted on the discrimination of the individuals involved. The bias occurs mainly in America because; there is an act that covers the disabled hence applied to the LGBT. Just like individuals with physical differences, LGB individuals are discriminated probably because they lack legal federal protection.  An Act was passed in 2010 with a purpose of prohibiting employment discrimination, but the LGBT still do not feel safe at work from the harsh treatment they receive. The legal discrimination from the employers is being encountered several times on the LGBT than the heterosexual individuals. It has been a difficult journey for these individuals whereby, adoption services, companies, and schools brag about the lack of legal protection. Though an act was passed by the senate, it main aim was, to prohibit employment prejudice on gender identity.  There is fear with the LGBT people that they will end up jobless, because there is no legal right to protect them (Bergain, 2014).

It is unethical to discriminate the LGBT because; being lesbians or gay is neither disease nor a contagious. In response to the article, I would suggest that homosexuality is not a disability, but rather biological. The community should understand that it is not infectious whereby; it does not harm religion directly. LGBT have been there for a long time and they have done no harm on no one thereby; having them in daily facet of the society cannot harm anyone. If ethnicities are treated equally with anti-discriminatory laws, then the LGBT will receive an integrated law to protect them from being hurt (Bergain, 2014).

References

Bergain .A. Broken. (2014). UNCHECKED DICSCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT WORKERS.www. lgbt map.org

Five Faces of Oppression

 The world is currently being controlled by the wealthiest countries all over the world. This therefore makes such countries to be able to exercise total power over other countries, particularly the developing countries (Ross, 2012). It is evident that developing countries are powerless, in the sense that they cannot be able to speak even when being exploited by developed countries. For instance, when a developing country is hit by civil wars, developed countries come in the name of providing support, and choose a leader of their own who is supposed to lead the country. This therefore deprives the citizens of the given country, a chance to be able to exercise their democratic right of electing a leader (Carlson, 2010).

A good example is Libya, the country experienced civil wars, which were caused by the NATO forces, which financed government rebels in order to overthrow the government. The government was successfully overthrown, after the US and British forces gave the rebels military support in taking over the country (Ross, 2012).  After the war, the former president of Libya, Muammar Gadhafi was killed by the rebels, and the US went forward to install a leader of their own choice as the president of the country. The citizens of Libya could not be able to do anything since they had no capacity to challenge the US decision to appoint a leader to rule the country. The developed countries therefore decided to exploit the country through buying oil at a very cheap price, while offering the country very huge loans, which would be paid at very high interests. The country has since not been able to have a stabilized economy as it still depends on developed countries for funds (Carlson, 2010).

The above event clearly depicts oppression, in the sense that the citizens of Libya have been really oppressed, to the point of not being allowed to exercise their democratic rights. In addition, the developing countries have really exploited the country’s main resource which is oil, thus making it hard for the country to be able to fully cater for its needs, through the export of oil. On the other hand, the chosen president, is used as a puppet, whereby he cannot be able to do anything against the will of the US government (Carlson, 2010). He therefore signs treaties without consulting anyone guaranteed the US government decides to do so. This has consequently made the country to be in a very bad economic state, since it cannot be able to offer proper education and health services to its citizens.

Violence has also been depict in the above scenario, since the people of Libya are very afraid of raising their voices, due to the fear of violence. Libyan citizens went through a lot during the civil wars, a thing which made them to be afraid of violence. The fear of violence has therefore them to seem inferior since they cannot be able to complain about the decisions that the country’s government is making (Carlson, 2010).  This effect has therefore seen leaders ruling the country in such a way that they are only concerned with what they are being told by the mighty, which are the wealthiest nations. The country’s transport and infrastructure system are at a very bad state, and the citizens cannot be able to do anything because of the fear instilled in them, by the wealthiest countries after they financed rebel actions during the civil wars in the country.

Marginalization is however less evident in the above example, since nobody in the society has been marginalized (Ross, 2012).  The country has continued operating as it used to be in the past, and the only differences are the changes in the government leadership and sectors. All citizens are being treated equally, despite the country facing very many economic problems, no groups of people have reported being marginalized. Marginalization of different groups of people seems to be the list thing in the country, since the leaders are only concerned with the affairs of the wealthiest countries. Hence marginalization has not been a key issue in the country (Carlson, 2010).

Culture of imperialism is also not applicable in the above scenario, since the country is being ruled by African leaders, using their own systems of governance. It is only that the government leaders are usually used and controlled by their financiers, hence they should do according to the dictates of their financiers (Carlson, 2010). The Libyan government has since independence continued with its ways form of ruling, without following or otherwise copying the way other countries operate (Carlson, 2010).

Young’s theory helps me to understand the example, since it provides clear definition of each form of oppression. This has consequently made it easier for me to be able to understand the different forms of oppression, hence being able to clearly explain the way people are being oppressed (Ross, 2012). On the other hand, this theory makes me to have many questions at the back of my mind, and this questions include: Why should the majority oppress the minorities? Why should there be oppression if we are all equal?

Reference

Carlson, L. (2010). The faces of intellectual disability: Philosophical reflections. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Top of Form

Ross, E. W. (2012). The social studies curriculum: Purposes, problems, and possibilities. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Bottom of Form

Child development

1. The child is 6years old and she is female.

2. The child showed hand dominance when she was 3 years old. At this age, she joined kindergarten and she could write using the right hand. Both parents did not show interference for hand dominance.

3. The child is able to grasp objects such as balls when playing with other children. She can also hold a knife and cut the cake for the family.

4. The child can write her name. When he was three years, she had a homework book where her mother used to writer her name and the child could copy the letters. This took 1year since she wrote her name independently when she was 4years.

5. The child like drawing scribbles such as circles and coloring them with different color. She can also draw recognizable pictures such as a girl with hair and a dress.

6. The child can cut with scissors and started when she was 3yeras. The mother punished the child for cutting her books with scissors at this age.

7. The child can put clothes without help. In the morning, the mother prepares tea while the child puts on clothes. The child can also use zippers. When it is cold she zips her jacket without asking for assistance.  She also buttons her clothes properly. She can also tie her shoe laces.

8. The child started feeding herself at 2years. At this time she used her hands. Now she can feed herself well until the stomach becomes full. She has the ability to use spoon and folk. She can handle with care all types of cups and plates.

9. To encourage fine motor skills, the mother throws an object and tells the child to go for it, writes several paragraphs and tells the child to copy, allows her to make toys and legos. She also allows her to open packages and to carry small water jerry can.

10. The child does not attend day care but she goes to school and now she is in first grade level. At school, her fine motor skill development is promoted through finger painting, coloring using big and small crayons, they are given scissors to make paper dolls, and they make complex designs such as macaroni necklaces.

11. The child use electrons gadgets such as tablet phone during the weekend. She can take photo and play games like Toca Boca and Angri birds. The child has developed her fine motor skills from using technology. She is able to draw recognizable objects such as a child carrying a pistol, a bus carrying many passengers, and she is more creative by learning how actors in the game solve problems.

12. The child understands hygiene and she cannot sleep or go to school without brushing. She can brush also her tooth well.

 Marshmallow test

The marshmallow test is an experimental test on delayed gratification carried out in the 1960s by one of the influential psychologists Walter Mischel. In these series of studies, a child is presented with a marshmallow. Then the child is given a choice of whether to eat the one presented before him at the moment or wait for to later. The child choice out of this text dictates and correlates to child’s behavior later in life, which is the aim of this paper.

The leading self-control expert in his experiment proves that one’s ability to delay gratification is imperative for prosperous life. Moreover, it can also be a tool to detect better cognitive functioning, better social living, high-level sense of self-worth and healthier lifestyle (Mischel, 2014).

In a societal or cultural point view, the ones who can hold and delay their gratification have good self-control hence have good manners and values such as patience, self-control, respect, willpower, and composure in the society, well behaved. On the other hand, those who eat the marshmallow lack fundamental values such as patience and lack self-control as well as the ability to control their emotions. Eating Marshmallow meaning inability to control emotions, dealing with frustrations, which all amount to self-control.

The people who have “eaten marshmallow” always have deviant behaviors because they lack self-control. They are responsible for cultural decadence and evil practices such as divorce, and even indulging themselves in bad illegal practice like alcoholism and smoking. The society can regain their balance from allowing themselves to change since self-control according to Mischel it can be acquired through practice.  

Personally, I ate marshmallow work when my workplace when I could not withstand my junior threatening me that the fake story he was accusing me of would cost me my job. Nonetheless, I have also managed to delay my gratification during a period my salaries was withheld for several months. I will, therefore, set good precedence and limits to my kids in consistency to archive self-control.

In conclusion, the marshmallow test is a revelation and an excellent test tool to parents about the fortunes of their children because it is synonymous with life elements such as willpower, temptation, and grit.    

Reference list

Mischel, W. (2014). The marshmallow test: Mastering self-control. New York: Little, Brown, and Co.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amsqeYOk--w

Social Behavior Theory

Introduction

Social behavior theory that was  proposed  by  Bandura Albert has grown to  be the  most  influential  concept  in  regard  to development  and learning.  The  theory  is grounded  on  different  basic traditional concepts  of learning  since Bandura held the belief  that  straight reinforcement  would not  consider  all  the  types  of learning. The theory is widely identified as an observational model that is utilized in the description of different human behaviors.  The theory has an added social component that argues that individuals can learn fresh behaviors and information by simply watching others (Akers, 2009).  The theory has been transformed into social learning rather than social behavior in the modern era.  Based on SLT, people   can learn behaviors via the observation of attitudes, outcomes as well as behaviors.  Precisely,  the theory  provides  explanations  regarding  human conduct  in  regard  to  continuous  and  mutual  interactions  amid behavioral, cognitive  and  environmental  influences.

Historical Background

Before the year 1960, the existing published theories regarding learning were mainly influenced by the assumptions of operant, psychoanalytic and classic conditioning conceptual drives.  The verabal behavior book of B.F Skinner was published in the year 1959 a critique by Chomsky Noam (Parrish, 2014). The criticism  made  the claim that direct stimulated  behavioral theories  failed to consider  the procedures  of  acquiring  language  and this  specific argument  made significant contributions  to the cognitive  revolution of psychology.

With  the  particular  context, Bandura Albert studied  the  process  of learning that took place  in interpersonal context  of learning and held no adequate explanations of the general concepts  in regard to social learning for example  Julian Rotter’s work (Akers, 2009). In particular,  Bandura made the argument that  learning approaches  weaknesses  that  mainly  discounts  social  variables  contribution were not soundly  and accurately presented in the concepts  of novel responses  acquisitions.  Fresh responses  acquisitions  according to  Skinner were based  on the  successive  approximation process  which necessitated  various  trials, behavioral  elements  strengthening and  gradual  transformation.  The theory  by Rotter therefore,  made the proposal the occurring likelihood  of a certain human  behavior  was  the  responsibility  of  subjective  expectation  and  reinforcement  value (Akers, 2009). The  approach  was an assumption  of the existing  responses  hierarchy and  therefore according to Bandura thus did not  make any  account  on the particular  responses which had not been  acquired yet.  Rapid acquisition study of novel conducts through human social observation was started at the moment by Bandura the famous one being the experiments that were being conducted on Bobo dolls. This developed the  conclusion  that  individuals are  capable  of learning  different  behaviors through  direct  and  mutual  observation  on others with the origination of SLT being based in 1977 (Akers, 2009).

Theorist

Bandura Albert was born in the year 1925 on the 4^th of December (Akers, 2009). He can best  be described  as  an influential  psychologist  who for the last six  full decades  has been involved  in high  contributions to the education field as well as  psychological fields  that  involves therapy,  social  cognitive  as well as  personality  psychology (Schelbe, & Geiger, 2017).  His influence can additionally be traced from cognitive and behaviorism transition.  He  is  popular for being the  founder of  the  theory  of social  learning  and the  theoretical  development  of  self efficacy  who is additionally  responsible  for the popular and  influential  experiment developed in 1961 referred to as  Bobo doll (Schelbe, & Geiger, 2017). 

Initially Bandura was influenced by the work of Robert Sea on social behavior familial antecedents as well as learning identification (Schelbe, & Geiger, 2017).  His first research was particularly dedicated to social reproduction in the context of actions, thoughts as well as human motivation.  Alongside  with  his  colleague  and  his first  student  in the doctoral level Richard  Walters he  got into  the  learning  of aggression  and  social  learning.  The research  first  phase was involved  in the  analyzing of human  learning  foundations  as well as the  willingness of adults as well as  children in imitating  the  conducts  that  they  observe  from  others  and particularly  aggression (Schelbe, & Geiger, 2017).

Social Work Knowledge Base

In all the fields  social workers  are  faced  with  different  difficulties  and challenges  that  arrives with  trials  of understanding  the general behaviors  of human (Vito, 2006).  The ability  to  obtain  the  knowledge  can be categorized as a complex  and multi layered  procedure  that  requires social  workers  to  utilize  different theories  in  getting  positive effects  for the consumers one being  the  theory  of social  learning. A social worker  with increased  knowledge that relates to social learning  is  able to comprehensively  utilize  the  developed models  in resolving  behavioral  conflicts  despite the setting. Despite  the specialty in social work  problems and conflicts  faced in social working  are  developed  by  problematic behavioral  and  social  strengthening. For instance  the theory  can be utilized  in schools in understanding  issues  of bullying,  substance abuse, violence, school  attendance, poor  performance, student  socialization and psychological  issues. the  above  mentioned  issues  can be developed  by scenarios  which  are best  demonstrated  by SLT (Vito, 2006).

A consideration  of  social working in a school  setting  can be utilized  in understanding  problems that  relates  to aggressive  conduct  that  negatively  impacts  the  capability  of students to  learn (Vito, 2006). SLT can therefore , be applied  by in social work  in  evaluating  role approaches and the  incentive in which the  students are exposed to regularly  in that it would be the  strengthening  of aggression, disruptive conduct and a discourager  of positivity (Nicolson, 2014).  After the  identification  of the primary  cause  of the  negative  conduct  SLT can be utilized by the social  worker  in the  identification  of  dysfunctional  thoughts  pattern as  that  influences  the  behaviors and  emotions  of the  students (Vito, 2006).  Via the  utilization  of  therapy  gradual  approaches  like  positive  approaches, stress  management and systematic  desensitization  new  conducts  can be attained . This  can be accomplished  by transforming  the desirable  or  negative strengthening  that  is directly  related  with the incentive at the  base of the issue (Weiner, Millon & Lerner, 2003).

Description of the Theory

SLT is the perspective that individual acquires learning by making mutual observations on others.  The theory makes an explanation that acquiring fresh behaviors, attitudes and values can be based on observation.  Social  learning therefore necessitates  a high  degree  of concentration  to the individual being observed,  a remembrance of the  behavior that was  observed, the capability of replicating the  conduct and the  general  motivation  of acting in a similar  manner.  The theory  makes the  claim  that  individuals  acquires  learning  from  someone else through  observing, developing some imitations as well as modeling. The  theory  covers  the  gap that  lies amid  cognitive and  behaviorist  learning concepts  since  it covers  memory, motivation  as well as  attention (Newman, & Newman, 2012).

Individuals acquire learning via direct observation of other person’s outcomes, behaviors and attitudes (Krohn, Lizotte, & Hall, 2009).  This is to state that most behaviors that are depicted by humans are obtained from observing others. In that  from an observation  on other  people , one is able  to develop  thoughts on how  fresh  ideas  can be obtained  and  later the acquired  information is utilized  as a guide  in performing  the actual  actions (Krohn, Lizotte, & Hall, 2009).  SLT makes  an explanation  of human conduct  in  regard to mutual and  consistent  association  amid behavioral,  environmental  and cognitive  influences.  The theory is grounded on four principles which are attention, motivation, reproduction and retention. According to Bandura, reciprocal determinism which is the surrounded as well as the general behavior cause of an individual to the other. Bandura made  the  claim that  personality  is  developed  from the  incorporation  of behavior, environment and  an individual’s  psychological procedures which is the  general capability of entertaining  visuals  in language  and minds (Hepworth, 2010).

Based on the attention principle different factors decreases or rises the degree of attention that is paid.  This includes prevalence, distinctiveness, complexity, functional value and affective valence. This implies that an individual may not acquire any learning if they are not alert on the specific task (Greene, 2008).  Observation of uniqueness gathers an individual’s attention which is reinforced by social context.  The ability to recall the concept that was being observed is explained by retention which may involve symbolic coding, mental visuals, cognitive arrangement and motor rehearsal. Through the internalization  of  the stored data in the memory  the  information  can be regained  in responding to  similar situations that  surrounds  the  information  that was learned.  In the context of reproduction, individuals will obviously reproduce the information that was acquired before such as knowledge, skills as well as behaviors. However, the general practice via physical and mental exercise normally develops responses.  This is the sector where images are reproduced that incorporates physical abilities as well as self observations.  Motivation  implies  to holding  a viable  rationale  of imitating which may be  motivated  by the  past, vicarious  and  the  promised (Haffer, 2009).

Major Terms

The major terms regarding the theory of social behavior are reciprocal modeling, retention, attention, reproduction and motivation.  In that  in order for an individual  to acquire any form of  social  behavior  they  must  make  mutual observation  on the  desired activity, value, attitude or even behavior which is  regarded as the reciprocal  determinant (Engler, 2008). In addition focus or attention is required while observing so that vivid images can be developed regarding the conduct. The  ability  to  continuously recall the  information  when required in similar situation  is called  reproduction which cannot be attained without  being  focused.  In addition  retention  is the general  capability  held by an  individual  in  retaining  the information  that  they were  able  to acquire  and  regain it  when it is needed.  Motivation is the justifiable rationale behind the general desire to imitate or rather copy (Gambrill, 2006). 
            Major Assumptions

Social behavior is a theory that is grounded on a variety of assumptions. First, individuals are able to acquire learning on making observations on others outcomes as well as behaviors (Carducci, 2006). Learning can take place even without the transformation of behavior and cognitive plays a significant role in it.  In addition the theory states that individuals have the ability to control their surrounding and actions.  This is accomplished  through  self regulation and human’s nature  can be regarded  as  social  and thus  and this means that  people are  active  in imitating experiences (Brandell, 2011).
            Conclusion

The theory of social learning can be categorized as the study of persons, conducts and the surrounding which are directly related.  It can be established that the theory of social behavior is more comprehensive as compared to the behaviorist perspective.  Individuals make effective learning through reciprocal observation by attention, retention, motivation as well as reproduction. This implies that in order for social learning to occur one must be able to observe attentively, recall the information, utilize it when needed and have a solid motivation.

            References

Akers, R. L. (2009). Social learning and social structure: A general theory of crime and deviance. New Brunswick [N.J.: Transaction Publishers.

Brandell, J. R. (2011). Theory & practice in clinical social work. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Carducci, B. J. (2006). The psychology of personality. Oxford: Blackwell.

Engler, B. (2008). Personality theories: An introduction. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Gambrill, E. D. (2006). Social work practice: A critical thinker's guide. New York: Oxford University Press.

Greene, R. R. (2008). Human behavior theory & social work practice. New Brunswick, N.J: AldineTransaction.

Haffer, D. R. (2009). Social and personality development. Cengage Learning.

Hepworth, D. H. (2010). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills. Belmont, Calif: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Krohn, M. D., Lizotte, A. J., & Hall, G. P. (2009). Handbook on crime and deviance. Dordrecht: Springer.

Newman, B. M., & Newman, P. R. (2012). Development through life: A psychosocial approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Nicolson, P. (2014). Psychology for Social Work Theory and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan.

Parrish, M. (2014). Social Work Perspectives On Human Behaviour. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.

Schelbe, L., & Geiger, J. M. (2017). Intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Springer.

Vito, G. F. (2006). Criminology. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Weiner, I. B., Millon, T., & Lerner, M. J. (2003). Handbook of psychology: Vol. 5. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.

Child Observation

 Introduction

The child whom I observed is known as Tracy and she was born in 6/27/2007. The child is aged 9years 2months.  We interacted together with the child in a favorable environment for about 2 hours.  The actual observation was done on 20^th march 2017 and it was a form of narrative, and I was able to understand the cognitive, physical and emotional development of the child.  The relationship with the child was created by the ‘Early Childhood Assessment’ and this tool assisted in gathering information on child’s development.  I used an informal method of child assessment and conducted natural observation. This process fostered the relationship and learned the social-emotional, cognitive and physical development of the child.

The child’s behavior

 First and foremost, the child was dressed   and it seems like she was able to differentiate between clothes to put in social situations and while she is at home. I was impressed by the child’s behavior and how she utilized her social interaction skills. The child is respectful and she understands the basic manners while interaction wills an adult. Actually, the child is well-mannered as she greeted with respect and she could not interrupt while talking. The child is also appreciative as she could show gratitude for spending time together.  The child appeared well-cared and this is evidence from her social competence. This means that the child appeared to have been well interacted with parents and other people in social setting. The child has self-confidence and while in the new environment, she was not distressed.  This is an indication that both parental and nonparental care influenced a positive development and helped the child to manage challenges in social setting.  In the area of age and development skills of the child, she seems to be physically active and she is active in learning. Through interaction, I learnt that the child considers things in concrete terms and her self-esteem and self-worth changes with respect to the situation or surroundings.

Focusing on Erikson's stages of development, this child is in the fourth stage of psychosocial development which is known as industry vs. Inferiority.  According to Erikson, this child has a sense of industry through incorporating new skills and knowledge in life.  During observation, I learnt that this child has the ability to learn and she develops competence and sense of worth through having a strong relationship with adults.  In addition, the child has developed initiatives and so the only thing remaining is encouragement and support so that she can achieve her goals. For example, the child said that she would like to become a doctor.  I learnt that if this child is reinforced, she will develop   a sense of pride in fulfilling her accomplishments and also for achieving things which are valued by the society.  However, if the child is not encouraged, there is a possibility that she will have sense of inferiority and lack the ability to achieve her goals.

Freud asserts that there are series of stages in child development and every child must pass through these stages and nurturing and parenting should support every stage.  Freud developed a psychosexual theory which explained the personality development. Accordingly, this child is in the fourth stage of development which is known as the latency stage. During observation, I learnt that the child has developed ego and superego and she is more concerned with being connected with friends in social setting.  Though she has sexual energy, she has a low libido interests. She is capable of developing communication skills by interaction will peer groups.  For example, she said that his best friend Antonios and they interacts together in hobbies, school work and more. She is more interested in developing moral behaviors which will be accepted by the society. 

According to Piaget, there are four critical stages which children pass through in their cognitive development.  These stages help them explore and understand the world.  Focusing on the four different stages, I can say that the child is in the third stages of cognitive development which is known as the concrete operational stage.  The reason for saying that the child is in this stage is because, during observation I observed that she has   the ability to think logically. Though she thinks logically, she does not use hypothetical thinking but instead she use concrete events in solving a problem.  In other words, she uses inductive reasoning and finds it difficult to explain her logical thinking. For example, I asked whether it is good to steal drugs from a chemist and take them to their sick parent who has financial problems and the child said yes but could not offer a good reason.  This means that the child view things through actual events but lacks common sense to interpret the answer.

Physical development

First, this child is developing physically in terms of height, weight and so forth. For example, there are signs of breasts; she is growing taller and wider. Through observation, I have noted that the child   is uncomfortable with physiological differences   and that is why she requires peer interaction and understand the physical changes. The child has sensory development and her sensory system is matured.  For example, the child uses her senses to explore the world. Briefly, the child has fully developed her processing skills and she is able to respond to sensory information. She has self-regulation and through understanding the sensory information, she understands the world and herself as well. Child has a high level of sensitivity to stimulation due to her sensory input. She has strong reactions to a setting which is highly stimulating.  In area of sensorimotor coordination, the child has sensory and motor systems which are well developed.  She is well coordinated and she poses motor activities such as bilateral coordination, dominance, hand-eye coordination and so forth.  The child has also developed fine motor skills in that I observed a clear handwriting and great in artwork.  Since the child is active, fine motor coordination ahs influenced by commitment of child in different activities.

Emotional Development

First and foremost, the child’s facial expressions speak more than words. In other words, the child is happy, active and has a sense of belonging. During the observation, I noticed that the child like being involved with adults. What I noticed is substitutions as the child could   maintain eye contact and I could captor a vivid message which she is trying to convey. The child expressed joy and   it is obvious that the child is joyful when interaction with people.  The quality of conversation clearly winds up that the child developed a self-worth and sense of responsibility through interaction with an adult. In actual fact, I felt invigorated due to the strong interaction with the child. Since I had positive emotions while interacting with child, my conversation and observation as well was influenced and it was effective. The child was active and contributed to the conversation and made it vivacious.

 Relationship/attachment

 During the observation, the child formed a strong relationship. She achieved this through developing a sense of ease and interest, happiness and contentment.  Other point is that the child is adventurous as she really enjoyed having a good time with an adult. Actually, the child had the willingness to learn new things and she has high endeavor in social interaction.  She adores and felt comfortable beings in presence of an adult. The most interesting thing is that the child could maintain eye contact and listened carefully so that she can make comments  to show  that she is able to make logical reasoning. During observation, I noticed that the child treat others in a positive manner as she is loving and like interacting with peer groups or else she like being involved in social setting. Since the child is demonstrative, other people interacting with this child.  I personally had a great time with the child and I was invigorated.  Since I was cooperative, cheerful, playful and affectionate, I belief that these personality traits influenced the child in making a strong relationship.

Child’s interaction with the setting

 From the way the child interacts with the setting, I can say that the child has fully developed and has passed through the stages of development.  For example, the child could not misbehave or   go to toilet without permission.  In addition, she could not touch things on the table without asking for permission. The child has a positive interaction with the setting in that she could also ask questions and this is an indication that she likes trying new things. Though she was active, she waited until she was told to do something. I also understood the child’s inner life and learnt that the child is curious. She is interested in learning new things. The child likes asking many questions and she could maintain eye contact to get everything.  I can say that her curiosity strengthened the relationship and helped the child overcome the anxiety.  In addition, curiosity created happiness and urge to learn new things.

Conclusion

Assessment on child development is very important as I was able to gain critical information on child’s development.   Through observation, I understood the stage of development which   the child aged 9years 2months was in as well as her cognitive, emotional and physical development.  The child has developed cognitive skills and she is able to reason, write and read. She has also developed physically in that weight, height and other physical changes are observed. She has developed social-emotional skills and emotional regulations and these skills help her to adopt the culture of different social settings.  The child is brave, pays attention and she shows humor and civility. She observation concludes that the child is at three stages of development namely; industry vs. Inferiority, latency stage and concrete operational stage.

How to Be a True Friend

Thesis: True friendship is essential in a person’s life and everyone wants to have a true friend whom they can rely on. This paper therefore will present on some of the ways one can become a true friend.

1. Introduction
2. Loyalty
3. Helpfulness
4. Forgiveness
5. Conclusion

            True friends usually encourage one another especially when in trouble or when they are in calamity. This is not an easy task to do but having true friends’ takes time for nurturing of a long lasting friendship which is worth every kind of efforts. This is a two way thing that involves efforts from all the parties as this friendship is priceless.

            Loyalty is one of the most important qualities in true friendship. True friends trust each other enough to share with them all of their secrets without fear of having to hear these secrets told unto others (Rowan 2014). As a true friend it is important to value your friendship and ensure that you do not discuss your friend behind their backs.

            Being helpful is another essential character that calls for selflessness from all the parties so as to enhance a true friendship. Listen so well to your friend as you converse as this will help you understand them and help them out. As they go through hardships in life, be there to support them with their needs and struggles.

            Forgiveness is quite important since it is clear that people must wrong each other as no one is perfect and we all have different personalities. Hence it is important to always forgive each other. True friendship therefore calls for one to build characters which will enhance their friendship to grow, deepen, thrive and stay for a longer period.

References

Rowan T. (2014). Friendship. Quadille Publishers.print.

My goals are to open up a rehabilitation Center to help Juveniles steer away from crime and rehabilitate to show them a brighter future. I want the scholarship since it will enable me finish my education and thus get adequate Knowledge that will help me establish and maintain the rehabilitation centre. I became interested in coming up with a rehabilitation centre after I saw a two year old girl whose parents are members of a gang that is involved in criminal activities. The two year old, were it not for me would have been recruited in the gang since both parents are members of the criminal gang. The girl is an example of how innocently children are born by parents who are involved in crime and end up becoming criminals. This incident made me feel the urge to come up with a rehabilitation center that will see young ones taken in and get taught on importance of avoiding crimes. I have helped the girl since then since her life would get ruined if she fails to get support from me. This is among many community services I have been involved in. In addition I am a volunteer Girl Scout Leader to a Daisy Troop therefore I have gained enough leadership skills that will ensure my rehabilitation centers succeeds. My goals will finally be achieved since I will educate and give guidance to young ones who lack support parents since they are involved in crimes. Volunteering as a Candy Striper in the hospital at the age of 14 taught me how to relate to people and help others when able. I would urge you to consider my application for this scholarship since it will help me achieve my goals and by doing this I will be giving back to the society.
 

America's forgotten working class

Upbringing, neighborhoods and community can negatively affect academic success. For example, many working class people are discriminated by economists and they are described as people who lack a college degree. These people are victims of discrimination not because of their race but because of their low standard of living (Vance, 2016). Due to their low level of education, the level of income is low and parents are unable to raise their children effectively due to financial problems. Children from these families suffer from health and safety issues and social challenges. In school, they are discriminated compared with upper-income kids. They are isolated and the isolation leads to high rate of drop out.  When they enter in the community, they become vulnerable to risky behaviors such as drug abuse (Vance, 2016).  There is lack of a nurturing environment in the community and the children live a poor life which affects cognitive and psychological development. Many children are unable to beat the odds due to lack of mentorship and social capital.  In the community, working class children do not have the opportunity to access resources and the high level of poverty develops the developmental challenges to these children. In neighborhood, children face social inequality and as a result they develop emotional and behavioral problems which hinder academic success (Vance, 2016).  Working class families including children are forget as in America it is believed that a degree is the key to success and only learned people can get good jobs and enjoy many opportunities.  Lack of neighborhood initiates is a big challenge to working class families as these families continue to struggle with poverty (Vance, 2016). Generally, there is a wide gap between working class and upper class. Working class people receive low wages and their children are discriminated in school and in the community due to their poor living style. They are not recognized and they end up being incarcerated due to criminal behaviors.

Reference

Vance J.D. (2016). America's forgotten working class

Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/j_d_vance_the_struggles_of_america_s_forgotten_working_class

Social interactions

            Today’s society is made up of people from different backgrounds with different beliefs, customs and traditions. As part of our day to day activities, human beings often interact with one another for various reasons. Although these interactions involve different people with different identities, people try as much as possible to respect each other’s differences so as to peacefully co exist. In a world where diversity is a common factor, people have the strong desire to establish and sustain their personal identity and not be influenced by others. However, there are occurrences where, intentional or not, people end up to conforming to behaviors that may go against their personal identities. This is common in institutions such as schools, hospitals, churches or military barracks to mention a few. Although people still maintain their personal identity, interaction with others forces individuals to act in a way that is deemed appropriate by the majority. Social roles and interactions that take place in society therefore play a major role in influencing the nature of the face to face interactions that people engage in especially while at an institution.

            In order to peacefully co exist, human beings have come up with ways of setting aside differences and created symbols that are well recognized by all individuals and act as representations of specific elements within society. Through these symbols, people with different beliefs, cultures and identities are able to communicate in a manner that is appreciated or understood by everyone[1]. Some of these symbols include pictures, sounds, hand gestures and physical objects that reflect the beliefs, ideas and thoughts of members of the community. These symbols are interpreted the same regardless of the person demonstrating them. If, for example, a person places a hand over the chest while the national anthem is being played, this is seen as a sign of respect. A nod of the head is seen to symbolize a yes while shaking the head is interpreted to say no. Shaking of hands is interpreted as a way of saying hello while clapping hands is a symbol that shows appreciation. Through these symbols, people are able to interact in social settings in a way that everyone understands. Although everyone is given the freedom of choosing when to use these symbols and when not to, being in an institution often takes away this freedom as one feels the need to abide by the laws or regulations set by the institutions[2].People are taught that specific symbols have specific meanings and that there is a certain way people are expected to behave depending on a symbol. People’s behaviors are therefore greatly influenced by the symbols present around them especially in an institution.

            In Asylums, Goffman discusses what he refers to as symbolic interactionism and its impact on how people interact in society[3]. He argues that human interactions are affected by a front stage and a back stage mentality that people use when interacting and trying to understand the world around them and themselves better. Goffman believes that in most social interactions, human beings perceive a form of theater setting constituting a front stage and a back stage. Individuals play different roles in accordance to what is expected of them at times even taking the role of an audience[4]. While in the front stage, people are pushed to only perform actions or social interactions that are appropriate and accepted by the audience. The individual is aware that his actions are being watched and as a result, he will ensure that his way of interaction is in line with the expectations of the audience. The back stage on the other hand allows the individual to be himself because there is no audience watching. Here, a person can step out of character and act however he pleases or just be himself without being influenced by the audience[5].

            Goffman’s attempt to explain social interactions became clear upon my visit to Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. After observing the people in the health facility, I discovered that both patients and doctors alike had different ways of interacting. When doctors and nurses were interacting, the atmosphere was friendly, jovial and more casual. When talking, colleagues would stand close to each other, exchange laughs and at times laugh at each other’s jokes. However, when the same doctors or nurses had to interact with patients, there was an atmosphere of professionalism and even though they remained friendly, there was little touching or laughing unless it was necessary. In this scenario, one could say that interactions between doctors were more on the side of the backstage while interaction with patients was on the front stage. When interacting with patients, doctors had a role to play which required them to be professional. Because of this, all communications made by the doctors took a more serious tone as this is what was expected of doctors. The patients played the role of the audience and the doctors had to behave in a manner that was expected and pleasing to the patients. The patients on the other hand seemed more calm and listened keenly to doctors. They would often lean in close when the doctors were talking possibly to ensure that they did not miss anything that was said. While the conversation between colleagues was two sided, conversation between the doctors and the patients were mostly one sided as the patients mostly nodded or gave short answers in reply.

            Goffman argues that people’s behaviors are greatly affected by locations when it comes to social interactions[6]. The type of interaction is determined by the role that an individual is expected to play, other people involved in making that role and the audience. Because of this, all impressions that people give are in accordance to the specific roles they are expected to play and the expectations that the audience will have of the individual playing that role. The audience on the other hand is expected to assist in helping others perform their roles so as to ease the process of social interactions[7]. While at the health facility, I observed that doctors and nurses played different roles when interacting with patients. The nurses, although friendly, tended to lean more on the professional side of the conversation. Their way of communicating with patients included asking short questions so as to understand the patients’ reasons for visiting the health facility. Patients on the other hand gave direct and detailed information and in doing so, helped the nurses perform their role. The interaction between doctors and patients was however different. Doctors tended to be more social, greeted the patients with a smile and even attempted to make small talk. Since the role of the doctors was to help the patients, they tried to make them at ease. This facilitated better social interaction as patients felt encouraged to interact with the doctors.

            According to Gambino, people create a social identity by presenting a front which is in line with the part that society expects them to play[8]. The front is something that all people portray especially when engaging in social interactions. In the case of my visit to Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, everyone in the institution was demonstrating the font associated with the roles they were playing. In the case of employees in the management position, their front demonstrated professionalism and strictness. Whether in communication with each other, with doctors and nurses or with patients, their role required them to remain professional at all times and this is what they portrayed. Their front was strengthened by the suits they wore which differentiated them from other members of staff. In the case of doctors and nurses, white overalls doctor coats and blue attires constituted of their wardrobes. Although they demonstrated some form of professionalism, their front was more casual as the role they were expected to play required them to interact with the patients. When it comes to social interactions, the front helps to determine how interactions will occur and what is expected of everyone involved in the communication[9]. Doctors presented a professional, yet welcoming front and this made it easier for patients to engage them in conversations to explain their purpose for visiting the institution.

            Goffman argues that total institutions have a way of influencing social interactions due to their ability to bend the rules that exists in outside society. In some cases, institutions could affect and even temporarily change an individual’s self identity. Doctors, for example, have to adopt a role that is prescribed by the health institution which requires them to wear uniforms and observe professionalism at all times. People holding high position on the outside world are forced to take the role of a patient whenever visiting a hospital and in such a scenario, the doctor is the one in charge. As such, although every individual has a desire to maintain their personal identity, society has a way of creating rules that dictates how people are expected to carry themselves especially in institutions. Goffman’s theory of a front stage therefore has relevance in that people often move in between the front stage and the back stage at different times throughout their social interactions. However, one can easily retain a personal identity by simply going back to their true nature when alone or, as Goffman would put it, in the back stage.

Field Note

My field assignment required me to visit an institution and observe how social roles and inequalities studied in class occur in a normal setting and the effect that they have on social interactions. To accomplish my task, I visited Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center where I made observations of the type of social interactions that people engaged in while at the health institution. Since the institution is among the biggest heath facilities in the area, there were a lot of interactions between staff members, patients and families. This was an advantage as it gave me a lot material and sources to conduct my study on how institutions affect social interactions and how they are different from the outside world.

As per the requirement of the field work, I was accompanied by a friend who helped me in making observations and gathering information for the study. His input was very helpful as it helped to create diversity of the findings. After evaluating the information, I was able to make the conclusion that institutions greatly influence the nature of social interactions. They determine when hand gestures are appropriate, the level of professionalism and even the tone that people use. While people have personal identities, they are often required to suppress them, especially in scenarios that may be deemed inappropriate and this is what facilitates successful social interactions.

References

Bellah N, Madsen R, Sullivan W, Swidler A and Tipton M, (2007) “Habits of the heart:    Individualism and commitment in American life” University of California Press

Gambino M, (2013) “Erving Goffman’s asylums and institutional culture in the mid twentieth      century united states” National Center for Biotechnology Information

Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental         patients and other inmates. New Brunswick (N.J.: Aldine Transaction.

[1] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[2] Bellah N, Madsen R, Sullivan W, Swidler A and Tipton M, (2007) “Habits of the heart: Individualism and commitment in American life”

[3] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[4] ibid

[5] ibid

[6] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[7] Goffman, E., & Helmreich, W. B. (2007). Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates.

[8] Gambino M, (2013) “Erving Goffman’s asylums and institutional culture in the mid twentieth century united states”

[9] Gambino M, (2013) “Erving Goffman’s asylums and institutional culture in the mid twentieth century united states”

Immigration or deportation

            Murrel in his article provides a background recording on the Northern Carolina so as to establish a foundation for the reader thus allowing them to have an easier flow of the reading. His description on the area indicates that the area is highly populated with poor infrastructure due to lack of development of the area. The living conditions of this are seems evident from the article to be of a poor standard (Murrel 57). Therefore the title for the article is most appropriate as it is deeply demonstrated by the author all throughout the passage using Almanza’s family as an example of a family that is going through a hard time so as to avoid deportation. This paper, therefore, will discuss on the powerlessness that result to deportation of the immigrants in Northern Carolina.

            The author uses statistical data so as to make his claims and this makes it more convincing and it is evident that the number of immigrants in this area is relatively low while that of the whites is high. Most of these immigrants have come to this place in search for work and especially at manufacturing industries. The percentage of the immigrants in North Carolina has reduced over the years and this is an indication that most of the families at this place they have to struggle so as to be able to survive in this place. However, those who have not been in a position to fight for their survival through persevering through their stay at this place have been deported and this has caused the decrease in number of immigrants (Miller 58).

            The powerlessness is witnessed in the manner in which these immigrants change their native names and they are forced by the circumstances to brand themselves names similar to those of the whites. Maria for instance, uses a fake name of Esperanza in her employment folder as well as in her identification card. This means that they have to stay as if they were whites since immigrants were lowly regarded in this area. The author puts across his claim that immigrants goes through a struggle so as to fit in this kind of society. Though they are not happy with what they do they are forced to do the job so as to be able to survive and stay in this place (Miller 59). Their powerlessness and struggle is witnessed in the court systems where they are not allowed time to explain themselves and to defend themselves as they wait for their ruling. However, they still remain devoted to this nation as they believe in it despite all that they go through (Miller 62).

            The struggle that they have to go through so as to stay in this place is determined by their ability to change. Thus they have to be changed and to be converted to the ways and culture of the inhabitants of this place. Thus they are left powerless as they have no choice other than this as failure to convert and to change will ultimately result to their deportation. Acceptance to this place plays an important part in the lives of these immigrants as they have to have faith in that nation and most of all in God. Thus they are a subject to a belief in God and in the chance that He grants them so as to be able to survive in the country where they have migrated to.  

References

Miller D. A Southern Family Struggles to Avoid Deportation. Harpers magazine. 2013. Retrieved from: http://harpers.org/archive/2013/12/jump-juan-crow/

What Childhood Ought to Be

 Childhood is an early stage of developmental which encompass different stages. During childhood, children gain different skills in every specific stage of development (Montgomery, 2011). The attainment of milestones is different due to difference in mental and physical abilities. In childhood, children pass through the following stages;

• Early childhood; this stage involves skill development. Though children experience physical changes, they master different skills such as walking, toilet training and more. Physical growth improves cognitive development as many children are able to understand the environment and to react positively in different situations (Schaefer & DiGeronimo, 2000).
• Middle childhood; this stage is important in child development in that children develop personality and they are able to create inter-personal relationship. This stage can also be called integration since children understand the society they live in and value the cultural norms. This stage is important in that through interaction with family and friends, children live a health life (Schaefer & DiGeronimo, 2000).
• Adolescence; this stage involves identity formation. Many children gain sexual maturity as well as cognitive development.  Children are able to think logically and apply experiences from both internal and external environment in solving hypothetical problems (Schaefer & DiGeronimo, 2000).  This stage has important elements such as meta-cognition which helps them in planning the future.

Having understood the stages of childhood, the important thing is to understand the needs of children in order to guide and nurture them (Montgomery, 2011).  Children have unique personality and so a childhood stage needs self-esteem in building contentment and success.  Parents should maintain a positive relationship in helping children develop social skills. Generally, childhood should be a stage which requires support and protection.  Children at this stage require parents’ attention   and secure attachments so that they can learn new things and apply them in real world (Montgomery, 2011).

 In childhood, each and every child should have support and a positive caring relationship from adults. This will help them in learning and controlling their life.  In addition, children need materials and experiences which will assist them in gaining diffferent skills (Montgomery, 2011).  For example, books   will play an important role in developing literacy skills. Time is also needed in interacting with friends and family in sharing ideas and exploring the world.  Opportunities are also important in order to involve children in real activities such as cooking, washing car and more.  Each and every child should spend time with friends, parents and books in order to gain skills related with life.  In addition, children shook use their time in learning how to solve problems, how to communicate effectively, how to build self knowledge and how to control and behave in a positive way (Montgomery, 2011).

 The reflection on childhood is important in my work with children and families because it helps   to;

• Understand the childhood and provide the necessary needs in their developing
• Build a lifetime bond with children and families
• Support and protect children  in their adolescence
• Provide opportunities
• Teach parents on how to help their children develop communication and problem solving skills

Reference

Montgomery, H. (2011). An Introduction to Childhood: Anthropological Perspectives on Children's Lives.

Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Schaefer, C. E., & DiGeronimo, T. F. (2000). Ages and stages: A parent's guide to normal childhood

development. New York: John Wiley.