Socialisation Is A Fundamental Sociological Concept Sociology Essay

Socialisation Is A Fundamental Sociological Concept Sociology Essay Socialisation is a fundamental sociological concept as it is the way we learn to be a functioning part of the society we are in, how to become a member of the group. Socialisation starts from the moment we are born and there are many arguments that help to show how such socialisation is a continuous process. It continues throughout our lives to help us fit into and be accepted into the many groups within society that we encounter during our lifetime or to just adjust to the changes in our existing community. Although an Important social topic that affects all members of society at one time, widespread mainstream literature concerning gender socialisation is difficult to come by. As mentioned, socialisation starts from the day we are born, the very start, so to help understand socialisation as a whole, developing an understanding of some of its parts is helpful. For this piece of work I shall be focusing on gender socialisation and the impact it has on an individuals socialisation into society. The concept of gender socialisation helps us to understand how the notion of gender, what is expected of individuals as males and females in society and how much it matters. Throughout examining literature for this topic I hope to gain a better understanding of what academic sociologist have to say on this topic. The aim is to try to Identify important factors that impact gender socialisation and what literature is current on a similar topic. Has there been a change in attitude to such gendered socialisation and the idea or construction of gender? What are these and how are these developing; I.e. gendered parenting/modern schooling? I also would like to explore nature vs. nurture/boy vs. girl/male vs. female. What are these titles and how are they explained in a sociological way. I hope to gain a greater concept of gender theories and what is already known about my chosen topic. To help to develop my understanding of sociological explanations for gender socialisation I have approached several academic texts to help guide and aid my understanding. The first book that I revised is The Paradoxes of Gender (1999) by Judith Lorber. Written by Feminist and sociologist Lorber I found that this book challenges the basic idea we may hold of gender and its construction. Lorber argues that gender is a social fact constructed wholly by socialisation. Lorber also notes that gender is also a social institution, comparable to religion, the economy and the family as with it follows consequences and social significance. As a feminist Lorbers work focuses on the need for gender and how it is an inevitable fact that is important not only for the identity of an individual but also for societys construction. While I initially focused on Lorbers Text for a main point of reference I also followed up with works such as Women, Men and Society (1999) Renzetti and Curran, The Gender T rap (2012) Emily W Kane. These texts form the primary reading for this lit review. I supplemented these with more classical theory books such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim and Classical Sociological theory (2006) What is gender socialisation? There are many different theories of how gender socialisation happens and how/when it occurs. To help understand gender socialisation, an attempt at a definition is helpful. In its simplest form gender socialisation is how an individual learns and accepts the expected gender norms and values of the culture and society they are born into. Through this education they begin to develop a sense of identity and their ideas of gender become internalised and guide their behaviour. The Paradoxes of Gender (1994) attempts to explore all areas of Gender and the influences they have on gender identity and wider gender influences. To help with gender socialisation there are ideas within the wider concept that help to make up a persons gender socialisation. Lorber sees Gender norms as a set of rules appropriate for males and females; they are a set of expectations these expectations help to dictate how men and women are labelled, and therefore how they should behave. The rules and expectations follow on to become internalised and help to forma gender identity, which leads us to the second point highlighted to help gain an understanding of gender socialisation; Gender identity. Sociologists make a clear distinction between gender and sex. A persons sex is biological determined and gender is culturally learnt. Gender identity goes beyond just recognising the physical biological gender characteristics belonging to male and female and identifying them from each other. Gender identity is in fact an internal personal conception of how an individual view themselves as male or female. Gender cannot be equated with biol ogical and physiological differences between human males and females. The building blocks of gender are socially constructed. (Lorber 1994:17) How gender socialisation impacts Individuals life choices. Gender socialisation impacts all areas of social life and therefore does in fact make it an important topic of study. The way an individual is socialised in terms of their gender has an overall impact on daily life including that of social self, self-concept and the way we conduct personal relationships with others and the perceptions we make. Family, friends, social peers and outside uncontrollable sources are all agents through which socialisation occurs. Religion, mass media education and pop culture are becoming ever increasingly influential over socialisation and how an individual views themselves in respect to their gender. Boys and girls are treated different right from birth, this treatment is often primarily from members of their own environment, such as their parents, siblings and extended families, and the way they are treated helps them to learn the distinction between being male or female. Most parents create a gendered world for their new-born by naming, birth announcem ents and dress. Childrens relationships with same-gendered and different-gendered caretakers structure their self-identifications and personalities (Lorber 1994:25).Similar to The Paradoxes of Gender (2004), Men, Women and Society (2002) also addresses the many aspects of what we see as gender. One of the most interesting research topics explored in this book is the concept of how outside choices influence a childs gender socialisation. This is quite often transmitted through simple gestures such as the selection of gender based toys or giving a child a gender based task Research does show that children express gender based toy preferences as early as one year of age, but their toy choices may have been inspired even earlier by parental encouragement (Renzetti and Curran1999;74). These seemingly insignificant acts do in fact play a large part in the socialisation of children, and as a result how they develop their gender identity, and therefore their ender socialisation. A common th eme throughout all the literature based around gender, explore varying influences on what is gender and how it constructed. Nature vs Nurture vs gender identity. An influential and on-going debate amongst sociologists is the argument of the importance of nature vs. nurture in terms of gender socialisation. This ever evolving debate attempts to discover how a biological identity differs over individuals social surroundings to develop a gender identity. A biological and genetic gender identity fuels the nature area of debate whereas society and external influences help to form the idea of nurture. Many argue that to efficiently form an active gender identity, there must be a significant influence from either nature or nurture, but the question continues as to which is more influential, if either. In the Journal article The Nature of Gender Udry attempts to distinguish between what is sex; and what is gender. Gender is the relationship between biological sex and behaviour; a theory of gender explains the relationship. A gendered behaviour is the one that defines sex (Udry 1994;561). This idea and the theme of this article help to highlight my in itial argument about discussing how gender is a social construction. Sex is a given but a persons gender can be perceived differently dependant on how they behaviour. My project will attempt to further this idea by looking into how this behaviour is shaped and learnt. Children start to come into contact with such norms that define what it is to be masculine or feminine. What is acceptable or unacceptable behaviour is placed upon them in both conscious and unconscious ways. Young boys are taught not to show high emotion, to be strong and powerful whereas girls are showed how to be forgiving, docile and ladylike. If a child shows to be going against such expected norms then there is the chance that they can expected to be ostracised from their community or culture, or treated badly. In exceptional circumstances some cultures limit access to basic human rights such as nutrition health care. The treatment of genders in some cultures can also help to reinforce a separate gender identity, for examples in many third world cultures, girls have both different legal and ethical access to education so therefore go on to expect to be treated differently from boys, all based on their gender identity. Toy selection and clothing although seemingly innocent can i n fact play a crucial part in gender socialisation. Clothing plays a significant part in gender socialisation. As children become mobile, certain types of clothing encourage certain or discourage particular behaviours or activities (Renzetti and Curran 2002; 70) by this Renzetti and Curran refer to the idea that the way a child is dressed can influence their expected gender identity. For example a female child dressed in a soft, flowing or lace detailed dress would be expected to behave more soft and gentle compared to a male child in Denim jeans who would be accepted for rough and tumble behaviour. The Psychological and Biological explanations for gender. To develop a greater understanding of sociological explanations for gender socialisation it is also important to compare and contrast the arguments raised to those of another discipline. As Urdy notes it is important to consider new schools of thinking as social science stems from such thoughts. It is also impossible to study gender without noting the biological differences of human beings. Gender has biological foundations (Udry 1994 ; 571) One of the most prominent theories about gender acknowledgement comes from the school of psychology. Sigmund Freuds work focused on the importance of childhood and the experience that children experience that children gain throughout it, especially in relation to their gender. Freud noted that gender development is an unconscious experience that occurs through forming a bond with a parental figure. Although this project will focus on primarily the sociological explanations for gender socialisation many texts touch upon further academic disciplines who discuss the construction of gender. It is therefore important to include such references into my project, due to the reference through the literature I have reviewed. Societys expectations. Societys expectations of male and female positions within society have also changed over time. Throughout this project I hope to investigate the suggestion that societies tolerant of the changing gender of identity of females has become more positive. A rise in females in the workplace, taking on stereotypical male occupations (fire fighter, police force, and, engineer) and asserting dominance in regards to their position throughout society. Family socialisation can be seen to encourage female children to display characteristically male but male children are often scorned from displaying any stereotypical female behaviour. Girls are accepted even if they prefer to play with male orientated toys, if they were trousers or show an interest in rough and tumble but if a male child played with baby dolls or wore a dress may experience more negative reaction from society. Parents, through primary socialisation, can be seen to be more likely to encourage their daughters to these masculine qu alities then allow their sons to display feminine qualities (Van Volkon 2003) Here Van Volkon gives weight to the importance primary socialisation, through their family can have on a child. The role of women is seen to be changing in contemporary society, but does this mean that the main social gender identity is getting left behind? Conclusion. Looking at gender sociologically helps to reveal societal and cultural proportions of something that is generally thought of as biologically fixed. It helps us to understand how individuals are in a new viewpoint and to help raise and in the end answer new issues and debates surrounding gender. Throughout this project I hope to uncover answers to sociologically questions such as is gender culturally learnt? I am also interested in uncovering how important, or how much influence the family have on gender socialisation, especially in relation to children and childhood. To help with this the work of Emily Kane in The Gender Trap (2012) has proved useful. By conducting Interviews and observations of families, parents and children this literature helps to give empirical backing to the texts I have read throughout this review. Gender socialisation and how it is understood is an ongoing sociological question. Above is a brief overview of what literature I have found useful to attempt to study the subject of gender socialisation. As society can be seen as every changing I am interested in what such change, if any has on the construction and notion of gender. As understood throughout the literature reviewed modern institutions, such as education and the family, have great influence on society and how its individuals are taught how to fit in. Ideas and the construction of gender are constant with more radical forms of socialisation occurring i.e. gender neutral parenting and its societal impact. Not all the literature I have come across has proved useful to my project research, but this has allowed me to learn mistakes that previous research uncovered and helped to give my research direction and fresh thinking for future research. Throughout wider reading, I have concluded that using more contemporary sources and academic texts helped to give my research weight and productive reference. Introduction. The aim of this paper is to examine the influence that family has on gender development and the socialisation process. It will focus on how family influence can affect the construction of gender identity in children from birth through to the first year in primary schooling, around 5-6 years of age and also how the process of socialisation impacts parents. I shall attempt to examine both primary and secondary influences that can shape the gender identity of a family. The first part of this paper shall look at how becoming a parent can force an individual to have an influence on the gender identity of another and how this process may change their existing gender identity. Secondly this paper shall attempt to examine how the primary socialisation process impacts female children compared with male children. Society and its actors view the world through a series of lenses: those lenses can include class, race, age and gender. Society is full of stereotypes and the expectations that come with them. Social actors have little choice but to be subjected to learning these expectations and to submit to the influence they have on their personal identity. From childhood to adulthood our identity is constantly being reinforced as to what our culture and society wants and sees as acceptable. These stereotypes are expected of everyone but in fact may not be fair to all members of society. As they move through childhood, children are influenced by those that they interact with and are taught right from birth what it is to be a successful member of society. To understand the sociological concept concerned with the construction of gender, it is important to comprehend first of all the factors that influence ones gender construction. The continuing aim of this paper is to show that it is possible to identify different areas of gender socialization, which vary in their impact on children and those around them, which are essential to build up a gender identity. The best way to understand the concept of gender is to gain a basic knowledge of the concept it. From a structural perspective, gender is seen as the division of individuals within a society into contrasting and complementary social categories; boys and girls into men and women. In this conceptualisation, gendering in the process and a gendered social order can be seen to be the product of some kind of social construction (Lorber, 1994). Gender based norms can be defined as what we expect from males and females within society whereas gender stereotypes can be seen as how a society generalizes these expectations. Gender based stereotypes are generally first thought of being taught in the home, which are later reinforced by peer interactions, education and schooling, as well as widespread media contact. It can be seen that the family unit does in fact have the largest influence on a childs gender development. Their family members, parents in particular, overtly and covertly teach their child gender roles and reinforce the ideas of gender that they hold about themselves. Both socialisation, primary and secondary, cultural expectations and given biological attributes are all seen to influence an individuals gender identity and as a result has a significant effect on their personal identity. Vuorinen Tuunala, (1997) noted that Socialisation is the process, through which the child becomes an individual respecting his or hers environments laws, norms and customs. (pg45) From this, socialisation can be seen as a fundamental sociological concept and therefore is an important area of analysis. It is the way that individuals learn to be a functioning part of society and how to become an accepted member of the social group in which they are living amongst. Socialisation starts from the moment we are born and it is seen as a continuous process. It carries on throughout our lives, to help us fit and be accepted into the many groups within society that we encounter during our lifetime or to simply adjust to the changes in our existing community. The educational function that Murdock refers to, can also be termed socialisation. The family has the responsibility of transmitting a societys way of life, norms and values to the younger members. This function is an important one as, wi thout culture, the society could not survive, and too much deviation from the norm would disrupt the stability of the society. Classical sociology has also be long concerned with the process known as socialisation. Talcott Parsons (1959) has written about the functions of the family and identified two functions that he perceives as being basic and irreducible. For Parsons, the family provided primary socialisation of children and as a result, produced the stabilisation of the personalities within adults amongst wider society. [Haralambos Holborn, 2000, p.509] How children become socialised into different characters can be based on their sex. Through this more focused form of socialisation, boys and girls are repeatedly taught what it means to be male or female and what gender roles will be expected of them is termed gender socialisation (Giddens, 1993). Although it is an important social topic that affects all members of society at one time, widespread mainstream literature concerning gender socialisation is difficult to come by. There are many different theories of how gender socialisation happens and how or when it occurs. The two main theories I shall touch upon within this paper are social learning theory and as a follow on to this, social identification theory. These two theories are concerned with the development of gender identity and attempt to explain how the environment around an individual can influence their personal and social gender identity. Social learning theory proposes, established by Bandura (1971) that both gender identity and gender role are learned through a process including observation, imitation, punishment and reinforcement. On the other hand, social identification theory developed by Tajfel and Turner (1979) as a response to Bandura is based upon the notion that an individual portrays certain behaviours or an identity that reflects the social group to which they belong, to help them adapt and adopt the ways of the group. In its simplest form, gender socialisation is how individuals learn and accept the expected gender norms and values of the culture and society they are born into. Through this education they begin to develop a sense of identity and their ideas of gender become internalised and guide their behaviour. The mass media, wide spread social norms, environmental factors such as living conditions and even language distribute the stereotypes which influence social behaviour and therefore what is expected from gender in society. These external factors contribute to categorizing members of society and placing social label upon them. Examples of labels can include race, class and most importantly for this paper, gender. A shared stereotype is when an expected behaviour or conformity is mutual and accepted by all members of the social group, the way that individuals interpret this label determines how well they are accepted into their social group. Such gender stereotypes can be seen as a set of rules appropriate for males and females. These rules help to guide how males and females are labelled by their social group and indicate how they should behave, expectations become internalised and form an individuals gender identity. Separate stereotypes are linked to male and female members of society, with no two overlapping. Men are seen to be strong and emotionless whilst women are expected to show their emotions and are seen as submissive and gentle. For example, if a woman is seen to cry at an emotional moment in a movie, in a public cinema for instance, no individual around her would glance or question it, but if a male viewer was seen to cry openly and express such intense emotion, he may be exposed to ridicule or judgement. How fair this situation may be is often debated. For this paper the question of how such judgements occur will attempt to be answered. Why have social actors been encouraged to accept such stereotypes as a given? Why do individuals therefore find themselves accepting these roles for themselves? To understand gender identity it is important to make a distinction between sex and gender. Sex involves the biological and physical differences between men and women, whilst gender is culturally and socially learnt. Terminology such as male and female are sex based categories; however masculine and feminine are gendered categories. An individuals sex is a biological fact that is the same in any culture or society, nonetheless sex categorisation means, in terms of gender role as man or woman, can be viewed extremely differently across cultures ( WHO 2013). These gender roles can have a lasting impact in an individuals public and private identity. Although often used interchangeably, sex and gender are clearly different characteristics. Gender involves social customs, attributes and behaviours whereas sex can be seen as a more personal demonstration of such characteristics. In its simplest form sex is biological and gender is sociological. Gender role is seen sociologically as the characteristics and behaviours that society can attribute to the sexes. What it means to be a real man, in any society requires a male to be both recognised biologically as a man plus what the culture of that society defines as masculine characteristics and behaviours, likewise a real woman needs biological female attributes and feminine characteristics. Such stereotypical features are clearly defined for each sex, with those who break such guidelines being seen as deviant, outcasts in their given society. This paper will look further into what are expected gender behaviours and the sociological explanations for these expected personas. Gendered differences can depend on the given society and the cultural values, economic system, history and family structures that it holds, and are thoroughly maintained through these mediums. As a result of this a continuous loop-back effect between so called gendered institutions and the social construction of gender within individuals can be seen to exist (West and Zimmerman 1987) Gender identity goes beyond just recognising the physical biological gender characteristics belonging to male and female and identifying them from each other. Gender identity is in fact an internal and personal conception of how individuals view themselves as male or female and therefore how they conduct their actions within society. Gender cannot be equated with biological and physiological differences between human males and females. The building blocks of gender are socially constructed (Lorber 1994:17). As a social group, communities are embedded with gender, all members experience gender constructed experiences throughout their childhood, adolescence and eventually adulthood. These experiences are reproduced in and through those that they interact with. To what extent individuals accept the expected gender roles they are shown is debateable although no matter how much or how little they see themselves as masculine or feminine, gender can still influence their day to day existence. British sociology saw the only significant form of stratification within any given society was that of class. The term gender wasnt mentioned in early sociological thought, with any reference to difference between men and women categorised and referred to as sex. Sex being considered as an important and influential sociological concept only came into consideration with the emerging and developing feminist perspectives of the 1970s. Feminists had to fight through traditional theories to change existing thought on the concept of differences and inequalities brought about by an individuals gender and sex identity. Socialisation is a fundamental sociological concept and can be applied to many areas of society that are seen as important to sociological study. As highlighted earlier, socialisation is defined as the way in which an individual learns to become part of a group, including wider civilization, as well as their small immediate environment and community. Socialisation begins the moment an individual is born, and they encounter different degrees of the process throughout all their life stages in order to help them adapt to each and every social group they encounter. Socialisation also helps to equip a social actor with the tools they need to cope and bend with any changes that may occur within their existing social group. Given the importance of socialisation within the discipline of sociology as a whole, concentrating on a focused area of socialisation can help with building a general knowledge that can be applied to further study of sociology and its topics. Gender is something that is experienced and encountered by all members of any given society and there are many different theories about what exactly affects an individuals gender socialisation, but this paper shall focus on early socialisation and the influence family life can have in the socialisation process. Parental influence on gender identity A childs initial experiences come from their parents; therefore as a result their first experience with gender identity also comes from their close family environment. With the advancement in technology, expectant parents can learn the sex of their unborn child as early as 14-16 weeks into a pregnancy (nhs.co.uk). From that moment the words its a boy/girl! leave the technicians mouth, gender expectations begin. The most innocent of tasks such as buying a babys first blanket is gendered. A pretty pink flowered one for your baby girl is associated with the expectation that she will be soft and delicate, whereas purchasing a vivid blue truck covered blanket for the soon to be baby boy, can be seen to set him up to be strong and tough. Associating such gender traits in a simple act may seem extreme but it is just the start of teaching a child what is expected from their gender. The process of gender socialization can be seen to begin in the context of the family (McHale et al., 2003). The family unit is the environment that a child is introduced to the world in and what their developing gender demands. Although many factors are seen to have an influence on the socialisation of a child and teaching them what is expected from their gender, parents are seen to act as the principle source of socialisation, the primary socialising agents of a childs gender roles. (Block, 1983; Witt, 1997). Studies have shown that gendered treatment of children is evident in the first 24 hours after birth. Children internalize what they see from their parents behaviour and by the age of two, they have a compressive awareness of the difference in sex roles. Ruble and martin (1998) studied preschool children whose socialisation had only occurred at home (primary) and saw that children showed awareness of stereotyped gender traits. They could recognise males as having a higher power them females, but also associated negative connotations with a male figure, such as anger or unfriendliness, whereas they saw women as having less significant social standing but associated with positive traits such as kindness and approachableness. Children also demonstrated to discover gender identity through their own gendered perception. For instance, when asked to assign a sex or gender to a neutral doll, a girl would use female associations similar to them, whereas a boy child would make the doll into a male and demonstrate traits that are associated to societys masculine gendered attributes. Parents are seen to encourage such gendered behaviour by adhering to sex-based toys and games for their children, which have a heavy influence in the construction of gender identity and stereotypes. While both mothers and fathers contribute to the gender stereotyping of their children, fathers have been found to reinforce gender stereotypes more often than mothers do (Ruble, 1988). Lytton and Romney (1991) conducted a meta-analysis of 172 parents and their treatment of the boy versus girl children they were raising. Within this study, Lytton and Romney discovered that out of multiple identified socialisation areas; the only area that showed mothers and fathers treating children differently was giving them activities based on their separate genders. Giving boys and girls activities initially based on their sex, resulted in an enforcement of gender roles and becoming gender orientated. Encouraging their daughters to play house or with dolls and prams, or by allowing their sons to play with trucks or building blocks, parents may both knowingly and unknowingly be encouraging their childs future gendered persona. Perhaps due to an influence of western culture norms, Lytton and Romney saw that parents scold and punish boys more severely in the advent of misbehaving or going out of their gendered expectations, then that they do with female children. This idea shall be further explored in a later section of this paper. A further study, this time by Cowan and Hoffman (1986), saw that a childs first words are also seen as gendered. For instance, being taught to assign a different name to each of their parents, mother for female carer and father for male carer, demonstrates how parental influence takes place. Hoffman also noted that the

Death and Love in Little Women Essays -- Louisa May Alcott, Little Wom

   "Four women, taught by weal and woe To love and labor in their prime. Four sisters, parted for an hour, None lost, one only gone..." (365-366). Jo wrote these lines in a poem, after Beth died. This is the most significant struggle for Jo. Jo and Beth are the two middle sisters in the classic novel, Little Women (1869) written by Louisa May Alcott. This is a classic novel about an American family of four daughters, a father who is off at war and a mother who works for the food. Jo and Beth are best friends and Jo sets the example for Beth. Beth first gets sick when Mother goes off to take care of Father, who got seriously ill in the war. Beth comes down with scarlet fever that she caught from the baby down the road. Beth requests that Jo stay by her side, which she does. Beth was sicker then any one, other then the doctor and Hannah (the servant) thought. Jo decides to send for her mother, as she can not handle the burden by herself. Jo admits to Teddy that "Beth is my conscience and I can't give her up. I can't! I can't!" (143) As time elapses, both Mother and Father come home and Beth starts feeling better. Beth also starts to fall in love with Teddy (the boy next door), who loves Jo instead. Teddy asks Jo to marry him, she declines, for she does not love him and knows that Beth loves him. Beth starts to become better and Jo decides that it would be a good thing for her to move to New York, to get away from it all. In New York, Jo lives with a family friend, and becomes their families mistress. Jo meets Professor Fredrick Bhaer, a German teacher, and becomes good friends. Jo forgets about the engagement proposal, but keeps in touch with Teddy and her family. After a year, Jo gets word again that B... ... her. She sits down and writes a poem about her three sisters and herself. It turns out to be a beautiful poem about their lives thus far, and what shall become of them, in her mind. After she is done she lets her husband read it and then she burns it, as to get rid of all the painful memories that came with the writing.    After Jo had got married, had her babies, and opened up the school for the boys, she learned that every day and every person is a gift from God. She also learned to be thankful that she had Beth for as long as she did, and to treasure the memories. "Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark and sad and dreary" (375). Even though, Jo thought she had lost the best thing in her life, she learned to move on.    Bibliography Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women, Children's Classic Garden City New York, 1869   

Child Abuse Essay

If you were placed in a position were your life was put into danger would you risk escaping? This question was asked by Jaycee Dugard everyday during her eighteen year being held captive. In her memoir A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard explains to us why she didn’t try to run from her abductor Philip Garrido even though she was given so many chances to do so. In most situations it is very difficult for victims to escape their abusers control. In the past it was near impossible for victims of abduction to escape safely on their own. With the realization that â€Å"We have seen a significent increase in the number of thru the means of strangers, family or friends† (Amber Alert 1). It has been easier to help child abduction victims with systems like the Amber Alert system, yet it is still difficult for the victims to leave on their own. Abuse victims along with Dugard also struggle with gaining the strength to leave. Years after Dugard was rescued she says â€Å"You must find your voice and not be afraid to speak up† (Dugard 148). Something she regrets doing while being held captive. In the end the claim that victims of abuse should take more responsibility to escaoe their abusers control should be challenges because of the difficulty to escape their abusers control and to gain the strength to leave. Not only do child victims of abuse deal with the control of their abuser, but many adults deal with the same issue. Many women deal with the challenge of leaving their abusive partner, but fail because of the partner control and power they have over their victims. Many women find it difficult because they remain emotionally and economically dependent on their batterer (Domestic Violence 1). In most marital situations their is a cycle of abuse and the family’s life becomes a cycle of violence. â€Å"The man who was terrifying and intimidating turns into a remorseful, needy, and dependent man. The woman who was battered then will feel sorry for the man and recommit to him in a fantasized hope that the abuse won’t happen again. But the cycle of abuse will begin again, often becoming worse† (Domestic Violence 2). In order to escape this abuse the cycle must be broken. According to Blich, â€Å"Stranger kidnapping victimizes more females then males, occurs primarily at outdoor locations, victimizes both teenagers and school-age children, is associated with sexual assaults in the case of girl victims† (Blich 1). After being abducted children are usually brainwashed and manipulated, gaining the abductor even more control. This is what happened in Dugards situation. Philip Garrido, Dugards  abductor, told her that he was hurting her so he wouldn’t have to hurt other little girls, thereby making Dugard feel that if she did try to leave it would be her fault for the pain he caused others (Dugard 158). In doing so Garrido gained complete control over Dugard. However strong you are most can agree that it is very difficult to leave somebody you are dependent on, yet it is necessary if you want t o go on happily. Therefore the claim that abuse victims should take more responsibility to escape their control is difficult for anyone. Many will argue that people who are abused should take more responsibility to to escape from their abuser. In some situations outsiders will argue that we should outsmart our abuser and learn from it making us stronger to leave. According to The Washington Post, â€Å"They escaped these things not through the efforts of good samaritans, but through recognizing a bad situation and either getting away from it, avoiding it or screaming and kicking to draw attention† (St. George 1). This proves that children are capable not responsible. Another argument is that the child who is being abducted should be able to help themselves and escape the situation. â€Å"The child should do whatever is necessary to stay out of the car, because once the child is in that car, it dramatically reduces the chances of escape† (St. George 2). This is a lot of responsibility put onto a young child. How do we expect an eight year-old girl to escape a potential abuser if many forty year-old women cant leave an abuser they have been with for years. During Dugard’s eighteen year abduction several visuals were taken to show the pain of her loved ones. It can be proven that many were concerned with her abduction. In the visual â€Å"Missing† published in The Telegraph (2009). We are shown both Dugards mother, Terry Probyn, and step-father, Carl Probyn, they look heartbroken and distressed. Some would argue that with how much Jaycee Dugard knew she was loved, she should of gained enough strength and motivation to escape and go back to living her everyday life. However she was unaware of this while being held captive. The argument that in domestic abuse options are available to leave or available to encourage victims to leave is true, yet difficult. Victims have the option of professional help and gaining awareness of the situation. With the cycle of abuse it is very hard to get to the point were you understand you need the help, then there is the struggle of actually going ahead and doing it. Regardless of the several arguments that people can challenge we have proof from specific  situations like Dugard’s along with more common issue like marital dispute that without finding overall strength and gaining the courage to escape the abuser control it is impossible to escape and go back to your normal life. Gaining strength is one of the most difficult things to do in life. One way we gain strength is having support and happiness. How do we gain strength if we don’t have either? This faces millions of people daily who are in abusive relationships. They simply cant find the strength to leave. In Dugards memoir she says although she is unhappy she is too afraid of the risk of leaving and doesn’t know how she wo uld be able to take care of herself and her two daughters. â€Å"One of the reasons I stayed was I wanted my kids to be safe. The outside was scary for me. I was so afraid that if i left or tried to leave and take them both with me I wouldn’t be able to protect them† (Dugard 276). Even her knowing the fact that if she were to escape successfully her daughters could have a much better life, yet if they weren’t successful they would have to continue living in hiding in the backyard of Garrido’s home. She didn’t have enough strength to take the risk although the successful end results were so much better then her current situation. In abuse situations victims struggle with the same issue of strength. In between the cycle of abuse there is only a small gap between the man being violent and the women feeling remorseful and forgiving him. Where gaining the strength in between that small gap is difficult especially when it would need to be regained the next time the abuse restarts. Women also have other options. Most women have a supportive family or homes they can go to keep safe. But strength is key and difficult to obtain when one is constantly bringing you down. Although more options are available to leave, like hot-line cards in bathrooms for abuse victims or Dugard being taken into public with the option to run, we need strength to take them. Strength is a necessity to leave making the claim that abuse victims are responsible for leaving their abuser difficult to prove. In conclusion finding the courage to leave an abuser is an unthinkable challenge to those placed in that position. Without finding the strength and escaping the overwhelming control of the abuser its near impossible. As time goes on there becomes more options for abuse to happen or lead to abuse. â€Å"One in five children ten to seventeen receive unwanted sexual solicitations online† (Blich 1), which can lead to a more serious abuse. No matter how different the situations  are the abuse victims suffer through they can relate back to the same struggles. According to Jayvee Dugard after her long term abuse she refers to life today as â€Å"A light that I thought had been extinguished was coming back to life† (Dugard 238). While in the position of abuse its difficult to find the strength, but it can be gained again. The difficulty of escaping the abuser will also be difficult. It will remain difficult while recovering from the abuse. The claim that people should take more responsibility to escape their abusers? False.

A Guide to Ethnomethodology

A Guide to Ethnomethodology Ethnomethodology is the study of how people use social interaction to maintain an ongoing sense of reality in a situation. To gather data, ethnomethodologists rely on ​conversation analysis and a rigorous set of techniques for systematically observing and recording what happens when people interact in natural settings. It is an attempt to classify the actions people take when they are acting in groups.   Origins of Ethnomethodology Harold Garfinkel originally came up with the idea for ethnomethodology at jury duty. He wanted to explain how the people organized themselves into a jury. He was interested in how people act in particular social situations, especially ones outside of the daily norm like serving as a juror.   Examples of Ethnomethodology A conversation is a social process that requires certain things in order for participants to identify it as a conversation and keep it going. People look at each other, nod their heads in agreement, ask and respond to questions, etc. If these methods are not used correctly, the conversation breaks down and is replaced by another sort of social situation.

Free Essays on Js Bach- A Musicians Musician

Throughout the history of music, many great composers, theorists, and instrumentalists have left indelible marks and influences that people today look back on to admire and aspire to. No exception to this idiom is Johann Sebastian Bach, whose impact on music was unforgettable to say the least. People today look back to his writings and works to both learn and admire. Bach, who came from a family of over 53 musicians, was nothing short of a virtuoso instrumentalist as well as a masterful composer. Born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685, he was the son of a masterful violinist, Johann Ambrosius Bach, who taught his son the basic skills for string playing. Along with this string playing, Bach began to play the organ, which is the instrument he would later on be noted for in history. His instruction on the organ came from the player at Eisenach's most important church. He instructed the young boy rigorously until his skills surpassed anyone’s expectations for someone of such a young age. Bach suffered early trauma when his parents died in 1695. He went to go live with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who also was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. He continued his younger brother's education on the organ, as well as introducing him to the harpsichord. The rigorous training on these instruments combined with Bach’s masterful s kill pa! id off for him at an early age (Geiringer). After several years of studying with his older brother, he received a scholarship to study in Lunenburg, Germany, which is located on the northern tip of the country. As a result, he left his brother’s tutelage and went to go and study there. The teenage years brought Bach to several parts of Germany where he mainly worked as an organist in churches, since that was the skill he had perfected the best from his young training. However, a master of several instruments while still in his teens, Bach first found employment at the age of 18 as a violini... Free Essays on Js Bach- A Musicians Musician Free Essays on Js Bach- A Musicians Musician Throughout the history of music, many great composers, theorists, and instrumentalists have left indelible marks and influences that people today look back on to admire and aspire to. No exception to this idiom is Johann Sebastian Bach, whose impact on music was unforgettable to say the least. People today look back to his writings and works to both learn and admire. Bach, who came from a family of over 53 musicians, was nothing short of a virtuoso instrumentalist as well as a masterful composer. Born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685, he was the son of a masterful violinist, Johann Ambrosius Bach, who taught his son the basic skills for string playing. Along with this string playing, Bach began to play the organ, which is the instrument he would later on be noted for in history. His instruction on the organ came from the player at Eisenach's most important church. He instructed the young boy rigorously until his skills surpassed anyone’s expectations for someone of such a young age. Bach suffered early trauma when his parents died in 1695. He went to go live with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who also was a professional organist at Ohrdruf. He continued his younger brother's education on the organ, as well as introducing him to the harpsichord. The rigorous training on these instruments combined with Bach’s masterful s kill pa! id off for him at an early age (Geiringer). After several years of studying with his older brother, he received a scholarship to study in Lunenburg, Germany, which is located on the northern tip of the country. As a result, he left his brother’s tutelage and went to go and study there. The teenage years brought Bach to several parts of Germany where he mainly worked as an organist in churches, since that was the skill he had perfected the best from his young training. However, a master of several instruments while still in his teens, Bach first found employment at the age of 18 as a violini...

Analysis of Crimes of The Heart essays

Analysis of Crimes of The Heart essays 2. The scenes take place in the home of the Magrath sisters. (Actually it's their grandfather's house, but it is cared for and inhabited primarily by Lenny Magrath.) 3. The house is old, the exact age and condition is not described. 1. The play takes place in the summer sometime during the late 19 70's to early 1980's. 2. The play takes place soon after the birthday of Lenny Magrath, which has a special significance to the characters. 1.The 3 Magrath sisters, Lenny, Babe, and Meggy, are the main cluster of characters. The other three characters are Chick, a Magrath cousin, Barnette, Babe's attorney, and Doc Porter, an old friend of Meg and Lenny. A character that is often talked about is Granddaddy, yet he is never seen. 1. The Magrath sisters complete the different portions that fufill society's image of an ordinary woman. Each of these women play the roles that a normal woman plays such as wife, mother, daughter, and sister. Barnette is a lawyer who is defending Babe, whom he is infatuated with. Doc Porter is a father of two and a husband who once wanted to be a doctor, who now apparently owns a small ranch, he also spent time as a house painter. Granddaddy is an old man who is in the hospital. 2. It seems that all the characters have a mutual respect for each other, aside from Chick who has strong opinions concerning Meg. As I have mentioned the character of Barnette is infatuated with Babe. Babe and Lenny both feel that Meg has always been treated better by their Grandmother and Grandfather. 4. The Characters all live in a democratic nation. 5. The characters pay no attention to religion, it is rarely mentioned in the play. 6. The prevailing attitudes of the characters are that family is important, sex is not considered a bad thing. They seem to con ...

Strategic Management of Amazon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Management of Amazon - Research Paper Example ompanies in the Internet space), Adobe eBook Reader (with this collaboration Amazon beat a major advantage of its competitor, it is estimated that the e-book will be in a few years cheaper than a physical book, and it is already known that this new medium has created its own public, which Amazon.com wants to penetrate). By entering in the European market, it has broadened its customer database, it has compressed transport and distribution costs of orders and it has improved the levels of customer service, thus gaining a significant share of the global market. It expands its customer base to new markets in order to augment its profit margin (the structure exists - it has a powerful customer database - it introduces new products - it penetrates new Internet markets - it improves its profit margin). Amazon is very profitable. ... The decrease in profits was due to special customer promotions. Amazon locks-in the customer by offering him value through original - innovative value added services and it enhances continuously the content of its webpage. Amazon does not sell in the traditional way, it offers customized service. If indeed, we take account of the fact that the confidence-loyalty of Internet customers is for many analysts of a kind of utopia, it is understood immediately that the strategy of Amazon.com is revolutionary. The company has built a large capital value part of which is its strong name - brand in the Internet and with the experience that it has gained, it manages to exploit its reputation to attract both customers and partners - suppliers by concluding strong relations - partnerships with many competitive advantages and benefits. For Amazon.com the customers and the suppliers are simply two different groups of customers who Amazon undertakes to interconnect by providing them with incentives and transaction facilities. The company is essentially an info broker. The company is an undisputed player in the world of on line cooperation, offering a wide range of programs. Through the continuous provision of incentives, it has managed to succeed and achieve various alliances and syndication makes the company ubiquitous in the Internet and so its brand is strengthened. Amazon.com has managed to transform its product markets into an easy and pleasant procedure mainly due to the use of IT and its innovative applications (1-click Technology).The appropriate use of technology favors the increase in sales by essentially contributing to the lock-in of the customer. Communication with the customer is of even greater value through the logistics procedures of