Idiophones Essay

Idiophones have a long-standing tradition in African music, and that tradition is an interesting one. Trumpets, flutes and other wind instruments provide an intriguing case study because of their existence in a host of sub-Saharan African cultures. They have always been a part of not only music in those areas, but also the culture of those areas. This history dates back hundreds of years, and the instruments have seen some changes over the centuries. As the book indicates, the different variations of idiophones are inherently African in nature, and the cultures that brought them about have given these wind instruments their characteristic sound that is now commonplace in many different societies. As African Musicology indicates, instruments like the trumpet and the flute are a part of a characteristic musical phenomenon arising in sub-Saharan nations dating back to the fifteenth century. Instead of having individual performers and instruments take entire parts of various works, the musical tradition during that time saw individual performers play their own notes, each of which was combined to create the musical production in whatever social setting might have taken place. The book reads, â€Å"Musical ensembles of this kind or of a similar structure, in which the players may produce two to three notes on their flutes or trumpets, can be found in many African cultures south of the Sahara. The interlocking playing technique of this ensembles is characteristically African: the single parts individually cannot stand alone; their composition, however, is ingenious. It is the group, not the individual, that counts† (Nketia, 183). In this way, it is easy to see that idiophones were considered for what they produced as a whole, rather than what they produced individually. This is important to note as one studies the development of such instruments, since it is likely that any new implementations were designed to work alongside some other new or established instrument. When taken out of that context, new implementations might have been viewed differently from their intention. When musical styles are being discussed, it is common to compare one culture with another for the purpose of finding any commonalities or discussing differences. The book goes to great lengths to discuss the distinctiveness of African music, and points out the fact that much of traditional African music was designed to stand alone and retain its strong cultural ties. Particularly of interest is the â€Å"hocket† technique, which is discussed at length in chapter six. In the International Folk Music Journal, J. H. Kwabena Nketia discusses this technique and how it relates to music in places such as Ghana. She writes, â€Å"Closely allied to these procedures it the hockey-technique – the technique whereby constituent notes of a tune, a rhythm, or a tone pattern, or the constituent notes of a supporting ground-accompaniment, are played at the exactly appropriate point in time by those particular instruments that include them within their compass, or by those particular instruments that provide the required contrasts. This technique, discussed subsequently with particular reference to examples recorded in Ghana, shows itself in its clearest form in the music of flute ensembles, and trumpet (or ‘horn’) ensembles† (Nkeita, 1962). The book takes this to another level, noting how the music played in some African cultures is distinctive in its own right, and though it shares some similarities in name to the European style of â€Å"hoquetus†, the two styles were not born of each other. The book reads, â€Å"It becomes clear that the so-called ‘hocket’ technique in African music is not equivalent to the ‘hoquetus’ in European medieval music. Further, within these composition techniques, there is no complete uniformity to be found in South, Central, West, and East Africa† (184). From this, one can see that the wind instruments across Africa were used structurally in very different ways, with each particular culture coming up with its own rhythms based upon preference, equipment, and cultural needs. One of the issues facing musical research of wind instrument styles in Africa is that not enough solid research has been published to document the different styles. A lot of the analysis consists of speculation, since the large number of cultures across Africa made it difficult to compile information on techniques, pitch, instrument variations, and style. To this effect, the book reads, â€Å"Ethnomusicological research in this area has to be characterized as merely marginal, and little research on this topic has been published to date† (188). For that reason, it is difficult to know exactly how the Berta, Ingessana, and Gumuz people interacted from a musical standpoint. One work on the history of African music even suggests that such a study would be impractical. According to a book by Samuel A. Floyd, the fact that African nations have such diverse and vibrant religious traditions and cultural preferences, studying African music as a whole lends very little information that can be used. Instead, it must be studied individually, to be understand how these cultures developed their own uses for certain instruments, including idiophones. In The Power of Black Music, he writes, â€Å"Since African cultures are many and diverse, there is no single concept in African religion, and thus a study of them all would not be productive† (Floyd, 14). One of the things that has long characterized idiophones in African music has been the creativity of certain cultures. Many cultures have not been afraid to look beyond the traditional construct of music to find great instrument ideas and also ideas on how to most effectively play those instruments. From that, the world has been given some of its favorite types of music. An example of this type of resourcefulness can be seen in a study done by Dumisani Maraire. He writes, â€Å"Stamped sticks and stamped tubes also form another category of idiophones (in this case concussion idiophones). These sticks and tubes are held in the player’s hand and performed by being held at an angle and striking the ground or a slab of stone at an angle. On occasion three tubes are played at the same time each of which is playing a different rhythm† (Maraire). This is an important part of the African tradition that cannot be ignored if one seeks to truly understand the role of various instruments. The chapter itself did a nice job of explaining some of the important historical details about the pitch, tone, and rhythm of some of the most traditional of the African instruments. It did an especially good job of explaining the development of these musical traditions in African culture. Since so many cultures existed, musical traditions often developed individually, with each culture becoming very resourceful in the development and implementation of different styles. The isolated nature of African also comes into play, and that was explained well in the chapter. Much of the music and the musical techniques that were born in Africa over time as completely their own, since many of these areas had little contact with outsiders. This helped to increase diversity in music for all.

Marketing - 1942 Words

ASB-1104 Introduction to Marketing Assignment 1 In view of the dynamic nature of the marketing environment, to what extent do you consider consumers to be, in practice, central to marketing activities? Name: ZHUOMING AN Student No: 500356688 Tutor: David James Introduction What is marketing? The answer is not changeless. There are some different definitions about marketing. The Chartered Institute of Marketing define that Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying consumers requirements profitably. (CIM). Taking a concern into this definition, it indicates that marketing begins before a product or service is developed. In additional, it also explain that marketing†¦show more content†¦But on the other hand, companies still need to do their best to adjust the changing marketing environment in order to survival and grasp every development opportunity to growth and to be stronger. Thus, it is necessary for them to have a comprehensive understanding about the dynamic nature of marketing environment. The main body of this essay divided into four big parts. First of all, is to discuss and analyze the basic concept of the dynamic marketing environment and how does this dynamic environment impact marke ting activities. Secondly, is to discuss the relationship between marketing and the consumer, which followed by how does the central role of the consumer impact the formulation of marketing strategies as well as the concept of the marketing mix. Finally, this essay will discuss the relative importance of both the consumers and the marketing environment to marketing activities and if one of them is more important than the other. Furthermore, it is obviously that the conclusion will be given out at the end of this essay. Main body 1. The nature of marketing environment -What does it consist of? â€Å"The marketing environment consists of the actors and forces outside marketing that effect marketing managements ability to develop and maintain successful transactions with its target customers.†(Kotler 2009). To be specific, the marketing environment can be divided into the microenvironment and macro environment in terms of the different level of elementsShow MoreRelatedMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing966 Words   |  4 Pagesreflect back over these last five weeks I now have a clearer view of marketing and how it affects not just the consumers of the world and the companies with their marketing managers, but how it affects me. Yes, I am a consumer who clips coupons, budgets my finances, and looks for sale items and this marketing class has taught me that marketing is more than selling or advertising. Marketing managers have a difficult job, as marketing involves identifying, meeting and satisfying the needs of customersRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Market ing And Marketing1486 Words   |  6 Pagesthis day and age, marketing plays a pivotal role in the business environment. Marketing is dynamic, complicated and challenging. The basic concept of marketing is to identify the need of human and society, and research how to satisfy and create those need. According to American Marketing Association (AMA), defining that marketing is the processed activity which communicate and exchange valuable offerings to customers (AMA, 2013). To be more precise, the main mission of marketing is choosing targetRead MoreMarketing Concept Of Marketing : Marketing1651 Words   |  7 PagesMarketing concept Marketing plays a major function in any business organisation. The essence of marketing is about designing and managing a product and generating exchanges of value from where both the customer and the organisation can attain benefits. Marketing is the activity, set of institutions and processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society at large (Solomon, Marshall Stuart, 2009, p.13). MarketersRead MoreMarketing Functions Of Marketing And Marketing1229 Words   |  5 Pagestrends, the marketing function is used as a measure in the business-to-business practice, to capture and place varied products in a market place (Kono, 2004). A typical market function provides details regarding the planning, information, product distribution, consumer support, risk taking, financing, and standardization and grading amongst other things (Makloof and Sundberg, 2006). In business a market function acts in respect to the corporate marketing, strategic marketing, field marketing and analysisRead MoreMarketing Concept Of Marketing And Marketing1413 Words   |  6 PagesMARKETING CONCEPT Marketing is an act of promoting and selling products or a service, this also includes marketing research and advertising. The marketing concept is the philosophy used by companies to analyse the needs of their customers so they can be better than the competition. As well as this they must also take into consideration the companies capabilities and the environment it is working in, as they can face the pressures of environmental changes. By using the marketing concept companiesRead MoreMarketing Orientation : Marketing And Marketing1450 Words   |  6 Pages A wide range of companies today prefer to adopt the marketing orientated approach to sell their new products rather than using product orientation before.In fact,marketing orientation also helps such companies to earn more profits in the long time.According to Jobber and Ellis Chadwick (2013),marketing orientation focuses on customers need as the primary drivers of organizational performance.However,this is not always the case. Product orientation still be used by some senior executives and thisRead MoreMarketing : Marketing And Relationship Marketing Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesIntegrating Marketing With the shift in the external marketing environments, Apple has also shifted its marketing strategy. It personalizes marketing through experiential marketing and relationship marketing. â€Å"Experiential marketing promotes a product by not only communicating a product’s features and benefits but also connecting it with unique and interesting consumer experiences† (Strategic Brand Management, P. 181). Customers can easily experience a sense of community every time they walk in intoRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1770 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is Marketing? A plethora of individuals seem to be misinformed about marketing. Several of these individuals believe that marketing is just advertising. Others will tell you that marketing is all about sales, insinuating that all marketers are just salesmen. Now these beliefs are both right and wrong. â€Å"How can they both be right and wrong at the same time?† you may be asking yourself. Well they are right, because marketing encompasses both advertising and sales. They are both wrong by assumingRead MoreMarketing Mix Of Marketing And Marketing1001 Words   |  5 PagesIn The cutting edge world of marketing dated back in the late 1950s, the four Ps were called the marketing mix, meaning that a marketing plan is a mix of four components. A company who has adopted 4P approach focuses on product, whereas company who has adopted the value approach focuses on value to the consumer. One of other marketing mix is the Value approach. This approach concentrates on delivering value to the consumers or customers, the 4Ps approach is evidently concentrated not on customersRead MoreMarketing Analysis : Marketing And Marketing1878 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Marketing research is the process that associates the consumers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information — information used to classify and describe marketing prospects and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and development understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research identifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements

Transracial Adoptions Essay - 2044 Words

Thesis: Transracial adoptees family situation affects many aspects of the adopted child’s life. Do these children have identity formation difficulties during adolescence and are there any significant differences between adoptees and birth children? Transracial Adoptees and Families I. Attachment Issues A. Trust versus Mistrust B. Age of child at time of placement C. Need of Attachment II. Development Issues A. Identity versus Role Confusion B. Age of child at time of placement C. Need of Attachment III. Identity Issues A. Forming an Identity B. Biological Birth Information C. Racial Identification D. Adoptive Parent Information Being introduced into a new family is only one of many obstacles that lies ahead for†¦show more content†¦The adoptive family may ignore or make little effort to incorporate into the family the cultural heritage of the adopted child (Adamec,136). This decision to leave the culture behind, outside the family, does not suggest that the child is neither accepted nor loved or cherished as their own. However, when the adoptive family also adopts and embraces the cultural identity of the childs birth culture, it enriches not only the adopted child but also the entire family and extended family as well. Another factor is attachment is the child’s age when they were adopted. The older the child when adopted, the risk of social maladjustment was found to be higher (Simon, 188). Most children when adopted at younger ages have a better chance to adjustment normally, than children adopted over the age of ten. An infant learns to trust quicker, than a ten-year old child does, but all of this depends on each case. Developmental theorist Eric Erikson, discusses trust issues in his theory of development. Eriksons first stage of development is â€Å"Trust versus Mistrust†, which states â€Å"if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust† (Myers, 149). For an adopted child, placing the child early in a key ingredient to successful attachment of child to parent and vice versa (Cox, 1). Such an attachment, which is strong among the majority of families throughout the paper, is an importantShow MoreRelatedEssay on Transracial Adoption465 Words   |  2 PagesTransracial Adoption In 1991 a study was conducted using 916 respondents to find attitudes towards transracial adoption. . 71% of those surveyed believed that race should not be a factor in who should be allowed to adopt a child. However, those respondents in a highest age category, such as 64 or older, were 63% less likely to approve of transracial adoption, compared to the younger age category. African-American women were 84% less likely than African-American men to approve of transracialRead MoreThe Challenges of Transracial Adoption Essay2059 Words   |  9 Pagesthousands of children in foster care, adoption means being part of a family. Adoption signifies a chance to be loved, wanted, and cared for properly. Every year thousands of children enter the foster care system. In the year 2010 alone, 245,375 children entered foster care, of that number over 61,000 were black. An astounding 30,812 black children were waiting for adoption in 2010 (AFCARS). With so many children needing homes, it would seem their adoption would be open to any and all loving familiesRead MoreThe Transracial Adoption and the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act796 Words   |  3 Pages Goals of the policy My policy I choose from, (â€Å"Administrative Policies†, n.d) the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act as Amended by the Inter-Ethnic Adoption Provision of 1996. It has to do with transracial adoption. The purpose of this policy is associated with the Department of Childrens Services, it strives to push the best enthusiasm of all children set in cultivate mind by avoiding segregation in the position of children on the support of race, color or national source. This objective might be metRead MoreThe Effect Of Interracial Adoption On A Child s Racial Identity933 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effect of Interracial Adoption On A Child’s Racial Identity In 1972 the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) passed a resolution, which said, â€Å"Black children should be placed only with black families whether in foster care or adoption. Black children belong physically, psychologically and culturally in black families in order that they receive the total sense of themselves and develop a sound projection of their future.... Black children in white homes are cut off from the healthyRead MoreEssay on Biracial Adoption1623 Words   |  7 Pages Interracial Adoption Adoption is the complete and permanent transfer of parental rights and obligations, usually from one set of legal parents to adoptive parents(Ademec 27). Not until the late 19th century did the U.S. legislative body grant legal status to adoptive parents. This is when children and parents started to gain rights and support from the government. Through the years new laws have been passed and amended to keep the system fair to all adoptive parents. In 1994, Congress passedRead MoreBaby Girl versus Adoptive Couple Essay1552 Words   |  7 PagesThere was a court case, Baby Girl v. Adoptive Couple, in which a child who was partially Cherokee Indian, because of her father, and Hispanic, because of her mother. The adoption of Baby Girl was a difficult one due to the fact that she has an ancestry of Cherokee Indian. Therefore, under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the adoption of Baby Girl seemed impossible because Biological Father had the right to have custody of his child, Baby Gir l, if he chose to. So, the court greatly sees that by givingRead MoreAdoption : Should Cross Cultural Adoptions Be Sanctioned Or Not?1688 Words   |  7 PagesAdoption – should cross-cultural adoptions be sanctioned or not? (Page 104). I do not believe that cross-cultural adoption should be sanctioned, but it is an extremely controversial issue. I believe adoption agencies throughout the world and their governments must work together to create rigorous policy to ensure the safety of the children, and set a quality standard for parents looking to adopt. Sanctions are to impose a penalty, or threaten with a penalty for disobeying rules (Dictonary.com, 2017)Read MoreThe Effects Of Children Adopted From Dissimilar Hereditary Family1371 Words   |  6 Pageschildren a good opportunity. There are many families adopting different race children who have cross-culture living and in some cases problems are appearing which affects their progress from childhood to adolescence. Starting with the increase in ethnic adoption, there will discussed possible causes and effects of the issue. The article observed that children adopted from dissimilar hereditary family may have problems for instance social, culture and language that a ffect their lives because they are differentRead MoreThe World Of Reproductive Justice And Politics Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesIn mainstream America, having a baby naturally is an expectation while adoption is an unwanted backup choice. For these middle to upper class, predominantly white families, adoption means plan b, never the original and thus the children of this culture never truly feel one within their family, rather they are considered odd or not real. And that’s just when adopting from America. When transracial and/or transnational adoption becomes a part of the conversation the slope becomes slipperier as theRead MoreAdoption Is A Non Genetic919 Words   |  4 Pagescan ever erase that relationship, because it is genetic. Union is a non-genetic, heartwarming, relationship, such as adoption. There are many reasons people feel the want or need to adopt. Infertility is one of the many reasons. People have reported that, when asked what they felt when they could not have children, they felt useless, disappointed and even heartsick. Adoption is an option to couples who cannot have children or would prefer to adopt. Couples and families that do adopt face many

Who owns the Internet Essay - 1204 Words

What actually is the Internet? The Internet is not a singular item, but instead millions of computers that communicate independent of a central controller and dynamically changes size based upon the number of computers that are either connecting or disconnecting. The origins of the Internet can be traced back to U.S. defense research in the late 1950’s at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) when scientists wished to link Radar stations together as a defense against the threat of a Russian nuclear arms attack (Waldrop 78-79). As the prevalence of computers has grown, so has the Internet, transforming it from a utility used for governmental defense into a consumer resource out of government jurisdiction. The ubiquity of the†¦show more content†¦Internet censorship by governments such as the People’s Republic of China are in response to the Internet’s â€Å"breadth of online content... and content sources are often remote from Chinese jurisdi ction† (Zittrain and Edelman) which prevents governments from controlling information that is spread online. Governments such as China fear that, if they allow open access to the Internet, political unrest will ensue causing destabilization of the economy or severe social division. When governments are able to censor the Internet, they determine the information that one has access to, yet the information that is being censored could contain information pertaining to an impending national disaster. Historically governments censor information for the purpose of keeping their citizens uninformed and powerless. For example Slaves were kept illiterate so that they would be at the mercy of plantation owners. Not only do foreign countries have interest in the Internet, but so does the United States because the wealth of information that can be gathered. Instead of choosing to censor information from its citizens, the United States chooses to gather information about its citizens thro ugh their e-mail, browsing history, and social networking profiles. In â€Å"Mapping Local Internet Control† the authors state that â€Å"The Internet is a battleground of control by national governments† continuing with reasons why the Internet is aShow MoreRelatedWho Owns The Internet And How It Affects My Own Experience With Communication Essay831 Words   |  4 PagesThis essay will be divided in three parts. First I will present how U.S media presents a slanted and distorted version of the â€Å"truth†. Second I will discuss how I interpret â€Å"who owns the internet† and how it affects my own experience with communication and last I will address I think â€Å"Islam† as term or ideological concept, currently serves a â€Å"system supporting propaganda function†. The United States journalism have come a long way since it rose as a political weapon, facing critical junctures suchRead MoreInternet Copyright Laws1388 Words   |  6 PagesCredit Internet Copyright Laws A student comes home to his dorm at the University of Scranton after a rough day of classes. With the quick internet connection provided on the schools network, the student makes a few clicks and logs into Morpheus, a program that enables music fans to download free music. Within a few minutes he is on his way to owning an unlimited amount of songs at no cost. Everything this student is doing is legal, right? Wrong. The downloaded music from the internet isRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of the Internet Essay example1156 Words   |  5 Pagesgives a voice to those who cannot speak and those who cannot breathe on their own receive mechanically computerized help. The computer has given us many wonderful things used for wonderful purposes, but there are vast ways in which these things have been misused by our people. One of these things is the internet and a common way it is misused is by way of plagiarism. Plagiarism is an act in which one person, in essence, steals the work of another and uses it for their own purposes (Cafferty, Serwer)Read MoreHow A Home Based Internet Business Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pageslatest creations to anyone who wants to look good and business owners are marketing their services or products to us in every possible way. The internet has made marketing evolve in ways never dreamed of before. As more and more people search the internet for what they need as a solution to their problem or needs or wants, an amazing opportunity has presented itself to anyone who would like to own their own home based internet business. Starting a home based internet business is not difficultRead MoreResponse to Nicholas Carrs Is Google Making Us Stupid? Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesThe internet is a technology which has had a significant impact on the way many people conduct their lives. Information once contained in massive volumes at libraries or in private collections is now available by typing words into a search engine and clicking â€Å"search.† One must no longer pick up a phone to call a friend, relative or colleague; e-mail, instant messaging, Skype and the like, have enabled people to communicate in non-traditional ways and across boundaries previously inaccessible.Read MoreEssay about Does the Internet Have Psychological Benefits?593 Words   |  3 PagesThe issue of the Internet having psychological benefits has two sides, as does any issue. James E. Katz and Philip Aspden present the yes side of this issue. Katz and Aspden used a national random telephone survey to back up their side on th e issue. The survey conducted in October of 1995 compiled the individuals who took the survey into five specific groups. The groups consisted of those not aware of the Internet, non-users aware of the Internet, former users, recent users-those who started using theRead MoreInternet Censorship Essay1329 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Censorship Used Around The World Some people wonder who came up with the idea of internet censorship. Other people want to know which countries use it. Some ponder over the idea of what really is internet censorship. Internet censorship is controlling what can be viewed, and which sites can be used on the internet. Some things about internet censorship are countries that use it, and who started the idea of it. There are lots of countries that use internet censorship. A few of them are ChinaRead MoreEssay about The Internet - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly1008 Words   |  5 PagesThe Internet - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The internet is a computer based global information system. It is composed of many interconnected computer networks. Each network may link thousands of computers enabling them to share information. The internet has brought a transformation in many aspects of life. It is one of the biggest contributors in making the world into a global village. Use of internet has grown tremendously since it was introduced. It is mostly because of its flexibility. NowadaysRead MoreVulnerability to Internet Predators 1580 Words   |  7 PagesVulnerability to Internet Predator The publicity about online predators that prey on naive and inexperienced young children using trickery and violence is largely inaccurate. Internet sex crimes involving adults and juveniles more often fit a model of statutory rape which is adult offenders who meet, develop relationships with, and openly seduce underage teenagers than a model of forcible sexual assault or pedophilic child molesting (Wolak et. al., 2008). However, prepubescent children are evenRead More Internet Copyright Laws Essay1383 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Copyright Laws A student comes home to his dorm at the University of Scranton after a rough day of classes. With the quick internet connection provided on the school’s network, the student makes a few clicks and logs into Morpheus, a program that enables music fans to download free music. Within a few minutes he is on his way to owning an unlimited amount of songs at no cost. Everything this student is doing is legal, right? Wrong. The downloaded music from the internet is copyrighted

What is the crisis in the British family a crisis about How is the crisis gendered Free Essays

The term ‘family’ officially evokes the image of a heterosexual, nuclear institution where each member is related to the other by marriage/law or blood, and the state, religion, media and other important institutions in our society encourage this image. However, lived realities are often very different and in recent years this form of the family, which is assumed to be normal and the norm, has been displaced by various other family forms which are labeled as deviant and which are assumed to be the root of current social problems. Hence has risen a ‘crisis’ in the British family. We will write a custom essay sample on What is the crisis in the British family a crisis about? How is the crisis gendered? or any similar topic only for you Order Now This crisis has been highlighted by the various social institutions mentioned above which encourage the heterosexual nuclear family form. Quoting Wright and Jagger, according to them ‘the turn of the century is marked by a growing crisis in the family, a crisis that may prove terminal unless decisive action is taken’, and the crisis has been pointed out as the collapse of marriage and the ‘family’. This crisis however is not new and a similar was said to have risen at the end of the 19th century. Like now, the crisis then too had been a rise in social problems and women had been identified as the cause. Single mothers, working mothers, woman opposing the dominant ideology of ‘womanhood’ were and are labeled as the cause of the ‘crisis’! As Gittins say, ‘Ideals of family relationships have become enshrined in our legal, social, religious and economic systems, which in turn reinforce the ideology and penalise or ostracise those who transgress it. ‘[Gittins 1992] The crisis in the family can thus be seen as nothing more than a gap between the ideological construction of the family and the diverse realities of family life. [Gittins,1993] The different alternate family forms that have come up and become increasingly common in the last few decades such as the single parent (specially single mother) family, extended families, communes, homosexual families are seen as social threats. This is because they resist the patriarchal ideology that is prevalent in the nuclear family form where the male is all-powerful. Resistance to this form of the family has seen the rise of the gendering of the family crisis with the blame falling on the women. This crisis as mentioned above is not something new and was seen before in the 1890’s when the results of it were deemed to be the evils of those times – namely illegitimate children, women not having children, prostitution, homosexuality etc. The family – which by the way was the white, middle class, heterosexist family – was seen to be the buffer against these social evils. In these families the sexual divisions of labor played an important part in the claiming of moral superiority. The industrial Revolution which preceded this period can this be seen as the time when the seeds of change were sown, because even though at this time the ‘domestic ideology’ of the middle class was established, working class women became increasingly involved in paid employment working away from home – and hence rose the first crisis. Indeed, the cause of the crisis at this time was seen to be the ‘bad’ mother – invariably a working class woman in paid labor. With World War II however, women had to take up jobs and it allowed them more freedom. Gradually the 20th century saw changes in attitudes and legislation – though it did take a very long time. The most important legislative changes were perhaps the right of divorce for women and the decriminalization of gay relationships. These factors were important in the rise in the alternate family forms. The argument that the heterosexual family is the ‘norm’ can however no longer be held valid. There is a vast discrepancy between the actual family forms and the ‘cereal-packet family’ considered the ideal! In 1961 over half of all households consisted of a married couple with dependent children and in 1992 this proportion had dropped to 24%. In 2001 19% all households consisted of an adult couple and dependent children – the couple not necessarily married. Marriage certainly has become less popular in the last 2 decades. Cohabitation, teen pregnancies, the number of children outside marriage has seen a marked increase. Homosexuality also has become much more widely accepted in society and many homosexual couples live with their children – adopted or from previous relationships. Divorce rates have also shot up dramatically with 1 in every 3 marriages ending in a divorce. These changes have been constructed into a national crisis by the state and the media. The statistics have been used to create moral panic among the people. In Britain, the government whether the New Right or the New Left have supported the ‘traditional family’. In the debates and policies of the New Right or the New Left, there is seen to be a particular connection between deviant family forms and social ills and there can be seen a particular vision of the individual, family and state responsibility. Policy units, the think tanks like the Social Affairs and the Economic Affairs units and the newspapers rather than the academic press stress are the agencies that stress more on the importance of the ‘traditional family values’. [Jagger and Wright, 1999] The lobbyists on behalf of the ‘ normal’ family say that government policies and feminist ideologies threaten it. Government policies however far from threatening the nuclear family form strongly support it. In fact the Conservatives called themselves the party of the ‘family’ and deviant family forms such as homosexual relationships and cohabitation were actively discouraged. The 1988 Local Government Act stated that it was an offence for local government employees or institutions to promote the acceptability of homosexuality as a family relationship. The Conservatives also shifted away from state provision and the emphasis lay on the family as a source of provision and rhetoric as well as legislation supported this. The moral panic shifted from the unemployed male scrounger to the female lone parent on benefit. The benefits given to single parents were cut down and the Child Support Act was introduced. Refamilisation – by which fathers were tried to be reinserted into the family by being made responsible for his child after separation made life very difficult for those people who had been divorced. This rhetoric of traditional family values however helped the state to back out of much of its fiscal responsibilities! The Labour Governments emphasis has also been on the family. Legislation based on the ‘families role in society’ has been passed. As Frazer says, there is ‘an insistent emphasis on ‘the family’ as the relevant and significant institution’ together with ‘the insistence that rights must be correlated with duties, obligations and responsibilities’. It does seem from the government’s emphasis on the family that the terrain of family offers the illusion of a cheap and feasible political program. Other than this emphasizing on family also obscures the failure of the politicians in other spheres such as economics or likewise. The media also plays an important role in this invocation of ‘the family’ – the ‘cereal-packet family’ being a noteworthy propaganda and the stress on the current ‘crisis’! Religion is another important social institution that encourages the nuclear family maintaining it to be moral and healthier that the other family forms. It has been seen that in all these cases of addressing this crisis by the state, the media or any other institution the focus has been on women as the cause of the crisis and consequently social problems. The single mother is seen as the source of current social evils like poverty, children’s indiscipline, crime and juvenile delinquency. Fatherless families are seen to be more of a problem with no one to impose authority and discipline! The discourse of lone/single motherhood as a social threat as it helps to resist close scrutiny of the content of hegemonic masculinity and fatherhood. [Lister, 1996] and conceals the fear that if men lose their relevance to the family life they also lose control over women and children. The traditional nuclear family, which is patriarchal, enforces this ideology through the strict gendered division of labor and other family forms without these gender divisions are not seen as desirable or normal. The traditional family is seen as one in which the male is the breadwinner and the woman is the homemaker – looking after the house and the children. This was in fact the Victorian middle class ideology. Though today women are no longer thought of as not going into paid work, it is still considered that her primary duty lies in looking after the home – thus she has a double burden of her job and housework. Men however have no such responsibilities and the symmetrical family that Young and Willmott talk about in which housework is shared equally between men and women instead of men thinking that they are doing a favour by helping, will take a long time to come if it ever does come at all! These family relationships – the inequality of women in their relationships with men ( in either marriage or cohabitation) is linked to wider social and economic factors and is infact sanctioned by the power of the state. Thus gendered division of labor is a part of the ‘normal’ family ideals. The crisis in the family means that this gender division no longer works within a majority of the families anymore. This is the feminist explanation for the rise of a ‘crisis’ in the family by the media and the state. The patriarchy that is based on the exploitation of women’s unpaid labor at home constructs alternate family forms as a ‘crisis’ and blames women as the cause of social problems, advocating the return to the ‘normal, heterosexual, nuclear family’ for a better and healthier society! How to cite What is the crisis in the British family a crisis about? How is the crisis gendered?, Essays

Critical Thinking On Mental Health Care Access

Question: Describe about the Critical Thinking On Mental Health Care Acces? Answer: Introduction: in recent years Virginias mental health system is becoming the most concerning matter by the advocates, policy makers, and by other experts. Virginia's commission has studied on the law that were on the mental health, resulted in the reformation to strengthen the process known as civil commitment so that all the patients with serious mental could access the needed help time to time (Canady, 2014). The government of Virginia working on the mental health services to ensure that all the services working well to give access the entire individual and their families who has been suffering from the mental illness. For example, services to care and to ensure the safety of individual suffering from mental illness have been supported and funded by the Governor McAuliffe (Finkelstein et al., 2012). Access of the mental health by the individual should be increased as well as the emergency service should also be accessed at the time of the crisis. The service should intervene to prevent crisis be fore it takes place. The main problem that is addressed in this assignment is the problem in the access of the health care facilities in the community of the Virginia. The general assembly also create a subcommittee to observe the mental health system for the coming 4 years. Virginias DBHDS or the department of behavioural health and development services work to strengthen the existing policies to ensure a problem free implementation of the new laws and start an internal effort (Gewin, 2012). A task force has been developed to meet all the need of the people who need the health support. The taskforce allows the crisis stabilization units and assessment centres for the treatment of children as well as adults over the commonwealth (Sautter, et al. 2012). Some recommendation should be done in order to increasing the access of the individuals from the Virginia commonwealth. The benefits includes, the task force appointed by the government play a multifunctional role to combat the mental health crisis. They s erve at the time of mental health crisis, recommend the use of telepsychiatry, and also refine the protocols and process to tackle the mental health problems. It can be recommended that to meet the proposal that is increase the access of the mental health services in Virginia, crisis intervention team or (CIT) can be developed (Thomson, 2012). The CIT program should be funded to develop and train the law enforcement officers throughout the commonwealth. Every community in Virginia should have the active CIT program along with the assessment centres. The drawback of the program is that it needs to be funded to operate the ongoing CIT programs. The communities of the Virginia commonwealth should encourage the involvement of the college as well as the campus and police stations to be included in the programs. In addition the DBHDS should develop the CIT programs for the jail personnel. According to, another recommendation could be the Telepsychiatry. Although there are also funding required for the development of this service. Other recommendation can be the improvement of the services that involves the access to the consistent psychiatric co nsultation. Emergency services should provide the access to the prescriber or the psychiatrist to diminish the usage of hospitalization. On the other hand some other points should be considered that technological resources should be explored to develop and maximise the Telepsychiatry and other technologies that can be useful in the mental health treatment. According to, CIT programs are suitable for increasing the access of the mental health treatment. On the other hand, in order to increase the psychiatric services there should be access to the public as well as the private bed. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the above assignment that there are many ways to develop the mental health care system in the Virginia commonwealth. Government has already announces many laws that help in the strengthening the existing mental health system and also announces some new laws and legislation that help in the improvement of the mental health system throughout the Virginia commonwealth. The recommendations done by the analyst include the formation of CIT program and every community of the Virginia commonwealth should have the CIT program and assessment centres to maintaining the quality of the mental health system. According to me, it is the best method to increase the health care access of the mental patient. By the way it is also recommended that the government should fund the programs for improvement of that programs and increasing the access. It will be good if the commonwealth of Virginia to access the emergency departments of the mental health system at the time of crisis. There are a task force appointed by the government to observe and control any kind of crisis. Reference List: Canady, V. (2014). MHA issues first assessment of states' ranking on mental health status, access.Mental Health Weekly,24(46), 1-3. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mhw.30001 Finkelstein, F., Schiller, B., Daoui, R., Gehr, T., Kraus, M., Lea, J. et al. (2012). At-home short daily hemodialysis improves the long-term health-related quality of life.Kidney Int,82(5), 561-569. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ki.2012.168 Gewin, V. (2012). Mental health: Under a cloud.Njobs,490(7419), 299-301. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nj7419-299a Sautter, F., Glynn, S., Cretu, J., Senturk, D., Vaught, A. (2015). Efficacy of structured approach therapy in reducing PTSD in returning veterans: A randomized clinical trial.Psychological Services,12(3), 199-212. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ser0000032 Thomson, K. (2012). Mental health disordered probationers and access to health services.Probation Journal,59(2), 169-170. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026455051205900202

Marginalia free essay sample

The poem, â€Å"Marginalia† is written by Billy Collins, American poet. In his poem â€Å"Marginalia† Collins expressed how notes in the margins share reading experiences with others. He addressed every reader that they must contribute by expressing their views in Margins. He used different expressions, to relate the meaning of Marginalia and its importance for every reader. â€Å"Marginalia is defined as, â€Å"marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) or â€Å"nonessential items† (merriam-webster. com). In this poem, Billy Collins reflects his thought on the people and their important as they find certain notes in the margins of the book. Poet begins with explaining that how notes in the margin are â€Å"ferocious† and â€Å"skirmish† against the author. By these words, he means that notes in the margins are very irritating, cruel, and argumentative. These notes serve against the author as they directly challenge. Even if the reader is a philosopher like Kierkegaard, or a learned and intellectual man like Conor Cruise OBrien, these marginal notes are a challenge and threat for them, to explain more meanings and logical assumptions to the author. We will write a custom essay sample on Marginalia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is another meaning by these notes in margins, which is to argue and fight against the author and philosophers of the text. In the second stanza of the poem, Billy also provides a contrasting view to enhance the importance of margins and notes. He begins with considering these notes and comments as â€Å"offhand†, â€Å"dismissive† and â€Å"nonsense†, but he soon explained the importance of such notes for the reader. Words are a link and connection between author and reader and reader always find links with the thoughts and circumstances in which the author or poet has written the text or readers have read it. â€Å"I remember once†¦ what the person must look like why wrote Dont be a ninny alongside a paragraph in The Life of Emily Dickinson. † (billy-collins. com) In the next stanza, he explained how students use margins. They keep writing notes at the margins of the page and these appear like â€Å"splayed footprints†, which provides the appearance of the footprint on seashore. It gives an idea that someone passed from here. This also provides an idea that how different readers or students, understand and read a text in a number of different ways, and how these notes acts like fans cheering for the thoughts and ideas of the author. Different â€Å"Check marks, asterisks, and exclamation points† assist and guide the reader about the text. According to Billy Collin, it is a custom, to write in margins, and if a person has never attempted this, it is the time that he or she should try it. He further adds in his next stanza that these white margins are like our property, and a platform to express our views. It is like a â€Å"parameter† that provides us opportunity to prove that we have not wasted our time or just read the text without understanding. He further gives various examples for the importance of marginalia such as along the borders of the Gospels, reading Joshua Reynolds with Blakes furious scribbling, etc. In his last stanza, he shared his experience that how these marginalia can also connect the reader with another person and the situation, in which the person read the same book. He borrowed a book, â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† from the library, and once when he was feeling lonely, he found a text written in margin â€Å"Pardon the egg salad stains, but Im in love. (billy-collins. com) In conclusion, marginalia have very important connection with the reader, apart from what author meant by the text, these marginal notes provided by different readers assist in understanding the text. Sometimes serve like footprints of old readers, sometimes like fans, Sometime these notes have no connection to the text, but these interesting margins can give enjoyment to the reader by thinking what was the situation in which the book was read previously.