Working Mothers And Womens Equality At Work Social Work Essay

Working Mothers And Womens Equality At Work Social Work Essay Due to changing trends in the world, many women continue to enter the workforce day and night performing almost similar duties like men. Motivated by a number of factors ranging from social to economic environment surrounding the move has always sparked debates not only among men but also in women who argue against the idea. The debate revolves around working versus those women who stay at home and take care of their families especially children. These concerns explore existence of any effects of working mothers to their children in terms of academic performance in schools and their emotional development which significantly depends on what happens at childhood. Another concern is the possibility of high stress levels faced by working mothers on a daily basis compared to their counterparts at home. This research analysis utilized findings from experts and surveys aimed at unraveling the truth about working mothers. Introduction Who are working mothers? This is a label name which refers to women who have career jobs and responsibilities apart from taking care of their children and husband at home. The number of this type of women has continued to increase not only in the neither United States, nor Europe but all over the world. Even as immense criticism continues to surround the idea of working women, it is of paramount need to focus on some of the factors which contribute to this phenomenon. It is clear that the world is always at a constant change process in terms of social believes, practices and also economic transformation. Many women have opted to join the work a way of enhancing equality with men who believe that women are supposed to be stationed at home and carry out domestic duties (Randall, 2003). The question that ponders the mind of many is whether the notion of working mothers is the only focal point in addressing the issue of gender equality in the society. Is there a better approach? Definite ly there are considerable realistic and workable ways of establishing a society that recognizes men and women as equal beings. Although viewed negatively by some people, many women believe that by joining the work force, there would be significant ease and improvement in meeting the family needs. Sharing of family responsibilities between men and women is by far a very important idea. With increasing global economic hitches, there is every need for every family in the world to establish ways of making ends meet without extreme straining. As a result, working mothers believe that this is the only way of lessening family crisis which may arise from unsatisfied needs and unmet expenses which can be shared between a husband and wife. This sounds human and acceptable but it has lacked taste in a number of men in the world and other women who still advocate for stay home mothers in the 21st century. It is clear that the question of whether women need to be incorporated in the workforce like men still causes controversy. With growing working opportunities for both men and women, it is very normal for girls to go to school, join colleges and universities and secure jobs just like their male counterparts. This is quite commendable. However, the basis of this argument rests on the opportunity cost incurred when women join the workforce. It is believed that working women make inefficient mothers. Although this varies from one person to the other, sociologists argue that there is usually little or no time left for children brought up by working mothers. Additionally, working women experience a lot of stress compared to non working mothers who spent their entire time with their families (Harper Richards, 1986). This is attributed to overwhelming demands which may arise from work stations and homes. Balancing of time between the two masters, job and family remains a mega challenge amon g working women in the world. Statement of problem According to this research, very little has been done with regard to the effect of working mothers on their childrens emotional development and academic behavior. As a result, the research explores the general impact of working mothers on their children compared to non working women. Research questions What is the negative impact of a working mother on a childs academics and emotions? What is the positive impact of a working mother on the life of her child? What is the impact of non working mothers on their childrens life? Literature review Working mothers has received massive coverage from both individuals and groups of people aimed at unraveling the truth which surround this debate topic. However, many people reckon that the idea is quite open with a wide range of views which may vary from person to person. One of search people who have invested time in sociological research is Elizabeth Perle McKenna. In her 1998 research, McKenna analyses the relationship between work and family as experienced by working women around the globe. She exhaustibly dwells on the issue of work and identity and the dissatisfaction which arises when work does not give intended satisfaction. She argues that many women find themselves ignoring pivotal areas of their lives by devoting their time and concentration to work (McKenna, 1998). This devotion is usually aimed at attaining certain traditional symbols of success like money, challenging jobs and power. As viewed by McKenna, women entered the workforce massively under terms that were designed by men. They were eager and full of passion of leaving the old fashion of staying at home. They did this like immigrants abandoning their natural habitat and adapting to the workforce designed for and by men to suit their lifestyle and nature. Unfortunately, most if not all working systems have been designed to define men based on what they do and not who they are (McKenna, 1998). This system calls for long working hours in order to gain recognition and reward. This is still the case today even though almost sixty percent of women in the United States belong to the working class. In other words, the workforce does not recognize the nature of women with regard to the diverse responsibilities they have at home. It assumes the fact that women belong at home. McKenna writes this book from a personal experience and recalls moments in her life when she found it hard to balance work with growing famil y needs until she had to quit her job after having changed career severally. McKenna admits that women who are unable to quit working find it hard to balance between work and family responsibilities. She poses that although many women want attain success as traditionally defined, it is almost impossible excel career-wise and thrill as a good mother, caregiver and a good wife. She notes that the pursuit of such identity breeds nothing but depression, stress and finally burnout. Research findings This research found out that working mothers have a wide range of impact on their families with special emphasis on their children. Non working mothers have all the time to take care of their families and provide necessary care and love to their young ones. Children born of working mothers experience difficulties during their early stages of development. As young beings, children need enough time from their caregivers who are non other their mothers. In the absence of this care emotional impact is felt which may affect up to the academic capabilities of such children. Working mothers also experience emanating from challenges of time balancing (Peters 1968). On the other hand, working men feel independent and provide families needs including among others, childrens quality food. Both working and non working children may significantly influence the development process of children. Discussion The number of working mothers has continued to rise from about 30% in 1970s to approximately 50% in early 21st century. This has significantly affected the life of many children. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999). Children from families with working mothers have emotional depressions with measurable difficulties in their academic life. There is also continuing research on the effect of mothers working stress on children. Even as this research continues, the fact is that a child is always hyper sensitive to the emotional status of the mother before and even after birth. Do children born of working mothers receive sufficient attention and care? When mothers spend almost full of their day time at work, many children less effective especially at school. Since most working mothers maximize their working time when children are in their pre-school, these children show wanting and unappealing results (Cavel, 2001). These children feel some form of emptiness which ends up affecting their class concentration and general performance compared to children whose mothers are not working. It is also important to affirm that a childs early stages are very important in shaping his character and personality. Children who spend less time with their mothers as a result of work commitments are likely to experience hardships in language development which goes further to affect a childs academic progress. This is because learning in class mainly depends on communication propagated by language proficiency (Associated Press, 1999). Working mothers also experience a lot of stress which arise from the inability to balance between work and family needs. These two responsibilities appear to be like two jobs which are being handled by one person at the same time. As a result, these mothers are ever in a hurry to catch up with time and attend to unfinished duties at home and at work place. These mothers end up meeting the needs of the family with very few men willing to share the responsibility (Gershaw, 1988). In the event that a child falls sick, mothers find it difficult to fully attend to the child at the expense of her sleeping job. They also feel stressed over their own lives. Many working women are not willing to give birth. In other words, working continues to rob women off their mothering ability. Although working mothers have significant negative impact on their children, these mothers also have all the reasons to smile and the need for them to receive recognition. There are positive impacts generated by these mothers with the baseline of it being provision of basic needs, especially food. Many children brought up by working mothers live in considerably good standards compared to those of non working mothers. Working mothers usually have a wide domain of choices in terms of dietary. This ensures good childcare and healthy upbringing (Booth, 2000). A working mother is also a challenge to her children (Figes, 2001). As the immediate role model, mothers play a mega role in shaping the character of her children. Children admire good character and adorable achievements realized by those people who surround them. Therefore working mothers challenge their children to work hard and experience better achievements compared to what may she has. Conclusion In general, working mothers negatively impact their children. This is mainly witnessed in areas of emotional development and academic performance. This is mainly due to the inability to balance between family responsibilities and demands of the job. Stress is also common among working mothers a trend that is significantly low among non working mothers. It should be noted that working is highly encouraged among family members. However, mothers should devote most of their time to taking care of their children. They can take up less demanding jobs especially at tender ages of their children.

Junk :: essays research papers

In my last speech I talked about globalization and more specifically the affect of NAFTA on the Mexican corn farmers. As a result of the removal of tariffs on agricultural products, Mexico, a country once self sufficient in basic grains, today imports 95 percent of its soy, 58 percent of its rice, 49 percent of its wheat, and 40 percent of its meat. This has resulted in Mexican corn farmers being put out of business. More than 80 percent of Mexico's extreme poor live in rural areas, and more than 2 million are corn farmers. There is no way they can compete with subsidized American agribusiness. In my last speech I didn’t mention the affect of globalization on the U.S. In the U.S., a comparison between the 1930s and today tells a similar grim tale. Then, 25 percent of the population lived on the nation's 6 million farms; today, 2 million farms are home to 2 percent of the population. Small family farms have been overwhelmingly replaced by large commercial farms, with 8 percent of farms accounting for 72 percent of sales. Small family farms can’t compete with the large industrialized farms, where the only relevant objective is profit margin. While doing my research for this speech I was trying to find some type of policy that the U.S. carries for globalization, to my surprise there is no actual outlined policy. There are policies on various different topics that all fit into the globalization. I would like to concentrate on our trade policy in terms of agriculture. The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AOA) requires that countries open their economies to agricultural products. Due to the low or at times non existent tariffs on importing and exporting we are cutting jobs domestically and abroad. With American markets already saturated, the U.S. is aggressively pushing to open up foreign markets -- with great success. Already, one out of three acres planted in the United States produces food or fiber destined for export, and one quarter of American farm sales are now exports. Though agriculture was the incentive to lure the Third World into the WTO and other trade agreements, it has turned into the most contentious issue as the Third World is devastated by the dumping of cheap and subsidized agricultural products from the United States and the European Union. While beefing up agribusiness with agricultural subsidies (the U.

Magazine Article on E-books

Cassettes-sidelined! DVDs –gathering dust! VHS-retired! Technology mutates and evolves leaving redundant platforms in its place. Much of the time technology is beneficial and change is good, however occasionally change is not so auspicious and we do not realise what we have lost until it’s truly gone. The book. The Bible, The odyssey and The Gruffalo (and that’s not even mentioning the poets).All books which have stood the test of time and are still being read as much today as the moment they were published; with these texts societies were bound and broken; lessons were learned and empires fell; all to the humble book. However the brazen veteran; the book; is endanger of being stripped of its crown by the young and brash E-book. In the words of Northrop Frye books are the only piece of technology which has not become socially defunct–Yet! They have stood firm whilst DVDs, tapes and vinyl like empires, rose and fell.However the frog like e-book with its dul l boring features and its fabulously annoying Wifi connectivity could be the bane of books. E-books are vastly growing in nature, like a weed; multiplying on every train, beach and plane you see them they are growing in number and his suggested by 2016 there will be nearly 10 billion of these dastardly devices roaming the world. Even the mere existence of E-books has created a whole new type of piracy where people are ripping off hard working authors and publishers by getting counterfeit e-books online for free.This illegal practice was consummated by the emotionless e-book. These characterless devices rob the tangible nature you get from books. The feel of the paper the smell of the ink all contribute to the sensation we get from reading. E-books rob this from us and sadly soon children will not understand this interaction as they will be more familiar with the blistering headache the monotonous e-book provides.

Phronesis Definition and Examples

Phronesis Definition and Examples In classical rhetoric, phronesis is prudence or practical wisdom. Adjective: phronetic. In the ethical treatise On Virtues and Vices (sometimes attributed to Aristotle), phronesis is characterized as the wisdom to take counsel, to judge the goods and evils and all the things in life that are desirable and to be avoided, to use all the available goods finely, to behave rightly in society, to observe due occasions, to employ both speech and action with sagacity, to have expert knowledge of all things that are useful (translated by H. Rackam). Etymology:From the Greek, think, understand Practical Wisdom [The] concept of persuasion points . . . to the human capacity for practical judgment. By judgment I mean the mental activity of responding to particular situations in a way that draws upon our sensations, beliefs, and emotions without being dictated by them in any way reducible to a simple rule. This kind of judgment may involve integrating new information into existing patterns of thought, readjusting those patterns to make room for a new perspective, or both. There are several sorts of judgmentlogical, aesthetic, political, and perhaps othersbut the concept I have in mind is linked most closely to what Aristotle called practical wisdom, or phronesis, and what Aquinas discussed as prudence, and it is also linked to our idea of common sense.(Bryan Garsten, Saving Persuasion: A Defense of Rhetoric and Judgment. Harvard Univ. Press, 2006) Phronesis in Speakers and Audiences To the extent that rhetoric is conceived as an art, capable of practical refinement, phronēsis, or practical wisdom, is often considered to be one of the by-products or relational goods enhanced and cultivated through rhetorical conduct. For Aristotle, practical wisdom was one of the rhetorical constituents of ethos. But perhaps most important, this overriding intellectual virtue was also cultivated in audiences through the practice of deliberation. In fact, the methods of invention and argument, along with the vast array of commonplaces and topoi, may all be conceived as devices for the enhancement of phronēsis in speakers and audiences.(Thomas B. Farrell, Phronēsis. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication from Ancient Times to the Information Age, ed. by Theresa Enos. Routledge, 1996) Phronesis and Invented Ethos Reasoning persuades because we think it is a sign of character. No one infers that because someone is a doctor and knows health, that the doctor is therefore healthy. But we make that ​inference all the time with respect to rhetoric and phronēsis. We assume that if someone can give good advice, he or she must be a good person. Such inferences are grounded in the belief that phronēsis and goodness are more than knowledge. Reasoning is persuasive to us because it is evidence, fallible and defeasible as all such evidence must be, of phronēsis and character.It is evidence for the character created in the speech [that is, invented ethos].(Eugene Carver, Aristotles Rhetoric: An Art of Character. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1994) The Example of Pericles In the Rhetoric [of Aristotle], Pericles is an exemplary figure of rhetorical effectiveness both for his skillful choice of persuasive strategies and for the persuasive appeal of his own character. That is, Pericles exemplifies how closely successful rhetoric is tied to phronēsis: the best rhetors possess a practical wisdom that can discern the most effective means of persuasion in any specific situation, including an appeal to their own reputations as persons of practical wisdom. Aristotle builds the phronetic power of discernment into his influential definition of rhetoric as the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion . . ..(Steven Mailloux, Rhetorical Hermeneutics Still Again: or, On the Track of Phronēsis. A Companion to Rhetoric and Rhetorical Criticism, ed. by Walter Jost and Wendy Olmsted. Wiley-Blackwell, 2004)

Study of the conflict at the Burial at Thebes The WritePass Journal

Study of the conflict at the Burial at Thebes Study of the conflict at the Burial at Thebes Introduction The conflicts between the major characters in The Burial at Thebes are concerned mainly with three important issues that continue to be relevant to different times and cultures. When we look at the meaning of conflict we can say it can be defined as ;   the struggle or clash between opposing forces,or opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of   emotional tension Collins English Dictionary 2005.p355. When we look at the play itself, the major characters are Antigone, her sister Ismene and Creon the King of Thebes. The play revolves around the burial of Polyneices, brother of Antigone, who was killed in battle and the observance of specific funeral rites that were the custom of the that time. It was a decision, by Creon of how this burial was to be   carried out that caused the conflict   between these major characters,   although the issues underlying this conflict ran much deeper than that. Antigone,   would not accept the decree of King Creon, who said that Polyneices would not be allowed a normal funeral with full honours , as befitting a soldier dying on the battlefield, because he had declared   him a traitor and enemy of the state . His body would be publicly dishonoured by being   ;- dumped, disposed of like a carcass, left out for the birds to feed on, if you so much as throw him the common handful of clay youll have committed a crime,and whoever breaks this law,Ill have them stoned to   death.   Seamus Heaney 2004 ,The Burial at Thebes p.2,and 3. Although in ancient Greece at that time women were not   allowed to speak in the Council and had hardly any civil rights they did   have certain funereal roles regarding laying to rest and lamentations for   the deceased . Therefore, Antigone had some justification in her assertion that her remaining   brother should have proper funeral rites. However, Creon a newly appointed King   was not in a very secure position and had to assert his authority over his subjects by being a firm ruler. The crown being thrust upon him as he was next in line and having declared Polyneices a traitor would not change his mind. Thus the area of conflict ensued, and both being characters of very strong wills neither would back down. Therefore the issues that have arisen between these major characters can be summarised as the following:- Firstly, is the question of conscience for Antigone, concerning personal and family loyalty against   obedience to the King and Country, and which should take precedence. In this instance should Antigone go against the Kings wishes and bury her brother with due dignity, on penalty of death, or obey the decree of King Creon and allow him to be publicly dishonoured as a traitor?. In this instance she justifies her position as being in accordance   with the law of the gods to honour the dead which is above that of of the King and the law of the land. It   therefore raises a conflict of loyalties between   public morality over private duty, and which should prevail.   Secondly there is the issue of womens rights and gender issues when living   in a male dominated society , as highlighted by  Ã‚   Ismene   saying;-   two women on our own faced with a death-decree. Women ,defying   Creon?.Its not a womans place. Were weak they are strong. Seamus Heaney ,The Burial at Thebes 2004 p.5. Ismene in this instance is portraying the weaker compliant feminine position while Antigone could be seen as showing the stronger masculine side . This issue is also highlighted several times later in the play when Creon referring to Antigone says;-Have I to be the woman of the house and take her orders?. No woman will dictate the law to me and women were never meant for this assembly,from now on theyll be kept in their place again Seamus Heaney Burial at Thebes 2004 p22,24,27. The final area of conflict involves excessive pride or hubris and nemesis or retribution as a result. This   is an area of great interest for the Greeks and often featured in their literature. In the play Creon disregards the advice of the fortune teller and the pleas of his son, and with his stubborn character insists on carrying out his decision despite the consequences to have Antigone punished. The punishment is death for disobeying his orders and Creon refused to rescind this   until it was too late, thereby paying the ultimate penalty of losing his wife ,son and future daughter in law, as a result of his actions. These conflicts between the the major characters with Creon representing the state and inflexible government and Antigone embodying individual freedom, championing justice and individual rights and the urge to rebel. While Ismene representing the softer subservient side conforming to the rules especially as a woman in a male dominated society, have similarities with issues that continue to be relevant to different times and cultures. When Antigone was performed in France in 1942 it was surprisingly not banned by the occupying Germans, despite the fact that Antigone could be seen as representing France championing individual freedom when   Creon could be seen as portraying the occupying German forces and Ismene the Vichy government. The situation in Northern Ireland was also seen as an example of how the individual characters of Antigone and Ismene   could be used to illuminate the conflict;- that is in individuals as well as in society,representing two   opposing influences that often co-exist :the impulse to rebel and the impulse to conform for the sake of a quiet life OBrien C.C. (1968) The Listener ,reprinted in AA100 The Arts Past and Present Cultural Encounters Book 3 p221. Further comparisons can be made when after   9/11 regarding a new sense of the plays relevance Heaney said;-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was the general worldwide problem where considerations of state security posed serious threats to human rights. Then there was the   obvious parallel between George W. Bush and Creon AA100 The Arts Past and Present Cultural Encounters Book 3 p.222. This comparison was further enhanced when considering the invasion of Iraq and the â€Å"war on terror† when George W. Bush and the   White House   Administration asked if you are in favour of state security or not ? If you dont support the eradication of this tyrant in Iraq and the threat he poses you are on the wrong side in the war on terror Heaney (2004) Progamme note,for Abbey Theatre Production of the Burial at Thebes, 2004.   AA100 Cultural Encounters, Book 3, p227.   This can be likened to the situation with Creon when he addresses the Citizens of Thebes and says   in effect that if you support   me you are a patriot but if you support a woman who has disobeyed the   law this in itself is a traitorous act so you, therefore in turn become a traitor, which becomes an either/or choice. Whoever isnt for us      Is   against us in this case. Heaney (2004) The Burial at Thebes,p3. The final example of the relevance and conflict of its characters  Ã‚   when Nelson Mandela was in prison where   they put on the play Antigone and he played the part of Creon. Mandela saw the character as somewhat of heroic figure, as he would not give in, even under the most trying circumstances and   used the conflict between Antigone and Creon as an inspiration for his own struggle for freedom. When we look at the reasons why the original play was enacted in Ancient Greece, we can confirm that it was put on for primarily a male audience and no slaves or women were allowed. Females took no part in public life at that time and were seen as second class citizens as witnessed by the attitude of Creon. The audience were also members of the assembly or court and had to attend as part of their   civic duties and going to the play as a duty showed them how it was relevant to their life at that time by putting the audience in the shoes of the characters. The actors wore masks to i dentify their personalities by typifying an expression and the whole production was designed to educate in a moralistic way, and also teach about leadership and democracy. The subject of the play is a tragedy , where a major figure or hero   has apparently everything but then falls from grace mainly due to a flaw in his (or her)character , in a conflict of the mind and cannot escape from their beliefs. In Burial at Thebes the stories of Antigone, Creon and Ismene can be seen as tragic   raising issues with conflicts of loyalty, duty, individual   rights, divine law and justice. These conflicts also moulded by a style of leadership which can be seen as patriotic, but merciless and blindly inflexible and are all human issues that continue to be relevant as much today as well as in the passage of time since the original play was written in the 5th century BCE. Bibliography Collins English Dictionary seventh edition   2005,Harper Collins,Glasgow. Seamus Heaney (2004) The Burial at Thebes, Faber and Faber,London. Hardwick,L.(2008) Cultural Encounters in R.D.Brown(ed) Seamus Heaneys ,The Burial at Thebes, (AA100 Book 3) , Milton Keynes, TheOpen University,pp 183-235.

Regulation of the Internet and Democratic Values and Ideals Essay

Regulation of the Internet and Democratic Values and Ideals - Essay Example In the age of internet, it has already become easy for people to keep in touch with each other because online communication has become a potential information resource (McQuail and Siune, 1998, p.76). Information has become a central foundation in the technological revolution (MacKay and O’Sullivan, 1999, p.122). With this, communication has become so easy that even an individual who is in the other part of the world could still converse to the other side of it with relatives or friends via social networking sites such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Friendster and many more. It has become so easy to connect with other people nowadays especially in making friends and increasing the number of contacts. In fact, the recent development in communication via internet and fast speed broadband connectivity paves the way for connecting people. Internet therefore has become a social phenomenon affecting culture (Atton, 2004, p.2; Slevin, 2000, p.1). However, while connecting people remain s a significant advantage of the internet, the issue regarding safety remains an alarming priority as one of the potential arguments for the regulation of online activities. Various crimes are already committed within the internet including but not limited to physical or violent harm. Transactions could be faster if they have to be generated online. In this regard, there are bank, credit card and other related transactions already made via online deals or the internet. The purpose is for convenience and safety. However, safety could be such an understatement considering the fact that hackers are flooding over the internet plus there is a remarkable increase in the number of viral programs, malwares and strategies to secure passwords and other relevant confidential information. This is another remarkable reason and a significant argument for the regulation of the internet that at some point may also potentially concern with protecting the identity of an individual and disclosure of h ighly sensitive and valuable information. However, this only proves that censorship is essential in capitalist democracies (Petley, 2009, p.1). In the advent of terroristic attacks and their dangerous output on the public, the UK and US implemented anti-terroristic campaigns and even regulation over the use of the internet and control any activities in the virtual world. All the intentions in these related activities are in line with providing the safety which the public deserves to experience. However, behind this concern, there are other forms of issues that need also to be considered. This generally includes the consideration of democratic values and ideal

Unit 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 4 - Assignment Example It is not appropriate to use the personality tests as a main factor of job consideration, since many errors accompany the personality tests. Response distortion among the applicants is common as they align themselves with the best descriptive words that will win the hearts of the employer. The respondent can also be at a state of low mood at examination time hence the bias. It is worth noting that many people are dynamic and hence express different facets of personality. In addition to that, it is not appropriate to use these tests for the disabled people. Some occupations also do not require personality screening. The Americans with Disability Act outlines that people known to have psychiatric conditions should be exempted for the people with mental illnesses. The examinations should have a relation with the job opportunity at stake (Morgeson et al.). It is justifiable to use clinical personality tests for highly sensitive occupations such as cabin crews and police officers. The tests are likely to cause generally negative public relations feelings. The tools are excellent as they allow one to excavate deeply into a person’s perception about a specific job. However, the tests they should not receive excess overreliance from the employee as they only reflect a tip of iceberg regarding the personality. Taylor, Shannon G., and Donald H. Kluemper. â€Å"Linking Perceptions of Role Stress and Incivility to Workplace Aggression: The Moderating Role of Personality.† Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 2012 :