Category: Family

Introduction

The immigration of Chinese into Canada has been taking place since the 18^th century. Currently, there are about 1.5 million Chinese living in Canada. The first batch of Chinese immigrants worked as laborers and helped build the Canadian railway.

The immigration of Chinese from the greater China to Canada has led to the growth of a multi-generational Chinese community in Canada (Guo & Devoretz, 2006). Chinese immigrants in Canada face challenges due to differences in religion, socio-historical and geo-political aspects. This paper seeks to establish how the socio historical aspect shapes a Chinese family that immigrates to Canada.

Social Alienation

Canada formulated exclusionary policies early in the 20^th century to tame Chinese immigration into Canada. The policies promoted widespread racial discrimination against Chinese Canadians. Today, several segments of the dominant culture still treat Chinese Canadians as foreigners (Zhang, 2010). Most Canadians who belong to the dominant culture grow up with the perceptions that Chinese are culturally distinct and racially foreign (Guo & Devoretz, 2006).

Therefore any new Chinese family immigrating to Canada will be made to feel the deep seated cultural stereotype. In the worst scenario, a Chinese family trying to settle in Canada will be subjected to different forms of racial abuse such as name calling. This is however not always the case as there are other good people in Canada who will welcome an immigrant family and make them feel at home.

Chances are however high that a new immigrant family will be subjected to acts of racism. As a corrective measure, a new immigrant family will look for other fellow immigrants to get psychological, material support and to reinforce their identity.

Older members of an immigrant Chinese family will be surprised to discover that they cannot secure employment with the credentials they acquired in China. Such a family will find it difficult to make a living. It will then become apparent to them that in order to survive in Canada they must first gain the Canadian experience.

Indeed, a study carried out in 2004 revealed that Chinese immigrants reported experiencing different types of racial discrimination. About 30% of them reported to have undergone racial discrimination in terms of employment (Dasgupta, 2005).

The desolate situation experienced will see educated members of a family going back to the basics to rebuild themselves and learn Canadian habits (Guo & Devoretz, 2006). The family will slowly adapt to the new environment until they find a more stable footing. Normally, the first thing a family needs to do is to enroll for English classes, particularly if its members have no educational background in English (Always the case).

For an adult, learning a new language is not that easy, however, as a Chinese immigrant in Canada, he/she will be forced to devote his time and energy to learning English if he/she wishes to survive in the new society. A new family will remain hopeful as they experience the new way of life. Most will be interested in experiencing how different the Canadian society functions.

A family will strive to come to terms with the realities of the new society while at the same time maintaining their traditional Chinese identities. There are certain benevolent funds that have been facilitated by Chinese Canadians to serve the needs of new immigrants (Dasgupta, 2005). This implies that a new family may get some assistance from other Chinese Canadians in adapting to the new life.

The cultural gap will slowly close as the family learns to communicate in English and interacts with friends and neighbors belonging to the dominant culture. Children and younger Chinese adapt more quickly to the Canadian way of life as compared to their parents or older members of the family.

Adapting to the minority group status

A new Chinese family that has immigrated to Canada will find itself being regarded as a part of a visible minority group. Normally, the new status will be hard to accept as the family will have just come from a nearly homogenous populous society. There will be no visible Chinese in all senior positions of the government and other corporate institutions (Zhang, 2010).

The family will adapt to the living patterns of other Chinese families that immigrated to Canada many years ago. Its important to note that history of the Chinese immigration to Canada is often troubled, and this has left a long lasting scar that continues to affect Chinese Canadians to this date. For instance, a new Chinese immigrant family will learn from others that it needs to stay away from politics so as not to be labeled as trouble makers (Guo & Devoretz, 2006).

The deep seated feeling of inferiority and alienation will soon crop up into a new immigrant family as a result of interaction with other Chinese families. Studies have shown that some Canadian Chinese go as far as discouraging their children from pursuing certain courses such as political science and law (Guo & Devoretz, 2006).

This is however understood due to the fact that the Chinese immigrants were historically denied chances to pursue such courses. Chances are high that a new Chinese family will pick up these habits and prevent their children from pursuing such professions.

The minority status will also mean that the new Chinese family will be less involved in politics. Historically, Chinese Canadians were shunned from political participation in Canada (Guo & Devoretz, 2006). There are currently a good number of Chinese Canadians holding political offices in Canada. However, they are too few to make any meaningful impact on Canadian politics.

Parenting challenges

Normally, older Chinese who immigrate to Canada come with traditional parenting systems that are based on Chinese philosophy. For instance, most new Chinese families entering Canada are culturally influenced by the teachings of Confucian.

Its important to note that Confucianism is often regarded as the most influential philosophy in the Chinese culture (Clayton, 2011). Confucian ethics stipulate the expectations of child rearing and the techniques that should be used, in addition to specifying what can be regarded as quality values in children (Guo & Devoretz, 2006, p. 6).

A Chinese family that has immigrated to Canada will raise children who are struggling to strike a balance between the two cultures. Western societies emphasize independence, individual achievement and personal growth (Clayton, 2011, p. 6).

The role of the parents is mainly to assist their children to attain self sufficiency, self control and the ability to make their own decisions. On the other hand, the Chinese culture prioritizes the needs of a group and fosters a collectivist approach as opposed to the needs, wishes and desires of an individual (Clayton, 2011, p. 12).

Studies have shown that Chinese parents usually put a greater emphasis on proper conduct, obedience, acceptance of social obligations and moral training as opposed to the development of childrens independence, assertiveness and creativity (Clayton, 2011, p.5).

When a new immigrant Chinese family chooses to stick to the Chinese child rearing methods, different types of problems are often seen to arise. This is due to the fact that children will be more comfortable with the norms of the dominant culture.

This results into a feeling of frustration and confusion by children or young people. Such children may also face difficulties while trying to integrate with the larger society. This challenge is difficult to address as Chinese parents do not agree to relax their culturally informed collective approach to child rearing when they move to Canada.

Gaining a sense of belonging

After spending a few years in Canada, a Chinese immigrant family will begin to feel some sense of belonging. An ethnic diversity survey conducted in 2006 showed that Canadians of Chinese origin had a strong sense of belonging to Canada (Dasgupta, 2005). The survey also showed that Chinese Canadians had a strong sense of belonging to their cultural group (Zhang, 2010, p. 5).

Similarly, after staying in Canada for some time, a new immigrant family will begin to feel at home and thus start participating in the societal processes such as voting while still maintaining conduct with its cultural group. This constitutes the last stage of adapting to the Canadian way of life by a new Chinese immigrant family.

Conclusion

This paper sought to use the socio-historical aspect to explain the shaping of one family group as they immigrate to Canada. It has been established that a typical Chinese family immigrating to Canada will often undergo social alienation, adaptation to the minority group status, parenting challenges, gaining a sense of belonging.

References

Clayton, C. L. (2011). Contemporary British Chinese Parenting: Beyond Cultural Values. Childhoods Today , 5(1):1-25.

Dasgupta, A. (2005). Hyphenated Canadians: Mixing Cultures, Blending indentities. Vancouver : New Canadian Magazine.

Guo, S., & Devoretz, D. (2006). Chinese Immigrants in Vancouver: Quo Vadis. Bonn: University of Calgary.

Zhang, K. (2010). Flows of People and the Canada China Relations. Toronto: Canadian International Council.

Adequate family functioning and dynamics has a vital role in shaping self-image and identity among the members of the family. However, the actual social functioning depends largely on cultural and ethnic background, family structure, sociological and psychological factors that vary significantly from one community to another (Smith & Stevens, 2013).

In this respect, high level of functioning among Hispanic families plays a pivotal role in decreasing the number of Hispanic adolescents consuming alcohol, drugs, and substances. Specifically, cultural image of a Hispanic family significantly influences self-image construction.

In this respect, it is necessary to define the peculiarities of Hispanic culture in terms of family structure traditions, gender role distributions, and influence of family problems on members substance abuse. In addition, specific emphasis should be placed on the analysis of such aspects as wholeness, change, and its influence on family members, particularly on Hispanic adolescents. Finally, it is also purposeful to define the corresponding approaches to treating family members.

Mouttapa et al. (2009) explore the connection between self-image and family functioning within the context of Hispanic culture. Specifically, the researchers argue, &Hispanics score significantly lower than other ethnic groups in living up to ones own expectations, living up to the expectation of others, and feelings of success (p. 704). It is suggested that performance of specific behaviors is aimed at reaffirming a current self-image.

For instance, adolescents strive to enhance their week self-concept by taking up drinking, smoking, or consuming drugs. This low image, however, is strongly associated with poor family functioning. At this point, &dysfunctional family structure, inadequate parenting discipline skills, lack of support from parents, and parental monitoring&are strongly associated with adolescents selection desire to fill a void and associate with substance-using friends (Mouttapa et al., 2009, p. 704).

Social aspects also influence significantly the assimilation process of the Hispanic adolescents in the United States. These ethnic minority groups are significantly influenced by social environment. As a result, acculturation weaknesses family bonds, and enhances negative self-esteem because of the feeling of isolation.

There are a great number of socio-cultural challenges that Hispanic families should undergo during the assimilation process in a host country. Immigration process is among those because it negatively influences the process of shaping complex behavioral patterns of family reunification and fragmentation.

In the majority of cases, the Hispanic family history is immigration is connected with poverty in Latin America and search for better opportunity in the United States (Rothe, 2004). Therefore, many Hispanic families will have to face a number of families in their aspiration to fit the requirements of the host culture.

Marginalization is a kind of acculturation aimed at fighting against the spread of host culture and its influence on minority culture. Many marginalized groups, therefore, seek to preserve the origins, values, and traditions that are typical of their culture. Within a family context, marginalization can create problematic situations for children of marginalized parents because the latter encourage their children to adhere to the traditions of the ethnic ghetto.

Traditionally, parents strive to support their children who strive to go through the assimilation process, as well as challenges they face in a host culture. During the migration, these roles are often reversed. As a result, adolescent experience significant challenges because their parents are not able to create a consistent and strong holding setting that is necessary for normal psychological development of adolescents.

Identity transformation is another serious challenge that can become a problem during the treatment of adolescents consuming substance abuse. As a result, Hispanic adolescent &may respond with passivity and depression, which in turn may lead to substance abuse (Rothe, 2009, p. 259).

Alternatively, the adolescent may develop and adversarial identity, standing in defiance of the majority culture (Rothe, 2004, p. 259). In the majority of cases, adolescents who cannot overcome the stress of acculturation often join gangs that enhance their identity and support them in difficult situations. In such a manner, they are able to achieve solidarity, protection, and belonging.

Regarding the above-presented features of Hispanic adolescents, as well as the peculiarities of family composition, specific treatment should be used. The therapy of substance abuse among adolescents should be present-oriented in order to cope with current situation. During the first session, the therapist should define the problem and outline the goals with regard to the challenges that adolescent experience in a Hispanic environment (Rothe, 2004).

In particular, they should take into account the values and character traits of Hispanic parents, as well as the disparities in gender roles distributions. It is important for a physician to face cultural biases and understand how prejudice and stereotyping affect adolescents behaviors and their inclination to consume drugs. In case of failure to identify the cultural biases, there is a threat of cultural distancing between a patient and a doctor.

Economic and educational challenges should also be assessed before a therapist proceeds with treatment of Hispanic adolescents consuming drugs. In fact, these variables should be considered because it influences cultural beliefs and value systems. According to Rothe (2004), failure to take these variables into account may lead to erroneous cultural oversimplification and stereotyping that will damage the therapeutic alliance (p. 272). Therapists, therefore, should respect patients individuality to facilitate the therapeutic collaboration.

Apart from person-oriented approaches, family unit should also be prioritized as far as substance abuse treatment among Hispanic adolescents is concerned (Cannon & Levy, 2008). In this respect, two models of treatment can be recommended  strategic family therapy model and systems engagement technique. Apart from economic and educational problems, relations between parents and their children in Hispanic families can also create a serious stress factors that increases the rates of drug abuse among adolescents (Vasquez, 2009).

In this respect, therapists should thoroughly examine the atmosphere within the family, including their attitude to gender roles distributions, imposed responsibilities, and attitude to education. The therapists should be extremely sensitive to cultural, social, economical, and psychological issues because introduces intervention.

In conclusion, treating substance abuse adolescents originating from Hispanic families involves a complex set of factors that should be considered before the actual treatment. To begin with, the therapy should rely on belief system and cultural families cultivated within a Hispanic family that significantly differs from average American family (Smith & Stevens, 2013).

The acculturation process is closely connected with stresses that teenagers might experience because it might lead to the marginalization of ethnic minority groups. Second, family as a unit is crucial to consider first and the task of the therapist is to define how parent-child relations affect adolescents assimilation in a host culture. Finally, economic factors are not of the least importance because it influences education and social adaptation in a social environment.

References

Cannon, E., & Levy, M. (2008). Substance-Using Hispanic Youth and Their Families: Review of Engagement and Treatment Strategies. Family Journal, 16(3), 199.

Mouttapa, M., Weiss, J., & Hermann, M. (2009). Is Image Everything? The Role of Self-Image in the Relationship Between Family Functioning and Substance Use Among Hispanic Adolescents. Substance Use & Misuse, 44(5), 702-721.

Rothe, E. M. (2004). Hispanic Adolescents and Their Families Sociocultural Factors and Treatment Considerations. Adolescent Psychiatry, 28 251-278.

Smith, R. L., & Stevens, P. S. (2013). Substance abuse counseling: Theory and practice. Boston: Pearson.

Vasquez, M. T. (2009). Latino/a Culture and Substance Abuse. Journal of Ethnicity In Substance Abuse, 8(3), 301-313.

Introduction

• Disasters cause untold destruction of property;
• Most critically they cause huge losses of life;
• For survivors, they live with permanent scars, both emotional and physical;
• Highly vulnerable groups of people like the disabled and elderly face higher risks;
• It is important to have a disaster preparedness program for your family. This will reduce the impact on your familys lives and ensure faster recovery from the effects (Schaefer-Jones, 2007).

Preparedness and Planning

The ability to be able to respond effectively in the event of a disaster is known disaster preparedness and planning.

Preparedness and planning is part of the capacity building process (Kolberg, 2005).

The capacity building process includes- staying informed, making a plan, building a kit, community involvement, protecting your business, fun and games for the children (Read, 2008).

Importance of Communication and Training

Talk! Talk! Talk!

Family members should carry contact with all crucial numbers including that of a friend or relative who lives out of town.

Coopt a wide range of communication tools into your system like cell phones, landlines, 2-way radio systems. Ensure they are always charged.

Training provides the procedures to follow, where to go, what to do, who to see/call (Panneerselvam, 2004).

References

Kolberg J., (2005) Organize for disaster: Prepare your home and your family for any natural or unnatural disaster. New York: Squall Press Inc.

Panneerselvam R., (2004) Research methodology. New York: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.

Read T., (2008) Family emergency preparedness plan. New York: Cedar Fort.

Schaefer-Jones J., (2007) Preparing for the worst: A comprehensive guide to protecting your family from terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other catastrophes. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Introduction

Race distinguishes people based on the physical characteristics that make them appear different from each other. Race in the United States of America is more prominent in describing different people. During the slavery period race would justify the mistreatment of people who were enslaved.

The people of the United States of America thought that those who were enslaved had negative traits. The concept of race should not be ignored because there is discrimination of people based on race that need to be solved so that all of them are treated equally. Bi-racial families should teach children to have self-esteem so that self-hatred is avoided for proper functioning of the mind.

The development of a child in a bi-racial family

The healthy development of a child in a bi-racial family is shaped by emotional acceptance. The mixed race people identity is unique and helped by interacting with others who do not reject them.

The healthy pathways originate from having open communication about factors that influence identity. The bi-racial children encounter challenges in their development because of self-worth. The families and caregivers should help these children understand that they are bi-racial so that they can reject historical stereotypes (Tokar, 1991).

The parents are able to prevent their children from damage of self-esteem by telling them to ignore those who talk about their race as well as skin color. The schools, families and peers tend to privilege the people with lighter skin, which lead to difficulties in accepting those from bi-racial families.

Honesty is significant when communicating about race especially when bi-racial children are involved so that they are not discriminated. The bi-racial families fail to discuss about race with clear conversation even if children are from mixed race. This creates confusion on how to interact with other children making biracial children not to value them.

Development of identity is very important for the children to grow well because the bi-racial children are many. Children develop from early childhood to adulthood where the whole process requires them to know who they are and the answer to the question is difficult to find.

There are several aspects involved in development of children in bi-racial family due to the impact of culture and history of the family. The characteristics of a person shape his or her identity and depend on mental functioning of how he or she perceives himself or herself (Cross, Vandiver & Worrell, 2002).

The way people think is linked with believes of how others perceive them. When they receive negative messages from the people they relate with the identity development becomes negative. Self-identity develops throughout the life of a person and the circumstances that lead to its fluctuation may affect it.

The beginning of identity is when a child is born, which becomes more prominent during adolescence and continues until adulthood. Bi-racial families should concentrate on identity because it influences behavior and the way people relate with each other.

When children are born they rely on the information they receive from other people about their privileges in order to develop positive attitude towards the race. The family may teach children about the race where they belong as well as the people they relate with based on hearsay.

The parents should not discuss about issues related to race and fail to inform children that all races should be treated equally. When people realize that they are discriminated based on race, they develop anxiety and guilt leading to depressed mood and finally conflicts arise due to lack of self-acceptance. The children in bi-racial families should be informed that it is not due to lack of effort that they belong there so that they can interact freely with others (Nash, 1995).

Pros that come from growing up in Bi-Racial family

The bi-racial family has the best experience of bringing up children rather than having children of the same race in the same environment. The children who are orphaned receive better care from a family that does not regard skin color.

The love of the children is more than when they are in a family with same race provided they are accepted without discrimination. Bi-racial adoption helps children to integrate and live together. When a family is childless, this is the best experience when they want to adopt a child and bring him or her up with love and care.

Bi-racial children from countries that are developing have excellent opportunities to be away from disadvantaged environment. They grow up in a prosperous family with many opportunities because the economy is stable. The children who do not have parents to take care of them are adopted in bi-racial families where they grow and are happy throughout their lifetime (Helms, 1984).

Cons that come from growing up in Bi-Racial family

Children in bi-racial family will not have opportunity to know their culture or develop positive self-images. The family will not teach them the shared beliefs of their race and therefore lack information about their origin.

The white parents are not able to relate with children from different races, which makes them prepare to inform them that there are bad experiences in a world that is racially divided. The needs of the children in bi-racial family such as taking care of their hair and skin are unique and the parents may not satisfy them well.

There are political issues involved in bi-racial families because if African-American children are not aware of what faces their communities, they fail to support them incase of political agenda. Bi-racial families take care of children from different race because it is not expensive to adopt them.

This discourages the family from handling issues that result from raising the children if they realize the cost is high. When the children realize that they do not belong to the same family they blame the parents and say that they were stolen from countries where they belong. These children begin to search for their identity as well as the culture of their original home (Tokar, 1991).

Conclusion

The individuals from bi-racial family should recognize the difference between them and other races. This develops positive attitude, cultural identity so that they can relate freely with people from other races. The white people should avoid activities that promote racism and confrontations so that no one is oppressed.

When the white understand that bi-racial people are not inferior, they accept them and understand that all people are equal. The children who are brought up in bi-racial families are supposed to accept the way of living so that they can benefit. The personal characteristics of an individual are very significant in finding solutions to the challenges of bi-racial families in order to reduce discomfort.

References

Cross, W., Vandiver, B. & Worrell, F. (2002). Validating the cross-racial identity scale. J Counsel Psychol, 49(1), 71-85.

Helms, J. (1984). Toward a theoretical explanation of the effects of race on counseling: A black and white model. The Counseling Psychologist, 12(4), 153-165.

Nash, R. (1995). Everything you need to know about being a biracial/bi-ethnic teen. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

Tokar, D. (1991). An investigation of the validity of Helms (1984): Model of white racial identity development. J Counse Psychol, 38(3), 296-301.

Humanity has embraced the family as an ideal basic structure for various reasons. The need to have a sense of belonging is regarded as the core reason why families have emerged and become accepted as legal social setups. However, it may not be possible to have a single, defining structure of the family since individuals have a wide range of perspectives.

Each persons view of the family is affected by the environment to which the individual is subjected. Consequently, a personal opinion by an individual regarding the family cannot be separated from ones beliefs and feelings. Through analysis of various facts, one may be able to determine the general societal opinion of the family.

Individual values, whether natural or acquired always have an impact on a persons viewpoint of the family. In addition, the personal experiences with family members also influence an individuals perspective on the family structure.

Values such as belief in family cohesion may determine the level of commitment of family members to the stability of the family unit. A child grows in some kind of family set up. With time, the childs belief and understanding of the meaning of a family is determined by the model of the family that nurtured him or her.

If an individual works in an environment away from his or her family, and interacts with people from different backgrounds, that persons perspective of the family is likely to become altered. Moreover, the amount of time that a parent spends with a child moulds the childs expectation of the parents role in a family. Children who spend most of their childhood with their parents grow up to believe that spending time with ones children is a parental obligation.

People, who subject their children to a hostile environment, force them to develop a negative perspective of the family and may harbour the notion that the family is an unnecessary creation of the society. Similarly, growing up in a single parent family could possibly influence into believing that marriage, which is a common feature of the family, is unnecessary (Coontz, 2005).

When studying family life, to get the true picture of the all the factors concerned, a broad spectrum of issues has to be evaluated. An individuals opinion of the family has to be accompanied by an analysis of his past experiences to evidently make any conclusions in the study. Social values, which include religious values, are an important consideration when analysing a family set up. People may have different suggestions regarding the minimum requirements to create a family unit (Glossop, 1979).

No incontrovertible truth regarding the exact and precise definition of the family structure can be obtained. However, it is possible to obtain helpful data regarding the opinion of the members of the society, their attitude, and perspective regarding the idea of a family. An aggregate of repeated results from studies of the family set up may give the general perspective of the society on the matters of family.

Although 100 percent accurate results may not be obtained, they can provide an overview of the general opinion of the members of the society. With numerous differences in the society regarding the definition of the family, the societal changes that families should embrace, and whether these changes are appropriate or detrimental to the family institution, it is difficult to conclude categorically on the meaning of the family.

References

Coontz, S. (2005). Marriage, a history: from obedience to intimacy or how love conquered marriage. New York: Viking.

Glossop, R. (1979). Trends in family studies: toward an appropriate discourse. Ottawa: Vanier Institute of the Family.

Introduction

There is no use denying the fact that modern age can be characterized by a great development of tolerance and democracy. People start to understand that life is a great treasure and all people should appreciate it, no matter what diseases or problems a person has. With this in mind, it is possible to admit the changes in the attitude towards people who suffer from different mental diseases or who are disabled. Society obtains the idea that all these people also deserve the right to exist and moreover, they should be given the same conditions under which the majority of population lives.

Taking the facts into account, it is possible to say that different counties try to promote development of creation of different techniques of working with these people and, additionally, great number, of special establishments are created. Especially this process can be seen in some rich states where amount of money given to fulfill these needs can be very big. Down Syndrome is one of the illnesses of this kind. Being a very serious problem, it obviously demands further investigation and creation of special conditions for people who suffer from it to be able to live with it and, moreover, enjoy their life. With this in mind, it is possible to analyze different approaches to people with this syndrome in different countries of the world. The UAE was chosen for our work because of its prosperity and wealth.

General Impression

Person under analysis is a young man who lives in Dubai and who suffers from Down Syndrome. However, at the first gaze he does not seem to be miserable. He is well dressed and the room, in which the interview takes place, is rather light and bright. Additionally, there is no depressing feeling which can appear while communicating with sick people. On the contrary, a person is smiling and seems to be very pleasant, though seek men. Moreover, he is not deprived of some curiosity and the interest for other people and is not sacred. With this in mind, it is possible to say that he does not suffer from some negative attitude or other manifestations of discrimination which can be seen in some other countries.

Different activities

There are several reasons for such a good image of this person. First of all, it should be said that in the UAE people who suffer from the Down Syndrome are not usually discriminated. Additionally, they are taken as sick people, who though need help and sympathy. That is why, they do not feel their isolation. Taking the mood and appearance of our respondent into account, it is impossible not to agree with this statement. Moreover, his answers can also serve as a good evidence.

He does not have any complaints and is satisfied with his life and conditions under which he lives. The UAE devotes much attention to the question of Down Syndrome, opening new centers and creating new programs. Dubai, being one of the most developed city of the East, suggests great number of possibilities for people who suffer from this illness. Great number of rehabilitation programs, trainings and some other activities are created in order to support these people.

Additionally, some governmental and family support is provided. There is no use denying the fact, that performance of different kinds of activity is vital for people who suffer from Down Syndrome, that is why, great number of activities are available for them. UAE Down Syndrome Association is responsible for it. Our young men is also supported by it. He likes to describe different activities performed by him at different classes. He was given the ability to draw, paint, play different games and communicate with other people who suffer from the same disease. It is very important as under these conditions children and adults, who suffer for Down Syndrome, can see that they are not alone and the feeling of support and safety appears. Additionally, there are always some special training programs in which our young man takes part.

His favorite kind of activity is swimming. At the first gaze, it becomes obvious that he likes it very much and waits for the next training with a great impatience. Modern science underlines the necessity of physical activity for people who suffer from this illness, that is why it can be taken as a good practice for our respondent. Moreover, he also describes his experience of swimming with dolphins which seems to be one of his brightest memories.

Healthy influence of these mammals is proved and the UAE tries to create the best conditions for people who suffer from Down Syndrome. Additionally, our respondent describes the classes of speech therapy which seem to be not so pleasant as swimming for him, though rather interesting to. There is no use denying the fact, that these courses are rather efficient as he speaks quite clear and distinct, though, very often people with Down Syndrome have different problems connected with speech.

Attitude of society and family

The last issue, which should be mentioned in this research, is the attitude of society and government towards people like our respondent. Being the only child in the family, our young man is sure that his parents love him and are happy. It is possible to communicate with them and assure that they are quite satisfied with the current state of affairs. Additionally, there are also special programs and courses which main aim is to provide psychological help for parents who have a child with this diagnose and teach them how to live with it. Parents of our responded explained that it was very difficult at the beginning, though these very courses and the attitude of people towards their child made their life much easier and promoted his development.

Conclusion

Having analyzed the given case and the situation in the UAE, it is possible to make certain conclusion. First of all, there is a great attention in the country given to this very issue. The government tries to spend much money in order to improve the life of people who suffer from Down Syndrome. The UAE can be taken as an example because people can feel themselves comfortable there. Person under investigation feels himself good and looks quite happy.

Additionally, he performs different kinds of activities and has rather interesting and bright life. With this in mind, it should be said that the approach to people, who suffer from Down Syndrome, in the UAE leads to the improvement of the quality of life of these people and, moreover, promotes their socialization. With this in mind, the experience gained while making this analysis can be rethought and applied in our further life with the intention to improve the state of people with the same problems in some other country.

Introduction

Sociologists have always attempted to cover and measure up practically every aspect of human life. Sociology as a discipline has an extremely wide range of interests and it is next to impossible even to enumerate them, however the issue that has always been of the utmost importance for the sociological study is family, because it is the cornerstone of every society and the indispensable condition for its stability.

Problem Statement

The problems that are closely connected with the family issues, especially with marriage and family process are very acute nowadays, that is why they attract close attention of many scholars. Overall, it is quite possible for us to say that these still issues require thorough analysis from different points of view, despite the great number of works on this topic.

In order to find a solution to family problems it is of the utmost impotence to give a definition to this term. The next step is to identify the cause of family problems. The main purpose of this research paper is to analyze four different works dedicated to our topic. We have to analyze these books in terms of the approach, research methods that were employed, and naturally the main hypothesis of these books. Our task is to present different views and different approaches to the family issues and the way the explain problems connected with them. The final step is to outline the major directions for further research.

The first scientific work that we are going to discuss is the book The Family: Its Sociology and Social Psychiatry written by Joseph Folsom, professor of sociology in Vassar College. The principal aim of this book is to combine various scientific methods to the study of such complicated phenomenon as family. An attempt is made to integrate history, individual psychology, anthropology, sociology, in order to analyze the notion of family from different standpoints.

Overall, it is worth mentioning that the cultural approach is the dominant one in this research study. The author of this book analyzes problems connected with the family in the context of constant cultural and social change. Joseph Folsom attempts to analyze the historical genesis of family, and the way this phenomenon evolved with time passing. It should be taken into consideration that the focus of this book is on the so-called Euro-American system of family relationships. Thus, the results of this research cannot always be applied to other nations or ethnic groups.

As it has already been mentioned, the author analyzes the problems connected with family in the context of social change. According to him, Euro-Americans culture has undergone a drastic change over the last fifty years, however Joseph Folsom avoids using the word progress because it usually implies change for the better, however it is not always so.

Naturally, he agrees that in terms of financial prosperity this changes have been extremely beneficial to the overwhelming majority of the population, however he believes that this changes have a detrimental effect on the family relationships. First, because the very tempo of life has quickened, and many people are so deeply absorbed with their work that they have practically no time to be with their families. Moreover, the author substantiates this statement. He says that according to the statistical data, an average employee spends at most three or four hours with his or her family per his working day, which is certainly not enough.

Moreover, Joseph Folsom says that the increased need for social mobility or perhaps it would be better to say independence has an inverse effect on the marriage process (Folsom, 1999).

Therefore, we may arrive at the conclusion according to the author that family problems are closely connected with the process of social change especially with the increased need for social mobility or independence.

Another sociological study dedicated to the family issue is the book The Family as Process and Institution written by Clifford Kirkpatrick. It can be quite easily deduced from the title that the author studies the dual nature of family. The author views family as the constant flow of experience that a person acquires beginning from his childhood, adolescence and so on and so forth. In other words, the author believes that the so-called family process does not begin with the actual marriage; on the contrary, it is a constant and ever-changing experience.

According to Clifford Patrick the problems connected with family take their origin in the persons background. Perhaps, it would be prudent to illustrate this point. A person acquires behavioral and social patterns since his or her childhood. Thus if these patterns were absorbed in the wrong way or to a certain degree misinterpreted, he or she is very likely to have some family problems (Patrick, 2000).

Thus, it is quite possible for us to arrive at the conclusion that in Clifford Patricks view the problems connected with the family usually takes their origin in the inner world of the person.

The problem, which undoubtedly requires thorough analysis, is the problem of domestic violence. There are many scientific works dedicated to this problem and all of them try to find a different approach to this issue. Nevertheless, it is quite possible for us t single out the article written by Arnold Murray, which is called Sociological Research and Social Policy. The Case of Family Violence. The point is that the author attempts to integrate different approaches to this problem. According to Murray, domestic violence can have two types of origin; the author calls them internal and external As far as the external factors are concerned, we should mention the following: childhood experience, wrong behavioral patterns. However, the author pays more attention to the external factors. First, the author mention that the social changes, which the American society has undergone over the last thirty years have significantly quickened our life, therefore the tension has become very acute.

The point is that a person is very often unable to cope with this tension. It goes without saying that this phenomenon could not but have a detrimental effect on our family relationships. Sometimes a person gives vent to his feeling through violence. The author provides some sociological data according to which every fifth person is more or less prone to domestic violence just because of the problems he may have with his job (Murray, 2005).

Thus, we can say that the author tries to use combine different approaches such as sociological and physiological Overall, Murray singles out the following factors: social instability, difficult relationships at work and general inability to cope with the stress.

Another issue, which has always been a subject of thorough psychological and sociological research, is the problem of divorce. Alan Guttmann tries to analyze this problem in his article Who Divorce. He believes that the there is a wide variety of factors; however his views coincide with those ones of Murray who singles out external and internal reasons.

However, the author pays more attention to the internal reasons. Among them he singles out the following: the persons inability to be tolerant to his partner (37 per cent of the divorced couples). The author also singles out such factor as inability of the couple share their duties and obligations. Moreover, he singles out some objective reasons as for instance the psychological incompatibility (30 per cent). (Guttmann, 2005)

Conclusion

Therefore, having analyzed this four article, dedicated to the such notions marriage and family process, it is quite possible for us to arrive at the conclusion that family is extremely vulnerable to the social changes and this seems to be the main cause of the majority of the problems. Nevertheless, we cannot disregard the internal problems in other words those ones connected with our inner world. As it has already been mentioned before the family process is a flow of experience which means which starts from our childhood, this is why it is of crucial importance to impart correct behavioral patterns to our children. That is why the dual nature of these problems should always be taken into account, and it is always necessary to combine different approaches to these problems such as sociological, psychological , historic, and many others, because without it the analysis would be incomplete.

Bibliography

Allan Guttmann.(2005). Who Divorce. Harvard University Press.

Arnold Murray. (2005) Sociological Research and Social Policy. The Case of Family Violence. Sociological Issues, (2) 14, pp 40-49.

Clifford Patrick.(2000) The Family as Process and Institution. Palgrave.

Joseph Kirk Folsom.(1999) The Family: Its Sociology and Social Psychiatry. John Wiley & Sons.

Intimate Partner Violence

One of the long-standing problems which were not raised until quite recently is family violence. There is no accurate number of violence victims, however, it definitely has a direct effect on millions of people of different ages and gender around the world, including in the United States (Gosselin, Pg. 29, 2019).

Violence within a family is referred to as an act by one family member against another that is done with intent to assault, harm physically, or sexually assault. There are three main categories of family violence being: abuse of older adults, intimate partner violence, and child abuse. In the case of someone experiencing intimate partner violence, it can be in terms of denying access to physical goods such as money or resources and services being employment, educational opportunities, accommodation, or any other. Therefore, such actions are meant to intimidate, hurt, take control or place the victim in a state of fear. Usually, women who experience intimate partner violence have repetitive headaches, poor physical health, chronic pain, and sleeping disorders. In addition, violence can affect relationships with children and the parenting itself. A few examples are being patient, feeding, bringing children to school, and satisfying their needs.

Human right lens

Policies understanding is required for people who are interested in social jobs such as those including human service and working with families. This requirement is due to the fact that policies largely regulate families daily life and the ways in which the professionals are supposed to interact with the family members. Moreover, policies determine the services available to address the issues or risks a family faces, as well as identify those who use these services (pg.291). The importance of policies lies in the situations when funding, the positive outcome of the situations, and fostering a fair society are required.

Violence Against Women Act

The Violence Against Women Act followed by the 1996 additions to this Act defines domestic violence as a national crime and suggests that the federal laws can help the local criminal justice system and overburdened state (Justice.gov, 2020). The Violence Against Women Act was developed to support a cost-effective response to dating and domestic violence and sexual assault. This act can be useful for promoting resilience in families by the provision of the proper resources and protection for people in need.

State Domestic Violence Laws

The state domestic violence laws are based on the definition of domestic abuse. Abuse can have different variations such as emotional, physical, financial, or psychological. The ways to stop family violence depend on the state of residency, as most states have different legal policies.

Battered Womens Movement

Battered Womens Movement is aimed at empowering women and children, restructuring and redistributing social power. One of the objectives of the movement is the end of physical and sexual abuse against women and children within the broader context of the end of economic and sexist oppression (Gosselin, pg.189, 2019) The movement has a significant impact on intervention strategies through a range of services such as police responses, shelters, information services, and hotlines. In addition, other protective and preventive efforts within the movement include civil and legal actions followed by the successful raise of public awareness.

In conclusion, family violence is an issue that has been ongoing for many years. However, the resources and policies for people who experience the traumatic experience have been proven to be beneficial. It is important that awareness is raised along with helping the victims. Using the human rights perspective for examining family policies allows us to understand how they address issues and risks, promote resilience among families and broaden social justice (Arditti, pg.293, 2015).

References

Arditti, J. A. (2015). Family problems stress, risk, and resilience. Malden, Mass: Wiley Blackwell.

Federal domestic violence laws. (2020). Web.

Gosselin, D. K. (2019). Family and intimate partner violence: Heavy hands. Boston: Pearson.

The extent of childrens exposure to domestic violence in Australia

Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate that about 444, 000 women in Australia were subjected to family violence. The graph below indicates the proportion of children who witnessed the family fighting in 2005.

• Current partner
• Previous partner
• Percentage of children (ABS, 2005, p. 40)

Impact of exposure to violence on children

When children are exposed to violence, they encounter numerous difficulties in their various levels of development.

Table 1: Impact of family violence on developmental outcomes for infants/toddlers, school-aged children, and adolescents

Impact of family violence (Holt, Buckley, & Whelan, 2008, pp. 802-803)

Risk factors associated with domestic violence

Table 2: The modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for family violence (both as a perpetrator and as a victim)

Risk factors (Bedi & Goddard, 2007, p. 7)

Impact of exposure on childrens emotional and biological development

Biological development

Domestic and family violence have far-reaching effects on the biological development of a child. The procedure of organizing some internal illustration of information relies on the structure, extent, and rate of the neuronal process through recognizing, relaying, and storing signals (Edleson, 1999). Normally, distressed children show deep sensitization of the neural response structures related to their disturbing incidents. The outcome is that full-brown response patterns can be evoked by seemingly minor stressors. Deficiency of vital experiences during growth is the most disparaging area of child abuse. This implies that there are different times during which various areas of the central nervous system are growing and hence these are the most receptive stages. Violence interruptions of neurochemical signals during these stages may result in permanent mental defectiveness in neurodevelopment (Kovacs & Tomison, 2003).

Emotional development

Lack of effective neurodevelopment in children due to violent disruptions has far-reaching adversities on a childs emotional development. Studies have proved that a sensitive period exists during which certain sensory experience is needed for optimal organizational and growth of the section of the brain relaying a certain function. Anomalous micro-environment prompts and a distinctive structure of neural action during serious and susceptible stages can lead to an endangered function in brain-related activities of attachment, hilarity, regulation, and sympathy. Some of the most renowned medical cases of this experience are concerned with the lack of attachment experiences early in child maturity (AIFS, 2000). A child who has become psychologically abandoned early in life will show intense attachment difficulties, which are enormously insensible to any alternate experiences afterward, even treatment. These children may also find it hard to develop friendships for several reasons, such as fear of inviting their friends to their homes due to the violence and holding back from others. Children that observe family violence may also be at an increased likelihood of relationship troubles especially relationship violence.

Recommendations

The research proposes that efficient involvement strategies for vulnerable families should concentrate on minimizing modifiable risk elements and enhancing protective factors. Since risk and caring factors are habitually interconnected within families, the strengths-based intervention approach will effectively tackle numerous risks and factors. Interventions that concern several areas of functioning, for instance, the child, family, and society, potentially have a better impact on attaining better results (Clements, Oxtoby, & Ogle, 2008). Another effective model of solving modifiable risk factors is the signs of safety model to child defense. In latest years, this model has relished significant attention and power, both in Australia and globally (AIFS, 2000).

Reflection

As a future family counselor, I found that the topic family and domestic violence enhanced my understanding of the impacts of domestic violence on child development and this will be useful in family counseling. Children that observe family violence are normally impacted in different areas of their development. Information on the topic of domestic violence has evidenced that these children are affected in terms of physical, emotional, and psychological functioning. As a family counselor, I will ensure that apart from the programs aimed at approaching the different impacts of witnessing violence and interventions are needed to assist children who witness family violence (Holt et al., 2008). Attributable to the systematic orientation of counselors, I will be well suited for such work, and I will include domestic violence prevention as part of my clinical practice. Additionally, because family counselors are required to practice within the scope of their training and be experienced in matters about domestic violence, the knowledge from this topic will be of paramount importance in solving family and issues related to child witnesses of violence.

The knowledge about the impacts of violence on a childs development has assisted me in understanding that the basic ethical consideration for a family counselor working with children who have experienced family violence pertains to the childs safety and mandated reporting of child abuse. The knowledge about the impacts of child abuse on children is far-reaching, and the realization of this will assist me in correctly reporting any form of domestic violence based on its influence on the child. Additionally, to reduce the possibility of domestic problems arising from mandated reporting guidelines, as a counselor, I will make such requirements explicit to families and children quickest possible.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). (2005). Australia: Government Press.

Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). (2000). Exploring family violence: Links between child maltreatment and domestic violence. Issues in Child Abuse Prevention.

Bedi, G., & Goddard, C. (2007). Intimate partner violence: What are the impacts on children? Australian Psychologist, 42(1), 66-77.

Clements, C. M., Oxtoby, C., & Ogle, R. L. (2008). Methodological issues in assessing psychological adjustment in child witnesses of intimate partner violence. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 9(2), 114-127.

Edleson, J. L. (1999). Childrens witnessing of adult domestic violence. Journal of interpersonal violence, 14(8), 839-870.

Holt, S., Buckley, H., & Whelan, S. (2008). The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: A review of the literature. Child abuse & neglect, 32(8), 797-810.

Kovacs, K., & Tomison, A. (2003). An analysis of current Australian program initiatives for children exposed to domestic violence. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 38(4), 513.

Literary Body of Work: Imtiaz Dharker

Imtiaz Dharkers collection of poems, Postcards from God, focuses on various topics about human challenges. The author seems to define fundamentalism as one of the major causes of such dramatic situations. She addresses the experiences of several nations, including Pakistan (her birth country), India, and Britain (her countries of adoption). The poems Namesake and Living Space from Dharkers collection show what exactly children are forced to survive under the pressure of globalization and poverty, using their hopes for a better life.

Child hope is one of the most precious things in the world because it consists of pure emotions and true feelings. In Namesake, lines 6-7 introduce Adam, who gets up at four/follows his mother to the hotel/where he helps her cut the meat and vegetables. Such obligations and expectations are not appropriate for a 10-year-old child. Nevertheless, he has to live his life, work with his family, and neglect the needs of an ordinary child. This narrative is full of angels and high powers that help the boy resist his familys poverty and inability to enjoy his childhood. A similar atmosphere is conveyed by Living Space, dedicated to describing the childs place of residence. Throughout the whole poem, including lines 2, 4, and 5, the author underlines that the building is dangerous and strange, with not enough straight lines& flat or parallel. Although the poem is not long, Dharker uses proper words to describe poverty in detail and underline feasible attempts to change something. In general, Postcards from God are not just evidence of child poverty as a serious global issue but the description of a road some nations cannot avoid despite their hopes and freedoms.

Non-Literary Body of Work: Kevin Carters Photography Portfolio

Family, a black-and-white photograph by Kevin Carter, depicts a forced famine slowly killing people. One of the individuals lies under a tree so thin that all the skeleton details are visible. The rest still retain the appearance of a human, but unhealthy thinness and lack of vitality are noticeable. Separately, the black and white filter of the photo is worth noting. It adds the feeling of the unambiguity that everything in the world is divided into good and bad. At the same time, a detailed review of people allows the viewer to notice a gray color, symbolizing significance. Human poverty might have many colors, and the worth of the chosen non-literary work is in the possibility of conveying the struggle in the face of inevitability.

Although the family is starving, people find the strength to look into the camera. In addition, they sit and chat, and one of them even smiles. This situation defines the moment of struggle and resistance when individuals do not give up in the face of such problems. They continue to forfeit their right to ordinary life, joy, and companionship. In addition, one cannot assert their sense of hopelessness. Separately, it is necessary to emphasize their tent, which performs the function of housing. People are next to her, protecting her and considering her the principal place.

It is also necessary to analyze the exposition chosen by the author. A man dying of hunger is depicted in the foreground, symbolizing the future that awaits the rest. It is noteworthy that the body next to the tree continues to grow and live, proving that the life of a human has become more unreliable and shorter than that of a plant. A particularly striking contrast is added by the fact that the trunk of the tree is several times wider than a person who was tortured by hunger. An understanding comes that young people are sitting in the background, namely children who are already facing starvation but not yet so critical. In this context, the interpretation of their gaze changes whether they fight or remain horrified by what they see. In the end, the photographer emphasizes how difficult and dangerous a childs life in an impoverished country is and how many trials await such individuals. The future of such people is entirely devoted to the endless fight against hunger and disease and attempts to extend their lives.

Summary

The life of children in impoverished countries is full of challenges and the fight against hunger and low quality of life. These facts are reflected in art, both in the form of poems and photographs. The global problem of starvation and poverty is depicted in both art forms with the help of symbols and the characters beliefs. When analyzing two Dharkers poems, it is impossible to establish that one of them reveals the topic more effectively or brighter. On the contrary, it is worth noting the general end to which the lyrical heroes come. Despite all the difficulties, they continue to fight and try to restore or save a life. Carters works show that human strengths are running out, and they have nothing to do but appeal to faith and higher powers. Studying this problem is vital since the works and photographs demonstrate the horror and danger that are relevant to people. It is the emotional urges that become motivators for starting actions. One of the principles of society is that life has the highest value and happiness. For this reason, it is urgent to care for people of any age who has to live in a developing country and deal with hunger and other serious global issues. It is not enough to recognize the problem but try to help them fight for their well-being.