The amount of time modern children spend in front of screens is staggering. Not only does their eyesight suffer because of the excessive pressure, but their social life is also damaged as they circumscribe their own abilities to interact with other children. Children lack the adult perspective to recognize the danger, which is why their screen time should be restricted. Ultimately, childrens screen time should be limited because it damages them physically and decapitates their social abilities.
Damage to the Eyesight
First, screen time puts excessive pressure on the eyes. The biological function of eyes is to be able to look far enough to see the details. In order for them to perform this function, eye muscles need to rest and constantly exercise at long distances. However, screens by definition are limited displays, where only a certain amount of information is present. In order to acquire as much information as possible from the screen source, the human eye has to continuously look at the screen, while the pages are turned, one video swaps another, or the newsfeed is updated. Perceiving information from screens is an extremely static experience. The eyeball does not move enough to achieve the needed level of mobility and does not get enough rest.
Screen time is especially perilous for childrens eyesight because their muscles are only forming. Any body part, which grows with time, needs to function properly in order to achieve the entirety of its range of motions in the adult years. Eyes are no different, as children need to become accustomed to exercising them. However, as children spent enormous amount of time behind computers, they teach their body to endure static pressure, which is not intended for it (Saunders et al., 2017). As a result, children acquire eyesight health issues long before they achieve their adulthood, which could have been averted with sufficient limitations of screen time.
Social Isolation
A less evident but no less important problem is the deficit of social interactions due to time-consuming screen time. Humans are social beings, who need communities, live interaction, and connection. All of these needs can be met with communication and conversations with other people. Screen time is so addictive because it creates the illusion of communication. As users are constantly overwhelmed with tons of tweets, posts, search suggestions, and promotions, people begin to feel that they a part of the increasingly connected world. Yet, the feeling is a deceiving one because virtual communication lacks essential components of interaction, such as gestures, sense, physical presence, and touch.
The problem is even worse with children who are still learning how to interact with other people. By substituting real-life communication with online messengers and other virtual sources of information, they rob themselves of the little subtleties that drive human interactions. Children habituate themselves to turn to their smartphones and computers when they have problems instead of their friends and family (Hinkley et al., 2018). Although not immediately apparent, such a mindset can have a disastrous effect on the future, when these children are not able to properly connect with other people in a way that is not possible in cyberspace.
Conclusion
Altogether, limiting screen time is necessary for a balanced and proper development of children. Physically, their eyes require exercises and rest, which are not provided by screen time. Socially, childrens minds need connection with other individuals, which is not attainable via online messengers. Limiting screen time will have a beneficial effect on their physical and social development, while teaching them the importance of real-life interactions.
One of the main advantages of living abroad is the opportunity to experience many exciting cultures. Examples of this include different cuisines, music, architecture, and languages. Experiences with foreigners help a lot when traveling further, developing your horizons, and improving social skills which are important for ones future career and life. Therefore, living in another country is a positive experience with several social, linguistic, and intellectual benefits.
First, cultural development is expressed not only in aesthetics but also in knowledge. Throughout world history, science has developed in parallel in different parts of the world, and getting a different perspective on known truths is a rewarding experience. In particular, the main advantage is the ability to look at the world around us from the outside without taking even the most ordinary phenomena for granted. A quality such as critical thinking is a necessary cultural and intellectual detail in this case.
Moreover, learning a new language is a beneficial skill. Nowadays, travel has become a financially and technically accessible service for people. For this reason, foreigners often go to neighboring countries as tourists or to relocate. Knowing several languages can help not only when communicating with people from different parts of the world but also when working as an interpreter. As a result, learning new languages through direct practice rather than by studying theory is another advantage of living abroad.
Finally, making new acquaintances and friends is more accessible from the perspective of a visiting foreigner. This is the lack of social burdens that people born and living all their lives in the same place have. In addition, interest in a representative of another culture is always very high, so it is pretty easy to strike up a conversation and become the center of attention in the case described. It is not difficult to have exciting surroundings consisting of foreigners, and at the same time, it is helpful for future travels.
In conclusion, living abroad is a rewarding and exciting experience, especially for young people. The opportunity to develop intellectually, learn new languages, and make new friends are examples of advantages. However, moving and adapting is difficult and requires a lot of financial and moral effort. Not everyone can fully enjoy the described pastime, but it is worth pursuing such an opportunity to develop.
Personal experiences can be good or bad and then, there is the third kind- learning. This is the fundamental of human development. I was alone that day in my house one aloof afternoon. The scientist in me was struggling to break free and that freedom came in form of an umbrella. The flight stimulator within my pituitary gland was constantly sending in electric pulses. The pulses guided me to our roof. I moved towards the edge of the roof. It was on the third floor. Opened the umbrella and jumped. It was a painful experience but it taught me a valuable lesson that it is necessary to put in thoughts before a full-length commitment.
Our neighbors were very active people and soon I found myself lying in a nursing home bed. Any fall is painful and this one was physical. Call it super strength or technology of fall I came out of the nursing home after 30 days with a hairline fracture in my ankle. This was a great learning process with pain and the understanding is incorporated in me permanently. Like all great men of knowledge and evolution of the human species, I learnt from trial of pain and error of execution.
The result is that the pain itself is overlooked or over-categorized. Research tends to pool around the categories and labels that society has created. As a result, the individual needs of both the victims and offenders are subjugated to the affirmation of this label.
There was a fundamental mistake in the entire execution. The way I jumped with the umbrella suggested that it was more passion of flight than the logistics behind flight that the instrumental. This real painful experience taught valuable lessons. This incident is vividly stored in my memory. Though a bad memory and bad memory hardly stays, I remember it as I saw the lighter side of it and it was more of a learning process. I personally feel that the purpose to gather knowledge is humane and the humanity cannot excel without a structural method and that is what I have learned from this painful experience. This approach towards life is exemplary and the methodical advances to reach this goal could be well imitated.
As Banerjee pointed out that, we only remember those aspects that we want to remember. (Banerjee, 198) I certainly did not want to repeat this error. The fundamentals of success lies in the fact the one should think and analyze. In this context, I started working my way through constant checking and rechecking schedule as a practice of learning and this knowledge was incorporated inside me due to this accident.
Knowledge is an eternal resource and thus even if it is difficult and often painful to gather knowledge it is suggested that one should always venture this pain. This is the brighter side of pain mechanism and the way of human life. It is just that we often do not realize this fact and tends to overlook the brighter side and settle with a back seated attitude of avoiding difficult situation. However, if we brave the difficult situation or the pain involved, the harvest is sweet as in the form of knowledge and success in the long term. It is this experience that made me understand that just the will to know is not enough as long as you do not find a proper way to execute it. For me achieving the goal of success would provide me with that needed launch pad to reach my dreams that started with a fall and pain.
Works Cited
Banerjee, D; 2005; Details from Medical Journals of AIIMS; Auckland: AIIMS; 2005. 198.
The whole series is based on tricky questions and problems concerning sex and relationships, which most people wouldnt ask their partner. In the 7th episode of the 1st season, Carrie asks a question, which was asked by men throughout all of history: why monogamy is so important? Carrie is pushed to the condition of mistrust by her Mr. Big and now she is angrily trying to get a hold of this problem. And Samantha is not even worried about the question of sexual monogamy, more like morale monogamy concerning her realtor. In this essay, I will try to get closer to the understanding of the problem and the driving forces that are pushing not exactly young woman to the boundary of male dreaming, where each one of them wanted to have sex with more than one woman at a time or not and didnt really have to have a relationship with only one of them.
Description
Sex and the City makes us think differently about relations and how sex is important for a successful relationship. The psychological factor in all of these situations is universally important. The concrete jungles of New York are a perfect site for the experiments of the main characters. What a wonderful opportunity it is to think over the entire relationship between sex and relationships. Miranda has become a victim of the saying You want, what you cant get when she sees Skipper with another woman. Carrie wants to be monogamous with her beloved, but she witnesses his date with another woman. She is angry and questions the whole system that existed for hundreds of years and states monogamy. Miranda is facing a self-esteem question when she realizes that she was never invited into a threesome. But, still, here is the main question of the 7th episode of the 1st season: Can women have sex like men? And why it is important to have sex only with the person you are having a relationship with? Also, Carrie and her friends make some kind of sexy and sophisticated investigations on such points as: are relationships the religion of the 90s? Is the threesome the new sexual frontier? If so, whos supposed to do what with whom and when? And if single women can have sex with any man, anytime, anywhere, how come married women always assume itll be anytime, anywhere?
Discussion
Relationships between men and women have changed for the past couple of decades. The unofficial right for polygamy was owned by males, now everything has changed. There are a couple of good reasons for that, first of all, if the fact of a polygamy relationship is acceptable by both partners, then there is nothing wrong with it. Another reason is just simple curiosity. By having an intimate relationship with a single partner a person closes all of the possible chances for trying something new, pleasurable, and exciting. This episode is formally protecting the whole possibility of this situation, but at the same time draws a line. A line is drawn between polygamy in sex and polygamy in relationships (of any kind). Samantha is giving an example of polygamy in terms of basic human respect and polygamy in this case is absolutely opposite to respect. Another question is it worth saving a relationship with a person supporting polygamy if you are not quite sure about your urge to try something like that?! Is it morally correct? And what, if you really like or even love the person that is putting you through this?! The most important thing to remember from this episode is that under any circumstances you have to maintain your self-esteem.
In everyones life there is a person who is considered to be the closest one in the whole world. For me this person is my mother. My mother influences every step of my life: how I live and interact with other people. She is an inspiration for my achievements and guidance into the successful future. She has always helped me to overcome any difficulties that I faced since early childhood trying to give me hopes for better future. My mother combines the best features which a person may have; she is a clever, kind and open woman with beautiful appearance and rich inner world.
My mother is Dominican; she is quite a pretty and well educated woman. Despite her age she looks young and beautiful. My mother is not very tall though her height underlines her regular features. She has short curly black hair and shining brown eyes. I want to note that her eyes deserve additional attention because they are so kind and frank that one cannot but notice her open and friendly character at once, during the first seconds of communication with her.
I like her smile most of all in the world. It is so beautiful that when she smiles I cannot but smile too. Her light complexion and big blushed cheeks especially emphasize her charming smile. My mothers skin is very soft and tender; when I hold her hands in mine I feel that I am protected from the whole world and I feel the happiest person. I like the way my mother dresses. She always tries to keep pace with fashion though her style is unique and individual.
She is slim and has a wonderful figure; her clothes lay a stress on her beautiful features. I would like to note that my mother is a wonderful person not only out but also inside. To my way of thinking she is the reflection of light; not in vain her name Lucia is translated from Italian as light . She is an open, responsive and light person who is always there to help and support me at difficult moments of my life.
For me my mother is the cleverest person in the world. I can speak a lot about my mother because she is considered to be my reflection and my hero. One day I had to clean my room before the arrival of my relatives. My mother asked me: Please, do something with your box of old posters. It takes a lot of space. I was in hesitation but answered: Ok. Ill try& She knew that they were very important for me to throw them out. I was really upset because they took too much place in my room.
Next day when I returned home from school I found out that my box disappeared. I was in despair. Suddenly my mother asked me to bring something from our attic. I went there and found out that all the walls in the room were decorated with my posters. That moment I felt really happy. I cried: Thank you, mom!!! Her idea to use my old posters as a decoration was just wonderful. I can surely say that my mother is the cleverest person.
My mother is really the kindness person in the world. When I was small, my mother made a special present for me. I came after school and she gave me a puppy. He is so cute I said. This is for you! Take care of him. He is very small and helpless. He really needs your care. said my mother watching how happy I was. It is difficult to describe my feelings that day. It was my dream and my puppy became a member of our family. Two days later I got to know that my mother found this small creature near the store. It was hungry and miserable. My mother could not but took puppy home, washed and fed him. Now this puppy is a strong big dog which lives with my family and we love him very much. I can say without hesitation that my mother is the kindness person in the world.
My mother is a very wise person who can always find solution to any problems. I understand that her life experience helps her to make right decisions. But there are some situations when her opinion completely contradicts my own. And as a result she always appears to be right. Her logical thinking helps our family to live in harmony and happiness. We have never quarreled because of some trifles and my mother taught me to find a half way with people even when you cannot agree with their views.
For example, when my cousin and I quarreled who would do the work about the house, my mother offered to work in the form of a game. The speed and high quality of work enabled us to win a price. I bought two tickets for the concert. If you combine your efforts, you would enjoy the play of your favorite group this evening. The work was shared equally and done in time. This idea was really wise. I consider that my mother knows the way out of any difficult situation!
Of course it is impossible to describe all the features of my mother in the short piece of writing but I would like to say that this person takes the first place in my life. I would be always thankful to her for all she has done for me. I am pretty sure that she is the reason for all my achievements and victories. Her qualities helped me to understand how people should behave in life. She taught me a lot and now I can easily overcome any problems I face. My mother is the only hero of my life.
She combines only positive features which a person can have. I am really proud to have such a mother as mine. I consider her the greatest person in my life who helped me to become the person I am now and influenced every step of my thoughts and behavior. She is the only inspiration for all actions and decisions of mine. I am really proud of her!
One of my passions is travelling. Travel involves visiting new places and meeting new people and having varied experiences. I come originally from Romania and have travelled to UK and US. I remember the quote by Samuel Johnson: All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it . I have had the luck of visiting better countries and I believe my travel experiences have taught me a lot about human life and helped me expand the way I see things.
When I first travelled within Romania, it opened my eyes to how other people live. I saw how people lived happily even though they did not have much money or luxuries. It taught me that to be happy, money is not the only thing. I must have an attitude to be happy with what I have. It also taught me to accept people from different races and colors. When I travelled abroad, I saw new cultures and different lifestyles.
It was very exciting and adventurous. I learnt to enjoy these new experiences, to become part of these varied cultures by taking their food, wearing their dresses, etc. This has created in me the awareness that people all over the world are basically the same but they are different in the cultures have different ways of talking, singing, enjoying, dancing, writing, building, dressing and conducting business. I have acquired a more global perspective of the world we live in. My knowledge has thus expanded because of my travel.
Self-confidence is another quality that I developed as a result of travelling. Whenever I travel, I had to be responsible for my own luggage, tickets and documents. I had to be careful in taking flights and cabs. When I was in my home country, I used to be shy to talk to new people. But during my travels, I learnt to talk to strangers and ask for help whenever I needed it. This gave me the confidence that I can make new friends. Also, new places sometimes had new customs that I had to adapt to.
Travel is the time I use to read and listen to music. This also gives me the time to reflect deeply on my lifes goals and where I am right now. It is an ideal opportunity to break free from a routine lifestyle. I feel very much relaxed during my travel and enjoy seeing new scenes and landscapes. It gives me time to discover more about myself. For example, when I was in Los Angeles, I saw a rock music performance at a club where everyone danced. I had not danced earlier at clubs. But when I joined the fun, I was surprised to realize that I enjoyed the experience a lot.
Travel also gives me a sense of being free and independent. It makes my mind open to new experiences all the time. Even during a flight, I get to taste new food, hear a new language, see new ways of dressing and listen to new kinds of music. This is very exciting and I thoroughly enjoy my life during these moments.
Through my travels, I have made many new international friends. Conversing with them has helped me understand their cultures better and I also have opportunities of improving my English which is now very important when travelling in UK and US. Moreover, as I intend to study in United States, it is good to improve my language skills before I begin my studies. Travelling to the United States has also helped me absorb their local culture and understand the value of hard work.
Above all, whenever I return to Romania after my travels, it helps me appreciate my home country a lot. I value Romanian culture and the warm way in which people relate to each other. I can appreciate it all the more when I travel abroad. Thus, my passion for travel while giving me fun, dreams and confidence, has also educated me, helped me embrace new cultures and new communication skills, adopt a more global perspective, improve my English and given me lots of good friends and wonderful memories. It has made me a richer person internally.
In the article A Marriage in Full by Gary A. Anderson, the author puts his emphasis on the aspects of the institution of marriage. He starts his article with a criticism of Dietrich Bonhoeffers letter on marriage. He mentions that In a world that extols the autonomy of the self as the highest possible value, Bonhoeffer insists that in the sacrament of marriage we enter a covenant that presumes natural affections but goes far beyond them. (Anderson, 1)
The author, then, considers examples from the Old Testament to prove that marriage is just about the individual application of love and has nothing to do with future development or Gods will. The narration of the Book of Ruth and Ruths story indicates that there is more to love than a simple man-woman relationship beyond materialism and God or divinity graces this metaphysical element. However, the author is quick to remind us that it is the common love that makes a marriage successful and not the other way around or the intervention of divinity.
This visualization of love and marriage, as seen by the author is in alignment with the modern world, it is the materialistic feeling between a man, and a woman that is what marriage is all about. The author indicates, like advocacy of this thesis, that What makes Ruth particularly virtuous is not simply her desire to marry and have children but a willingness to understand her marriage in a way that will favor her adopted mother-in-law. (Anderson, 4)
He also states that in the parameter of modern time having children in marriage is optional and economical and that proves the unworthiness of the biblical social system and pre-modern views on marriage and love.
Interpretation & Reflection
For many years, social scientists have debated the advantages of marriage due to the characteristics of people who marry and stay married. Do marriage itself and the status of being a married person create certain advantages? The answer is both. Economically and educationally advantage people, who are religiously observant, and who grew with married parents are more likely to marry and stay married than others. Marriage itself can transform peoples lives, changing their lifestyles, habits, associations, and in ways that are personally and socially beneficial.
As the primary social institution leading familial and kinship relationships, marriage is a source of social capital. The social bonds created through marriage benefit not only family members, but others as well. As an example, a married couple is more likely to vote and to be involved in the community, religious and civic associations. Marriage embeds people within larger social networks; married parents have a better chance to recruit help, friendship, and emotional support in the community.
Through marriage, men become more involved with others. Married fathers serve as an important role models for their own children and other peoples children also. They can be a valuable social resource in communities to children who lack responsible fathers or positive male role models.
In their own future dating and marriage relationships, children benefit from the models set by their married parents. Children whose parents stayed married have more fulfilling dating relationships, a more optimistic attitude toward future marriage, and greater success in forming lasting marriages. Young men raised in a two-parent household also have more positive attitudes toward women, children, and family life than men who were raised by a single parent.
Married people are less likely to have moral or mortal risks, and are even less inclined to risk-taking after they have children. Their health habits are better and they receive more regular health care. They are less likely to attempt or commit suicide. A major life crisis, such as severe illness, job loss, and the needs of sick children or aging parents is easier for them to cope with.
An expanding set of binding obligations between spouses, between parents and children; and between married couples and their families are also created through marriage. As a result, marriage generates a higher level of help, support, and care from the extended family than any other kind of family arrangement. Married couples are also better able to help elderly parents and relatives, an important benefit in an aging society.
Marriage is also a central institution in civil society. It performs certain critical social tasks and produces certain social goods that are valuable to the community. Marriage does not solve all of societys problems. There is still poverty and crime, disadvantage and discrimination. Marriage is not an anti-poverty strategy and should not be a substitute for effective anti-poverty strategies such as reducing the number of unwed teen pregnancies. The advantage of marriage should not be used to pressure everyone into getting married.
Marriage is far from perfect and getting married does not turn people into saints. But, in spite of its acknowledged problems and flaws, marriage remains a vital source of social good, individual benefits, caregiving, emotional attachments, and long-term commitments. People who are married, though far from perfect, try to behave in ways that benefit themselves, their children, and society as a whole. Thus, marriage is more about practicality and materialism rather than divinity accomplished.
Works Cited
Anderson, Gary A; A Marriage in Full; First Things (2008).
Social organizations play an important role in helping members of society overcome challenges that could be regarded as less profitable by the private sector and of lesser concentrated benefits by the private sectors. Businessmen thus avoid these issues because there is be money to be made, whereas governments stay away. After all, tax monies would not benefit as many citizens. The needy people are therefore left with no one to champion for their needs.
This is the void that socials private and public social programs and agencies come to fill. This proposal illustrates how to establish a social program dealing with educating people on proper parenthood. The proposal is divided into several sections dealing with independent issues. The first section addresses the main problem, second with an analysis of the problem, third with the policy elements of the program, fourth with policy elements, fifth with financing and staffing issues.
The Problem
American society faces a grave danger of increasing problems in parenthood. For instance, the ever-increasing divorce cases in the country are putting pressure on parenthood. Many are the people who get into marriage without being fully ready or understanding what they could be getting themselves into. There is a need for future American parents to embark on improving their understanding of the best practice of parenthood.
The role of preparing individuals for parenthood has historically been left to parents and the involved couples. Society, in general, has stayed away from facing the issue, but this needs to change for American society to start experiencing positive change.
Parenting issues usually affect young couples in their twenties and thirties (Harkness, 2001, p. 47). This demographic group is the one that needs to change parenting styles to benefit their children in the future. In addition, the demographic group would form a source of inspiration for younger Americans inspiring them to be parents in later days. This younger set of parents are also more likely to concentrate in classes as they are more energetic compared to their older counterparts. In addition, being the most susceptible to poor parenting and divorce cases makes them more interested in learning the better practices of parenting.
In addition, the organization to be established intends to develop mechanisms that deal more with technology that only the younger generation of parents can relate with. This includes the extensive use of the internet as the primary source of information dissemination.
The social program intends to address the problem that is slowly destroying current and future American lives. The program will thus embark on helping individual young parents understand the importance of incorporating best practices while bringing up their young ones. This is in understanding that proper family units are the source of strength for American societies. Poor parenting can only lead to children developing poor skills that could be passed on to the next generation.
The program is not in any way suggesting that American society is the worst in parenting. Indeed, it is hereby being acknowledged that American society is a trendsetter in bringing up the next generation. However, the cases of poor parenting by young couples are alarming and should therefore be addressed. The program intends to help struggling couples recover. Attending program events would be completely individuals choice though they would be encouraged to attend by program employees and associates.
Analysis
The current problem in parenthood in America originates from the time parents spend with each other and with their children. Many are parents with full-time jobs, some have more than one. Children grow up either with house help or in daycare. Parents busy schedules are sometimes conflicting, which steals away the time of discussing and arranging better ways to handle work life and family. The stress from work could spread to homes and spoil the good environment to bring up kids (Graue, 2004, p. 154). The Parenthood Institute shall embark on helping individual couples could arrange for better ways to arrange a time for each other.
The theory of strong families as the source of a strong society is hereby taken as the premise for Parenthood Institutes work. Couples would thus be encouraged to take their families as part of strong American society, and that taking care of the young ones using best practices would be a phenomenon contributing to the nation. Parenthood Institute would thus be developing a strong foundation for American society, which would be the primary mission.
The institute would not be a place to show Americans how to lead their lives, but a place to help Americas young couples cherish what they have and make it more fruitful. The gainers in the institute are Americans from all walks of life because the improved society would be something for all to cherish. Individual young couples participating in Parenthood Institutes activities would be the greatest beneficiaries as they would be en route to rearing excellent kids to be proud of, let alone contributing in the reverse of the current sorry trend of parenting in America.
Policy Elements
This section highlights how Parenthood institutes will achieve their mission. The institutes mission is to become the source of healing the parenthood scar in America. This means working on reversing the current trend of carefree parenting that has been experienced in recent generations. Parenthood Institutes goals include: helping young America understand the importance of family; reminding Americans that strong families are the foundation for a strong nation; having the institutes success serve as a source of inspiration to the rest of America.
Participants in institute activities will be taken as associates that aid in the process of achieving organizational goals. As just mentioned, participants success in achieving goals would attract more people who want to benefit from our services. In other words, the participants would serve as ambassadors to the rest of the individuals in the larger American society.
The benefits of participating in Parenthood Institutes activities would include sharing with other couples facing similar challenges as they bring up Americas next generation. Sharing ideas with these individuals will thus become a source of ideas. Secondly, participants will get opportunities to mingle and get contact information from our professional counselors who are among the greatest resource. Getting contacts of the professionals would serve as additional help since advisory can still be provided outside the arranged conferences. In addition, conference attendants would be provided with discounts when purchasing publications and other materials sold therein. About services, the institute will primarily be providing Americans with an environment (both online and onsite) to learn what ails parenting in the nation and further develop mechanisms to deal with the problem, obviously with the help of professionals in the field.
Given that information technology, especially the Internet would be the primary source of information, the institute will not restrict individuals from participating in various programs. However, Parenthood Institutes conferences in various parts of the country would take participants on a first come first serves basis. The venue for these conferences would be chosen depending on the expected number of participants. The institute will have memberships for individuals who will have the priority of space in the conferences. Together with membership discounts in conference sales, assured space would motivate more individuals to become members and therefore increase the pool of beneficiaries.
As described above, service delivery would be done through the Internet, publications, audio CDs, conferences, and one-on-one counseling sessions. All these mediums are easily accessible to the target individualsthe young couples bringing up their children. Most information, including audio and video, will be made available through the internet since more and more couples are having access. Continuing with this trend will go a long way toward ensuring that targeted parents get the message. Members would be updated regularly on the availability of new information on the website, especially regarding issues of interest.
Financing and Staffing
Considering that the Internet will be the primary source of sending information, communicating with individual (current and potential) members, a significant portion of the budget funds shall be used to establish and finance the site and the labor force involved in updating and, maintaining the contents. The information technology team would work closely with an editorial team whose members would be scattered all other the country. Another team of employees would be dealing with matters about conferences and counseling sessions. The three members of the information technology team would be paid a total of US$ 27,000 annually.
The editors, who happen to be professionals in matters about parenthood, have graciously agreed to offer their services free of charge. The events planner will get a salary of US$ 25,000. The executive director who will be involved with the day-to-day running of the institute will receive an annual salary of US$ 47,000. Owing to the institutes small size and more of the services being done on the Internet, the receptionist position would be filled by interns.
The total labor cost will therefore amount to US$ 153,000. Office and conference supplies and equipment are estimated to be costing US$ 17,000 in the first two years, after discounts from a major supplier willing to support the organizations cause. Renting office premises travel and officials accommodation during conferences is estimated to total US$ 20,000, whereas miscellaneous expenses are budgeted to cost US$ 10,000 annually. This brings the total cost of the program to US$ 200,000, all of which we look forward to raising from donors, at least in the initial years before the organization starts collecting some revenue from activities.
To ensure accountability of the funds, the Institute shall contract an account that would be reviewing financial books weekly. The organization shall apply best practices of keeping stakeholders informed on financial usage and position (Hewlett & West, 2003, p. 97)donors shall be informed of Institute accounts quarterly and upon request. Individual employees would be encouraged to be economical with the funds and therefore increase chances of accountability. This would not be a hard task to achieve considering that employees and associates at all levels are hugely passionate about the subject of parenthood in America.
References
Graue, T. (2004). Ready for Parenting? Buffalo: Sunny.
Harkness, B. (2001). Parenting and Belief Systems. Hartford: Guilford Press.
Hewlett, M. & West, G. (2003). Parental Wars. New York: Houghton.
The American Family is undergoing an evolution that will continue to redefine the way a family is defined and portrayed in the public eyes over the coming years. Due to the high rate of divorce, the choice to live together instead of getting married, unexpected pregnancies resulting in single-parent households, the American family has become a confusing mix of step-parents and step-siblings. Somehow, those children who come from married families end up in a shared custody lifestyle, while those with non committed families seem to have more permanent families to speak of these days. I believe that this trend should be looked into with greater detail in order for us to understand possibly why married families fail and step or nonformal families succeed.
Does a stepfamily become a real family because the replacement parent has to work harder in order to be accepted by the child into the family? Is it the way the child feels about his existence in such a setup that will dictate the success or failure of the stepfamily? How do stepfamilies actually work? I hope that researching these questions will present us with an understanding of the early history of stepfamilies and how they successfully evolved into their current incarnation as a modern 21st-century family.
Later on, we should also look at how the other countries deal with any emerging stepfamily trends that they have. How does it affect the children emotionally and mentally? Is there a difference in the way Western children deal with the situation? Are stepfamilies also an ideal way to create a new family in certain countries? Why or why not?
These are just some of the topics that I feel should be discussed in reference to the way families have evolved over time and how society has begun to redefine families because of it. After the discussion, it is my hope that we as a class will finally be able to identify the new dynamics that are necessary for the creation of the 21st-century family and where we all fit into the system regardless of blood ties and relationships. It is already clear that we live in a world where a family is no longer defined by who gave us life but rather by who we create our lives with. With these two lessons in mind, I hope that the class will be able to unravel the mystery of what creates a 21st-century family.
Voters should vote for California Proposition 8. This proposition defines marriage as between one man and one woman. It basically eliminates same-sex marriages from the definition of marriage. Individuals of the same sex will not be allowed to get married; marriage will only be allowed between two individuals of the opposite sex. (California General Election, 2008) Previously the California Supreme Court ruled that gay marriages were the same thing as traditional marriages. They did this because they thought that the definition of marriage violated the equal protection clause and was a cause of discrimination.
There are some negative effects that this proposition will have on the community as a whole. Firstly, there will be a decrease in spending, revenue will be lost, but if we consider the long run, the impact will not be very substantial. Secondly, there are people who say that it goes against equal rights. (California General Election, 2008).
There are the positive aspects that we have to consider which will improve our society and not harm us now or in the future. Marriage is an institution that needs to be protected by law. The upcoming generations should know the difference between the two types of marriages: traditional marriage and gay marriages. If this distinction is not made for them, they will not be able to identify the difference, and they might choose the wrong path for themselves. We do not want to influence our children in the wrong way, we want the human race to continue, and with the increasing number of gay marriages, this seems to be at stake.
This does not mean that gay marriages will be prohibited or they will not get the same rights and benefits that they do now. They will, but instead of terming it as marriage as mentioned in the constitution, they can refer to it by another name, such as domestic partnerships. Their rights are not being sacrificed; we are just trying to save the sanctity of marriage.
This proposition will help us not just restore the definition of marriage but also protect our children from thinking that same-sex marriages are the same as traditional marriages, and it will overturn the decision that was ruled by the Supreme Court (California General Election, 2008). Our children need to be protected because the California Education Code requires that children be taught about marriage in schools. If this proposition is not approved, then children will be taught about both types of marriages, and they will view both of them in the same light. The values and beliefs that parents teach their children will differ from those taught at school, which will lead to confusion for the child and a conflict between the two teachings. The Reverend, Pastor, or Priest will not want to have same-sex marriages in their Churches; this will lead to another conflict. From a monetary perspective, they can be sued about their status of tax exemption.
Another problem that will arise if this proposition is not approved will be that ministers will have to limit their religious speeches. They will have to be careful of what they say because if they speak against same-sex marriages, they may be sued on the basis of discrimination. Private schools that are sponsored by religions and those that give housing will have to provide dorms or living accommodations for same-sex couples. This might go against their religious teachings, and if they do not adhere, they can be sued for discrimination. (What is Prop 8?).
This proposition is not taking away rights given to same-sex couples. Everybody has a right to do whatever they want in their private life, this does not mean that they can change society because they want to have a ceremony and officially be able to get married. The definition of marriage is universal, and the state of California should adhere to the universal definition, which is marriage is a union of a man and a woman.
The other party, which is asking you to vote no to this proposition, puts forward some arguments. They say that it is about equality, freedom, and fairness. With this rule, where is the freedom of the people, such as the Priests, who do not want to be part of such an activity? Who will think about our children when they come face to face with such harsh realities at such an early age, and above that without their parents consent?
They say that it is not fair to have two sets of rules, one for gay people and one for everybody else. There are not a separate set of rules; the rules are the same. We are just trying to protect something that has been this way for ages, and in our opinion, it is not right to change it because if we do, then we are also changing our customs.
Some people have confused this proposition with taking away the respect and dignity of the gay population. This is not what the proposition is doing; it is just changing the definition of marriage. Gay people still have the right to live together, have a family and interact with people the way they do in their normal lives. They can adopt the lifestyle they want; nobody is changing that or attacking their personal lives. The only thing that will be changed is that they will have domestic partnerships instead of marriages. Domestic partnerships are not treated differently under the law of the state of California; they have the same rights and are equivalent to marriages. The only difference is in the sanctity of the name. (California General Election, 2008).
The main reason behind changing its name is to protect our children and the upcoming generation. We want them to learn the traditional values that their parents grew up with. Such a change would devastate society, and the population of the country will start declining. There are many other aspects that we need to think of when voting for this proposition; we can not think of just one part of the whole society. The decision will impact everyone. For a few people, we can not destroy the basis of society.
Many same-sex couples adopt children. This leads to the child feeling uncomfortable while growing up. The majority of the children still come from a household where parents are from the opposite sex. A child who comes from a household of same-sex parents will be made fun of, and this can result in the child not being confident and not having any friends, basically a loner.
Almost 61 percent of people voted for the proposition a few years ago. We need to protect their right and freedom as well. We need to ensure that parents feel safe sending their children to school, that they do not think that their child will be exposed to information that is way above his age. The legal reasoning given by the judges was flawed. The judges need to protect society and its people. They need to think about the whole, not about the sum of its parts.
Married people depend on their spouses in case of emergency, and when we go to hospitals, it should be clear about who is with whom. Otherwise, it can be an embarrassing situation for the person who got confused and the couple themselves. This is one of the problems that same-sex couples have to face. This can not be taken as an argument against the proposition because this problem is self-inflicted. Even if the couple is married, the doctors can and the staff can still get confused, and an embarrassing situation will be created. (California General Election, 2008).
When voting for this issue, we need to keep in mind the interest of the majority of the people. Gay people are still a minority in the country, and if we allow legalizing gay marriages in a way, we are allowing society to deteriorate. We need to stand up for what is right by voting yes to this proposition and helping society and its traditions.
Works Cited
California General Election, 2008, Eliminates Right of SameSex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment, Web.
What is Prop 8? Six Consequences if the Vote Fails, Web.