The Change in Family Roles in British Society Essay Example for Free

The Change in Family Roles in British Society Essay Family structure and family roles within British society have changed dramatically over the years. This essay will explain the changes in the roles and relationships within the family in the last century. The arrival of the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism can be seen as the main factor which led to the change in family roles and structure in modern times. Michael Young and Peter Willmott in their book The Symmetrical Family suggest that the family in England has gone through four stages: The Pre-industrial family: The family is seen as an organised unit of production; family members worked together as a unit in the manufacture of agricultural items or textiles. The early industrial family: Family members at this stage are employed as wage earners. This kind of family prevailed in the 19th century when wages were low and unemployment was the enemy. The familys economic function was taken over by large scale industry. In response, families extended their network of relationships to include relatives. Women were for the most part responsible for this. There was a central relationship between a mother and her married daughter; by contrast the husband-wife relationship was weak. Women formed an ‘informal trade union’ from which men were excluded. This kind of family may still be found in long established working class areas. The symmetrical family: The nuclear family has become emphasised at the expense of the extended family and the ‘trade union’ of women has been disbanded. The husband is important once again within the family. Husband and wife share decisions, and work together, hence the term ‘symmetrical’. This kind of family emerged in middle classes and spread into working classes. Work is important in shaping the nature of family life. There are five reasons for the rise of the symmetrical family. The increase in male wages and the employment of women, the decrease of male mortality and unemployment rate, the increase in geographical mobility, the economic equality between spouses and finally the better living standards attracting men to their homes and leading to an increase in home entertainment. The Stage 4 asymmetrical family: Young and Wilmott foresee the development of a stage 4 family, which is an extension of their theory of the ‘Principle of Stratified Diffusion’. According to this theory, patterns of living spread down the social structure. Thus families at the bottom of the social order will copy the habits of those at the top. Applying this theory, they note that managing directors’ lives are work centred rather than home-centred. For such men sport, such as golf, is an important area of recreation. The relationship has become asymmetrical again, with the role of the wife being to look after children. Talcott Parsons believed that the extended family of the past, where each member of the family had a duty to perform including children who had to look after the elderly members of their family, served a number of functions in society. These functions have been taken over in industrial societies by specialist institutions such as the social services and schools. According to Parsons, industrialisation led to a move from extended families where fathers had to be the bread winner and mothers had to be the house wife who does not have any rights, and children from age 8 had to be at work helping their parents, to a nuclear family, where mothers and fathers have almost the same roles and rights, and where children become less dependent and have to stay in school to the age of 16. The structure of the family has changed for a number of reasons. The first is economic. Because more women are in paid work they become more independent. Before, women used to be house wives and they had no rights at all. The second reason for family change is moral. In the past, people could not have children without being married, to the extent that children born outside marriage were given to their grandparents to look after them, or given to work houses. Nowadays, fewer people seem to subscribe to traditional religious teachings on family and marriage; therefore people are free to make sexual and moral choices without any pressure of society. The third reason for family change is legal. Because of recent family law changes it has become a lot easier to get divorced. Before 1857 a private act of parliament was required to obtain divorce and only wealthy people were able to get divorce because of the cost involved. In the past, child abuse and women battering by their husbands were accepted forms of behaviour and women had no right to complain or to take any legal action against men. The BMA report on Domestic Violence (1998) recorded that, 1 in 4 women every year experience Domestic violence and 1 in 10 women experience domestic violence in their lives. However, in 1990, the home office instructed the police to treat domestic violence the same as any form of violence. In 1961, for the first time, women were able to decide if they want to have children or not and whether to have family or not. Also women’s priorities changed from getting married, looking after the family and having as many children as possible. Nowadays, women’s priorities are totally different; they want to be educated and to have the best career they can possibly have. Previously, women had to cope with their partner, even if they do not get on well together, single parenting was not accepted at all Today the welfare state supports women and their children if a relationship fails. Therefore, single parent families are able to survive on low incomes, which are provided by the state. This may account for the recent increase in single parent families as compared with to those days when divorced women had no support whatsoever from the government. To sum up, the last hundred years have witnessed a tendency towards more equality between men and women in terms of education, employment and legal rights. This has led to better individual conditions for both men and women. However, family life has not necessarily benefitted from the above. Instead, single parent families, with their negative impact on children, have increased dramatically and new less natural alternatives to the nuclear family, such as gay associations, have appeared in society.

Essay on Voltaires Candide - Fallacy of Optimism Exposed

Fallacy of Optimism Exposed in Candide In Candide, Voltaire paints a dismal and satirical view of the world. Voltaire paints a pessimistic portrait of a naà ¯ve youth who is raised to believe that this is best of all worlds. Time and again, Voltaire clearly portrays his belief that this is not the best of all possible worlds.    The characters of the story face great adversity. In chapter 10, Cunegonde states that her misfortune is so great that she does not see how the old woman's story of woe can surpass her own. In chapters 11 and 12 the old woman then goes onto tell of her misfortune. When she finishes Candide and Cunegonde are amazed at the hard times this woman has faced. At the proposal of the old woman, Candide and Cunegonde ask others on the ship relate their adventures, and sure enough, the others on the boat have stories that can match or surpass Cunegonde's tale of woe.    Throughout most of the book, Voltaire pokes fun at Leibniz's that according to the hierarchical structure of monads that this is best of all possible worlds. Candide and Pangloss are the main characters used to satirize the belief that this is the best of all possible worlds. Pangloss is a blind optimist; he refused to see things being anything other than the best. No matter what sort of natural disaster or misfortune falls upon someone Pangloss heralds it is being for the best.   Candide-the naà ¯ve follower of Pangloss-is first a blind follower of Pangloss, but eventually comes to reject his teachings. In chapter 3 after meeting John the Anabaptist, Candide affirms, "now I am convinced that my Master Pangloss told me truth when he said that everything was for the best in this world." However, in the beginning of Chapter 4 only few p... ...t this is not the best of all possible worlds. Though some good things happen along their adventures, Candide's fellow adventurers face great misfortune. Eventually they are forced to live a life of labor-not at all befitting their noble ancestry. Though greatly disappointed with their outcome all but Candide insist on claiming that all is for the best. The complete absurdity that one could go through as much and end up in the place where they end up and still claim that all was for the best furthers Voltaire's belief in the fallacy of systematic optimism.    Works Cited and Consulted: Frautschi, R.L. Barron's Simplified Approach to Voltaire: Candide. New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1998. Lowers, James K, ed. "Cliff Notes on Voltaire's Candide". Lincoln: Cliff Notes, Inc. 1995. Voltaire. Candide. New York: Viking Publishers, 1996.

Rhetorical Analysis – Arts in Public Schools

Funding for the Arts in Public Schools Rhetorical Analysis The arts, although important to be accessible to school children, has become a privilege for public schools due to budget cuts. In â€Å"Arts Education in Secondary Schools: Effects and Effectiveness. † by John Harland it is stressed that the arts ignite creativity that is crucial in childhood development. Likewise, in â€Å"Despite White House Report Advocating Arts Education, Budget Face Cuts. by Matt Phifer, published by ABC News, the importance of keeping the arts in pubic schools in addressed. Both articles effectively serve their purpose through a strong use of logos. Harland successfully wins his audience with his use of ethos and analogies, and Phifer has the same success through figurative language and expert testimonies. Right from the start, Harland makes his credibility clear. He states, â€Å"As an educator, a student, and a researcher†¦ †, this specific use of ethos is established early on to earn the reader’s respect.He continues to establishes himself by stating his report â€Å"was not only an accurate reflection of the children studied, but also of myself†. In addition, this peer reviewed article provides the reader with an over indulgence of charts, statistics, and report explanations to set a clear use of logos. Among the many charts provided, one of the most effective stand alone sets presents a side-by-side comparison of the average IQ of students who took arts courses as part of their curriculum, against those who lacked access to those courses.The chart is made very easy for the reader to comprehend and the remarkable data shows clear evidence in a larger average IQ among those who had substantial exposure to arts courses over those who hadn’t. Furthermore, Harland would take supportive statistics and flat out state them to his audience. For example he extended the data from his charts by stating, â€Å"In year 10, students with exposure to the arts had 67% higher intelligence scores than those without. †.Not only was clear evidence provided in this report, but a clear interpretation followed it, to make sure the audience was in complete understanding of the results. Harland also included some data that the common American might find to be irrelevant, such as, the rate of pay the teachers of arts courses may receive in contrast to that of teachers of â€Å"core classes† (math, English, etc;), however he pieced together clever analogies so his audience could not only relate to the information, but agree with it as well. His audience definitely had more knowledge on Harland’s point of view by the end of the report.In a popular article published by ABC News, â€Å"Despite White House Report Advocating Arts Education Budgets Face Cuts† by Matt Phifer, it is shown how important arts education is, what it has taught past generations, and why it is important for the future of our country. Phifer begins his article by providing his audience with specific background information and establishing a sense of knowledgeability towards his subject. This is followed up by straight up facts about the budget cuts the nation’s public schools will face.He explains to his audience how the No Child Left Behind Law had hurt a student’s ability to take more arts courses in conjunction with the regular curriculum. â€Å"A study found that 47% of respondents claim their art schedules were being interrupted more often†¦ † as well as, â€Å"the research showed arts-involved students usually perform 16 to 28 percent better than their peers who are not involved in the arts. † and also â€Å"The study showed a correlation between involvement in music and proficiency in math† are just a few of his very specific examples.His audience, who are most likely to be American parents, can definitely be intrigued by Phifer’s article, as it can lead them to want to make sure that arts education is accessible to their own children. To enhance the value of the statistics provided, Phifer also interviewed some key experts in this research. He provided claims made by highly credible sources. One expert testimony included, â€Å"You see the American flag, which is considered art. You see any piece of artwork say you see a Picasso, you know that that’s Picasso because you’ve grown up learning about the arts and being involved in art. this makes it clear that the absence of art would take away general knowledge. Surely, the audience can feel comfort in agreeing with Phifer, but also a disease towards their children’s future. Both articles provide strong evidence towards the claims they make. They convince their audience of their take on the situation and allow the reader to walk away from the article with more knowledge than they had before. The rhetorical devices used by Harland, and by Phifer were able to effectively lead their audience to understanding and relating to all of their evidence.

The Issue Of Reproductive Cloning - 833 Words

Reproductive cloning has been shown to be unethical through scientific evidences. Human cloning has proven to cause uncertain health defects, contradicted religious beliefs, and diminished the value of life. Reproductive cloning is currently prohibited in the United States, but in other countries, it is legal. Some individuals have started protesting against human cloning. Solutions to end this horrendous procedure is to enforce reproductive cloning to be prohibited throughout countries/continents and discontinue research regards to human cloning. Infertility couples and gender-identical couples have other options such as adoption and In Vitro fertilization. Medical schools and students should raise awareness concerning the dangers of cloning. Counseling groups with family members and individuals who lost their loved ones would be another solution. If this procedure is prohibited throughout the world then it will prevent the misuse of the practice. The topic will no longer be a deba table issue. Scientists can focus on other significant complications. If research purposes were prohibited then the United States and other continents will be reducing their debt. When it comes to research for human cloning, the cost is approximately $250,000. There were hundreds of research regards to cloning throughout the years, with many failures. This means that an enormous amount of money has been thrown away. The money can be put into other essential research. For example, money can beShow MoreRelatedThe First Human Clone : Real Stories930 Words   |  4 Pageshighlights the controversial issue of human cloning. The documentary has shown the development of a ten-cell human embryo along with explaining the science behind this extraordinary procedure. Human cloning has raised complex ethical challenges for the people involved, the healthcare staff and the society on the whole. 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What I have come to conclude after the various articles I have read, and the different