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My Ideal Learning Environment

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My Ideal Learning Environment

As an instructor, it is important to come up with a suitable plan to employ in the course of teaching. The plan should align with the course objectives and be a good fit for the learners. For effective learning, the environment should be conducive for both the teacher and learners. It is important to understand the nature of learners to come up with the best way of handling them. Teachers deal with different personalities because they deal with learners from diverse backgrounds and upbringing. It is upon the instructor to get creative on the most practical way of handling the students considering their different personalities and abilities. The teacher should develop ways of establishing boundaries among learners and with the instructor. This text discusses my vision for an ideal learning environment for an English class, a grade 11 class with most students ranging from 16-to 17 years.

Creating and Maintaining a Respectful and Collaborative Class of Actively Engaged Learners

There are various strategies I can employ to create a mutually respectful and collaborative class of actively engaged learners. Mutual respect is important as it creates an environment for safety, motivation and respect for students. First, I will establish a clear expectation on the first day of interaction with the learners. Communicating clear classroom expectations from the onset is important as it provides a chance to set class rules and procedures with the learners (Driver, Zimmer, & Murphy, 2018). The rules should be written down on the wall everyone can see. It is important to consider having one single rule –observing respect. The learners will be required to respect each other, their instructor, themselves, and their property. Additionally, instructors should convey their expectations to their learners at this juncture. Furthermore, another way of maintaining a respectful class is modeling respectful conduct at all times. As a teacher, it is important to lead by example as it goes a long way in pushing learners to become respectful too. Respect can be shown to learners by addressing them in a calm voice. Teachers should speak to their manners in a way they would expect them to also speak to them. Also, teachers should address support staff and administrators with the utmost respect. Another way to ensure students remain respectful is being consistent with them. This means enforcing rules with fairness and without favoritism and administering punishment as warranted. When administering punishment, it is important to do it privately to protect the students’ dignity. The teacher should explain the reason for punishment calmly before finishing with a positive comment such as “You knew there would be repercussions when you were interrupting class. I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow. To create collaboration, instructors should encourage their students to learn from each other. Discussions can help confused students to understand concepts better and view them in a new way. If a student reports a case where interactions such as group studies have yielded a good result, teachers should make reference to the incident as an example. This will encourage top-performing students to pair up and want to help average learners in a bid to boost their performance in that subject.

Building Relationships

As a teacher, there are various strategies I can employ to build stronger relationships with my students. The first strategy is to show the learners that you care for them. It is unfortunate that there is a growing trend that most students that drop out of school believe that their instructors do not care for them. The first step to making the teacher-learner relationship stronger is communicating feelings in a manner that shows empathy. Teachers should mind the way they talk to students, particularly in the presence of their peers. Additionally, telling them good morning and goodbye every day is important. Also, teachers can show students they care by paying attention to students that seem withdrawn, display high emotions, and disrupt class (Claessens, van Tartwijk, van der Want, Pennings, Verloop, den Brok, & Wubbels, 2017). Moreover, to strengthen the teacher-student relationship, teachers should always consider their learners’ perspectives. Just as a teacher encourages students to be empathetic towards each other, so should they demonstrate understanding of their situations. Teachers should put themselves in the student’s shoes and try to understand their situations from their perspective. Teachers can better understand their students by asking them what goes on outside the classroom and how they feel about the teacher. Giving students constructive criticism and offering them words of encouragement goes a long way in establishing mutual respect and trust and building their relationship with their instructor.

Ideal Classroom Organization

To ensure that all the students’ needs, including those with special needs the first step would be to designate the various learning areas and zones in the classroom. When thinking about different zones within the classroom, they should ensure they match the seating locations with the learning styles. While some students function best if positioned next to their peers, others work best if positioned alone and away from other students. Furthermore, other students have sensory or special needs, so they will need to move. For example, students that have sensory needs can be provided with a bouncy chair that allows them to bounce as their work. They can also use a disk-o-seat cushion which is an inflated cushion which provides core balance and sensory solution. Students can be able to move with this cushion. Foam pads can also be employed on the chair surface or ground surface to make disabled students more comfortable. In terms of organization, I will keep them power cords, electrical cords, and other wires away from walkways. Desks will be kept away from walkways to prevent hazardous situations. In case of an emergency, learners should be able to move around. Furniture and other obstacles should not impede students from exiting the classroom in the case of a fire or any other emergency. Moreover, in the arrangement, I will ensure to incorporate different learning zones and areas. One way to classify the classroom for maximum functioning is to have at least four areas. Area 1 would be for individual desks. These are the most traditional desks and should be reserved that function well alone and have a hard time pairing with their classmates. Area 2 should be reserved for small groupings and tables. Students in this sector are those that find it easy to cooperate. Area 3 should be left for a flexible seating area. These areas should be a combination of students that fit in all other areas. Area 4 should be left for students that require to be moved around frequently, the stander and the pacers. Such students seem to perform best if constantly moved around the classroom.

Behavior Management Plan

My behavior management plan supports this vision because it considers the most important aspects that comprise effective learning. Creating and promoting respect is important as it helps set boundaries, which is an important foundation for learning. The plan supports the vision of having an effective learning environment as it explores the aspect of building a solid teacher-learner relationship. Moreover, physical organization in a classroom contributes heavily to students’ learning ability and performance. By working on the behavioral and other issues mentioned here-in, both learners and teachers would benefit heavily from the learning process.

References

Claessens, L. C., van Tartwijk, J., van der Want, A. C., Pennings, H. J., Verloop, N., den Brok, P. J., & Wubbels, T. (2017). Positive teacher–student relationships go beyond the classroom, problematic ones stay inside. The Journal of Educational Research, 110(5), 478-493.

Driver, M., Zimmer, K., & Murphy, K. (2018). Using mixed reality simulations to prepare preservice special educators for collaboration in inclusive settings. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 26(1), 57-77.

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China’s Transition from the Mao Era to Neoliberal Post-Mao Market Reforms

A lot has been said about China and how it transitioned from the Mao era to a neoliberal post-Mao market economy. Evidently, China begun the transition to a market economy from the late 1970s and in the early 1980s using a systematic approach to its major industries including the agricultural sector, opening up itself to foreign investments, and allowing entrepreneurs to conduct businesses. Previously, Mao had instituted a socialist education campaign and in 1966 formed a cultural revolution aimed at removing counter-revolutionary aspects in the Chinese society. In a movement that lasted 10 years, Mao saw China descend into class struggles, unprecedented elevation, and widespread destruction of various cultural artifacts unique to China. Mao’s agenda was to preserve communism in China through a process of purging capitalist remnants and all traditional aspects for the society. Due to the radicalness of the Mao era, its abrupt end and the transition to a neoliberal market reform afterwards is quite remarkable. Notably, the most compelling elements identifiable in China’s transition from the Mao era to neoliberal post-Mao market reforms include economics as a key to the country’s agenda, reduction of trade barriers, partially free market conditions, and the partial control and deregulation of the capital markets.

One of the key hallmarks of China’s transition from the Mao era to neoliberal post-Mao market reforms was the reversal of some policies made under the Mao era. Ping highlights how the movement from socialization to privatization of housing and other property markets in a reversed policymaking period reflected development ideology in the post-Mao period (6). As a mark of neoliberal politics and thinking, the housing sector was prioritized in the economy driven new approach that has seen China rise ever since to its current status. Today, expansive economy driven policies have seen urbanization account for a majority of China’s success in the post-Mao era (The Guardian 1). These developments are clear indications of a change in policy, one that would not have been possible in a nationalized Mao-era government. At present, powerful national identity and the strong sense of social purpose, as identified by Meisner (413), have been replaced by a country focused on an economy-driven political ideology, one that focuses on an overall welfare of its society through enabling entrepreneurs to drive the economy, removing barriers, and protecting domestic industries from external rivalry that is harmful. Yet, in the current post-Mao market reform era, the government has retained some level of control not evident in countries in the same economic development level as China.

While it is easy to focus only on the economic development of the country following the end of the Mao-driven reforms, it is important to also note that the post-Mao Chinese state play a vital role in governing and regulating people’s everyday life. Yu presents a case of how girls in the traditional Chinese society were forced to bind their feet in order to marry city elites, in a display of a Chinese culture that was very unequal, influenced largely by the Qing Dynasty in the early 20th century (1). Here, the influence of the reigning political class shows how policies affect the daily lives of the people in China. The post-Mao Chinese state has similar effects, albeit not as extreme as the foot-binding girls, but all the same noteworthy as the activities and policies held by the government controls and regulates how people interact with others through business, social, political, ideological, and in economic realms. At present, the post-Mao Chinese state offers freedom in relation to entrepreneurship, a phenomenon that has created jobs for various industries, improved the livelihood of the people, led to a rise in middle class status for a majority of the citizens, and seen an unprecedented wave of internal rural-urban migration. According to Miller (1), migration in China, titled Farm to City, is the story of the movement from the Mao era to a more liberal post-Mao period that has seen the lives of many people transformed. Urbanization, largely due to government interventions and policies, has led to better health care, overall improvement in education and its quality, opening up of more rural economies, and an overall better employment opportunity. While some problems exist, including unemployment and overpopulation in some cities, and the problem of a middle-class economy, the role of the post-Mao Chinese state has been one that has facilitated positive change to improve the everyday lives of the Chinese people. Therefore, through its efforts to improve the economy, the post-Mao Chinese state has enabled better outcomes for people, even where poverty, joblessness, increased migration, and a rising middle class exist.

The role that the government has played in governing and regulating the everyday lives of the Chinese people has been converted into rapid urbanization and the formation of a middle class xiaokang society. Ping is conscious of the problems and limitations that have risen in China due to the rapid urbanization of the country including changing patterns of human activities, social structural changes, and migration (7). In China today, rapid urbanization and building a middle-class xiaokang society have given rise to high population density especially in the cities, a lack of affordable housing, poverty, inadequate infrastructure in some regions of the country, pollution, crime, creation of slum dwellings especially for those migrating into the cities, and congestion. Meisner’s view of the concept of cultural revolution also points to a change in culture where Chinese people are gradually adopting capitalist ideologies in various critical sectors and in the act of building and maintain a vibrant middle-class society (293). Overall, the problems and limitations of China’s rapid urbanization and building a middle-class xiaokang society continue to expand as the nation rises in terms of economic development, social structures, and the adoption of more economy-driven political ideologies.

Due to the rapid urbanization and the rise of a budding middle-class society, China has progressed unevenly. This has meant that the nation has seen many people move from the countryside to the urban dwellings in the cities in search of greener pastures. The effect has meant that migrant workers have increased significantly, a condition that Miller has expressed to be a disaster in waiting as the country expands in ways that even the government has not been able to control (3). Migrant workers earn better than those that stay behind in farms and the twin processes of industrialization and urbanization mean that the national Chinese economy is able to provide jobs, even at minimum pay, for migrant workers (Miller 3). However, life for these workers is uncomfortable insecure, and unfair. While the economic rewards are better than the life in the countryside, mass migration means that housing and other critical components of human living are critically inadequate. The plight and struggles of the migrant workers will continue in the next several years as mass migration continues to happen amidst an expanding Chinese economy.

In conclusion, China’s transition from the Mao era to neoliberal post-Mao market reforms has meant rapid development, industrialization, and urbanization. While positive elements exist, including a better overall living condition and more wealth distribution in the country, it has also meant that a majority of people have been affected. While the government struggles to provide the best living conditions for all its citizenry, some elements cannot be controlled. For example, migration into the cities have meant poor conditions and insecurity for migrant workers. Nonetheless, the transition from the Mao era to neoliberal post-Mao market reforms has been a positive era for China, one that has seen it rise to global status.

Works Cited

Meisner, Maurice, and Matthias Meisner. Mao’s China and after: A history of the People’s

Republic. Simon and Schuster, 1999.

Miller, Tom. China’s urban billion: the story behind the biggest migration in human history. Zed

Books Ltd., 2012.

Ping, Lei. “Demolition of a Distinctive Chinese Habitus: Controversies of Urban Sustainability

in Shanghai.” Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 61.6 (2019): 4-17.

The Guardian. “Chinese construction firm erects 57_storey skyscraper in 19 days: Company

claims to be world’s fastest builder after assembling Mini Sky City at a pace of three floors a day.” The Guardian. 30 April 2015: Web.

Yu, Kongjian. “Beautiful big feet: Toward a new landscape aesthetic.” Harvard Design

Magazine, Fall/Winter 10 (2009).

China’s economy could shrink for the first time in decades because of the Coronavirus

By Laura He, CNN BusinessUpdated 1702 GMT (0102 HKT) March 4, 2020

Hong Kong (CNN Business) The novel coronavirus outbreak has been brutal for China and could plunge the country’s economy into its first contraction since the 1970s.

Economic activity sharply declined across the board in February as companies struggled to reopen for business or hire workers during a government-mandated shutdown, according to official and private surveys released in recent days.

Wednesday revealed shockingly lousy news for services in the world’s second-biggest economy. Chinese media group Caixin said its purchasing managers index for the sector plummeted to 26.5 last month from a reading of 51.8 the month before — the lowest figure recorded by the survey since it began in 2005. A reading below 50 indicates contraction rather than growth.

“China’s economy is in a very bad way indeed,” said Kit Juckes, a strategist at Societe Generale. That data — which mostly follows small and medium-sized companies — largely tracked with a government survey of primarily state-owned firms in the services sector released over the weekend. China’s factories also recorded their worst month on record in February, according to government and Caixin data, as companies face extended closures to contain the virus, or struggled to fill jobs because of travel restrictions.

“The virus outbreak has put the government into a difficult situation,” said Raymond Yeung, chief economist for Greater China at ANZ. “On one hand, the lockdown policy is the most effective way to contain virus spreading out. On the other hand, the health measures are hindering economic activity.”

The gloomy picture painted by the data is reinforced by evidence from coming from big companies. The world’s biggest brewer, ABInBev (BUD), said it had lost $285 million in revenue in January and February in China, while iPhone maker Foxconn (HNHPF) said Tuesday it didn’t expect production to return to normal until the end of March.

The fallout could be crippling for China’s economic growth this quarter. Macquarie Group chief China economist Larry Hu suggested that the country could be in for a historic economic decline.

The data “suggest that things are really bad and the government is willing to report that,” Hu wrote in a note after the official data was released at the weekend, adding that growth for the first quarter could come in well below estimates currently running at around 4% (down from 6% in the fourth quarter of 2019).

“It’s even possible that the government will report negative growth for [the first quarter], the first time since the end of Culture Revolution,” he added.

China’s economy contracted 1.6% in 1976, when Communist Party leader Mao Zedong’s death ended a decade-long period of social and political tumult in the country. Since then, China has boomed, growing at an average annual rate of 9.4% between 1978 and 2018 as it embarked on a series of economic reforms.

Hu wrote that China will likely enact more policy measures to help the economy, but added that it’s too early to expect a big stimulus package from Beijing.

UBS economists also suspect that China’s economy contracted in January and February, noting the poor PMI data in a Tuesday research note.

“The next two weeks will be critical to track the path of new confirmed cases of coronavirus and the pace of economic normalization,” wrote Ning Zhang and Tao Wang, economists for UBS.

Bad news for jobs

The recent data suggest that Beijing’s efforts to shore up employment this year are in jeopardy. China’s services sector represents about 360 million jobs and accounts for 46% of the labor market, making it the largest source of employment in the country.

Government authorities have been pushing hard to keep unemployment low, wary of the fallout that could happen otherwise. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said last month that officials are “closely watching the employment issue and will try to prevent massive layoffs.”

He also said stabilizing employment is the government’s primary task, and placed special emphasis on new graduates and migrant workers. China’s 290 million migrant workers are among those most exposed to a slump, since they often travel from rural areas to the cities to take on construction, manufacturing, or service jobs that would have been tough to find during last month’s widespread shutdowns.

Only 80 million migrant workers had returned to work by mid-February, according to the government.

In recent days, Beijing has also urged college students to join the army and ordered all public colleges to expand their advanced degree programs — efforts meant to reduce the number of job seekers.

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China’s Economy Could Shrink For the First Time in Decades Because Of the Coronavirus

The article China’s Economy could shrink for the First Time in Decades Because Of the Coronavirus by Laura He discusses the economic recession state of China due to the spread of the Coronavirus. China is the second-largest economy in the world. China’s industrial progress could shrink progressively with the rampant spread of the Coronavirus leading to a drop in the stock market and higher unemployment rates. It is evident through the hardships Chinese firms face to reopen for business or hire workers after the government-mandated shut down in February as a measured policy to contain the virus. In micro-economics, an economic recession happens when the economy is on a downward spiral for two quarters in a row. A drop in revenues generated by large and medium-sized business organizations in China indicates that the Coronavirus has led to a contraction of China’s economy. Various global organizations operating in the country have reported a drop in their revenues where ABInBev (BUD) lost $285million, whereas Apple maker Foxconn expected its production to decline until the end of March (He, 2020). The country experienced its last economic contraction in the 1970s. It is a clear indication that the virus has seen most of the country’s economic activities shutting down due to extended measures to contain the virus or inability to fill in the job vacancies due to travel restrictions.

Coronavirus jeopardizes China’s combined efforts to contain unemployment. The virus has led to unstable employment levels in the country, with the government straining to create job vacancies for new graduates and migrant workers. During the shutdown, the workers face barriers of moving from rural to urban centers in search of construction, manufacturing, or service jobs. Out of the 290 million migrant workers, only 80 million have returned to work in February (He, 2020). The government has urged students to join the army as a measure to curb the unemployment rates in the country.

Work Cited

He, Laura. China’s economy could shrink for the first time in decades because of the Coronavirus. CNN Business, 4th March, 2020. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/04/economy/china-services-employment-coronavirus/index.html

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My Favorite Thing To Do

My favorite thing to do is to read and discover new information generally. Growing up, I always had an interest in reading novels. I am the kind of pupil who would sneak on novels and read them during class. Years down the line, nothing has changed. I still love books the same way I did years ago, only that my love for knowledge has only grown.

There is something about discovering new knowledge that tickles my fancy. My personality can be best described as calm and curious. I find joy in discovering new information for some reason. Reading books keeps my mind active and at ease. Whenever I start reading a new book, I feel happy and rejuvenated. Reading books gives me something to look forward to. I know that I have to find time to read the book if I want to see how the story ends. I am the kind that carries a book to read on my way to work. I do not mind reading two pages a day as long as I keep going. My thirst for stories is unexplainable. The same way I love reading stories is the same way I enjoy telling them. Not to toot my horn, but I am a good storyteller. I tell stories with a passion. Maybe that explains why I look forward to reading other people’s stories.

My favorite topics to read about include motivational books and books about financial freedom. I love these topics as they are of interest to me. Books about financial freedom and literacy have molded me a lot. I have learned about the saving culture, growing money, and investments. They have also taught me important life lessons such as working smart, living below my means, and paying myself first. Seeing that I struggle to manage my finances and make informed decisions, books on financial freedom has taught me invaluable lessons that I will hold onto for life. Motivational books have also helped me grow significantly as an individual and professionally. Currently, I read up to three books every month, which I intend to raise to five.

My Feeling Towards Research

The research paper has been quite a challenge as well as a motivator in the field of medicine. It has been a challenge because I had to look for information from several books and internet and try to relate with whatever happens in real life in a short period of time. On the other hand, it has really expounded my knowledge in the field of medicine in that I have come to know that communication is very important when it comes to the client who is the patient and the medical practitioner. As I was doing the research I have been acquired a lot of knowledge that I will be able to apply in the field of medicine. I have learnt that it is very important for nurses to have open channels of communication so that once the clients have confidence with them, they can be in a position to open up and tell them of their problems which will even make it easier for the nurses to come up with the solutions or best cure. This is because they are in a position to obtain the history of the patient which they later use to analyse the main problem.

My feeling towards the entire research is that I have tried my best because as it was an extensive research and I had not done such a paper earlier on. I am very delighted to have completed it with the short period of time allocated and am quite sure that given enough time to do research I could do better as I would even engage the medical practitioners to be able to gain more information that is on the ground.

I therefore would take this opportunity to compliment my Lecuters who have been very much supportive in guiding me through the entire process of schooling. You have been of graet importance to me as I could not have reached this far. I finally would want to kindly request the person marking this essay to kindly accept the fact that I have done my level best given the challenges faced while doing the research as time was limited and therefore relied only on secondary data and that am still learning on how to conduct research . I therefore request that you kindly consider awarding me better marks which will enable me achieve a better grade and move ahead.

Choice For STEM Course

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Choice For STEM Course

Even though it is true that art and such kinds of courses are essential to life, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses are the courses that have the biggest impact on life. This can be proven by the medical field as it is a STEM-related field and it is a very important part of life as through medical research, drugs, and other related parts of the whole the human person has been made better and has been enabled to operate with very few sicknesses. Even those sicknesses that exist most have a cure and they can be healed effectively through science. Nursing is one of the courses under STEM and my choice for the course can be related to my desire to impact lives in a positive manner. I have always wanted to get in contact with people and help them in the best manner possible. However, this has not been possible and through nursing, I am hoping to impact people’s lives positively through nursing.

Another reason I chose nursing which is a STEM-related course is the fact that nursing even though more inclined towards medicine has some elements that make a human a full human being. That is the human contact that is needed for nursing and the warmth with which the nurses are supposed to have towards their patients. The fact that special care can contribute towards the healing of a patient is astonishing and apart from science nursing is like a calling and that is what made me choose the course. It combines science with the art of caring. These two make nursing adorable and desirable as people wish to be cared for.

A STEM college education will enable me to achieve personal goals like the desire to be part of a community or a noble profession like nursing which I have always desired. Through stem education, I will get to understand the basics of the human body and science in a general manner as well as understand what it takes to be a nurse as through the process realize the full nature of the profession as well as what goes into it. This was any disrespect or lack of appreciation for nursing I ever heard or had before will be done away when I become one. Another thing is that through nursing I will impact my community positively as I will serve to my best ability and help patients recover and go through the different illnesses with ease. By doing this I will have achieved my goal and dream of becoming a nurse which I had even when I was young. This came along as a result of my admiration of a nurse who took care of me when I was sick as a young child. Just like she took care of me I promised myself to take care of more people who were in a difficult situation and I would like to achieve that by studying nursing.

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Choices and Views: A View on Cancelling in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”

“Sonny’s Blues” is a story written in 1957 by James Baldwin. “Sonny’s Blues” occurs in Harlem, New York, in the 1950s. Some of the key characters in the story include Sonny, the Narrator’s brother; Isabel, the Narrator’s wife, the Narrator, who is Sonny’s elder brother and the father, who is the father to Sonny and the Narrator. The main character in “Sonny’s Blues” is Sonny, as the story mainly revolves around him. The short story starts with Sonny as a drug addict who cannot change, but as the plot continues, Sonny becomes a sober person, shifting your attitude towards him from negative to positive. “Sonny’s Blues” is a must-read for anyone who enjoys reading about the effects of drugs in the community as they learn more about the effects of drugs from Sonny’s experiences.

The author James Baldwin

The basic plot of “Sonny’s Blues” is about a black algebra teacher who reads about his brother’s arrest in the newspaper due to using and selling heroin. He cannot imagine that what he is reading is accurate. Sonny’s brother starts to reflect on the times he had spent together with Sonny, and the rest of the story builds from this reflection. A first-person narrator narrates the story, and this is Sonny’s brother. The Narrator says, “I told myself that Sonny was wild,but he wasn’t crazy” (Baldwin 1). The Narrator creates the image that Sonny was a restless person, but he was indeed not insane.

Sonny is faced with personal dilemmas as he tries to avoid going back to drug abuse, and he does not come to terms with most characters in the story as they differ views and opinions hence creating conflict. There is a conflict between Sonny and the Narrator regarding Sonny’s desire to become a jazz musician. According to him, jazz musicians are the best as they are incredible. Sonny says that he has always placed jazz musicians in the category of people referred to as ‘good time people’ by his father (Baldwin 12). However, the Narrator disagrees with his opinion as he thinks becoming a jazz musician is a waste of time. The Narrator says to Sonny, “You’ll have to be patient with me. Now. Who’s this Parker character?” to mock one of Sonny’s most excellent jazz musicians, which makes Sonny angry (Baldwin 13). A conflict, therefore, develops between them. Sonny is faced with a dilemma on whether to continue his music career after being released from prison. He has a great chance of becoming successful with his music, but at the same time, making music might influence him to go back to using drugs (Baldwin 20). From the above examples, we see how Sony is faced with conflicts and dilemmas during the story.

The story’s climax is seen later in the story after Sonny has been released from prison and is now living in his brother’s apartment. Sonny and the Narrator engage in a furious argument over Sonny’s drug use. The Narrator does not understand why Sonny has to use drugs, but Sonny tries to explain to him that no one usually wishes to start using drugs. ” But nobody just takes it,” Sonny cried, “that’s what I’m telling you! Everybody tries not to. You’re just hung up on the way some people try-it’s not your way!” (Baldwin 20). The story’s climax is set when the two brothers witness a scene at a revival meeting. The revival was being conducted by sisters who only had bibles. After the revival, we see Sonny and his brother getting along well. Sonny even buys his brother a beer (Baldwin 19). The Narrator says, “I realized, with this mocking look, that there stood between us, forever, beyond the power of time and forgiveness’ the fact that I had held silence-so long when he had needed human speech to help him (Baldwin 20). This statement indicates the story’s epiphany as the Narrator has finally realized that instead of ridiculing Sonny, he should have concentrated more on giving hum human comfort.

From the story, we see that Sonny has dramatically improved in terms of his character and views. At the beginning of the story, he is portrayed as someone who is reluctant and does not listen to advice, but finally, we see him come to terms with his brother. Finally, the title clearly shows that Sonny is a passionate musician as the term “blues” is a type of sad music invented by black Americans in the 1940s. The life lesson readers should learn from this story is that one should not only focus on how he views the perspectives of life but should be ready to listen to other people’s views. The best audience for this story would be people struggling with drug abuse as they learn a lot from Sonny’s mistakes that affect his life after he starts using drugs. The message they should come with from this text is that drug abuse does not pay.

Works Cited

“Sonny’s Blues.” 323online, www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~cinichol/CreativeWriting/323Online/SonnysBlues.pdf. Accessed 14 Apr. 2022.

“James Baldwin Photo.” Flickr, 2003, www.flickr.com/photos/97453745@N02/9209406156.

My Family Within The Aspect Of Sociology

Families are the basic social groups and central institutions that are united through bonds of kingship or marriage and are present in all societies. In other words a family is a group of people who are affiliated by affinity, consanguinity or co-residence .The family provides its members with protection, companionship, security and socialization. Since it is a unit of socialization the family is an object of analysis for sociologists of the family. In every society there is a difference of how the family is structured and the needs of the family. The main unit in some societies is a nuclear family with two adults and their children while in other units it is a subordinate part of an extended family lastly a third unit is a single parent family where children live with just one parent who is either unmarried, divorced, widowed and can be a mother or father. Over time the family has been argued as the basic building block of society. Just like other institutions in the dynamic world it has been faced with challenges; it is hence vulnerable and susceptible to change that is incited by internal and external factors. These changes can occur slowly or quickly and they affect the dynamics of a family and hence it should be explored in a more holistic approach and not a single discipline approach. The family like other institutions has its own sets of values, statuses, roles and remains a principal environment where an initial form of socialization takes place (Naveed, 2009).Many sociologists rely on different perspectives and theoretical models that explain social interactions and the way humans behave. Sociologists analyze social phenomena at different levels and different perspectives. There are three dominant modes used by sociologists and these are functionalist perspective, conflict perspective and symbolic interaction perspective.

This paper will therefore look at my family within the aspect of sociology putting into focus various concepts and theories in sociology. First when we look at my family on a symbolic interaction aspect we will consider some symbols that are portrayed in daily life upon which all human interaction and all human relationships re based on. First I come from a single-parent family raised by a mother who is divorced. From this perspective it is indicated that people behave differently according to how they interpret the meaning of the world. This interpretation however is dependent on how they perceive the different symbols and details of daily lives. It can be said that language is symbolic since they do not summon forth meaning on their own but symbolize what meaning is inferred. According to the symbolic interaction perspective relationship are built on symbolic interaction. People communicate through language which is a shared system of symbolic interaction. All social and cultural interactions are symbolic. Marriage is facilitated by symbolic interaction between persons. It is said that people with strong marriage are those with similar interpretations of symbolic interactions. It can be said that my mother and father read the world in an incompatible way and that is why they were not able to remain stable in their marriage ( Farley, 2012).They had many cases of miscommunications and this led to their separation. Miscommunication can be termed as a natural result of miscommunication. This is due to the fact everyone attaches her own personal and cultural meaning of the various symbols and social phenomena’s and hence they have different expectations of the world my mother being from a religious home vied her marriage as a sacred institution whereas my father raised in a secular household read marriage as a cultural tradition and hence this became a source of conflict between them. On the symbolic interaction perspective action is motivated by a person’s subject interpretation of symbols. My parents were very incompatible when it came to their actions and behaviors. People read the world differently and that explains why they respond to the world differently. For instance my mother is very tidy and neat whereas my father is the exact opposite. When my family is looked at from the social interaction perspective then it can be clearly concluded that symbolic interaction definitely can explain the divorce (Farley, 2012).

The conflict theory looks at how people within a family struggle for power; how they disagree and how they compete for resources. Wealth and prestige form the basis for most of the competitions. When my family is looked at from the conflict theory it can be said that our family underwent conflicts and disharmony. This was due to the fact that there are different dynamics and roles played by my family members.first traditionally the father are seen as the head of the family and it should come naturally. However this was not the case in our family because my mother did not recognize this simply because she was the bread winner since my father was out of employment. She often looked down upon him and there was a constant struggle for power and control between them. My mother saw that since she was taking care of all the finances in the house then she should be the head but on the other hand my father could not let himself to this since he saw this as being denied his right bas a man and the head of the family. There was no way they could come to an understanding and hence there was no development of positive relationship between them hence the conflicts persisted and led to their divorce officially (Ray, 2010).

Structural functionalism is quite a broad perspective in sociology that interprets society as structure inter related parts; functionalism addresses the society as whole in terms of functions of its constituent elements like norms, customs, traditions, institutions. Family as asocial structure creates deep social and emotional bonds that give people in depth systems of social support and at the same time generate expectations of social responsibility within the members of the family through this fulfilling the function n of the family of creating social cohesion. In our family, my mother supports my brother and I socially, emotionally, financially and physically. We talk to her and confide in her many things including any challenges that come our way. She always lends us her ears and offers us a shoulder to lean on whenever we need it. She provides for us from food, clothing shelter and also education there is nothing we say we lack. In the same way we give her emotional support and encouragement incase she is going through a rough patch at work or generally in life. We really were by her side throughout the divorce process and never left her side. In our family there is a system of support for all of us as members of the family and hence a healthy environment and opportunity for growth of each one of us. Therefore each member should adhere to their functions and stay together in harmony. Therefore we see that the family is a very aspect of the society and has to be therefore studies with great care so that there can be avoidance of conflicts. All these dimensions of the family that have been discussed are very important when it comes to my family. There are a lot of things that I can learn from these perspectives.

References

Farley, A. (2012).What is the Symbolic Interaction Perspective in Divorce? Retrieved December 10, 2012 from http://www.ehow.com/info_10017957_symbolic-interaction-perspective-divorce.htmlRay, L. (2010).Conflict theory and the family. Retrieved December 10, 2012 from http://www.livestrong.com/article/345499-conflict-theory-the-family/Naveed, K. (2009).Family in Sociological Perspective. Retrieved December 10, 2012 from http://www.slideshare.net/naveedtaji/family-in-sociology-perspective.

My father has always seen the good in all people including those with the harshest characters and personalities. My brother and me struggled to understand this aspect of him, as he tried to instill the same in us partly because we were young. For this reason, I found myself dealing with adult issues like prejudice, justice, race and etiquette. Tom Robinson’s case exposed us to a deeper understanding of these issues and why it was important in society. Attending church with our black maid, Calpurnia also allowed me to process this content carefully and understand my father’s position as far as justice is concerned. Additionally, I was always a curious kid, asking questions and always ready to learn and have new experiences. As we were walking home from church, I asked Calpurnia the meaning of the word “rape.” She was a bit hesitant and shocked that I asked such a question with all innocence. Instead of giving me a straight answer she redirected me and suggested I asked my father. One evening I decided to approach my father who was sitting in his chair by the window reading the newspaper, and ask him what “rape” meant. The phrase had become common in Maycomb especially when walking down the streets with my dad and brother, following Tom Robinson’s case which was in his hands. I was curious to understand why the phrase triggered many people and their attitude towards my father and Tom during the trial. My father explained that rape was the carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent. I needed more information because I didn’t understand the concept or Why Cal refused to share such information with me if was that basic. Although I didn’t get all the content I needed from my father, I had educated myself a little bit and I was also a step closer to fully grasping the concept.

Childhood vs Adulthood

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Introduction

Childhood and adulthood are the two most important periods of a person’s life. A person’s youth influences how they will be as an adult, and their adulthood dictates how they will spend their retirement or old age. Falling ill was a major distinction between childhood and adulthood. As a youngster, a simple cough might win them a day of pampering relaxation in the bed and a couple of days off from school. Warm milk and hot soup would soothe a sick youngster much. One may spend their time watching cartoons or drawing in their favorite art books all day long. In addition, the youngster receives unending affection and love, which is priceless. Adults, on the other hand, must take care of themselves if they get unwell. It is not any fun any longer (Gopnik et al., 2017). There is a good chance that the grown-up guy will be unable to miss work if he is suffering from a mild illness or cough. A day off is likely to be spent working from home. Furthermore, they may have to care for their children even if they are unwell.

As a child, one does not have to be afraid to try new things since you do not care about the result. It aided in their education and provided valuable life experiences. However, an adult is too engrossed in conforming to societal conventions for him or her to take risks and attempt new things. When you are a grown-up, the fear of losing drives your behavior more than anything else. In childhood, watching one’s favorite cartoon series all day long was the greatest joy. As a kid, staying awake while watching a movie was one of the most cherished childhood goals. It didn’t matter how many times someone had seen their favorite animated movie, each moment was just as significant. Adults, on the other hand, can only dream about binge-watching. One is so exhausted after a long day at work that they find it difficult to keep their eyes open even if the main news report mentions a nice movie time.

When I was a kid, I didn’t care what anybody else was wearing; I was the center of attention. Everything a youngster need is available. Because they are so sure of themselves, others take their clothing as a fashion statement. Another benefit is that children do not have to worry about what to dress. The parents are the ones who come up with the ideas. In contrast to adults, children have little interest in fashion. All they want to do is play and have fun in a dress that they can move about freely in. In contrast, as a grown-up, it is essential to be fashion-conscious. Nonetheless, you do not want to be the center of attention during a social event. Adult responsibilities include searching for the ideal design to express one’s individuality, perusing fashion publications for the newest trends, and ensuring that one’s clothing is an exact fit.

It is a common childhood memory for children to construct a makeshift playhouse from old couch seats, large boxes, or ripped bed linens (Wright et al., 2018). Dinky cars, Barbie dolls, and baked cookies were just a few of their favorite things to have in their little abode. I think that is one of the most treasured childhood memories. For adults, the fun tent has evolved into a huge project including the construction of a large home out of concrete and cement, which costs a lot of money. Because they want to build a home of their own, they take on an additional job. The paradox of space is that it may either be too much or too little to suit all of one’s demands.

Conclusion

At some point in their lives, everyone realizes that their most treasured belongings are the happy experiences they had as a youngster, no matter how much they want to grow up. When compared to the carefree and happy days of childhood, all of life’s material blessings pale into insignificance.

References

Gopnik, A., O’Grady, S., Lucas, C. G., Griffiths, T. L., Wente, A., Bridgers, S., Aboody, R., Fung, H., & Dahl, R. E. (2017). Changes in cognitive flexibility and hypothesis search across human life history from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(30), 7892–7899. https://www.pnas.org/content/114/30/7892.short

Wright, A., Roberts, R., Bowman, G., & Crettenden, A. (2018). Barriers and facilitators to physical activity participation for children with physical disability: comparing and contrasting the views of children, young people, and their clinicians. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2018.1432702