The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay Example for Free

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay The book â€Å"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin† is a decisively written personal story of the one of the most famous Presidents in the US history – Benjamin Franklin. The book is very intimate as the author tells the story of his childhood and his way to future values and beliefs. It is necessary to agree with Franklin’s idea that people should always strive for self-improvement and self-perfection. Therefore, Franklin decided to develop effective communication skills and meaningful techniques of conduct. He seems to be the person to follow. During the years of American Revolution Benjamin Franklin showed himself as an ardent proponent of political and economic independence of the country. Actually, he had all the makings to become a clever President. The autobiography is very rich because Franklin was also one of the Founding Fathers and American ambassador to France. I liked the idea he told about printing trade and â€Å"Poor Richard’s Almanac†. Franklin allowed people to share his fears and hopes to make country powerful and independent. Furthermore, his humility for his country and citizens is to be admired. When reading the book is becomes clear that Franklin is interested in the reading habits of people. Moreover, he notes that such people are provided with poetic souls. He admired this quality in people the most. Apparently, Franklin’s though is marked bys strong pragmatic tendencies because he is less concerned with ideals, rather with functions and work. Such pragmatism results a list of core virtues and values making the book striking and impressive. Nevertheless, Franklin is considered practical men and all those virtues are practical as well. He argues if idea is simple it is easily applied. Franklin wasn’t interested in abstract morality. The mentioned above humility belongs to the list of his virtues. And I agree with him that humility is important for people as it reflects their beings. As for me, the book is brilliantly written and ensures enjoyable reading. References Franklin, Benjamin. (1996). The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. USA: Dover Thrift Publications.

Theories on the Gender Pay Gap

Theories on the Gender Pay Gap Australian women earn about 83 ¢ cents for every $1 a man earns, according to a new report analysing the gender pay gap. Linda McDowell suggests that gendered assumptions have a range of influences on contemporary workplaces. Analyse the gender pay gap, engaging with the theorists you have studied this semester. INTRODUCTION As Linda McDowell suggests, gendered assumptions coming from heteronormative ideals and rules significantly influence contemporary workplaces. This subsequently results in the gender pay gap (1995). This paper seeks to critically analyse the influences emanating from gendered assumptions on contemporary workplaces.   Additionally, the link between these assumptions and the gender pay gap will be examined. This will be executed through examining the impacts of heteronormativity, which result in a never-ending binarised cycle that perpetuates the gender pay gap. Further, the possible challenges to gendered assumptions introduced by Judith Butler will be examined. However, to ensure a well-rounded analysis, the shortcomings of these challenges, and the subversive power of hegemonic masculinity will also be discussed. WHAT IS THE GENDER PAY GAP? The gender pay gap in society is something that is deemed ‘distressingly evident’, and continues to steadily control women in society (McDowell 2014 p.829). In Australia, the Gender pay gap refers to the discrepancy in pay between men and women in employment. Current statistics highlight that full-time working women earn 84% of a mans pay, making the gender pay gap sit at 16%. (WGEA, 2017, p.8). From this, it is obvious that progress is necessary. However, progress is not only slow, but proving to be difficult, as the gender pay gap twenty years ago was sitting at 17%, meaning that it has taken up to two decades to improve women’s pay by a mere 1% (WGEA, 2017, p.8). This is highly indicative of the stronghold that institutionalised gendered assumptions have over the workforce, even in the twenty-first century. A key theorist on the gender pay gap, Linda McDowell, states that women in the workplace have fought to ‘establish the right to be there at all’ (1995,p.80). This idea that women need to gain rights to earn money is embedded in historical ideologies that are not only out-dated but still guide the lives of many women today. Early feminist interventions to improve access to work and pay rates are still ongoing, such as the Liberal Feminist movement. The Liberal Feminist movement began in the early 1800s, with the aim of providing women with rights equal to those of men in education, the workforce and in society   (Tong, 1989). Although some of the endeavours of the movement have been achieved, such as women acquiring corporate and authoritative jobs that were once male-dominated, there are new barriers (Bishom-Rapp, S & Sargeant, M, 2016). The gender pay gap is one of the most significant new barriers implemented by institutions to prevent further development of gender equality in the workforce. The gender pay gap can be seen as originating from the three ‘glass ceilings’ embedded in contemporary society, and subsequently, contemporary workplaces (Bishom-Rapp, S & Sargeant, M, 2016,p. 102). The term glass ceilings refers to the invisible barriers that women confront as they approach the top of the corporate hierarchy. This term was established by the Glass Ceilings Commission, which sought to identify the glass ceiling barriers, and remove the blockages to advancement of women and minorities in employment (USDOL, 1995). The commission found there were three levels of barriers. The first barrier is relates to prejudice and bias, coming from educational opportunities, or lack thereof. The second barrier is concerned with the internal structures of a business. These structures are controllable by the business. They relate to the corporate climate and what is referred to as ‘pipeline barriers’ that come from lack of training and career development, which leads to the stunting of possible career advancement (Bishom-Rapp, S & Sargeant, M, 2016,p. 103). The final barrier is concerned with the government, and the lack of law enforcement, combined with dissemination of information about glass ceiling issues (Bishom-Rapp, S & Sargeant, M, 2016, p. 103). Although these three barriers cannot solely justify the widespread hold that the gender pay gap has on contemporary workplaces, they seek to pinpoint where the gender pay gap stems from, allowing work to be done in addressing these areas. HETERONORMATIVITY IN CONTEMPORARY WORKFORCES With the fundamental aspects of the gender pay gap now having been examined, the forces that perpetuate the existence of this significant issue within society require analysis. The most pressing force is the concept of heteronormativity, which is a harmful gender assumption that has a substantial influence on contemporary workforces. Heteronormativity can be defined as ‘a body of lifestyle norms, in which people tend to reproduce distinct and complementary genders (man and woman)’ (Herz & Johannson, 2015, p.1011). In contemporary society, heteronormativity is deemed to keep women in (within its confines) and also keeps women down, that is, subordinated (Jackson, 1999). Feminist discourse surrounding heteronormativity rose in second-wave feminism, the movement that broadened the feminist debate to address issues of inequality and sexuality, as well as workplace difficulties for women (Evans 1995). However, the origins of the ‘normalised’ heterosexual label within society can go back to the historical and cultural depictions of men and women from the eighteenth century (Boe & Coykendall, 2014). Though heteronormativity has a substantial presence within history and society, its impact as a gendered assumption within contemporary workforces is substantial. As heteronormativity conditions men and women to act a certain way according to their sex (which is also historically and socially defined), it leaves women boxed in.   Heteronormativity and the strict, reinforced gender binaries within society reflect the systems of oppression, and the construction of gender hierarchies (Herz & Johannson, 2015, p.1011). In order to maintain a hold on society, ideas of conforming to hyper-heteronormative behaviours are reinforced by institutions within society. Subsequently, these societal influences reverberate into education, family-life and in particular, the workforce. Although women have gained the right to coexist with men in contemporary workplaces, strict gender binaries prevent women from career development, strengthened abilities, and subsequently reinforce the gender-pay gap. The work of Angela McRobbie, a key theorist in the area of gender inequality in the workforce is highly pertinent to this discussion. McRobbie’s concept of the post-feminist masquerade highlights the harmful impact of gender assumptions in contemporary workforces (2007). McRobbie critiques the hyper-gendered performances women have been encouraged to engage in, as they place emphasis on the sexed body, and in turn gender differences. The ‘post-feminist masquerade’ is a means for patriarchal law and hegemonic masculinity to gain dominance against feminism (McRobbie, 2007, p. 723). Hegemonic masculinity refers to the configuration of â€Å"gender practice, which embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of legitimacy of patriarchy which guarantees the dominant position of men, and the subordination of women† (Bartholomaeus, 2013, p.280). This is done through encouraging women to engage in feminine consumer culture, so as to reinscribe their femini nity in the workplace (McRobbie, 2007). These hyper-gendered performances include subscribing to common feminine practices, such as wearing tight skirts, high heels and a face full of make up to assert their femininity (McRobbie, 2007, p.722).   As women are encouraged to perform hyper-femininity, institutions are able to reinforce fear of retribution from abandoning heteronormativity in the workplace. This forces women back within the rigid gender binary, creating an even greater divide between men and women in the workspace, ultimately perpetuating the gender pay gap. THE LINK TO THE GENDER PAY GAP AND THE REPERCUSSIONS Based on the analysis to date, the harmful nature of gender assumptions in the workplace has been examined. However, the way that these gendered assumptions impact the gender pay gap requires concentrated analysis. Gender assumptions have a direct link to the gender pay gap, as they dictate the field of work that many women are in. Women are significantly overrepresented in the lowest paying occupations, as female-dominated jobs pay far less than male-dominated jobs (Ting, 2017). Feminised jobs include those relating to care-taking or domestic tasks, such as nursing, cleaning and childcare. These sex-segregated jobs are clearly indicative of the roles ascribed to women within heterosexual discourse. These feminised jobs stems from what is known as the caregiver model. This model is a historical regime that took the inherent caregiver role of women, and limited their employment to areas relating to this heteronormative ideal (McRobbie, 2007).   As more women are found in jobs that abide by the caregiver model, the influence of this troublesome ancient structure today is evident (McRobbie, 2007, p.730) However, this caregiver model cannot explain the fact that the gender pay gap in Australia has been found to exist in more than 1,000 occupations (Ting, 2017). This is due to the fact that men in workplaces are promoted into higher positions rather than their female counterparts (Jaffee, 1989, p.377). This is problematic, as there is somewhat a double-disadvantage coming from these jobs. Women in feminised occupations are â€Å"twice disadvantaged- first by being in a â€Å"female† field, and second by being a woman in that field, since men make more than women, even in â€Å"female† fields†Ã¢â‚¬ (Bishom-Rapp & Sargeant, 2016, p. 137). Additionally, women in corporate jobs face vertical segregation. Vertical segregation refers to the exclusion of women from organisational positions of autonomy and authority, due to the sex differences within workplaces (Jaffee, 1989, p.387).   Thus, the gender pay gap not only stems from the one area of feminised jobs, but also from a lack of career advancement that is within the power of organisations in society. According to Wolf and Fligstein, the sexual differences in power in the work setting ‘are an important factor generating inequality in earnings between men and women’ (1979, 235). This highlights how ideas about the femininity of women drive contemporary workforce standards, as women are expected to perform work according to their performance of heterosexuality. Further, the long-term disadvantages that come from gendered assumptions and the subsequent gender pay gap will be critically analysed. Not only does the gender pay gap lead to disadvantage for women in social, financial and personal situations, but also leads to lifetime disadvantage. Lifetime disadvantage refers to the factors that lead to ‘the retirement ills of many women’ (Bishom-Rapp & Sargeant, 2016, p. 190). That is, the risks that women face from being unequally paid. As women go into retirement, they are at risk of experiencing the critical impact of the gender pay gap. Women subsequently earn less over their lifetime, which results in lower superannuation, and a risk of poverty in old age. In 2012, 21.7% of women aged over 65 were at risk of poverty, whereas only 16.3% of men were likely to experience poverty (Bishom-Rapp & Sargeant, 2016, p. 116). Gender inequality in the workforce not only reflects current social position and power inequalities, but it also leads to detrimental outcomes of lifetime disadvantage for women. TACKLING THE GENDER BINARY Although gendered assumptions continue to drive workplaces, there are ways to tackle this blatant discrimination that women face in employment. According to leading gender theorist, Judith Butler, there is a means to challenge heteronormativity, which forms the foundation for the gender pay gap. Butler believes that gender is reiterated through regulatory practices, and is culturally constructed through the heterosexual matrix (Butler, 1990, p.9). The heterosexual matrix refers to the re-stabilisation of gender through women repeatedly engaging in feminised behaviours and appearances (Butler, 1990). Therefore, the sexed body only gains significance from its constant reification and institutionalised endorsement within society. As the gender binary requires engagement by society, an inherent instability within this social construct can be made out (Butler, 1990, p11). Because of this, women are able to exploit gendered assumptions through their constant reinforcement, as it becomes obvious to those looking to challenge it. Women in the workforce have already taken charge in this area, as the overall gender pay gap in full-time employment decreased in 2015 to 2016 (WGEA, 2017,p.15). By viewing sex and gender as something culturally, historically and socially constructed, society will be able to define themselves with their own limitations and freedoms by challenging these constructed ideals. In particular, the feminist movement will make significant headway in this area through challenging normative heterosexuality. This effect will reverberate in the workforce, as the structures seeking to restrain women from challenging hegemonic masculinity will destabilise. The gender pay gap, in particular, has improved among men and women in trades including machinery operating and building, decreasing by 4% in terms of total remuneration between 2015 and 2016 (WGEA, 2017, p. 16). This is indicative of the progress being made by women in challenging the preconceived capabilities of their bodies. By going beyond the behaviours of gender that limit their capabilities, they are able to challenge both gender constructs and inequality in the workforce. As McDowell suggests, women’s sexed bodies are threatening in the workplace for the very reason that they are not meant to be there -‘They challenge the order of things’ (1995,p.80). Not only have women challenged order through entering the workforce; they have also challenged the very structured foundation of the order.   This provides women with the means to break through the metaphorical glass ceilings that limit equality in the workplace. Additionally, if women persevered with obtaining both equality and equity, it would ‘liberate not only women but also human personality from the straitjacket of gender’ (Herz & Johannson, 2015, p.1010). Therefore, by furthering the feminist movement, those reinforcing hegemonic masculinity and the institutions that enforce gendered assumptions will be disembodied. This includes the governing of each individual of society through the heterosexual matrix. THE PARADOX THAT IS GENDER EQUALITY In current gender studies, there are now ways to challenge gender assumptions that feed the gender pay gap. However, the gender pay gap is not in steady decline, and is expected to hold its position, if not rise in areas of managerial roles (WGEA, 2017, p. 6). As individuals are provided with the previously mentioned means to challenge the reification of gender binaries, the institutional stronghold over sex and gender conceptions tightens, finding new ways to subvert these challenges. By virtue of the fact that women are entering the workforce and fighting for equal pay, hegemonic masculinity is weakened. Because of this, institutions use any perceived gender equality improvements to set the fight back, rather than enhance it. This can be seen through the concept of ‘attribution of capacity’ enunciated by Angela McRobbie (2007). This attribution of capacity refers to the freedom given to women in the workforce. In a post-feminist context, women are provided with roles of accountability and autonomy, with the expectation of embodying a strong, can-do attitude to work. However, McRobbie argues that these improvements are instead reinscription of hegemonic masculinity, leading to drawbacks in the fight for equal pay. Women are ‘invited to recognise themselves as privileged subjects’ and are expected to be grateful for achieving   (with a fight) the fundamental human right of equality (McRobbie, 2007, p, 722). As institutions have relinquished this control over who enters the workforce, they apply new barriers under the faà §ade of equality. Women are now expected to be accomplished subjects who can come forward, however this is only on the condition that feminism fades away despit e neither equality nor equity being achieved (McRobbie, 2007, p.720). Therein lies what Raewyn Connell refers to as the patriarchal dividend, which is the advantage given to men as a group from maintaining inequality within society (2009). Monetary income from the workforce is just one of the benefits, in addition to respect, safety, institutional power and autonomy. (Connell, 2009, p.142). From the reinforcement of hegemony, the patriarchal dividend and gender binaries within society as a response to feminist movements, women are once again placed back into the labels and categories that they first sought to escape from, subverting years of feminist work. Additionally, the critique of the ‘Virgin Atlantic: 25 years: Still red-hot’ highlights the drawback that women face in the postfeminist struggle for equality (Duffy et al., 2016). The article critiques the marketing strategies used to evoke idealised gender appearances in a postmodern context in order to facilitate the perpetuation of gender binaries. The advertisement ultimately utilises ‘good old-fashioned sexism while simultaneously distancing themselves from it’, which suggests that the institutions that seek to retain a hold over postmodern feminism have utilised the newfound freedom of women and bent it to their will, making women slaves in their own emancipation (Duffy et al., 2016, p. 266). CONCLUSION Ultimately, by examining the structures within the contemporary workforce, the gender pay gap has been critically analysed. By examining the institutionalised gender binaries entrenched within society, the root causes of the gender pay gap have been established and evaluated. The analysis reveals that through heteronormativity and the enforcement of gender binaries, the gender pay gap is perpetually reified, with lifelong effects. Although Butler provides an outlet for change through challenging these binaries, the institutional stronghold over the sexed body and its link to societal outcomes proves to be rigidly in place, as discussed by a key theorist studied within the unit, Angela McRobbie. REFERENCE LIST: 1. Bartholomaeus, C (2013) ‘Colluding With or Challenging Hegemonic Masculinity’.  Australian Feminist Studies, vol. 28, pp. 279-293. 2. Bishom-Rapp, S & Sargeant, M (2016) Lifetime disadvantage, discrimination and the gendered workforce. Cambridge University press. 3. Boe, A & Coykendall, A (2014) Heteronormativity in Eighteenth-century Literature and Culture. Ashgate publications. 4. Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, New York: Routledge, pp.1-19. 5. Connell, R (2009). Gender Politics.  Gender. Pp.136–51. Cambridge: Polity Press. 6. Duffy, K, Hancock, P, & Tyler, M (2016) ‘Still red-hot? Postfeminism and gender subjectivity in the airline industry’. Gender, work and organization, vol. 24, pp. 260-273. 7. Evans, J (1995) Feminist theory today: An introduction to second-wave feminism. Sage publications. 8. Herz, M & Johansson, T (2015). ‘The normativity of the concept of heteronormativity’. Journal of Homosexuality. Pp. 1009- 10209. 9. Jackson, S (1999) Heterosexuality in question. Sage publications. 10. Jaffee, D (1989) ‘Gender inequality in workplace autonomy and authority’. Social science quarterly, vol. 70, pp. 375-390 11. McDowell, L (1995) Body work: heterosexual gender performances in city workplaces. (Routledge) 12. McDowell, L (2014) ‘Gender, work employment and society: Feminist reflections on community and change’. Work, employment & society. pp.825-837. 13. McRobbie, A (2007) ‘Top Girls? Young women and the post-feminist sexual contract’. Cultural Studies. pp.718-737. 14. Ting, I 2017. ‘The gender income gap in more than 1000 occupations, in one chart’, The Age. Viewed: 22 April 2017.

Graduation Speech: What is Next? -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Ad

What is graduation? Some people would say that it's proof of the freedom we will soon experience. Some say that it's the end of the best years of our lives. Some would say that it's when we're forced to grow up and become adults. Some would say that it's just another day, no different than any other day, other than the scrolls, the funny outfits and the clapping. Some go into it silent, awaiting their chance to be recognized for their victory dance. Some use stupid comparisons to describe it by saying that it's like the opening of a new door or that it's like taking another step on the never-ending ladder of life. Some praise it, some dread it. Everyone has a different opinion, but there's one thing that we all agree on. There's one question on the back of all our minds that we worry about every time we think about this night. And that question is: What's next? There are a thousand things that can be compared to graduation, and some of them may be pretty accurate, but none of them can come close to the reality of what graduation really is. Graduation can't be described in words, other than it's an event 12 years in the making. We've waited 12 years, move than half our lives, to stand on a stage with a funny hat and robe, which if I'd see someone walking down the street wearing I'd throw something at them. But it's just really hard to think about. Twelve of our 18 years on this planet have been spend working towards this single night. From the building blocks in kindergarten, to kick and wallball in fourth and fifth grade. From standing in circles putting your arm around your girlfriend's waist in seventh and eighth grades, to pulling an all-nighter in Abbot's class in eleventh grade. It all prepares us. Now, the people I k... ...e questions that's on all of our minds: What is next? Well, what's next is up to us. It's up to us to accomplish those goals we set for ourselves. It's up to us to decide whether we'll choose stagnation or generativity. It's up to us to accept the reality of seriousness and the beauty that can be derived from it. And it's up to us to remember these past 12 years and move on to bigger and better things while at the same time remembering the experiences we've had with our friends and family, because these times are the best years of our lives. Everything else is just a remix. These times are the foundation of our lives, and just like a house is built up from the foundation, our lives will be built up from these past 12 years. I just made a corny graduation analogy, but I don't care. The feelings in this room tonight can't be put into words, but they can be remembered.

Hamlet’s Madness in Craft Essay example -- Literary Analysis

In Act I, Scene V, after hearing the ghost’s demand for revenge, Hamlet says in advance that he will consciously feign madness while seeking the opportune moment to kill Claudius. Therefore, it is hard to conclude that he coincidentally became insane after making such a vow. Hamlet’s supposed madness becomes his primary way of interacting with the other characters during most of the play, in addition to being a major device that Shakespeare uses to develop his character. Still, the question remains: Is Hamlet really crazy or just pretending? The major conflict which seems obscures the possibility of obtaining clarity on the answer to this question is Hamlet’s inability to find any certain moral truths as he works his way toward revenge. Even in his first encounter with the ghost, Hamlet questions the appearances of things around him and worries whether he can trust his perceptions, doubting the authenticity of his father’s ghost and its tragic claim. Since, he is contemplative to the point of obsession, Hamlet’s decision to feign madness will occasionally lead him perilously close to actual madness. Indeed, one might argue that because of this conflict, it is impossible to say for certain whether or not Hamlet actually does go mad, and, if so, when his feigning becomes reality. Conversely, Hamlet’s sharp and targeted observations lend significant credence to his feigning madness. Most notably, he declares, â€Å"I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw† (II.ii.361–362). That is to say, he is only â€Å"mad† when he is oriented in a certain way, but that he is lucid the rest of the time. Nevertheless, Hamlet confusion translates into an extremely intense state of mind that is highly suggestiv... ...mlet’s desire to attain Laertes’ pardon clearly represents an important shift in his mental state. Whereas Hamlet was previously self-obsessed and preoccupied with his family, he is now able to think sympathetically about others. He does not go quite so far as to take responsibility for Polonius’s death, but he does seem to be acting with a broader and more humane perspective after the shock of Ophelia’s death. In conclusion, perhaps it is worthwhile to ask this question: if a person in a rational state of mind decides to act as if he is crazy, in order to abuse the people around him regardless of whether he loves those people or hates them, and to give free expression to all of his most antisocial thoughts, when he starts to carry those actions out, will it even be possible to say at what point he stops pretending to be crazy and starts actually being crazy?

Eagle Poem Essay -- Literary Analysis

â€Å"Explication† In the poem by Joy Harjo called â€Å"Eagle Poem,† Harjo talks about prayer and life and how they revolve around mother-nature. She suggests that while being one with nature, we feel we are in a place in which we haven’t imagined and the things in which we would love to do in that magnificent and calming place. After one reads the poem, he/she enjoys the lyrical type of it. This is because â€Å"Eagle Poem† sticks to one idea and extends it throughout the entire poem. For instance, it talks about prayer, nature, and animals from start to finish. In the first three lines of the poem, Harjo talks about opening oneself up to nature where you feel yourself. She does this by connecting the human body to the sky, earth, sun, and moon. The next six lines talk about the concepts and aspects during prayer and how you are in a whole other place. In these first nine lines, Harjo uses repetition with prayer and shows parallelism with the peacefulness nature and prayer can bring to oneself. Harjo also uses similes in lines ten and twenty two. She compares the circle of life to that of the eagle as well as the eagle to an angle. Joy Harjo did a tremendous job in explaining to the reader that one can relax oneself through prayer and nature. We can all relate to the idea of allowing ourselves into places not yet imagined and feeling at peace. She connects the idea of peacefulness with nature and prayer in a well thought language that allows her to still connect herself to her Native American ancestry. Harjos metaphors and images of nature and prayer are effective in getting her point across as well as making a deeper connection with her Muskogee Creek heritage. Before reading this poem, one might not be too intrigued by its title, but ... ...t really catch the readers’ attention. Although she wasn’t writing in the major eras, she did write in the era where the style of writing was changing. This allowed her to be able to write freely and truly express herself through her words and illusions. Works Cited "Characteristics of Modern Poetry - Poetry - Questions & Answers." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Web. 09 Jan. 2012. . "Eagle Poem." Poetry Out Loud. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. . "HARJO, JOY (1951- )." Oklahoma State University - Library - Home. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. . "Joy Harjo: The Poetry Foundation." Poetry Foundation. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. .

Family Function

The definition of family is defined in various ways to many different people. Many people may say their family includes the family of orientation, extended family, and family of procreation. It all depends on how the child is raised. Three important factors, out of six, that I consider to be the main functions of family are socialization, economic cooperation, and care, protection, and intimacy. Some families may very well address these functions, while others may not. And because of that, family may be quite hard to define because it goes above and beyond the surface.According to Swartz and Scott (2009), family is defined as a group of people related to each other by blood, marriage, adoption or being sexually open in a relationship. The definition also extends to couples who are committed to each other and are capable of providing internal and external factors ranging from emotional to economic support. Because of my culture, how I was raised, and where I grew up, I define family i n a complicated matter. The definition of family, according to me, is the family of orientation.It does not include my aunts, uncles, or cousins, even though we are somewhat related by blood. However, I do consider them as a part of my extended family. The family of orientation includes my parents and three younger siblings. I consider this to be family because this is where I was born into, rose, and grew up with. Of course, the definition of family will change over time for me because I am not yet married. To my belief, I will have a change in families after I get married to my husband with kids, which is also known as the family of procreation.This is when my new journey and definition of family begins. I do not believe a family is complete without children or pets, or anything or anyone that my husband and I, as a couple, could look forward to and love to keep the relationship lasting. To be considered as my family, the person does not have to be blood related. What matters is t he fair amount of love and care that is provided. The emotional support is what I lean more towards when it comes to family. I believe there is a way to everything when it comes to economic factors, such as dealing with our finance, having shelter, clothing, and food.Emotional support is needed when hard times come, and if the person or people are willing to go through with the bad, they are definitely considered family. Nobody would want to live through the hardship, so that is why I value love and care most in a family. No matter what I go through, I know that person or people will still be there. There are three families of functions that I can relate to. They are socialization, economic cooperation, and care, protection, and intimacy.Socialization is defined as a lifetime process â€Å"of social interaction through which people learn those elements of culture that are essential for effective participate in social life† (Swartz & Scott, 2009, p. 6). Socializing is a wa y of learning what society expects such as norms and values and develops the behavior of how one thinks, feels, and acts (Swartz & Scott, 2009). Children socialize to be able to better communicate through their own language, culture, and the mass media such as the television and radio.Ever since I was young, from infancy to child age, my parents communicated with me in our language, Vietnamese. We practiced our traditions and cultures through foods and celebrating holidays. I have learned what the Vietnamese community expects when it comes to holidays, elders, and food. Once I was enrolled into pre-school, I started to learn English, which counts as another form of socializing. Communicating was hard for me because I did not speak a word of it. However, my parents started to teach me what they could in the language.They taught me basics such as singing the alphabet, counting, and naming certain animals. Simple terms like stating my name, learning my address, and asking to use th e restroom were a start to a new way of socializing and a start of a new culture. Enrolling into school helped me shape the way to act, think, and feel. I was on my best behavior. And there was no such thing as always being happy like I was when I am at home with my parents. I learned what it was like to be picked on, be mad, angry, happy, and develop friendships.I think my family addressed this function well, because I have matured to be able to communicate and socialize with all those around me, which includes how to act and feel. Economic cooperation involves a family’s responsibility to provide for everyone’s physical and economic well being (Swartz & Scott, 2009). In history, families work in the field, as agriculturists and farmers to provide food. They also sold products that were farmed to provide money, shelter, and clothes. However, it is different nowadays.Now, both or either men and or women go to work to receive an income to help provide for their fami lies. When I was younger, my mom stayed home and worked at home and earned little income, while my dad worked at a factory and earned most of the income. But as our family grew, and the children got older, there were certain necessities needed such as bigger clothes, shoes, more food, and a bigger home. Therefore, my mom had to find a different job with a higher pay. Both of my parents did work and still work to provide most of the income for our family.When I got older and turned the legal age to work full time, I helped provide my parents the income in the family to help pay for small bills such as electricity, phone, and gas. I also helped pay for my two years of tuition at a small community college with my parents’ help. Not only did they provide for me through my college years, but also for my other younger siblings. My younger siblings are now twenty, eighteen, and seventeen. I believe my parents have successfully played a role in the family function, economic cooperati on. My and my siblings’ ages are very close to each other, which produces a lot of issues.At a certain point in time, all of us were teens, where our needs need to be met. An example of what I am talking about would be providing cars, car insurance, and overall health insurance. The third family function is care, protection, and intimacy. Everyone in a family needs emotional support, and care provided since infancy to adulthood. For many people, families are where we turn to when we are in trouble, to find comfort and emotional support throughout our lives (Swartz & Scott, 2009). In my family, emotional support is rarely provided.My parents provide emotional support for each other and the kids bond to provide emotional support for each other. Some of us seek emotional support from our close girlfriends and guy friends. My parents show a different kind of care when it comes to emotions. Not much emotion is shown from my father, but more from my mother. My dad would never o ver react to certain situations, while my mom would. High school was a great challenge for me. It was the place where I learned the most, academically and socially wise. I needed the most emotional support and felt the need to feel the emotional support and care.It was hard to maintain and stabilize my emotions in high school and was constantly down. I could not seek emotional support from many people in my life since they had their own problems. I always felt high school counselors were not a big help. They always told me, â€Å"it’s okay,† and ended up telling my parents. However, I was never depressed. Most of my care and emotional support came from the peers on my high school tennis team and the sport itself. Exercising and playing the sport helped me relieve all the pressure I had built inside.I do not sbelieve my parents have played a very big role in this area of the family function. However, they were there whenever I was in trouble with the school, with other parents, or the law. Because they were so busy working and trying to provide for the family, less time was spent with the kids. My younger siblings were able to come to me for emotional support and I helped them provide the care they need to feel. My parents were not very expressive in this family function due a completed socialization process and a great amount of time put into the economic cooperation.Family is a group of people who will always be there in your life, at least mine. The word family is different to very many groups of people. Some people do not consider their real parents to be a part of their family and some do. It all depends on how their life was lived, and most importantly, the relationships that were developed between the people they were living with. The family of functions are sub-categories of what a family is and I believe they are what fully describe what a family should be.

Cengage Learning Essay

After taking the survey regarding the climate of my organization, I gained interesting insight into my company’s position in the work/life area. The survey provided by the Work and Family Connection asked twenty questions, in which I enjoyed answering. 1. My manager/supervisor treats my work/life needs with sensitivity. Agree 2. It is usually easy for me to manage the demands of both work and home life. Agree 3. My career path at this company is limited because of the pressure of home life demands. Disagree 4. My job at this company keeps me from maintaining the quality of life I want. Disagree 5. My manager/supervisor is supportive when home life issues interfere with work. Disagree 6. My manager/supervisor focuses on results, rather than the time I am at my desk. Disagree 7. My manager/supervisor has a good understanding of flexible work hour practices. Agree 8. If I requested a flexible work arrangement, my manager/supervisor would support me. Agree 9. My manager/supervisor is often inflexible or insensitive about my personal needs. Disagree 10. I believe my manager treats me with respect. Agree 11. My manager allows me informal flexibility as long as I get the job done. Agree 12. My manager tends to treat us like children. Disagree 13. My manager seldom gives me praise or recognition for the work I do. Disagree 14. My manager seems to care about me as a person. Agree 15. I would recommend this company to others. Agree 16. The work I do is not all that important to this company’s success. Disagree 17. If I could find another job with better pay, I would leave this organization. Disagree 18. If I could find another job where I would be treated with respect, I would take it. Disagree 19. If I could find another job where I could have more flexibility, I would take it. Agree 20. I am totally committed to this company. Agree Since I scored seventeen, I am in the category that states that my organization is supportive and more flexible than most; however, there is room for me to grow (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). This scoring seems highly accurate to me. I do feel as though I have a very supportive and flexible place of employment; however, I feel that there is room for improvement. References Snell, S. , & Bohlander, G. (2013). Managing human resources. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning.