Situation Of Persons With Disabilities In Pakistan

Situation Of Persons With Disabilities In Pakistan Although there is no widely accepted definition of persons with disabilities, twodefinitions can be found in the National Policy for Special Education in Pakistan: Disability means the lack of ability to perform an activity in a manner that is considered to be normal. A person with disabilities means a person who, on account of injury, disease, or congenital deformity, is handicapped in undertaking any gainful profession or employment, and includes persons who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, and physically and mentally disabled. The 1 998 Population Census defined the term disability as, Any restrictionor lack (resulting from an impairment) of the ability to perform an activity in themanner and within the range considered normal for a human being. Impairmentmeans any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or functional. According to the census for 1998, there are 3,286,630 people with disabilityconstituting 2.54 per cent of the population (Bureau of Statistics, 1998). Thefigure is underestimated, as the definition of disability did not include moderateand mild disability. Data collectors for the census were not trained to identify andclassify all forms of disability. Disability has often been regarded as a peripheral issue in discussions onhealth services. Despite a number of progressive policies included in thePakistans Constitution that declares equal rights for all, disabled people are stillregarded in the main as an insignificant minority. In the health sector particularly,they are regarded as cases to be cured, tailing which they are referred towelfare for care. I he denial of human rights, and the exclusion andmarginalization of disabled people is manifested in many forms within the healthsector. To date in Pakistan, services for disabled people have been based on anunderstanding of disability as individual pathology, the disabled person beingseen as a problem to be corrected. Its development can be traced to the greatstrides in medical science and technology, which led many to believe that dysfunction, could be explained through rational scientific argument; the cause of any condition regarded as abnormal being attributed to the malfunction of a physiological system. Pathology thus provided the means by which dis-ability could be distinguished from able-bodiedness, abnorrnality from normality. Disability as malfunction has since grown to be seen as a specialized health problem, at the heart of which is an emphasis on clinical diagnosis. Consequently the aim of medical rehabilitation is to assist the individual to be as normal as possible. in traditional societies such as Pakistan where education is low and economic development has not taken off, any disability among household members is normally concealed, especially disabilities acquired from birth or those developed soon thereafter. Intellectual disabilities and physical deformities arc perceived as stigmata since their existence could jeopardize the family name, which becomes especially important in societies with extended Families. The existence of any disability related to psychological concerns that results From congenital antecedents is considered a serious threat to a familys social status. The familys concern is related to the social discrimination that other people would likely demonstrate, which in the view of the family concerned justifies concealing the existence of such offspring. Another reason why family events relating to disabilities are concealed relates to the exchange phenomenon in marriages, especially on the bridegrooms side. The fear that other children in the family concerned may also carry genes which could adversely affect their progeny means that parents often will not reveal that such a person exists in the family, since it would be difficult For them to find spouses for their other, non-disabled children. Such fears are much greater fur families that are socially mobile or who have a relatively higher social status. The Religious/Moral model is historically the oldest and is less prevalent today. However, there are many segment of society in Pakistan that associate disability with sin and shame, and disability is often associated with feelings of guilt, even if such feelings are not overtly based in religious doctrine. For the individual with a disability, this model is particularly burdensome. This model has been associated with shame on the entire family with a member with a disability. Families have hidden away the disabled family member, keeping them out of school and excluded from any chance at having a meaningful role in society. Even in less extreme circumstances, this model has resulted in general social ostracism and self-hatred. In poverty-stricken developing society, like Pakistan, where additional hands are always needed to assist with family work, thereby supplementing family income, the existence of a person with a disability is considered a curse orunfortunate fate for the family concerned. The loss of family labor in addition to the diversion of family resources to care for the needs of a child with a disability usually results in additional fertility to offset the loss of that childs potential contributions to family income. The assumed need for having additional children could lead to reproduction within a short interval to neutralize potential social pressure and possible social sanctions. In following this line of reasoning, the cause of the original congenital disability and the potentially adverse consequences of another pregnancy on maternal health are relegated to a position of lower importance than the need for reproduction. In societies lacking social norms and institutions that should provide family support in terms of the socialization and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, families are put under extra pressure owing to the heavy demands on their time to make up for this lack of support. The presence of a disabled person in a family is thus considered a life-long problem, because the person concerned is expected to remain always dependent on other family members for support. In addition, the person with a disability represents a loss of productive potential in terms of society. The social pressure to bear additional children who can help to support such disabled persons leads to enlargement of the dependent population. Further, in their haste to respond to social pressures, couples usually ignore the possibility of giving birth to yet other children with congenital disabilities. These attitudes are among the complex sociological perspectives involved in treating the subject of disabilities. of consider these facts, The Tragedy/Charity Model is still exists in Pakistan which actually casts the disabled person forever in the poor unfortunate role, It emphasizes and encourages dependence on others rather than independence one might say it is a form of killing with kindness since if this is taken to extremes the disabled person may lose those life skills they had and become increasingly dependent. The disabled person is represented as brave and admirable solely because they live with their impairment, an object of pity and the focus of attempts to extort money from others in order to address the persons extensive and expensive needs. There is little or no recognition of the potential for independence or of the role of the disabled person in selecting the services they need or want. however, important changes were to occur with the evolvement of the modern era profoundly influenced by the enlightenment. One of the difficulties likely to be encountered is the negative impression created by the very widespread presence of disabled persons, whether neighborsor relatives, for whom no rehabilitative treatment is available. The problems of disability seem to be quite familiar to the general public in Pakistan, whereas there is little or no conception of solutions. It is not surprising in these circumstances that attitudes focus on helplessness and hopelessness. It will presumably be difficult to remove this impression before there has been a major upswing in the provision of rehabilitative services. Equally it will be difficult to provide facilities without a favorable climate of opinion. Attitude and provision must advance together. Traditionally used by charities iii the competitive business of fund-raising, the application of the Tragedy/Charity Model is graphically illustrated in the advertisement on newspapers and televised Children in Need appeals in which disabled children are depicted alongside young victims of famine, poverty, child abuse and other circumstances. Whilst such appeals raise considerable funds for services and equipment which are not provided by the government, many disabled people find the negative victim-image thoroughly offensive. The idea of if being recipients of charity lowers the self-esteem of people with disabilities. In the eyes of pitying donors, charitable giving carries with it an expectation of gratitude and a set of terms imposed upon the beneficiary. The first is patronizing; the second limiting upon the choices opens to disabled people. Also, employers will view disabled people as charitable cases. Rather than address the real issues of creating a workplace conducive to the employment of people with disabilities, employers may conclude that making charitable donations meets social and economic obligations. This is not to advocate dismantling charities and outlaw caring, charitable acts, which enrich our society and bring badly needed funds. But we do need to educate charity managers and professionals to review the way they operate and ensure that funds are channeled to promote the empowerment of disabled people and their full integration into our society as equal citizens requiring our respect and not our pity. The specific type and amount of neglection against disabled children will vary depending upon whether it occurs within the family, in the community, in institutional settings or in the work place. There are however, several key issues that appear time and again when such behavior occurs. Most striking is the issue of reoccurring stigma and prejudice. From the date of independence to date in Pakistan many although not all communities have dealt poorly with disability. Cultural, religious and popular social beliefs often assume that a child is born with a disability or becomes disabled after birth as the result of a curse,bad blood, an incestuous relationships, a sin committed in a previous incarnation or a sin committed by that childs parents or other family members. A child born in a community where such beliefs exist is at risk in a number of ways. A disabled child is more likely to face extreme negative attitudes at birth and this increased risk for ignorance reappears throughout the life span. This behavior compounds already existing social, educational and economic marginalization that limits the lives and opportunities of these children. For example, disabled children are far less likely than their non-disabled peers to be included in the social, economic and cultural life of their communities; only a small percentage of these children will ever attend school; a majority of street beggars are disabled children. Disabled children living in remote and rural areas may be at increased risk. in societies and including Pakistan where there is stigma against those with disability, research indicates that some parents respond with ignorance because of the shame the child had brought on the family or respond with violence because a lack of social support leads to intense stress within the family. in Pakistan, while many parents are submissive towards children where no disability exists, when a disabled child lives in these setting his or her disability often serves to compound and intensify the nature and extent of the abuse. For example, a mobility impaired child may be less able to flee when physically assaulted. A child who is deaf may be unable to communicate about the abuse he or she faces to anyone outside his or her household, unless these outsiders speak sign language or understand the home signs the child uses. A child who is intellectually impaired may not be savvy enough to anticipate a parents growing anger or know when to leave the room to avoid being struck. Regular observations of child rearing practices in Pakistan indicate that a disabled child faces increased risk as the result of child-produced stress, It is hypothesized that this cycle of increasing tensions can begin long before the child is diagnosed as having a disability. For example, a child with a hearing impairment may be regarded as disobedient; a child with vision problems may not make eye contact and appear to be unresponsive, a child with a neurological disorder maybe difficult to comfort or feed. Other researchers suggest that parents who become violent towards their disabled child are reacting not to the childs condition alone, but to the social isolation and stigma they encounter from surrounding family, friends and neighbors. Parents of disabled children often lack social supports as family and friends distance themselves; they can find no school willing to take their child or theylive in communities where there are few or no social services to help them with their childs needs. It is possible that both child-produced stressors and social isolation are compounded to produce a stressful in a household coping with a disabled child. It is also true that not all households with disabled children in Pakistan are stress prone and even within the same communities there are coping mechanisms in some families that prevent this behavior, while children with identical disabilities in other households are subjected to burden. As with many aspects of negative attitude towards disabled children, at this point, much more research in Pakistan is needed to allow us to adequately understand the factors that inhibit or foster these attitudes towards disabled children. The disabled child in a majority of household may receive less food, medical care or other services. This can be subtle, for example, parents or caretakers may wait a few additional days before spending scarce money for medicine or the child may receive less food or less nutritious food than his or her sibling. The low socioeconomic status of the family and the present inflation rate prevailing in the country may worst the situation a lot. Such neglect can lead to further impairments in a vicious feedback cycle in which the disabled child continually loses ground developmentally. Such neglect may be further exacerbated by gender for example, in Pakistan mostly parents spend huge money for boy childrens disability that for girl children, despite the fact that disability itself affects equal numbers of males and females. Neglect, in the form of the lack of adequate medical care, less nutritious food or lack of access to related resources, is the apparent cause of these deaths. In Pakistan as a general practice, the child is kept home to ensure his or her own safety, as parents fear that the child may be struck by a cart or abused by someone in the neighborhood. But in many other instances, even in educated and/or porch families a child is kept isolated because the family fears the reaction from other members of the community. As per treatment given by clergyman, children in some communities are kept shackled in windowless storerooms, hold hands and feet with iron chain, hot household courtyards or dark attics for night, often with little or no interaction, even by those within the household. Even in the next door neighbors may not know of the childs existence. Here is a need to create awareness among parents to send their disabled in special schools, for this see Box No. 1 for this purpose. When it comes to convincing Pakistanis that special education is important, especially the rural poor, the key individuals that arguments must be targeted toare parents. Parents must be persuaded that special education is valuable and necessary for their children with special needs. School administration, social service and child advocacy agencies may be aware that a disabled child Is the victim of violence or neglect, but choose to keep that child in the household because there are few or no residential care facilities are available in the country. The response of disabled children themselves to on-going violence within the home is dictated by a number of factors. They may be aware that this type of behavior is unacceptable, but fear loss of relationship with care giver or family member. While this is an issue for many children in violent households, for disabled children dependent on their abusers for physical care, communication with the outside world or other disability-specific concerns, these issues are more complex. S/he is also be aware that this type of behavior is unacceptable, seek to alert authorities, but are not listened to or believed. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, individuals who work as teachers, attendants for disabled children, or help transport, feed or care for such children, are often underpaid, overworked and largely unsupervised. While many who undertake such career choices do so out of the best of motives. Very few schools have mechanisms in place that allow students, parents to complain about victimization of these negative attitudes. This is all the more serious because in many areas of Pakistan and specially in rural areas there are only a handful of schools or educational programs that are available for disabled children. Parents/caregivers or children may hesitate to complain about abusive behavior in the school, fearing that they will be dismissed from a program when no alternative exists. Mostly in Pakistan, Disabled children are often kept in environments that can only be described as inhumane. Institutions for disabled children are often at the bottom of government priority lists and lack adequate funding, consistent support or oversight from government or civil society. Institutions are often overcrowded, unsanitary and suffer from lack of both staff and resources which lead directly to avoidable suffering and below the growth standards. The low pay, low social status, long hours and hard working conditions in many institutions means that workers are hard to find and administrators are quick to hire anyone. Background checks on personnel often are not done. This allows some individuals, intent on harming or exploiting children, to regularly seek work in such institutions. Because of lack of a registry or oversight of suchpredators when an abusive employee is discovered it is not uncommon for that individual to be tired from one institution and soon turn up working at another institution for disabled children nearby. Compounding this, as noted earlier, individuals with disability and their families tend to be ftir poorer than other members of the population, and this poverty can severely limit the ability of disabled children and their families to afford light for their rights. The large number of disabled children and their families who live in poverty also reduces that number of disabled young people able to afford related private special schooling. Because disabled children frequently receive no formal education or low quality education, their working lives often begin earlier than those of their nondisabled peers. Furthermore, because they are rarely trained or apprenticed for a specific trade or skill, they are often sent to work at the most menial jobs, constituting some of the harshest forms of child labor. While it is known that many disabled children are in the workplace, little information on these children exists because most find work in informal sectors of society as house servants, farm workers, in shops or in factories. Honestly speaking, in Pakistan, documentation of this attitude against disabled children in the workplace is therefore absent or very rare. However, knowledge from other realms of disability research can provide some insight. For example, those disabled children who are unable to work as quickly as their non- disabled coworkers, or those who are unable to hear to understand or follow directions, are at risk of being insulted and bullied. Because finding and keeping work for individuals with disability is difficult in most societies (i.e.: even in developed countries, the unemployment rate for adults with disability often is above 80%) disabled children and adolescents have little voice in the workplace and are at risk not only for physical and verbal abuse, but are also less likely to report such abuse or to quit should they be abused. In Pakistan, especially in rural areas and also most of the developing and under developing countries, the most common form of employment outside the household for poor disabled children may be begging. Disabled children are regularly used to generate income through begging. Some are placed on the streets to beg by their own families, some are sold by their families to others who keep stables of disabled children in organized rings of beggars. Either way, reports and anecdotes from dozens of countries indicate that such children are routinely subjected to violence both in order to keep them on the streets and once on the streets, by members of the general population, who see such children as easy prey. In more recent times, however, the notion of disability has come to be conceptualized as a socio-political construct within a rights-based discourse. The emphasis has shifted from dependence to independence, as people with disability have sought a political voice, and become politically active against social forces of disablism. Disability activists, in engaging in identity politics, have adopted the strategies used by other social movements commanding human and civil rights. And these strategies have brought gains, but within certain limitations. In Pakistan, from the mid 1980s, the country has enacted legislation which embraces a rights-based discourse rather than a custodial discourse; and which seeks to address issues of social justice and discrimination. The legislation also embraces the conceptual shift from disability being seen as an individualized medical problem to rather being about community membership and participation, and access to regular societal activities such as employment, education, recreation and so on. Where access is inappropriate, inadequate, difficult or ignored, advocacy processes have been initiated to address situations and promote the peoples rights. Yet, rights-based discourse, although employed as a political strategy, has also become a way of constructing disability by locking people with disability into an identity which is based upon membership of a minority group. Entitlements thus become contingent upon being able to define oneself as a person with disability. And the conceptual barrier between normal and abnormal goes unchallenged, so that while one may have entitlements legislatively guaranteed, community which cannot be legislated for, remains elusive. While rights-based discourse, at a strategic level, has brought some additional entitlements to people with disability, it has not significantly altered the way in which disability is constructed and so, despite legislative changes, some peoples lives have not necessarily changed. Rights-based discourse fails to meet these challenges for, rather than seeking to dismantle the entire concept of disability, it actually relies upon such a construction to support its claims for rights and entitlements. Part of the problem with the subject of education of disabled children in Pakistan is that it suffers from a lack of identity as a discipline or part of a discipline, and it operates in relative isolation from other relevant disciplines. Therefore it does not benefit from the research in other disciplines, and lacks accountability. An alternative approach would aim to acknowledge these difficulties, to draw onother disciplines where relevant, and to locate the subject within a development framework. HOW WE IMPROVE THE SITUATION: Improvement shall only be possible when we will work on each and every sector which prevents disability to its severe consequences. The following discussion highlights some of these areas. 1. Prevention: The majority of disabilities are preventable. There are, however, a number of reasons why there is a failure to prevent disabilities in Pakistan. Although there are a number of policies aimed at preventing disabilities, there is no coherent coordination between the various government departments to ensure that these policies are properly carried out. Also, there are a number of areas in which policies should exist, but do not. It is recommended that the Ministry of Health, in consultation with other relevant departments and the Directorate General of Special Education (DGSE), facilitate the development of a National Inter-SectoralDisability Prevention Strategy that will set national norms and minimum standards for the prevention of disabilities. 2. Public Education and Awareness Raising: One of the greatest hurdles disabled people face when trying to access mainstream programs arc negative attitudes. It is these attitudes that lead to the social exclusion and marginalization of people with disabilities. Negative attitudes are continually reinforced. Disability is portrayed as a problem People with disabilities are viewed as helpless and dependent; as ill and in constant need of care and medical treatment, or as tragic victims. Culture plays an important role in the way we relate to people with disabilities. This contributes to the perception of people with disabilities as different or outsiders. The changing of attitudes is not something that happens automatically or spontaneously. Attitude changing is a complex process which involves moving, in a series of stages, from one set of attitudes to another. Public education and awareness are central to the changing of attitudes. 3. Health Care: Appropriate, accessible and affordable health services at primary, secondary and tertiary level are essential to the equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities. Such services should include general medical and nursing assistance on an in-patient, out-patient or community home care basis, and specialized health professional assistance. 4. Rehabilitation: Access to appropriate rehabilitation services can make the difference between leading an isolated and economically dependent life and leading an economically independent life and playing an active role in society. The main policy objectives should be: to enable peo5le with disabilities to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric, and/or social functional levels; to provide people with disabilities with the tools to change their lives and to give them a greater degree of independence; to prevent secondary disabilities or to reduce the extent of disability; to take into account the specific needs of different disability groupings. 5. Assistive Devices: Assistive/rehabilitation technology enables individuals with disabilities to participate on equal terms. If people with disabilities are to access their rights and responsibilities and participate in society as equal citizens, they must have access to appropriate and affordable assistive devices. The production, supply and maintenance of assistive devices are presently uncoordinated. Imported devices are steeply taxed, making them very expensive. Initiatives to develop appropriate and affordable assistive technology have, to date, taken place in isolation from general technology development (i.e. they are aimed at a special market), with very little participation by consumers, or collaboration between the various sectors and agencies. With the assistance of modern technology, products should be developed for use by people with a range of different disabilities. The aim should be to reduce costs by producing for a larger market. This may require greater standardization of products. 6. Barrier Free Access: The way in which the environment is developed and organized contributes, to a large extent, to the level of independence and equality that people with disabilities enjoy. There are a number of barriers in the environment which prevent disabled people from enjoying equal opportunities with non-disabled people. For example: structural barriers in the built environment; inaccessible service points; inaccessible entrances due to security systems; poor town planning; and poor interior design. It is recommended that the Department of Public Works, in consultation with the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) and other stakeholders, develop national guidelines and minimum norms and standards with regard to barrier-free access. 7. Transport: There is a need for rapid progress in developing a public transport system that is flexible and accessible. Without this, people with disabilities will continue to remain largely invisible and unable to contribute to, or benefit from, the services and commercial activities available to most of their fellow citizens. Given the fact that the ability to use services, or attend school or work, is largely dependent on the ability of people to get there, the lack of accessible transport is a serious barrier to the full integration into society of people with disabilities. A large proportion of the population uses the bus services as their chief mode of public transport. Policy makers tend to focus on wheelchair-lift equipped buses when considering access. There are, however, a number of low-cost accessible features that could be considered in the short term. Dial-a-ride services have proven particularly popular in densely populated areas. The primary distinction between this service and existing services operated by welfare organizations is that people are able to use the service for any purpose, whether to work, school or for social reasons. Although the major airports in Pakistan have introduced extensive upgrading projects to make their facilities more user-friendly, smaller provincial and regional airports still remain extremely discriminatory against disabled commuters. This is, in part, due to a lack of information on national guidelines and minimum standards and norms. The larger airlines have introduced personnel training programs to facilitate a more sensitive service from airline staff. 8. Communications: Sign Language is the first and natural language of Deaf people, whatever thespoken language of his or her hearing parents may be. Sign Language is thecentral focus of Deaf peoples human rights. It is important to note that Sign Language is a language in its own right, with its own grammar and syntax. Sign Language uses the modality of space, in contrast with the spoken language which uses the modality of sound. There are several regional variations of Sign Language in Pakistan. Special Language Systems/Augmentative and Alternative Communication refer to any mode of communication used by people who can not use a spoken or sign language. They include Braille, touch, Bliss symbols or other means of communication. Interpreter services are linked closely to the communication needs of Deaf people and people with limited or no speech. These services enable them to communicate freely with society, and arc an essential clement in the achievement of equal opportunities for people with communication disabilities. They include Sign Language interpreters, lip speakers,

Minicase Raines and Warren Finance Essay

The disadvantage of using company collateral to back the bonds is, the asset used as collateral cannot be sold during the term of the bond and must maintain its value. 2. Seniority of the bond. The seniority of the bond is the order in which bonds will be paid in the event of bankruptcy. The more senior the bond, the higher priority of being paid if there is a bankruptcy, and the lower the coupon rate because the risk to the bond owner is lower. 3. The presence of a sinking fund. A sinking fund is an account set up by the trustee of the bonds. The trustee saves and pools money to purchase, pay off, or call bonds early. Setting up a sinking fund will lower the risk, thus lowering the coupon rate. The risk to the company is not having available funds to feed the trust. 4. A call provision with specified call dates and call prices. A call provision could be included to call the bonds if interest rates drop substantially. The call provision will raises the coupon rate but protect you from paying a high rate for a long period in the event rates drop. 5. A deferred call accompanying the call provision. A deferred call accompanying the call provision would give the bond purchaser a protection period where the bond could not be called. Adding this provision will prohibit you from calling the bond for a set time (call period), and puts you at risk of paying a high interest rate for the deferred period. Therefore, you have a lower coupon rate than a call provision with no deferral period but still higher than a bond with no call provision at all. 6. A make-whole call provision. A make-whole call provision is the safest call for the investor and a lower coupon rate for you. The discount rate is based on the current Treasury rate plus a small-specified percentage. The investor is protected by being made whole if there is a call. 7. Any positive covenants for purchaser and some S&S might consider. Positive covenants on bonds are proactive and reduce the coupon rate. Applying positive covenants to the bond makes it more attractive and secure to the investor by applying conditions that protect the investor’s interest. You may wish to consider a covenant to furnish your audited financial statements to the investors. This is something you already do and it would decrease the coupon rate. If you choose to secure with assets (see number 1), including a covenant to assure that the asset is in good working condition would lower the coupon rate. 8. Any negative covenants for purchaser and some S&S might consider. Negative covenants on bonds are restrictive and reduce the coupon rate. Applying negative covenants to the bond makes it more attractive to the investor but may hinder the operation by putting limitations on your business actions. You may want to consider a clause that you will not merge with another firm and that you will not issue any additional long-term debt. 9. A conversion feature. A conversion feature allows a bond to convert to stock and unless your company is planning to go public, this would not apply to you. If S&S has any plans to go public, you should consider a conversion feature. This feature would benefit the bondholders if the company did go public and if included could lower the coupon rate. 10. A floating-rate coupon. A floating-rate coupon is much like an adjustable rate loan. The coupon rate, tied to a published rate such as the Treasury bill interest rate over a set period, is adjusted per a set schedule such as every six months. There is a disadvantage of doing this when rates are low but will be more attractive to the investor, thus a lower margin. A cap on how much the rate can be increased or decreased would be a good addition if you choose this option. This would be a consideration if you choose not to have a call provision.

FCS 3215: Observation Assignment Essay

Dr. Isabella, this project requires that you observe two preschool-age children in the Child and Family Development Center (ground floor of the Alfred Emery Building) and, on the basis of your observations, report on a particular aspect of their development. In the following pages, three options will be presented–you may focus on either language development, play, or emotional behavior. Thus, the option you select will determine the nature of the observation you conduct, but it is also true that all projects must follow the same guideline. First, you must decide which of the three options you will pursue. Second, you should become familiar with the objectives of your observation (based on the descriptions presented in the following pages as well as any reading from the textbook that would prove useful in this regard). Third, you should begin planning your observation; this should include decisions regarding what you will focus on during your observations (e.g., behaviors, specific features of the physical and social context), what kinds of things you will try to take notes on in the course of your observation, which preschool class you will observe, and when you will plan to conduct your observation to assure that you will leave yourself enough time for a second chance should you fail to gather all of the necessary information on your first observation attempt. Fourth, you should conduct your observation, paying very careful attention to the behaviors and situations that you have (beforehand!) decided are most importan t–in all cases, you will have to observe two children for 15 minutes each. Take notes and remember that these notes are all you will have to work from when writing your paper. I also would recommend that you allow yourself approximately 1 hour for your observation. This would allow you at least a few minutes at the beginning of the observation to get a feel for the classroom and the children in it and to identify the two children you will observe; ample time to observe each child for 15 minutes (which may be split into 5 minutes now, 5 minutes in a short while and 5 more minutes at the end of your hour); and even some time to make up for observations that don’t result in any useable information. Fifth, you must rely on your notes and the details of the assignment to  prepare your paper. In all cases, I am asking that you provide some general, objective information about what you observed in each child, and that you interpret your observations in terms of what youâ₠¬â„¢ve learned about preschooler development. In addition, the introduction of your paper should provide a brief description of who you observed, when you observed them and what was going on in the preschool classroom during your observation period. Finally, at the end of your paper, briefly comment upon your experience as an observer. For example, How easy or difficult was it? What did you learn? How confident are you in the representativeness of the behaviors you observed for each child? As usual, all papers MUST BE TYPED. You are limited to 3 typewritten pages so think carefully about how best to organize all of the information you wish to present. Papers are due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, April 15. The preschool schedule is as follows: There are three different preschool classes (children ages 3-5): one meets Mon/Wed/Fri, 8:30-11:30, one meets Tues/Thur, 8:30-11:30, and one meets Mon thru Fri, 12:30-3:30 pm). In all cases, there should be no problems if you observe (quietly) from the observation booths attached to each classroom, or from outside the playground fence. If you wish to observe from within the classroom, or if you wish to go onto the playground with the children, you will need the permission of the head teacher. Simply tell them about the project, mention the class and instructor’s name, and there should not be a problem (do this ahead of time!). Following are descriptions of the three options, each focusing upon a different feature of preschoolers’ development. [Adapted from Bentzen, W.R. (1985). Seeing your children: A guide to observing and recording behavior. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers Inc.] I. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT A. Background Information Language is one of the more prominent behaviors in the preschool child. The preschooler is rapidly acquiring speech vocabulary and is refining his grammar to conform more closely to adult speech patterns. For many people, language is an indication of intellectual and social progress. In this exercise, you will be concerned with describing and analyzing the child’s speech and determining such things as the depth and variety of his/her vocabulary. 1.It is important to look at the child’s speech in terms of Piaget’s concepts of egocentrism and sociocentrism. Egocentric speech is speech that does not take the other person into account; it is speech that, for all practical purposes, is private. There is no real effort to communicate with the other person; therefore, whatever is said is meaningful only to the speaker. Piaget identified three types of egocentric speech: (a) monologue, in which the individual talks only to himself and with no other persons present; (b) repetition, in which the individual repeats words and phrases over and over again as if to practice them or as if he simply enjoyed making the sounds; and (c) collective monologue, in which two or more persons are talking together but none of them is paying attention to what the others are saying. Each â€Å"conversation† is independent of the other conversation. Socialized speech, on the other hand, is public speech. It is intended to communicate with someone and each person takes into account what others are saying and responds accordingly. Q1: 2.Does the child engage in egocentric or socialized speech? What are the circumstances under which these types of speech are used? Vocabulary is the foundation of speech. We communicate by putting individual words together into properly constructed sentences and paragraphs. Presumably, the greater the number of words in our vocabularies, the greater the number and variety of sentences and ideas we can utter and transmit to others. Words have different meanings and serve different purposes. Moreover, words must be placed in the correct position within a sentence; thus, there are rules of grammar and syntax. Q2: What do you observe about the child’s vocabulary? In particular, examine the child’s speech for words that express relations and oppositions, for example, words such as and, or, not, same, different, more, less, instead, if, then, and because. Also, how varied or rich is the child’s vocabulary when he/she talks about the world and the people/things in it? Think in terms of general classes or categories of objects, persons, and events, then assess how many different words the child uses to discuss those categories and/or how many different categories the child uses. B. Observational Objectives To learn about the language production abilities of preschool children, and how children of preschool age use language as a means of social interaction. C. Procedure For this exercise, your purpose is to observe and record the language behaviors of children as they are engaging in social exchanges. Basically, you will need to write about the vocabularies demonstrated, the ways in which children use their language for the specific purpose of communicating with others (either adults or other children), and the degree to which language appears to be influenced by the setting in  which it occurs. For this purpose, select two children and observe each of them for 15 minutes during a time when they have opportunity to interact with others in a small group setting–free-choice periods are probably best. (Do not try to observe two children at the same time!). As you observe, take notes regarding the nature and variety of words used by each child (writing down exactly what the child says would of course be very useful), the child’s specific use of language to communicate with others, and the context in which all of this is going on. For each child, your paper should include a brief description of the language used (including information about vocabulary, communication and context) as well as an interpretation of each child’s language behavior in terms of what you’ve learned about development during the preschool years. II. PRESCHOOLERS’ PLAY A. Background Information Play is considered by some psychologists to be the most important activity in which the young child engages. Indeed, play activities pervade the lives of children from infancy throughout childhood. Some play seems obviously linked to the child’s observation of adults; other play seems to stem from the child’s fantasies and from experiences that she finds particularly enjoyable. There are a number of explanations of the major purposes of play. These range from play as getting rid of excess energy to play as a means of socioemotional expression. Play can be a group or an individual activity. Play is distinguished from non-play by its special characteristics, the most important of which are its voluntary nature and its complete structuring by the participants, with little regard for outside regulation. When play is governed by consistent rules, we say children are playing games. These rules give play a social dimension. The participants must put their own personal wishes i nto the background and abide by the requirements of the game and the wishes of the larger group. It is important to note that not everything children do is play, although they will sometimes try to make play out of what adults intend to be serious. Parten (1932) has identified six types of play, which are given in an accompanying list (next page). Remember that play, like all behavior, occurs in a physical and social context. Therefore, include in your report information on the equipment and materials the child was using in his play and who the child was playing with, if appropriate. B. Parten’s Six Classifications of Play or Social Interactions 1. Unoccupied Behavior: Here the child is not engaging in any obvious play activity or social interaction. Rather, she watches anything that is of interest at the moment. When there is nothing of interest to watch, the child will play with her own body, move around from place to place, follow the teacher, or stay in one spot and look around the room. 2. Onlooker Behavior: Here the child spends most of her time watching other children play. The child may talk to the playing children, may ask questions or give suggestions, but does not  enter into play. The child remains within speaking distance so that what goes on can be seen and heard; this indicates a definite interest in a group of children, unlike the unoccupied child, who shows no interest in any particular group of children, but only a shifting interest in what happens to be exciting at the moment. 3. Solitary Play This is play activity that is conducted independently of what anyone else is  doing. The child plays with toys that differ from those used by other children in the immediate area within speaking distance, and she makes no effort to get closer to them or to speak to them. The child is focused entirely on her own activity and is uninfluenced by other children or their activities. 4. Parallel Play: Here the child is playing close to other children but is still independent of them. The child uses toys that are like the toys being used by the others, but he uses them as he sees fit and is neither influenced by nor tries to influence the others. The chid thus plays beside rather than with the other children. 5. Associative Play Here the child plays with other children. There is a sharing of play material and equipment; the children may follow each other around; there may be attempts to control who may or may not play in a group, although such control efforts are not strongly asserted. The children engage in similar but not necessarily identical activity, and there is no division of labor or organization of activity or individuals. Each child does what he or she essentially wants to do, without putting the interests of the group first. 6. Cooperative or Organized Supplementary Play The key word in this category is â€Å"organized.† The child plays in a group that is established for a particular purpose: making some material product, gaining some competitive goal, playing formal games. There is a sense of â€Å"we-ness,† whereby one definitely belongs or does not belong to the group. There is also some leadership present–one or two members who direct the activity of the others. This therefore requires some division of labor, a taking of different roles  by the group members, and the support of one child’s efforts by those of the others. C. Observational Objectives To learn about the distinguishing characteristics of different forms of play, specifically according to Parten’s classification of play behaviors. D. Procedure Familiarize yourself with Parten’s classifications of play as described above. Select two children in the preschool and observe each of them for 15 minutes, preferably during a free-choice period when the children are free to move about the room and play with who or what they wish. (Do not attempt to observe both children at the same time!) As you observe each child, look for examples of each type of play or social interaction as described by Parten. Also, in addition to classifying each child’s play behaviors, observe whether there are any patterns to their play. For example, are there particular situations in which a child tends to be an onlooker, but in other situations he/she engages in parallel or cooperative play? As you observe, you should take notes regarding these relevant issues so that you will have something to work from in writing your paper. For each child, your paper should include a brief description of the types of play exhibited (including information about which type(s) are exhibited most frequently) and the social context which characterized each type of play. Additionally, you should provide an interpretation of your observations based on what you’ve learned about development during the preschool years. III. EMOTION BEHAVIOR A. Background Information Emotions are such a basic part of our psychological beings that we sometimes take them for granted. Some of our emotions are clearly identifiable by us. We know when we are angry, frightened, or joyous. At other times, however, we can have feelings that are not so clear; we may not be able to label what we feel. Whatever the case, emotions are internal experiences that are private and directly accessible only to the individual experiencing them. This being so, we cannot state with certainty what emotion another person is feeling. She   must tell us, or we must infer the emotion on the basis of the individual’s behavior, facial expressions, and the event that preceded and might have caused the feeling. A child’s emotional behaviors become more refined and extensive as she matures. Therefore, a four- or five-year-old will typically be more emotionally expressive than a two-year-old. In this exercise, you will be trying to gain some understanding of the child’s emotional behaviors, of the range of her emotions and the kinds of situations that prompt these behaviors. Again, you can only infer what the child is feeling and cannot observe emotions directly. Therefore, be cautious in your interpretations and concentrate on the child’s obvious behaviors and the contexts in which they occur. 1.There are several emotions that are commonly found in preschool children: aggression, dependency and fear. Aggressive behavior is frequently defined as behavior that is intended to physically or psychologically hurt another person (or oneself) or to damage or destroy property. An important issue is whether a behavior is intentionally aggressive or simply an accidental occurrence. Further, it is argued by some that in order for a behavior to be termed aggressive, the aggressor must feel anger or hostility toward the â€Å"victim† and must derive satisfaction from hurting the victim. This kind of aggression is called hostile aggression. In contrast to hostile aggression, there can be cases where the aggressor is interested only in getting some object from the victim or achieving some goal. This is called instrumental aggression, and it need not involve anger or hostility. Q1: Q2: 2.Observe the child’s behavior for instances of aggression, either toward  another child or an adult, or towards objects in the environment. Be certain to differentiate between intentional, hostile and instrumental acts of aggression. What kinds of situations or frustrations make the child angry? What behaviors by other people anger the child? How does the child express his/her anger? Dependency consists of such behaviors as clinging or maintaining proximity to adults or other children, seeking approval, recognition, assistance, attention, and reassurance, and striving for affection and support. It is important to recognize that all of us are dependent. The issue is to what degree and under what circumstances we show our dependency. It is also useful to distinguish between two basic types of dependency: a) instrumental dependency, which essentially is the necessary reliance we have on others for certain things that are beyond our capacity to do; and b) emotional dependency, which is a need to be near others and to have their support, affection and reassurance. It can also be the unwillingness or the selfperceived inability to do things for oneself that one can or should be able to do. It is important that, where possible, you distinguish instrumental dependency from emotional dependency behaviors. It is also important to note that as children mature, the character istics of their dependency behaviors change. Very young children are likely to show clinging and proximity-seeking behaviors, whereas older children, who also have greater cognitive abilities, will likely seek attention and approval. Q3: 3.Fear is demonstrated by such behaviors as crying, withdrawing, seeking help, and avoiding the fear-producing situation. Fear can promote both dependency and aggressive behaviors. Nonetheless, fear can be expressed in such a way that it, and not aggression or dependency, is the primary emotion. Q4: 4.In what situations or activities is the child dependent, and, for example, seeks the presence, direction, or assistance of others? In what situations is the child independent and does not seek direction or assistance from others? What kinds of objects or situations appear to scare the child? In what ways does the child express his/her fears? How does he/she deal with his fears (e.g., by withdrawing, confronting the fearful situation, seeking help)? In addition to the emotional behaviors just discussed, there are other feelings that children are capable of experiencing and expressing. You should be alert to as many of the child’s affective states as possible. For example, there are the feelings of pleasure and displeasure, frustration, boredom and sadness. Like adults, children will differ as to how accurately they can identify and/or express what they feel. Q5: What kinds of things does the child find pleasant? What activities, play materials, stories, games and so on, seem to be particularly attractive to the child? How does the child express that pleasure? Q6: What kinds of things are unpleasant or uncomfortable for the child? In what situations does the child appear to be ill at ease? How does she express her displeasure? Q7: Are all or most of the child’s feelings expressed with equal strength, or does their intensity vary with the particular feeling or situation? B. Observational Objectives To learn about the differences in children’s emotional behaviors and the range of emotional responses in preschool children. C. Procedure Select two children, observe and record each child’s behavior for a 15-minute period (do not attempt to observe both children at the same time!). Record behaviors in as much detail as possible (attending to the kinds of things that would help you answer the above questions) and be sure to include descriptions of the physical and social context as they apply to the emotional behaviors observed. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU OBSERVE CHILDREN DURING THE VERY BEGINNING OF THEIR PRESCHOOL CLASS SO THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THEM AS THEY ARE BEING DROPPED OFF BY THEIR PARENTS AND THEN MAKING THEIR INITIAL ADJUSTMENT TO THEIR PRESCHOOL SETTING. Your paper should include a brief description of each child’s behavior (including the different kinds of emotions, the contexts in which they occurred and the relative frequency of each expression) as well as an interpretation or comment on each child using some of the questions and background information provided above. Finally, compare the two children, looking at the range of emotional expression, intensity of expression, and what evokes the emotional responses. In short, summarize how the children differ from each other in this area of functioning.

Toni Morrison Essays - 1329 Words

Toni Morrison The issue of abandonment and the will that it takes to survive the hardship of it is a reoccurring theme in Toni Morrisons writing. Tar Baby, Sula and Paradise all deal with the issue of abandonment and how it relates to the characters in her stories. Through her fiction, Toni Morrison intends to present problems, not their answers (Moon). Her stated aim is to show how to survive whole in a world where we are all of us, in some measure, victims of something. (Morrison) Morrisons broad vision extends beyond the individual to one that explores self-discovery in relation to a shared history. In order to dramatize the destructive effects of this kind of dependency, she intentionally exaggerates to find the limits. In a†¦show more content†¦Unlike Howard University, where black culture was neglected or minimized, at Texas Southern they celebrated black heritage with Negro history week and introduced to her the idea of black culture as a discipline rather than just personal family reminiscences. Morrisons discovery of the minimization of the black culture in the school that she attended may be looked upon as the abandonment of her roots and her black culture. This idea of abandoning the black culture is the main theme in her novel, Tar Baby. Tar Baby is also a name, like nigger, that white people call black children, black girls, as I recallÂ…. At one time, a tar pit was a holy place, at least an important place, because tar was used to build thingsÂ…. It held together things like Moses little boat and the pyramids. For me, the tar baby came to mean the black woman who can hold things together. (An Interview 255) Toni Morrisons Tar Baby (1982), is a novel about contentions and conflicts based on learned biases and prejudices. These biases exist on a race level, gender level, and a class level. The central conflict, however, is the conflict within the main character, Jadine. This conflict, as Andrew W. A. LaVallee has suggested, is the conflict of the race traitor. It is the conflict of a woman who has discarded her heritage and culture and adopted another trying to reconcile herself to the nightShow MoreRelated Toni Morrison Essay1278 Words   |  6 Pages Toni Morrison The issue of abandonment and the will that it takes to survive the hardship of it is a reoccurring theme in Toni Morrison’s writing. Tar Baby, Sula and Paradise all deal with the issue of abandonment and how it relates to the characters in her stories. â€Å"Through her fiction, Toni Morrison intends to present problems, not their answers† (Moon). Her stated aim is to show quot;how to survive whole in a world where we are all of us, in some measure, victims of something.quot; (Morrison)Read MoreBeloved by Toni Morrison622 Words   |  3 Pages In the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison, Morrison has created two very powerful characters: Denver and Beloved. Denver and Beloved are sisters, but in a sense, they werent always. It used to just be Denver and her mother, Sethe, that lived together in a house. That house was passed down to them by Denvers grandmother, Baby Suggs, which was given to her by a white couple who were out to help the blacks. Sethe and Denver were very co ntent with the way things were. Sethe had a paying job as a cookRead MoreBeloved, By Toni Morrison1571 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, Beloved, written by Toni Morrison, many themes and symbols played a crucial role when analyzing a variety of different characters. 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The intended audiences are not only black people, but also other races had suffered racism until now. I could find out and concentrate on the most notable symbols which are whiteness, blue eyes and the characterization while reading the novel. Toni Morrison was onRead MoreThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison1587 Words   |  7 Pagessaid, â€Å"We were born to die and we die to live.† Toni Morrison correlates to Nelson’s quote in her Nobel Lecture of 1993, â€Å"We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.† In Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, she uses language to examine the concepts of racism, lack of self-identity, gender roles, and socioeconomic hardships as they factor into a misinterpretation of the American Dream. Morrison illustrates problems that these issues provoke throughRead MoreThe Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison1095 Words   |  5 PagesSocial class is a major theme in the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. 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Toni Morrison has been called Americas national author andRead MoreThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison956 Words   |  4 PagesBluest Eye by Toni Morrison, does not necessarily involve slavery directly, but rather examines the aftermath by delving into African-American self-hatred. Nearly all of the main characters in The Bluest Eye who are African American are dominated by the endless culturally-imposed concepts of white beauty and cleanness to an extent where the characters have a destructive way of latently acting out their own feelings of self-hatred on others, especially other African-Americans. Toni Morrison’s novel