The characters in eastenders Essay Example for Free

The characters in eastenders Es utterThe characters in Eastenders are very(prenominal) stereotypical Lon dors, the accent, the garment and the way of conduct. Where as in Emmerdale theyre country farm type people. Their way of life is completely different that goes with issue offering the setting is completely different Eastenders is found in Albert Square and the Queen Vic-everything happens within these limitations and Emmerdale is establish on a village and the Woolpack this is a more wider limitation.The base lines in theory are very similar but are conveyed completely differently. The camera angles used in Emmerdale arent as good as Eastenders because in Emmerdale it actualizems theyre limited to two cameras in all(a)(prenominal) scene and theyre usually close ups of faces but in Eastenders they use 3+ cameras per scene and use a mix of tracking and close ups In approximately(prenominal) lashs the characters all seem to have occupations and big mishaps in their lives. In Eastenders ALL the characters are linked in one way or another which is done very cleverly. Its pretty much the same in Emmerdale the characters are mostly linked due to past hi accounting or such like. Using the limitations in both soaps causes intensity as everything is happening in the same placeIn both shows you generally see the same faces. The shows are both based on roughly 25+ characters. The story lines are very dramatic and the acting in Eastenders is that bit better than Emmerdale but theyre both done so comfortably. It seems inn both soaps life always goes on and story lines are forgotten with the click of a finger by characters and the audience. This happens in nearly all soaps The audience Eastenders is aimed at is roughly 10+ due to the timing of 730-8pm where as Emmerdale is aimed at 8-9+ as its on at 7 O clock In real life we have our ups and our downs but I feel it seems in Eastenders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street for that fact that everybody just has downsIn real life people do have complicated social relationships but in Eastenders AND Emmerdale it seems no one ever doesnt have them.-This is very fake. The television presents soaps very well and its clear lots of thought goes into all soaps but I feel that more thought and money go into Eastenders rather than Emmerdale. The meanings of most big story lines are to help others who are either in the same situation or having a bad time to boost their confidence or to excerpt in viewers.Eastenders story lines are more OTT and they are easily leaked to TV mags and newspapers I think this is to draw viewers but it just spoils the story lines because 99% of the time you know exactly whats happening The audience find it appealing to watch others lives being messed up and problems happen because it makes them feel better and see their problem from another perspective and think maybe my lifes not so bad This is good and is conveyed in all soaps. Both Eastenders and Emmerdale have a cou ple of rattling bitchy characters, which are really amusing to watch. The props in the scenes in both well thought out and in Eastenders the endings(cliff-hangers) are extremely well thought out to make you want to watch the next outcome.There are several Genres within soaps these include comedy, horror mainly reality and umpteen more. Some scenes in Eastenders and Emmerdale are funny and cheer you up and you can look back on them and still chuckle but, then again some of the scenes and story lines thought up are horrific and disgusting and you feel you dont want to watch any more but youre dying to find out what happens There are themes within Soaps, these are the story lines within Genres Themes are used to support views.The style in Eastenders of story lines is to take a story line and over dramatises it x10. Where as in Emmerdale the story lines are less dramatised and more realistic but this isnt what people want to see they want to see big problems and arguments. This is wh at makes Eastenders more popular soap of the two. The scene setting sets a basis of the soap i.e. in Eastenders the common accents and in Emmerdale the farms etc The presentational device is much better conveyed in Eastenders.The cast size in both soaps is roughly the same and there are about 15 main characters in each(prenominal) These play the superior roles and the others play large roles but are labelled extras. In both soaps there are swines and people that are just gits and theres as well as the sort of people who are lovely and friendly to everyone weather they like them or not Not everyone has someone to fall back on in soaps and this is realistic and usually leads to them doing something stupid or bizarre.Eastenders and Emmerdale are two very different, popular and competitive soaps They both have a good narrative coordinate and convey stories and problems brilliantly. But thats what most of the story lines are stories and not facts or real life situations. The denotatio n(what is seen) is always done to a high standard in Eastenders and a good quality in Emmerdale and usually gives a clear connotation (what the denotation means) They have a variety of Genres, which define the conventions of each story line. This forms on going story lines which isnt always a good thing because sometimes they drag on and put people off the soapThe general over exaggeration, dramatisation, tone and imagery form the presentational device within soaps. This is deep in both soaps. This causes the effect of addiction. You watch one episode and find yourself asking questions like what happened between so and so and is she always that bitchy etc then you find you cant wait until the next episodeWe posit so caught up in the lives of the characters their lives take priority over ours and we make time to see what is happening. The characters in both soaps use different facial expressions and tones of role to form the structural device. This is built in to convey a point thi s is regularly used in both Emmerdale and EastendersThe audience identification(what makes the audience like the soap) is the characters, you generate loving or hatred towards them with characters like Little Mo(EASTENDERS) and Kathy(EMMERDALE) you want to give them a hug and some friendly advice but with characters like Trevor(EASTENDERS) and Kaine(EMMERDALE) you want them to be locked up and the key thrown away. The content of the soaps on a basis of realism is surprisingly very low because the realism of story lines is probably 90% but the way theyre conveyed takes them down to about 40% this isnt a bad thing as the audiences do love itTo round up my essay Id say Eastenders isnt realistic, it is addictive, the actors and actresses are brilliant, it has the most dramatic story lines, its camera work is more effective and its the most popular soap at the moment. To round up Emmerdale Id say its a nice location, the actors and actresses are good and very realistic, the camera work could be improved by an extra camera and the story lines could be dramatised a little more this would make the soap a lot more popular

Apollo Group Essay Example for Free

Apollo theme EssayThe Apollo assembly was founded by John Sterling, a professor at San Jose State University, in 1976. They are a for-profit educational provider that specializes in educating working adults. The Apollo Group has many subsidiaries both domestic and abroad.The University of capital of Arizona- the largest private university in the United States Institute for Professional Development- a consultant service that provides private colleges and universities in the US with adult education program development, administproportionn and eradicatement run The College for Financial Planning Institutes- a national leader in providing financial run education the and certification to people and companies in the financial services industriousness Meritus University- an online university with degree programs in Canada Apollo Global Inc- a partnership with The Carlyle Group that dower in international education services in various countries The University of Phoenix is their ma ster(prenominal) subsidiary and has an enrollment of over 550,000 students. They provide undergraduate, masters and doctorial programs both online and at on-campus locations in 40 states. Since the University of Phoenix is a for-profit educator, they recognize their students as customers and start tailored their business to fit the educational wishings of their customers. Their programs are geared toward working adults they are able to educate their customers at a rapid stones throw with low overhead. They receive simple online platforms that are easy to use and their on-campus locations consist of basic classrooms. Since their primary customers are working adults and commuting students, they do not invest in building dorms, student unions or recreational facilities at these on-campus locations. Current IssuesWhile this business work has been profitable for Apollo Group, there are rough concerns that testament force them to adjust their plan. Because of the perception that online classes are ineffective, and patented colleges and universities are degree factories that are not providing a quality education, prestigious universities are sticking with tralatitious programs. This perception is shared by potential students and their employers. Apollo needs to improve the re effectation of their brand. The federal government has put some regulations in place to ensure that proprietary educators are educating students and not pushing them through their programs and granting degrees to create a revenue stream from federal financial aid and student lends.The Gainful Employment Rule- If programs bump the three test of gainful employment three times in a four year span they will not be in line to receive federal financial aid dollars. The 90/10 Rule- If the institution get more than 90% of its cash revenue from student loans, the institution cannot insert in student federal loan programs. Student Loan Defaults- The federal government sets a three year def ault limit on cohorts of students. If the students loan default rate of the cohort drops below the limit, the institution cannot participate in student federal loan programs.In addition to the negitive reputation and government regulations, the Apollo Group is facing competition from both traditional and proprietary educators. As the technology increases, more schools are investing in their distance learning programs. Apollo will need to find a way to differentiate themselves from these institutions. RecommendationsI think the Apollo Group should leverage the relationships that their other subsidiaries have built with their clients, as well as the ones their professors have with their employers, to get input on redesigning their degree programs. If done properly these programs will set industry standards and change the reputation of the University of Phoenix. These redesigned programs should create more employment opportunities for their graduates and help them pass gainful employme nt test. Working with major corporations to create these programs and gaining their public endorsement will give them an advantage over their competitors.While their business model does not include the extra amenities of a traditional university, the University of Phoenix needs to invest in career counseling and job placement services to help their students find good jobs, this will increase the likelihood of being in compliance with federal regulations. They should also develop a business reference showing how the 90/10 rule will cause them to deny enrollment to low income students and petition elected officials who serve low income areas to modify some of the federal regulations that they are governed by. Wall Street MetricsAs of this writing, The Apollo Group, with a ticker symbol of APOL is trading at $20.83 per share. Its 52-week high was $29.47 and its low was $15.98. It has a P.E. ratio of 8.54% compared to 24.38% of the SP 500 and 36.39% for the sector. Its dividend yield i s 0 compared to 1.85 of the SP 500 and 2.14 of the sector. It has a Beta measurement of 0.70. Based upon my analysis, I would not currently purchase this stock. Post ScriptThe University of Phoenix recently had some trouble retaining their accreditation. A peer group with The Higher Learning Commission, a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, recommended that they be put on probation. Specifically, the review team concluded that the University of Phoenix has insufficient autonomy relative to its parent corporation and sole shareholder, Apollo Group, Inc., to assure that its board of directors can manage the institution, assure the universitys integrity, exercise the boards fiduciary responsibilities and make decisions necessary to achieve the institutions mission and successful operation.1 The Apollo Group was able to work with the HLCs Institutional Actions Council First Committee to retain its regional accreditation, but that the university will be place d on notice for two years. In efforts to retain students by reducing the cost of development, the university has created a scholarship reward program that gives eligible undergraduate degree students up to $10,000 in tuition reductions. They also instituted a tuition freeze so students will not have tuition increases as long as they are consistently enrolled in classes.

Iron Deficiency Anemia and Early Childhood Caries

Iron Deficiency Anemia and ahead of time Childhood CariesAssociation amidst entreat inadequateness genus Anemia and archaeozoic childhood tooth decayTommy YeBackgroundEarly childhood dental caries (error correction code) and squeeze deficiency anemia (IDA) ar a global health problem in both the developing and developed countries such as China, India, United States (US) and the United Kingdom. error correction code is a term coined by the Centers of Diseases and Control (CDC) at a 1994 workshop in an attempt to focus attention on the eightfold factors (i.e. socioeconomic, behavi viva voce, and psycho-social) that contribute to caries at such early periods, rather than ascribing mend causation to inappropriate feeding methods (Colak, 2013). As the Ameri after part Academy of Pediatric Dentistry states, ECC skunk be only be defined as the presence of any smooth surface caries for children under the age of 3 and the presence of one or more smooth surface lesions in any pri mary maxillary anterior teeth for those 3 to 5 years of age (or a dmft decay, missing, filled, teeth score of 4 (age 3), 5 (age 4), or 6 (age 5)) (Schroth, 2013). These are the same definitions and criteria that most dental consonant practitioner used to assess children of early childhood caries. ECC commonly starts off as a demineralization of the enamel, which leads to severe decay in mostly the cervical regions of primary maxillary incisors and then later into the other anterior teeth. The decay, in some subject areas, burn down withal affect the labial and/or lingual surfaces of the maxillary anterior teeth. The aetiology of ECC is very complex and is considered multifactorial, but one commonly accepted etiology is the association with frequent consumption of fermentable carbohydrates and improper bottle- or breast-feeding practices ( tone, 2012).Anemia is the reduction of the total circulating red cell mass below the design limits, which in return reduces the oxygen-ca rrying capacity of the blood and ultimately tissue hypoxia and ischemia. Anemia is classified by either its cause (hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenic anemia, etc.) or its RBC size (macrocytic, microcytic anemia). Nearly fractional of anemia characters are caused by iron deficiency anemia (IDA), where IDA is the consequences of the lack of iron for hemoglobin synthesis (Shaoul, 2011). IDA is prevalent among young children and pregnant women. If left untreated, IDA can lead to the mental and physical development of children and increased death and morbidity of the other anemic patients. Diagnostic exam used to establish the diagnosis of IDA is the off-base blood smear. With the blood smear, we want to analyze ferritin, hemoglobin, and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), as they are key biochemical indicators of iron post (Schroth, 2013).As you can see above, both ECC and IDA are very similar health problems that can both affect children and the patients quality of living tremendously. Some studies reach indicaten that dental caries and its resulting innervation and pain can interfere with proper nutrition including iron intake, causing IDA (Shaoul, 2011). This research has shown that at that place is some connection between ECC and IDA. Despite the fact that ECC and IDA are global health problems declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), in that location is not enough unfluctuating point to highlight the close kind between the two conditions and the mechanism used to explain this deadly relationship. In this report, I aimed to use my clinical case and analysis of multiple studies to prove my point that there is a strong association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries and that more needs to be done to address this concern in terms of dental wariness and intervention.Introduction of F.B. and her presentation of condition or risk of exposure of infectionF.B., a 25-year-old woman with a history of iron deficiency anemia and ea rly childhood caries, presents to New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD), for a dental check up. She takes no medication for her anemic condition and review of the CBC from her MD were tout ensemble within the normal limits. On exam, she needs several restorations and multiple fixed prosthodontic works.MethodologyClinical Question In ECC patient, ordain patient with iron deficiency anemia increase their chances of having more dental caries and periodontal problems in the future, compared to patient without a significant medical history?PICO PECC patient, Ipatient with iron deficiency anemia, Cpatient without a significant medical history, and Oincrease their chances of having more dental caries and periodontal problemsLiterature Search Literature searches were done in PubMed using the keywords iron deficiency and anemia with the Boolean operator and.Literature ReviewFrom the literature search, I found ternary articles that were applicable to the clinical question and th e aim of this report. The three articles are listed belowAssociation between iron status, iron deficiency anemia, and severe early childhood caries a case-control study by Robert J. Schroth et. alThe Association of childhood iron deficiency anemia with severe dental caries by Ron Shaoul, et. alRelationship between dental caries status and anemia in children with severe early childhood caries by Ru Shing Tang, et. alThe goal of Schroths study was to investigate the relationship of the varied iron and hemoglobin levels btn the ECC and caries-free patients. In order to do such a thing, Schroth and the others decided to perform a case control study. They recruited 266 children, where 144 of them have ECC and the last 122 of them are caries-free. ECC patients were both recruited from Winnipeg, Canada between October 2009 and August 2011. All of these children fulfilled the inclusion criteria where they essential have severe tooth decay involving multiple primary teeth necessitating re habilitative dental surgery under general anesthetic (GA) (Schroth, 2013). The caries-free patients were the control group and were recruited from the same area and time period. They all underwent a dental assessment, without radiographs, by the researchers to ensure they were caries-free (dmft = 0) (Schroth, 2013). Both the ECC and the caries-free patient must(prenominal) be healthy and are less than 72 months of age the average age of all the participating children were 40.8 14.1 months.Schroth and the others collected demographic entropy by making the parents of the children answer an interviewed questionnaire regarding their childs nutritional habits, use of supplements, physical and oral health, oral hygiene and dental habits, socioeconomic status (e.g. household income), and family demographics. (Schroth, 2013). Afterward, they collected serum samples of all but 4 children in the operating room by the attention anesthesiologist. From the laboratory results, Schroth and the others were able to obtain the necessary data to arrive at the following conclusionsChildren w/ ECC had significantly lower ferritin status and hemoglobin levels than caries-free childrenChildren w/ ECC had significantly greater odds for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia than caries-free childrenThis conclusion helped to reinforce and help to support the authors claim that there is an indeed an association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries. The authors do not understand the reasons why that is the case, but they hypothesized that it might be referable to the bodys inflammatory response that accompanies from dental caries. They believed that inflammation associated with ECC may trigger a series of events which ultimately leads to the work of cytokines, which may, in turn, inhibit erythropoiesis and thus reduce the level of hemoglobin in the blood (Schroth, 2013). Dental caries may withal cause severe pain and discomfort for the ECC patient, which may, in turn, caused the patient to eat less and hence the low iron level. Ultimately, the decrease in hemoglobin and iron are the main subscriber to anemia or IDA.The purpose of Shaouls study was to investigate the differences in the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), iron, and other anemic indicators before and 4-6 months after an ECC dental restoration. In order to do such a thing, Shaoul and the others decided to perform a case control study. They recruited 155 children, where 33 of them are the control group, who visited the dental clinic for treatment for ECC at Bnai Zion Medical Center in Haifa, Israel between January 2007 and September 2008. All of these children fulfilled the inclusion criteria where they have to all be healthy with no inveterate diseases and all within the age range of 3-18 years old who are presented with ECC and microcytic anemia that are caused by IDA. The exclusion criteria included chronic or acute illness, known blood dyscrasia, any known form of haemoglobi nopathy, children who had undergone abdominal surgery or had been diagnosed with malignancy (Shaoul, 2011). The 30 children that were selected, as the control group, must meet these additional inclusion criteria where they must be presented for an elective minor surgery such as inguinal or umbilical hernia repair, orchiopexy and circumcision and is also caries-free upon examination. For the other 122 children, the surfaces of all their erupted teeth were assessed with the DMFTS index and they must have had six or more teeth that required restoration treatment to be in reality included in this study (Shaoul, 2011).In order to consider the confounding variables that may skew the results of their study, Shaoul and the others collected the age, sex, height, weight and the number of teeth that needs to be treated from both groups. Afterward, they obtained 5 mL serum samples of two groups before and 4-6 months after an ECC restorative procedure. From the laboratory results, Shaoul and th e others were able to obtain the necessary data to arrive at the following conclusionsECC and caries-free children had significantly low BMI, Hb, iron, ferritin, MCV, and RDW (or red cell distribution width) levels before an ECC restorative procedureThere are significant differences between the Hb, iron, ferritin and RDW levels 4-6 months before and after an ECC restorative procedureThis conclusion highlighted that there is an association between iron deficiency anemia and early childhood caries. In addition to that, this study have also demonstrated that a dental treatment of a ECC lesions can effectively heal the anemic indicators to a non-IDA level, without the need of any supplemental iron. The authors are unsure how there is an association between IDA and ECC, but they hypothesize that it might be due to malnutrition (which can explain the low BMI in the results) or due to inflammation from dental caries.The objective of the last study by Tang et. al was to assess the nutriti onal status of an ECC patient and the relationship with IDA. In order to do such a thing, Tang and the others decided to perform a case control study. They recruited 101 children between 2 and 5 years of age who visited the Department of Pediatric Dentistry of Kaohsiung Medical Center. All of these children fulfilled inclusion criteria where they must be diagnosed with ECC according to criteria established by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The exclusion criteria included children with medical problems, mental or physical disabilities, and those who had been innate(p) prematurely (Tang, 2012). Demographic information such as sex, income, body weight and height were obtained from most parents except 50 parents who did not provide their income via a questionnaire. The surfaces of all the childrens erupted teeth were assessed with the DMFT and DEFS indices.In order to adjust for the confounding variables that can skew the result of the study, Tang and others obtained the a ge, gender, BMI, and mothers education. Besides obtaining the demographic information, Tang and the other also collected blood serum from all but two participants. With this sample, Tang and the others were able to arrive at the following conclusionChildren with ECC had significantly greater odds for anemia and IDA and are independently associated with each other.This conclusion demonstrated that children with ECC are at an even higher risk than caries-free patients for anemia and IDA and that this association between ECC and IDA is a very deadly combination that needs to be addressed as early as executable by pediatric dentists and pediatricians. The authors do not understand the etiology behind this association but they provided their own hypotheses behind it. They argued that children with ECC cannot consume iron-rich and vitamin-C rich aliment because of the pain and discomfort they felt and as a result, they are forced to rely on softer food that does not impinge on their tee th by drinking lots of cows milk. Furthermore, because the children with ECC have lots of dental caries, they are suffering from inflammation from these caries that may induce the production of cytokines that suppresses the synthesis of Hgb (Tang, 2012).In relationship to the Literature analysis form (LAF) adapted from Dr. Ralph V. Katz of NYUCD, (presented below) the above three articles all lack a null hypothesis and can contribute to a moderate statement of causation for being a case control study. All authors have clearly separated the independent variables by using a control group, eligibility criteria, and adjusted statistical analyses such as the Chi-square and T-test in the first and third study and T-test in the second study. Almost all of the findings were of statistical significance (PDescription of F.B.F.B. emigrated to the U.S. at age 15 from Albania with her parents, in pursuit of the American Dream. She drinks socially and do not smoke. She is a dental student at NYU CD. Upon entering dental school, F.B. had poor oral hygiene where she did not floss regularly but brushes twice a day. She consumed a heavy carb-rich diet. Her iron deficiency anemia has been better controlled through a well-balanced diet that includes iron and folate intake. This had been confirmed via a CBC, where all anemic indicators were within the normal limit. She had no other significant medical history. Her vital signs were within the normal limits as well.DiscussionsThe general consensus of the three articles clearly indicates that there is clearly a relationship between ECC and IDA and that more studies needs to be done to determine the actual etiology behind this association. Despite all the evidence that show that there is an association, the studies including the above three articles that are available are just not substantial to show a strong causation. In addition, the limitations in each of studies that I described above are also making these articles less convincin g to incorporate into our dental practices.ConclusionDespite the fact that the studies do not show a strong causation for the association between ECC and IDA, the evidence is convincing enough that warrants further research and questions among the dental and medical communities throughout the world. The evidence also helped to answer my clinical question if ECC patient with IDA (in this case, patient F.B) will increase their chances of having more dental caries and periodontal problems in the future. As you can see from the results provided by the three articles, there might be some connection between ECC and IDA and can cause more dental decay or worsen the patients IDA condition if left untreated, which was noted in Shaoul et. als studies. These results prompted me to make some modifications of my dental management for patient F.B. I would put patient F.B. on more frequent recall and on an aggressive fluoride therapy due to her past ECC history. I will complete all dental restorat ions or restore any defective restorations prior to performing any prosthodontic work. To make sure that she understands the association between ECC and IDA, I would also make sure to monitor her blood count frequently and reinforce oral hygiene instructions.Works Citedolak, H., Dlgergil, . T., Dalli, M., Hamidi, M. M. (2013). Early childhood caries update A review of causes, diagnoses, and treatments.Journal of Natural Science, Biology, and Medicine,4(1), 2938. Doi10.4103/0976-9668.107257Tang et al. (2012), Relationship between dental caries status and anemia in children with severe early childhood caries. Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences, 29, 330-336.Schroth et al. (2013), Association between iron status, iron deficiency anaemia, and severe early childhood caries a casecontrol study. BMC Pediatrics 13(22), 1-7.Shaoul et al (2011), The Association of childhood iron deficiency anemia with severe dental caries. Acta Pediatrica 101, e76-9.AppendixLAFPhotographs of F.B.

Effect of Single Parent Household on Child Education

Effect of Single P arnt Household on nestling EducationABSTRACTThe capitulum of whether different family social organizations proceed the educational achievement of children is one that has been debated over a vast add of years and is still infra scrutiny today. This speculative news report aims to contribute to our understandings of the links amidst private rear family structures and the affect it has on youngs education (12 17 year olds). It peculiarly gives dialect to case-by-case c on the whole told down families, thus far in addition considers separate family structures, such(prenominal)(prenominal) as, families that consist of two rears, step families, etc, which enables similitude between the entropy and gives an illustration of the educational differences between bingle sustain family households and other family structures. This equivalence has facilitated an compendium on controlling or proscribe rears undivided arouse families spate posses s on education. Lastly the bungholevass assesses the knowledge available between educational growth of adolescents from wizard-mother families and adolescents form adept-father families. inquiry info has been collated from secondary sourced materials about case-by-case fire family structures and education, which were in the first place in the form of ledger articles all written by credible creators over the past 15 years. These statues of the sources employ that influence the establishment of knowledge and policy be highly credible, as they atomic number 18 pick outd by the accredited organisations that defecate forgeted the primary look to be conducted and the selective information published. An analytical review has been conducted on all the look into data examined and enabled the following get a lineings although adolescents be at plus risk of adverse outcomes when musical accompaniment in a single get up family structure, the differences between adol escents from two foster and single put forward families is fairly insignifi bay windowt and adolescents furnish predominantly, non be abnormal in terms of educational achievement and occupational advantage.CHAPTER 1 RESEARCH workPrior to derailing this study, a comprehensive and detail search dish up slightly the area of interest on single parent families was undertaken, to digest the impression establishations of the study. It was necessary to engage with a capacious variety of secondary sourced materials, which needed an extensive and analytical review, in secern to control a successful theoretical study on the chosen title A Critical Review The Educational Performance of Adolescents from Single Parent Families. in that respect was a vast amount of belles-lettres and different methods of conduct in the way the information needed could be obtained, on that pointfore a search dodging was devised Refer to auxiliary 1 Research Journal Book Page 5, which include d a put on and logical plan to collating the necessary enquiry data.The starting vertex for the explore process was a search for relevant literature on the Manchester Metropolitan University library website. This enabled irritate to the primary electronic books, articles and on-line journals to provide the basic background reading close to the report under epitome. Later, a search for various journal articles that were non available on-line was carried out and copies were made of the relevant ones that could help with the study. Also, after conducting a library search on the books required, the ones that were unavailable were reserved for later, and once obtained, it was necessary to read them. Comprehensive nones were made of the issues acknowledged around single parenthood and the information perceived to be of high signifi go offce. Although, now a lot of background knowledge and data on the work depend was established, it was noticed that the materials use were not very contemporaneous, as some of the books and articles were published over 30 years ago. in that locationfore it was essential to engage with various online articles, including, The generation and journal databases, such as Demos to allow an digest of a wider range of contemporaneous materials on the field of interest. After collating and examining all the research attained, the materials were synthesised to the most relevant ones that were produced over the past 15 years and those that were published by credited authors and organisations, to allow the study to hold validity. In addition, a whileline was created, which consisted of dates as to when received tasks and research would be carried out, in order to ensure the research tasks and study was completed before the submission deadline.After the research process was complete, it was officially time to incur in a detailed little analysis and evaluation on the role of single parent families and adolescents educational g rowth.CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTIONResearch liaisonThe nature of this research is to find out whether the educational actionances of adolescents (12 17 year olds) keep in single parent households is different (better or worse) to those adolescents nourishment in other family structures.The area of research interest is based around single parent families, particularly in relation to education and how children growing up in one parent households butt affect their educational attainment. The focus is specifically on adolescents, as it has been argued by some practitioners who have studied single parent families thatadolescence in particular is a crucial time in which to study school success because educational achievement in the teen years has a direct influence on indicators of overall attainment, such as high school graduation and college attendance (Heard, 2007 p.320).The curiosity for this subject yield has stemmed from an individualist standpoint, through personalisedized experi ences of existence raised in a single-mother household, and holding positive educational achievements, as average academic grades have always been met. However, in that respect seemed to be oppose expectations from great deal in society (teachers, extended family members, etc), who considered individuals from single parent households to be less intellectually capable and to perform less strong in education than those children from persistent two parent families. Hence, the nature of this study and the hoped outcome after the review of literature is that adolescents are ofttimes stereotyped because of their family structure which whitethorn have no or little relevance to their educational performance.In the process of conducting the research required, a personal interest on this bailiwick area has developed furthermore, because a lot of different and altering views on single parenthood were found, which were not considered at first. For example, different reports were observ e on how a boys educational achievement is affected when he is livelihood in a single-mother household, which can be significantly different to him living in a single-father household.As previously stated, the research was conducted by collating relevant research data on the topic area and reviewing each article and information in depth to allow a detailed analysis of the main bellicose issues, which included the notion that adolescents from single parent households perform less swell up in education than those living with two parents, single parent families have a wish of funds to invest in educational resources, boys are adversely affected than girls from single parent households, boys growing up without a father are more likely to do less well in education, same with girls without their mother, and, lastly, the idea that living in a single parent family consequences very little agnatic pastime in the adolescents education.After underlining the main contentious issues, a is sue forth of 3 questions were hypothecate to guide the study and allow a successful analysis and evaluation of the secondary research data. These comprised are adolescents from single parent families at a impairment to those of two parents in educational achievement? Secondly, are there all(prenominal) similarities or differences of the educational performance of adolescents between single-mother and single-father households? Lastly, do single-parents have little involvement in their childrens educational attainment?Report StructureThe structure of the report firstly consists of an abstract to give the reader an insight to the study and what it deals with.Chapter 1 consists of the research process undertaken to allow the analysis of the research data. The air division outlines the necessary steps taken when collating the research materials and provides the reader with a notion of the type of primary research previously conducted on the topic of single parent families.Chapter 2 is the introductory chapter to clarify the nature of the research. It includes information about where the curiosity in this subject social function stemmed from, the main contentious issues discovered from the secondary source materials, the questions developed to guide the study and lastly, an overview of the main conclusion drawn.Chapter 3 compromise a faultfinding analysis on reports identify that deal with research and statistics conducted by governmental bodies, including the Institute of Education. It evaluates the effectiveness of the secondary sourced materials used to complete the study and takes into account the strengths and weakness of the materials analysed also indentifying the gaps within the topic area under scrutiny. The analysis on these reports allows the subject matter to be put into a modern context.Chapter 4 consists of an analysis and critique of academic literature conducted by various authors and publishers. This part identifies other issues, ideas and competing theories link up to children from single parent households and enables further arguments to be constructed. It also analyses the sociological data collection and analysis methods used to obtain data to form the studies on single parent households.Chapter 5 deals with an examination of the previous sociological theories devised around single parent families and also the contemporary ones. This analysis allows an insight to theorists opinions and explanations of the differences in educational attainment.Chapter 6 includes the addition of a comprehensive conclusion, compromising a brief compendious of the research and independent conclusions related to the study are offered. This section allows an understanding of personal arguments and ideas made to contribute towards the concepts of the study and competing theories or interpretations. It also consists of a section that outlines the future work and study that can be implemented to develop the study of single parent famili es.Chapter 7, the last section contains a personal manifestation on the engagement of the research conducted. It includes how and what has been learnt throughout the course of the study, as well as, how personal interests have been impacted and smorgasbordd as a result of the research process and the completion of the study.Main ConclusionsThe critical review has drawn together the evidence on adolescents educational attainment from single parent family households. There is evidence to introduce that although adolescents are at increased risk of adverse outcomes when living in a single parent family structure, the differences between adolescents from two parent families and single parent families is fairly insignificant and adolescents will predominantly not be affected in terms of educational achievement and occupational success.The analysis has also undetermined that family functioning and economic accompanimentors have a higher influence than the type of family structure on an adolescents educational success.Furthermore, various sociological theories have been devised on the matter of single parent families, which can be used in context with the topic in hand.Lastly, research indicates, the lack of educational success of adolescents world brought up in single parent families is not check to one cause only a lot of altering featureors play apart.CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS OF REPORTSThere are a number of reports published by governmental bodies, such as, the Institute of Education, that deal with research and statistics established around single parent families and education. This chapter compromises a critical analysis of 5 major reports published in the last 15 years, which are all acknowledged by governmental bodies.Causes of Single bloodOver the space of a single generation the number of people marrying has halved, the number divorcing has trebled and the proportion of children born outside marriage has quadrupled (Lewis, 2001 p.37).It can be intimatee d, that all of the above contribute to the factors related to the causes of single parenthood. The context of this statement has been assembled from data provided by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) from the 1970s to the year 2000. However Lewis (2001) fails to look at contemporary data and statistics around the subject matter, which could alter the statement he has made. matter statistics actually declare that the number of marriages in England and Wales steadily rose between 2001 and 2004 (Office for National Statistics, 2010), therefore although the number of marriages may have halved over the space of a single generation (Lewis, 2001 p.37), Lewis (2001) does not look at the rise of marriages in certain periods and does not offer any rationalisation for such trends Refer to Appendix 2 Statistics Graph Page 48.In 2006 in Great Britain, 25% of dependent children were found to be living in single parent households with little or no contact with the second p arent (Mooney et al, 2009). This figure holds credible status as it was obtained from the National Office for Statistics, until now Mooney et al (2009) are unsuccessful in explaining how little or no contact is determined. There is no thesis or evidence of chapters that attempt to devote clear how they approached and honorableified their declaration made, therefore making it questionable. Lewis (2001), Mooney et al (2009), amongst others also offer alternative explanations to single parenthood that are recognised within the absolute mass of the reports under analysis, which will be care fored throughout the course of this study.Effects of Single ParenthoodThe levels of single parenthood are continuously rising the effect that this has on the adolescents living with a single parent is contested. Some argue there are no adverse consequences, whilst others call forth that there are clear implications for the adolescents, arguingevidence indicates unequivocally that those childre n whose parents separate are at significantly greater risk than those whose parents remain together, for a wide range of adverse outcomes in mixer, psychological, and physical development (Pryor and Rodgers, 2001 p.73).These two positions offered are both backed up with evidence, firstly showing the consequences for adolescents, mainly pointing at the fact that there is a vast difference in educational achievement between those individuals from single parent families and those from nuclear family structures1. This evidence is mainly shown through the comparison of statistical data those who were brought up by single parents were almost twice as likely to lack formal qualifications (Kiernan, 1997 p.9). A evolve, the contradicting argument also uses similar procedures, such as statistical data to illustrate the evidence that argues individuals form single parent families are not negatively affectedthe difference between children from inviolable and non-intact families is a small on e, and the majority of children will not be adversely affected (Mooney et al, 2009 p.3).Although both of these grand deals provide evidence to back up their statements, they are not a deoxycytidine monophosphate per cent warranted as gaps within their claims still remain. For example, Mooney et al (2009) acknowledge that there is a small difference between single parent and nuclear family structures and claim the majority of individuals from single parent families are not affected. However they fail to recognise the small proportion of individuals who are affected, forgetting to address the reasons to how and why only a minority of adolescents from single parent families suffer the alleged adverse consequences.Separation or DivorceIt is argued that adolescents whose parents separate have the triple prob world power of experiencing long negative outcomes in education than adolescents from nuclear family structures (Mooney et al, 2009). The long-term studies that have been conduc ted to show this include the analysis of statistical data throughout a certain period of time and longitudinal studies, monitoring adolescents from single parent households over a course of their lives. There is no specific definition of the long-term outcomes, and studies have taken distinguish over a variety of periods, including, 5, 10 and 20 years. There is also no precise measurement of a negative outcome, they tend to be the command opinions of the researcher or author rather than a factor defined through research or study there are various chapters throughout all the reports that constantly refer to the negative child outcomes following parental separation (Mooney et al, 2009 p.13), stock-still there is no mentioning of the measurements used to define these negative outcomes.A variety of research studies have indicated that adolescents who witness the breakdown of their own parents marriage in comparison to those who have not, hold begin educational qualifications, lower temporary or full-time incomes and more expected to be slothful in later life (Kiernan, 1997). This expectancy is reasonably open as Kiernan (1997) uses various statistical data from England to compare the educational achievements and employment roles of adults aged 33 who had been raised by single parents to those who had not. From her study, she found that there were a lower percentage of adults who go through their parents separation than those brought up in nuclear family structures to commit to further educational studies. Also, there was a higher percentage of adults brought up by single parents who were unemployed than those brought up by both parents (Kiernan, 1997). Although, she provides some statistical evidence to indicate those from single parent families possess low levels of educational attainment, Kiernan (1997) does not take into love the fact that her statistics show there was a higher proportion of individuals brought up by single parents holding O-Level qual ifications in comparison to those who lived in a nuclear family structure Refer to Appendix 3 Table of Statistics Page 49. She fails to provide an explanation for this statistic and in a sense seems to ignore this unrivaled occurrence. The ignorance of this statistic suggests Kiernan (1997) is judging and concluding in a manner that does not needs match the evidence, which may indicate towards a personal or professional agenda. This personal agenda may manifestly be stereotypical views of those from single parent families, which can include the expectancy of academic failure and low employment prospects.Also, puerile girls who have witnessed their parental break or separation have a higher probability than their peers to begin beforehand(predicate) sexual relations, to cohabit at early ages and commit to teenage pregnancies. To start early sexual relations and conceive children young is one reason why a vast percentage of adolescent girls from single parent families perform l ess well in education than those living in nuclear family structures. The evincees of sexual relationships and pregnancy can often farewell very little or no time to focus on study, commonly resulting in teenage mothers leaving education early and gaining little qualifications (Kiernan, 1997). Although Kiernan (1997) makes such claims, she does not provide any evidence to justify them. There is no evidence of statistical data showing that teenage pregnancies are the result of being brought up by a single parent and no mention of any imperative measurements used to suggests such outcomes can occur thus her explanations lack in validity and can be contested in numerous ways.Economical FactorsOne economical factor that is argued to be common in single parenthood is the issue of living in poverty. In comparison to nuclear families, single parents tend to be considerably fiscally worse and statistics show 70% of single parents live in poverty (Evans et al, 2004). This is an accredited statistic obtained from the Department of Work and Pensions, which gives an insight of the scale of fiscal backbreakingies faced by single parents. Poverty has been set as one major factor that affects educational attainment at schools and used to explain the low educational performances of adolescents from single parent households, as a vast number of children living in single parent family structures are only stand-ined by one parental income or through upbeat benefits. In Britain in the 1990s, slightly 80% of single mothers relied on governmental benefits to nutriment themselves and their children (Kiernan, 1997). Again, this statistic is credited and provides a sound context to the argument being made, except it is not a contemporary piece of research. Today in modern Britain a lot of people are facing financial difficulties because of different factors that can affect educational attainment, careless(predicate) of the type of family structure an individual is from. For example, in the current financial climate and the issues of the recession, many people are finding it difficult to maintain jobs and fund their familys educational needs, such as, university tuition fees, college expenses, etc therefore adolescents from all family structures may have a lower educational attainment. Consequently there are more individuals today relying on governmental benefits to support their financial needs from the start of 2008, 800,000 individuals were claiming Job Seekers Allowance, then rose rapidly in 2009, where there was 1.5 trillion claimants (National Office for Statistics, 2010 Refer to Appendix 4 Statistics Article Page 50). Thus, Kiernans (1997) examination on finance does not give a valid insight to the contemporary issues affecting educational achievement. Also, Kiernan (1997) suggests that single parents do not have the financial support from the second parent without any suitable evidence. Conversely this is not necessarily true, if parents have separated or disassociated, the second parent is obligated to contribute to the finance of his/her family if any dependent children are involved therefore although some single parents may face financial strain, there are others who still receive financial help from their ex-partners.Financial difficulty increases the chances of other variables connected with negative outcomes for the adolescents, including brusque nutrition, inadequate lodgement, health issues and particular access to educational resources. Adolescents with poor nutrition will find it significantly difficult to concentrate at school during lessons, narrowing their educational performances. Evidence shows a balanced diet and the consumption of adequate vitamins and nutrients can boost the concentration levels of pupils at school, making them more alert and paying attention during crystallize sessions (Welsh et all, 2004). This evidence offered is of widespread knowledge and support by nutritional specialists , such as, the British Nutrition Foundation (Stanner et al, 2010). Poor nutrition can also lead to various long-term health problems, including Anorexia, Cardiovascular Disease, etc, which may require adolescents taking a lot of time off school compared to those not living in poverty, therefore, again, limiting their educational performances (Mooney et al, 2009). A viable argument is made here, however there is a lack of evidence to support the suggestion that these health problems is a definite explanation as to why adolescents from single parent families can do poorly in education. Health problems can lead to taking time off school, however there is no reasonable clarification to why it specifically affects those from single parent families Anorexia and Cardiovascular Disease can affect any individual, not just those who lack a balanced diet and may be living in single parent families the causes of Anorexia range from a variety of factors, including, the media, social constrict and genetics (Russell, 2007).Inadequate housing conditions may make it difficult for adolescents to concentrate and complete coursework at home when required, resulting in some other limitation in educational attainment (Mooney et al, 2009). Another viable argument, however, again, there is a lack of evidence to support this claim it is not sufficient enough to suggest inadequate housing only affects those of single parent families, move valid knowledge and research is required to support such claims.Furthermore, it is contested limited funds can often neglect the extra requirements of educational resources and materials to help during courses. For example, single parents may not be able to afford home computers, books, sportswear, etc that encourage success in schools. Without the access to these resources adolescents from single parents are at a disadvantage in educational attainment compared to those adolescents living in nuclear families, support by both parental incomes, thu s an explanation for the questionable differences in educational achievement (Mooney et al, 2009). Although this is an explanation, Mooney et al (2009) fail to acknowledge the initiatives and support available for all family structures to overcome barriers when accessing educational resources. For example, semipublic libraries are available to borrow books instead of buying them, libraries also facilitate free access to computers and schools also provide support free access to educational materials. Therefore the claim that adolescents from single parents do not have the access to resources available in order to perform well in education is not credible and lacks knowledge of contemporary support.In addition, it is also argued, adolescents living with single parents may leave education early to gain employment to help with the financial circumstances, or work long shifts whilst still at school to fund their own wants and needs, which can ultimately result in low educational attainm ent. execrable qualifications and an early entry into employment can increase the prospects of low occupational achievement, little income, unemployment and state dependency (Kiernan, 1997). This argument is supported with evidence, as Kiernan (1997) uses statistical data to show that a lot of adolescents form single parent families do enter early employment to assist their familys financial needs. However, she has no evidence to suggest that an early entry into employment can increase the chances of low occupational achievement, this is an assumption made, that without further education individuals cannot succeed in the labour market. However this is not necessarily accurate, there are individuals in the media who have excelled within the labour market without an education to college or degree level, for example, Sir Allen Sugar, a successful business entrepreneur (BBC, 2009).Although there is a certain lack of acknowledgement of various factors when arguing poverty is a major fac tor of adolescents academic failure from single parent families, there has been a study conducted of 2 nuclear families in America who experienced a real(a) decrease in income. This identified that the financial bosom lead to increased depression in both parents, conflicts throughout the family, behaviour changes in the adolescents and a drop in their educational success in schools and in exams. (Conger et al, 1992). Therefore, there is some valid evidence to associate single parent poverty with educational success. Never the less, consideration moldiness be given to the fact that educational failure in single parenthood is not only limited to financial strain.Social FactorsThe single parent family structure is frequently associated with social factors, such as a decrease in the quality and quantity of personal contact between adolescents and their non-residential parent. This can affect a teenagers educational attainment due to the lack of support from both parents to perform wel l in school (Kiernan, 1997). Although this statement is made, there is no material evidence or research conducted to support the argument. There is the assumption that teenagers will automatically have a decrease in the quality and quantity of personal contact with their second parent. However, this is may not be the case, parents after separation can still have daily contact with their children on a unceasing basis thus the support from both parents to do well in education may not decline. Misleading conclusions are being made, which suggest the author may hold sloped views on this subject matter.It can be argued, single parents providing childcare may also have limited time and aught they can dedicate to their children, particularly if longer hours of paid employment is necessary to maintain financial stability. These decreases in parental resources, for example, help with homework, support and attention they can offer to their children, can increase the possibility of educati onal failure (Kiernan, 1997). Although the long working hours may have an impact on parental time available, there is no verification that declares a lack of parental time has a definite effect on educational attainment. Kiernan (1997) also ignores social networks that can provide support with educational attainment, such as, family, friends, neighbours, relatives, etc. It has been argued by many that social networks and support is crucial for the development of individuals intellectually, emotionally and socially strong networks allow the foundations to achieving success in academic and occupational careers (Hooyman and Kiak, 2008).Psychological FactorsAmongst these social and economical explanations are psychological explanatory factors that attempt to clarify the educational differences between teenagers from single parent and nuclear family structures. It is argued that the notion of family stress during bereavement, divorce, separation, etc, can provide a vast amount of strain on the children, which can add onto the predominant stresses of educational attainment. A number of studies have unfastened that parental conflict during separation can have a harmful impact on the adolescents well-being. This can result to lack of concentration during school class sessions, less motivation to complete designated assignments and a lack of class participation, which usually lead to academic failure (Kiernan, 1997). There is substantial evidence to suggest stress can be related to educational achievement and affect academic results obtained for instance there have been various data-based and longitudinal studies that have discovered traumatic stress can lead to a decline in academic success (Hall, 2000). Whilst Kiernan (1997) takes into consideration the stresses of parental separation, she fails to acknowledge the relief some married breakdowns can have for example, one where the child or partner was suffering physical abuse. In this situation a positive outcome co uld occur in educational attainment rather than the negativities of academic failure.Also research suggests that the parental ability to recover from distraint of bereavement, separation and divorce can affect the childrens ability to adapt to new changes. Effective communication and frequent contact between the adolescents and both the resident and non-resident parents are important in assisting teenagers to adjust and adapt to change. If change is not accepted and the adolescents do not adapt, studies have discovered that there is a higher possibility of poor educational outcomes for teenagers from separated families than those from intact ones. The distress teenagers may face froEffect of Single Parent Household on Child EducationEffect of Single Parent Household on Child EducationABSTRACTThe question of whether different family structures affect the educational achievement of children is one that has been debated over a vast amount of years and is still under scrutiny today. Th is theoretical study aims to contribute to our understandings of the links between single parent family structures and the affect it has on adolescents education (12 17 year olds). It particularly gives emphasis to single parent families, however also considers other family structures, such as, families that consist of two parents, step families, etc, which enables comparison between the data and gives an illustration of the educational differences between single parent family households and other family structures. This comparison has facilitated an analysis on positive or negative effects single parent families can possess on education. Lastly the study assesses the data available between educational attainment of adolescents from single-mother families and adolescents form single-father families. Research data has been collated from secondary sourced materials about single parent family structures and education, which were mainly in the form of journal articles all written by cr edible authors over the past 15 years. These statues of the sources used that influence the establishment of knowledge and policy are highly credible, as they are acknowledged by the accredited organisations that have allowed the primary research to be conducted and the data published. An analytical review has been conducted on all the research data examined and enabled the following findings although adolescents are at increased risk of adverse outcomes when living in a single parent family structure, the differences between adolescents from two parent and single parent families is fairly insignificant and adolescents will predominantly, not be affected in terms of educational achievement and occupational success.CHAPTER 1 RESEARCH PROCESSPrior to starting this study, a comprehensive and detailed research process around the area of interest on single parent families was undertaken, to provide the core foundations of the study. It was necessary to engage with a wide variety of secon dary sourced materials, which needed an extensive and analytical review, in order to carry a successful theoretical study on the chosen title A Critical Review The Educational Performance of Adolescents from Single Parent Families.There was a vast amount of literature and different methods of conduct in the way the information needed could be obtained, therefore a search strategy was devised Refer to Appendix 1 Research Journal Book Page 5, which included a clear and logical plan to collating the necessary research data.The starting point for the research process was a search for relevant literature on the Manchester Metropolitan University library website. This enabled access to the basic electronic books, articles and on-line journals to provide the basic background reading around the topic under analysis. Later, a search for various journal articles that were not available on-line was carried out and copies were made of the relevant ones that could help with the study. Also, aft er conducting a library search on the books required, the ones that were unavailable were reserved for later, and once obtained, it was necessary to read them. Comprehensive notes were made of the issues acknowledged around single parenthood and the information perceived to be of high significance. Although, now a lot of background knowledge and data on the subject matter was established, it was noticed that the materials used were not very contemporary, as some of the books and articles were published over 30 years ago. Therefore it was essential to engage with various online articles, including, The Times and journal databases, such as Demos to allow an analysis of a wider range of contemporary materials on the topic of interest. After collating and examining all the research attained, the materials were synthesised to the most relevant ones that were produced over the past 15 years and those that were published by credited authors and organisations, to allow the study to hold val idity. In addition, a timeline was created, which consisted of dates as to when certain tasks and research would be carried out, in order to ensure the research tasks and study was completed before the submission deadline.After the research process was complete, it was officially time to commence in a detailed critical analysis and evaluation on the role of single parent families and adolescents educational attainment.CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTIONResearchInterestThe nature of this research is to find out whether the educational performances of adolescents (12 17 year olds) living in single parent households is different (better or worse) to those adolescents living in other family structures.The area of research interest is based around single parent families, particularly in relation to education and how children growing up in one parent households can affect their educational attainment. The focus is specifically on adolescents, as it has been argued by some practitioners who have studi ed single parent families thatadolescence in particular is a crucial time in which to study school success because educational achievement in the teen years has a direct influence on indicators of overall attainment, such as high school graduation and college attendance (Heard, 2007 p.320).The curiosity for this subject matter has stemmed from an individual standpoint, through personal experiences of being raised in a single-mother household, and holding positive educational achievements, as average academic grades have always been met. However, there seemed to be negative expectations from people in society (teachers, extended family members, etc), who considered individuals from single parent households to be less intellectually capable and to perform less well in education than those children from stable two parent families. Hence, the nature of this study and the hoped outcome after the review of literature is that adolescents are often stereotyped because of their family struct ure which may have no or little relevance to their educational performance.In the process of conducting the research required, a personal interest on this topic area has developed furthermore, because a lot of different and altering views on single parenthood were found, which were not considered at first. For example, different explanations were discovered on how a boys educational achievement is affected when he is living in a single-mother household, which can be significantly different to him living in a single-father household.As previously stated, the research was conducted by collating relevant research data on the topic area and reviewing each article and information in depth to allow a detailed analysis of the main contentious issues, which included the notion that adolescents from single parent households perform less well in education than those living with two parents, single parent families have a lack of funds to invest in educational resources, boys are adversely affe cted than girls from single parent households, boys growing up without a father are more likely to do less well in education, same with girls without their mother, and, lastly, the idea that living in a single parent family consequences very little parental involvement in the adolescents education.After underlining the main contentious issues, a number of 3 questions were formulated to guide the study and allow a successful analysis and evaluation of the secondary research data. These comprised are adolescents from single parent families at a disadvantage to those of two parents in educational achievement? Secondly, are there any similarities or differences of the educational performance of adolescents between single-mother and single-father households? Lastly, do single-parents have little involvement in their childrens educational attainment?Report StructureThe structure of the report firstly consists of an abstract to give the reader an insight to the study and what it deals with .Chapter 1 consists of the research process undertaken to allow the analysis of the research data. The section outlines the necessary steps taken when collating the research materials and provides the reader with a notion of the type of primary research previously conducted on the topic of single parent families.Chapter 2 is the introductory chapter to clarify the nature of the research. It includes information about where the curiosity in this subject matter stemmed from, the main contentious issues discovered from the secondary source materials, the questions developed to guide the study and lastly, an overview of the main conclusion drawn.Chapter 3 compromise a critical analysis on reports identified that deal with research and statistics conducted by governmental bodies, including the Institute of Education. It evaluates the effectiveness of the secondary sourced materials used to complete the study and takes into account the strengths and weakness of the materials analysed also indentifying the gaps within the topic area under scrutiny. The analysis on these reports allows the subject matter to be put into a contemporary context.Chapter 4 consists of an analysis and critique of academic literature conducted by various authors and publishers. This part identifies other issues, ideas and competing theories related to children from single parent households and enables further arguments to be constructed. It also analyses the sociological data collection and analysis methods used to obtain data to form the studies on single parent households.Chapter 5 deals with an examination of the previous sociological theories devised around single parent families and also the contemporary ones. This analysis allows an insight to theorists opinions and explanations of the differences in educational attainment.Chapter 6 includes the addition of a comprehensive conclusion, compromising a brief summary of the research and independent conclusions related to the study are offe red. This section allows an understanding of personal arguments and ideas made to contribute towards the concepts of the study and competing theories or interpretations. It also consists of a section that outlines the future work and study that can be implemented to develop the study of single parent families.Chapter 7, the last section contains a personal reflection on the engagement of the research conducted. It includes how and what has been learnt throughout the course of the study, as well as, how personal interests have been impacted and changed as a result of the research process and the completion of the study.Main ConclusionsThe critical review has drawn together the evidence on adolescents educational attainment from single parent family households. There is evidence to show that although adolescents are at increased risk of adverse outcomes when living in a single parent family structure, the differences between adolescents from two parent families and single parent famil ies is fairly insignificant and adolescents will predominantly not be affected in terms of educational achievement and occupational success.The analysis has also exposed that family functioning and economic factors have a higher influence than the type of family structure on an adolescents educational success.Furthermore, various sociological theories have been devised on the matter of single parent families, which can be used in context with the topic in hand.Lastly, research indicates, the lack of educational success of adolescents being brought up in single parent families is not limited to one cause only a lot of altering factors play apart.CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS OF REPORTSThere are a number of reports published by governmental bodies, such as, the Institute of Education, that deal with research and statistics established around single parent families and education. This chapter compromises a critical analysis of 5 major reports published in the last 15 years, which are all acknowle dged by governmental bodies.Causes of Single ParenthoodOver the space of a single generation the number of people marrying has halved, the number divorcing has trebled and the proportion of children born outside marriage has quadrupled (Lewis, 2001 p.37).It can be suggested, that all of the above contribute to the factors related to the causes of single parenthood. The context of this statement has been assembled from data provided by the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) from the 1970s to the year 2000. However Lewis (2001) fails to look at contemporary data and statistics around the subject matter, which could alter the statement he has made. National statistics actually declare that the number of marriages in England and Wales steadily rose between 2001 and 2004 (Office for National Statistics, 2010), therefore although the number of marriages may have halved over the space of a single generation (Lewis, 2001 p.37), Lewis (2001) does not look at the rise of marr iages in certain periods and does not offer any rationalisation for such trends Refer to Appendix 2 Statistics Graph Page 48.In 2006 in Great Britain, 25% of dependent children were found to be living in single parent households with little or no contact with the second parent (Mooney et al, 2009). This figure holds credible status as it was obtained from the National Office for Statistics, however Mooney et al (2009) are unsuccessful in explaining how little or no contact is determined. There is no thesis or evidence of chapters that attempt to make clear how they approached and justified their declaration made, therefore making it questionable. Lewis (2001), Mooney et al (2009), amongst others also offer alternative explanations to single parenthood that are recognised within the majority of the reports under analysis, which will be addressed throughout the course of this study.Effects of Single ParenthoodThe levels of single parenthood are continuously rising the effect that thi s has on the adolescents living with a single parent is contested. Some argue there are no adverse consequences, whilst others suggest that there are clear implications for the adolescents, arguingevidence indicates unequivocally that those children whose parents separate are at significantly greater risk than those whose parents remain together, for a wide range of adverse outcomes in social, psychological, and physical development (Pryor and Rodgers, 2001 p.73).These two positions offered are both backed up with evidence, firstly showing the consequences for adolescents, mainly pointing at the fact that there is a considerable difference in educational achievement between those individuals from single parent families and those from nuclear family structures1. This evidence is mainly shown through the comparison of statistical data those who were brought up by single parents were almost twice as likely to lack formal qualifications (Kiernan, 1997 p.9). Again, the contradicting argu ment also uses similar procedures, such as statistical data to illustrate the evidence that argues individuals form single parent families are not negatively affectedthe difference between children from intact and non-intact families is a small one, and the majority of children will not be adversely affected (Mooney et al, 2009 p.3).Although both of these grand claims provide evidence to back up their statements, they are not a 100 per cent warranted as gaps within their claims still remain. For example, Mooney et al (2009) acknowledge that there is a small difference between single parent and nuclear family structures and claim the majority of individuals from single parent families are not affected. However they fail to recognise the small proportion of individuals who are affected, forgetting to address the reasons to how and why only a minority of adolescents from single parent families suffer the alleged adverse consequences.Separation or DivorceIt is argued that adolescents wh ose parents separate have the double probability of experiencing long-term negative outcomes in education than adolescents from nuclear family structures (Mooney et al, 2009). The long-term studies that have been conducted to show this include the analysis of statistical data throughout a certain period of time and longitudinal studies, monitoring adolescents from single parent households over a course of their lives. There is no specific definition of the long-term outcomes, and studies have taken place over a variety of periods, including, 5, 10 and 20 years. There is also no precise measurement of a negative outcome, they tend to be the general opinions of the researcher or author rather than a factor defined through research or study there are various chapters throughout all the reports that constantly refer to the negative child outcomes following parental separation (Mooney et al, 2009 p.13), however there is no mentioning of the measurements used to define these negative outc omes.A variety of research studies have indicated that adolescents who witness the breakdown of their own parents marriage in comparison to those who have not, hold lower educational qualifications, lower part-time or full-time incomes and more expected to be unemployed in later life (Kiernan, 1997). This expectancy is reasonably vindicated as Kiernan (1997) uses various statistical data from England to compare the educational achievements and employment roles of adults aged 33 who had been raised by single parents to those who had not. From her study, she found that there were a lower percentage of adults who experienced their parents separation than those brought up in nuclear family structures to commit to further educational studies. Also, there was a higher percentage of adults brought up by single parents who were unemployed than those brought up by both parents (Kiernan, 1997). Although, she provides some statistical evidence to indicate those from single parent families poss ess low levels of educational attainment, Kiernan (1997) does not take into consideration the fact that her statistics show there was a higher proportion of individuals brought up by single parents holding O-Level qualifications in comparison to those who lived in a nuclear family structure Refer to Appendix 3 Table of Statistics Page 49. She fails to provide an explanation for this statistic and in a sense seems to ignore this odd occurrence. The ignorance of this statistic suggests Kiernan (1997) is judging and concluding in a manner that does not necessarily match the evidence, which may indicate towards a personal or professional agenda. This personal agenda may simply be stereotypical views of those from single parent families, which can include the expectancy of academic failure and low employment prospects.Also, teenage girls who have witnessed their parental divorce or separation have a higher probability than their peers to begin early sexual relations, to cohabit at early ages and commit to teenage pregnancies. To start early sexual relations and conceive children young is one reason why a vast percentage of adolescent girls from single parent families perform less well in education than those living in nuclear family structures. The stresses of sexual relationships and pregnancy can often leave very little or no time to focus on study, commonly resulting in teenage mothers leaving education early and gaining little qualifications (Kiernan, 1997). Although Kiernan (1997) makes such claims, she does not provide any evidence to justify them. There is no evidence of statistical data showing that teenage pregnancies are the result of being brought up by a single parent and no mention of any imperative measurements used to suggests such outcomes can occur thus her explanations lack in validity and can be contested in numerous ways.Economical FactorsOne economical factor that is argued to be common in single parenthood is the issue of living in poverty. I n comparison to nuclear families, single parents tend to be considerably financially worse and statistics show 70% of single parents live in poverty (Evans et al, 2004). This is an accredited statistic obtained from the Department of Work and Pensions, which gives an insight of the scale of financial difficulties faced by single parents. Poverty has been identified as one major factor that affects educational attainment at schools and used to explain the low educational performances of adolescents from single parent households, as a vast number of children living in single parent family structures are only supported by one parental income or through welfare benefits. In Britain in the 1990s, approximately 80% of single mothers relied on governmental benefits to support themselves and their children (Kiernan, 1997). Again, this statistic is credited and provides a sound context to the argument being made, however it is not a contemporary piece of research. Today in modern Britain a l ot of people are facing financial difficulties because of different factors that can affect educational attainment, regardless of the type of family structure an individual is from. For example, in the current financial climate and the issues of the recession, many people are finding it difficult to maintain jobs and fund their familys educational needs, such as, university tuition fees, college expenses, etc therefore adolescents from all family structures may have a lower educational attainment. Consequently there are more individuals today relying on governmental benefits to support their financial needs from the start of 2008, 800,000 individuals were claiming Job Seekers Allowance, then rose rapidly in 2009, where there was 1.5 million claimants (National Office for Statistics, 2010 Refer to Appendix 4 Statistics Article Page 50). Thus, Kiernans (1997) examination on finance does not give a valid insight to the contemporary issues affecting educational achievement. Also, Kiern an (1997) suggests that single parents do not have the financial support from the second parent without any suitable evidence. Conversely this is not necessarily true, if parents have separated or divorced, the second parent is obligated to contribute to the finance of his/her family if any dependent children are involved therefore although some single parents may face financial strain, there are others who still receive financial help from their ex-partners.Financial difficulty increases the chances of other variables connected with negative outcomes for the adolescents, including poor nutrition, inadequate housing, health issues and limited access to educational resources. Adolescents with poor nutrition will find it significantly difficult to concentrate at school during lessons, limiting their educational performances. Evidence shows a balanced diet and the consumption of adequate vitamins and nutrients can boost the concentration levels of pupils at school, making them more ale rt and attentive during class sessions (Welsh et all, 2004). This evidence offered is of widespread knowledge and supported by nutritional specialists, such as, the British Nutrition Foundation (Stanner et al, 2010). Poor nutrition can also lead to various long-term health problems, including Anorexia, Cardiovascular Disease, etc, which may require adolescents taking a lot of time off school compared to those not living in poverty, therefore, again, limiting their educational performances (Mooney et al, 2009). A viable argument is made here, however there is a lack of evidence to support the suggestion that these health problems is a definite explanation as to why adolescents from single parent families can do poorly in education. Health problems can lead to taking time off school, however there is no reasonable clarification to why it specifically affects those from single parent families Anorexia and Cardiovascular Disease can affect any individual, not just those who lack a balan ced diet and may be living in single parent families the causes of Anorexia range from a variety of factors, including, the media, social pressure and genetics (Russell, 2007).Inadequate housing conditions may make it difficult for adolescents to concentrate and complete coursework at home when required, resulting in another limitation in educational attainment (Mooney et al, 2009). Another viable argument, however, again, there is a lack of evidence to support this claim it is not sufficient enough to suggest inadequate housing only affects those of single parent families, move valid knowledge and research is required to support such claims.Furthermore, it is contested limited funds can often neglect the extra requirements of educational resources and materials to help during courses. For example, single parents may not be able to afford home computers, books, sportswear, etc that assist success in schools. Without the access to these resources adolescents from single parents are a t a disadvantage in educational attainment compared to those adolescents living in nuclear families, supported by both parental incomes, thus an explanation for the questionable differences in educational achievement (Mooney et al, 2009). Although this is an explanation, Mooney et al (2009) fail to acknowledge the initiatives and support available for all family structures to overcome barriers when accessing educational resources. For example, public libraries are available to borrow books instead of buying them, libraries also facilitate free access to computers and schools also provide support free access to educational materials. Therefore the claim that adolescents from single parents do not have the access to resources available in order to perform well in education is not credible and lacks knowledge of contemporary support.In addition, it is also argued, adolescents living with single parents may leave education early to gain employment to help with the financial circumstance s, or work long shifts whilst still at school to fund their own wants and needs, which can ultimately result in low educational attainment. Low qualifications and an early entry into employment can increase the prospects of low occupational achievement, little income, unemployment and state dependency (Kiernan, 1997). This argument is supported with evidence, as Kiernan (1997) uses statistical data to show that a lot of adolescents form single parent families do enter early employment to assist their familys financial needs. However, she has no evidence to suggest that an early entry into employment can increase the chances of low occupational achievement, this is an assumption made, that without further education individuals cannot succeed in the labour market. However this is not necessarily accurate, there are individuals in the media who have excelled within the labour market without an education to college or degree level, for example, Sir Allen Sugar, a successful business ent repreneur (BBC, 2009).Although there is a certain lack of acknowledgement of various factors when arguing poverty is a major factor of adolescents academic failure from single parent families, there has been a study conducted of 2 nuclear families in America who experienced a substantial decrease in income. This identified that the financial pressure lead to increased depression in both parents, conflicts throughout the family, behaviour changes in the adolescents and a drop in their educational success in schools and in exams. (Conger et al, 1992). Therefore, there is some valid evidence to associate single parent poverty with educational success. Never the less, consideration must be given to the fact that educational failure in single parenthood is not only limited to financial strain.Social FactorsThe single parent family structure is frequently associated with social factors, such as a decrease in the quality and quantity of personal contact between adolescents and their non-re sidential parent. This can affect a teenagers educational attainment due to the lack of support from both parents to perform well in school (Kiernan, 1997). Although this statement is made, there is no substantial evidence or research conducted to support the argument. There is the assumption that teenagers will automatically have a decrease in the quality and quantity of personal contact with their second parent. However, this is may not be the case, parents after separation can still have daily contact with their children on a regular basis thus the support from both parents to do well in education may not decline. Misleading conclusions are being made, which suggest the author may hold biased views on this subject matter.It can be argued, single parents providing childcare may also have limited time and energy they can dedicate to their children, particularly if longer hours of paid employment is necessary to maintain financial stability. These decreases in parental resources, fo r example, help with homework, support and attention they can offer to their children, can increase the possibility of educational failure (Kiernan, 1997). Although the long working hours may have an impact on parental time available, there is no verification that declares a lack of parental time has a definite effect on educational attainment. Kiernan (1997) also ignores social networks that can provide support with educational attainment, such as, family, friends, neighbours, relatives, etc. It has been argued by many that social networks and support is crucial for the development of individuals intellectually, emotionally and socially strong networks allow the foundations to achieving success in academic and occupational careers (Hooyman and Kiak, 2008).Psychological FactorsAmongst these social and economical explanations are psychological explanatory factors that attempt to clarify the educational differences between teenagers from single parent and nuclear family structures. It is argued that the notion of family stress during bereavement, divorce, separation, etc, can provide a vast amount of strain on the children, which can add onto the predominant stresses of educational attainment. A number of studies have exposed that parental conflict during separation can have a harmful impact on the adolescents well-being. This can result to lack of concentration during school class sessions, less motivation to complete designated assignments and a lack of class participation, which usually lead to academic failure (Kiernan, 1997). There is substantial evidence to suggest stress can be related to educational achievement and affect academic results obtained for instance there have been various observational and longitudinal studies that have discovered traumatic stress can lead to a decline in academic success (Hall, 2000). Whilst Kiernan (1997) takes into consideration the stresses of parental separation, she fails to acknowledge the relief some marital breakdown s can have for example, one where the child or partner was suffering physical abuse. In this situation a positive outcome could occur in educational attainment rather than the negativities of academic failure.Also research suggests that the parental ability to recover from distress of bereavement, separation and divorce can affect the childrens ability to adapt to new changes. Effective communication and frequent contact between the adolescents and both the resident and non-resident parents are important in assisting teenagers to adjust and adapt to change. If change is not accepted and the adolescents do not adapt, studies have discovered that there is a higher possibility of poor educational outcomes for teenagers from separated families than those from intact ones. The distress teenagers may face fro

The Portrayal of Women in James Joyces Dubliners Essays -- Dubliners

In Dubliners, women are victims indeed. They are victims of home, of the recognized virtues by society, of classes of life, of religious doctrines, and of women themselves. In this essay, we are going to analyze the characterisation of women in Dubliners in terms of the aforementioned aspects, to wit home, the recognized virtues by society, classes of life, religious doctrines and women themselves. The selection above is provided to make student aware of focus of the essay. The recognize essay begins below. My mind rejects the whole present social order and Christianity home, the recognized virtues, classes of life, and religious doctrines. My mother was slowly killed, I think, by my fathers ill-treatment, by years of trouble, and by my cynical frankness of conduct. When I looked on her face as she lay in her coffin a face gray and osseous with cancer I understood that I was looking on the face of a victim and I cursed the system which had made her a victim. (Letters, II, 48) In Dubliners, women are victims indeed. They are victims of home, of the recognized virtues by society, of classes of life, of religious doctrines, and of women themselves. In this essay, we are going to analyze the portrayal of women in Dubliners in terms of the aforementioned aspects, namely home, the recognized virtues by society, classes of life, religious doctrines and women themselves. Women are victims of home. They suffer being confined to their homes. They are somehow isolated from the external world. They have little, if not no at all, freedom. Their chief roles are to be good wives to the menfolk, to be good mothers to their children, and to look after their families well. They are not expected to take care of those affairs out... ... by masculine authority by virtue of the fact that they are inferior to and should be subservient to men. Worse still, women are often discriminated by society, which is largely monopolized by men. Sex discriminations find their way to home , the workplace and even the public life by and large. Furthermore, they are victimized by religious orthodoxy as well as their own acts and psychology. But anyway, who is to blame for the sufferings of women the circumstance or women themselves? Works CitedBenstock, Bernard. Critical Essays on James Joyce. G.K. Hall & Co. Boston, Massachusetts 1985.Joyce, James. Dubliners. Washington Square Press. sassy York, New York 1998. Selected Joyce Letters. Ed. Richard Ellmann. New York Viking Compass, 1975.Seidel, Michael. James Joyce A Short Introduction. Blackwell Publishers, Inc. Oxford, UK 2002.

Absolutism Essay -- English History French History Papers

AbsolutismDuring the pre-Enlightenment period, France and England went through very dramatic and very different political relation change. At the beginning of this time period, England had achieved relative stability, due largely in part to Elizabeth I long and undefeated reign. On the other hand, France had been subjected to numerous polished and religious wars, therefore leading to instability. French shogunate was largely a result of these crises and tragedies, with the country recognizing the need for a strong, powerful leader, which they found during the long and successful reign of Louis XIV. In England however, many problems arose due to a series of short and incapable rulers, beginning with James I and ending with James II.During Louis XIVs reign, he was able to create a strong and stable absolute state by controlling the French nobility. Previously, during Louis XIII reign, the nobility had a prominent deal of power, and the French government was not centralized. I nstead, the nobles acted as the middlemen, regulating the taxes and military of the French regions. The peasants paid taxes directly to the nobles, who kept a certain portion for themselves and wherefore paid the remainder to the King. Individual regions raised and paid for their own armies when the king required military help, the army came from these semi-private sources. Religiously, the state was also controlled by the nobles due to the polity of Nantes, which gave the nobles the power to determine the religion of their lands. These factors lead to a divided French state, which reduced the power of Louis XIII. France was subjected to various civil wars and wars of religion, and the future king, Louis XIV, witnessing this period of unrest, vowed to impleme... ...V had achieved, and the English pile feared their religious freedom was being jeopardized. These circumstances would then lead to Englands Glorious Revolution, which would take on the unpopular monarchy and defe at it, thereby putting William and bloody shame in the English throne.France and England underwent very different changes during the seventeenth century. While France transformed from an instability, war-torn country to a united, prosperous nation, England did just the opposite. Frances success finish be largely attributed to Louis XIV long reign, and Englands decline was caused by a series of short rules by vastly different rulers. The rise of absolutism in France proved Louiss power over his people, and the rise of constitutionalism and parliamentary power in France was due to monarchial weaknesses and strained relations between the two giving medication bodies.