ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: family

The first negative downside is the possibility of saying goodbye to “everyday, normal life” (Prince, 2016). Being in the spotlight is very difficult, and so many children do encounter difficulties and get into perhaps just a little trouble along the way to adulthood (Sikkema, n.d). Child actors, athletes and artists who always have long hours of rehearsals, travel, and coordination with school and other activities, they may need to give up leisure time with friends to honor their commitment to the production (Casey, 2017).
Topic: family

Another factor taking their normal life away is the lack of privacy (Loftus,1995)( The Other Side of Fame). The paparazzi can be very annoying as they are curious about everything even a sudden sneeze of the stars (Rujuta, 2018). There are millions of people who are journalists, fans always follow and write about them every day, so they have no private time and space with their family or friends without being taken thousands of photos.
Topic: family

” Exposure to long working hours and a lack of childhood time that can wreak havoc on the psyche (Serrels, 2016). Performers are twice as likely as the general population to experience depression, according to the 2015 Australian Actors: wellbeing study (Taylor, 2017). Because of the intense strain of childhood stardom, many famous children have turned to drug and alcohol abuse in order to cope with fame (Serrels, 2016). A survey shows that all were child actors, three times more likely to abuse alcohol, or drugs than average young American (Roberts, 2012). Take Drew Barrymore, for example, she started smoking cigarettes at age 9, drinking alcohol at 11, smoking marijuana at 12, and snorting cocaine at 13 (Foresman, n.d.), famously checked into rehab at the age of 13 (Marthe, 2016).
Topic: family

On the contrary, there are opponents arguing that being a celebrity seems pretty great in terms of richness (Pliskin, 2014). Many child stars have the potential to be as famous and as rich as adult co-stars, they earn more money in a single paycheque than most people do over several years (HardWick, 2014). That opinion is true in some extent; however, the highly successful child stars are likely to become their family’s chief breadwinner, unscrupulous parents enable to push the children to do work that they do not want to do (MSc, 2018). Moreover, with a lot of money, they become involved with drugs and take very large quantities as they can afford to do (MSc, 2013). Similarly, their prosperity leads them to “manic spending sprees, strip club blowouts and fast food binges”, plus many things hinting at an inability to manage their finances.
Topic: family

When taking a closer look at the differences between genders it can be concluded that it is something much more meaningful than sex. It becomes easy to see just what the stereotypes surrounding gender are and how these stereotypes affect young minds along with the things in our culture that make gender roles and stereotypes so influential. Stereotypical ideas of Masculinity and Femininity are present in American society, media, and homes. Masculinity is associated with the words handsome, muscled, driven, machismo, vigor, strength, ruggedness, and robustness.
Topic: family

This definition supports the idea that men need to be strong, protective, and aggressive among other things. Femininity is associated with the words feminine, mother, weak, and girlish. This definition supports the idea that women need to be submissive, beautiful, soft, and kind among other things. These ideas tell us who we can become and who we are. The ideals make it hard for men to show emotion and express themselves and it makes it hard for women to be strong, causing them to oversexualize themselves and have poor body image.
Topic: family

Historically, the terms “sex” and “gender” have been used interchangeably but their meanings are becoming increasingly important. Gender is difficult to define but typically refers to gender roles, or an individual’s gender identity. Gender deals with personal, societal, and cultural perceptions of sexuality. Differences between man and woman are anatomic biological differences. Genetics is what defines the sex of an individual, but this does not directly determine how you should represent yourself societally.
Topic: family

However American society has affected the way we must act and the things we must do based on the biological characteristics we display as male and female. Gender is based on the this societal belief/influence/pressure put in place in America that deals with masculinity and femininity. The gender identity that most people adhere to is usually unconscious or forced upon us at an early age. We see the concepts of gender in the colors assigned to children, the common length of our hair, the toys we play with, the jobs we aspire to have, and the behaviors and interests we are encouraged to embrace (The Mask You Live In, 2015). This is harmful to young minds because it removes choice from children’s lives. Children are unable to choose how they want to express themselves and what they are allowed to play with. Boys and girls are separated into different categories and must remain there for the rest of their lives. This increases rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, and substance abuse. This is caused by destructive self talk as children age.
Topic: family

Humans talk to ourselves by carrying a conversation that is constantly researched by scientists and psychologists. A majority of the time when this is done by adults it is a way of self criticism. Mistakes are commonly made, but what is more important is that typically we react to these situations in a negative way. When children absorb this information, they begin to fall into the trap of “self-defeating inner criticism” (Kusa, 2001). During childhood, much of self talk takes place out loud. It guides the way that we play and the way that we learn. If you listen to a toddler play, you will hear words being sounded out and repeated. You will also hear tasks being described briefly and cute phrases of encouragement or defeat. This is obviously learned from adults. Children’s self talk is largely influenced by the adults who teach and care for them. Children whose teachers and caregivers teach them to use calm logical language when learning a task will go on to use that language on their own. On the other hand if a child’s teacher or caregiver is negative and impatient the child will learn to use the same type of self-defeating self-talk when they are on their own (Diamond, 2006). This is evidence that self talk is a form of learning. Kusa and Diamond are correct in saying that self-talk is a way of learning and that this is greatly influenced by caregivers and society. However, self-talk is not just used as a tool for learning, but it is also a social act. By engaging in self-talk, children internalize what they have been taught by society and their family. This means that they also carry on the societal beliefs presented to them at a young age. Self-talk has deep and lasting effects on each of us, as we internalize these societal pressures and grow and change into adults. It also seems that children have a skill most adults assume is not present yet. Very young children can be far more attuned to the “desires, preferences, beliefs, and emotions” of others, including adults, than we assume. Children are able to judge when a human behavior is normal or socially acceptable versus when it is unusual (Middle Sexes, 2005).
Topic: family

Kusa proves this in her study working with adolescent children. When children were asked to choose what adjectives describe them based on a gendered list of terms, both boys and girls closely aligned themselves. Both genders thought they were strong, creative, friendly, and good leaders. However, when asked to define the perfect idea of the opposite sex something interesting happened. Boys chose that women should be quiet, kind, caring, smart, and pretty. Girls chose that men should be loud, athletic, creative, aggressive, and good leaders (Kusa,2001). From Kusa’s study it can be concluded that even though we are actually closely aligned regardless of gender, that society has shaped the idea of masculinity and femininity in children’s heads. In society Masculinity is possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men. This typically associate’s men with the terms handsome, muscled, driven, machismo, vigor, strength, ruggedness, and robustness. This definition supports the idea that men need to be strong, a lady’s man, protective, and aggressive. In society Femininity is the quality of being female. This typically associates women with the terms feminine, mother, weak, and girlish. This definition supports the idea that women need to be submissive, beautiful, soft, and kind. With these stereotypes in tact, children might feel wrong or out of place when they have characteristics that align with the ideals of the opposite sex even though men and women are not actually all that different.
Topic: family

The Mask You Live In, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes and Middle Sexes: Redefining He and She were key films in evaluating how much these vague and socialized definitions really affects people’s everyday lives. A common trend in a each of these was toxic masculinity. Many men expressed that society pressures them to be a person that they don’t recognize in public. What is meant by this is that men tend to have to divide themselves in half: a public persona and their actual identity. The public persona is the hypermasculine version of the man. This version tends to be “hardcore”, have no emotion other than happy or mad, have extreme sexual tendencies, buffed up personality, and a party animal. Meanwhile, the man’s actual identity can differ greatly. When alone, men may suffer a great deal when it comes to always having to display themselves as a rough person while they may actually be a soft person who enjoys watching The Notebook. The movies did a good job at representing toxic masculinity. However they did not address femininity to the same degree. Today’s society is obsessed with physical attraction, which makes women self conscious and self hating as they try to fit society’s idea of flawless or beautiful. Naomi Wolf expresses that today’s unrealistic and destructive view of the female body is a form of social control. Women depend on cultural models more than men and are more likely to be imprinted by them. Successful men get statues and awards that are present everywhere we go. Meanwhile, women are given few role models in the world which causes them to turn to television or magazines for their role models (Wolf, 2002). Naomy is correct in saying that women live in men’s culture. Women become obsessed with filling this perfect position because they are just meant to be the beauty in a man’s world. This makes it so that women often also have a persona separate from themselves. This persona is often a sexualized version of themselves. Women are often pressured to appear submissive and “sexy” as a means to please men.
Topic: family

It is clear to see why people have such a hard time with identity and how to express their identity. This is because femininity and masculinity often go through a circle. Men typically express themselves as tough players and women typically try to fit themselves into that expression to please men. Even though neither sex necessarily wants this version of themselves to be who they are, they are both stuck in the loop that was forced upon them by society and expressed all throughout American Media. We constantly see versions of men and women that are stereotypical and don’t vary much from the “ideal”. An example would be in rap music/hip hop. Men in hip hop degrade women and show a huge tendency for violence. Many rappers are willing to acknowledge that they do stretch this hypermasculinity a bit. Their reasoning is that otherwise, the rap community would not accept them and they would often be shunned from the business (Hip Hop,2006). Likewise, women often see themselves in magazines and music videos. Many are willing to admit that they over sexualize themselves and that that’s how they see tons of women in media(Wolf,2002). Their reasons are often about having a strong version of themselves for the men. It’s not a surprise either that women are given tons of money to show off this version of themselves and are often considered “bitchy” or “prude” if they do not express this version of themselves (Worrel,2006).
Topic: family

These ideas of gender and its portrayal in American culture pose a serious issue when it comes to people whose identity differs from the ideas society tries to force upon people. A big issue already in America is bullying, and an even bigger issue when it comes to gendered harassment. Bullying that relates to gender or sexuality is the most common form of violence that students encounter in schools. Violence of this kind lingers in the school environment where gender roles are clearly defined by language and culture. Students and in some cases teachers discriminate against those who may not fit stereotypical ideals. An example of this are boys who are called “faggots” if they are not into sports or refuse to look at pornography. Similarly, transphobic bullying can happen when students do not fit neatly into binary gender ideals (The Mask You Live In,2015). It is true that the bullying linked to gender and sexuality often goes unchecked, as talked about in The Mask You Live In. Research has shown that teachers often fail to intervene in these instances because they see them as inevitable or not serious. This is additionally problematic as students often frame gender or sexuality-based aggression as a joke or a not serious matter. They may also suggest that the victim deserved the violence. Each of these attitudes fosters a culture of non-reporting, further facilitating aggression of this kind.
Topic: family

In American society stereotypes and biases are strong. Children adopt to gender roles which are not fair to both sexes. As children grow they are exposed to many things that influence their behaviors regarding gender. These things are first learned in the home and then reinforced by peers, school, and media. The strongest influence on gender development seems to occur within the parents. Parents pass on their own beliefs about gender and this tends to be strict on traditional gender roles where a lenient and fluid gender role/stereotype would be more beneficial. A child’s earliest exposure to what it means to be male or female comes from parents. From the time their children are born parents treat sons and daughters differently, dressing infants in gender specific colors, giving gendered toys, and expecting different behavior from boys and girls. Parents have differential expectations of sons and daughters as early as 24 hours after birth. Children internalize parental messages regarding gender at an early age, with awareness of adult sex role differences. Children at two and a half years of age use gender stereotypes to generalize a variety of activities, objects, and occupations. Children even deny the reality of what they are seeing when it doesn’t conform to their gender expectations (Kusa,2001). This is closely linked to how children grow up in their homes and their parents influence.
Topic: family

It is important to look at the way men grow up. When a boy is growing up he watches his father closely and mirrors his image and his mother’s praise is very important. When a boy has to break away from his mother, they sometimes push femininity out of their lives. This commonly happens when boys grow up without a father. When this happens boys have issues dealing with their emotions, as men are typically told they are less of a man if they show emotion. As a result, boys fall into the trap of hyper-masculinity. This leads to a lifetime of struggle, anxiety, depression, and trouble with their identity (Diamond,2006). While Diamond makes it clear what this does to men, he does not mention how women are affected by their parents. Girls are often close with their mothers. Girls are taught to take care of household duties. Women are allowed to express their emotions openly. This allows for women to be able to deal with their issues, unlike men. However, women feel as if they are incapable of doing what men do. They often don’t feel strong and feel as if they can not rise as high as men do. This hurts their self esteem and causes them to see themselves as weak and helpless.
Topic: family

Family can mean many things. However, typically when someone say family it is often taken for granted to mean a married couple with children. This stereotypical view does not consider a changing society with changing norms and values. It is important when discussing the family, it should define in a wider perspective. I was not grouped into what people called the “perfect family”. My mother was a single parent raising 4 kids, and most of our childhood she was active in the Navy at the time.
Topic: family

I do not come from a rich family nor is my family poor. However, my family did have to struggle sometimes because my mother was single parent raising 4 kids on her own with help from my grandmother. They both made sure me and my siblings had everything we need. College was a turning point because I am the youngest and the last to go to school. With my mother being a single parent, she didn’t have much help money-wise to help put all her kids through school.
Topic: family

In many ways race is about difference and how those differences are codified through language, categories, boxes, segmentation, and even the implicit sorting that goes on in our heads in terms of the way we label others and even ourselves. I think it’s important to acknowledge who you are and everything that makes you that. The race has become a big problem today due to the recent changes. Me being black has not been a problem until these changes occurred. I am looked at more differently than I normally am. When I go in store, they ask me to check my bag. However, I notice that the people behind and in front of me don’t get asked the same. In addition, on public transportation people tend to avoid seating next time, and even when it’s coward it they prefer to stand up. I have come to an understanding no matter what my race is going bring a kind of discomfort towards people. All I can do is be proud of who I am. (TCO 5).
Topic: family

Gender has not been a big problem in my life. I would say my family has become more open with gender equality due to the recent change of my older brother. Over the past couple of years my older brother decided to become transgender. I was excited that he finally came to term of being who he is because being trans means that, while people may have told you that you were crazy, that this would alienate you from your family, or that you would get yourself killed, you knew yourself, and chose to live as yourself. At first, I could tell some of my family member was a little confused and uneasiness about his decision especially my second older brother because he is Christian and more by the book. It took some time for them to come around, but I can see that they are starting to become more accept of who we are. (TCO 4 &6).
Topic: family

I recently just come to terms with my own sexuality, I am bisexual. I had always identified as straight; I hadn’t really considered any other possibilities. However, my freshman year in college I met this girl in my dorm hall and we became friends. Once day she made it very clear she was interested in me. I had never considered the idea, but when she kisses me it was very clear that we both knew where it was going. My whole freshman year and a little bit of sophomore we had dated. This was my first same-sex relationship, so I can’t generalize too much, but it’s really refreshing to not have such strict gender roles. I’ve always been independent, and a lot of men found that intimidating that I really didn’t need them for much. I feel much less restricted; I don’t feel forced to be so girly anymore. When I told My family that I was bisexual, they were very accepted with me being who I am. I think the reason was that my brother is transgender, and it forced them to be more open and accepted who we are. (TCO 4 &6).
Topic: family

Sex roles is still an issue today. Assumptions about what is right or appropriate for girls and boys has an influence well beyond Women and men are not automatically compared; rather, gender are analyzed to see how different social groups define them, and how they construct and maintain them in everyday life and in major social institutions, such as the family and the economy. Lucky for me my family did not treat us differently just because we are a certain sex. Whether you were a boy or girl, we all had the same chores to do and were given the same treatment and respect. However, when I got older things started to change. I am an independent woman who like to do things herself and work for what she wants. A previous boyfriend of mine didn’t appreciate the fact that I like to be independent. He didn’t understand why I didn’t want to stay home and do work around the house while he went out to work. I told me a women’s job is to stay at home while he goes out and make the money. That was a turning point in my life. After I broke up with him I realize some men are going to feel frightened by how I like to do things on my own and there’s no changing it. . (TCO 4 &6).
Topic: family

My virtual child is Schneider. I had mixed feelings when I started this project, as I did not know what to expect because I had never tried to raise a child online before, or even considered the possibility of doing it in such a manner. It was strange trying to raise a child through an online simulation, considering real life experience cannot be substituted in such a way. As time passed, however, I began to understand the great significance of learning how to parent in relation to understanding the nuances concerning a child’s development, along with their needs and the different ways in which they respond to their environment.
Topic: family

We then moved to baby food and formula from the age of eight months through two years old. I am aware that we were two months past the national recommended cycle, where in developed countries mothers stopped breast-feeding by six months so they could go back to their regular life (Control, 2012, P. 106). According to my eight month old virtual child report, it was suggested that we feed Schneider from many different varieties of baby food as well as some fruits and vegetables, which I followed. Schneider at that time, exceeded expectations with his sleeping schedule and was at the normal range for babies at eight months of age. Occasionally he would wake up in the middle of the night but he was easily put back to sleep and received an average of over ten hours of sleep during that period. According to Snell, the normal sleep cycle for a child until the age of three is eleven hours (Snell, 2007,P. 104), so I feel comfortable with the amount of sleep he received. The pediatrician’s report described Schneider’s motor skills test as being advanced. It was also stated that Schneider loved crawling, pulling himself up, and manipulating objects. My child was currently at a normal pace for his age according to the fine motor skills PowerPoint slides from class (Harvey, 2019, Ch. 4). Schneider’s eating habits and sleep patterns were also described as being at a normal pace in the virtual simulation at that time.
Topic: family

Schneider’s problem solving and exploratory behaviors can be explained by using Piaget’s theory at the different stages of cognitive development. The first theory, assimilation, takes place when new experiences integrate into pre existing experiences of the child. The second, accommodation, arises based on experience modification, and third, when there is no equilibrium, theories need to be reorganized in order for equilibrium to return to the normal stage. The four stages of development exist because of this theory. These four stages are the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete stage, and the formal operational stage. The first stage goes from birth to two years old. During this stage, a child’s progress goes from simple actions to more complex and symbolic processing (Kail, 2015, pp. 162,163). At 5 months Schneider was displaying a sense of interest in different things, such as recognizing familiar faces in his environment and showed the ability to react to, or show emotion and feelings towards new things such as new toys. This is what shows the relation to the sensorimotor stage. Going from age two to seven, my partner and I tried to involve Schneider in many different physical activities such as soccer, track and baseball. At that age, we noticed that Schneider became more demanding for objects such as toys and gifts and used more symbols for events, which is represented by the second stage, preoperational. Schneider was two and a half years old at this stage and he knew about several dozens of words and frequently attempted to use signs for the words he understood the meaning of, but couldn’t yet pronounce. At around the ages of seven to eleven, Schneider began to solve problems by using his mental aporations, which would fall under the third stage, concrete operational (Kail, 2015, P. 167). As far as the final stage formal operational goes, Schneider seemed to be falling behind, albeit not far. His mind could think hypothetically and deductively just as any other child in this category.
Topic: family

This following section will be used to explore and discuss Schneider’s attachment relationship. Schneider’s attachment was above average at this phase. He was not as close to me as he was with his mother, but this was due to the fact that his mother fed him and bathed him everyday when he was a baby, as the virtual child simulation progressed. Bowlby affirms that “by seven or eight months most infants single out the attachment figure, usually the mother, as an individual that is special” (Bowlby, 1969, P. 312). We as fathers are not usually the attachment figure, it seems, do to the fact that the mother is usually the primary caregiver for most of the beginning years of the infant’s life, as was the case in this simulation. Instead, fathers are more involved in the physical play with our child rather than feeding and bathing (Lamb, 2010, P. 313). This represents the usual kind of attachment that we fathers normally have with our children. According to the study that was conducted by Ainsworth, titled The Strange Situation (Ainsworth, 1978, P.313), there are four types of attachments. The four types are; secure attachment, avoidant attachment, resistant attachment, and disorganized attachment. Schneider fell mostly under the secure attachment type because he rarely cried at all when his mother left, as he understood that he would be with her again once she returned to him. According to Ainsworth’s theory of nurturing, it is best to keep a child in the same school and the same day care if at all possible. Ainsworth’s theory also suggests that parents should watch the way their children behave in order to improve their own parenting techniques. This helps us parents to become more knowledgeable about our children so that we can know how to better help them.
Topic: family

The next topic is Schneider’s temperament. There were five aspects of temperament that were listed in the virtual child exercise, the first being activity. When waking him up early for a doctor’s appointment, he would always seem energetic and ready to go to start the day with a great big smile on his face. The second aspect of temperament is sociability, which can be summed up as how well a child responds to the social environment around them and their interaction with others within that environment. Schneider was always a very social person from my observations. He always adapted well in new environments and made friends easily with new people when he had the opportunity to be. This caused me to conclude that Schneider was at the highest level he could be, on the social aspect. The third temperament aspect is emotionality. Schneider fell on the lower end of emotional category. Less emotional babies tend to cry much less as well as wake up in the middle of the night less frequently. They do not desire to be held frequently and prefer to be less involved and asleep , rather than awake. Throughout the observation, Schneider rarely ever became emotional or cried excessively. He knew how to control his emotions while understanding when it was appropriate to be emotional and when it was not acceptable to be emotional. Based on the virtual simulation report, Schneider’s emotion control was above average. The fourth aspect of temperament is aggressiveness vs. cooperativeness. Schneider was very far from being aggressive. When he was a teenager he naturally rebelled at various times but rarely ever became aggressive towards me or his mother. Schneider was respectful, calm, and a great listener. He obeyed most, if not all of the rules, and respected his mother as much as respected me. The last aspect is self-control. Schneider was amazing at self control. He would remain sturdy and calm through all of his doctor’s visits without any crying as a child.
Topic: family

Regarding issues as a toddler, Schneider was a completely normal child at this stage. He had some of the same issues like all other toddlers his age would normally have. Occasionally Schneider would give me an attitude because I would tell him not to do something and other times he would just smile after doing something that he knew his mother and I didn’t want him to be doing. Schneider followed most of the household rules but sometimes he would say no if his mother or I asked him to do something which he didn’t want to do. He did well with all other people that he encountered and the kinds of behaviors he exhibited are considered to be normal child behavior.
Topic: family

In conclusion, Schneider’s developmental progress was at a very normal pace throughout the simulation. He was advanced in some of the aspects discussed and was average in others, which was typical for most kids in his age groups. Doing the simulation really did change my perspective drastically on raising a child. After summarizing all of my reflections on the information I learned about Schneider’s development, it is my hope that I have shown a proper understanding of what it is like to raise a child. I hope as well that I have reflected a better understanding of child development on my part from this experience. I know I have learned a great deal through this.
Topic: family

Homosexuality was a foreign topic until the 1900’s; to the majority of people, eventually, due to an expanding number of individuals openly declaring their sexuality, people started to become familiar with the existence of such. Along with this rise in number, questions and controversial viewpoints regarding this subject also increased. According to, ‘Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender,’ homosexuality is simply the quality of being sexually attracted to people of the same sex. However, in order to accurately represent those who are sexually oriented in different ways, much more specific terms are used.
Topic: family

Even at present, accepting the LGBTQ Community and to give them their right to live amongst the society as one, has been quite a debate amongst most individuals and approximately 165 countries (ABC News). Although the positive attitude is shown towards them by open-minded people and supportive countries, the negative perspective of other persons and conservative countries, puts a strain on the LGBTQ community, as there seems to be no end to them being harassed for deviating from society’s assumed norms.
Topic: family

People tend to feel the constant need to fit into society’s cultural regulations because failing to do so would expose them to being looked down upon by the public (Beyond blue 2019). Such is a case most LGBTQ people face; unable to meet the convention of being male or female or retain the traditional ways men and women are recognized to be. This puts them under the pressure of being the baits of persecution. Regardless of the position in where a country stands in terms of legalization; the community still continues to face harassment and discrimination such as being refused employment at workplaces and being physically abused by biased people. (Beyond Blue 2019)
Topic: family

, that nuptials could take place only between the opposite genders (Hung, 2018). Due to most not deviating from their customs, and only a minute number of differently sexually-oriented persons present in the society, most people were not familiar with the term homosexual (Damm, 2005, p.68). It is said that the publication of the book ‘Crystal Boys,’ by Pai Hsien-young, was what initially educated most of Taiwan on male homosexuality (Huang, 2011, pg.2), and eventually through other resources such as commercials (Tin 2008), the LGBTQ became known. This acquired knowledge was not one that was widely accepted, and various factors may have influenced one’s opinion. A study that was carried out on the attitude of nurses in Taiwan towards the lesbian and gay individuals, clarified the point that certain factors contribute to the way in which they would act towards the minor sexualities. The results revealed that nurses who had worked long and are religious were not in support of LGBTQ and did not show interest in providing care to the people with different sexual and gender orientations. On the other hand, nurses who are related to homosexual people, and owned higher degrees tended to provide more care to the LGBTQ and supported those persons (Yen, et al, 2007). Taking into consideration these factors, we could further make clear that the previously mentioned point is valid, as there is distinct evidence proving the link. For example, nurses who owned higher degrees had positive attitudes towards the LGBTQ, speaking in general terms; people who are more educated are more likely to have an open mind. Fact’s like these contribute to the society’s understanding and willingness to accept the LGBTQ, due to this reason it could be seen that with time, there has been an increase in tolerance towards this subject in Taiwan (Cheng, et al, 2016).
Topic: family

One of the major topics that influence one’s opinion on homosexuality is religion. Taiwan is a country that is very liberal to different cultures and religions, thus embodies a nation of believers of diverse religions (Hays, 2015). It could be seen that 35.1% of Taiwanese follow Buddhism, 33.0% Taoism, and although not a religion but merely a way of life and an ancient ethical concept, Confucianism, is also pursued (World Population Review 2019; Scroope, 2016). Other minor religious ethnicities such as Christians and Muslims also make up the community (Hays, 2015).
Topic: family

The Buddhism that is practiced in Taiwan is known as Mahayana Buddhism (Chen 2011, pg 27). According to the monk Master Hsing Yun’s writing with regard to one of the basic texts of Mahayana Buddhism (Robinson, 2010), he states homosexuality is not misconduct and it is people that need to learn to tolerate all sort of human behaviors. In addition to that statement, in an analysis of Buddhism and homosexuality (Silva, 2013; O’Brien 2018), further clarifies that, due to the topic of homosexuality not been emphasized or explicitly mentioned on Buddha’s discourses, it is interpreted that homosexuality can be taken into understanding the same way heterosexuality is. It has also been stated that certain acts, however, need to be avoided not because they are wrong in ethical terms, but rather for the reasons that these acts may lead to social disapproval or be a legal offense. Considering this point, it could be evaluated that, homosexuality, although itself not a violation of the principals of Buddhism, is yet wrongdoing according to Taiwan, as it is a state of being that is disregarded by the society and a violation of the law. Taoism, on the other hand, does not mention anything of expressing disapproval to the people of different sexual orientations or preferences. A citizen was said to have stated that homosexuality is against Taoism, as it goes against the natural order of the world. To clarify the authenticity of this statement a question was posed at a well-renowned author of the genre Tao, to which he replied, the subject of gender is not what Taoism looks into, instead, it is the spiritual nature of love and kindness that the religion focuses on, therefore it is no sin (Lin, 2014). The sacred texts of the Bible, followed by the Christians, condemn sexual acts between men while the Quran, clearly mentions that sexual activity between the genders of the same sex is forbidden (Hildebrandt, 2014).
Topic: family

On the whole, the conclusion that can be drawn is that, not every person is pious; and religious concepts are not always considered when making decisions of supporting or going against the LGBTQ. In addition to most of the general public who does lean toward being devoted to the customs of one’s religion, has a level of a tendency to misconceptualize the actual teachings of one’s faith, and may arrive at a faulty belief. Consequently, according to Taiwan’s religions, it could be seen that these religions are very much tolerant towards the LGBTQ community, and the impact religion has on shaping people’s thoughts is quite low, and this leads to the interpretation that there are larger factors that contribute to the attitudes of the community’s judgment.
Topic: family

The LGBTQ movement began after the uplift of the martial law, around the 1990s. Since then the LGBTQ community has been fighting for their rights, by trying to pass bills and hosting Pride events to give voice to their rights. The initial LGBT movement was the founding of the lesbian group, ‘Between Us’ in the 1900s and thereafter in 1998, the first legally registered LGBTQ organization called the ‘Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association’ came into existence (Gil. D. L. 2013). The first gay parade was held in 2003 and since then Pride events were held annually (gay star news), and Taiwan is known to have held the largest Pride event in Asia as of October 27th, 2018 to date (nst.com).
Topic: family

The battle to instill change upon the marriage equality law had been a tough course as the LGBTQ community had to face many obstacles from the opposition crowd in order to successfully fulfill their objective. The first legal attempt to amend the law was in 2003 and the second in 2005, but unfortunately, these proposals were rejected (gay star news). Despite the adverse response, the LGBTQ and the Democratic Progressive Party or DPP (a political party) still continued to put forward bills and some of these bills passed on the first reading. However, a bill needs to go through at least three readings before it could come into effect (foucus taiwan). This was a difficult task to achieve as there was always some sort of hindrance that prevented the bills from passing. The situation in 2012 is a perfect example to the previous statement; when the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Partnership Rights (an organization that seeks to provide people the right and protection they deserve), proposed a draft requesting to amend the law on marriage, on behalf of the LGBTQ, it was passed by the judicial court in 2013. But the hopes of those who looked forward to the change was soon diminished, because the anti- LGBTQ groups spread videos about how sexually transmitted diseases could increase following the change, and organized mass rallies voicing out their disapproval in 2013 leading the court to question their consent (international Rocky).
Topic: family

As for the results of the polls, the percentage of people who agree to the change in the law can be seen to increase from the year 2012 to 2015, where 2015 has the highest voting for supporting. The increase in voting could be due to reasons such as more education regarding gender and equality and a higher percentage of voters belonging to the middle age category. This increase, however, takes a whole new turn in the polls held in the years 2016 and 2018, where a sudden decrease in supporter can be seen. According to (Taiwan.insight) Rich T. S. et al (2019), the explanation given to this sudden change that the 2018
Topic: family

Regardless of the referendums and public rallies that took place, on the 17th of May 2019, Taiwan’s Legislative Court passed the bill on same-sex marriage officially legalizing it, and was officially going into effect on the 24th of May 2019 (CNN). It is this very judicial triumph that the LGBTQ have been restless to achieve. As mentioned before the initiative to make an amendment in the law began 2003 but only in 2017 did the court actually begin considering it. On the 24th of May 2017, the Constitutional Court gave verdict stating that refusing two people of the same gender to marry violates their right to equality and their legal right to marry, thus paving the path to Taiwan being the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage (Researchgate LGBT rights in Taiwan). Taiwan’s legislature was given a two-year deadline by which it must enact legislation to allow same-sex marriage (qz.com). This was successfully completed by 2019, renewing the lives of the LGBTQ community, as they are now endowed with the freedom of marital fulfillment.
Topic: family

The revolutionary movement made by Taiwan has set an example to many other nations, as to how governing bodies of a country could always stand up for the minority, and consider referendums as means of public opinion, but not take action based on the choice of the majority especially if they are discriminatory (Knight K. 2019). This celebratory law has opened up new doors of freedom and opportunity. However, this decree only agrees to grant the LGBTQ the liberty of marriage and prohibits the Taiwanese from getting married to persons from foreign countries. In addition to that, they also have limited rights when it comes to adoption; same-sex couples can only adopt if the child is a biological offspring of one of the partners (Tang W. A. et al, 2019). These privileges not being granted to the LGBTQ does appear to be a little unjust, but it could be justified by understanding that allowing international marriage may lead to conflicts between countries if the countries have no law that approves of same-sex marriages. Also, the limitation of adoption, as stated by Professor Perreau B. could be vindicated by regarding his point of view in which he questions the action of adoption itself. He states;
Topic: family

“Under the new legal regime, same-sex married couples will only have a limited access to adoption, that of the biological child of one of the spouses. The number of children available for adoption has indeed dramatically decreased worldwide over the past fifteen years. In this context, gay adoption is often regarded as competing with adoption by heterosexual parents. Also, the adoption of non-biological children raises an even broader question: isn’t the family, whether based on biology or not, always already a choice? This viewpoint has major political consequences since the sense of belonging to a nation is itself based on the metaphors of the family. This is why opening the adoption of non-biological children to gay married couples can appear more unsettling than gay marriage itself!
Topic: family

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer persons are known to have existed for decades. It is due to the fact that most countries have been accepting this community, and schools have been educating the students about the minor genders and sexualities, that most people have come to know of them. Nonetheless, it could still be seen that, even though countries have come up with the decision of accepting the LGBTQ, most citizens of that nation are not too willing to treat them the same as they would heterosexual persons. The discussion of Taiwan fundamentally clarifies the same. Raising the question of morality, if Taiwan’s decision was a right movement made, we could argue that on one hand yes, as it complies with the right of humanity and fulfillment of their essential needs. On the other hand, the matter of, if this step, fully eradicated the biasness, and discriminatory ways of people in its society, and if it ensures communal standards of living, remains open. Considering Taiwan, it could be stated that despite the enactment of the law, according to Lu J. (2019) LGBTQ individuals may still face judgment in their daily lives. And most people are still afraid to come out, and this again states that this law hasn’t fully changed the minds of people, as minds are a structure that cannot be controlled by fellow beings. Also this law doesn’t promise equality, as the LGBTQ community do not hold certain liberties that heterosexual people are endowed with, such as adoption rights. Alternatively, take into account all of these, it could be concluded that despite the ethics of the situation, Taiwan has exemplified how to stand up for the minorities of a country, and this big step is definitely a major lead that probably gives the LGBTQ communities all over the world hope to one day achieve this in their own countries.
Topic: family

Should Wizard Hit Mommy?, a witty short story written by John Updike, raises a moral issue : if parents should always decide what the children should do or let the children do what they like to do. It shows the innocence and pureness of children, and the differences in the perspectives of life in adult and child’s view. This can help the students understand their parents much better, how they always want the best for them and how their perspective of life is much broader than theirs.
Topic: family

On The Face Of It, a play written by Susan Hill is the sixth chapter of this book. This play consisted of three characters; Derry, Derry’s mother and Mr. Lamb. It depicts a unique bond between a fourteen year old boy and an old man, both of them are physically impaired. This play shows the students that physically impaired people mostly suffer from inferiority complex and are mostly reluctant to easily approach people unlike normal people. It also shows that physical impairment should not hold a person back from doing what he wants to do in life and that they can also lead a normal life just like the others. It teaches the students to be aware of the reality of life and encouraged them to cope with their impairment in the best possible manner.
Topic: family

The last chapter is Memories of Childhood and contains two excerpts, taken from two autobiographies. The first one is taken from “The Cutting of My Long Hair : A Biography of My Hair” written by Zitkala-Sa and the second one from “Karukku” written by Bama. Both of them are victims of social discrimination. In both the extracts, the writers look back on their childhoods and reflect on the relationship with mainstream culture which ill-treated them when they were children. Both the accounts are based on two distant cultures. The first is that of Native Americans and the second is that of the Tamil Dalits. Both the commonality that brings them closer is the fact that in both cases, the mainstream culture marginalised the underprivileged section of that society. This gave rise to the conflict between the mainstream culture and the marginalised community, which is exquisitely showcased in Memories of Childhood. This chapter tells us how racial discrimination and caste discrimination can destroy a person’s life and that we all are humans, with feelings and interdependent on each other. The students can have an understanding of the importance of living in harmony with our fellow human beings.