ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: family

Nina wants to get rid out from the clutches of his patriarchal attitude. Nahal says, “A woman should be aware, self-controlled, strong-willed, self-reliant, and rational having faith in the inner strength of womanhood. A meaningful change can be brought only from within by being free in the deeper psychic sense  As a modern woman she does not want to be subordinate to her husband. She thinks that no one can control her body and life. Finally Nina gets confidence and she wants to bring a prosperous change by completely erasing the image of sacrificial and traditional wife.
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Like Simon de Beauvoir Manju Kapur wants the Indian society to view every woman as a human being. Kapur condemns the institution of conventional marriage where woman is viewed as a reproductive gadget and procreative tool only and underestimate her selfhood. In the conventional structure, the motherhood is viewed as a site of power for woman, as well as a site of exploitation. As the woman novelist, Kapur is well aware of the marginalisation of Indian women even in an independent India, she explicitly expresses her feminist vision by raising her voice against the Indian patriarchal system.
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These two chapters had taken me forty-five years ago when I was growing in my native Puerto Rico when we didn’t have time to think about trivial things of life. They were years in which the children played without malice; we were content to have mom, dad and one of the grandparents nearby. The story of Esmeralda in the chapter “Why women remain “jamona” was about a stage of her life as a girl in which she describes that day when her father takes her to her grandmother’s house for a week.
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everything related to the occult. There were markets for fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and all kinds of edible roots. There were also all kinds of typical Puerto Rican food, which was what she could smell for the aroma of fried “alcapurrias.” When she finishes her journey in the public car, she arrives at her grandmother’s house and realizes that her father has very strange behavior and her mind began to worry about his way of saying goodbye.
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It is here that she realizes that something is wrong in the conformism in which her loved ones live. A week after the adventure the day before at the mass, the day comes when her father supposedly is to pick her up as he had promised, but he never showed up. Three days later her pregnant mother came to pick her up, and by the conversation between her mom and grandma, she is listening about the problems that are surfacing in her family and that she had not noticed nor understood in her young mind. From this moment she analyzes the pain her mother and grandmother are feeling for the disappearance of her father without apparent reason (although they do know the cause).
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In the chapter “Dreams of a Better Life,” Esmeralda ends her child’s stage to become a “Senorita,” which is the most critical stage, so to speak, in which the girls begin to see their bodies change and menstruation comes for the first time. Her father lets her know that this change is about to happen because she will turn thirteen and turn her into a “teenager.” With this change come situations between her parents that force her to be part of the separation of these and the cold and insensitive feeling on the part of her father is evident.
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In the last stanza of this chapter, “The Puerto Rican Jibara who longed for the green quiet of a tropical afternoon was to become a hybrid who would never forgive the uprooting,” we see her the outcome of her life as a child victim of her adults who against their will. Having to leave the place they loved and remembered, as the place where they felt safe to move to a different unknown place was devastating for her. The comparison that she uses in the term of hybrid is that after being an average and ordinary person suddenly she is to be plunged into a depression as a result of the bad choices of her parents with different ways of thinking. Hispanic families are very supportive of the family unit and when for some reason they separate they disintegrate entirely. Esmeralda was in the “eye of the hurricane” helpless, sad; missing her days as a little girl.
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I have spent the last 8+ years of my life supporting women and families throughout their pregnancies, labor and births, and their postpartum transitions as a birth doula, birth assistant, and certified lactation counselor. I have chosen to expand my field of study by becoming a nurse. Ideally, I would like to continue to work with women, families, and babies as either a labor and delivery nurse or a postpartum nurse. While this isn’t set in stone, and I am keeping my options in the nursing field open, I do have a strong desire to stay connected to “my roots”, by continuing to support pregnant women on their journey to motherhood.
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While cesareans and other interventions can absolutely be life-saving for both mothers and babies, we have to make sure that hospital policies and provider practices are not contributing to unnecessary interventions that may lead to unnecessary surgical births. Practices like induction of labor, augmentation of labor, starving women in labor, limiting their movement, etc. are all things that can increase the chance/risk of a cesarean section. In many cases, these interventions go against the mother’s wishes.
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For my study, I would like to survey women in Florida to see how many felt that they were forced/bullied/coerced/pressured into an obstetrical intervention that they did not want. I will poll several online forums that consist of mothers in Florida to obtain my data. The poll will ask if at any point in their pregnancy or labor/birth if they felt pressured/forced/bullied/coerced into an intervention that they did not want. The poll will have a simple yes or no option. I expect to find that 1 in 3 women (33%) will answer yes.
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Immigration laws affect U.S. citizen children through multigenerational punishment. The author, Laura E. Enriquez, examined the complex relationship U.S. citizen children of undocumented 1.5-generational young adults have with immigration laws. In the article “Multigenerational Punishment: Shared Experiences of Undocumented Immigration Status Within Mixed-Status Families” Enriquez (2015) states that U.S. citizen children of 1.5-generational parents’ experience multigenerational violence. Enriquez argues that immigration laws create multigenerational punishment because the legal ramifications intended for undocumented immigrants affect the lives of U.S. citizens. For the study, Enriquez interviewed undocumented 1.5-generational young adults who had U.S. citizen children. The term 1.5-generation refers to a person who immigrated to a new country as a preteen or during their early teenage years. Enriquez conducted 32 interviews with undocumented 1.5-generational young adults. 21 of the interviewees were mothers, 8 were fathers, one couple were expecting a child and one woman who had been pregnant and decided not to have the baby. All the interviewees’ children were U.S. citizens between infancy and 15. Enriquez supports her claim by examining the effect immigration laws have on undocumented 1.5-generational young adults and their U.S. citizen through deportation fears, driving, travel and legal employment. Many of the parents interviewed said that they had discussed deportation with their children. This exchange leads to multigenerational violence because their children then feared being deported. Most interviewee’s feared being pulled over without a license, so they used risk management strategies to prevent getting pulled over. Many of their U.S. citizen children became hyper-vigilant when in the car with their parents; and adopted their parent’s risk management strategies.
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It impressed me that Enriquez’s interview subjects had a widely diverse educational background. Throughout the article, Enriquez cited other studies to explain multigenerational punishment and the effect it had on transnational families and first-generation parents and their children. I liked how she brought in additional information that strengthened her conclusion. I wish the article discussed Enriquez’s interview questions along with the responses. Enriquez’s study is one of the first that focuses on multigenerational punishment regarding 1.5-generational parents and their U.S. citizen children. I think it’s important to prove that the questions asked were not leading questions.
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I found this article worth reading. Enriquez’s study is the first of its kind; other studies focus on transnational families or first-generation families and their children. Enriquez takes an in-depth look at how America’s immigration policy affects U.S. citizen children. In today’s political climate, many children are experiencing multigenerational punishment. I think it’s important to acknowledge that immigration laws not only affect immigrants but also their U.S. born children.
Topic: family

“Clashing Dreams: Highly Educated Overseas Brides and Low-Wage U.S. Husbands” by Hung Cam Thai discusses why highly educated Vietnam women are marrying low-wage earning Viet Kieu husbands. In this study, Thai interviews with Minh and Thanh. Thanh is a highly educated woman in Vietnam while Minh is a low-wage earner in the U.S. making them unmarriageable by Vietnamese standards. Thai states that women like Thanh, who are older and highly educated view eligible men in Vietnam to be disrespectful to women and underachieving. Viet Kieu men, in their eyes, are more respectful and will offer an equal partnership marriage because they live in westernized countries. Minh is an unmarriageable to Viet Kieu women because he is a low wage earner. Viet Kieu men adhere to the traditional Vietnamese culture and demand respect and difference from their wives. Viet Kieu women do not respect their husbands unless they make a lot of money which is why Viet Kieu men do not marry Viet Kieu women. Viet Kieu men like Minh are looking at women from Vietnam to get the respect they desire. Thai concludes that the high trend of transpacific marriages is because of Vietnamese culture ostracizing educated women in Vietnam and low-wage Vietnamese men in the United States. These highly educated women in Vietnam hoping to escape strict traditional gender roles by marrying a low wage-earning husband won’t find the equal partnership they are looking for. Instead, they will face the same expectation from these traditional Viet Kieu men.
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I like that Thai tried to stay as neutral as possible. He refrains from putting his own inherent biases into the article. I appreciated that Thai explained how the double marriage squeeze and globalization play a part in transpacific marriages. I enjoyed reading the first-hand accounts from Minh and Thanh. I appreciate that it adds a personal touch to the article. I dislike how Thai only interviewed one couple because their experience can’t be generalized. Thai’s reliance on Minh and Thanh’s accounts weakens his argument.
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I found “Clashing Dreams” to be worth reading. Thai provides a look inside Vietnam culture and how it influenced transpacific marriages. The article highlights how culture still controls these highly educated women regardless of where they are. These highly educated women married low wage-earning husbands to escape the strict gender roles in Vietnam only to be trapped. Women like, Thanh, hoped to be equal in the marriage but their new U.S. husbands still keep to the traditional Vietnam culture. Thai’s article shows the complicated relationship between women’s equality and culture. Vietnamese women will continue to experience rigid gender roles unless the Vietnamese culture changes.
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Katherin M. Flower Kim examines the social construct of desirable and undesirable children in her article, “Out of Sorts: Adoption and (Un) Desirable Children”(2007). Kim interviewed 73 adoptive parents from 1997 to 1997 who adopted children from Korea in the 80s and 90s. Throughout this study, Kim was investigating the sorting and ranking of children throughout the adoption process. In the interviews, Kim, asked specific questions like “when thinking about adopting a child, what was important to you?” (Kim, 2007 p.348). All the parent’s responses expressed a healthy child. Most parents began exploring domestic adoptions for a healthy child. Kim states “domestic adoptions” acts as a code word for white babies. When Kim asked Amy, an adoptive mother, if she and her husband looked at children that weren’t white or healthy infants, Amy responded by saying she didn’t think to look at any other nationality. Here “nationality” was used to sort out the “undesirable” children. Half of the adoptive parents never considered adopting a child that was not white Kim also states the “American” was also a code word that means white child. According to Kim (2007), many parents who wanted to adopt would not consider children who were not white because they assumed that they would be “adopting” their cultural practices regardless of how they might socialize the child. Participants such as Molly used negative stereotypes to weed out undesirable children. Some parents only considered adopting a nonwhite child such as an African American child if that was their only option. Some parents didn’t mind adopting a black child but didn’t because their extended family thought of it as unacceptable. When parents looked at intercountry adoption they looked to Korea. Parents viewed children from Korea as desirable because they thought Asian culture was good and Koreans were beautiful. Parents also felt that Korean children wouldn’t look too different from themselves. Kim discovered that racial matching played a large part in deciding to adopt Korean children. Adoptive parents felt connected with their adoptive children based on how similar they looked. Parents also avoided engaging in racial and social dynamics that they deemed negative when adopting children from Korea. While interviewing these parents Kim discovered that parents have social constructs of desirable and undesirable children which are based on a society’s larger norm surrounding race and gender. Kim noticed that adoptive parents desired a child that looked similar to them, or would not a child who would act like they were from “the hood.” Parents used coded language, a healthy baby, really meant white baby or Asian baby classified as “honorary whites.” Stereotypes that Asian babies are better suited for white-middle class culture than a black or Latino baby would be.
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It disappointed me that all but one of the adoptive parents used in the study were white which makes the study non-generalizable to anyone who isn’t white. Kim should have not only interviewed white adoptive parents but adoptive parents are of another race. I appreciate how the study had a large sample of 73 adoptive parents. In most qualitative studies the sample normally small. I appreciated that Kim’s questions were open-ended. The open-ended questions reduced unintentional leading or influencing the responses. Open-ended questions also allowed the participants to share their thoughts and experiences without censoring themselves.
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Kim’s article, “Out of Sorts: Adoption and (Un) Desirable Children” is worth the read because of how relevant adoption is in our society. Kim’s discussion on racial desirability creating undesirability is worth reading about. Kim’s article emphasizes that an individual’s choices and preferences are linked and shaped by social, cultural and historical contexts. I found it interesting how the adoptive parents’ preferences are based on historical contexts and preconceived bias. The article also explains how adoptive parent’s preferences continue to promote racial inequality. Others should read Kim’s study because she discusses how an individual’s choices and preferences are linked to social, cultural and historical contexts which continue to promote racial inequality.
Topic: family

Rhacel Salazor Parre?as article “Mothering From a Distance: Emotions, Gender, and Intergenerational Relations in Filipino Transnational Families” (2001) examines the emotional impact of transnational mothering. Parre?as conducted 72 open-ended interviews with female Filipino domestic workers in Rome and Los Angeles, the two main destinations for Filipino migrants. Parre?as tape-recorded and transcribed her interviews conducted in Tagalog or Taglish into English. Parre?as collected interview in Rome in 1995 and 1996 and then interviews in Los Angeles between April and September 1996. Key differences between the two groups were regional origin and median age. Some similarities between them are that most are legal residents of their host societies and more than half of the interviewees are married women with children. While interviewing these women Parre?as found that mothers negotiate emotional strain in three ways: the commodification of love, repressing emotional strains, and rationalizing the distance by using regulation communication to ease distance. Transnational mothers often try to make up for the lack of maternal love by giving their children material things. One mother said, “because I am lacking in giving them maternal love, I fill that gap with many material things” (Parre?as, 2001, p. 259). Parre?as found that transnational mothers often downplayed emotional strains or even deny emotional strains. To maintain their mothering role, the women interviewed often used phone calls and letters to overcome the geographical distance. These mothers believe constant communication makes it seem like they are right there with their children. Parre?as states that children like their mothers suffer from the emotional strain of geographical distance. Parre?as found that children disagree with their mothers that commodities are sufficient markers of love. They do not believe that their mothers recognize the sacrifices that children have made to the successful maintenance of the family. The children appreciated the efforts made by migrant mothers, but they still question the extent of their efforts.
Topic: family

I like how Parre?as participants were from various churches, parks, and plazas. By getting participants from various locations, she diversified the study. I appreciated that Parre?as acknowledged the emotional insecurity experienced by families with transnational mothers is partially because of traditional gender ideologies. In Filipino families the emotional care is the mother’s responsibility; when there is a transnational mother there’s an increased emotional insecurity because the responsibility still falls on her. I don’t like that the interviews were originally conducted in Tagalog or Taglish and then transcribed into English. When transcribing colloquialisms and alternative means belonging to certain sayings can get lost in translation. There is also a chance that parts of interviews could have been translated incorrectly which puts the validity of the interview responses into question.
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I found Parre?as article worth reading because gender roles is an interesting topic. Parre?as examines the emotional strain transnational mother’s experience and the emotional insecurity it causes their children. Parre?as acknowledges that the geographical distance between parent and family impacts emotional security, but the continuation of traditional gender roles makes the emotional strain even worse. Traditional gender ideologies make the responsibility of emotional care and security the responsibility of the mother even if the mother is a thousand miles away. Parre?as article is worth reading for anyone who wants to explore the impact of traditional ideologies has on families.
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I appreciate that Brown and Porter explained where they received their responses from and who they contracted. I liked how Brown and Porter used two nationally represented surveys to create a large sample size for their study making it generalizable to women in the United States. I also liked how they defined and explained the dependent and control variables. By defining those variables they made the study easier to understand. I didn’t like that they only included women in the study. The non-inclusion of men makes the study only generalizable to women.
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This article was not worth reading. Brown and Porter spent the majority of the article discussing the methods and all the variables used in the study. They didn’t spend a lot of time on the implications of the results. Most of their conclusions were similar to past studies, so I found part of their study redundant. I found the article hard to get through because of how uninteresting it was. I didn’t find this article useful because I already assumed most of the results. I would not read this article again or recommend it.
Topic: family

Measure number 2 was that A Zipped down the zip on her jumper. This demonstrated that A was using good hand coordination as she needed to use one hand to pull down the zip and the other to help pull the zip apart. Measure 3 shows A turning on a tap. She showed us that she was able to demonstrate hand strength in order to turn the faucet by herself. She smiled up at her mother when doing so with a facial expression of pride. Curiosity is one of the main driving forces of children’s search for belief in having some control over the learning process CITATION Bru76 l 6153 (Vygotsky, 1976). This shows that she has mastered the pincer grip.
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Measure 4 described how A washed her hands attempting the sari method with her mother. As mother washed her hands with her using the happy birthday song to make the process more fun for A. While A can’t do the Sari method correctly, she is however learning through play to practice good habits by her mother. Its all about showing a kid what the next step they’re working on looks like CITATION DrA18 l 6153 (Berstein, 2018)Measure 5 shows that A Built a tower out of Duplo Blocks. This showed that A was using her hand and eye coordination skills. This helps with strengthening her muscles in her hands and fingers which will help with holding other items. CITATION Bru14 l 6153 (Bruce, 2014) mentions that this is an appropriate skill for a child of this age.
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Measure 6 mentioned that A pulled off her Velcro fastened shoes. She showed that she had good concentration levels and determination as she struggled at first to pull the Velcro strap backwards, however she then mastered it as she was able to pull the back the Velcro strap faster and easier on the second shoe. You will see their persistence, creative attempts to solve problems CITATION Ann07 l 6153 (Karmiloff-Smith, 2007)Measure 7 showed that A stood on her tip toes to see what was outside the window. She saw a dog run past and stood on her tiptoes and leaned against the windowsill and was curious to see what was going on. She then started smiling and laughing as the dog was running towards from the other side of the window. A could only stand on her tiptoes for 2/3 seconds at a time as she did not have enough muscle strength in her legs at the time.
Topic: family

CITATION Tin14 l 6153 (Bruce, 2014) states Physical development is the most visible of all the abilities shown in childhood. In measure 8, ‘A squatted down and picked up a ball. She squatted down keeping her back straight and legs in line and picked up the ball. A showed great balancing skill while moving both hands and legs which is good for building up her core strength. Children need to be active in childhood, because regular and lively physical activity builds muscle CITATION Jea05 l 6153 (Lindon, 2005)Measure 9 showed kicking the ball at the wall’. A had some success with kicking the ball however occasionally she would miss it. A kept on trying until it was a success. She would then laugh when she finally kicked it at different ways and speeds. A would then clap her hands to celebrate.
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Toddlers have an increasing desire to explore and experiment CITATION Chr04 l 6153 (Frankel, 2004)Measure 10 showed that A walked towards the mother and handed her the ball. She held the ball up above her own head trying to get to her mother’s eye level. As mother said that it was a first, as it was her first time suggesting that mother plays with the ball also. Children’s physical growth makes new behaviours possible CITATION Und05 l 6153 (Lindon, 2005). In measure 11, A then caught the ball with her own arms straight out. She then curled her forearms into herself cradling the ball confidently while her head remained straight and upright. A showed a great example of flexibility and co-ordination. All children need to learn the skills of co-ordination CITATION Arn07 l 6153 (Gesell, 2007)
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In measure 12, A walked up and down the stairs. She managed to do this with her mother’s help as she held her hand in order to keep her safe and free from falling. A also held onto the banister of the stairs with her other hand to sturdy herself furthermore. They learn about the world through their senses CITATION Ele07 l 6153 (Goldschmied, 2007)I recorded this observation about a number of different gross and fine motor skills. I observed a 2.0-year-old female, who throughout I called A in order to keep her privacy.
Topic: family

This observation took place in As home, which worked well for me as I got to observe her in her own environment where she feels comfortable. If I had done my observation in a creche it may not have worked out as well, as A may not have had as much room to move about and do various different measures. It also worked out well that it was not in a creche as I got to see how A acted while she used the stairs. I also liked that I got to see A interact with her mother, as that links to Aistear’s theme of Identity and Belonging. A got to feel part of a family and community. She also got to experience expressing her own ideas when it came to play which led to her feeling a sense of her own identity.
Topic: family

It also helped A with the theme of exploring and thinking, as she wandered over to the window to see the dog outside the window. A also had to think about how she was going to zip down her jumper when she got too warm. She also had to think about how she was going to take off her shoes that had Velcro straps on them. Once she had figured out how to do it correctly she then had to apply it to her other shoe in order to take the two shoes off.
Topic: family

From this observation I have gained a lot of knowledge in relation to the physical development of A.I have learned that a lot about children who are 2.0 years old and were they should be at, at every different stage and age in their life. I learned that there is a big difference between gross motor skills and fine motor skills, yet that they have a lot in common at the same time, as they are both important and go hand in hand with one another in relation to a child’s physical development.
Topic: family

During my time with A, I noticed that her mother plays a big role in her physical development as she searches for her mother in a lot of measures to look for some reassurance before she does something. She often involved her mother in a lot of measures e.g. climbing the stairs, playing with the ball together. Her mother helped A if she got into difficulty when trying complete something but ultimately left it up to A to figure out by herself, so she can learn how to do things for herself e.g. opening the Velcro straps on her shoes.
Topic: family

I would recommend that the parents baby proof the house a bit more as there were a few protruding edges which could cause an injury. I also noticed that the conservatory had soft maths placed down to ensure that if A falls, she will not hit her head or any other part. However, once it came to the kitchen there were tiles on the floor. I would recommend either keeping the baby in the conservatory where the soft mats are down or rooms that have carpet to prevent accidents.
Topic: family

The Knox Revised Preschool Play Scale was used in the observations of Noah and 42 months play behaviour was observed as the overall score. The original Play scale was designed in 1968 with further versions made up until 1997 where the Revised Knox Preschool Play Scale was designed. It is an observational assessment giving a development play behaviour from birth to 6 years (Parham & Fazio, 2008).
Topic: family

He displayed good balance when he was reading the book in the trampoline and getting up off the trampoline. In the playroom stability again was seen when he sat with his legs crossed over each other and used good eye-head hand co-ordination in reading the book. This is another indicator he has reached his development milestone of 3 years (Sharma & Corkerill, 2014). He also displayed interest in his willingness to take on challenges such as where he unknotted a bag, he initially called for mum but then he continued and untied it himself using his fine motor skills.
Topic: family

Noah was observed within the overall age range of 36-48 under material management. Under the headings of manipulation and construction, he was observed in the 36-48 months range. He used small muscle activity when raking the sand and untying the knot in a bag. Under construction, he was observed taking things apart such as the box when he was doing magic by taking off the lid a few times, and he combined the sand to designed an ice cream. He appeared to be in the 30-36 play age for both purpose and attention. Under purpose, he didn’t appear to show a real interest in a finish product and his attention appeared to be between 15 to 30 minutes when he moved between activities during this time. Floor work games were where his attention lasted longer. Playing on the floor with toys and friends is considered in line with his developmental age (Sharma & Corkerill, 2014).
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Under Pretense-symbolic 30-36 months suited Noah as he did display some imitation with the binoculars and saying “Nice to meet you”. Under Dramatization, this was observed in the sand pit where he made ice cream for his friend and asking what colour she wanted. This would be consistent with what research suggests where boys of preschool age engage in more concrete pretend play and girls engage more in abstract pretend play (Li, Hestenes, & Wang, 2014).
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Under Participation, Noah demonstrated 36-48 months range for this dimension. For type he played with his friend throughout the video on the trampoline, he read to his friend and was pointing out colours and playing in the sand displaying play for 36-48 range. Children at 3 years can match 2 or 3 primary colours however they sometimes confuse the colours but they know all the names of the colours (Sharma & Corkerill, 2014). He showed signs of beginning co-operative play when reading and pointing out colours in the book however there was no turn-taking and grabbing was seen in the sand pit, 30 to 36 months is deemed more suitable. Humour was shown many times when he said “cheese” into the camera and doing magic with the box 36 to 48 months. For language, he used many descriptive words and could change his speech when he was calling his mum or when he was asking his friend what flavour ice cream she wanted. He also was singing a nursing rhythm at the start of the video.
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3. Play has many meanings, it is fun, flexible, and can be challenging or not. It depends on the experience of a person or state of mind as to the value of the play experience (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015). It can absorb a child where their internal locus of control can be seen externally through their observed thought processes and the actions of play (Stagnitti & Cooper, 2009). Play behaviour is done in a context and is impacted by cultural and societal roles and the physical or social environment where play occurs (Parham & Fazio, 2008).
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When Noah was playing in the sand, he pretended to scoop an ice-cream for his friend he knew exactly how to scoop the sand to make the correct rounded shape. This symbolic play would suggest he had seen this previously in his physical or social environment. Decontextualization of action occurred where Noah used the sand as it was ice-cream which was out of context. Decentration also occurred as he used the sand and made the shape of ice-cream to give to his friend. According to Stagnitti and Cooper “Decentration” is the ability to play on another object other than the person (Stagnitti & Cooper, 2009). It is through decentration a child learns the ability to understand the perspective of others (Stagnitti & Cooper, 2009).
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Vygotsky sociocultural theory believed children developed their cognitive competencies in play and the zone of proximal development with a more skilled partner through learning by guidance and encouragement. Scaffolding is part of this support to enable a child to be independent in doing a task and to provide social norms and values (Shaffer & Kipp, 2014). This was evident when the trampoline was wet Noah used a towel to dry it also when he was outside on the table and he had to empty something in the bin afterwards. He has learned this norm to be tidy and clean up after yourself. This is consistent with the development progress for aged 3 years under self-care and independence where a child starts to make an effort to keep the surroundings tidy (Sharma & Corkerill, 2014).
Topic: family

A supportive environment is one where there is an opportunity to learn and develop which is safe and secure. The child learns how to self-regulate and practice their social skills through reciprocity and social interactions. Early caregiver relationships with a young child up to 3 years are the most salient when the child’s brain plasticity is at its strongest for brain function and behaviour. It is here the child develops their motor, cognition, language and visual systems (Osher, Cantor, Berg, Steyer, & Rose, 2018).
Topic: family

Urie Bronfenbrenner an American psychologist had a theory on the environments surrounding a child and how each interact and influence the development of a child. He called this the ecological systems theory (Shaffer & Kipp, 2014). The microsystem is the innermost layer which is the immediate environment for the child where they interact and perform activities with social interactions. People in this microsystem can be family, day care, and teachers. People in the microsystem influence the development of the child and the child influences their development. The Mesosystem is the environment outside the home such as the school, and peer group, if the relationship in the microsystem is challenging it can also affect the mesosystem. However, the opposite is true if there is a strong supportive microsystem as the child can develop easier in this system.
Topic: family

The Exosystem is a context that the children are not a part of but it still influences their life such as extended family or if their parent has lost their job it affects their home environment. The Macrosystem deals with the culture which surrounds all 3 systems and how values are different across cultures and this influences children in their environments directly or indirectly. The last system is the Chromosystem which has a temporal dimension and it influences the young child depending on the stage they are at in life, for example, puberty can cause conflict between young people and parents for a short period (Shaffer & Kipp, 2014).
Topic: family

A longitudinal study was done in 2010, comparing the parenting styles of middle-class mothers living in Berlin and Delhi with 3-month-old babies and 19-month-old toddlers. German children are raised to be independent and the mothers view their babies as mental beings with their wishes and needs (Keller, Borke, Chaunhary, Lamm, & Kleis, 2010). Concerning play, when compared German mothers teach their children how to engage in more autonomous play by using their initiative to play and support them verbally and non-verbally. Whereas, in the Indian family intense social relationships are encouraged and babies are always in close proximity with mothers and caregivers where they experience touching and emotional closeness. In play, Delhi mothers preferred a more didactic play style in their teaching of play with the mother creating a structure for play. They also value autonomy and relatedness in play to promote family cohesion (Keller, Borke, Chaunhary, Lamm, & Kleis, 2010). The latter culture of parenting style would appear more positive and nurturing for a child to develop play skills and more social interactions.
Topic: family

It is through a child playing they learn about rules which are consistent and clear in the environment but also enable them to have the freedom to explore what a certain toy does and how the child can play (Parham & Fazio, 2008). However, to develop as a child gets older and their curiosity increases risky play which can occur outdoors such as climbing or lifting is encouraged with supervision. Children engaging in risky play experience the excitement and challenge themselves which develops their self-regulation skills and helps them assess the risks. It also develops their motor abilities in balance and co-ordination. They have the freedom to explore the environment especially in nature and develop their sensory awareness. (McFarland & Laird, 2017).
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Dr. Mary Reilly in the 1960s, believed by a child engaging and developing interests in play and mastering it displayed occupational behaviour which would affect their future success in work or leisure (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015). She believed a child adapts to an environment by curiosity through engaging in play which they master. This occurs in 3 development stages exploratory, competency, and achievement. Exploratory behaviour occurs with the motivations of a child in searching for new experiences of play and to use this motivation to reach competence through practice and mastery to gain achievement or success (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015).
Topic: family

Furthermore, there are barriers to children engaging in play based on the context they are trying to play in. For families who have low-income, play can be reduced due to lack of toys, and space which reduces play stimulation for children (Case-Smith & O’Brien, 2015). Depending on the location of a home if it is in a socially deprived area that is prone to violence children are restricted in playing outdoors independently (Yogman, Garner, Hutchinson, Hirsh-Pasek, & Michnick, 2018). It also encourages the use of playing more in digital games.
Topic: family

In Ireland, research was carried out with school-going children aged 6 to 8 years the focus was to ascertain their understanding of wellbeing and what factors contributed to it. It was done through creative tasks to complete and a focus group. The study showed play was consistently attributed to their wellbeing and happiness for the majority of children. Play included outdoor play, social play, and reading. The research also revealed the children’s feelings when they don’t get to participate in play, some children reported feeling “very sad” (Moore & Lynch, 2017). This research portrayed how crucial play is for the wellbeing and happiness of a child.
Topic: family

In the quote Amy Chua evidently builds up her authority and the readers trust towards Chua, because she knows what she is talking about, she has done it. Furthermore, with the use of statistics such as “almost 70% of the Western mothers said [·] “stressing academic success is not good for children” [·]. By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way” (line 35). Amy Chua also appeals to the readers sense with logos. With the help of the statistics Amy Chua compares the two different types of parents. Stating the fact that western parents are soft minded and protective towards their kids thinking they are fragile, which the Chinese parents do not. Moreover, Chua compares the Chinese children and the western in the following quote “Chinese parents spend approximately 10 times as long every day drilling academic activities with their children.
Topic: family

By contrast, Western kids are more likely to participate in sports teams.” (line 41). The quote is a sort of refutation because many western children participates in some sort of sport activity where they might become successful where Chinese children are more likely to succeed in academics. Furthermore, Amy Chua argues by generalization which is seen in the following quote, “what Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you’re good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences” (line 44). Though in the beginning of the article Chua makes a refutation towards the generalization of Chinese parents “I’m using the term “Chinese mother” loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise” (line 22). Where she distances herself from exactly the generalization even though it is still there when Chua writes that most Chinese parents who do not qualify for the term they are mostly born in the West and you might then call them westerns and not “Chinese”.
Topic: family

Bharati Mukherjee’s story, Fathering, follows the story of a child caught between two cultures and her father caught between two women. The narrative follows the story of Jason, an American Vietnam vet. He lives with his girlfriend Sharon and his bastard daughter Eng, whom he conceived in Vietnam. He has had trouble getting both of them to live together peacefully, as both girls are seemingly possessive towards him, and despise each other.
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Jason is satisfied to meet and accept Eng into his life. He seems to be gullible in matters where Eng is concerned, and defends her in every situation, the quality of a doting parent. He seems to try his best at being a good parent, reading to Eng while she is sick, patiently dealing with her tantrums, rebuking her for proper manners, etc. He seems to be easily manipulated by Eng, as seen when she wakes them up as she is craving attention, manages to finagle a coin from him, and gets him to ‘save’ her from Dr Kearns and his medication.
Topic: family

Though he tries his best to mediate, Jason is unfeeling about Sharon and ultimately biased in favour of Eng, and he casually dismisses her harrowed, fatigued appearance as amicable, docile, trying to rationalise it by saying “something incurable is happening to my women”. He seems to be clinging to Sharon at best, for when she disagrees with his diagnosis and prescription, his displeasure turns to desperation when he sees her preparing to step outside, which he interprets as desertion and panics. His previous relationship seems to suggest as much, and considering he spent the entire war on drugs, it can be understood that he is not the most sorted individual.
Topic: family

Sharon had pushed Jason to find this abandoned child of his, and at the time, cheerfully embraced the adoption of Eng, believing it to be a fresh start with Jason’s children. She had even strived to furnish and decorate the children’s room in preparation. However, further down the line, things seemed to have taken a turn for the worse, and now both of them can’t stand each other’s presence, and possibly feel jealous about their particular bond with Jason. Sharon seems convinced that Eng manipulates Jason, who becomes gullible whenever his daughter is concerned, and also believes that Eng needs counselling or even psychological help. She is noted to have changed, as her cheerful and accepting demeanour has shifted to stubborn and distraught with Eng’s frequent tantrums, deliriums and apparent self-harm through her heathen ‘money cure’, so much so that Dr Kearns had to give her a mild sedative to calm her down.
Topic: family

Eng is Vietnamese-American, she was conceived via a fling Jason had with a woman in Saigon during his time there. Having spent her infant days in Vietnam, she remembers her earlier life with her mother and grandmother. She is quite perceptive and quick witted. Despite having lived with her father in the United States for an unspecified period of time, she still remembers the childhood with her mother and grandmother. She seems to suffer from hallucinatory fits, and a particularly dark moments of her life seem to come back to her, that of her grandmother getting shot, at which point she gets violent and vocal about her hate for ‘Yankees’, including her father.
Topic: family

There is a clash of Vietnamese and American cultures underlining the plot of the story, which is derived from America losing the Vietnam war, which left American egos with holes. Eng is half Vietnamese, which puts this arrogance even more into perspective. There is a cold war raging between Eng and Sharon, drugs and coins, reality and hallucinations, abandonment and childcare, Vietnam and America. This conflict can be seen in various aspects along the story.
Topic: family

Sharon’s rebuke to “raid the fridge like a normal kid” clearly shows that she considers Eng alien, possibly inferior. Eng’s guarded stances to Jason’s affection and hostility towards Sharon suggests possessiveness as well as mistrust towards the American ways. Jason is familiar with the western procedure of caring for an ill child; to tell stories and sit beside them until they fall asleep, which falls short with Eng’s tantrums and . Sharon has correctly assessed that Eng has psychological issues, although it may stem from her dislike of the child. Jason himself wonders her smell about the unusual complexion of her bruises as an racial oddity, a thought that has undertones of superiority complex. Eng’s belief in the ‘money cure’ ie, pressing coins or amulets onto injured bodies as an attempt to heal them; Jason witnessed it during his term in Vietnam, although he is oblivious to the reality that his daughter is practicing the same remedy, to little effect.
Topic: family

She hides the information from the rest of the family up until her final rites when the probate lawyer, Shayamarao reads Akka’s will to the entire family. They all are shocked to see that Indu, a familial pariah, was given everything. Indu’s cousin Padmini or Mini is supposed to get married and Akka promised to pay for it. So, Indu feels obligated to honor the said promise. As for the house, apart from Kaka and Atya, everyone wants it to be sold and receive their own share of the spoils.
Topic: family

All this while, Indu is distressed about her relationship with Jayant as he restricts her attachment with her to some placid and dispassionate letters. In her desperation, she even commits adultery with one of her cousins and close friend Naren who is the only grandson of the Old Uncle (cousin of Akka). Naren is a self-indulgent and carefree vagabond who was never accepted by the family. He was orphaned in childhood and only has his grandfather to call his own. In the end, Naren succumbs to his ‘private devils’ and commits suicide. The family is distraught over the tragedy especially the Old Uncle (his grandfather) and Indu. She even learns about the tragic life story of Akka as a 12 year old bride, abusive marriage, her husband’s concubine and widowhood. She realizes her lack of knowledge and will to understand Akka and her rules bred their asperity toward each other.
Topic: family

Shaken by Naren’s death but unaffected by her own foibles, Indu decides to discharge the responsibility Akka had loaded on her shoulders. She decides to fund Mini’s marriage and to sell the house (and give everyone their share). She also decides to return to Jayant, her husband, and confess her infidelity. She hopes that their relationship can withstand the trial of such ‘scorching honesty’ and even if it doesn’t she would find peace in confession of her sin.
Topic: family

REHEMA PEFA is a home that welcomes orphans and it operates in Nairobi, off thicker road. Rehema means mercy, Pefa is the acronym for PENTECOSTAL EVANGELISTIC FELLOWSHIP OF AFRICA. This institution was established in 1999, by Irvin and Ruth Schwandt together with the PEFA church leader. Rehema Pefa is sponsored by churches, individuals and businesses.