Childhood Essay Essay Example for Free

Childhood Essay Essay Natural growth is the child-rearing method that working class and poor parents use to raise their children because there is not a lot of time and money for structured activities and long verbal discussions with the children (Lareau, 2003). Families who practice natural growth child rearing practices need to focus on providing the simpler needs of the child like providing shelter, clothing, food, and water therefore unable to have the structured activities and worry about establishing communication skills. This is important to consider because the way children are raised because this has a social impact. The children that are being raised today will eventually grow up to be a part of their own society; there are social impacts on the current society because of the methods of child-rearing and the consequences that these child-rearing practices are having on children with the way they interact in society, There are benefits and disadvantages to both childrearing methods reported by Lareau (2010) however there are definitive differences in the child’s outcome due to the child’s social class and thus the method the child was raised with. In concerted cultivation children spend a lot of time with adults at structured activities and so they start to communicate with adults as relative equals. The children of concerted cultivation also have longer and more reasoning conversations with their parents which leads them to the sense of entitlement when dealing with institutions (Lareau, 2003). Children raised with concerted cultivation had a larger group of language skills than children raised with natural growth because they communicate longer and more often with adults. This leads to children raised with concerted cultivation having the ability to manipulate rules and thus deal with institutions easier than those of natural growth, however they also have issues figuring out how to occupy their time because they did not often do â€Å"free play† (Lareau, 2003). The children that are raised with natural growth have less communication skills simply because they have less experience talking to adults (Lareau, 2003). Parents of natural growth have to worry about putting food on the table and taking care of many basic needs so when the children are spoken to its often in short direct phrases, without any room for questioning or discussing. The children who are raised with natural growth also do not have that much time spent in structured activities with adults as the children of concerted cultivation (Lareau, 2003). The children who are raised with natural growth developed what Lareau (2003) reported as constraint. Constraint was the disadvantage that natural growth children experience because of their lack of communication skills and the subordination they felt to adults. Children raised with natural growth absorbed their parents feelings of powerlessness with institutions and learned to distrust authority. These differences tend to perpetuate themselves when it comes to differences in child rearing because what class a child is raised in impacts his/her life and then when that child grows up and has children of their own the child rearing practice will most likely be used again if the child grows up to live in the same social class. It is a cycle that continues throughout generations because children usually grow up to be in the same social class they were born into and since the child rearing practices are social class based primarily the children will raise their children as they were raised. After reading Lareau’s (2003) case study I had to do some reflection to figure out with method of child-rearing it was that I was raised in. My family has crossed the line from middle class to working class several times through my childhood, but predominately I feel as if I have been raised using concerted cultivation. My mother and father separated by the time I was seven years old. While at times living with my mother basic necessities were hard to come by because of her poor management of finances, my father always was middle class (I lived with him permanently from age 15 on) and I feel as if I have been raised a middle class child. Since, I was younger I now realize I was active in many structured activities such as: ballet, tap, jazz, girl scouts, youth group at church, choir, bell choir, church plays, cheerleading, cross-country, track, and swim team. Although I did not always think of the activities I participated in to be particularly hard on my family at the time I now realize with my brother, two sisters, and all of their activates my mother must have found it very hard to transport us all to our different activities. The number of activities I was involved in during my childhood shows proof of my upbringing being concerted cultivation because one of the characteristics of being raised with concerted cultivation is a lot of structured activities such as the ones I participated in (Lareau, 2003). Another concept of concerted cultivation which I know I have also be blessed with in my child-rearing is the better communication skills due to long discussions and reasoning with my parents (Lareau, 2003). Both of my parents have always encouraged my sisters, brother, and me to talk openly and voice our opinions. I did not realized it growing up, but now I understand that the lengthy communications I had with my parents enabled me to have a larger vocabulary, good communication skills, and feel comfortable when talking to authority or adults from institutions. The sense of entitlement I feel due to my middle class upbringing makes sense because of the amount of time I spent in structured activities with adults (Lareau, 2003). The time I spent with adults as a child and the way I spoke to them made them relative equals in my perspective. This is an advantage of having a concerted cultivation middle class upbringing because I do not mistrust authority or feel subordinate to intuitions, on the contrary I feel as if they are to serve me and that I can work with institutions to get both my and the institutions needs met. It makes sense that my entitlement feelings allow me to perform well in college and to communication effectively with all professors or staff at the college because of the experience I had dealing with institutions when I was younger. Another concept of concerted cultivation that I have experienced in childhood has to do with social connections. Much like Lareau’s (2003) case study has reported concerted cultivation raised children had weak ties with their extended family. This is true in my upbringing because while I love and sometimes talk to my extended family I seldom see them or would by any means categorize our relationships as strong kinship ties (Lareau, 2003). This I feel has been an unfortunate result of concerted cultivation because I see how some of my other cousins behave towards each other as they are so close talking everyday and meet several times a week for lunch or dinner. I feel this is sad because while I would love to have stronger ties with my extended family I realize it is not a part of the way I was brought up because of my middleclass child-rearing. The concept of my social connections often being mostly in homogenous age groups as a child is very accurate (Lareau, 2003). Because of the activities I participated in and the area in which I lived and went to school I predominately have friendships through activities with children much like I was at the time.

Attention Leads to Confidence in the Chrysanthemums Essay -- John Stein

Women, always have and always will love receiving attention; especially when that attention is from a male because girls just like feeling special above all else. In The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck, Elisa Allen likes this recognition as well. However, her husband Henry is selfish and too occupied to deal with Elisa and this makes her feel unimportant. Later on, when the man on the wagon arrives at the ranch Elisa and her chrysanthemums find the respect that every woman hopes to secure. Nonetheless, that respect given to Elisa was brief since the man discards her confidence and her chrysanthemums on the road. Therefore, it is clearly evident that the amount of notice bestowed to Elisa and her chrysanthemums alludes to her level of confidence. Throughout the story, Henry Allen’s selfishness and mixed priorities result in the neglect of Elisa which causes her to feel unappreciated and unloved. Elisa is not very comfortable around her husband Henry, this fact is illustrated when â€Å"he leaned over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens† (Steinbeck 270). By keeping Henry outside of the garden, on the other side of the fence it is shown that Elisa does not trust him to get near her chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums are very symbolic in the story as they symbolize Elisa Allen herself, and her only source of joy in the world. Henry is not welcomed into the garden for fear that her confidence, joy and beauty may be crushed. Henry opposes Elisa and the hard work the protagonist has put into her chrysanthemums. Henry tells her that â€Å"[he wishes she would] work out in the orchard and raise some apples [as big as her chrysanthemums]† (Steinbeck 270). In d oing so, Elisa’s efforts go un... ... cries because her dignity is gone, and it becomes a realization that she will never get the attention she seeks, the one that will give her the confidence she needs. It appears as though hope is non existent for Elisa Allen and that is why the protagonist is described as â€Å"crying like an old woman†. In conclusion, Elisa’s level of confidence is directly proportional with the amount of attention given to herself and her chrysanthemums. Henry’s selfishness causes Elisa to experience feelings of neglect. The bearded man’s interest in Elisa makes the protagonist feel very confident as a woman. Eventually, this same man makes Elisa realize that her expectations of men were too high as the man threw away her only source of joy in the world. When receiving unexpected extra attention, be prudent because it may be for other reasons than the one originally thought.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Savvy by Ingrid Law. Cover Illustration by Terese Dikun. Dial Books, 2008. Ages 12 and up. Savvy is a story about an unusual family, the Beaumonts, whose family members awaken powers – coined savvy – at the age of 13. The Baumont’s sons, for example, can cause hurricanes and sparks with their savvies. The novel begins with Mibs, the youngest of the Beaumont clan, as she nears the eve of her 13th birthday and is excited to discover what her savvy would be. However, tragedy strikes a mere two days before her 13th birthday as Poppa, the Beaumont patriarch, figures in a terrible accident 90 miles away from home. What ensues is an extraordinary adventure fueled by Mibs’ unwavering belief that her savvy would be able to save Poppa. Riding a pink rickety bus and accompanied by her two brothers and the preacher’s kids, Mibs embarks on a journey to awaken her savvy and prove she can save the day. Ultimately, Savvy is a story about growing up and coming to know and accept oneself and others. It teaches about learning and seeing beyond appearances and appreciating what is skin deep. Savvy is a wondrous tale of hope, love, and redemption. The novel bridges the idea that each and every individual is very special, with unique gifts that make that person unique. Ingrid Law craftily manages to incorporate all of these into a concise yet elegantly written novel while still making the story and the characterization a priority, resulting in a book that leaves the reader filled with all sorts of wonderful emotions even after turning over that last page.

Technology And The Cell Phone - 3727 Words

Wearing your computer may not be a future fashion statement so much as a way to carry the most ubiquitous personal electronic device with us wherever we may roam. Gear lust of the wearable sort stretches back to Bat Man s utility belt: technology you could take with you on the go. Today, we carry the modern version of a Star Trek communicator (the cell phone)-a device that is increasingly indispensable. Alongside the cell phone are a host of other handheld gadgets that would have been science fiction a few short years ago: child locators, universal remote controls (now capable of turning the AC down on hot summer days, opening the miniblinds, and controlling our increasingly-complex home entertainment systems, just to name a few standard jobs), portable CD and DVD players, and personal organizers. But where does our infatuation with portable technology come from? In the 1980 s, during the era of Reaganomics, computers became personal-and profitable. Until the first generation of the so-called home computers , computers had been anything but personal. Most of them were million-dollar mammoths that took up whole floors of buildings and took an engineering degree just to find the power button. Large corporations like IBM and Xerox were the only entities outside government agencies and research facilities that could afford computers-ironic, since many of the same corporations would miss the boat when it came to initial investments in the PC market. The Internet-destinedShow MoreRelatedCell Phone Technology1488 Words   |  6 PagesCell Phone Technology The cell phone technology that is ever changing by the day was scientifically invented and born back in the early 1980’s. Science was the main key to the birth of the cell phone which was put together by the Motorola Company who today is still making cell phones. Before the cell phone came out the car phone was the first mobile phone which were very large and had to be hooked up to a briefcase which supplied the power for the mobile phone. Science was the utilized to createRead MoreThe New Technology Of Cell Phones991 Words   |  4 PagesA modern craze now is the new technology of cell phones. Everyone feels that they need them at almost every moment of the day. It may be normal in social life, but in the business world, this may cause a problem. With people glued to their cell phones, it is tough for anyone to really focus on anything. From Samsung, iOS, iPhone, LG, to Nokia, everyone is after the newest trends in the social world of technology. 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Allen, originally published by In These Times onRead MoreEssay about The Most Important Technology: Cell Phones1220 Words   |  5 PagesWhen I got the assignment, I sat thinking about which technology I felt was most important in my life and became amazed about how popular, of all the technology, cell phones have become. It’s amazing that in our culture we make ourselves available every minute of every day. Many people don’t even have home phones anymore. Cell phones have become more of a necessity more than a need nowadays. They became an essential communication tool. Ce ll phone usage in the US has increased from 34 million to 203