My granddad who is in his 60s Essay Example for Free

My granddad who is in his 60s Essay Childhood in its simplest term is defined as the period of time that a person is a child, for a something that sounds so simple childhood is an extremely complex concept. No-one’s childhood is ever the same, similar, yes! But our childhood experiences are unique. Affected by many factors such as; personal experiences, personality, restraints (money, rules, laws) , period born, place that we were born, gender etc†¦ . Childhood is understood to be social constructed, therefore the definition of an ‘ideal’ childhood never says the same for long even in the same society expectations of childhood is constantly evolving, circumstances change; new laws are passed, enhancements in science and technology, war all contribute to the social construction of childhood. It is thought as years have passed that the childhood has improved; more toys, more places to go, better education, entering a technological era, greater understanding of health, all are a part of the life we all now know. However, no matter how many toys, recent gadgets, new clothes a child is given is it really any consolation to the loss of quality time with their parents? Money does not grow on trees, and in recent years percentage of both parents having to work has increased dramatically, you are far less likely to see a stay at home mum but two working parents that won’t even be home by the time their children get home from school. It is said that children have become more independent? Partly I agree children do have to spend more time without the company and influence of their family, however, everything else is handed to them on a plate, children now no longer have to work for what they want but get given it as compensation by their parents who no longer have time for their children, does this really show childhood has improved? To investigate how the ideology of childhood has changed over the years, I interviewed my granddad who is in his 60’s, he began to explain how him and his siblings had a structured up bringing parents were strict but reasonable, they all respected each other and his father was the dominant in the household, they all knew there place. He lived in a 2 bedroom house; mum and dad in one room and him and his two brothers in another. Everything was basic, clothes where either second hand or more often than not hand me downs from his elder brother . Toys were not like they are now you had the choice of small figurines or marbles he’s favourite was a small teddy knitted by his mother. However, the majority of the time they entertained themselves by playing with the other children that lived on their street, he stated games are not what they are now you had to use your imagination and be social to have a good time, you could not just sit in front of a computer screen talk to your all friends. His mother was a stay at home mum, she was relied on to keep the house in order and make sure dinner was on the table as their father got in. Every night they would sit around the table to eat and be thankful for whatever they were given, he made it quite clear there was no snacking so you’d saver every last bit. He did go to school, it was small but education was taken seriously by all the students even though it was basic. He had his first job at the age of 16 and had to use the money he earned to buy himself the things he wanted, which taught him at a young age how important the concept of money is. Overall his memories as a child were extremely happy and family orientated. It is clear when comparing the information given in the interview, to the expectations of what childhood is meant to be like in the twenty-first century, peoples childhoods have changed significantly over the years. Although who is to say this change is for the better? Admittedly children now have a much better education and health care but is that really important when they are taken for granted by most. Even though we have progressed greatly in our understanding of science and technology, as well as being given a wider range opportunities and the freedom to express ourselves. We have lost what was once the most important parts of society and that’s family values, no longer is quality time thought of as important, in fact no one, not even children have time for it. Or do they? is the reason our children are so corrupt and confused, is it because they are begging for the attention of their parents who don’t have the time for them. It seems to me even children now are no longer brought in to this world because couples wanting a family but babies are just another step to having this materialistic ‘perfect’ life everyone is now striving for. I have been focusing on the stereotypical childhood of a child in a more economically developed country, I have concluded that childhood has both progressed in a positive as well as negative way. But what about in other countries? How have their children’s childhood changed? In Asia children are used as slave labourers, and for what exactly? To fulfil the wants of others in more economically developed countries. Children are taken away from their families and made to work in sweatshops to produce the materialistic possessions that apparently have improved other children’s childhood so greatly. Children in these countries are made to grow up so quickly that it can be said they have no childhood at all, they are seen to be young adults, they have to; provide for their family, work before they are even given a proper or any education, the eldest children are made to care for their younger siblings, becoming parents before they even have children of their own. Seems childhood is slowly disintegrating our corrupt and colluded world has forgotten about its children that now even the child protection laws are no longer abided by.

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My background is a traditional literacy as I started with my research papers with arguments and making a point; and the following years with writing an essay or a term paper and other academic formal papers each week; and finally I have learned the truth that I did not love this activity, but it has taught me how to think in an organized manner. But reading taught me how to be a better writer and the amazing part is that technology contributed a major part to hone my reading and writing skills. I have learned to rely on the Internet for my researches and I knew that I could write creatively, or express my own opinion, in a manner more persuasive than working on it using the traditional literacy methods. Using the computer before was introduced to me as a tool for learning by educational games and computer programs, but as times passed the use of the computer for learning became the available tool for me that have cultivated my love for reading and writing. Blogging is writing which is a fun and great way to encourage creativity without any binding rules for a contemporary student like me that is full of emotions, arguments and ideas that I cannot express in formal academic writing. Integrating new literacy particularly technologically into the classroom is a smart move to implement a positive interaction with much gusto. At first, I thought that this major development would lead to my education’s trend towards reading and writing even less, but the new approach to literacy keeps me happy and comfortable, and even make me do logical and cohesive writing. Blogging is a useful tool for my inability to think critically and write persuasively. I do believe though that there is value in the traditional as well as the new literacy... ...al literacy might change the way we write and who we interact with. 21st century literacy involves not only reading and writing competency, but also involves technological ability to effectively engage in a technologically advanced world. I have learned to analyze text easily as well as analyzing multimedia such as images, sound and video, and understand how the appearance of print affects my understanding of ideas. My writing has become more concise on the Internet as I have the choice of my writing style such as a blog and regularly communicate with my peers. As I see the different effects of social media on all sectors of society, I also see a more disciplined future social media age and literacy activities by more students being aware of critical thinking in the decisions that they make in blogging or performing other forms of online written communication.

Gender Representation Essay

How stereotypical are the representations of Gender in my chosen texts? My chosen texts are ‘The Inbetweeners’ , ‘X Factor’ and ‘BBC News’. All three texts represent gender in different ways yet I wouldnt say that any of them truly represent both genders in stereotypical ways. In ‘The Inbetweeners’ the main characters are portrayed in a very stereotypical way at first glance, they are boystrous and objectify women in the crude way in which they speak about them. Yet when you look deeper into their characters you realise that they are not typical at all. The females in the show are typical in a sense that they are pretty, well dressed and are purely there for the â€Å"male gaze.† It is this male gaze that ultimately makes them more powerful than the males in the series as they have the power to either sleep with, or not sleep with the males which takes all control away from the men which is not a typical trait. When you think of a typical male in tv they are strong, handsome and in control, this is not always evident in ‘The Inbetweeners’ which supports the masculinity in crisis theory which states that males are no longer the dominant sex in modern society. Women may be objectified still but they use their sex appeal to there advantage and get their own way leaving the males powerless. You do how ever have the very typical character of Jays dad which is a hyperbolic example of a male as he passes gas, swears and acts in a completely innaproriate way for the comedic value. The ‘X Factor’ has a very contrasting representation of gender. In one way the male characters are very stereotypical as they have the power to say yes or no to the acts as judges. Males are stereotypically known for being in a position of power so this is a typical representation. Yet you have Dermot O’leary who is very masculine in his appearance yet is very caring and sympathetic for the contestants. This is not typical as males arent usually shown to have a caring side or emotions as that is left for the women. This again supports the theory of masculinity in crisis. The Female Judges do not have a very typical representation. They are in a position of authority and power and to an extent in the new series do have more power than the male judges as they are more forceful and get their point across better. This is not typically the way women are represented fitting into the theory of Masculinity in crisis. The BBC news is very much like the ‘X Factor’. When the males are the anchors they are in a position of power and knowledge which is a typical representation. They appear to the nation as a pillar of knowledge and the public give them a vast amount of respect which is typical of the representation of men. When the women are anchors they too are looked upon as a pillar of knowledge and are given the same respect which does not fit into the typical representation of a female.

Chopins A Pair Of Silk Stockings Mrs. Sommers Essay

Chopins A Pair of Silk Stockings: Mrs. Sommers nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mrs. Sommers, of Kate Chopins quot;A Pair of Silk Stockingsquot; faces a major Man-vs.-Society conflict. She is a perfect example of how humans are tempted by material gain, quot;the life of luxuryquot;, and the vicious way society judges things (or people). Society views people who live in the lap of luxury as quot;godsquot;, they are above those who are not so fortunate. Anyone can fall prey to this common societal problem, even innocent quot;Little Mrs. Sommersquot;. This is evident when she can feel the fifteen dollars in her porte-monnaie and she says quot;it gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed for yearsquot;.†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Mrs. Sommerss mind is not working like it used to at the beginning. All of a sudden nothing is too expensive, she eats the expensive restaurant, buys shoes, gloves, and magazines quot;such as she had become accustomed to read in those daysquot;. These things give Mrs. Sommers a quot;feeling of assurance, a sense of belonging to the well-dressed multitudequot;. Now, she is one of those rich important people, and everyone knows it, thanks to all the material things she has. This becomes evident when Chopin says quot;She was fastidious, and she was not too easily pleasedquot;. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The end of the play signifies the end of Mrs. Sommerss quot;luxurious timesquot;. Mrs. Sommers is lost with all the other quot;gaudyquot; women, when, quot;like a dream endedquot;, the play ends, and Mrs. Sommers is struck by reality. The reality that she is not one of them at heart, she is merely Little Mrs. Sommers. To the man on the cable car Mrs. Sommers looks like quot;another one of those rich womenquot;, when internally, there is a quot;powerful longing, a poignant wish to go on and onquot; that goes undetected by the average individual. When the man, representing the average individual, is looking at her, it becomes apparent that because of material things, people can seem to be something (or someone) they areShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Conflict In A Pair Of Silk Stockings1180 Words   |  5 Pageser 2017 Greedy Woman, Mrs. Sommer Although, people are meaning to have good intentions, sometimes selfishness and greed overthrows it. As Kate Chopin says, â€Å"The neighbors sometimes talked of certain ‘better days’ that little Mrs Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Mrs Sommers. She herself indulged in no such morbid retrospection. She had no time – no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A vision of the futureRead MoreThe Short Stories Of An Hour And A Pair Of Silk Stockings961 Words   |  4 PagesThe Short Stories of Kate Chopin The short stories, The Story of an Hour and A Pair of Silk Stockings were both written in the 1800 s. The stories are both written by Kate Chopin, a female author. The period in which these stories were written gave impact on other female writers to produce stories too. The literary devices Chopin uses in both these stories show how educated female writers were at the time. The way the author, Kate Chopin, uses many literary devices in her works, The StoryRead MoreEssay on Society vs. Inhibition1235 Words   |  5 PagesSeveral pieces of literature by Kate Chopin address these questions; specifically, the short stories â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings† and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† give some feedback on the issues of society versus one’s free will and the consequences of one’s opinions conflicting with the expectations of society. Chopin uses many pressing issues of her era to display how people are punished for rejecting the limiting norms of society i n her writings. â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings† and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† bothRead MoreHappy Wife, Happy Life1627 Words   |  7 Pagesand take part in niceties, even if it was only to go buy a pair of silk stockings. For over two hundred years in America, women did not have a place in literature, both as major characters and as writers. Kate Chopin was a veritable pioneer for many who suffered this very short, unappealing life as housewives who had no way to voice their concerns, and no one to listen to them. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings,† Chopin delves into three aspects of being a wife and mother duringRead MoreAnalysis Of Cather s A Pair Of Silk Stockings 1489 Words   |  6 PagesCather and Chopin on Feminism †Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge. â€Å"~Andrea Dworkin. This quote shows how society has put this idea into the heads of women in every new generation that a women has to play the certain household role while men go out and work. It portrays that women can’t venture past the expectations that an earlier society put on women’s shoulders. Throughout time, women have played the role of the quiet houseRead MoreThe Story of an Hour and A Pair of Silk Stockings Essay example1299 Words   |  6 Pagesphenomenal world and that nothing is added to your life. It is the reverse job of what a filter would do to all the troubles that one may encounter later in life. Realism is represented in Kate Chopins short stories The Story of an Hour and A Pair of Silk Stockings. In both the short stories, the main characters get to face a dream/fantasy that they’ve always wanted to encounter; somethi ng rare that lasted only for a short amount of time. The freedom that each character got was some sort of new freedomRead More The Character of Mrs. Sommers in Chopin’s A Pair of Silk Stockings1072 Words   |  5 PagesCharacter of Mrs. Sommers in Chopin’s A Pair of Silk Stockings  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      The attempt to escaping reality proves to be a timeless act in A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin. The wishful Mrs. Sommers surprisingly finds herself with a sum of money unusually large for her circumstances and in her relishing and spending it reveals herself to be truly a woman of good intentions but who is weak for the intensity of the moment. Chopin has developed a character in Mrs. Sommers who plays outRead MoreConsequenses of Freedom in The Story of an Hour and A Pair of Silk Stocking by Chopin 942 Words   |  4 Pages In The Story of an Hour and A pair of silk stocking Chopin illustrates how women face the consequences of never acquiring happiness in their lives if they follow the ways society expects them too. In the story of an hour Chopin discuss how getting married can lead you to live a life of anguish. In the beginning of the short story Mrs. Mallard revives terrible news that her husband has been recently killed, she Wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment. This intense reaction is how societyRead MoreA Brief Note On Kate Chopin s Chopin 1642 Words   |  7 PagesMaddy Mummey Mrs. Corby AP English 12 20 April 2015 Kate Chopin Kate Chopin was a successful author of numerous short stories and novels during her life; many critics refer to her as a forerunner author of the 20th century (Kate). Throughout Chopin s life and the many experiences she endured, she grew a great sense of respect and empowerment towards women. However, she is not categorized as a feminist or a suffragist (Kate). Chopin insistently supported the revolutionary notion that women wereRead MoreDesirees Baby Literary Analysis1989 Words   |  8 PagesKate Chopin’s stories Desirees Baby, The Story of an Hour, At the Cadian Ball, and A Pair of Silk Stockings, were written in the 19th century in times when women had no rights, and had to portray an image of a loving wife. They were considered selfish if they thought otherwise, and their job was to make their husbands happy at all times. This was the century of a turning point for women, in which they had desires test their limits imposed on their sex. Critics of her stories list the analysis