The rise of Single Parenthood in Contemporary Britain Essay Example for Free

The rise of Single Parenthood in Contemporary Britain Essay Sociology has given us insights into our understanding of the rise in single parenthood in Contemporary Britain. Single-parent families have become increasingly common in Britain. According to government statistics, in 1961, 2 per cent of the population lived in households consisting of a lone parent with dependent children, but by 1998 this had more than tripled to 7 per cent.  According to Hantrais and Letablier (1996), Britain has the second highest rate of lone parenthood in Europe, and is exceeded only by Denmark, and rates in countries such as France, Greece and Portugal are much lower than those of Britain are. Children may start their life living in a single-parent family. However, the single parent may well find a new partner and marry them or cohabit with them. The child will then end up living with two parents.  It should also be noted that many children who live in a single-parent household do see and spend time with their other parent. Further more even in two-parent families, one parent (usually the mother) might be responsible for the vast majority of the childcare. There are many reasons why lone parenthood can come about. People who are married can become lone parents by divorce, separation or death of a spouse. Lone parents who have never been married may have been living with the parent of the child when the child was born, but they subsequently stopped living together. They may not have been living with the parent of the child when they were born. Official statistics give some indication of the frequency of the different paths to lone-parenthood, but do not provide a complete picture. Official figures for Britain shows that the largest proportion of female lone parents in 1995-7 were single, with about a third being divorced and just under a quarter separated. The figures for those who were single do not differentiate between those who were cohabiting when the child was conceived and those who were not. These proportions have changed over time. Clearly the rise in lone motherhood is closely related to increases in the divorce rate and tot he increase in births outside marriage. The increase in single lone mothers may partly result from a reduction in the number of shotgun weddings. Marriages that resulted from pregnancy were often unstable and could end up in producing lone motherhood through an eventual divorce or separation. Now, the partners may chose to cohabit rather than marry and, if their relationship breaks up, they end up appearing in the statistics as a single, never married, parent. The absence of cohabitation does not necessarily imply that the parents do not have a close relationship some writers see the rise of single parenthood as a symptom of increased tolerance of diverse family forms.  There are a number of reasons for supposing that the welfare state is not responsible for the increases. Some commentators dont believe that lone parenthood gives advantages to those seeking local authority housing. In 1993 John Perry, policy director of the Institute of Housing, said Ive not been able to find a single housing authority which discriminates in favour of single parents over couples with children. The homeless get priority, but there is no suggestion that a homeless single parent gets priority over a homeless couple. Single parents who are reliant upon benefits tend to live in poor housing conditions and to have low standards of living. There is little material incentive to become a single parent. There is evidence that a large majority of single parents do not wish to be reliant on state benefits. They would prefer to work for a living but find it impractical to do so. Single parenthood has increasingly become a contentious issue, with some arguing that it has become a serious problem for society.  A vast majority of the population would still agree, I think, that the normal family is an influence for good in society and that one-parent families are bad news. Since not many single parents can both earn a living and give children the love and care they need, society has to support them; the children suffer through lacking of one parent While most commentators agree that single parenthood can create problems for individual parents, many sociologists do not see it a s a social problem, and some see that it is a sign of social progress.  Some view the mother only family as an indicator of social disorganisation, signalling the demise of the family. Others regard it as an alternative family form consistent with the emerging economic independence of women. More controversial that the low average living standard of lone parents is the question of the psychological and social effects on children raised in such families. Findings of a number of American studies, which seem to indicate that children are harmed by single parenthood. These studies have claimed that such children have lower earnings and experience more poverty as adults; children of mother-only families are more likely to become lone parents themselves; and they are more likely to become delinquent and engaged in drug abuse. The findings of such studies must be treated with caution. In a review of research in lone parenthood, Louise Burghess notes that some research in the relationship between educational attainment and divorce suggests that children in families where the parents divorce start to do more poorly in education before the divorce takes place.  David Morgan does believe that the evidence suggests that the children of single parents fare less well than those from two-parent households. He qualifies this by saying that we still do not know enough about what causes these differences; as with the effects of financial hardship, the children would be affected by the stigma attached to coming from a single-parent family.  It is very difficult to disentangle the direct and indirect effects on children of being brought up in a single-parent household and therefore dangerous to make generalisations about such effects.

Grigory Pechorin: The Superfluous Man Essay -- essays research papers

Mikhail Lermontov's protagonist, Grigory Pechorin, belongs to that group of literary characters known individually as the 'superfluous man.'; Generally an intelligent, educated individual, the superfluous man would appear to be one who has been either unjustly treated or outcast by society in general. The superfluous man attempts to find a place for himself in the world, but perhaps due to the combination of his talents, upbringing, personality and intelligence, continually finds himself on the outs with his peers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If the above definition is accepted as valid, then Pechorin might appear to be the consummate superfluous man. From the outpouring of his tale of woe to Princess Mary, we may come to the conclusion that Pechorin has no concept of cause and effect, at least not as it applies to himself as the cause. Moreover, it becomes fairly apparent that he is of the belief that he is a victim of the world, which is more interesting, as one considers the culture of victimization that has become popular in recent years. Who has not heard the excuse, 'I did it because my (parents/state representative/dog) (harassed/bit/abused) me when I was a child.'; In my opinion, the growing interest in pop psychology and the related fields of social psychology and child psychology have greatly contributed to the decay of moral rectitude and the concept of taking responsibility for one's own actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The translator attributes Pechorin's capriciousness to the lack of employment for his gifts. I do not agree with that assessment, as it has been my experience that only those who have made up their minds to lack direction will be unable to find an activity that occupies their mind and appeals to them. One possible pursuit would be some form of art. Skill matters little, if the activity is pleasing. Cultural appreciation, gastronomical excess, or sexual exercise would all be suitable endeavors. We see that Pechorin certainly takes pleasure in the company of women, though in his own words, 'I must confess I don't really like strong-willed women,'; (111), the female sex does not hold an unbounded appeal for him. But his relationship with Vera, and his reaction to Maxim Maximych's inquiry about Bela clearly show that he is capable of feeling some emotion for others, although he refuses to expressing it. This is entirely Pech... ...given all it needs to survive and learn intellectually, but no moral boundaries, will come to be greatly like a sociopathic personality. They will most likely be incapable of relating to others, save as far as they are themselves effected. They will not display anything near the level of enlightened self-interest that enables society. For all intents and purposes, they will be a sociopath, and due to the initial lack of guidance, they will be at best highly resistant to change, and at worst, totally irredeemable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pechorin is either a coward, in which case he should be pitied, if not despised for his unwillingness to change, or he is a sociopath, in which case he should be exterminated, without a spark of guilt or pity, for the benefit of society. He clearly does not fall into the sociopathic category, as his displays of emotion – faint though they are – prove. So he is a coward, unwilling to come to terms with himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pechorin is not merely the superfluous man of the 19th century, but rather a mirror held up for all of humanity. His insensitivity, fear, and self-loathing reflect us still to this day.

D. H. Lawrence “Piano” analysis Essay

The passing of time in a person’s life is filled with many different stages. The poem â€Å"Piano† by D.H. Lawrence is a complicated example of how a poet might think. The speaker in â€Å"Piano† is proud to be a full grown man, yet he loves remembering his happy childhood; his nostalgic attitude causes him to feel guilty as if he had betrayed his present state of being. Through effective imagery, Lawrence is able (to describe an image) to help the reader understand the speaker’s nostalgic attitude. The diction and tone used in this poem reveal the speaker’s struggle as his feelings mix between his desire to be a man and his desire to return to his childhood. The rhyme and structure of the poem keep the reader in tune with the flow of the poem. In this poem a man struggles to remain a man while fighting off his memories of the past, which he feels would be uncharacteristic of his present maturity. The imagery in this poem helps to describe a picture in the reader’s mind so that the reader can sympathize with the speaker during his journeys into the past. In the first stanza, in the first line, the first image is of a woman. In the fourth line the reader learns that this woman is the speaker’s mother. The third line shows an image of a â€Å"child sitting under the piano . . . pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles.† This image gives the reader an image, perhaps of a parlor room, of a child about three or four years of age enjoying the music produced by his mother. The love of the mother shines through her smile as she reciprocates to the child’s gentle touch. Later, in the second stanza, the contrasting image of a cold, snowy night in the winter and the cozy parlor causes the â€Å"hymns† to seem doubly warm. This represents the traditional image of a grand family sitting around a warm, crackling fire; they sing carols together and just enjoy each other’s company. The piano in the first and second stanza is described as â€Å"tingling strings† and â€Å"tinkling piano† respectively. These light sounds help support the warm cheery atmosphere during that time. These memories are what cause the grown man to be nostalgic for his past. The diction and tone of the poem also show the author’s mixed feelings in the poem. The poem begins with the line, â€Å"softly in the dusk† to open the poem with a light, airy image. â€Å"Vista of years,† are words used to show his  nostalgia as he walks down memory lane. He remembers the â€Å"boom† of the piano, which would seem loud to a child who is four-years-old. In the second stanza, he is a little more negative about his memories. The song he is listening to â€Å"betrays me back.† He feels that these memories should not be felt with such emotion because they cause him to â€Å"weep† as he reluctantly returns to his past. The last line of the poem is also negative as the speaker breaks down and goes â€Å"down the flood of remembrance.† He again flows down the flood reluctantly into the past. The tone is quite the same, supporting the diction that the author remembers a happy past, but is reluctant in continuing to do so. H e is happy to remember his past, but he feels his â€Å"manhood is cast down.† This poem’s structure and rhyme help bring an organization to the way the speaker shares his mixed feelings. The lines are coupled so that every two lines rhyme. The poem is structured so that in each of the three stanza the author describes an image of the present in the first two lines, and then the last two lines are spent describing his comfortable past. The second line of each stanza speaks of the vehicle that sends him back to the past while the third line of each stanza shows his increasing distress. In the first stanza it’s the singing woman that takes him â€Å"down the vista of years.† Next, the song takes him to â€Å"the old Sunday evenings at home.† Finally, the â€Å"great black piano† reminds him of the past. The continuing conflict of the speaker’s emotions is described as he enjoys his memories, yet he despises his continuing nostalgia. The author uses diction and tone in this poem to reveal the speaker’s struggle as his feelings mix between his desire to be a man and his desire to return to his childhood, and rhyme and structure to keep the reader in tune with the flow of the poem. Lawrence names the poem â€Å"Piano† and thus one is poised to assume the piano is the key element of this poem; however, this is an example of a poet’s encouraging the reader to search for a deeper meaning.

Generally, costume jewellery refers to ornaments designed...

Generally, costume jewellery refers to ornaments designed sans precious or semi-precious metals though an uncommon trend of using a combination of junk metals with semi –precious stones and metals is also in existence. Such jewellery does turn out much more expensive than the usual costume jewellery but the price is justified by their exquisite quality and beauty. The mass market, however, still caters to costume jewellery in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 5000. Typical costume ornaments include earrings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, cuff links and rings. Fashion accessories, on the other hand, include bags, fascinators, scarves and belts. Together costume jewellery and fashion accessories account for over 30% of the overall fashion†¦show more content†¦Cutting out the freight costs and selling directly at the point of origin is a goal most players in the field are eyeing for. (d) The price of gold and other precious metals is still very high. Gold prices have been on a steady upslope from 2001 till now. Silver is a similar, if not as dramatic a story. This obviously tilts the markets in favour of cheaper and more often than not, more trendy options of fashion accessories and costume jewellery. However, as in most business stories, all isn’t as rosy and there is more to it than meets the eye. These opportunities aside, there are certain challenges the industry faces in the quest for growth and sustainence: (a) Fashion Accessory business is boosted by a high percentage of impulse buys. Online accessory and costume jewellery retailers need to face a lot of challenges in this regard as the prospective buyers have instant access to comparative prices and multiple options. Smaller retailers need to also consider how they can innovate to maximize their sales by targeting the impulsiveness of the buyers and the transparency of the internet. (b) The present is a boon period for Fashion Accessories industry as expected worldwide consumer spending in this sector is likely to grow by 4 to 5 percent. Such prospects lure several new entrants to join the industry, some of which happen to be established names in other industries. The continued growth of online accessories sales is a two edged sword for both, the