The Development of Childhood Throughout History Essay -- Sociology

Throughout the history of childhood development poor social and economic conditions contributed to the many hardships and poor treatment of children. During the early Middle Ages the "paternalist" family concept evolved and the father had authority and control over family matters including the welfare and safety of his wife and children. Discipline was severe, young children both poor and wealthy were subjected to strict rules and regulations and often beaten if disobedient. Children took on the responsibilities of adults at an early age, sharing in the work of siblings and parents. Girls from affluent families were educated at home and married in their teens. Some males were educated at a monastery and others became apprentices to experienced knights. Children who were considered retarded or suffering from disease were abandoned to churches or orphanages. Relationships between parent and child were distant, and younger male and female siblings were considered "economic and social l iabilities." (Siegel 10). Custom and practices such as primogeniture and dower subjected many children to endure suffering and cruel treatment. These customs and practices often caused family rivalry, sometimes led to tragedy and had a significant impact on the role of women and children. Under primogeniture the oldest surviving male inherited family lands and titles. Younger siblings who were not fortunate to receive lands were forced to enter religious orders, become soldiers or seek wealthy patrons. Under the Dower system, a woman's family gave money, land or other wealth in exchange for a potential husband. This system "forced women into the role of second class citizens dependent on their fathers and brothers." Wet nurses took care of newb... ...rs (mandatory sentences) and target hardening techniques (steering locks, unbreakable glass on storefronts). This approach is not consistent with the viewpoint guiding the juvenile court because this type of deterrence punishment interferes with "parens patriae" philosophy. Juveniles are treated more leniently than adults, which limit the power of the law to deter juvenile crime. (Siegel 96). REFERENCES Siegel, Larry J., Brandon C. Welsh and Joseph J. Senna. 2003. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. California: Thomson Wadsworth. Hyperdictionary, (http://www.hyperdictionary.com/search.aspx?define=status+offenders) Flowers, R. Barri. 2002. Kids Who Commit Adult Crimes Serious Criminality by Juvenile Offenders. New York: The Haworth Press.

Black Boy By Richard Wright Essay

Harper and Brothers in New York first published Black Boy, an autobiography of Richard Wright, in 1945. The Harper Perennial Edition, published in paper back in 1998 runs to 448 pages. There is more than one theme which runs through this work, of course, but the over-riding, end-all, be-all message which the author hammers home is that harm is done to fellow humans in the name of racial bigotry. Wright’s theme begins with the very title of the book. Black Boy is an epithet used to denigrate blacks as surely as is Nigger, the title chosen by Dick Gregory for his autobiography in the 1960s. Wright’s story takes place in the early 20th century. He sees racism as a child and as an adult. It is a major force in the development of his personality and influences virtually every facet of his life. In Black Boy Richard Wright explores the theme of racism and ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks. Black people of the era did not want a young black to ‘rise above his station’ in life. Since Wright is reared in abject poverty his peers did not wish to see him try and break his metaphorical chains. His father is mostly absent and he has no strong male influences for the good. He relates how he got over on his father without being punished, â€Å"I had my first triumph over my father (at age 12). I had made him believe that I had taken his words literally (12). He was physically abused. The institutional racism of that day was called Jim Crow and particularly in the deep south of the United States it was a way of life. He grew up misunderstood even by his own people. Blacks of his day were not supposed to get ‘uppity’, meaning they were supposed to act subservient to white people because a black who disrespected a white person would bring down retribution on countless other black people who had done nothing. The blacks that should have had a positive influence on Wright as a child were either blind to his gifts or chose not to see. They not only did nothing to encourage him but also rather did all they could to hold him back. Likely it was so they would not draw attention to themselves or seem ‘uppity’ but the result was a gifted child who lost years of this life that could have been spent in pursuit of the arts. Wright has criticism not only for the white laws, the white establishment and the white race, but also gives a scathing critique of the black community as well. This book is an indictment of the adult black community of his era that refused to take matters into their own hands to educate and guide the children that so desperately needed such guidance. Wright tells his audience that it is not until later in life when he is exposed to literature that he has any idea of what he is missing. He doesn’t know such beauty and such profound thought even exists. Wright’s life is a struggle against the status quo in his native state and in the north where he finds himself as a young adult. White America does not want an intelligent angry young black man voicing his criticisms of the American way of life and blacks do not want him rocking the boat. This is years before Dr. King and even Brown vs. The Board of Education and no one knows what to do with Wright. Mostly they want him to go away. This in itself influences Wright’s attitudes toward his fellow blacks and reinforces the theme of racism being detrimental even to other members of one’s own race. Wright at first sees only two ways to react to his life, feeling caught as he is between the warring races. He can become subservient and bow to the inevitable. He can drink, steal, lie and fight, which he does at first, or he toss away the stereotype of the illiterate lazy black boy and become someone else’s idea of compliant, giving a graduation speech written for him, †You can’t afford to say just anything before those white people that night,† (175) his professor tells him, not allowing him freedom to speak his mind. Wright tosses off the yoke of conformity and does battle with whites and blacks as the need arises. He sees that it is not the white race alone that is holding him back. The metaphor Wright adopts to show his desire for knowledge is hunger. He tells the reader constantly of his incessant childhood hunger, never totally sated, (14) always wanting more than is available and he means for the reader to equate this physical hunger with his hunger for knowledge. He relates how he consumes food and Proust with equal passion. It is implied that it is both whites and blacks who withhold the food, both physically and metaphorically that he so desperately craves to fuel body and soul. Wright tells the reader that it is blacks that are first responsible for trying to quench the fire of his independent spirit but he rises above them and goes his own way, becoming what his heart tells him he must become. He relates how as a child he and the other black children were not given the education they need to rise above that ‘station’ and he blames not the whites but the blacks for the lack of recognition of bright black children who could do so much more with their lives had they but an education. He faults the black teachers and administrators of his school for kowtowing to the whites and keeping black children in ‘their place’. For these reasons Wright ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks

Pfizer And Developing Country Access For Essential Medicines

Part A: GlaxoSmithKline and developing country access to essential medicines The case study emphasized the spread of the HIV/AID s virus especially in the Least developed countries (LDC s) where it was not possible for the poor people to be able to afford the expensive drugs used to cure the disease. The pharmaceutical companies were consistently pressurized to take a solution out of this to provide the medicines to the victims. Survey reports indicated that many deaths were happening and many were expected especially in the south Africa where the standards of living and earnings of people were very insufficient to afford the life saving drugs. Critics commented that it was a social responsibility of the industry to help ensure†¦show more content†¦The chief executive team believed that GSK s approach to access of drugs to needy people could have significant strategic, commercial, operational and reputational impact. CEO of GSK showed willingness to reduce prices in LDC s to a non-profit level and GSK announced significant reduction in prices of HIV/AIDS drugs in LDC s, trying to take a step ahead to fulfill its social and ethical responsibilities despite the fact that such reduction might lead to pressures from developed countries as well to reduce prices threatening its business model and innovations. GSK s approach was indicative of a corporate social responsible citizen rather merely an organization with a profit motive. Blood diamonds Issue identified in the text was about the smuggling of diamonds to earn money that was used to fund the armed groups often against the government. These diamonods were termed as blood diamonds . In many parts of the world, diamonds were sold for illegal purposes and were a source of income for the armed groups. Strict actions were necessary to be taken against these illegal acts to secure the lives of people becoming victims of conflict and civil unrest. Diamonds are suitable for smuggling due to their small size, high value and once polished, their origin is difficult to establish. The diamond