School Uniform

School Uniforms Should Students in Public Schools Wear Uniforms? Abstract One of the most controversial issues in public school is the school uniforms. In 1996, the issue of school uniforms was bought to the forefront in President Clinton State of the Union address. People argue that uniforms can make schools safer and improve attendance and increase student’s achievement. People opposing school uniforms argue that it has not been proven to work with discipline, attendance or the student’s achievement. The purpose of this research is to find out if school uniforms will work in all elementary public schools. Do the students and their parents want a change in their school district attempting to control many aspects, attendance, academic achievement, self-esteem, safety and violence? Interested in positive changes in the students success and achievement may want to consider school uniform policy in their school district. School Uniforms Uniforms in public elementary schools can have an impact on the students and on the school system. The students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. There is no competition between peers to outdo each other when wearing uniforms. Some parents complain that uniforms are too costly for them, but uniforms are actually more affordable and there are fewer clothes to buy because everyone will be dressed in similar clothing. There are also ways to help low-income families with the cost. The school can set up funding for low income families to help pay for the uniforms for their children in the form of donations, clothing vouchers, and support from the business partners of the communities; this problem can be overcome. The thrift stores and uniform supply houses also reduce the cost for the clothing. These things combined can make it far less costly to purchase standard clothing than to meet the demand for designer clothing worn now. Many private schools have required uniforms for a number of years and now public schools are adopting the school uniform policy. With Long Beach, California being the first large urban school district to enforce uniforms to all students in Kindergarten through eighth grade in 1995. In 1999, New York City enforced uniforms in 70 percent of their schools. In 2000, Philadelphia enforced the uniforms district wide and 60 percent in Miami and 80 percent in Chicago (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Since then school uniforms in public schools are becoming increasingly popular across the nation. Several other states have already implemented uniform policies in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, Michigan, Florida, Utah, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, and District of Columbia. Many large public school systems including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis have schools with either voluntary or mandatory uniform policies, mostly in elementary and middle schools (Brunsma, 2006). Advocates believe that the uniform policies have great benefits. They believe that it eliminates conflict over expensive items of clothing and has a business-like atmosphere to the school (Darden, p. 36). They also think that the uniforms will make schools safer, improve attendance, and a higher education achievement. By wearing uniforms in school they will be able to identify trespassers and setting a good example for the students who are serious about school work and their studies, and also discourages the activities of gang members and the tensions that result from wearing gang clothing attire (Boutelle, 2008). Opponents feel there is not enough evidence to support the relationship between the uniforms and discipline or uniforms and students achievement. According to Brunsma (2006, p. 85), he suggest that uniform policies may only serve as a band-aid in dealing with the problems of schools and may only provide policymakers a way to avoid making the decisions necessary to reform public education. Now the question is, â€Å"Would Delaware public elementary schools benefit greatly if this policy were adopted? † Resistance is always a factor when trying to make changes. Some par ents and students may not want the school uniforms for a variety of reasons. If the parents and students realize that uniforms will benefit them in the long run they may change their minds. There are many advantages to school uniforms, including academic advantages, social outcomes, behavioral issues, safety and cost of uniforms. Research is needed because elementary schools will benefit more if they had a school uniform policy enforced. Literature Review School uniforms have been the cause of many jokes and harassment to those who wore them. In the past, public schools considered uniforms old and out dated trends, though recently many public schools are starting to implement and enforce a uniform policy. The implementation of a school uniform policy is important if we are still striving to improve our students. The arguments against them are fading while the positive reasons for promoting school uniforms are gaining ground. Some of the possible benefits are safety, cost, uniformity and violence in academics instead of fashions. According to Boutelle (2008), school uniforms in today’s society â€Å"promote school safety and enhance the learning environment, and diminish the clothing completion† (p. 3). School uniforms unify a school and help the blending of the school cultures, instead of separating the students. Along with school uniforms there is a boost in academic performance. With the United States dropping behind other developed nation ranking in at number 18 of 24 (Boutelle, 2007), this is low for a nation that is spending a lot on education every year. Students are losing focus on school and are competing for what the newest fashion or gadget rather than focusing on school these days. With the addition of school uniforms in American society, students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. With the addition of school uniforms in public schools students are bonding together helping each other feel like they are accepted and part of a much bigger picture than just them. Everyone wearing uniforms also makes it very easy to recognize people who are not supposed to be there or can make an intruder stand out in a crowd. The Department of Education gave out manuals to all of the nation’s 16,000 school districts with suggestions to make school uniforms mandatory and model programs that are in a few public schools (Brunsma, 119). Reasons for implementing uniforms included: reduce peer pressure, increase school pride, gear focus more to learning, assist in discipline problems, and create a more work-like atmosphere with less distractions and expense. Schools that have significant problems are mostly likely to have school uniforms. Having a good overlap of a zero-tolerance policies and school uniform policies do not need the security guards, metal detectors, sign-in policies, or the limited restroom time (Brunsma, p. 51). Many parents are faced with the dilemma of outfitting their children in the latest trends or putting money towards more important things like saving for their children’s college education. Some families are unable to afford the popular named brand clothing that their children desires, which make the children, feel inadequate in school when they are forced to wear lesser brand clothes. Granted, the cost may be a bit more substantial in the beginning, but the uniforms will last longer which means there is less out-of-pocket expense for replacement articles. With uniforms, the parents may only have to purchase two or three sets compared to several pairs of bottoms and tops. Uniforms are more durable and can be washed more frequently compared to regular clothes. This makes them the better option not only for lower income families, but all families in general. Parents claim that uniforms will cost the families more money in the long run because parents will be forced to buy the uniforms and regular clothing for their children to wear when they are not in school. The cost for parents may double that of just buying traditional school clothes. Although this is partly true that parents would be faced making additional purchases for their children, in reality, should still be spending less money. Since uniforms are more durable, the parents only need to buy a limited supply and since the children will only be wearing their regular clothes outside of school, parents will not have to buy as many outfits. Most children wear out their clothes while in school. Since this is not an issue with the uniforms because they are worn during school hours only the traditional street clothes will last longer, hence saving the parents money in the long run. Also without the constant competition in schools, children may not feel the need to have the latest brands and styles as they would if they were wearing the clothes to school on a daily basis around other social classes. There are some objections to having children wear uniforms in school. The most popular one is the price of the uniforms; sometimes they may cost a lot depending on the company from which they are purchased. If the school does not go through a certain company but just asks the parents to buy certain colored shirts and pants, with no form f a logo on them, this would help make the cost of the uniform a lot less. Also, if the parents financially could not afford to buy the uniforms, then the parents would have to show proof of this and file for help with school board, which could provide them with a small grant to be used on the uniforms. In California, parents from low-income families are entitled to financial help and are able to receive assistance in purchasing the u niforms (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Lake Forest School District in Delaware does not supplement the cost of the uniforms to low income families but if a child is in need they do go case by case. The school nurse keeps uniforms on stock and the local church also supplies the uniforms (Ms. Lands). Today’s style of uniforms is more relaxed than what they were before. The boys would wear dark slacks, white shirts and a tie and the girls wore a traditional blazer, white blouse and a plaid skirt. Now they can wear khaki pants or blue jeans with a white T-shirt, denim shirt or skirts. The largest manufacture French Toast has more than 4,000 school uniform items (Anderson, 2004). On the FrenchToast. com website short sleeve dress shirts with collar for boys cost $9. 98, pants $16. 8 and for girls the blouses and skirts are $9. 98 and pants are $14. 98. If parents could get them on sale they would defiantly save money. French Toast has a â€Å"Dollar in Uniform† fundraising event going on right now if the parents order from their website than the school they select will get a five percent cash back. Not only do mandatory uniform policies for public schools offer the pot ential for higher educational benefits and improved student discipline, school uniforms dissolve social boundaries between classmates. Students are no longer judged based off their appearance but by who they are on the inside. There is no more competition between social classes that these students may have otherwise felt and they work together as a team and share a common pride. All students will feel a sense of belonging. No longer will lower income children be labeled as poor based on their clothing. All children will appear as equals in the classroom and will be treated as such (Viadero, 2005). School violence can be greatly reduced by the use of school uniforms. With kids unable to noticeably tell or distinguish which kids belong to what gangs in school if any at all. Also, with uniforms it’s much harder to tell which kids come are wealthy and which kids come from needy families. This can relieve kids of the stress that social economic status can bring. With uniforms children blend, which helps kids see who the actual person is rather then who or where they came from or what their culture is or background. Stepping into any public school with a normal dress code during lunch is evidence of the different groups in a school including different educational and social statuses. Some school gangs separate themselves by their clothes. At any moment there could be a confrontation between any of these groups and instantly a conflict has started or worse school violence could happen between people. When something happens everything is stopped until the situation gets resolved whether it’s broken up by the school cop, teachers, or resolved between the people it happened between. Some of this can be stopped, as Bill Clinton said in his 1996 State of Union Address â€Å"I challenge all our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenager will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniform. In the first year of using school uniform Long Beach, California, the school officials found that suspensions dropped by 28 percent; assault and battery decreased 34 percent fighting decreased 56 percent; sex offenses decreased 74 percent; vandalism decreased 18 percent and school crime decreased 86 percent (Brunsma, p. 36). With less violence in the school, more students want to come to school. Therefore more students would be more interested in going to school (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). RESULTS The school uniforms maybe a means of improving our efforts to help students in becoming healthier, making them a better citizen in their community and being an interest in our society. Realizing that the success of this policy may depend on each individual school system and their needs, and knowing a school uniform policy is not good for every school is of utmost importance. The studies that have been done have lacked the evidence that supports the school uniforms. Some schools might benefit from a school uniform policy. When adopting a school uniform policy many schools also adopted other new programs at the same time. It was unclear as to what exactly created the successes that were notable in the studies. DISCUSSION School Uniforms affect schools in a better way, appears that only when the school and community have done research and done their homework. The successful schools first compiled reasons for wanting school uniforms and then decided if they were relevant or not. There were surveys taken of staff, parents and the community to find out what the level of support was for the administration if they had to enforce a school uniform policy. Several steps were conducting and it appeared to work for many school districts. It is important to listen to everyone concerning the adoption of a uniform policy (Brunsma, 2006, p. 116). Slowly moving to give the community time to think about the positives and negatives of their decision is must. When wanting to implement the uniforms the style and nature should be considered as well the school history (McBrayer, p. 126). The students should always be involved in the decision making and choices, but they may not make the final decision. Parents and schools need to decide what is safest and healthiest for all and not just the individual. There were other changes incorporated in the schools at the same time the school uniform policy was adopted. Some examples of the changes that took place with the uniform policy adoptions were; changes in the curriculum, new problems solving curriculums, more teachers in the hallways between classes, and new discipline procedures. Changes are continuous and therefore it is difficult to only rely on one at a time. It is a very difficult job for administrators to develop safe and healthy schools. However, there are times that an administrator may determine a factor in the success of the school’s dress code, no dress code, or uniform policy. Consistency is very important part of keeping the students safe. CONCLUSION For the support of school uniforms the research of evidence, or the lack thereof, it is recommended that each school districts review the information concerning school uniform policies. Probably what would be best is observing a school that already has uniforms. Members involved should observe a school similar to their own; rural, urban or suburban, size and community standards. Members should also recognize and consider steps taken by other schools when they first enforced the school uniforms. It is very important to learn as much as they can about mistakes that took place at the other schools and consider possible successful alternatives. When putting a school uniform policy into effect everyone involved should have a discussion with the community including the students. Parents, students, administrators, teachers, support staff, and board members are all part of the community and should have a decision in the final decision. In the decision making they need to also discuss the prices of the uniforms and if there is going to be help for the ones who cannot afford paying for them. The future of our society depends on confident, inclusive, and caring people focused on valuing the skills, abilities and talents of all the decision makers. I believe that all students deserve a safe learning environment. School uniforms might be the best solutions to the public elementary schools education needs to stop the competitiveness of clothes and create better learning environments in student’s achievements and positive social outcomes. Anderson, W. 2004, February). School dress codes and uniform policies. College of Education, University of Oregon. Eric Digest, 148. Boutelle, M. (2008, February). Uniforms: Are They a Good Fit? Education Digest, 73, 34-37. Brunsma, D. (2004). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Brunsma, D. ( 2006, Jan/Feb). School uniform policies in public school. Principal, 85, 50-53. Brunsma, D. (2006). Uniforms in public schools A decade of research and debate. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Darden, E. (2008, January). What Not to Wear. American School Board Journal, 195, 36-37. French Toast Official School Wear http://frenchtoast. com/jump. jsp? itemID=0&itemType=HOME_PAGE&cobrand=www. frenchtoast. com Konheim-Kalkstein, Y. (2006, August). A uniform look. American School Board Journal, 193, 25-27. McBrayer, S. (2007, September). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education: A Symbolic Crusade. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 11, 124-126. Viadero, D. (2005, January). Uniform effects? Schools cite benefits of student uniforms, but researchers see little evidence of effectiveness. Education Week, 24, 27-29. School Uniform School Uniforms Should Students in Public Schools Wear Uniforms? Abstract One of the most controversial issues in public school is the school uniforms. In 1996, the issue of school uniforms was bought to the forefront in President Clinton State of the Union address. People argue that uniforms can make schools safer and improve attendance and increase student’s achievement. People opposing school uniforms argue that it has not been proven to work with discipline, attendance or the student’s achievement. The purpose of this research is to find out if school uniforms will work in all elementary public schools. Do the students and their parents want a change in their school district attempting to control many aspects, attendance, academic achievement, self-esteem, safety and violence? Interested in positive changes in the students success and achievement may want to consider school uniform policy in their school district. School Uniforms Uniforms in public elementary schools can have an impact on the students and on the school system. The students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. There is no competition between peers to outdo each other when wearing uniforms. Some parents complain that uniforms are too costly for them, but uniforms are actually more affordable and there are fewer clothes to buy because everyone will be dressed in similar clothing. There are also ways to help low-income families with the cost. The school can set up funding for low income families to help pay for the uniforms for their children in the form of donations, clothing vouchers, and support from the business partners of the communities; this problem can be overcome. The thrift stores and uniform supply houses also reduce the cost for the clothing. These things combined can make it far less costly to purchase standard clothing than to meet the demand for designer clothing worn now. Many private schools have required uniforms for a number of years and now public schools are adopting the school uniform policy. With Long Beach, California being the first large urban school district to enforce uniforms to all students in Kindergarten through eighth grade in 1995. In 1999, New York City enforced uniforms in 70 percent of their schools. In 2000, Philadelphia enforced the uniforms district wide and 60 percent in Miami and 80 percent in Chicago (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Since then school uniforms in public schools are becoming increasingly popular across the nation. Several other states have already implemented uniform policies in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, Michigan, Florida, Utah, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, and District of Columbia. Many large public school systems including Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle and St. Louis have schools with either voluntary or mandatory uniform policies, mostly in elementary and middle schools (Brunsma, 2006). Advocates believe that the uniform policies have great benefits. They believe that it eliminates conflict over expensive items of clothing and has a business-like atmosphere to the school (Darden, p. 36). They also think that the uniforms will make schools safer, improve attendance, and a higher education achievement. By wearing uniforms in school they will be able to identify trespassers and setting a good example for the students who are serious about school work and their studies, and also discourages the activities of gang members and the tensions that result from wearing gang clothing attire (Boutelle, 2008). Opponents feel there is not enough evidence to support the relationship between the uniforms and discipline or uniforms and students achievement. According to Brunsma (2006, p. 85), he suggest that uniform policies may only serve as a band-aid in dealing with the problems of schools and may only provide policymakers a way to avoid making the decisions necessary to reform public education. Now the question is, â€Å"Would Delaware public elementary schools benefit greatly if this policy were adopted? † Resistance is always a factor when trying to make changes. Some par ents and students may not want the school uniforms for a variety of reasons. If the parents and students realize that uniforms will benefit them in the long run they may change their minds. There are many advantages to school uniforms, including academic advantages, social outcomes, behavioral issues, safety and cost of uniforms. Research is needed because elementary schools will benefit more if they had a school uniform policy enforced. Literature Review School uniforms have been the cause of many jokes and harassment to those who wore them. In the past, public schools considered uniforms old and out dated trends, though recently many public schools are starting to implement and enforce a uniform policy. The implementation of a school uniform policy is important if we are still striving to improve our students. The arguments against them are fading while the positive reasons for promoting school uniforms are gaining ground. Some of the possible benefits are safety, cost, uniformity and violence in academics instead of fashions. According to Boutelle (2008), school uniforms in today’s society â€Å"promote school safety and enhance the learning environment, and diminish the clothing completion† (p. 3). School uniforms unify a school and help the blending of the school cultures, instead of separating the students. Along with school uniforms there is a boost in academic performance. With the United States dropping behind other developed nation ranking in at number 18 of 24 (Boutelle, 2007), this is low for a nation that is spending a lot on education every year. Students are losing focus on school and are competing for what the newest fashion or gadget rather than focusing on school these days. With the addition of school uniforms in American society, students can focus more on their classes rather than social factors that students focus on when there is no school uniform and the dress code is not strict. With the addition of school uniforms in public schools students are bonding together helping each other feel like they are accepted and part of a much bigger picture than just them. Everyone wearing uniforms also makes it very easy to recognize people who are not supposed to be there or can make an intruder stand out in a crowd. The Department of Education gave out manuals to all of the nation’s 16,000 school districts with suggestions to make school uniforms mandatory and model programs that are in a few public schools (Brunsma, 119). Reasons for implementing uniforms included: reduce peer pressure, increase school pride, gear focus more to learning, assist in discipline problems, and create a more work-like atmosphere with less distractions and expense. Schools that have significant problems are mostly likely to have school uniforms. Having a good overlap of a zero-tolerance policies and school uniform policies do not need the security guards, metal detectors, sign-in policies, or the limited restroom time (Brunsma, p. 51). Many parents are faced with the dilemma of outfitting their children in the latest trends or putting money towards more important things like saving for their children’s college education. Some families are unable to afford the popular named brand clothing that their children desires, which make the children, feel inadequate in school when they are forced to wear lesser brand clothes. Granted, the cost may be a bit more substantial in the beginning, but the uniforms will last longer which means there is less out-of-pocket expense for replacement articles. With uniforms, the parents may only have to purchase two or three sets compared to several pairs of bottoms and tops. Uniforms are more durable and can be washed more frequently compared to regular clothes. This makes them the better option not only for lower income families, but all families in general. Parents claim that uniforms will cost the families more money in the long run because parents will be forced to buy the uniforms and regular clothing for their children to wear when they are not in school. The cost for parents may double that of just buying traditional school clothes. Although this is partly true that parents would be faced making additional purchases for their children, in reality, should still be spending less money. Since uniforms are more durable, the parents only need to buy a limited supply and since the children will only be wearing their regular clothes outside of school, parents will not have to buy as many outfits. Most children wear out their clothes while in school. Since this is not an issue with the uniforms because they are worn during school hours only the traditional street clothes will last longer, hence saving the parents money in the long run. Also without the constant competition in schools, children may not feel the need to have the latest brands and styles as they would if they were wearing the clothes to school on a daily basis around other social classes. There are some objections to having children wear uniforms in school. The most popular one is the price of the uniforms; sometimes they may cost a lot depending on the company from which they are purchased. If the school does not go through a certain company but just asks the parents to buy certain colored shirts and pants, with no form f a logo on them, this would help make the cost of the uniform a lot less. Also, if the parents financially could not afford to buy the uniforms, then the parents would have to show proof of this and file for help with school board, which could provide them with a small grant to be used on the uniforms. In California, parents from low-income families are entitled to financial help and are able to receive assistance in purchasing the u niforms (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). Lake Forest School District in Delaware does not supplement the cost of the uniforms to low income families but if a child is in need they do go case by case. The school nurse keeps uniforms on stock and the local church also supplies the uniforms (Ms. Lands). Today’s style of uniforms is more relaxed than what they were before. The boys would wear dark slacks, white shirts and a tie and the girls wore a traditional blazer, white blouse and a plaid skirt. Now they can wear khaki pants or blue jeans with a white T-shirt, denim shirt or skirts. The largest manufacture French Toast has more than 4,000 school uniform items (Anderson, 2004). On the FrenchToast. com website short sleeve dress shirts with collar for boys cost $9. 98, pants $16. 8 and for girls the blouses and skirts are $9. 98 and pants are $14. 98. If parents could get them on sale they would defiantly save money. French Toast has a â€Å"Dollar in Uniform† fundraising event going on right now if the parents order from their website than the school they select will get a five percent cash back. Not only do mandatory uniform policies for public schools offer the pot ential for higher educational benefits and improved student discipline, school uniforms dissolve social boundaries between classmates. Students are no longer judged based off their appearance but by who they are on the inside. There is no more competition between social classes that these students may have otherwise felt and they work together as a team and share a common pride. All students will feel a sense of belonging. No longer will lower income children be labeled as poor based on their clothing. All children will appear as equals in the classroom and will be treated as such (Viadero, 2005). School violence can be greatly reduced by the use of school uniforms. With kids unable to noticeably tell or distinguish which kids belong to what gangs in school if any at all. Also, with uniforms it’s much harder to tell which kids come are wealthy and which kids come from needy families. This can relieve kids of the stress that social economic status can bring. With uniforms children blend, which helps kids see who the actual person is rather then who or where they came from or what their culture is or background. Stepping into any public school with a normal dress code during lunch is evidence of the different groups in a school including different educational and social statuses. Some school gangs separate themselves by their clothes. At any moment there could be a confrontation between any of these groups and instantly a conflict has started or worse school violence could happen between people. When something happens everything is stopped until the situation gets resolved whether it’s broken up by the school cop, teachers, or resolved between the people it happened between. Some of this can be stopped, as Bill Clinton said in his 1996 State of Union Address â€Å"I challenge all our schools to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenager will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniform. In the first year of using school uniform Long Beach, California, the school officials found that suspensions dropped by 28 percent; assault and battery decreased 34 percent fighting decreased 56 percent; sex offenses decreased 74 percent; vandalism decreased 18 percent and school crime decreased 86 percent (Brunsma, p. 36). With less violence in the school, more students want to come to school. Therefore more students would be more interested in going to school (Konheim-Kalkstein, 2006). RESULTS The school uniforms maybe a means of improving our efforts to help students in becoming healthier, making them a better citizen in their community and being an interest in our society. Realizing that the success of this policy may depend on each individual school system and their needs, and knowing a school uniform policy is not good for every school is of utmost importance. The studies that have been done have lacked the evidence that supports the school uniforms. Some schools might benefit from a school uniform policy. When adopting a school uniform policy many schools also adopted other new programs at the same time. It was unclear as to what exactly created the successes that were notable in the studies. DISCUSSION School Uniforms affect schools in a better way, appears that only when the school and community have done research and done their homework. The successful schools first compiled reasons for wanting school uniforms and then decided if they were relevant or not. There were surveys taken of staff, parents and the community to find out what the level of support was for the administration if they had to enforce a school uniform policy. Several steps were conducting and it appeared to work for many school districts. It is important to listen to everyone concerning the adoption of a uniform policy (Brunsma, 2006, p. 116). Slowly moving to give the community time to think about the positives and negatives of their decision is must. When wanting to implement the uniforms the style and nature should be considered as well the school history (McBrayer, p. 126). The students should always be involved in the decision making and choices, but they may not make the final decision. Parents and schools need to decide what is safest and healthiest for all and not just the individual. There were other changes incorporated in the schools at the same time the school uniform policy was adopted. Some examples of the changes that took place with the uniform policy adoptions were; changes in the curriculum, new problems solving curriculums, more teachers in the hallways between classes, and new discipline procedures. Changes are continuous and therefore it is difficult to only rely on one at a time. It is a very difficult job for administrators to develop safe and healthy schools. However, there are times that an administrator may determine a factor in the success of the school’s dress code, no dress code, or uniform policy. Consistency is very important part of keeping the students safe. CONCLUSION For the support of school uniforms the research of evidence, or the lack thereof, it is recommended that each school districts review the information concerning school uniform policies. Probably what would be best is observing a school that already has uniforms. Members involved should observe a school similar to their own; rural, urban or suburban, size and community standards. Members should also recognize and consider steps taken by other schools when they first enforced the school uniforms. It is very important to learn as much as they can about mistakes that took place at the other schools and consider possible successful alternatives. When putting a school uniform policy into effect everyone involved should have a discussion with the community including the students. Parents, students, administrators, teachers, support staff, and board members are all part of the community and should have a decision in the final decision. In the decision making they need to also discuss the prices of the uniforms and if there is going to be help for the ones who cannot afford paying for them. The future of our society depends on confident, inclusive, and caring people focused on valuing the skills, abilities and talents of all the decision makers. I believe that all students deserve a safe learning environment. School uniforms might be the best solutions to the public elementary schools education needs to stop the competitiveness of clothes and create better learning environments in student’s achievements and positive social outcomes. Anderson, W. 2004, February). School dress codes and uniform policies. College of Education, University of Oregon. Eric Digest, 148. Boutelle, M. (2008, February). Uniforms: Are They a Good Fit? Education Digest, 73, 34-37. Brunsma, D. (2004). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Brunsma, D. ( 2006, Jan/Feb). School uniform policies in public school. Principal, 85, 50-53. Brunsma, D. (2006). Uniforms in public schools A decade of research and debate. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Education. Darden, E. (2008, January). What Not to Wear. American School Board Journal, 195, 36-37. French Toast Official School Wear http://frenchtoast. com/jump. jsp? itemID=0&itemType=HOME_PAGE&cobrand=www. frenchtoast. com Konheim-Kalkstein, Y. (2006, August). A uniform look. American School Board Journal, 193, 25-27. McBrayer, S. (2007, September). The school uniform movement and what it tells us about American education: A Symbolic Crusade. Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, 11, 124-126. Viadero, D. (2005, January). Uniform effects? Schools cite benefits of student uniforms, but researchers see little evidence of effectiveness. Education Week, 24, 27-29.

“The Notebook” Film

In the early 1900’s silent films amazed audiences with images, later talkies impressed with sound, today we have 3D. As technology continues to evolve so too will film genres. Genres, while having some shared characteristics, also differ in terms of stylistic devices used. For instance, the dramatic film â€Å"The Notebook† effectively uses color to reinforce theme and has plausible performers as the two main protagonists. â€Å"The Notebook† directed by Nick Cassavetes in 2004 tells the story of a couple’s fifty year long love affair and its trials and tribulations.The film begins in a nursing home where an old man (Noah) reads a book to an old lady (Allie) suffering from Alzheimer’s. Noah, a poor country boy, and Allie, a rich city girl, meet in Noah’s village in summertime and fall in love with each other. Allie’s mother forbids the relationship and takes Allie away to New York, where a few years later she gets engaged to Lon, an ed ucated rich man. Before the wedding she reads a newspaper and sees Noah in front of a house he once promised her to restore.She goes there and soon they find they still love each other. So Allie decides to dump Lon and be with Noah. The movie ends as Allie realizes that the story Noah has been reading to her is in fact the story of their romance. They fall asleep holding hands and die peacefully. To make their creations unique film crews use different techniques. Techniques vary from setting to point of view, and also include editing, color, sound, costume, camera angle, actors’ play and others. Film makers use them in different ways for different purposes.For instance, each genre demands a particular type of performance: in comedies the performance should be exaggerated, while in dramas it has to be very realistic. Colors influence the way we perceive things and this is the reason directors usually use dark and vague colors in scenes of conflict, and bright ones to express h appiness. Therefore film makers pay much attention to techniques . Actors in â€Å"The Notebook† fit their roles very well and they perform plausibly. Ryan Gosling (Noah) suits his role of a young, careless lad and Rachel McAdams (Allie) is perfect for the role of an educated cheerful beauty.Their facial expressions, gestures and movements make audiences empathize with the protagonists. In the scene of their first quarrel Rachel McAdams cries, sobs, portrays despair and pleads to stay ,as realistically as if she feels her character’s emotions. In scenes of happy moments she smiles and laughs sincerely, like when she listens to Noah (Ryan Gosling) sitting next to her. Ryan Gosling also demonstrated his acting talents in the movie. His character is very romantic and faithful and the actor expressed these traits very well.For instance, in the scene he first meets her he looks at her with loving eyes, his eyebrows are raised a bit as he cannot stop admiring her. When other women try to talk to him, he lets them see their attempts are futile via tone changes and hands crossed on his chest, which express his love and faithfulness. Such a realistic actors’ performance reinforces the dramatic plot. Warm and pastel colors predominate in †The Notebook†. The creators intended to reinforce the theme also by means of colors.Episodes, in which Allie and Noah are together, have more white, beige, pink, light blue and green. For instance, Noah painted the house he restored in white color; the sky is clear and blue when they are together. The white color of the house represents purity of Noah’s love and his devotion to Allie, and the clear sky symbolizes peace. However, in those scenes where they part or have quarrels, colors are darker and vague. The two main quarrels, for example, happen at night and during the heavy grey rain. The protagonists’ clothes also change in different situations.For their dates Allie wears bright and p astel color dresses, but while being parted they both wear grey and boring clothes. The film crew used specific colors to support the theme. Specific tools play a great role in film making. Color and performance set the tone in the dramatic film â€Å"The Notebook† and make it a good quality movie. Good quality movies are called so due to details, and large film crews work hard to achieve this result. Other films by Nick Cassavetes are also very good, although he focused on different tools in them.

Justice Scalia's Fundamental Rights Research Paper

Justice Scalia's Fundamental Rights - Research Paper Example Constitution as an instrument to protect the fundamental rights of citizens in America. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is concerned primarily with the fundamental rights of citizens of the United States. Based on the, 14th Amendment, â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law† (Legal Information Institute). Simply put, the 14th Amendment limits the power of Congress and other federal and state powers to discriminate against individuals. The 14th Amendment is the document of equal protection that outlaws individual rights violations. Since the 1970s, the 14th Amendment has been used as one of the central tools of legal def ense against labor and employment discrimination. However, not everyone agrees that the 14th Amendment is a valid argument against discrimination. When a public figure as popular as Justice Scalia expresses a divergent opinion, it is natural and logical that the public reaction will be immediate. In one of his recent interviews, Justice Scalia expressed an opinion that the 14th Amendment has nothing to do with discrimination and individual rights: according to Scalia, the U.S. Constitution by itself does not outlaw discrimination (Terkel). Rather, the Constitution simply provides the basis and creates a legal context, which allows passing legislation that outlaws different forms of discrimination against individuals (Terkel). Justice Scalia is confident that the Constitution does not prohibit discrimination, and it is within the power of U.S. legislators, not the Constitution, to enact laws that defend the fundamental rights of American citizens. As a result, the Fourteenth Amendmen t can hardly serve a relevant ground for legal protection against sexual and gender discrimination in the workplace or in courts. To some extent, Justice Scalia is correct: the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed with the intent to keep illegal immigrants and aliens from accessing and using the benefits provided by U.S. Government. This is why the 14th Amendment limits the scope of the legal rights protection to citizens or those naturalized in the United States (The 14th Amendment). It was not before the 1970s that the legal meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment was changed to become one of the key instruments and legal arguments against sexual and other types of individual discrimination in the U.S. Even today, the 14th Amendment remains the source of major legal controversies, since there is no explicit statement that could be directly related to the issue of sexual or gender discrimination. However, the role which the Fourteenth Amendment plays in the protecti on of individual rights and the elimination of inequality and discrimination cannot be ignored. Simultaneously, Justice Scalia’s homophobic prejudices are well-known to the American public. It is no wonder that Scalia does not believe the 14th Amendment and its equal protection clause applies to women, gays or lesbians (LaVictoire). In the notorious case of Lawrence v. Texas Justice Scalia claimed

The Logic and Evidental Problem of Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Logic and Evidental Problem of Evil - Essay Example All materials presented in this paper will come from class notes and a secondary source. Logical Problem of Evil Atheist J.L Mackie presented this argument where he argued that there is a contradiction between the existence of God and the existence of evil (Kelly 218). Mackie formulated his argument that there seems to be an evident contradiction between four main premises. One of them is that God is an omnipotent (Kelly 219). This premise translates that God is all-powerful, meaning that he is supposed to have the power of eliminating all evil that exists in this world (Meister 132). The second premise is that God is an omniscient. This second premise translates that God is all-knowing, meaning that he could have the ability to detect the occurrence and existence of evil in order to prevent or eliminate it. The third premise according to Mackie is that God is Omni-benevolent (Meister 132). This argument translates that God is all-good, meaning he would have the will to prevent all t he evils from happening in this world (Meister 132). The fourth premise indicates that evil and suffering exists in this world (Meister 132). This premise translates that there is evidence of moral and natural evil existence in this world. Reflecting on all of the above four premises Mackie concluded that God does not exist. The above four premises leads to a contradiction between the existence if evil and God. This derives to a point that God does not exist. For example, it is easy to reject the premise that God is omnipotent. This is because if God is not able to stop evil and most importantly know before it occurs in order to do something to stop it, then probably there is no God. There is also a possibility to reject the second premise; God is omniscient, by stating that if God is really all knowing, he could have the ability to stop evil. The above information indicates that no one is able to know what individuals can do even God himself. Moreover, this means that if God does e xist, evil occurs and surprises even him. It is also possible to reject the third premise indicating that God is Omni-benevolent. This is because if God is perfect good, he ought to have the ability of knowing when evil might occur and then have the power to stop it. However, it seems that God does not care about evil and possible he does not have the ability to stop it. Rejecting the first three premises translates into the fourth one, evil and suffering exists, and therefore giving a possible conclusion that there is no God. The Evidential Argument One of the well-known individuals who have firmly supported the evidential argument is William Rowe (Kelly 220). Through the evidential argument, Rowe and many other philosophers argue that much of the evils that people experiences in this world seem to be pointless. Rowe presented his arguments on four main statements. One of the statements indicated â€Å"E†, is an evil that no one established its justifier. However, many peopl e especially philosophers have been trying to find the justifier without any success. The second statement according to Rowe shows there is a high probability â€Å"E† has no justifier. The third statement indicates that if there are some evil that depict to have no justifier, then all the facts presented on theism about God depicts to be false (Meister 135). The fourth statement as presented by Rowe then concludes there is a high probability that theism is false. According the above statements

Intellectual Disability (Formerly Mental Retardation) Research Paper

Intellectual Disability (Formerly Mental Retardation) - Research Paper Example These are genetic, acquired, environmental and sociocultural. In genetic factors, it involves chromosomal or hereditary disorders. Due to the translocation of chromosomes 21 and 15, which cause Down syndrome in newborns, which statistics show occur in 15 of every 10000 births. Other related intellectual disabilities caused by chromosome disorder are the fragile X chromosome syndrome, lesch-nyhan syndrome and rett syndrome among others. On the other hand, intellectual disabilities are acquired through hereditary factors. It can be passed from a parent to a baby. These hereditary factors include galactosemy, Tay-Sachs disease, phenylketonuria, Mowat-Wilson syndrome among others (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Fernald, 1912). There are acquired factors that also cause intellectual disabilities and these can be grouped into two groups: Congenital and developmental factors. Congenital factors are those that acquired through the infected parent’s body. These infections can be through metabolic, neonatal hypothyroidism, intoxication through lead poisoning, fatal syndrome or prenatal exposure to lethal substances and infectious body diseases like syphilis, toxoplasmosis among others. On the other hand, developmental factors include those infections that are acquired during prenatal period where pregnancy complications such as toxemia could arise leading to intellectual disability (Schrander-Stumpel, et al, 2007). ... Poverty opens up a wide exposure to environmental and psychosocial factors to the infants. Poor prenatal, perinatal and postnatal health care can lead to intellectual disabilities as well. The above factors are just a few of the known causes of intellectual disabilities though to date, most causes are still unknown and still being researched (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Schrander-Stumpel, et al, 2007). With different intellectual disabilities, the symptoms differ from one disability to the other with most common characterized by limitation in communication, personal care, home life, self-governance, leisure time, work, academic skills, health and safety and lastly limitations in social life (Schrander-Stumpel, et al, 2007). While these are common characteristics, there are those particular characters that are observed with a particular disability. With the genetic disorders in the fragile X syndrome, a person’s brain is affected, hence, displaying characters associ ated with autism, which include poor eye contact, anxiety, sudden mood change and hand flapping (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Although it is rare, it affects both males and females. In the case of Phenylketonuria, it leads to corrosion of myelin in the brain exhibiting signs of epilepsy and neurological problems. There are symptoms of autistic disorder and hyperactivity in the case of Bourneville as an intellectual disability. Lastly, on genetic etiology, there is Lesch Nyhan syndrome, which allows excess flow of uric acid. It is characterized by self-mutilating behaviors like finger, lip biting, and makes the victim more aggressive towards others (American Psychiatric

Personal Ethical Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Ethical Statement - Essay Example The rights of an individual must be protected. Therefore autonomy is at the core of my value system along with sensibility. Every situation is different and the actors in each are different. Hence, a rational tailor made solution to every situation would be completely wrong. Each situation must be viewed according to its own merits and a solution must be designed that best suits the situation and results in the greatest good for everyone involved. My strength is that I am optimistic about every situation and have the skills and mind of an entrepreneur. I am also very imaginative and this is a quality I am very proud of. I fall back on my experience to analyse the situation at hand and then use my intuition and imagination to solve problems. This has helped me solve a lot of problems and is the best approach to use. My value system allows me to view the situation from different perspectives through which I am able at analyse what is best for everyone involved. Another one of my strengths is that I believe in free will and everybody must do what is best for them and brings them joy. It is fine to want good things for you and everybody must have the freedom to decide that. There are a few weaknesses of mine that I have found from the Ethical Lens Inventory. One is that I assume that everyone has a clear sense of their own values. This has not been the case always and has resulted in me making some wrong decisions. Sometimes I tend go overboard exercising free will and fail to be accountable to those who are dependent on me. This is not right as I need to be accountable to people who people and act accordingly. This, even if not intentional, creates problems for those involved. My blind spot, as I have now learnt, is that I can be satisfied with too little good. That is, if I am satisfied with my own needs I might become complacent. But the right thing to do is to ensure that everybody is satisfied. As mentioned earlier, my core values are

A journal article critique in the family health area - 1

A journal critique in the family health area - Article Example The author employed the methods correctly since all the results indicated that chiropractic care produced positive results that improved the quality of life. However, there might be error in the research, since the author assumes that those who do not get chiropractic care do not get other health services, but in reality they could be receiving other health care in different forms. The evidence in support of the topic can be the 1992 research where people who received chiropractic care had a higher immunity than the average population or cancer patients. Dr. Petro states that chiropractic health care imparts maximum efficiency to whatever genetic makeup one may be possessing, while in the 2005 research, the study indicates that chiropractic health care determines normal physiological process which influence DNA repair and oxidative stress. This implies that subluxations removal has a positive influence on health. The strength of the evidence can be that chiropractic care has positive results on the immune system and can be recommended for quality life, while the weakness can be that those who got chiropractic care may have lived in the same environment which favored the practice or have specific biological background. The author supported the topic by explaining that the immune and nervous system were connected, and therefore manipulating the nervous system would produce a result, which in this case is chiropractic care which has positive results on the immune system. Other authors have conducted chiropractic research. They include shekelle et al (1992) and they concluded that manipulation of the spine fastens recovery from minor low back pains, after literature review on 25 trials. Van Tudler, Bouter and Koes in Netherlands found superior evidence for efficiency of manipulating the spine for chronic back pain. Bronfort (1999) conducted a review and found short term capacity

Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Assignment

Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity - Assignment Example Furniture like chairs and tables fitted in the working places are not made with consideration of the physically disables persons in mind. In learning institutions, students may leave chairs anyhow on the verandahs and pavements, hence making the disabled persons being unable to move freely. The lifts are also not made friendly for such people with sounds that can notify the blind when it reaches particular floors, or in a way to accommodate some physical disability conditions. It is therefore very important to extend the affirmative action to cover such kind of considerations in the society to reduce on discrimination. A part from the physical disability, society still requires affirmative discrimination in many areas such as learning institutions, other than just the need for equal employment opportunities. We find that some institutions do not offer admission places to students from particular regions due to issues of race, color, culture, disability, religion and such like. This m akes students who have actually qualified and have the aspiration to study in such institutions to have their dreams shuttered since they end up attending institutions that never were their choices. This is against the University Policy and Procedure of the U.S. (Berkeley, 2009). On other thoughts, equal employment opportunities are also considered as not sufficient to prevent workplace discrimination. This is so as workplace discrimination involves more than just providing equal employment opportunities.

Finding and Contribution Essay Example for Free

Finding and Contribution Essay According to many studies and researches over the past 30 years have shown there is an existence of a positive relationship between CSP and CFP. (Frooman, 1997) The data accumulated over the past 30 years do not support the latest contingency theory in the area of corporate social responsibility. (Soana, 2011) Some authors argue that good CFP leads to good CSP because more profitable companies have more resources for investing in socially responsible initiatives. On the other hand, some others believe that Corporate Social Responsibility can determine higher financial results thanks to strategy reassessment, process improvement, and employee, customer and local community loyalty. As well as, the positive relationship between CFP and slack resources argument of CSP could not cover the weaker of the negative relationship itself. Some firms choose the solution for CSP by motivating and using â€Å"ecological† but still practice profit maximization in the state of â€Å"premature† of their company’s lifecycle. For some reputation effects purpose, the public and some other non-market environments may be the reason for the organization to change their long term strategies and consider those social issues to prevent bad reputation CSP disclosures. According to the article, they stated with confidence that the association between CSP and lagged CFP is not negative and it seems to affect each other through a virtuous cycle likewise the financially successful companies spend more on social responsibility activities because their finance supports them. However, the meta-analysis decline the idea that CSP is incompatible and unnecessary with shareholder wealth maximization. For the effectiveness organisation may need more combination of financial and social performance. The article also mentioned that the notions of libertarians such as Friedman that government regulation in the area of CSP may not be necessary. If the analysis shows the negative relationship between CSP and CFP, bottom line decision making may create barriers to outcomes desired by the public. Meta-analysis is a statistical technique for combining the findings from independent studies.By using meta-analysis, researchers can test and identify those areas which are being related by other studies and authorize them. Furthermore, for those unexplained inconsistence from across studies remains relatively large and needed further requirement to identify moderators which can be shown in the analysis as well. In the managerial point of view, market environments will not punish the company if they are in highly corporate social performance. Therefore, the managers can practice social responsibility strategies. (Prasertsang Ussahawanitchakit, 2011) Corporate social responsibility strategy refers to managers’ awareness of public policy, social care, surrounding organization responsibility for society and natural of the environment both internal and external organization. â€Å"Internal† is well-being of employees, safety and supporting education whereas â€Å"external† is responses to the need of customers such as research and development for the high quality of product and service by reducing waste, energy consumption and the pollution that might arise from the production processes. Top managers must use CSP like a reputation level and pay more attention on other party’s perceptions about their organizations. Moreover, they need to know whether they are currently under study of any market analyst, public interest group or the media. A company which highly in CSP can get extra return from rece iving public endorsement from federal agencies. Overall Assessment Generally, by using quantitative research, this article is trying to show that the prevailing trend claim that we are lack of generalizable knowledge about CSP and CFP which is built on unstable base. The particular objectives of this meta-analysis include providing a statistical integration of the accumulated research on the relationship between CSP and CFP. As well as, assessing the relative predictive validity of instrumental stakeholder theory in the context of that relationship between CSP and CFP and examine several moderators, such as operationalization of CSP and CFP, and timing of CSP and CFP measurement as well. The meta-analysis was built on earlier researches by including market return measures in addition to accounting return, CSP measures other than social responsibility audits performed by Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini Co., Inc. Moreover, It responses to Waddock and Graves’s call for research on the temporal consistency of results, independent of the time lag chosen between CSP and CFP. Furthermore, it integrates empirical results across diverse study contexts and enabling them to look for theoretical moderators and statistical artefacts that might explain the highly variable results across other previous studies. Author provides a methodologically stricter review than other studies in the past 30 years. The meta-analysis findings suggest that corporate virtue in the form of social responsibility such as public policy, social care, well-being of employees, etc†¦ Firmly the performance of the corporate is affected by their managerial strategies and activities in market and non-market environments. Some firms choose the solution for CSP by motivating and using â€Å"ecological† but still practice profit maximization and shareholder profit maximization. Additionally, this article introduces a meta-analysis review of primary quantitative studies of the relationship between CSP and CFP. The particular objectives of this meta-analysis include providing a statistical integration of the accumulated research on the relationship between CSP and CFP Bibliography Frooman, J., 1997. Socially irresponsible and illegal behavior and shareholder wealth: A meta-analysis of event studies. Business Society, Volume 36, pp. 221-249. Prasertsang, S. Ussahawanitchakit, P., 2011. Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, Marketing Performance and Marketing Sustainability: An Empirical Investigation of ISO 14000 Businesses in Thailand. International Journal of Business Strategy, Volume 11, pp. 60-72. Soana, M.-G., 2011. The Relationship Between Corporate Social Performance and Corporate Financial Performance in the Banking Sector. [Online] Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f80d931a-37b8-4dd8-a174-3d913ffdac87%40sessionmgr15vid=5hid=10 [Accessed 3 July 2012]. Waddock, S. A. . G. S. B., 1997. The corporate social performance–financial performance link. Strategic Management Journal, Volume 18, p. 303–319.

Black social movements Essay Example for Free

Black social movements Essay Race is used by social scientists to refer to distinctions drawn from physical appearance (skin color, eye shape, physiognomy), and ethnicity is used to refer to distinctions based on national origin, language, religion, food, and other cultural markers. â€Å"Race has a quasi-biological status and among psychologists, the use of race terminology is hotly debated In the United States, race is also a socially defined, politically oppressive categorization scheme that individuals must negotiate while creating their identities. † (Frable , 1997, 139) Before the Black Power Phase of the Black Social Movement, blacks displayed a decidedly dualistic worldview. After 1968, a trend toward a black perspective, which is almost as significant as the dualistic frame, becomes apparent. A reactionary, extreme pro white position is seldom advocated: The dualistic, integrationist ethic was perhaps stronger in the past than it is today, although it is probably still the dominant ideology among blacks. Finally, over the past 25+ years, a nationalistic black oriented ideology has become increasingly important in discussions of black affairs. The racial and ethnic identity terms are often used inappropriately in psychology. While black immigrants to the United States may have a racial identity as black, their ethnic identity reflects their country of origin; racial identity is much more likely to be problematic in the United States than ethnic identity. Whether a researcher assesses racial identity, ethnic identity, or some combination may only be clear after reading the Methods section of their report. EVIDENCE OF IDENTITY CHANGE: 1968-PRESENT The Black Social Movement had two phases: (1) the Civil Rights Phase, which lasted from 1954-1967 and (2) the Black Power Phase, which began to take hold from 1965-1967. (See Exhibit 1) 118 or 73% were conducted during the period 1968-1977. Of these, 22 (19%) were Black group oriented, 84 (71%) were personal self-worth related and 12 (10%) applied personal self-worth and Black group oriented measures on the same sample. A significant number of both Black group and personal self-worth studies from this period show blacks with an increased in-group orientation and adequate to above average levels of self-esteem. (Allen et al, pg. 161)The Black Movement has increased the probability that more blacks will superimpose a black orientation upon a greater variety of situations. As a perspective, the extent to which the world view of the mainstream group (Americanism) has been internalized by a Black person is not one of self-rejection as it was in the past. As a result, some 20 years later and as a side product of the mind set change, Hip-hop (music) was created in the mid-seventies as black social movements began to take less noticeable role in the African-American communities and mainstream media, and replaced by electoral politics. â€Å"It has deep sixties cultural and political roots; Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets are considered the forebears of rap. But once the institutions that supported radical movements collapsed or turned their attention elsewhere, the seeds of hip- hop were left to germinate in American society at large-fed by its materialism, misogyny and a new, more insidious kind of state violence. † (Ards, 1999, p. 11) This suggests racial motivation impetus more of a political-cultural propensity rather than a psychological trait. All along, even during the racial segregation and Jim Crow, Blacks have consistently had a high sense of personal worth. The Black Movement probably had a less dramatic effect on the personal identity as opposed to the reference group orientation of black people as whole. Blacks have had, and continue to have, a multifaceted reference group orientation that determine behavior depending upon the situation being confronted. BLACK ELITE LIBERAL CONCEPT Is this America? Land of the Free and Home of the Brave? Fannie Lou Hamers question still rivets attention, for it is at once radical and conservative, communitarian and individualistic, a plaintive cry and a hardened protest, fiercely American and defiant of America. (Robinson, 1997, p. 179) While not a new paradigm in and of itself (and while certainly reductionist), Cedric J. Robinson, in Black Movement in America, calls for framework forces one to consider social movements. He points out that the very success of black activism during the Civil War would point the way toward future divisions within black political culture. Both free black leaders and the masses of Southern slaves who rebelled against their masters turned a white war into a battle over slavery and racial injustice. (Newman, 1999, 683) Slaverys destruction, ironically, removed a common focus of protest, and more importantly, enticed certain black elites to accept the liberal concept of changing American political culture by trying to join it and reform it from within. These elite representatives were largely irrelevant in Robinsons eyes, for the black masses focused on community-building and autonomy (Robinson, 1997, p. 92). The black social movements of the 60’s and 70’s single indicator of common social beliefs may simply be related with other dimensions and intangibles yet to be discovered or even recognized. In brief, due to the impact of during the ten to fifteen year span, black consciousness and awareness had become so pervasive throughout the black population that by the late seventies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  a single item tapping common-fate solidarity was adequate to capture a fully politicized sense of group consciousness. Of course, other changes in the political landscape may also contribute to such a shift. For instance, collective political efficacy among black Americans may have been enhanced by the growing number of black elected officials. † (Bobo Gilliam 1990) A generation has almost passed since the social activisms of the late 50’s and upheaval turbulent 60s and birth of modern day public black social movement. There are now thousands of black elected and appointed officials throughout the United States. Southern presidents have been elected to the White House since 1976, both of whom received the overwhelming support of the African American electorate. A great deal of literature has been devoted to the position that Black working people and the poor challenged the â€Å"system† by establishing, ad hoc or organized significant black social movements that were rooted simultaneously in a political and social tempest. However, thus knowing that a person has a strong black identity will not inform the listener about the nature of his/her personal identity; however, it gives considerable insight into the persons value system, political posture, and cultural stance. REFERENCE(S) Deborrah E. S. Frable , 1997, Article Title: Gender, Racial Ethnic, Sexual andClass Identities. Journal Title: Annual Review of Psychology. Volume: 48. Page Number: 139+. Angela Ards, 1999, Organizing the Hip-Hop Generation. Magazine Title: The Nation. Volume: 269. Issue: 4. Publication Date: July 26,1999 Page Number: 11. Cedric J. Robinson, 1997, Black Movements in America. (New York: Routledge,. p. 179, 92 ) Rich Newman, 1999, Black Movements in America. Journal Title: The Historian. Volume: 61. Issue: 3. Publication Page Number: 683. Walter Recharde Allen, Geraldine Kearse Brookins, Margaret Beale Spencer,1985, Beginnings: The Social and Affective Development of Black Children. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Bobo, Lawrence. 1988 Attitudes Toward The Black Political Movement: Trends, Meaning, and Effects on Racial Policy Preferences. Social Psychology Quarterly 51:287-302. Gilliam, Franklin D. , and Kenny J. Whitby. 1989 . Race, Class, and Attitudes Toward Social Welfare Spending: An Ethclass Interpretation. Social Science Quarterly 70:88-100.

Ageing Experience And Psychological Well Being Social Work Essay

Ageing Experience And Psychological Well Being Social Work Essay There are two potential determinates that might influence quality of life and psychological well-being of elderly people. Firstly there are the objective factors that are income, health, status and age and intuitively, usually having more of these things means greater quality of life. However, in various research based on happiness of the elderly people, objective factors are less powerful than one might expect as Lyubomirsky et al; cited in the research article titled Psychological Acceptance and quality Of Life in the Elderly,'(2007). The research suggested that objective factors account for about 8 to 15 % of the difference in happiness. So, Do people get less happy as they get older? and their well- being while ageing has been discussed by various researchers in order to define the concept of successful ageing but there is still a lack of consensus on what defines a successful ageing. The various researches on the relationship between old age and well-being have been at many time s assessed through life satisfaction, happiness and morale. 2.2 Theories of ageing In attempting to explain the ageing process and moreover the elderly experience with family support in this particular study, the theories of ageing, which describes the ageing process and what it implies will be taken into account. 2.2.1 Activity theory, developed by Havighurst and associates in 1953, asserts that remaining active and engaged with society is primordial to satisfaction in old age. The theory asserts that positive relationships in the aged individuals level of participation in social activity leads to life satisfaction as active aging equals successful aging. Activity can be physical or intellectual in nature so as to replace those interests and relationships that have been diminished or lost over time. This theory proposes that elderly people need to remain active in a variety of social spheres as for instance with family or friends because activity is preferable to inactivity as it facilitates well-being on multiple levels that is assuming that activity is vital to well-being. Activity theory proposes that social activity and involvement with others results in an increased ability to cope with aging, improved self-concept, and enhanced emotional adjustment to the aging process (Lee, 1985). 2.2.2 Disengagement theory was proposed by Cumming and Henry (1961). This theory states that aging is an inevitable, mutual withdrawal or disengagement; resulting in decreased interaction between the ageing person and others in the social system he belongs to (Cumming and Henry, 1961, p.2). Disengagement theory thus assumes that social involvement decreases with aging and that successful ageing is best achieved through abandoning social roles and relationships and by the individual reducing both activities and involvement. Proponents of this theory maintain that this separation is desired by society and older adults, and serves as such to maintain social equilibrium. While high morale is evident at the completion of the process, the transition is characterized by low morale. However, this theory has been strongly criticized by researchers who found a lack of evidence from older people disengaging from their surroundings. Whereas older people social relationships change and that they possibly have fewer ties, it was found that these relationships were often deeper and more significant. 2.2.3 The Continuity theory states that as elderly adults adapt to changes associated with the normal ageing process, they will attempt to rely on existing resources and comfortable coping strategies. This theory of aging states that older adults will actually maintain the same activities, behaviours, and relationships as they usually did in their earlier years of life. As older adults try to maintain this continuity of lifestyle by adapting strategies that are linked to their past experiences, decisions and behaviours will form the foundation for their present behaviour. Continuity of self which occurs in two domains: internal and external is thus important. Whereas internal continuity occurs when one wants to preserve some aspects of oneself from the past so that the past is sustaining and supporting ones new self, external continuity involves maintaining social relationships, roles and environments such that internal and external continuity are maintained, life satisfaction is hig h. 2.2.4 R.Weiss (1974) put forward a theory about provision of support from close relatives and relationships.  According to Weiss, these provisions reflect what we receive from relationships with other people. He maintains that the elderly require six main social provisions to maintain well-being and avoid loneliness. They are the assistance-related that is reliable person and guidance as well as non- assistance related one namely social integration, reassurance or worth, nurturance and attachment. These components provided by close relationships mainly provide and guarantee support to people as those people who lack the social support experience negative effects. He argues that individuals must maintain a number of relationships in order to maintain psychological well-being. Weiss holds that multiple needs must be satisfied by an individuals support network. In that respect, social provisions may be provided by friends but more often are provided by family members who are usually t he primary source of support in old age. 2.2.5 One of the first theoretical frameworks to focus on interpersonal relationships was proposed by Kahn and Antonucci (1980): the convoys of social relationships. They stated that social support is primordial to the individual in describing it to include attachment, roles and social support. Social support is viewed as interpersonal relationships that include these following components: affect affirmation and aid. Their basic idea is to view social connections and social support as a lifetime and ongoing set of relationships which generally serves to enrich, fortify and reassure people. The convoy model assumes that all people need social relations and that it is important because they have favourable effects on health and well-being. Despite being dynamic and lifelong in nature, Kahn and Antonucci suggest that losses and gains in convoys could have a variety of causes. It was hypothesized that social relations were more psychological than physical, and therefore, would affect psy chological or mental health, that is, depression, life satisfaction or happiness rather than physical health. (Antonucci, Fuhrer Dartigues, 1997; Fratiglioni, Wang, Ericsson, MAytan, Winblad, 2000) 2.3 Social Support My family has always been an essential part of my life, but the older you get; the more you feel how much you need each other. As long as you are together, it is like a growing tree the longer the tree is there, the stronger the branches become and the more you are knit into one. So, the more you are together, the more you realize how important it is to be together and stay together. -66 year old married father of two. (Cited in Family ties and ageing, Connidis, 2007, p3) Worldwide the family is the primary caregiver to the elderly. This reality transcends culture, politics and economic circumstances in spite of a wide variation in the way care is provided in different societies. However, almost everywhere round the world, support often flows in only one direction. Many older people receive financial help from their adult children but what about their help in terms of the social support in order to ensure healthy psychological ageing? Social support is defined as the individual belief that one is cared for and loved, esteemed and valued, and belongs to a network of communication and mutual obligations. (Cobb, 1976). Some experts suggest that social support provides a sense of connectedness to ones social group, which results in feelings of well being (Ryan. 1995). As people become old, social relationships often change and that they sometimes have fewer social ties, it was found that these relationships are often deeper and more meaningful to them, (Helmuth 2003). Maintaining relationships with their families and their friends is important to the vast majority of elderly persons. Rosenmayr (1968) found that, though they may not want to live with them, they do maintain contact with their children. Shanas (1967) found, in a study of elderly persons in three societies, that they generally live near at least one of their children. These relations seem to be at a large extent important, if not vital, to the elderly as the experience of ageing often requires them relationships and families support to evolve and adapt or cope with the challenges of the transition. Observers and various researches have showed that the loss of important relationships leads to feelings of emptiness and depression (Freud, 1917/1957; Bowlby, 1980). The interplay between relationships and various domains of life is complex as older adults reporting a greater number of social ties have been shown to have lower mortality risks, and both social integration and social support have been associated with mental and physical health outcomes (reviewed in Berkman 1995; Cohen Herbert 1996; Seeman 1996). Social support provided to the elderly parents by family members is thus proven to have positive consequences on the elderly in many ways. Moreover, a considerable number of researches show that social support is the key determinant of successful ageing (Rowe Kahn1998; Leviatan 1999; Unger et al, 1999; Seeman et al, 2001b). Persons involved with positive relationships are often less affected by everyday problems, are said to be more effective, and to act with greater sense of control or independence. Those without relationships often become isolated, cynical, mistrusting and depressed whereas those caught in poor relationships tend to dev elop and maintain negative perceptions of self, find life less satisfying. The usefulness of social support for dealing with illness has also been repeatedly shown, suggesting that a positive social environment encourages health and well- being whether or not stress is present. Social support is thus an important factor that may buffer the ill effects of stress on mental and physical health. 2.4 Lack of social support According to many researchers, the absence of social support is linked to various illness and poor quality of life in old age. Depression and loneliness are the most common in the elderly. Findings of depression and lack of social support are often interrelated due to the often inseparable nature of the two variables. There is also a clear link between chronic disease and depression, with those in nursing homes showing higher rates than those living in their own house. Depression as well as loneliness has been discussed by researchers and it was found that elderly people mostly suffer from these two major problems besides physical problems. The most firmly establishes link between of elderly parents and their psychological well-being in old age is that they basically suffer from loneliness and depression. Some research has shown that elderly individuals who have not maintained contact with family members are at a higher risk of developing depression, personality disorders and other c ognitive or behavioural issues. The physical as well as psychological state of the elderly parent is put at risk when he or she is not in contact with other individuals and especially the family. It is observed that if communication is done on a daily basis with family members, there is a better maintenance of the elderly psychological well-being as friends and family become often the sole support system for the elderly. According to American Geriatrics Society, depression can affect 40% of nursing homes residents in a given year which is often undiagnosed and untreated or treated as a normal component of ageing. A growing number of studies and articles have been published in that respect and shows how social support is beneficial to the elderly. For instance, there is a published thesis submitted in 2010 in Canada, titled Social support, loneliness and depression in the elderly. In this study, the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms was explored in 54 elderly residents living in both nursing and retirement homes out of 62 interviewed. The findings demonstrate that loneliness remained a significant risk factor for depressive symptoms, even after controlling other demographic variables such as age, gender, length of stay, time of interview and institution. This finding is consistent with a qualitative study by Barg et al. (2006), which suggests that loneliness in older adults is closely tied to depression. In this particular study, the author found that loneliness is easily mapped onto standard assessments of depression and hopelessness in the population, thus showing strong correlation between loneliness and depression. The Evaluation of depression in elderly people living in nursing homes, involving 35 people by Aribi L et al; publishes in October 2010 in Tunisia had for main aim to determine the prevalence of depression in old people living in a nursing home and to evaluate the degree of their autonomy. A descriptive and analytical survey was carried out on 35 old people at a nursing home in Sfax, Tunisia. The study was evaluated by using two scales specific to the geriatric practice: The scale of depression: GDS (geriatric depression Scale) applied to 30 items and the scale of autonomy: IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living). Results were as such the examined population was composed of 35 people aged from 65 to 9, 51.4% of the residents were in a state of depression. Depression was more frequent in female subjects however (58.8% of women compared to 44.4% of men and it was concluded that depression in the elderly is related to several depressive factors particularly for patients living in institution. Anxiety and depression are thus very common in elderly living in nursing homes. Studies have shown a relatively low prevalence of anxiety disorders in older individuals but that among elderly, anxiety disorders occur two to seven times more often than depression problems. The rate of anxiety disorders may be even higher among elderly living at institutional settings. Another study which support that view is that of study Anxiety and Loneliness in Lone Elderly done by T.T.A Rahman which evaluated the prevalence of anxiety and depression in lone elderly living at their own homes and those going to geriatric clubs regularly or living at geriatric home. There was 164 lone elderly participants from geriatric clubs named group I and 168 lone elderly participants from geriatric homes, group II were included in this study. Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used for detection of anxiety depression respectively. Results were as follow: The co-occurrence of anxie ty and depression is 34.1% 57.1% in group I and group II respectively, while depression is actually 22.0% 23.8% and anxiety is 2.4% 1.2% in group I group II respectively. Living at geriatric homes and age group 60 to 70 are independent risk factors for anxiety, depression or mixed anxiety and depression. It was concluded that lone elderly, living at institutional settings such as geriatric homes is an independent risk factor for anxiety, depression or mixed anxiety and depression. Mixed anxiety and depression is more prevalent than anxiety or depression per se. Another survey conducted by Agewell Research Advocacy Centre released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information recently, found that about one in four (26 per cent) seniors living in a residential care facility, such as a nursing home or long-term care home, had been diagnosed with depression. A further 18 per cent had symptoms of depression but had not been diagnosed. Many of these residents dealt with persistent anger, tearfulness and repetitive anxiety, yet had not received a diagnosis. The problem is a serious one because, as the researchers note, depression can have serious effects on a seniors medical condition, their emotional state and general quality of life as seniors with symptoms of depression are more likely to display aggressive behaviour and may be three times more likely to have sleep disturbances while having difficulty to communicate. Different factors can contribute to the development of a depressive disorder that may include feelings of hopelessness, self- blame and loneliness, possibly accompanied by physical symptoms such as poor sleep, decreased appetite and lack of energy, often leading to social withdrawal. The researchers note that there is a perception that depression is a natural part of aging. Thats because a number of factors associated with late-life, depression is common among older people, such as: illness, loss of family, friends, social support or independence. But they note that depression can shorten lives. In studies of the effects of depression on seniors, the odds of dying were 1.5 to 2 times greater in elderly people with depression compared to those without. According to  Himanshu Rath, Founder Chairman of Agewell Foundation,  Depression is quite common among many of the people, particularly in old age. It is a major social challenge that cannot and should not be ignored. However, to fight Depression in Old Age, both the suffering older persons and the family members need to join hands and work together to bring back the golden happy times, from a Survey on Depression in old age published in September 18, 2010. 2.4 Rationale of the study There are many researches as such that have examined the importance of single, close, personal relationship related to elderly people which put forward that family support acts as a buffer against psychological illness. Family support promotes higher morale and lower levels of loneliness and social isolation in old age. Older people who lack confidants report more psychological distress and higher rates of depression (Hays et al. 1998). It is thus true on one hand that relationship and especially with family is important for older adults as social isolation may be devastating especially in old age but on the other hand can social relationships have negative impacts on people? Although a great deal of research have focussed on the positive effects that social support can have on adults, recently researchers have urged greater attention to the negative side of informal relationships. Since Rook (1984) demonstrated that social relationships can adversely influence the psychological well -being of older adults, several investigators have examined the effects of both positive and negative social ties in later life. (Ingersoll-Dayton, Morgan Antonucci, 1997; Okun Keith, 1998). Furthermore, in considering that the closeness and mutually supportive relationships that many adult children and elderly parents share may make the latter happier than those who do not have children, research on this issue has consistently demonstrated that individuals who are childless are as happy and well-adjusted as are parents, even in the later years. As people who are sixty-five or older and do not have children are more likely to report advantages than disadvantages of childlessness. Individuals who have remained childless have been found to develop social networks that compensate for the absence of support from adult children in terms of friends as some studies suggest that friends are more important than family to morale and well-being of the elderly (OConner, 1995). A realatively p opular research topic has been the well-being and resources of childless elderly. It seems safe to conclude that these people are at least as happy as older parents, andthat they are able to find alternate sources of emotional and instrumental support for their need (Beckman Houser, 1882; Johnson Catalano, 1981; Keit, 1983; Kivett Learner, 1980). The research put forward that instead of presence or absence of children, factors such as marital status, health and economic well-being are more strongly linked to the morale and life satisfaction of the older people. As Hoff and Tesch- Romer ( 2007: 77) has described: the relative importance of family relations and family support in contemporary societies may have diminished, but as empirical findings of many studies into the subject have shown, family relations have remained a reliable and stable source of support. For the majority of elderly people, ties with their children represent the most important component of their family network and social support. Since ageing is becoming an important aspect in the Mauritian context and that many studies relating to old age and relationships have not been conducted at the local level, it deems to be important to infer about the contributions of family support to the older persons psychological well-being.

Mcdonaldization Of Society Essay -- McDonalds Fast Food Standardizati

The McDonaldization of:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you have ever had a meal in a restaurant (fast-food/formal dining), used an ATM in a bank, spent your vacation at an amusement park or simply browsed through a mall, you have been exposed to McDonaldization. McDonaldization is â€Å"the process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of America society as well as the rest of the world† (Ritzer, 1996, 1). Nearly ever aspect of today’s society has been affected by McDonaldization including the restaurant business, education, work, healthcare, travel, leisure, dieting, politics and the family (Ritzer, 1996, 1). I observed three East Side Mario’s Restaurant’s establishments while the dinner menu was being served on Saturday evenings between 6pm and 8pm to evaluate the ways in which McDonaldization has affected their company. On January 29th I visited East Side Mario’s in London, Ontario, on February 19th I visited East Side Mario’s in Plano, Texas (I used to hold a job as a server at this location) and on February 26th I visited East Side Mario’s in Orange, California. With the diversity of locations I was able to observe, I compared and contrasted many angles of the East Side Mario’s concept. East Side Mario’s Restaurants Inc. is one of the millions of business’ that has implemented the four principles of McDonaldization, which are: efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the assistance of Bernard Platt, Vice President of Marie Callender’s Pie Shops, Inc., former Vice President of East Side Mario’s Restaurant, Inc., I will offer a condensed presentation of East Side Mario’s history to get you familiar with the business. East Side Mario’s Restaurants, Inc., is a wholly owned division of Marie Callender’s Pie Shops, Inc. In 1987 a partnership of restauranteurs developed the ESM (for the remainder of this case study I will us the initial ESM to refer to East Side Mario’s Restaurants, Inc.) concept in North Miami, Florida featuring the excitement and energy of a New York City street festival, a blend of outstanding American and Italian food, a place where families felt welcome and comfortable offering exceptional value. Today operating as a separate division of Marie Callender’s Pie Shops, Inc., there are a total of 38 American restaurants – 11 corporate and 27 franchise â₠¬â€œ and there are over 80 ESM ... ...cDonaldization†. I believe McDonaldization has invaded every sector of society and as someone who grew up with McDonaldization at every corner of my life I would have to say it’s been productive. It has allowed society to evolve. Every aspect of life has consequences and downfalls; it’s just a matter of dealing with them. I like moving at a fast pace. Why do people have to make friends with every person they encounter? It’s nice to have companionship but not from your server in a restaurant. McDonaldization has served as a directing force, another stage in our history. We adapt to every turn the world makes and change is good. When all of the aspects of McDonaldization are intertwined society runs smoothly. East Side Mario’s was an example of a company that followed all the rules, aimed for a goal and made it. I believe that’s all that it should take in anything you do in life to make it, just follow the rules and reach for your goals. McDonaldization is a positive contribution to society. Bibliography Ritzer, George. 1996. The McDonaldization of Society: An investigation into the changing character of contemporary social life. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.

Dual Language Programs Essays -- Bilingual Education, foreign language

Beyond English Development: Bilingual Approaches to Teaching Immigrant Students and English Language Learners What a feeling! Learning a new language gives individuals a new way of thinking and feeling. Learning a new kind of language involves having total commitment and total involvement from students and teachers. In the article, Beyond English Development: Bilingual Approaches to Teaching Immigrant Students and English Language Learners indicates there are various standard definitions that describe language (Billings, Martin-Beltran, and Hernandez, 2010). Language is used to communicate with others and is essentially human, but not limited to only human beings. As individuals learn English as their Second Language, they learn that language is acquired by all kinds of people in the same way. Mostly children can adapt and/or learn a foreign language better than adults due to children developing language and skills spontaneously (Honigsfield, 2009). Second language learners have variables such as memory, perception, acquisition, conscious and subconscious learning styles, and recall. Even though, second language learners have those instilled variables, it is imperative for the teachers to guide learning and set the conditions of learning. Bilingual Children with Primary Language Impairment: Issues, Evidence, and Implications for Clinical Actions In the article, Bilingual Children with Primary Language Impairment: Issues, Evidence, and Implications for Clinical Actions, Kohner (2010) indicate numerous school districts that have implemented bilingual programs to help the English Language Learners. Dual language programs enhance student outcomes and close the achievement gap of Second Language Learners (Coyoca and Lee, 2009... ... learners enjoy each others’ culture and life experiences as they relate to subject-areas (Nemeth, 2009). Conclusion The population of the United States increased with school age children speaking English as their second language. Strong community leaders and school districts are needed to ensure English language learners attend effective programs that teach them English and push them to graduate successfully (Buysse, Castro, and Peisner-Feinberg, 2010). School districts across America use their own approach to accommodate the learning of English language learners by having a single or combination of programs (Li and Edwards, 2010). Dual language programs allow children to collaborate in developmental levels such as cognitive with tasks in English and Spanish (Pascopella, 2011). English language learners and English proficient students learn from each other. Dual Language Programs Essays -- Bilingual Education, foreign language Beyond English Development: Bilingual Approaches to Teaching Immigrant Students and English Language Learners What a feeling! Learning a new language gives individuals a new way of thinking and feeling. Learning a new kind of language involves having total commitment and total involvement from students and teachers. In the article, Beyond English Development: Bilingual Approaches to Teaching Immigrant Students and English Language Learners indicates there are various standard definitions that describe language (Billings, Martin-Beltran, and Hernandez, 2010). Language is used to communicate with others and is essentially human, but not limited to only human beings. As individuals learn English as their Second Language, they learn that language is acquired by all kinds of people in the same way. Mostly children can adapt and/or learn a foreign language better than adults due to children developing language and skills spontaneously (Honigsfield, 2009). Second language learners have variables such as memory, perception, acquisition, conscious and subconscious learning styles, and recall. Even though, second language learners have those instilled variables, it is imperative for the teachers to guide learning and set the conditions of learning. Bilingual Children with Primary Language Impairment: Issues, Evidence, and Implications for Clinical Actions In the article, Bilingual Children with Primary Language Impairment: Issues, Evidence, and Implications for Clinical Actions, Kohner (2010) indicate numerous school districts that have implemented bilingual programs to help the English Language Learners. Dual language programs enhance student outcomes and close the achievement gap of Second Language Learners (Coyoca and Lee, 2009... ... learners enjoy each others’ culture and life experiences as they relate to subject-areas (Nemeth, 2009). Conclusion The population of the United States increased with school age children speaking English as their second language. Strong community leaders and school districts are needed to ensure English language learners attend effective programs that teach them English and push them to graduate successfully (Buysse, Castro, and Peisner-Feinberg, 2010). School districts across America use their own approach to accommodate the learning of English language learners by having a single or combination of programs (Li and Edwards, 2010). Dual language programs allow children to collaborate in developmental levels such as cognitive with tasks in English and Spanish (Pascopella, 2011). English language learners and English proficient students learn from each other.