Slaughterhouse Five: Billy Pilgrim and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) :: Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut

Within the novel Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, the character Billy Pilgrim claims to have come â€Å"unstuck† in time. Having survived through being a Prisoner of War and the destruction of Dresden during World War II, and having been a prisoner used to clear away debris of the destruction, there can be little doubt that Pilgrim’s mental state was unstable. Furthermore, it may be concluded that Pilgrim, due to the effects of having been a Prisoner of War, and having been witness to the full magnitude of destruction, suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which caused him to review the events over and over during the course of his life. In order to understand how these factors, the destruction of Dresden and ‘PTSD’, came to make Billy Pilgrim â€Å"unstuck† in time, one must review over the circumstances surrounding those events. The human mind is a part of the body which current science knows little about. Trigger mechanisms, and other factors within the brain are relatively unknown to current humanity. Therefore, in order to produce a diagnostic on why Billy Pilgrim became â€Å"unstuck† in time, the reader of Slaughterhouse Five must come to terms with situations concerning the experiences described in the novel. Billy Pilgrim starts out, chronologically, as a fairly basic infantryman in the United States Army during the last Nazi offensive of the war, also known as the Battle of the Bulge (Vonnegut, 32). That battle resulted in fierce fighting, and also in massacres (such as the one that occurred near Malmedy, France), and the reader may be sure that there were men who became mentally unsound due to the effects of what they experienced there. Pilgrim is taken in by a group of soldiers who have found themselves behind the Nazi lines and are required to travel, by foot, back to friendly lines (V onnegut, 32). According to what research exists, severe hardship such as would exist on that journey could be enough to bring about a case of Acute Stress Disorder, but this combined with what followed afterward is certainly enough to bring about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, Symptoms of PTSD). Again, look towards the following: during the trek Billy Pilgrim doesn’t move as quickly as the other soldiers desire to move, and so he is often lagging behind, and often the subject of scorn.

Race Colors Judgement Essay

The criminal justice system in the United States is one of the many places that I believe stereotypes are formed. For example, African-Americans make up only 13% of the U. S. population but represent 46% of the inmate population who have received sentences of more than one year (Hart, 2006, p. 1). Another example of a racial disparity can be seen the percentage of African-Americans who are drug users (14%) and those sentenced for drug offenses (53%) (Sentencing Project, 2009 p. 3). More African-American men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole then were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began,† (Alexander, 2010). However, this is not just a problem within the African-American community. More than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities and three-fourths of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color (www. sentencingproject. org). The Bureau of Justice Statistics shows, that the likelihood for an African-American or Hispanic to be imprisoned is, 18. % for African-Americans and 10% for Hispanics, while the likelihood for Whites is 3. 4% (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005). Brennan and Spohn (2009) showed in their study, â€Å"The Joint Effects of Offender Race/Ethnicity and Sex on Sentence Length Decisions in Federal Courts†, that African-American males received a significantly longer sentence (93 months) than White males (86. 2 months) (Brennan & Spohn, 2009). These are just some of the numbers, which cannot be ignored. An important question to ask; why are these racial disparities happening? In the study â€Å"White juror bias: An investigation of racial prejudice against Black defendants in the American courtroom†, Sommers & Ellsworth (2001) have a quote, which, I think, sums up the reasoning for studying race and its effect on juries, it came from one of my favorite movies: â€Å"In our courts, when it is a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life†¦The one place where man ought to get a square deal is a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into the jury box† (From To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee, 1960, p. 20). The thinking by many social psychologists is â€Å"Racism still exists in our society today but is no longer endorsed by explicit racist beliefs or overt acts of prejudice† (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Instead it’s a â€Å"Subtle, implicit, or aversive form of racism† (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Whites in our society are taught to embrace egalitarianism (equality) and make a conscious effort to behave non-prejudice, or have non-bias beliefs. However, that does not mean that they still don’t harbor prejudicial attitudes. In a trial setting aversive racism and race salience, or racially charged vs. racially neutral, go hand and hand. Studies have concluded, a trial that is racially charged reminds jurors of their egalitarianism, but in a trial not racially charged a jurors’ motivation to avoid being prejudice is not triggered; instead they demonstrate their racial bias (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2001). It is the run of the mill trials where juror biases are displayed. White jurors need to be â€Å"reminded† that they should not have a bias. By â€Å"reminding† them, by a racially motivated incident, jury voir dire, jury instructions before deliberation, and others, White jurors are less likely to demonstrate racial bias towards an African-American defendant. Jury composition or heterogeneity vs. homogeneity groups, is theorized to be a huge factor in overall group decision-making skills. This is especially important in the jury decision-making process and verdicts because minorities are underrepresented on a jury. Sommers’s study â€Å"Racial Diversity and Group Decision Making† (2006) concluded, a jury, which has heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity considers a wider range of perspectives and information (Sommers, 2006). It was the diversity of the group influence on the White juror more than the performance of the African-American juror in the group (Sommers, 2006). This is not to say that the African-American juror did not perform well. Since many juries are not racially diverse, Whites on a jury may forget their egalitarian values, may not consider a wider range of perspectives and information, and will spend less time on their decisions. In-group bias is when people show a strong preference for fellow in-group members and tend to malign out-group members (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2000). Thomas Pettigrew, current Research Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California, in his 1979 study demonstrated that negative behaviors of in-group members were attributed to situational forces but negative behaviors of out-group members were attributed to inherent dispositions, which is the opposite from positive behavior attribution (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2000). This is a particularly important theory because juries for criminal trials are taking in facts pertaining to the negative behavior of a defendant who is either from their in-group or out-group. Systematic information processing is conceptualized as â€Å"Comprehensive analytic orientation to inform processing in which perceivers access and scrutinize a great deal of information for its relevance to their judgment task† (Tamborini et al. , 2007) Heuristic processing is conceptualized as â€Å"A more limited mode of information processing that requires less cognitive effort and fewer cognitive resources than systematic processing† (Tamborini et al. , 2007) Simple stated, heuristic information processing are shortcuts using previous knowledge and stereotypes, which influences peoples’ judgments. During a trial, jurors take in enormous amounts of information and when deliberating they tend to fill in the missing information with past experiences or stereotypes about certain crimes and criminals. This is not their intention, however it is how people cognitively process information-we put information into or take it out of certain categories. There are three main research methods used to study race and its effects on juries (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Archival analysis of actual cases is ideal but there are a lot of confounding variables, which are hard to measure and control statistically (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Another method used is post-trial juror interviews. This method is useful because you are asking direct questions of the jurors, who were part of the real trials. However, it is time consuming, has a small sample size, and relies on self-reporting by jurors (which in unreliable) (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). The third method is mock juror experiments, which relies on the experimental method of social psychology and allows the experimenters to control the confounding variables (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). There are some downfalls to using mock juror experiments as well, such as using college students as participants, written trial summaries, instead of witnessing a real trial, and the decision made by mock jurors have no real consequences (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). According to Sommers and Ellsworth (2003) it is best to use multiple methods. For example compare archival data to mock jury data. As I stated earlier, aversive racism and race salience (racially charged vs. racially neutral) in trials go hand and hand. Sommers and Ellsworth (both social psychologists) first studied race salience in their study, â€Å"Race in he Courtroom: Perceptions of Guilt and Dispositional Attributions† (2000). Since the theory of aversive racism (modern or subtle) states, Whites are more motivated to â€Å"appear† non-prejudice when racial issues are salient or prominent. They found that when a trial involves race salience the race of the defendant did not influence the White jurors (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2000). However, when a trail did not have race salience, the African-American defendants were found to be more guilty, aggressive, and violent by the White juror then the White defendant. This could have a profound effect, since Whites are not caught up in the day to day of racial issues, they may not take notice to the most subliminal racial issues in a trial. It may cause them to revert back to the more overt form of racism without even consciously knowing they are being racist or displaying their biases. A more recent study, â€Å"Diversity and Fairness in the Jury System†, conducted for the Ministry of Justice Research Series, by Thomas and Blamer (2007) concluded when a trial is racially charged (race salience), conviction rates for African-American defendants were lower. However, the conviction rate between White jurors and African-American jurors for African-American defendants were no different (Thomas & Balmer, 2007) (44% and 43%). In trials that were racially neutral, White jurors had low conviction rates for African-American defendants, while African-American jurors had high conviction rates for White defendants and low conviction rates for African-American defendants (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). This was a very interesting finding because in the Sommers and Ellsworth studies (2000, 2001) African-American jurors showed leniency both in race salience and non-race salience trials. Thomas and Balmer (2007) point out that in the Sommers and Ellsworth study that jurors did not decide cases as part of a jury with any deliberations (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). The results in the Thomas and Blamer study showed that individual jurors had difference conviction rates, but as a jury there was no difference between race salience and non-race salience trails (Thomas & Blamer, 2007). None of the juries (there were 8 in all) in the Thomas and Blamer (2007) study convinced the White defendant, The juries in England and Wales where this study took place have the same makeup as juries in the United States, majority White (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). That makes a nice segway into my next theory of jury composition because it appears that they dynamic of a racially mixed jury helped ensure individual biases were not allowed to dictate verdicts (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). Justice Thurgood Marshall said, â€Å"Diverse juries enjoy wider ranging discussions because White and Black jurors bring different experiences and perspectives to the jury room† (Sommers, 2006). Not only do African-American jurors bring different experiences but also, as we saw in the Thomas and Balmer (2007) study a racially mixed jury might help to ensure individual biases are not allowed to dictate verdicts. Again, referring to a study by Sommers (the leading researcher in this field) in which he specifically studies â€Å"The multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations† (Sommers, 2006). Having African-Americans (or minorities in general) on a jury can bring two different types of diversity-deep-level diversity and surface-level diversity (Sommers, 2007). Both can affect information exchange in different ways. Deep-level diversity brings the expertise, attitudes, and values of the individual members to the deliberation room (Sommers, 2007). Surface-level diversity brings members’ demographics and social category membership into the deliberation room (Sommers, 2007). Sommers’ (2006) found diverse groups spent more time deliberating, made fewer factual errors, and if there was an error it was more likely to be corrected, more open-mindness, and less resistance to discussions of controversial race topics (Sommers, 2006). The homogenous jury was the opposite (Sommers, 2006). Those results showed the affect deep-level diversity could bring to a jury. However, another aspect, which will bring me back to the theory of aversive racism and race salience, is the affect having diversity has on a White juror. By having a racially diverse jury, the White jurors have the issue of race and egalitarian values in the forefront of their minds. The White jurors are avoiding seeming bias. Sommers et al. , (2008) conducted a study to see if there are â€Å"Cognitive effects of racial diversity in a group. † The study found that Whites in a diverse group process information more thoroughly. They had no interaction with a diverse group member, it was simply being aware of a diverse group composition, which impacted the cognition of White members. It even improved reading comprehension of race-relevant passages, especially when Whites expected to have race-relevant conversation. This is important in a legal context as well. If a White juror’s cognitive ability, and information processing is improved they will use systematic processing which is â€Å"A comprehensive, analytic orientation to information processing in which perceivers access and scrutinize a great deal of information for its relevance to their judgment task†, instead of heuristics processing or shortcuts in their decision making (Tamborini et al. 2007). The Supreme Court attempted to make juries more racially diverse â€Å"Batson prohibition against race-based peremptories was based on two assumptions: (1) a prospective juror’s race can bias a jury selection judgments; (2) requiring attorneys to justify suspicious peremptories enables judges to determine whether a challenge is, indeed, race-neutral† (Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U. S. 79 (1986). To summarize the findings, White jurors tend to show their bias towards African-American defendants when the trial is not racially charged because they are not motivated to conceal their bias (aversive racism and egalitarian views). In homogenous juries Whites are more like to be bias, spend less time on their decisions, make more errors, consider fewer perspectives, are not motivated to conceal their bias. Also, when there is information overload jurors use heuristics (shortcuts) to process information, rather than a systematic review of the information. Tis effect, of using shortcuts, produces bias judgment for both African-American jurors and White jurors. All the aforementioned could be cause for the bias decision making of jurors and juries. However, there are positives that can be found throughout these studies. For instance, racially diverse juries, and race salience trials can help alleviate the biases by jurors and juries. It also proves that not all White juries are affected by the race of a defendant (in certain situations). Race and its effect on jury decisions is a topic that will be studied for years to come because of the complex nature of a jury and modern racism. Although studies have shown bias decision-making by White jurors there is still not enough statistics to make a causal connection. Research has also shown ways in which a jury’s bias can be minimized. The jury is one of the backbones of the court system, because of this, it is imperative that we continue to study juror bias and how to minimize their bias through different trial techniques and policies and procedures.

Women s Political And Islam - 1265 Words

Women’s political rights in Islam has been a controversial topic in the modern age. With the growth of ideologies like feminism and liberalism, Islam has been carefully examined underneath a microscope for some time. Some argue that Islam subjugates women because they are not given the exact rights or roles men have been given. Allah (swt) has given men and women different biological, physiological, and psychological attributes. In the Quran Allah (swt) says in chapter 4; verse 32 â€Å"And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of his bounty. Indeed, Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.† This verse†¦show more content†¦Women also took part in wars by being nurses and care takers of the soldiers (Dr, Nakir Naik, 2014). We can understand why it is not recommended nor obligated for women to partake in the battle field th rough Quranic verses and Hadeeths. In the Quran Allah (swt) says in chapter 4; verse 32 â€Å"And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of his bounty. Indeed, Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.† Allah (swt) has given men the upper hand in terms of physicality. Of course, there are outliers and exceptions but generally speaking a man is biologically and anatomically better suited to fight in war (Dr. Zakir Naik). Al-Sarkhasi said in Sharh al-Siyar al-Kabeer that â€Å"We do not like women to fight alongside men in war because a woman does not have the right physical make-up for fighting, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) indicated when he said: â€Å"This one was not a fighter† (said when he saw the body of a woman slain on the battlefield) (Shaykh Muhammad al-Munajjid, 2003).† Men are described as the â€Å"qawamun† in the Quran. This word is derived from â€Å"qawm† which is the Arabic word for standing up. They are required to stand up for their family in that they must protect andShow MoreRelatedIslam Studies Jahiliyyah1539 Words   |  7 Pagesof Islam. The Jahiliyyah is a core and critical part of the foundations of Islam, that certain elements of the jahiliyyah were borrowed, adopted and developed; whilst other elements were discarded as Islam evolved. 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The first mosque in India was built in 629, it is called the Cheraman Juma Masjid. The mosque was made in the Indian state Kerala. Islam continued to spread into Indian cities, by immigration and conversion, as the Arab Muslims and the Indians continued trading. DIFFUSION Islamic diffusion in India happened through both Relocation and Expansion. India was first introduced to Islam in the 600’s when Arab traders regularlyRead MoreAisha Essay1413 Words   |  6 Pagesimpact of Aisha bint Abu Bakr on the development and expression of Islam. Aisha bint Abu Bakr was a leader, a woman, a wife, a theologian, a scholar and a political activist. She was precocious, loyal, brave and remarkably intelligent. These aspects of her humble life have allowed her to make a powerful impact on the development and expression of Islam that â€Å"no woman [has] reached†[1]. Not only did she influence the position of women in Islamic society, Islamic ethics, and the understanding and

Bullying in Todays Society Essay - 1252 Words

Bullying In Today#8217;s World. Approximately 12, 8-10 year old children commit suicide every year because they are victims of bullying. Whereas 1.3 million children a year bully others. What is bullying? As defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one who hurts or intimidates others. This assault may occur in two principle forms, verbal or physical. There are specific reasons why bullying happens and specific solutions that could help save as many as 12 lives a year. Bullying is generally cruel, malicious, or humiliating behavior towards an individual or even a group of various aged people. It is demeaning and can cause untold stress, anger and suffering to those on the receiving end, which in some cases can lead to†¦show more content†¦People who are being picked on or bullied, have to tell Bullying In Today#8217;s World. Approximately 12, 8-10 year old children commit suicide every year because they are victims of bullying. Whereas 1.3 million children a year bully others. What is bullying? As defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one who hurts or intimidates others. This assault may occur in two principle forms, verbal or physical. There are specific reasons why bullying happens and specific solutions that could help save as many as 12 lives a year. Bullying is generally cruel, malicious, or humiliating behavior towards an individual or even a group of various aged people. It is demeaning and can cause untold stress, anger and suffering to those on the receiving end, which in some cases can lead to suicide. Bullying may occur in both verbal and physical forms. Bullying that does not involve hitting and kicking can be just as damaging as actual full out fighting. Some of the ways verbal bullying occurs are by, name calling, making fun of someone because they are different for example, handicapped or down syndrome children are often tormented because their appearance is unlike that of most of society. 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The Counter Argument, Ballenger Kneese Say It Best

To the counter-argument, Ballenger Kneese say it best: â€Å"Of what value is there to a community of having most of its classrooms unused for fully 25% of the possible school days each year, when America s students need more, rather than less, education?† As it stands, concerns concerning loss of learning over the extended summer break remain prevalent. Changing to a year-long school schedule would close that learning gap, allowing students higher retention. However, as Gabrieli states in Koonce (2015), even schools that add â€Å"25 percent more time each year – or the equivalent of three extra years of school for students† (p. 236) can achieve this increase merely by extending the school day with no adjustment in summer breaks. Expanded hours and days â€Å"can ensure at risk students keep up academically; develop attachment to school through such activities as sports, arts, and drama; and develop the beliefs and behaviors consistent with success† (p.2 36). The proponents of expanded learning time (ELT) may attest that â€Å"the greatest opportunity that expanded learning time offers for improving academic achievement comes from being able to better individualize instruction—putting the right teachers with the right students and focusing on the right skills† (Koonce, 2015). ELT allows students to learn that â€Å"through hard work, they can excel through the odds, but that [success] requires time† (Koonce, 2015). Supporters of expanded learning time argue that there is a sizeable benefit fromShow MoreRelatedShould School Days Be Lengthened?759 Words   |  4 Pagesnavigating home through heightened danger due to the darkness. â€Å"He commutes an hour each way on public transportation [and has to] worry more about...going home than what [he is] actually...doing in school† (Neufeld, 2014). To the counter-argument, Ballenger Kneese say it best: â€Å"Of what value is there to a community of having most of its classrooms unused for fully 25% of the possible school days each year, when America s students need more, rather than less, education?† As it stands, there are already

Describe the Causes of War and Conflict free essay sample

War and Conflict P1- Describe the causes of war and conflict. In this essay I will be giving the definition of war and conflict and I will be describing the causes of war and giving examples of wars that have happened because of the conflicts that I will be mentioning in my essay. The causes of war I will be looking at will be; Politics, Nationalism, Ideology, Land, resources, historical rivalry, ethnic conflict and religion. These are the main causes of war. War is a conflict carried out by force of arms, between nations, states or between parties within a nation which can be on land, sea or in the air, always caused by something. It’s a clash of interests which results in violent armed struggles and can affect thousands of people. War and conflict have two different types of conflicts. They are low and high intensity. A low intensity conflict is a conflict lasting for more than five years and has a low casualty rate. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe the Causes of War and Conflict or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Low intensity wars were, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and Vietnam. A high intensity conflict is weapons of mass destruction and only lasting for a short period of time (less than five years) with a high mass of casualties. Religion and ethnic differences can cause wars and conflicts. This is because there are lots of different religions in the world which have different rules, regulations and views for doing things. Also different religions obey different Gods. For example if you are Christian you pray to god and obey his rules from the bible. Religion results in conflicts between different religions, because of their views in society. This is because they don’t agree with other people’s views. A war that has been caused by religion was The Crusades, this was a war caused by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem. The main causes of war and conflict are land and resources . These are the most common causes because there is so much land and because the different parties involved want their own territory and often want the areas with the most expensive resources on the land they are fighting for. We also go to war and have conflicts between different countries because of a shortage of resources in one country and that country wanting to win over the land to win the resources with the result of winning the land and resources helping the country financially. For example in Afghanistan we are fighting for territorial purposes to protect the oil that passes near Afghanistan. This is a war that is both because of land and resources. Politics is one of the causes of war. This is usually because governments can’t agree with each other and some political parties have very extreme views and don’t want to agree with anything that other governments say. For example Northern Ireland didn’t want to be part of the United Kingdom so they went to war with the other part of Ireland to have their own government. Nationalism is the belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, groups of people are bound together by territory. This is because they don’t want anyone else telling them what to do and they are fine doing it themselves. Also it stops them needing to give them something back and sharing the land for example. A war that has been caused by nationalism was the Second World War; Nationalism was used by their leaders to generate public support in Germany. The cold war between Russia and American is another example of Nationalism. Ideology is a set of ideas about how thing should be carried out or organised. For example a political ideology is a set of ideas about politics. This can cause wars because some people might not agree with the ideas of getting something organised. This is because it could make things more expensive or the Government could put up the price of oil making countries go to war because they want to be the sellers of the oil. The roots of the Cold War are the ideological struggle between the Soviet Union and the West that began after the Bolsheviks seized power in 1917. Historical rivalry is a cause that will never go away. This is because some countries never want to sort their difference out. Historical rivalry is a rivalry between counties that have had problems in the past. For example England and Scotland, have always had their differences. The differences started when there were two kingdoms; The Scottish Kingdom and the Anglo-Saxon kingdom. This caused several wars between the two countries because of their disagreements. I think that there is always more than one cause of war this is because countries wouldn’t just go to war because of land they would go because there is also oil and natural resources that could be very useful.

Canadian Family Enetering 21st Essay Example For Students

Canadian Family Enetering 21st Essay Like everything else, family has an infinite number of definitions. One definition of family is any group of people united by marriage, blood or adoption, constituting a single household, interacting and communicating with each other, and creating and maintaining a common culture (Hales 14). Many contemporary sociologists have expanded this definition to include people whom or may not be related and those who for of their lives live together, satisfying their emotional needs and relating to each other to fulfill wants and desires. Regardless of the definitions, everyone has his or her own idea of what a family is. Some feel that family life is not what it used to be and have a very negative view on the subject. Others more optimistic argue that families are not dying but are being reborn in new forms and styles. Society is ever changing therefore, so is the family institution. The old Leave it to Beaver view on family life is being quickly overtaken with a new millennium, where there is no set standard norm. Although the causes and effects of the breakdown of the Canadian family unit in the 21st century are numerous, there are many ways in which families are developing and adapting for the future. The family is considered the most basic social institution. Often the significance of problems that occur within family is underestimated. Families are being increasingly jeopardized by a number of social issues. In 1991, approximately one-quarter of Canadian households consisted of only one person (Hagedorn 396). Although over the past twenty-five years the number of marriages has decreased significantly. Most people in Canada marry at least once in their lifetime. Most marriages are characterized by homogamy and by inequality in domestic labor and marital power (Hagedorn 396). Therefore, many people are turning to divorce or common law relationships as an alternative. Divorce can be an extremely traumatic experience for anyone, especially for a young child. In a telephone interview, Zachary Yung age eight, he stated I dont know why my parents dont live together, I think they dont love each other anymore, I am afraid they dont love me as much too. For most children, divorce means an end to a family they have grown to know, love and become accustomed to. For many children, the concept of divorce is hard to grasp, and like any substantial change, requires a large adjustment period. Children whose parents who get divorced may grow up having difficulties committing or trusting partners. Eventually, however, most children overcome these deficiencies and go on to be successful in future relationships. Reports of domestic violence have increased significantly in the past twenty years, partially due to the fact there is a great public outcry towards men who beat their wives and children. A shocking 68 percent of assaults on mothers are witnessed by children (Leighton 132). Canadians like to imagine the family as a refuge from the stresses and strains of the outside world. While this is true, there is another reality. The family is both the most loving and supportive of human groups and also by far the most violent group or institution. (The Vanier Institute of the Family 131)Womens liberation has also played a key role in the breakdown of Canadian families. Womens increase in education and movement into the work force, often creates neglect in homes as a result of their need to seek personal satisfaction. This by no means is implying that women are the soul cause of family breakups. Family policy alone cannot solve the problems of economic injustice (Conway 209). The effects of unemployment are enormous, and pose a huge burden on the well being of families in todays society. This forces a significant number of Canadian families to live below the poverty level. According to the Vanier Institute of Family, in 1987 An estimated 61.9 percent of those families are single females, struggling to support one or more children and the numbers are lowly escalating. Increasing numbers of Canadians are turning to social assistance for help. Which is a burden, not only on families, but the Canadian society in general. .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b , .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .postImageUrl , .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b , .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:hover , .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:visited , .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:active { border:0!important; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:active , .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u315b9ca9c2cfd90d7bc8a33e8238715b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Multilple Personality Disorders EssayIt is becoming more and more difficult to support a family on the average salary of a Canadian male or female. Dual income households now constitute the large majority of families. The responsibilities and obligations of parents often conflict with their productive roles in the work force. Children frequently face feelings of neglect when parents are overly involved in their careers. In a face to face interview with Arron Tso, age six, he stated I play by myself. No one is home but Chun Yi and she is too old to play with. The natural environment, current political, religious and social conditions have forced families to be in a constant state of adoption throughout history. Families have always altered their size, structure and patterns of functioning in response to confronting situations. Increased rates of change, along with an increased variety in families are two general factors, which contribute to the ways in which families are changing and adapting today. Less than a life time ago, the majority of Canadians families were composed of two adults, only one of whom was employed, who lived in a permanent union and produced three to five children, Families who varied from this model were rare and thus the exception. In the new millennium exceptions seem to make up the general rule. Today, single parent families, interracial families and families of divorce are becoming more and more common. The trend has also turned to teen pregnancy. This does not mean that families are getting smaller rather their size is increasing due to such groups as stepfamilies, adoptive families and foster families, who although they are not related, share common bond. Adoption and foster families are also becoming part of the social norm. Adoption is a permanent placement of a child in a family, whereas foster care is temporary. Children are placed in foster care because of problems that do not allow them to stay with their own families. Many families are adopting more hard-to-place children instead of only newborns. Older children and both physically and mentally disabled children are being incorporated into todays families much more easily than ever before because of awareness and tolerance. Homosexuality as a sexual preference has become much more prominent in present society. Much prejudice and hatred (caused by ignorance), which was directed toward people who chose to live a homosexual, has significantly subsided. Homosexuality has made substantial progress in its attempts at being accepted by society. A large number of homosexual couples are participating in the adoption process or looking into the prospect of surrogate motherhood. Homosexual couples, although they are not the norm, are making efforts to form families and support the family unit. With more than six million families in Canada, including married couples with or without children, lone parents, people cohabiting, as well as remarried couples, it is virtually impossible to describe family simply in terms of membership and structure. Instead many researchers prefer to focus on what families do. No culture has ever survived without a family structure and it is inconceivable that a man in the future could function without family (Barbeau 77). Family should be defined on the basis of relationships of dependency, trust and familiarity. In a world where everything is changing so rapidly and most people are in a constant state of confusion, it would be nice to have some sense of continuity. Regardless of the challenges that the Canadian family faces in the future, families will still remain the foundation of society. Family is one of the deepest and most abiding human need and it should not be taken for granted.