Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education

Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education Linda Harrison Imagine for a minute your most valuable possession. Think about a stranger coming up to you and saying, â€Å"I’ll take care of your valuable possession for you every day. I’ll take good care of it, but I might change it a little because I’d like to have my own relationship with it. You can pick it up from me at the end of each day, but you’ll need to bring it back to me again every morning. (Keyser 139) Janis Keyser is a published author that cares about parent-teacher partnerships and her works have been adopted by the National Association for the Education of Young children (NAEYC). Her writings are about the success of the whole family in their homes and child care when the family is actively involved in their child’s education. Her quote is meaningful when you replace the words â€Å"valuable possession† with â€Å"child.† Would her words make you want to get to know that person first? Would you think it was important to spend time in conversation with the person caring for your child? Of course you would. Parents want to know the person responsible for their child in their absence. Communication becomes paramount in this situation. Parents and teachers need to develop a good relationship with open lines of communication. Teachers want you as a partner in your child’s education. When you don’t talk about school or to the teacher your child hear s a message. That message says school isn’t important. The child may reason he or she isn’t important either. Families know about their children and teachers know about education. This knowledge needs to be shared to promote your child’s success. Any connection between family and school is good. Family involvement is a term used to describe the family’s participation in their child’s school. Participation includes spending time at the school or a function, being active, and doing it with a smile. The school’s self-interests and ideas are supported through involvement. If the teacher would ask for someone to bring in sea shells for beach week, the parent is only in control of whether or not they will be able to complete the task. Family engagement is better as it is the family as co-contributor rather than merely a client. The family’s ideas and self-interests interconnect with the school’s interests when they are actively engaged. Eric’s family went camping and his mother and teacher were talking about how much Eric enjoyed it. Eric’s m other offered to bring in tents and other camping items if the teacher chose to do a study on camping. The idea and interest came from the family. Eric’s mother came and participated in telling stories to the children about camping. Children learn that school matters by seeing their family actively engaged. When everyone’s interests in the child’s education are supported and encouraged the teacher is better equipped to individualize the child’s learning, the family is comfortable to approach the teacher, and the child gains confidence. The family and child are also able to build trust within this new relationship. Engaged families allows for flexibility through the sharing of ideas and information to achieve beneficial outcomes. Children learn that school matters by seeing their family actively engaged. It is crucial that families and teachers develop trust and reciprocal relationships to enhance the partnership. That relationship is as important as the t eacher-child relationship. Teachers must have relationships with children that include trust and attachment. Education theorist, Erik Erikson said the first human emotional milestone is the infant’s trust and attachment to a caregiver. His theory states â€Å"this stage sets the life-long expectation that the world is a good place to live† (qtd. in Santrock 25). This allows them to take chances and risks in learning. Without trust they experience doubt and won’t take initiative and may feel anxious. The children need to make connections in order to develop independence. When they have a strong trusting relationship with adults it promotes cognitive, literacy, social and emotional developments. You are your child’s first teacher and first experience in trust. When your child observes you and their teacher having a conversation it sends messages to your child. This message is that their family is valued and appreciated. Another message may be that your child is important to both parties. That happens when your child realizes the conversations are about more than problems your child may be having. Children enjoy feeling pride in their families and that has an influence on their self-esteem. When the family and the child are feeling confident it improves morale, energy and positive thinking among all involved. That will promote an enhanced learning environment for the child whether it is in a classroom or home environment. The Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE), a Harvard Family Research Project reported that children spend, â€Å"20 percent of their waking time annually in formal classroom education, leaving 80 percent of their time to explore and enhance their learning interests in non-school settings. (Lopez) Since the family is the child’s first teacher, the home is the child’s first learning environment. The family’s success is not about the clothes they wear, where they live or where they work. It is how they care for and nurture each other. Family interactions at home are learning opportunities. When conversations take place children learn new vocabulary and literacy development is supported through reading together. Children’s social and emotional development is promoted watching family members in social settings. They see how people deal with happy, sad, and angry moments. They watch problem solving when something isn’t going as planned. Their li teracy development gains through familiar labeling in the home and regularly visited places. In a grocery store they see familiar brands on items. Children enjoy games about naming the color of the item, finding the letters in the name of the item, and counting how many items Mother needs to buy. At home while putting the groceries away the child learns responsibility while helping. Your child enjoys having conversations with you. Asking what happens if the ice cream isn’t put in the correct place supports your child’s critical thinking while they may be having fun talking about melted ice cream. There are many learning opportunities in the home environment that you do every day without being aware you are teaching. I always talk to my daughter. When we go on a walk or to the store or on the bus, we are continually talking. We talk about what we see, we ask questions, and we tell stories. When her teacher saw us one day having a conversation in the garden at school, she told me that I was helping my daughter learn a wonderful vocabulary, which would help her learn to read. I felt so proud that I was helping my child learn. I thought only teachers did that. (Keyser 7) These interactions are paramount to the child’s development. â€Å"Almost any activity – reading or play – does more to develop their minds, imagination, physical coordination, confidence and character than sitting in front of the tube.† (Griggs 1) At home activities help promote school readiness. Children are learning more at earlier ages than in previous years. It may be due to both parents working and there are multiple early childhood programs in every city. Children entering kindergarten are expected to know their letters, how to use a pencil, count with an awareness of its meaning, and how to take turns. They need to know colors, write their name, and recognize some words. Children from homes where families actively engaged in literacy activities like daily reading together were above average in being ready for kindergarten. (Bower 1) There are families that expect early childhood programs to be responsible for the child learning these skills without the family doing anything at home to support the skill development. Today’s working parents feel overwhelmed with the time restraints. It’s not about the time it’s about â€Å"singing songs, reading books, and telling stories are important parent– child activities that support learning when children are young† (Lopez). These activities can be done anywhere and anytime the family is together. The National Institute for Early Education Research reported it is important to note that progress can be seen where a partnership between school and home will reinforce the learning and further the child’s development. The National Institute for Early Education Research also reported that discussing changes in a child’s readiness skills can open a dialogue about the child’s strengths and concerns of the teacher or family. (Snow 1) The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) published this article by Snow on the research findings and is a dedicated group that supports teachers and anyone interested through communication of information in early childhood development and education. It is a great source of information and knowledge and can be found at www.naeyc.com. Communication is the usual one-way means of delivering information. Conversation, on the other hand, is a two-way exchange of information and much more apt to lead to a successful relationship between the family and the teacher. Is your child’s caregiver the previously mentioned stranger or your partner in your child’s education development? Teachers are well aware that many families have time restraints and must hurry off to deal with their daily responsibilities. Families feel â€Å"no news is good news† as the saying goes about teachers informing them about the child’s day. The families feel that the teacher would certainly approach them if something important needed to be communicated. (Drugli 7) Sammie’s family didn’t think it was important to tell the teacher during drop off about the death of Sammie’s fish. That would have been important knowledge for the teacher when Sammie suddenly broke down in tears because â€Å"My mommy f lushed â€Å"Goldie† in the toilet at home.† That was a lost opportunity of a conversation between partners. It also would have prepared the teacher for the emotions and following conversation with Sammie. To adults this would seem inconsequential but a very important impact on Sammie’s emotional development. What message did she get from the family not taking time to discuss the incident? Sammie had to depend on her teacher for warmth and comfort. Children need to feel safety and security in every environment. It is important for teachers to understand the family structure of each child. Each family is different and cultures need to be respected. The dynamics of each family make it important how the teacher addresses family members. There may not be a father or mother. There are new practices in creating families. There are extended and blended families. There are multiple homes that a child may be living in. Urie Bronfenbrenner, childhood theorist, says children’s development is affected by all the different systems they are part of and how those systems interact with each other. (Keyser 1) Children observe the adults interactions and learn from them. During drop off when the adults greet each other the child learns who is welcome at the school. The child sees mutual respect shown and that is comforting to a child. It is important for them to observe conversations and see the body language connected with it. This is a way they learn social interactions. Children are learning all the time everywhere they are. Children are very perceptive and need help learning about social interactions. Parent-teacher relationships and partnerships are important but need to be developed with the children in mind. If one child’s parents aren’t able to come into the classroom to participate in activities the child may feel left out or unimportant. We should always approach ideas and activities considering the child’s perspective and feelings. Parents’ feelings are important too. Recently a parent confided in me that she is overwhelmed with work, home, and raising two children as a single parent. Her children are well cared for, clean, and always smiling. The children are a little behind in some of the areas of development. Teachers are educated about the domains or areas of development and are able to help support the child’s successful development. Teachers are caregivers that include education and developmental support. While talking with this parent I learned she felt inadequate and not good enough to engage in conversation with teachers or other parents. I assured her that all parents have doubts but they have children in common and they may find even more support and friendships along the way. Parents are as important to teachers as they are to their children. I invite you to share an example of what you think family engagement in anywhere, anytime learning looks like. Let’s start a list of no or low cost activities families can do together. One idea may lead to another! Reflection Works Cited Bower, Carolyn. Early Childhood Education Increases Participation and Attention, Teachers Say Study of Kindergartners Shows That Parental Involvement is Vital To Readiness for SchoolSt. Louis Post-Dispatch[St. Louis, MO] 04 Nov. 1999: B,1:2. Print. Drugli, May Britt Undheim, AnneMari. Partnership between Parents and Caregivers of Young Children in Full-time Daycare.Child Care in Practice18.1 (2012): 51-65. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. Grigg, France. â€Å"Teachers Ask Parents to Be Partners in Learning.† Cincinnati Post 9 September 1996, 8A. Web. 28 July 2014. Keyser, Janis. From Parents to Partners: Building a Family-Centered Early Childhood Program. St. Paul: Redleaf Press, 2006. Print. Lopez, M. Elena, Caspe, Margaret. â€Å"Family Engagement in Anywhere, Anytime Learning.†Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) Newsletter, 6(3). 2014. Web. 3 August 2014. Santrock, John. Children. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 5-49. Print. Snow, Kyle Ph.D. Research News You Can Use: Family Engagement and Early Childhood Education.NAEYC. Web. 22 July, 2014

Distinguishing the Arts and Crafts in Books

Distinguishing the Arts and Crafts in Books OVERVIEW OF THE TOPIC This dissertation examines the craft of the book and its distinction between Art and Craft. Is it considered an art form†¦ a fine art if you will, or simply a traditional craft? The intended, original purpose of the book, was to be used as a means of recording information, but soon developed to become a piece of literature used for education or to contain novels of drama, fantasy, crime and other assorted genres, eventually developing further into aesthetically pleasing objects of art. In this digital era our daily lives have become disengaged from touch and so the craft of the book is taken for granted, with no thought taken into how books are made, whether it is by means of machine or by hand. REASONS FOR INVESTIGATION The tactile nature and this production method of books†¦ the traditional handmade method to be more precise is what drew me to this subject. I myself am an obsessive bookbinder, producing handcrafted books on a daily basis; there is a concrete sense of satisfaction felt in transforming sheets of paper or other media into a book. I am fascinated with this traditional craft and the aesthetic qualities the book possess, with the use of fine quality materials used and the traditional techniques and methods. However, more recently, there are now other uses for the traditionally bound book, one being the function as an artists medium, an art object known today as Artists Books. Having just recently discovered this art form, I feel more investigation is needed to distinguish what sets it apart from the traditionally crafted book. Is this genre of book art considered an art or craft? KEY AIMS AND OBJECTIVES There will be a number of key aims and objectives to this exploration of the craft of the book. However the primary objective of this study will be to determine the art and craft aspects of this handmade production of books, determining their distinctions. William Morris, a well-known figure in the Arts Crafts movement, will be a vital key thinker in studying the traditional craft aspect of the book. Morris, going back to the traditional methods of the 15th century, produces books â€Å"†¦with the hope of producing some which would have a definite claim to beauty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [1] At the other end of the scale, Johanna Drucker, a scholarly writer in the book arts, will be a vital key thinker in exploring the art aspect of the book, more specifically the subject of Artists Books. Her book, The Century of Artists Books explores the Artists Book and its development in form and concept. She comments that Artists Books â€Å"†¦did not exist in their current form before the 20th century†.[2] That being the case, there is a possible transformation of the book from a traditional craft, to an expressive art form, which will be explored in the coming chapters, along with further exploration to discover the of moment of liberation for the book designer and the Artists Book. STRUCTURE The first chapter examines the historical significance of the book and its perceived appearance as a work of art. It will begin by reviewing the history of the book as a container of information, as a means of recording the past, touching on the various methods, techniques and technologies that were paramount in the craft of book production. Key thinkers involved will be Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin, in particular their highly credited book, The Coming of the Book. Along with other key thinkers in this field of study, they will assist in examining the development of the book and print culture, exploring the historical importance and emergence of the codex book that we are familiar with today. The first chapter will also consider the work of William Morris, a leader in the Arts Crafts Movement, and his interest in the craft of the book and the traditional methods of book production he used. Morriss greatest achievement, the influential Kelmscott Press, will set the scene to explore the growth of the private press of the twentieth century. Does the private press of today meet the standards of early traditional book production? Can the handmade qualities of the private press be compared to the machine made? As David Pye comments on his theories in workmanship, the effects of the finish and the aspects of the handmade, â€Å"Some materials promise far more than others but only the workman can bring out what they promise†.[3] The second chapter however, will be concerned with the book in relation to art, or to be more specific†¦ the Artists Book. Here the referencing of Johanna Drucker, a key thinker and scholarly writer on the subject, will be useful as it will introduce the early forms of the Artists Book, focusing more on the development of the book as an object of art. As well as a select few artists that were paramount in the development of the Artists Book, the work of William Blake, Ed Ruscha and Dieter Roth will be explored along with the relationship between text and image, artist and author. The third and final chapter offers a study of Fine Bindings being produced today, focusing on the work of Shepherds Bookbinders of London as great examples of contemporary bindings. The books in particular are a set of hand crafted, limited edition Ian Fleming novels†¦ the James Bond series to be more precise. They are of high quality craftsmanship, although with aesthetic qualities that would consider them to be works of art. Compared to their paperback counterparts, the study of these books will aid in understanding whether the handcrafted books of today are considered art or craft. The study will review numerous definitions of art and craft, which I shall discuss in the conclusion. Will a definitive distinction between art and craft be achieved? Will the craft of the book fit into either one of these categories, or even its own category yet to be named? The answers to these questions and more will be discovered in the coming chapters of this investigation. Sources [1] Ruari McLean, Modern Book Design: from William Morris to the present day, Faber Faber, London, 1958, p.11 [2] Johanna Drucker, The Century of Artists Books, Granary Books, New York, 2004, p.1 [3] David Pye, The Nature Art of Workmanship, University Press, Cambridge, 1968, p.2

Andrew Jacksons Campaign to Destroy the Bank of the United States Essa

When Andrew Jackson decided to make his veto message regarding the Bank of The United States on July 10, 1832 one thing was on his mind: killing the Bank of The United States forever! This one event was the fuel Jackson used for his reconstruction of the U.S. It all started to unravel during his election of 1828. Several different "sects" within the different states were teaming up with one another to form a coalition of discontent for the President and his reconstruction. Like Thomas Jefferson before him, Andrew Jackson was a tried-and-true defender of American freedom committed to nothing so much as breaking the knot of political corruption and restoring integrity to republican institutions. With the shattering and affirming dimensions of presidential action so well coordinated in his initial claim to legitimacy, Jackson's invoking of original understandings bore the makings of an entirely new government and politics. This dependent authority to disclaim would prove to be Jackson's most remarkable leadership resource. Yet, Jackson did not simply repeat Jefferson's performance, the essential elements of their shared leadership posture being reshaped by the worldly changes that intervened between their presidencies. Jackson's early course of action suggests that he would have liked nothing more than to have led in the expansive manner of Jefferson. Reasons for this difference between these two reconstructions are not difficult to separate since both witnessed dramatic changes in both state and society. It is here-with an acknowledging authority bearing down on a more forceful set of institutions and a more complicated policy- that the two faces of Andrew Jackson merge into one. In this final analysis there is no c... ...ress, the Court, the cabinet, the states, the party, and the electorate. The executive officer gained political foundations positively more independent than it had enjoyed before, and a new regime of governmental commitments and political priorities held convinced. In the process of moving behind his campaign to destroy the bank, Congress had begun to see for itself the special attractions of the new system. Democrats now criticized the President's efforts to control the state banks through national regulation as identical to the imposition of a new national bank. In effect then, Jackson had merely substituted one irresponsible and uncontrollable financial system for another. Jackson left office just as the new order was taking on a political life of its own. It was left to his successor to brush aside his failed experiment while affirming his basic course.

Othello and Iago ? Two of a kind? Essay -- essays research papers

When reading Shakespeare's â€Å"Othello the Moor of Venice†, the two main hero's seem to be very different, both in character and actions. Othello seems to be an honest man who believes other people. He is respected by society for his nobility and bravery. Iago is a villain, plotting around not only against Othello. Othello demotes him to a lower status, and despite beeing a trained soldier, Iago is quite a coward when it comes to confronting an enemy with a sword. Although these two figures seem so different, they are [much more] alike, in more than one way. They both share the army way of life, and they tend to curse and use harsh language when upset. They both betray the people they are close to. Othello and Iago are suspicious towards their wives, threaten them and eventually murder the innocent women.[In this essay we will see that] [D]despite their differences, Othello and Iago are two soul mates, that one way or another let their inner darkness out [and][TO] rule their actions. One way in which these two characters differ is in their character. From the beginning of the play, Othello lets Iago get close to him despite the fact that Iago is expected to be jealous of Cassio. This trust develops throughout the play. "O, thou art wise; 'tis certain" (IV, i, 72), Othello says to the villain, completely blinded by his lies. Iago, as can be seen from act one, made up his mind to ruin Othello. "I follow him to serve my turn upon him" (I, i, 42), he tells Roderigo, as he describes the plot against Othello. Another difference is in the way they are viewed by others.Othello is so respected for his services[,] that he doesn't fear any complaints from Barbantio. [HE PROUDLY STATES,] "My services which I have done the signiory Shall out-tongue his complaints" (I, ii, 19). When the senate needs someone to do the job, they ask for Othello "DUKE: Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you Against the general enemy Ottoman" (I, iii, 48). Iago was demoted by Othello, who chose Cassio to be his officer instead of him. Iago is of lower class, and his wife is a servant of Desdemona. The final major difference between their characters is bravery. Othello, on one hand, is brave. He is c... ...h, thou liest!† (V, ii, 233). Iago then stabs Emilia, and runs out. These two characters consistently degrade their wives, threaten them, and eventually murder them. As Shakespeare shows us, Othello and Iago are different in some ways.Othello, in the beginning, is a respected and brave fellow, who is naà ¯ve enough to fall for the scheme of a coward and an upset villain. However, as the plot evolves, the audience discovers the real Othello. Not only is he a rough army man like Iago, but he uses the same language, and doesn't hesitate to betray a fellow officer and plot to kill him, as Iago does to his friend. The audience can further see that Othello's attitude towards Desdemona turns out to be suspicious and degrading, just like his villain companion's attitude towards Emilia. Othello's dark personality gives only one conclusion, to what he thinks to be the infidelity of his wife: Murder. As a second half, Iago inevitably murders his wife too.Are they two of a kind? Although Shakespeare separates them to a hero and a villain, the audience can clearly see two characters[,] whose actions, personality, and state of mind, lead them to the same outcome.

Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu Essay

John Locke- 1. John Locke was one of the greatest philosophers in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century. Locke grew up and lived through one of the most extraordinary centuries of English political and intellectual history. The collapse of the Protectorate after the death of Cromwell was followed by the Restoration of Charles II — the return of the monarchy, the House of Lords and the Anglican Church. 2. Born 1632, died 1704. Locke’s chief work while living at Lord Ashley’s residence, Exeter House, in 1668 was his work as secretary of the Board of Trade and Plantations and Secretary to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas. 3. John Locke is known for the â€Å"Two Treatises of Government. † 4. One quote from John Locke is â€Å"To prejudge other men’s notions before we have looked into them is not to show their darkness but to put out our own eyes. † 5. During the remaining years of his life Locke oversaw four more editions of the Essay and engaged in controversies over the Essay most notably in a series of published letters with Edward Stilling fleet, Bishop of Worcester. In a similar way, Locke defended the Letter Concerning Toleration against a series of attacks. He wrote The Reasonableness of Christianity and Some Thoughts on Education during this period as well. Citation 1: Uzgalis, William, â€Å"John Locke†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), URL = . Citation 2 (quote): John Locke. BrainyQuote. com, Xplore Inc, 2011. http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/quotes/j/johnlocke143294. html, accessed October 28, 2011. Baron De Montesquieu- 1. He was educated at the Oratorian College de Juilly, received a law degree from the University of Bordeaux in 1708, and went to Paris to continue his legal studies. On the death of his father in 1713 he returned to La Brede to manage the estates he inherited, and in 1715 he married Jeanne de Lartigue, a practicing Protestant, with whom he had a son and two daughters. In 1716 he inherited from his uncle the title Baron de La Brede et de Montesquieu and the office of President a Mortier in the Parlement of Bordeaux, which was at the time chiefly a judicial and administrative body. For the next eleven years he presided over the Tournelle, the Parlement’s criminal division, in which capacity he heard legal proceedings, supervised prisons, and administered various punishments including torture. 2. He was born January 19, 1689 and died in 1755 of fever. He lived in Paris for a period of time. 3. Montesquieu’s two most important works are the Persian Letters and The Spirit of the Laws. 4. One quote from Montesquieu is â€Å"A nation may lose its liberties in a day and not miss them in a century. † 5. On his return to France in 1731, troubled by failing eyesight, Montesquieu returned to La Brede and began work on his masterpiece, The Spirit of the Laws. During this time he also wrote Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and of their Decline, which he published anonymously in 1734. In this book he tried to work out the application of his views to the particular case of Rome, and in so doing to discourage the use of Rome as a model for contemporary governments Citation 1: Bok, Hilary, â€Å"Baron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), URL = . Citation 2: Baron de Montesquieu. BrainyQuote. com, Xplore Inc, 2011. http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/authors/b/baron_de_montesquieu. html, accessed October 28, 2011.

Analysis of Andre’s Mother by Terrence McNally Essay

The play, Andre’s Mother, by Terrence McNally is a story about accepting death and is based in a story about a young man who died before telling his mother that he was gay; leaving the man’s partner to break the news and to inform the mother about how much he missed seeing her and his fear of being rejected by her, in the time before his death. The theme of this story is to live life everyday with no regrets. Throughout the symbols and references you begin to understand the life of Andre. The white balloon represents letting go and leaving a young man in peace. The silence of his mother shows that she never accepted his sexual preference. While Hamlet references the struggles of his everyday life. The white balloon in the play Andre’s Mother is a symbol of Andre’s soul. Cal speaks about the white balloons saying, â€Å"They represent the soul. When you let go, it means you’re letting his soul ascend to Heaven, that you’re willing to let go. Breaking the last earthly ties†(McNally 737). Andre is saying that the white balloons are Andre’s soul and that when you release them, you’re willing to let go of all the wrong and let him rest in peace. Penny, Cal’s sister, and Arthur, Cal’s dad let go of the balloon without hesitation. After releasing their balloons Cal reluctantly admits, â€Å"I’m not ready yet†(McNally 737). This is because Cal still couldn’t let go and still had regrets. The balloon being white represents purity. Letting go of the white balloon meant that after all that was said, Andre was now clear and pure again. I believe that white balloon represented letting go of Andre and letting his soul rest in peace with no regrets and nothing left unsaid. Andre’s mother’s silence throughout the play proved to us she did not accept her son’s homosexuality. Cal tells Andre’s mother how much Andre missed her and longed for her acceptance. He gets finished with his rant and still no response from Andre’s mother. Cal gets mad and replies, â€Å"It’s bullshit. It’s all bullshit. [Still No response]† Her silence shows that she is not accepting of Andre’s sexual preference. At the end of the play Andre’s mom with her own conflicts releases the balloon. The play write quotes, â€Å"He goes, Andre’s mother stands alone holding her white balloon. Her lips tremble. She looks on the verge of breaking down. She looks at it awhile before she gently kisses it and lets go of the balloon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I believe at that point that Andre’s mother forgave her son and was willing to wipe the slate clean by releasing the white balloon and letting Andre’s soul rest in peace. Andre’s mother’s silence throughout the play shows that she never accepted her son’s sexuality. Even though she wasn’t accepting she let her son rest in peace and let his soul ascend to heaven. Andre’s love of theater and the play Hamlet gave us an insight to his life. At the beginning of the play Cal expresses Andre’s love of theatre. Cal expresses, â€Å"God, how much he wanted to play Hamlet again. He would have gone to Timbuktu to have another go at that part. The summer he did in Boston, he was so happy! †(McNally 736). This reference to Hamlet, I believe showcases the struggles Andre went through. Andre struggled with decision-making and avoiding things, as did Hamlet. Hamlet struggled whether to avenge his father and struggled with the decision that he had been avoiding. This is also apparent when Cal brings up Andre’s great performance saying, â€Å"You should have come up the summer he plated Hamlet. He was magnificent†(McNally 738). I believe the Hamlet reference was to showcase Andre and his internal struggles. McNally uses strong a strong sense of symbolism throughout the story. First by holding a white balloon, the characters were holing a representation of Andre’s life and the memories that they each had of him. By releasing the balloon, they were letting go of the sadness of his death and for some, the secret he’d been keeping from his family. This also represented the crossing over of Andre. In the story, Andre was afraid of being rejected by his mother, whose silence throughout the play proves that she was incapable of offering acceptance to his homosexuality. With Andre’s love of the theater and specifically Hamlet, he is relating himself to one of the most recognized internal struggles of the theater world.

Chocolate Research Paper

WOMEN STUDIES ECO-FOOTPRINT PROJECT Topic – Cocoa Beans Production Process Chocolate is a key ingredient in many foods such as milk shakes, candy bars, cookies and cereals. It is ranked as one of the most favourite flavours in North America and Europe. Despite its popularity most people do not know the unique origin of this popular treat. Chocolate is a product that requires complex procedures to produce. The process involves harvesting cocoa, refining coca to cocoa beans, and shipping the cocoa beans to the manufacturing factory for cleaning, coaching and grinding.These cocoa beans will then be imported or exported to other countries and be transformed into different types of chocolate products. Cocoa beans grow in countries like Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Malaysia, but the highest cocoa producing country is Cote d'Ivoire. The production process of cocoa beans include: first, cocoa is harvested manually. The seed pods of cocoa are collecte d and the beans are selected and placed in piles. These cocoa beans are then ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for production.Cocoa grows in pods that sprout off the trunks and branches of cocoa trees. The pods have the shape and almost the size of football. The pods start out green and turn orange when they are ripe. When the pods are ripe they are harvested gently with machetes. Machines can damage the trees or the clusters of flowers and pods that grow on the trunk, so workers have to harvest the pods by hand, using short, hooked blades mounted on long poles to reach the highest fruit. The cocoa seeds then undergo a process of fermentation by placing them in large, shallow, heated trays or by covering them with large banana leaves.If the climate is right, they may be simply heated by the sun. Workers mostly women come along periodically and stir them up so that all of the beans come out equally fermented. This process may take up to five or eight days. After fermentation, t he cocoa seeds are dried before they can be scooped into sacks and shipped to chocolate manufacturers. Farmers simply spread the fermented seeds on trays and leave them in the sun to dry. The drying process usually takes about a week and results in seeds becoming reduced to about half of their original weight.During the production process, labor is not equally divided between men and women who work in the planation; this brings us to the issue of gender division. The gender divide that exists on the cocoa plantation is that most farm work is conducted by men, although most certainly there are tasks where women are very active, such as scooping the beans from the already opened husks, turning the beans during the fermentation and drying process, and sewing the jute sacs needed for the packaging of the dried beans. Women in the farms normally tend to the needs of the family.When female labor is hired during the harvesting time the wages given to them are not the same as those for men. Perhaps another reason why men are preferred is because of their assumed higher productivity rate compared to that of women. Due to different practices followed in individual regions, even within countries, the participation of women and their assigned tasks vary enormously. For instance, because of the popular method of sun drying cocoa beans in Ecuador, it is necessary to â€Å"clean† the beans. This job is mostly undertaken by women.This is not the case in Ghana or Brazil where sun drying is accomplished while protecting the beans from foreign matters and waste. It is interesting to note however that there is no specific pattern for the assignment of tasks to women, except during the harvest when the scooping of the beans from the opened pods is primarily performed by women in most cocoa producing countries. Given the great differences in the systems of production in producing countries it is difficult to find a common percentage that reflects the average participation of the female work force.It is worth mentioning that unlike the coffee agricultural sector, there are no associations or specific groups that house ‘women only’ involved in the cocoa sector at any level, although all associations and cooperatives are open to all who qualify. Due to fluctuation of cocoa prices in the world market, farmers have no long-term security, and in some situations, they do not have enough funds to support their farming business.Cocoa farmers are always faced with financial hardship; they are not able to provide for their families as they would want nor have enough funds to start up their own farming business because they only receive a fraction of the proceeds from the selling of the beans on the world market and there are many people in the trading chain. Cocoa farmers around the world face many challenges. It is estimated that about one-third of global cocoa crops are destroyed by pests and diseases every year. Many cocoa farmers have limited acc ess to the latest agricultural technologies or methods of cultivation and few of them ave business backgrounds to help them effectively market their products and manage their operations. Many of the farming communities live in poverty and are infected with diseases. Industry groups, governments and consumers worldwide have raised concerns about the use of pesticides and child labor on West African cocoa farms. An interview conducted by Christophe Koffi showed that one major problem that women in cocoa production encounter is the lack the of financial capability or backing due to the fact that most of these women find themselves in a male dominated occupation.It is very difficult for them to secure financial aid or loans to manage their farms. For instance, â€Å"Women cannot inherit or even create a cocoa plantation under our patriarch-dominated tradition,† said Vanie, criticising what she called a â€Å"backwards and misogynist† practice† (Koffi, 2008) because w e still live in a patriarchal dominated society where women do not have the right to own lands and properties. This paper further talks about the sustanability in the production process of cocoa.We will be looking at Lindt& Sprungli’s which is a family company and a major producer of chocolate and other cocoa products with a headquaters in Kilchberg, Switzerland. Lindt & Sprungli is one of the few chocolate makers that have complete control over every step of the production chain starting with the precise selection of the finest cocoa varieties from the best growing areas in the world right on through the careful and expert processing until ending with the elegant packaging.Lindt gets its cocoa beans mostly from Ghana and Central and South America. Lindt has been very conservative in the amount of energy its invests in the chocolate production process. Each existing and future facility and investment undergoes very detailed analysis to determine how much energy can be saved. Through better insulation and energy recovery, Lindt & Sprungli was able to cut down on energy consumption by more than 13% per ton produced between 2004 and 2010.The company intends to continue reducing the energy consumption rate per ton produced by an average over the coming years. According to the Lindt publication, The company’s efforts: since 1999, Lindt & Sprungli’s Swiss subsidiary, Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli (Schweiz) AG, has been an active member of the Lake Zurich Energy Model Group†¦The Swiss government and independent engineers have audited the progress and as a result, the Swiss subsidiary has been granted the official certificate. Kilchberg, 2012) Since 2007, Lindt & Sprungli under water conservation has been participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)†¦Since then, the measurements of water emissions and energy consumption have been largely based on the concept of the ‘Methodology Fossil Fuels’ set out in the CDP P rotocol†¦Waste water, Lindt & Sprungli continuously monitors and analyses the use of water and the output of wastewater in the production process and intends to further reduce the use of fresh water in this process, which, in turn will impact the output of wastewater (Kilchberg, 2012) The major people that benefit from cocoa production are mostly the big corporations. The corporations exploit cocoa farmers in the sense that they do not pay them the true worth of their labour. Women who work on the farms are underpaid and marginalized. There is also the issue of child labor where children of school going age are forced to work on the farms instead of going to school thereby denying them the right to education. The big corporations are not forth coming in releasing information as to how and where they get their cocoa beans from.Most of these African countries where these big corporations get their raw materials from do not have access to good roads, health care facilities, school s, electricity, and there is poverty in most of the communities. These big corporations buy the cocoa beans at a very cheap rate and then import them to the western society and the refined product is processed into different kinds of chocolates (e. g. chocolate drink, chocolate bars of different shapes and sizes and chocolate candies etc. ) which are sold consumers at exorbitant prices considering the price at which the cocoa beans are bought from the cocoa farmers. This explains how capitalism and big corporation exploit cheap labour. Almost everyone enjoys a bit of chocolate every now and again. But if you take a closer look at how cocoa is produced, it may well leave a bitter taste in your mouth.The conditions under which the cocoa farmers in many producer countries live and work are worrying: Despite the fact that cocoa is usually their main source of income, the families struggle to make a living from it. Child labour is not uncommon. As consumers we can work with NGOs to find means of helping the farmers to adapt to new systems of cocoa farming that result higher yields, under socially more acceptable and environmentally friendly conditions, to meet market demands and hence ensure a stable flow income. As a major part of the global cocoa industry which has remained inactive and invisible for so long, consumers of chocolate can demonstrate that they want slavery in the cocoa sector stamped out, and your pressure can highlight their lack of commitment and make them more accountable.Finally all cocoa products, including chocolate, run the risk of being tainted by child labour and slavery. To achieve a satisfactory standard of ethical production in chocolate consumers must help to ensure that companies commit to credible and sufficient actions against such things as use of child labour and the exploitation of cocoa farmers and not make false and unsustainable promises to consumers of being â€Å"slavery- free†. The consumers can liaise with government bodies and NGOs to negotiate fair prices for the purchase of cocoa products and this will in turn help the farmers to gain access to basic social amenities of life. Reference Page Archer, D. (2012).ADM’s commitment to sustainable cocoa. Milwaukee: Copyright 2012 Archer Daniels Midland Company . Clarkson, T. (1998). Anti-slavery. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from www. antislavery. org: http://www. antislavery. org/english/privacy_policy. aspx Kilchberg. (2012, April 22). The environment in the Production Process. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from www. Lindt. com: http://www. lindt. com/swf/eng/company/social-responsibility/lindts-sustainable-cocoa-supply-chain/ Koffi, C. (2008, November 7). Ivory Coast women defy taboos. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from iol News: http://www. iol. co. za/news/africa/ivory-coast-women-defy-taboos-1. 423405