Metamorphosis and the Yellow Wallpaper Essay Example for Free

Metamorphosis and the Yellow Wallpaper Essay Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper and Franz Kafkas Metamorphosis contain many similarities. They both have the common theme of the deterioration of the main characters life and mind, as well as the theme of the ostracism of outcasts in society. They also both deal with the main characters gaining a freedom through the demise of their previous lives. The woman in The Yellow Wallpaper is slowly deteriorating in mental state. When she first moves into the room in the old house, the wallpaper intrigues her. Its pattern entrances her and makes her wonder about its makeup. But slowly her obsession with the wallpaper grows, taking over all of her time. She starts to see the pattern moving, and imagines it to be a woman trapped behind the wallpaper. The total deterioration of her sanity is reached when she becomes the woman she imagined in the wallpaper and begins creeping around the room. Similar to the woman in Gilmans story, Gregor, in The Metamorphosis, watches as his life slowly deteriorates. He woke up one morning to find himself to have taken the shape of a bug. But early on he tried to continue in his normal activities; he focused on how he was going to make it to the train station so he did not miss his train, and how his employer would be upset with his absence from work. Then he begins to realize that he is a bug, and he cannot live his life the same way he used to. His sister begins to take care of him, and he loses touch with everything human that he used to know. His mother and father take away all of his furniture and other possessions. Gregors family come to the agreement that the bug must be eliminated, it was not

Concepts of Food and Gender Norms

Concepts of Food and Gender Norms Food and Society in a Global Context How does food play a role in shaping gender norms, gender roles, and a sense of masculinity and femininity? For us to determine the position food plays in shaping gendered norms and roles we must first understand that although food is universal its meaning differs culturally and socially. This essay will aim to explore the role of food in reinforcing gender stereotypes and inequality with a focus on meat. There has been increasing discussion on the negative effects of food on men and women, with an emphasis on how meat became a way of identifying a mans masculinity thereby expectations being held and men encouraged to go along with this constructed image which has led to an increase in body builders. Along with a womans femininity as something which a man shouldnt aspire to. Furthermore, well look at meat in a historical context which has ultimately been socially created through socialization and the media. Finally, well discuss how these inequalities have led to a womans role as the housewife who cooks and the man who goes to hunt and gather the food, which isnt always the case. The stone age man image that is associated with a manly man suggests men have always taken pleasure in eating meat and by taking away the meat a mans masculinity can be questioned (Walansky 2016). This suggests that the association of men and meat is a belief that has always had an accurate correlation, using the example of chimpanzees, the males hunt for the family because it is a dangerous activity (Walansky 2016). If the male dies, another provider can be found, if the woman dies hunting, the future of the family is in jeopardy (Walansky 2016). This is a prime example of the gender role assumption that women belong at home with the family. This idea is reinforced by Rothgerber (2013) who goes to assert that meat consumption by males is a mark of patriarchy due to the association of meat eating with manhood. We are beginning to see the historical mark meat has left when discussing males as powerful and strong. In the time of war, British soldiers were encouraged to eat meat and the military advertised that it gave them enough strength to defeat their opponents who opted for vegetable based diets (Rothgerber 2013). This shows how the meat versus vegetable diet debate formed early on and that the link with meat and masculinity is formed because its a reinforcement of male power and yields the regulation of female submission which is a reoccurring objective (Rothgerber 2013). Having discussed the historical ideals formed we also need to take into consideration how socialisation plays a part in reinforcing gender norms. Rothgerber (2013) upholds the idea that males are unware of the power meat has in influencing their ideas of masculinity and that through meat eating they imitate the gender ideologies they have grown up seeing which is meat eating as an essential part of being a manly man. Nash and Phillipov (2014) support this by strengthening the notion that food is a means of constructing individual identities which helps men consider what it means to be or act like a man. This is reinforced by men and women in the house hold along with meat eating fathers who provide the food and mothers who play their gendered assigned role which requires them to do the cooking thereby strengthening the gender division of labour (Sobal 2005). Shah (2010) questions whether gender socialisation alone has provoked the food we eat or if other factors play a part. For instance, evolution as an explanation for food patterns proposes that due to the link with men as hunters and needing meat to build muscle this rationalises gender driven eating (Shah 2010). This view is criticised with that of Wiseman (2010) who explains that although men pull towards protein based food for example meat this is not down to evolution, rather socialisation at a young age. Suggesting that little boys when growing up are urged to have a big desire for food (Wiseman 2010). We cant simply maintain that women purposely choose salads and chocolate whereas men pick meat and savoury food (Kumar 2015). We need to look past the original gender ideals and focus on how these gendered expectations have influenced class status and gender dynamics. If we discuss class in relation to meat and masculinity, we begin to understand that for some men meat is a symbol of wealth and economic superiority (Walansky 2016). Adams (2010) supports that those with affluent wealth have always eaten meat, particularly in Europe when having large meals with various meats whereas those less fortunate had a diet of carbohydrates. When discussing class in relation to food we can also incorporate gender (Adams 2010). For instance, second class women ate second class food such as vegetables and fruits rather than meat, suggesting dietary habits apply not only to class power but also gender dynamics when combined (Adams 2010). This can also be seen with those in poverty, when meat is limited the wives go without and save it for their husbands whereas Upper class males and females have diets with the same food (Adams 2010). Using a quote from Bourdieu (1979:79) The style of meal that people like to offer is no doubt a very good indicator of the image t hey wish to give or avoid giving to others. This suggests that a mans meal portion is used as an indicator of wealth which implies power and therefore a reinforcement of masculinity (Calvert 2014). This reinforcement of masculinity through toughness and aggression is seen through this idea that because of male entitlement women are expected to make men the centre point when playing the doting housewife. This links in with food because women are expected to fulfil the dietary expectations of men and if they fail it could lead to the male being angry and acting out violently (Parkin 2006).ÂÂ   This implies that a mans aggression and domestic abuse should be linked to the lack of fulfilment in the food they eat which results in the oppression of women. Adams (2010) explores men who assault women and defend themselves by implying that the lack of meat in their diet reflects their behaviour and that only real men eat meat, ultimately another excuse for their controlling behaviour. Additionally, women are presented like a piece of meat in ads and consistently sexualised thereby steering women into their gender roles resulting in unfair treatment and sustaining the idea of patria rchy and how a male is expected to behave towards them (Johnson 2013). Another way in which food recreates masculinity and femininity is through expectations. Men who dont eat meat are identified as being less masculine compared to those who do (Redhead 2015).ÂÂ   In addition, men who dont eat meat due to physical complications will still be deemed less masculine unless he is doing it because of his love for animals (Redhead 2015). This leads us to consider independence as a factor of mens decision making, the choice a man makes to not adhere to western societies dictations about what food he should or shouldnt eat is a way for him to assert his independent to authorities (Sobal 2005). Moreover, this is done by choosing certain foods to eat that confirms their gender for example, meat as a way of maintaining authority through being rebellious and showcasing meat eating as masculine (Sobal 2005). This situation is then presented to women as the fixers who should control the characteristics of the males in the household by changing their masculine be haviour when ultimately the problem isnt for the woman to fix but is used as another method of enforcing the gender roles (Sobal 2005). Calvert (2014) holds that meat is used as a way for males to authenticate their hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity has been defined It embodied the currently most honoured way of being a man, it required all other men to position themselves in relation to it, and it ideologically legitimated the global subordination of women to men (Connell and Messerschmidt 2005:832). In regards to meat eating being practiced, it has allowed men to continue their oppressive and gendered behaviour and presents meat eating as a privilege which is internalized by men who see it as a way of asserting their supremacy especially when any other diet a man maintains is mocked (Calvert 2014). This leads us to discuss how men and women do gender and to identify where the association of with males and high fat diets and women with low fat food originated (Ruby and Heine 2011). Women are associated with light food such as salads in the hope for them to maintain a low weight yet men are associated with fried food such as burgers (Epstein 2014). Can these assumptions be blamed on cultural standards whereby the belief is because men are imagined to be these big and strong characters they need to eat more food to gain energy? (Epstein 2014). Thus, we witness an unequal and patriarchal society where a man who eats as much as he wants even in competition is praised and seen as a champion whereas a woman performs the same behaviour and is considered unfeminine and unpleasant which is where the double standard lies (Epstein 2014). The truth is as individuals we all have a different relationship with food and it is not solely based on gender (Epstein 2014). When discussing a mans masculinity in regards to food there is a focus on the unmanly man who is either a vegetarian or vegan. A vegetarian man is referred to as a wimp and not macho compared to meat eaters and this view is not only held by women but non-meat eaters (Maier 2013). Men who refrain from eating meat is them announcing they are not masculine whilst the men who sit at their desks and wait for the chance to demonstrate their masculinity by eating big portions of meat are praised for reflecting their masculine identity (Adams 2010). The term vegetable recreates the gender norms in society, it is deemed passive which is a term associated with women particularly housewives who are submissive (Adams 2010). Rothgerber (2013) claims gender is a great influence on how others view vegetarianism, in northern America for example men believe a proper meal always includes meat. This is affirmed in the media for example mens health magazine which said Vegetables are for girls. If your i nstincts tell you following a vegetarian diet isnt manly, youre right (Rothgerber 2013:363). Finally, we look at how socially constructed gender stereotypes are reflected in the media and its implications. Adverts and magazines associate gender with dietary choices, when searching men eating and women eating separately on the internet the images which surface are of men eating meat and women salads (Elsenberg 2016). This can also be seen in adverts where women are presented as happily choosing to have healthy food which is a cultural stereotype society has created of what men and women should enjoy eating as a way of defining their masculinity and femininity (Castillo 2013). While women are presented enjoying their salads, men are shown to be faced with burgers and fried food (Bendix 2015). Societies gender norms which are played in ads aid the association of women only enjoying meals with fewer calories rather than a focus on taste as they do for men (Rickett 2014). Rothgerber (2013) suggests that men magazines for example Mens Health focus on the enforcement of meat eating to maintain masculinity and being a meat eater as a characteristic of being a strong man. This combined with the idea of you are what you eat creates a fear for men that eating vegetables makes you more like a woman and not masculine (Adams 2010). This leads to them being preoccupied with their body image, that their focus shifts to dieting as the solution to better understanding their body image and its difficult to steer away from this idea when the magazines are filled with muscly men (Parasecoli ‎2005). This leads to negative health outcomes such as heart disease which is common with men who overeat meat suggesting that although mens gender role expect them to consume meat to portray this manly and patriarchal image it can be a cause of their demise (Maier 2013). In conclusion, we can affirm that Food is a big contributor to the creation of gender meanings and stereotypes. Although there are historical elements connected to men and meat consumption, it is reinforced in the household by housewives encouraging the idea that meat should be in every mans meal. This is also encouraged through socialisation and affirmed through society in the media. We can also understand that meat is not the only food with a gendered meaning. In addition, we establish where the association with women and healthy food originated from, mainly from a womans lack of economic prestige and within the gendered tradition in the house. Ultimately, we need to be more aware of the long-term consequences associated with gender stereotyping and doing gender, it will begin to have long term effects on the type of food men start to supplement for natural protein to achieve the most desirable body which has been culturally constructed. Bibliography Adams, C. (2010). The Sexual Politics of Meat (20th Anniversary Edition). 1st ed. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, pp.47-64. Bourdieu, P. (1979) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, Translated from French by Richard Nice, London: Routledge Bendix, A. (2015). Were Making Our Food Choices Based on Gender Stereotypes. [online] CityLab. Available at: http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2015/09/were-making-our-food-choices-based-on-gender-stereotypes/405781/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Calvert, A (2014). You Are What You (M)eat: Explorations of Meat-eating, Masculinity and Masquerade. Journal of International Womens Studies, 16,1, pp.18-33. Connell, RW. and Messerschmidt, JW (2005) HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY Rethinking the Concept Gender Society,19, 6, pp. 829-859 Castillo, S. (2015). Women Tend To Eat More Salad Because Stereotypes: Study. [online] Medical Daily. Available at: http://www.medicaldaily.com/healthy-food-more-likely-be-perceived-feminine-how-gender-stereotypes-factor-food-352372 [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Eisenberg, Z. (2016). Meat Heads: New Study Focuses on How Meat Consumption Alters Mens Self-Perceived Levels of Masculinity. [online] The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoe-eisenberg/meat-heads-new-study-focuses_b_8964048.html [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Epstein, A. (2014). Eat Like a Human: How Gender Stereotypes Affect Our Relationships With Food Adios Barbie. [online] Adios Barbie. Available at: http://www.adiosbarbie.com/2014/07/eat-like-a-human-how-gender-stereotypes-affect-our-relationships-with-food/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Johnson, A. (2013). Women and meat linked in advertising | The Clayman Institute for Gender Research. [online] Gender.stanford.edu. Available at: http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2013/women-and-meat-linked-advertising [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Kumar, R. (2015). Sex Study Reveals Why Women Love Chocolates and Men Love Meat. [online] News Every Day. Available at: http://www.newseveryday.com/articles/14064/20150419/why-women-love-chocs-men-meat.htm [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Maier, A. (2013). Meat and Masculinity. [online] Masculinities 101. Available at: https://masculinities101.com/2013/12/20/meat-and-masculinity/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Nash, M. and Phillipov, M. (2014). Introduction to the special issue: Eating like a man: Food and the performance and regulation of masculinities. Womens Studies International Forum, 44, pp.205-208. Readhead, H. (2015). Men who dont eat meat are seen as less masculine. [online] Metro. Available at: http://metro.co.uk/2015/12/03/men-who-dont-eat-meat-are-seen-as-less-masculine-5542997/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Rickett, O. (2014). Food Advertising Wants Men To Be Men And Women To Be Women. [online] MUNCHIES: Food by VICE. Available at: https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/food-advertising-is-still-feeding-gender-stereotypes [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Rothgerber, H 2013, Real Men Dont Eat (Vegetable) Quiche: Masculinity and the Justification of Meat Consumption, Psychology Of Men Masculinity, 14, 4, pp. 363-375 Ruby, M, Heine, S 2011, Meat, morals, and masculinity, Appetite, 56, 2, pp. 447-450 Shah, R. (2010). Men eat meat, women eat chocolate: How food gets gendered. [online] Salon. Available at: http://www.salon.com/2010/07/02/food_gendering/ [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Sobal, J (2005), MEN, MEAT, AND MARRIAGE: MODELS OF MASCULINITY, Food Foodways: History Culture Of Human Nourishment, 13, 1/2, pp. 135-158 Parasecoli, F 2005, FEEDING HARD BODIES: FOOD AND MASCULINITIES IN MENS FITNESS MAGAZINES, Food Foodways: History Culture Of Human Nourishment, 13, 1/2, pp. 17-37 Parkin, KJ 2006, Food Is Love. [Electronic Resource] : Food Advertising And Gender Roles In Modern America, n.p.: Philadelphia [Pa.] : University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006., Aston University Library Catalogue Walansky, A. (2016). Study to Prove that Men Find Masculinity in Eating Meat. [online] FWx. Available at:http://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/food/study-prove-men-find-masculinity-eating-meat [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017]. Wiseman, E. (2010). The truth about men, women and food. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/17/gender-eating-men-women [Accessed 9 Jan. 2017].

Potiphars Wife: Josephs First Love :: Art Essays Visual

Potiphar's Wife: Joseph's First Love Potiphar’s wife as seen through the eyes of Guido Reni comes to life with her soft looking skin and tender face as she stares longingly up at Joseph. Then her figure falls back into the painting as her pale flesh tones coupled with swirling velvet garments around her body create a surreal setting. She is at once real and unreal. Her features are relaxed, but her intentions are aggressive. Potiphar’s wife embodies the mystery Reni saw in women, capable of being at once threatening and innocent. Joseph, like Reni, is both opposed to Potiphar’s wife and at the same time his eyes linger on her face in an expression of unspoken desire. When she first asks Joseph to lie with her Joseph doesn’t drawback because he thinks Potiphar’s wife is ugly to look upon, or has had her sexuality tainted by another man. Instead it is Joseph’s fear of Potiphar’s wrath that holds Joseph back. He claims that Potiphar â€Å"...neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?(Genesis39:9).† However, just as Joseph’s figure lingers in shadow in Reni’s painting, so too do Joseph’s true feelings remain cloaked behind his words and actions. â€Å"...as she spake to Joseph day by day...to lie by her...it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within(Gen esis39:10-11).† If Joseph is capable of running a prosperous plantation in his master’s absence, and has shown the ability to turn the disadvantage of being a slave into a better life as chief overseer, why does he foolishly fall into Potiphar’s wife’s trap? The answer is that he knows full well that entering into his master’s home will result in another encounter with Potiphar’s wife, and another offer to lie in her bed. His excuse is that he has business to conduct, but as the overseer of the master’s homestead there is no shortage of men below him that he could send to do business up at the master’s house. Instead Joseph repeatedly returns to Potiphar’s wife, denying her advances, but at the same time aroused by her flirtations. In their final rendezvous Potiphar’s wife reaches out for Joseph’s garments and snags them in her hand.

The Signalman and The Man with the Twisted Lip Essay -- Charles Dicken

The Signalman and The Man with the Twisted Lip Originally stories were sung or spoken and handed down through word of mouth from one person to another. There were thousands of traditional stories all over the world, from King Arthur and his knights of the round table in Britain to Hercules and the Gods on Mount Olympus in Greece. In the middle ages this was how stories were told, these stories were sometimes shown as plays, which many people could pay to watch. These plays were based on love, war and religion and were very popular with everyone. Some mystery plays were based on bible stories and shown throughout Europe. Others were based on the courtly love tradition where women were worshipped like Gods. In contrast other stories were shown as having the â€Å"damsel in distress† such as Robin Hood, with knights and a great battle of good versus evil. Some even took the myths and legends and included them in their stories; this could have been where princesses were saved from a beast such as a dragon or a small boy performing the colossal act of defeating a giant. The Signalman By Charles Dickens The setting is a railway line at the bottom of a steep cutting, where the sunlight â€Å"barely penetrated†. It was a â€Å"dark, dank, gloomy and depressing place near a tunnel with a red danger light at its entrance.† The signalman’s box was but a few hundred yards from the entrance of the tunnel, giving the impression that this is the last outpost of life before entering the tunnel, which could go down to the underworld. NB. In Ancient Greek legends, the entrance to Hades Underworld or death was often portrayed as a dark tunnel or cave. The main character is a signalman, he is working class but â€Å"educated beyon... ...The Man With The Twisted Lip Greed, deceit and shame changed Neville St Clairs life as he became something he wasn’t i.e. the beggar to gain more money; the deceit was the manner in which he gained the money, he developed a character by dressing up under a disguise, and shame if the high class society found out how he gained his money it would be social suicide for himself and his family 15. The characters willingly move towards their own doom. The Signalman focused on his job to keep the train safe, willingly tended to the red light near the entrance to the tunnel but was not focused enough on his own safety and so was cut down by the train The Man With The Twisted Lip Neville St Clair conscientiously chose to be a beggar and also would have willingly gone to prison or the executioner rather than have revealed the secret and disgraced his family.

Imagine a Brave New World Essays -- Brave New World

Imagine a Brave New World  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Imagine living in a world without mothers and fathers, a place in which all those around you are human clones with no personality, a vast array of people that are not seen as individuals but a social body. This society results from the absence of spirituality and family, the obsession with physical pleasure, and the misuse of technology. The society described above, becomes a reality in A Brave New World, a novel depicting how the advancement of science effects humanity. A Brave New World takes place in 632 A.F.(after Henry Ford, inventor of assembly lines), many years after civilization started to be controlled. Civilization is reconstructed into a new society after a global nine year war. The war was so brutal and tiresome, that the people decide to control the world's actions through means of science. The society predetermines human embryos to certain levels of intelligence, and chemically eliminates becoming sick or old. Children are placed in different castes to decide divisions in labor. The five castes are Epsilons, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Alphas, with Alphas being the highest caste. To determine which caste they are placed in the children are given or denied certain skills and capabilities. The controllers rule the civilization though conditioning, behavioral engineering, and certain mind altering drugs called 'Somae'. The Ten controllers of the world states determine all the rules of the society. The societies dictorial government has chos en machinery, medicine and happiness over God. The citizens choose happiness and stability over freedom and individuality. Without sin and imperfection the citizens are nothing but robots in this Utopian world,a society built on b... ... dilemma in exchanging happiness for freedom and art to gain stability and control over the people of A Brave New World. A Brave New World is very enlightening and thought provoking as it talks about what it means to be human. The price that many people must give up in order gain absolute happiness and stability is freedom, love and religion, aspects of life too precious to omit. There is no war or disease to deal with, but the people don't have the chance to experience art, love and history. Through sacrificing and eliminating these aspects of life, a citizen is robbed of the opportunity to enjoy a well-rounded, mistake-making, lesson-learning, quality life. The aspired goal achieved from giving up freedom, love and religion seems appealing and rewarding, but the reality of the effects on humanity is proven devastating in Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World.   

Cost Accounting Terminologies Essay

Cost accounting, as a tool of management, provides management with detailed records of the costs relating to products, operations or functions. Cost accounting refers to the process of determining and accumulating the cost of some particular product or activity. It also covers classification, analysis and interpretation of costs. The cost so determined and accumulated may be the estimated future costs for planning purposes, or actual (historical) costs for evaluating performance. The Institute of Cost and Management Accountant (ICMA), London, defined cost accounting as â€Å"the process of accounting for cost from the point at which expenditure incurred or committed to the establishment of its ultimate relationship with cost centers and cost units. In its widest usage it embraces the preparation of statistical data, the application of cost control methods and the ascertainment of profitability of activities carried out or planned.† Costing Cost accounting and costing have distinctly different meanings. The Institute of Cost and Management Accountant (ICMA), London, defined costing as the ascertainment of costs. Costing includes the â€Å"techniques† and â€Å"processes† of ascertaining costs. The technique refers to the principles or rules which are applied for ascertaining costs of products manufactured and services rendered. There are mainly two methods of costing job costing and process costing. The process includes the day to day routine of determining costs within the methods of costing adopted by the business enterprise. Within such a process, there could be historical costing, marginal costing, absorption costing and standard costing etc. Objectives of Cost Accounting There is a direct relationship among information needs of management and cost accounting objectives and techniques and tools used for analyses in cost accounting. Cost accounting has the following three important objectives: 1. To determine the product cost.  2. To facilitate planning and control of regular business activities. 3. To supply information for short and long-run decision. Product Costing The objective of determining the cost of products is the prime importance of cost accounting. The total product costs and cost per unit of product are important in making inventory valuation, deciding price of the product and managerial decision making. Planning and Control Another important objective of cost accounting is the creation of useful cost data and information for the purposes of planning and control by management. The different alternative plans are evaluated in terms of respective costs and associated benefits. The management control over business operations aims to establish balance between actual and budgeted performance. A properly designed cost accounting system includes the following steps in the control process: 1. Comparing actual performance with budgets and standard 2. Analyzing the variances between budget and standards and actual by causes, and management responsibility so that corrective actions may take place. 3. Providing managers with data and reports about their individual performances and performances of subordinates. Information for decision Another important objective of cost accounting system is to provide data and special analyses for short and long-run decisions of a non-recurring nature. Appropriate cost information must be accumulated to make a wide variety of short and long run decision. According to Henke and Spoede, the following are the cost information developed in cost accounting: 1. As a basis for valuing manufactured inventories and cost of goods sold in externally presented financial reports. 2. In controlling operations through the evaluation of operating results and the placement of responsibilities for the uses of organizational resources on the shoulders of specifically identifiable persons within the organization. 3. In planning operations through the establishment of cost and budgetary goals. 4. In making day- to- day operating decisions. The cost information is used for two purposes in most organizations: 1) the cost accounting systems provide information to evaluate the performance of an organizational unit or his manager, and 2) also provide the means for estimating the unit cost of products or services that the organization can manufacture or provide to others. a) Performance measurement: This measurement can be done by comparing current costs with those who were expected – or standard costs budgeted cost – to the degree of knowing which of them have been controlled. Deviations of expected with the current – variances – can be identified, evaluated and discussed by managers. b) Cost of goods and services: In manufacturing companies, the costs of goods must be measured to determine the cost of items transferred from work in process inventory to finished products. To meet the demands for information, a cost system should measure all the costs of manufacturing process and allocate a portion of those costs to each unit of output. The cost to obtain, maintain and manage the manufacturing plant or building should be added to the cost of material and productive work that requires each unit. The first are called indirect costs and the two last are called direct costs. c) Profit analysis. Information in costs is essential to analyze the profits obtained from a product or product line. The information on the cost of a product enables managers to assess the contribution margin – the difference between the price and variable costs – and the gross margin – the difference between the price and the total cost of the product. d) Product mix. For the companies that offer more than one product or service the cost information is key to handle the mix of products or services offered to customers. With information on cost-profit, a manager can lead the effort in sales and advertising for products that generate greater value. The products that do not create any profit can be removed, have a price reassignation, or tied up with products that have greater utility. e) Price assignation. Regardless of where prices are determined by the forces of market demand, product differentiation and advertising offer to many managers some sort of idea to assign prices to products or services. The costs of products and trends commonly offer signals to managers that prices should be changed. An example could be the change in the cost of a material or critical component which can give a signal to reassess the price of a product or service. f) Cost of service. Many products require the seller to provide additional services to customers. In such cases, the information about the cost of service is so important for managers as the cost of production. The same for companies that offer services only, unless the cost of service is measured, there is no way to know whether providing the service is profitable or not, or whether changes in prices or advertising are needed. Looked from another angle, the uses that the administration of a company can give to the costs can be grouped into 4 categories, specified below Method of costing As state earlier, the term costing refers to the techniques and processes of determining cost of a product manufactured or a service rendered. Different methods are applied in business enterprises to ascertain cost depending upon the nature of the product, production method and specific business conditions. For example, in a textile or steel company, raw material passes through different stages and production is done continuously. In some other industries, production is done at different customers specific orders and each job is different from the other job.

Children with Incarcerated Parents

Juvenile Justice And The effects on Children of Incarcerated Parents Loretta R. Lynch Capstone 480 Ms. Mel Jones Abstract Today prisons are overcrowded and over two million Americans, male, and female are sitting in jail or prison, and two thirds of those people incarcerated are parents (U. S. Department of Justice). Approximately two million of these children are separated from their mom or dad because of incarceration of which these are the custodial parent.These children suffer from poverty, inconsistency in caregivers, separation from siblings, reduced education, increased risk for substance abuse, alcoholism and incarceration themselves. Studies have shown that children who lack parental relationships that combine loving support with structured discipline will show increased signs of antisocial behavior (Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21(4). This behavior is exhibited in children with incarcerated parents because bonds are likely to have never formed or are broken upo n imprisonment.The attachment a child has to their parent, as well as the indirect controls a parent has over the child, forms protective factors that reduce the incidence of delinquency (Abidin, R. 1983). Children of incarcerated parents are not always afforded protective factors, and are exposed to higher levels of risk factors that can contribute to delinquent behavior. Parental incarceration increases a child’s chance of experiencing disruptions, ineffective parenting, and loss of parental contact and academic difficulties, which can lead to juvenile delinquency.In the last three decades, family life in the United States has changed dramatically. Currently over eight point five million families with children under eighteen years of age are maintained by single parents, eighty percent of which are single as a result of separation or divorce (Hamner & Turner, 1990). A significant contributing factor to single parent households is the estimated eight percent of the children in the United States who have one parent who is incarcerated (Butterworth, 1987).In my interview with one family court judge at the Chesterfield County Juvenile Justice Court (Brice, 2012), it was apparent to me that these children are more likely than their peers to become incarcerated as adults (. The parent-child relationship, which is extremely important in a child’s development when broken, can have strong implications on the behavior that has exhibited from the child. It was also apparent that according to statistics nationwide, more than 2 million children have a parent who is incarcerated in state or federal prison (U. S. Department of Justice Report 2009).Loosing a parent to incarceration can have a wide range of devastating effects on prisoner’s children. In an interview with a female inmate (Inmate X, 2012), a mother of three children, it was apparent that the lack of parental bonding had affected not only the relationship with her mother who was seventy-one and in bad health, but also with her children. On top of her worry of being incarcerated, the inmate had just learned that her oldest was beginning to show signs of acting out and smoking marijuana. She spoke to me about her children ranging from ages two, seven and twelve.This female inmate discusses how much she missed and loved them her children, but due to circumstances, she would not be able to be in their lives for five years. She stated that it was her decision for her mother not to bring the children to the facility for any visits for fear of the impact it might cause on them seeing her in a place behind bars. When I asked her what made her in up in prison, she stated drugs. As a child, she was raped by her step-grandfather and she had turned to drugs to cope. In another interview with a female inmate (Inmate Y, 2012), she shared how he was raised in a single parent household. Her father was in and out jail for various crimes until 1996 when charged with Involuntary Manslau ghter during the commission of a robbery when she was approximately twelve. It was toward the end of the interview that I learned she is one of five children in a family of two girls and three boys. The saddening fact was that in this family of five, three of her siblings were incarcerated for various crimes. Forty-two percent of men and woman today had a parent who was also incarcerated (U. S. Department of Statistics 2009).We know much more about incarcerated mothers than we know about incarcerated fathers. For example, over 70% of female inmates are mothers of dependent children under the age of eighteen. Almost 90% of incarcerated females are single parents and heads of households. According to some estimates, a quarter of a million children are separated from their parents each year by jail and prison (Glick & Neto, 1977; McGowan & Blumenthal, 1978; McPeek & Tse, 1988; U. S. Department of Justice, 1992). We do not have this kind of information about incarcerated fathers.The lac k of statistics concerning fathers in prison may suggest that they are a forgotten group. Research has revealed that a father’s involvement in his child’s life greatly improves the child’s chances for success. Helping incarcerated fathers foster stronger connections with their children (where appropriate) can have a positive effect for children. What is needed is stronger training of social workers and prison personnel to help males with bonding and effective parenting skills. Prisons also need to work on reorganizing visiting spaces in prisons because they are not always child friendly.This also makes it extremely hard for families. According to a report written by Sarah Schirmer, Ashley Nellis, and Marc Mauer of The Sentencing Project, â€Å"The increasing incarceration of women means that more mothers are being incarcerated than ever before. There is some evidence that maternal incarceration can be more damaging to a child than paternal incarceration, which results in more children now suffering negative consequences†. First, fewer correctional institutions for women means that mothers are often located far away from the homes of their children.Second, children of female offenders are more than twice more likely to be placed in foster care than are children of male offenders because children of incarcerated fathers typically remain with the mother. Incarceration can add a tremendous burden to the already stressful situation of not having contact with the family. Many inmates are placed not in the same vicinity as their families, and many families cannot afford to relocate close to a prison, in order for the incarcerated parent to stay involved with the family. Thus, there is limited interaction between parent and child.This is especially hard for female inmates whose prisons are usually not in the same state in which they live. The average frequency of visits, according to some accounts, is at the most once a month, maybe less. T he only time inmates get to interact with their children is when someone chooses to bring the children to the institution. Even when children visit, it is common for the incarcerated parent to lose a sense of closeness with them since most of the children who visit their parents are unable to touch them. Nearly half of them grew up in families that received welfare, and had a substance-abusing parent.Family poverty, alcoholism and crime set up a subsequent cycle of generational recidivism. In my interview and time working in a boys group home seems as though the effects of their separation from an incarcerated parents was significant and played a major role in why they were now themselves locked up. They spoke of feelings of abandoned, while at the same time feeling a sense of freedom to do whatever they choose to do. This is extremely sad working with them because they are not bad kids they have just been thrown into bad situations and most of them are just looking for someone to s how them affection and attention.In my interview with a fourteen year old (boy A, 2012) raise by his paternal grandmother said that she was an older woman of eighty and could not discipline him; instead, she spoiled him and gave him everything he wanted. Another juvenile, age eleven (boy B) was raised by his mother’s sister who gave him little or no attention because she had 4 children of her own; and before he knew it he was stealing cars and getting into trouble for attention My last interview with a juvenile aged sixteen (boy C, 2013) was the saddest because he was raised by his brother and sister in law.The twist of the story was that his sister-in-law was molesting him and so in turn, he started molesting younger girls in his family. Statistics have shown that these boys were four times more likely to become involved in criminal activities than children from the same social economic background were with parents at home. The pattern continues as they enter their adult lif e, where research clearly indicates that children who had an incarcerated parent are at high risk for incarceration as a juvenile or adult (Burchinal, L. , Hawkes, G. , & Gardner, B. 957). The statistics that I have learned while doing my research is horrifying. These young children are critical to our society and they are our future generation of potential lawyers and doctors. The question has always been how do we address this problem? I do not think there is any easy answer to this dilemma, but we must try to find a solution because our children are suffering. Some are suffering in silence and some are suffering aloud. Whatever way they are suffering, they are crying for attention and we must listen and hear their cries.The crimes that these people commit not only effect society, but on their children as well. My thoughts are, the sooner they realize the effects they are having on their children, the sooner we might be able to find a solution to juvenile crime, and delinquency an d save our children. Figure 1. A transactional model of the predictors of children's adjustment following parental incarceration and reunion after (Conger & Elder, 1994; Hetherington et al. , 1998). References Adalist-Estrin, A. (1986). Parenting from behind bars. Family Resource Coalition – FRC Report, 1, 12-13.Abidin, R. (1983). Parenting stress index. Charlottesville, VA: Pediatric Psychology Press. Burchinal, L. , Hawkes, G. , & Gardner, B. (1957). The relationship between parental acceptance and adjustment of children. Child Development, 28, 67-77. Inmate X. (2012, December). Interview by L Lynch [Personal Interview] housed at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women Inmate Y, (2013, December). Interview by L Lynch [Personal Interview] housed at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women Boy A. (2012, December). Interview by L Lynch [Personal Interview]. Boy B. 2012, December). Interview by L Lynch [Personal Interview]. Boy C. (2013, December). Interview by L Lynch [Pe rsonal Interview]. Brice, L. (2012, December 14). Interview by L Lynch [Personal Interview]. Juvenile justice system. http://www. fcnetwork. org/AECFChildren%20of%20Incarcerated%20Parents%20Factsheet. pdf La Vigne, N. G. , Naser, R. L. Brooks, L. E. & Castro, J. L. (2005). Examining the effect of incarceration and in-prison family contact on prisoners’ family relationships. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21(4). ———————– [pic]