Examine the view that ‘successful families need two loving heterosexual parents’

his statement represents the view that the typical family is a nuclear family; that is: 2 generations of parents & children living together in 1 household, & legally married, and that the nuclear family is the ideal. Murdock claimed that the nuclear family is universal and for any society to exist four basic functions [functional requisites] must be fulfilled. These are > Reproduction – to produce the next generation. > Sexual – to control sexual behaviour, to prevent conflict between adult males over women. > Socialisation – to prepare children for their wider social roles. > Economic – to survive economically the male acts as breadwinner & the female as carer. Functionalists would say these are essential for social life, since without the sexual and reproductive functions, there would be no members of society, without the economic function, life would cease, and without education [socialisation] there would be no culture. Human society without culture could not function. Not all families fit Murdock's definition of family. There are examples of ‘social arrangements' or ‘families' that contradict Murdock's definition. One example being the ‘new world black family'. Generally these families are Matrifocal and mother-centred and consist of a woman and her dependant children and do not include an adult male. The mother is the main carer and breadwinner and rely's on help from female kin relatives. Another example is ‘The Nayer' of south India. After marriage the husband did not live with his wife nor was he under any obligation to have any further contact with her. The males in the household would be either uncles or brothers but not the biological father. These male kin would serve the economical & socialisation roles within the family. Gay, lesbian & lone parent families also contradict Murdock's definition. The lone parent family has only one gender role to follow, – the carer, breadwinner role, is undertaken by one adult, as well as the economic factor again undertaken by one adult. The lone parent can still maintain a sexual relationship outside of the family unit; therefore the sexual factor is still maintained. Reproduction can start without sexual contact, as the lone parent tends to rear the children in the early years, and then educational establishment assists. Even with only one gender role to be followed, socialisation prepares children for their wider social and gender roles. It would be fair to say that Murdock did not take into account the various diversities within the family, such as structural & cultural diversities. The family is socially constructed and varies from one culture to another. To say that ‘successful families need two loving heterosexual parents' is a very narrow functionalist view of the family. People are now choosing to have different types of family life, and it is more socially acceptable. Many families are no longer conventional but society still exists.

The Impact of African American Stereotypes

Many of us have received a meager education about African-Americans. In fact, many people have no clue about African Americans beyond the information we have been given in the media. The result has been that most whites possess a distorted image of African-Americans. This not only limits a person's worldview, but this is also dangerous. The media has no incentive to present accurate, much less positive, images of African-Americans. This is nothing new, but the inaccuracies have a greater impact on the lives of black people. Throughout history, black men have been presented as beastly savage. For example, in the movie â€Å"Jersey Drive,† the blacks are portrayed as a bunch of violent thieves who thrive from stealing others† cars. Often, in the past they were shown as subhuman beings preying on the fragile white woman. With the advent of radio and television, black men were depicted as buffoons and criminals. Today, few images are presented, showing what black men are really like. For instance, Denzel Washington who is a brilliant actor, as well as a successful businessman in today†s society is a great image. Unfortunately, it is easier for most people who are not black to build their assumptions from media depictions rather than to go out and to meet the actual people. These images have contributed to the most violent behavior against black men that this country has ever seen. Over the course of the twentieth century, thousands of black men were lynched for often false rape allegations by white women. Black men have been repeatedly denied access to opportunities for education and employment. To this day, black men remain perceived as a â€Å"threat† and are the targets of sometimes fatal acts of police brutality. It is not a coincidence that African American men are imprisoned and given stiffer sentences than their white counterparts. Black men are not the only victims of harmful stereotypes. Black women are perceived as pillars of strength. This is a perception that a number of black women are proud to accept. The black women we see in the media tend to be powerful, nurturing figures. With the exception of a handful of supermodels, black women are often viewed as unattractive by the popular American beauty standards. An overwhelming view of black women is that they are stern, perhaps even domineering. To illustrate, In â€Å"Soul Food,† the females are in charge of keeping the family together through all the struggles. These images of black women have led traditional society to ignore the real concerns of black women. Perhaps, they tend to be depicted as superhuman creatures. Black women are seen as being able to withstand any personal tragedy and to emerge totally prepared to face the demands of life. In summation, few of us received educations about African Americans. Throughout history, black men have been presented as beastly. Also, Black women have been perceived as stone walls of strength, powerful, and nurturing figures. Few people take time to see the truth behind these stereotypes. If we really want to know about African Americans, the education that personal interaction and books provide are much more insightful than the media†s misrepresentations.

Day Lighting Study Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Day Lighting - Case Study Example In the figure, it is clearly visible that the sunlight reflecting directly on the floor at the base of the glass doors is brighter as compared to that pouring through the windows because of the filter. Moreover, the location of windows has been chosen very carefully so as to ensure that people sitting on the chairs get the light rather than the ones passing through the corridor. So the design selected to use the light is successful as it fulfills the purpose of its in-pour. Fig. 3 shows another room of the same building in which there is no in-pour of sunlight and the source of light is basically the reflection of sunrays from the floor of the terrace into the room. Here, the room has been purposefully designed in such a way that there is no direct in-pour of light and yet there is sufficient illumination in the room. In Fig. 4, the filtering windows have been placed atop the room to reduce the intensity of light without reducing the illumination. This is a successful use of light as the design ensures that the occupants of the building receive just the amount of light that is sufficient for them. Without the filter-glass on the top, space would be capturing direct sunlight that would be even more intensified after diffusing from the white floor. In Fig. 5, the room has been oriented in such a way that the window captures the brightness of the sunlight outside without increasing the glare inside the room. A very important purpose that this design serves is that it creates no significant shadows of the furniture placed in the room which enhances the visual appeal of the room. Since it is a room with a limited space, a heavy in-pour of sunlight would have been irritating for the inhabitants. In Fig. 6, the benefit of daylighting is shown as it provides the occupants of the building with a direct link to the evolving outdoor illumination patterns, thus creating productive and visually stimulating environment along with reducing the energy costs of the entire build ing. However, the architectural design shown in Fig. 6 is not successful as it provides no point of entry to the sunlight into the room, which is why the room is dark. Ideally, the design should have been such that allowed the sunlight to enter till the threshold of the room to provide it with enough natural light.

Scariest food additives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Scariest food additives - Essay Example Mostly hydrogenated oil is an essential source of trans fat. Makers like it because it lessens expenses, expands timeframe of realistic usability and settles flavor; however a loss for customers. Trans fats are twice as troublesome for the body to break down as soaked fats, and due to their support of terrible (LDL) cholesterol and have been indicated to lessening great (HDL) cholesterol. They are dynamic executors of coronary illness, diabetes, healthful insufficiencies and cell weakening. Note: Products that hold incompletely hydrogenated oils however have short of what 0.5g of transfat for every serving can convey a "trans-fat free" name. Likewise remember that "completely hydrogenated oil" does not hold Trans fats. Result: Avoid sustenance holding Trans fats, including margarine, vegetable shortening, saltines, and treats, heated products, mixed greens dressings, breads and chips (Ornelas, 2007). Aspartame: Used in breakfast grains, soda pops drink blends, gelatin sweets, solidified pastries, yogurt, mulling over gum, diet nourishment, and as a tabletop sweetener under the brand names Equal and NutraSweet. Studies have proposed that it cause disease — particularly with deep rooted utilization or neurological issues. Aspartame additionally brings down the acidity of pee and may make the urinary tract more powerless to contaminate. High fructose corn syrup like table sugar (sucrose) is less expensive option and is a profoundly handled manifestation of glucose that has changed over into fructose. Fructose is a type of sugar usually found in apples and oranges. The argument against HFCS ranges from claims that it restrains leptin the hormone in charge of telling ones cerebrum is fully harmed, and tissues can hold poisonous levels of mercury. The contentions against HFCS are uncertain, yet one thing is sure: an excessive amount of sugar will hurt substantial methodologies in incalculable ways, including expanding danger for diabetes, heftiness

Strategies and International Business in IKEA Comapany Essay

Strategies and International Business in IKEA Comapany - Essay Example To begin with, the company lowered the prices of its goods and services in the home country and in the global market (Coe, 2009). This factor made it attract more customers from the competitors. Consumers are sensitive to prices and any slight difference would make them shift and enjoy the relatively lower prices. Because of the higher priced competitors’ products, IKEA managed to record increase in their customer base. Secondly, IKEA engaged in continuous designing of their products to improve their quality and preference. They also engaged in continuous introduction of new innovative products. Moreover, the company used the trademark to protect its goods from being counterfeited by the competitors. Trademark would also make IKEA products be distinct from those of the competitor's top help avoid confusion and to help in developing a brand (IKEA, 2010). In addition, IKEA opened their retail stores in the countries in which it operated to increase the availability of its products and to ensure customers get the direct attention from their agents (IKEA, n.d.). The opening of stores abroad would also ensure that the different customers’ demands are integrated into the production of the company’s goods. IKEA strength is gained from the variety of products it offers and the low prices it offers for their products. Through this, it reduced the costs through lowering storage space and reduced labor cost. The opening of the retails in Germany, Switzerland and US further made IKEA enjoy the wide market coverage and smooth its sales in case the product performance is not good in some of the geographical coverage. However, IKEA suffers from the problem of controlling quality in the global market without hiking the prices of their products (Coe, 2009). To sell their products at low prices mean that IKEA has to sacrifice the profit margin. The environmental regulation further poses a threat to the company since the materials used in manufacturing their furniture requires destruction of trees hence a potential threat. Several reasons prompted IKEA chose Switzerland as the first country to internationalize.