Understanding the Concept of "Child" in Sociological Contexts

WEEK – 9:

1. What is a child?

It has been large debate by sociologist to confirm to one understanding of a “Child” or “Children”. However, in the latter half of 20th century, the concentration of psychologists and sociologists shifted to the development process of children. The social constructs declare that there are traditional ways of deciding the notion of child and to understand the familial structure, the questions regarding the understanding of a “Child” often appear. It has been identified as the subsequent mix of generations that have come about to refer to a beginning point with the child to the completion of the cycle with adulthood. It is also understood as a concoction of long traditions that have been living over generations transcending the changing societies and their influences on a particular generation and the holistic development that the particular society goes through, a child could be result of all the factors.

2. How would you define family?

Family is generally understood as a social unit that has been growing by bonds and social constructs of marriage and mating that has led to the formation of a group of people being genetically related and sharing common values, morality, ideologies and principles that have grown and taken shape over a period of time. Families a very integral part of society as it forms a close knit of people where the very basic unit of a family, the child is grown into a a responsible unit of society that shall be responsible for creating and constantly growing the idea of family. It’s a cyclical phenomenon that happens over a long stretch of time and has been a huge influence in the psychological, physical and mental development of a child who forms and shapes the future society. It has also been known as a social arrangement having a group of rights and duties

3. In which ways has the concept of family changed since the 1960’s?

Families have seen a drastic change and growth since the 1960s where the rates of marriage have changed dramatically, shaking the bone structure of a family. This has influence through a variety of factors being the rapid growth and shift in the ideologies among people leading to the fall in rate of marriages. The wave of feminism and independence of women especially financially has also been an important factor. The shift in the social eye where cohabitation or “Living in” is more acceptable and the pressure of social recognition of a couple is no longer the ideal benchmark. The growth in education around contraceptives have also increased considerably which has led to fall in the birth rate by a considerable margin.

WEEK - 10

1. How would you define the term ‘health’?

Health is one of the most important factors that the world is constantly working and developing on to be able to create societies free from diseases and bring about a holistic well-being. This well being is not restricted to physical well being but also includes mental well-being. A secure country can be one that has an all-inclusive health plan for people from any class and has affordable health care. The environment of a country and the stability it has in terms of providing health care to people often reflect their progress value. The institutions that the particular country promotes to have access to such all encompassing health care plan which has been hindered by the neo -liberal approaches that motivates politics and the policy making in return has seen to have effects on the conceptualizing health and healthcare for the people of the country.

Which ethnicity is understood to be most at risk of obesity?

The population in UK is highly diverse and high influence of ethnic population where about 14% of the population is not white skinned. There is a huge influence of the Black Africans influencing about 73% of this minority and ethnic influence. The highest risk of obesity amongst other diseases have been found in Back African, followed by Black Caribbean and then Pakistani women.

3. Why?

Generally, obesity happens when there is not enough balance in the amount of energy that a person consumes than what they release, which is still not studied or researched sufficiently. However, ethnicity and health is being studied and few factors have been recognized to accentuate obesity. Firstly, there is a high interference within the ethnic community with the other population making it difficult to create any way of exchanging knowledge or awareness. There are already existing differences and a acute sense of racial discrimination that already creates hindrances with people and stop them from communicating. This makes them strictly within their peripheries, limiting their reach and lastly the sensibility of their background and their childhood which also creates a barrier in communication including the different languages.

4. What is the role of sociology in understanding health?

Sociology does play a significant role in understanding the cause of a particular health pattern across a society which is influence by multiple factors like the class of people, the gender influence and the ethinc influences and many other factors that tend to play a role in understanding a pattern since the primary motive of sociology is to link the societal relations with problems that are more prone to subsist in a particular society. Medical sociology is important to help establish the link in human behavior on a society, the beliefs in a society that push the to make certain choices that may indirectly have a certain amount of influence on the people. Human health closely linked with understanding the inclination a society has and that may in a way help to develop policies to help curb certain diseases that may be prevalent.

1.What are some of the positive effects of globalization?

Globalization has increased the ambit of world market to a huge extent and has made the world smaller with rapid development. Globalization has changed the face of world by building and bringing in opportunities, so much so that there is a place for everyone in this world market. There are quite a number of positive impacts of globalization in the world market, some of them are; Firstly, Globalization has helped bring in a culture of efficient market system which creates a balance between buyers and sellers. The demands created are against a good value for a good product therefore, catering to a quality product system. It helps build a system of growing demand and increases the chances of affording goods brought in. Secondly, the most important impacts globalization creates is bringing in competition which helps the customers with high quality and higher range of products by different producers fighting to stay in the international market and that can be ensured through a well-defined consumer market having high quality goods at affordable prices for the consumers, which is always a boon. Thirdly, there is a growth of inward investment which helps in boosting the employment sector increases scope and job opportunities for people. Fourthly, there is constant innovation and a stable economy which is always an advantage for any country. Lastly, it helps in uniting the world so much so that the common goals of any country to help uplift the standard of people, give a proper quality of life and reduce poverty bring a global development. The common goals make the countries unite and look out for one another which makes it a solid system.

2. What are some of the issues with ‘outsourcing’ jobs?

Globalization has also made way for outsourcing jobs which has a lot of merits but are overshadowed with a couple of cons as well. The primary problem that may arise is with the loss of control over a job including the lack of proper communication a well as loopholes in implementation as well. This could also mean that the time required to complete a job will take longer than any remote or in-house jobs. Secondly, questions of adequate privacy may arise since the job is out of reach and the possibility of leaving the ideas and works unprotected may leave a blank space. The most important would be the possibility of losing out jobs in the process of outsourcing creating a fall in the employment rate in the home country.

3. What is your definition of “culture?”

The idea around culture could often times be closely associated with society but there is a tin line between the two. Any practice that reflects on the behavior of a particular group of people, their action, ideologies and beliefs promoted among that group could reflect on culture. It includes the mode of communication among people, their moral values, more and developments that take shape speaks a lot about culture. However, the identity of culture per se has also been segregated into different classes and the understanding behind it where the “culture capital” could refer to people who have wealth in knowledge, educated and has a higher understanding of relevant skills required again, popular culture is also known to include people who belong from the middle class. Culture is further divided into Material and Non-Material culture where the former signifies the tangible practices of a society and the later focusses on the intangible or motivation of practicing the norm of a society that is mostly the idea, belief system, moral values and long immemorial practice of custom.

4. Why is cultural diversity important?

At this day and age, the world is extremely inclusive and the last few decades saw an enormous change and expansion in the acceptance of culture transcending boundaries. This automatically encourages the sense of tolerance and acceptance towards any other religion, ethnicity, gender orientation reserving place and respect for everyone in a society. The European Union had also embraced the idea of ‘Unity in Diversity’ in 2000. The only way for any community or society to grow is by being open to people and their varied choices over the world bringing the death of homogenous culture, that does nothing but keep building boxes around each and everyone. Every culture has their own strengths and weaknesses and working in a cross cultural space gives way to growth, expansive knowledge and only increase in the possibility of ending distresses that are common to all societies.

REFERENCES

• Cliffnotes, Sociology, “Culture and Society defined”, < https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/culture-and-societies/culture-and-society-defined > accessed on 7th December, 2020
• EU Community, Communications Department, “ Why is diversity so important”, Nov, 2018 < https://www.euruni.edu/blog/why-is-diversity-so-important/ > accessed on 7th December, 2020
• Comegna S (2017) Prevalence of Obesity in the UK According to Sex, Age and Ethnicity: A Literature Review. Sports Nutr Ther 2: 121. doi: 10.4172/2473-6449.1000121
• Amzat J, Razum O. Sociology and Health. Medical Sociology in Africa. 2014;1-19. Published 2014 Feb 28. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-03986-2_1
• Qvortrup, J. (1996). Childhood Research and the Situation of Children. In Pfeffer and Behere (Eds.), Contemporary Society Childhood And Complex Order. New Delhi: Manak Publications Pvt. Limitedt is al
• UKEssays. (November 2018). The Sociological Definition Of Family. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/the-definition-of-family-sociology-essay.php?vref=1

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