Reflection on Child Observation Study

Reflection on Child Observation Study The purpose of this essay is to discuss an observation I undertook of an 18 month year old boy, whose mother was a friend of a friend who I had no prior knowledge about. Initially I explained the observation to the mother and a contract was soon drawn up and subsequently signed. It ensured that the study was completely confidential and the child’s name would be anonymised. I have used x to refer to the child. Firstly I am going to discuss some of the challenges I faced, how intrusive I felt initially and how I struggled not to interact. I will then discuss the benefits of child observations in helping me to overcome these challenges, for instance, the benefits of seminar groups and how the observation has been beneficial in developing my reflective skills. I will then discuss some factors I felt impacted on my observation and how these will be useful to me in future social work practice. For me one of the most challenging aspects I found with the child observation was feeling intrusive. Initially on my way to the house I felt very nervous and during the observation when x ran off to the kitchen to see his mother I felt very uneasy following him as I felt I was invading their privacy. Having read McMahon Farnfield (1994) I now know that this is a common anxiety for students who undertake child observations as many observers feel uncomfortable about intruding in to the privacy of someone’s home. However, having read Quitak (2004) I know that social workers often have to visit client’s homes and if they are too anxious to invade a client’s privacy they may miss out on information that is vitally important. For example, social workers can feel intimidated by parents and find it difficult focussing on the child (Blom-Cooper et al, 1985). Social work will often involve infringing on a client’s privacy (Trowell and Miles, 1991). Therefore it is vital social workers have the confidence to deal with their uncomfortable feelings of intruding in order for them to be effective in their role (Quitak, 2004). I felt the seminar groups were beneficial in helping me to overcome my fear of intruding because they felt like a safe space in which I could discuss my anxieties. McKinnon commented that the seminar group provides a â€Å"safe container† (2009: 90). The seminar creates a safe environment where students can share and discuss any uncomfortable feelings and experiences that they came across during the observation (Ruch, 2007). The term containment was developed by Bion (1962) who believed that therapeutic relationships, such as groups can act as containers for uncontrollable feelings (Ruch, 2007). In the same way a mother or carer contain the painful feelings of a child and return them in a way the child can understand in an attempt to make the child feel safe (Mckenzie Beecraft, 2004). The seminar also acts as a container, by discussing my feelings and anxieties about intruding on somebody’s home it helped me to overcome the anxiety of feeling intrusive which was distra cting me from observing properly. As I continued to visit the home for following visits, I subsequently developed my confidence in visiting the home and not feel quite so intrusive. In addition, one of the biggest challenges I faced was my desire to intervene. Ruch (2009) believed that attempting to not interact with a child is arguably one of the most challenging elements of the child observation. I always felt cruel because at times I had to completely ignore the child and this felt strange and unnatural for me. Tanner Turney (2000) and Le Riche (2006) commented that not interacting can feel strange and uncomfortable for observers because it is unnatural and goes against traditional customs. However, not interacting can be beneficial because it creates space to reflect on and explore my feelings (Tanner Turney, 2000; Trowell and Miles, 2004). For example, I found myself in disbelief because x refused to eat the peas on his plate and x’s mother although attempting once to make them eat them, gave up quite quickly. This could be because this took me back to when I was a young child when my parents always made me eat my vegetables; otherwise I wasnâ€⠄¢t allowed to leave the table. I was surprised at how strong and how personal my reaction was. Having read Fawcett (1996), however I realised that as children we all grow up with certain rules our parents make us obey and these may still reside with us when we are older and can have a major influence on our attitudes (Fawcett, 1996). In my case I found myself judging x’s mother because she didn’t view eating vegetables as important. Having read McMahnon Farnfield , they argued â€Å"It takes emotional effort for students to see that what is different is not necessarily wrong† (2004: 240). Therefore, I realised that just because x’s mother is doing things in a different way and I view my family’s experience as the ‘correct’ way, this does not mean what she is doing is wrong. Fawcett (1996) and Trowell Miles (2004) argued that it is acceptable for students to have these attitudes and preconceptions provided that students identify these and question them through reflection. Therefore, one of the benefits of the child observation f or me was significantly developing the ability to reflect and develop self-awareness. These are useful skills for me as a student social worker because by allowing time to reflect I can begin to recognise and question how my emotions and preconceptions may be affecting my judgement or an assessment of a family or individual and can incorporate this before deciding the next steps to help them (Turney,2008; Mckinnon, 2009). One of the most significant learning points from the child observation for me was when I first met the family, one of the first things x’s mother did was explain the bruise on x’s face and how he was always falling over. Despite my best efforts to ensure the mother that it was purely an observation, I believed she still felt that she was being judged as a mother and felt anxious about being observed. At the time I did not question this because I was very anxious myself, it was only later when I was writing up my notes that I realised how significant this was. Having experienced this, it made me aware of the power imbalances that existed between the observer and the observed. Turney argues that it could be slightly anxious and uncomfortable for those being observed because they are aware of â€Å"the power of the gaze, the power of the looker in relation to the â€Å"looked at†Ã¢â‚¬  (2008: 124). Therefore because x’s mother knew I was observing her she p erhaps felt vulnerable and anxious because she viewed me as being in a more powerful position than her. This could explain why she defended her son’s bruise so early on in the observation. During a normal assessment between a social worker and a client these feelings are intensified. Therefore, this has taught me the importance of remembering that as a social worker I can be intimidating to the client because I am perceived as the more powerful person. As a next step, I must learn the most effective methods and techniques to try and minimise the imbalance of power between myself and the service user. For me the most meaningful aspect of the child observation was when I attempted to explain to x that he was being observed. Despite him being only 18 months old and although I did not feel he understood me due to his age, for me this demonstrated how powerless children are. Young children in particular are totally dependent on adults for their safety and well-being, by not telling the child they were being observed I felt that this was reinforcing their invisibility and undermining their views and opinions. Ruch (2009) commented that some observers believed it was oppressive by not introducing themselves to their child and this is how I felt because by not asking a child for their consent, arguably we are not valuing what they have to say. For example, reports in to the death of children such as Victoria Climbre and Jasmine Beckford, reveal how children were not effectively â€Å"seen and heard† (Fawcett, 1996:18). In addition, inquiries often revealed that there was limited u nderstanding of the child’s world and everyday activities were inadequately described because adult’s interpretations were valued over children’s (Mckinnon, 2009; King, 2002). Turney (2008) believes that the child observation can help to develop the skills of ensuring excluded groups such as children are completely focussed on and is crucial in evaluating whether a vulnerable child is safe or not. Fawcett (1996) argued that observation allows the chance for a child’s voices, stories and opinions to be taken seriously and valued. Therefore, I believe the child observation has helped me to focus on the child, observe what they do and listen to what they say to ensure that they are not invisible. I feel I have significantly improved my understanding of the powerlessness of children which will help me to improve and adapt my communication skills with children. To conclude, for me one of the biggest challenges of the child observation was initially feeling intrusive, however the seminar acted as a â€Å"safe container†, where I could discuss and overcome my anxieties in a safe environment. Subsequently on following visits I found these anxieties soon disappeared. In addition, I found not interacting very challenging, but soon learnt how valuable this was because it gave me an opportunity to reflect and explore my feelings. Recognising and questioning how our values and attitudes may be affecting my judgement or an assessment of a family is a valuable skill in social work and this can be taken in to account when deciding the best help for a family. The child observation has been an important reminder that as a social worker I can appear more powerful and even intimidating to the client, as well as the powerlessness of children. Therefore developing techniques to try and minimise these power imbalances is a crucial next step.

Who Owns the U.S. National Debt? Essay -- Obamas National Debt

"Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt." -- Herbert Hoover A recent topic for political debate, and one that is usually included in most political rhetoric, is the national debt, and the debt ceiling crisis. I believe that there are many misconceptions about this issue, and that politicians use and promote these misconceptions for the purpose of making political arguments. The example of this that sticks out for me is a commercial I saw on television that seems to depict a future where the US has presumably been taken over by China. That commercial seemed a little extreme, so for this paper, I seek to correct these sorts of misconceptions, or to at least show that some arguments about the national debt are a little wrong. Probably the most important misconception about the national debt is the misconception that China owns most of the national debt, and that such a situation makes the United States government a puppet to China. The latter misconception doesn't take much research to see as an exaggeration of the truth. Unlike personal debt, national debt isn't enforced by some higher power. Money owed to China is a deal between the borrower and China, and there aren't any higher powers to force the collection of debts. If China wanted to collect on that debt, the worst they could do is to go to war, and that's rather unrealistic. The main problem with this idea that China owns our government, is the fact that China's share of the national debt isn't as big as people seem to think. For this paper, I took a survey from 12 people. I asked them each, "How much of the national debt do you think is owned by China?" Of those people, 3 thought China owned more than 60 percent of the national debt, 4 though... ... to do. To conclude, the national debt is indeed an important issue that needs to be discussed, but it is important also to not take what you hear about it in political arguments as fact. Knowing the truth about issues like this can help you better understand what politicians are really saying, and will help you avoid being manipulated by fear tactics like that commercial about a Chinese-dominated future. Works Cited Historical Data on the Federal Debt. Rep. N.p.: Congressional Budget Office, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. . Surowiecki, James. "Smash the Ceiling." The New Yorker. N.p., 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. "Who Really Owns the U.S. National Debt?" Townhall Finance. N.p., 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. Herbert Hoover Quote http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/national_debt.html#SP3YaWVBGy0KE3ET.99

A Separate Peace Book

I am writing this letter to inform you on reasons why I would recommend your book, A Separate Peace. After reading A Separate Peace, this book is surely one of the best books I ever read. Its interesting story line that is very easy to follow kept me curious on what was happening next. A Separate Peace’s beauty, vitality and purpose will keep every reader extremely interested. I would highly recommend this novel to young adults. I was very interested in the story’s beauty.You gave me a more detailed view on the fact that you can find a friendship in anyone, and it's very important to understand the solidarity and the very magnitude of a good friend. Also, I was very attracted to your use of symbolism from different objects to represent the relations to the characters. The quote, â€Å"He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he. I couldn’t stan d this†¦Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud. It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten† (Knowles 153), signifies the climax of the novel.Gene finally does something to potentially hurt Finny. However, what he realizes is that Finny was never trying to compete with him, that what he truly always wanted was a friendship, nothing more, nothing less. Also, the quote explains that it is Gene's first clumsy action, which makes him seem superior to Finny, but actually isn’t. I believe that this proves that Gene feels extremely lower than Finny, which pro bably caused him to jounce the limb and have Finny fall off to his bad luck.I feel people don't really know who their best friends are until they really look upon what someone has on the inside. When it comes to friendship, there could be â€Å"A Separate Peace† in someone that is completely different and you proved that very well. What else made me so interested was the story’s vitality. The vitality of the story was interesting because it shows how jealousy can ruin friendships but also people learn and grow from this. Also, the characters were never in a stable state of reality. You used the energetic style of ocial constructivism , where people create their own reality, to form a â€Å"separate peace† from war (disagreement) to the Winter Carnival (peace) created in the story, similar to the same concept of the film Fight Club directed by David Fincher. I believe your use of this kind of style was very complicated to understand prior to finishing the novel; but once I was done reading it, I understood the concept of your use of symbolism to show how the different objects and time periods relate to the characters lifestyle.Finally, the most significant and interesting part of the novel – the purpose. Most people might disagree with the purpose of the novel, since the social constructivism was difficult to understand. We all have different approaches for the novel’s purpose. Some might believe that the purpose was to get a visual on the separations of friends as we get older and how we see people for their true colors. I believe that the purpose was the characters were eating for the company of someone else to feel complete, but in order to be happy with others, they had to be happy with themselves.That’s what Gene couldn’t understand until the death of Finny. The quote, â€Å"I did not cry when I stood watching him being lowered into the family’s strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston. I could n ot escape a feeling that it was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case† (Knowles 194), proves how close Gene felt to Finny, even at his death. Gene's feeling that it is his own funeral explains he has lost a part of himself; it is clear that Finny and Gene had become very close. He will never be the same without Finny by his side.I believe young adults will find this story very interesting. From its easy to follow story line, its views and numerous of lessons taught , young adults can relate to this novel. I believe this story will continue to be popular since it was republished 4 times since the most recent publishing in 1996. Also, others have been inspired by this story such as Meg Rosoff's 2007 novel What I Was. My one question that I ask is thou many readers have different opinions about the novel’s purpose, what is the original purpose you explained?

The Aryan Brotherhood A Notorious Prison Gang

The Aryan Brotherhood (also known as the AB or the Brand) is a white-only prison gang formed in the 1960s at San Quentin State Prison. The gangs purpose at that time was to protect white inmates from being physically attacked by black and Hispanic inmates. Today the AB is reportedly more interested in money and is known for its involvement in  murder, narcotics trafficking, extortion, gambling, and robbery. History of the Aryan Brotherhood At San Quentin State Prison during the 1950s, a renegade motorcycle gang with strong Irish roots formed the Diamond Tooth Gang. The gangs main purpose was to protect white inmates from being assaulted from other racial groups within the prison. The name, Diamond Tooth, was chosen because many in the  gang had tiny pieces of glass embedded in their teeth. In the early 1960s, wanting more control, the gang  expanded its recruiting efforts and attracted more white-supremacist and violent prone inmates. As the gang grew, they changed the name from Diamond Tooth to Blue Bird. By the late 1960s, racial unrest increased throughout the nation and the desegregation within the prisons took place and stronger racial tensions grew within the prison yards. The Black Guerrilla Family, a gang made up of black-only members, became a real threat to the Blue Birds and the group looked toward other prison white-only gangs to form an alliance which became known as the Aryan Brotherhood. A Blood In-Blood Out philosophy took hold and the AB raged a war of intimidation and control within the prison. They demanded respect from all inmates and would kill to get it. Power Driven During the 1980s with control intact, the purpose of the AB shifted from being merely a protective shield for whites. They also sought full control over illegal prison activities for financial gain. As gang membership grew and members were let out of prison and re-entered other prisons, it became clear that an organized system was needed. Protection, extortion, narcotics, weapons and murder-for-hire schemes were paying off and the gang wanted to expand its power to other prisons across the country. Federal and State Factions Part of the AB setting up a strict organizational structure was the decision to have two factions; the Federal faction who would control the gang activities in federal prisons and the California state faction which kept control over the state prisons. Aryan Brotherhood Symbols Shamrock cloverleafInitials ABSwastikasDouble lightning boltsThe numbers 666HH for Heil HitlerA Falcon resembling the Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, meaning We OurselvesKnown to use Gaelic (old Irish) symbols as a method of coding communicationsAryan Brotherhood groups from other states often include the name of the stateLetters and exclamation points separated by happy faces Enemies/Rivals The Aryan Brotherhood has traditionally demonstrated a deep hatred toward black individuals and members of black gangs, such as the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), Crips, Bloods, and El Rukns. They also are rivals with the La Nuestra Familia (NF) because of their alliance with the Mexican Mafia. Allies The Aryan Brotherhood: Maintains a working relationship with the Mexican Mafia (EME).Works with some black groups in an effort to encourage possible prison disturbances and to deal drugs to the black prison population.Compatible with most motorcycle gangs as many of the AB members come from motorcycle gangs.Compatible with most white supremacy groups. This often leads to confusion in distinguishing AB members from other white supremacist groups, particularly when making identification by their tattoos or symbols.Copycat Aryan Brotherhood groups are generally tolerated by true members. However, federal and California ABs do not consider them to be legitimate and may threaten violence if AB tattoos are not burned or cut off.Actively cooperates with the Dirty White Boys, an Anglo spin-off gang of the Texas Syndicate. Similar cooperation has been observed with the Silent Brotherhood. Communications As an attempt to break up AB gang activity, prison officials placed many of the top AB leaders in ultra-maximum security prisons such as Pelican Bay yet communications continued, including orders to kill snitches and rival gang members. Older members had long perfected communicating with hand language as well as using codes and a 400-year-old binary alphabet system to communicate in writing. Cryptic notes would be concealed throughout the prison.​ Busting Up the AB In August 2002, after a six-year investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) nearly all suspected AB gang leaders were indicted and charged with murder, contract hits, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, robbery, and narcotics trafficking. Ultimately, four of the top AB leaders were found guilty and given life sentences without the possibility of parole. Barry The Barron Mills: Alleged leader of the Aryan Brotherhoods operations in the federal prison system.Tyler Davis The Hulk Bingham: Alleged leader who worked with Mills in the federal prison branch of the AB.Edgar The Snail Hevle: Allegedly, a former top-level member of the three-man commission that oversaw the federal branch of the prison gang.Christopher Overton Gibson: Allegedly, a member of the group in charge of the gangs day-to-day activities. Although some felt hopeful that removing the top leaders of the AB would result in the demise of the gang as a whole, many believed it was a mere setback with vacant positions quickly filled by other gang members and business continued as usual. Aryan Brotherhood Trivia Charles Manson was denied membership into the AB gang because the leaders found his type of murder, distasteful. However, they did utilize the women visiting Manson as a means of smuggling in narcotics. The Aryan Brotherhood was hired to protect mobster boss John Gotti during his incarceration after he was attacked by an inmate. This relationship resulted in many murders-by-hire between the AB and the Mafia. Source Florida Dept. of Corrections