Head Start Programs Try To Deal With Sequester Cuts - Essay Example

?Functionalism is ultimately a theory of human psychology and behavior that seeks to define and understand the causal relationship that exists between the beliefs, desires, sense of being, an understanding of emotions that define the human experience and their psychological and physical implementation through behavioral output. Whereas many prior theories of psychological understanding have promoted the belief that nature or nurture is the more powerful complement of behavioral understanding, the functional approach seeks to place the unit of emphasis upon the actual emotion or feeling in question. In such a way, rather than differentiating a broad level of responses between dynamic and unique groups, the functional approach adequately helps to identify key components of human behavior and what ultimately prompts them into exhibiting themselves in the way that they do. Although it is impossible to have any one particular theory adequately explained human behavior on a systemic scale, it is the belief of this author functionalism is one of the few theories that comes the closest to achieving this nebulous and arguably impossible reality. Ultimately, homophobia can be defined as a belief system or personal understanding that the views homosexuality as innately wrong, sinful, or unnatural. Due to the fact that are often times not even capable or willing to engage in a reasoned and/or scientific approach to the issue, the term “phobia” has been co-joined with this definition to define the way in which a fearful repulsion of the idea to recluse into their own beliefs with regards to the subject. Whereas broader society has accepted homosexuality to a great degree over the past several decades, homophobes, regardless of race, gender, or level of religious fanaticism, continue to rabidly and vociferously fight against it. But whereas it is not wrong to oppose something based upon grounds of merit, homophobia is in and of itself a pejorative term due to the fact that individuals who espouse such a belief system are necessarily close minded and unwilling to hear the alternate point of view from their own. Perhaps one of the most basic building blocks of society is the definition of masculine and feminine. Although it may seem convenient to assume that these definitions are rigid and solid/unable to be changed, the fact of the matter is that masculinity and femininity are ultimately defined by the societies in which they are evidenced. However, regardless of the trends in masculinity and femininity that are exhibited in societies around the globe, one fundamental aspect remains unchanged. This is of course with relation to what has been termed by sociologists as the male hegemony. In short, male hegemony is a sociological tool by which males have assured there preeminence and hegemonic status within society; necessarily subjugating females to a secondary role and inferior societal position. Whereas one might assume that this only takes place in undeveloped regions of the Third World, the fact of the matter is that male hegemony exists at each and every level of each and every global society. Though great strides have been made within the past several decades to improve the quality of life for women around the globe, hegemonic male action and societal powers that continue to ensure a male oriented world are still very much in place within modern society and continue to uphold the same standards that they did hundreds, even thousands of years ago. Anti-social personality disorder has been defined as “a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others”. Whereas such a disorder is not new to the spectrum of psychiatric issues, a firm and clear understanding of its definition and symptoms has only relatively recently been delineated. Without delving too deeply into the clinical interpretation of this particular disorder, one can come to understand that individuals that experience this are a fundamental threat to the cohesion and operability of greater society. In such a way, diagnosis and treatment for this is vital so that the integrity of society can be maintained and those individuals that experience and exhibit symptons of ASPD can be treated without delay (Markides, 2007). Ultimately, it does not take a great deal of imagination to see why individuals that suffer from ASPD can pose a severe threat to society and the individuals that they interact with. Without a fundamental appreciation for the rights of others, acts of violence and other illegalities are likely to be performed by such individuals as they do not consider these “natural rights” of others as even worthy of their concern. Whereas certain aspects of education or nutrition might be taken for granted, the Head Start Program, sponsored and funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, helps to provide low income stakeholders within society a clear level of comprehensive education concerning nutrition, health, and other vital components that are deemed necessary to raising a healthy and well developed child. Moreover, rather than merely focusing upon the physical health of the child/children in question, the program also seeks to help define the familial roles that the stakeholders should be seeking to promote. As a result of the fact that more and more “non-traditional” families exist, such programs have found it necessary to morph their curriculum and change their approaches with the times so that more applicable and realistic challenges can be integrated with each successive decade. Essay: Access to Education – Universal? As a result of living in a democratic society with a relatively high level of personal wealth, as compared to the rest of the world, it might be easily believed that complete equality might already be realized. Naturally, equality is a very broad term and is not only impact upon the way in which minorities or others have access and equal chances of engaging in any of the benefits and/or opportunities that the majority does; rather, equality extends far beyond this and encompasses each and every group within society. One of the prominent arguments that has been put forward recently is the fact that each and every student has an equal access to education. As a function of analyzing the overall the quality that current society provides, this brief analysis will engage the reader with an understanding and interpretation of some of the arguments for such an approach as well some of the arguments against such an understanding. It is the hope of this author that by engaging in a more nuanced and complete level of understanding with regards the specific statement, the reader will be able to come to a more appreciable level of understanding with respect to the overall level of equality and equal access to education that exists within current society. Firstly, with respect to some of the blockages that equal access to education portends, it must be understood that in the order to measure this determinant, it is necessary to begin measurements at the very earliest grades and extend these all the way until university. Furthermore, it is not necessary to carry out that analysis with regards to the realities of education in societies such as the United States, or countries of Western Europe, to realize that key demographics are oftentimes left extraordinarily disadvantaged with respect to this “equal access”. Studies have been performed that state that minorities within the United States, and elsewhere, as a result of economic hardship, are not able to dedicate resources and time that non-minorities are with regards to furthering and placing a high level of emphasis upon their educational aspirations. In such a way, even though it might be claimed that the access to education is universal, the approach by which these individuals could hope to integrate with it is extraordinarily limited. By much the same token, the reader should appreciate that the current cost of education throughout the developed world has risen precipitously over the years; so much so that only economically powerful or privileged individuals are able to integrate with. This is of course the stronger of the two arguments that will be presented. Even if one considers the fact that the average salary within the United States others within the $40,000 a year range, it is unreasonable to expect that a newly graduated high school student will have available funding for a university degree that could cost well over $100,000 (to include living off, books, and a variety of other expenses. In such a way, the price of education exceeds what the average lower-middle income stakeholder within the economy is capable of paying for. Another economic factor that must be considered is with respect to the reality that certain geographic regions and key jurisdictions are invariably that are funded and more able to promote the educational needs of the stakeholders that they represent. This is a particularly troubling factor due to the fact that it is almost impossible to ensure that each and every weekend and/or jurisdiction is able to speak to the needs of its stakeholders to the same level. As a result of this economic disparity, individuals from one particular jurisdiction or location will necessarily have a far greater ease of access to educational furtherance of their lives and career as opposed others. One need not look very deep in order to see the way in which rural areas are invariably cash-strapped and desperate to fill the technological requirements that education demands; whereas the more urban centers are oftentimes able to leverage a higher degree of tax returns as a means of promoting these unique skills and equipment needs to the end stakeholder. On the converse side of the argument, it must be understood that the current level of educational offerings that exist within society, and the economy, far exceed anything that has ever been evidenced before in history. Free public education exists from pre-K all the way up until high school graduation. Moreover, special federal programs assist individuals in lower income areas in defraying the costs of student meals and many of the other added difficulties that are oftentimes part and parcel of supporting a student prior to college. Moreover, another argument that definitively supports the belief that there is something of a universal level of access to education within current society is the fact that more and more disadvantaged and minority students are not only graduating from high school but enrolling for college and finding their way into rewarding careers than at any other time in the nation’s history. Further, yet another argument for the fact that a level of universal access to education exists within society is the fact that regardless of the price that tuition might incur, a litany of fiduciary agencies and institutions are available to even the most disadvantaged student as a means of defraying the cost of education. Though it is true that this exorbitantly expensive process is only getting more and more expensive each and every successive year, these financial entities, in conjunction with government programs, are able to bring these costs to a degree that is manageable and approachable by almost each and every student. It is the belief and understanding of this particular student, after a thorough analysis and careful consideration of the determinant factors which of the process, that even though a great improvement has been noted in the past several decades with regards to availability and access to education, it cannot be stated that an equal level of access exists across the board. Rather than taking this to mean that the entire societal and educational system is fundamentally flawed and/or broken, it is the belief of this author that such a level of realization should instead by promoted as a means of furthering the ongoing struggle that education has perennially represented; i.e. to engage more and more individuals and continually strive to be as idyllic as possible. Ultimately, it is doubtful if society will ever be able to promote an educational system that is unilaterally and universally accessible by each and every member of society. As global demographics continue to shift, new waves of migration are evidenced, and key economic trends come to light within an increasingly globalized world, the level and extent to which stakeholders will need to change metrics and promote key accessibility issues will likely perennially be in a state of flux and improvement. However, the fact that education is unlikely to ever meet this high standard of universal accessibility is not in and of itself reason to give up on such a hope; rather, it is merely part and parcel of the improvement process that has been engaged to one degree or another of he past several decades. Mini Essay News Article Analysis: Prop 8 One of the most hotly contested legal issues of the past decade is with regards to the homosexual marriage ban that was enacted via an amendment to California’s law that stated marriage was intended and should be defined as solely between one man and one woman. This particular bill, although sponsored by many entities, was primarily funded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons). You in such a way, the Mormon Church came to find itself under a high degree of pressure from homosexual rights activists that were seeking to promote a greater level of civil rights for homosexuals within California, and throughout the United States. As such, the article that was read as a means of informing this particular response, entitled “State Supreme Court shuts down stay of same-sex marriage”, but at the lengths to which anti-homosexual rights activists have gone to in light of the recent federal Supreme Court ruling that Prop 8 is an unconstitutional arbitrage of civil rights (Schimbles, 2013). Whereas labeling any particular group is always something that is somewhat dangerous, due to the fact that bias and stereotyping might result, it can definitively be said that many of the supporters and backers of Prop 8 were, and in fact remain, patently homophobic. As the article notes, the fervor tenacity by which these individuals have sought out alternative legal means as a way of stopping homosexual marriage attests to this dogmatic interpretation of the particularly narrow-minded worldview. The further, as the article delineates, the individuals who have seen their efforts foiled by the United States Supreme Court, were undeterred and remain philosophically and morally convinced that their particular interpretation of marriage is the only one which should be considered; regardless of whatever democratic means might be employed. http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/prop-8-sponsors-reiterate-bid-stay-same-sex-weddin/nYrJc/ Head Start Mini Essay/News Article Analysis As with nearly every federal program, the Head Start Program has recently had to deal with the specter of sequester cuts; necessitated by the difficult economic times. The article in question, “Head Start Programs to Deal with Sequester Cuts”, discusses the means by which this particular program will have to cope with a massive reduction in funding levels. Interestingly, rather than merely noting that key difficulties the present themselves in the very near future, the authors of this particular piece emphasize the positive way in which this particular program has assisted untold tens of thousands of low-income and disenfranchised individuals within society. The authors go on to describe the fact that even though a democratic controlled Senate and sitting President help to direct the future of how social programs are exhibited within the economy, Head Start is slated to lose fully 422 million dollars of funding during this fiscal year; affecting in excess of 70,000 families that had previously relied at upon their services to promote better education, nutrition and other positive factors among the most economically depressed regions of the nation (Billingsly, 2013). Whereas it cannot be understood that any one particular social program should be cut or that no one would be affected by such a cut, the authors of the article definitively state that the sheer scope of this impact will not be felt for many years. Rather, the absence and/or reduction of programs such as Head Start will have their full impacts felt further down the line as these stakeholders that might have engaged with their services mature and enter the workforce. Such an understanding necessarily leaves the reader with the keen interpretation that the reduction of funds to Head Start could create something of a ticking time bomb for society and/or for the workforce. http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/07/15/head-start-sequester References Billingsly, A. (2013, April 23). Head Start Programs Try To Deal With Sequester Cuts | Here & Now. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/07/15/head-start-sequester Markides, K. (2007). Encyclopedia of health & aging. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Schimbles, R. (2013, July 14). State supreme court shoots down stay on same-sex marriages | www.ktvu.com. Retrieved July 15, 2013, from http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/prop-8-sponsors-reiterate-bid-stay-same-sex-weddin/nYrJc/ Read More