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.

US History :: American History

In 1828 Andrew Jackson was elected as President, as a favorite among the United States many view him as the Hero of New Orleans. He is to many the epitome of a gentleman and that he embodies the ideals of many Americans. He views himself as the President of all the people and likes the idea of having those who worked for the government to depend on him. Jackson however, was ignorant to many of the fields that would have been beneficial to him and the United States had he not been so unwilling to accept advice from experts. His lack of knowledge of the banking system was evident; however, he had Nicholas Biddle to thank for keeping the system afloat. Biddle brilliantly maintained the Bank of the United States which in turn ensured that many financial institutions were able to maintain their efficiency. Despite Jackson's efforts to destroy the bank because of the monopoly it allowed, this short-lived veto was reversed. Biddle's efficient means of running the bank ensured a stab le economy for the United States. Jefferson continues to lose favor among Americans because of his tyrannical style of leadership. The creation of the Whig party, led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, demonstrates the patriotic dislike held by many Americans. They aimed to influence President Jefferson and the Jacksonians to face and approach economic problems form a broad national perspective. Unfortunately there was no dominant leader who was able to achieve this goal. Society continues to change and the population within the United States continues to grow. From the span of 1790 to the 1850s the population increased from 3.9 million people to a little over 23 million people. Cities continued to grow and new towns continued to emerge causing an increase in farms and factories. This increase in population and town size was more prevalent in the Northeast in comparison to the South. The South saw its primary growth in Mobile, Charleston, Savannah, and Baltimore. During the Second Great Awakening revivals led by Charles Grandison Finney were being held in towns along the Erie Canal from 1826 to 1831 where he preached that his listeners should take their salvation into their own hands. The abolition of slavery was in the forefront by the 1820s however, there were not many supporters because many felt it could only be abolished through a revolution.

4 Marks of the Church

â€Å"A reaction paper on the four marks of the Church† There are a lot of different existing Churches worshiping the same God, who are trying to follow the way that Christ lived. But for the people to distinguish the Roman Catholic Church from all the other Churches there are these four marks of the Roman Catholic Church that was given so that the distinct characteristics of the Church would be evident to the people.These characteristics are, the Church is One, the Church is Catholic, the Church is Holy and the last one is the Church being Apostolic. As we progress through this paper, each of these four would be discussed based on how I have understood about this topic which was discussed in our class. Some additional information based on my further research regarding the topic may also be injected to further enhance my reaction regarding the topic.The first mark that distinguishes the Roman Catholic Church from other Churches is the Church being one. The Church being one per tains to being a unified community. The Church being one means that the Roman Catholic Church is one body of Christ that functions as a unit, which means, that if one does not do its function, all the other people of the Church would fail to function properly because they all belong to a single body. It also means that the Church believes in one God, and that there is one Lord, one faith and one baptism.Though people belonging to the Roman Catholic Church belongs to different nations, are of different vocations, have different talents and follows different cultures, the diversity found in this church does not prevent the people to act as one community where there is harmonious unity. This oneness is also visible in the Church’s creed and other teachings, and so as in the celebration of the sacraments. Basically the Roman Catholic Church is considered one because of three reasons, namely, its source, its founder, and because of its soul.The Church is said to be one because of its source which is the Holy Trinity, which is a perfect unity of three divine persons, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The next reason is because of its founder, who is no other than Jesus Christ, who gathered and united the people through salvation from sin. And the third reason is because of its soul, which is the Holy Spirit, who resides in the souls of the faithful and unites them in communion. The Church being Catholic is the next characteristic that was given to the Roman Catholic Church.The term â€Å"Catholic† which means Universal could actually explain this trait by the word itself. It simply says that being one body of Christ is nit limited by race, culture, and not even by time. It means that anybody could become a part of the Church at any given time. This also states that the Church here on earth is also one with the Church in heaven and also the Church in purgatory. This is where the understanding about the communion of saints came from.It shows the union of the faithful here on earth to the union to the faithful in purgatory and those who are faithful in heaven, thus, making the Roman Catholic Church, universal. The third mark, which is the Church is Holy signifies the Church being special. The word â€Å"holy† means set apart which only shows that the Church has a special purpose by and for God. The Church is also marked as holy because people are freed from original sin through baptism. The church is also marked by outstanding holiness shown in the lives of saints.Since the members of the church are human beings, it is only normal that they would sin due to their human nature, which is the opposite of being holy. But, people who are faithful who sin would repent whenever they sin which is the path through holiness. The Church is also holy because of its source who is the Lord who is holy. Through the Church’s teachings, worship and prayer, and good works, the Church is a visible sign of Holiness. The last mar is the fou rth mark of the Roman Catholic Church which is the Church is Apostolic.From its root word â€Å"apostle† we could derive that the Church was entrusted by its founder (Jesus Christ) to the apostles who served as the first bishops and entrusted special authority to St. Peter, who is the first pope and bishop of Rome. Through the apostles, the Church continued on and this authority over the church was handed down to each generation through what we call the apostolic succession. There are no bishop, priest, or deacon in the Church that was self ordained.Each one of them was called by the Church and ordained into what we call apostolic ministry which is given to us by the Lord to be exercised by the Church in one with the Pope. The Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture of the Church was also passed down and preserved by apostles under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. These four marks, namely, the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic are indicators that the Church is the Rom an Catholic Church. Other churches may also reflect some of these marks but it is only the Roman Catholic Church who fully professes these marks.Though the four marks are different, they are all interconnected to one another. The Church is catholic because it is universal, that is the reason why it is also one. The church acts as a community that is why it acts in unison, but, its actions are all based on holiness because the Church being one shows that it is the one body of Christ which follows one head who is also the founder of the Church who is Christ. The people of the Church know the responsibilities that Christ left them because of the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Traditions which was passed down by the apostles.To lead the people, Christ also entrusted the authority to His apostles and entrusted St. Peter special authority over the Church. This said authority is followed and passed down to the future generations through what we call apostolic succession. This said example is only one of the many ways on how these four marks are interrelated to each other. And the full work and manifestation of these marks as a mission sets the Roman Catholic Church apart and identifies them from the other Churches.

Choosing Destiny Essays - Hairstyles, Rachel Green, Friends

Choosing Destiny Essays - Hairstyles, Rachel Green, Friends Choosing Destiny Throughout life, one will encounter many ups, downs, highs and lows. It's quite obvious that some will handle the downs and lows better than others. These problems can range anywhere from something serious such as family conflicts, or it may be something foolish like laundry issues. Others find that their lows in life are due to the fact that they face the same daily obstacles, and tend to get annoyed with the repetition behind them. Life all of a sudden seems to have no particular meaning, and a person begins to feel worthless. Life in itself is repetitive, however a person can only take so much until they begin to need a serious modification. The concept stated above is demonstrated in A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence and The Book of Eve by Constance Beresford-Howe. In A Jest of God, Rachel is deprived of a fulfilling lifestyle mainly because of the limits she is placed under by her mother. Day in, and day out, Rachel is living a confined life and feels there is no possibility of changing it. Her sister Stacey has married and moved away and Rachel is the only support her mother has. Rachel feels obliged to provide and care for her. After her affair with Nick Kazlik, Rachel begins to have a different outlook on life and therefore decides to change it drastically. In The Book of Eve, Eve is restricted to some of life's simple things such as going out for walks. Her husband Burt is afraid of fire and resents being left alone even for short intervals. After Eva decides to leave, she experiences a whole new lifestyle. Eva now has enough time to go out for strolls, 'shop', and is still left with too much time in which to cont emplate her situation. In each novel it's evident that the protagonists are getting fed up with their lives and are taking matters into their own hands. In A Jest of God the protagonist is Rachel, a thin, tall, lanky teacher in the town of Manawaka. Rachel lives with, supports and cares for her mother despite her somewhat negative feelings towards her. Rachel's sister Stacey does not care to visit her mother, and clearly does not have any intentions of attending to her medical needs. Therefore, Rachel is left with an awfully irritating mother who criticizes and controls her life wherever, and whenever she gets the opportunity to do so. At the age of thirty-four, Rachel is unmarried and living with her mother. Her life revolves mainly around her grade one class at the school she teaches, and her wonderful mother. She doesn't exactly associate with many people except for Calla, a teacher at her school and Willard Sidley, the principal of the institution. Rachel rarely goes out except for the occasional movie with Calla. Calla frequents a local Tabernacle, and quite often invites Rachel to go along. However, she does not feel comfortable attending such a place and rarely agrees to going. Willard also invites Rachel to dinner with his wife and a friend, but Rachel doesn't necessarily appreciate their company and declines the offer. As a result of her ordinary life, Rachel begins to long for something different, particularly a husband. The person to thank for Rachel's change is Nick Klazik. He comes into her life as a wake up call! As Rachel's sexual affair with Nick becomes more intense, the reader notices a significant change in Rachel's outlook on life. Until Nick came along, she kept more to herself and thought of nothing more than living a day to day humble life. However, Nick brought out the best in her and it's clear that Rachel's ideas about her future begin to change drastically, particularly regarding children. Rachel mentions quite often her studies of babies and their mothers. Rachel will speak of a baby and automatically give reference to a book she read regarding the same topic. For the first time, Rachel feels loved and begins to consider marriage and a family. For Rachel, the only family she has is her mother. She has no sense of having something of her 'own', such as a husband and children. Nick has been the change in

Should You Change Companies or Careers

Should You Change Companies or Careers So you’re just not that into your job. Maybe you actively hate it and it’s making you intensely miserable. But before you go nuclear and quit- ask yourself a few questions first. It could well be that your biggest beef is not with your job, per se, but with a smaller aspect of it that’s fixable. You might be able to save yourself the career 180 by taking a few minutes to figure out what the real problem is. First, ask yourself the following questions.What do you like and dislike most about your job?What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your current job? Sit down and make an actual list. Start with the stuff you hate- that’s probably fSo you’re just not that into your job. Maybe you actively hate it and it’s making you intensely miserable. But before you go nuclear and quit- ask yourself a few questions first. remost in your mind anyway. Then force yourself to come up with a list of aspects of your work that are not only tolerable , but perhaps even a bit enjoyable. If you can’t think of anything that leaves you feeling fulfilled, then there’s your answer. If you can, and the list of negatives are all about your supervisor or your particular company’s policies, not your actual day-to-day work, then you might need to keep thinking before going for a career change.What vocabulary would you use to describe your boss and coworkers?Again, if these are negative, then it looks like you hate the people you work with, not the work itself. If they’re positive and you’re still miserable at work, then it might be the work that’s really got you down.What would your perfect employer look like?Fantasy baseball. Describe your dream employer. What kind of work culture and benefits would you want? What kind of supervision, training, challenges appeal to you? Describing what you don’t like is a lot easier than coming up with what you actually want, but this is an important step. Now look at what you’ve come up with: are you basically describing your current company or boss? And you still hate your job? That might mean you should change careers. At least now you’ll know what sort of company to look for when you do.Have you been in this position anywhere else?If you’ve worked in your current job before, just at a different company, and you liked it, that’s a good sign that you hate your company/employer, not your job. If you’ve never liked the work- even in a company drastically different from your current one, then, well, you have your answer.If you figure out that you do, in fact, want to change careers, keep in mind that it can be a daunting process. Nobody loves change. And switching careers takes a lot of effort, time, money, and logistical prowess. If you’re sure you should, but are feeling hesitant, you might want to consider taking the leap sooner rather than later.The trick is to make sure you make a better c hoice this time around. That means doing a bit more soul searching. Here are three things to keep in mind so you’ll choose a career and job that you actually like (and will never have to go through this again).1. Pick your life, not your job.You may think you want to do a certain kind of work. You want the perks and prestige that go with it, perhaps. But look at the lives of the people in that job. Do they have them? Do they have any time to spend with family or friends? Are they fulfilled in other areas? Do they die young from excessive stress? Find a job that gives you the lifestyle you want first and foremost. That will guarantee you’ll be happier in the long term.2. Understand that the grass isn’t always greener.You may catch a rosy outside glimpse into someone else’s life in some other career, but remember that looks can be deceiving. Dig a little deeper than the veneer of what you see looking in. Find the discrepancies and complications before you s tart fantasizing about someone else’s career. Spend more time thinking about what you like, rather than what looks shiny from the outside.3. Don’t commit too fast.This is especially true if you’re early in your career. Job hopping is becoming much less stigmatized. Search around a little bit before overcommitting to one path and getting stuck. Don’t rush off to a graduate program in something you’re not sure about, for example. Make sure you like it before you invest the time and money.Just remember: ask yourself the hard questions, and follow your bliss as much as you can.

Water quality method for chemistry lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water quality method for chemistry - Lab Report Example The materials used in the experiment included the surface water test kit. The kit was from Hach Company. While conducting the experiment, safety procedures were fundamental; since the water was hazardous, protective clothing such as globes was important (W.H.O 114).   The test kit contains all materials required to perform the experiment, for example, reagents for testing chlorine content in water (Sturman & Kuruvilla 77).   There are other materials such as test tubes to put the surface water before adding reagents to test for various parameters.   With the help of a Grab sampler, collection of water samples was easy.   After collecting the water sample, appearance evaluation was present to determine the color, turbidity and presence of organic materials.   From the sample, odor was determinable via wafting.   The amount of dissolved oxygen in water was determinable via adherence to procedures from the test kit (W.H.O 116).   A PH meter from the test kit indicated the level of PH in the water sample.   The recording of water temperature was possible by following the test kit directions.   The nitrate test entailed additions of zinc sulfanilamide to the water sample and the results recorded.   The Hach kit aided determination of ammonia plus chlorine by following instructions from the Kit.   All the results from the tests were in records by all members of the group (Sturman & Kuruvilla 78). Observation of the water sample indicated clarity with small amounts of suspended solids. The water was clear, meaning that there was no color.

Detection of artefacts in sleep studies data Literature review

Detection of artefacts in sleep studies data - Literature review Example The studies have yielded different findings and this implies that scientists are yet to comprehend the phenomenon fully. However, empirical studies have established that sleep is important for enhancing normal and healthy performance of physical and mental aspects of the human body. In addition to these findings, sleeping process has been exclusively studied to establish the various stages involved and the brains level of activity during the process. This paper investigates the various stages of sleep and the role of sleep to human beings. Recent scientific studies have discredited the common misconception that regarded sleep as a dormant mental state. Scientists have established that the brain maintains a high level of activity during sleep. In addition, sleep influences the physical and mental functioning of our bodies in various ways that continue to attract numerous studies in order to enhance our understanding about the phenomenon (Baddely, 2000). Nerve-triggering chemicals call ed neurotransmitters determine whether we are awake or sleep by stimulating various groups of nerve cells and neurons in the brain. In the brainstem that links the brain with the spinal cord, neurons produce various neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin that ensures that some parts of the brain remain active while in a wakeful state. When we begin falling asleep, neurons at the base of the brain start signalling and they suppress the neurotransmitters that keep us awake (Espana and Scammel, 2011). According to Espana and Scammel (2011), the state of wakefulness is enhanced by neurons present in the midbrain, pons, and in the posterior hypothalamus that produce various types of neurotransmitters, including histamine, serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, orexin and norepinephrine. The neurotransmitters that determine wakefulness and sleep diffuse actively in the brain, activating the targeted regions of in the cortex and forebrain. The reciprocal inhibition that occurs between sleep and wake controlling regions in the brain helps in the production of sleep and wakefulness with quick transitions between the states (Espana and Scammel, 2011, p 847). Scientists use three basic measures to classify sleep into different stages. The three measures include the gross brain activity, muscle tone and the eye movement (Carlson, 2001). Electroencephalograph (EEG) machine detects gross brain wave activity from which it produces summary of electrical action from the brain. The muscle tone is measured using an electromyogram (EMG) machine while eye movements during sleep are recorded using electro- oculogram (EOG). According to Harvey and Bruce (2006), electroencephalograph (EEG) is the most widely applied measure of distinguishing the different sleep stages while electromyogram (EMG) and electro-encephalograph are crucial in differentiating rapid eye movement (REM) sleep from the other types. Two different states alternate in cycles when a person is asleep and they portray the varying levels of neural activity in the brain. The states that constitute sleep are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) (Zhang, 2004). According to Zhang (2004), each of these states is associated with a unique and different form of brain wave activity. Non -rapid eye movement (NREM) is subdivided into four different stages that include stage 1, 2, 3 and 4. Therefore, typical sleep is made up of five stages, where NREM constitute 75% and the rest is REM (Carlson, 2001). The stages of REM sleep and NREM