Can Parental Involvement be promoted effectively

Can Parental Involvement be promoted effectively This review aims to contemplate some of the fundamental issues that need to be addressed in order for schools to promote PI effectively. It starts by placing PI within a political and historical setting. It then discusses the difficulty in defining PI and how differing perceptions might actually pose as a barrier to promoting it effectively in schools. The review goes on to explore two theories/models of PI (Epstein, Hoover-Dempsey Sandler) which are thought to merit particular consideration in terms of schools developing a framework conducive to the effective promotion of PI. Communication is also discussed in order to highlight some of the basic issues in schools surrounding this area and some of the strategies that might enhance it. The review concludes that some of the language associated with PI can be ambiguous and therefore problematic due to the differing perceptions of meaning. It is important for schools, parents and pupils to all agree on a definition of terms and this is likely to be unique to every school. It is also suggested that in order for schools to promote participation effectively, it is best to have a framework in place which takes account of sociological and psychological factors regarding the agencies involved. The theories/models of Epstein and Hoover-Dempsey provide useful tools for schools in developing an individualised framework designed to accommodate the various dimensions associated with PI, including those advocated by the Scottish Government. However, care has to be taken so that frameworks do not become too pre-occupied with the goals of the school at the expense of the needs of pupils and parents. Successful PI depends largely on the level and type of communication between schools and homes. If schools do not seek to utilise strategies which enable deeper two way communication with parents then it is unlikely that any attempts to promote it will be effective in the long term. Rationale: The division between home and school was a very clear one, marked symbolically by the white line in the playground which parents were not expected to cross (Edwards Redfern, 1988, p.11). The white line symbolising a division between home and school is no longer visible in playgrounds, but does this legacy live on through what could be interpreted as a lack of commitment in schools towards building solid working relationships with all parents? The benefits of Parental Involvement(PI) in education are widely recognised and there is now consensus regarding a link between the above and positive student achievement (Desforges Abouchaar, 2003), with home involvement in particular thought to have the greatest impact (Desforges Abouchaar, 2003, Harris Goodall, 2007). Nevertheless, accounting for this knowledge, it could be said that many schools still struggle when it comes to creating and sustaining an environment which make parents feel part of the school community. Having experienced some time in schools as both parent and teacher, I have observed the difficulties a school faces when trying to promote the involvement of parents in school life, as well as the difficulties parents can face when trying to become accepted as part of the school community. I was a member of a parent school partnership for two years within my childrens primary school. Six was the highest number of parent members at any one time out of a school that had a roll of 350 children. I am also now a member of the Parent Council in my childrens secondary school and there are currently only seven parent members out of a school with a roll of 750 children. Although it is acknowledged that being involved in ones childs education does not have to include a presence in the classroom or being a member of a formal body, the above observations might make some question how effective schools are at promoting PI and if there is, in general, a lack of real commitment or understanding at a basic level, towards promoting and embedding it in whole school practice. My personal experiences in schools as both parent and student teacher have served to fuel my interest within this area of education. Indeed my involvement in my own childrens education has played a major factor in helping me find the confidence to return to higher education and embark on a teaching career. I have experienced firsthand how involving parents can be mutually beneficial for all concerned. I hope that my research into this area will further my own professional development by providing me with insight and knowledge for maintaining positive relationships with all parents as well as insight into how involvement can be promoted most effectively in primary schools. Introduction and Methodology Research, Government legislation and accountability are certainly some of the reasons why PI can no longer be regarded as token gesture and it could be said that schools are well versed on appropriate strategies for promoting it. Despite this, many still appear to struggle when it comes to developing and sustaining meaningful PI in practice as well as policy. Consequently, this raises the question: How can Parental Involvement be promoted effectively in primary schools? Within contemporary education there is an understanding that the word parent is taken to mean any person who has primary responsibility regarding the care of a child not necessarily the natural parents. (Education Act 1996).The above definition will therefore accommodate the word parent where used in this paper. The Scottish Government indicates a distinction between PI at school and PI at home and gives recognition to the fact that successful involvement is dependent on effective relationships between homes and schools (Scottish Executive 2006; SEED, 2006). For the purpose of this paper, the effective promotion of PI will therefore be taken to mean that schools maintain a degree of success in building meaningful relationships with parents whilst encouraging them to become involved in their childrens education both at school and at home. Accounting for demographics, socio-economic factors, cultural differences and individuality, what might be considered effective for one school promoting the involvement of parents might not be for another. Indeed it could be said that to apply a one size fits all approach is tantamount to denying children the right to be treated as individuals. Individual children have individual parents after all (Crozier, 2001). However, this review is based on the premise that there are basic matters relating to PI which are common to all schools and it is only by initially addressing such foundational matters that schools can begin to promote it effectively. The following review endeavours to give an insight into the above by highlighting various definitions and dimensions of PI, examining two influential theories and models, as well as exploring some of the issues surrounding communication. Some contemplation will also be given to addressing these issues in practice. Any literature that did not indicate relative information on the above was duly disregarded. The paper is informed by the review of selected national and international literature including: books, government documents, government policies, research papers and reports, previous literature reviews, and academic journal articles accessed via Athens. The literature has been sourced from libraries, internet searches, and searching databases such as ERIC, Informaworld and Emerald. Key words or phrases used were: Parental involvement Parental engagement Parent school partnerships Perceptions Home school communication Reference lists from relevant articles and books were also used to help refine searches and identify key experts and theorists within this field. Two experts whose names were recurring features in almost every search and reference list were the Americans, Epstein and Hoover-Dempsey. Their work was therefore probed further for this paper and it was decided it was applicable and indeed appeared to have been influential within the current Scottish PI context. Crozier was also identified as a notable British influence. Apart from outlining a history of PI, it was the intention to keep any literature as current as possible. However, one must account for the fact that there appears to have been a surge in the amount of interest and theories on PI during the late 1980s 1990s and as a consequence, this is the era where some of the important work regarding this area lies. Some of the theories and work put forward during this time still hold strong. Specifically, Epstein and Hoover-Dempsey appear to be continually referred to in even the most recent of literature. It has therefore been considered justifiable to include relevant literature, where appropriate, that may exceed the recommended 10 year threshold. Parental Involvement: A Historical Context Parental involvement within education has been emerging since the early twentieth century. Margaret McMillan, a Christian socialist, born in America to Scottish parents, was one of the first to highlight the importance of parental influence within education, especially in the early years (Fitzgerald, 2004). In the United Kingdom, PI was first given emphasis as a possible factor in the improvement of primary education by Lady Plowden (Fitzgerald, 2004). Her report was written on the basis of a review commissioned by the Central Advisory Council for Education in the 1960s, relating to children and their primary schools. In it, she set out numerous recommendations for enhancing education in England. For instance, she advocated that the individual child should be at the heart of an education system that promotes creativity and spontaneity. She also suggested that improving the relationship between parents and schools was a key element for progression (Central Advisory Council for Education, 1967). Although criticised by many at the time (Gillard, 2004), Browne suggests that this report was behind many of the aspects of PI which are still evident today. For example, school reports, choice regarding the schools that parents send their children to, parents evenings, PTAs (now replaced by paren t forums and councils in some countries) and school open days are all still common place (Browne Haylock, 2004). It could be said that many elements of her report appear to be evident today; guidance on the new Scottish Curriculum for Excellence also emphasises creativity, the importance of educating the individual child as a whole and the need for parents to be part of this process (Scottish Government, 2008). On a social level, the 1980s saw a shift within Western culture between professionals and everyday people. This resulted in the emergence of parents as consumers in education and schools were therefore destined to become accountable to parents as well as governments and local authorities. (Merttens et al., 1996).This is certain to have contributed towards the rising status of PI in Britain during the 1980s. However, on an educational level, Brown Haylock (2004) cite several research reports, within the area of reading specifically, as having a significant impact on attitudes towards PI at this time. Some of these reports include the Haringey Project (Tizard et al., 1982 cited in Brown Haylock, 2004)) and the Belfield Reading Project (Hannon Jackson 1987 cited in Brown Haylock, 2004). Both these reports (and similar studies) found that childrens reading achievement and motivation in school were likely to be higher when parents were involved in reading to their children as well as h elping with reading at home. Research such as this has ensured that the PI movement has been gaining momentum over the past few decades, helped by the agreement of Governments regarding the benefits associated with it. Parents in Scotland can also expect to be consulted as part of HMIE school inspections. International and National Policy Recent government strategies aimed at improving education in many countries are a reflection of how important PI is now perceived to be internationally. For example, Americas No Child Left Behind Act [ NCLB] highlights strengthening partnerships between schools and parents as a key component in its strategic plan to improve education ( US department of Education, 2001) as does The Schooling Strategy in New Zealand (Ministry of Education, 2005). The same year also saw the UK government release the white paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All. It too emphasised the importance of schools communicating with parents (Her Majestys Government, 2005). Focusing on the Scottish context, this was just ahead of Scotlands Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006 which made it a legal responsibility of every education authority in Scotland to promote the involvement of parents in the education of their children (Scottish Executive, 2006).This act links to and builds on many other S cottish legislative policies. For example: The standards in Scotlands Schools Act (SEED 2000) and Education, (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (Seed 2004) also give recognition to the important role parents can play in their childrens education. What is Parental Involvement? Parental involvement is a phrase that is generally used when referring to the role parents play in their childrens education. There appears to be no universal definition. It can mean different things to different people and this in itself may prove problematic for research and implementation. The current Scottish Government guidelines intonate that PI should include 3 specific dimensions: Learning at home, Home/school partnership, and Parental representation (Scottish Executive, 2006). Learning at home covers strategies to help parents to support their childrens learning and development at home. Home/school partnership is about promoting the idea of education being a shared responsibility and encouraging parents to engage with their childs school and education, and Parental representation is about ensuring that the views of parents are put forward and considered i.e. parent forums and councils (Scottish Executive, 2006). Harris Goodall (2007) argue that the phrase Parental Involvement constitutes little value in terms of helping improve education and raise achievement. They use the phrase Parental Engagement (PE) and see this as being distinct from involvement. They make the point that: Parental involvement can encompass a whole range of activities with or within the school, but if they are not directly connected to learning then they will have little impact on pupil achievement (Harris Goodall, 2007, p.6). If promoting PI effectively in schools were to be defined by the measurement of how successful it can be in improving student achievement alone then this point might be indisputable. However, as pointed out in Crozier (2000), it is a complex concept involving relationships, behaviours, actions and attitudes; therefore promoting it effectively in schools surely must take account of all 4 of the above. Although PI as defined by Harris Goodall may have little effect on raising student achievement (which is likely to be a desired result in most schools), they do concede that getting parents into the school is an important first step towards building positive relationships between the two parties (Harris Goodall, 2007). PI will therefore continue to be the general term used in this paper. Parents as Partners Much is made of the word partnership when involving parents in education. The Scottish Government, along with many other countries, advocates that schools should embrace parents as partners. However, one also has to be careful about the meaning of this word (Katyal Evers, 2007; Crozier, 2000; Crozier Reay, 2005). For some, the word partnership might suggest equal responsibility between parent and teacher regarding the education of children. This could be off- putting for parents; they may feel they lack the confidence and knowledge to assume such a role. For others partnership could suggest more power to parents and this could be off -putting for teachers ; they might feel that their professional status is under threat in some way (Crozier, 2000).Perhaps the definition of partnership suggested by Armstrong (1995) cited in Hodge Runswick-Cole (2008, p 638) is one for schools to consider within the context of promoting PI. Armstrong suggests that partnership should imply: Mutual res pect, complimentary expertise and a willingness to learn from each other. This seems to capture the essence that teachers are experts in education and parents are experts in their own children. In summary, the literature examined above appears to highlight ambiguity within some of the language associated with PI. This could perhaps be detrimental to any efforts to promote it effectively. A message common to all schools might be individual establishments need to think carefully about how they define this concept, in terms of what is legally expected of them, in terms of how it might be construed by parents and professionals, and in terms of what goals it is hoped will be achieved by promoting it. Two Theories There are many theories regarding PI; two in particular seem to have had major influence, remaining dominant in literature over the years. It is perhaps of no coincidence then that both appear to stand out as imploring specific relevance within the context of schools working effectively with parents. One seeks to explain parental participation mainly from a socio-ecological perspective and the other primarily from a psychological viewpoint. A Sociological Perspective Joyce Epstein, founder and now director of The National Network of Partnership Schools and the Centre for School, Family and Community Partnerships in America, is a leading figure in the field of PI and has produced a wealth of research- based literature. Epstein appears to focus on a socio-ecological approach which has links to Bronfenbrenners meso-system; relating to ecological theory and the interrelationships between children, peers, family and school (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, cited in Doherty Hughes, 2009). She argues that society has overlapping spheres of influence connected to education. These overlapping spheres of influence are within schools, families and communities (Epstein et al 2002). She puts forward the term school, family and community partnerships and emphasises the idea of education and socialisation being a shared responsibility between these 3 agencies. (Epstein et al 2002).Epstein sets out a comprehensive, multi-dimensional framework, highlighting six main types of PI: parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Her book Schools, Family and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action- gives detailed definitions of each type and the challenges that go with them [see Epstein et al. (2002) P 14-15] She suggests that categorising possible contributions in this way can help to accommodate all social circumstances, therefore allowing all parents to become involved in their childrens education (Epstein et al., 2002). On the other hand, it is unrealistic for all parents to want or be able to become involved in all six of these areas and Epstein advises schools of the need to tailor this paradigm in order to meet the individual goals and needs of the parents, pupils and schools. Epstein intonates that PI is likely to be more successful when promoted as part of a whole school initiative, in correlation with the goals of the school. For instance, if the goal of the school for a particular year is to improve achievement in maths, she recommends that any participation should be conducive to this goal. It could be said that this also helps to convey the message that parents are important and part of the school plan. She talks of an Action team of representatives involved in any partnership and recommends a yearly review of goals. In Scottish schools, it might make sense to try and tie this in with any existing parent councils. There is, however, research (Henderson Mapp, 2002) which shows formal PI is likely to include middle class parents, with working class parents more inclined to be involved at home. The Henderson Mapp study focused on a sample of American parents but nonetheless, these results might question the extent of which parent councils in Scotland are representative of the diversity in Scottish society. The Scottish Government has perhaps tried to address this issue by making all parents automatic members of a Parent Forum, allowing them to approach the Parent Council at any time to raise concerns regarding school issues. However, there appears to be no studies in Scotland at the moment attempting to find out if all parents are satisfied with the Parent Forum/Council set up. This may be an area for further research within Scottish schools. This said, Epsteins theory and model appears to be consistent with Scottish Government guidelines on PI. Despite the fact that it is written by an American and therefore more likely to be aimed at American Policy, it does seem to promote the aspects involvement that have been emphasised in the Scottish Parental Involvement Act (Learning at home, Home/school partnership and Parental representation), it does give emphasis to partnerships with parents and community as advocated by CfE (Scottish Government, 2008) and it does seem to be adaptable to the differing goals and interpretations surrounding PI. A Psychological Perspective Hoover- Dempsey Sandler (1997) whilst acknowledging the impact of social interactions, highlight a psychological perspective.They conducted a study into why parents become involved (or not) in their childrens education; three psychological constructs are identified. The first is parents role construction: this takes account of what parents actually believe their role should be in their childrens education, including activities and time spent with their children learning. The authors suggest that this is likely to have been influenced by parents own experiences of school and how involved their parents were. The second is parents sense of efficacy: this is defined as the extent to which parents believe they can make a difference to the outcome of their childs achievement by being involved in their education. (Hoover-Dempsey Sandler, 1997) It could be argued that school-based practice can make a difference to negative attitudes by educating parents about the benefits of contributions. A study, carried out by the Scottish Executive in 2005, found that Scottish parents were happy to maintain a supporting role in their childrens education and felt that it was the teachers who should have the principal role. However, it also concluded that many parents were unaware of the potential positive impact their involvement could have on their childrens education. They may also often be unaware of schools expectations of them regarding involvement issues such as homework (Deslandes Rousseau, 2007). Perhaps if parents were more aware of their potential impact and of what schools expect, they might be inclined to want more involvement. Maybe in order to promote PI effectively, schools need to try harder in attempting to get this message across to all parents. This is consistent with be the view of Harris Goodall (2008) who ask the question Do parents know they matter? They concluded the above article by stating that effective parental involvement will not happen unless: Pare nts know the difference that they make, and unless schools actively reinforce that all parents matter. (Harris Goodall, 2008, p.287). Finally, the third construct identified by Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler is: general invitations, demands and opportunities for involvement.This relates to how parents perceive their involvement to be wanted by the school and the child. (Hoover-Dempsey Sandler, 1997). Although the attitude of parents towards the school is very important to the successful promotion of PI, schools should not underestimate the influence of the attitude of the school towards parents. They need to attempt to reach out to all parents and provide opportunities for involvement. This theory/model stresses the need to consider the beliefs and attitudes of individual parents and the roles they construct for themselves .The model was revised in 2005 and identified a need for a distinction to be made between PI at home and PI in school when considering the above. (Green et al., 2007).The Scottish Government also appears to acknowledge this distinction (Scottish Executive, 2006), indicating that schools should promote involvement at home and at school, in an attempt to accommodate the roles that parents feel most comfortable with. Differing perceptions The above serves to highlight what might be seen as a criticism of Epsteins framework. It could be said that although her theory provides a very useful model for participation, which promotes a multi-dimensional approach, it could be interpreted as being very school focused and perhaps does not pay enough attention to the needs and perspectives of parents or how they perceive their role within the school and their childrens education. Barge Loges (2003); Lawson, (2003); Poulou Matsagouras (2007) and Harris Goodall (2008) all give emphasis to the differences in perceptions of PI between teachers, students and parents. While most studies found that all parties agree it is important that parents are involved in childrens education, Lawson (2003) concluded that the ideas of what this involvement should entail were significantly different. Crucially, Barge Loges warn of the dangers of assuming that all parties are on a par as far as parents and involvement is concerned and point out t hat: The differences among these groups expectations can influence the success of implementing parental involvement programmes, (Barges Loges, 2003, p.142).Some might say that this points to a need for individual schools to adopt a collegiality approach and engage in discussion and collaboration with parents, teachers, and students where appropriate, about the goals of the school and expectations of any PI policy or activity. Communication Experts agree communication is critical to the success of PI (Epstein et al. 2002; Desforges, 2003; Hughes Greenhough, 2006; Harris Goodall, 2007; Katyal Evers 2007) and there are many issues surrounding it. It is beyond the parameters of this paper to even attempt to address them all. However, while maintaining a focus on basics, it is thought the following is pertinent to promoting PI effectively in primary schools. Before going any further, it might be useful to consider the meaning of communication. Katyal Evers (2007) acknowledge the complexity of this word with regards to interpretation. It can simply mean: the giving or exchange of information, signals or messages or on a deeper level it needs to account for: the effect the message has on the receiver (Berger 1995 cited in Katyal Evers, 2007, p.67). It could be said that all schools need to contemplate the latter if PI is to be promoted effectively. Superficial communication is unlikely to instil the trust or mutual respect that is required for building solid relationships. Hughes Greenhough (2006) found that schools on the whole are good at giving information to parents regarding activities and events but are less inclined to ask for parental perspectives or opinions. They compare their findings with the views of Hallgarten. He intonated that information in schools was designed to: Increase the flow of information from school to home rather than promote communication between home and school (Hallgarten 2000 cited in Hughes Greenhough, 2006 p. 472).This is suggestive of a lack of regular two-way communication; perhaps indicating that strategies enabling information from homes to be communicated to the school are not being considered enough. Katyal Evers (2007), point out that teachers may gain valuable information, about their pupils, by communicating with parents in informal situations. It could be said that in order for this to happen, teachers need to give parents the impression that they are approachable and available; they have to be visible. He nce, a simple strategy might be for teachers to spend 5 or 10 minutes in the playground before and after school. Once or twice per week could be enough to initiate some valuable two-way communication with parents .Some schools also hold parent breakfasts which the head or deputy attend. This also promotes 2-way communication in a more informal setting which makes the management team visible to parents. A decade into the 21st century and some might say it is imperative that schools consider the use of technology to promote communication and involve parents. Clay (2005) stresses the importance of teachers moving with the times and finding ways of integrating the use of technology to communicate with parents. She cites school web sites, interactive home-work web pages, phone calls, online learning plans and digital portfolios as ways of keeping parents informed using technology. The Scottish Government also appears to see the potential in using technology to enhance communication with parents and Her Majestys Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) identifies this as good practice within the glow ICT initiative starter pack (HMIe, 2010). Glow is a new ICT initiative in Scotland, forming a national intranet that will help with the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. The pack notes indicate that the use of glow has: real potential for improving home-school communication..and, most imp ortantly, allowing greater parental involvement in their childrens learning. A future area of research within PI in Scotland could therefore involve determining the scale of impact glow has had on improving PI in schools. Of course an ethical consideration would have to be that not all parents have access to a computer. As parents develop busier lifestyles, and at a time when teachers also appear to struggle to find the time to do all that needs doing, Graham-Clay (2005, p 123) cites a valid point made by Brewer Kallick, (1996): Technology also holds promise to allow teachers communication opportunities not limited by school hours or location. Perhaps, most noteworthy for the effective promotion of PI, Graham -Clay also warns of the need to: retain a human touch. Conclusions It is hoped that this review has offered a fundamentalist view on how PI can be promoted more effectively in schools. PI is multi-dimensional in nature and should be guided by the needs of individual schools, parents and pupils, as well as research and government legislation. What is therefore deemed to be effective for one school working with parents may not be for another. It is accepted that this review is perhaps critically limited due to the above, as well as the fact that the criteria surrounding it (set word count) did not make it possible to address the wide array of more sophisticated factors (such as cultural differences, language barriers and socio-economic status) that can impact on efforts to include parents. Whilst recognising the above, the paper took the stance that there are however, basic matters regarding PI which demonstrate commonality in all schools and it is often said that attending to the basics is the key to success. Agreement between all parties concerned, regarding a definition of PI and the roles within it, could be considered a fundamental issue in promoting it effectively. With regards to defining it, the review indicates that schools need to consider that it c

Social Criticism in The Yellow-Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Social Criticism in The Yellow-Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Traditionally, men have held the power in society. Women have been treated as a second class of citizens with neither the legal rights nor the respect of their male counterparts. Culture has contributed to these gender roles by conditioning women to accept their subordinate status while encouraging young men to lead and control. Feminist criticism contends that literature either supports society’s patriarchal structure or provides social criticism in order to change this hierarchy. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, depicts one women’s struggle against the traditional female role into which society attempts to force her and the societal reaction to this act. From the beginning of this work, the woman is shown to have gone mad. We are given no insight into the past, and we do not know why she has been driven to the brink of insanity. The â€Å"beautiful†¦English place† that the woman sees in her minds eye is the way men have traditionally wanted women to see their role in society. As the woman says, â€Å"It is quite alone standing well back from the road†¦It makes me think of English places†¦for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people. There is a delicious garden! I never saw such a garden—large and shady, full of box-bordered paths, and lined with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them.† This lovely English countryside picture that this woman paints to the reader is a shallow view at the real likeness of her prison. The reality of things is that this lovely place is her small living space, and in it she is to func tion as every other good housewife should. The description of her cell, versus the reality of it, is a very good example of the restriction women had in those days. They were free to see things as they wanted, but there was no real chance at a woman changing her roles and place in society. This is mostly attributed to the small amount of freedom women had, and therefore they could not bring about a drastic change, because men were happy with the position women filled. This creates a despair, of hopelessness and of downheartedness. The woman, on multiple occasions, wrote down, â€Å"And what can one do?† This lets the reader know that women as a whole were very oppressed in ... ...er rebellion. In the final moments of this story, the woman’s husband returns to see her. She writes, â€Å"He stopped short by the door. ‘What is the matter?’ he cried. ‘For God’s sake, what are you doing!’ I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder. ‘I’ve got out at last,’ said I, ‘in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!’ Now why should that man have fainted, but he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time!’† This final passage shows that, when this woman rebels, and â€Å"escapes the wallpaper†, it is not highly looked upon. The woman made a power statement, by telling her husband that she had, in essence, found a new role in life, and he can not push her back. When he can not handle her actions, she continues her new ways right over him. In conclusion, this story, â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper†, provided a great social and psychological criticism. It shows the reader how women have progressed so far in the recent years. This woman was the start of many, which finally led to making men and woman more equal, and this is the society that this woman wanted.

Movies Realism Literature Review

INTRODUCTION Cinemas are the central spot of people’s visual entertainment, acting as the medium between the art of movie directors and the audiences seeking the getaway from real world reality. It is at the cinema where people enjoy themselves by watching movies that they may find interesting initially regardless of the language, locality or storyline, as long as that one particular movie is intriguing enough to make them go to the cinema to get their movie-o-meter filled with appealing crafts from many directors. The cinemas as they are today are far significantly different from what they used to be decades ago, as this highly profiting business has been going on since the 1850’s, particularly originated in England to be the first in public screening, although the first use of movie projection is unknown. However, putting aside the revolutionary cinema technology, one good movie is mostly contributed by the production team dedication and hard works. It should not matter if a movie is less use in impressive CGI since a ‘plain’ movie but with proper cast and content, it could match with a movie rich in the technology. This kind of good content or storyline is another factor that has been influencing both the production to create such movie which is poor in fake yet astounding visual appearance but to pursue more on the content largely. It has also been observed that a good movie needs good script or dialogue other than the casts, for instance _V for Vendetta_ (2005), it did have a few scenes in CGI but the real strength behind the success of this movie was the dialogue, its great casts and the political theme. The mentality of the locals towards Malaysian made movies has always been criticized by Malaysians ourselves; however the irony is despite the constant claim of Malaysians that they could tolerate Malaysian movies, this phenomenon still exists, where people especially the research subject, Malaysian audiences, stand on this issue of the reasons they ditch local most local movies as unrealistic in contrast to its crux of escaping reality. Often in newspapers and mass media people could be seen writing to editors on how disappointed they were in local movies direction but praised the realism aspect on foreign movies, especially of Hollywood. The reason movies or any other forms of visual entertainment were created was to add some unrealistic factor based on the ‘reality’ of the world outside the movie, since the movie production cannot make money if they just simply show what the audiences have gone through every day in their lives, nothing of new and fresh that could catch the attention of the audiences. This research is anticipated to know why such paradox exists among the local viewers particularly, or something about the mentality of Malaysian audiences. When this peculiarity is triggered, there are parties affected definitely. The obvious impact would be on production companies, with very narrow focus on local market itself, these production companies would not be able to sustain longer given that this ‘sentiment’ goes on. It is obvious enough since when there is lack of support and interest, plus the unfair discernment by the Malaysians, the companies have no other way than to close down production, or face far worse condition of bankruptcy. It is not just the companies that would have to shut down, but indirectly the actors and actresses would have to start over something new to accommodate their lives, the fortunate enough to have backup form of income could still survive, but the bigger impact is the industry will be crumbled, as the industry has never been given a chance to prove that Malaysian movies could evolve and change the mindset of Malaysians in the first place. Secondly, local TV companies would also face difficulties and humongous expense to procure foreign TV contents more to cater the hankering of viewers, as well as to fill in the absence or the sheer lack of local movie content. The negativity cycle continues to Malaysian government policy of foreign content, with this much impact slowly influencing the mindset of people, government will require thorough amendment of its policy to curb the foreign content while preserving the local one, as although this phenomenon is still not chronic, however it is best to fear and prepare for the worst. Although the process of obtaining past researches on similar phenomenon yields nothing, hence this research is believed to be pioneer in digging deeper into this peculiarity. However, it is mostly understood that some variables, or the causing factors are such like age, education, place of living, influence of significant others, different subcultures, and as well as level of exposure to foreign movies and online reviews. Initial observation (pre research) shows that people living in cities are more susceptible to this phenomenon, most possibly due to the flooding of foreign movies that are relatively better than local movies in general, may be reinforced by the pressure of others into forming a typical mentality. The Phenomenon Exactly like previously mentioned, the peculiarity that triggered the research in the first place was what causes the incongruity of denying local movies as realistic while at the same time concurring how realistic foreign movies are on the same basis that movies are not supposed to be real. There is no problem with the ticket sales or revenues of local movies, since local movies do receive high gross profit in local market, for instance Cicakman,, a hero-fantasy movie scored RM6. 7 million while still in the same movie theme, Spiderman scored USD 2. 1 million in Malaysian market, of course it is not fair to compare the fan base but this proved that there is no problem with the behavior of Malaysian viewers, but the perception of the people. In simpler meaning, they do watch local movies but constantly undervalue every factor available in regards to foreign movies, and this research is meant to discover the plausible sources. Depende*nt Variable In determining what dependent variables of this research are going to be, firstly it is important to identify what kind of approach the research is going to be conducted, and since the topic is planning to digging up the mind or stigma of people, hence perception approach is the correct channel to analyze the Malaysians mentality on whether they find local movies are not realistic compared to foreign movies. Therefore it is obvious that the perception or mindset of the local Malaysians is the subject issue, which is ultimately the dependent variables that would be affected at the end of the cycle of factors. A perception is the result of many surrounding elements or influencing factors, whereby it is like a blank canvas ready to be painted with the colors of perceived reality affecting the mindset. Hence, it is ironic that for a movie watcher to have biased insight against the local movies escaping reality nature, but what is wryer than that is through initial observation of this phenomenon; some people do not have this stigma and because of that it further strengthens our decision of making the perception of audience as the dependent variable where it will see changes when any independent variable is put as a trigger or cause. The perception of audience is also identified to be the dependent variable due to the fact that they live in Malaysia, which are supposedly giving them the familiarity of the culture that is incorporated into the local movies, and since it is a psychology phenomenon we cannot directly measure one’s mind but we can measure up the extent or the spread of this particular perception of movie audience. With all the rationale it is then decidedly that we are going to use the perception of audience as the dependent variable that changes accordingly to the identified independent variables to get us closer to the ‘reality’ of the research topic. Independent Variables As mentioned earlier, there are forces that act behind the shadow of the dependent variable which was the perception of unrealistic local movies among audience. There is not only one but many credible elements that manipulate the outcome in various ways when these independent variables are put in motion to exploit the results in diversified changes. The factors below are notified to be of the most significant variables that could show momentous variety outcome on the dependent variable. ?Flooding of Foreign Movies Undeniably the ratio of foreign movies in Malaysia has significantly overshadowed the locally made movies. There is no restriction only to Hollywood movies, but lately many more movies from all over the world such as Middle Eastern, Bollywood, European, Hong Kong and Japan gets the attention of movie distributors in dispersing the foreign movies here in Malaysia. Judging from the overall movie titles per month basis, locally made movies, be it Malay, Tamil or Chinese movies are still on the minority scale compared to the available foreign titles which make up most of the showing list. With this much flooding of foreign movies that does not halt its presence here in Malaysia throughout the whole year, Malaysians are served with these foreign movies especially of Hollywood (being the most popular), therefore it is definitely a crucial factor to count in the ‘excess’ of the foreign movies may contribute to the perception of Malaysians that local movies are nowhere as realistic to foreign movies. ?Influence of Friends There is no single person on earth can stand loneliness hence the very reason why they need company. Friends do indeed play the most significant role of shaping the not only attitude but also the large percentage of perception pattern. Studies show that the influence of friends often surpassed the influence expressed by family members particularly during the age of adolescent; afterwards it would be a mixture of many factors. People also shares more secrets with their friends, so in this case people will be frequently affected by their friends’ mindsets to envision and share common view on a particular movie, as the one that people go and watch movies together are with friends. It is important to keep one’s insight perhaps on any significant issue in line; therefore resulting in strong and impenetrable wall of perception on whatever issue that they agree on, and it could be unintentionally in the beginning but the effect of the ‘friendship’ especially brotherhood-like bond will be concreting their perception on local movies realism. ?Pre-nurtured Stigma of Superior Others As citizens of a country that has gone through many colonial rules since half a millennium ago starting with Portuguese in Malacca in 1511, Malaysians (Malayans before independence) had always been conquered both physically and internally. These conquerors proved that they were not only superior in military and firepower technology, but also they left the impression that we the natives of our land could never stand on par with them in everything including culture, deeply tainted within our ancestors’ perception. Unfortunately this stigma has been ancestrally passed down from one generation to another and even now some Malaysians do still consider the grass of the other side to be greener. Although it sounds general but this perception is strong enough to be identified as one of the factors that could cause dissimilarities in the dependent variable as they watch and analyze a movie through a programmed way of thinking although it is full of preconception. ?Technology Used in Movies Realistic is commonly defined as â€Å"aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are†, and if we are to follow this version of realistic then the technological aspect in a movie plays extremely important role to influence the perception of viewers. The technology of CGI and lately the assimilationof three dimensional perspectives have caught the wows and awes of audience. The main point in taking the technological aspect of movies is since foreign movies magically make something that was not there to appear, in other word, fake but are considered as realistic, then do the ‘low’ technological local movies that do not go through this process of faking things out awkwardly being regarded as unrealistic? As weird as it may sound, this is what makes the technology used in movies as an altering factor that could shift the mentality of viewers that local movies are not realistic out of the stable axis. The burden of a movie success is not just lying on the shoulders of the actor and actresses alone but a movie is the child of a director therefore it is the responsibility of a director to make sure the overall quality of the movie is intact. A movie direction is the result shown by the combined talent, skills and hard works of the production team including the casts, crews and producers. Bad leadership and directing by a director will ultimately summon dissatisfaction from the viewers and critics, for example. With this principle it is not surprising that it gets to be one of the factors that influence our dependent variable. Research Objective Who is not attracted to the animating pictures projected on a huge, wide silver screen and watch our imagination gets flashed on the screen? The world nowadays has changed drastically that entertainment is not only limited to the words written on paper, also not the television series nor movies, but it has expanded close to once before science fiction. Entertainment can be defined as a diverting activity that holds the attention of the people. Entertainment by itself holds wide definition so it is wise to peg down to a smaller scale of business aspect, since movies or films is a shell containing motion pictures to be viewed purely as a medium of art in the bigger entertainment industry. Mankind has studied many things that are intriguing enough to them, either just for entertainment or educational purpose, and throughout the times academicians have regarded movie industry as a legit study field that provides the opportunity to examine the elements of movies or films. The ever expanding cinema or Cineplex has turned motion pictures as one of the most profitable entertainment industry especially in Hollywood, which is the pioneer in almost any new film technology. Digital format has taken the place of analogue film technology and the changes can be immediately seen, hardly nowadays a cinema used roll-film and viewers had to experience the visual scratch anymore since cinema projectors had switched to a digital video projection as well as cleverly stimulated surround sound. Every moment passes the scenes of movie industry is changing, one second next will be different than one second before, as the entertainment industry especially in the movies form will keep on evolving to cater people needs. Research Questions _Is the flooding of foreign movies causing a person to have biased perception on local movies? _ Through this question we could get a more in-depth idea on the relationship between the foreign movies invasion on Malaysian shores and its impact on the perception of Malaysians. This question is remarkable since there are people who think of local movies are more realistic than foreign movies, despite the fact that Malaysian cinemas are constantly showing foreign titles more than local movies. It is important to relate the over exposure of foreign movies inclusive of the reviews and other promotional attempts with the impact on the viewers so we could assess the depth or extent of these two variables. Does influence of friends affect the mindset of Malaysians to underestimate realism of local movies? Friendship ‘forces’ a person in that circle to behave, think and perceive things on the same line with very minimal deviation. It is no wonder what friend factor could influence one’s perception, and this is why it is beneficial to know how far do friends play their parts to mold each other by ‘imposing’ a general idea that is to be shared by the circle, or in the process there is a possibility that the impact is backed up by other hidden factors, unseen until they strike. We will be able to find out whether the question will bring us closer to yes or no by analyzing the answers from the samples during the research. Does the stigma of ‘superior others’ instilled prematurely impose biased perception on local movies? As mentioned previously under independent variables, it is widely known that even though through words Malaysians may deny that they do not think outsiders are always ahead of us, but their behaviors may tell otherwise and perhaps describe the true perception. Therefore, we would measure how far this one particular stigma is affecting the phenomenon we are trying to study. The caustic remark is too great to be cast aside since realistic factor in local movies can never be as close as o those of foreign movies according to the phenomenon, but by obtruding our definition of the nature of movie which is as an escape to real world, is not it supposed to be otherwise? Is the perception of realistic factor of local movies shaped by the technology used in movies? The evolution in cinema technology has always started outside of Malaysia, thus one of the reasons why there is not m uch newer technology used in local movies. However, is there any basis in theorizing a movie is not realistic when it does not use sophisticated technology? If there is, will it be affecting whether people like the movie or otherwise? This question should be tackled since most viewers; in particular the Malaysian viewers do not have the ability to analyze movies from education and artistic aspect, but often lay opinion based on what they see with naked eyes, which should conform its nature of entertainment. Does director’s proficiency have any impact on what people think of realism factor of local movies? Just like the casts, directors do have their own fans and followers who support them in their career, and just like the actor and actresses also, the industry appreciate and recognize directors’ contribution as the most important aspect of movie success. Their skills differ thus the reputation they have been building is identified as one of the question on whether they do take tolls on people perception of local movies to be deemed as not realistic enough, satirically going against escapism core purpose of watching movies. Reference Perception. In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 22nd, 2010 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Perception Dictionary. com (2010, February 22nd). Perception – Define Perception at Dictionary. com Retrieved from http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/perception Internet. om (2010, February 26th) What is Movie Mode? Retrieved from http://www. webopedia. com/TERM/m/moviemode. html_ BoxOffice Mojo, (2010, February 26th). Species (1995). Retrieved from http://www. boxofficemojo. com/movies/? id=species. htm BoxOffice Mojo (2010, February 26th). Species II Retrieved from http://www. boxofficemojo. com/movies/? id=species2. htm BoxOffice Mojo (2010, February 28th). Spider-Man (2002) International Box Office Results Retrieved from http://www. boxofficemojo. com/movies/? page=intl&id=spiderman. tm Intro2u Blog (2010, February 28th). Cicakman 2 Retrieved from http://www. intro2u. net/new/2008/08/cicakman-2/ Syed Ali, Syed Azwan, (2010, March 3rd). Local Film Industry Moving Ahead Retrieved March 4th, 2010 from Bernama website http://www. bernama. com/bernama/v5/newsfeatures. php? id=479303 M. Varkevisser, Corlien; Pathmanathan, Indra; and Brownlee, Ann (2003). Formulation of Research Objectives, Designing and Conducting Health System Research Projects, (Module 6) Retrieved from http://www. idrc. ca/en/ev-33011-201-1-DOTOPIC. html_

Childhood Obesity And Its Effects Essay - 1782 Words

Childhood obesity has increased drastically over the past years and has become a high health risk to children. In fact, childhood obesity has doubled in numbers in the past thirty years (Childhood Obesity Facts). Obesity occurs when an individual becomes overweight and doctor’s diagnose a patient by using the body mass index or BMI scale. Obesity causes many diseases in children which cannot be cured without a doctor, in result, childhood obesity drives high health care costs. Since little effort has been put forward to prevent childhood obesity the existence of this disease has begun to skyrocket in numbers. The number of children who suffer from obesity have greatly increased over the years so, people have to come up with a solution to prevent obesity. However, it will take more than just one solution to prevent childhood obesity, it will take many. Without the prevention of obesity future generations could be in serious trouble with health issues. 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