What America Means To Me Essay -- essays research papers

America is a wonderful place to live, because we are free. Freedom is important, and many people in other countries do not have much freedom. I am glad I have a place like this to grow up in; where I know that I can be equal with other races and other genders. Also, I am glad I have a place like this that will respect me and I know it will be a great place to have my children grow up in. Some of our ancestors did not have the privileges we have now because they grew up in other countries, that controlled their religion, who they married, and almost everything else in their lives. That may be one of the reasons they moved to America in the first place. I am very grateful for our country, and all of the privileges I have growing up here. In many countries, I wouldn’t be able to get the ed...

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Implications for Head Start Families

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS2 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Implications for Head Start Families Introduction Abraham Maslow was a prominent theorist that played a role in the formation of humanistic psychology. Maslow worked on a theory that would accommodate human motivation. The concept that behavior is motivated primarily by a person’s desired to fulfill a specific need. He proposed that is was our inner nature that we had basic needs that we strive to meet. Then as those needs are met we move to the next level and continue to strive to â€Å"actualize,† doing what one is fitted for.I chose to research Abraham Maslow because his Hierarchy of Needs directly aligned with the challenges Head Start Families are currently facing. His Hierarchy is a great tool to assist staff with the identification of family needs and goals. When meeting with families this past year the decline in the economy, unemployment and inflation have had major impact on the ability of families function in our communities. Some of the top issues they are dealing with include: poverty, hunger, and unemployment, finances, time, and fear, lack of transportation, inadequate housing, substance abuse, and language barriers.As we work with families and children it is important to determine where they fall in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and assist those families in accessing services to meet those needs. Biographical Information Abraham Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 1, 1908. He was the son of poor Jewish immigrants from Russia. They migrated to escape the harsh conditions and socio-political turmoil. His father, Samuel Maslow, was a cooper and his mother, Rose, was deeply religious. Abraham was the eldest of seven children and was expected to care for the younger MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS3 hildren. Maslow’s family was not intellectually oriented and quite poor. Since they had suffered so much in the past, Abraham’s fathe r pushed him to succeed in life, even in areas that were of no interest to him. This caused problems within the home, especially since Samuel regarded his son as ugly and stupid. Abraham grew up with no friends to play with and his father made him study long hours. He spent much of his time in the library and found solace in books. His childhood was unhappy and lonely. His mother complained about her ugly son, his skinny body and his general appearance.He was self-conscious about his physical appearance even to the point that he would avoid entering a subway car so that the rest of humanity wouldn’t have to look at him. Over time his hatred for his mother grew into a generalized dislike for everything she stood for, including Jewish religious practice. His hatred for her continued to grow so much that he refused to attend her funeral. Abraham was close with his uncle throughout his lifetime since his parents had practically alienated him. In later life, he eventually reconcil ed with his father.After graduating from high school, Maslow enrolled in the City College of New York. He was taking legal studies in addition to his undergraduate studies as his father desired. He hated it, so after three semesters, in 1926 he transferred to Cornell. Again he had trouble, dropping out because of grades and the high cost of tuition. Maslow rebelled; he changed his field of study to psychology and married his first cousin, Bertha Goodman. Eventually Maslow ended up at the University of Wisconsin where he earned is BA in 1930, MA in 1931, and Ph. D. , 1934 (Emrich, n. d. ).In 1928, when Abraham Maslow married Bertha Goodman, his first cousin and longtime sweetheart, he stated his life began (Emrich, n. d. ). The couple had two daughters, Ann and MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS4 Ellen. They remained happily married until his death in 1970. He died of a heart attack. Career At the University of Wisconsin, in graduate school, Maslow studied under the supervision of Ha rry Harlow. Harlow was famous for his experiments with baby rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. Maslow wrote his doctoral dissertation on the relation between sexual conduct and dominance hierarchies in monkeys.He was never enamored with laboratory psychology. He went on to Columbia University as a Carnegie fellow where he worked with Alfred Adler, one of Sigmund Freud’s colleagues. Those days were spent in testing and measuring child and adult intelligence and their ability to learn. Between 1937 and 1951, Maslow was a faculty member at Brooklyn College. During that time he published several articles, on Human Motivation, higher and lower needs, and actualizing people . In 1947, he suffered a heart attack and was forced to take medical leave. He and his family relocated to California.He headed a division of the Maslow Cooperage Corporation, supervising men repairing wine barrels for a local winery. After he recuperated, he returned to Brooklyn College. In 1951, Abraham M aslow went to Brandeis University to serve as Chairman of the psychology department. He held this position until 1969. In 1969, Maslow accepted a resident fellowship with the Laughlin Foundation and moved to Menlo Park, California. He led a life of semi-retirement allowing him to write. Ill health plagued him until he died on June 8, 1970. Theory Early in his career and while working with monkeys, Maslow noticed that some needs take precedence over others.If you are hungry and thirsty, you can go weeks without food, but MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS5 you can only go without water for a couple of days. Thirst takes precedence over hunger and breathing takes precedence over both. Maslow took this idea and created his hierarchy of needs which he laid out in a pyramid of five layers. At the base of the pyramid are the basic needs or physiological needs, which include breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The next level is safety needs. These are security o f body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health and property.The first two steps are important to survival and once these are met the person attempts to accomplish more. The third level is the need for love and belonging. After individuals have taken care of themselves physically they are ready to have a relationship with others. They are ready for friendships, family and sexual intimacy. The fourth level is esteem and achieved when individuals are comfortable with what they have accomplished. They have self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others and are respected by others. At the top of the pyramid is self-actualization.This is reached when a person reaches a state of harmony because they have reached their full potential. Very few people ever reach this level. Maslow also talked about how we can regress to a lower need level under stressful conditions. He even proposed that we may become fixated on a set of needs when we have significant problems (i. e. ex treme hunger as a child†¦as an adult we have to keep the pantry full). Summary and Conclusions Summary Implications for Future Research I think since Maslow was still writing and publishing at the time of his death he intended to continue his research.He would have tested his theory and validated it in the real world. The following areas are possibilities for future investigation: 1. As technology continues to develop, investigate and identify new and emerging areas of human need, comparing to Maslow’s Hierarchy. 2. Cross cultural studies to investigate human needs across cultures. 3. Studies to investigate human needs in a variety of contexts (i. e. living in poverty, trauma/war survivors, or refugees). 4. Apply his theory to contemporary experiences (i. e. Katrina, Jaycee Dugard, Enron families, etc. ). 5.Investigate consequences of extreme deprivation or gratification, on human behavior over time. Maslow 13 References Kenney, C. T. (2008). Father Doesn't Know Best? Pa rents' Control of Money and Children's Food Insecurity. Journal of Marriaqge and Family, 654-669. Parker, M. N. (2010). How adequately are food needs of children in low-income households being met? Children and Youth Services Review, 1175-1185. Vanessa R. Wight, K. T. (2010). Who Are America's Poor Children? Examining Food Insecurity Among Children in the United States. New York: National Center for Children in Poverty.

Wearing School Uniforms - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 745 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/02/15 Category Education Essay Level High school Tags: School Uniforms Essay Did you like this example? Have anyone ever thought of how school uniforms began and is it fair to students to make uniforms mandatory in schools.Uniforms have a history. They became popular in elementary schools in the mid-1990s in United States as a way to decrease discipline problems. They were first worn in school by orphan children who represented the lower class in the 16th century in England. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Wearing School Uniforms" essay for you Create order As years passed uniforms slowly found its way in the schools. Uniforms first grew popular in private schools and then public schools. The use of school uniforms are a big topic and ongoing debates for parents and school administrators. Some students along with some parents argue the benefits of school uniforms, while others believe that mandatory uniforms within public schools are unconstitutional. Although you probably cannot change what most school has already decided. You may have a voice on the issue of school uniforms in the next PTA meetings. You also have the choice of sending your child to a school that does or doesnt require school uniforms. If that is your case, here are a few pros and cons you should keep in mind before making your decision. Wearing uniforms is beneficial in most case for children starting school from elementary stage through high school. Picture this: a child wakes up one morning and decides that he does not like the clothes that he has to wear to school. The clothes he has are not name brand and he is fed up with his classmates because they make fun of him. The child decides to skip school and his attendance starts to decrease which also brings his grades down. There are several studies showing that student academic achievement was increased dramatically because of the learning atmosphere created by uniforms. It removed the stigma of what is on the student’s body and more attuned to concentrate on their schoolwork and strive for great grades. When talking about school uniform the first thing that gathers into our mind are rules, punctuality and obedience. Having uniforms decreases some bullying and saves a lot of money for parents. There are different studies showing that student academic achievement was increased dramatically because of the learning atmosphere created by uniforms. It removed the humiliation of students because of what there are wearing, and made them stay more focused on their school work and grades. Following on looking at the statistics in 2009, schools created a uniform policy. It became effectively implemented in 21 states in the United States of America. What was discovered upon implementation of this policy was that the crime rate had dropped by 91% in schools. Students were not getting suspended as much also the rate of suspension dropped by 90%. An interesting point to know is that the number of sex offenses drastically reduced as the school uniforms has been put in place. Statistics show that the number of such offenses reduced by 96% as well. Lastly, since school uniforms became implemented vandalism in schools has decreased by 96%. The attacks on students of children from kindergarten through 8th grade had also reduced by 85%. Another important factor to consider is the cost of school uniforms. A lot of people believe that purchasing them is expensive, but what has been noticed in the long run is that the overall cost of clothing has drastically reduced thereby easing the expenses of parents in most areas such as Newark, Irvington, Elizabeth, and etc. Statistics also claim that 44% of parents have found that their kids are more focused in school after wearing uniforms. In my opinion students at a young age should attend to a school that have a uniform policy to prepare them at a young age fyi m for the future. When you get a job or go to an interview theres normally a dress code that you have to follow. Allowing children to understand the idea of wearing uniforms can help them know that they are preparing for success. In conclusion I am pro uniform. Students will have a better chance to focus more in school rather than focusing on their sense of style. Instead of being tardy or absent from school now st udents can have the ability to be comfortable to come to school. Wearing a uniform allows each student feel more at ease to attend school when everyone look equal. Furthermore school uniforms prepare students for the future and allows them to continue being a successful scholar. For that reason, school uniforms should be kept.