Summary of Divorce

Our group did research on the following topics:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.       <!--[endif]-->How Divorce Affects Women

<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.      <!--[endif]-->How Prenuptials Agreements Affect Marriage

<!--[if !supportLists]-->c.       <!--[endif]-->Divorce- How Does it Affect children?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->d.      <!--[endif]-->Dating After Divorce with Children

The topic of divorce is multi-faceted and our group focused on four aspects affected by this decision. Not only does divorce affect the couple, but also the children and the societal perception of the family. Our group found that women are affected physically by divorce in many ways like weight problems, depression, and trouble sleeping. Women also have a harder time on their own in terms of finances because they can no longer rely on two incomes. However, research shows that many women feel much happier after divorce because they have gained a sense of freedom from marital responsibilities like making dinner.  

Prenuptial agreements are becoming more and more common as couples desire to protect their pre-marital assets. There are many benefits, such as opening lines of communication and clarifying money concerns. On the other hand, there are many negative connotations that follow a “pre-nup” such as unequally representing the marriage, often having a controlling party, and leaving a lifetime of corrosive memories. In conclusion, it appears that a pre-nuptial agreement is associated with more negative results.

Along with women, children are also severely affected by divorce. The age of the child at the time of divorce can result in a different reaction socially and mentally. For example, a younger child may regress and an adolescent may rebel against their parents. Much like the freedom that women gain from divorce, there are positive effects for children too. Their family after a divorce can become a much more positive atmosphere to develop in as opposed to a family in constant conflict. Children of divorce are also more likely to gain confidence and an internal locus of control.

In relation to dating, our group found that dating after divorce normally occurs within one year after the separation. This is often fraught with concern for divorced individuals with children. It is a delicate equation to figure out when it is appropriate to introduce the topic of dating and having a new romantic figure in the family. Helping children to not stress out about this shift can often lead to downplaying of severity. In conclusion, it appears that dating after a divorce with children is an unexplored area that is often up for the parent’s interpretation. From our research we can conclude that divorce does not just affect one aspect of life; but can also affect one’s health, dating life, financial situation and children.

Izzy Lawrence

Chaline Thande

Megan Clark

Rosie Nelson

Summary of Domestic Abuse

Jessica Sewell, Trecia Mayo, Julia Morin, Dionne Spencer, and Amanda Wing

Throughout our research on domestic violence we've discovered that the cycle of abuse is actually a funnel that slowly gets smaller and smaller which represents the positive stages (calm & make up stages) becoming less frequent and the negative stages (tension & explosion) becoming more frequent to where eventually, only the negative stages remain and increase in severity. The issue of domestic violence effects millions of men, women and children everyday. We've learned that a child that witnesses or experiences domestic violence in the home is at risk of enduring a lifetime of psychological, emotional, behavioral and physical impairments -that is- if they survive. Children who experience domestic abuse are also extremely likely to become abusers themselves towards siblings, friends and eventually their adult intimate partners. We are aware that there are certainly exceptions to this point but the fact remains that in order to prevent new generations of abusers, the abuse in the home must cease and children need to be protected. Domestic violence by women towards men and same sex partnerships are becoming more prevalent as well and we believe that education, reporting abuse, and sensitivity training for the authorities in dealing with other types of intimate partner violence are necessary in order for domestic violence to experience a decline in America. We are thankful that there are at least a few online resources that support these groups that are often overlooked but we would also like to see more of a focus on getting help for the abuser; to understand their thinking in order to determine how they can be helped. It was most interesting for us to find that the reasons abused men and women stay with their abusers are fundamentally the same despite their gender.

Under the umbrella of Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration, we have delved into different and specific topics. As these are such broad topics, we were able to have a very well-rounded discussion. We discussed international adoption and its difficulties. And while there are several difficulties and negative aspects of international adoption, there are many benefits. It is not a black and white subject; there is a lot of grey area. We also got to speak on the subject of immigration and go over some of the challenges, struggles, and process of immigration. The subject of racial inequality was also discussed. Poverty, home-ownership, unemployment, and education were all called into question, in terms of racial inequality. Unsurprisingly enough, all of those were connected when discussing it. ELL services and the disadvantages its students face daily was also discussed and this ties directly to the inequality of education for different races. And different races brings us to our last point, which was the lives of biracial people from a sociological perspective. Society’s perceptions were questioned and dissected. Overall, we believe we have only scratched the surface on our findings, but hopefully enough to encourage as many people as possible to give a second look to our topics. 

Patrick Branley

Molly Trayner

Amanda Breckner

Sarah DelTorto

Jessica Beech

Biracial in America?

By Patrick Branley

Group Members:

Molly Trayner

Jessica Beech

Amanda Breckner

Sarah DelTorto

Biracial families are becoming more and more common. In the 2000 census, “Nearly 7 Million (2.4 %) of Americans described themselves as multiracial” (Burrello, 2000). And it is surprising that many of the statistics in regards to race and ethnicity fail to include biracial people. At the same time, it is somewhat predictable. Society has had the idea that a biracial person “sides” or identifies more with the minority parent—or that they should. Today, mixed-race people are fighting this idea. That makes a lot of sense considering the “students moving through college right now includes the largest group of mixed-race people ever to come of age in the United States” (Saulny, 2011).

Unfortunately, society is very big on creating judgements based solely on what they see, which can oppress those who identify as multicultural and do not necessarily appear to be. We choose to make assumptions about people without even knowing them, or trying to. It is due to assumptions and societal beliefs that have pressured biracial individuals to “take sides.” In the recent past and still to some today, the thought was that you were whatever you appear to be. For example, if you have dark skin, you would be black, despite half of you being white (or any other race). We can look as far back as the days surrounding the civil war. Mixed-race people were automatically black. This relates directly to the present idea of some that one should identify with the minority parent. 

The acceptance of biracial people has increased and become far more visible, especially with celebrities like Halle Berry and Mariah Carey. The biggest “win” for biracial people was with President Barack Obama, who is a biracial individual. If you’ll notice, though, we rarely hear it in the media. Obama is our first black president. Yes, he is black, but it is also white. The fact that he is biracial is forgotten, much like biracial individuals in general. 

It is true that biracial children may experience identity issues. It is difficult to feel as though you belong to two (or more) separated groups and still never be completely accepted in each community. Cultures are different. One of the students interviewed in Susan Saulny’s New York Times article said, “‘I think it’s really important to acknowledge who you are and everything that makes you that’” (Saulny, 2011). This quote rings very true on this subject. We don’t know everything about biracial children, families, and adults, but we first must want to know. There is so much that could be so interesting to see. Biracial people bridge a gap between two or more races. We receive a unique perspective from their outlooks on many different topics. The idea of different cultures combining is an intriguing one that we should want to learn about. Its all about acceptance. Too many things in this world aren’t looked deeply enough into, which leaves us with several unanswered questions. 

For the visual effect, this is one picture of what a biracial family looks like. Because biracial families all look different, this is not something that every biracial family would identify with.

http://nodeinthenoosphere.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-does-race-mean.html 

This picture depicts a family with a black father and a white mother and three little children that are everything in between. All these children are biracial, but will they all be perceived this way? Do you think that their different appearances could potentially effect their relationships as siblings and as a family in general? What do you think each child might be considered by society, when their race is called into question?

Work Cited:

Saulny, S. (2011, January 29). Black? white? asian? most young americans choose all of the above. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/us/30mixed.html?pagewanted=all

Burrello, K. (2000). What are the strengths of interracial marriages?. Retrieved from http://www.diversitydtg.com/article/basics/what-are-the-strengths-of-interracial-families

References:

http://nodeinthenoosphere.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-does-race-mean.html

http://racerelations.about.com/od/raceconsciousparenting/a/RaisingBiracialChildrentoBeWellAdjusted.htm

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v11/f13/rockquemore.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/interracial-marriage-stat_n_1280511.html

This is the chart that was supposed to appear on my blog post! Hopefully now it is functioning.

ELL programs in the United States

The cycle of Oppression for ELL Students and Their Families:

By Amanda Breckner

Group Members: Jessica Beech

Patrick Branley

Amanda Breckner

Sarah DelTorto
Molly Trayner

As the population of the American Public school system is constantly changing the demands for bi lingual teachers is on the rise. Children now come to the school system having no background in speaking the main language of instruction; English. In a study done by the U.S. Department of Labor it has been predicted that;

"'between 1990 and the year 2000, immigrants will represent the largest share of the increase in the population and the workforce since World War I'"(Gromet,3) . This increase in foreign residents calls for added attention to specialized literacy programs designed to teach the English language to students who speak another language” (Reed, 1996).

However the resources needed are no longer being afforded to many students across the nation. Immigrant workers come to a new country in the hopes of creating new and better lives for themselves and their families. Most typically such workers have families that come with them to this nation. This means that there is a great increase in English Language Learners without adequate access to ESL services. The staggering increase in immigration to the United States only reiterates the fact that new family’s are moving to the United States, and requiring education for their children.

("Colorodo alliance for," 1955)

           

Immigration and education go hand in hand in todays world were globalization has become the new way of life. Students are expected to be bilingual when they enter in to workforce now, however not every child is able to achieve such standards. The new American family now must meet the challenges of properly placing their child into the school system that can afford their child the best opportunities. However this can present a great challenge for those immigrant families who do not have the money to live in an area that provides their children with the necessary resources. This issue greatly affects many American families as we can see;

According to the US Census Bureau’s 2005 American Community Survey:

•    12.5% of our nation’s population or 37,547,789 individuals are foreign born

•    Over half of the foreign-born population are recent arrivals

52.4% of the 37.2M foreign born residents over the age of five were limited English proficient.

More and more we hear of cuts being made across the nation in many public school systems ESL programs. This presents a grave situation for many young students as they rely on the resources afforded to them via such systems. Teachers are being cut constantly and the debate rages on about whether or not it is the obligation of the government to provide these programs.

Children who are considered limited English proficient are forever cast in the shadows of their peers. There is a constant disadvantage that they will have to face if they are not properly educated in the beginning and necessary tools to English language learning so that they can be considered completely proficient.

Works Cited:

Colorodo alliance for immigration reform . (1955). Retrieved from http://www.cairco.org/reference/us-population-data

(1985). Internationals network for public schools. Retrieved from http://www.internationalsnps.org/about-us/immigration-and-education.html

Reed, R. (1996, December 06). mmigrant literacy and english as a second language programs. Retrieved from http://eserver.org/courses/fall96/76-100m/reed/

Racial Inequality in America

Racial Inequality: An Issue that Affects American Families

Sarah DelTorto

Patrick Branley

Amanda Breckner

Jessica Beech
Molly Trayner

              Families in the United States today come in many different shapes and sizes. There are many different issues that can negatively affect the American family, one of them being a family member’s race. Racism has existed in our country for a very long time, but after the Civil Rights Act, it became illegal to discriminate against someone because of their race or ethnicity. Despite this, racial inequality is quite prevalent in our country today. This negatively affects many families in our country, as on the 2010 census, only 63.7% of the total population of the United States identified their race as Non-Hispanic White. According to the statistics, Blacks and Hispanics are at a disadvantage in many aspects of our society in comparison to people who identify themselves as Non-Hispanic Whites. Racial Inequality is still a major issue for minority American families today in 2012.

Poverty

The poverty rate is one of the ways that we can see racial inequalities in our country.

The poverty rate for 2009 is represented by the following percentages:

9.4% for Non-Hispanic Whites

12.5% for Asians

25.3% of Hispanics

25.8% for Blacks

The poverty rate for Blacks or Hispanics is more than double that of Non-Hispanic Whites.

Home-Ownership

Home-ownership is yet another way that we can see Racial Inequality in America. The percentage of White Americans that own homes is much, much higher than those who are Black and own their own homes.

The home-ownership rate for 2011 is represented by the following percentages:

70.3% of Non-Hispanic Whites

58.0% of Asians

46.9% of Hispanics

44.9% of Blacks

Unemployment

The unemployment rate in our country has been high in the past few years in general, but looking at unemployment rates by race reveals numbers even more surprising.

The following is the unemployment rates in 2010 by race:

7.5% Asian

8.7% Non-Hispanic White

12.5% Hispanic

16% Black

The unemployment rate for Blacks is almost double of the unemployment rate for Non-Hispanic Whites.

Education

The racial inequality in education is often discussed and debated, as people try to continuously close this achievement gap between Whites and minorities in education.

The following is the Educational Attainment for 2010; displaying what percentage of each race has attained that level of Education.

Highschool:

88.9% of Asians

87.6% of Whites

84.2% Blacks

62.9% of Hispanics

College or More:

52.4% of Asians

30.3% of Whites

19.8% of Blacks

13.9% of Hispanics

The achievement gap in schools shows that students who identify as a White or Asian continually end up performing better on standardized tests, and doing better in schools than those of Black or Hispanic students. Some schools are still majority White or majority Black as well, due to zoning areas of schools. Education reform has been working to close the achievement gap by trying to improve standardized tests and to lessen bias, although the achievement gap still exists.

 In 2011, a study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that on average White students scored an average 20 points higher on math assessments in comparison to Black and Hispanic students, and for reading assessment, Black and Hispanic students generally scored two grade levels below those of White students.

Why do you think Racial Inequality still exists in this country?

What can be done to lessen racial inequality in these different aspects of our society?

Do you think it will continue to lessen over time? Will new laws have to be put in place?

References and Further Information:

http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/RD-03-01.pdf

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0229.pdf

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0622.pdf

http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/ann11ind.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/american-schools-still-he_n_1901583.html

http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p60-238.pdf

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/

http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/achievement-gap/

Jessica, Molly Trayner, Patrick Branely, Amanda Breckner, Sarah DelTorto

Challenges immigrants face in the United States

It can be difficult and scary to leave a country that one is use to and then emigrate to a country that one doesn’t know anything about.  There can be a language barrier, and difficulty in getting a job. People leave their country for many different reasons. Some may leave their country to improve their lifestyle such as, attending college in America to get an education, a family member from the United States may have filed for them, and all family members may want to leave their country and never return.

 

Race/Ethnicity/Immigration: International Adoption in the United States

Molly Trayner

Jessica Beech

Patrick Branley

Amanda Breckner
Sarah DelTorto

Globalization has a direct impact on international adoption.  Some see it has a positive impact in which we now have a worldwide community of people who are able to communicate with each other.  With celebrities large input in international adoption and the media being so involved, it has become even more popular.

Adopting overseas can be extremely difficult for a handful of reasons and standards.  Depending on the country, the parents may have to make more than one trip overseas to complete the legal process. Some countries allow a child to be escorted to the adoptive parents' home country and the adoptive parents are not required to travel to the country of their adopted child.

There are usually several requirements after this point, such as paperwork to make the child a legal citizen of the adopting parents' country or re-adopt them. In addition, one or more follow up visits from a social worker may be required — either by the placing agency used by the adoptive parents or by the laws of the country from which the child was adopted. In the United States, citizenship is automatically granted to all foreign-born children when at least one adoptive parent is a U.S. citizen, in accordance with the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. 

Depending on the circumstances of the adoption, the actual grant of citizenship takes place either upon the child's admission to the U.S. as an immigrant or the child's adoption in the parent's home jurisdiction.  Adoption policies for each country vary widely. Items such as the age of the adoptive parents, financial status, educational level, marital status and history, number of dependent children in the house, sexual orientation, weight, psychological health, and ancestry are used by different countries to determine what parents are eligible to adopt from that country.  Items such as the age of the child, fees and expenses, and the amount of travel time required in the child's birth country, can also vary widely from one country to another.  The number of Americans adopting from other Countries has dropped intensely over the past few years.

Pros of International Adoption

• The average time frame is 12 –18 months
• The birthmother will not change her mind. The children available for international adoption must be orphans

Cons of International Adoption

• You will not get a newborn infant.
• The child’s background and family medical history may not be known
• If the child was in an orphanage, he may experience developmental delays and other problems related to institutionalization
• The child’s birthmother may have received poor (or no) prenatal care.
• The amount of paperwork can be overwhelming

There are negative sides to International adoption, Child trafficking or child laundering are two of them.  Child trafficking is a broad term that refers to the buying, selling or illegal transportation of children. Child laundering is a more precise term that refers to the stealing of children who are then sold to adoptive parents as legitimate "orphans." Often the pretence is that the child's parents are dead when in fact the child's parents are still alive. In some cases the children are stolen from the home; in other cases the children are left at orphanages for temporary care or schools for education. These then sell the children using false papers. In some cases the parents may even sell the children.

References:

http://www.uscis.gov/

http://www.adoptionservices.org/

http://international.adoption.com/

Domestic Violence: Why Does the Abused Stay in an Abusive Relationship

Trecia Mayo, Jessica Sewell, Dionne Spencer, Julia Morin and Amanda Wing

It can be difficult for many people to understand why a person would stay in an abusive relationship. Whether it’s a heterosexual or homosexual relationship, a male victim or a female victim, sufferers of domestic violence choose to stay, return to an abusive relationship or remain silent for many reasons. Strong emotional and psychological forces keep the victim tied to the abuser. Sometimes situational realities like a lack of financial resources keep the victim from leaving. The reasons for staying vary from one victim to the next, and they usually involve several factors.

Emotional reasons for staying

· belief that the abusive partner will change because he shows remorse and promises to stop battering

· fear of the abuser who threatens to kill the victim if abuse is reported to anyone

· insecurity about living alone

· lack of emotional support

· guilt over the failure of the relationship

· attachment to the partner

· fear of making major life changes

· feeling responsible for the abuse

· feeling helpless, hopeless and trapped

· belief that she is the only one who can help the abuser with his problems

· not wanting to abandon partner like other members of family may have

· relationship with inlaws

Situational reasons for staying

· economic dependence on the abuser

· fear of physical harm to self or children

· fear of emotional damage to the children who need two parents, even if one is abusive

· fear of losing custody of the children because the abuser threatens to take the children if victim tries to leave

· lack of occupational skills

· social isolation and lack of support because abuser is often the victim’s only support system

· lack of information regarding community resources

· belief that law enforcement will not take her seriously

· lack of alternative housing

· language barrier or immigration status

· cultural or religious constrains

Issues specific to women

Women, in particular, can experience hesitant and contradictory feelings and thoughts about the abusive partner and the relationship. These are some common reactions of the victim toward the abuser’s behavior and actions that can keep the woman in the relationship:

· feels emotionally attached to the abuser, but also feels anger toward him which she denies

· is grateful toward abuser for small acts of kindness and tends to explain away his violence

· is very attentive to the abuser’s needs with the mistaken belief that she will be able to anticipate his needs and prevent the beatings

· believes that the abuser will change

· believes that he needs her and feels guilty about leaving him

· believes he's a good father to their children

· husband of boyfriend holds a position of status; wanting to protect his reputation

Issues specific to men

· societal disbeliefs concerning battered men

· gender role conditioning: Most men are still taught to be the protector  provider of the family and to leave would be abandoning his family and admit failure

· believing that is wife is “sick” and /or needs his help; the idea of leaving can thus produce feelings of guilt

· he may feel her abuse is caused by emotional personality, PMS or other hormone fluctuations

Issues specific to gay couples

· belief there is no help or fear that possible resources will have a homophobic response or dismiss or minimize the situation

· fear of having to come out to get help

· belief that the abuser will out him to families

· feeling of shame related to being gay, bisexual, transgender

· if HIV-positive fear of becoming sick and dying alone

· fear of dating because of HIV diagnosis

· fear of HIV status being disclosed to friends, family and employer

Questions:

In my research I did not find any data on why the abused stays in a lesbian relationship? Why do you think there is such little information available about this group?

Given the scarcities of adequate housing for heterosexual battered women what are the chances of  GLBTQ individual finding adequate housing? Do you think this will ever change?

Reference:

   http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/why-do-abused-victims-stay-2/

http://www.heart-2heart.ca/women/PRW-page4.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/107185-men-stay-abusive-relationship/

http://www.enddomesticabuse.org/abused_men.php?gclid=CLHX5u6p5bMCFQ-e4Aod3G8Axw

http://www.valleyoasis.org/_notes/abuse_same_sex_pdf

http;//www.loveisrespect.org

http://www.soencouragement.org/whymenstay.htm