The Genogram As An Assessment Tool Nursing Essay

The Genogram As An Assessment Tool Nursing Essay A Genogram is a resourceful clinical tool that is being used by family therapists and medical professions as an assessment tool to assist in identifying a patients important family information (Shellenberger, et al, 2007, 368). Adding a cultural layer to the genogram has assisted many medical physicians in understanding the reasons why some patients dont understand the medical diganosis and refuse medical treatment (372). The genogram that includes biological history and cultural history has been found to be a resourceful instrument that is becoming part of the clients medical records (368). The genogram can also be used to focus attention on the biopsychosocial context of the patients health and wellness concerns (368). To start a genogram, one begins with basic answers to questions taken in during the intake session at the patients first visit to the family physician or family therapist.   The therapist or practitioner would include important events, such as deaths, marriages, and divorces all deserve careful study (Nichols, 2010, 125). It would also include answers relating to the patients nuclear family such as who lives in the household (name, age, gender, occupation, and education), where the other members live, and what health related changes or problems have the family faced most recently (Shellenberger, et al, p. 369). Other significant information included in the genogram would be concerns regarding pregnancies, illnesses, hospitalizations, deaths, and even psychiatric problems such as depression, anxieties, and phobias (Nichols, 2010, 125). In addition, dates and relationships provide the framework to explore emotional boundaries, triangles, fusion and cutoffs between family members, and critical conflicts that occur among family members (125). The answers to these questions and questions relating to biological heredity will indicate whether there are common themes that show up through generations which would indicate possible cause to current medical or psychological concerns (125). Common themes like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension are just a few that tends to be hereditary. Genograms can find a link in a family history that indicate psychosocial problems (i.e. domestic violence, substance abuse, relationship difficulties) as well as cultural beliefs, values, attitudes and he alth practices (Shellenberger, et al, 369-370). After the patient assessment is complete the information can be transformed into an organizational family tree type drawing with symbols used to identify gender. For example, men are notated by squares and women by circles, with ages inputted inside the frame (Nichols, 2010, p. 124).   Horizontal lines indicate marriages, with the date of marriage written on the line and vertical lines connect parents and children (124). These are just a few basic symbols to get the genogram started.   (See attached diagram for further details of symbols used to expand the genogram.)   Theres no attachment. There are many uses of genograms in family therapy that have been found to be extremely successful. Therapists have reported that using the genogram as a tool for family members to express emotions by telling facts and not opinions can prevent unnecessary negative comments and frustration. The genogram can also be used to initiate a cooling down period after a heated family battle and can be a way that a therapist can connect with their client in order to lay the foundation for positive relationship (Schilson, Braun, and Hudson, 1993, 201). It has found to be a means through which a therapist can learn key words and ideas for later use when developing goals and direction with their clients. When a therapist looks into each family members personal concerns, values, wishes and fears they are better able to connect to the core issues causing conflict. The genogram can capture information about the family structure, major life events, repetitive illnesses and eventually the process can be therapeutic (201). These benefits all aim to assess, while it boosts patient morale by highlighting individual and family coping strengths.   The positive relationship that is established during the intake session supports the relationship between client and therapist by gaining the patients trust and connection with the health care staff (201-202).   Ã‚  Ã‚   When genograms were used as a training tool in preparing therapists and physicians for working in their field they became more effective in developing the client-practitioner relationship. (Aten, Madson and Kruse, 2008, 111-112).  Research on the effectiveness of genograms as a tool can teach family therapist and supervisors in training ways to assess their clients family relationships and history but it also helps gain self awareness and self reflection during their internship (111-112).       It has been shown that cultural issues can affect patients, families, and health providers perspective on the specific illness. It also discovered that cultural genograms were used to further develop training for postgraduate student and to develop their skill set in understanding cultural sensitivity which helped gain insight, sensitivity and awareness to cultural issues. This ongoing training influence the quality and outcome of the patient and family encounter (112).    Trainees are able to explore their own ethnic and cultural heritages and draw personal genogram depicting these origins (115).    Shellenberger, et al (2007), proved that when residents learn how to create their own individual cultural genogram enables them to understand their beliefs, values, attitudes and how general health practices differ from their own found the cultural genogram to be a continuous working document used throughout the sessions, collecting as much information on the intake interview and add to it on subsequent visits (380).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Similar to the traditional genogram, the cultural genogram provides information about where the family members are from, their health beliefs and behaviors, the gender roles within the household as well as culture and health resources (368).   They showed that the use of cultural genograms as teaching tools in medical practice proved to be beneficial when used in cultural sensitivity training.   It proved to be a creative, practical tool to assist clinicians in understanding the history of the client (380). Aten, Madson and Kruse (2008) found that an introduction to family functioning and cultural competence resulted in a deeper positive response from students to learn a structure approach to identify cultural information for use in a clinical setting (114).    Also indicated that when patient and provider do not share a common culture, communication can be challenging among the extend family.    Without this type of understanding and knowledge of the patients past can lead to misunderstanding of a patients culture and family. It can lead to the patients feeling disrespected or uncomfortable or receiving care that is inconsistent with important cultural practices (Shellenberger, et al, 2007 p.371).    Today the cultural diversity of the U.S. population, combined with the increasing cultural diversity of medicinal students and primary care residents, has created a critical need for approaches to cultural sensitivity training that are not tied to any single culture (380).    By building on this understanding, providers can then develop management plans that are more consistent with the patients worldview and more likely to be followed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Schilson, Braun, and Hudson (1993) have discussed many benefits of using the genogram as an effective tool in the medical field, it has not been implemented in most practices due to the extensive time it takes to gather the information.   The extensive family histories are found to be a time consuming task that some find impractical in a busy office practice (203). The family physicians who have successfully intergraded genograms into their practices acknowledge that the genogram does take more time to process and will increases the length of time during each visit; however they also claim that the extra time required is often spent building patient rapport (Shellenberger, et al, p.372). The rapport building provided useful family information that can be used to address a patients concerns during a particular office visits or at some future visit.   As a result therapists were able to use reflective listening to contribute to the healing process of the patient (372). The more intense understanding of the past and present experiences and responses contributed to a more supporting and effective treatment strategies (372). In conclusion, this research indicates that the family therapy and medical practitioner have found many useful ways of assessing families in which the families themselves can participate. The purpose of this research was to examine the implications of the benefits of the genogram. The assessment process and procedures described here depend upon mutual engagement and participation of both the therapist and client. The family therapy has been incorporated into several family-medicine training programs and proven to be successful. The other alternatives for physicians who prefer not to use the genogram often refer to the family therapist to continue to aid the physician by acting as a referral source for patients. It is likely that further qualitative and quantitative research will clarify how the two professionals can work together most efficiently to benefit the client.   Per Shellenberger, et al, (2007), clearly, as health care evolves into total life care, the family physician/family therapist association prom-ises to be a vital union, beneficial to care providers and the patients and clients they serve (380).

Management Of Chronic Pain Nursing Essay

Management Of Chronic Pain Nursing Essay This project is a complete illustration of pain and how treated by understanding how its work, references can be visited for more detailed information or contact me. Chronic pain is defined as a painful condition that lasts longer than 3 months. Chronic pain can also be defined as pain that persists beyond the reasonable time for an injury to heal or a month beyond the usual course of an acute disease. There are four basic types of chronic pain: (1) pain persisting beyond the normal healing time for a disease or injury, (2) pain related to a chronic degenerative disease or persistent neurologic condition, (3) cancer-related pain, (4) pain that emerges or persists without an identifiable cause. Chronic pain differs from acute pain in its function. Acute pain is an essential biologic signal to warn the individual to stop a potentially injurious activity or to prompt one to seek medical care. Chronic pain serves no obvious biologic function. Chronic pain patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) have not been well studied, despite their apparent numbers. Complete eradication of pain is not a reasonable end point in most cases. Rather, the goal of therapy is pain reduction and return to functional status. Chronic pain syndromes discussed in this paper include myofascial headaches, transformed migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, myofascial chest pain, back pain, complex regional pain types I and II, post-therapeutic neuralgia, and phantom limb pain. Drug-seeking patients are also covered. EPIDEMIOLOGY Chronic pain affects about a third of the population at least once during a patients lifetime, at a cost of-80 to 90 billion dollars in health care payments and lawsuit settlements annually. Chronic pain is also common in those who do not seek medical attention. Despite similar subjective pain, those who seek medical attention are less physically active, experience more social alienation and more psychological distress than those who do not seek medical attention. The causes of chronic pain are more complex than the causes of acute pain. Chronic pain may be caused by (1) a chronic pathologic process in the musculoskeletal or vascular system, (2) a chronic pathologic process in one of the organ systems, (3) a prolonged dysfunction in the peripheral or central nervous system, or (4) a psychological or environmental disorder. In contrast, acute pain may be influenced by, but is not primarily caused by, a psychological or continuous environmental disorder. A detailed listing of all the epidemiologic factors of the various chronic pain syndromes is beyond the scope of this paper. However, in general, patients who attribute their pain to a specific traumatic event experience more emotional distress, more life interference, and more severe pain than those with other causes. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY The pathophysiology of chronic pain can be divided into three basic types. Nociceptive pain is associated with ongoing tissue damage. Neuropathic pain is associated with nervous system dysfunction in the absence of ongoing tissue damage. Finally, psychogenic pain has no identifiable cause.3 Many chronic pain states begin with an episode of nociceptive pain and then continue with neuropathic or psychogenic pain. For example, an acute injury with fracture involves nociceptive pain, but an associated nerve injury may lead to neuropathic pain. Chronic disability may lead to psychogenic pain. Nociceptive pain results from the stimulation of nicotinic receptors in tissues or organs by noxious mechanical, thermal, or chemical stimuli. Chemical mediators of inflammation such as bradykinins and prostaglandins are essential elements in the pathophysiology of nociceptive pain. Examples of chronic nociceptive pain include cancer pain and pain due to chronic pancreatitis. Patients with nociceptiv e pain usually respond well to centrally acting analgesics. Neuropathic pain is caused by disease of the central or peripheral nervous system. Examples of neuropathic pain include complex regional pain type II (causalgia), post-therapeutic neuralgia, and phantom limb pain. Neuropathic pain responds poorly to common analgesics, including narcotics. Psychogenic pain is a diagnosis of exclusion and can be difficult to establish in the ED. Patients with psychogenic pain believe their pain is physical and tend to strongly reject the concept that it is psychological. CLINICAL FEATURES To better define the psychology of chronic pain, psychiatrists have divided patients characteristics into two groups.4 The first group has normal psychological function at baseline. However, continued pain and its effects, such as inability to work or altered body image, result in psychological dysfunction. The second group has primary psychopathology that predates the onset of chronic pain. Hypochondriacally, hysterical, pain-prone, and depressive personalities are included in this group. The following set of historical inquiries may prove helpful in the ED. The patients should be asked to describe the nature of the current pain, initiating and exacerbating or relieving factors. Other useful information includes determination of the chronic nature of their pain, quantification of similar episodes, and sources and modes of treatment, including medications and dosages for physician-prescribed, over-the-counter, or alternative medications. Outcomes of previous therapeutic efforts and the effect of the condition on the patients functional status are also important. Addiction to drugs or alcohol or experience with detoxification programs should also be noted. Finally, a review of systems should be done to rule out any other conditions. Substance abuse is a frequent problem in chronic pain patients. Patients referred to chronic pain clinics meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third revised edition (DSM III-R) criteria for active substance abuse disorders in 12 to 24 percent of cases, while 9 percent meet criteria for remission diagnosis. Drug detoxification is often the first step of the therapeutic plan for new patients referred to a pain clinic. Objective findings of acute pain include tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, and muscle spasms on stimulation. Objective evidence of chronic pain includes muscle atrophy in the distribution of pain due to disuse, skin temperature changes due to the effects of the sympathetic nervous system after disuse or secondary to nerve injury, and trigger points, which are focal points of muscle tenderness and tension. However, these findings do not have to be present for the pain to be factual. BACK PAIN   Ã‚  Ã‚   Risk factors for chronic back pain following an acute episode include male gender, advanced age, evidence of nonorganic disease, leg pain, prolonged initial episode, and significant disability at onset. Chronic back pain symptoms and causes can be divided into myofascial or muscular, articular, and neurogenic types. Myofascial back pain is characterized by constant dull and occasional shooting pain that does not follow a classic nerve distribution. Pain may or may not be exacerbated by movement. Usually trigger points can be found at the site of greatest pain, and muscle atrophy is not found. Range of motion of the involved muscle is reduced, but there is no actual muscle weakness. Previous recommendations for bed rest in the treatment of back pain have proven counterproductive. Exercise programs have been found to be helpful in chronic low back pain. Articular back pain is characterized by constant or sharp pain that is exacerbated by movement and associated with local muscle spasm. Myofascial and articular back pain may be indistinguishable from each other except by advanced imaging techniques beyond the usual scope of practice in the ED. Neurogenic back pain is classically characterized by constant or intermittent pain that is burning, shooting, or aching. The pain is usually more severe in the leg than in the back and follows a dermatome. Muscle atrophy as well as reflex changes can be seen over time. DIAGNOSIS The most important task of the emergency physician is to distinguish chronic pain from an exacerbation that heralds a life- or limb-threatening condition. A complete history and physical examination should either confirm the chronic condition or point to the need for further evaluation when unexpected signs or symptoms are elicited. An electrocardiogram (ECG) may be needed in some cases of chronic myofascial chest pain to help differentiate it from acute ischemic chest pain. Because chronic pain patients may be frequent visitors to the ED, the entire staff may prejudge their complaint as chronic or factitious. Physicians should insist that routine procedures be followed, including a full triage assessment and a complete set of vital signs. Rarely is a provisional diagnosis of a chronic pain condition made for the first time in the ED. The exception is a form of post-nerve-injury pain, complex regional pain. The sharp pain from acute injuries, including fractures, rarely continues beyond 2 weeks duration. Pain in an injured body part beyond this period should alert the clinician to the possibility of nerve injury, and proper treatment, discussed below, should be instituted. Definitive diagnostic testing of chronic pain conditions is difficult, requires expert opinion, and often expensive procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and thermography. Therefore, referral back to the primary source of care and eventual specialist referral are warranted to confirm the diagnosis. TREATMENT Emergency physicians must avoid labeling patients with pain as either drug seekers or legitimate patients deserving narcotics for pain relief. With these labels, emergency physicians may exacerbate the problem and promote the learned pain response, where patients believe that they must come to the ED for pain relief. Chronic pain patients often request narcotics, although the lure of going to the ED can be just as strong without receiving narcotics. Any drug that alters sensorium can exacerbate the learned pain response. The external rewards of visiting the ED for medication or evaluation are many: attention and comforting from family and nursing staff, status as a special patient who must go the ED for pain control, avoiding responsibilities at work and at home, potential money if litigation is involved, and potential income if a disability claim is pending. Treatment with opiates frequently contributes to the psychopathologic aspects of the disease. Chronic pain and disability lead to distress and increased stress in the life of the patient. The potentiated psychological stress heightens physiologic arousal, which increases pain sensations. Elevated pain sensations exacerbate the patients disability. Opiate use only temporarily relieves the pain sensations, but the side effects frequently increase the disability associated with chronic pain, therefore exacerbating the psychological stress and the syndrome. Furthermore, a new problem is created as the patient becomes preoccupied with seeking pain relief from opiates. Another essential consideration is that many types of chronic pain are poorly controlled by opiates, and yet the side effects remain. It is interesting to note that the presence of objective evidence of pain does little to influence a physicians administration of narcotics. Physicians opiate-prescribing habits are most commo nly prompted by observed pain behaviors, such as facial grimacing, audible expressions of distress, or patients avoidance of activity regardless of the physical findings. With the exception of cancer-related pain, the use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain is controversial. Many pain specialists feel that they should not be used. There are two essential points that affect the use of opioids in the ED on which there is agreement: (1) opioids should only be used in chronic pain if they enhance function at home and at work, and (2) a single practitioner should be the sole prescriber of narcotics or should be aware of their administration by others. Finally, a previous narcotic addiction is a relative contraindication to the use of opioids in chronic pain. In contrast to the concerns listed above, narcotics are both recommended and effective treatment for cancer pain. Long-acting narcotics such as methadone or transdermal fentanyl may be more effective than the short-acting agents. . The medications listed under Primary ED Treatment are familiar to emergency physicians. While NSAIDs are most helpful in conditions where there is ongoing tissue injury, such as chronic inflammatory arthritis or cancer-related nerve or bone damage, they are also helpful in many cases of chronic pain where no evidence of tissue damage or inflammation is evident. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to be more helpful in acute than in chronic pain. However, the need for long-standing treatment of chronic pain conditions may limit the safety of the NSAIDs. Standard dosing procedures may be followed except in the elderly: Antidepressants and, most commonly, the tricyclic antidepressant drugs, are the most frequently used drugs for the management of chronic pain. Often, effective pain control can be achieved at doses lower than typically required for relief of depression. Tricyclic antidepressants appears to enhance endogenous pain inhibitory mechanisms. When antidepressants are prescribed in the ED, a follow-up plan should be in place. Discussion with a pain specialist is often beneficial. The most common drug and dose is amitriptyline 10 to 25 mg, 2 h prior to bedtime. Anticonvulsants are used for several pain disorders, especially neuropathic pain. Anticonvulsants prevent bursts of action potentials, which may prevent the severe lancinating pain of certain neuropathic syndromes. Carbamazepine (start 100 to 200 mg/d), valproic acid (start 15 mg/kg/d divided), and clonazepam (start 0.5 mg/d) are the most frequently used. Muscle relaxants, such as cyclobenzaprine 10 mg every 8 h, have been useful for chronic pain patients. Their sedating effects may limit their success. Tramadol is an atypical centrally active analgesic. It has less respiratory depression, less tolerance, and less abuse potential than do opiates. Tramadol has been used with success in patients with fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, low back pain, and neuropathic pain. The dose of tramadol is 50 to 100 mg every 4 to 6 h by mouth. Chronic Pain in the Elderly Elderly patients frequently complain of chronic pain. Unfortunately, many of the commonly used medications for pain have higher complication rates in the elderly. In particular, the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with higher rates of gastrointestinal bleeding and renal disease in the elderly. Opioids also may cause debilitating sedation and/or constipation in the elderly; however, opioids may have less debilitating side effects than NSAIDs. Doses of many agents should be reduced when treating the elderly, to avoid side effects, and it is essential that a follow-up plan be in place at the time of discharge. There is a perception that the elderly are under medicated for pain control. While this may be true, the elderly do not seem to be under medicated more than other age groups. Conclusion In the end you can notice that pain can affect any one at any age, and its management is not easy as anyone think, especially in chronic moderate to severe pain. The variety of drugs that synthesized for this purpose are too much now, but no class of these drugs can cure the different causes of pain, and scientists now a days improving the activity of these drugs. In fact the now by the end of 2009 working on new formulation that is said to cure pain caused by inflammation. Thus aspirin will only be used for its anticoagulant and antipyretic activities, but not for anti-inflammatory action, this will reduce the toxicity cases caused by the aspirin over doses if it is used as anti-inflammatory or pain relief agent. Most important is that people with pain must ask doctor to find the cause of pain, so he/she can give the right medication and cure any type of inflammation or cancer if there is any early before the exacerbating of the current case, then it will be too late to try to cure the advanced disease and death may occur in most of the cases, so be careful any small pain can be the start for any kind of disease starting from stress ending with fatal cancer.

The Axis Powers :: World War II History

The Axis Powers Almost everyone knows of The Axis Powers. They were enemies of The Allied Powers in World War II. They are synonymous with The Holocaust because Adolf Hitler was the man who started The Holocaust and he ws the dictator of Germany. The Axis Powers originally was the alliance between Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany and Benito Mussolini's Fascist Italy. Italy did not do much during the war though. The goals of The Axis Powers clearly emerged in the Italo-Germany Pact. It was a pact that was signed in May of 1939 in which Italy and Germany promised to help each other in the time of war. Germany also signed another pact because Hitler believed that Germany had lost World War I due to the fact that Germany had to fight on two sides. The pact was a ten-year, non-aggression pact between the USSR and Germany. The pact was later abolished when the USSR began to help the Allied Powers fight Germany. Hitler wasn't well known during World War I. As a matter of fact, Hitler was a private during the war and ended up gaining power because he appealed to a large number of German people. He appealed to them by a combination of an effective and well-practiced style of speaking with what looked like undoubtable sincerity and determination. This helped Hitler find a large audience for his program of national revival, racial pride in Germanic values, hatred for France and of the Jewish and other un-German races, and despise for the Weimer Republic. With the way he spoke, Hitler convinced the people of Germany to believe that a dictatorship was the only thing that could save Germany from the problems it was having. Hitler's views only changed a little in the years to follow; yet he still managed to draw an increasing number of people to his speeches. On September 30, 1938, France and Great Britain agreed to let Nazi Germany have a piece of Czechoslovakia. Hitler told the British and French that it would be his last demand for territory in Europe. Hitler ended up breaking this pact when he took over Prague. During that same year, Germany attacked Poland and defeated them in one month. Poland was then split into two parts with Hitler's Nazi Germany taking part and Stalin's Communist USSR taking the other part. The invasion was what started World War II.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s Cats Cradle Essay -- Cats Cradle Vonnegut Essays

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s Cat's Cradle In the early sixties, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. released his candidly fantastical novel, Cat's Cradle. Within the text an entire religious sect, called Bokononism is born; a religion built on lies, absurdity, and irony. The narrator of Cat's Cradle is Jonah, a freelance writer who characterizes Bokononism as being, "free form as an amoeba" (Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle, 3). It is boundless and unpredictable as the unconscious itself. Bokonon lives on the impoverished island of San Lorenzo where he spends his days scribing poetic calypsos in the books of Bokonon. Jonah arrives on the same island in his pursuit of Frank Hoenniker, the military commander and son of the eccentric Dr. Hoenniker, who invents a substance capable of freezing the world over in seconds called ice-nine. When San Lorenzo's totalitarian ruler, Papa Monzano, passes away—infecting the oceans with ice-nine in the process—Frank transfers his inherited power to Jonah. Even within this skeletal sketch of the novel, one can see that the absurdity and humor within the religion of Bokonon is imposed on the plot itself, creating a world of comedic fantasy in which the reading audience can partake. In light of this, Cat's Cradle exemplifies imagination and play, thus correlating with the theory Freud illustrates in the essay "Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming," which emphasizes the importance of fantasy to the creative writer and its therapeutic value for the audience. At the most fundamental level, even the title of the novel provides a strong example of the importance of play to Vonnegut. Cat's cradle is a childrenÕs game of weaving yarn between the fingers whereby the player forms various patterns. To see beyond what exists (or in Vonnegut's w... ...ite poison that makes statues of men; and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, and thumbing my nose at You Know Who. (Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle, 287) Bokononism's refreshing defiance of restraint and reality with the creative power of playful imagination is a precise illumination of the therapeutic value Freud christens as inherent in literature. Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. "Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming." Freud Reader, Edited by Peter Gay. New York, NY: Norton and Company Inc., 1989. Freud, Sigmund. "On Dreams." Freud Reader, Edited by Peter Gay. New York, NY: Norton and Company Inc., 1989. Vonnegut, Kurt. A Man without a Country. New York, NY: Seven Stories Press, 2005. Vonnegut, Kurt. Cat's Cradle. New York, NY: Delta Books, 1963. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York, NY: Random House, 1969.

Dramatic Techniques in Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell :: Shirley Valentine Willy Russell Essays

Dramatic Techniques in Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell How do the dramatic techniques use in the play help the audience to understand the importance of Shirley’s transformation? You should refer to the significance of the play’s social and historical (settings, attitudes to women SHIRLEY VALENTINE Task: How do the dramatic techniques use in the play help the audience to understand the importance of Shirley’s transformation? You should refer to the significance of the play’s social and historical (settings, attitudes to women, attitudes to marriage, expectations of life, etc) context and the literary context (kitchen-sink drama, comedy, tragedy, drama, etc). The play ‘Shirley Valentine’ was written by Willy Russell. Russell was born in 1976, near Liverpool. He left school when he was fifteen and did a variety of jobs before becoming a writer. Originally he used to be a songwriter, performing in his late teens. By the time he was twenty he decided to become a playwright rather than his desired option of teaching. In his first eighteen months schools loved his work and he decided that he was successful enough to do it fulltime. â€Å"Shirley Valentine†, is the story of a middle age woman living in Liverpool and her change in life. Russell explores the usage of different dramatic techniques to tell a complex story. We the audience are in contact with Shirley from the beginning, because she talks to the camera. This forms a friendship between Shirley and the audience. We become her confidante. Other dramatic techniques used by the playwright are the use of Flashbacks and Voiceovers. In flashbacks Shirley would be doing something and would drift off talking about something that had happened earlier on in the day or a previous day, so we would get all the background information, on what has been going on. It also highlights the important events in her life to show us how she got to this point in her life. In Voiceovers Shirley would express her true feelings about someone whilst they would be talking about the thing that Shirley is expressing her feelings about. The opening credits depict a series of fifteen sketches that show Shirley doing her everyday routine of domestic chores, with no enthusiasm. Shirley if cleaning and cooking, this tells us what her life is like, boring. You could see that she is tired of living out her life in an ordinary marriage, with very little going on, she has all this Unfulfilled Potential which she desperately wants to overturn. The words of the soundtrack are very cleverly adapted to the sketches shown. They tell the everyday life story of a woman that has

Are Curfews Fair to Juveniles Essay

Cities across the United States have imposed curfews on juveniles for many years. Teen curfew laws restrict the hours that juveniles may be on the streets or in public places at night (Sutphen and Ford). Some people consider curfews infringing on people’s constitutional rights. Curfews are hard to implement by law enforcement, and, in fact, take law enforcement away from more serious crimes. More crimes occur during daytime hours and more children are victimized in their homes than on the streets. Although curfews are made to protect our juveniles and to deter crime by juveniles, does imposing these curfews violate the juvenile’s civil rights and target the true underlying problems involved in enforcing these issues? People have a right to personal freedoms, including juveniles, but curfews take away some personal freedoms of juveniles. A 16-year-old en route to a fast-food restaurant is stopped and questioned five times, by five different police officers (Davidson). Even though this teen had no intension of any mischief, he or she was stopped five times. When a juvenile transitions from a child to an adult they are required to take on more responsibilities, curfews limit them as they make the transition into adulthood. This hinders the juvenile from making adult decisions. Youth curfews use the idea of childhood based on innocence/ignorance, passivity and dependence, in order to prevent young people from crossing the boundary into adulthood before society deems them ready (O’Neil). Most parents want the freedom to choose how to raise their children and what values they want to instill in their children. If the state leaves guidance in the hands of the parents, they can monitor their child’s development and gradually increase her liberty and responsibility by allowing her to experience new situations and to make choices as she develops into an adult (Assessing the Scope if Minors’ Fundamental Rights: Juvenile Curfews and the Constitution). Curfews stifle the personal freedoms of juveniles. The enforcement of curfews presents even more reasons to abolish curfews. It is hard for law enforcement to enforce curfews and curfew violations are not taken seriously. Juvenile curfews will not stop young people who are intent on committing crime, in part, because the penalties for a curfew violation are not that serious (O’Neil). There are also limited police officers to help with the enforcement of curfews. Because of the curfews, it takes the police away from more serious crime that are happening in cities across the United States. The enforcement of juvenile curfews is hard to put into effect, and there are limited police officers to enforce these curfews, which are often not even taken seriously. Crimes by juveniles occur more often during the day than at night. When either both parents work, or there is a single parent household, juveniles must come home from school alone. Since juveniles are left unsupervised, they sometimes commit crimes and these crimes usually occur during the day. Those opposed to curfews replied that most juvenile crimes occurred in daylight hours, that most children were not criminals, and that many legitimate nocturnal activities were being suppressed (Juvenile Curfews and the Major Confusion Over Minor Rights). Since most juvenile crimes occur during the day, why should a curfew be imposed on juveniles? One of the main reasons juvenile curfews were imposed, was to protect the juveniles from the dangers that could occur during the late hours of the night. Although many feel curfews protect juveniles from these dangers, many times that is not the case. Many juveniles are victimized in their own homes. Critics argue that because many juvenile crimes occur during the day and most juvenile victimization occurs at home, nighttime curfews fail to target the worst problems (Juvenile Curfews and the Major Confusion Over Minor Rights). Although juvenile curfews were put in place to protect children, the streets are not always the places where children are victimized. Most large cities in the United States impose juvenile curfews. Juveniles have rights to the personal freedoms their parents allow and the government needs to let the parents raise their children without interference. Because most juvenile crimes are committed during the day, and since curfews restrict night time activities, we should abolish these curfews. Curfews also take law enforcement officers away from more serious crimes. Curfews were made to protect juveniles and to deter juvenile crime, but since most juveniles are victimized at home and most juvenile crimes are committed during the day, curfews are ineffective and should be abolished.

A Good Parent

A Good Parent How to be a good parent? During this period, raising children is the most difficult job in the world. But to be a good parent will teach them to become a nice person. So the most important quality of a good parent is being responsible for their children. There are several qualities of a good parent. The three most important qualities of a good parent are express love, helping your children feel safe, and spending a time with your children. The first quality of good parents is express love. A good parent should tell their children that they love them every day.For example, they express their love by giving lots of hugs and some kisses. A parent should give them more attention and love. Because many children look for this kinds of favor from parents. If a parent expresses love to them then they will get along with their parents. They will start communicating and tell everything to you. Try to love your children completely do not force them to love you. They should be in o rder to earn your love. For example, let them know that you will always love them no matter what. The second quality of good parents is helping your children feel safe. A good parent should give children some privacy and respect.For example, if you teach them that you can come to ours room but stay out of line. Also teach them if you enter someone’s room then you cannot look through theirs drawers or read their diary. Do not argue with your spouse while they are sleeping. Because sometimes children may feel worried and scared. So from this they can learn to argue with someone. Therefore show them that when someone argues with them then they can discuss their differences peacefully. A good parent should set boundaries. For example, bedtimes, and curfews so they know that parents care and try to make feel safe by the boundaries.The third quality of good parents is spending a time with your children. It is necessary for parents should spend time with children. A parent should ta ke some time from work and spend time with them by attending a school function, do homework with them, and visit their teacher at the open house. If a parent spends time with children they will love it and they will remember that my parents attended my school function. Spend time with children thirty minutes every day. Try to spend time during dinner and talk big and small problems with them. Try to go out for blowing, plan a vacation, a visit to grandparents, and many more things.By spending time with them they will try to communicate more and tell every big or small problem with you. They also start caring about you and give more respect. The most important thing is to try to forget your job work when you come home. Spend time with your children as much you can. In short, there are several qualities of a good parent. The three most important qualities of a good parent are express love, helping you children feel safe, and spending a time with you children. (need to add final commen t in conclusion otherwise everythings is prefect)