...let her real fans - and everybody standing behind her - down. Janis Ian was born in 1951 and is an American folksinger and writer. She published her autobiography named after her song Society’s Child - My Autobiography in 2009. We get to know one of her complications in her early career as a fifteen-year-old folksinger. In this extract of Janis Ian’s autobiography we get to know one of her problems, which she goes through in Encino, California. She’s on a stage where she is half through her song Society’s Child, which is a song about her black lover “Face is clean and shining black as night”. But as she sings her song, some of her audience begins to yell at her “Nigger Lover! Nigger Lover” and because of this, she begins to cry and runs away from the scene. She then goes to the bathroom and cries even more. While she’s in there, she makes many thoughts about why she shouldn’t get back on the stage. “I can’t go back out there. I can’t. What if somebody takes a shot at me?” After that she gathers her courage to get back on the stage, because of her thoughts about how her family raised her. And realised that she has real fans. “I don’t want to disappoint the real fans out there. And there must be real fans out there!” She then gets back on the stage, and starts to sing her song Society’s Child and completes the song, and goes on to complete the show. This also shows that the story is written in a chronological order, as it starts from her getting off the stage because of some...
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...”Society’s child – My autobiography” – Is a book written in 2009 by Janis Ian, an American folksinger and songwriter, who, being 13 years old, sold a single that ignited rebellious behavior all over America. The reason for this was the racial problems it addressed in the lyrics of the song. The first thing you see in this text is the fact that the story is Janis Ian tells us in this book, is in fact a retro perspective on her life. This assertion is strengthened by the fact that she uses past tense in the entirety of the story. She takes us through the story with a first person perspective and makes the reader understand those emotions she gets through the story better. This can for example be seen in lines 34 and 62: “I felt like crying, but you can’t sing and cry at the same time so I tried to keep on going.” , “I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. What was wrong with these people? It was just a song, not a combat invitation!” These identifications make a strong bond between writer and reader, and through pathos used in a plethora of ways throughout the text, the reader is strongly affected by how the hardships Janis Ian has to go through. Another good point to bring up is the fact that she wrote her songs at a time where the black/white tension was at a breaking point. The song was written in 1964, which was just one year before the equal rights demonstrations – with Martin Luther King as the spearhead in this movement – began marching in the cities of America...
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...B. Society’s Child – My Autobiography In 1965 the civil rights movement was still at its highest. It was 10 years ago since Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to at white man in the bus. A lot had changed since, but some people could not stand the black, while others began to accept them as being equal with the white people – people were divided. Some did not dare to speak up about acceptance of the black, because they were afraid of being killed. It was the circumstances at that time, but the 15 years old singer/songwriter Janis Ian, was not afraid – at first. She wrote a song about an interracial romance, and not everyone found it acceptable. Janis Ian got a lot of hate mail, threats and even got shouted of the stage, but this only became a turning point for her life and singing career. Janis Ian’s autobiography is written as an article and is divided into columns. The main purpose of a structure build like an article is to inform the readers, and so do this autobiography. It also makes it very easy to read, and her messages also seem clearer. The text contains flashbacks on page 2, column 2 to page 3, column 1 and on page 3, column 2 to page 3, column 1. She uses the flashbacks as an information to the readers about the former circumstances. This gives us a better understanding of the situation. It is very important for Janis Ian that the readers of her autobiography understand how she feels, and feel compassion with her. She is very afraid of going back on stage...
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...the same sex (two women, two men) who are recognized as being in same sort of union by the law”, and adoption is defined as “the act of legally Assuming the role of parent for same one who is not one of your biological children”. Furthermore in this essay I will discuss society’s views on whether Gay couples should be allowed to adopt. Nowadays many Gays couples have expressed their desire of becoming a parent, but this had developed many polemic in society as same believe, they should be allowed to adopt while others argued this would be an immoral act towards the society. In 2008 February o1 the web site http://www.writework.com/essay/should-gay-couples-allowed-adopt argued in favor stating that research have been done and “it has been proven that being a parent is not influenced by sexuality, most influential in being a great parent is providing a loving home, it hasn’t been proven that children living with Gay couples have low self-esteem”. Many famous people have also expressed their opinion to the society such as (Romney(R) in his interview on may 12 2010 should gay couples be allowed to adopt) He said that “if two people of the same gender want to live together, want to have a loving relationship, even want to adopt a child-in my state, individuals of the same sex are able to adopt children”. People all over the world have expressed their opinion on this issue such as the web site http://debate.org/debates/should-gay-couples-be-allowed-to-adopt they pointed out that...
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...“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula LeGuin share many similarities and differences on how society destroys a person physically, emotionally, and mentally. Both the poem and the essay show how society’s expectations can be hurtful to someone. For example, Piercy states, “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs” (line 11) and “Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said. Consummation at last” (lines 24-25). This explains how society made the expectation of the way the girl should look and at the end when there was nothing they could do for her they found her perfect. In “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” it states, “It looks about six, but actually is nearly ten. It is feeble-minded. Perhaps it was born...
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...Thesis Statements Sunderman/English 1A Adapted from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/resources/students/ac_paper/develop.html Why Is a Thesis Statement So Important? Good question. As we’ve stated in class, our goal as writers is to give information to our readers that is interesting and easily understood. The thesis statement is typically that one sentence that asserts the main point, and controls and structures the essay. Without a strong, thoughtful thesis, your paper might seem unfocused, weak, and not worth the reader’s time. How Do I Write a Good Thesis Statement? A good thesis statement will have the following characteristics: 1. A good thesis statement will make a claim. You need to develop an interesting perspective on a topic that you can support and defend. This perspective must be more than an observation. “America is violent” is an observation. “Americans are violent because they are fearful” posits an interesting perspective on violence in America. It gives a possible reason WHY America is violent—a reason that can be supported and defended with specific examples. You want to make sure that your claim is not too broad, and that you can successfully defend and support it in the required number of pages. “Disease has shaped human history” is an impossibly large thesis. It would be better narrowed down to a specific disease, a specific time period, and a specific way (or ways) that disease has shaped human history. “In the mid-1980s, AIDS...
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...That way, they will be more attentive to the points that he is making. By including this appeal, Alexie is able to make another bridge between the sciences and the humanities. How Indian children were treated in school refers to sociology, and mentioning his miserable, mournful, mentality, speaks to Alexie’s cognitive thinking. Alexie makes this bridge in order to to explain how society’s treatment of people have profound effects on the development of an individual’s mind. His audience can further understand Alexie’s points on inequality, and begin to examine how it has affected their growth. In the six paragraph, Alexie begins by using strong diction to describe the effect society’s inequalities had on him through an appeal to pathos. Alexie claims that a smart Indian is “widely feared and ridiculed,” by all social groups because Indian children are “expected to be stupid.” The strong...
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...the mid to latter end of the twentieth century, in relation to the forced adoption practices that were taking place between the 1950’s and 1980’s. Forced adoption is used to explain a situation where a parent is having their child forcibly removed without their given consent. The Australian government together with all state governments failed to provide unmarried mother with equal treatment to that of married mothers in Australian public hospitals. In my essay I will be discussing the false distinction between capacities of young unwedded mothers to raising their children compared to the married financially secure mothers, along with analysing the shame and guilt felt by the mothers of losing their baby’s with the national apology trying to restore their lost dignity. The Oxford English Dictionary describes dignity as the quality of being worthy or honourable; worthiness, worth, nobleness and excellence (Oxford Dictionary).During the time when forced adoptions in Australia were taking place, legislative changes emerged in the 1950s and consolidated in the 1960s enshrined the concept of adoption secrecy and the ideal of having a "clean break" from the birth mother. Adoption practices in Australia has undergone a great deal of change along with society's responses and views towards pregnancies outside of marriage and single motherhood. Until a section of legal, social and economic changes in the 1970s, unwed women who were pregnant were expected to give up their babies for adoption...
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...the mid to latter end of the twentieth century, in relation to the forced adoption practices that were taking place between the 1950’s and 1980’s. Forced adoption is used to explain a situation where a parent is having their child forcibly removed without their given consent. The Australian government together with all state governments failed to provide unmarried mother with equal treatment to that of married mothers in Australian public hospitals. In my essay I will be discussing the false distinction between capacities of young unwedded mothers to raising their children compared to the married financially secure mothers, along with analysing the shame and guilt felt by the mothers of losing their baby’s with the national apology trying to restore their lost dignity. The Oxford English Dictionary describes dignity as the quality of being worthy or honourable; worthiness, worth, nobleness and excellence (Oxford Dictionary).During the time when forced adoptions in Australia were taking place, legislative changes emerged in the 1950s and consolidated in the 1960s enshrined the concept of adoption secrecy and the ideal of having a "clean break" from the birth mother. Adoption practices in Australia has undergone a great deal of change along with society's responses and views towards pregnancies outside of marriage and single motherhood. Until a section of legal, social and economic changes in the 1970s, unwed women who were pregnant were expected to give up their babies for adoption...
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...result of new scientific technologies, discoveries, or different social systems. It is the only genre that shows an outsider’s viewpoint on how a society could run in a different manner, allowing us to envision a desirable future and evaluate ways to work towards it or it advises us of the future we should steer clear of and aids us in ways of avoiding it. Science fiction is often observed in a dystopian setting. A dystopia is an imaginary world that intentionally overstates social problems in order to make a point about society's defects. In particular, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin is a science fiction based short story set in a dystopian society masquerading as a utopian society...
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...child’s psychological development – discuss This essay will explore the concept of sensitive parenting and will look at how the dynamic interactions between parent and child inform Attachment Theory a model which measures child development. This model, pioneered by Bowlby is posited within the principles of a psychoanalytic and biological perspective (Bee, H.L., 2000). Child attachment can be classified into two main types, secure and insecure, by using a standard laboratory assessment known as the “Strange Situation” developed by Ainsworth, insecure attachment was divided further into sub groups, ambivalent and avoidant (Ding, S. & Littleton, K. 2005). Whilst discussing attachment theory which utilises the concept of an internal working model other approaches in terms of understanding how parenting affects child development will be explored. Theoretical positions such as social learning theory which lies heavily on behaviourist principles will be looked at, parenting styles where patterns of parenting will be discussed and inter-generational transmission which serves to perpetuate society’s inequalities and disadvantages with negative connotations for a child’s psychological development (Ding, S. & Littleton, K. 2005). “Disturbed” and “Disturbing Behaviour” will also be explored. The medical model and social model perspectives challenge the understanding in terms of attributing cause of problem behaviour to either the child or environment, discussion will take place around...
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...Parjit Sigh Dhaliwal Mr. Mannello ENG3U0-I 2015-12-10 Donnie Darko and The Catcher in the Rye Comparative Essay: The Transition into the Adult World When one’s views contrast with those of society’s, a societal phenomenon of alienation occurs. Both, J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, and director Richard Kelly’s film, Donnie Darko, emphasise this estrangement by contextually presenting protagonists who suggest that teen discordance is universal due to their opposing collective perspectives. The book, The Catcher in the Rye, is about a young-adult’s three-day experience living in New York city after being kicked out of his school. The narrator, Holden Caulfield, recounts his experiences and interactions within those three days through thorough analyzation. The film, Donnie Darko, is about a teen, Donnie Darko, who is supernaturally transported to a tangent universe, guided by a ghost, Frank, in which his actions determine the future of the normal universe. In both the book and the novel, the ironic nature of societal seclusion being self-inflicted shown through the rejection of society by the protagonists themselves, both works are able to reinforce the universality of teen discord. Although there is trust to be found in adults, superficiality is present in the mass majority of the adult society. This phoniness amongst adults is present in both the book and the movie ultimately which contributes to the prevalence of distrust amongst the adolescent protagonists...
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...Essay Criminal behaviour should be considered a matter of individual rather than social responsibility. Discuss Carl Ikejezie Criminal behaviour is one of the negative aspects of the human society and it affects the whole world. Its causes are innumerable, from lack of jobs to lack of education to poor family upbringing and genetic predisposition. Criminal behaviour is any behaviour that has a criminal intent, or results in punishment by law enforcement of some type. This essay intends to show with evidence from research that criminal behaviour is a matter of social responsibility more than individual responsibility. The following are some of the crimes: sexual abuse, robbery, drug dealing, fraud, arson, theft, manslaughter, etc. The causes of this behaviour are many; because of the nature of this essay only four will be discussed here, namely: poor upbringing, lack of education, lack of jobs, and genetic predisposition. Poor upbringing is responsible for many criminal behaviours in society. Parental involvement in children’s upbringing is essential. The early learning can be enhanced or inhibited by the environment in which a child grows up. If the child witnesses family conflict and disorders, he is more likely to be a victim of violence that can hurt him for life. One research reveals that the absence of the father in family is determinant in the behaviour of young people, and is defined as “hyper masculine”. These young...
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...Mason Brudzinski Mr. Marbry College Career and Composition September 29, 2015 Persuasive Essay Man has struggled with guilt since the first sin. In the Bible, after Adam and Eve disobey God and ate the forbidden fruit, they discover something new; the feeling of guilt. The same sensation is felt today, but does it still hold the same humbling ability as it did in the distant pass? According to James B. Twitchell author of For Shame: the Loss of Common Decent in American Culture; argues, “Feeling bad [shame] is often the basis of a general good.” Throughout Twitchell’s Book, For Shame: the Loss of Common Decent in American Culture, Twitchell expresses a compelling argument that the need for “shame in American Culture is anecdote to the diseases...
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...‘Assess’ Essay Planning Sheet Name: Essay Title: Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood (24 marks) | Underline or highlight the key concepts, terms and instructions, by identifying these key elements it will allow you to focus on answering the question. It is important to use relevant sociological terminology within the context of you essay. List the key sociological terms that will be appropriate for this essay. Privileged time, social construct, golden age, separateness, toxic childhood, child-centred, march of progress, conflict view, child liberationists, globalisation, information hierarchy | IntroductionSignpost to the question and clearly explain the key concepts /terms of the question | In today’s society, childhood is seen to be socially constructed in that this idea of childhood has been created by society and its institutions rather than being a natural occurrence; it is society’s perception of what childhood is. Sociologists argue that childhood and the position that children have in society is not fixed, and that it differs between times, places, and cultures. However, children all have different experiences of what childhood is to them based on class, gender, and ethnicity so no one would experience childhood in the same way. | Paragraph 1PointThe point must be appropriate in answering the question. | The modern western...
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