A Midwife's Tale, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - review

A Midwife's Tale, by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, is a historical monograph that follows the life of Martha Ballard based on her diary entries from 1785 to 1812. Martha was a midwife, who resided in Hallowell, Maine, and delivered 816 babies during her practice, from 1785 to 1812, which averaged forty births a year. Her diary opens for historians an unparalleled glimpse into the past in which they can relate its context to the larger themes occurring during the eighteenth-century. "Through the daily entries of the diary, we can see the eighteenth-century was a time not only of political revolution but also of medical, economic, and sexual transformation."1 "It was also an era where a new ideology of womanhood connected domestic virtue to the survival of the state."2 Martha's diary reveals what was lost and what was gained during the transformation of the eighteenth-century into the nineteenth-century. She illustrates the communion between women and men in the economy and the complimentary roles they played in order to sustain the town. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich interprets Martha's diary by researching a wide range of sources and puts it into a format in which we can easily read. Such sources used to reconstruct and support the events described in the historical monograph include, Sewall's diary, Ephraim Ballard's maps, wills, tax lists, deeds, court records, town-meeting

  • Word count: 1707
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Interview with a fellow student.

Interview with a fellow student. Introduction. After carrying out an interview with a fellow student, who will be referred to as interviewee or client for confidentiality reasons, I will report how their identity has impacted on their life. To do this I will need to define my own identity so that I can understand and explore difference and diversity. I will explore power and discrimination within client A's life and draw on evidence, theories and experience. During the second part of the essay I am going to analyse the interview process where I will apply communication theories. A brief analysis of my own identity would be that I am a white women aged twenty, born in Britain who is not religious. I base my class on my family so I consider myself middle class as I live alone with my mother who owns her own home and is employed in a professional and managerial role. Others may consider me not to hold a class, as I am a student. My family is very important to me and is the basis of the majority of my values. I am not married nor do I have any children. The interviewee is a white woman aged 42, born and brought up in Manchester. Who considers herself working class and from a working class family. She has two bothers a sister and three children. The interviewee was married to the father of her first two children but they separated ten years ago and are now divorced.

  • Word count: 2723
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Application of Research in Social Services

Running Head: A REFLECTION ON RESEARCH IN WASHINGTON STATE SOCIAL A Reflection on Research in Washington State Social Sciences Gregory McCool The University of Phoenix, Tacoma Washington Campus Application of Research in Social Services Research and development in any large corporation such as General Electric, Cisco, or Microsoft, the application of statistical and economical data can help to make the best use of available data and apply it towards the development of better products. Large corporations place billions of dollars each year into research and development trying to improve technology and find the best ways to apply the new technologies towards improving the lives of consumers. The Social Science field is no different in this manner. Human Services agencies need to be able to apply the most current theories and data found in published articles relating to the application of research on social services towards providing better services to its clients. Like scientists that apply scientific knowledge and data to develop new technologies the social services, researchers must apply statistics, economic data, and behavioral studies to make the delivery of social services more productive. As the application of social services is costly and takes a good part of the states operating budget, state social services must also be good stewards of public funds they are

  • Word count: 1389
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Module ~ Law for social workers

Module ~ Law for social workers Assignment Emma Simpson is twenty five years old. She has two children: Jason aged five and Sophie, aged eight. Sophie has cerebral palsy, has difficulty in walking and feeding herself. She is frequently distressed during the day and night because of double incontinence. She attends a special needs school as a day pupil but has been offered a residential place. A year ago Emma was evicted from her privately rented accommodation for rent arrears and moved in with her boyfriend, John, who holds a council tenancy. John works as a bus driver and has supported Emma and her children. Recently the relationship has deteriorated and John has threatened Emma and lost his temper with Sophie on a number of occasions. Emma wishes to break off with John but is worried about how she will support herself and her children and were they will live. She has been told that the council will not help her because of she was evicted for rent arrears. She is also in a quandary about weather to accept the residential place for Sophie at school. Task Advise Emma on her options regarding housing, personal safety, means of obtaining an income and how her choice regarding Sophie's schooling might affect this. Your answer should demonstrate an awareness of the following (a) priorities concerning urgent and less urgent need (b) possible differences in approach

  • Word count: 2929
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Health and Social Research Methods

HEALTH & SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODS 'Critically examine the potential of Critical Discourse Analysis as a method of data collection in any area of areas of relevant research' Introduction Discourse analytic research falls under the broad category of qualitative research which is 'employed when researchers seek to understand how people make sense of their environment and the factors or conditions which shape their lives' (Sarantakos, 2000:124). There are a number of disciplines that claim the title discourse analysis and although they are based on differing theoretical frameworks, must involve a 'common attention to the significance and structuring effects of language and are associated with interpretive and reflexive styles of analysis' (Burman & Parker, 1993:3). But the lack of a single, unitary understanding of the term discourse analysis means that without an understanding of the underlying psychological theories and an acceptance of the basic principles of the particular version of discourse analysis being undertaken, its use a research tool is not only inappropriate, it is also unworkable since: 'discourse analysis is more than a methodology because it involves a theoretical way of understanding the nature of discourse and the nature of psychological phenomena' (Billig in Willig, 2001:94). For the purposes of this assignment, I shall therefore be concentrating on

  • Word count: 4801
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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why do people commit benefit fraud?

Why do people commit benefit fraud? What recommendations would you make for policies to reduce benefit fraud? When delving into a question like this it is vital to explain that the first part of this question has several explanations to it. I will start by firstly discussing how various influential groups have played down benefit fraud but how news media and politicians have exaggerated benefit fraud, causing a wide spread belief that everyone is doing it so it is acceptable. Secondly I will discuss why people commit benefit fraud due to the unravelling of rights and responsibilities of welfare citizenship. Then I will take into consideration age, gender and ethnicity and explain how this has a bearing on benefit fraud and to show how this can help explain why people commit benefit fraud. Then I will discuss the most frequent reason that I found which is economic necessity, benefits alone did not fulfil their basic needs so fraud outweighed the consequences of being caught. I will then discuss how morals interplay with reasons for why people commit benefit fraud; this is because I found that fraudsters do not believe that it is dishonest compared to other organised crime. For the second part of the question, what recommendations would you make for policies to reduce benefit fraud? I will start by suggesting policies be made so that children are kept in some form of

  • Word count: 2171
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Why has 'family change', and in particular the increase in the numbers of single parents, become an issue of concern for social policy? Should it be?

Social Policy and Society 1h Essay 1 Title 3: Why has 'family change', and in particular the increase in the numbers of single parents, become an issue of concern for social policy? Should it be? Over the past three decades, there have been considerable changes to the family, in that it has become notably more diverse. Whereas the 'Nuclear Family', consisting of two adults and at least two children, was considered the norm before the 1970s, the term 'family' now extends "to cover any household, where any living situation and all transitional states are equally 'families', there is nothing to decline or dissolve, only movement between ever transmuting 'family forms'." (P. Morgan, 1998). The changes observed include patterns of later marriage and more divorce, increasing numbers of cohabiting couples, and a rise in the average age for having children1. Associated partly with divorce is the increase in lone, or single, parents. This diversification of family 'forms' can be linked to the changing role of both women and men in today's society. Women are becoming more and more economically independent and active in the labour market, while the traditional 'male breadwinner' role of men is slowly disappearing. As K. Kiernan points out in 'The Fragmenting Family: does it matter?', women's desire to pursue a career is one of the main factors contributing to the delay of

  • Word count: 1898
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Critically examine the impact that living with domestic violence can have upon children. What are the implications for social work practice?

SOCIAL WORK WITH CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES YEAR 2 - QUESTION 5 Critically examine the impact that living with domestic violence can have upon children. What are the implications for social work practice? I will begin by providing a brief description of the concept of domestic violence, followed by a critical examination of the impact that living with domestic violence can have upon children. I will then go on to consider the implications of this for social work practice. I will provide an overview of the various factors influencing the impact of domestic violence on children and attempt to place these in the context of child development. I will also draw attention to recent governmental policies, procedures and legislation in relation to domestic violence and reflect on how these inform social work practice. In particular, discussions around the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Assessment Framework) (DoH, et al, 2000) will be incorporated in the later half of the assignment. Conclusions will finally be drawn based on the information provided in the main text. Firstly, it is important to define what is meant by 'domestic violence'. The Making An Impact: Children and Domestic Violence Training Pack (Hester et al, 2000), commissioned by the Department of Health and written by a group professionals experienced in the field of

  • Word count: 4035
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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Prenatal development and poverty in South Africa

David T Hwangwa Student Number - 608h3935 Psychology 1 Tutorial Assignment ) Is it possible for children in the life span stage of early childhood development to learn about tolerance towards diversity? If so why? If not, why not? What developmental or learning theories support your views? After independence in 1994, the South African community came together as one as the Rainbow Nation made up of different races and cultures living together in one society. Of significant effect of this has been tolerance towards diversity, that is, accepting and respecting each other. Reber and Reber (2001) defines tolerance as a level of acceptance of human behaviours, their beliefs and values. Thus, tolerance towards diversity is learning to accept every citizen of South Africa regardless of race, sex or culture. Tolerance towards diversity was advocated from the onset soon after independence by the then president of South Africa with the lifting of the Rugby World Cup in 1995 as well as by Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Baines, 1998). These same sentiments of tolerating one another are also embraced by the various corporates and media centres that continue to spread the message for example on SABC the continuous repetition of Simunye - We Are One (Baines, 1998). The same message of tolerance is even spread by the main political party of South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC) in

  • Word count: 1355
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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The four counselling sessions documented within this case study originate from an in-house GP referral in January 1999, for a client with psychosexual difficulties.

CLIENT CASE STUDY MSc COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY YEAR ONE Student no: 9503992 Due date: 24th March 1999 Word count: 3245 The case study will be presented within the following structure: * INTRODUCTION * DEVELOPMENT OF THE THERAPY i) Key content issues ii) Therapeutic process iii) Difficulties in the work * REVIEW * REFERENCES INTRODUCTION The four counselling sessions documented within this case study originate from an in-house GP referral in January 1999, for a client with psychosexual difficulties. The client had identified her problem as a lifelong failure to achieve orgasm, but felt this physiological problem may have a cognitive aetiology. In the interests of receiving the client with an open mind, I did not read her medical history and, after consideration, chose not refer to specialist literature on psychosexual issues as I felt such knowledge would not be predictive of the client's experience. I was aware of my 'trainee' anxiety and was wary that if I encountered any confusion with the client's behaviour, I may grasp onto an inaccurate interpretation from specialist literature. The sessions commenced in February and took place over four weeks at the counselling unit within the surgery. The client did not want to be audio-taped and I began by setting out the contract; an initial structure of six-eight sessions and then review. (Trust policy

  • Word count: 3480
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Social studies
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