Analysis Of The Movie Summer Ball - 1665 Words

Summer Ball By: Anya Lee Mike Lupica, ESPN commentator and well-known sports writer for young adults, wrote Summer Ball. Summer Ball is primarily set at Right Way Basketball Camp. The main character, Danny Walker, and his friends, Ty Ross, Will Stoddard, and Tarik Meminger go to Right Way along with boys from all over the country to improve their basketball skills. They also hope to make new friends and possibly catch the eye of college scouts over the length of summer camp. Right Way helps Danny learn how to prove himself against outside expectations and self-doubts. Danny experiences his troubles when his Right Way coach, Edward Powers, doesn t believe in Danny and tries to break him down any way he can. Coach Powers represents all of Danny s fears around basketball and his place as a basketball player. At Right Way Camp, Danny and his friends work hard and struggle through tough games in order to prove themselves as basketball players. Danny and his friends have never seen a place like Right Way. Danny, Will, and Ty live in Long Island, New York. A newer friend of theirs, Tarik, is from New York City. All four boys attend Right Way the summer they are transitioning from eighth grade to being high school freshmen. Right Way is located in Cedarville, Maine, which is several hours outside Portland, Maine. Right Way Camp is deep in the woods. As the boys ride to the camp on a bus, they are amazed at what they see. Tarik says, Oh, this is where all the trees are.Show MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay : Summer Is The Best981 Words   |  4 PagesThe four seasons, winter, summer, autumn and spring fly by like Lightning Mcqueen from the movie Cars, racing to the finish line. When you talk about the seasons everybody has a different perspective to it. Some might say summer is the best, due to there being no school, also the hot weather. 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Minority Children and Adolescents in Transracial Foster Care free essay sample

A discussion of issues surrounding transracial foster care and adoption. This paper presents a discussion of issues related to transracial foster care and adoption.The issues outlined here include those of identity and role-modeling, and the ability of parents to understand fully the experiences of their child of a different race. A review of the relevant literature on racial identity is provided. A multiracial/cross racial/transracial foster care arrangement can be described as one in which there is a foster care arrangement for a child who is of a different racial heritage than the individual or individuals who are providing the foster care. (Kenny) Closely related to the issue of transracial foster care is transracial adoption. Transracial adoption presents the same kinds of problems as does transracial foster care. Children of ethnic minorities who are adopted by white parents do not have a minority role-model in the immediate family to look up to, and therefore may be more influenced by the wider societys devaluation of their ethnic identity. We will write a custom essay sample on Minority Children and Adolescents in Transracial Foster Care or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Development of a strong ethnic or racial identity will be hampered by not growing up in a home where the parents and siblings are members of that same group. Additionally, white parents will never be able to fully understand discrimination in the way that minority parents can, and therefore, however well intentioned they may be, they will never be able to provide the kind of support and advice regarding societal discrimination that adoptive parents of the same race would be able to provide.

Position paper The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock Essays

Position paper: The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock and The Wasteland T. S. Eliot - a famous poet and essayist, awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature, is the author of the two poems mentioned above. They both are great representatives of the Modernist movement. The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock is a poem published in 1915, which automatically indicates the period of the WW I. Ezra Pound is the man who actually encouraged the publication of the poem. The work itself is full of references to the Bible, as well as Dante Alighieri, Shakespeare and John Donne. Eliot narrates the experience of Prufrock using the stream of consciousness technique. This poem is a dramatic interior monologue of an urban man, stricken with feelings of isolation and an incapability for decisive action. The poem begins with an epigraph from Dante's Inferno spoken by Guido da Montefeltro, and that is the frame of the whole poem which is very important for the understanding of the poem itself. The speaker is a deceptive narrator who, in different parts of the poem, can be romantic, desperate and also sad, lonely man. The rhyme is irregular, there are shifts between the past and the future and this is actually a passive poem si nce nothing actually happens - there is no great action. A poem consisting numerous similes, synedoches, imagery, metaphors, sarcasm. In the first stanza of the poem we can found a reference to gas, also there is no romance, only a sort of invitation to accept the brutality of life. Some problem in communication seems obvious, there is no romanticized picture. In the first stanza, the third line (,Like a patient etherised upon a table;") is what gives complexity to the poem. The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock is where the whole reality is dislocated, displaced, and that is revealed by cuts of the images. Uncertainty is also one of the key things here since the speaker himself does not know what he wants, but there is also the uncertainty of every sort of moevement, expression, etc. The second stanza is the one which repeats itself throughout the poem a few times, mentioning women, room and Michelangelo, and with that stanza Eliot almost seems like mocking us. This ca n be analyzed as the way how writer wants to persuade us to give up from the poem since it is very complex, but at the same time he wants us to continue, to ask questions about everything. The yellow fog and the yellow smoke (mentioned in 3rd and 4th stanza) are associated with a gas mask, which was actually a symbol of WW I. As I have already mentioned, there are some references to Dante's Inferno especially because of the theme of going to hell because of love. In the poem there are also 'battles' between individual and society, and also the preoccupation with time - time represents the circle of life, and we both have and do not have enough time! In the poem everything seems simply jumbled up, there is no cohesion. Prufrock is a man with the inability to translate his thoughts into words and feelings for others. Laurence Perrine described the poem as consisting of , the apparently random thoughts going through a person's head within a certain time interval, in which the transitional links are psychological rather than logical , " which actually summarizes everything in a sentence. In the end, he asked questions but he had never answered them, and he became an old, sad man, whose life has passed. The Wasteland is another Eliot's great poem which is usually regarded as the cen tral work of Modernist poetry. Published in 1922, consisting of 434 lines, this work is not a dramatic monologue in its entirety, but is considered an epic. This is an epic because it fulfills the following criteria / characteristics: -a long narrative poem, -seroiusness, -high-position characters, -vast setting, -supernatural intervention, -the importance of the story for a nation . The Wasteland can also be considered as a kind of a patchwork, as the poem is fragmented. This fragmentation reflects the (speaker's) state of mind: overwhelmed with worries, inable to focus on one thing, thus creating

Development of the Colonies essays

Development of the Colonies essays With the Middle Ages in its prime years, Europe remained a fairly unadventurous civilization from 500-1500 A.D. With subsistence farming prevailing and commerce being limited, merchants keep their affairs fairly domestic, failing to consider their international capabilities. But as Europe gradually became more mercantilistic and religious discontent raged, Europeans were motivated to migrate to America and colonize lands in the New World. Despite the fact that the regions of New England and Chesapeake were both colonized by settlers of English origin, by 1700 these lands had developed into two very idiosyncratic civilizations, each one having characteristics unique unto itself. The Chesapeake region, comprised of Jamestown and Maryland, was settled mainly by poor people who needed jobs and were in search of a better life. From the start, problems arose in the Chesapeake region settlements, such as land that was not easy to cultivate- a formidable challenge. Because of their experience in Ireland, the English kept the societies of the natives and that of the settlers separated. The settlements of the Chesapeake region were business enterprises, which were financed by private companies that expected to make a profit off of them. These factors just mentioned would be the backbone of life in the Chesapeake region, forming the basis around which the settlement would develop. The majority of the people bound for Jamestown were young men, some of which were in search of money; others were simply looking for a better life (Doc. C). With money being one of the major goals of the settlers of Jamestown, John Smith observed that many of the settlers of Jamestow n were so obsessed with getting rich off of the voyage that all they could do was think about, talk about, and work for gold. He himself called it disgustful (Doc. F). Along with these men came Captain John Smith, who founded the settlement of Jamestown in 1607....

Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion Essay - 1

Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion - Essay Example For women, the corset was worn to support the breasts and to develop a curved figure, narrowing the waist. In 1500s, the corset was introduced in France by Catherine de Medici. At that time, the corset was worn as an undergarment. It was a tight elongated bodice worn by Women of the French court in the 16th century (Davies, 1982). In this period, the women of the French court embraced the corset because it was considered as a necessary garment for the beauty of a female figure (Tortora and Eubank, 1989). It was worn with a farthingale in order to hold out the skirt and form a stiff cone. The corsets in this historical context also turned the upper part of a human torso into an inverted cone shape (V&A, 2015). The corset was also made of shoulder strap and had flaps at the waist. In order to form a good shape for the woman body, the corset flattened the bust. As a result, it pushed up the breasts. The corsets were made of layered fabric fastened with glue and tightly laced (Tortora and Eubank, 1989). A busk was used to stiffen the forefront of the bodice. It was made of wood, metal, whalebone, ivory or metal (V&A, 2015). The steel busk of the corset was spoon-shaped, and was wider at the bottom than at the top in order to exert pressure on the abdomen (Davies, 1982). This shape made the corset wearable and more restricting in order to tighten the waist. During the Victorian era, the busk was made of steel. As fashion changed, the corset also changed. In 1870s, the corset changed it shape, becoming longer so that it can cause the fashionable long and slender silhouette (Takeda and Spilker, 2010). The corsets also became more rigid in order to hide the layers of the underwear. They were heavily boned, and were cut from different pieces and toughened with leather. Whalebone was used because it was strong and flexible, achieving the shape of the corset and the body

My Familys experience with cities over the past three generations Essay

My Familys experience with cities over the past three generations - Essay Example Who could have blamed them Over the past sixty years, Santiago has seen numerous political rebellions and battles which finally lead to a nearly twenty year dictatorship. If my mother finally decided to move to the United States, it is, to my opinion only because of me and the opportunity she had for all of us. Wouldn't we have been there, she would have remained in Santiago. In this essay, I will present the ties my family and I have to our cities and explain on what they rely and their differences. I will try to show that even though we were all born and raised in the same place, our point of view at the same age - 20 - were totally different and the way that we have lived our lives there reflects it. We will see that the city is a My Grandmother, Liliana Domingo, was born in Santiago, Chile in 1942 and since than has been living all her life there. In 1962, at the age of 20, she was working at a local hospital as a nurse. That year marked the fourth anniversary of the president's Jorge Alessandri Rodriguez election. He was promoting foreign investments and free enterprise. The political developments were easily seen in Santiago and often noticed by my grandmother. She started nursing more and more foreigners who were visiting the country for business. It was this people who participated to the modernization of the city. She soon began to think that maybe one day Santiago will become an international city just like London, Paris or New York. These believes helped her in her everyday life which was not so easy. As both a working woman and mother she was busy 24 hours a day, barely finding some time to rest. She woke up very early in order to prepare the entire family, went to work, on her way back did the groceries and finally took care of dinner for all. In the meantime her Santiago was changing. The tramway nearly disappeared, leaving the empty space for buses and trolleybuses. She found it amazing as she never could take the tramway to go to work and spent an hour walking to the hospital. When the buses arrived, it took her only twenty minutes to go to work as the bus was passing just in front of her house leaving her just two blocks away from the hospital. Buses and Trolleys were principally of European origin. As she recalled treating European patients, she was proud in believing that she helped, in a certain way, create this new system of transportation. This is what Santiago was for her, a sort of haven. Though she spent most of her time working at the hospital or at home, she found it much more easier now because of all the new transportations available in the city. Her opinion was that this is the kind of means that a city has to put up in order to make people's life easier and more pleasant. Electricity, water and gas were now available to everybody. Schools, universities were spreading. It was alike a new city was being built just on top of the new one and an extraordinary quantity of opportunities at the same time. Santiago, in 1962, according to my grandmother was an example of modernity combined with a respect of a good and decent way of living; I believe even before my mother reached 20, that my

The Sociological Imagination Of Individual Problems Sociology Essay

The Sociological Imagination Of Individual Problems Sociology Essay This assignment will explore C. Wright Mills concept of a sociological imagination when looking at the problems of the individual, and explain how this theory might assist social workers. It will then look at a contemporary social problem encountered by social workers, in this case poverty. It will explore and discuss by reference how three sociological theories (Marxism, Feminism and Functionalists) offer useful insights into the socially constructed nature of poverty. C. Wright Mills (1916 62) had a vision of reforming society and popularising sociology with his theory of the sociological imagination, Slattery (1991). Leon-Guerrero (2005:2) explains The sociological imagination links our personal lives and experiences with the social world. It is the ability to look further than the individuals personal issue, recognising and linking macro scale environmental factors (economic, political and other societal institutions). Mills (1959:12) argued that this theory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is the idea that the individual can understand his own experience and gauge his own fate by locating himself within his period, that he can know his own chances in life by becoming aware of those of all individuals in his circumstances. Mills is supported by Cunningham and Cunningham (2008) who argue, instead of focusing on the individuals inability to cope as the main problem; step back and look at the bigger picture. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008) support this by using a n example of someone experiencing depression post redundancy. They argue that instead focusing on the individuals failure to cope; the problem could exist due to social structures within the macro environment, such as, current economic or political conditions. Cree (2000) adds that the failure by social workers to make such links will result in oppressive practice. Additionally, Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:7) argue learning to think sociologically is one of the most important skills a social worker can bring to their practice as it enables social workers to step back from taken for granted assumptions about social life and to critically unpack these assumptions (2008:7). This is further supported by Leon-Guerrero (2005:14) By continuing to develop a sociological imagination and recognising the larger social, cultural and structural forces, we can identify appropriate measures to address these social problems. In summary, the sociological imagination is able to assist social workers by allowing them to reject common sense explanations for the consequences of social actions. It enables practitioners to develop skills which help them to work in an anti-oppressive manner. Fundamentally, it helps distinguish between individuals private problems and wider social problems; one cannot be properly understood without the other. The contemporary social problem to be discussed is poverty, as this an ongoing social issue that is common amongst service users. Consequently, a large amount of social work practice takes place around poverty. This is supported by Smale et al (2000:18)  Those who use, and are required to use, social work services continue overwhelmingly to be poor and disadvantaged. Social workers have been criticised for their lack of knowledge surrounding poverty. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:32) who argue The relationship between poverty and social work is not new, yet it is one that remains understated and implicit in social work training courses and practice. Becker (1997:114) claims Social workers have little understanding of the complex processes that generate and maintain poverty; they have limited insight into how their political and welfare ideologies and attitudes to poverty affect their daily practice with poor people; they have failed to place poverty on the agenda for social work theorising, education, policy and practice. Krumer-Nevo et al (2009:225) (16/12/09) takes this further, arguing despite the profound commitment of social work towards people living in poverty, the social work profession has failed to develop practice based on awareness of poverty. Sociologists have favoured two definitions of poverty; these are Absolute and Relative poverty. Giddens (2006) suggests the concept of absolute poverty is grounded in the idea of subsistence the basic conditions that must be met in order to sustain a physically healthy existence. People who lack these fundamental requirements for human existence such as sufficient food, shelter and clothing are said to live in poverty. Relative poverty emphasises the disparities within society. Leon-Guerrero (2005:224) refers to this as a situation whereby some people fail to achieve the average income and lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society. Leon-Guerrero (2006) suggests that the construction of social problems arise from social conditions that lead to negative consequences for both the individual and the social world. Moulder (2000:2) claims sociologists came to define social problems as problems that concern large numbers of people, have social-structural causes, and require social-structural solutions. Poverty has many negative factors that affect individuals and society, this is supported by a report conducted on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions called Living with Poverty (2009:10) (2310/09), which claims the impact that poverty can have on peoples lives shows that the experience of poverty is almost always overwhelmingly negative, and can have psychological, physical, relational and practical effects on peoples lives. These findings are supported by Beresford et al (1999). For a social problem to become defined as an actual problem it must have both objective and subjective realities. The objective reality comes by acknowledging that a social condition does exist. Leon Guerrero (2006) states A social condition does not have to be personally experienced by every individual in order to be considered a social problem. The objective reality of a social problem comes from acknowledging that a social condition does exist. Poverty can be seen through media, charities campaigning to help the less privileged in Britain and even on the streets in the forms of homelessness and big issue sellers. A report by Hirsch (2008) (3/12/09) estimated that child poverty costs around  £25 billion a year in losses, stating Child poverty imposes huge costs on those affected but it is also costly to us all. This suggests everyone is affected by poverty, as taxes are used to eliminate poverty. According to the report Poverty and Wealth across Britain 1968 to 2005 (1997:14) Ove r the past 15 years, more households have become poor, but fewer are very poor. Although the number of extremely poor has decreased there was still a systematic rise in poverty defined as breadline poverty. A report by Kempson (1996:1) (3/12/09) further identified that One in four of the British population live in homes with less than half the average disposable income. This report also identified issues that showed people living in poverty were suffering from a variety of shortcomings including poor health, underprivileged housing, and unemployment. A subjective reality addresses how a problem becomes defined as a problem, Leon-Guerrero (2005:6). This is through powerful groups who look at tackling such problems, such as, government and media. This process is what is known as social construction. Giddens (2006:154) Rather then assuming that social reality objectively exists, social constructivists work to document and analyse the processes through which social reality is constructed, such that the construction then serves to confirm its own status as social reality. Poverty has been termed a social problem in society by the UK government. The Department of Work and Pensions (2009) have clearly stated The Governments target is to halve child poverty by 2010 and be on the way to eradicating it by 2020. This message is supported and reinforced through various forms of media and charities who work towards this goal. Leon-Guerrero (2005:6) in discussing social problems states they become real only when they are subjectively defined or perceived as problematic. This assignment will now explore functionalism, Marxism and feminist theories in relation to poverty. Functionalism was developed by Emile Durkheim (1858-1917).Leon-Guerrero (2005:10) asserts Functionalists use a macro perspective focusing on how society creates and maintains social order. According to Durkheim, society can be viewed as an organic object; every aspect of society is co-dependant and contributes to society as a whole. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:12) uses a biological analogy to explain functionalism Just as biologists understand the ways in which different bodily organs such as the heart, the brain, the kidneys, the lungs and so on, perform a specific function to keep the human body alive, so with society, its different components work in harmony with one common end à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ . The body is termed as whole organism with each function depending on the other to ensure healthy functioning. In social terms these organs can be used to describe social institutions and the relationship they have with different institutions. Slattery (1991:63) also uses a similar anal ogy to describe this theory: It functions like any other natural organism as a system of independent parts the economy, the family, the government and so on held together by not a central nervous system but a central value system, a set of sociological guidelines called norms based on underlying moral consensus, or collective consciousness. Giddens (2006:21) states Functionalism emphasises the importance of moral consensus, in maintaining order and stability in society. This is achieved through shared values and beliefs, learned through socialisation. Social control is desirable and change tends to be seen as disruptive. Social problems are seen a result of deviance; this is due to lack of conformity, failing to conform to the norms of society. Acknowledging that poverty does exist within the social structure, functionalists believe that poverty is a beneficial function to society. Leon-Guerrero (2005:228) argues that Functionalists observe that poverty is a product of our social structure he further adds that poverty is seen as a natural consequence of system stratification. This refers to technological advances which have left behind a workforce of unskilled workers. This theory implies that inequality is both natural and essential, as it provides an incentive for people to work harder and better themselves. This is s upported by Davis and Moore (1945) who argue, social inequality is thus an unconsciously evolved device by which by which societies ensure that the most important positions are conscientiously filled by the most qualified persons cited in Best (2005:9). Poverty is regarded on a macro scale in terms of the benefits it provides for society as a whole, rather than for the individuals in poverty. It would provide jobs for those who are tasked to alleviate such problems such as social workers. Theresa Funicello (1993) cited in Leon Guerrero (2005:230) observes The poverty industry once again substituted its own interests for that of poor people. Parsons (1953) backs this up, arguing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that lack of equality of opportunity would clearly have an impact on an individuals opportunity to make a contribution to the organisation or the wider social system cited in Best (2005:27). H. J. Gans (1971), argued that poverty exists because it is functional for society, cited in Leon Gurre rro (2005:228). Gans (1971:2-4) (18/10/09) claimed the existence of poverty ensures that societys dirty work will be done, and poverty creates jobs for a number of occupations and professions that serve or service the poor, or protect the rest of society from them. Furthermore the poor can be identified and punished as alleged or real deviants in order to uphold the legitimacy of conventional norms. Gans believes poverty will be eliminated only when it becomes dysfunctional for the affluent or powerful, or when the powerless can obtain enough power to change society. In summary, Functionalists seem to justify the social status quo and the effects of poverty on individuals/society. The poor are seen as less able and deviant as they do not conform to societys norms. Taking into consideration the current economical state, the recession has lead to unemployment, forcing more people into poverty; functionalists would agree that institutes were not working together, and that this was just a temporary problem. The role of a functionalist social worker would be to support deviant service users back into societys norms. The ideas of Karl Marx (1818-93) contrast sharply with those of Comte and Durkheim, but like them he sought to explain the changes that were taking place in society during the time of Industrial Revolution, Giddens (2006:14). Marxism is a conflict theory, and like the functionalists they too view society on a macro scale. However, Marxists argue that society operates in a permanent state of conflict at all levels as a consequence of the clash of interests between two classes (bourgeoisie and proletariat). Leon-Guerrero (2005) suggests that conflict theorists believe poverty exists due to class division in society; it helps those in power to maintain and expand their position leaving little to share with others. Marxists would argue that poverty is caused by capitalism, which concentrates wealth in the hands of the ruling class. According to Best (2005) the bourgeoisie were the owners of capital (rich) who employed the proletariat, who had only their labour to sell (poor). Marists bel ieved that the bourgeoisie exploited and made profit from the proletariat by not paying them full value of their work. By accepting a low wage is creating a conflict of interest, as one social group is benefiting on the back of another social group. Giddens (2006:16) argues that the conflict occurs due to inequalities between the classes, The relationship between classes is an exploitive one, since workers have little or no control over their labour and employers are able to generate profit by appropriating the product of workers labour. In an article Poverty in the Big Issue, Searing (2007) claims poverty is structurally constructed as a result a modern capitalist society. Poverty and inequality seem to be an intrinsic part of modern capitalism. She argues This Labour government, by continuing the neoliberal, modernising agenda of the previous government, regards poverty and inequality as the inevitable price to be paid to maintain competitiveness in the global economy. Searing (2007) also believes that social class plays a big part in society, arguing Social work may endorse anti-oppressive ideas but class inequalities, which give rise to and perpetuate income inequalities, remain as wide as ever. Clearly, anti-oppressive practice is at its weakest when it comes to the issue of class. Furthermore, she asserts that The social class a child is born into is a major determinant of their life chances. Searing (2007) argues that the UK government chooses to minimise the part played by social and economic factors, outside the control of the individual, in causing poverty and implies that in most cases personal inadequacy is at the root of peoples failure to remain independent and self-supporting. In summary, Marxists believe that the source of poverty lies within societal structures and the existence of poverty are beneficial to the ruling class. As long as there is poverty, capitalism will exist. Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:22) state as a Marxist social worker you would help people to adjust to their difficulties, by providing services, or a listening ear; and in doing so, structural problems become individualised with attention shifted away from the real cause. This is backed by Payne (2005: 231) who suggests that social workers are seen agents of class control enhancing the oppression by capitalist societies of the working class. They simply enable the capitalist system to reproduce itself in the next generation by helping people to cope with the difficulties of the system. There are different views of feminism. Dealamont (2003:17) identifies three feminist perspectives, liberal, Marxist and radical, all of which were developed in the early 1970s. Chafetz (1988) cited in Dealamont (2003:18) argued that all feminist theories were defined so that gender is a central focus where gender is systematically related to social contradictions, inequalities and pressure points, additionally it can be used to challenge, counteract or change situations in which women are devalued or disadvantaged. This is supported by Trevithick (2005). Feminists would argue that women are more likely to experience poverty than men due to their disadvantageous position in society, Taylor (2002:179). Neubeck and Cazenave (2001) agree, arguing that the government is moving towards maintaining a patriarchal society where the male continues to dominate the welfare policy. Moore (1998:27) asserts Majority of people in poverty are women and the economic and welfare systems conspire to keep them there. They argue that the government Need to recognise this and alter the system to give woman the chance to escape from poverty. Furthermore, feminists argue that women earn less and have less sexual power in society. Glendinning and Miller (1995) agree with these arguments stating women are more likely to live in poverty because they are seen as secondary workers whose main role is seen as domestic. Additionally, More women than men rely on benefits as their main source of income; lone parents are vulnerable to poverty, and a large majority are women. The majority of pensioners are also women cited in Haralambos and Holborn (1995:145). During the early 1970s the media and government created an image of women where they were portrayed to be abusing the welfare system, aimed at mainly single mothers these women were believed to be having more children to avoid having to work and gain more financial benefits (Leon-Gurrero 2005). Feminists theories of poverty tend to highlight that women are overly represented in figures of poverty. This is because of their weaker position in society, their weaker economical position. Moore (1998:70) argues that the proportion of children and population living in poverty are likely to be women, as they form the majority of the elderly, the disable, single parents and the low paid. If you look at benefits figures it shows the vast majority of people claiming benefits in this country would be women, because they head single parent families and women tend to earn less. This is supported by Moore (1998:70) who states, As single parents, women are unable to work. So statistically in old day s, women were more likely to encounter poverty. Moore (1998:71) states Since the 1970s there has been a rapid increase in the number of lone-parent families in the UK. Additionally, Today, more then one in every six families is headed by a lone mother. This is caused mainly by the growth in the divorce rate and by the increase in lone parenthood (that is women having and raising children on their own). These arguments are supported by an article by the BBC News website (2008) Womens low pay behind poverty, which argues 40% of households are now headed by single mothers, and this has concerning implications for tackling child poverty. Moreover, The TUC said that mothers were being trapped in part-time, low-paid jobs. More than 75% of part-time workers were female. The gender pay gap for full-time workers was 17.2%. It further adds that Women in Britain were more likely to be poor than others in Europe from the moment they conceived. Haralambos and Holborn (1995:145) support this, arg uing household incomes are not distributed equally. Women tend to have smaller independent incomes than men and there is no guarantee that they will share fully the income of their husbands or partners. Moore (1998:70) argues that the proportion of children and population living in poverty are likely to be women, as they form the majority of the elderly, the disable, single parents and the low paid. Radical Feminists argue that women form the majority of the poor because they are restricted by family as It is generally regarded as the womans role to take primary responsibility for the care of their family Moore (1998:95). They see the nuclear family as a major contributor towards womens oppression. Both Giddens (2006) and Haralambos and Holborn (1995:592) support this argument stating the family is often seen by radical feminists as the key institution producing womens oppression in modern societies. Radical feminists also argue political and economic power is in the hands of men. As a result of this, decisions about economic matters, as well as about issues of health and welfare, reflect the interests of men, and may well harm women. This situation of male power is known as patriarchy, Moore (1998:23). This is supported by Leon-Guerrero (2005:230) who claims Feminist scholars argue the welfare state is an arena of political struggle. The drive to maintain male dominance and the patriarchal family is assumed to be the principal force of shaping the formation, implementation, and outcomes of the U.S. welfare policy. Radical Feminists believes that poverty is caused by gender, men forever superior and women relentlessly submissive. Regrettably with the perpetual fragmentation and modification society is experiencing this theory is old-fashioned. Relationships are not always, heterosexual and same sex relationships have been thriving. However, Liberal feminists would agree with radical feminists that the role of the nuclear family is repressive towards woman, but they argue that patriarchy is not the cause of womens oppression. This is supported by Giddens (2006:468) who claims liberal feminists look for explanations of gender inequalities in social and cultural attitudes. Additionally Cunningham (2008:97) also states that liberal feminists believe that the roots of womens oppression lie with the irrational prejudice, stereotyping and outdated attitudes and practices that lead to sex discrimination occurring in all spheres of life. Furthermore, Giddens (2006:470) suggests liberal feminists tend to focus their energies on establishing and protecting equal opportunities for women through legislation and other democratic means. Liberal feminists work to bring about change through legislation, such as, equal pay act as opposed to radical feminists who try to defeat the system. Finally, Cunningham (2008:99) states that liberal feminists argue Women lose out on the ability to develop their talents; business loses out because it fails to harness the potential and ability of 50% of the population, and men lose out because they are denied the opportunity to develop close ties with their children. This assignment has explored Mills theory of a sociological imagination and how it may assist social workers when considering the problem of an individual. Furthermore, it has looked at how three different sociological theories can offer useful insights into the socially constructed nature of poverty. It will now focus on the impact of these theories upon social work practice. Sociologists have made a significant contribution towards the understanding of poverty, through their theories. Mills (1959:8) stated Social work is fundamentally about values and about value-judgements. Sociological knowledge can provide us with a framework for anti-discriminatory, anti-oppressive practice, by giving us the analytical tools with which to begin to explore the relationship between individuals and society Mills theory of sociological imagination is one which does not have a bias and can be applied readily to any case. This theory enables social workers to see the bigger picture and protect service users against anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. Cree (200:5) argues that this is the reason social workers need a sociological imagination. Moreover, Cree (200:209) argues that sociological theories do not provide all the answers to social problems but, the questions themselves lead to the potential development of sensitive, anti-oppressive practice. Sociology theories inform social workers of differing views on the existence and continuation of poverty. The contribution of liberal feminists has raised positive awareness that changes in the social structure can bring about positive chance in the social structure. Giddens (2006:26) states What sociology gives is as an awareness of cultural differences that allow us to see the social world from many perspectives. Giddens (2006:27) asserts that There is often a connection between studying sociology and the prompting of a social conscience. This is supported by Cree (2000:7) who argues sociology offers social work the opportunity to explore meanings beneath taken-for-granted assumptions about behaviour, action and social structure. It offers a knowledge and value base which is not rooted in individual pathology but instead seeks to understand individuals in the context of the broader structures that make up their lives (including social class, gender, age, race, and ethnicity) and th e historical movement within which they are living. Additionally, Domenelli (2002:4) asserts Social workers have a responsibility to challenge this grotesque image of poor people and, besides bringing to public notice the strengths of those who battle to transcend social exclusion, to work to empower those who are engulfed by the weight of circumstances in which they are embedded. Moreover, Promoting social justice and human development in an unequal world provides the raison dà ªtre of social work practice, and is a key way of discharging societys contract in assisting vulnerable people in its midst. In order for practitioners to practice anti-oppressively, Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:48) suggest a task-centred approach. This offers a very practical model which is potentially very empowering. Dominelli (2002) agrees with this approach, arguing that social workers and service users should work together to achieve positive change. Additionally, Cunningham and Cunningham (2008:4 8) argue Practice is based on the premise that the service user will work in partnership with the social worker and learn new methods that will equip them in the future. In this sense, workers could adopt a very practical way to address some aspects of poverty. They further suggest that this still doesnt go far enough, as this method of practice is based upon an individual approach and doesnt address the bigger picture. Possibly combining task-centred working with other more radical methods of working might address this. Thompson (2006:26) asserts In order to understand how inequalities and discrimination feature in the social circumstances of clients, and in the interactions between clients and the welfare state, it is helpful to analyse the situation in terms of three levels. These three levels (P,C and S) are closely interlinked. This is further supported by Cree (2000:208) who confirms that inequality and oppression exist at both individual and structural levels. Therefore its i mportant for social workers to understand this model as it provides grounds for challenging inequalities. Trevithick (2005:284) supports this, arguing this approach emphasises the importance of social, economic and political solutions to social problems, thereby shifting the onus of blame from the individual without denying responsibility. In summary, by developing and using our sociological imagination and being aware of theoretical perspectives and approaches to practice, ensures the necessary steps to guard against anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. WORD COUNT: 2200