Changing Divorce Laws Essays - Family Law, Divorce,

Changing Divorce Laws In 1995, Statistics Canada data shows that 30% of marriages split (McGovern). Since the 1960s, marriage and divorce have been undergoing profound changes which have altered the meaning of marriage, the chances of its ending in divorce and the circumstances attached to marriage. These changes have made it easier for couples to obtain a divorce due to the changing laws and changing morals of society. The changes include three new grounds needed to prove marital breakdown, such as your spouse committing adultery, your spouse causing mental or physical cruelty or a separation of a year it was previously three years. Divorce also impacts the family as a whole, not only the children but also the two parties involved. The government needs to make changes to the Divorce Act as people more and more are getting divorced as it brings a negative impact to those who wish to marry in the future. Over the years divorce has been easier to obtain. Divorce was extremely uncommon in Canada until after WWII. Until that time, Canada had one of the lowest divorce rates in the Western World, this is because opinions by social and religious leaders condemned divorce as a threat to the family. The strength of this opinion prevented the easing of Canadas divorce laws. Consequently, access to divorce in Canada was extremely limited until 1968. Until this time, getting married usually meant forever. Divorce was illegal unless one mate was proven adulterous. When divorce did happen, one party was believed legally innocent, the other party guilty, and that judgment affected the financial settlement. Both partners social status was sufficiently hurt most people tried hard to avoid divorce if they could. By 1968, however, the sexual revolution was in full swing. Couples were rebelling against old sexual restraints, a trend supported by the exaggerations of cash-hungry journalists and movie-makers. Monogamy was out, free love thrived, and divorce represented freedom. Enough people wanted divorce by the late 1960s that the pressure was on to change the law. 2 After long and bitter parliamentary debates, the federal Divorce Act was revised. Additional grounds for divorce included desertion, imprisonment, or separation for at least three years plus marital offences of physical and mental cruelty. The new law eliminated the need to appear in court in most cases often the most personally humiliating experience in the older legal procedure. The law later changed again in 1985, where it eased off yet again, to allow divorces after only a years separation. The broad trend in Canada was to make divorce easier. It was accomplished by making it less fault-oriented where most divorce applications to the courts are no longer contested which eliminates the need for a formal court hearing where both parties testify and ask for different things. With no fault splits in place, the social stigma of divorce shrank. As more people divorced the stigma weakened further. The cycle continued while the divorce rate soared. In 1951, there had been only one divor ce for every 24 marriages, by 1987, one couple divorced every two couples that married (McGovern). In 1993, there were 78 000 divorces across Canada, compared to about 11 000 in 1968 before the new divorce laws came into effect (McGovern). Reasons for the incredible rise in the divorce rate are not entirely clear, but contributing factors include longer life expectancies, which increases the possibility of differences in the individual of both the wife and husband. The greater labor force participation of women and improved social security, meant that wives are less economically dependant on their husbands than in the past. The lessening of religious and social sanctions against divorce and also the movement towards a more me-oriented ethnic which stresses self-actualization over maintenance of the family unit. All of these factors suggest that an increased divorce rate may be an indication that expectations about the quality of marriage have risen and that many people prefer a divorce to an unhappy marriage. For these reasons, the divorce rate is on the increase 3 and it is easier for couples to obtain a divorce using the three conditions: separation of a year, adultery, mental or physical cruelty. The Divorce Act specifies the sole grounds for

College Shower Dos and Donts

College Shower Do's and Don'ts Unless youve spent a lot of time at summer camp,  theres a good chance youve  never enjoyed the dubious pleasures of a shared shower. Dorm showers are a little nicer than camp showers, but while summer campers are children with few concerns about privacy and hygiene, college students are young adults. Standards are higher, and you need to know the unwritten rules of college showers. What College Dorm Showers Are Like Most dorms have large bathrooms for each hall. If youre in a single-sex dorm you may have two bathrooms on your floor available for your use. If youre in a coed dorm, there may be separate bathrooms for each gender or shared bathrooms. In most dorms, bathrooms include multiple sinks, toilet stalls, mirrors, and separate curtained showers. If youre living off-campus or in a fraternity or sorority house, the situation may be different. You may, for example, need to take turns using a single-user bathroom. Alternatively, you may need to create a bathroom schedule. The college shower is both a very private and a very public place. Whether youre in a dorm, an off-campus apartment, or even in a situation where you have your own room but share  a bathroom with others, its important to know how things work so no one gets offended or embarrassed. So how can you make sure you know the dos and donts that surround the college shower? The Dos Do wear shower shoes. You may love every person in your residence hall or Greek house, but feet are feet and dirt is dirt. Wearing shower shoes can actually protect you from infections, so make sure you have an extra, shower-only pair of flip-flops at all times.Do bring a shower caddy. A shower caddy is a hanging bag or container you carry with you from your room to the bathroom and back again. Find one that works for you so you can always have your shampoo, conditioner, razor, and anything else you might need handy.Do bring a towel or robe to wear back to your room. Forgetting your towel can be a nightmare, so hook it onto your shower caddy, or even better, fold it on top so that you never forget one without the other.Do clean your hair out of the drain. Youre in a shared space now, so treat it with the respect youd want from someone else and do a quick swipe to make sure you dont leave hair in the drain for the next person. The Donts Dont take an unreasonable amount of time. Taking a ton of time in the shower may feel nice for you, but it creates a huge backlog of people who need to shower. Remember that youre part of a community and try to keep your shower time brief.Dont shower with a friend. Having, shall we say, romantic encounters in the shower is not only disrespectful to others in your hall, but its also inappropriate and, perhaps worst of all, pretty darned gross. With all the private spaces that a college offers, take your friend somewhere a little nicer and more personal.Dont expect too much privacy. Yes, youll have your own stall, and most likely it will have doors or a curtain. But you are sharing a bathroom with others, so just be prepared for people talking, using up the hot water, coming in and out of the bathroom, and basically eliminating the kind of privacy you might be used to back at home.

Leading the Catholic School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Leading the Catholic School - Essay Example This paper declares that culture is a complex concept that admits of several definitions, but the most comprehensive is the synthesis proposed by Gallagher of â€Å"culture† as a notion that contains the following characteristics: human, traditional and dynamic, evolving and religious, shared by and with others, involves complex visible factors, an expression of a vision, contains behavioural norms and response patterns, institutional or symbolic, adds meaning to what is ordinary, spiritual and religious, self-communicating, fallible and renewable, and rooted in religious consciousness. This discussion explores that culture changes or evolves over time, defined and altered by interactions amongst the individuals who make up human society Culture is not monolithic because the human agents or actors who are imbued with intelligence and free will give culture its dynamism through interaction and co-operation, giving rise to sub-cultures that add to societal diversity. Culture is a feature of any human society and is shaped by the behaviour of everyone in that society who learns and shares that culture with future generations. Culture also shapes their behaviour and outlook on life, and determines how they think, feel, and act. Culture can be analysed using several perspectives and frameworks since it is visible to observers. These manifestations range from the very tangible and overt that one can see and feel to the deeply embedded, unconscious, basic assumptions that form its essence.

Hindu veneration of statues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hindu veneration of statues - Essay Example The arms of Lakshmi, for example, remind onlookers of her generosity in caring for her husband Siva. Another common form is the sacred cow who is associated with the goddess Shri, and reminds worshippers of the virtue of gentleness and non-violence. People acknowledge these statues as they pass with a gesture and there is evidence of offerings of gifts like colorful flowers or foodstuffs. The visual nature of Hindu belief can be explained with the concept of â€Å"darsan† which a special kind of reverent seeing: â€Å"the central act of Hindu worship, from the point of view of the lay person, is to stand in the presence of the deity and to behold the image with one’s own eyes, to see, and to be seen by the deity.†1 Eastern people greet each other by putting their hands together, and lowering their heads, as a gesture of respect, and they do this to their religious statues too. Even simple objects like rocks or caves can be revered in this way, and this reverence for natural objects and man-made statues reveals a great sensitivity to the presence of the divine in every person, animal or object in the created world. Hindu believers include ceremonies involving religious statues into all of their festivals and celebrations, some having a special relevance at certain times of year, for example Lakshmi in the Diwali festival. In some ways this is similar to Roman Catholic processions at Easter time, or special mass services in chapels devoted to particular saints or on special saints days or commemorative events. In the Roman Catholic faith the statues are an aid to focusing on God, who is invisible and hard to imagine. In Hinduism there is a very similar approach, whereby the representations of the divine give a concrete and local expression to very general truths: â€Å"The sacred image or symbol of the god represents a means of union with the divine, but is not usually identified with the deity – the god or goddess only temporarily re sides within the fabric of the image.†2 The second part of this observation can be interpreted as idolatry, and this has brought Hinduism into conflict with Christians in the past. Hindu gods are very flexible when it comes to the form that they take, and instead of one single incarnation of the divine into Jesus Christ, there is the possibility that statues can temporarily be an embodiment of the god. The modern usage of the word â€Å"avatar,† which people use across the world to signify a virtual persona on the internet, illuminates the relationship which people have with the statues: the avatars are obviously not divine in themselves, just as computer avatars in video games are not real people, but they are used by the being behind them to interact in a different dimension of experience. The god shows himself or herself through the statue, and in fact each god can take many forms, and sometimes a statue is made of wood, or stone, or any other material, especially to serve as a locus for the god to descend into for the duration of a particular festival in his or her honor: â€Å"†¦ on the full moon day at the beginning of the hot season in March/April, the Sri Vaisnavas of Madras carry the images of Visnu from their respective temples to the sea-shore, where all, including the deities, have a refreshing dip in the surf.†3 Because of the changeable nature of the outward form of their gods, Hindus see no contradiction in seeing different

Miranda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miranda - Essay Example If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you." ( "Miranda Warning") Most people dreaded that government could act or treat according to their wishes, once any one was declared as criminal suspects. For this reason, there are certain rights, the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney that have been ensured by the Constitution. However, most people remain ignorant of such rights and a result, the police has for years taken advantage of the people's ignorance of this fact. This is what happened in the Ernesto Miranda in 1963 when he was accused of abducting and raping a young girl. He wasn't made cognizant of his rights and therefore confessed to his crime. In 1966, however, the Supreme Court disregarded his confessions as evidence against him as he wasn't aware of his rights to remain silent and his right to an attorney. Since then Miranda warnings has been given out to anyone who is suspected of a crime so that he later not argue of being unaware of his rights. (" The Miranda Warning") Other than in cases of "custodial interrogation" as in Miranda case, the court has put down situations where Miranda warnings need to be given. In 1977 during Oregon vs. Mathiason case, the court put forward other situations where the people need to Mirandized.

Cultural treatment of promiscuous women and illegitimate children

Cultural treatment of promiscuous women and illegitimate children The headline read, One out of 12 in America Held to be Illegitimate; Issuance of Partial Birth Certificates Proposed to Avoid Embarrassments (Staff, 1944, p. 4). The assertion conjures a mental image of hundreds of decadent, low socioeconomic status, immoral women and her filius nullius (Latin term meaning, son of nobody). Parents of the single, gravid woman were shamed, mortified or disgusted by the sexual promiscuity of their daughter; how they could face their friends after learning of the daughters transgression? Is this the first era of social stigma related to a child borne by an unmarried woman? The samplings of historical data below indicate no. The Bible speaks often to a debauched woman and her bastard offspring. For example, Galatians 5:19-21 (English Standard Version): 19 Now, the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Figure Lillian Gish (1926)In 1850, Nathanial Hawthorne wrote the Scarlet Letter. Set in a Puritan colony, his central character Hester Prynne, gave birth to an illegitimate daughter because of an adulterous affair. Hester was publicly shamed and forced to wear a red letter A on her chest, identifying her as an adulterer. She experienced cruelty, humiliation, and ostracism from the people of the community. She eventually realized the fortitude of her spirit. The novel is 160 years old, yet the moral dilemmas of personal responsibility, and consuming emotions of guilt, anger, loyalty and revenge are enduring. Unfair treatment and the stigma really permeate all aspects of society. Its still expected that people will marry and that theres something weird about you if you dont. Thomas Coleman In the year 1944, when the above article appeared in The Pittsburgh Press, the institution of marriage before parenthood was the virtuous and accepted way of life. Women were expected to love and obey their husbands. bas ·tard (basà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²tÉâ„ ¢rd) noun a person born of parents not married to each other; illegitimate child anything spurious, inferior, or varying from standard Slang a person regarded with contempt, hatred, pity, resentment, etc. or, sometimes, with playful affection: a vulgar usage Etymology: ME Vocabulary to describe the child borne of an unmarried woman varies throughout literature. Bastard is the most prolific term used in the earliest writings. A bastard is a person born out of wedlock whose father is not listed on the birth certificate and legal status is illegitimacy. Bastards had no right to inherit property from his or her parents except through a will. In the mid-20th century, discrimination against children born out of wedlock became subject to constitutional limitation under the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment (Columbia, 2009, p. 1). Illegitimate, love child, whoreson, spurious; terminology referring to the child borne of an unmarried mother may be perceived as vilifying the child. The mother, whos referenced by the terms unwed, unmarried, or single, was a pariah. Often, the pregnant single woman was scuttled off to a residential home for unwed mothers. The occurrence of out-of-wedlock births has been rising over the past 70 years. In the 1940s, fewer than five percent of the total births were out of wedlock (Ventura, 2009). In the 1940s and 1950s, unwed mothers were strongly encouraged to give their children up for adoption. Commonly, an illegitimate child raised by grandparents or married relatives believed the unwed mother was his sister or he was her nephew. Between 1940 and 1960, the escalation of out-of-wedlock births was subtle. Since the 1970s, increases in the number, rate, and ratio of out-of-wedlock births have been dramatic. In addition, the size of the unmarried population has increased as a result of the high birth rates during late 1940s through the early 1960s, along with the unprecedented deferment of marriage by the baby-boomers (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [DHHS], 1995, p. 4). Little in the literature discusses the biosocial and psychosocial influences upon the child or the mother. However, researchers have gathered a multitude of statistics demonstrating the delayed cognitive development of the child of a single parent. Unwed teenage mothers and their children are more likely living in lower socioeconomic conditions. The mothers face multiple risks of dropping out of school and becoming part of the economic underclass (Drummond Hansford, 1992, p. 529). The unwed mothers were perceived by society as deadbeats ripping off the American taxpayer. Additionally, the societal concern of Americans over teenage mothers was that babies are having babies; that 16 year old girls were too young and unprepared for the responsibilities of single parenthood (Whitehead, 2007, p. 6). The negativity surrounding unmarried mothers and their children was rampant during the years prior to 1970. That is not to say the mind-set completely disappeared at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1969. The public opinion of unmarried mothers remains. How that opinion is manifested has undergone changes. The transformation of the single-parent family from uncommonness to an established family style was one of the most dramatic social changes of the 20th century. Only 1 in 10 children lived in a single-parent family prior to 1960. More than 1in 4 did so by the centurys end. Although the consequences of single parent family formation have received abundant scrutiny, less is known about the evolution of attitudes toward these families (Usdansky, 2009, p. 209). Is the increase of non-martial births due to eroding morals? Or, is there more ambivalence and apathy towards the single parent lifestyle? The cognitive development of morals and culture in emerging adult (ages 18-25) continues through middle age (Berger, 2008, p. 483). During this phase of human development, the emerging adult thinking is more practical, more flexible, and more dialectical (Berger, 2008, p. 472). The cultural background likely affects the cognitive process (Berger, 2008, p. 481). Cultural influences have an effect on religious belief development. The religious and spiritual growth of a genome progresses with stages of human development. Take the quotation below, for example. Marriage exerts less influence over how adults organize their lives and how children are born and raised than at any time in the nations history, the survey says. Between 1960 and 2005, the rate of unwed childbearing increased sevenfold, from 5.3 percent of all births to 36.8 percent. The survey finds that the average unwed mother is more likely to be white than black, and more likely to be an adult than a teenager. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The survey attributes this sharp increase in non-marital births to an ever greater percentage of women in the 20s, 30s, and older à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ delaying or forgoing marriage but having children. But more Americans than ever naively think they alone can make single-parenting work. Day-to-day realities slowly undermine this optimism. Single parents who have been at it awhile know better than anyone how less than ideal their situation is. Thats one reason we can expect to see more and more single parents looking for outside support. Single mothers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦often long for a strong, caring male to enter their childrens lives. So it nearly goes without saying: The church has a unique opportunity at this cultural moment. For years, we have been preaching the supremacy of the two-parent family, offering classes and seminars for young couples and familiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ A dramatic example, but boys without father figures and girls without mother figures have a strike against them. The latest national study shows that more children than ever are entering the world with such strikes. Its an unprecedented cultural moment for Christians, to see if we can act less like individual consumers of spirituality and more like the family of God (The fatherless child, 2007, p. 5). On August 22, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Public Law 104-193, better known as the Welfare Reform Bill. This law changes how governmental financial assistance is administered. On September 15, 2000, the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala awarded five states $100 million ($20 million each) in for reducing the number of out-of-wedlock births. Among the priorities of the 1996 welfare reform law were promoting parental responsibility and encouraging two-parent families, said Secretary Shalala. Im very pleased to award these bonuses as an incentive to advance these important family goals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2000). Is the child borne of an unwed mother destined to poverty, illiteracy, and a life of crime? Is the single mother doomed to never-ending disgrace and the topic for scandalous gossip? In the next chapter, evidence throughout the years reveals the picture is not all black. The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. Rajneesh The year 1992 marked a pioneering event on network television. The highly-rated CBS show Murphy Brown started the new season with Murphy Brown, a divorced news anchorwoman, become pregnant and choosing to have the baby and raise it alone. Americas pro-lifers jeered, while the pro-choices cheered. Even the presidential candidates had something to say. Vice President Dan Quayle declared that the Los Angeles riots were caused in part by a poverty of values. He went on to denounce the acceptance of unwed motherhood. It doesnt help matters, Quayle complained, when Murphy Brown, a character who supposedly epitomizes todays intelligent, highly paid professional woman is portrayed as mocking the importance of fathers, by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another life-style choice (Murphy Brown, 1992). In 2006, Rosanna Hertz published her non-fiction book, Single by Chance, Mothers by Choice. She noted the Single By Choice (SBC) woman belongs to a distinct subgroup of single parents, who, out of a strong desire for a child, have made the active choice to go it alone. Moreover, she asserts the SBC route to parenthood does not necessarily seem to have an adverse effect on mothers parenting ability or the psychological adjustment of the child (Murray Golombok, 2005, p. 1655). From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, the percentage of women having a non-marital child increased by 50% among whites and by 24% among blacks (Currie, 2009, p. 37). One research study hypothesized a preventive group intervention with SBC mothers can identify potential psychological risk factors and help mothers with sensitive aspects of parenting (Ben-Daniel, Rokach, Filtzer, Feldman, 2007, p. 249). There is research indicating that women in the typical age group of SBC mothers (35 to 44) tend to experience more stress than younger mothers. Their lifestyle is well established; pregnancy and parenting are perceived by some as interfering with their chosen way of life, especially in her career. SBC women are often the oldest daughter in their family (Ben-Daniel et al., 2007, p. 263). In the few studies that exist on children of single mothers, no significant difference has been found in the childs emotional and social development. Likewise, the development of gender identity of children of single mothers, as compared with children raised in heterosexual families, was unaffected. The results of the study revealed therapeutic gain: Reduction of stress, tension and guilt; helped mothers prepared for parenting by encouraging a positive self-image and perceptions of the child. Improving the SBC mothers acceptance of her chosen family model therefore promoted her willingness to tell children their birth story (Ben-Daniel et al., 2007, p. 264). The child must be aware that it is okay to come from a family background different from a friends or neighbors. Some children live with two parents, others with only their mother or a father. Recently, grandparents have become the newest faction of caregivers for their grandchildren. Other relatives, step-parents, friends, or guardians are examples for the child to ponder. As one SBC mother revealed to her son, Walt Disneys famous mother and son elephant family never made reference to a father; and the mother and son seemed perfectly content. The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasnt been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him. Pablo Casals The non-marital child and his mother faced prejudice, humiliation, taunts and sneers over the centuries. The hurtful monikers of bastard or illegitimate child are slowly giving way to kinder terms. The prevalence of single by choice, mother by choice women is increasing at the end of the first decade in the 21st century. The commonality of alternative family models and the quiet acceptance of them allay the self-consciousness of the mother and child. No longer does the solo parent with her child have to endure the social stigma of a virtual scarlet letter. When two are a family, the biosocial, cognitive and psychosocial development of the non-marital child is determined by nature and nurture, the environment of unconditional love and acceptance by his society, and the eternal affection of his mother.

Uncle Toms Cabin :: Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

Uncle Tom’s Cabin UNCLE TOM -Uncle Tom manages the Shelby plantation. Strong, intelligent, capable, good, and kind, he is the most heroic figure in the novel that bears his name. Tom's most important characteristic is his Christian faith. God has given Tom an extraordinary ability. He can forgive the evil done to him. His self-sacrificing love for others has been called motherly. It has also been called truly Christian. AUNT CHLOE- Aunt Chloe, Uncle Tom's wife, is fat, warm, and jolly. She is a good housekeeper and a superb cook, and justly proud of her skill. She loves Tom, and urges him to escape to Canada rather than to go South with Haley. After Tom is sold, she convinces the Shelbys to hire her out to a baker in Louisville and to use her wages to buy Tom's freedom. She is heartbroken to learn of his death. MOSE, PETE, AND POLLY - Mose, Pete, and Polly, the children of Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe, are playful and rambunctious. Polly is Tom's special favorite, and she loves to bury her tiny hands in his hair. ELIZA HARRIS - Eliza Harris is raised by her mistress, Mrs. Shelby, to be pious and good. Described as light-skinned and pretty, Eliza dearly loves her husband, George Harris, and their little boy, Harry. When she learns that Harry is about to be sold, Eliza carries him in her arms to the Ohio River, which she crosses on cakes of ice. Although generally a modest and retiring young woman, Eliza becomes extraordinarily brave because of her love for her son.