Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Origin of the Modern Calendar in Ancient Egypt

The way in which we divide the day into hours and minutes, as well as the structure and length of the yearly calendar, owes much to pioneering developments in ancient Egypt. Since Egyptian life and agriculture depended upon the annual flooding of the Nile, it was important to determine when such floods would begin. The early Egyptians noted that the beginning of akhet (inundation) occurred at the heliacal rising of a star they called Serpet (Sirius). It has been calculated that this sidereal year was only 12 minutes longer than the mean tropical year which influenced the flooding, and this produced a difference of only 25 days over the whole of Ancient Egypts recorded history. 3 Egyptian Calendars Ancient Egypt was run according to three different calendars. The first was a lunar calendar based on 12 lunar months, each of which began on the first day in which the old moon crescent was no longer visible in the East at dawn. (This is most unusual since other civilizations of that era are known to have started months with the first setting of the new crescent!) A thirteenth month was intercalated to maintain a link to the heliacal rising of Serpet. This calendar was used for religious festivals. The second calendar, used for administrative purposes, was based on the observation that there was usually 365 days between the heliacal rising of Serpet. This civil calendar was split into twelve months of 30 days with an additional five epagomenal days attached at the end of the year. These additional five days were considered to be unlucky. Although there is no firm archaeological evidence, a detailed back calculation suggests that the Egyptian civil calendar dates back to circa 2900 BCE. This 365-day calendar is also known as a wandering calendar, from the Latin name annus vagus since it slowly gets out of synchronization with the solar year. (Other wandering calendars include the Islamic year.) A third calendar, which dates back at least to the 4th century BCE was used to match the lunar cycle to the civil year. It was based on a period of 25 civil years which was approximately equal 309 lunar months. The Leap Year in Ancient Egypt An attempt to reform the calendar to include a leap year was made at the beginning of the Ptolemaic dynasty (Decree of Canopus, 239 BCE), but the priesthood was too conservative to allow such a change. This pre-dates the Julian reform of 46 BCE which Julius Caesar introduced on the advice of the Alexandrian astronomer Sosigenese. Reform did, however, come after the defeat of Cleopatra and Anthony by the Roman General (and soon to be Emperor) Augustus in 31 BCE. In the following year, the Roman senate decreed that the Egyptian calendar should include a leap year, although the actual change to the calendar didnt occur until 23 BCE. Months, Weeks, and Decades The months of the Egyptian civil calendar were further divided into three sections called decades, each of 10 days. The Egyptians noted that the heliacal rising of certain stars, such as Sirius and Orion, matched the first day of the 36 successive decades and called these stars decans. During any one night, a sequence of 12 decans would be seen to rise and was used to count the hours. (This division of the night sky, later adjusted to account for the epagomenal days, had close parallels to the Babylonian zodiac. The signs of the zodiac each accounting for three of the decans. This astrological device was exported to India and then to Medieval Europe via Islam.) Egyptian Clock Time Early man divided the day into temporal hours whose length depended upon the time of year. A summer hour, with the longer period of daylight, would be longer than that of a winter day. It was the Egyptians who first divided the day (and night) into 24 temporal hours. The Egyptians measured time during the day using shadow clocks, precursors to the more recognizable sun dials seen today. Records suggest that early shadow clocks were based on the shadow from a bar crossing four marks, representing hourly periods starting two hours into the day. At midday, when the sun was at its highest, the shadow clock would be reversed and hours counted down to dusk. An improved version using a rod (or gnomon) and which indicates the time according to the length and position of the shadow has survived from the second millennia BCE. Problems with observing the sun and stars may have been the reason the Egyptians invented the water clock, or clepsydra (meaning water thief in Greek). The earliest remaining example survives from the Temple of Karnak is dated to the 15th century BCE. Water drips through a small hole in one container to a lower one. Marks on either container can be used to give a record of hours passed. Some Egyptian clepsydras have several sets of marks to be used at different times of the year, to maintain consistency with the seasonal temporal hours. The design of the clepsydra was later adapted and improved by the Greeks. The Influence of Astronomy on Minutes and Hours As a result of the campaigns of Alexander the Great, a great wealth of knowledge of astronomy was exported from Babylon into India, Persia, the Mediterranean, and Egypt. The great city of Alexandria with its impressive Library, both founded by the Greek-Macedonian family of Ptolemy, served as an academic center. Temporal hours were of little use to astronomers, and around 127 CE Hipparchus of Nicea, working in the great city of Alexandria, proposed dividing the day into 24 equinoctial hours. These equinoctial hours, so called because they are based on the equal length of day and night at the equinox, split the day into equal periods. (Despite his conceptual advance, ordinary people continued to use temporal hours for well over a thousand years: the conversion to equinoctial hours in Europe was made when mechanical, weight driven clocks were developed in the 14th century.) The division of time was further refined by another Alexandrian based philosopher, Claudius Ptolemeus, who divided the equinoctial hour into 60 minutes, inspired by the scale of measurement used in ancient Babylon. Claudius Ptolemaeus also compiled a great catalog of over one thousand stars, in 48 constellations and recorded his concept that the universe revolved around the Earth. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, it was translated into Arabic (in 827 CE) and later into Latin (in the 12th century CE). These star tables provided the astronomical data used by Gregory XIII for his reform of the Julian calendar in 1582. Sources Richards, EG. Mapping Time: The Calendar and its History. Oxford University Press, 1998.General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa. James Curry Ltd., University of California Press, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 1990.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Human Trafficking The New Era Of Slavery - 947 Words

Texas Human Trafficking Overview Human trafficking is the new era of slavery! Human trafficking is a horrifying issue happening so close to home and it is increasing by the minute. Many Texas citizens are unaware of human trafficking happening right in their own backyards. Sex trafficking and labor trafficking are to be the most popular types of human trafficking in the United States. In Texas there are many more domestic victims than illegal immigrant victims of Human Trafficking. However, the Lone Star state has been and continues to be a leader in the opposition movement and this legislation is the first of its kind in the United States. Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that happens in every state, including Texas. Human trafficking happens more in Texas because of its close vicinity to the United States-Mexican border. Texas borders are one of the most crossed international borders in the world. Many illegal aliens including children are kidnapped and forced into sex and labor trafficking stemming throughout the Texas-Mexico border. However, in the Lone Star state the majority of the victims identified are actually its own citizens. The most popular types of human trafficking in Texas are sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Sex trafficking consists of victims under eighteen years old, who are exploited for commercial sex. Furthermore, the victims are forced to perform acts such as, prostitution, pornography, stripping, live-sex shows, mail-orderShow MoreRelatedThe Depravity Of Humanity : Global Human Trafficking1257 Words   |  6 PagesHumanity â€Å"Global human trafficking is big business† (Gale, Cengage Learning). This quote in of itself warrants a deep seated fear and revulsion. But it is also true. Human trafficking is not exactly a new thing; it is as old as humanity itself. That is why Prostitution is considered the world’s oldest profession because it has been around since the birth of humanity. Also, the following sentence quote shows the age of human trafficking. â€Å"What may surprise those who think of trafficking as a recentRead MoreHuman Trafficking1355 Words   |  6 PagesRigdon November 16, 2014 Human Trafficking and its Dire Effects. Human Trafficking in the United States is something not a lot of people discuss. Most think it is only something that happens in third world countries, but in fact could be happening in their hometown. According to Protocol to Prevent, Subdue and Punish Trafficking in Persons, human trafficking in the modern world entails transfer of persons by use of applied force. Other methods used to enforce the trafficking include use of deceptionRead MoreDominant-Minority Relations1137 Words   |  5 Pageseconomic need to control land and labor. The agrarian era ended in the 1800s, and the U.S. has gone through two major transformations in subsistence technology since, each of which has transformed dominant-minority relations and required the creation of new structures and processes to maintain racial stratification and white privilege (Healey, p. 131). The early 1800s to the mid-1900s was the industrial revolution, where machines replaced animal and human labor. Today’s society is kn own as the postindustrialRead MoreHuman Dignity And The Inalienable Rights Of Every Person1251 Words   |  6 PagesWhen Europeans began to colonize the New World at the end of the 15th century, they were well aware of the institution of slavery. Slavery has been a part of human society since its beginning and it continues to increase today. This kind of activities continues to growth in today’s society in different forms every country in the world. Mostly women are forced to practice prostitution, children and adults may be required to work in farming or factories producing goods for global corporate companiesRead MoreEffects of Slavery on America1594 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of Slavery on American History Andrew Avila US History 1301 Dr. Raley April 18, 2013 The U.S. Constitution is primarily based on compromise between larger and smaller states, and more importantly, between northern and southern states. One major issue of the northern and southern states throughout American history is the topic of slavery. Although agreements such as the Three-Fifths Compromise in 1787, and the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 were adapted to reduce and outlawRead MoreProstitution Is The Oldest Profession922 Words   |  4 Pagesare usually thought to be the lowest form a part of the human species, people make assumptions as to why a women would even bother with the idea of subjecting herself to harsh treatment by others, people often correlate the idea of prostitution with human trafficking. That each of these categories are of association, prostitution is â€Å"the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.† While human trafficking is â€Å"the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposesRead MoreT he Slave Of A Slave Essay964 Words   |  4 Pagesshow that slavery was a common practice amongst earliest known civilization. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians kept certain numbers of slaves. For example, The Greeks preferred having slave women and children for domestic servitude. Similarly, the romans and Egyptians used slave as a means of internatment in gladiator fights and build major cities infrastructures. In the past, war was primarily used as a means of gaining slaves. However, some people sold their children in to slavery while othersRead MoreIs Christopher Columbus A Good Man?990 Words   |  4 PagesChristopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, Slavery, the Civil War, the Progressives, the Gilded Age, World War II, the Cold War and The Vietnam War. With each topic we each would talk about what we thought about the topic before discussing it as a whole. For example what we thought of when we heard the word Native American or Indian. Before this class my thought about some of the topics was that Christopher Columbus was a good man that had founded America and that the Progressive era and Gilded Age were a goodRead MoreCambodia: A Place of Countless Struggles1545 Words   |  6 Pageseducation, abuse, and sexual trafficking consume most of Cambodia, and the government continues to let these issues flourish. One of the most prominent problems Cambodia battles with is the sex industry, with prostitution and trafficking rates skyrocketing. According to recent human trafficking statistics, an immense amount of victims are sexually trafficked and exploited in Cambodia each year, but 80% of victims are young women and girls (Bertone). While sex trafficking affects nearly every countryRead MoreCriminals And Their Crimes By Mark Jones164 0 Words   |  7 Pageseach lesson with an excerpt of the scriptural reference for the crime being discussed and then gives a short biography of the principle characters before discussing the legal, social, and political definition/context of the crime during the particular era that it took place. Then he goes a step farther by writing about the same crime viewed through today’s modern, legal, social, and political lens, ending each chapter with a lesson that can be learned by the reader. The word â€Å"criminals â€Å" is used loosely

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Forrest Gump Chapter Sixteen Free Essays

Chapter Sixteen After they done finished cookin big Sam’s tribe, an shrinkin they heads, the pygmies slung us between long poles an carried us off like pigs into the jungle. â€Å"What do you spose they intend to do with us?† Major Fritch call out to me. â€Å"I don’t know, an I don’t give a shit,† I call back, an that were about the truth. We will write a custom essay sample on Forrest Gump Chapter Sixteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now I’m tired of all this crappola. A man can take jus so much. Anyhow, after about a day or so we come to the village of the pygmies, an as you might expec, they has got a bunch of little tiny huts in a clearin in the jungle. They truck us up to a hut in the center of the clearin where there is a bunch of pygmies standin aroun – an one little ole feller with a long white beard an no teeth settin up in a high chair like a baby. I figger him to be the king of the pygmies. They tumped us out onto the groun an untied us, an we stood up an dusted ourselfs off an the king of the pygmies commence jabberin some gibberish an then he get down from his chair an go straight up to Sue an kick him in the balls. â€Å"How come he done that?† I axed Grurck, who had learnt to speak some English wile he was livin with Major Fritch. â€Å"Him want to know if ape is boy or girl,† Grurck say. I figger there must be a nicer way to find that out, but I ain’t sayin nothin. Then the king, he come up to me an start talkin some of that gibberish – pygmalion, or whatever it is – an I’m preparing to get kicked in the balls too, but Grurck say, â€Å"Him want to know why you livin with them awful cannibals.† â€Å"Tell him it weren’t exactly our idea,† Major Fritch pipe up an say. â€Å"I got a idea,† I says. â€Å"Tell him we is American musicians.† Grurck say this to the king an he be peerin at us real hard, an then he axe Grurck somethin. â€Å"What’s he say?† Major Fritch want to know. â€Å"Him axe what the ape plays,† say Grurck. â€Å"Tell him the ape plays the spears,† I say, an Grurck do that, an then the king of the pygmies announce he want to hear us perform. I get out my harmonica an start playin a little tune – â€Å"De Camptown Races.† King of the pygmies listen for a minute, then he start clappin his hans an doin what look to be a clog dance. After I’m finished, he say he wants to know what Major Fritch an Grurck plays, an I tell Grurck to say Major Fritch plays the knives an that Grurck don’t play nothin – he is the manager. King of the pygmies look sort of puzzled an say he ain’t never heard of anybody playin knives or spears before, but he tell his men to give Sue some spears an Major Fritch some knives an let’s see what sort of music we come up with. Soon as we get the spears an knives, I say, â€Å"Okay – now!† an ole Sue conk the king of the pygmies over the head with his spear an Major Fritch threatened a couple of pygmies with her knives an we run off into the jungle with the pygmies in hot pursuit. The pygmies be thowin all sorts of rocks an shit at us from behin, an shootin they bows an arrows an darts from blowguns an such. Suddenly we come out on the bank of a river an ain’t no place to go, an the pygmies are catchin up fast. We is bout to jump into the river an swim for it, when suddenly from the opposite side of the river a rifle shot ring out. The pygmies are right on top of us, but another rifle shot ring out an they turn tail an run back into the jungle. We be lookin across the river an lo an behole on the other bank they is a couple of fellers wearin bush jackets an them white pith helmets like you used to see in Ramar of the Jungle. They step into a canoe an be paddlin towards us, an as they get closer, I seen one of them is got NASA stamped on his pith helmet. We is finally rescued. When the canoe reach our shore, the guy with NASA stamped on his helmet get out an come up to us. He go right up to ole Sue an stick out his han an say, â€Å"Mister Gump, I presume?† â€Å"Where the fuck has you assholes been?† hollared Major Fritch. â€Å"We been stranded in the jungle nearly four goddamn years!† â€Å"Sorry bout that, ma’am,† the feller say, â€Å"but we has got our priorities, too, you know.† Anyway, we is at last saved from a fate worse than death, an they loaded us up in the canoe an started paddlin us downriver. One of the fellers say, â€Å"Well folks, civilization is just aroun the corner. I reckon you’ll all be able to sell your stories to a magazine an make a fortune.† â€Å"Stop the canoe!† Major Fritch suddenly call out. The fellers look at one another, but they paddle the canoe over to the bank. â€Å"I have made a decision,† Major Fritch say. â€Å"For the first time in my life, I have found a man that truly understands me, an I am not going to let him go. For nearly four years, Grurck an I have lived happily in this land, an I have decided to stay here with him. We will go off in the jungle an make a new life for ourselfs, an raise a family an live happily ever after.† â€Å"But this man is a cannibal,† one of the fellers say. â€Å"Eat your heart out, buster,† says Major Fritch, an she an Grurck get out of the canoe an start back into the jungle again, han in han. Jus before they disappeared, Major Fritch turn aroun an give Sue an me a little wave, an then off they go. I looked back to the end of the canoe, an ole Sue is settin there twistin his fingers. â€Å"Wait a minute,† I says to the fellers. I go back an set down on the seat nex to Sue an say, â€Å"What you thinkin bout?† Sue ain’t sayin nothin, but they is a little bitty tear in his eye, an I knowed then what was bout to happen. He grapped me aroun the shoulders in a big hug, an then leaped out of the boat an ran up a tree on the shore. Last we seen of him, he is swingin away thru the jungle on a vine. The feller from NASA be shakin his head. â€Å"Well, what about you, numbnuts? You gonna follow your friends there into Bonzoland?† I looked after them for a minute, then I said, â€Å"Uh, uh,† an set back down in the canoe. Wile they was paddlin us away, don’t you believe I didn’t think bout it for a moment. But I jus couldn’t do it. I reckon I got other weenies to roast. They flown me back to America an tole me on the way how there was to be a big welcome home reception for me, but seems like I have heard that before. Sure enough tho, soon as we landed in Washington bout a million people was on han, cheerin an clappin an actin like they is glad to see me. They drove me into town in the back seat of a big ole black car an said they was takin me to the White House to see the President. Yep, I been there before too. Well, when we get to the White House, I’m expectin to see the same ole President what fed me breakfast an let me watch â€Å"The Beverly Hillbillies,† but they is got a new President now – feller with his hair all slicked back, puffy little cheeks an a nose look like Pinocchio’s. â€Å"Tell me now,† this President say, â€Å"did you have an exciting trip?† A feller in a suit standin next to the President lean over an whisper somethin to him, an suddenly the President say, â€Å"Oh, ah, accually what I meant was, how great it is that you have escaped from your ordeal in the jungle.† The feller in the suit whisper somethin else to the President, an he say to me, â€Å"Er, now what about your companion?† â€Å"Sue?† I say. â€Å"Was that her name?† Now he be lookin at a little card in his han. â€Å"Says here it was a Major Janet Fritch, and that even as you were being rescued she was dragged off into the jungle by a cannibal.† â€Å"Where it say that?† I axed. â€Å"Right here,† the President say. â€Å"That’s not so,† I says. â€Å"Are you suggesting I am a liar?† say the President. â€Å"I’m jus sayin it ain’t so,† I says. â€Å"Now look here,† say the President, â€Å"I am your commander in chief. I am not a crook. I do not lie!† â€Å"I am very sorry,† I says, â€Å"but it ain’t the truth bout Major Fritch. You jus take that off a card, but – â€Å" â€Å"Tape!† the President shout. â€Å"Huh?† I says. â€Å"No, no,† says the feller in the suit. â€Å"He said ‘take’?Cnot ‘tape’ – Mister President.† â€Å"TAPE!† scream the President. â€Å"I told you never to mention that word in my presence again! You are all a bunch of disloyal Communist swines.† The President be poundin hissef on the knee with his fist. â€Å"None of you understand. I don’t know anything bout anything! I never heard of anything! And if I did, I either forgot it, or it is top secret!† â€Å"But Mister President,† say the feller in the suit, â€Å"he didn’t say it. He only said – â€Å" â€Å"Now you are calling me a liar!† he say. â€Å"You’re fired!† â€Å"But you can’t fire me,† the feller say. â€Å"I am the Vice President.† â€Å"Well, pardon me for saying so,† says the President, â€Å"but you are never going to make President if you go aroun calling your commander in chief a liar.† â€Å"No, I guess you’re right,† say the Vice President. â€Å"I beg your pardon.† â€Å"No, I beg yours,† the President say. â€Å"Whatever,† say the Vice President, kinda fiddlin with hissef. â€Å"If you will all excuse me now, I have to go pee.† â€Å"That’s the first sensible idea I have heard all day,† say the President. Then he turn to me an axe, â€Å"Say, aren’t you the same fellow that played ping-pong and saved the life of old Chairman Mao?† I says, â€Å"Yup,† an the President say, â€Å"Well what did you want to do a thing like that for?† An I says, â€Å"Cause he was drownin,† an the President say, â€Å"You should have held him under, instead of saving him. Anyway, it’s history now, because the son of a bitch died while you were away in the jungle.† â€Å"You got a tv set?† I axed. The President look at me kind of funny. â€Å"Yeah, I have one, but I don’t watch it much these days. Too much bad news.† â€Å"You ever watch ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’?† I say. â€Å"It’s not on yet,† he say. â€Å"What is?† I axed. † ‘To Tell the Truth’ – but you don’t want to look at that – it’s a bunch of shit.† Then he say, â€Å"Look here, I have a meeting to go to, why don’t I walk you to the door?† When we get outside on the porch, an the President say in a very low voice, â€Å"Listen, you want to buy a watch?† I say, â€Å"Huh?† an he step over close to me an shove up the sleeve on his suit an lo an behole he must of had twenty or thirty wristwatches aroun his arm. â€Å"I ain’t got no money,† I says. The President, he roll down his sleeve an pat me on the back. â€Å"Well, you come back when you do and we’ll work something out, okay?† He shook my han an a bunch of photographers come up an start takin our picher an then I’m gone. But I’ll say this, that President seem like a nice feller after all. Anyhow, I’m wonderin what they gonna do with me now, but I don’t have to wonder long. It took bout a day or so for things to quiet down, an they had put me up in a hotel, but then a couple of fellers come in one afternoon an say, â€Å"Listen here, Gump, the free ride’s over. The government ain’t payin for none of this anymore – you’re on your own now.† â€Å"Well, okay,† I say, â€Å"but how bout givin me a little travelin money to get home on. I’m kinda light right now.† â€Å"Forget it, Gump,† they say. â€Å"You is lucky not to be in jail for conkin the Clerk of the Senate on the head with that medal. We done you a favor to get you off that rap – but we is washin our hans of your ass as of right now.† So I had to leave the hotel. Since I ain’t got no things to pack, it wadn’t hard, an I just went out on the street. I walked a wile, down past the White House where the President live, an to my suprise they is a whole bunch of people out front got on rubber masks of the President’s face an they is carryin some kind of signs. I figger he must be pleased to be so popular with everbody. How to cite Forrest Gump Chapter Sixteen, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Four Systems of the Bioecological Model of Human free essay sample

The Four Systems of the Bioecological Model of Human Development SOC 312 Instructor: Stacey Rose The Four Systems of the Bioecological Model of Human Development | | For many, the idea that biology and genetics influence human development is not a foreign concept; however it has become increasingly accepted that ecological systems also play and intricate role in this development. Ecological systems primarily focus on the interpersonal relationships one has with their environment. A child’s environment tremendously impacts how they learn, how they develop intellectually, cognitively, emotionally, and what their morals and values become. The bioecological model of human development that Urie Bronfenbrenner developed gives light to the fundamental impact that social interactions and environment have in human development. He describes four distinct systems that are the most influential: microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, and macrosystems. Bronfenbrenner’s theory proposes that the four types of environments all simultaneously influence an individual. He suggests that people cannot fully understand human development without considering how a person is influenced through each of these systems (Zaden, 2007). These environments create the continuity of change that extends throughout the course of a lifetime and the residual effects carry through the generations to come (Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2007). The developing person’s interactions between their microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem unveil the person they will become. The first system that influences development is the microsystem. The microsystem refers to the interaction and relationship that the individual has with significant figures in their life such as, family, peers, school, and the community (Berns, 2010). This system’s interactions are in a close setting of their immediate environment and would be considered the most influential system of the developing human. The microsystem is the most influential system because the child has direct interaction with these individuals; that interaction occurs on a consistent basis over an extended period of time (Brofenbrenner, 2004). Family is the most significant relationship of the microsystem; they play an intricate part in the ecological human development. The most time is spent at home with the family; they provide shelter and safety, and also provide emotional support for the child. The parent for example, interacts with the child on a daily basis, they provide a safe and healthy relationship and an environment for them to grow and prosper. The way the parent plays with the child, teaches them, and communicates with them has a lot of influence on their development. The parenting style a child receives paves the way in their ability to communicate with others, their self-esteem, and the attitude and behaviors they exude. The main parenting styles are authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and non-involved. The authoritarian parent is strict and demanding; this creates a child that grows up to behave withdrawn, fearful, and distrustful of others. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the permissive parent. The child raised in a permissive household is more likely to be aggressive, impulsive, and have little self-reliance. The healthy balance between the two styles is the authoritative parent who raises a content, cooperative, and self-reliant child (Berns, 2010). The parent gives the child the ability to create secure attachments with others and to have a healthy and positive disposition. The emotional connectivity of this relationship is a direct reflection of a child’s ability to connect and communicate with all other systems. Parenting styles are not the only ways that family can influence development; family structure also has a great impact. The nuclear family consists of a mom, a dad, and the children, but not all households are structured this way. Divorce is an unfortunate reality in this day and age and the adaptation plays a large role for the child. Not only does the child not get to live in a household that has both parents which provides a healthy surrounding and assures the child of love, but they may have to listen to the consequences of how each parent deals with the divorce itself. Counseling, mediation, custody battles, and fighting are all situations that the child may be surrounded by. The financial consequences will affect the family and the child would not live in the same lifestyle as they would if both parents were together because the income would be cut in half. Peers, community, and schools also affect the child. The peer groups help the child gain independence and discover their sense of self. Negative experiences with peers such as bullying can hurt the child’s self-esteem, affect how they interact with their others, and their ability to communicate and socialize with their peers with ease. School is another very important relationship. This gives the child a chance to learn the fundamentals needed as an adult and to help them develop different skills and appropriate behavior. Every child learns differently; they may be an auditory, visual, spatial, or kinesthetic learner. It is the teacher and school’s responsibility to discover this and take the best course of action to implement and teaching style that works best for the child. The second system that influences development is the mesosystem. Mesosystems may be described a links in a chain. They consist of linkages and interrelationships that exist between two or more of the individual’s microsystems. These interrelationships involve a variety of settings that the child is immersed in; the influences that â€Å"bind us together† (Feldman, 2008). Examples of this system may be the linkage between family and peers, family and school, school and community, and so on. Schooling is the perfect example of the mesosystems linkage between family and school. The more involved the parent is with the child’s school, increases the likelihood of that child excelling in school, receiving higher grades, and attending college in the future. The involvement that the family has with the child’s learning before they enter school creates a positive attitude towards their future learning. When it comes to the child’s relationship with school, the more perceptive that the family and teachers are in their learning with affect their educational experience. They will learn how to complete tasks, problem solve, and understand rewards and consequences. There is also an important linkage between school and the community. Higher funded schools have more resources available to students; these resources extend the learning process. More books, informative television programs and movies, supplies, crafts, and the ability to go on field trips may provide a more stimulating environment and positive outlook on a child’s involvement and learning at school. Community support and donations can help increase learning in the classroom. The exosystem is the third system of Bronfenbrenner’s theory of human development. These influences are indirect; the child itself is not an active participant, however it does have an impact on an active member of their microsystem. This may consist of the parent’s career or financial situation, political systems, social support networks, etcetera. As stated above, exosystems have an indirect affect on the child through career, their socioeconomic status, or the government. A parent’s socioeconomic status affects the child because they may not have the means to purchase educational materials or live in a nice home, if they have a home at all. Children born into poverty statistically have lower self-esteem, are less likely to excel in school or are more likely to drop out, and they are more susceptible to violence and crime. A parent’s job may also influence a child indirectly. A parent that has to travel a lot for work or stay late hours must place their child in non-parental child care. Different forms of this non-parental care will affect that child differently. There are child care centers, family day cares, and in-home care of a nanny that may be used to watch over the children. The accreditations are different for each type, and there are different programs, such as health, nutrition, and learning programs. Although there are many different options that the family has when they do not have the ability to stay at home with the child, but it is still no substitute for being cared for by their parent. Although sometimes a parent has no choice but to place their child in a day care program, there can be some developmental consequences to this. The child will be able to socialize with peers more easily, but they tend to be less cooperative and unresponsive with adults. The longer the child stays in non-parental care, the more likely they are to develop insecure attachments, are at risk for problems with emotions and in behavior. They are also more likely to be aggressive and defiant. The final system involved is the macrosystem. This system is societal and has a larger context involved in culture. This type of system influences the developing child in a much broader context; the beliefs of the family and their lifestyle, education, religion, and mass media. What society places as the social norms, expected roles, and what a relationship is supposed to look like. Macrosystem influences come from cultural views in society. Views of roles, such as gender roles, have a set of associated behaviors that are expected in that individual. A boy must be a strong provider and shouldn’t cry, or a girl should be a nurturer and domesticated are examples of these gender roles inflicted on society. Different values and lifestyle are also a large influence to that child. Believing in the necessity of owning a large home, having expensive cars, or that as adults, they need to be married with a white picket fence and 2. children. Morals and values stem from the family’s beliefs and religious law; although sometimes the religious laws coincide with federal. Religions such as Catholicism, Lutheranism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Atheism, are all extremely different from one another and go along a different belief system with different sets of values which influence the individual. Children that grow up believing in some form of Christianity may have di fferent values than a child that grew up in an Atheist household. Mass media and culture are intertwined, but the influence of media is widespread and comes in a variety of forms; screen media, print media, audio media, and interactive media. Media influences â€Å"value, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior† explains Berns (2010, pg 321). At least one form of media can be found basically anywhere and is used to communicate and spread information to a large group of people simultaneously. Screen media that comes in television form spreads so quickly and easily influences young and impressionable minds. In some respects the exposure can be a good thing; it is mentally stimulating, can be educational and useful in a classroom to help students understand information in a different way. Programs for younger children such as â€Å"Dora the Explorer† and â€Å"Blues Clues† are a great way to teach young children colors, numbers, mathematics, and linguistics. Unfortunately there are downsides to this. Not all programs are suitable for young children; they may contain graphic violence, foul language, and sexually explicit material that is inappropriate for this age group. This information can ingrain the idea of what life â€Å"should† be like or how the child â€Å"should† behave, this sets up negative associations and roles. Violent and graphic material could result in negative behaviors such as aggression or bullying others, it may also cause the child’s imagination to run wild which may be scary, exciting, or intimidating for the child. Too much time in front of the television, or focused on any type of media really, can take away from time spent with the family and engaging in family activities, or it can also affect physical activity. Print media is found in books, newspapers, magazines, and articles. Print media is beneficial because it enhances language and reading skills, it helps with comprehension, and overall cognitive development. Children may understand the sense of who they are because of all the stories and tales they read. A downside to this is that the child may confuse negative actions and material with reality and fantasy. Just as with screen media, print, audio, and interactive media instill the ideas behind different stereotypes; this can be a major concern for problems in the future and self-esteem. Overall between all forms of media there are positives and negatives. They increase cognitive functioning and development, but children are impressionable and graphically violent and sexually explicit material is not good for young children and should be monitored by the parent. It is now apparent that ecological systems affect development. Urie Bronfenbrenner was correct in his theory of the bioecological model of human development. There is significant data to show how influential the four systems influence a child. The microsystem consists of close intimate relationships of those in direct contact with the child; they are involved on a consistent basis and appear to be the most influential relationship. Family, peers, school, and the community are all examples of a microsystem. They all have a large impact on the child’s socialization skills. Because a child spends so much time with their parents, this is the foundation for success. Teaching their children early what behaviors are acceptable or not, having a comforting and balanced parenting style will really help the child be cooperative, self-reliant, and content. Placing a strong focus on the importance of academics will help the child to succeed in school, also choosing the correct school to help the student learning in an environment suitable for their needs. Peers have a massive impact on the child’s communication and interaction with others so it’s important that the parent keep positive influences around that child. The microsystem is the primary system of influence so keeping secure, positive, healthy relationships will help the child’s development as they begin to feel the effects of the other systems. Like the links in a chain, the mesosystem combines the importance of the impact that the microsystems have on each other. Just as school and family influence a child, the relationships between the two systems also have a direct impact on the child. This does not only consist of the two relationships, but all relationships in the microsystem. The indirect affect of the exosystem, such as the stressors of a parent’s career, will have its own impact. Long hours at the job can result in the child being enrolled in some sort of non-parental child care. The type of care provided could benefit the child in their education and learning skills, but may also have a negative impact on their emotional comfort and attachment caused by the lack of the parent being around. Finally, the macrosystem is the combination of culture, religion, mass media, and other influences that are widespread. Mass media has many benefits to the child’s development. Media is mentally stimulating, it can increase imagination, and teach the child different skills such as language, communication, mathematics, colors, and other skills. Parents do need to monitor the media that a child does interact with. The graphic violence and sexually explicit material can be damaging for young and influential minds. They can create different stereotypes that can affect the way the child socializing with others, or their sense of self. The more time spent around different forms of media can take away from the quality time spent with the family, and can decrease the amount of physical activity for the child. Overall, the four different systems involved in Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development massively impact the socialization and cognitive development of a child. References Berns, R. M. (2010).