Sociology of Family essayEssay Writing Service

Sociology of Family essayEssay Writing Service Sociology of Family essay Sociology of Family essay1)   The movie characterizes the structure and functions of African-American families through the trials of a large African-American family, which is focused on maintaining the established longstanding family traditions.   However, these family traditions are fading away when some serious problems appear in the family, e.g. Mother Joe’s debilitating stroke, Lem’s failure to find a job, tensions in relationship between the family members and other problems.2)   The movie characterizes gender (manhood, womanhood, relationships between the two) and intergenerational (relations between different generations) relations in African-American families through interpersonal communication, which reflects human lie and injustice. Teri, Lem, Bird, Kenny, Maxine and Ahmad demonstrate their negative character traits.3) The movie depicts the links between African-American families and institutions of the wider society such as the world of work, the white world, and law enforcement, etc. through certain challenges faced by family members. For example, Lem fails to find a job because of his criminal history. Teri wants her cousin Blimp to give Lem a lesson.   There are many other examples.4) The movie suggests that the history of African-Americans in the U.S has had powerful impacts on African-American families. Traditional African American food is part of the history of African Americans in the U.S., e.g. the so-called soul food. The cultural traditions are reflected in soul food tradition. The film describes the particular food that is associated with the lives of modern day Chicago families.5) The movie shows the tensions in relationships between young people that might be helpful in explaining the statistical data on the relatively low percent of families with married couples found among African Americans.6) I find the characterization of African-American families to be consistent with my understanding of the course readings on African-American families. Food has been shown as an integral part of African American culture. The characterization of the sense of identity of African Americans and the role of African American community play an important role in the life of each family.7) I have one question about the movie that you would like to discuss. This question is â€Å"How does the film â€Å"Soul Food† (1997) reflect race, class and legacy of slavery?†1) Prof. Banks is focused specifically on marriage patterns within the black â€Å"middle class† of educated professionals because the decline in marriage involved not only the poor, but also doctors, lawyers and other categories of educated people. According to the author, â€Å"black women of all socioeconomic classes remained single in part because the ranks of black men have been decimated by incarceration, educational failure and economic disadvantage† (Bank, 2011, p.1853).2) Prof. Banks conducts his research based on the i nterviews.   He collects various types of data regarding black marriage decline, including judicial decision, governmental policies, economic data, etc. He collects data from various sources, including documentation, books, newspaper articles, journal articles, legal cases, films, etc. There are certain problems with the data because the content of sources differs, providing different information on the required issues.3) Prof. Banks think marriage is faring among the black middle class because of certain social, historical and economic challenges. Some of the statistics offered by Prof. Banks to document his claims about the status of marriage in the black middle class include various facts, such as in 1970s, â€Å"25 % of black children in the U.S. were born to unmarried parents† (Banks, 2011, p. 1856). Besides, the 2010 Survey shows that â€Å"half of black couples divorce within the first ten years of marriage; two out of every three black marriages are dissolved† (Banks, 2011, p. 1856).4) Prof. Banks diagnosis of roots of the marriage problems in the Black Community is focused on the effects of slavery because slavery had negative impact on gender relations of African Americans. Prof. Bank’s ideas about the impact of economic struggles of working class black men are clear as these struggles lowered the marriage rate of affluent black men. Black women’s responses make the problem worse because of reduction of benefits on marriage.5) Prof. Bank’s proposal that black women marry outside the race is comprehensive and appealing. This proposal is supposed to solve the marriage problem, producing new opportunities for the growth of marriage rate.6) Low marriage rates in the black community are an issue. Black people have other problems, but the problem of marriage decline affects all areas of activity. It is not a distraction factor. Black people and their communities are missing out on the growth of African American populati on, if they don’t marry.1)   The film suggests that the Sanchezs see family as an important part of their Hispanic identity. There are some scenes from the movie that illustrate what family means to the Sanchezs, e.g. Isabel’s pregnancy and her death, Jimmy’s failure to assist his son in getting rid of behavioral problems, Jimmy’s son hatred toward his father, etc. I do not think these are accurate descriptions of Hispanic families.2) Gender and intergenerational relations are important parts of any family. The film says much about those aspects of the Sanchez family because the viewer has an opportunity to observe the role of parental love and childish love. These are accurate depictions of Hispanic Families.3) Immigration shown in the film has impacted Sanchez family life because Maria was pregnant when the immigration agents deported her illegally. These are accurate depictions of Hispanic families.4) There are some other social forces or historical experiences, beside immigrant history, that seem have been important in constituting the Sanchez family. Maria wanted to return to her family. Jimmy and Chucho had close relationships. The film shows the involvement of Hispanic youth in gang violence and criminal activity. These scenes are accurate of the Hispanic experience.5) Maxine Baca Zinn suggests that Hispanic and African-American Families share many similarities. But she says little about differences. Comparing the depiction of the Hispanic family in the movie along with your knowledge of African-American families, it is necessary to define the following differences:   certain differences in family support, the differences in relationships among generations, and some differences in the following of traditional values.

History of Tikal

History of Tikal Tikal (tee-KAL) is a ruined Maya city located in the northern Petà ©n province of Guatemala. During the heyday of the Maya Empire, Tikal was a very important and influential city, controlling vast stretches of territory and dominating smaller city-states. Like the rest of the great Maya cities, Tikal fell into decline around 900 A.D. or so and was eventually abandoned. It is currently an important archaeological and tourism site Early History at Tikal Archaeological records near Tikal go back to about 1000 B.C. and by 300 B.C. or so it was already a thriving city. By the Maya early Classic era (roughly 300 A.D.) it was an important urban center, thriving as other nearby cities declined. The Tikal royal lineage traced their roots to Yax Ehb Xook, a powerful early ruler who lived sometime during the Preclassic period. The Peak of Tikals Power At the dawn of the Maya Classic era, Tikal was one of the most important cities in the Maya region. In 378, the ruling Tikal dynasty was replaced by representatives of the mighty northern city of Teotihuacan: it is unclear if the takeover was military or political. Other than a change in the royal family, this does not seem to have altered Tikal’s rise to prominence. Soon Tikal was the dominant city in the region, controlling several other smaller city-states. Warfare was common, and sometime in the late sixth century, Tikal was defeated by Calakmul, Caracol, or a combination of the two, causing a gap in the city’s prominence and historical records. Tikal bounced back, however, once again becoming a great power. Population estimates for Tikal at its peak vary: one estimate is that of respected researcher William Haviland, who in 1965 estimated a population of 11,000 in the city center and 40,000 in the surrounding areas. Tikal Politics and Rule Tikal was ruled by a powerful dynasty which sometimes, but not always, passed power down from father to son. This unnamed family ruled Tikal for generations until 378 A.D. when Great Jaguar Paw, last of the line, was apparently defeated militarily or somehow deposed by Fire is Born, who was most likely from Teotihuacn, a mighty city located near present-day Mexico City. Fire is Born started a new dynasty with close cultural and trade ties to Teotihuacn. Tikal continued on its path to greatness under the new rulers, who introduced cultural elements such as pottery design, architecture, and art in the Teotihuacn style. Tikal aggressively pursued its dominance of the whole southeastern Maya region. The city of Copn, in present-day Honduras, was founded by Tikal, as was the city of Dos Pilas. War with Calakmul Tikal was an aggressive superpower which frequently scrapped with its neighbors, but its most important conflict was with the city-state of Calakmul, located in the present-day Mexican state of Campeche. Their rivalry began sometime in the sixth century as they vied for vassal states and influence. Calakmul was able to turn some of Tikal’s vassal states against their former ally, most notably Dos Pilas and Quirigu. In 562 Calakmul and its allies defeated Tikal in battle, beginning a hiatus in Tikal’s power. Until 692 A.D. there would be no carved dates on Tikal monuments and the historical records of this time are scant. In 695, Jasaw K’awiil I defeated Calakmul, helping propel Tikal back to its former glory. The Decline of Tikal The Maya civilization began to crumble around 700 A.D. and by 900 A.D. or so it was a shadow of its former self. Teotihuacn, once such a powerful influence on Maya politics, itself fell into ruin about 700 and was no longer a factor in Maya life, although its cultural influences in art and architecture remained. Historians disagree on why the Maya civilization collapsed: it may have been due to famine, disease, warfare, climate change or any combination of those factors. Tikal, too, declined: the last recorded date on a Tikal monument is 869 A.D. and historians think that by 950 A.D. the city was essentially abandoned. Rediscovery and Restoration Tikal was never completely lost: locals always knew of the city throughout the colonial and republican eras. Travelers occasionally visited, such as John Lloyd Stephens in the 1840s, but Tikals remoteness (getting there entailed several days trek through steamy jungles) kept most visitors away. The first archaeological teams arrived in the 1880s, but it wasnt until an airstrip was built in the early 1950s that archaeology and study of the site began in earnest. In 1955, the University of Pennsylvania began a long project at Tikal: they remained until 1969 when the Guatemalan government began research there. Tikal Today Decades of archaeological work have uncovered most of the major buildings, although a good portion of the original city is still awaiting excavation. There are many pyramids, temples, and palaces for exploring. Highlights include the Plaza of Seven Temples, the Palace at the Central Acropolis and the Lost World complex. If youre visiting the historical site, a guide is highly recommended, as youre certain to miss interesting details if youre not looking for them. Guides can also translate glyphs, explain the history, take you to the most interesting buildings and more. Tikal is one of Guatemalas most important tourism sites, enjoyed annually by thousands of visitors from all over the world. Tikal National Park, which included the archaeological complex and the surrounding rainforest, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although the ruins themselves are fascinating, the natural beauty of Tikal National Park merits a mention as well. The rainforests around Tikal are beautiful and home to many birds and animals, including parrots, toucans, and monkeys. Sources McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. Reprint edition, W. W. Norton Company, July 17, 2006.