Using examples, examine the connections between gender, fear and urban Essay

Using examples, examine the connections between gender, fear and urban space - Essay Example While there are men who have small physical builds in comparison to other men, it is more likely to find a man with a build larger than a woman’s than to find the opposite scenario. Given this difference it is clear that, generally, women face a set of obstacles that most men will not have to ever experience. On the other hand, because of seeming biologically driven needs to defend one’s space, men are often faced with challenges that, similarly, women will unlikely ever have to face. Thus, as distinct as each gender’s biological makeup creates them to be, so too are the vast differences between the obstacles they must face. These differing gender fear invoking issues will be examined within the context of urban space. The urban environment can pose many stress inducing variables for any individual despite gender. Crime, natural disasters, and other such factors create a spectrum of varying fear and anxiety inducing possibilities for both men and women on a daily basis. Needing to be extra careful with personal possessions in public arenas and making sure to be respectful of an individual’s space are added factors that become automatic parts of one’s thought process while living in an urban environment. While both genders must face many similar urban space stressors, the differences begin to come to play when situations become more dependent on a person’s gender versus, for instance, specific environmental weather factors. For women, urban life poses specific problems due to biological factors. Because women are generally smaller and physically weaker than men, women must take this into account when they travel alone or even with other women to specific urban destinations. â€Å"Fear leads women to take precautions which are often spatial, such as avoiding certain parts of the city or not going out after dark† (Koskela, 1999, pp. 111). In other words, the reality

Federalism and Immigration Essay Example for Free

Federalism and Immigration Essay The term immigration describes the movement and settlement of people who are not US citizens into the United States of America. Throughout history, America has been receiving immigrants from distant lands who come to settle in the United States. As early as the nineteenth century, there were many people from other corners of the world who left their homelands to settle in the US. The reasons for early immigration were, among others, famine, flight from persecution in their homelands and search for better economic opportunities. Thus between 1870 and 1900, the United States received approximately 12 million migrants (Library of Congress 2004). This immigration trend into the United States has continued unabated well into the twenty first century and presently the foreign born population constitutes a significant proportion of the total American population. But of particular concern is the case of illegal immigrants who have infiltrated virtually every corner of the United States. In a 2005 population survey, it was estimated that there were more than 11.1 million illegal immigrants living in the United States and the numbers are steadily increasing with each passing year (Passel, 2006). An uncontrolled influx of immigrants into the US can adversely affect the economy and has invited a negative public opinion from U.S residents. For this reason, the federal government has had to come up with several immigration policies and laws with which to control the immigration process and to curb the influx of illegal immigrants. Although immigration policy is conventionally a realm of the federal government, recently, there have been efforts to include both the state and local governments in the process. This development has been met with different reactions as some people support the idea while others openly question its validity as applied to the constitution. Is the involvement of state and local law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of immigration laws a violation of the U.S constitution? Why the state and local law enforcers are being involved in immigration law enforcement The federal government is probably not to blame for not being able to adequately handle the immigration situation. Apparently it operates a limited force of an estimated 2,000 federal agents.   Yet statistics show that there are more than twelve million immigrants living illegally in the United States and every year, there is an influx averaging 800,000. Some of them, around 450,000, are absconders who have already been issued with a deportation order but have not yet left the country. Some of them have even been found guilty of some deportable crimes but are yet to be deported. Cleary, the federal government has not been able to effectively implement the federal immigration laws across the entire country, simply because it lacks enough manpower. The number of illegal aliens in America far outweighs the force that is meant to control them at the ration of approximately 5,000 to 1. It is for this reason that decisions were made to include the state and local law enforcers in the implementation of immigration laws. This move added an additional 700,000 law enforcers to the immigration police force thereby increasing the capability of the federal government to effectively enforce the immigration laws (Booth, 2006). Legislations supporting the involvement of state and local law enforcers in immigration There are several legislations which have been proposed to facilitate the involvement of the state and local law enforcers in the implementation of immigration laws. In the late twentieth century, the federal government started making subtle efforts to involve state and local governments in immigration. The year 1996 marked a turning point in the involvement of state and local governments in enforcement of immigration laws. During this year, Congress introduced the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) which brought significant changes in state handling of aliens (â€Å"The constitutionality of immigration federalism†, 2005). Through this act, Congress gave the states authority to discriminate against immigrants in public benefits programs by deciding who was eligible and who was not. Since the states are not allowed to classify aliens under the equal protection doctrine, the federal government took measures to devolve immigration decision making authority to the states so that their welfare discrimination would not be viewed as a violation of the constitution but rather, as immigration law making (Wishnie, 2002). The immigration laws of 1996 encouraged the state and local governments to take part in the implementation of immigration laws and authorized them to cooperate with the U.S Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Ordinances which had previously prevented the INS and the local agencies from communicating were removed and the states were allowed to deny drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants. This led to an increase in the number of detained illegal immigrant.In 2001, the September 11 attacks further intensified local government involvement in the enforcement of immigration and in 2002, the U.S Department of Justice declared that in its point of view, the state and local governments possessed an â€Å"inherent authority† to enforce immigration laws (Wishnie, 2002). In 2003, H.R 2671, the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal Act (CLEAR Act) was introduced by the U.S House of representatives. It stated in part that the State and local law enforcers had the authority to enforce immigration laws and declared that any state with no statute to enable the implementation of federal immigration laws within a two year period after the act had been enacted be denied certain federal incarceration assistance. It also proposed compensation of the State or local authority for the apprehension of illegal immigrants within their jurisdictions as well as the provision of personal liability immunity to personnel who enforced the immigration laws; whether they are from a federal, State or local agency. However, this bill never became law (GovTrack.us, 2003). In November 2003, S.1906, the Homeland Security Enhancement Act (HSEA) was introduced into parliament by the U.S senate. Under the HSEA, all violations of immigration laws committed by immigrants would be criminalized. The act also proposed that the states which did not repeal the policies that hindered their police from enforcing the immigration laws be denied funds from Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) so as to induce them to enforce these laws. The SCAAP program reimburses the States any costs that they may have incurred in their incarceration of non US citizens. This Act was met with sharp disagreements with the opponents arguing that it would damage the good relationships that local law enforcers had forged with immigrants in their area even as its proponents felt that its enactment would boost national security (NILC, 2004). In 2005, some legislation pieces similar to the 2003 Clear Act and the 2003 HSEA Act were reintroduced by Congress. Both of these bills asserted that the state and local law enforcement was allowed to aid the federal government in the implementation of immigration laws. It is worth noting that the 2005 CLEAR Act also proposed that the allocation of federal funds to local authorities be made dependent on whether they supported the federal government in the implementation of the immigration laws (Booth, 2006). All these legislations were in an effort to make the state and local governments assume more responsibility in controlling immigration so as to enhance the effectiveness of local law enforcement efforts. Public opinion on immigration and federalism Several studies have revealed that a majority of Americans feel that immigration into the United States is out of hand and would wish for better laws to sustain the influx especially of illegal immigrants. In a recent Rasmussen public opinion poll, it was established that one out of every four U.S citizens was very angry about the current American immigration policy. 28% of those who were interviewed expressed frustration with this policy while 62% expressed the need for a stricter border control. As of August 2008, 74% of Americans felt that the federal government was not doing enough to control the borders (Rasmussen reports, 2008). It is precisely because of these sentiments that Congress introduced the above pieces of legislation. Generally, the devolution of policy making decisions to the state and local governments has received widespread support from the public (Wishnie, 2002). Interestingly however, this particular move has been met with sharp differences in opinion whereby there are those who are in support of the move while others oppose it. Those who are in support of these laws argue that they are essential in order to beef up security especially in the face of recent terrorism attacks among other crimes which are purported to have been committed by aliens. However, those who oppose the move feel that making local law enforcers responsible for the implementation of these laws will overburden them, making them inefficient in other crucial sectors. Others feel that such a move is ill- advised at it will unnecessarily divert the already scarce local resources from the regular law enforcement functions such as the protection of industrial facilities as well as the channels of commerce. There are also sentiments that such a move could erode the relationship that local law enforcers have established with the local immigrant communities, thereby impeding the fight against crime as the aliens, especially the illegal ones, become more apprehensive in coming out with information on various crimes as they are afraid of being deported. But perhaps the most significant argument of all against the devolution of immigrant policy implementation from the federal government to the state and local government is that â€Å"it violates the constitutional principles of federalism by allowing state and local officials to assume distinctly federal roles† (Booth, 2006).

Cuisine Essay -- Health, Food

A cuisine cannot simply be defined as a particular group of food associated with a geographic location. To understand a cuisine equal understanding of the culture to which it belongs must exist. A culture, such as the population of Italy, manipulates the presentation and substances of a cuisine to something representative of that culture. This makes a cuisine much more than food on a plate; a cuisine includes history, both of those making the dish and the ingredients and cooking styles that form the final product. A cuisine includes pride of nationality and personality. Similarly culture is more than a geographic location; it is a way of living and a respect for a group of beliefs and traditions. To understand this relationship between culture and cuisine certain information must be addressed; information such as the demographic figures surrounding a culture, the specific effect Italian culture has on Italian food, as well as the ingredients and cooking skills applied in the Italian cuisine. Consequences of the Italian cuisine will also be identified, both nutritional value and health detriments and how these effects may continue into the future. Cuisine can be split into two stages: pre-swallow and post-swallow (Crotty 1995). Pre-swallow is based around social aspects of cuisine (Gallegos 2011) such as who does the cooking and why people eat the food that they eat. Post-swallow is concerned with the effects food has once eaten; post-swallow also deals with the nutritional and health impacts that food has on consumers. When deconstructing a cuisine it becomes clear that demographic information plays an important role in the pre-swallow stage. Gender, age, location, religion and government influence all have a contribution to s... ... continue to rise. A symptom of obesity, cardiovascular disease, remains the highest cause of death in Italy at 16% (World Health Organisation 2006) followed by cerebrovascular disease, better known as a stroke, at 14%. Both of these diseases are caused by diet, particularly a high cholesterol diet and with western food chains such as McDonalds becoming more entrenched in Italian culture it is reasonable to believe these causes of death will remain the same into the future unless a regression into healthy local Italian cuisine is taken. To conclude, Italy is a diverse location both in terms of geographic regions and cultural traditions, it is only fitting that it has a diverse cuisine, full of history, religion and most important of all the soul of the Italian people. Its mark on world cuisine through innovation and passion last a long time.

Truman Capotes In Cold Blood :: In Cold Blood Essays

Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. New York: Random House, 1965. 343 pages. Summary. In Cold Blood is the true story of a multiple murder that rocked the small town of Holcomb, Kansas and neighboring communities in 1959. It begins by introducing the reader to an ideal, all-American family, the Clutters -- Herb (the father), Bonnie (the mother), Nancy (the teenage daughter), and Kenyon (the teenage son). The Clutters were prominent members of their community who gained admiration and respect for their neighborly demeanors. After being introduced to the Clutter family, the reader becomes acquainted with Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The two were former inmates who met in prison. After their release, the men meet up for what Dick calls Aa perfect score.@ As it turns out, Dick=s cell mate had worked for the Clutters some years earlier and suggested to Dick that he check into employment at the Clutters= farm because the Clutters were such friendly, kindhearted people. The more Dick learned about the Clutters, the more he considered seeking fast cash as opposed to employment. During the trial in the last chapter of the book, however, Dick admitted that his sexual interest in teenage girls was the most powerful force in his decision to invade the Clutters= home. (Perry stopped him from harming Nancy.) Finally, the killers were identified by Dick=s former cell mate and tracked down in Las Vegas. In the time leading up to their arrest, the reader is offered greater insight into the characters of the two men. Because Perry opposed Dick=s crude behavior and showed compassion for the people Dick intended to harm or slight, we are left to feel a bit of sympathy for him. It becomes tempting to see Dick as the manipulative leader and Perry as the helpless follower. After the suspects were taken into custody, Perry eventually confessed that he had killed Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon -- tied each of them up, made sure they were comfortable, then shot each of them in the head with a shotgun. In addition, it was Perry who cut Herb=s throat. Though Dick didn=t actually pull the trigger or hold the knife, he shined the flashlight into the faces of the victims as Perry killed them. Both men were found guilty of 4 counts of premeditated murder, and each was sentenced to death. While awaiting their executions, they appealed several times, losing each time, but managing to have their execution dates postponed.

Recent Trends in Nursing Care Essay

Introduction The discipline of nursing has witnessed several innovations and advancements in the last couple of decades that have greatly improved on the nurse efficacy and efficiency. Simpson (2000) for instance, argued that the last 25years have seen abundant and numerous positive innovations. The author attributed some of these advances to nursing advocacy, which for example has contributed to the introduction of such innovation as single room maternity care, and especially for this purpose, family centered care for clients and their families. Corroborating this stance, Schoot et al (2006) post that away from the â€Å"technologically-driven, prescriptive, and outcomes-oriented approach aimed at solving people’s health problems† (Jonsdottir et al, 2004 p.241), recent trend in nursing practice is now towards family centered, client centered care, where practice is determined by the needs of the client (Schoot et al., 2006 p.232). Furthering this line of argument, Simpson (2000), contend that perinatal nursing which involves care for both the child and the parent, which in this case is the stay at home father, consists of a whole of complex clinical interventions, intensive patient and family education, empathetic support and evaluation of family dynamics and a wide range of opportunities to make a difference in the lives of the whole family. This situation is further compounded considering the fact that in practice, patients are often erroneously seen as problems to be corrected, instead of being seen as mysteries to behold and attend to. Jonsdottir and others (2004) were of the view that the diminishing ‘humanness’ applied to nursing care and practice further makes family centered care a difficulty. However, the purpose of this paper is to look at examine the recent trends in nursing practice and the implications that these holds for family centered nursing care, especially for stay at home fathers, who in most cases, need personalized/individualized care. As argued Jonsdottir and his colleagues rightly argued, the increasing technological approach to nursing care and the standardization of healthcare is placing more emphasis on what the authors called â€Å"fast-paced, fast-talking health care provision† (2006 p.242) thereby moving nurses’ attention away from relating to patients in a caring manner, which has been shown to be an important aspect of care; towards cost effective service delivery. One of the implications of this trend is that living with complex health circumstances, such as that faced by a stay at home fathers, is considered more of a private affair, which the client must handle alone. These authors argue that, though the necessity of medical treatment is not under contention, however, the standardizing of healthcare procedures with disregard for people’s experiences and peculiar situation was a serious issue to look into. Simpson (2000) identified two major issues/problems that have contributed to this reduced relational care between nurses and patient. First, the authors argue that over the last decades, the cost of care has steadily increased; this has led to several cuts in the number of nurses attending to patients. Unlike the one-to-one nursing care that used to be the case, the reducing numbers of nurses that have to attend to a number of patients have meant that nurses cannot find the time to adequately relate to their patients. This fact is aptly conveyed in this statement ‘Nurses don’t have the time to do nursing; they can’t even get to know the people they are working with’ (Fieldhouse, pers. comm., 28 January 2003 Quoted in Jonsdottir, 2004). On the other hand, the increasing use of technology such as monitors, mean that several patients can be monitored remotely without the need to personally get in contact with the patients. Fortunately, more recent literatures report that recent trends in nursing practice is now towards client centered care, instead of the professionally centered approach highlighted above. Researching nurse’s perception with respect to client centered care, Schoot and colleagues (2006), suggest that individualized/client centered care is gradually gaining prominence in healthcare delivery and has become a topical issue for nurse practice in most western countries. The authors posit that this nursing innovation places the autonomy as the starting point for care. Under this care settings, rather than the professional taking all the decisions and approaching the client as a problem that must be solved, client centered care involves collaborative effort of both the nurse professional and the client, which is directed towards achieving care that meets the client’s peculiar needs, wishes and expectations, while at the same time, in line with professional standards. As a result, this approach to nurse care is centered on client autonomy, improved patient participation and shared decision making. One interesting intervention in the direction of client centered care is what Limacher and Wright (2006) referred to as ‘commendation’. Reporting a qualitative research involving several clients and their nurses, these authors suggest that verbal acknowledgement of the strengths and competencies of the client brings feelings of goodness, optimism and hope which could greatly help the client emotionally. It is argued that care for patients such as stay at home fathers goes beyond physical or medical treatment, empathetic support and acknowledgement could greatly improve the healing process. The result of the qualitative research shows that patients need the medical treatment as much as they need the emotional support, thus such intervention is of great importance. Another important and striking innovation or advancement in nursing care is the increased autonomy that nurses enjoy today. Some decades back, nursing was more often seen as professional that only carry out the prescriptions, recommendation or instructions of the physician. In such a scenario, there was little or nothing that the nurse could contribute to the care of a stay at home father, except for prescriptions of the physician. However, in recent times, nurses are more innovative and able to take on tasks and responsibilities. Explaining this development with respect to perinatal nursing, Simpson (2000) assert that â€Å"in many institutions, it is often the nurse who titrates oxytocin for induction or augmentation of labor, the nurse who decides when contraction or fetal heart patterns are within normal limits, the nurse who manages the second stage of labor, and the nurse who suggests the timing for regional anesthesia, thus playing an pivotal role in the ultimate outcome of labor† (Simpson, 2000 p.301). It can be asserted that improved nurse autonomy can impact positively on nurse patient relationship and more importantly on patient outcomes. As a fallout of the improved autonomy enjoyed by nurses in recent times, there is an increasing trend towards evidence based nursing. Simpson argues that twenty five years ago, it was almost impossible to hear nurses discussing about evidence based care, he posited that then, such practices as heavy narcotics for use in labor were not only rarely questioned or frowned at, they were almost seen as the norm. Also, nurses were more preoccupied with carrying out orders and prescriptions, than worrying about evidence or rationale for any particular intervention. Fortunately, today the story is drastically different. Jonsdottir and others are of the opinion that through continuous research and knowledge development, nurses have come to realize the importance of research to practice (Jonsdottir et al., 2004). This fact is further buttressed by Fawcett (1999), who argued that nurses have come to realize that the nursing profession is both an educational and professional discipline, and as such, basic, applied, and clinical types of research are required to direct practice in the right direction. Simpson further posit that rather than just taking orders and carrying out tasks, nurses can now question traditional practice and also examine literatures for evidence in support or against â€Å"the way things have been done† (2000 p.303). While Fawcett (1999) contend that nurse clinicians now practice nursing in an increasingly thoughtful manner; by continually contemplating situations and stretching their minds towards insight into nursing practice to better help people improve their health, Simpson (2000) on the other hand suggest that the majority of today’s nurses have the skills and knowledge to search through computer databases for important literature and to critically evaluate the combined weight of facts gathered from such literatures to influence decision on the right intervention. The ability to collaborate with the physician also enables the nurse to provide better evidenced based care to the stay at home father. For instance, nurses are becoming more aware that as an autonomous healthcare provider, they are responsible for their actions and inactions. As a result, the average nurse has the right to critically evaluate every intervention prescribed by a physician for compliance with standards and recent evidence. With such knowledge, the nurse can better collaborate with the physician in the best interest of the patient. Although, Simpson (2000) regret that less than 50% of the registered nursing population in the United States have a 4year college degree. Positing that a baccalaureate degree greatly influences the ability to adequately understand research methods and design, which is pertinent for effective research critique; the author suggest that the minimal nursing qualification should be re-considered. This is more important, considering the fact that the ability to critically evaluate evidences presented in literatures for validity and reliability and to be able to present credible recommendations or inform practice based on such research evidence, nurses need better knowledge about the research process and design, on which the ability to effectively critique a research work is founded. With everything said so far, it is important to examine how the knowledge gained so far can influence nursing practice. To start with, the increasing nurse autonomy holds grave implications – positive and negative, for the practicing nurse that requires serious considerations. It is a know fact that every right comes with a duty. Autonomy of the nurse means that the average nurse has the right to decide what intervention is right at every instance. The nurse also has the right to correct or challenge a colleague, when he/she realizes that the right procedure has not being followed in attending to a patient. With the same gravity, the nurse has to be accountable for every action and inaction, decision and indecision. However, for a nurse caring for a stay at home father, autonomy has more advantages, as with every other care that requires an emotional relationship between the nurse and the client. In this circumstance, the nurse can adequately care for the patient without necessarily worrying about strict regulations. The nurse can provide a client centered care for a patient when he/she is able to make decisions, collaboratively with the patient on the best and most suitable approach without the restrictions of standardizations. Also the resort to evidence based practice means that the nurse practitioner has a guiding knowledge base to help make the right care decisions as at when due. Evidence based care ensures that only the best known procedures are employed in caring for patients. In the same light, the trend towards relational care i.e. personalized care to meet the needs of individuals, to help them live with the complex health and emotional issues that most patients live though ensures better quality of life for patients. The understanding and empathetic relationship established between the nurse and the patient ensures that the patient is not only ‘treated’ but cared for in a manner that brings solace and comfort from the several discomfort that comes with illness. In conclusion, it is a fact established over the centuries that nursing is influences people’s lives, not only in illness, but in health as well. As better innovations and nurse interventions are developed and researched, the nursing profession becomes better and more effective in its role as the ‘carer’ for the society. References Fawcett, Jacqueline (1999). The State of Nursing Science: Hallmarks of the 20th and 21st Centuries. Nursing Science Quarterly, 12(4):311-318. Jonsdottir, Helga, Merian Litchfield, Margaret Dexheimer Pharris (2004).Issues And Innovations In Nursing Practice: The relational core of nursing practice as partnership. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 47(3):241–250. Limacher, Lori Houger and Lorraine M. Wright (2006). Journal of Family Nursing, 12(3):307-331. Schoot, Tineke, Ireen Proot, Marja Legius, Ruud ter Meulen, Luc de Witte (2006). Client-Centered Home Care Balancing Between Competing Responsibilities. Clinical Nursing Research, 15(4):231-254. Simpson, Kathleen (2000). A critical evaluation of the past 25 years of perinatal nursing practice: Opportunities for improvement. The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing (MCN), 25(6):300-304.

Alone

Alone Alone- Monae Orange Essay Monae Orange Professor Hammer Writing 1 19 November 2014 Alone In â€Å"Confronting Class in the Classroom†, written by bell hooks, hooks discusses the issues of class differences within educational settings. She states that class influences our values, attitudes, and social relations, and the assumptions of how knowledge is presented and digested (65). She believes the voices and ideas of the working-class population are silenced in a classroom setting that mostly consists of middle and upper class students. As a person that identifies with the working class, I agree with her stance on the subject. Throughout high school and even here at UCSB, I have experienced isolation and exclusion. The students who do not identify with middle or upper-class backgrounds are deemed as outsiders, and are forced to either conform to privileged ideology, or continue to remain isolated. Instead of ignoring class as if it has no effect on the way in which topics are discussed, professors should encourage dialogue amongst students in order to allow everyone ’s opinions to be considered, which would in return eliminate the feelings of isolation that are bestowed upon the students who come from working-class backgrounds. Professors should not reinforce an educational hierarchy that censors the opinions, ideas, and views of the working-class by ignoring the apparent class differences and not accommodating them. The opinions, views, and ideas of working-class students are censored in mainly because those students are too intimidated to speak what is on their minds. Throughout high school, I was enrolled in IB/honor classes which were a majority white. I was one of two black students, and even the other black student was upper class. I was extremely intimidated by the other students, because most of these students had degree holding parents, and education was obviously important in their families. I was afraid to say the wrong thing, or raise my hand to give the wrong answer, so for two years I sat in those classes with my mouth shut , never to speak unless spoken to. In the words of hooks, â€Å"Most students are not comfortable exercising this right [of free speech]- especially if it means they must give voice to thoughts, ideas, feelings that go against the grain, that are unpopular†(66). In this quote, hooks states that students do not feel comfortable voicing their opinions because they go against the majority’s views. These students are hesitant to speak up because they know that their views are not widely supported. Students are even more so hesitant to voice an opinion that differs from the professor, because the education system has been designed to make instructors the authority figure. To go against or question the respected opinions of a degree-holding professor goes against everything we have been taught since primary school. To do so would conflict with the order of power within the classroom. Students allow these components to intimidate them, which then cause their apprehensiveness and isolation. Isolation is reinforced in the ways that students who come from working class backgrounds are expected to abandon their class markers, such as their â€Å"vernacular culture†, in order to conform to the lifestyle of the privileged that is present in university settings. Here at UCSB, demographically, the black population only makes up 3.5 percent of the undergraduate population. I am part of that small 3.5 percent. I am not saying that all 3.5 percent of the African American students come from a working-class or poor background, but I do fall under that category. I often find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to demeanor. The â€Å"acceptable† behavior and dialogue required to succeed here at UCSB are too different than the dialogue and behavior that I am comfortable with portraying around family or friends. The struggles to mask class markers, such as â€Å"black language†, attitude, or views, constantly make me question my presence here at

A Book Review of The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

A Book Review of The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Since it was first published in 1993, The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn has provided reassurance for children dealing with difficult transitions and situations. While the focus of the picture book is on fears about starting school, the reassurance and comfort the book provides can be applied to many different situations. Summary of The Kissing Hand The Kissing Hand is the story of Chester Raccoon, who is terrified to tears at the thought of starting kindergarten and being away from his home, his mother and his usual activities. His mother reassures him about all the good things he will find at school, including new friends, toys, and books. Best of all, she tells Chester that she has a wonderful secret that will make him feel at home at school. Its a secret, passed down to Chesters mother by her mother and to her mother by Chesters great-grandmother. The name of the secret is the Kissing Hand. Chester wants to know more, so his mother shows him the secret of the Kissing Hand. After kissing Chesters palm, his mother tells him, Whenever you feel lonely and need a little loving from home, just press your hand to your chest and think, Mommy loves you. Chester is reassured to know that his mothers love will be with him wherever he goes, even kindergarten. Chester is then inspired to give his mother a kissing hand by kissing her palm, which makes her very happy. He then happily goes off to school. The story is slightly stronger than the illustrations, which while colorful, are not as well executed as they could be. However, kids will find Chester to be appealing in both the story and the illustrations. At the end of the book, there is a page of small red heart-shaped stickers that have the words The Kissing Hand printed on each of them in white. This is a nice touch; teachers and counselors can give out the stickers after reading the story to a class or parents can use one whenever a child needs reassurance. According to her website, Audrey Penn was inspired to write The Kissing Hand as a result of something shed seen and something she did as a result. Shed seen a raccoon kiss the palm of her cub, and then the cub put the kiss on his face. When Penns daughter was scared about starting kindergarten, Penn reassured her with a kiss to the palm of her daughters hand. Her daughter was comforted, knowing the kiss would go with her wherever she went, including school. About the Author, Audrey Penn After her career as a ballerina came to an end when she became ill with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Audrey Penn found a new career as a writer. However, she began writing a journal when she was in the fourth grade and continued writing as she was growing up. Those early writings became the basis for her first book, Happy Apple Told Me, published in 1975. The Kissing Hand, her fourth book, was published in 1993 and has become her most well-known book. Audrey Penn received the Educational Press Association of Americas Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism for The Kissing Hand. Penn has written about 20 books for children. In all, Audrey Penn has written 6 picture books about Chester Raccoon and his mother, each focusing on a different situation that can be difficult for a child to deal with: A Pocket Full of Kisses (a new baby brother), A Kiss Goodbye (moving, going to a new school), Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully (dealing with a bully), Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories (the death of a friend) and Chester the Brave (overcoming fears), She also wrote A Bedtime Kiss for Chester Raccoon, a board book dealing with bedtime fears. As to why she writes about animals, Penn explains, Everyone can identify with an animal. I never have to worry about prejudice or hurting someones feelings if I use an animal instead of a person.   About the Illustrators, Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak Ruth E. Harper, who was born in England, has a background as an art teacher. In addition to illustrating The Kissing Hand along with Nancy M. Leak, Harper illustrated Penns picture book Sassafras. Harper uses a variety of media in her work, including pencil, charcoal, pastel, watercolor, and acrylic. Artist Nancy Leak, who lives in Maryland, is known for her printmaking. Barbara Leonard Gibson is the illustrator of all of Audrey Penns other picture books and board books about Chester Raccoon.   Review and Recommendation The Kissing Hand has provided a lot of comfort for scared children over the years. Many schools will read it to a new kindergarten class to ease their fears. In most cases, children are already familiar with the story and the idea of the kissing hand really resonates with young ones. The Kissing Hand was originally published in 1993 by the Child Welfare League of America. In the foreword to the book, Jean Kennedy Smith, founder of Very Special Arts, writes, The Kissing Hand is a story for any child who confronts a difficult situation, and for the child within each of us who sometimes needs reassurance. This book is perfect for children 3 to 8 years old who need comforting and reassurance. (Tanglewood Press, 2006.) More Recommended Picture Books If you are looking for bedtime stories for young children that are reassuring, Amy Hests Kiss Good Night, illustrated by Anita Jeram, is a good recommendation, as is Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, with illustrations by Clement Hurd. For young children worried about starting school, the following picture books will help ease their fears: First Grade Jitters by Robert Quackenbush, with illustrations by Yan Nascimbene, and Mary Ann Rodmans First Grade Stinks! illustrated by Beth Spiegel. Sources: Audrey Penns website, Tanglewood Press