Category: Father

Family and Father Figure.
Darian Peavy Professor Meehan Writing 101 6 April 2013 Fatherless I remember always thinking to myself as a kid: Was it my fault that my father wasn’t around? Was it my fault my family is struggling? My fault we can’t afford nicer things? While I would see the other kids getting picked up by their parents after school while I’m waiting on the school bus to take me home. At times it hurt, especially when I had to teach myself everything a father figure should have.
Life without a father or in a single parent household has a burden on children, but it’s something that many children face in America today. It’s sometimes the reason why kids grow up and stray the wrong direction in life and then they grow up putting their children through the same thing they went through. Being fatherless is actually something that a lot of children suffer with in America, and it’s a vicious cycle that continues to run rampant through communities, both bad and good. “One-third of American children are growing up, without their biological father, according to the U.
S. Census Bureau. In the past 50 years, the percentage of children who live with two married parents has dropped 22 points. During that same time, the number of babies born to unwed mothers jumped from 5 percent to 40 percent” (Stuart). It happens in many different ways, which include: one night stands, divorce, separation due to imprisonment or death, and etc. One situation that sticks out to me because it actually happened to me is the father walking out on his family, either after the child is born or before.

When this happens the father usually has no idea the impact on the decision he has made. Most times its out of fear, he thinks he’s too young to have a child or family. Other cases include the father leaving because doesn’t want anything to do with the child. So he leaves with the thought that the child would be better off without him, when in fact he’s making things worse. When this happens it causes children to blame themselves for what’s happened to them, to blame themselves for what’s happening to their family. They grow p questioning everything they see, without receiving any answers. They end up having bitter feelings or being jealous of other kids, and they struggle mentally and physically. “The growing trend of father absence could have grave implications for society, researchers say, because having dad around has been linked to important developments in a child’s physical, emotional and behavioral health” (Stuart). In doing this they end up making a lot of the wrong decisions, end up struggling in school, and may end up committing crimes or dropping out of school.
Another thing it causes is MORE children to grow up without fathers in America. This happens because children without fathers tend to experiment sexually sooner than other children, so they end up doing the same thing their father initially did to them. There has been a lot of research done on single parent households in collaboration to them growing up without fathers, some of the facts that were found are:  Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families. 3% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity. The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families.
Lastly, in a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed “greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households” (Parker). It’s very sad that all of that can be caused simply because a father is not around. Sometimes children don’t become a statistic and actually close the cycle they’ve been put in, but others aren’t so lucky. A child can grow-up just with his or her mother, but there are things that a mother just can’t do.
She can’t stop her child for blaming himself or herself, and she can’t stop the mental and physical burden that her child has to endure. Yes, as a mother she can handle everything on her own, but in the end the child still wonders. I had a wonderful mother growing up, and I appreciated everything she did for me. As her son there were things I just couldn’t ask her or talk to her about: I couldn’t ask her about woman, how to talk to a girl, how to get a girl to like me, or even about sex. So I had to experience things on my own, I had to learn the hard way in most cases.
I fell right into the statistics that haunt fatherless children, I did horrible in school, I ended up smoking marijuana, indulged in sexual activities at a young age, and ended up not graduating with my class in high school. Luckily I realized what road I was taking before it was too late, and sometimes all that takes is someone to step up, come into your life and be that father figure. For me, it was my Marine Corps Recruiter, I finally had someone to talk to me about the things I should have already known if I had a father in my life and if it wasn’t for him who knows where I would be right now.
Not every child is lucky enough to have experienced what I did, some of the friends I had growing up ended up with kids at an early age, ended up in prison, or are just completely unhappy with their life. There’s one thing I promised myself when I was younger because of my experiences, and that’s is: No matter the situation or current point I am in, in my life, I will never have my seed go through what I went through growing up. I haven’t had any children yet for that reason; I’m waiting until I know for a fact that I’m ready, mentally, physically, and financially.
Sometimes I even catch myself being happy that I grew up the way I did, I made some poor choices and mistakes that I learned from, and I probably wouldn’t be the man I am today if that would have happened, so for that I am grateful. Change is something that needs to happen not only in America but all over the world. Men as a whole need to start taking responsibilities for their actions and being there for their children, even though with some cases it is hard especially when the father loses all custody for his child, but even this is no excuse for not being around.
Like I said earlier, women are strong and can handle anything you throw at them, but there are still things a woman can’t teach her son or daughter. It doesn’t seem like much but a father or a father like figure makes a significant difference in a child’s life, that it could be the difference of being depressed to happy, successful and unsuccessful, prison or not, or even life or death. Works Cited Stuart, Elizabeth. “Fatherless America? A third of children now live without their dad. ” Deseret News. , 22 May 2011. Web. 4 May 2009. Parker, Wayne. “Statistics on Fatherless Children in America. ” About. com Guide. Web.

Family and Father Figure

The Road: Relationship Between the Father and Son.
One theme in The Road is paternal love; this is the relationship between the father and his son. Their bond plays a powerful part in the novel and impacts the decisions made during their journey. The two protagonists remain unnamed in the book, giving their familial relationship their full identity. This makes their relationship relatable to any parent and child bond outside of the novel. It is clear that they only have each other’s company and that the father feels that his only job is to protect his son from any danger.
However, the son’s purpose is to “carry the fire”, a metaphor that keeps readers guessing about what the fire reflects. It could be that the father and son both carry their morals; they do not steal from the living, kill or eat others. Alternatively, it could be seen that the boy is carrying the fire to lead humanity forward, towards a better future. Their relationship doesn’t change dramatically in the novel. However despite their beliefs, the father begins to go against them. He steals from the living and kills two people.
Although these were done in order to protect his son, the boy became upset with his father when he took back their belongings from a man who stole from them, leaving him with nothing. This portrays the child’s caring personality. He is very different from his father; he trusts others and wants to help them. Mccarthy does not state the names of these characters, but readers know that they are father and son. We know this as the child consistently calls him “papa”. The reason for this is that it makes it universal, allowing any reader to relate with the characters, particularly a father.

Also, it is significant as it contributes to the idea of the unknown. The cause of the apocalypse remains ambiguous to readers and the lack of names reflects the vagueness of the novel. I believe it makes their relationship appear a lot stronger as it gives a sense of solitude between them. The father and son have very different personalities. The father is deeply suspicious about other travellers and their intentions. This is understandable as we come across the bad guys in the novel who intend on impregnating women and then eating their children as well as other travellers.
He feels that it his duty by God to protect his son. Therefore this represents why he is so untrusting of others. On the other hand, the son is quite the opposite. He continually shows that he wants to help those in need and has faith in humanity. For instance when they find the man who stole their belongings, the father has no qualms about taking their things back and leaving him naked in the road. “He was just hungry papa, he’s going to die” – although the boy knows that the man stole from them he still wants to help him. The child is very caring and concerned towards others.
This may be because he has little knowledge about the dangers that could happen and maybe does not believe that there are many bad guys. Alternatively, it could be seen that he has faith about what may happen in the future and so is willing to give food to strangers. Another example is when they find a pile of food hidden in an underground bunker. The boy didn’t want to take it until they made sure that no one was alive there to have it. He then thanks the people for leaving the food – “we know that you saved it for yourself and if you were here we wouldn’t eat it no matter how hungry we were”.
The boy is very warm-hearted and the prayer demonstrates that he has faith in God. He is also respecting his morals in not stealing from the living. In contrast to his son, the father has lost his faith in God and curses him frequently in the novel. “Damn you eternally have you a soul? ” – although it appears he believes in God, he blames him for the life himself and his son both have. Their contrasting personalities have an effect on their relationship. It is not clear at the beginning but towards the end it becomes apparent of what each of their purpose is.
The father’s sole purpose is to guide his son to the coast and teach him how to survive along the way. The son however is the ‘faith’ within the story. He is the hope for a better future. The son is more trusting towards others and therefore becomes upset and quiet when his father doesn’t agree with him. “I’m afraid for that little boy” – The son has never seen another young boy and is frightened for him but his father shrugs off his pleas to help him and says “I know but he’ll be alright”.
Towards the end of the book it appears that the father and his son become distant to each other due to their diverse personalities. It could however be seen that the son is a lot more knowledgeable about dangers and therefore does not need his father as much. The boy is very warm-hearted and appears to struggle to understand that danger could occur at any moment, whilst his father knows a lot more about what some people, “the bad guys”, do in order to survive. It could be seen that the child is very naive and therefore trusts others more than his father.
However his trust in others teaches his father a valuable lesson; that not everyone is a “bad guy”. For instance when the pair come across Ely, the father is wary about him but his son is adamant that they give him a tin of food. This shows to readers that the boy has faith unlike his father. Another example is when the son sees the little boy; he begs his father to go back and help him and asks if he can go with them. I believe that he wants to help others as for he would want someone to help him if he were alone and in their position.
This could be seen as foreshadowing the upcoming event of his father dying and the son being found and taken care of by strangers. The boy is always apprehensive when his father leaves him to search through a house. However this could be seen that he does not like being alone and could be a hint of his father’s fate. The boy is taught how to survive throughout their journey and is told that he must shoot himself in the mouth if anyone tries to harm them. I feel that the father believes that he owes it to his son to have a pain-free life.
After all he made the decision to continue surviving with his son. This makes their relationship very unique, as the father clearly believed there was a chance in humanity at the start but slowly begins to lose his faith, whereas his son has strong beliefs about the future. This could show that the father’s faith has been passed on to his son. This relates to how they are “carrying the fire”, symbolising that they are carrying faith. Their relationship only subtly changes in the novel. It is very strong throughout despite their very different personas. I feel that the father is olely trying to protect his son, who of which is the only reason his father is still fighting. They each have different purposes and the sons is to “carry the fire”, symbolic of his faith.
The change in their relationship is that the son becomes more aware about dangers and learns how to survive on his own, not needing his father as much as he did at the start of the novel. Another change may be that they become distant due to their trust or lack of it in others. The father trusts no one but his own son, whilst the boy wishes to help people who he believes are good.
This causes the son to become upset with his father when he doesn’t let his son help others. Readers may feel that the father is doing the right thing by not helping others as they will both lose food and time. Alternatively, readers could side the boy and deem the father as selfish. They may believe that the boy is sticking by his morals of helping those in need. In conclusion their relationship, I believe, does not change dramatically but however their differences collide when the boy shows to his father that not everybody is a “bad guy”.

The Road: Relationship Between the Father and Son

The Portrayal of Father to Child Relationship in Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays”.
Marcella English 10 Period: 5 The portrayal of Father to child Relationship in Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays” According to photographer and designer Anne Geddes, “Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad. ” Being a father is not a simple task. “Those Winter Sundays” exemplifies how difficult fatherhood could be, and how parent to children affection could be hidden by certain circumstances, such as hard living. Through the poem Robert Hayden shows how the speaker is ashamed in believing that his father did not love him, and how now he understands that love is not only shown by words but also by actions.
Robert Hayden uses imagery, symbolism and irony of situation to carry the main message of the poem which is about fatherhood. Imagery is the formation of mental images, figures, or likenesses of things, or of such images collectively (dictionary. com). The reader is given mental pictures about the things that occur in the poem. First, the reader can imagine a father figure waking up early morning to get wood to make the house warm. It is also implied that the father woke up in the darkness and that he is a ward worker from the first stanza.
Readers can also imagine the child’s position in the house, how the child respects his father (stanza 2). The next imagery is the father polishing the child’s shoes, which implies that he takes care of his child/family, placing himself second. Through these imageries, the author has illustrated the fatherly love to his child even in hard circumstances. Another major literary device used in this poem is symbolism. Symbolism is an image or a word that represents something beyond the literal meaning. There are four significant symbols in Those Winter Sundays. The first symbol is winter, which symbolizes misery.

It could be in the form of death, old age, sorrows, or regrets. In general, winter means unpleasant or hard times. In this poem the word winter describes the overall mood of it, which is sad and challenging. The next major symbol is Sunday, which in western culture represents the day of rest. It is commonly known as the day of pleasure. Therefore, winter Sundays could symbolize a paradox, describing the contradictory elements of the poem to give more dramatic and ironic effect, because as it is mentioned in line 1 to 3, and the father keeps on working even though it is Sunday.
In the same way as winter, cold also represents pain and discomfort. In contradictory to cold, there is fire, which seems to be the solution to the discomfort. Fire can also symbolize love. In this case, all this four symbols are used to build a story of fatherly love. That unfortunately was not clear enough to be noticed by the son at the time. Irony of situation is the difference between what is likely to happen and what actually does happen. Throughout the poem the speaker mentions the Sunday routine of the father, showing how the father worked hard for the family’s well being.
However, just as the speaker mentions: “No one ever thanked him” (Line 5). This illustrates how the father worked for the family and its well being, proving that he indeed cared and loved them, as he never waited to be recognized for his actions. Hence never being thanked after all the work. However in the last stanza it is shown how the speaker regrets treating the father indifferently for not verbally showing his love, “What did I know, what did I know” (Line 13) proving how the speaker has indeed grown more mature, and has finally understood the meaning of sacrifices, and an alternative way of showing love.
In conclusion, the poem Those Winter Sundays is a poem of regret and understanding as the speaker finally has understood his father’s love to him. This poem was intended to be personal, from child to father, as an apology for his attitude as a child. Through this poem, the reader could reflect about the sacrifices done by parent. Sacrifices that are often dismissed but that will soon after have an effect in our life.

The Portrayal of Father to Child Relationship in Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays”

The Founding Father of Jazz: Louis Armstrong.
Foundations of the Founding Father of Jazz: Louis Armstrong Being heard in movies, the radio, television, and even elevators, jazz music has made its mark in just about every single location of the world. As popular as jazz is around the world, its original roots and foundations in the African-American culture are often forgotten. One of the most influential jazz musicians, Louis Armstrong, also known as Satchmo or Pops, is considered to be among the founding fathers of jazz music. His career launched in the early 1900s, where his legacy would form early to create a sound foundation for early jazz music that was quite exceptional.
Louis Armstrong was such an essential part of the jazz age during the 1920’s that his music created a firm foundation, paving the way for Jazz musicians everywhere. His influential singing, along with his great dexterity, intricate lyrics, and profound melodies make it easy for him to claim his title as “The Founding Father of Jazz. ” Taking his first breath in the world on August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born to William and Mary “Mayanne” Albert Armstrong in the “Battlefield” of New, Orleans, Louisiana – one of the poorest areas of town (Old 15).
Shortly after his birth, he was abandoned by his father, a factory worker, to be left with his mother, struggling to make ends meet (Old 16). Armstrong’s childhood was rather tough considering the fact that he had been abandoned by his father. Also, as times worsened, he was abandoned by his mother as she turned to prostitution to earn additional cash. He and his younger sister, Beatrice Armstrong Collins, were often left in the care of his maternal grandmother, Josephine Armstrong and their Uncle Isaac (Old 16).

At age five, he moved back to live with his mother and relatives and very rarely saw his father. Armstrong had much respect for his mother; he wrote, “She held up her head at all times…What she didn’t have, she did without. ” (Old 22) As a youngster, Armstrong was often seen singing in the streets with his friends to earn money. He was a very smart boy, but he often made the wrong decisions. He skipped from kindergarten into the second grade and grew up in a rough area where he would learn to shoot dice for pennies and play blackjack (Old 23).
He attended the Fisk School for Boys in 1906 where he was first exposed to a large variety of music and brought in extra money as a paperboy, selling food to restaurants, and hauling coal to Storyville. However, he was not able to help his mother from turning to prostitution. Often times, young Armstrong explored local dance halls where he would soak in various aspects to the music business, including the music itself, performances, and dancing. The infamous Storyville is where Armstrong often listened to bands and musicians which included Joe “King” Oliver and other famous vocalists (Old 36).
A fast forward to the year of 1912 brings us to the beginnings of Armstrong’s involvement in instrumental music. In this very year, he dropped out of the Fisk School for boys and began to make a living by singing on the streets of New Orleans with a quartet group. During the time Armstrong performed with the quartet, Joe “King” Oliver taught him how to play the cornet. Because Armstrong did not have much family support, he was often left to his lonesome. However, a very kind Lithuanian-Jewish family, the Karnofskys, who gave him odd jobs from time to time took him in and treated him as their own.
Eventually, the Karnofskys loaned him money for his first very own cornet, which would give him one of the necessary tools needed to be a successful musician – an instrument (Morgenstern 100). Although Armstrong’s positive image and career outlook began to develop in a great way that soon took a change in 1914 when he was sent to the New Orleans Home for Colored Waifs, a delinquency home (Old 27). During that time, he was most known for his arrest due to firing his stepfather’s pistol into the air at a New Year’s Eve celebration.
While at home, he was appointed to be the band leader for The Home band as they played all around New Orleans at the age of 13 years old. His musical career became more popular as he gained attention from the public eye for his evident cornet playing skills. At the age of 14, Armstrong was released from the home, returned to live with his father and stepmother, and soon to live with his mother again. Moving back with his mother put him in an environment that led him back to performing on the streets and being tempted by the red-light district lifestyle.
Shortly after moving in with his mother, he got his first dance hall job (Henry Ponce’s) where he hauled coal by day and played cornet at night, making his skills well-known once again. Armstrong frequently performed as a cornet player which eventually helped him develop his own style and a more serious attitude toward music. He played in the city’s brass band parades, riverboats and steamboats, and took notes from other musicians with every change he got. Perfecting his craft was something that was very important to him.
Some influential musicians that affected Armstrong’s career included Buck Johnson, Buddy Petit, Kid Ory, and Joe “King” Oliver. King soon became a mentor and somewhat of a father figure for the young musician who seemed to have no relevant family relationships or strong ties. His participation in playing on steamboats around New Orleans led him to travel with the popular band, Fate Marable. As he and the well-regarded band toured up and down the Mississippi River, much experience was gained by working with written musical pieces and arrangements.
In 1917, Armstrong began playing with Kid Ory’s band until 1919 when Joe Oliver decided to move north and resign his position in the band. 1919 marks the year Armstrong became an official band member and replaced the “King. ” Also, in that year, he became the second trumpeter for the Tuxedo Brass Band in New Orleans. In between his time playing with Kid Ory, Armstrong married Daisy Parker (Gretna, Louisiana) on March 19, 1918 (Old 39). Around that time Louis’ cousin, whose mother, Flora, died shortly after giving birth, had been taken in by the newlyweds.
The three-year-old boy, Clarence Armstrong, who was mentally disabled, became one of Louis’ main responsibilities. Although both Daisy and Louis were parenting Clarence, the marriage did not last very long. They quickly separated and filed for divorce. However, Parker died shortly after the divorce. As Armstrong’s career began to develop even more, some adjustment had to be made to perfect his craft even more. In 1921, Louis Armstrong learned how to efficiently read music. His improvements led to great advancements as he joined Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago in 1922.
While working with the band, he took interest in Lillian (Lil) Hardin, the pianist, and they soon got married. His marriage with Lil lasted much longer than his first and they accomplished great things together. Although Louis Armstrong is renowned for his incredible jazz records, it is not widely known that many of his greatest hits were written and arranged by his wife at the time. She played the piano, composed, and arranged music for most of the important bands from New Orleans at the time.
Lil Armstrong was a major contributor to her husband’s success as she composed hundreds of records and created musical successes (Kallen 32). In 1923, as paychecks continued to roll in, Armstrong’s career began to take a turn for the better. His lucrative career provided the proper finances for his lavish lifestyle maintained in Chicago, where he met Hoagy Carmichael. A mutual friend, Bix Beiderbecke, introduced the two to each other and they later collaborated on several projects. Jazz music began to circulate and spread through speakeasies, ballrooms, and dancehalls of Chicago (Kallen 30).
It was very important that Armstrong would move to Chicago during the 1920s in order to keep up with the times. African-Americans moved away from the South to industrial states in the North; this was known as the Great Migration (Kallen 28). The city nicknamed “Chi-Town” became the major hub for gangsters, illegal nightclubs (speakeasies), and illegal liquor trade. The speakeasies were a major launching place for black musicians because they provided a place for the musicians to perform, earn lucrative paychecks, and led to a golden age of innovation (Kallen 28).
Although Armstrong thoroughly enjoyed working with Oliver in Chicago, his wife suggested that he seek more advisement in order to develop and expand his newer style which was quite different from Oliver’s. Listening to his wife, Armstrong left Oliver’s band, and began to play in Fletcher Henderson’s band in Harlem, New York, 1924. The Henderson band, being highly respected, played in only the best venues and often for white-only crowds. While in Henderson’s band, he adapted to their controlled sound and style of play and incorporated storytelling and singing into his acts.
Armstrong also made many side recordings which included the likes of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Alberta Hunter. Many of these collaborations were arranged by an old friend back in New Orleans, Clarence Williams. Although he made quite a name for himself in the big city, his stay in New York did not last long; he eased on down back to Chicago in 1925 in hope of boosting his career, increase income, and gain more publicity. Introduced as “the World’s Greatest Trumpet Player,” Armstrong began to play with the Lil Hardin Armstrong Band but eventually began to record under his own name instead of joint projects with his wife.
He recorded under Okeh and worked with his own groups, the Hot Five and the Hot Seven. Popular hits during this time include “Potato Head Blues,” Muggles,” and “West End Blues. ” Several hits, including “Muggles” had references that indicated Armstrong’s long-time fondness of recreational plant use with marijuana. After working with the groups Hot Five and Hot Seven, Armstrong went into great ventures forming another band – Louis Armstrong & the Stompers. The band toured with the classic musical, Hot Chocolate, and had notable performances.
He also made cameo appearances as a vocalist, often taking the spotlight with his rendition of “Ain’t Misbehavin. ” Armstrong’s version of the song was quick to gain popularity and became his biggest selling record of all time. Armstrong eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1930 and played in the Cotton Club with elaborate floor shows and celebrity guests. At the Cotton Club, he had notable success with his vocal recordings and even renditions of other famous songs. His recordings took a chance of course with the introduction of the RCA ribbon microphone in 1931.
Intrinsic music style change showcased Armstrong’s unique vocal style and gave him a more innovative approach to singing. It would not be long before Armstrong would make appearances in film. In fact, in 1931, he appeared in his first movie, Ex-Flame. However, shortly thereafter, he was convicted for possession of marijuana, induced conflict upon himself with the mob, moved back to New Orleans, and eventually fled to Europe. As a comeback attempt, which was successful, Armstrong and his band worked with Joe Glaser to record with the Mills Brothers, Louis Jordan, Tommy Dorsey, and even Ella Fitzgerald.
He later appeared in the film, “Pennies from Heaven” with Bing Crosby in 1936 and in 1937, he became the first black to host a sponsored, national radio broadcast. Louis Armstrong’s career began to rise again; however, his marriage did not experience the same thing. After having a variety of issues with his wife, Lil, they decided to divorce in 1938 and he began his third marriage with a woman named Alpha and his image to the public became a major concern. In addition to Armstrong’s marijuana usage, he loved to eat food and write in his journal.
Several journal entries range from implicit to explicit notes which include several accounts regarding his sex life, music, childhood memories, and even a few jokes. He also went into great detail to describe food – the taste of it, the smell of it, the textures, and the way it made him feel on the inside. Food truly made him a soulful man with a smile on his face. However, his love for food became a problem when it came to health concerns. Armstrong was at major risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and even obesity.
It became his primary goal to control his weight. Often times, he would be seen taking laxatives and offering them to his band mates. It was very important to him to maintain a certain image that he would be perceived as a fit man; being in many films inspired him to do so. Some who worked with him also recalled times he would purge him in order to control weight. Armstrong’s life as not only an entertainer, but a leading personality, made him a great man adored by Americans in the 1900s. He gave even the greatest performers something to learn from.
His influential jazz styles along with his loving personality gave him the career of a lifetime and truly a great experience. Louis Armstrong and his legacy as a Jazz musician continue on. “The Founding Father of Jazz” left a mark in music history that cannot be erased. Works Cited Armstrong, Louis. Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. New York, NY: Da Capo, 1986. Print. Bergreen, Laurence. Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life. New York: Broadway, 1997. Print. “Jazz . Jazz Greats . Louis Armstrong | PBS KIDS GO! ” Jazz . Jazz Greats . Louis Armstrong | PBS KIDS GO!
PBS Kids, n. d. Web. Nov. 2012. <http://pbskids. org/jazz/nowthen/louis. html>. Kallen, Stuart A. The History of Jazz. San Diego: Lucent, 2003. Print. “Louis Armstrong. ” Musician (Trumpet) @ All About Jazz. N. p. , n. d. Web. Nov. 2012. <http://musicians. allaboutjazz. com/musician. php? id=3483>. “Louis Armstrong. ” Musician (Trumpet) @ All About Jazz. NPR, n. d. Web. Nov. 2012. <http://musicians. allaboutjazz. com/musician. php? id=3483>. Old, Wendie C. Louis Armstrong: King of Jazz. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1998. Print.

The Founding Father of Jazz: Louis Armstrong

Romulus My Father Notes for Belonging.
* Study Questions * * Chapter 1 * 1. Romulus has a crisis in identity. He feels he is accepted in society due to his skill in blacksmithing trade. Although accepted, he does not feel he belongs due to his culture and heritage. His character is tied up with a strong moral code, in working hard, pride, communal strength and contributing to society but has no confidence in identity and how he fits in. He “Always considered himself a Romanian. ” And felt he belongs to that part of his heritage. He carried this culture through to Australia and keeps these character traits, which could be the reason he is separated socially.
He is a religious man that takes education seriously and in the highest regards. He always knew poverty and hard work for the community rather than money, which is why he was able to work so hard as a blacksmith for no pay. This shows his strength of character and good work ethic. He felt attached to Europe and therefore detached from Australia. In retrospect he was accepted by many people due to his hard work but still didn’t ‘belong’. * 2. Retrospective, hard working before and after school. Romulus prides himself on character.
The luxury that he didn’t get his son now is able to enjoy. Also not having a childhood because he worked the whole time. Raimond was able to become a writer and enjoy more creative things in life. He had free time where as his father didn’t. His dad grew up with little money and had to work for all the money he needed where as Raimond didn’t have to work as much. Most importantly however, Raimond was able to enjoy a sense of belonging when he was growing up to his father and family. Romulus was unable to enjoy any real sense of belonging whilst growing up.

Raymond would not have the same work ethic as his father; His dad thought that everything would revolve around his work. He worked before and after school. Romulus is a pragmatist or a practical man due to his job to get things done. This is because of his lack of childhood he has no humor, etc. Raimond was not made to contribute to the family and community as much as his father. He doesn’t always need to work for money; he came from a communist country so he worked for community. Education was very important to him and becomes apparent through his child.
He was a very strong, integrity, incorruptible, non-negotiable, religious and inflexible man. * 3. In ‘retrospect’ or hindsight Raimond is able to show his perspective contrasting to his fathers perspective. “Childhood as we know it” positions the reader to realize that childhood is a small time frame and many do not enjoy it such as his father. It makes people realize how hard times were back then. * 4. The use of past and present tense enables the author to show his perspective of things and relate things to present day situations. This also positions the reader to understand hindsight and retrospectively. 5. He was a working class opposed to middle class. This is because he is a blacksmith and works hard long hours to get money and gets by with minimalistic things. Romulus believes that she is snobbish and her activities such as going to the theatres were mistakenly snobby. Christine’s parents were able to accept him even though there was a distinct difference in class because of Romulus’ availability to clothes through the black-market. He was able to get food and clothes from the money he made. The money he earned allowed their relationship to be socially acceptable. * Chapter 2 * 6.
The labels ‘immigrant’, ‘foreigner’ and ‘new Australian’ are used to set a tone of alienation. It creates a clear separation between the Australians and the “Bolts”. Romulus felt no anger or “no resentment or indignation, or any other response which depended on the assumption that he was owed something better. ” He was able to reconcile the terms above by having no negative feelings. He also held onto his “young dreams of a new life and so he saw his two years of bondage as a short interim,” * 7. (p. 13) Baringhup: hay day late 1800’s. Cheeses were famous won many prizes. Small town. 00 kids at school. Flourishing community and therefore belonging to community. 1950 became a ghost town. Rather sentimental, gaiter feels bad that the community has diminished. The juxtaposition between the two paragraphs of the heyday compared to the ghost town of 10 houses and convenience store. Camp swelled in gold rush. When they weren’t working, little to do. Movies on sat night and occasional dances hosted. Immigrants didn’t like the eucalyptus. * 8. The landscape became symbolic of Romulus’ sense of alienation because of the idea the Romulus feels like a stranger due to the environment.
He doesn’t recognize the harsh and perceived blandness of the Australian scenery. He has a burning desire for the European atmosphere shown, “He longed for the generous and soft European foliage. ” Romulus finds the gum trees, “Symbols of deprivation and barrenness” (p. 14) This shows him being alienated and feeling foreign due to the landscape and he feels that he would look “directly to the foliage and always turned away offended. ” (p. 14) It is Romulus’ memories being based around the diverse and beautiful European environment that is one of the reasons he feels lost and separated in Australia. 9. Romulus establishes a sense of community in his new environment with the other Romanians, Hora and Mitru. “He asked the man who greeted any new arrivals whether there were any other Romanians. ” In searching for them it shows his need to find a sense of belonging. “He sought them out and they became friends quickly,” depicts the idea that they all needed a companionship and somewhere to belong amongst the foreign surroundings. This idea that it an essential part to the human spirit is demonstrated through the use of the concise phrasing and wording of this bonding.
The lack of detail in this part shows that immediately they sorted out to find somewhere to belong and then after that was settled, other factors were now able to take place. This is reinforced by the principles of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is through the searching for common people that Romulus shows his spiritual needs to belong and connect. * * Chapter 3 * 10. The landscape illustrates a feeling of belonging or alienation to a place. “A dead red gum stood only a hundred meters from the house and became for my mother a symbol of her desolation. This shows how the countryside invokes ideas of desolation and alienation into his mothers mind. The use of symbolism and irony of the Australian tree that is renowned for lasting through harsh conditions contrasting with Christine who has a mental breakdown and has to back away from many commitments and is viewed to have very little character and any sagaciousness towards going through a tough time. The peppercorns “were planted as though to mediate between local and European landscapes. ” Shows that there is not only despondency with the outback but also a consciousness of belonging.
These two quotes create a stark juxtaposition from the gum trees to the peppercorns, which reminded his father of home. This inkling is backed up with the description of Frogmore. The farm being a simple place with no electricity or running water, rats and snakes living under the house and 6-7 pounds for workers in the area creates the primitive existence. This contributes and reinforces the concept of isolation and desolation through surroundings. The use of the descriptive and almost poetic language emphasizes these points. Also Raimond retrospectively looks back at how his mother felt.
These points demonstrate tensions between the desire to belong and alienation. * 11. Christine was always troubled and spoiled which lead to her suffering isolation. She stemmed to self-harm, then sort out reconciliation. She did this by looking for company or someone to belong to. She had an affair with Mitru, which didn’t last long. Due to her alienation, she felt deprived and overdosed on sleeping tablets. “She was alone, small, frail, walking with an uncertain gait and distracted air. ” Shows how the separation has affected her. The use of visual imagery shows how small she is compared to the vast environment. …She appeared forsaken. ” As though “…she had returned from the dead. ” The use of Religious and biblical allusion create a mellow dramatic setting. People view her as a drama queen. Raimond writes the book in hindsight in a sorrowful manner. As though to give the reader the interpretation that he feels sorry for her and what she had to do. He tries to understand her feelings of isolation and seclusion. He tries to be sympathetic towards her in retrospect, even though at the time, she was widely considered pathetic. * 12. Romulus, as an immigrant from a European background, finds it hard to ‘fit in’ among Australians.
This could be due to his character and strong moral codes, but also due to him just being different. Him being afraid of the snake, and “unused to the tinder-dry conditions” caused Romulus to set fire to a large proportion of the property. “My father was the focus of their hostile attention. ” This goes to show that they do not accept him at this point in time and therefore does not belong to either the people or the environment. They all believe he is too different. This is juxtaposed with the change in shorter paragraph structure to emphasis the change in opinion.
People “attributed his survival to my father’s prompt and sensible action. ” This shows how he is not completely outcast and he does belong to certain parts of the society despite his differences and misunderstandings with some locals. * * Chapter 4 * 13. Hora’s connection with Romulus illustrates a deep sense of belonging and their combining for an enterprise. Hora however, does not respect Christine. There is a contrast between belonging with Hora and Romulus and his alienating attitude to Raimond’s mother. “He and Hora, together,” gives a hint of the bondage and belonging to one and other. They had quarreled and they quarreled,” deeply juxtaposes the idea of belonging and indicates a stark reality of separation and disconnection. “Heightened his impatience with my mother. ” Shows that Hora has little respect for Christine. The constant argument between them also goes to show that he has such little respect for her. The emotive language used in “my mother was stricken with remorse,” helps to bring out the irony in the statement. The mother had not cared about her husband, was selfish, flirtatious with other men, exaggerated, had a false note and was incapable of sympathizing with another person yet she had “remorse”.
We can see further disrespect through the use of prosaic and factual language: “Hora disliked her and did not respect her. ” Also through the use of symbolism such as with the oranges, eggs and milk. They are symbols of looking after and a sense of responsibility, also the relationship tension between him and Christine. However a connection to Romulus and Raimond is shown through respect in contrast to disrespect with his mother. He goes to the effort to get oranges “each week he carried groceries, fruit and anything else we needed” p. 45 “my mother was unmoved by his efforts” p. 45.
The eggs are a positive symbol of belonging, responsibilities from belonging, carrying the family, respect for Romulus and therefore belonging to family. It also is a symbol of livelihood. The milk shows responsibility of wanting Raimond to eat right and again respecting Romulus’ ways. “Carried…in a heavy sack on his back” symbolizes him carrying the weight and responsibility of belonging to the family on his back. This is the upmost respect for Romulus, doing it whilst despising Christine in the process. Hora carrying them It is through these statements that we can clearly see the contrasting respect for Christine to Romulus. 14. ‘Pass auf mein lieber Fritz’ exemplifies the connection between Hora and Raimond. This represents Hora’s sense of responsibility and mark of respect to Romulus. “Our previously affectionate relationship,” shows a strong connection between the two. Although it changes slightly due to disciplinary action, he still is a ‘father figure’ and they find a feeling of belonging to each other. The use of a cliche “when I was sailing close to the wind,” emphasizes the belonging and respect that Raimond has for Hora, that he would never try to cross the border line.
The relationship serves a purpose of showing belonging to each other but not belonging with place. Their close attachment through alienation, because they feel so left out, they form a close relationship with each other. The close bond between them is symbolic of him belonging to the family in replace of Romulus as a “step in father”. This close relationship is shown. * 15. Like most Europeans sets Romulus apart from Raimond because of the strong moral codes. The razor is important because it shows how strong Romulus’s moral code is. Raimond lied about steeling the razor.
Romulus gets more ‘angry’ about him lying about it rather than steeling it as well. This shows the strength in his moral code and overreacts with a vicious beating of Raimond for a corruption in his character. We see the repetition or theme of character appearing in this part of the chapter. This focus of character emphasizes the disconnection, difference and contrast between Romulus “like most Europeans” and Raimond. As Raimond didn’t see himself as European he feels the isolation and separation in pressure on strength of character.
Romulus also feels disconnected as Raimond says retrospectively, “He feared that I would be like my mother. ” This shows that Romulus feels Raimond is closer to his mother than him and could maybe belong better with her. The “cut throat razor” shows the difference in times as Romulus values the razor for its “craftsmanship” and aesthetic value. Raimond however, feels that it could be used to cut wood and doesn’t value it as much and therefore throws it in the river. This again shows the lack of belonging Raimond has to his fathers European background.
Retrospectively he looks at them belonging to each other and he has utmost respect for his father even though at the time there is more tension and disconnection. “I knew my father valued truthfulness above most things,” This sets high moral codes which may have led to him not belonging due to the higher than normal standards and values set. Through this we can see Raimond and Romulus are separated through this strong moral code even though they may appear to belong. * 16. The relationship between father and son is strongly depicted through the Spartan description of Frogmore life.
There is a change in language, the Spartan lifestyle shown by simple, banal and prosaic sort of language. This is a symbol of a beginning to belong to each other and possibly the environment. This contrasts with the next passage, which is crammed with rich and emotive language. This also shows a sense of connection and belonging to education and the belief in learning they posses. Romulus’ leg is mended and he is able to go back to his trade, being a blacksmith. This creates a sense of harmony. Romulus becomes connected, not with community but with his son, trade, past and background.
Descriptive language highlights the new sense of belonging. “This was better than the poultry farming. ”, “Classical hammer beaten iron work”, “Took such pride”, “crafted so superbly”, “copious amounts of fruit”. These use excessive adjectives, over description and exaggeration to create an appearance of harmony and peace to the reader. This helps the reader to become more attached to their relationship after times of adversity. This is a happy time for Romulus and therefore a happy time for his son. Present participles have an emotive effect all creating a sense of belonging between father and son.

Romulus My Father Notes for Belonging

“Children are best raised by their natural father and mother” – Critically Analyse.

Abstract
The increasing importance of human rights within the legal framework of both the UK specifically and Europe generally is significant in terms of the development of the concept of a family unit in law. Increasing acceptance of these rights has led to a number of significant steps towards equality between traditional family units and units parented by same-sex couples. The European Court of Human Rights, as well as domestic courts in the U.K have begun to recognize the inclusion of same-sex couples as deserving equal treatment before the law, upholding Article 8 of the Human Rights Act of the right to family. The increasing recognition of these non-traditional family units is an extension of the existing emphasis placed on determining the best interests of the child above all other considerations. With this as the foremost consideration in child protection and children’s rights, the best interests of the child are to have a stable and loving home environment that is characterized by the presence of close personal relationships between their parents, co-parents and legal guardians, rather than the presence of specific traditional parental roles. The best interests of the child demand the presence of these roles regardless of whether they are with same-sex parents or their natural mother and father.
Introduction

Modern society is rapidly changing and the result has been a remarkable development in the way that families are constituted. These developments include higher divorce rates resulting in families with only one parents and the introduction of step-families into the family nucleus, increasing numbers of parents choosing to remain unwed, sophisticated reproductive technologies resulting in non-traditional parenting situations and the increasing recognition of same-sex couples in the eyes of the law. These demonstrate that traditional conceptions of a family, as being founded on the role of a natural father and mother is becoming increasingly outdated in terms of the realities facing modern society. Alternative forms of family demonstrate that as a unit, a family is flexible and adaptable (Hodson, 2008) with the result that law is now focused on recognizing these alternative forms of family with equal rights. Despite the introduction of alternative forms of family lifestyles, the rights and interests of children still remain paramount in all forms of legal, social and political discourse. The rhetoric of the `best interests of the child’ frequently emerges in public and political debates concerning the changing nature of family and society. As the basis for this rhetoric, a number of international conventions cover basic human rights and the rights of children in a number of human rights and children’s right treaties, which form the basic foundation on which domestic legislation is built. These rights share a similar character, which is to determine the best interests of a child through the various legislative protectionist measures. On the one hand therefore, are the rights of same-sex parents to form a family free from discrimination and on the other is the continuous concern of determining what is in the best interests of the child. The central assertion of this paper is that the interests of the child do not dictate that they be raised by a natural mother and father, but rather that the law recognize their status as equal to children who enjoy legal recognition in ‘traditional’ family units. It will be shown that the concern of the legislature, judiciary and policy-makers generally is in determining and enforcing the best interests of the child rather than focusing on the exact composition of the family unit with regards to same-sex parenting.
Legislative Framework
In terms of article 14 of the Human Rights Act 1998, the rights contained in European Convention of Human Rights as imported into domestic law by the Act must be applied without discrimination on the listed grounds, which includes inter alia, on sexual orientation. On this basis therefore, the application of Article 8 of the Act providing a right to family life cannot be applied in such a manner as to discriminate on this basis. The application of this article includes the respect for individual sexuality and that there is to be no predetermined model of a family. In practice this means that the law allows a family to be constituted in whatever way the individuals in that family so choose, which allows for a family unit to be comprised of same sex parents, married or otherwise. The foundation therefore for allowing children to be raised outside of what may be classified as a ‘traditional’ family unit is one founded in the respect for human rights of all persons without exception.
The Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC )introduced a number of important considerations into the realm of international child protection jurisprudence. Notably, it introduced the concept of ‘best interests’ into the decision making process for children where the best interests of the child should be the prevailing concern with regards to all decisions made on behalf of or in the name of child protection, which is particularly applicable to budget, policy and law-makers (CRC, 1989; Article 3). It is recognized that this may require an assessment and reform of the social services, health, legal and educational systems of that country. This also mandates that the government respect the right of parents to direct the lives of their children and in doing so affords the family unit a certain level of autonomy within the guidelines of the convention.
The Children Act of 1989 aimed to provide a consolidated framework for the protection of children in private and public law. It further aims to provide a framework for balancing the rights of children to protection by the state and allowing a framework for parents to challenge the intervention of the state if they feel that there has been an injustice in doing so. There is a strong and clear mandate on inter-agency cooperation, as there is specific mention of increased collaboration between parents and the statutory authorities in the case, and the use of voluntary arrangements to further the rights of children and the protection thereof. The Children Act of 2004 was implemented after a SCR of Victoria Climbie (DoE, 2009), however does not replace or amend the provisions of the original act, rather goes to speak of procedures implemented under this act for the improved protection of Children. This act makes the processes of reporting, and inter-agency consultation and communication a matter of priority under the law. These legislative provisions are essential for ensuring that the state takes a protective stance with regards to the interests of children under the law and in doing so, enforce the rights of children as guaranteed under the international conventions.
The Best Interests of the Child
The concept of ‘best interests’ is one that is firmly rooted in both private and public law around the world (Lundy, 2007). As a starting point for legal thinking and intervention concerning children, best interests has evolved as a concept and therefore understanding whether the same-sex parents or carers may be detrimental to a child by comparison to a ‘traditional’ family unit, it is important to determine what the best interests of the child are. Indeed, the importance of this consideration as of paramount important was explained by the Supreme Court in ZH (Tanzania) (2011). Whilst this case concerned a matter of immigration for the children, the Supreme Court was at lengths to emphasize the importance of this factor as having greater weight than other factors in the decision making process and further that it should not merely feature as one consideration in the balance. Indeed, Lady Hale went further by categorically stating that what is determined to be in the best interests of the child should customarily dictate the outcome of such cases. This echoed the groundbreaking earlier decision of In R (Williamson) (2005) and acknowledges that often in these disputes; the court tends to focus rather on the failure of the parent in the situation, rather than the best interests of the child. In paragraph 21, Lady Hale goes on to state that interpretation of the best interests must take account of other general principles of international law and as such articles of the CRC are of fundamental importance in interpreting domestic provisions of law.
To this extent, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) determined that using the sexual orientation of a parent as a determinative factor in deciding the interests of a child was contrary to Article 8 read with Article 14 of the ECHR. In Salgueiro Da Silva Mouta v Portugal (1999), the ECtHR overruled a decision by the Court of Appeal to grant full custody to the mother of a minor child where the father was a homosexual and in order to secure access rights to the child he was advised to hide his homosexuality as it was considered abnormal. It stands to reason therefore that in determining the best interests of the child, the sexual orientation of the parent is not a decisive factor and therefore should hold no significant influence over a determination thereof. The significance of this decision was in the fact that it did not consider the sexual orientation of the parent in this case to be a factor against the interests of the child, which arguably indicates that the court does not consider the best interests of the child necessitating a family life consisting of a natural mother and father.
Family Life and the Best Interests of the Child
The CRC can be described as progressive in its incorporation of broader principles with regards to the composition of a family nucleus, as it recognizes the concept of legal guardians as being primarily responsible for the upbringing of children as opposed to their natural parents (article 18). In doing so, the CRC recognizes the changing norms of society and rather than being prescriptive of the precise structure of the family unit, it seeks to establish the best interests as the benchmark provision. In Mazurek v France (2000), the ECtHR confirmed this position by noting that “the institution of the family is not fixed, be it historically, sociologically or even legally” (para 52). In K and T v Finland (2001), the ECtHR noted that the existence of a family is an inquiry of fact which seeks to establish the existence of close personal relationships, rather than the existence of certain prescriptive roles within the family unit.
Hodson (2008) notes that a severe implication for children raised in same-sex parent households is the lack of legal recognition for family units of this nature and the implications that this may have for the children in these households. International and domestic laws exist in abundance with the aim of protecting families as a means of ensuring that children are raised stable and loving environments as this is essential to their development as well-rounded members of society. In order to ensure that equal opportunities exist for children of same-sex parents, it is essential that these family units are afforded the same rights as children of heterosexual parents. That equal rights exist in these circumstances is essential to the best interests of the child. Recently, in Re: Compatibility of the Adoption Order NI 1987 with the ECHR, the Northern Ireland High Court declared the incompatibility of the Adoption Order 1987 preventing same-sex couples from adopting. The issue came before the U.K Upper Tribunal in Catholic Care v Charity Commission (2012) where the tribunal refused to allow an adoption agency from discriminating on the grounds of same-sex couples in adoption procedures. This confirmed the earlier decision of the ECtHR in Karner v Austria (2003) which stated that there need be significant and convincing reasons for discriminating against same-sex couples. It is clear therefore that moving towards a non-discriminatory society which recognizes equal rights for same-sex couples with regards to family life is a right which is currently seeing significant attention.
In the judgment of X, Y & Z v UK (1997), the ECtHR held that in determining whether a specific relationship may amount to “family life”, there is the need to consider a number of relevant factors. These factors include whether the couple cohabit, the duration of their relationship and whether there is a demonstrated measure of commitment to one another by the parents by having children together or any other demonstrable means. This was confirmed in the judgment of Fitzpatrick v Sterling Housing Association (1999) the court recognized that establishing the existence of a family life required the examination of factors such as the mutual inter-dependence between spouses, a commitment to sharing of lives together, the existence of caring and love-filled relationships, mutual commitment and the support that is rebuttably presumed to exist in marriage type relationships. The existence of a family life therefore that is necessary for the determination of the best interests of the child, is one which does not necessarily include traditional parental roles, but rather the de facto existence of close personal relationships which define the relationship between a parent and a child. It stands to reason that the existence of these relationships will be best for the child, regardless of whether they exist in a same-sex parented family.
Conclusion
The question of whether it is in a child’s best interests to be raised by their natural mother and father is one which is currently a topic of widespread debate, particularly with regards to the question of adoption by same-sex couples. It is clear that the echoes of legal discrimination of same-sex couples is a topic that is garnering significant attention and the injustices that remain are being challenged and abolished. The significance of these decisions cannot be understated for the purposes of children’s and family law, as essentially this serves as a paramount recognition by the judiciary, based on legislated grounds of human rights, that a family unit does not necessarily consist of a natural father and mother to the exclusion of same-sex parented families. The essential inquiry in this regard is into the best interests of the child and although there is still a measurable amount of discrimination against same-sex couples, it has been shown that same-sex parents are not contradictory to these interests. Providing a stable and loving environment for raising children is in the best interests of a child and whether this is provided by same-sex parents or heterosexual parents is of little consequence by comparison to the factual personal relationships that exist in these families.
References
Primary Sources
Legislation
The Children’s Act 1989
The Children’s Act 2004
Convention on the Rights of the Child, Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, Entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49.
The European Convention on Human Rights
The Human Rights Act 1998
Common Law
Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) v Charity Commission for England and Wales. [2012] Upper Tribunal, Appeal number FTC/52/2011
Fitzpatrick v. Sterling Housing Association Ltd [1999] 4 All ER 705
K and T v Finland [2001]36 EHRR 18
Karner v Austria [2003] 38 EHRR 528
Mazurek v France [2000] 42 EHRR 9
R (Williamson) [2005] UKHL 15
Re: Compatibility of the Adoption Order (NI) with the ECHR [2012] NIQB 77
Salgueiro da Silva Mouta v Portugal [1999] 31 EHRR 47
X, Y & Z v UK [1997] 24 EHRR 143
ZH (Tanzania) v SSHD [2011] UKSC 4
Secondary Sources
Haringey Local Safeguarding Childrens Board (2009) Serious Case Review ‘Child A’ (ref: March 2009) London: Department for Education
Hodson, L. (2008) The Rights of Children Raised in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender Families: A European Perspective. IGLA: Europe
Lundy, L. (2007) ‘Voice’ Is Not Enough: Conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational Research Journal, Vol 33, Issue 6, pp. 927 – 942
Wintemute, R. & Andenas, M. (2001) Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Partnerships: A Study of National, European, and International Law. Hart: Oxford

“Children are best raised by their natural father and mother” – Critically Analyse

Henry Fayol Father of Modern Management.
Present management practices and theories have evolved from classical management theory created by organization pioneers, and one such Influential pioneer was Henry Payola. Henry began his career as an engineer In a large French mine and eventually succeeded to become the director, here he realized the lack of resources available to managers for developing management practices. Payola’s did not believe in the old ideas of an individual born to rule, he believed that an employee needs to be motivated and among many other things, money is an important variable in motivation.
He also said that managers should keep the morale f his employees high and keep them motivated so they can perform at their best. Payola believed that by focusing on management practices he would minimize misunderstanding and increase efficiency in organizations and started synthesizing his 14 principles of management, which are considered as the foundation and essential references for present management practices and theories. Payola’s principles of management are still widely used in organizations by management to perform day to day tasks and other functions.
His 14 principals acknowledged the importance of management hierarchy and key management process In any organization. These principles are as follows (Study mode, 2013): 1) Specialization of labor. Specializing encourages continuous improvement in skills and the development of improvements in methods. 2) Authority. The right to give orders and the power to exact obedience. 3) Discipline. No slacking, bending of rules. 4) Unity of command. Each employee has one and only one boss. 5) unity of direction. A single mind generates a single plan and all play their part In that plan. ) Subordination of Individual Interests. When at work, only work things should be pursued or thought about. 7) Remuneration. Employees receive fair payment for services, not what the company can get away with. 8) Centralization. Consolidation of management functions. Decisions are made from the top. 9) Scalar Chain (line of authority). Formal chain of command running from top to bottom of the organization. 10) Order. All materials and personnel have a prescribed place, and they must remain there. 1 1) Equity. Equality of treatment (but not necessarily Identical treatment) 12) Personnel Tenure.

Limited turnover of personnel. Lifetime employment for good workers. 13) Initiative. Thinking out a plan and do what it takes to make it happen. 4) Esprit De corps. Harmony, cohesion among personnel. Out of the 14, the most important elements are specialization, unity of command, scalar chain, and, coordination by managers (an amalgam of authority and unity of direction). All of these principles have an influence In today’s management practices but It would seem that three of these play a major role modern management thought and practice.
The three being: 1)Authority 2) unity of direction 3) Remuneration “Authority’ in classic management laid the foundation for present day company structures and practices, which helps present day management with hierarchy within organizations ensuring competent day to day operations between general staff and management and general staff today, where almost every successful business has a vision for future of their organization and how each employee and their roles contribute towards the success of this vision.
In order for any organization to achieve their goals (vision), managers today ensure that they employ staffs who are most suitable to the available roles, herein comes “remuneration”, where managers offer employees fair payment and benefits for their services. This ensures that both parties (managers and employees) are satisfied with the outcome of employment.
Payola’s main contribution to present day management thought & practice will have to be the use of his experiences and observations to create a body of knowledge that included his 14 principles as guide to thinking and practice and elements of management as a description of the functions managers perform to this day. Payola also brought to attention what he believed to be the relative importance of technical and managerial abilities of employees of different levels of authorities.
This demonstrates that employees at worker level need more technical ability but as the eve up the “scalar chain” the importance of managerial ability increase as the importance of technical ability decreases. Payola’s observation paved the path to managerial studies and gave importance to having the properly trained/educated employee at different levels of the organization. Payola was also the first person to identify and describe the elements of a manager’s Job and he labeled these elements as planning, organizing, command, coordination and control.
These elements formed what is known as the “management process”, this management process help determine what is required from managers and what practices shall be observed by managers. These elements are still key factors in present day manager’s role and responsibilities. The classical management theory of administrative approach concentrates on the total organization where the emphasis is on the development of managerial principles rather than trying to find the best way to get the most done. This theory evolved mainly from the contributions of Henry Payola, which were his 14 principles of management.
These principles provide modern-day managers with general guidelines on how a supervisor should organize their department and manage their staff. Classical management theory is an approach to organizing that values productivity, the precision and efficiency that result from a division of labor, a hierarchical chain of command, and tight discipline. Payola’s principle of division of work defines that work should be divided among individuals and groups to ensure that effort and attention are focused on special portions of the task.
Payola presented work specialization as the best way to use the human resources of the organization, from this definition it can be seen that Henry Payola has made a major contribution with his principle of division of labor to the foundation and structure of classical management practices and theory. Henry Payola’s synthesis of the 14 principles of management made very important contributions to classical management theory and practices.

Henry Fayol Father of Modern Management