Let's do this !: Relationship between Sociological Theoretical Pers...

Let's do this !: Relationship between Sociological Theoretical Pers...: Introduction Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” But how are we su...

Relationship between Sociological Theoretical Perspectives and Schooling (part 4 of 4)

References

The following are the references I used for the previous articles of this series (part 1, 2, and 3)

Barakett, J. & Cleghorn A. (2008). Sociology of education : An introductory view from Canada, 

2^nd Edition. Toronto: Pearson.

Bowles S. & Gintis, H. (1976). Schooling in Capitalist America: Education Reform and theContradictions of Economic Life. New York: Basic Books Inc. pp. 131–132, 147.  Retrieved onOctober 18, 2012 from http://newlearningonline.com/new-learning/chapter-5-learning-personalities/bowles-and-gintis-on-schooling-in-capitalist-united-states/

Bellamy, L. (1994). Capital, habitus, field, and practice: An introduction to the work of Pierre 

Bourdieu. In L. Erwin & D. MacLennan (Eds.). pp. 120-134. Sociology of Education Canada, 

Toronto: Copp, Clark, Longman.

Bernstein, B. (1973). Social Class: language and reproduction. Current Trends in Linguistics, Vol 

12, 473-485

Bourdieu, P. (1973). The forms of capital. In J.G. Richardson, (Ed.). Handbook of Theory and 

Research for the Sociology of Education.  Pp. 241-258. New York: Greenwood Press.

Collins, R. (1977). Functional and conflict theories of educational stratification. In J. Karabel & A. 

H. Halsey (Eds.). pp. 118-136. Power of Ideology in Education. N.Y: Oxford University Press.

Collins, R. (1993). WHAT DOES CONFLICT THEORY PREDICT ABOUT AMERICA'S 

FUTURE? Sociological Perspectives, 36(4), 289-313.

Collins, R. (2004). Conflict theory of educational stratification. In J. Ballantine & Spade (Eds.). 

Schools and Society. Pp. 41-48. Tomson-Wadsworth. 136. New York: Greenwood Press

Davis, K., & Moore, W. E. (1945). SOME PRINCIPLES OF STRATIFICATION. American 

Sociological Review, 10(2), 242-249.

Gintis, H. & Bowles, S. (1981). Contradiction and reproduction in educational theory. In R. Dale et 

al. Schooling and the National Interest. Pp. 45-59. England: The Falmer Press.

Strawn, A. M. (2009). Social Theory in the Function of Education. Petroleum - Gas University Of 

Ploiesti Bulletin, Educational Sciences Series, 61(1), 35-40.

Relationship between Sociological Theoretical Perspectives and Schooling (part 3 of 4)

         Now that I have described the key messages of each theorist and have illustrated some of their limitations, let us look at something that none of the theories above explain in detail, but mention nonetheless: The self. Status groups, cultural capital, correspondence theory or language codes mean little if we do not first focus on the self. Mead’s socialization theory deals with the development of the self—the me and the I—which represent societal attitudes and individuality of the person (Barakett & Cleghorn, 2008). This development is done through language and social interaction. Our environment shapes our self, and in this environment, the first individual a baby encounters and has frequent interaction with is the significant other. This is how the child gets his/her first conversations, and thus social experience (Barakett & Cleghorn, 2008). Hence, the child starts to communicate and starts to see the world through certain images that are called symbolic representation. Needless to say, our primary socialization occurs in the family (the first people we interact with). Then, comes school which is our secondary socialization process, followed by our peers and finally the media. All these are part of our socialization process; they shape our values and belief systems.

Conclusion

The objective of this article was to illustrate the link between prominent sociological theories and the school system. In order to do that, I started with a short historical background of 1940’s 1950’s and then introduced the functionalist theory. Second, I presented the works of Collins, Bourdieu, Bowles and Gintis, and finally Bernstein. In this section, I discussed their key messages, talked about the limitation of the theories and illustrated how each theory differed or related to each other. Based on these theories, I finished by explaining how schooling was linked to the socialization process and how it affected individuals and schooling. For that, I focused on Mead’s Socialization Theory.

I mentioned Nelson Mandela’s quote in the beginning of this paper: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Despite the fact that our school system may not allow us to do that yet, it is important that we remember that socialization starts with the self, at home, and that we can base the core of our identity there so that future students are capable of becoming agents of social change.

This is the end of part 3. Please read part 4 to find all the references used in these series (part 1, 2 and 3).

Relationship between Sociological Theoretical Perspectives and Schooling (part 2 of 4)

Randall Collins is one of the most well-known critics of the functionalist theory of education. He blames the functionalists for bringing stratification in schools in the form of Status Groups (Collins, 1977). Status groups are associational cohorts in which individuals share the same culture, value or background (language, religion, tastes in styles for instance). The concept of status had previously been introduced by Karl Marx who saw a capitalist class (dominant) and a working class (dominated), and Max Weber who mentioned the conflict and struggle between status groups. Based on the inputs of these two sociologists, Collins points out the weakness of functionalism. He refers to the conflict theory to emphasize the inequality of social groups, especially when it comes to education (Collins 2004). Conflict theory looks at why and how conflicts exist in our society and what effect it has (Collins, 1993). Collins argues that school teaches status culture in its hidden curriculum because schools are controlled by the dominant group that expects its values and views to be accepted by students. In addition, since formal education (training is school) is considered for job-related placement, employers use those standards to hire their staffs (Collins, 1977). Consequently, only those who are able to be in that dominant status group at school have a chance to hold high positions in the future.

Although Collins adequately describes status culture and its inequality in society, he does not communicate how schools actually teach status culture. Additionally, he mentions a type of ‘hidden’ curriculum but he fails to explain what it means precisely and how it affects students. These are a few limitations in Collins’ theory. Let us now look at another concept that was introduced by Bourdieu.

The French sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu also rejects the functionalist theory. Like Collins, he sees a dominant and dominated society. However, he does not believe that schools reflect the dominant society (Bourdieu, 1973). For him, schools are relatively autonomous and do not follow the power of the dominant elite. It is more subtle than that. He states that schools are institutions—among many others—where social, cultural, economic and even academic matters are reproduced to symbolize what he calls cultural capitals (Bourdieu, 1973). He presents three fundamental types of capital: Economic capital, Cultural capital, and Social Capital. For him, all these three capitals can be convertible into money/economy and be institutionalized in different ways. Economic capital can be institutionalized in the form of property rights, cultural capital in the form of educational qualification, and social capital in the form of title of nobility (Bourdieu, 1973). Bourdieu believes that school success is based on the cultural capital that we receive from our family and not necessarily by individual talent or achievement. In other words, we all have capitals. It is like a baggage we carry with us. Some have more capitals than others (based on what their family exposed them to), and thus, they have higher capitals. Therefore, they probably have a higher chance of succeeding in school (Bellamy, 1954).

Bourdieu (1973) adds that Cultural capital can occur in three states: the embodied state (like long lasting dispositions), the objectified state (such as cultural goods), and the institutionalized state (like education qualification). In any case, he strongly believes that this cultural capital is transferred by schools through instruction methods such as meritocracy and the curriculum design (Bourdieu, 1973). Collins had mentioned the hidden curriculum a bit, but Bourdieu is the one who explains it in more detail by illustrating how schools teach the superiority of a particular form of high culture (distribution of knowledge, classroom interaction, and process of educational experience). Overall, Bourdieu’s main ideology is that the institutionalized forms of cultural capitals found in schools help reproduce social relations outside it. If that is the case, critics of his theory have a hard time understanding how he can claim that schools are autonomous.

Let us now move to a concept that sees things a bit differently. Gintis and Bowles (1981) propose a correspondence theory that presents a link between the school system and the nature of work. They claim that aspects of work correspond to features of the education system. For instance, the way discipline is taught in schools is similar to what is expected at work. Self-image or social class identification are some examples for this (Bowles & Gintis, 1976). In addition, the relationship between members of schools is similar to the relationship between members of a workplace (the faculty is organized by hierarchy, teachers have authority over students, older students are seen as superior than younger ones). Furthermore, the division of labor found in school is also reflected again as a rule by employers. Those who did not do well in school will have lower levels of work with little responsibly where they will do simple repetitive tasks. On the other hand, those who did well will have higher levels of work (Gintis & Bowles, 1981). This aspect comes back to what Collins explained: formal education is considered for work placement. Gintis and Bowels go further by explaining how not only is educational training considered for job placement, but it is even expected to mirror the same standards.

The principal of contradiction is worth mentioning when talking about Bowles and Gintis’ concept of correspondence theory. Indeed the failure of correspondence between schools and the production of capitalism may be observed. For example, the situation of people who get higher education but fail to find jobs illustrate this contradiction. The two social theorists also mention that there is a site of social practice. It is basically a unified place of social life characterized by social structures (Gintis & Bowles, 1981) and they are “all sites in capitalist social formation” (p. 49).

Bowles and Gintis were deeply criticized. They wanted a more equal society but did not seem to think that school could change society. Although they both criticized the system where school reproduced class inequality, they were both part of the system since they were graduates of Harvard University. In addition, their theory was considered too determinist because they saw teachers to be the means of capitalism and students to be victims of the system; but in reality all teachers and all students do not fall in this category. Moreover, as opposed to what they claimed, it is argued that formal education does not necessarily mirror what is expected in the job market. In fact, there are complaints about how school does not teach the required skills that are needed for jobs.

Another renowned theorist in the field of school and society is Basil Bernstein who is at the macro-level analysis. He illustrates the importance to look at the way children interact and speak in order to view socialization at its best. He therefore focused on speech and presented the difference between elaborated codes and restricted codes (Bernstein, 1973). Elaborated codes are usually used by middle and upper class families where mothers (or the significant other) focus on both the speech and the act of what the child has done. On the other hand, restricted codes only focus on the act of the child: for example a parent from a working class will say “don’t do that!” to his/her child who did something wrong, but will not explain why. According to Bernstein, family is the primary socialization agency. Therefore, children who have access to elaborated codes at home will do better in school because that is the code used there. In order to resolve this, Bernstein proposes to give more resources (such as books, computers, or funds) to schools in poor areas so that they can inculcate an elaborated code. One can criticize that this would not help much since the children will go back home anyways, where they will be exposed to restricted codes. Another criticism that Bernstein received is how he does not really describe who the parent/significant others is. In addition, the way he sees working class children as deficit system of society is critiqued. Also, he talks about working class and middle class but he does not describe what class is exactly. All we know is the he sees those classes as two standardized groups, but is everyone in a class the same?

This is the end of part 2. Now, check out Part 3.

All references will be added on part 4.

Relationship between Sociological Theoretical Perspectives and Schooling (part 1 of 4)

Introduction

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” But how are we supposed to change the world when our school systems fail to offer the possibility to be creative, to question matters or to encourage social change? The purpose of this article is to describe the link between prominent sociological theories and the school system. I will start by giving a short historical background and will introduce the functionalist theory on stratification.  Second, I will contrast that model with the works of theoreticians such as Collins, Bourdieu, Bowles and Gintis, and finally Bernstein. In this section, I will discuss the key message of their theories, how they differ or relate to each other, and what types of criticisms they have received. Lastly, I will demonstrate how the socialization process affects school-work, school achievement and the social status of the individual. For that, I will focus on Mead’s Socialization Theory and show how it relates to the other theorists mentioned above. In this segment, I will also present a real-life example to illustrate how all the different social models presented in this article affect schooling till this date.

1945, one of the worst wars in our world’s history has ended. New prosperity returns; It’s time for a new life, new homes, new families, new beginnings. Soldiers are coming back home and hope is being restored and. Birth rates peak from the late forties to the fifties: The baby-boomers have arrived. As economic expansions arise, changes in society and in education follow.  Indeed, the high numbers of children that are born need to go to school. Governments, churches and the community in general have to find space for all of them: Mass education is created.

Although school was open to all, success was not necessarily possible for all. Functionalism became the accepted form of social standard. This meant that only limited numbers of students could be well-trained to be able to have successful careers. The Functionalist theory was concerned with stability rather than social change. It viewed society like the human body (Strawn, 2009). It has different organs and each plays a certain role so that the whole system works to maintain health. Hence, according to functionalists, school and society had to have that type of objective too. School will teach children a certain knowledge and value so that they have a specific place in society when they grow up. Then, as adults, they shall function based on that knowledge they acquired. This way, a stable and healthy society is maintained (Strawn, 2009). The functionalist theory of education is built upon Davis and Moore’s general theory of stratification which claims that one need a particular kind of talent to hold a professional position and that position can only be filled by individuals who have the required training or people that are skilled by nature (Davis and Moore, 1945). Therefore, individuals with low skills will have low jobs and people with high skills will have better careers. Only a few people in society can attain high positions since it requires more talent, more training, and thus more time. Therefore, people that manage to get this preparation should be entitled to gain rewards that pay back for their sacrifices (Davis and Moore, 1945).

The Functionalist theory has been widely criticized throughout the years. Many theorists view it as a system that only benefits a few—mostly the upper class—and promotes social inequality. In an attempt to counterattack this, theorists like Collins, Bourdieu, Bowles/Gintis, and Bernstein have condemned this concept. Let us look at the focus of their theories and the differences between each.

This is the end of part 1. Now, check out Part 2. 

All references will be added on part 4. 

Scott Adams

“The great leaders in this world are always the least rational among us. They exist at the second level of awareness. They have a natural ability to bring people into their delusion. They convince people to act against self-interest and pursue the leaders’ visions (...) they make citizens go to war to seize land they will never live on and to kill people who have different religions. (...) You don’t often see math geniuses or logic professors become great leaders. Logic is a detriment to leadership.” Scott Adams.

Autism: Analysis and Critique of 5 articles

* This article was originally written in fall 2007, Mariam Sambe

I have worked with children who have autism for three years. During this period, my main wish was to have some skills that could help me get through the children’s minds and understand their needs. Consequently, I always had the desire to study this disability, and hopefully come with a type of assistance in the communication ground. 

Autism Awareness Ribbon

Autism is a brain development disorder that affects communication and social interaction. Five particular journals and research papers have helped me build a better understanding of autism, and have enabled me to find ideas for further research in the language issue of autism.

The five articles I chose to analyze here are taken from: 1. the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 2. the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), 3. the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and 4. two articles from the Canadian Autism Intervention Research Network (CAIRN).

These five publications are remarkable sources for my study. They allow me to learn large amounts of valuable information about autism and how to treat some of its issues. They also give me ideas for further research, particularly in the field of communication and interaction. Let me be more specific on how these articles are beneficial for this project.

The content of the publications are extremely useful in the aspect of information. The journals start by explaining what we already know about autism. Meaning, they express researches that have been done until today. The two articles that best deal with this aspect are the ones from the NICHD (2005) and the NIMH (2004). Here, I learned global information about the disability: how it affects children’s brain development, their communication ability, and their social interaction. I also became aware of how many people are affected by autism and how they try to cope with it. These valuable information not only answered many of the questions I was asking myself, but also helped me think about new ideas for my project. Thus, during the readings of these two journals, I built the basic understandings of autism, and then got more interested in going further in my research. It made me realize where the research about autism was lacking, which helped me know what to focus on.

The second factor that made me appreciate the effectiveness of the articles is an aspect taken from a journal that is specific to the speech and language department, the NIDCD (2007). Here, there is a focus on the communication issue of autism, which is what I am interested to learn and develop. The causes and consequences of this issue are thoroughly explained. I have leaned when and how there is a difference of communication ability between a child who has autism and a typically developing child. Other than the basis of interaction issues described in this journal, what also interested me is its focus on research made specifically for communication development. This prospect enabled me to know where and how to center my attention. It narrowed down my global thoughts about communication ability to a specific case: how the speech and language issues are treated. Therefore, studying this article helped me to become aware of how to focus on a single and precise matter.

As you can see, up to now I have been talking about the basic contents of the articles. However, I did not choose these journals only because they give me significant information on different aspects of autism. What attracts me as well is how the sources are reliable and valuable. Indeed, all the articles I selected are from accredited organizations that concentrate on varied types of research in the field of autism. They are written by researchers who have adequate experience with several children who live with autism. This showed me that I could trust the sources. Also, the articles were not contradictory between each other. The tests the researchers conducted came out with similar reasoning and evidence. This aspect illustrates that the journals are reliable. In addition, they all measure what they are supposed to. Meaning, they only concentrate on autism itself and not on any other related disability such as Asperger syndrome or pervasive developmental disorders. Thus, validity was respected as the evidences that supported the reasons were exactly based on what they were studying. As a result, the five journals respected both reliability and validity.

At present, let me make clear comparisons between my journals so as to illustrate their contrasts and their similarities. In order to facilitate my division, I split the five articles into two groups. On one side, I set the two journals from the CAIRN and call this section <X>. On the other side, I place the three articles taken from the NIDCD, the NICHD, and the NIMH. This section is identified as <Y>.

 Though X and Y share some similarities in the content of the study about autism, they still vary in some technical aspects. The two articles from X are concise and strictly talk about specific studies. The first one focuses on behavioural interventions that can treat autism. The second one analyzes what the role of parents of children with autism should be, in order to help in the development of their children's communication. Therefore, each of these publications deal with only one specific subject that is studied in depth.

On the other hand, the three journals from Y are concerned about the general overview of autism. They give information about every study that is being done or that has been done in the past. They have a descriptive genre which makes them long articles because they deal with every aspect of autism: the causes, the consequences, all the treatments, the varied researches made, and so forth. Y articles are interesting but very broad so I used them as dictionaries. When I had an enquiry I look at one of these three articles so that I could get a general understanding.  

The second difference between the two clusters of journals is the way they deal with their claims and warrants. The two articles from group X have one particular claim each. Since explanation is on one single issue, the journals are concentrating on a specific aspect. Thus, they only have one claim supported by several reasons. There are also various warrants that connect the reasons to the single claim. Conversely, Y publications are analyzing diverse aspects of autism. Hence, they have several claims in their articles. Each part of each article has its specific claim. This is because there is not just a single idea expressed.

 Adding to this, there is a difference in the position of the claims. Articles in X place their claim at the end of the journal. They lay it in the conclusion. This is not the case in the Y journals. Depending on the section they are discussing the varied claims are sometimes in the beginning, sometimes in the middle, and sometimes at the end of each part.

The differences between X and Y in organizing claims, reasons, evidence and warrants allowed me to see two types of argument styles. Even though the arrangements are different, they are coherent to the specific idea the articles express. Thus, in both case I clearly understood the main points of the reports.

The last difference between X and Y is in the writing style. As I went through the journals, I noticed that all of them have a specific ability to catch my attention but they employ different strategies to do so. Journals Y use clear and understandable terms. Though factors related to autism are complex to comprehend, Y publications do not use jargon terms. Therefore, I was able to comprehend and appreciate the explanations thoroughly. This caught my attention since I did not have to look for definitions every now and then.

In contrast, articles X are a little hard to grasp. Since they deal with a specific characteristic of autism, they use some complex terminologies that make it challenging to understand. There are no definition and description of complex ideas. X articles are not made as an overview but as an analysis of a specific issue. It seems like the writers of journals X believe that the readers already have all the basic knowledge about autism. Thus, the writers of X articles are more detailed in their explanation than those of Y journals. Though these articles are harder to understand than those from section X, the fact that they are more detailed gives me more precision.

Let me now illustrate the similarities between articles X and articles Y. First of all, they are both objective. They do not try to persuade or to win readers over. I really appreciate this aspect because it helps me shape my own view on what I feel. The tone of the journals is neutral which allows readers to be informed without feeling obliged to take a side.

The second similarity of the journals is that they are all up to date. Indeed, the five articles are dated from 2002 to 2007. This means that in case of inquiry it is possible to contact the organizations in charge of the journals or the authors who wrote them. Also, it makes the source highly convincing and credible because the researches were made recently.

In conclusion, I want to highlight that all five publications are outstanding supplies for my study and any other study you might want to pursue regarding autism. They allowed me to learn essential information about autism and gave me a good sense of how to examine possible treatments. Their focus on the communication and interaction field gave me ideas for further research. Furthermore, I enjoyed their argumentative styles even though they have different approaches. I highly recommend you to pick one of these articles (if not all five of them) and to give it a read if you are interested about autism. You will be able to thoroughly comprehend some of the facets of autism.

 References

Campbell, JM (2003). Efficacy of behavioural interventions for reducing problem behaviour in persons with autism: A quantitative synthesis of single-subject research. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 24, 120-138. 

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2007). Autism and communication. National Institutes of Health. Bethesda, MD: Author.

Sigman, M. & Siller, M. (2002). The behaviours of parents of children with autism predict the subsequent development of their children's communication. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(2), 77-89. 

Strock, M. (2004). Autism Spectrum Disorders (Pervasive Developmental Disorders). The National Institute of Mental Health, 1-37.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2005). Autism Overview: What We Know [Electronic version]. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 1-16. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from

 http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/autism_overview_2005.pdf

How is it?

I've been a PhD student for 3 weeks now. And the question that I get from non-PhD students is: "So... How is it? Well, not much different than a master's program, except for the fact that you are expected to publish, to pass your courses with A's, to get grants and to read waaayyyyy more texts/books than is humanly possible. Yeah, so I guess, it's pretty different!

Photo by Raphael Tetreault-Boyle taken from  http://www.concordia.ca/campus-life/slice-contest-2011/ 

From what I understand--and I'm only saying this based on 3 weeks of experience--what really matters is where you do your PhD. In my case, I think I've picked an amazing university where students are constantly encouraged, advised, and supported along the way (by the staff, faculty and other students). The class size is small so you get a better understanding of the course material; The professors reply to your emails in less than 2 or 3 days (often 2 or 3 hours); the classrooms, computer labs or resource centers are conducive to learning (materials, building, stationary...). Hence, despite the fact that starting a PhD is a bit scary and difficult, the university you chose to complete your program will determine if you'll have the worst experience or the best.

Now most people will say: "well, what is the right choice? How do you know which university is best?". Research research research. 

A few tips:

- Talk to students about their experiences at such and such universities

- Check the mission statement of your department (not the university at large)

- See how many faculty are available for the number of students that are there 

- Email professors and staff; see their answers and how often/how fast they get back to you

- Read blogs and forums on students' experience at the universities you might want to apply to

- And of course visit the universities' campus to have a feel.

If you do all this, then you'll be able to determine what is best for you. And thus, have a good experience in your PhD studies.

I chose Concordia University in Montreal, and I'm proud of this decision. But like I said, it's only been 3 weeks, so let me get back to you on this in 3 months.

Cheers!

Colors of Pride and Glory

Photo By Martin Meissner/AP Photo 

Green Yellow and Red
Vivid colors that float as they race
Keeping it strong while staying ahead
Pride and honor blended with grace


Green Yellow and Red
The colors that make history
Remembered long after the dead
With rich and glowing memory 


Green Yellow and Red
Colors of pride and glory

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

What is Toastmasters Exactly?

http://famous-toastmasters.de/

When people ask me what Toastmasters is, I have a hard time answering. Most know that it's a place where you learn to improve your communication skills and work on public speaking. But, that's just one part of it, there is SOOO much more to that. And I hope I can illustrate a few of those opportunities for you.

I joined Toastmasters  in January of 2012, at a club called Golden Mile (Downtown Montreal). If only someone had explained to me what Toastmasters would bring me exactly earlier... Ahhhh, I would have joined in college or even before that. I've only been a member for 7 months, but the experience, confidence, communication & leadership skills that I've learned is unprecedented.

First, let's start by the good humor that members of the club have. As soon as you come to the meeting, everyone greets you with such joy and respect that you can only feel rejuvenated (even if you've had a terrible day). At first I thought that it was only our club; somehow I had landed on the best club there was. But after visiting other clubs and participating in different toastmasters workshops, I realized that "being nice" was simply a Toastmaster's trait. Let's remember that Toastmasters is a non-profit, hence, members are volunteers (so nobody is getting paid to be nice).

Second, the knowledge/experience you gain is impossible to find elsewhere. I have studied in many parts of the world, worked in several different organizations, but Toastmasters is the ONLY place where I can confidently say that I learn something new EVERYDAY. From listening to inspiring speeches to learning about people's experiences; from meeting different professionals to practicing varied types of leadership tasks; from organizing events to building great listening/speaking skills, there are large numbers of opportunities open to members. You learn, learn, learn, then practice, practice, practice, and finally get evaluated on your work --> A wonderful school that costs so little. 

Last, but definitely not least, let’s talk about the network and connection you make. Toastmasters is an organization that has more than 270,000 members, all from different professions and backgrounds. It’s a place rich of educated and experienced professionals with 74% of members having a Bachelor Degree or higher. You can find a Toastmasters club in 116 countries, now that’s awesome! Give me the name of another school half as large and successful  as this one, and I'll join right now!

This is not to say that every Toastmaster experience is successful. At Toastmasters—more than anywhere else—you get what you have planted. Meaning, the more you give, the more you get back. A member that only attends one meeting a month is definitely not going to move as fast as someone who is there every week. Similarly, members who attend Toastmasters events outside of their clubs are more likely to meet other members and thus, make valuable connections and network. 

http://toastmastersofunion.wordpress.com/2011/08/18/its-official-fresh-new-logo/

To conclude, Toastmasters is more than a place to learn public speaking. It’s a place where you grow as a professional, as a leader, as a human while having fun. Whether you are an artist or an engineer; a singer or a student, nobody can tell you that being able to communicate better and lead better is not necessary in your field. Whoever tells you that, is not looking at the big picture or is simply against your growth. Trust me, no matter what field you are in or what goals you have in life, I can guarantee you that you will learn a great deal. But don’t take my word for it, just go visit you nearest Toastmasters club: http://www.toastmasters.org/

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN

This post is for any parent who has a teenage child or who is about to have children.

I work with teenagers. In fact, I’ve worked with children and teens since I was 12 years old. First as a babysitter, then as a teacher, a social worker and a youth worker. I also come from a huge family with about 26 cousins, of which 13 are younger than me. So I’ve seen those 13 grow up, very closely. In fact, because I love children and I am good at taking care of them, my aunts and uncles were happy to have me babysit and be their tutor anytime I could. Hence, I took care of almost all of these 13 kids. Here in Montreal, with my current position, I work with about 20 youth a day. They come to our door with different types of issues, qualities and backgrounds. And because I am their youth worker (not a parent or teacher), they tend to be open enough and tell me everything.

Needless to say, when it comes to teenage matters, I am kind of an expert. And today, I want to talk to you about YOUR teenage child, more particularly the dangers that can come with being a teenager.

All the teens that I’ve worked with have one thing in common. No matter where they come from, no matter what their social rank is, no matter their gender. All of them, at some point in their lives hated, really hated YOU, parents. Now, that’s quite normal because when you are a teenager, a lot of things change in your body and hormones. And that also triggers emotional change. Teens are kind of stuck between being a child and becoming an adult, and believe it or not, most parents want them to stay children. So, when that happens they hate their parents. It's completely normal, we all went through it.

But this is what is dangerous. If that hate that they feel lingers too long, then the youth will most definitely fall in what I call: “the danger of high-school”. High-school back in our generation or your generation was very different from now. With the rise of media and quick technology, kids have access to things very easily; which means that, it’s very simple for them to fall in the danger of high-school. In case you are wondering what those “dangers” are, let me talk to you about a few: bullying (which can come with low self-esteem, loss of confidence, lower grades, suicide thoughts), drugs & alcohol abuse (which has a huge effect on the brain, personality and health in general), easy access to weapons.

 http://drmommyonline.com/coping-with-bullying

I’m sure you agree that these issues should not be taken lightly. The only people that can prevent this from happening are parents. Not schools, not the government, not even the kids themselves. When a kid becomes addicted to drugs or is a bully, 85% of the time, it’s the parent’s fault. And this is not to say that whoever has a difficult kid is a bad parent; not at all. It can happen to a parent that is doing the best he can on every level… But he is missing something.

You might be thinking, “well, we were all teenagers, we know all this”. But do you really? Back in our generation cyber-bullying did not exist. Bullying happened at school and when we went back home it was over. Today however, since it’s on the Internet, if follows you everywhere. Even if you change schools, people can know about your story. Not to mention that people tend to be more cruel behind a computer screen than face to face. So the effect of this type of bullying is stronger and has a deeper effect on the person who is being bullied.

http://www.simpalife.com/two-powerful-pictures-for-teens-and-parents-to-see/

Now, let’s take the example of addictions (drugs, alcohol, tobacco…). True, as teens we could have access to these items too, but it wasn’t as easy as today. Most of these drugs are extremely cheap, they are filled with chemicals and you can get them way more easily. I guarantee you that if you stand near a metro station—let’s say Berri-UQAM in Montreal—for more than 5 minutes, someone will come to sell you marihuana (no matter how old you are). In addition, you can get all the drugs you need on the internet anyway. There are even online recipes showing you how to make speed or crystal meth.

Okay, I hope I’m not making you panic right now. This is definitely not the point of this post. I'm writing this to tell you that there is ONE thing that each parent can do in order for their child not to fall in these traps. If you do what I mention below, there is almost NO chance that your kid falls in that “high-school danger”.

http://hoichigenchem.wikispaces.com/3.+Listening+To+Others+With+Understanding+And+Empathy

LISTEN TO YOUR KID. Note that I said listen; not talk to your kid, not communicate with your kid; LISTEN. This is crucial because as parents we tend to want to tell our kids what to do. As soon as they give us some type negative info of what is going on at school, we panic and we think: “oh no! I can’t believe he did that… What am I going to tell his dad? Should I punish him? Maybe I should reduce his allowance…” While we think this, we are NOT listening. And that’s the biggest issue. If you listened, maybe you’d understand why your child did that or did not to that (whatever that is). Maybe if you listened, you’d actually understand that he did not actually do anything wrong but his friend did. Maybe if you listened, you will see exactly what your child is going through, and be able to help him better. LISTEN, LISTEN !

The best place to listen to your child is of course at the dinner table. Research show that families that eat together achieve better communication and build stronger relationships. Children do better in school and are better adjusted as teens and then as adults. “Frequent family dinners (five or more a week), are associated with lower rates of smoking, drinking, and illegal drug use in pre-teens and teenagers when compared to families that eat together two or fewer times per week.” (Becky Hand, Dietitian). “Internationally, research has demonstrated that kids who frequently eat with at least one family member do better physically, socially and academically” (By Linda Watts, Vancouver Courier).

Make it happens parents!

Read more: http://www.vancourier.com/health/Benefits+families+eating+together+enormous/3631567/story.html#ixzz1yKuUJFnH

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=439

The Pain

From: http://www.seansabourin.com/pain/

You know that day where nothing makes sense? Or everything that does make sense is painful? You stand in the middle of your living-room or your backyard and you ask yourself: “what's the point?” You've done everything right, gone by the rule, very carefully... But no matter what you did, it was not enough... The universe just decided to crush you. 

The loss of a family member, the realization that you hate your career, your divorce, an accident, discrimination toward you, an incurable disease... All these troubles are out there, waiting to find a new victim to latch on. And bang! They got you. How do you get over the pain they bring along?

We all grief differently: some decide to just drink out their problems, some pray, some break things around them, some exercise over and over, some get addicted to drugs, some talk to a friend, some cry and cry and cry, some see a therapist. The truth is, no matter what you do, the pain never really goes away. And that’s what makes it hard. All you want to do is just let go for a few seconds… days… years...

They say “time heals all wounds”.  Oh yeah? Well, how long is time? Do we just sit back and wait until the day we forget all our pain… What happens when a new pain comes along then? Let’s face it, time does NOT heal anything… It just makes you think about your problems more and more. It is what you do with that time, or how you deal with your loss that may heal your wound. Thus, the saying should not be “Time heals all wounds” but rather “What you do with time may heal your wounds”

They also say: “good things happen to good people” Whoever came out with this saying is either the luckiest person on earth (because only good things happened to him/her) or is completely delusional. Jesus was a good person, Martin Luther King was a good person, Gandhi was a good person… Do we really think that good things happened to them? They suffered hate and discrimination; and in the end were all killed. No good happened to them. What happened is that other people benefited from their sufferings,. Thus, the saying should not be “Good things happen to good people” but rather “Good things happen thanks to good people”.

That’s why it is important to remember that despite all our pain and problem, someone out there, might benefit from them. Your mom died from cancer? Then maybe her doctor is going to do everything he can to work toward a cure so it doesn’t happen again. Your marriage ended in a divorce? Maybe now you’ll have the opportunity to do whatever you wanted and have always hoped for. You work hard and are succesful, but your boss keeps treating you like a worthless employee? She might be going through some difficult path in her life, so she needs to let it out on someone… She chose you unfortunately. But maybe, thanks to you, she will be fine again; and you will have learned to overcome that unfairness, and thus be a stronger person.

From: http://naikrukma.blogspot.ca/

It is of course difficult to see the silver lining when life gives you lemons… But if you use your time wisely  (“What you do with time may heal your wounds”), and if you try hard enough to look at the little bright side that comes (“Good things happen thanks to good people”), then you might be surprised of how you can overcome anything.

My Rock

Should I take that path?

Up in the sky with her 

Looking at the ground from a far distance

Everything seems small

They talk, they doubt, they judge

"I'm sure it will work out" she says

Purple turns into blue

Yellow into red 

I learn from what I see

Prosperity is what I want

To get it, I hurt and hurt...

Until she speaks again

No matter what, she's there

The one who stands by me 

The one who knows it all 

That forceful, poised rock

My blanket, my lucky-charm

The essence of my heart

There to support me...

Until days re-become bright

The gain surpassing the loss

Blue turning into purple

Red turning into yellow

It all makes sense again

 

More Sports = Less Drugs

Image from http://www.dreamstime.com/

About 60% of my days when I was a teen was spent doing some type of sport. If you needed to find me, all you had to do was to look for a soccer field, a volleyball court, a basket-ball square or a marital-art club. Yes, I was a sport junky… It was my food, my essence… My life. 

My family was a bit worried that I was too much into sports—except my mom who was always supportive. In reality, most parents would be worried. They’re concerned that their little girl is a tomboy and may want to become a “boy” when she grows up. Or, they are afraid that their child’s career goal is to become a sport’s teacher (because let’s face it, deep inside, most parents want their child to become a lawyer, an engineer or a doctor). So apparently, a girl who spends 60% of her time competing in sports is a RED FLAG for disaster. Really?

What most parents don’t realize is that involving their kid in physical activity is probably the BEST thing they can do for them. Believe it or not, the likelihood of a teenager taking drugs or even cigarettes is considerably low if he practices sports on a daily basis. Why? Well, 2 reasons: First of all because he doesn’t have time for that nonsense (between practices, games, and school, there is little time left for anything else); and second, because he is getting all the adrenaline he needs from sports (so doesn’t need or want to venture into drugs).  Besides, a young athlete who wants to continue shining in his sport’s skills would not want to poison his body with drugs (normally).

Aside from being healthy, what being an athlete brought me was the chance to avoid all the “dangers” of teenage-life. I just simply had not time for high-school drama, drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. Half my friends were drinking or smoking by the age of 14—mostly those who were not doing any type of sports. Me, I got my epinephrine from the rush of winning games or scoring the best goal. The advantages of that are:

1. I was rarely in trouble at school. And if you are not in trouble, you tend to…
2. … Succeed faster (getting good grades easily for example), then possibly getting a scholarship for college.
3. Teachers adore you and the administration of the school respects you. So life in your high-school days is just a bliss.
4. Everyone wants to be your friend because you are "smart" and "popular" (whatever that means).
5. Your parents are extremely proud of you. Thus, you are allowed to do almost anything you want in exchange of being a ‘good child’.

So parents, let your kid join any sports club she wishes to. It doesn’t matter how many sports she wants to practice… Let her do all of them if she wants. When it’s too much, she will know, don’t worry. Truth it, the more she exercises, the healthier she gets… But also the smarter she becomes. Yes, that’s right, exercising boosts blood flow in the brain, which helps improve memory skills. In addition, it provides faster cognitive functions. So why stop your kid from being an athlete?

Image from http://www.dreamstime.com/

Let me be specific though. When I speak about sports, I’m talking about competitive sports. I mean being involved with an actual club that has championship games and regular practices. I don’t believe that merely doing sports for leisure is enough to reduce the likelihood of falling into bad habits. Oh and by the way, it doesn’t have to be sports only; it can be music, art, theatre… As long as they are done seriously and regularly, in the long run, they have the same benefits as sports.

Remember, most people don’t start drinking, smoking or using drugs because they have problems (that comes after). They start when they are teens because they are bored or think it’s “cool”. So if your kid is too busy with sports/art/theatre/music and is cool thanks to his/her skills, why in the world would he/she start smoking or drinking?

This post was based on my knowledge and experience, but also information I gathered from the following articles:

http://www.theantidrug.com/pdfs/ei/parents_brochure.pdf

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/tipsforparents/a/aa111297.htm

http://www.better-brains.com/post/5066318840/sport-is-good-for-the-brain

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/186790.php

http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/09/02/sports-can-improve-brain-function/2863.html

Is Photography Really Art?

I work in the world of photography now—photojournalism to be more precise. It's a field I was not really knowledgeable about 2 or 3 years ago. Of course, I can see a beautiful picture and have a "wow" moment, but I never really knew much about photography as an art until about 2 years ago. 

Montreal, Québec, Canada                      By Mariam Sambe

Now that I’m immersed by it (it really is all around me), photography is starting to have a different meaning. The way it can be used as one of the best tools of expression is what I admire the most. I've met amazing photographers (even some who are as young as 14 years old) and learned a great deal.

Having said this, there is still something I have a hard time putting my fingers on: Is photography really art? By definition, I guess it is. The Longman Dictionary defines art as follows: “the use of painting, drawing, sculpture, etc to represent things or express ideas”. Does photography express ideas? DEFINITELY. So yes, by definition, photography is art.

Note that the title of this post is “is photography really art”? Emphasis on “really”. When someone asks: “is this really true?” it means that they accept that part of it is true, but are doubtful about the other part. So this is exactly what I’m doing with my “is photography really art?”. By definition, it is. No questions asked. But what about the rest?

 Haliburton, Ontario, Canada                                        By Mariam Sambe  

Here is my issue, in other forms of art (sculpture, painting, drawing for instance), I find that it requires WAYYYY more attention, patience, creativity, thought, skill, and meticulousness to produce art. Now this is not to say that you don’t need all this for photography. Of course you do. But probably not in the same level.

In 1 hour, a photographer can take hundreds of pictures, whereas a painter can paint 1 landscape. Of course, out of the hundreds of pictures that the photographer took there might only be 1 that is beautiful. Yes, but she still had about 100 chances to make it right, didn’t she? And if that doesn’t work, she can always use Photoshop and add some touches to it. The painter doesn't have that option, if he messes up, he messes up. 1 chance to make it right, and if it doesn't work, he starts all over again (or change what he was planning to paint).

In addition to that, art school in general takes a minimum of 4 years of study (plus amazing talent). Photography school takes 1 year, maybe 2. Doesn't this mean in a way that painting, drawing and sculpture require something more than photography? Most people become photographers without even having to go to school. They are self-taught or simply talented. I started to take photos myself. Some of my pictures are terrible, some are just okay, and some are great. Does that mean I’m an artist now? That’s it? Just like that?

Is Photography really art? I posted this question on my Facebook wall. Below are a few comments I got (for confidentiality reasons, I only put my friends’ initials after their quote):  

Gondar, Ethiopia                                 By Mariam Sambe

 “It is. Truth is, good photography takes talent, imagination, creativity, etc, so I do believe there is a point of it being an art. Now are other forms of art more art than photography? I can debate that.” W.N.

“Definitely art... There are photos and then there is art, you can see a million pictures but when someone can communicate story, emotion, beauty, imagination in their photo...that's art.” T.S.

“What's so creative about pointing a freakin' camera and clicking??? It is not art. Granted, it takes skill and patience to find and take the perfect picture but it's definitely not art. I'm not belittling it and I have seen some incredibly breathtaking pictures but it's not art. It's just a skill” K.N.

“the pure process of taking of pictures might not necessarily be considered art by some, but that's not all photography entails... it is about the selection of the motif, the lighting, the overall scene. There are millions of pictures taken all around the world on any given day, but only a select few have the overall beauty that a piece of art has. Those pieces of photography are definitely art, whereas the rest is just pure "picture taking" by everyday people. It’s almost comparing a painting of your 10 year old daughter to a Picasso...” R.W.

Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA                        By Mariam Sambe 

“ L’art de la photographie dépend plus du photographe à mon avis. c'est l'intention du photographe qui donne du sens à l'image et au message communiqué. Quand il y a de l'art dans l'âme et l'œil du photographe, il y en aura forcement dans le travail produit. ” K.C.

Is Photography really art? Clearly, there is no straight answer for this... In reality, I think it depends on how each of us defines art. The matter of fact is, a photo piece can be as breathtaking (if not more) as a painting or a sculpture—even if it might seem simpler to produce it.