Public Policy Exam 2

(ch6) What are the 4 ways in which our education system is struggling?

• more funding

• teachers need to be compensated better

• classrooms are too large

• curriculum

(ch6) How did Locke and Rousseau influence formal education

Locke: A top-down system where parents and teachers modeled for children

Rousseau: Children possess inner curiosity

(ch6) What was No Child Left Behind? How did it purpose to help education?

Signed into law by George W. Bush in 2002

Key Points:

• ensure accountability by administering standardized testing

• hold teacher accountable for student outcomes

• reward schools with high achievement and punish those who fall below the standards

• believed to help close the achievement gap

(ch6) American Education is in crisis. What are the main problems?

• higher teacher attrition rates

• need closer teacher/parent involvement

• student graduate with poor literacy skills

• majority of education budget goes to administration

• conservatives and progressives debate these assumed causes

(ch6) What is common core? What are some criticisms?

• common core was adopted in 2009 based on need for consistent standards across state lines and need because of the globalization of workforce

• critics are concerned that it reduces rigor in math and literature, and not developmentally appropriate

(ch6) According to table 6.3 and what are the outcomes in teaching?

• creates a community of learners

• focuses on development and learning

• develops appropriate curriculum

• evaluates outcomes in development and learning

• works cooperatively with families

(ch6) What are the future directions in education and the agency based approach?

• the challenge of education is not how to raise the bar of achievement, but how to respond to each child’s way of learning

• agency-based approach

  • individual choice rather than compulsion

  • pursuit of truth from original sources

  • parents are the main guide

  • top-down hierarchical system only benefits high SES children

(ch6) What is the systems/dialectical perspective on education?

• current lack of systems or holistic thinking

  • holding schools accountable by student test scores is linear and doesn’t grasp complexity

  • nonlinear interacting system is a better fit

• end the blame game and focus on how students learn

  • more free play, outdoor activities and unstructured time

• change our understanding of intelligence

  • continue policy debates on whether federal department of education is needed

  • eliminate policies/programs that are ineffective

what is the social policy process?

• social policy for families tend to be inconsistent and can be contradictory which means that many issues facing families are not remedied

• political ideology plays a role in how family issues are defined

what is the definition of marriage?

a contract or union of spouses who pair bond for the purpose of psychological and sexual intimacy and cooperate to share resources and may have offspring or adopted children

what is the definition of family?

a group consisting of two or more persons residing in the same household who are related biologically or by adoption

what is the definition of a household?

two or more persons who share the same dwelling

what is DOMA?

• the Defense of Marraige Act

• marriage is an essential component of society and that same-sex marriage will undermine this foundation

what are the arguments for DOMA?

• marriage between a man and woman is viewed as the best option for children

• proponents for DOMA based beliefs on research

• believe that same-sex marriage will always be considered an alternate family form

• believe that marriage is a privilege, not a right

• believe that allowing same-sex marriages creates a slippery slope where other forms of marriage will occur

what are the arguments against DOMA?

• proponents believe that it was a biased law base on relationship inequality

• argue that marriage has not always been viewed as between one man and one woman

• inappropriate linked to religious beliefs about marriage

• research supporting traditional definition is flawed

• marriage will benefit same-sex couples economically

• improve mental health of same-sex individuals

What is the parent’s rights amendment?

a movement to protect children from intrusive government social policy

also protects parents from the provisions of the UNCRC

What are the five sections of the parent’s rights amendment?

1. parents have the right to direct the rearing of their children

2. no governmental body may infringe on the rights of parents without due cause

3. no treaty or national or international governmental body can infringe on this right

4. current law regarding end of life or abortion will not change

5. prohibits judges from using international law to rule on parental rights

what are the arguments for the parental rights amendment?

• rights of parents are vanishing

• children will be more vulnerable to negative influence and make decisions that will adversely affect them

• secrecy between parents and children undermine child development

• legal climate is stacked against parents

what are the arguments against the parental rights amendment?

• parents already have rights to parent their children, unless they are breaking the law

• it will be more difficult for government to intrude in abusive families

• increased litigation between families and schools, which would affect the quality of education and child deelopment

• does not appeal to the majority

what is parenting education and why does it typically not work ?

parenting Ed typically occurs during distress which may result in poorer outcomes

what is the debate about family structure?

family structure is the cause of decline in family functioning

how do stepfamilies differ from other families

• step parents don’t have the same rights as biological parents

• discriminative parental solitude

  • biological children receive more emotional and financial support

what are common problems in stepfamilies

parenting, roles and inheritance

what is cohabitation? how has it affected family development?

defined: when two adults live together as a couple but are not married

• outcome depend on the reason for cohab

general trends in attitudes towards marriage

2006

• married or plan to be (91%)

• will never marry (4%)

2009

• affairs are morally wrong (92%)

• unwed birth, unmarried sex, divorce are morally wrong (below 45%)

2013

• affairs are morally wrong (91%)

• unwed birth, unmarried sex, divorce are morally wrong (below 36%)

define child abuse and neglect

any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents imminent risk of harm

what are the four type of child abuse discussed in the chapter

• physical

• neglect

• emotional

• sexual

approximately when did the US first enact laws to protect children

the 1960s

what is the order of frequency of abuse in children

• neglect

• physical abuse

• other

• sexual abuse

• emotional/psychological abuse

• medical neglect

what is the impact of spanking

• affects brain development leading to reduced gray matter and IQ

• mental illness, depression, mood and anxiety disorders

difference between conditional spanking and traditional spanking

conditional spanking is used almost as a last resort after other disciplinary measures whereas traditional spanking is used as the primary mode of discipline

what are signs and physical symptoms of physical abuse

• bruises found in unusual places

• bruises at take shape of the object used in the abuse

• difficult to determine the age and reason for the physical damage

• bite marks and burns may differ from normal injuries

• head injuries and subdural and retinal hemorrhages can be very serious and asymtomatic

• abused children may show signs of behavioral disorders

how does neglect effect children

• attachment risks for infants

• older children may have cognitive deficit and poor memory

• may lack age-appropriate development characterized by a failure to thrive syndrome

• tend to have anxious attachment style

• high risk for reduced brain growth and language acquisition

• lack of confidence and social competence

• characterized by global neglect, defects in several spheres

• highly correlated to juvenile delinquency, adult crime, and mental and emotional illness

demographic of child sex abuse

• approximately 25% of girls and 16% of boys are sexually abused before the age 18

who are common perpetrators of child sex abuse

• most cases of rape are committed by family member or acquaintances

effects of child sexual abuse

• come from unstable families

• effects vary according to type of abuse

• if family member abuse changes the relationship

• children are not developmentally ready for sex

• common effects are depression and PTSD

• children turn the blame on themselves referred to as survival shame

• related to bulimia and anorexia in adolescents

• alters genetic patterns

difference between the treatment of male and female sexual perpetrators

• police and courts tend to ignore female perpetrators

• the gender bias contributes to less reporting and prosecution

demographics of sexual perpetrators of children

• 30% of perps were victims as children

• only 11% of non-abusers were abused

sexual predator laws include…

• megan’s law

• jessica’s law

• mandatory sentencing and civil commitment laws

a systems/dialectical perspective of child abuse and neglect

• abuse reflects dysfunction in the social system

• the abuse cycle is characterized by the reveal/conceal contradiction

• the full exposure of the abuse may never be revealed

• children expose the abuse in a spiral process