A Comparison between Gandhi and Albert Camus Research Paper

A Comparison between Gandhi and Albert Camus - Research Paper Example A valid way to understand them would be to consider the effect of their environment upon their thinking and actions. Their respective philosophies are also studied in this essay. Two of their works, â€Å"My experiments with Truth† by Gandhi and â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus are also compared to understand these aspects. These highly attractive figures also had many similarities in their life. Both belonged to the same class of thinkers, the existentialists, Gandhi being accorded the status on being a religious man whose truths are subjective than objective. Both accidentally suffered the violent ends. Their life and significance and present day relevance are only being more understood in the in the recent years. Name Instructor Course Name 9th May 2011 A Comparison between Gandhi and Albert Camus Youth and Upbringing Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known in his country as â€Å"Mahatma† or great soul was the most popular and charismatic leader of the nation in modern times and the most powerful leader responsible for gaining independence for India from the British Empire. He was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, a small town on the western coast of India, which was then one of the many tiny states in Kathiawar where his grandfather and father were prime minister of that small royal state. He was sent to Britain to study law an occasion, which served to broaden his mind greatly. [Gandhi bio source 1] Affectionately called the father of the nation he was a man who led a spotless and model life so correct he was able to say, â€Å"My life is My Message† [Sarvodaya]. He acted as a moral leader who taught that freedom was directly related to a moral life and led by example. He inspired so much awe among the great men of the world that Einstein wrote "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe, that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." [Gandhi Research].In short he was a thinker â €Å"who practiced what he preached†. All his simplicity and social involvement was the result of profound thought and religious idealism. Philosophy As a theoretical philosopher, he may fit in more as a religious person who has attained enlightenment than as an originator of totally new line of philosophical thought. â€Å"This is because Gandhi was not a philosopher trying to make sense of the world around him in abstraction. He was essentially a political actor.† [Dasgupta] Most of Gandhi’s potent ideas, like Ahimsa and Non-violence were not exactly originated by him but were of religious origin. In short, for comparative purposes, he was a man who was able to find meaning in life, which for him was God, which he also called the truth. [SOURCE].One of Gandhi’s motivators was also his feeling of religious guilt being a very morally reflective boy from his childhood. Born in a very traditional family environment he felt sorely from the instance of having been engaged in sexual intercourse with his own wife while his father was on his deathbed .Unfortunately while Gandhi was away his father happened to die. He felt very guilty about this, he constantly tried to become a purer man, and his grace spread to the society about him. [Gandhi Autobiography] He was also highly moved by the beauty of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’[New Testament]. Albert Camus [1913- 1960] was born 7 November 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria, into a working-class family and grew up in poverty. His mother Catherine Helene Sintes was an illiterate cleaning woman of Spanish origin. Lucien Auguste Camus, his father, was an itinerant agricultural laborer He died when Camus was as a one year old of his war wounds in 1914 after the Battle of the

Crisis and Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crisis and Expansion - Essay Example As new modes of communication arrived on the scene, they allowed faster and more secure ways of sending and receiving information. It is also the time when various stratified groups of citizens started realizing their rights, particularly the African Americans and women. This gave rise to several black and women’s rights movements demanding greater rights for the minority or neglected group. The 19th century is also important due to the numerous expansions, exterminations, and exclusions took place. The Gold Rush also occurred during the same century when a great number of people flocked into California in order to find gold, but the incident also resulted in the death of several hundred Native Americans. Further activities during the century included the American Civil War and the rise of capitalistic ideas which influenced its own following. Thus, the nineteenth century was characterized by geographical expansion, industrial development, and activism. A significant portion of the 19th century was occupied by the westward territorial expansion of American settlements. Following the American independence from the colonization of Great Britain, the US was a free land which faced the problems of rising inflation and a weak economy (The significance of the frontier in American history pg 1). However, it is also during this time when American settlements sprawled further westwards in order to find suitable dwellings that met their need for sufficient resources. The American population kept growing and expanding in numbers and the American society found itself to be sharply extending to western continents as they went through the societal development process. The society and the people were also subject to the rapidly changing external environments which spurred them to expand to places where they could conquer the â€Å"wilderness†. Thus, in response to the changing social, economic,

Histories of Photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Histories of Photography - Essay Example The thesis of this paper is that, modern day photography draws its insights from Szarkowski’s principle of photography as an art, since it teaches photographers to be not only creative, but imaginative. Analysis The Thing Itself Szarkowski believed that photography deals with the actual; the photographer has to accept the fact that he had no control of nature, and on in accepting and treasuring this notion would he manage photography. The photographer had to learn that the world was a unique and creative artist in itself. Szarkowski believed that though photographs were factual and convincing, they also differed from reality. The photographer had to see the filtered elements of reality and visualize the photograph before taking it, in order to capture these filtered element of reality on the photograph. The ability to do this was not only artistic; but also a way of showing truth, which the naked eye could not see. Szarkowski quotes from Hawthorne’s book, The House of t he Seven Gables. Holgrave, a fictional character in the story, describes his camera as showing the truth despite trying his attempts to hide reality. In this case, the image survives reality and became the remembered reality. William M. Evans states that, â€Å"people in the nineteenth century believed that what was reasonable was true but in the end, they began believing that what they saw in a photograph was true† (Szarkowski8). The photograph below illustrates this phenomenon: Archaeologia Mundi (40, 55, 82, 108, 133, 135) (2011) by Hagar Schmidhalter. The Detail According to Szarkowski (p. 9), the photographer cannot pose the truth; the truth appears the photographer in fragments, therefore, the photographer is only able to capture fragments of this facts. A photograph cannot tell a story of fact; it can only depict fragments of this fact. However, Szarkowski adds to say that though photographs do not tell stories, they can be read as symbols. People can draw meaning from a sequence of fragmented photographs. Szakowski states that photographs are not meant to tell stories, rather, they are meant to make the story real; he believes narratives to be shallow, and that only photography possesses the power to show symbolic meaning (Szarkowski 42). A picture of a Soccer match does not show the results of the match, but it does capture a moment of happiness or otherwise, that has symbolic meaning to the end result of the game. E.g. Cardiff vs. Manchester United by Stu Foster (1/12/2013). The Frame According to Szarkowski (p. 9), the subject of a photographer is never self-contained; it is part of a bigger picture. The photographer, therefore, decides to isolate what it important (the subject), from its environment using the photographic edges. This frame concentrates on the edges – the line that separates the subject from its environment. In the case of the football match above, the subject is separated from its surrounding by the edges of the photo graph. This defines what the photographer deemed important, but does not tell the whole story since the subject is part of a bigger surrounding. Time Photographs are not instantaneous, but rather exposure of the scene over a period of time result to real image. Photographs always capture the present, never the future; they can allude to the past through its surviving relics or foresight of the future based on

Wealth Inequality in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Wealth Inequality in China - Essay Example For instance, as the People’s Republic of China releases new specific each and every year the show and increased average annual income, this figure is ultimately skewed as a result of the fact that extraordinarily wealthy individuals within Chinese society are impacting upon the way in which such measurements are made and revealing a situation that is not quite the case. As a function of seeking to understand the wealth gap China to a more effective degree, the following analysis will discuss some of them made and causal factors for this wealth disparity; as well as some of the recommended changes that could ultimately seek to promote economic well-being and sustainment of a greater number of individuals within Chinese society. One of the first, perhaps the most important, factor has to do with the fact that China is ultimately struggling to build a middle class. For decades, the People’s Republic of China has begun moving away from hard-line communist ideology is more was society. However, as a direct result of this shift, those individuals that are best positioned to reap the benefits of this change are necessarily those that have close connections to the government for those that were already wealthy at the time in which a level of privatization to be developed. Furthermore, individuals within the lower class of relatively little if any upward mobility that provide access to the middle class is the upper class at a later date. However, it should not be understood that nepotism and/4 corruption with respect to privatization is the largest reason for why China continues to exhibit a particularly horrific wealth gap. Another relevant issue is with respect to culture. Ultimately, Chinese culture is one that places a very high on saving. Accordingly, as money is half down from generation to generation, the compounding impact of this, especially with regard to wealthier families, is an economic dynamic by which the very wealthy leave extraordinarily

The Road Not Taken Essay Example for Free

The Road Not Taken Essay Every adult faces challenges and life-altering decisions. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost this dilemma is brought to life. The character in the poem has free will to choose whichever path he wants. He is completely unaware of what his choice will bring but he leaves it to chance. He knows he has to make a choice and that it is impossible to know whether or not it is the right choice. He knows that no matter what his choice is he will always wonder what his life would have been like had he chosen the other path. In reality there is no right or wrong path. There are only decisions and outcomes. The theme of decision making in this poem takes a â€Å"seize the day† approach. No matter the outcome the traveler knows he still must make a decision and make the best of it. The setting of the poem takes place in the woods. The character is standing there studying a forked path. It is ironic that both paths are seemingly the same, they are both intriguing to the traveler and he wishes that he could travel them both. The forked path is symbolic of life and all of its many choices that must be made. Just as the character is unaware of what his choice may bring, outcomes of adult choices do not always turn out as expected. The title of the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is significant. The poem is named after the path that was ultimately not chosen, leaving the reader to believe to think it was written with regret. In stanza 4 the regret is brought to light with a metrical device. â€Å"Sigh† is an onomatopoeia that emphasizes the characters regret or relief. That one word makes the reader want to go back and reread the poem to make sure the theme is understood. The traveler is either regretting his decision that he made or he is relieved that he made the best choice for himself. It is left up to the reader’s interpretation to discover what the poet was trying to say. Some other metrical devices used are imagery, symbolism, personification, rhyming, alliteration, and allegory. The reader is presented with imagery in â€Å"two roads diverged in a yellow wood† and again in â€Å"And both that morning equally lay in leaves no step had trodden black†. This gives the reader something to visualize. Personification is used in â€Å"because it was grassy and wanted wear. † A road cannot produce a feeling to want wear. The rhyme scheme of ABAAB in this poem produces interest and makes for an entertaining read. Alliteration is used when the poet writes â€Å"wanted wear†. Allegory presents itself when the poet writes about the two paths when his ulterior message is about choices. All of the devices used in the poem support the poets overall theme. Out of all of the â€Å"roads† faced in life the roads not chosen to take have just as much impact as the roads that are chosen. There is no way of knowing the outcome of a decision unless you make the decision and see what happens. You may be happy with that choice, or you may sigh and wish you had made a different choice. Some of the choices you make are final, the poet makes light of this when he writes â€Å"I doubted if I should ever come back†. It is as if he knows that he will not ever be returning to â€Å"The Path Not Taken†. The poet allows the reader to come to their own imaginations, ideas, and outcomes in this poem. This is a poem that can be interpreted many different ways.

Bill Gates and I Have the Same Property Essay Example for Free

Bill Gates and I Have the Same Property Essay The government does not have the freedom to interfere into the property of an owner and the owner’s right to exercise power on the property. This statement may be evaluated with the following example. An anti-trust action was passed against Microsoft Corporation by the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department who challenged that the company cannot make it mandatory on customers to install the internet browser of Microsoft while installing the Microsoft 95 operating system. The Government also upheld the notion that it is not necessary for consumers to use one product of a company simultaneously when another product is installed. The court ordered the separation of Microsoft 95 and Internet explorer. In continuation to this verdict, the Assistant Attorney General further demanded the unusual freedom to scrutinise all future products of Microsoft Corporation to check their marketing strategy. Microsoft retaliated that if additional facilities in the computer indicate unfair trade practice, the manufacture of computer itself would be like posing threat to the manufacturers of products like calculator, typewriter and the like. Though the Assistant Attorney General justified that the anti trust motion is aimed to stimulate innovation and competition there were several obstacles to substantiate its stand to stop Microsoft from gaining market control (Labaton, 1997). According to Bill Gates, the separation of the operating system and the browser would mean producing products with lesser value and reducing the demand for the operating system in the market despite enhancing the quality (Thibodeau, 2008). In the Second Treatise of Government, John Locke justifies that man can have a right on property based on the amount of work he has done to transform the resources provided by God. The amount of work done by a person enables him to partition the common resources provided by God and own a part of it by himself. Thus private ownership of property is related to the amount of work done by man. The spoilage proviso limits the amount of resources a man can reserve when the resource is wasted and the sufficiency proviso limits the amount of resources to be owned and the balance to be left with the nature for others. And when there are no more resources available, people are required to work on the available resources for sustenance. According to Locke, when individuals own resources or land, they take better care of it rather than when the land is not owned by anyone. When land is owned the productivity is estimated a ten times its actual value and it will pave way for the betterment of life. Here labor is given more importance than on resources. When a person works on a resource it is automatically transformed into the workers property. It is the duty of the government to protect the right of a person towards a property (Meinhardt, 2007). James Madison has defined the ownership and rights to use a property. He has stated that when a person has a right to property, it is equal to having a property in his own rights. Hence the government’s interference into the affairs of a property or business owned by an individual when the business is meant for public use is not fair. Therefore the government should make it clear that the property owned by a person or corporate may be put into full use according to the wish of the owner if the use of the property adds values and the deletion of certain facilities reduce the value of the property. When certain use of a property is taken away by legal and governmental restrictions, the owner cannot exercise his fundamental freedom to exercise his right on the property (Pilon, 1995). In conclusion, governments do not have the authority to interfere into the rights of a property owner if the owner is a multi billionaire or a common person. Reference Labaton, S. December 22, 1997. Bill Gates, Meet Your Adversary, the Antitrust Chief. Available: http://query. nytimes. com/gst/fullpage. html? res=9D04E7DF143EF931A15751C1A961958260sec=spon=pagewanted=1. Accessed on September 8, 2008 Meinhardt, E. F. May 22, 2007. Critical Analysis of John Locke’s theory on Property Rights. Available http://www. scribd. com/doc/93360/John-Locke-on-Property-Rights. Accessed on September 8, 2008. Pilon, R. February 10, 1995. Protecting Private Property Rights from Regulatory Takings. Breathe New Life Into the Takings Clause. Available: http://www. cato. org/testimony/ct-pi210. html. Accessed on September 8, 2008. Thibodeau, P. June 30, 2008. For Bill Gates, antitrust fight was a personal crucible. http://www. thestandard. com/news/2008/06/30/bill-gates-antitrust-fight-was-personal-crucible? page=0%2C1. Accessed on September 8, 2008.

Case Study Human Growth And Development Assignment Social Work Essay

Case Study Human Growth And Development Assignment Social Work Essay The aim of this case study is to use knowledge of human growth and development to critically discuss the theories a social worker might employ to assess a family and better understand their behaviour. These theories will be applied to two members of the family, Molly (13-years old) and Elsie (65-years old), and critiqued in terms of how they might assist social workers in making informed, anti-oppressive assessments. Any limitations to the theories will also be discussed. Anti-oppressive practice will underlie the critique and has been defined as a form of social work practice which addresses social divisions and structural inequalities in the work that is done with clients (users) and workers (Dominelli, 1993, p. 24). It is a person-centred approach synonymous with Rogers (1980) philosophy of person-centred practice. It is designed to empower individuals by reducing the negative effects of hierarchy, with the emphasis being on a holistic approach to assessment. Practising in an anti-oppressive way requires valuing differences in lifestyle and personal identities. By recognising the power imbalance present between social workers and clients, especially between social workers and children or oppressed older adults, theory and knowledge can be utilised to challenge oppression and discrimination (Dalrymple and Burke, 2000). How this can be achieved is demonstrated throughout this case study. MOLLY The two theories of human growth and development to be applied to Molly are Attachment Theory and Life Course Theory. Attachment Theory Attachment Theory is a psychological theory based on the premise that children require an attachment relationship with at least one consistent caregiver within their lives for normal social and emotional development (Bowlby, 1958; Ainsworth et al., 1978). For Molly, the development of an attachment figure was likely to have been compromised during her early developmental years. When she was between 1 and 7-years old, her mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol and thus was emotionally and physically unavailable (Eiden et al., 2002). Despite living with her father and paternal grandparents for a period of time, the overall insecurity within her family unit is likely to have impacted her ability to attach to others (Barrow, 2011). The possibility that Molly has developed multiple attachments also needs to be considered as Molly lives within a context of shared caregiving (Kelly and Lamb, 2000). This is where the theory is limited in its application within this family since it does not provide insight into the dynamics and implications of multiple attachments. It also fails to acknowledge the impact of losing multiple attachments (Ainsworth et al., 1978). There are a number of significant changes that have occurred in Mollys life and that involve potential attachment figures. For example, Mollys father, whom Molly remained close to even when her parents were separated, has become marginalised and distanced in an effort to avoid arguments with Mollys mother (Markiewicz, Doyle, and Brendgen, 2001). When he is at home, the tension is likely to impact the duration and quality of time spent with Molly. Marital conflict has been found to influence adolescents attachment security by reducing the effectiveness of parenting (Markiewicz, Doyle, and Brendgen, 2001). Given the family history, Molly might be fearful of her parents separating again, the extent of which cannot be underestimated (Lewinsohn et al., 2008). A recent article in the news reported on the potential long-term impact of divorce on children and their life course, including a reduction in earning potential and less stable relationships (Barrow, 2011). The implications of this a re that Molly is not only being negatively impacted in the present, but might experience a continuation of these problems into adulthood. Long-term impact cannot, however, be assumed and consideration of individual differences such as personality, resilience, coping style, and stage of development can provide the context for assessing the impact of changes in attachments. Another criticism of attachment theory is that such individual differences are not accounted for (Ainsworth et al., 1978). Molly has already lost one of her attachment figures, her grandfather, and thus loss is a reality for Molly. Mollys grandmothers behaviour is likely to have changed as she comes to terms with her own loss, and the impact that this might be having on Mollys already fragile micro-system (Bronfennbrenner, 1977) needs to be part of Mollys assessment. All of the key attachment figures in Mollys life are either emotionally or physically unavailable at present. Mollys recent problems at school might be the result of a lack of secure attachment figures. Indeed, being racially abusive towards her peers would indicate difficulty in developing attachments outside of the home, a frequently reported problem among children who do not have a secure family attachment from which to learn (Allen and Land, 1999). Furthermore, research with feral children has shown that children raised without the attention of a consistent caregiver can display anger, distress, and detachment in the short-term and aggre ssion, clinging, detachment, and psychosomatic disorders in the long-term (Siegler, 2006). Harris (1998) would argue that the theory neglects to account for Mollys developmental stage, with adolescence being a time when children are influenced more by their peers than their parents. This might especially be the case with Molly, whose dual ethnicity means she is likely to be experiencing more pressure to fit in among her peers. Evidence within the literature has shown that adolescents of dual heritage report more ethnic exploration, discrimination, and behavioural problems than those of single heritage (Ward, 2005). The level of attention Molly gains from her family during this challenging time is likely to be limited by her brothers disability, which requires extra time and effort from Mollys caregivers. This might be depleting their energies and reducing their capacity to support Molly (Opperman and Atlant, 2003). Social workers are responsible for ensuring that non-disabled siblings within a family are not overlooked (Children Act, 1989; Every Child Matters, 2003). Furth ermore, Adlers theory of birth order can alert social workers to a phenomenon termed dethronement (Leman, 2004), which describes the removal of attention from the first child to the second child. Molly could be feeling the sense of inferiority that is often associated with dethronement, a factor that cannot be explained by biological theories of human development. Life Course Theory Life Course Theory has been defined as a sequence of socially defined events and roles that the individual enacts over time (Giele and Elder, 1998, p. 22). During adolescents, Gonadotropin, Luteinising, Follicle Stimulating, and Adrenocorticotropic hormones strongly influence mood swings and extremes of emotion (Corwin, 2008), which might explain Mollys difficulty controlling her anger at school. The teenage brain is only about 80% developed, with the white matter that signals the release of these hormones increasing substantially during this time (Jensen, 2005). According to Ericksons 8 stages of human development, Molly is in stage five, which is characterised by a conflict between identity versus role confusion (Erickson, 1998). Risks to Mollys social development include poor parental supervision and discipline, family conflict (Beinart et al., 2002), and any identity conflict she might be experiencing around her dual heritage (Ward, 2005). Molly is only one-quarter Asian and thus her identity is very ambiguous as her outward appearance is only 25% Asian extraction. There is the possibility that she may resent her mother for looking Asian and that her racial abusiveness at school is transference of this anger. There is also the issue of whether Mollys mother has cultured any part of her Asian heritage onto Molly. In assessing Molly via this theory, it is important to recognise the inevitable power imbalance between a social worker and an adolescent who is in an insecure home environment and struggling with the hormonal changes that come with being a teenager (Sakamoto and Pitner, 2005). By recognising this power imbalance, the social worker can redress any imbalances by reflexivity and becoming aware of their own preconceived ideas about adolescents (Dalyrmple and Burke, 1995). It would be easy to limit the involvement of Molly in the assessment in an effort to shield her or protect her due to her young age. However, since adolescence is a time when individuals are developing their own unique identities, such action would merely act to oppress and disempower Molly. She is already experiencing a lack of control within her current environment and thus it is crucial that the assessment by the social worker does not remove further control by being based on stereotypes and assumptions. For example , the hormonal changes that impact the mood of adolescents can lead to stereotypes of the moody, anti-social teenager, with such assumptions resulting in teenagers being an oppressed group portrayed as a social problem. The additional pressure to fight this oppression and prove they are good people can make this developmental phase an even more challenging time. Additional biological factors involved in Mollys current sense of well-being might include issues around body image since this is a time when she will be making the transition from child to adult. Difficulties around relationship development and sexual attraction and orientation are all potential contributors to Mollys low mood (Levinson, 1978). One of the limitations of biological theories of adolescence, however, is whilst they facilitate an understanding of adolescent development, they do not take into account the psychological factors associated with adolescence, such as identity development and role confusion. Considering Mollys behaviours in light of psychological, social and cultural factors is important in gaining an accurate assessment of her social care needs. For example, Mollys efforts to find her own identity whilst grappling with the physiological effects of adolescence is likely to be complicated by her dual heritage, which will be strongly linked to her sense of ident ity. There is the possibility that Molly is finding it difficult to fit in with her peers or that she is being bullied at school; being racially abusive might be an unconscious effort to raise the attention of adults towards discrimination she might be experiencing. This supports psychodynamic approaches and the notion that actions and experiences are influenced by unconscious motivations (Freud, 1923). Unless Molly is treated as an individual as opposed to a homogenous member of the adolescent group, a social worker will not be able to accurately assess and understand the core issues underlying Mollys current behaviour. In turn, this will only act to further marginalise this oppressed group. Without the specialist knowledge and skills that can be gained from theories of human growth and development, it could be argued that social workers should not be allowed to work within the field of child protection (Laming, 2009). ELSIE The two theories of human growth and development to be applied to Elsie are Ecological Systems Theory and Disengagement Theory. Ecological Systems Theory Bronfenbrenners (1977) Ecological Model of human development posits that in order to understand human development, an individuals ecological system needs to be taken into consideration. This includes their microsystem (i.e. immediate relationships), mesosystem (i.e. different parts of the microsystem working together), exosystem (i.e. systems that the individual is not directly part of but that affects them), macrosystem (i.e. the larger, more distanced social world such as government and culture), and their chronosystem (i.e. a system of change). The microsystem and macrosystem are likely to be of most impact to Elsie, the former in terms of current family insecurity and the latter in terms of culture and stereotypes associated with ageing. Elsies ecological system has been continually changing for many years, especially her immediate surroundings, which are likely to have greater impact on her well-being. There has been very little environmental stability within Elsies life, at least over the last 7-years or more. She has recently lost her husband, experienced continually fluctuating environmental conditions, and is now living in a tense atmosphere due to issues within her sons marriage. Part of working with Elsie in an anti-oppressive way is to recognise the harsh realities of her current ecological system. It is also important to note that, childrens behaviour and personality can also affect the behaviour of adults; Elsies behaviour and sense of well-being might be negatively affected by her granddaughters struggle through adolescence and her grandsons disability. Taking into consideration Elsies ecological system highlights the importance of not making assumptions that Elsies increased forgetting is a sign of dement ia; her symptoms might be the result of stress within her environment. Despite the relevance of this theory to understanding Elsies situation, the critique does highlight limitations in its operationalisation (Wakefield, 1996). In particular, since past experiences and future anticipations are likely to impact Elsies current well-being, lack of inclusion of this element of human growth and development within the Ecological Model is a serious limitation in terms of assessing Elsie. For example, Elsies social systems today are extremely different to when she was younger. Indeed, Elsie has lived through two world wars, which is likely to have impacted her perceptions of herself and her social world. Another limitation to the theory its emphasis on adaptation, which it has been argued can be used to encourage individuals to accept oppressive circumstances (Coady and Lehman, 2008). Social workers using this theory in their assessments ideally need to be aware that oppression and injustice are part of the environment that needs to be considered in an ecological analysis. With this consideration, the theory offers social workers a way of thinking about and assessing Elsie holistically, within her environment and social context. The most drastic change in Elsies ecological system is the death of her husband. The possibility that Elsie is struggling with the bereavement of her husband needs to be taken very seriously. Elsies current cognitive problems might be reflective of depression associated with one of the purported stages of bereavement (Kubler-Ross, 1989). This is often characterised by feelings of guilt, lack of purpose in life, and a sense of loss. The threat of losing even more in her life, such as her role as caregiver to her grandchildren might be exacerbating the depression and any feelings of lack of purpose. The current tension within the family might also be raising concerns about losing the family, which is her primary source of support. Such fears are likely to hinder Elsie reaching a period of restoration orientation, where she can focus on building a future without her husband (Worden, 2003). Being a widow means that Elsie is likely to have a unique sense of the contribution that being in a relationship or being alone has to personal identity; this might be strengthening any concerns she has about losing other relationships within her ecological system. This sense of self in later life has been referred to as the mature imagination by Biggs (1999). If Ericksons theory of life stages were to be utilised by the social worker, they would understand that this search for identity is a very important time for Elsie and could lead to either integration or despair (Erickson, 1998). An understanding of demands and resources is important when working from the ecological perspective, an understanding which the theory itself lacks to emphasise (Coady and Lehman, 2008). For Elsie, demands within her life include coping with the loss of her husband, being responsible for collecting Mason from school, and dealing with any concerns she might have about her sons marital problems. Elsie is also likely to be worried about her forgetfulness, perhaps attributing it to signs of dementia, which is frequently perceived as an inevitable part of the ageing process (ref). In terms of resources, Elsie does not have the support of her family as they are preoccupied with their own problems. Elsies demands drastically outweigh her resources, making it particularly important that social workers consider the disempowerment that Elsie is currently experiencing. Reflexivity is essential in ensuring that Elsie is assessed not based on preconceived ideas about older people, but on the real ity of her difficult social circumstances (Dalrymple and Burke, 1995). Social Disengagement Theory Social Disengagement Theory has been described by Cumming and Henry (1961) as an inevitable mutual withdrawal . . . resulting in decreased interaction between the ageing person and others in the social systems he belongs to (p. 227). It could be argued that Elsie is preparing to disengage via the manifestation of memory problems that impact her ability to collect Mason from school and which has caused tension between the family. On the other hand, this cannot be assumed as this risks encouraging unwanted disengagement or creating a sense of obligation to disengage. If Elsie starts to feel like a burden, she might choose to disengage in order to prevent the tension she is witnessing before her. This illustrates how old age is just as much a social construction as a biological process (Estes et al., 1982). In order to work in an anti-oppressive way, social workers need to be aware that Elsie might be experiencing a sense of obligation to disengage rather than a biological need to disen gage. Whilst her forgetfulness might be a step towards disengagement, it could just as equally be the result of a self-fulfilling prophecy resulting from stereotypes of old age. Equally, it could be the signs of dementia, with cognitive functioning likely to decline rapidly if it is a sign of Alzheimers disease (Teri et al., 1995). Again, this cannot be assumed, however, as despite being seen as a natural consequence of ageing, only a minority of people develop the condition (Stuart-Hamilton, 2006). A key concern with disengagement theory is that there needs to be a move away from viewing older people as an homogenous group characterised by passivity, failing health, and dependency (Leontev, 1978). Placing Elsie within a category of older people would be oppressive and would ignore Elsies individuality, including her own personal wants and needs in terms of engaging or disengaging from society. It might be that Elsie is ready to take a step back from the responsibility of collecting her grandson from school, hence the manifestation of forgetfulness. On the other hand, it might be that Elsies identity and sense of well-being rely on the joy she gets from collecting him from school. The latter is likely if Elsies past is taken into consideration. Elsie lived through two world wars, and in order to maintain continuity of personality (Atchley, 1989), it is plausible that Elsies sense of worth is based on hard work, productivity, and social contribution. The notion of continuity of p ersonality has been supported within the literature (Reichard et al., 1962; Haan, 1986). The theory is also limited in that it does not examine sociocultural differences. In the case of Elsie, whilst she might no longer be working and she no longer has the role of wife, a social role has been established for her (Hochschild, 1976) primarily as a support to her family, whether that be collecting her grandson from school or providing financial and emotional support them. This is supported by Activity Theory (Neugarten, 1977), which posits that a healthier approach to older age is to be active and socially engaged by replacing roles from earlier in the life trajectory with alternatives, which is exactly what Elsie has attempted to do. Activity theory is supported by the finding in several studies that active older adults show higher levels of life satisfaction and morale (Boyd and Bee, 2006). Furthermore, Activity Theory is by its very nature anti-oppressive in that promotes positive images and involvement and places a value on participation and relationships (Dalrymple an d Burke, 1995). This highlights the importance of being mindful of the fact that, frequently, individuals who lose their partner in later life do not tend to start dating or looking for another partner. Elise could still have another 25-years to live, but is disengaging herself from the role of lover or wife by burying herself in her family. To utilise disengagement theory within Elsies assessment risks being ageist and making assumptions based on her age. This in turn could result in Elsie becoming socialised and disengaging from society. This is also in line with Social Exchange Theory, which posits that social life is structured around reciprocal exchange and that disengagement from society or relationships is brought about by inequalities in the exchanges available to older people (Dowd, 1980; Nelson, 2000; Hendricks, 2004). Social workers can help establish any power imbalances between an older person and their social networks by acting as an advocate and thus actively preventing further oppression (Nelson, 2000). This involves not treating older people as children by using what the Americans have termed elderspeak (i.e. calling older people dear or sweetie), which can be perceived as patronising and disrespectful (Wigmore, 2008). Such practice also acts to create a power divide, where the older person is infantilis ed and treated as a dependent person. This can be discriminative in that it is a demeaning exercise of power (Thompson, 1997). Conclusion Family relationships are complex and effective support for individual members requires the utilisation of theory and knowledge pertaining to human growth and development. Evidence-based practice via the use of theories within social work is demonstrative of best practice, especially within a social world of continually changing contexts and social norms (Fook et al., 2000; Smith, 2004); however, flexibility and an eclectic approach need to run alongside established knowledge if discrimination is to be prevented. Theory needs to be embedded in practice so that social workers continually strive to develop the theory inductively via reflexivity and the challenging of personal thoughts and feelings that might create a power imbalance (Argyris and Schon, 1974). Social workers are a powerful social group whose practice can maintain discrimination if they do not remain aware of personal and social prejudices (Payne, 1997). Working according to Thompsons (1997) PCS framework can facilitate a nti-oppressive practice, whereby assessment of a family such as this one comprises an awareness of personal, psychological, practice and prejudice (P), values and norms that are internalised through socialisation via, consensus and conformity (C), and a socio-political understanding that discrimination is part of society (S). This framework is especially important when working with vulnerable adults and children such as Elsie and Molly.