Sociological Contexts

According to an article written by Sam Kennedy (Kennedy, 2014), the Lehigh Valley lost jobs this past February for the first time in about four years. This pushed some long-term unemployed persons and

The Boys & Girls Club of Kern County is a non-profit, established in 1996, dedicated to help young individuals in preparing for their futures. The chapter focuses on helping these individuals with character building, doing well in school, and becoming a responsible citizen within the community. This chapter provides services for “over 5,000 children daily at our 3 clubhouses and 49 campus based programs” (Kern County Boys & Girls Club, 2015). The goal of the organization is to make a positive influence on these children lives and their future. The Boys & Girls Club makes it easier for parents to focus on work by taking the responsibility for creating a safe and fun learning environment for these children. By doing so, children in unstable households receive a greater chance at a successful future. In 2013, the club served 2046 children at the Niles Clubhouse, where 87% of the members were on free or reduced lunch programs (Kern County Boys & Girls Club, 2015). This supports the foundation statement of the organization that the community needs to be involved in making programs that will result in a better future for all children. The organization’s partnership with PG&E to provide scholarships and summer internships is one of the most prevalent portrayals of the community working together to create better futures for the children of Kern County. The after school program is the most popular program the organization offers because

The program is able to provide support for these student Monday through Friday, barring holidays and school breaks, at no cost to them. If the program did not exist, these students would be unable to receive the same academic support nor a safe environment to play with their peers. Additionally, the students’ parents often come topic up their child after their work day in their uniforms. If the program did not exist, the parents would have to find alternative means of care for their children after school, whether it be they return home on their own from the bus or finding a baby sitter at a costly burden. I connected with these children in this aspect as I was not privy to resources such as these. I neglected my school work that I was unable to finish by the simple inability to ask for help from my family members as they themselves did not know how to assist me with my schoolwork. The program offers a great alternative that would exist if the program was absent in the community. The longevity of the program speaks to the sustainable community relationship that the university students were able to build with the community partners at Lay Park, and the value of the program by the continued support of the Lay Park staff.

The unemployment rate within the City of Newark has been moving in the opposite direction when compared to the national rate. The country as a whole, continues to see a decline in unemployment while Newark numbers have started to climb. A number of variables are key players in contributing to the employment struggles the city faces, including voluntary unemployment, lack of skills/training/education, and acts of crime or criminal history affecting a person 's employment eligibility. As disheartening as it may be, the issue is one that isn 't being ignored. On the state, city, and community level, there are several programs and services to help combat the rising unemployment level affecting the City of Newark. One could hope, with the dedication and support of the government and citizens alike, that Newark will soon follow the same trend as the rest of the country at combating unemployment.

As a campus, it is up to us to expose out students to more and to inspire them to do more. So, it is in our best interest to partner with our surrounding community leaders. We are within the ideal area; there are major churches such as Antioch, Concord, Friendship West, and Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Along with the churches, there is Youth World that serves as an aid to at-risk children. Another bonus is the fact that the high school a majority of our students will graduate from is right up the street.

Unemployment varies among, class, gender, and rate. In the article, we look at the unemployment rate among black people. Indiana is one of the five states where unemployment among black people is below national average. The state is looking for solutions such as placing a focus on education, so that way it can provide support for easing into careers, and collaborate with local businesses to provide training for basic job skills. There are also groups established such as the Indianapolis Urban League, and they help people summit resumes and provide career readiness training for families. Ultimately, the unemployment rate has its roots in the problem of poverty. Those who start their lives in poverty, statically they will never escape it. They

Grant Elementary School’s mission is to create and build an integrated learning community based upon the principles of dignity, competence, individual achievement and preparing students for the future. My role at Grant School is to assist the Guidance Counselor in providing individual and group counseling to “at-risk” students who need additional support in an effort to address any barriers that interfere with success at school. Grant is a one-site school district located five miles southeast of Redding CA in the community of Centerville. The school serves approximately 125 preschool students and 655 K-8 students. The Centerville area is a rural setting featuring a real estate market with housing variety and available acreage. Many professional families choose to reside within the Grant attendance boundaries because of Grant’s high academic standards. Grant also attracts students from outside the attendance area. Over 57% of the children enrolled at Grant live outside the district’s boundaries. 79% of the student population is Caucasian, 9% Hispanic, 6% two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian and .5% African American, and 16% students participate in a free or reduced-cost lunch program. Counseling services were recently implemented this year at Grant School as a result of funding made available through Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).

The support of the club has given back to all areas of influence including schools, cemeteries, businesses, and programs such as the Warrior Outreach. The club has been involved with many outstanding events such as feeding the homeless; providing gifts for under privileged kids; partnering with local schools to help establish a positive foundation for the youth through interaction; clearing and cleaning overgrown cemeteries with the preservation society; and assisting with the restoration of homes belonging to citizens in the area. One of the most interesting things that the club does that should never go unnoticed is empowering and providing great leaders with an outlet to be able to do these amazing things. Individuals will struggle to find a way to make a difference in the community, but when like minded individuals come together the opportunities seem to present themselves in abundance.

In order to see the broader social context we must need to understand first what social context actually is?

I think that one of the biggest problems our economy has to face right now is the unemployment rate. Nationwide, our unemployment rate is 4.9%, that means that approximately 7.8 million people are considered to be part of our labor resource but not working. In Louisiana the unemployment rate is at 6.9% and locally in Lafayette it is 7.8%, There are a great number of reasons a person becomes unemployed, health issues, lack of education, lack of experience and the lack of available positions. Sadly, in our area, it is becoming commonplace to hear of a company laying off people or a neighbor who has lost their job. Oil field companies are struggling to stay afloat and unfortunately one of the first things they cut in their budgets are jobs. Our labor resources can be affected by many variables but within the last year locally, it

Give unemployed job seekers a real, fresh start. It is hard enough being out of work. Workers unemployed face discrimination for being out of work and scared that they mite lose the unemployment benefits before finding and new job. Stop the discrimination against the unemployed job seekers, instead, help them get good jobs and keep them solvent while they are looking for one.

They speak on behalf of those who require special or gifted education. Their group has over 30,000 members and is still growing. They set standards of the highest quality education for kids who differ from the norm, either above or below. The CEC makes sure that the needs of these kids are met, and that they do not fall through the cracks. They also provide initiatives and ideas to improve the special education field. They are a valuable source of information, not only in our university, but also in the Special Education

When unemployment strikes a family it can have devastating effects on everyone, including the children. Some effects are academic setbacks, but most

Many Americans throughout the United States are without employment due to the inadequacy of jobs. The rate of unemployment has increased dramatically from city to city worldwide for, this is a serious issue that needs to be resolved. It can have negative effects on people’s lives physically, financially, and mentally. In addition, in my hometown New Orleans, Louisiana jobs are unquestionably scarce, however with the right solutions jobs will increase tremendously. I believe, in order to create job development in Louisiana there should be more education/ job training, job fairs, and tax incentives.

Humans are unique creatures simply due to the fact that every person grows up in a different environment. I know for a fact that the way I grew up is different compared to the way my friends grew up, and it is different compared to how others grew up and will grow up in the past and future. This paper covers the subject of sociocultural context, what it is, how it can impact a child, and how it impacted my own development.