Parentâ€Child and Sibling Relationships

Introduction This section lays a foundation on the subject of sibling relationships. The goal is to give the reader a highlight of the content of the paper. Research on children relationships takes three divergent routes. The research on parent–child relationships focuses on how parents establish and/or maintain relationships with their children.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Parent–Child and Sibling Relationships specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The second approach entails how children form relationships with their peers in different social settings such as schools. The third approach, which is the focus of this thesis, is on children relationships with their siblings. This relationship exists long after the demise of one’s parents and long before one meets his or her spouse. In this sense, it may be regarded as the longest relationship that people form in their lives. It determines child ren social capabilities and their capacity to resolve conflicts positively. Hence, the connection is critical in their emotional and cognitive developments (Kennedy, Kramer, 2008, p. 568). Using peer-reviewed journal articles, the current thesis begins with a discussion of the general informational and historical background of sibling relationships. It then discusses impacts of sibling relationships, their differences across cultures, factors that influence them and their effects on siblings. In the last section, the thesis addresses the ways of ensuring closeness in sibling relationships. The Sibling Relationships Historical Views on Sibling Relations This section presents the psychoanalytic approach to family relations as one of the earliest attempts to explain sibling relationships. This school of thought is associated with psychologist Sigmund Freud. Sigmund interpreted sibling relations as a manifestation of Oedipus complex where male siblings competed for maternal attention w hile female siblings compete for the attention of their fathers (De Vleminck, 2010, p. 173).Advertising Looking for thesis on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although contentious, psychologists such as Alfred Adler assert that siblings build their personality through struggles to gain significance from their parents and that birth order is an important determinant of the development of sibling personalities (Boll, Ferring, Filipp, 2005, p. 155). According to Howe (2012), psychologist David Levy suggested in 1941 that siblings exhibit rivalry with older siblings (p. 1). They show an aggressive behavior towards new infant siblings in such a typical way so that it can be sufficiently considered a normal character of sibling relationships. Any behavior towards a newborn sibling is related to the perception of different changes in the previous relationships between firstborns and the parents so that people’s psy chological processes can be said to influence sibling relationships. Cross-section and longitudinal researches that were conducted in the 21st century reveal that sibling relations influence the personality of individuals. With the identified risk factors to poor sibling relationships, various studies by identify aggression prevention and conflicts prevention as important strategies for creating positive sibling relationships (Murray, Dwyer, Rubin, Knighton-Wisor, Booth-LaForce, 2014, p.1361; Buist Vermande, 2014, p.529). In the literature on quality of sibling relationships, the focus has been made on studying psychological implications of sibling relationships, variations in sibling relationships in societies, and the implications of their successful and unsuccessful development. Characteristics of Sibling Relationships This bit presents sibling relationships as an issue that is characterized by conflicts, intimacy, rivalry, and warmth during childhood, adolescence, and adulthoo d (Dixon, Reyes, Leppert Pappas, 2008, p. 119).Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Parent–Child and Sibling Relationships specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The type of sibling relationships depends on different factors such as attachment levels, the environment in which children are brought up, and/or family constellation. For example, the process of modernization and industrialization increases social mobility such that siblings become detached from one another with time (Knigge, Maas, Leeuwen, Mandemakers, 2014, p.549). Attachment between children and their parents has a powerful role in the development of social-emotional traits at childhood. Ward, Vaughan, and Robb (1988) posit that parent-child attachments predict future child aptitude and interaction behaviors with peers and siblings since the kids tend to emulate their parents’ behaviors (p.643). A scholarly contention has been witnessed that early children relationships are critical in determining their identity and personality. Since parents and siblings form the first relationships with infants, there has been intense interest in studying the influence of parents and sibling relationships on psychological development of children from infancy and early childhood through adolescence to adulthood (Kolak, Volling, 2011, p. 214). Hence, it is crucial to investigate the issue of conflicts that characterizes parent-sibling interactions.Advertising Looking for thesis on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conflict among siblings is a common characteristic of the sibling relationship. Conflicting relationships among siblings may result from learning (Bascoe, Davies, Cummings, 2012, p. 2121). Children learn to be violent from observing parents and adults who engage in violent acts. Therefore, it is possible for children brought up by parents who regularly have domestic wrangles to be violent. Siblings also learn conflict resolution and management from their immediate environment. Sibling rivalry is also a common phenomenon. Children learn rivalry from their environment. When parents, relatives, and neighbors involve themselves in rivalry, children consider enmity an acceptable behavior (Campione-Barr, Bassett Greer, Schwab Kruse, 2014, p. 666). Therefore, they follow by imitating and replicating the behavior. However, the development of such characteristics is highly dependent on individual child’s characteristics and guidance from parents. Impact of Sibling Relationships This section explores the benefits of successful sibling relations with peers, parents, relatives, and teachers. The section further explores the effects of unsuccessful sibling relationships. Successful sibling relationship refers to a situation where people from a certain family end up demonstrating a long-lasting mutual relationship that is marked by the cooperation of all members, regardless of their marital status or job rank as they grow up. Benefits of Successful Sibling Relationships As this section reveals, sibling relations are associated with benefits such as the privilege of enjoying the companionship of each other and the sharing of each other’s emotions in a joyous setting. Individuals who have successful relationships end up enjoying the companionship of each of the siblings. Feinberg, Sakuma, Hostetler, and McHale (2013) assert that most people in the US are more likely to have siblings to get the aforementioned camaraderie (p.97). In the European-American context , the authors also reckon that children’s most time is spent in the company of siblings as opposed to any other person. In the minority groups, siblings play the role of companionship and care giving (Feinberg et al., 2013, p.97). Therefore, it is important to ensure sibling closeness as a strategy that guarantees positive interactions. Feinberg et al. (2013) present SAS (Siblings Are Special) program for preventing adolescence-related behavioral problems, which may decrease sibling closeness by impairing the quality of their relationships (p. 98). Analysis of the program reveals that SAS model is important in increasing sibling engagements. Sibling interactions form the basic tenets for developing relationship skills. Building positive relationships is impossible without a compromise. Indeed, Feinberg et al. (2013) assert that sibling relations are built on frequent and high conflict levels compared to any other close relationship in people’s lives (p.98). Aggressive behavior is also common among siblings. Therefore, the closeness between siblings can be increased by encouraging constructive conflicts to help in establishing avenues for building trust among them. In this process, attention should be focused on reducing antagonism, quests for domineering other siblings, and negative criticism. Specifically, parents have major responsibilities to ensure fairness and equality amongst siblings to minimize power struggles. Siblings who have successful associations exchange their emotions in an environment of love, engagement in conflicts, and support. Although aggression among siblings has been considered an acceptable phenomenon, it potentially influences childhood and adolescent adjustments (p.2). The researcher finds proactive aggressive behavior among siblings, increased use of substances, and high depressive moods as important risk factors for child delinquency. These relationships persist even after the researchers adjust various family differe nces, stress, and even social-graphic variations (Tucker et al., 2014, p.1). Therefore, minimization of proactive aggression among siblings can aid in increasing their closeness. Oh et al. (2015) examined the longitudinal trajectories in behaviors of young children towards their infants in the context of avoidance, antagonism, and positive engagement (p. 126). 50% of all the investigated children were well engaged. Such children portrayed outstanding levels of engagement with their siblings’ infants who were characterized by little incidents of avoidance and antagonism (Oh et al., 2015, p.126). This claim suggests that reducing antagonism and avoidance behaviors towards infants by other siblings through enhancing positive engagement can help to increase closeness among siblings. For adolescents who are transiting to colleges, Lindell, Campione-Barr, and Greer (2014) reckon the need to put in place strategies for ensuring continued positive relationships between the first and second born as the firstborn transits into college is important for the sustenance of close sibling relationships in the future years, including adulthood (p. 79). Such strategies entail maintaining adequate egalitarian relationship during childhood and reducing sibling conflicts both in childhood and in adolescence (Lindell et al., 2014, p.80). Negative Effects of Unsuccessful Sibling Relations As this section reveals, unsuccessful sibling relationships have negative implications such as sibling victimization and psychological issues that lead to conflicts. Sibling victimization may involve physical assault, which leads to injury. Such injuries produce negative psychological effects on the victim. The situation may lead to rivalry and lower warmth between siblings. Although psychology scholars contend that aggression is normal among siblings, aggression that leads to victimization indicates unsuccessful sibling relationships. Iturralde et al. (2013) identify moderating effects of s uccessful sibling relationships in adjusting to inter-parental conflicts (p. 716). Therefore, unsuccessful sibling relations heighten the threshold of negative effects of inter-parental conflicts. There is growing research evidence that links psychological issues to sibling relationships. For example, Buist and Vermande (2014) assert that sibling relationships have identifiable implications on psychosocial functioning of children (p.529). Some of the indicators of the level of quality sibling relationships are warmth and conflicts (Randell, Peterson, 2009, p. 859). Warmth refers to the psychological feeling of intimacy and the capacity of a sibling to provide companionship (Gamble, Yu, Kuehn, 2011, p. 606). Emotional attraction towards one’s siblings determines whether to connect more or retract from the siblings’ warmth or companionship. Hatred constitutes a psychological emotion that influences sibling relationships. Hatred and perceptions of competition for parent al attention can influence the degree of closeness between siblings. The two elements have the potential of forming sibling relationships based on negative conflicts and proactive aggression. Influences on Sibling Relationships Introduction This section provides various studies that have been done concerning the influence of cross-cultures on sibling relations. The section presents cross-culture, identity, personality, and social development as some of the areas that sibling relationships tend to influence. Cross-Culture Effects Individualist customs that are prevalent in America and some parts of Europe highlight individual accomplishment, irrespective of the cost of team ambitions. Such customs lead to a tough rivalry. Collectivist customs that are common in China focus on the folks and group agenda, as opposed to personal needs. In their literature review on cross-cultural differences in sibling relationships, Buist, Paalman, and Branje (2014) identify different studies that conf irm cultural differences in sibling relationships among western and non-western societies (p. 267). They reveal how past studies define sibling relationships in terms of love-hate dimension, which reflects individuation and competition that are associated with western cultures (Buist et al., 2014, p.267). In the western cultures, siblings have a discretionary type of sibling interactions. They are encouraged to remain in close contact. Some elder brothers and sisters may be required to assume the role of taking care of their other younger blood relatives while their parents assume the main duty of attending to their kids. However, in the case of non-industrialized cultures, forming relationships with younger siblings constitutes an obligation for older siblings (Buist et al., 2014, p.267). This observation suggests that cultural norms and values advocate strong cooperation and closeness among siblings in such cultures (Kretschmer, Pike, 2010, p. 411). Culture defines norms, values, and ways of thinking of a given group of people. These aspects may determine the mechanisms for forming social relationships between siblings. Buist et al. (2014) examined sibling relationships in the cross-cultural context by comparing the quality of sibling associations among the Moroccan and Dutch sibling samples (p. 269). After collecting data through questionnaires and analyzing it, the researchers found a significant difference in the quality of sibling relationships amongst Moroccan and Dutch adolescents. The Moroccan siblings reported high levels of quality relationships and lower prevalence levels of behavior problems compared to the Dutch adolescents (Buist et al., 2014, p.269). Nevertheless, problems of anxiety and depression among the siblings in both Moroccan and Dutch samples were similar (Buist et al., 2014, p.272). Different cultures adopt different parenting styles. In the Mexican descent society, Gamble and Yu (2014) observe how democratic parenting supports sibli ng relationships that are characterized by less egoism and high levels of warmth (p.223). Identity As this paragraph confirms, different identities and socialization processes that form the personality of siblings may impair sibling associations due to disagreements and low cooperation levels. Through differentiation, during puberty and maturity, siblings distinguish themselves from others to create uniqueness in behaviors and socialization processes (Wong et al., 2010, p.674). Cultures such as Indonesia and Costa Rica are identified by their value of the family unit (Yaman, Mesman, Jzendoorn, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Linting, 2010, p. 619). Hence, children and teenagers show more security, intimacy, companionship, and satisfaction when they are with their siblings than when they are with their friends. Youths in countries such as the USA find happiness and acceptance from their friends (Yaman et al., 2010). Time for most of the USA children is spent in shared activities with friends. Family-oriented societies, also known as collectivistic cultures, enhance more sibling interdependence where the situation of children looking out for each other defines the daily life (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 621). In South Asian communities, children play important responsibilities in the course of their continued existence. Running of home properties, birthright sharing, and important formal procedures are effectively taken care of by brothers and sisters. In idiosyncratic societies, a high significance is given to personal accomplishments. Yaman et al. (2010) conduct a study on collectivist and individualistic cultures (p. 618). According to Yaman et al. (2010), collectivist cultures are identified by their participation in cooperative tasks (p. 621). Besides, much focus is given to what people have in common. Individualistic societies are characterized by participation in competitive duties. Much weight is given to what makes the individuals unique (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 621). Affluence, independence, and variety among siblings are given importance in the individualistic setting. Siblings in the individualistic settings grow to be strong and self-independent (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 620). Eccentricity exists in Western Europe and a large part of the US while the communal society is evident in Asia and some Europe regions among other places. Due to the self-independent nature of the individualistic society, children in such a society mature and discover themselves at an early age. Development prevails in the individualistic society because siblings value personal achievement and sovereignty (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 621). Personality This section shows how sibling relationships shape the personality of many kids, when it comes to the sharing of skills and ideas with their peers, especially if they have same age bracket where they spend most of their times interacting as a team. Children utilize most of their time with their peers than their parents while gro wing up. Through this interaction, Cicirelli (1995) confirms how they form their characters and learn effective skills on socializing and taking care of each other (p. 23). Therefore, siblings act as cultural brokers who transfer values and practices across generations. Regardless of the widespread inclination in sibling associations, the society shows differences in family affairs. In industrialized nations such as the United States, siblings are defined mainly by biological relations, which focus on the immediate family as the defining factor of relationship. In other countries, all kids within an equivalent age bracket are considered brothers and sisters, while other cultures deploy a discrete characterization to distinguish brothers and sisters by considering their masculinity or femininity traits and birth arrangements. More respect and responsibility are usually placed on older siblings across all generations. Children influence each other as they grow. A kid’s peers de termine his or her character. Parents across cultures are always aware of this fact since most of them end up advising their kids on the groups of peers that they need to interact with or avoid. They have always been judgmental of their children’s company. While growing, children consider things such as birth order, sex, and age to select their mates (Robertson, Shepherd, Goedeke, 2014, p.37). Collective cultures and individualistic cultures differ when it comes to sibling relationships. Collective cultures tend to be more family-oriented (Yaman et al., 2010). They have shown a significant level of sibling relations and involvement. Brothers and sisters in communal backgrounds such as the Latinos utilize approximately half of their valuable moments with their peers and relatives as opposed to the American kids who do not utilize as much duration with their relatives. They tend to find more value in spending time with their friends. Social Development This segment shows how c ollectivistic societies instill the culture of family cohesion, cooperation, togetherness, and conformity to the set standards. The section shows how this culture cultivates an environment of unity and love where all members are free to seek and get crucial advice from the rest when it comes to accomplishing any task in the family. The idiosyncratic society upholds personal growth and the communication of individual issues. When the American children who grew in an individualistic society are asked to express themselves or narrate a story that they had been told before, most of them are specific. They describe the story from a personal experience than Korean or Chinese kids who grew up in a collective society (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 619). Children in the collective society evaluate stories from a positive aspect and discuss other people more than the American children. The mind of children in individualistic societies is more specific. It focuses on individual situations that they h ave encountered. On the other hand, the mindset of children in a collective society is more general and less emotional. Their thinking is social relationship-focused. These patterns and differences in mindset and reasoning are seen because western cultures enhance autonomy (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 620). They put significance on personal qualities. Hence, siblings in such cultures are raised to stand out and speak for themselves, whereas eastern cultures improve togetherness and give importance to the group. Siblings here are brought up to focus on the society around them. The cultural differences in siblings across culture persist even into their adult life. College students in the individualistic society talk about personal preferences and autonomy in relation to their partners in the collective society. Despite the differences in a relationship due to cultural differences, siblings can integrate more than their culture when exposed to a different environment where they can form a b icultural identity (Yaman et al., 2010, p. 619). Influence on the Quality of Sibling Relations Successful Relationships Parent/Peer-Child Interaction As this section reveals, successful sibling relationships produce positive effects on the growth and development of children from their childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Such effects can be grouped into peer/parent-child, child-environment interaction, and child-power status. Sibling relationships constitute one of the long lasting relationships in an individual’s life (Iturralde, Margolin, Shapiro, 2013, p.717). Such interactions also act as the foundation for the formation of other relationships such as a positive affiliation with peers and parents (Downey et al., 2015, p. 274). For instance, successful sibling associations increase warmth and emotional attachments between children and their parents and peers (Buist Vermande, 2014, p.529). Therefore, success in inducing positive sibling relationships is important f or better sibling interaction with other peers in their adolescent and adulthood (Campione-Barr, Smetana, 2010, p. 464). Cultural value theory and ethnic equivalence hypothesis explain how differences in familial relationships influence the quality sibling relationships (Padilla-Walker, Harper, Jensen, 2010, p. 420). Families that have different ethnicity when compared to the main cultures thrive in alternative value systems. This situation has the implication of encountering similar experiences among specific family contexts to produce deviations in the meaning of certain elements that define sibling relationships among minority families. Ethnic equivalence theory holds that familial relations do not have direct impacts on the outcomes of children since they surpass any ethnic boundary to display universality in terms of their influence. This claim implies that no significant differences in sibling relationships are anticipated in cross-cultural contexts. The assemblage of famili es, their structure, and traits of each child influence value sibling relationships. Assemblage implies the number of brothers and sisters, birth progression, kids and grownups’ gender and years, the level of interaction (taken up or brother/sister), and kids’ intervals. Despite the fact that different types of family relationships play a key part in influencing sibling relationships, the quality of parent-children relationship greatly influences sibling relationships. Differences that are peculiar to each child are important in influencing their interaction (Shalash, Wood, Parker, 2013, p.288). For example, young children have temperament as an important factor that determines their relationships while older children have cognitive, personality, and social skills, which are important determinants of sibling relationships (Murray et al., 2014, p.1363). Factors that influence the quality of sibling rapport are related to one another. For example, Dixon et al. (2008) ob served the relationships between personality and birth order in large families (families with 6 or more siblings) using a sample size of 361 siblings (p. 119). The researchers focused on Neuroticism, Psychoticism, and extraversion personality traits (Dixon et al., 2008, p.119). Using hierarchical model, the researchers also scrutinized the impacts of age, size of families, and gender on the siblings’ personality. They identified an age effect on the extraversion personality while the size of families and gender did not produce any significant impacts on any of the investigated personality aspects (Dixon et al., 2008, p.119). This observation suggests that age has an effect on the quality of sibling relationships. As the age increases, it influences the personality of individual siblings. Oh, Volling, and Gonzalez (2015) indicate that the quality of sibling relationships changes with time, as it is emotionally less intense among middle-aged siblings and those in the adolescent stage (p.120). Although the family environment during the siblings’ childhood may have produced high-quality relationships, they (siblings) experience lower quality relationships at adulthood due to the competing pressures of their work and individual families. Child-Environment Interaction The environment in which siblings are brought up influences the quality of their relationships. The environment can be shared or not (Dixon et al., 2008, p.120). Mutual surroundings such as growing up in the same home produce more similarities in terms of character definition while the non-shared atmosphere is associated with character variations that may be observed among brothers and sisters. Siblings may also fail to share the same environment due to their birth order. Thus, they undergo different experiences, which influence their personalities differently (Dixon et al., 2008, p.120). Although the birth sequence may affect the quality of interaction in terms of their people’s d istinctiveness, there lacks scholarly evidence and agreement on how it exactly influences the personality of individuals. However, the power difference that is associated with the birth order has effects on the quality of sibling relationships. Child-Power Status Firstborns are co-caregivers in many nonwestern societies. Thus, they function as surrogates parents. This situation makes them enjoy high power over other siblings in a family. The power status increases with an increasing age gap between siblings. It also varies depending on gender. For example, older girls are known in some cultures as better caregivers and teachers to their younger siblings relative to older boys. Dixon et al. (2008) assert that birth order has effects on the quality of sibling relationships (p.120). Firstborns feel more threatened by a second born since they have to share their power and parents’ attention and affection with the second and subsequent births. Second and subsequent births may not feel this threat since they find power already vested in the firstborn sibling. In a cross-sectional study, Whiteman, McHale, and Crouter (2007) examined the influence of older siblings on younger siblings (p. 970). They assessed aspects such as peer competence, interests in sports and arts, and engagement in risky behaviors. The researchers found a positive correlation between the reported temporary involvement together with intimacy and positive influence for younger siblings (Whiteman et al., 2007, p.963). Indeed, siblings reported similarities in terms of engagement, interest in the examined domains and high competence when older ones had the power of influence to the younger ones (Whiteman et al., 2007, p.970). In nonwestern cultures, sibling relationships are characterized by high cooperation. To verify this claim, Song and Volling (2015) examined the relationship between co-parenting, temperament among firstborns, and cooperative behaviors upon request by their mothers to hel p in changing their one-month-old infant diapers (p. 130). Questionnaires were given to gather primary data concerning the assessment of parents’ temperament and cooperative behaviors of their children. Song and Volling (2015) confirm the study results that suggest that irrespective of mothers’ demographic characteristics, co-parenting influences the quality of sibling relationships whereby soothability acts as an important determinant of cooperation among siblings (p. 130). Unsuccessful Relationships Many factors cause unsuccessful relationships among siblings. They include sibling birth and aggressive behavior/victimization. This segment considers poor reception of a subsequent birth by other siblings an important determinant of failing sibling relationships. Volling et al. (2014) assert that mothers report high opposition behaviors among firstborns against their siblings in three weeks after birth (p.634). This situation causes noncompliance and naughty conducts amo ng firstborns. For mothers, such manners cause a considerable amount of stress. Firstborns who eagerly wait for their siblings’ birth respond in an affectionate manner as a call for caring of the infant sibling few days after birth (Volling et al., 2014, p.634). This claim suggests that where firstborns receive their second born and subsequent siblings as threats to their power structures with their parents, they (subsequent siblings) are likely to receive them negatively. This case leads to poor quality sibling relationships at an early age where the family environment does not shape the initial negative perceptions accordingly. Indeed, among adult siblings, the quality of their relationships depends on their childhood familial environment (Dixon et al., 2008, p.120). Through LPA (latent profile analysis), Volling et al. (2014) researched the reactions of children to their fathers or mothers’ interactions with newborn sibling infants (p. 634). The examined parents rep orted a high prevalence of behavioral problems among children after one to four months of sibling birth. A new birth creates an emotion of jealousy in an older sibling (Volling et al., 2014, p. 634). This case creates a rivalry behavior. Nevertheless, having a sibling has positive effects on educational skill attainment. Downey, Condron, and Yucel (2015) found that children who did not have siblings lagged behind in the attainment of social skills from kindergarten to the fifth grade compared to those who had either brothers or sisters (p. 273). This observation suggests that siblings influence one other positively through social skill development where each relative is free to share his or her social skills such as playing particular games and group singing among other social activities. In fact, as Downey et al. (2015) confirm with reference to social skill development, the quality of sibling affiliation, which increases social skill attainment, depends on sibling interactions in a family context (p. 273). The quality of such interactions then influences the capacity of siblings to form positive relationships with their peers in other social settings such as schools. Tanrikulu and Campell (2014) investigated the engagement of siblings in bullying behavior (p. 1). Drawing from 455 participants from grade 5-12, the findings indicated a high percentage of traditional bullying behavior for siblings relative to bullying by peers. Despite the low number of intimidators in cyber and other localities, brothers and sisters mentioned unfair treatment and sophisticated deeds in the process of carrying out harassment. Maltreatment is a negative behavior. It affects people’s creativity levels, reduces morale, may cause accidents, influences negatively moral and ethical judgment capacity, and/or hinders people from realizing their full potential in their areas of talent (Feinberg et al., 2013, p. 97). Thus, its possession among siblings indicates unsuccessful sibli ng relations. Aggression and victimization are associated with unsuccessful sibling relations. For example, Tucker, Finkelhor, Turner, and Shattuck (2014) present a growing body of research that indicates how victimization among siblings has direct relationships with poor mental health (p.625). The researchers hypothesize that conflicts between parents and violence in families influence experiences of children in victimization. Upon conducting a multinomial regression analysis, the results indicate that sibling victimization relates to negative family experiences. This observation implies that parent–children relationships are important not only for a successful development of sibling relations, but also for mitigation of sibling engagement in family conflicts (Recchia Howe, 2008, p. 1564). However, although negative conflicts among siblings may indicate unsuccessful sibling relations, positive conflicts are important as the basis of developing respect and trust among siblin gs. Conclusion This study has established issues that parents should focus on in their parenting roles to ensure that siblings develop and maintain positive relationships from childhood to adolescence and even in adulthood. The study emphasizes that parents should note that although issues that influence the quality of sibling relationships such as their separation when they attend colleges or relocation in search of jobs are inevitable, they have the capacity to create and control the environment for developing and sustaining their positive relationship. They need to mitigate factors that lead to poor quality sibling relationships. Research on various normative issues that influence sibling relations at adulthood identifies childhood environment as an important issue that determines the quality of the relationship. Siblings who grow up in families that have cohesive ties exhibit closer relationships. Psychological factors such as emotional attention between siblings and warmth affe ct the element of closeness among siblings. Proactive aggression and negative conflicts have the effect of lowering the quality of sibling relationships. Thus, to create closeness among siblings, parents need to provide an enabling environment for facilitating their close interactions by eliminating risk factors that allow the growth of conflicts, which may lead to the emergence of aggressive behaviors among siblings. Reference List Bascoe, M., Davies, T., Cummings, M. (2012). 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(2014). Fighting Like Brother and Sister: Sibling Relationships and Future Adult Romantic Relationship Quality. Australian Psychologist, 49(1), 37-43. Shalash, M., Wood, D., Parker, S. (2013). Our Problems Are Your Sibling’s Fault: Exploring the Connections Between Conflict Styles of Siblings During Adolescence and Later Adult Committed Relationships. American Journal of Family Therapy, 41(4), 288-298. Song, J., Volling, B. (2015). Co-parentin g and Children’s Temperament Predict Firstborns’ Cooperation in the Care of an Infant Sibling. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(1), 130-135. Tanrikulu, I., Campell, M. (2014). Sibling Bullying Perpetration: Associations with Gender, Grade, Peer Perpetration, Trait Anger, and Moral Disengagement. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1(1), 1-15. Tucker, C., Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Shattuck, A. (2014). Family Dynamics and Young Children’s Sibling Victimization, Journal of Family Psychology, 28(5), 625-633. Tucker, C., Gundy, K., Wiesen-Martin, D., Sharp, E., Rebellon, C., Strcuzzi, N. (2014). Proactive and Reactive Sibling Aggression and Adjustment in Adolescence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1(1), 1-23. Volling, B., Yu, T., Gonzalez, R., Kennedy, D., Rosenberg, L., Oh, W. (2014). Children are Responses to Mother-Infant and Interaction with a Baby Sibling: Jealousy or Joy? Journal of Family Psychology, 28(5), 634-644. Ward, M., Vaughan, B., Robb, M. (19 88). Social-Emotional Adaptations and Infant-Mother Attachment in Siblings: Role of the Mother in Cross-Sibling Consistency. Child Development, 59(1), 643-651. Whiteman, S., McHale, S., Crouter, A. (2007). Explaining Sibling Similarities: Perceptions of Sibling Influences. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 36(1), 963-972. Wong, T., Branje, S., VanderValk, I., Hawk, S., Meeus, W. (2010). The Roles of Sibling in Identity Development in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood. Journal of Adolescence, 33(2), 673-682. Yaman, A., Mesman, J., Jzendoorn, M., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M., Linting, M. (2010). Parenting in an Individualistic Culture with a Collectivistic Cultural Background: The Case of Turkish Immigrant Families with Toddlers in the Netherlands. Journal of Child Family Studies, 19(5), 617-628. This thesis on Parent–Child and Sibling Relationships was written and submitted by user Alessandra O. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Explore the theme of love in Auden Essays

Explore the theme of love in Auden Essays Explore the theme of love in Auden Paper Explore the theme of love in Auden Paper Essay Topic: W H auden Poems This was an arranged marriage which allowed her to have the British citizenship and escape from Nazi Germany. Aden met his true love, the poet Chester Coalman, in New York in 1939. Coalman became Addends companion for the rest of his life. Love is a recurrent theme in Addends poetry but so are many others such as world war two, politics, indifference, nature or time. Therefore, we could ask ourselves how important love is in Addends poetry. As Aden has been in love for the major part of his life, a lot of his poems talk about it or at least mention it. Among them, the most famous one is Funeral Blues as it has been used in the movie Four weddings and a funeral. In this poem, Aden talks about the death of his lover. It is one of the rare poems in which Aden assumes his homosexuality when he says He Is Dead. It must be said that at this time, being gay was unacceptable and people could even end up in jail for that (this might be one of the reasons why in the memo Roman Wall Blues, Aden talks about my girl though we know that his lover was a man). In Funeral Blues, the poet describes how the lover meant everything to him, by using the lexical field of space North, South, East, West, time noon, midnight, but also senses such as the view or hearing especially in the first stanza. The entire poem is about the void that the death of the lover has left and how much he counted in Addends life. This is pretty much the same in the poem underneath the abject willow. Indeed, in the two poems the lover is dead. But in the second one, there is a positive note by the middle of the poem Strike and you shall conquer which become more and more imposing by the end of it. It ends up on a sign of hope walk then, come, no longer numb into your satisfaction which is contrasting with the beginning. This sudden change in the characters way of thinking almost makes the reader forget that at first, this poem was written after the lovers death and it could possibly be a way for the author to express his grief. This evolution of atmosphere is common with other poems such as The more loving one. It begins very sadly, the poet seems depressive for all they care, can go to hell. The use vulgarity is a sign of how fed up the poet is. He uses it again in stanza three stars that do not give a damn to emphasis that he has had enough. Indeed, being in love is never easy because as Aden says equal affection cannot be. One person always loves more than the other does. Aden wants to be the more loving one, not as a sign of sacrifice but rather as a sign of understanding of the situation. By the end of the poem, he seems appeased by his choice, or at least a little, and able to put things into respective l should learn to look at an empty sky. In this poem, Aden shows love as omnipresent in peoples lives as it keeps being a concern even at night time, under the stars. The evolution of atmosphere can be from a negative one to a positive one as we have just seen but it can also be inversely such as in O what is that sound and Refugee Blues. Indeed, in both poems, the atmosphere is quite pessimistic in the first stanzas but it becomes more and more obvious that the protagonists are wanted and that the end is going to be tragic. For instance, in O what is that sound, one of the two beakers still has hope in his voice at the beginning only the scarlet soldiers, dear, the soldiers coming but as we continue reading, we can feel that he starts worrying or perhaps a warning, now they are running and by the end, he is as scared as the first speaker is or maybe even more l promised to love you, dear, But I must be leaving. In Refugee Blues, the fact that the protagonists are wanted is really clear as soon as the first stanza yet theres no place for us, my dear, yet theres no place for us but it still becomes more ND more precise as long as we read the poem looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me. Those poems are both tragic as we understand that the characters are Jews wanted by the Nazi Germany. Love is here used as a way of moving deeply the reader as we can easily identify in the nickname dear used all along the two poems. The use of the theme of love can also be seen as a ploy to soften the harshness of reality. This use can also be found in Lullaby. Even though the major part of the poem is quite sad, love is present since the beginning lay your sleeping head, my love and until the ND watched by every human love. The love mentioned in this poem is not only romantic love, but also spiritual love. Indeed, Addends speech is quite philosophical, he wonders why the world is as it is. Love is one of the few elements that bring back the reader to the real world. It is shown as a positive thing that makes reality easier to accept. Sometimes though, love is not welcome. This is the case in Miss Gee, in which the old single lady is disgusted by the sight of the loving couples. It can be seen as a sign of jealousy and loneliness.

Write paper on PREHENSION Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write on PREHENSION - Research Paper Example movements of the several segments of fingers and hand we can hold, maintain, release, take the hand to objects or handle them and move them in all directions. Although the hand has multiple functions, the essential function is prehension. Such capacity appears from the tweezers lobster to the hand of the monkey, but in humans prehension reached its highest degree of functionality. This is due to a particular provision of thumb, which may object to all other fingers (Kapandji 1980).Human manipulative tasks are carried out by hand movements, that frequently involve forceful movements and prehension. The movement of the thumb causes the hand to be aligned with the forearm, resulting in a slight ulnar deviation of the wrist. The large number of muscles and joints of the hand obviously provides the equipment for numerous and varied patterns of movement. Not so evident, but equally important in determining complexity and dexterity of motion, are the large areas of the cerebral cortex given over to the coordination of motion and sensation in the hand. Thus, in the motor cortex the area devoted to the hands approximately equals the total area devoted to arms, trunk, and legs.  This circumstance ensures great potentiality for coordinated movement and for learning new activities. Similarly, the sensory areas are large, so that they determine such advanced functions as stereognosis, the ability to recognize the shape of an object simply by holding it in the hand. The great tactile sensitivity of the hand is, of course, in large part due to the rich supply of sense organs in the hand surface itself. The threshold for touch in the finger tip, for example, is 2 gm. per sq. mm. as compared to  33  and 26 for the forearm and abdomen respectively. Insertion of flexor and extensor muscle systems into several major segments along the proximal distal axis provides a variety of flexion extension patterns in the digits. With these attachments, fixation of carpal and metacarpal

Globalization in Morocco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalization in Morocco - Essay Example The population of Morocco is approximately 33,757,175 (World Fact Book) with a mixture of ethnic groups like Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Jewish and others. The official language spoken is Arabic and its dialects and the language used for business is French. Their legal system is based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law systems. The economic policies of Morocco brought some stability to the country in the 1990’s but could not initiate sufficient growth to put an end to the prevailing unemployment problems. The problem worsened when draught reduced the output in agriculture and as a result wheat had to be imported at sky rocketing world prices. Trying to build up small and medium enterprises and its continued dependence on foreign energy slowed down the economy still further. Therefore Moroccan authorities realize that understanding the reasons for their poverty and providing jobs to beat the problem of unemployment and improving agriculture are the key points necessary to improve domestic security and further development. To improve the living conditions of its people the Moroccan Government is trying to implement a few reforms in their effort of opening its economy to foreign investors. Their currency the dirham is wholly convertible only for current account transactions. In 2005, the Moroccan Government launched the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), a $2 billion social development plan that addressed the poverty and unemployment issues of the country and to improve the conditions of the urban slums in the country. (World Fact Book) In 2006, it also took part in the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) (World Fact Book) with the United States to resolve some of the long term issues associated with improvement in education and Job prospects for Moroccan youth. The FTA is also responsible for bridging the gap between the rich and the poor by encouraging tourism and boosting competition in the textile

Benefits of a Healthy Body Weight in the Elderly

Benefits of a Healthy Body Weight in the Elderly A Review Of The Benefits Of Nutritional Intervention In Improving Body Weight, BMI, Activities Of Daily Living (ADL), Decrease Functional Limitation and Healthcare Cost Among Elderly. Introduction Malnutrition is a condition in which consumption of insufficient of nutrients that are required by the body to maintain optimal function of the organs and tissues. Secondary to chronic or progressive disease, older people are vulnerable to malnutrition (Klipstein-Grobusch, Reilly, Potter, Edwards, Roberts, 1995; Watson, 1999). So it was believed that as the population of the elderly increases, cases of malnutrition among the elderly will also increase. 5-10% of non- institutionalized elderly are malnourished is shown in epidemiological studies (Posner et al., 1994). Furthermore, studies have shown that 51-61% of nursing home residents are at risk of malnutrition and 12-29% residents are malnourished (Guigoz, 2006; Suominen et al., 2005; Wojszel, 2006). Therefore, it can be concluded that malnutrition affect all the elderly no matter where they stay. The purpose of the review is to determine the effectiveness of nutritional intervention in improving nutritional status among the elder ly and reduce healthcare cost at the same time in order to prevent further increasing of malnutrition among elderly. It is relevant to nursing with the use of nutritional intervention such as oral supplementation because nurses can help the patients to monitor nutritional status and give feedback to the dietician when the patients are not compliance or the supplementations are not suitable for them to consume. Benefits of nutritional intervention Continuous intervention The first study used observational, prospective, longitudinal, cohort study which involved 378 elderly malnourished patients aged over 70 who lived in community, at home or in institutions which selected by general practitioners in France from two groups, group 1 with rare and group 2 with frequent prescription of oral nutritional supplements with contain high energy and protein. The aim of the study is to determine the impact of nutritional support on the cost and related comorbidities among elderly. Each patient was required to complete 12 months follow-up to measure the nutritional status, medical care consumption and identify malnutrition-related comorbidities. Nutritional status was adjusted using a generalized linear modeling approach and medical care costs were adjusted using a propensity score framework. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was significantly better in group 2 than 1from the first evaluation until the end of the study (P Another study was done in Amsterdam to determine the effectiveness of oral supplementation in decreasing functional limitation among malnourished elderly patients in hospital which involved 210 Dutch patients who aged 60 years and above using randomized control trial. Patients in intervention group received standardized nutritional support in hospital and continuing until three months after discharge. Telephone counseling by dietician is done to give advice and stimulate compliance to the proposed nutritional intake every other week after discharge. Patients in control group received the usual care and did not receive post-discharge nutritional support. Cost data were collected from societal perspective and measures using two cost diaries. The degree of difficulties patient experience with 6 activities such as climbing stairs, dress themselves, getting up and sitting down in a chair (score 0-6) measured by Functional Limitation Questionnaire (Kriegsman, Deej, van Eijk, Penninx Boeke , 1997). After three months follow-up, patients in control group had longer mean length of hospital stay and often admitted to other inpatient institutions compared to patients in intervention group. Patients in intervention groups were able to do more physical activities and costs spent were lower than in control group. The probability of the cost-effective for the intervention lies around 0.5 compared with the usual care which was 0.6 at maximum. After oral nutritional support was given, significant improvements in functional limitations was confirmed by the study done by Woo, Ho, Mak, Law, Cheung (1994). Need-based intervention A group of 92 elderly who aged 65 years and above in nursing home at Taiwan participated in a randomized, double blind, controlled trial which included one year follow-up to observe mortality. This study done to examine the effectiveness of need-based strategy in improving the nutritional status among elderly in nursing home. Elderly in intervention group were given routine monitoring and a warm soup which contained nutrient supplement while elderly in control group were given routine care and normal warm soup. The content in the soup and detail about the study was not told to the resident involved. The participants’ nutritional status was evaluated using MNA and the height, weight, mid-arm circumference, calf circumference, BMI was measured and calculated. The elderly in intervention group who give supplement would be suspended once either one of the â€Å"at risk† condition was corrected. Over-nutrition can be prevented and saved cost by giving supplements when it is needed. There was significantly improved body weight, BMI, mid-arm circumference, calf circumference and others in intervention group (all p Conclusion From this review, it concluded that nutritional intervention such as oral supplementation is effective in preventing malnutrition among elderly. Oral supplementation can be taken with warm soup that is easily prepared, saved costs and with no associated digestive problems. Even though overall studies used different methods implementing oral supplementations, the results clearly showed that there was improvement in patients’ body weight, BMI, ADL and nutrition status after nutritional intervention used. It is also effective using oral supplementation with routine screening such as MNA which enables early identification of those who are at risk so that an appropriate intervention can be taken. We as nurses are able to assess the patients’ nutritional status frequently using MNA by reporting any changes to the dietician and able to administer the oral supplementation ordered for the patients. Limitations for all the studies were small sample sizes used and health condition of the patients participated may change during the study which will cause the ineffective of the oral supplementation. Future research should be done in various hospitals, community hospitals and nursing homes so that results obtained will be more accurate. The study should be done with a longer follow-up to give more opportunities for the patients to improve and a more accurate cost spent can be obtained. A longer follow-up can determine the effectiveness of nutritional intervention on quality of life and physical activities accurately. 1 | Page

Commentary on Alphonso Lingis’s article, The World as a Whole Essay

Commentary on Alphonso Lingis’s article, â€Å"The World as a Whole† Martin Heidegger’s work in Being and Time elucidated a phenomenological ontology in which death and anxiety function as the imminent possibility of impossibility, circumscribing Dasein and inscribing weight to Dasein’s temporal existence. He constructs an individual whose ontological whole is made of three fundamental elements that function as a whole; understanding, feeling and action. This being, Dasein (translated as Being There), exists in the world, and Heidegger constructs Dasein’s ontology as being-in-the-world. This is the way Alphonso Lingis predicates his understanding of Heidegerrian phenomenology in an essay from Research in Phenomenology entitled â€Å"The World as a Whole†. In this paper, I will review this article, for it holds two extremely interesting facets to be understood by any student of phenomenology. First off, it is a very well written review of Heidegger’s phenomenology: it spans from the work in Being and Time to the work done in Poetry Language Thought, and all the way to a later essay entitled â€Å"Things†. Heidegger’s work changed radically over this time, and Lingis does a great job at showing a fluidity in his work, particularly through the notion of dwelling. Also in this article one can find some great similarities between the work of Martin Heidegger and Alphonso Lingis’s own work on death, anxiety, imperatives, the elemental and enjoyment. Lingis’s own writing rarely refers explicitly to his predecessors, his writing is full of imagery and refers constantly to experience, it can be difficult for a reader of Lingis to locate his influences by just reading his work. But, this work (along with Deathbound Subjectivities) shows Li... ...g experience as a burden, â€Å"when we are in the mood of exhilaration†¦the sense of lightness of being†¦is the sense of alleviation of the burden of being and thus presupposes and reveals it†¦Why not say that the oppressive, burdensome sense of the world presupposes the more basic sense of the lightness of the clearing around us. † This is a key point in Lingis’s transition from Heidegger, and shows his Levinasian influences. In conclusion, this article is a great artifact for any student of phenomenology. Lingis is a very articulate writer, who can point out the most perplexing complexities in Heidegger’s work and lay them out for anyone to read. He also makes huge steps in realizing Heidegger’s limitations in his notions of equipmentality and mood by recognizing the burden of the world not primary to existence, that existence is primarily lived through enjoyment.

Katherine Mansfield Essay

She was born in 1888 in Wellington, a town labeled â€Å"the empire city† by its white inhabitants, who modeled themselves on British life and relished their city’s bourgeois respectability. [1] At an early age, Mansfield witnessed the disjuncture between the colonial and the native, or Maori, ways of life, prompting her to criticize the treatment of the Maoris in several diary entries and short stories. [2] Mansfield’s biographer, Angela Smith, writes: â€Å"It was her childhood experience of living in a society where one way of life was imposed on another, and did not quite fit in† that sharpened her modernist impulse to focus on moments of â€Å"disruption† or encounters with â€Å"strange or disturbing† aspects of life. [3] Her feelings of disjuncture were accentuated when she arrived in Britain in 1903 to attend Queen’s College. In many respects, Mansfield remained a lifelong outsider, a traveler between two seemingly similar yet profoundly different worlds. After briefly returning to New Zealand in 1906, she moved back to Europe in 1908, living and writing in England and parts of continental Europe. Until her premature death from tuberculosis at the age of 34, Mansfield remained in Europe, leading a Bohemian, unconventional way of life. The Domestic Picturesque Mansfield’s short story â€Å"Prelude† is set in New Zealand and dramatizes the disjunctures of colonial life through an account of the Burnell family’s move from Wellington to a country village. The story takes its title from Wordsworth’s seminal poem, â€Å"The Prelude,† the first version of which was completed in 1805, which casts the poet as a traveler and chronicles the â€Å"growth of a poet’s mind. †[4] Although the Burnell family moves a mere â€Å"six miles† from town, the move is not inconsequential; it enacts a break with their previous way of life and alerts the family members to the various discontinuities in their lives. Beneath the veneer of the Burnells’ harmonious domestic life are faint undercurrents of aggression and unhappiness. The haunting specter of a mysterious aloe plant and a slaughtered duck in their well-manicured yard suggests that the family’s â€Å"awfully nice† new home conceals moments of brutality and ignorance toward another way of life that was suppressed and denied. [5] As I will propose, these two incidents echo the aesthetic concept of the sublime, as they encapsulate a mysterious power that awes its beholders and cannot be fully contained within their picturesque home. Through her subtle, dream-like prose, Mansfield deploys traditional aesthetic conventions like the picturesque while simultaneously transfiguring, subverting, and reinventing them in a modernist context. The concept of the picturesque was first defined by its originator, William Gilpin, an 18th century artist and clergyman, as â€Å"that kind of beauty which is agreeable in a picture. †[6] Thus, a scene or representation is beautiful when it echoes an already-established, artistic conception of beauty, revealing the self-reinforcing way in which art creates the standard of beauty for both art and life. Mansfield presents these picturesque moments in order to demystify them and reveal the suppression and violence they contain. In addition to â€Å"Prelude,† her stories â€Å"Garden Party† and â€Å"Bliss† dramatize the transformation and inversion of picturesque moments of bourgeois life and domestic harmony. While she seems to exhibit a certain attachment to these standard aesthetic forms, Mansfield subtly interrogates many of these conventions in a strikingly modernist way. Through her childhood in a colony, Mansfield also became attuned to the violence and inequalities of colonialism. As Angela Smith suggests, her early writings demonstrate a keen sensitivity towards a repressed history of brutality and duplicity. [7] In her 1912 short story â€Å"How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped,† she questions and overturns the perspective of the colonialist, whose vantage point historically trumps that of the native. The deliberate ambivalence of the word â€Å"kidnapping† dramatizes the conflict between the colonist’s perspective and Pearl’s joyful, eye-opening experiences during her abduction. In a similar way, empire dramatized for Mansfield the way that a picturesque, bourgeois household could suppress alternative perspectives. The Sublime In â€Å"Prelude,† the mysterious, sublime aloe plant disrupts the pleasant domesticity of the Burnell household. Their well-manicured yard with its tennis lawn, garden, and orchard also contains a wild, unseemly side—â€Å"this was the frightening side, and no garden at all. †[8] This â€Å"side† contains the aloe plant, which exerts a mysterious, enthralling power over its awed beholders. In its resemblance to the ocean, the aloe assumes the characteristics of the sublime: â€Å"the high grassy bank on which the aloe rested rose up like a wave, and the aloe seemed to ride upon it like a shop with the oars lifted. Bright moonlight hung upon the lifted oars like water, and on the green wave glittered the dew. †[9] For many writers and poets, the ocean was a manifestation of the sublime because of its unfathomable power and scale that awed and humbled its observers. The aloe’s strikingly physiological effect on its viewers recalls Edmund Burke’s sublime, which overpowers its observer and reinforces the limitations of human reason and control. In his famous treatise on the sublime, Burke writes: â€Å"greatness of dimension, vastness of extent or quantity† is a powerful cause of the sublime, as it embodies the violent and overpowering forces of nature. [10] In a similar vein, the child, Kezia Burnell’s first impression upon seeing the â€Å"fat swelling plant with its cruel leaves and fleshy stem† is one of awe and wonder. [11] In this case, the sublimity of the aloe plant disrupts and challenges the domestic picturesque as it defies mastery, categorization, and traditional notions of beauty. In its resistance to categorization and control, the sublime embodies the part of the ungovernable landscape that the Burnell family cannot domesticate and the picturesque cannot frame. As a result, in â€Å"Prelude,† the magnitude of the sublime interrupts and fractures the tranquil surface of the picturesque by exposing the unfathomable depths beneath it. The colonial backdrop of the Burnells’ yard also contributes to the mysterious, occult power of the aloe. This unruly part of their property hints toward a landscape that eludes domestication and serves as a constant reminder that the Burnell family is living in a land that is not quite theirs and cannot be fully tamed. [12] At the age of 19, Mansfield wrote that the New Zealand bush outside of the cities is â€Å"all so gigantic and tragic—and even in the bright sunlight it is so passionately secret. †[13] For Mansfield, the bush embodies the history of a people whose lives have been interrupted and displaced by European settlers. [14] After wars, brutal colonial practices, and European diseases had devastated the local Maori population, the bush became a haunting monument to their presence. As the Burnell family settles down to sleep on the first night in their new home, â€Å"far away in the bush there sounded a harsh rapid chatter: â€Å"Ha-ha-ha†¦ Ha-ha-ha. †[15] In her subtle way, Mansfield unveils the voices of those whose perspectives are excluded from this portrait of nocturnal domestic harmony. In a similar way, the aloe plant exudes an unfathomable history that is beyond the time and place of the Burnells. Even its age—implied by the fact that it flowers â€Å"once every hundred years†Ã¢â‚¬â€suggests that the aloe exists on a different scale than its human beholders. [16] In its ancient, superhuman scale, the aloe gestures towards the â€Å"gigantic,† indicating a subtle, but implicitly threatening power within, or in proximity of the home. The aloe is a kind of lacuna in the imperial landscape of New Zealand, whose power threatens the colonial household and its control over the landscape. [17] By disrupting and encroaching upon the ostensibly safe domestic sphere, the aloe also echoes the â€Å"unheimlich,† or uncanny, an aesthetic concept explored by Sigmund Freud in his 1919 essay, â€Å"The Uncanny. † The uncanny becomes, in part, an invasive force violating the sacred, domestic sphere and hearkens back to a previously repressed or hidden impulse: â€Å"The uncanny is something which ought to have remained hidden but has come to light. †[18] In â€Å"Prelude,† the aloe is initially depicted as a threatening force that â€Å"might have had claws instead of roots. The curving leaves seemed to be hiding something. †[19] Positioned within the safe space of their property, the aloe is a menacing, ungovernable force that seems to encroach upon it. The plant becomes part of the repressed history of the landscape—a history that is only apparent to Kezia, her mother Linda Burnell, and her grandmother Mrs. Fairfield, who are attuned to the forces below the surface of the picturesque exterior. Violent Underpinnings Beneath many of Mansfield’s picturesque domestic scenes are moments of violence and rupture. In â€Å"Garden Party,† for instance, a poor man falls to his death during the preparations for a much-anticipated social gathering of the wealthy Sheridan family, undermining the convivial spirit of the occasion. In â€Å"Prelude,† Pat, the handyman, slaughters a duck while the children watch with grotesque enthrallment as it waddles for a few steps after being decapitated. â€Å"The crowning wonder† of the dead duck walking hearkens back to Burke’s sublime, which is experienced in â€Å"Prelude† within the confines of the private residence. [20] The sublimity of this apparent defiance of the properties of death acts as a dramatic external force imposing on the observers’ intellect and reason in a profoundly Burkian way. But later that night, when the duck is placed in front of the patriarch, Stanley Burnell, â€Å"it did not look as if it had ever had a head. †[21] The duck’s picturesque dressing—â€Å"its legs tied together with a piece of string and a wreath of little balls of stuffing round it†Ã¢â‚¬â€conceals its violent death. [22] In a similar way, the â€Å"awfully nice† picturesque house is imposed upon the landscape, as if it had never been any other way. [23] Through reconfiguration and transformation, a new imperial order conceals the fact that an older order once lay beneath it. In both cases, the picturesque functions as a way of naturalizing the violent order of domination. As Pat’s golden earrings distract Kezia from her grief over the duck’s death, the duck’s pretty garnish conceals its â€Å"basted resignation. †[24] There is no such thing as a pure aesthetics, Mansfield seems to suggest, as each serene moment is implicated in some act of violence, brutality, or suppression. In â€Å"Prelude,† the good-natured Pat disrupts a pre-existing picturesque scene in which ducks â€Å"preen their dazzling breasts† amidst the pools and â€Å"bushes of yellow flowers and blackberries. †[25] Tellingly, the duck pond contains a bridge, a typical feature of the picturesque that reconciles or bridges the gap between different aspects of the scenery. In this way, the Burnell family’s cultivation of the land by planting and slaughtering ducks disrupts another underlying order. Their unquestioning appropriation of this pre-existing order mirrors the way colonial life disrupted and undermined the indigenous Maori life. Juxtaposing two picturesque scenes that interrupt and conflict with one another, Mansfield questions and unravels the conventional image of the picturesque. This interplay of various conflicting aesthetic orders constitutes part of Mansfield’s modernist style, in which aesthetic forms are ruptured, fragmented, and overturned. As the yard’s landscape bears traces of the Maori past, so the quiet harmony of the Burnells’ domesticity is underscored by deep, unspoken tensions and an animosity that hints at the uncanny. In fact, the only character who expresses any contentment is Stanley, who reflects, â€Å"By God, he was a perfect fool to feel as happy as this! †[26] Yet even he shudders upon entering his new driveway, as â€Å"a sort of panic overtook Burnell whenever he approached near home. †[27] Beneath this veneer of marital bliss and familial harmony, his wife Linda occasionally ignores her children and expresses hatred towards her husband and his aggressive sexuality: â€Å"there were times when he was frightening—really frightening. When she screamed at the top of her voice, ‘You are killing me. ’†[28] Meanwhile Stanley and Beryl, Linda’s sister, seem to have a flirtatious, indecent relationship: â€Å"Only last night when he was reading the paper her false self had stood beside him and leaned against his shoulder on purpose. Hadn’t she put her hand over his†¦ so that he should see how white her hand was beside his brown one. †[29] Dramatizing these dynamics, Mansfield suggests that a â€Å"happy† household outside of town is not as â€Å"dirt cheap† as Stanley boasts; it comes at the cost of servitude, sexual aggression, and a ravaged Maori landscape. [30] Through these layers, which Mansfield subtly strips off one at a time, she artfully exposes the way that an existing political and aesthetic order is not what it seems to be or how it has always been. Her short stories are fraught with their own tensions; while exposing the picturesque as false and absurd, she nevertheless draws on its conventional associations. Similarly, her subtle attempts to question colonial power are embedded in a seemingly idealized portrait of colonial life. Mansfield creates a seemingly beautiful or normal image, such as the happy family in â€Å"Prelude,† â€Å"Bliss,† or â€Å"Garden Party,† and then slowly challenges it through a subtle counter-narrative. In this way, her deployment of modernist techniques is less pronounced than that of James Joyce and her other modernist contemporaries. Just as she challenges aesthetic conventions, Mansfield unravels the reader’s ideas about her own stories by presenting a seemingly beautiful, transparent narrative that is haunted by tensions, lacunae, and opacity. Like the headless walking duck, these fictions of transparency and harmony quickly collapse upon closer inspection.