The system of family law has undergone rapid changes for the previous century. Such factors as non-traditional reproduction methods and sex relationships influenced the establishment of child legal support obligations. Child support is considered to provide certain financial support for children provided by their biological parents. The cause of the child support arrangement can be explained by marital separation, divorce, annulment, or dissolution. There are definitely established rules as to the parents’ responsibilities in case of necessities to provide child support.
According to the family law both biological parents are to provide child support in case they are not living with their children. In case of parents’ separation, one parent is to be the caregiver of the child. So, the other divorced parent bears responsibility to pay cost proportion for the child’s raising. There is no certain need for the child’s parents to be married but the process of chills support is legally fixed and should be provided. Child support may be established through the estoppel principle for the formation of the parental relationships with the children.
The non-custodial parent is obliged to provide child legal support in case he refuses to keep relationships with the child. Child support obligations vary from country to country, but it should be stated that on the international level there are some strict legal rules acting for every state. Thus, child support should be based on biological and legal relationships with the child (Oliphant, 2007).
Biological parents are to be obliged to provide child support for their children in case of separation. One of the parents gets financial support from the other parent for the children’s upbringing. He or she is to pay for the child care until the age established by the law.
In case one of the parents is not biological but adoptive he or she should provide child legal support in case of marriage divorce. Adoption of the child considers complete legal responsibility of the parents for their children according to the family law.
There are some cases when one of the parents is not biological but just kept the sexual relationship with the other parent; according to the law system, the divorce of such a couple does not mean that non-biological parent should provide child support. It can be explained by the fact that this parent is neither legal nor biological. The court cannot sentence him to the financial assistance from his former family. Long-term emotional relationships with the parent of the child do not mean obligations for the child support in case of separation either (Feld, 2003).
So, the analysis of the child legal support focused on the system of the family law is considered to be strictly fixed on the international level. The obligations for child support are based on different factors such as legal relationships, children adoption, and biological links. Even though the system of law differs from country to country, parents are to bear responsibilities for their children. The modern way of life changed the situation but parents should be aware that they are to follow the issues established in the family law and provide necessary living conditions for their children.
References
- Oliphant, R, & Ver Steegh, N (2007). Family Law, 2d Edition. New York: Aspen.
- Feld, B (2003) Juvenile Justice Administration in a Nutshell. St. Paul: Thomson West.
Should Children Be Taught Sex Education In School?
Parents generally have a strong opinion on whether sex should be taught in schools. Whether pro or con, these opinions are based on what the parent believes to be the responsible choice for not only their own child but for all children. Those that oppose sex education being part of the curriculum insist that it would promote sexual promiscuity by the introduction of the subject to young impressionable minds. That’s it. That’s where the reasoning begins and ends. Fortunately, the vast majority of Americans have taken the responsible viewpoint that not teaching sex-ed in schools would be indefensible.
According to the World Health Organization, there is no data suggesting that ‘sex-ed’ courses promote increased levels of sexual activity. In addition, abstinence-only programs were substantially less effective than wide-ranging sex-ed classes which include safe-sex practices along with abstinence. These conclusions came at the end of a study conducted on 35 sexual education programs throughout the world. Nationwide research by Planned Parenthood and the Guttmacher Institute produced the same deductions. Sex-Ed classes actually reduce the instances of pregnancy. Most parents understand that increased awareness promotes only increased responsibility as, according to a 1999 study conducted by Hickman-Brown Research, 93 percent of the American population wants sex to be taught at least during high school while 84 percent say it should be taught during middle school. Most parents acknowledge the reality that young people are sexually active at an earlier age than previous generations. Today, two-thirds of U.S. high school students have experienced sex by their senior year. These teenagers are contracting and spreading sexually transmitted diseases, in part, because of their lack of knowledge. People under the age of 24 are responsible for 65 percent of all sexually transmitted infections contracted in this country according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control (Masland, 2006).
The factions opposed to sex education have imposed at least some of their will on the rest of society and the children have suffered for it. Sex education classes in America’s public schools have been scaled back so as to not offend the vocal minority. What parents want and think their kids are learning falls well short of what is actually being taught. Parents simply want their kids to know the dangers and how to avoid them, just as in any other aspect of their lives. “Contrary to common wisdom, when it comes to sex education, parents want it all, from abstinence to homosexuality,” said Steve Rabin, senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation (Levine, 2000). The study by the Kaiser Foundation surveyed over a thousand secondary school kids, parents and sex-ed teachers along with more than 300 school principles. The majority of parents want schools to discuss abortion, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the use of contraception. As a supplement to a comprehensive sex-ed program, many parents and teachers support the idea that children should be taught about the dangers regarding prostitution in an effort to advise them regarding the hazards of exploitative relationships with predatory men. According to Ramon Cortines, former chancellor of New York City public schools, “Educators should teach what students need to know, not please the advocates or the politicians who scream the loudest” (Levine, 2000). Still, conservative groups continue to ignore the well-documented facts in favor of misguided ‘moral’ intentions which have served only to endanger an increasing number of children. (Hinsliff, 2004).
It has been shown through study after study that children would greatly benefit from comprehensive sex education programs at school. The knowledge of subjects such as how sexual diseases are transmitted and the multiple issues regarding teenage pregnancy and prostitution are essential to the overall well-being of children. To stubbornly deny knowledge of sex to school-aged children to protect them from horrible consequences is a greater sin than the act of unmarried sex itself. People can only make informed, responsible decisions if they have adequate information.
Works Cited
Hinsliff, Gaby. “Call for Lessons on Prostitution: Schools Should Help Children to Avoid Exploitation, Say Council Bosses.” The Neil Rogers Show. (2004).
Levine, Jeff. “Parents Want More Comprehensive Sex-Ed, Survey Says.” Web MD. (2000).
Masland, Molly. “Carnal Knowledge: The Sex-Ed Debate.” MSNBC. 2006.
Relationships And Dialogues. “The Awakening” By Kate Chopin
Edna Pontellier, the heroine of “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, lives in the United States during the 1800s. During those days, men dominated U.S. society while women were considered inferior to them. The Feminism movement that demanded women should be treated equally as men, having the same political, economic, and social rights began only in the 1900s, starting with suffrage or the right to vote, before gradually intensifying during the mid-1900s as more and more women began entering the labor force. The suppressive attitude of society during Edna’s lifetime forces her to rebel against it. Not caring about society’s approval, she follows her heart and her instinct by entering into a series of life-changing relationships in an attempt to find new meaning and happiness in life. Although she succeeds for a while, in the end, contemporary society’s expectations of women become so overpowering that Edna is forced into choosing either to follow societal norms and restrictions {thereby betraying her own beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and desires} or to leave society forever. She chooses the latter way out by committing suicide.
There are several examples in the novel that reflect society’s discriminatory attitude towards women. When Edna returns from the beach with sunburn, her husband Leonce Pontellier looks at her “as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage” (Chopin, 7), meaning that women were considered possessions of their husbands with no right to indulge in independent thoughts, expressions or actions. In a second example, Leonce describes women in general as “mother-women who idolize their children and worship their husbands and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels” (Chopin, 16), meaning that women were only fit to do the jobs of mothers and wives, rendering service to their children and husbands, and they should be proud of such a role. In a third example, Edna’s father, the Colonel, tells Leonce, “authority, coercion are what needed. Put your foot down good and hard; the only way to manage a wife” (Chopin, 119), meaning that women must be constantly and strictly scolded and reprimanded to always be under the control of their husbands.
Edna’s rebellion against society’s restrictions begins with her romantic relationships – with a cavalry officer, a man who visits the lady on a neighboring plantation, and an actor who specializes in tragedy roles (Chopin, 31/32). Her friendship with Adele Ratignolle ignites her awakening in life. Adele shares her views with Edna, discussing supposedly private subjects like underwear, pregnancy, and love affairs while “withholding no intimate detail” (Chopin, 19). As Edna assimilates this information, she begins looking at her own inner self for the first time, and under Adele’s tutelage, she gradually becomes aware of her own views, feelings, emotions, views, and desires – things she was bottling up inside her just to please society and adapt herself to what it considers women should be like or what women are supposed to do. At this point, Edna realizes she has not been living a life as she wants to and begins to understand “her position in the universe as a human being and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her” (Chopin, 25).
Strengthened by her self-discovery, Edna {who by this time is married to Leonce and has children}, enters into two fresh relationships – a physical one and a romantic one. Edna begins indulging in physical sex with Arobin. She does this after honestly admitting to herself that she has “devilishly wicked” (Chopin, 137) sexual desires that are physical in nature and not related to love. Edna is totally in control of the relationship with Arobin, making sure she gets sexual satisfaction while at the same time not being dominated by him. By doing this, Edna proves to herself that just as many men who have wives and mistresses do, a woman too can indulge in purely physical sex while continuing to love one man. In the eyes of the conservative society during those times, she has flaunted societal rules of family and womanhood. Her romantic relationship with Robert Lebrun brings great excitement to Edna’s life, making her feel “like one who awakens gradually out of a dream” (Chopin, 53). She becomes awakened to a feeling of independence and an awareness of her sexuality, emotions, and desires. She is overjoyed when Robert returns to New Orleans and openly declares his love for her, gleefully anticipating that she and Robert can defy society and live together openly, “loving each other” and being “everything to each other” (Chopin, 179).
The pull and tug of her familial, romantic, and physical relationships ultimately take their toll on her life. The first reason for her suicide is the motherhood element. Edna is constantly bombarded by advice from Adele and Dr. Mandelet to stop her affair with Arobin as it could ruin the reputation of her children and spoil their future {“Think of the children, Edna. Oh think of the children” (Chopin, 182)}. As stated by critic Joyce Dyer, society calls upon mothers to give up their lives for their children – figuratively. But Edna takes it further by giving up her life for her children – literally {“I would give the unessential, I would give up my money, I would give my life for my children” (Chopin, 188)} because she finally realizes the bitter truth that her children were in danger of losing their good reputation and future prospects because of her actions, and as motherhood and selfhood were irreconcilable in her days (Wyatt), she decides that suicide is the only way to solve the two problems pressing her down in relation to her family: preservation of her children’s reputation and future, and prevention of selfhood.
The second reason for her suicide is the betrayal by Robert. As pointed out by critic Peggy Skaggs, Edna, who was overjoyed at finding her selfhood with the apparent fairy-tale ending {living openly with Robert “loving each other” and being “everything to each other” (Chopin, 179)} is suddenly faced with having the process and victory at attaining selfhood denied by her supposedly faithful lover (Wyatt).
The third reason is the societal pressure {epitomized by the constant and urgent advice of Adele and Dr. Mandelet} to stop her physical affair with Arobin. Edna feels that it is her right to seek physical pleasure as she wants, and such restrictions amount to unfair pressure. Critic Helen Emmit agrees on this point, calling Edna’s story a tale of ‘female development and liberation’ (Wyatt). Unfortunately, the struggle for development and liberation in Edna’s case {the First Wave of Feminism began only a century after her time} is too one-sided and has no chance of contending against the overwhelming and antagonistic pressure of society.
Edna becomes fed up with life {“despondency had come upon her and had never lifted” (Chopin, 188)} because, as stated by critic Joseph Urgo, she realizes that her ‘sense of self’ is ‘unacceptable in her culture.’ Critic Peggy Skaggs agrees, stating Edna is denied by her family, Arobin and Robert, the right to be what she wants and must adapt her life and sense of self within the roles expected of her (Wyatt). She finds herself in a situation where, as agreed by critic Joseph Urgo, if she toes the line as required by them and society, she will compromise what she has struggled to achieve. She decides the only way out is suicide by drowning to liberate herself, in the words of critic Helen Emmit, from the stifling bondage of marriage, societal rules, and family. Critic Joseph Urgo agrees with her on this point, saying suicide is Edna’s way of eluding all those who were pressurizing her, a way that ‘rejects this muting of her voice,’ enabling her to ‘write her own end’ and save herself from ‘an ending others would write.’ About Edna’s choice of suicide by drowning, Emmit has an interesting viewpoint. She says that in the case of males, water is self-reflecting, but for females, the sea is an ‘embrace of self-fulfillment’; Edna, who has been craving for love all her life, finally gets the engulfing fulfillment she seeks by diving under the waves – the water becomes her perfect lover, ‘speaking to her soul while caressing her body’ (Wyatt).
References
Chopin, Kate. “The Awakening.” New York: Avon Books. 1982.
Wyatt, Neal. “Ways of Interpreting Edna’s Suicide: What the Critics Say.” Virginia Commonwealth University. 1995. 2008. Web.