Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100.

ASS2: Observation and analysis

Assignment 2: Observation and analysis Kristy Snell Swinburne University SLEE100: Pedagogical Perspectives 1: Wellbeing and Resilience Ellen Pearson 3rd September, 2013.

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis Introduction There are multiple factors that impact on Isaiahs wellbeing and resilience in the film Losing Isaiah (1995). The situational impact on Isaiahs wellbeing and resilience changes over time. He was born into an environment of physical and emotional risk, harm and neglect. Later

Isaiah was raised in a caring and loving Caucasian family, despite his African American heritage. There were significant lacks of African American cultural influences within this environment. Self-esteem plays a crucial role in identity; through his attachment relationship with his Caucasian family, in particular his adoptive mother. Attachment relationships are pivotal in supporting emotional development in early childhood; they provide the skills and understandings that are needed for effective relationships. Wellbeing is made up of interrelating building blocks, such as the PERMA model; consisting of: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement. Each of these elements are essential to Isaiahs wellbeing and resilience in dealing with impacts that he faces at such a young age. Resilience is not inherent; we are not born with it. Resilience includes behaviours, thoughts, actions and words that need to be learned and developed (DEEWR, 2011, P7). The components of resilience (Hunter, 2012) are the risk factors, protective factors and competent functioning that are evident in Isaiahs life. Outline of film The film Losing Isaiah (1995) portrayed many contributing factors that had strong impacts, positive and negative, in relation to the wellbeing and resilience of the main character Isaiah and his families. Isaiahs birth mother (Kyla) an African-American drug addict, breastfeeding and living within a low socioeconomic community. Kyla like other drug addicts literally lost the ability to make rational decisions and getting the next hit took precedence over

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis everything else (BHAS, 2012) including her parental responsibilities regarding Isaiah. Kylas

drug addiction led her on a path leading to uncontrollable urges for drugs, abandoning Isaiah in a cardboard box. After Isaiahs recovery in the hospital he went to live with Margaret, a Caucasian social worker, her husband Charles and their teenage daughter Hannah. Margaret and Charles became Isaiahs legal adoptive parents. Isaiah was raised as belonging to Margaret and Charles family. Kyla got off the drugs, working as a nanny and visited her social worker regularly. Kyla confessed to her social worker, Kyla: I threw him away, my baby, I threw him in the garbage can, and I killed him. The social worker investigated the issue further to discover that Isaiah was alive and living with a Caucasian family in the city. The social worker arranged for an African American lawyer to fight to reinstate Kylas parental rights. This led to a court hearing and Kyla was granted custody of Isaiah. This decision by the judge affected Isaiahs wellbeing physically and emotionally. The family (Margaret, Charles and Hannah), that Isaiah belonged to, was dramatically torn apart. Body In Bronfrenbrenners (2009) ecological model the microsystem (immediate environment of Isaiah) reflects the everyday activities and interactions that impact directly on wellbeing and resilience, including Isaiahs family and neighborhood. Isaiah formed a strong attachment to his adoptive mother through building a secure relationship with sensitivity, responsiveness and consistency. Attachment is the strong, affectionate tie that humans have with special people in their lives which leads them to feel pleasure when interacting with those people and to be comforted by their nearness in times of stress (Berk, 2013). This was evident when Isaiah was

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis removed from his adoptive familys home by a social worker. Isaiah displayed physical and emotional distress, kicking, screaming, crying and yelling out for his mummy as he physically

reached out to her for comfort and reassurance. Isaiah was physically and emotionally exhausted and fell asleep on the way to his biological mothers house. Isaiah woke to find himself in a strange, different, dark and unfamiliar environment with his mother, whom he had no prior memories of. Isaiah became avoidant towards Kyla, trying to self-regulate his emotions, becoming distant and rejected Kylas attempts of comfort. Kyla enrolled Isaiah in a local school with African American children she took him into the class and reassured him that she would be back to collect him after work. Isaiah found himself in unfamiliar surroundings once again with no familiar relationship with anybody. Isaiah was raised in a Caucasian family; the color of their skin didnt seem to impact on Isaiahs wellbeing and resilience. This was evident when Hannah was playing with Isaiah, blowing bubbles in the bathroom. Hannah asked Isaiah to put his hand in hers, Hannah: look at our hands, whats different about them? Isaiah: my hands are smaller. Isaiah had no concept of the difference in their skin color, he saw himself the same as Hannah, disregarding their color difference. Children construct their identities in association with their perceived cultural heritage (Siraj-Blatchford & Clarke, 2000). Isaiah constructed his identity with his adoptive family; he felt a sense of belonging and connection through his relationships with them. Issues were raised throughout court proceedings regarding Isaiahs color and heritage. Attitudes suggested that most agencies prefer to place a child with a family of the same racial background. The child should be returned to his birth mother. Taking black children out of their environment and placing them in an affluent household is better for the child, what kind of values does that suggest? Culture is the fundamental building block of identity and the

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis development of a strong cultural identity is essential to childrens healthy sense of who they are and where they belong (DEEWR, 2009). Margaret challenges these attitudes, raising valid

points. Margaret: our own skin isnt the right color? That were incapable of teaching this child what he needs to learn, that I cant raise Isaiah up to be an honorable man because my skin is white? What about love, you havent even spoken that word here, or doesnt that fit into your equation of black and white? What about Isaiah, how does he fit into all of this? Or is it more important to be politically correct? The racial implications involving Isaiah work to his disadvantage. His adoptive family is all he knows and Margaret believes that she is his mother as she has raised and cared for him his whole life. Margaret and Kyla find themselves in the bathroom at the courthouse together. They are both emotionally affected by the situation and Kyla offers an apology. Margaret becomes defensive and brings Kylas actions into reality sorry that you threw your baby in the trash, drag my family through hell The emotional toll that the case is taking on Margarets family is beginning to show. Hannah shows empathy for her mother, are they going to take Isaiah away, are you going to be okay? I love you mummy. Hannah has been pushed away as Margaret and Charles have focused their attention on Isaiah, forgetting that Isaiah and Hannah also have a bond. Hannahs way of dealing with the loss of Isaiah when he is taken away is avoidance. She doesnt say goodbye to Isaiah, locks herself in her room and her parents show her a lack of attention. Margaret becomes withdrawn from her family life when the judge rules in favor of Isaiah being returned to Kyla. The attachment that Margaret had with Isaiah was evident in Isaiahs reaction to being taken away from his home. Margaret gives Isaiah her hair clip before he is collected to go to Kylas house, Margaret: this is mums; I want you to keep it no matter what

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis happens I want you to know that we are always together, that Im always with you. Nobody can ever change that. Isaiah is taken from the house by a stranger (social worker) kicking and

screaming, yelling mummy as he is torn from Margarets arms. She begs the social worker not to take him just yet. Charles is also emotionally affected and concerned for his daughter and family unit as a whole Hannah can lock herself in her room and we dont ever have to talk to her again do we, remember her Hannah, your daughter. What happened here is as bad as it gets, maybe he is better off where he is, and maybe just maybe that lawyer was right. Isaiah doesnt want to talk to Kyla, he doesnt want to eat when they go out to a restaurant for a burger, biting Kyla and yelling I want my mum. Kyla wakes during the night to find Isaiah missing from his bed, she finds asleep in the bath holding Margarets hair clip. Kyla comes to the realization that Isaiah needs Margaret. Isaiah has been taken away from his stable and familiar environment and it is impacting on his wellbeing and resilience. Margaret and Isaiah are reunited after Kyla asks for Margarets help. Kyla realizes that Isaiah has formed such a strong attachment with Margaret; as Rolfe (2003) states: the earliest relationships we form are powerful influences on the nature of our later attachments. Conclusion Losing Isaiah (1995) raised situational, racial, cultural, and developmental issues that impacted on Isaiahs wellbeing and resilience. If I was in the judges position I would have decided for Isaiah to remain with his adoptive family as it is all he has known. Taking into account the cultural and racial differences, educating Margaret and Charles to include African American heritage and culture into Isaiahs upbringing would be beneficial to Isaiahs overall development and future wellbeing and resilience. The way in which individuals care for children

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis impacts on the kind of people they become, on the kinds of relationships they will have and on their wellbeing and sense of self across a broad spectrum of social and intellectual experiences. Children are able to form multiple attachments within a hierarchy structure. These attachments

take time, keeping that in mind allowing Isaiah to form a relationship with Kyla would have been more beneficial to the wellbeing of Isaiah. The early years of a childs life provide the foundation for future heath, development and wellbeing. A positive start in life helps children to reach their full potential, while a poor start increases the chances of adverse outcomes (AIHW, 2013).

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis References AIHW. (2013). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Authoritative information and statistics to promote better health and wellbeing. Retrieved from: http://www.aihw.gov.au/child-health-development-and-wellbeing/ Australian Government. (2009) Bronfenbrenner: ecological theory of child development [Digitalillustration]. Retrieved February 7, 2013 from:

http://www.growingupinaustralia.gov.au/pubs/reports/krq2009/keyresearchquestions.htm Berk, L. (2013). Child development. (9th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. DEEWR (2009).Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. Belonging, Being and Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra: DEEWR DEEWR. (2011). Early childhood education workforce capacity project: resilience. Bathurst, NSW: CSU Print. Foner Gyllenhaal, N., Hawk, K (producer), & Stephen Gyllenhaal (director). (1995). Losing Isaiah. United States. Hunter, C. (2012). Is resilience still a useful concept when working with children and young people? Melbourne, Victoria: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Rolfe, S. (2003). Relationships with babies and toddlers in child care and their current and future

Running head: Kristy Snell SLEE100. ASS2: Observation and analysis well-being: Inspirations from attachment theory. Paper presented at Our Children the Future 3 conference, 1 May 2003. Retrieved August 20th, 2013 from: http://www.octf.sa.edu.au/files/links/B3Rolfe.pdf Seligman, M. (2011). The PERMA model of wellbeing. Retrieved from: http://www.stokemyfire.com/how-to-flourish/

Siraj-Blatchford, I., & Clarke, P. (2000). Supporting identity, diversity, and language in the early years. Buckingham: Open University Press pp.1-18