Analysis of Juno the - Movie Review Example

Analysis of Juno the Movie Juno, the movie was released in the year 2007. It earned rave reviews and a fantastic box office opening with a collection of $143, 492, 840. This movie dealt with a variety of issues that portrayed the cultural and developmental implications of unplanned pregnancies. While it was on the light hearted side, the movie has its dramatic moments where it makes a point regarding these issues. Characterizations The foremost feature that sets Juno apart is its characterizations. The central character is Juno MacGuff who is a person suffering from the regular adolescence related problems albeit in mild doses. She is headstrong when she wants to be and this is apparent in the decisions she takes as a teenager saddled with an unplanned pregnancy. The father is her classmate Paulie Bleeker who takes life as it comes. The story unfolds with Juno deciding to give up her child to an urban couple - Mark and Vanessa Loring. This couple goes through a metamorphosis as they try to convince Juno regarding the fact that they would be perfect parents to her child. On the other hand, Juno has to break the new to her parents - stepmother Bren, and father Mac. Juno's parents are a classic example of a couple who strive to keep a close knit family and try to set the right example for their children. What follows here is a confrontation between Juno's parents and the prospective foster parents of her unborn child. This is where the drama element of the movie takes off in order to cater to the following elements: child development issues cultural issues ecosystem or environment issues teen pregnancy, divorce and coping within the family In this paper, these issues will be discussed in terms of an evidence based theory that is based on the foster care system in cases of divorce, teen pregnancy and other such developmental issues within a child. Foster Care and Child Development Issues: Problems Pertaining to Environment The foster care system in the United States continues to face challenges related to the quality of care provided by foster parents. Although legislation has been passed by the federal government aimed at improving the system, the pervasive negative stereotypes of foster care remain. This is especially true when it comes to the development and family environment of children placed in this environment. In an effort to better understand the development and family environment issues of children in foster care, this research seeks to develop a more integral comprehension of how children in foster care view their own personal development and family environment. With this information, it will be possible to better understand specific development and family environment issues indicative to foster care. In addition, this data will elucidate development and family environment issues that may not be persistent concerns for children in foster care. With this data, social workers could develop programs to raise awareness and improve development and family environment outcomes for children in this care setting. To begin with, a foster home has been described as that place where a child is handed over to responsible adults, duly analyzed and hand picked by various relevant authorities. The perception and conception of the various facets of a child's life are built here accordingly depending on the various elements like education, relationships and others. These go on to form a child's perception of aspects like development and family environment and security. Besides these parameters, the paper follows the guidelines that are embedded in the basic conceptual framework followed by the researcher. These have to do with the guidelines and concepts laid down by authorities like WHO. The US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (2005) reports that at the end of 2004, 800,000 children were served by the foster care system. Of these children, 304,000 represented new entrants into the program. Although this number is part of a larger trend representing a decrease in foster care over the last several years, it does represent a notable percentage of the child population in the United States. According to the US Census Bureau (2005), there were approximately 7.5 million children living in the US in 2004. As such, almost 10 percent of children in the US were involved in the foster care system at some point in 2004. Clearly, what this data reveals is that the foster care system comprises a significant portion of children living in the United States. As the size of this population continues to grow, social workers and helping professionals are faced with the challenge of providing relevant care that can improve outcomes for children placed in these living arrangements. With the realization that so many children in the US are brought into the foster care system, there is a clear impetus to examine the development and family environment of the overall system. A precursory overview of what has been written on the subject suggests that even though numerous authors have examined the issue of development and family environment in the context of the foster care system, the exact manner in which development and family environment is defined differs among scholars. For instance, Altshuler and Gleeson (1999) maintain that there are a host of variables that must be taken into consideration when assessing the development and family environment of the child in foster care. Among these variables are included: physical health; cognitive functioning and developmental delay. Interestingly however, Bilaver, Jaudes, Koepke, and Goerge (1999) conceptualize the development of children in foster care as directly related to the health of the child. For instance, Altshuler and Gleeson (1999) argue that in the past research on the development and family environment of children placed in foster care demonstrates that there have been a wide range of variables that have been used to conceptualize the development and family environment of the child. In an effort to better understand the assertions made by Altshuler and Gleeson, it is helpful to consider the specific dimensions of research that have been conducted on the issue of development and family environment in foster care. Bilaver, Jaudes, Koepke, and Goerge (1999), in their examination of the development and family environment of children in foster care, chose to examine the health status of children. Using Medicaid records of 563,317 children from 1994 to 1995, the authors were able to divide the sample population into two groups: foster care children and children of lower socioeconomic standing. The results of the data review were quite stunning. The authors report that, "When compared with national standards and data, children in foster care register high levels of hearing and vision impairment, asthma, the toxic effects of lead, and tuberculosis; they also are more likely to suffer from problems associated with mental illness or developmental delay" (p. 401). Hansen, Mawjee and Barton (2004) conducting a similar study that compared the health issues of children from foster care and those from low income families. Subject for this investigation included 264 Medicaid recipients and 266 children enrolled in foster care. The results of the investigation indicate that children enrolled in foster care suffer from more health and developmental problems than their low income counterparts. "Possible contributors to the higher percentage of problems among foster care children may be that the foster children have more problems related to the underlying risk factors resulting in placement, or that the foster care physicians conducted a more comprehensive assessment or had lower clinical thresholds" (p. 367). The development and family environment of foster care has also been measured in terms of the abuse complaints that have been registered by children placed in this type of care. According to Minty and Bray (2001) each year a substantial number of abuse claims are brought against foster care parents. However, in many cases, these charges are dismissed due to a lack of evidence. Minty and Bray contend that this situation overshadows the reputation of foster care making it appear to be more unsafe than it actually is. In an effort to determine how many claims of abuse by foster parents are sustained, Minty and Bray interviewed 22 foster care families that had been charged with allegations of abuse. The results of the investigation demonstrated that "9% of allegations were substantiated and approximately 25% of allegations were found to be untrue" (p. 336). Scholars have also considered the development and family environment of children in foster care based on the issue of education. Zetlin, Weinberg and Kimm (2003) examined 308 foster care cases to determine how educational services were provided to children in this situation. According to these authors, past research on the education of children in foster care reveals that children in foster care often do more poorly than those from biological parent homes. The results obtained by the researchers were quite shocking. The authors found a higher percentage of foster care children enrolled in special education classes. In addition, the authors found that a majority of case workers were unable to identify what was being done to improve educational services to foster care children. Other authors have examined the development and family environment of foster care in terms of the outcomes of long-term placement. James (2004) examined the outcomes for a cohort of 1,084 children placed in foster care in California for at least five months. Of the children placed in foster care, 70 percent reported some type of placement change during their care. Placement changes were often the result of "older age, externalizing behaviors, and emotional abuse" (p. 601). As such, the author concludes that there are some problems in the system that warrants attention from counselors and healthcare providers. These problems can create development and family environment issues that must be addressed to improve care and outcomes for children in this population. While the physical and mental health of children in foster care are clearly indicators of the overall impact of the system, Chapman, Wall and Barth (2004) examined the responses of children involved directly in the foster care system. This research was undertaken in an effort to provide a more integral understanding of the challenges facing children in foster care. The sample for this investigation included "727 children who had been in out-of-home placement for 12 months" (p. 296). An evaluation of the children based on survey data indicated that, "On average, children reported high levels of relatedness to their caregivers" (p. 297). Although some variation on responses was seen based on the specific type of foster care provided-i.e. kinship care, group care and non-kin-the results were generally statistically similar. Research on development and family environment in foster care has also considered the challenges that face foster care parents when it comes to providing care for this population of children. Based on original case data from foster care cases, Holland and Gorey (2004) examined the challenges facing parents providing foster care. According to these authors, children placed in foster care often have a host of physical, mental and emotional health problems that can make it more difficult for the foster parent to provide care. The presence of health problems before placement can be directly correlated to outcomes for the child. As such, development and family environment for the child in foster care is predicated upon the child's status before entering care and the support provided to foster families that deal with the health problems of the foster child. Not surprisingly, the status of the child before entering foster care and the impact of this status on the care of the child has been examined by other authors. For instance, Farmer and Pollock (1999) report that, "If children's development and family environment in care is to be maximized, then placement planning needs to focus on the risks and vulnerability of both the child to be placed and others already in the setting" (p. 377). In a review of 40 children placed in foster care, the authors found that a majority of the foster care parents were not told about the past history of the child. Farmer and Pollock assert that this lack of information makes it more difficult for parents to care for foster children, increasing their risk of further abuse or emotional or psychological distress. Development Issues: Culture and Social Problems In this regard, the article by Benjamin Kerman et al, for the Children and Youth Services Review, titled Outcomes for young adults who experienced foster care, is an important piece of work as it reflects the development and family environment conceptions that have been guided by the overall functioning in the day to day lives of these children as they progress towards adulthood. This article outlines and consists of various imperative elements in the upbringing of a child in foster care with special emphasis on how these elements contribute to feelings of development and family environment and security. Another article titled Perceptions of adults who were in long term out of home care as children, by Helen Gardner for the Child Welfare Journal, also reflects the fact that the parameters followed by a child in foster care are not very different from those followed by normal children living under the care of their biological parents when it comes to the conception of development and family environment. The subtle differences in the attitudes of these children come from an awareness that is again, a matter of their social background and other life experiences. The article by Amy J L Baker, for the American Journal of Family Therapy, titled Fostering Stories, is an article that shows the broad framework for research and improvement that must be followed by social workers as well as parents for the development and family environment of these children. In this regard, the article propounds various theories that have been used through the length and breadth of this paper, especially in the formulation of the list of parameters and assumptions that have assisted the researcher in carrying out systematic analysis. Also, the recommendations sections has important notes on the possible fields where strategic partnerships between the various parties involved can be struck so as to imbibe a sense of development and family environment and security in the minds of foster children. Finally, Reifsteck (2005) in her examination of the foster care system sought to examine outcomes for children leaving foster care. In particular, this author surveyed 208 foster care children using the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), which provides an assessment of the child's functional status. The sample population was given the survey before and after foster care intervention. The results indicate a 14 percent decrease in the child's overall functionality after placement in foster care. This author concludes that, "Considering the persistence of elevated CAFAS scores, it appears that satisfactory services for youth referred for child abuse and neglect are not readily apparent for all children in need" (p. 313). Conclusion In conclusion, it is imperative to point out that Juno, the movie is a study in the possible issues that may arise out of foster care options as well as family oriented issues that arise from divorce and teen pregnancy, among various other problems. The above paper is an evidence based research on such issues that pertain to the cultural, social and economic as well as physical environment of child development. In order to measure perceptions of family environment and development among foster care children that are allowed to participate in this study, the World Health Organization's (WHO) basic criteria for safety will be utilized. According to Nilsen, Hudson, Kullberg, Timpka, Ekman and Lindqvist (2004) A key point of the WHO's definition of safety is that it has two dimensions: an objective dimension, which can be seen as behavioral and environmental factors measured against external criteria, and a subjective dimension, which can be variously defined as the individual's internal feelings or perceptions of being safe (which can be aggregated to the macro level, to represent the community's subjective safety perception). These authors go on to note that this model allows participants the ability to examine safety as a process that involves more than just "non-injury." Based on the WHO guidelines for conceptualizing safety, Nilsen and coworkers go on to note that, a specific framework for defining and operationalizing such issues has been developed. References A Strategy for Children In Need, August (2003) Developing the Strategy, A Consultation Document, DH&SS Altshuler, S.J., & Gleeson, J.P. (1999). 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Child Protection form violence, exploitation and abuse. URL: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_27374.html (Accessed during March, 2007) Women's Aid. URL: http://www.womens-aid.org.uk/statistics.php (Accessed during March 2007) Zell, M.C. (2006). Child welfare workers: Who they are and how they view the child welfare system. Child Welfare Journal, 85(1), 83-103. Zetlin, A., Weinberg, L., & Kimm, C. (2003). Are the educational needs of children in foster care being addressed. Children & Schools, 25(2), 105-119. Juno. URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/plotsummary (Accessed during: Nov, 2008) Read More