Indian Socks Essay

Trivial though usually looked upon, ‘Socks’ is definitely an important part of a person’s wardrobe. Still, since long the segment is not taken to be vital. Attributing towards negligence from policy makers and business developers for the sector kept unattended or least valued, Mr Rohit Pal, MD- Renfro India speaking exclusively for News team at fibre2fashion describes â€Å"This segment within clothing has never got its due respect for many years, but I think that outlook has to be changed, and to an extent it is changing now.† â€Å"Socks may not be playing major part as economy driver, but still if the segment is taken seriously it can earn good profits for players,† opines Mr Vineet Bhatia, Properitor of V K Knitting Industries. Mr Raj Kumar Jain, MD – Bonjour, bringing out the importance of sector, comments â€Å"Socks is a requirement of common men for everyday needs. It is estimated to be having over 3000 manufacturing units out of which 85% is in and around Delhi and its national capital regions. And out of this, over 95% business is unorganized and fragmented. I estimate it to be around Rs. 3000crs. Business.† According to Mr Pal’s estimates, Indian knitwear market size is more than Rs. 25000crs, and socks in region would be between around Rs. 600 to 700crs at both organized and unorganized retail end excluding wholesale. He accentuates, â€Å"I think that socks would turn as part of what I call accessorization and accessories adds as a vital sector under garmenting. I estimate it’s been of importance in growing at a very rapid pace around 10 to 25% annually. If it has not got its due importance in the past, it has now got a pace today and it is likely to grow.† Analyzing the impediments in the growth of this category, Mr Bhatia draws attention to lack of good technology in India on this front. He highlights, â€Å"I am interacting with many customers internationally. Overall, our line of players lags behind international competitors in technology. Otherwise, we have better opportunity in international market than in India. Export from India is not much as far as socks is concerned. But domestic market is good.† Mr Jain also notes that for the socks industry there is no training college which will help socks industry get groomed in India. Not a single institution is established to give any training on skills honing in this line. Even for operating machines both- hand operated and automated, training is essential in his view. Mr Ajit Lakra, president of Chamber of Knitwear and Textile Associations of Ludhiana, sees a very big scope for domestic consumption and exports of knitwear. He points up, â€Å"I believe knitwear sector has a big role to play and what is required to have is more good institutes for improving the skills at all levels.† 10% excise duty is a detrimental aspect for Socks sector too. Mr Bhatia expresses, â€Å"Socks is a low cost product and bearing 10% excise duty is justsinking our product. Already cotton prices in the entire year have increased too much and above that excise duty that too 10% is just a suicidal kind of a thing† â€Å"It is either you pay 10% on wholesale or you pay 6% on MRP whatever higher,† mentions Mr Pal.

Impact of Advertisements on Consumers Choice Essay

Bovee and Arens (1994) define advertising as the non-personal communication of information, usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature (about products and services) or ideas by identified sponsor through various media. An advertising medium is the means or conveyance by which sales message is carried to prospective customers. Advertising is many things to people. It promotes and affects our daily lives. At times people view it positively that they might find it entertaining while other advertisements are cursed, insults and deceives it. There are also times where advertisements can mislead consumers buying behaviour. Advertisers work on consumer’s attitude to achieve their goal. Influencing and affecting their buying behaviour. Perhaps advertising is the most obvious venue where the concepts of attitude formation change can be seen in application. Persuasive communications (advertisements) can be transmitted through various media print, (newspapers, magazine, books) audio (radio and telephone) audio visual (television and movies) and electronic (internet and e-mail). Consumerism is here to stay. Tomorrows consumers will be better educated, more affluent and more critical. They will probably be less concerned with status and symbols and be more anxious to get information about the product. Background of the Study Most people may not realize it, but advertising has become pervasive if only by the sheer number of advertisement people are exposed to everyday. While advertisements are generally thought as a way to sell things an underlying element can at times be missed. It is that advertising can influence and change people attitudes and can be a potent form of influence. In fact many people blamed advertisements for encouraging materialism on people because advertisers present their products as a â€Å"must have†. Those who acquire them are depicted as more confident or more popular and this gets people to buy more products. The expression that â€Å"today we live in age of advertising† is so common to hear that it has in fact become almost trite so much that the average man has not bothered to pause even briefly and bring to mind the innumerable benefits it bring to society. The rising level in the standard of living would not have been possible in the absence of advertising. For an individual to make effort to examine an advertisement. It should first and foremost capture the individuals attention. According to Fiske (1995), attention involves the process of encoding where by people take information that is outside of them and represent in their heads. It is interesting to know that while watching the favourite shows in T.V., advertisements seem to be a part of it. Sometimes they even consume more hours than the shoe itself. Nowadays, advertisement seems to rule television and radio being a sponsor on shows because of different advertisements being shown the consumers was being confused about what product to select and use because of how the advertisers promote their product. Advertising can influence buying behaviour patterns. There are also some deep rooted attitudes, practices and values that cannot be changed by advertisements. Advertising is claimed to accomplish the four basic task of: informing, persuading, reminding and changing behaviour. Statement of the Problem 1. What are the different forms of medium used by advertisements? 2. What are the factors that affect buying behaviour of the consumers? 3. How can you measure the effectiveness of an advertisement ? 4. What are the level of effectiveness in the following medium? : a. Radio b. Television c. Print ad(newspapers and magazines) 5. What are the attitudes of the following consumers towards different forms of advertisements? : a. Children (8-12) b. Teenagers(13-19) c. Adults (20-onwards) 6. Are there differences in people attitudes towards advertisements considering the following : a. Educational attainment b. Socio- economic status Significance of the Study Everyone will benefit from this study because everyone is considered as a consumer. There is hardly any person who has no personal idea concerning advertising because it is everywhere. Advertisements have become not only a source of entertainment but also of information. These touch our way of life in infinite variety of forms, some subtle, others obvious and there are those that are even blatant.

Embryo research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Embryo research - Essay Example (Singer) Hwang and his colleagues states that they exchanged the nucleus of unfertilized egg of a human for the nucleus of an ordinary cell, taken from another human, and created the lines made of stem cells from an embryo that appeared as the result. These stem cells coincidedwith the DNA of the man who provided an ordinary cell. This experiment demonstrated that it is now possible to give a cell or a tissue to a person, and they will not be rejected by the organism, having been cloned from them. (Singer) The experiments of Hwang haven't been completed. However, he assumed that definite problems might occur. He insisted on the legitimacy of his work, confessing that there may be errors in the lines of stem cells. He also confessed that few cells could be damaged. At any rate, the scientists consider this be one of the most significant discoveries in medicine and biology. Of course, experiments and researches are needed, but the results will significantly change the whole medical practice. (Robertson) But ethical background of this invention is discussed by many scientists. It shows that the potential of human life is included into each cell of our organism, and this would change the discussion about the value of a human life.

How does the profession of Dental Hygiene impact today's society Essay

How does the profession of Dental Hygiene impact today's society - Essay Example Dental hygienists sensitize members of the society on the importance of maintaining oral hygiene (DeLong and Burkhart 4). Research has showed that dental hygiene profession has aided in reducing the number of oral health complications reported every year. The dental hygienists have fought tirelessly in ensuring that all members of the society are aware of the various oral diseases, the causes of those diseases and how to prevent them. The dental hygiene profession has helped the members of the society to save a lot of money. Dental hygienists give certain oral hygiene guidelines to patients. Such practices aid in reducing the number of new infections and controlling the spread of oral diseases. For this reason, money that would have been used for dental care is saved or used for other productive purposes. In summary, the importance of dental hygiene profession in the society cannot be ignored. The profession has aided in reducing oral diseases in the society. The problem of oral diseases in the society is continually diminishing due to the assistance offered by dental hygienist. The society should always work in collaboration with the dental hygiene professionals in order to fully eliminate oral

Marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing management - Essay Example According to a survey carried out by IBIS world, the profit margins of the industry will reduce by 1.5% over the next 5 years due to mounting competition among the providers. However, this has also led to the falling price of the phones. The company projects that UK mobile phone industry is expected to reach $3 Billion by the end of 2014. Furthermore, the development of new technologies such as, 4G services, the development of smart phones and the new applications, is also driving the industry (Adler, 2010). The UK mobile phone industry is characterised by high rates of market concentration and competition. Some of the key players of the industry are Vodafone, T-mobile, Virgin and O2 among others (Cohen, 2004). The industry will be analysed with the help of Porter’s five forces analysis and on the basis of that, a SWOT report will be prepared. The industry analysis is presented below: - Factor Analysis Resultant Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers refers to the ability of the buyers to bargain and reduce the price. Reports have shown that the industry is growing at a robust rate and one of the reasons for this colossal growth is the enthusiasm among the buyers. However, due to the presence of a number of providers in the market, the buyers have the tendency to explore the other. This reduces the brand loyalty rate among the consumers. High Bargaining Power of Suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers refers to the ability of the suppliers to bargain and increase the manufacturing cost of the firm (Ferrell, 2006). The suppliers of raw materials for the mobile phone industry in UK is adequate in number and in most of the cases, these companies enter into a treaty with the suppliers which reduces their power to a great extent. Some of the key suppliers are Huawei and ZTE. Moderate Threat of New Entrant The threat of new entrant refers to the threat of a new player entering the industry, thereby increasing the level of competition. To start a telecom business in UK, one needs to go through a series of legal acts and moreover, acquiring spectrum rights is an apprehensive issue. Setting up of a telecom business also requires huge start up cost which often acts as a hindrance. Low Threat of Substitute The threat of substitutes refers to the extent to which substitute products can increase the competition within the industry and act as a potential threat to the firm. The substitutes of a mobile phone are tablets, land phones, palmtops and also, mini laptops to a certain extent, as it serves the core function of facilitating communication. These products are available throughout the country and in almost every outlet. However, due to the portable nature, mobile phone has its own set of customers. Moderate Threat of Competitors The threat of competitors is the level of competition within the industry. In the context of the mobile phone industry of UK, the industry is fiercely competitive due to the presence of a numbe r of players. Some of the established players of this industry are Vodafone, T-mobile, Virgin and O2, among others. High On the basis of the outcome of the industry analysis, following is the set of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for Blackberry in UK market. The same is illustrated below in SWOT analysis framework. Furthermore, the subsequent section will also prioritise the opportunities by considering certain

Cash flows(inflow-outflow-operating,investing,financing), Case Study

Cash flows(inflow-outflow-operating,investing,financing), Depreciation, Ratios,Income Statement, Retained earning Statement, Internal control procedures - Case Study Example It is calculated by subtracting the current asset from the current liabilities of the company. The negative figure means that the liabilities are more than the assets. Earnings per share (EPS) are considered one of the most important financial ratios from the investor’s point of view. The ratio highlights the average earnings from the shares transacted and is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to the common share holders and multiplying them with the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Earnings per share of 0.57 can be interpreted as if the investor invests $1 in the company, he will earn $0.57 on his investment. Debt ratio, which calculated by comparing the total liabilities to total assets, is a primary tool in determining the influence the company is under as a result of obtaining finances from sources other than equity. A lower ratio represents that the company is utilizing its equity in order to finance its operations and thus curtailing the financial risk. A ratio of 0.63 represents that 63% of the companys assets are financed by debt. Free cash flow method is basically a measure of financial performance of the company which is calculated as free cash flows minus the capital expenditure. From pure financial management’s perspective, free cash flow can be defined as the cash which the company is able to generate setting aside the money required to maintain or expand its current asset

Social change idea proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social change idea proposal - Essay Example Earlier on, the pressure arising from mental problems in children was less and normally teachers tended to look the other way, reprimand or counsel such children. However, these tendencies cannot work anymore. (Burke, Robert W & Myers, Barbara Kimes). The heavy curriculum and peer pressure requires a student to perform despite his or her difficult background. On the other hand, teachers find it difficult to perform their teaching duties as well as take on the role of counselors. If it were a question of a few handful of students beset with mental health, it would not have bothered the teachers so much. However, the number of such students is quite high and is increasing. Moreover, children are exposed to teachers much of their time. Hence, there is the need to integrate a relationship that goes beyond teaching alone. The child must be able to see the teacher as his or her guide and friend. The responsibility of the teacher in developing such a relationship is quite high although it is possible to achieve within reasonable time. It is equally important for parents to make themselves available to their children so that there is no gap which may prove debilitating later on. The child is only the tip of the iceberg in the social environment where repeated failure to attend to the child’s needs have pushed the child to gangs, drugs and violence. In such scenario the values taught and practiced by teachers challenge children to notice them and follow suit. The child’s background plays a vital role in the assessment of his mental health in the classroom. It is mainly children from broken families who suffer mental difficulties (Lipsett, Anthea). Irrespective of the origin of the problem, the school has become the place where the child finds opportunity to nurture and grow. In the school, the teacher plays the pivotal role in shaping the child’s life. So, even if the school has separate counselors to deal

Death Penalty (philosophy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Death Penalty (philosophy) - Essay Example At the end of the film we are presented with what really occurred. The movie’s plot led to the fact of the coercion of two people with nothing to lose and a point to prove. David and Constance plotted to make the ultimate sacrifice by giving up their lives to make the ultimate statement and vindicate their advocacy. So we are faced with the concept of the more than probable possibility that innocent people do end up getting capital punishment for something they are innocent for. The film seems foolish yet enlightening at the same time. Such is the case of the argument against capital punishment. Den Haag argues that capital punishment is imposed on people who committed crimes to summon their guilt which is something that is believed to be personal. That it is not an issue of race or of equality but rather a moral penalty that is nothing but the mere issue of justice. We are again back to the concept that it is a major conflict on the evident fact of commonly supposed racial injustice. It reverts back to the matter of discrimination which is a delicate topic to argue about and would not be sufficiently substantiated on this paper. He is convinced that justice does not hold bearing over inequalities in distribution (Den Haag, par.7). Let me call it the â€Å"OJ Simpson Syndrome.† What Den Haag proposes in that argument is the age-old assumption that more African-American convicts end up on death row than white people. With the risk of sounding racially insensitive of the times, it seems that this is not the case anymore. It was the basic argument for the absolution of OJ Simpson. He represented the thousands of innocent people executed before him because of the color of his skin. Let us no longer delve on whether or not he is guilty as this is an issue all on its own. This became subordinated because of the hype that surrounded the case. He in turn became a representation of all the injustices committed

Deathand loss Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Deathand loss - Essay Example However, when we loss someone dear to us, we are emotionally destructed and lonesome. I lost a friend of mine when I was in middle school and later on, after college, I lost my grand mom. Losing a friend who was so dear and near was a tragic loss and I was very grieved. I tried a lot to handle my grief, but every time when I tried to shut my eyes, she came there in front of me. For many nights, I was unable to sleep. I was not very old to understand the truth and settle my emotions easily, but after all my grief and sadness, I started living a normal life. I was very much frightened of death and thought that death was something very horrible that was able enough to snatch our beloved people from us. Later on, when I lost my grandmother, I was again in a shocking state. I pondered too much over death and the feeling of loss and after all that pondering and disturbance, I started remaining busy with my studies and other home based chores in order to get rid of those terrible feelings of loss. I was too much scared and feared death. I was just unable to understand whate ver was happening around me. However, with the passage of time, I realized that life goes on in this manner. Now, I am quite aware that death is a reality that has the ability to take from us whom we love. When people die, they leave us, but there are also people who leave us without dying. Their leaving us permanently also can be understood as death of those people in our lives. I remained with my single mother and my father had left us. I regard his leaving us as a loss, which we were required to cop up with. It took some time, but it was all over. There were a number of losses that I underwent in my lifetime, but these losses made me strong enough to handle everything alone. Now, I am not afraid or fearful of being alone. I consider myself strong enough to endure anything that comes in my way. The losses that we bear in our life make us courageous and

PGCE- Primary Teaching Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PGCE- Primary Teaching - Personal Statement Example addition to my vocational qualifications in advertising, PR and Media, I would make to the position a proven ability to deal successfully and tactfully with children and colleagues. Although my course does not involve a subject in the national curriculum, I still possess a basis for primary teaching. Throughout my course, I have had to write advertisements and participate in field practical that have enhanced my communication skills. I can replicate this training in a classroom setting to capture children’s attention and have them respond appropriately. The nature of my advertising, PR and Media degree course has prepared me adequately for this position as there are areas that aid my understanding people’s thought processes when presented with information. Media training and advertisement has helped me understand the mechanics of communicating with wide and varied age groups. The learned PR skills will come handy in understanding children and develop strategies to aid learning. In addition to my strong theoretical basis for the course, I obtained practical experience for teaching. While on a three-week placement abroad, I observed that a teachers approach to the class has a far reaching effect on the learner’s ability. For example, a teacher often changed the ways he taught a class to maintain the interest of the children in those activities. She encouraged and celebrated children who were experiencing difficulties in certain activities. The motivation spurred them to try harder, and they succeeded in many cases. Her positive attitude reflected in children, giving them confidence in themselves hence an active learning environment. I had the opportunity to guide the class in story telling which preceded an ICT lesson that would require class discussions. It was evident that some children are happy to participate in this environment while others were not quite as keen. It is, therefore, imperative that teaching practitioners design strategies that would

On the Road by Jack Kerouac Essay Example for Free

On the Road by Jack Kerouac Essay Now considered not only a legendary work within the history of American literature, Jack Kerouac’s â€Å"On the Road† is also regarded as the pivotal work of an entire generation of young Americans looking for purpose and direction in a nation not far removed from world war, and becoming increasingly complicated and fast paced. In the midst of the sweeping societal changes depicted through Kerouac’s characters in â€Å"On the Road†, the protagonist of the story, Dean Moriarty, stands as an iconic, enigmatic figure. In this essay, the dynamics and complexities of Moriarty’s personality, as well as the changes that this personality undergoes as â€Å"On the Road† unfolds will be discussed in order to better understand not only Moriarty as a character, but also what he represents. Dean Moriarty’s Changes Within the Plot of â€Å"On the Road† The changes that Moriarty goes through in Kerouac’s book are symbolic not only of the general direction of his life itself, but also the society in which he lives, the people with whom he interacts, and what the future holds for everyone, including this character himself. Gaining even a fundamental understanding of the character of Moriarty in necessary to make this possible. Dean Moriarty makes a notable entrance into the plot of â€Å"On the Road†; from the very beginning, he captures the interest of the other characters in the book because of his very nature, which is highly animated, yet appealing because of his obvious passion for life and his interest in living every moment to its fullest (Whissen, 1992). At the same time, showing that he is a constantly changing individual, Moriarty is alienated from some of the more conventional people who are friends with other main characters in the story, a divide which none of the main characters make an effort to remedy, setting the stage for Moriarty to blaze his own path in subsequent sections of the book. Perhaps on of the most significant characteristics of Moriarty, which serves as a catalyst for many of the changes through which he goes, is the fact that he is very appealing to the opposite sex; this sort of romantic tension creates a bit of mystery about Moriarty (Swartz, 1999). This charisma also opens up a world of possibilities for Moriarty to explore, and presents him with many temptations and challenges that other people may never experience. Whether this charisma with women was something that came about just by the way that Moriarty presented himself, or it was something toward which he aspired and took specific steps to ensure that women would find him desirable, this aspect of his personality was the first step in the changes that he undergoes throughout the story. First, in regard to Moriarty’s changes, the fact that he carries on multiple relationships with women, many at the same time, makes it necessary for Moriarty to constantly travel throughout the nation, truly embodying the â€Å"on the road† lifestyle which forms the backbone of Kerouac’s book. The consequences of these many relationships, and the ensuing complications and commitments that come out of them, create problems for Moriarty that he is forced to confront, and conform to as well. The complexity of these relationships is made even more dramatic by the fact that eventually, Moriarty fathers multiple children with multiple women, making it all but impossible for him to carry on any kind of a conventional life or to remain stationery in one place for any amount of time; the ability that most people have to lead an ordinary, day to day existence, is denied Moriarty because of the choices he makes in his personal life until almost the end of the book. A second area of change for Dean Moriarty is seen in his social interactions with friends beyond the level of romantic interludes. Socially, Moriarty also undergoes a great deal of change as the plot of the book unfolds. Because of Moriarty’s alienation from people beyond his immediate circle of close friends, he becomes more withdrawn from the regular social aspects of everyday society and has a sort of sadness and emptiness about him. This emptiness is filled with sordid affairs with women as was discussed earlier, travel, and excesses such as drinking and outlandish behavior, which will be discussed in more detail in a subsequent section of this essay. Moriarty’s charismatic nature in some instances is also important to realize from the viewpoint of the change that he affects in others, perhaps most significantly in the case of his best friend, Sal Paradise. Because Sal looks up to Dean in basically every area of life as a role model of sorts (Whissen, 1992), he imitates even Dean’s worst behavioral traits, including the constant traveling. The foolishness of this imitation is made more dramatic by the fact that Sal is older than Dean, making the implication that Dean could in fact learn a lot from Sal if the situation were somehow reversed. Finally, a change that Moriarty attempts is as significant as any of the others which he ahs undergone throughout â€Å"On the Road†. Ultimately, Moriarty attempts to take on the persona of a civilized and responsible individual when he acknowledges his responsibilities to his marriage vows and the children that were created as a result of his marital union. Getting a job and attempting to settle into a normal, structured home life, Moriarty does give this endeavor and life change a sincere effort, but he soon finds that this is more difficult for him than he may have expected. Due to this realization, which some might say is a recognition of his own nature as a traveling, somewhat chaotic individual with a high level of appeal to women in general, he quickly loses interest in being a good father and husband; for example, ignoring the cries of his child, obsessing about the other women with whom he was involved in the past, and more than likely planning the next step of his symbolic and literally road journey in a search for what is missing in his life, and what the life of an average husband/father, in his view, fails to deliver. An Insight into Moriarty’s Mindset By studying the pattern of Moriarty’s behavior, and the different personalities and attitudes he embraces, it is much easier to profile the mindset of this enigmatic and complicated character. Moriarty’s inner emptiness is apparent when his actions and value systems, flawed as they are, are separated from the action of â€Å"On the Road†, and the story itself is looked at in a more philosophical way. The argument can be made that Moriarty’s mindset is symbolic of the state of affairs in America at the time that Kerouac wrote his book; because the nation was in the process of gaining a new identity following World War II and before the Korean War reached its climax, the nation collectively, and Dean Moriarty individually, began to question what the nature of life is all about and whether the regular, day to day life of the average person is the best state of living that one can reach (Begnal, 1998). A restless nation, reflected in the restless persona of Moriarty, comes shining through, towering over the plot and other characters of the book itself. Also, the question of the nature of Moriarty’s charisma is important when gaining a fuller understanding of his mindset and value system. If one takes the position that Moriarty was embedded with charisma and it was beyond his control to do anything but to submit to its power, then Moriarty can be sympathetically viewed as a victim. However, if the position is taken that Moriarty was a calculating individual whose romantic flings were deliberately worked toward and pursued as a goal, then Moriarty can be seen as less than a charming Casanova, and more accurately, a dangerous predator that poisons every relationship with which he comes into contact. The many changes of Dean Moriarty, as well as the changes he influences in others and the effects that he has on those with whom he interacts, all conspire to create within him a great deal of conflict and anxiety, which displays itself in a sort of madness. This madness is also important to understand when studying the dynamic nature of Moriarty himself. Moriarty’s Descent into Madness By creating human conflict, chaos and turmoil for virtually everyone he meets, Moriarty has built for himself a complicated lifestyle that can be said to be rooted in madness. This madness, like so many of the other facets of Moriarty’s being, eventually spill out into the open for everyone to see, much like the classic example of someone wearing their heart on their sleeve. Generally speaking, it can be fairly said that one of the most characteristic displays of some level of madness in the mind of Dean Moriarty can be seen in his wanderlust-based lifestyle and personality. Just as Moriarty traveled from one romantic liaison to another, and fathered one child after another, he journeyed from one physical location to another. This journey can be viewed as a quest to fill the emptiness within his soul in some instances, or a desire to escape from any form of commitment in others. The comparison of this journey to the journey of realization that America was taking at the time is also accurate and appropriate. Whichever comparison one chooses, no one can deny that the rapid pace at which Moriarty went back and forth from one destination to another is indicative of at least some level of madness. As Moriarty traveled about, his madness was further shown to be strong and prominent by his disregard for the wellbeing of others. Specifically depicted in the book is Moriarty’s journey to Chicago, during which his outlandish behavior puts others at risk, but he seems not to be concerned about it in the slightest. Yet another piece of evidence that speaks to the level of madness that Moriarty reaches in the book is punctuated by the behavior that he not only sees as nothing out of the ordinary, but also that he recommends to others, and tries to convince them to participate in as something that is acceptable. Specifically, Moriarty at one point makes the suggestion that his protege of sorts, Sal, and his wife join Moriarty in stripping off their clothes and running about in public. What this shows is not only Moriarty’s deteriorated sense of right and wrong, but also his general contempt for the trappings of conventional society, rebellion against that society, and his desire to express his total freedom and ability to do whatever he wishes, whenever he wishes, without any notable consequences for himself or others. Sadly, of course, his actions are creating chaos wherever he goes, even if he is blind to it. Lastly, something needs to be said about Moriarty’s drunken lifestyle, as well as its influence on his behaviors and choices. When he indulges in alcohol binges, his erratic behavior increases, more bad choices are made, and more people are affected for the worse. The women and children that he leaves in his alcoholic wake are forced to pick up the pieces and clean up the messes that Moriarty creates. All the while, he carries on- seemingly oblivious to what he is causing to happen, and dulled by his own vices. Conclusion Just as â€Å"On the Road† profiled an entire generation and reflected the spirit of a nation in transition, so too did Dean Moriarty. Based in part on actual people whom Kerouac knew, this character represented a composite of the quest for happiness and meaning in a chaotic world as well as the paradox of someone who wants to pursue their own enjoyments but too late realizes that total indulgence carries with it a steep price. In conclusion, what is seen in both Moriarty and the story in which he exists is the brilliance, and frailty of the human mind, the search for enlightenment, and the journey along the way- basically, the road that is chosen and what that means for the traveler.

Bilateral Relations Between the EU and China

Bilateral Relations Between the EU and China Till the 1978, Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was in self employed isolation because of two things, one was Cultural Revolution and another was the transformation of the society and economy from traditional to modern. Another factor which also played a part was the Soviet threat to China after 1958 till 1983. On the other side EU was coming out of the wars and conflicts of the first half of the 20th century and making the headway for global economic power after the economic boom from 1960-1970. Though there were trade agreements between China and EU in 1978 and in 1985, however, till the end of Cold War, relations between the EU and China were at low as latter has not given high priority to relations with former, however, globalisation, and interests in multi polar world became the factors that lead to growing bilateral relations between the two. The bilateral relations between the EU and China developed and reached to its height in 2011, when train started connecting the two mighty economic and political actors of globe through Central Asian Republics. Since the bilateral relations between the two partners are still growing but there are new issues that are need the dynamism to solve the problems, human rights violations in some parts of China, and other issues like lack of transparency in China that was highlighted by EU Ambassador at WTO in June 2012, â€Å"related to lack of transparency, which makes Chinas trade and investment policies in the words of Secretariats report â€Å"opaque and complex† (EU Ambassador to WTO, June 2012). The paper will analyse: What steps have helped the bilateral relations between the EU and China? What are the hurdles that need solutions to make the bilateral relations more powerful? The growing interdependence after the globalisation has played a role in integration of trade, finances and people and ideas that led to speed up the bilateral relations between the countries, regions etc. According to new interdependence phenomenon regional powers, countries having different forms of government came closer to each other and start and world institutions like WTO played great role in promoting the phenomenon by replacing protectionism by free trade. The interdependence at times had made so much impact that many countries adopt policies according to international norms to trade and protect ones economy. In the conference of the Interdependence and Globalisation, Secretary-General of UN said, â€Å"There are two main aspects of forging coherence in advancing the development goals in a globalizing world economy †¦ At the regional level; there is a need to broaden and deepen regional integration and to foster coherence through greater coordination of policies and th rough peer reviews While some regions have taken the necessary steps to achieve these ends, others lag Behind.†[1] Under the following back ground and arguments about to achieve the goals of necessary steps for the relations with the other countries, regions like (EU) had taken many steps and have shown dynamism for the bilateral relations and trade particularly with the Central Asian countries and China. However, some of the countries lack behind like (China) that is not a positive sign though the Chinese government have made many changes. Review of literature: There is literature available on the bilateral relations between the China and EU in the form of different journals, books, reports and conference proceedings. They give the information related to trade between the EU and China and the annual high level summit held between the two. However, most of the literature is related with the trade relations and their impact on both side but about the progress in the other social problems there is stray references. The stress is not given on the peace building capacity and conflict resolution capacity of the both partners jointly or the problems which both are facing in the bilateral relations. Last but not the least to what extent they have made the world multi polar from unipolar. As one of the recent articles published by the by the European Council on Foreign Relations argues that Europe needs a â€Å"global China policy,† meaning that it should look at its relationship with China not from a traditional bilateral perspective, but ra ther from a global perspective that takes into account indirect effects through third countries or regions (Godement, 2010). History of bilateral relations between China and EU: The bilateral relations between China and EU started after 1975 and that were further developed by the economic policy changes introduced by Deng Xiaoping in 1978. Since 1978 China has freed itself from the self imposed isolation and integrated with the world. Not only was this but the major shifts in the world economy which had left their mark on the relations between China and various European economies. The single most important events bringing about a significant reshuffle of the European economies economic structure and the pattern of their integration into the international division of labour have been the evolution of a single European market under the auspices of the European Union and the breakdown of socialist block the ensuing transformation of the Central and East European economies into market economies (Markus: 2002). During this period many agreements on trade and bilateral relations were signed by the two like those of Trade Agreement between the EC and China followed in 1978 (Official Journal: 1978). In 1985 this agreement was replaced by the Agreement on Trade and Economic Co-operation between the EC and China. The European Commission opened its representation in Beijing in 1988, and ever since there has been a continuous deepening of economic and trade relations. Since after the opening of the economy after 1978 and especially after the fall of USSR and globalisation, Chinese economy have become the second largest economy. On the other side EU is making it headways to became the major champion of the human rights, rule of law, democracy and is expanding its membership that made the EU major player in this global world. These events make both EU and China think about their larger interests and exchange of goods and rapid development of bilateral trade. China in 2001 joined WTO that helped the both partners to come closer to each other. After 2009 when Lisbon treaty came into force and main motives of the treaty was to overhaul the basic setup of the European Union (EU) had been to make it stronger, more visible and more assertive actor on the international scene. This institutional re-structuring which followed, notably the creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and EU delegations with global reach, was also intended to enhance the EU’s role and capacity in supporting peace processes, making relations with other countries more practical (Joris Larik, Catriona Gourlay). When Catherine Ashton was appointed to new post of High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy was welcomed by the Chinese government, as it has given China a contact at the top of the EU’s administration with whom they are already familiar through trade negotiations. Such a dynamism of both EU and China saw the fruits when the bilateral trade that in the first decade of the 21century as the EU having surpassed the United States as China’s largest trading partner ( Fox: 2009). On the one side EU has beca me the largest supplier of technology and equipment, in the form of FDI, and also a number of joint technology projects with China. Apart from the good and prospective trade relations EU-China co-operation activities are also seen in the categories of measures directed in transition process to an open society based on the rule of law; support of economic reforms; business and industrial co-operation; legal and administrative reform; human resources development; science and technology; environment and energy; regional disparities, poverty alleviation and social cohesion; academic and societal activities (Franco: 2002). Cooperation has extended to other areas, with 100,000 Chinese now studying in the EU, against 60,000 in the United States, and the Chinese invited to join in a number of European technology projects, including the Galileo satellite navigation programme (Europa press release: 2003). This co operation shows the bilateral relation between the two China and EU are reaching to the new heights and levels and can be called the emergence of a new Sinoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ European axis in world politics (Shambaugh 2004; Scott 2007). According to the statics of the 2012, the bilateral trade between the China and Europe reached to 443.6 billion Euros in which EU exports to China reached to its height â‚ ¬143.9 billion and Chinas exports to EU reached to â‚ ¬289.7 billion.[2] That means that one billion trade is done on the average between the two partners. Hurdles in the Bilateral Relations: Though the EU China bilateral relations reached to it new heights nut there are also some hurdles that created problems many time and even when Shambaugh wrote in the International Herald Tribune (26 November 2007) that â€Å"for Europe the ‘China honeymoon’ is now over†. Starting from 1989, when because of Tiananmen Square protests for more reforms towards democratic setup and its suppression lead to the death of more than 1000 persons. Though this event does not have much impact on the bilateral relations between the two but EU with USA imposes the arms embargoes in place (Franco: 2002). Also the problems like human rights violations in Tibet, Xinjiang and Carbon emissions. These issues reached to its height and created the rift between EU and Chinas bilateral relations, when latter cancelled their participation in the annual EU-China summit in retaliation against French plans to meet the Dalai Lama in December 2008. On the economic front the problems like dumping issues against China, and EUs response like increasing the anti-dumping tariffs of up to 50 percent on Chinese-made candles sold in the Europe have made bilateral relations somewhat more strangled(ROBERTO: 2010). In 2012, out of 100 fake goods captured on the European borders 64 were made in China that has created the larger problems. The other problems in the economic front are the China laws on the foreign companies that diminish the role of the EU companies and FDI. As for example EU investments in China add up to less than 2% of the total FDI abroad compared with nearly 30% in the United States.[3] The Chinese government also does not use country specific standards than international standards which EU companies fail or find hard to meet. Because of this in 2012, 45 % of EU companies have missed the business opportunities by these standards or regulatory barriers. Since these things need a solution and compromise between the two wor ld largest economies for this some of the steps have been taken by the EU and China for better prospects and better bilateral relations like. As both the EU and China have more to gain from each other than either has to lose and to overcome the issue of the human rights in China both EU and China have started dialogue from 1996 onwards one among them was on the Human rights in China (EU-China Observer, 2010). To come out of the hurdles between the two bilateral partners, they started Strategic Dialogue in 2005, held at the Vice Ministerial level and since then dialogue is held yearly for the progress and prospectus of the bilateral relations between the two and the framework of this annual dialogue covers wide range of areas. After the Lisbon treaty the dialogue is held at the direct the highest decision-making level helps maintain the strong momentum in strengthening contacts and increasing bilateral cooperation between the two partners. At the end of each summit meeting, the joint declarations reveal the new agreements reached between the two sides, which draws the blueprint and directs further the future development for EU-China relations and also serve to clarify each other’s interests and concerns. (EU-China Observer, 2010). This dialogue have given the opportunities to both the partners to known about each other’s grievances and progress on any contested issue, however, still lot has to be done in this regard. On the other side the growing the threats of terrorism to both partners in general and world in particular have became great problem to world peace. Although EU have made peace building process and conflict resolution there priority in their international relations after Lisbon treaty 2009. EU had send many peace keeping missions to Kosovo, Libya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger, Palestinian territories and some military missions to Somilia, Atalnta, Bosinia, Mali. Both China and EU can start a new dialogue process with the leaders of the conflict areas for peace as both are considered neutral that can help in solving these deadly problems. Also EU and China can help the poor countries of the world for the sustainable human resource development and economic activities by investing jointly the technology and the finances in these countries. Although now the annual summits held between the two global partners on the security situation in Asia, from non-proliferation to the control of small arms and light weapons, from global warming and climate change to the fight against illegal migration and trafficking in human beings but still lot have to be done. Bibliography: Action and the External Action Service,  Algieri, Franco (2002). â€Å"EU Economic Relations with China: An Institutionalist  Perspective†, The China Quarterly, No. 169, Catriona Gourlay, The European Union as Peacemaker – Enhancing EU Mediation Capacity,  European Policy Centre, Available at: EU-China Observer, 2010, issue 5, (available online www.coleurope.eu.). Europa press release (2003) â€Å"EU and China are set to collaborate on GALILEO, the  European global system of satellite navigation†, Foa, Roberto (2010), â€Å"The EU-China Relationship†, Published in the 21st Century  International Review, Francois Godement, (2010) â€Å"A Global China Policy†, ECFR Policy Brief 22, London. Fox, John and Franà §ois Godement, (2009). â€Å"A Power Audit of EU-China Relations†,  European Council on Foreign Relations, Joris Larik, The EU on the Global Stage after the Lisbon Treaty: External Kapur, Harish (1990), Distant Neigbours: China and Europe, London, New York: Pinter  Publishers. Official Journal of the European Communities, L 123, 11 May 1978. Philip Baker, (2002)â€Å"Human Rights, Europe and the People’s Republic of China†, The China  Quarterly, (1). Scott, David (2007), China and the EU: A Strategic Axis for the Twentyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ First Century?, in:  International Relations, Vol. 21, no. 1, 23à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢45. Shambaugh, David (2004), China and Europe: The Emerging Axis, in: Current History, 103,  243à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢248. Taube, Markus 2000, Die chinesische Volkswirtschaft zum Jahrhundertwechsel.  Entwicklungsstandund Perspek-tiven, Zeitschriftfiir Politik, No. 1 pp. 32-53. Wu Jianmin, (2007) Waijiao Anli (Case Studies in Diplomacy), Beijing: Renmin University  Press, Yahuda, Michael B. (1994), China and Europe. The Significance of a Secondary  Relationship, in: Thomas W. Robinson and David Shambaugh (eds), Chinese Foreign Policy:  Theory and Practice, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 266à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢288 Yves Dumas, (2009) â€Å"European NGOs calls on EU to Ensure Human Rights in China Before  2008 Olympics†, The Epoch Times, 15 May EU Statement, EU Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation Angelos Pangratis, Fourth Trade Policy Review of China, 12 and 14 June 2012. [1] â€Å"Globalization and interdependence†, Report of the Secretary-General, United Nations General Assembly, 31 August 2004.Cf Martin Wolf, Globalisation and Interdependence, (Available online) [2] Facts and figures on EU-China trade, Oct, 2013; http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2009/ september/tradoc_144591.pdf online [3] Karel De Gucht (7 June, 2013) EU-China Investment: A Partnership of Equals, European Commissioner for Trade, Brussels

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus Discuss the possible role of psychological factors throughout the course of an illness: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Health psychology is a topical development in the integration of biomedical and social sciences in health care. It addresses the role of psychological factors in the cause, progression, and outcome of health and illness (Ogden, 2007). Psychological theories can guide health education and promotion, and offer the health care practitioner a structured approach to understanding and meeting the health needs of health and social care service users (Morrison and Bennett, 2009). The appraisal of health psychology models can assist practitioners in evaluating their contribution to service users understanding of health, behaviours relating to health and the practice of health care. Appraisal and evaluation enable health care workers to apply psychological models and theories when analysing aspects of health and behaviour relevant to practice (Marks et al, 2005). The ethos of health psychology is that of treating the ‘whole person, not just the physical adaptations that transpire associated with illness. This might embrace behaviour change, urging modifications in beliefs, and coping strategies, and acquiescence with medical advice. As the ‘whole self is treated, the individual becomes to a certain extent responsible for their treatment. For example, an individual may have a responsibility to take medication, and to change beliefs and behaviour. Therefore, the individual is no longer seen as a victim. From this viewpoint, health and illness are on a continuum. Instead of being either healthy or ill, individuals may move on along a continuum from healthiness to illness and back again. Health psychology also argues that the mind and body act together. It perceives psychological issues as not only potential effects of illness, but as adding to all the phases of health, from maximum healthiness to illness (Morrison and Bennett, 2009). Health psychology is concerned primarily with intrinsic factors, especially individual perceptions of health-related behaviour. Health behaviour, defined as behaviour related to health status, is becoming increasingly important. Public health policy has increased the emphasis on individual responsibility and choice and because of this; there is a corresponding need to improve understanding of individual motivations that affect those choices and health-related behaviours (Marks et al, 2005). The health behaviours studied by psychologists are varied, but the most commonly studied health behaviours have immediate or long-term implications for individual health, and are partially within the control of the individual (Ogden, 2007). Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, is a serious and progressive disease. It is chronic in nature and has no known cure. It is the fourth most common cause of death in most developed countries (UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group, 1998a). Although no exact figures are available, it has been suggested that by the year 2010 there would be 3.5 million people with diabetes in the United Kingdom (UK). However, approximately 750,000 of the estimated number may be undiagnosed (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Diabetes UK campaigns to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes because if left undiagnosed, the condition can result in long-term complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, and an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. The total number of people with diabetes has increased by 75% over the last six years and the incidence in the UK is escalating at a faster rate than in the United States (Gonzà ¡lez et al,2009). There is a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in people with South Asian or African descent (Department of Health, 2007). One of the reasons for this is thought to be that these ethnic groups have increased insulin resistance. Signs of type 2 diabetes are already present in UK children of South Asian and African-Caribbean origin at ten years of age, according to research funded jointly by the British Heart Foundation and the Wellcome Trust (Whincup et al,2010). The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increases with age to as much as one in ten in those aged 65 years. The lifetime risk of developing the condition in the UK is greater than 10% (Leese, 1991). Diabetes-related complications can have a major effect on the individual and family members, and are costly to the patient. A study undertaken by Bottomley (2001) examined the costs of living of patients with diabetes complications, including taking time off work and transport costs for hospital appointments. The study showed that the cost of treating someone with type 2 diabetes with microvascular and macrovascular complications was  £5,132 compared to  £920 for someone who does not have diabetes-related complications (Bottomley 2001). This also has implications for the National Health Service (NHS) in terms of the financial burden of managing and treating the condition and the use of resources. It has been estimated that the cost of treating diabetes nationally adds up to approximately 9% of the NHS annual budget, although most of that is used to treat associated long-term complications, such as kidney failure, blindness, amputations and organ transplantation, rather than the provision of medication (Bottomley, 2001). With regard to type 2 diabetes, psychological theories and models have a long history of informing attempts to change behaviour and improve emotional well-being. Over recent years, many clinical guidelines in the UK by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have included recommendations for psychological interventions for long-term conditions. Evidence-based recommendations have been made not only for the treatment of associated mental health problems such as depression and anxiety (NICE, 2009; NICE, 2004) but also for physical health conditions such as obesity (NICE, 2007) and changing behaviour related to public health issues such as smoking and lack of exercise (NICE; 2007). The aim of this essay is to explore the psychological implications for a person suffering from type 2 diabetes and others involved in the experience of that illness. Type 2 diabetes, is caused as the result of reduced secretion of insulin and to peripheral resistance to the action of insulin; that is, the insulin in the body does not have its usual biological effect. It can often be controlled by diet and exercise when first diagnosed, but many patients require oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin in order to maintain satisfactory glycaemic control and prevent the complications of diabetes (Diabetes UK, 2008a). To reduce the risk of long-term complications, both macrovascular and microvascular, people with type 2 diabetes need access to appropriate, individualised education, which informs them about the risks associated with the condition. Information relating to lifestyle changes such as healthy eating, increasing activity levels, and smoking cessation are vital (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Some people accept their diagnosis of diabetes and all that this means, and manage to adapt to their new lifestyle, but others find it difficult. Changes will need to be made to the type of food they eat, the amount they eat of particular foods and perhaps to the time at which they eat their meals. As a consequence of the required changes to lifestyle, it is not surprising that many people need some professional psychological support (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Diabetes may have an impact on peoples careers, driving, and insurance policies (life, driving, and travel). Difficulties surrounding holidays, work or travel abroad may prove insurmountable without support. People with diabetes who are also caring for others, for example children or elderly relatives, may find it very difficult to put themselves first (Diabetes UK, 2008a). Some people who have been diagnosed as having diabetes feel that they have been condemned to a life where everything has to be planned. There are, however, support networks available. For example Diabetes UK, a charity that supports people with diabetes, their families and the health professionals who care for them, has local and regional branches where people can meet and discuss problems and learn from each other how they manage their day-to-day-life (Diabetes UK, 2008a). The majority of people with type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant. Obesity exacerbates insulin resistance. As many as 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are obese at the time of diagnosis (Marks, 1996). Weight loss not only improves insulin resistance, but also lowers blood glucose, lipid levels, and blood pressure. Cardiovascular disease is often present in people with type 2 diabetes. The presence of insulin resistance accelerates atherosclerosis, leading to macrovascular complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. The mechanisms responsible for this are thought to be hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia and hypertension (Garber, 1998). However, microvascular problems such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy still occur. The mechanism responsible is thought to be hyperglycaemia (Garber, 1998). Therefore, good blood glucose control is of crucial importance. Although the prognosis for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus is less than favourable, evidence has shown that making major lifestyle changes, such as having a healthy diet, smoking cessation, and increasing activity levels, can reduce the risk of long-term complications (UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group, 1998a). However, using the threat of long-term complications as a means of inducing lifestyle or behaviour changes has not proved to have any prolonged beneficial effect (Polonsky, 1999). Continued support and appropriate education is required to empower individuals to take charge of their condition and make appropriate and timely therapeutic decisions. The healthcare professional and the individual must decide on the most appropriate treatment regimen to provide optimum care and the best medical outcome (Marks et al, 2005). NICE published a document in 2008 entitled ‘CG66: Type 2 diabetes which recommended that all people with diabetes should be offered structured educat ion, provided by a trained specialist team of healthcare professionals (NICE, 2008). The utilisation of theoretical health psychology models can assist these specialist team practitioner in empowering individuals with type 2 diabetes to contemplate and instigate the changes in lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits that have adverse consequences on long-term health outcomes. With regard to health psychology, as previously mentioned, health psychology is concerned primarily with intrinsic factors, especially individual perceptions of health-related behaviour. Attributing health-related behaviours to internal or external factors has been discussed in relation to the concept of a health locus of control. Individuals differ as to whether they regard events as controllable by them (an internal locus of control) or uncontrollable by them (an external locus of control) (Ogden, 2007). Accessing diabetes related health services for testing or treatment could be viewed from either perspective. The healthcare professional is perceived to be a powerful individual who can diagnose and treat diabetes (external); however, by accessing services the individual is taking responsibility for determining their own health status (internal). It is useful for the healthcare practitioner to consider that in attending diabetic health services the individual has made an initial st ep in taking control of their own health needs (Marks et al, 2005). Individuals with an internal locus of control are more likely to act in concordance with advice from a health professional than those with an external locus of control (Ogden, 2007). Knowing this can assist practitioners in their communication style with individuals who have type 2 diabetes. Identifying the specific needs of the individual, by understanding their locus of control, can help the healthcare practitioner to tailor the assessment (Marks et al, 2005). When an individual has a sense of responsibility for actions or behaviours that exposed them to a potential risk of diabetic complications, the practitioner can work on exploring the circumstances that surrounded those behaviours. The individual may already feel motivated to change these circumstances. In the case of a client who does not recognise that their own behaviour or actions were a contributory factor in posing a risk of behaviour related complications, the practitioner should focus on developing the individuals leve l of awareness to shift their locus of control from the external to the internal. For example, the individual who perceives that taking responsibility for healthy eating use is always that of their partner (Ogden, 2007). Self-management for chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes requires adherence to treatment regimens and behavioural change, as well as the acquisition of new coping strategies, because symptoms have a great effect on many areas of life (Glasgow, 1991; Kravitz et al,1993). For many individuals, optimum self-management is often difficult to achieve, as indicated by poor rates of adherence to treatment, reduced quality of life, and poor psychological wellbeing, effects that are frequently reported in several chronic illnesses (Rubin and Peyrot, 1999). Self-management interventions aim to enable individuals to take control of their condition and be actively involved in management and treatment choices. In the 1980s, psychological theory was applied to develop theoretical models and their constructs have had a particular effect on the development of self-management interventions. The Health Belief Model (Becker 1974) defines two related appraisal processes undertaken by the healthcare practitioner in partnership with an individual: the threat of illness and the behavioural response to that threat. Threat appraisal involves consideration of the individuals perceived susceptibility to an illness and its anticipated severity. Behavioural response involves considering the costs and benefits of engaging in behaviours likely to reduce the threat of disease. It can be useful for the healthcare practitioner to establish the clients perception of risk and implications of their adverse health behaviours when discussing the reasons for healthy eating, increasing exercise, and smoking cessation. It is also important to discuss the likely impact of diabetes on the individuals lifestyle and behaviour (Marks et al, 2005). The Health Belief Model can be applied to evaluate the risk of lifestyle changes. The healthcare professional can initiate structured discussion with the individual to identify their educational needs, particularly around developing a realistic understanding of risk factors associated with diabetes and unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and smoking. It is important for the healthcare practitioner to discuss the efficacy of changes in the above in prevention of diabetic complications, while discussing other methods of behaviour modification in context (Marks et al, 2005). It is also important to establish that the individual feels confident in the practicalities of and behavioural change. Therefore, the healthcare practitioner must support the diabetic in behaviour change by giving practical health education advice on the issues of healthy eating, the benefits of exercise and the importance of giving up smoking (Marks et al, 2005). The Protection Motivation Theory (Rogers 1975, 1983) expands the Health Belief Model to include four components that predict behavioural intentions to improve health-related behaviour, or intention to modify behaviour. These include self-efficacy, responsive effectiveness, severity, and vulnerability. In social cognitive theory, behaviour is thought to be affected by expectations, with individuals confidence in their ability to perform a given behaviour (self-efficacy) particularly important (Bandura, 1992). Therefore, self-efficacy can be said to be the belief in ones ability to control personal actions (Bandura, 1992), and is comparable with the concept of internal locus of control. It is based on past experience and evokes behaviour concordant with an individuals capabilities. Self-efficacy is distinct from unrealistic optimism and does not elicit unreasonable risk-taking (Ogden, 2007). Within the context of smoking and diabetes, an example of self-efficacy might be, ‘I am c onfident that I can take responsibility for protecting myself from increasing the risk of further complications by giving up smoking. This concept has been used in self-management interventions through the teaching of skills, such as problem solving and goal setting, to increase self-efficacy. Again, in type 2 diabetes, this could mean the acquisition of knowledge relating to healthy eating principles and putting that knowledge into practice by avoiding foods that would make the blood glucose rise quickly. The goal would be to incorporate this behaviour into daily life on a long-term basis (Marks et al, 2005). Behavioural intention can also be predicted by severity, for example: ‘Diabetes will have serious implications for my health and lifestyle, but conversely, ‘Good blood glucose control will decrease the risk of diabetic complications. The fourth predictor of behavioural intention is vulnerability, which in the context of diabetes may be the likelihood of cardiovascular disease or diabetic retinopathy occurring. Rogers (1983) later suggested a fifth component of fear in response to education or information as a predictor of behavioural intention. The concepts of severity, vulnerability, and fear outlined in Protection Motivation Theory relate to the concept of threat appraisal, as discussed in the context of the Health Belief Model. Self-efficacy and response effectiveness, on the other hand, relate to the individuals coping response, which is the behaviour intention. If a person has self-efficacy and perceives benefits in taking control of their actions (response effectiveness), they are likely to have the intention to modify their behaviour to reduce health risks (Ogden, 2007). Information or education that influences an individuals emotional response can be environmental (external influence, such as advice from a health professional), or interpersonal (relating directly to past experience). Information and education contribute to an individuals self-efficacy. This in turn helps develop a robust internal locus of control and will inform and/or contribute to the individuals coping response (Marks et al, 2005). The coping res ponse is considered to be adaptive (positive behavioural intention) or maladaptive (avoidance or denial). Assessment of the individuals capacity to understand and apply information and to have an adaptive response is a vital skill of the health professional. A maladaptive coping response, such as the denial of identified risk factors, has potentially serious consequences for the health of the individual (Marks et al, 2005). Successful implementation of the Protection Motivation Model can enable informed choice and empower the individual to take personal responsibility and control of behaviours influencing their health (Morrison and Bennett, 2009). Skilled questioning and the use of checking skills by the healthcare professional following information-giving are important to evaluate the benefit, if any, to the individual with diabetes (Ogden, 2007). Readiness to change is a concept derived from Prochaska and DiClementes (1983) transtheoretical model. It refers to how prepared or ready individuals are to make changes to their behaviour. Interventions guided by this theory focus on individuals motivation to change and the approach is adapted according to differences in participants motivation to change behaviour. Success is achieved only when the individual is ready to take on the actions needed to change behaviour. An individual may know that smoking and type 2 diabetes are not a good combination. However, unless the person is ready to quit smoking, no amount of discussion with a healthcare professional will change the persons decision to continue smoking. Establishing an internal motivator is a good first step to assessing an individuals readiness to change, however, an individual also needs to feel that the time is right and that they are prepared to change. Readiness to change can be assessed by asking individuals, as soon as the potential problem is identified, whether they have ever attempted to change the behaviour before. Six stages of change were identified in Prochaska and DiClementes (1983) Transtheoretical model of behaviour change: Pre-contemplation; Contemplation; Preparation; Action; Maintenance and Relapse. Most people (around 60%) will be at the pre-contemplation stage when they are identified by the healthcare practitioner and will generally react in a closed way to the idea of change (Prochaska and Goldstein, 1991). They may be rebellious to the idea, they may rationalise their current behaviour or be resigned to it, or they may be reluctant to consider the possibility of change (Prochaska and Goldstein, 1991). In this situation, it is tempting to push people into making an attempt at behaviour change using their health as a motivator or by making them feel guilty. However, this is likely to prompt the individual to either lie about their behaviour or avoid the nurse completely. During the contemplation phase, it is suggested that individuals who are starting to consider change look for information about their current and proposed behaviours, and analyse the risks involved in changing or maintaining their current behaviour. The most appropriate action is to ask the individual to form alise the analytical process by undertaking a decisional balance exercise (Health Education Authority (HEA), 1996). In this exercise the person is asked to consider the positive and negative implications of maintaining or changing their behaviour. The individual then decides whether maintaining or changing the behaviour will give them increased positive outcomes, and if they are willing to attempt the change. To be at the preparation stage, individuals need to believe that their behaviour is causing a problem, that their health or wellbeing will improve if they change the behaviour, and that they have a good chance of success (Prochaska and Goldstein, 1991). Once the healthcare practitioner establishes that the individual has an internal motivator and is ready to make an attempt at behaviour change, a supportive treatment plan is needed. Individuals who are in the process of behaviour change, or who have achieved and are maintaining the new behaviour, need help to avoid relapse (Pro chaska and Goldstein, 1991). The most effective way to do this is to ask the individual to reflect on their experiences so far. Apart from taking into account the management behavioural change for those with type 2 diabetes, it is also of vital importance that there is a consideration the emotional impact of a diabetes diagnosis and living with the condition. How patients feel when presented with the diagnosis of a chronic illness such as diabetes can have an enormous impact on their lives, and on their ability to make emotional adjustments to the disease itself (Marks et al, 2005). Research has found that that the diagnosis of a chronic illness can have a strong emotional impact on individuals, with reactions of grief, denial and depression. The emotional aspects of developing and coping with diabetes can affect overall control of the disease profoundly. Similarly, these feeling may form a barrier to effective listening and learning during the consultation process and any future self-management strategies. Therefore, it is proposed that this should be taken into consideration when developing educational prog rammes and protocols for people with diabetes (Thoolen et al, 2008). Coping and adapting to a long-term chronic illness is a major theme in health psychology (Ogden, 2007). Leventhal Nerenz (1985) propose that individuals have their own common sense beliefs about their illness. These include identity: diagnosis (diabetes) and symptoms (elevated blood sugar levels, excessive hunger and excessive thirst). Perceived cause of illness: stress, a virus, unhealthy lifestyle. Time line: acute or chronic. Consequences: physical (pain, mobility problems) and emotional (lack of social contact, anxiety). Cure and control: for example by taking medication or getting plenty of rest. With regard to adapting to an illness such as diabetes, the stress coping model of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) Transactional model of stress is the concept that is most widely utilised. The model suggests that there are key factors in adaptation to chronic illness, disease-specific coping efforts, changes in illness representation over time, interaction between psychological reality of disease and affective response, procedures for coping with the disease and interaction with context. The stress coping model (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984) emphasises the value of coping strategies to deal with a particular condition. Self-management strategies based on this model attempt to improve the individuals coping strategies. In type 2 diabetes, people are faced with the prospect of long-term complications caused by the condition. If people are aware of these possibilities and also that successful treatment is, available it makes a diagnosis of such problems less daunting. However, there are limitations to this model. It is debated that it is a frame of reference, not a theory that ignores specific features of the illness. The situation dimension poorly represented and it is not specific. The model also neglects interactions with context (e.g. social support, other life events) and offers no account of life goals on illness representation and coping (Ogden, 2007). It is of vital importance that stress is controlled and managed in an individual with type 2 diabetes. Research has shown a link between stress as a causal factor and that stress has been found to be a factor in regulation of blood glucose regulation. Sepa et al (2005) found that family stress has a significant impact on the and development of diabetes among infants. With regard to stress and metabolic control, research has found that stressful life events predict poor glucose control. In a study by Surwit et al, (2002) the management of stress was found to improve glucose control. Therefore, it is posited that the impact of stress can affect diabetes adversely and any interventions to manage stress may be a worthwhile component of diabetes education programs. An additional influence on coping and adapting to living with diabetes and the development of self-management strategies has come from clinical psychology, particularly Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT). Central to these therapies is the importance of attempting to change how people think about their illness and themselves, and how their thoughts affect their behaviour. Depression is one of the most common psychological problems among individuals with diabetes, and is associated with worse treatment adherence and clinical outcomes (Gonzalez et al, 2010). A randomised controlled trial (RCT) undertaken by Lustman et al, (2008) found that the percentage of patients achieving remission of depression was greater in the CBT group than in the control group. Although the research found that there was no difference in the mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels of the groups post-treatment, follow-up mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels were significantly better in the CBT group than in the control group. Therefore, it is debated that the combination of CBT and supportive diabetes education is an effective non-pharmacologic treatment for major depression in patients with type 2 diabetes. It may also be associated with improved glycaemic control. It is important to note however, that certain limitation apply to the above study that may have an effect on the findings. The generalizability of the findings is uncertain. The study was limited to a relatively small number of patients. Similarly, the follow-up interval was limited to the 6 months immediately after treatment. Likewise, the researcher cannot exclude the possibility that CBT and diabetes education interacted in a way that potentiated antidepressant effectiveness; analogous interactions may have occurred in many clinical trials. Further studies comparing CBT and diabetes education, individually and in combination, are needed to answer such questions and to see whether successful CBT alone is sufficient to produce glycaemic improvement. Correspondingly, it is worth noting that patients in the CBT group had education almost a full year longer than controls. The difference in education was not statistically significant, but the extra educational experience may have contributed to improved outcome in the CBT group. Finally, treatment was administered by a single psychologist experienced in the use of CBT. Whether treatment would be as effective when administered by other therapists is uncertain. For any person with type 2 diabetes to engage in any self-management strategy, good mental health is necessary. However, studies have shown reduced self-worth and/or anxiety in more than 40% of people with diabetes (Anderson et al,2001). There are several possible reasons for this. Being diagnosed with diabetes immediately poses major concerns for the individual, including what the future holds in terms of health, finance, and family relationships. Although everyone deals with diagnosis differently, for some it can cause immediate stress, including feelings of shock or guilt. Some individuals may also be ashamed and want to keep the diagnosis a secret. Others may be relieved to know what is causing the symptoms they have been experiencing. An Audit Commission (2000) report acknowledged that: people with diabetes are more likely to suffer from clinical depression than those in the general population. The report then went on to specify that therefore, diabetes services should make expl icit provision for psychological support and should monitor the psychological outcomes of care. In conclusion, to be successful in changing behaviour to negate the complications of type 2 diabetes, individuals need to decide for themselves which behaviours are undesirable, that is, which behaviours could have negative health, financial, social or psychological implications. People with diabetes also need to feel that the negative impact of risky health behaviours will be reduced or altered if they change their behaviour. It is important that individuals have confidence in their ability to make and maintain behavioural changes. It is not the health practitioners role to make this judgement or impose his or her beliefs. To support behavioural change, healthcare professionals need to feel comfortable in discussing lifestyle behaviours. They also need to assess an individuals preparedness to make a change and identify the factors that motivate them to change. The application of health psychology models, such as the Health Belief Model, the Protection Motivation Theory and the Trans theoretical model of behaviour change, to the management process can enable healthcare practitioners to assess contributory factors to health behaviours. Applying models can also help to identify motivators and barriers to health-improving and health-protecting behaviours, and identify strategies which assist the person in behavioural change. The role of the healthcare professional is to enable individuals to make an informed choice by working in partnership with them to decide when and if behaviour change is desirable. By understanding how an individual copes and adapts to living with a long-term condition such as diabetes can assist in empowering individuals to managed stress that appears to have a negative im

Joseph Stalin Essay -- Joseph Stalin bio Biography Essays

â€Å"The man who turned the Soviet Union from a backward country into a world superpower at unimaginable human cost (Joseph Stalin).† â€Å"Stalin was born into a dysfunctional family in a poor village in Georgia (Joseph Stalin).† Permanently scarred from a childhood bout with smallpox and having a mildly deformed arm, Stalin always felt unfairly treated by life, and thus developed a strong, romanticized desire for greatness and respect, combined with a shrewd streak of calculating cold-heartedness towards those who had maligned him. â€Å"He always felt a sense of inferiority before educated intellectuals, and particularly distrusted them (Joseph Stalin).† Sent by his mother to the seminary in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), the capital of Georgia, to study to become a priest, the young Stalin never completed his education, and was instead soon completely drawn into the city's active revolutionary circles. â€Å"Never a fiery intellectual polemicist or orator like Lenin or Trotsky, Stalin specialized in the humdrum nuts and bolts of revolutionary activity. Risking arrest every day by helping organize workers, distributing illegal literature, and robbing trains to support the cause, while Lenin and his bookish friends lived safely abroad and wrote clever articles about the plight of the Russian working class (Lenin & Stalin).† â€Å" Although Lenin found Stalin's boorishness offensive at times, he valued his loyalty, and appointed him after the Revolution to various low-priority leadership positions in the new Soviet government(Lenin & Stalin).† In 1922, Stalin was appointed to another such post, as General Secretary of the Communist Party's Central Committee. â€Å"Stalin understood that "cadres are everything": if you control the personnel, you control the organization. He shrewdly used his new position to consolidate power in exactly this way--by controlling all appointments, setting agendas, and moving around Party staff in such a way that eventually everyone who counted for anything owed their position to him(Stalin Biography).† By the time the Party's intellectual core realized what had happened, it was too late--Stalin had his people in place. While Lenin, the only person with the moral authority to challenge him, was on his deathbed and incapable of speech after a series of strokes, and besides, Stalin even controlled who had access to the leader. The General Secretary of the ... .... â€Å"This ambitious plan brought hardship and met resistance as he purged the kulaks (wealthy peasant farmers) (Stalin: The Man and His Era).† This was followed in 1932 by the second, equally ambitious Five-Year Plan. In 1936, Stalin developed a new Soviet constitution, which was seen as a democratic document. â€Å"However, the following elections were marred by purge trials from 1934 to 1938 in which Stalin systematically eliminated his opposition(Stalin: The Man and His Era).† Stalin further hurt his international image when he signed a nonaggression pact with Adolf Hitler in 1939. The Nazi leader soon broke this agreement and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. â€Å"In Allied negotiations after the war, Stalin succeeded in obtaining control of half of Europe, and the following year the Iron Curtain descended over the Soviet Union and its "satellites" in Eastern Europe as Stalin consolidated his gains (Joseph Stalin).† This began the cold war, which continued throughout Stalin's rule. He died in Moscow in 1953 and was entombed in Red Square alongside Lenin. â€Å"However, his character was later attacked by Nikita Khrushchev and his body removed from the Lenin mausoleum (Stalin Biography)†.

Entrepreneurial Revolution :: Business, Entrepreneurs

Kuratko and Hodgetts (2001) mentioned that â€Å"we are having entrepreneurial revolution in this twenty first century†. This is the period where entrepreneurs will grow like mushroom after the raining season. On the other hand in Malaysia, according to department of statistic (2009) the number of people who become entrepreneurs have shown a reducing trend since 1982 to 2008 where it had gone down to 20.9% from 25.1%. This shows that many people prefer to work with private sector or government rather than becoming entrepreneurs. To increase the number of the people to become entrepreneurs especially the Bumiputra(native people), the government has launched many schemes and mechanism to increase their numbers. Education institution has been use as one of the mechanism to promote entrepreneurship to the student in middle and tertiary education. The creations of entrepreneurs are important because they have been proven to contribute to economy wealth and job creation (Turker and Selcuk, 2008). In 1999, Audretsh and Thurik conducted research on past data from 1984 to 1994 regarding the relationship between entrepreneur and job creation issue. The result showed that there is a positive relationship between the two where the number of job rate increases when the number of entrepreneurs increased. In Malaysia entrepreneurship course was started to be introduced in some universities in mid 90’s (Cheng et al.d, 2010). Then in 2007, Ministry of Higher Education made a policy that entrepreneurship course became a compulsory subject to all students in the universities irrespective of whatever faculties ,to encouraged more development of entrepreneurs from the university(Ministry of High Education Malaysia, report 2010). With this policy, universities have become the center to foster entrepreneurship. However unlike the situation in the west, here in Malaysia the situation is different where the number of people who actually become entrepreneur is small compared to the number of people who have taken the course. This is totally difference in other countries. In the United States, for instance, many of the graduates form companies after and during their universities. In the west the impact of the entrepreneurship education have been well known as mention by Ayers (2004) where the â€Å"graduates from Massachuset Institute of Technology have created more than 4000 companies†. In Harvard more than 50% of the students have involved in venture business (Anjan,2005). Similar effect also ha d happen in early research in Europe (Harhoff, 1999) .All these situations indicate that entrepreneurship can be taught through education.

New Zealands Agriculture Essay -- Climate Environment New Zealand Ess

It is safe to say that New Zealand is largely a farming nation since farming makes up a high percentage of the country's export earnings. The country's climate ranges from regions in the north that are considered "warm subtropical", to "cool and temperate" in the south. These diverse areas allow for numerous kinds of farming which are vital to New Zealand's economy. All over the country there are deer, llama, ostrich, goat, cattle and sheep farms, and though they get no subsidies from the government, they still play a large part in contributing to overseas markets with their beef, wool, dairy products, other meats, hides, venison (from deer), and goat fiber. It is said that there are about 20 times as many sheep as there are people in New Zealand, but since the country has become increasingly more developed in recent years, this figure has dwindled and continues to do so. This is not to say that the development of human civilization in New Zealand is the preeminent concern for threat ening the country’s animal farming industries. In fact, climate change is a greater concern, and if global temperatures continue to rise as they have been over the years, New Zealand ’s animal farms could take a hit. Animal farms aren’t the only widespread economy drivers in New Zealand. In addition to animal farms, New Zealand is also rich with tree farms. This way they can harvest trees for lumber without touching the indigenous forests, most of which are protected indefinitely, like the huge rainforest on the western side of the south island. 30 percent of New Zealand is covered in forest, including both natural and "planted production" forests. This is a large and seemingly healthy percentage relative to most other countries in the world. Sin... ...oxide in the air might actually assist the overall growth of some vegetation. Whether the positive aspects of a warmer climate will prevail over the negative aspects remains to be seen, but it will certainly have an impact on agriculture in New Zealand and elsewhere. Humans have never been in this situation before so it will be something that we surely will find out in the future unless something is done to regulate the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere. Bibliography Jebson, Mike. â€Å"Climate Change and Agriculture and Forestry: Impact on Industries† http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/sustainable-resource-use/climate/impact-on industries.html Jebson, Mike. â€Å"Climate Change and Agriculture and Forestry: Issues and Responses† http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/sustainable-resource-use/climate/issues-and-responses.html

Early Childhood Pioneers Essay

Froebel pioneered the view that play acts as an organising function which integrates learning and helps children apply their knowledge and understanding in relation to their developing ideas, feelings, physical bodies and relationships. Froebel thought that schools should be communities in which the parents are welcome to join their children. He believed that parents were the first educators of their child. He thought that children learned outdoors as well as indoors. He encouraged movement, games and the study of natural science in the garden. He invented finger play, songs and rhymes. He encouraged the arts and crafts and a love for literature as well as mathematical understandings. He thought that children should have freedom of movement, clothes which were easy to move about in, and sensible food which was not too rich. Foebel deeply valued symbolic behaviour and encouraged this in very young children. He realised how important it is for children to understand that they can make one thing stand for another. He thought that the best way for children to try out symbolic behaviour was in their play. He thought that as they pretend and imagine things, children show their highest level of learning. Similarly to Vygotsky he thought that children’s best thinking is done when they are playing. He also designed various items and activities to help symbolic behaviour. He encouraged children to draw, make collages and model with clay. He encouraged play with special wooden blocks (Gifts) and made up songs, movements, dancing AND crafts (occupations). He allowed children to use Gifts and Occupations as they wished thus introducing what is called now free flow play. He emphasised the expressive arts, mathematics, literature, sciences, creativity and aesthetic things. He believed that each brought important but different kinds of knowledge and understanding. He also place great emphasis on ideas, feelings and relationships. Influence on current practice and curriculum models Most mainstream settings encourage learning through first hand experience and play remains central to provision for children’s learning, including language development through rhymes and finger plays. Most early years settings encourage imagination to flow freely in play, and symbolic play is seen as very important for children’s development. Early years settings integrate care and education and today this is emphasised more than ever. Children’s development is still encouraged through provision of a wide range of materials and activities tailored to the needs of the individual child. Current best practice still emphasises creativity, science and the humanities and learning opportunities are integrated across curriculum partnerships. Maria Montessori (1870- 1952) Montessori devised a structured teaching programme which she based on her observations of children who were mentally challenged, and she believed she was making Froebel’s work more scientifically rigorous in doing this. There are Montessori schools in the UK within the private sector. Children are seen as active learners who go through sensitive periods in their development when they are more open to learning particular skills and concepts. Montessori designed a set of didactic materials which encouraged children to use their hands. Her method involves a series of graded activities through which every child progress working through specially designed materials. Each material isolates one quality for the child to discover e. g. size, colour or shape. The materials are self correcting. Whereas Froebel stressed the importance of relationships, feelings and being part of a community, Montessori stressed that children should work alone. She thought that this helped children to become independent learners. For her the highest moment in child’s learning was what she called the polarisation of the attention. This means that the child is completely silent and absorbed in what they are doing. Montessori did not think there was need for adult correction. The role of the adult was limited to facilitating the child’s own creativity, the teacher is known as directress. Children are not seen as part of a community but work largely on their own in a quiet and peaceful environment of total concentration. Little parental involvement is encouraged. Unlike Froebel, Montessori did not see the point in play or the free flow. She did not encourage children to have their own ideas until they had worked through all her graded learning sequences, she did not believe that they were able to do free drawing or creative work of any kind until they had done this. The child is thought to solve problems independently, building self confidence, analytical thinking and the satisfaction that comes from accomplishment. There are significant similarities between Piaget’s theory of the stages of cognitive development and the Montessori system’s organisation of students in the classroom. The Montessori system places children into classrooms based upon a common cognitive stage and not by grade level, children are divided into age groups and are presented with activities that correspond to their cognitive ability at that level, this coincides closely with Piaget’s stages of development in which certain cognitive tasks must be mastered during a certain age in order for formal learning to progress. Furthermore students in Montessori system are placed in an environment that is tailored to their cognitive development, Montessori believed that classrooms should be furnished and equipped in a manner that allows children to explore and interact with their surroundings in a safe and engaging environment. Piaget believed that interaction with one’s surroundings aids in cognitive development in a way that is referred to as schema theory. The Montessori system also provides the necessary growth opportunities as designated by Piaget to progress from one cognitive stage to next. These four criteria include maturation, experience, social interaction and equilibration Influence on current practice and curriculum models Mainstream provision also sees the child as an active learner and some Montessori ideas and materials are used such as graded sizes of particular shapes, e. g. small, medium and large blocks. Many other aspects of Montessori provision are different from mainstream early years practice. For example mainstream settings emphasise that the role of adults in intervening and supporting the child’s learning. Current mainstream practice would not usually leave children to work through activities alone but encourages group work and sensitive intervention by adults to support learning. Sometimes quiet concentration is encouraged but according to individual children’s needs rather than basic approach to all learning activities. Current practice would involve parents/carers as partners with a high degree of involvement. Susan Isaacs (1885- 1948) Like Margaret McMillan, Susan Isaacs was influenced by Froebel, she was also influenced by the theories of Melanie Klein, the psychoanalyst, Isaacs made detailed observations of children. Isaacs valued play because she believed that it gave children freedom to think, feel and relate to others. She looked at children’s fears, their aggression and their anger. She believed that through their play, children can move in and out of reality. This enables them to balance their ideas, feelings and relationships. She said of classrooms where young children have to sit at tables and write that they cannot learn in such places because they need to move just as they need to eat and sleep. Isaacs valued parents as the most important educators in a child’s life. She spoke to them on the radio, and she wrote for parents in magazines. Isaacs encouraged people to look at the inner feelings of children. She encouraged children to express their feelings. She thought it would be very damaging to bottle up feelings inside. She supported both Froebel’s and Margaret McMillan’s view that nurseries are an extension of the home and not a substitute for it, and she believed that children should remain in nursery type education until they are 7 years of age. Isaacs kept careful records of children, both for the period they spent in her nursery and for the period after they had left. She found that many of them regressed when they left her nursery and went on to formal infant schools. Modern researches have found the same. Influence on current practice and curriculum models Mainstream early years settings today give opportunities for children to let off steam in controlled way through vigorous physical play and encourage controlled expression of feelings through language and imaginative play. Play is still seen as central to learning and parents/carers are seen as partners. Careful observation of children and accurate record keeping is emphasised in early years settings. Many countries throughout the world do not start children at school until age six or seven years and many early years educators in the UK argue that this should be the case here. Margaret McMillan (1860-1931) Margaret worked in the Froebel tradition. She believed in active learning through first hand experiences and emphasised feelings and relationships as well as physical aspects of movement and learning. She believed that play helped a child to become a whole person and was an integrating force in learning and development. McMillan was a pioneer in nursery education. She believed in the introduction of nursery schools as an extension of home and as communities in themselves. She emphasised the value of the open air and introduced gardens for families to play and explore. She believed in partnership with parents who developed with their children in the nursery environment. McMillan was the first to introduce school meals and medical services and stressed the importance of trained adults to work with children. Influence on current practice and curriculum models McMillan has had a powerful influence on the provision of nursery education in the UK and many of her principles are widespread. At present time children are given access wherever possible to outdoors areas and encouraged to make gardens and use natural materials. Early years settings give opportunities for children’s physical, social, imaginative and creative play and encourage expression of feelings. Active learning is encouraged through provision of a wide range of materials and equipment together with a skilled and qualified workforce. McMillan’s views on the nursery school as a community are followed through today as parents are invited into schools and seen as partners in the care and education of their children. As well as being a community in itself, early years settings extend provision into the community and become part of the community. School meals and medical services are now an accepted part of provision. Learning theories and Play The importance of Play, the environmental factors and the view of the child as an active learner are also reflected in the social constructivist model. Similarly to the pioneers of play, Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner saw the child as an active participant in their own development and learning. Piaget stated that children passed through a series of stages of cognitive development always in the same order but at different rates. He emphasised that the child was an active participant in their own learning and development. According to Piaget children had schemas or patterns of behaviour that are part of the child’s powerful drive to understand its experiences. Piaget believed that young children in preoperational stage began to think and represent actions with symbols and judged situations on what they could see not being able to conserve, he also prescribed them as egocentric and felt that they learned by discovery. Whereas Piaget saw the child as a solitary learner, Bruner and Vygotsky similarly to Froebel stressed the importance of the role of adults and interactions in play. Vygotsky emphasised the role of adults in helping children learn. He identified the zone of proximal development and believed that the adult role was to intervene and help children to move into the zone of actual development and the cycle goes on. Bruner believed that children learn through doing, imagining what they have been doing and then turning what they know into symbols such speech, drawing and writing. Bruner saw the adult as important in supporting children’s learning especially when informal, everyday interactions are utilised to help children make sense of the world. Influence on current practice and curriculum models Current practice acknowledges the role of schemas in children’s learning and development. Different types of schemas were identified by early years practitioners, teachers and psychologists, such as transporting, orientation, enveloping, horizontal and vertical schemas. Social constructivism (reflecting many of the early childhood pioneers’ ideas) is widely acknowledged to underpin and influence mush early years provision. It emphasises that children have different and distinct ways of thinking, behaviour and feeling at different stage of development and that children’s thinking is different from adults. Children are seen as active agent in their own learning, adults observe and assess children, work closely with the child, support their learning, extend play opportunities and parents are involved as partners. Carefully structured and well resourced learning environment are essential including the indoors and outdoors to encourage exploration and discovery with a balance of adult structured activities and play and learning opportunities freely chosen by children. Current principles and Curriculum models High/Scope curriculum model High scope is a structured programme developed in the 60s in the USA and now extended for use with preschool children and babies. Some mainstream settings in the UK use the High scope approach. The High/scope is based on well accepted educational principles: Active learning: the child is encouraged to become an active learner involved directly in their own learning. Personal initiative: the child is encouraged to use personal initiative to plan, do, and review their own learning. Consistency: children need consistent stable daily routines and organised learning environment to help their confidence and independence. Genuine relationships between practitioners and children Appropriate curriculum designed to provide key learning experiences. The EYFS Curriculum The principles of good practice in early years provision have integrated many of the key features of the work of the early educators. Currently is general agreement about what constitutes a good practice and these ideas have been drawn together in the curriculum guidance for the foundation stage in England. The key areas are Adults and children, the curriculum and the environment. Children and adults: Children are active learners, they engage with adults, materials, events and ideas in immediate, direct and meaningful ways, adults are skilled and trained and understand how children learn and develop. Children are viewed as a whole and their individual needs are met. Adult observe and assess children’s progress and are able to respond appropriately. Imagination and symbolic play are seen as very important. The curriculum: There is a balanced between adult initiated and children self chosen activities, well planned and purposeful play is seen as the most important vehicle for learning. A brad balanced, well panned relevant and appropriate learning curriculum is provided, a wide range of activities and equipment is available indoors and outdoors and the equality of opportunity and access to learning for all children are essential. The environment: A well organised, safe, stimulating, secure and reassuring environment is provided and positive relationships with parents are maintained. [pic] Bibliography Beaver M, Brewster J, Jones P, Keene A, Neaum S, Tallack J, 1999, Babies and Young Children Book2, 2nd edition: Early Years Care and Education, Stanely Thornes (Publishers) Ltd Bruce T. , 2004, Developing learning in early childhood (0-8), Paul Chapman Publishing, A Sage publications company London. Bruce T & Meggitt C, 2007, CACHE Level3 Award Certificate Diploma in childcare and education, London, Hodder Education. Edwards C. P. , 2002, Three Approaches from Europe: Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia, Early Childhood Research and Practice, Volume 4 Number 1, 2002. Grisham-Brown J. (? ) INFLUENCES ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, Early childhood development, Education. com Holachek K. , 2007, The benefits of alternative education: How Piaget theories of Cognitive development in children support the Montessori system, (? ) Hucher K. & Tassoni P, 2005, professional development Planning play and the Early years (2nd Edition), Oxford, Heinemann Educational publishers Sagarin S. K. , 2009, The Seer and the Scientist: Rudolf Steiner and Jean Piaget on Children’s Development, JOURNAL for Waldorf/R. Steiner Education Vol. 11. 1, May 2009.