Clinical reflection paper exploring competencies in the transition to Essay

Clinical reflection paper exploring competencies in the transition to professional practice clinical block experience - Essay Example on gives scope for better understanding of oneself so that existing strengths can be used to build-up for future actions "(Somerville and Keeling, 2004). Every nurse registered under the Australian Nursing and Midwives Council or the ANMC needs to exhibit a certain degree of competency guided by the standard frameworks of competency standards designed by the ANMC (ANMC, 2005). High standards of competence can be maintained by the nurses through appropriate evaluation and examinations of ones own activities and performance, through clinical reflection. There are basically four domains of competency standards in nursing practice. They are professional practice, critical thinking and analysis, provision and coordination of care and collaborative and therapeutic practice (ANMC, 2005). In this essay, clinical reflection pertaining to critical thinking and analysis and provision and coordination of care will be discussed with reference to care of a a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis in a n emergency setting. While the domain of critical analysis and thinking refers to "self – appraisal, professional development, and the value of evidence and research for practice" (ANMC, 2005), the domain pertaining to coordination of care deals with "the coordination, organisation and provision of nursing care" (ANMC, 2005). Gibbs model of reflection will be used because the framework is straight forward and includes a cycle of clear description of the clinical situation, analysis of the feelings of the practitioner, evaluation of the actions during the situation, analysis of the various activities and experiences during the situation and a conclusion for lessons in future (Online learning, 2006). During my postings in the accident and emergency department, a 35 year old woman Mrs. X was brought to the emergency unit by her husband Mr.Y with history of fever since 2 days and abdominal pain and vomiting since few hours. The patient complained of easy fatiguibility and tiredness

Occupational Therapy Communication

Occupational Therapy Communication Abstract Occupational Therapy is a new and developing profession in the medical felid. Along with all other professions Occupational Therapy is unique to itself. It includes a specific way it is conducted and how the professionals act within the profession. Occupational Therapists need to have an understanding of the discourse, communication, resources and the style manual within the profession. Occupational Therapists also need to know and understand the history that pertains to the Occupational Therapy profession. Communication skills within the field are important for communication between others within the medical field and patients to the Occupational Therapist. Research Project DISCOURSE Academic discourse for every professional field is different. All professional fields use the same way of finding information for there discourse. This information is used towards new ideas and new research. The use of communication is an important part of discourse. Through the use of informal and formal communication professions find new ideas for research. Informal communication is done through emails, phone conversations and letters. Many professionals will use email as a way to communicate their writings that need editing or other ideas. Formal communication is done through academic journals and books. Professionals use formal communication for the use of discovering new ideas and new information for research. Professionals in the same field use the same discourse. Use of the same discourse consists of using the same communication language. Professionals also have the same understanding of there writings. Professionals with in the same field of work are considered professional communities. These communities count on each other for new information. 1 The profession of Occupational Therapy assists people in every day activities. Occupational Therapists help out the disabled and chronic ill patients. As an Occupational Therapist the core focus on helping someone is on their everyday activities that may be performed. As stated by Gelya Frank in the article Occupational Therapy Occupational Science Interdisciplinary Interest Group: A Proposal to the National Association for Practice of Anthropology, â€Å"Occupational therapy, therefore, is a profession whose focus is on enabling a person (i.e. individual client) or group of persons (i.e. group, community or an organization client) to access and participate in activities that are meaningful, purposeful and relevant to their lives, roles and sense of well being.†. (p 2) Occupational therapists are there for people who need assistance in being taught a task that might be difficult for them to do because of a disability. Writing documented records in Occupational Therapy follows the demands of ethics and laws in formal writing. The documentation of a treatment or consultation of the patient needs to be professional and well organized. Patient’s records are a private matter between the therapist and the patient. Records should be easily read. (p 3) There should be no use of negative words against the patient or the patient’s disability. Documentation in Occupational Therapy is thought to be one of the most difficult aspects of the profession. Documentation occurs after visiting with a patient, it must be clear and precise. Patients have the right to read their records from the Occupational Therapist. These records should be easily understood by patients. 3 (p 6) These documentations use keywords to point out important information from the Occupational Therapist. Included with the documentation of the visits with the patient should include a written painted picture of the patient that is easily understood by others. Professional Occupational Therapist and the patient should be able to understand the visit through the painted picture. Also included in documentation of patients are goals set by the patient and Occupational Therapist, and the plan for treatment decided by the Occupational Therapist. After every treatment there should be an evaluation of how the Occupational Therapist feels the patient is doing in the treatment plan.3 (p 5) Not only should the documentation include the painted picture, but the documentation needs to have meaning. In Pierre’s article, â€Å"Occupational Therapy as Documented in Patient’s Records,† one occupational therapist stated â€Å"There must be descriptions in running text in order to maintain a unique picture of a patient. Documentation must not be just a lot of words, but have content.† 3 (p 5) The information included in documentations should be considered extremely important and an Occupational Therapist needs to spend time considering the information needed for the documentation and the context of the writing. HISTORY Moral treatment was used as a treatment for the mentally ill. Moral treatment started in the 18th and 19th century in Europe and North America. Treatment of mentally ill patients in the early 1990’s included doing everyday tasks that included house work and other activities that were thought to help someone return to normal health. These everyday tasks were called occupations. An occupation is where occupational therapy received its name. Occupational Therapy is a therapy where patients do occupations to recover. These tasks included cleaning house, different craft projects and physical activities. (p31-31) William Tuke named and founded the ideas of Moral treatment. His ideas include treating mentally ill patients as if the patient is really mentally well. Through Williams’s ideas of moral treatment he started the making of asylums for the mentally ill. These asylums were used for housing and caring of the mentally ill. (p427) Figure one is a table of the principles of moral treatment. These moral treatment principles are the ideas from the article â€Å"The relevance of moral treatment to contemporary mental health care† according to Annie Borthwick et. Al. William was the founder of these principles for moral treatment.5 (p431) 5(p431) Through the ideas of moral treatment began the formation of Occupational Therapy. Many doctors had helped contribute to the creating and establishing of Occupational Therapy schools, hospitals, books and the fundamental ideas.4(p.30) In the early 20th century young doctors and nurses generated the idea of Occupational Therapy through using moral treatment as the foundation. There principal ideas included doing everyday tasks to help with the recovery of the mentally ill. This principal was similar to the principals of moral treatment. 4(p27) In 1917 a group of young doctors come together to plan a therapy process for people with metal illness. These young doctors formed the National Association for Occupational Therapy. 4(p27) William Rush Dunton, Jr. graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medicine. He began his work with Occupational Therapy through the principles of moral treatment for the mentally ill. Dunton worked at the Sheppard Asylum. He used William Tukes ideas for moral treatment at the Sheppard Asylum. The Sheppard Asylum promoted William Dunton to be the director of Occupational Therapy for the mentally ill. Through his experiences William Dunton was a founder and leader of the National Association of Occupational Therapy. 4(p34) Adolf Meyer received his Masters in the area of neurology from a school in Switzerland where he was a native. He immigrated to Chicago after receiving his masters. Meyer believed in the connections someone’s mind and body had. He also believed that it required thinking to do actions. He did not agree with Freud’s ideas of the mind and body. He also believed everyone’s life story affected and contributed to the person’s attitudes and behavior. He believed that a mental illness was developed from flawed habits that were learned by the person. His care included changing the flawed habit that a mentally ill patient had. Through his treatments to his patients he made the work meaningful to them. His care included making sure the patient had good care, received enough rest, and socializing among others. 4(p33) Eleanor Clark Slagle attended Hull House which was part of the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy. She was enrolled in a course of amusements and occupations. This course work was founded by Meyer Meyer. Clark started programs like Meyers in Michigan and New York through out different mental health hospitals. During World War One Clark was asked by the Chicago Red Cross to help with the training of other Red Cross nurses on Occupational Therapy. The training included therapy for soldiers who would return from war from battle fatigue and injury. She developed programs for mentally ill people through Meyer ideas. These programs included walks, activates, exercise and small group meals. 4(p36) Clark and Meyer both provide their services on Occupational Therapy training. There services were provided at the John Hopkins University in the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic. 4(p36) Herbert James Hall graduated in 1895 from Harvard Medical School as a general practitioner. Hall thought that working with crafts would help mental ill patients. He believed that through crafts patients could not fail. This gave patients the feeling of becoming successful and not failing. Crafts also diverted the minds of patients from their mental illness. Hall was also the founding father of The Boston School of Occupational Therapy in 1918. Herbert also was an author of some of the first books in Occupational Therapy. 4(p28) Susan Elizabeth Tracy was a nursing student who attending and graduated from Massachusetts Horneopathic Hospital. While working at a hospital Tracy found that patients who participated in hospital activities improved faster than those who did not participate in hospital activities. Tracy used occupational treatment when she began practicing her own private nursing. Tracy started her own experimental study of occupations in a Jamaica Plain Hospital. Her courses are considered the first organized classes in Occupational Therapy education. Tracy believed that therapy needed to engage the patients in activities that captured there attention. These therapy activities also needed to hold some kind of meaning to the patients. 4(p38) In early Occupational Therapy it was believed the patients needed to have the motivation to recover. Early Occupational Therapy was based on therapy through occupations. Occupations included crafts, activities, games, and any physical activities. Early occupational therapy found it important that the occupation would pertain to the patient’s life. Occupational Therapy in the beginning also included the focus of how the occupation pertained to the patient’s life and health. Also the focus was on how the occupation could be used as a therapy. Motivation had a strong importance on emphasizing the occupations. Many doctors felt encouragement through therapy was also needed by the doctor and family members. 4(p43) During the 1940’s through the 1950’s there was a strong urge that Occupational Therapy take medicine in to consideration. During this time many Occupational Therapists were forced to go in coalition with medicine. Occupational Therapy field moved to the use of medical terms when caring for a patient. Occupational Therapist had to use concepts that were taken from the practice of medicine.4(p55) Starting in the early 1960’s Occupational Therapy changed because of new technology and more information of the human body. Occupational Therapists were able to detect psychological problems of patients because of the new theories of the human body. During this time body functions and impairments were clarified. In the 1960’s scientific terms were used in the occupational therapy work place. There was also a better understand the emotional issues with patients who were mentally ill. 4(p54-55) After the 1960’s Occupational Therapist realized that through the medical intervention many of the original ideas of Occupational Therapy were lost. Many doctors of Occupational Therapy found that there was no connection between the activities used in therapy compared to the names given to them from the medical terminology. Occupational Therapy almost lost its identity by trying to identity if self with medicine. Because of misidentification Occupational Therapists have gone back to the use of occupations as treatments as it was at the development of Occupational Therapy.4(p54-55) RESOURCES There are many resources offered to Occupational Therapist. Resources include websites, academic journals, videos, newsletters, and memberships to many Occupational Therapy organizations. Websites include the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association, the American Occupational Therapy Foundation, and National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Academic journals include American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Journal of American Medical Association and other medical journals. The Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association website gives members many opportunities and special options. A member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association grants any Minnesotan Occupational Therapist access to many databases, libraries, videos, newsletters, and publications. These other databases include American Medical Association, National Association of Home Care, Sensory Integration International, National Rehabilitation Information Center, and American Academy of Pediatrics. Government Agencies are also offered through being a member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association Website. 6 These government agencies include Medicare, Medline, and Occupational Outlook Handbook. Publications are another Resource that Occupational Therapist can use for new information. 6 Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association website offers three publication links. These links include ADVANCE for Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Merck Manual of DX and The Neuroscience Center. Other Occupational Therapy sites provided by the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association include Occupational Therapy Internet World, Skills for the Job Living, and Occupational Therapist.com. 6 Becoming a member of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association includes other advantages. Members receive the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association newsletter quarterly. Students who are part of Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association attending to school to become an Occupational Therapist have the option of becoming a member. Student members have the opportunity to apply for scholarships. Members receive discounted prices in any conferences that are held for Occupational Therapist in Minnesota. Through the use of the membership members have the opportunity to communicate with each other for new information and new research options. Members of the association have voting rights to decide how the association will be organized and operated. A member also includes being recognized for contributions for Occupational Therapy within Minnesota. These are the main benefits for joining the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association. 6 Another option on the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association web site includes employment opportunities. The site offers many job listings for the use of Occupational Therapist who are members of the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association. Other Occupational Therapists and businesses have the option to post job listings on the web site. 6 The American Occupational Therapy Foundation is another resource for Occupational Therapist. This resource supplies Occupational Therapist with opportunities for research funding. Through the use of this web site it was hoped to build a better understanding of Occupational Therapy science. There is also a scholarship provided for any Occupational Therapy student. The American Occupational Therapy Foundation provides awards for research in Occupational Therapy. The site provides recognition to Occupational Therapists that have shown renowned contributions for Occupational Therapy science. American Occupational Therapy Association helped to build the foundation needed to build the American Occupational Therapy Foundation. 7 National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. is a resource for graduated Occupational Therapist. Occupational Therapist must complete all required Field work along with the educational program to join the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy requires that Occupational Therapist pass there examination to be certified. This exam tests the skills, understanding and abilities of all Occupational Therapist. National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy is a non-profit organization that administers the certifying of Occupational Therapist. Along with the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association the American Occupational Therapy Foundation is a not-profit organization. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy is one of the many academic journals that Occupational Therapist can use. Included in this journal are researched peer-read articles from professional Occupational Therapist. These articles include information that is theory-based and theoretical research. Occupational Therapist can use this information towards new ideas; other research projects and there own patients. The American Medical Association Journal offers information on general medical reviewed articles. There main objective is to promote the art of medicine and to help make public health better for all. These journals provide Occupational Therapist with the newest research available to them in medicine. Other journals Occupational Therapists may refer to are journals based on pediatrics, autism, ADHD, learning disorders, psychology, and neurology. Depending on where an Occupational Therapist may work will determine which journals will be read. An Occupational Therapist working with children will read journals on pediatrics along with other medical and Occupational Therapy Journals. These are the many resources offered to Occupational Therapists. These recourses include academic journals, web sites, and organizations. Occupational Therapists have the option to join many organizations to better the understanding of Occupational Therapy science to others and to gain benefits for themselves. Through the use of these recourses Occupational Therapists communicate there new ideas and the new research information. COMMUNICATION To become a well developed and successful Occupational Therapist many qualities are needed. These qualities include great interpersonal, writing, grammar, public speaking, and computer skills. Some of these skills can be learned from other experienced Occupational Therapist and others are learned with work experience. During an email interview with Nancy Klassen, member of Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and an Occupational Therapist Registered(OTR) (written communication, March 2008), gave me a handful of information pertaining to the communication skills of Occupational Therapist. Through her experiences as an Occupational Therapist she has found that as an Occupational Therapist many qualities are needed. Through this paper many of her ideas will be shared with the readers. Interpersonal skills are required for Occupational Therapist to communicate with others who are involved with the patients care and treatment plans. Communicating with others includes children’s parents, specialists, educators, and childcare providers. An Occupational Therapist may need to have an informational meeting with parents and others involved in the client’s life to educate and instruct on the best treatment plan care for the client. An Occupational Therapist must be able to communicate in a tactful, clear way to make others understand the information given to them on the treatment of the patient (Klassen, written communication). Occupational Therapist will have opportunities to share research information with other co-workers. Communicating with other Occupational Therapist includes sharing new research information, medical information on clients, and discussions on client progression. As an Occupational Therapists who work in a team might have to give presentation on clients at team meetings (Klassen, written communication). Occupational Therapist may need to prepare and give seminars or presentations. During these seminars Occupational Therapist may have the option of presenting new research information, new program ideas and other ideas that may pertain to assisting other Occupational Therapist (Klassen, written communication). As an Occupational Therapist writing is a skill that will be used to write reports. Reports will be presented to other Occupational Therapist, social workers, schools, children’s hospitals, physicians, and the client’s parents. Other written material includes progress notes, and letter writing. During a clients treatment time with an Occupational Therapist progress notes or progress charts need to be taken. These reports are taken right after the treatment session with the Occupational Therapist. These reports are put in to the personal file of the patients. Evaluations may also be done on a patient. Evaluations are used for placement of a patient in school or other education programs that best fit the ability of the patient (Klassen, written communication). Proposals, handouts, and request are another type of documentation Occupational Therapist may have to write. An Occupational Therapist may have new ideas for research or treatment plans, which would require a proposal. Handouts are given to teachers, social workers, parent’s of the client, and others who may want to be educated on the treatment plan and the disability of the client. Handouts can include pamphlets, brochures, and medical research papers. Through the knowledge of an Occupational Therapist there maybe the need to request funding for a research program from the government and other non-profit companies that may support new research in Occupational Therapy (Klassen, written communication). Along with the requirement of writing proposals, progress reports, and handouts Occupational Therapist are required to have great grammar skills and spelling skills. Occupational Therapist Nancy Klassen thought it was important to have a vast vocabulary. Through the writings Occupational Therapist need to use vocabulary as an essential factor towards the credibility an Occupational Therapist may have. Grammar and a vast vocabulary are important to help with the explanation on treatment plans and other medical terminology that maybe used for the patients disability (Klassen, written communication). Presentations may need to be presented from Occupational Therapist requires public speaking skills. An Occupational Therapist needs to be able to give information to a group of other Occupational Therapist, parents, physicians, social workers, and educators. The wide rage of knowledge from the listens’ can not limit an Occupational Therapist on the information that is given to the group during the presentation. Presentations include presenting new ideas and new research to other Occupational Therapist. Another form of presentations includes delivering information on a treatment plan to the family and educators who interact with a patient (Klassen, written communication). Many Occupational Therapists communicate using telephone or email. Through the use of a computer email is an easy way to communicate with people within the same office or on a patient’s treatment. Occupational Therapist may need to get a hold of educators for a patient. The World Wide Web seems to be an easy and speedy way for interactions between different people (Klassen, written communication). Klassen, ORT, believes that social skills are the most important part of an Occupational Therapist. She felt that social skills can lead an Occupational Therapist to successfulness. Another aspect Klassen, OTR, felt Occupational Therapist must have the ability to teach the information in a meaningful and clear manner to others (Klassen, written communication). Through emailing Klassen, OTR, these are the ideas that she felt Occupational Therapist must posses to become successful in the medical field as an Occupational Therapist (Klassen, written communication). STYLE Each profession provides a style manual for that occupation. This means there are many different style manuals. Occupational Therapists use the American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA). AMA is on its 10th edition which was newly updated in 2007. American Psychological Association (APA) is a commonly used manual within colleges and high schools. APA is on its 5th edition which was updated as of 2003. Looking through these two different style manuals I found many differences. Some of the major differences included the use of terms, numbers, and the reference list. AMA is a medical manual which serves for a person who is in the medical field where as APA is used for psychologist and literature workers along with a few other professions. AMA seemed to focus more of the manuals attention on using measurements, numbers, statistic, typography, medical indexes, and manuscript preparation. APA focused more on the design, grammar, and gender12. AMA references are important within a research paper. Reference list provides readers with acknowledgements, where additional information on the topic can be found, and providing more support for a researcher’s paper. A reference list needs to be complete and in the correct format so all medical profession can understand the meaning of the reference page. Thoroughness of the reference page can aid another researcher to farther there knowledge on the topic read in the research paper. Within in the reference list misspelling of last names, Journal names, internet sites, along with incorrect page numbers. AMA style manual also suggest reading the primary source when writing a research paper where a writer may take a secondary source from another paper11. The reference list within an AMA style manual research paper should be number. Arabic number system should be used when doing the reference list. The reference list goes in order of from when the reference is used. This means that the first reference used would the first reference on the resource page. This does not involve using last name as an alphabetical order reference list. It is strictly by when it is used11. APA’s style manual is used to identify reference used within the paper. The reference list is only used to cite any sources used within the paper. As an author, of an APA format paper, there is a need to check over the reference list and cited sources to make sure both appear with in the paper. The citations with in a paper along with the reference list needs to be correct and the same for each reference. If there is a misspelled word or an incorrect writing within a manuscript the author of the paper is at cost for the mistake. The reference list needs to be in alphabetical order. Alphabetical order starts with the first author’s last name in a reference. If there are multiple authors with the same last name the next letter to use is the first initial of the first name of the author’s12. Abbreviations maybe used within an AMA style manual paper. If many abbreviations are being used within one paper it may become confusing for people reading the paper. Abbreviations are acceptable if one word will be used multiple times within the same paper. This will save space within the paper as well. Some instructors may put a limit on how many abbreviations may be used within one paper11. Ideal use of abbreviations includes numerous terms. Academic degrees along with certificates and some kind of honor can be abbreviated within a paper. Within the United States military titles are another form that can be abbreviated with in an AMA style manual paper. A few other potential words that can be abbreviated include days of the week, addresses, states, countries, and titles of people11. Within an APA paper many instructors prefer that abbreviations are used sparingly. APA instructors feel abbreviations affect the flow of a paper if to many are used. Abbreviations in a paper include measurements, time, and, chemical compounds. APA does accept abbreviations that are offend used. An example from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association included â€Å"IQ, REM, ESP, AIDS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 12(105). APA style allows the use of numbers to be kept as numerals and not written out in certain situations. APA style believes it is easier to follow numerals than written out numbers. A few instances where numbers can be kept as numerals include a mixed fraction, measure of time, temperature measurements, and a measurement of a currency12. Numbers that should be written out according to the APA style include the beginning of a sentence. This also includes if it is a title, or a heading. Other written out numbers include one when it is used as a pronoun within a sentence, and when a number is being used to rank items or people11. APA style’s rule towards the use of number includes written and numerals. If a number is below 10 it should be written out. If a number is above 10 it can be written out as a number. Within a paper numerals and written numbers can be combined. An example of this would be 6 million. The six is in a form of a numeral, but the million is written out11. AMA and APA style manuals have identical formats. Both of these styles include a title page for the article, an abstract, the paper, and than a resource page. Within the paper it is where the differences of these two different style manuals com into play. A paper written in the style manual AMA includes subheadings that are in all capitalized letters where as an APA style manual does not. In APA the first letter of the subheading is the only letter capitalized. The resource page for the style manuals is also very different. Each style manual has there own way to cite and reference articles11, 12. CONCLUSION Occupational Therapy is a great medical field that is used to help patients improve skills that maybe hard for them. It is also a challenging profession that requires the knowledge of many skills that will be used when working. Occupational Therapists discourse is important towards the building and developing of new research within the profession. Discourse is done through the use of different communication with other Occupational Therapist and other medical doctors. Occupational Therapy is a newer field that started in the early 1900’s. During the beginning Occupational Therapy was used for solders and mentally the ill. Through history Occupational Therapy has changed its way of caring and understand the use of occupations for patients. Now Occupational Therapy is used to assistant many other people who have disabilities. Many resources can be used by Occupational Therapist to gain more knowledge for the profession. There are many resources Occupational Therapist can use. Res ources include websites, academic journals, and Occupational Therapy associations. Occupational Therapists need to have a vast understanding and use of communication skills. A

Blockbusters Place in the Current Movie Rental Market Essay -- Busine

Has e-marketing and the use of the internet hurt Blockbuster's dominance in the movie rental business and if it has what will they have to change in their business plan to regain their market shares? This case has studied the influence of new technologies for delivering movie rentals along with downloading movies directly to your television at home without a customer even getting off their couch. It also examines the impact DVD recorders are going to have on Blockbusters main products like DVD players and VCR's. The case talks about the threats these new innovations are going to have on Blockbusters business potential. Along with what Blockbuster has done to compete with their new competitors like Wal-Mart and Netflix. With the internet changing the way most profitable companies do business Blockbuster has to adapt and follow the new trends our generation. While studying this case, our group analyzed what Blockbuster's strengths and weakness are, combined with what opportunities t hey have to excel in the new way consumers watch movies and we established the threats that exist with new technology and competitors. Last our group has thought of some new idea's that could help them thrive in the future. The problem that this case states is, will Blockbuster make the right business plan choices to allow them to compete with the innovation of products and technology of distributing movie rentals. Also is Blockbuster going to be able to adapt and succeed in this new era of renting movies? The SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat) analysis for Blockbuster is both positive and negative. The major strength that Blockbuster Inc. has is a brand image over the competition. When new movie releases come out on Video o... ...ir own movie channel that allows customers to buy and watch movie directly on their television. From their surveys, they should find out what their customers want and implement their suggestions into their business strategy. They need to train their employees to have the utmost customer satisfaction rating. This will keep customers coming back and hopefully attract new customers into the store. They also need to be able to help and answer customer's questions about movies. They should also have sales such as, buy one movie get one free, running periodically throughout the store. This will draw customers in to shop for the deals. They should also promote new movies available for sale in the store. They should always try to keep as many movies in stock so the movie is always there for the customer. This will keep them happy and coming back to rent more movies.

Amadou Ham Pate Ba

Amadou Ham pate Ba (1901-1991), Malian ethnologist, narrator and author, played an important role in introducing the world to African oral heritage, especially the folktales of West Africa. The man known as the â€Å"living Memory of Africa† he liked to say he was â€Å"one of the eldest sons of the century,† was one of the major intellectual literary figures of the 20th century. The saying with which he will always be associated for (his often quoted statement), that â€Å"In Africa when an old man dies, a library has burned down† has become so famous that it is sometimes used as an African proverb.He was commenting on the loss of African oral heritage, in praise of both old age and oral tradition, which contributes to the historical components of humanities memory. â€Å"The folktale is a key source of oral tradition, as are other forms of narrative and rituals that are considered essential components of cultural anthropology and ethnology†. (folkculture . org) There is a certain characteristic and significance of indigenous knowledge, especially in Africa. Indigenous knowledge has been defined as the local knowledge. Knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society.The expressions traditional local and indigenous knowledge, are used in the literature inter-changeably, is learned through repetition which aids in its retention and reinforcement. Agricultural or desert-based societies slowly created communities that were mostly self- contained and based on self-help. Their approach to problem solving was through ambulated individual or communal experiences and knowledge derived from trial and error. This aggregated validated knowledge improved and increases in time but remained mostly unrecorded. Even in the present information age, agricultural and desert-based communities, have remained practically cut off, thus they have been out of the mere necessity and for the sake of their survival, depending on and making use of their tr aditional unrecorded knowledge†. (Anwar, 1998) Amadou Ba feared that a lot of it is being lost due to rapid urbanization and continuous attrition in the older population. â€Å"Indigenous knowledge is predominantly tacit and embedded in practices and experiences and exchanged within the community through oral communication and demonstration.Recording and disseminating it across communities is not easy† (Anwar. 2005). It’s sometimes fragmented. It does not exist in its totality either in one place or one individual. It is distribution is socially differentiated, based on gender and age. â€Å"When discussing language, ethnic groups, cultures (and subcultures), and religions. The key concepts are diversity and complexity. There are conservatively many hundreds of different ethnics groups. Thus, there are many hundreds of distinct languages and cultures.The sheer number of such groups throughout Africa makes this dimension unique to the continent. † (The Oth er World ch. 6 pg. 187) Amadou Ham pate Ba passed away in 1991, leaving the world a library and an extensive archive to protect the wealth of knowledge that he had collected from fire, which he warned about repeatedly. He said â€Å"that part of every speech is lost to fire; chaos can result from tiny sparks just as a match can lead to a fire that destroys an entire village†. (folkculture. rg) What role do oral traditions play in the displacements and/or migrations of communities? Oral tradition: â€Å"the process of handing down information, opinions, belief, and customs by the word of mouth or by example† (Merriam-Webster unabridged 7th Ed). A transmission of knowledge and institutions through successive generations without written instruction. Thus an inherited principle, standard, or practice serving as the established guide of an individual or group. In comparing different cultures we tend to evaluate the custom of others in light of our own beliefs and values.Mem bers of all cultures assume that their own design for living is the best and only correct way. The belief that one’s own culture is the only true and good way, as well as the tendency to judge other cultures by those standard, is call Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism serves several important functions for individuals and groups. Certainly about the rightness of one’s beliefs and behaviors reinforces the tendency to confirm and to defend one’s society. Ethnocentrism becomes dysfunctional when beliefs in one’s superiority lead to hostility and conflict. More important, oral traditions can provide a rich history predating the written word. † (The other world ch6 pg. 189) In traditional soufies people tend to regard the way things have always been done as sacred, which stems from the beliefs and practices passed down from generation to generation. Account of first European contacts with black Africa are a study in Ethnocentrism the letters and journals of 1 5th and 16th century explorers, merchants, and missioners, overflowed with lurid descriptions of cannibalism, incest and unbridled lust. Since the Africans did not practice Christianity they were labeled ‘heathens’; since their laws were incomprehensible to the European, they were said to be ‘LAWLESS’; and since their marriage and family practices differed from those prevalent in Europe they were judged to be ‘savages’ and ‘barbarians’. (George 1968) â€Å"Africa was artificially divided to suit the objectives of the colonial governments. Preexisting ethnic, linguistic, and cultural until were ignored. Throughout Africa, closely knit people speaking the same language were suddenly separated†. The other world Ch6 pg. 190) As evident in the class text book (see enclosed references) European colonization of the coast of Africa in 1884 (see fig 6. 2) undoubtedly hasten the displacement and migration of the indigenous people furt her inland toward the desert (see fig 6. 1) so they could control; the rich fertile land. By 1895 (see fig 6. 3) it only got worse. Even today the African map reflects the extraction goals of the imperial powers. ‘’ Moreover, foreigners exploited the natural habit in many parts of the region.For instance, the colonial powers instituted cash crops and export of livestock, which in turn meant widespread clearing of the land and sometimes depletion of the soil. Similarly, Europeans carving up the continent created or heightened local rivalries, which resulted in conflicts that also affected the landscape (ch6 p. 201) Carried to an extreme, ethnocentrism is destructive as evidence by the Nazis in Germany who believed in absolute superiority of the white Aryan race and culture.The result was the displacement and death of millions of people who didn’t fit that category mostly Jews. In American history, each different ethnic, religious, or racial group was thought to be inferior to white Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP) and therefore deserve less than humane treatment. â€Å"Ethnic divisions are a powerful force today. Ongoing struggles in such diverse states as Angola, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya,Liberia Mauritanian, Nigeria, Ruanda and Sierra Leon may be explained in past by deep-seated ethnic division

Technological Advancement of the 19th Century

The end of the nineteenth century brought about a huge change in the way the United States worked as a nation, making the United States the world’s most productive nation. The nation as a whole was advancing rapidly and new inventions were bringing about new ways of life. Due to the invention railroads and efficient machinery, there was a rise in big businesses which were looking to expand as much as possible. Initially, nearing the end of the nineteenth century, railroads covered majority of the United States.Railroads calmed the tension of transporting goods and materials, helping further the production of goods. The invention of railroads was the seed that helped big businesses grow. The making of railroads efficiently helped move large, bulk items that contributed to further drop the cost of transporting goods to the national market. During this time, Cornelius Vanderbilt, a railroad magnate gained great power and fortunes from uniting smaller rail lines into national corp orations.The invention of railroads itself sparked the railroad industry and helped to lower transportation prices in an already suppressed economy. Likewise, the invention of railroads not only promoted goods but it also promoted the steel industry. With railroads being constructed hastily, the steel industry and hit a big boom and almost became a major industry. The steel business was managed by a man named Andrew Carnegie and this big boom in the industry made the steel business flourish which made Carnegie rich.Times changing with the invention of the railroad and people looking for work gave businesses the advantage to expand and rise. Carnegie bought up all the iron mines and took on coal as a partner for his industry to lead in the steel industry. He produced steel cheaply and lowered his prices, which allowed him buy out any other steel company which made his company expand and be dominant in the steel industry, thus monopolizing the industry in a process known as vertical i ntegration.Furthermore, with the combination of proficient machinery and continental railroads, they both helped to form not only fast transportation and better consumer products but it also helped to build a nation. The United States was becoming an urban nation by the end of the 19th century. Railroads supplied cities and towns with food, fuel, building materials, and access to markets. Railroads even helped shape the physical growth of cities and towns. Railroads also attracted many tourists to the United States and helped provide many cities with imported goods.In summation, in response to the Industrial Age, the United States changed and adapted in numerous ways. Machinery and industrialization helped stimulate the United States economy, furthered urban expansion and helped the United States grow into the business world it is today. The United States was and still is advancing and leading the world as the most productive nation, making the Industrial Age one of the biggest impa cts in American history. As a last thought, who would have thought that a nation could be built from just a simple railroad built from steel?

The Technical and Economic Problems in Crane Factories

The Technical and Economic Problems in Crane Factories Introduction Today the technological advancement is forcing most companies to consider implementation of strong specifications to remain competitive. It is not wise for a new enterprising company to continue producing slow cranes of limited capacities while the competitors keep high standard overhead cranes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Technical and Economic Problems in Crane Factories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The cranes manufacturing industries are under the strain to produce more sophisticated, and cranes that can restrain higher stresses due to the advancement over the building structures. The new overhead designs of the cranes, such as boosted load capacity, remain to be the best policies over the high maintenance costs and excessive performance time. Every buyer wants a machine that performs on increased capacities and at higher frequencies compared to earlier designs or structures. Modernization of the structures today calls for technological advancement for the cranes. The structures utilize the track-mounted cranes, which work concurrently in as first as possible sequence without fluctuating on the tracks. One real-world combinatorial problem entails the procedure of planning for the crane to follow the manufacturing schedule. Some companies have advanced designing structures that allow quick and synchronized manufacture but they still face the challenge of assigning tasks and ordering the tasks to avoid interference. The smaller companies face the problem of scheduling the tasks to overcome constrains and minimize the completion time. The crane factory also faces many human resource issues. Like other high-standard companies, to meet up the challenge of having high quality standard prospective employees, some web-based technology such as timesheet management software or time-off systems are important programs to adopt. (â€Å"Tips,† 2006, 7).Advertising L ooking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These are important new programs for reducing the waste and cost. Similar new companies have implemented the web-based research technologies to recruit applicants, offer online human resource deliveries, support collection process that is more efficient in distribution and exchange of data. Most companies face the challenge of meeting demand. They fail to meet customers’ requirements because of poor marketing procedures. The recent marketing trends of globalization and outsourced production require the business especially new ones to hire marketing experts to manage the complexity involved between buyers and sellers, navigate various cultural differences and travel to find orders and ensure deliveries. (Monczka et al, 2008, 111) In the address of the general challenges facing the manufacturing industries, the main areas requiring immediate redres s include the lack of proper focus by the governments in ensuring global competitiveness. A good governing system enables manufactures to be in a position of meeting competitive authenticity. Ability to foster strong economic growth, calls for government-sponsored economy. The economy is set on track by monetary and fiscal policies. The manufacturing costs of big machinery like the cranes are lower when the government regulate and reduces some subsidiaries in the aim of creating an economical environment favouring investment. The aim of the manufactures is to produce improved products at lowest costs possible. (Monczka et al, 2008, 111) They ought to be in control of the costs. The future of the manufacturing industries depends on the technological leadership. It pays significantly to invest in technology. The future of these industries depends on the evolving nature of the education system. The workforce ought to entail individuals with high skills of problem solving. These abiliti es need continuously sharpening of skills and knowledge as the technology advances. The government face the challenge of investing in the education to produce competent scientists and educators. Finally yet importantly, the international and monitory policies play an eminent role in ensuring the global competitiveness. Free, open and fairness provides an internationally levelled ground for fair competition especially in the machinery manufacturing industries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Technical and Economic Problems in Crane Factories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a close link to Monczka et al, (2008, 111) all parties involved only minimize the barriers of global manufacture and trade for the small and large industries through their will of promoting economical growth. Monczka, Robert. M., Handfield, Robert. B. and Larry, Giunipero. â€Å"Purchasing and  Supply Chain Management† Manson, OH. Cengage Learning Publishers. 2008. P. 111. Pp 810 Tips on Using Technology to Streamline Payroll Processes – and Cut Costs (2006). Payroll Managers Report, 6(10), 1-9. Retrieved from   EBSCOhost Database

Hurricanes Essays - Vortices, Tropical Cyclone, Eye, Free Essays

Hurricanes Essays - Vortices, Tropical Cyclone, Eye, Free Essays Hurricanes HURRICANES Of all of natures forces that exist hurricanes could be considered one of the most powerful of all these forces that can cause tremendous amounts of destruction is such a little amount of time. A hurricane is a powerful whirling storm of winds that measure 200-300 miles in diameter. Hurricanes are an area of low pressure that forms over the oceans in tropical regions in either the north Atlantic Ocean or eastern north Pacific Ocean. In the west Pacific Ocean hurricanes are called typhoons, and in the Indian Ocean they are called Cyclones. Hurricanes develop from easterly waves that over the oceans warm waters. These easterly waves are long narrow regions of low pressure that occur in ocean winds called trade winds. The waves may grow into a tropical depression, which are winds from 1 to 31 miles per hour. Then they can grow into a tropical storm, which are winds from 32 to 73 miles per hour. These waves then turn into what you call hurricanes and hurricanes are winds greater than 74 miles per hour. The winds swirl around a portion of the storm called the eye. This is a calm area in the center of the storm. It is about 20 miles in diameter and has little wind and clouds. The storm clouds called that are around the eye of the storm are called wall clouds. Inside these wall clouds are where most of the heaviest rains are and where the strongest winds are. Outside of the wall clouds are clouds called rain clouds. They have winds and rain and make up most of the diameter of the storm but nothing as powerful as the wall clouds. Hurricanes usually occur within the months of June to November, most occur in the month of September. Eight Hurricanes occur a year on average but as many as 15 have occurred in one years time in the Atlantic Ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere the winds of a Hurricane move around the eye counter clockwise due the gravitational pull from the North Pole. In the Southern Hemisphere the winds move around the eye clockwise. The eye of the hurricane travels over land at an average of 10 to 15 miles per hour. The atmospheric disturbance that causes hurricanes start approximately in the latitudes between 5-30 degrees on both sides of the equator. Hurricanes start moving towards land picking speed, strength, and size. They will then drift away from the equator as they reach temperate latitude where they are called extra tropical and travel over the land bring havoc and destruction to all that they pass over. The winds and the rains over the sea along with the force of the sea produce huge waves called a storm surge. These storm surges cause lots of flooding and damage to coastlines, especially if they happen at high tide. The storm weakens as it moves over land because hurricanes need the warm sea to supp ly energy to it through evaporation. Also the friction of the storm over the land causes the storm to slow down. Meteorologists of the National Weather Service keep a close watch over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to see of there are any storms brewing. They collect such information as air pressure, temperature, and wind speeds. By doing all this they will be able to forecast where and when a hurricane will begin, where it will travel, and how strong it is going to be. Meteorologists get information about hurricanes by satellites, airplanes and by radar. It is shocking to see the amount of destruction from the power of a hurricane that can be caused. To put this in a better perspective: A hurricane in one day averages 1.6 X 1013 kilowatt-hour, which is 8000 times more than all the electrical power generated in the United States in one day. This is also equivalent to a daily explosion of 500000 atomic bombs, the 20-kiloton Nagasaki variety. This is absolutely amazing to think about. Many people have been trying to find ways to slow down the speeds of hurricanes for the longest time now. What is needed is a small input that can make a large amount of natural instability. The first attempt

The R in Colonel

The R in Colonel The R in Colonel The R in Colonel By Maeve Maddox A reader comments, I’ve often wondered where the â€Å"r† sound came from in colonel. I’m certain, in the original French, both Ls were pronounced as Ls–what happened? Colonel is the spelling in modern French, but when the word entered English in the 16th century, the French were spelling it coronel or coronnel. The first â€Å"l† had become an â€Å"r† sound by way of dissimilation. dissimilation:   a. Philology. The differentiation of two similar or identical sounds occurring near each other in a word, by change of one of them. An example is Latin peregrinus, which became pelegrino in Italian. Dissimilation is also at work in the way many speakers pronounce February as FEB-yoo-ER-ee. (A pronunciation, by the way, that Charles Elster finds â€Å"beastly.†) Colonel derives from Latin columella, â€Å"a little column.† At some point, the first â€Å"l† became an â€Å"r,† and the word became established in French as coronel. The coronel was the officer who led the â€Å"little column† of troops at the head of a regiment. By the end of the 16th century, the more etymologically correct spelling colonnel displaced coronel in French literary use. The spelling colonel appeared in English about 1580. For a time, both spellings existed side by side in English; the coronel spelling prevailed in writing until 1630, but by 1650, colonel had pushed out coronel. The pronunciation of colonel also went through changes. In the 17th century, colonel was trisyllabic in English, as it still is in French. By 1669, it began to be pronounced with two syllables, â€Å"col’nel.† Apparently many speakers were also pronouncing it as â€Å"ker’nel,† because that is the pronunciation that has survived. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†Round vs. AroundWord Count and Book Length

Trying to be heard Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trying to be heard - Assignment Example Consequent to this, the patient’s illness worsened, leading to her death. In my opinion, Joanna’s actions were not sufficient. Given that she sensed that Mrs. Kelly was seriously ill, when she was on night duty, she should have taken additional steps to ensure the best interest of the patient in the morning. The structure of the organization posed an institutional constraint in this case. It required a doctor to examine the patient, before any serious care could be given to a patient. The nurse on duty, hence reported the case to the resident doctor, who declined to examine the patient. The nurse did not have the ability to examine the patient further, thus exposing the patient to great pain. Following the biomedical definition of health, medical practitioners tend to concentrate on attending to a patient who depicts the corresponding symptoms of an illness. Patients who do not display any vital signs tend to be ignored. Therefore, when the nurse examined the patient, and found the vital signs to be within the normal range, the resident doctor assumed that the patient did not require urgent medical attention. Therefore, Mrs. Kelly’s health was threatened by the hidden symptoms, which were not diagnosed in time (Denny & Guido, 2012, pp. 801-802). Following her assessment, Joanna realized that Mrs. Kelly was seriously ill. Consequently, she should have ensured that patient saw a doctor urgently in the morning for an assessment. Instead of following up on the critical case, she delegated the issue to another nurse, who may have taken time to act, as well, leading to the demise of Mrs. Kelly. Following this incident, Joanna should ensure to follow up on cases with a high probability of harm to the patient in future, to promote the principle of beneficence. To avoid the occurrence of such an incidence in the future, nurses should be encouraged to take a pain management course. This

The Concept of Segmentation & Marketing Environment in Porsche Term Paper

The Concept of Segmentation & Marketing Environment in Porsche Automobile - Term Paper Example Porsche is one of the companies that have increased its number of customers over the years (Kumar 2004). Competition from other companies with similar market base has made Porsche come up with new and innovative designs for their automobiles. In order to maximize their profit, Porsche has different kinds of models that include; consumer models market. Porsche meets the needs of the customers, from the average income one to the wealthy. If one of the models or series does not do well in the market, it will not have a large effect on the organization since the other series will not be affected (Ighoteguonor 2013). The price of the automobile has a range from $50,000 to $845,000 depending on the kind of model being purchased. The interesting fact is that 70% of the cars ever manufactured by Porsche are still on the road today. The organization has a plan of increasing the sale of the vehicles to 200,000 per annum by the year 2018. The attribution is from the excellent relationship betwe en employees and the partners as well as the customers (Wedel 2000). It results in increasing the customers’ enthusiasm towards Porsche products. Porsche used the four marketing mix to market and increase their sales all over the world; product, promotion, place and price (Kotler & Armstrong 2014). Their sports cars are high-end automobiles of high quality and high performance. Customers of Elite status purchase the products. High-quality products equal high prices from the company. The organization has resulted in consumer focused advertising in televisions, print media and direct for promotion of their products to the customers. The slogan is â€Å"Engineered for Magic Every day.† The products are different in each location sold to fit the customers’ needs (Zoeller 2014). For example, North America market embraces the American expectations and their values. The same

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Discussion - Assignment Example sional element of healthcare consider healthcare as equal as other professions and, therefore healthcare workers have the right to enjoy privileges found in other professions. In future, the organization needs to separate its teaching responsibility from its healthcare responsibilities. Creating a boundary between healthcare training and services will enable the hospital serve its students and patients effectively. In addition, the devolution will minimize conflicts between professional and moral ethics among trainee doctors and fulltime workers. Leadership or change of policies in an organization requires the input of junior staff. According to the case study, CEO Eugene changed the hospitals routine without having adequate consultations with the nurses. To contain the issue, the CEO needs to call an urgent meeting involving the nurses and the hospital’s management. Contentious issues relating to the current schedule should be addressed. In addition, the CEO should request the nurses to outline their preferred work schedule and allocation of

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs Research Paper

Legalizing Performance Enhancing Drugs - Research Paper Example It is about time when the law and policy makers stopped being hypocritical and paranoid about the use of PEDs, and sought their legalization instead. This is an obvious question. Why is there a debate on this issue in the first place? Performance enhancing drugs can simply be banned because they give an added advantage to their users. Then why are people objecting to the ban? Do they wish to be unfair? Not exactly. Banning of PEDs has led to the introduction of other evils apart from further aggravating their illegal use. For instance, while anti-doping policies in sports seek to â€Å"level the playing field† and prevent sportsmen from taking unfair advantage, they have not been successful at this attempt (Kayser, Mauron and Miah 521). Sportsmen who intend to use them do so without fail, and many go undetected. This proves to be unfair for those who do not use such drugs out of fear of being caught. This has not at all leveled the playing field, as illegal use of drugs is already prevalent among sportsmen. It is just that most of them are not being caught. According to Herper, to address the issue of illegal doping by spo rtsmen: The most obvious solution has always been to legalize those drugs that work, and to experimentally monitor new entrants, including dietary supplements, for both efficacy and safety. Biological improvement would be treated much as athletic equipment like baseball bats and running shoes. If these drugs are legalized, it will at least be possible to monitor the use of such drugs and even level the playing field as those innocent players who were earlier deterred from using them

Love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna Essay - 1

Love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna - Essay Example Rihanna chants the chorus with words such as â€Å"†¦ That’s all right because I like the way it hurts.† The video is particularly useful since Eminem’s and Rihanna’s past lives were characterized by violence or abuse (Fallon 4). Eminem is fond of singing a lot about violence while Rihanna was once abused by Chris Brown. When one examines the video very carefully, it appears like it glorifies domestic violence. Eminem sings If she ever tries to fucking leave me again, I'm a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire.† Eminem appears to promote violence against woman since he is set to punish her partner if she decides to dump him (Enck and Blake 621). On the other hand, Rihanna sings â€Å"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that's all right because I like the way it hurts.† Rihanna suggests that she may tolerate domestic violence if it is directed at her again (Cundiff 22). The song explains a superficial narrative of a violent relationship without an analysis. In the video, Eminem raps aggressively in the background insinuating that he is the male character that appears in the video. The video indicates how a love so violent at one time could quickly go wrong after some time. On the other hand, Rihanna sings as if she is the female character that appears in the video. Rihanna’s line, â€Å"I love the way you lie†, insinuates that the female character gets pleasure in being let down and mistreated. Both Eminem and Rihanna play their part in the video in front of a house that is burning. The flames may be representing anger, desire or even regret. The video helps to tell a story, but it fails to paint the whole picture that many anti-violence proponents have been witnessing. Viewers of the video may be left wondering what could have brought the two individuals to that place. In the video’s depiction, passion and violence appear to be the same thing.  

Will Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Will Smith - Essay Example The essay elaborates on the life story of Will Smith depicting his different phase of life and elaborating on the struggles that he has faced. Correspondingly, the paper even details out the different absurd situations he has faced that has contributed to develop him as an eminent personality. Will Smith is a famous rapper cum actor born in the year 1968. His family christened him as William Cristopher Smith Jr. He was born in an African-American family in Philadelphia. Belonging from a middle class family, he faced severe amount of struggle in his initial years. Additionally, Smith even faced severe stress of family conflict amid his parents, which made his adolescence stage of life even more stressful. However, the actor had never let his family struggle come in the way of his ambitions. Despite of facing severe amount of negative situations and challenges Smith successfully started his career as a rapper in the year 1980’s. The rapper received his first Grammy award in the year 1988. This was also the first ever Grammy awards in the field of rapping. His contributions in the field of rapping are enormous and have even initiated new horizons in this field. Furthermore, Smith started his acting career through a small role in a drama following which he got a head start for his career in the movies. The actor cum rapper got the taste of his first stardom after featuring in the film ‘Bad Boys’. This stardom was followed by his famous role in the movie the Independence Day that marked him as an important player in the Hollywood. The actor by his distinguishable acting skills and comic essence marked his presence as one of the most charming heroes of the Hollywood. Being a part of the black community the actor faced struggle in the initial years of his career in the film industry. However, with his willpower and strong mental set up the actor successfully battled against his shortcomings and developed a

Love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna Essay - 1

Love the Way You Lie by Eminem and Rihanna - Essay Example Rihanna chants the chorus with words such as â€Å"†¦ That’s all right because I like the way it hurts.† The video is particularly useful since Eminem’s and Rihanna’s past lives were characterized by violence or abuse (Fallon 4). Eminem is fond of singing a lot about violence while Rihanna was once abused by Chris Brown. When one examines the video very carefully, it appears like it glorifies domestic violence. Eminem sings If she ever tries to fucking leave me again, I'm a tie her to the bed and set this house on fire.† Eminem appears to promote violence against woman since he is set to punish her partner if she decides to dump him (Enck and Blake 621). On the other hand, Rihanna sings â€Å"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. But that's all right because I like the way it hurts.† Rihanna suggests that she may tolerate domestic violence if it is directed at her again (Cundiff 22). The song explains a superficial narrative of a violent relationship without an analysis. In the video, Eminem raps aggressively in the background insinuating that he is the male character that appears in the video. The video indicates how a love so violent at one time could quickly go wrong after some time. On the other hand, Rihanna sings as if she is the female character that appears in the video. Rihanna’s line, â€Å"I love the way you lie†, insinuates that the female character gets pleasure in being let down and mistreated. Both Eminem and Rihanna play their part in the video in front of a house that is burning. The flames may be representing anger, desire or even regret. The video helps to tell a story, but it fails to paint the whole picture that many anti-violence proponents have been witnessing. Viewers of the video may be left wondering what could have brought the two individuals to that place. In the video’s depiction, passion and violence appear to be the same thing.  

Differentiating Between Services and Goods Marketing Essay

Differentiating Between Services and Goods Marketing - Essay Example tics of services, to wit: (1) intangible, (2) inseparability in terms of delivery and consumption, (3) heterogeneous in kind, and (4) perishable as it cannot be saved, stored, or returned. Having delineated services, goods naturally are services’ antithesis, meaning, they are tangible, are distinctly separate in kind, and can be stored, saved, and returned as needed. The intangibility of services simply describes their quality of not being able to touch and thus cannot be evaluated in terms of its physical availability prior to purchase. Services are inseparable that the organization offering it needs the assistance of a customer representative as contact to provide explanation and detailed information on the offered service. Likewise, the characteristic of inseparability takes into account its inability to cater to the specific needs of the customer. Services are also considered heterogeneous in kind since they are highly variable with dissimilar parts or elements. Finally, the perishability characteristic of services implies that they can not be stored, saved, or returned. The fast pace of technological developments in the last century drastically influenced diverse facets of customer service. With the predominance of business organizations using the internet, more organizations have resorted to a mobile workforce where customers’ needs are being serviced by electronic means. As technological improvements continue, more service features are offered through the internet, through virtual teams, teleconferencing, and the like. The benefits of technology are: unlimited time to access service providers regardless of location of the customers, queuing time is eliminated, more secure in terms of doing business at the convenience of one’s home. On the other hand, technology has totally eradicated the concept of direct reciprocity in soliciting immediate response to inquiries and transactions. Also the element of differences in time across the globe could delay

Role of the Mother in Winnicotts Theories: An Analysis

Role of the Mother in Winnicotts Theories: An Analysis How was the role of the mother developed in Winnicott’s theories and what is the implication for the development of the child? Evaluate this contribution in relation to thinking today. Donald Winnicott (1896-1971) an English paediatrician and psychoanalyst had a great influence in describing the object-relations theory, focusing on individual relationship with the mother and mother’s role during the transition of developmental stages in the life of child. Winnicott builds his concepts on Klein’s suggestion that the quality of infants’ environment plays a major role in their development. The object-relation theory suggests that an instinctual need is achieved by the agent called the â€Å"object† of instinct, who is usually the closest person in child’s life: the mother. This theory majorly focuses on the tendency to develop a self in significant relations between individuals as a basis through which the individual develops. The â€Å"Object† in this object relationship theory is anything/anyone but oneself (Reber, 1995) the sense of self of a child is defined by the kind of a relationship that the child experiences with the object through His or Her love and affection (Mother) the object refers to a person than oneself. There is a determining and critical impact of the quality of attachments with the object and it does not just affect the development of a child but also the future relationships that the child has with others in the future. This development in the child is justified through the trustworthiness of messages communicated by the care giver. Love is considered as the main motivating force in human behaviour which also includes development of relationships (Reber, 1995). The balance among love and affection for another and the interest in, and love for self, are formed through emotional bonds between self and another individual/object. Winnicott (1965) postulates the idea of primary maternal preoccupation explaining that after giving birth the mother becomes so involved and sensitive to infant’s needs that everything else falls apart in a secondary role. Taking the stages of separation individuation to a high research level Winnicott studies the role of mother (caregiver) in the social development of the child. He emphasizes on the importance of the mother’s ability to intuitively understand the needs of the infant at each and every point through the entire process of individuation. The child gives out certain messages and cues; the mother decodes these messages and through the same provides the framework of the progress of the child and his progress towards a proper level of functioning as an individual. â€Å"A good enough mother† defines a scenario where the mother is providing a facilitating environment where the growth of a child happens. He has purposely not used the term â€Å"perfect† in his statement since he believes that only a machine delivers perfection and not a human, therefore Winnicott believes that a perfect mother is not a good enough mother. According to Winnicot, a good enough mother can identify the needs of the infant and is able to provide a good adaptation to needs. A good enough mother is one who facilitates imaginative elaboration of physical experience for an infant and allows the baby to be totally dependent on her. In case of impingements, the infant can feel â€Å"going on being† with the help of a good enough mother, who aids the development of a child in the transitional phases of life. Winnicott has described three major stages of development. These are the stages of Subjective omnipotence, Objective realty and final stage of independence. The zones between these stages are a transitional experience for the child and exactly at this time, the presence of a mother is crucial. The quality of the support received by the child during the transitions stage determines the future of the child. It can decide the positive functioning or the lack of it. For Winnicott, the mother plays an important role in the transitional experience as well as the stages of development. Subjective Omnipotence When the child is newly born, the mother takes care of the Child’s needs with complete indulgence, where she responds to the cries of a child almost immediately. This state is referred to as the stage of maternal preoccupancy. At such times, the mother keeps aside her own needs and requirements to insure that she meets the requirements of her infant. She almost instantly responds when the child cries for milk. As a result to this, the infant thinks that he will immediately receive food at the very moment that he requires it. This illusion of Magical control is a very good example of subjective omnipotence (Rodman, 2003). Winnicott’s theory states that the Mother’s Breast is seen as the object of love during initial few weeks after birth. It is perceived so as the Mother’s breast meets the needs of the child’s hunger. During this stage, the object is perceived by the infant as a part of self. Hence, a subjective agenda is developed by the infant with an illusion that the Breast is a part of the infant’s oneself. In the infant’s initial development of identity, the illusion of Being-at-one is the first step in the infant’s development of an identity. Here the role of the good enough mother is highlighted in the developmental process of the child (Winnicott, 1971). Object realty (Not Me/Other than me) Over a period of time, the child needs its independence; hence, the mother distances itself according to the needs of the child. The child is provided an illusion by the mother that the breast will appear only in stances of a demand made. Post this stage, she helps the child progress through removal of omnipotence thinking and starts the process of introducing the child to the social world as a separate entity. (Winnicott, 1971) The time lapse between the child’s demands and its fulfilment is increased by the mother over time. Winnicott refers to this as the failure of the mother to meet the child’s needs on the spot. At this level the child experiences 2 states, one that of an introduction to independence and the other being frustration to having wait. The good enough mother is called so since she will only fail so much so that the child is left unharmed but is successful in entering the stage of transition. To cope with the failure of the mother and the Child’s self frustrated rate, the child will react in the following manner: He will recognize that the lapses in time are limited. Awareness will be created in his mind regarding the sense of progress. Thumb sucking, which is an auto erotic simulation, will be engaged in by the child in the stage of transition. He will experience various psychological factors like memories, dreams, relieving previous experiences which can also be referr ed to as integration of the past, present and future. Mental activities will be developed which will assist in deterring the child at times of frustration. At this stage the child will start having awareness of separation from mother. The mother makes the infant realize that there is a world outside of oneself which does not necessarily respond to a wish but the object of reality also teaches him that the outside world may respond negatively at times. The child stays safe in the hands of the mother all this while and the mother ensures that the child is not overprotected during this time. If the mother, due to any reason, fails to assist the child at times of transition from this stage to the stage of independence, as an adult, the child will be superficially adjusted and would fail to be passionate and unique. The child is gently ignored by the mother so that he can reach the stage of independence and experience freedom and learn all while providing the child with a safe and secure environment. The Stage of Independence At this stage, the â€Å"never absolute† stage of final independence is achieved. An important distinction between pure independence and never absolute independence is necessary in an individual’s life to both depend on others and be dependent on others. Others company or a social circle is desired by an individual and feels the need for belongingness. A healthy Psyche does not support isolation or is not supported by isolation but in spite of that none of us is over dependent on each other. Ones the child grows to be an individual and is separated from the mother, the holding environment acts as a safe junction through which the child can start the process of exploring the world all whilst having the knowledge that he is being provided the protection and support by the mother. For a child’s healthy development, this kind of a holding environment is extremely necessary. The child’s cues are recognized and worked upon by the mother whilst recognizing what he needs of the child are in respect with the holding environment and adapts to it accordingly. The child is provided with an environment of protection and safety through which the infant can develop from a child to adulthood. The process is supported by an optimal environment which makes sense through the fact that the good enough mother tunes in with the child’s development needs intuitively all whilst adopting both, the environment and her hand in the development of the child, the rate of which is determined by the child. The good enough mothers knows exactly regarding gradual adjustment of distance between herself and the child that this process cannot be sudden since the child would develop feeling of insecurity and no trust in others. The good enough mothers is in tune with her child’s escalation towards an independent self and moves at the child’s pace rather than her own. If everything works well according to the child’s needs, he develops an ego and the differentiation process is continued until the child can perceive that the mother is an independent being with clarity. Winnicott’s concept of true self and false self suggests that the child’s true self growth and expression is facilitated by the good mother and helps the child to be spontaneous and creative (Rodman, 2003). The true self behaves spontaneously, develops on integrity and believes that the true self is not created. The false self is similar to a mask which is worn by a person in a society in compliance with its norms like being quiet in setting that require silence around, being respectful to elders and so on. The not good enough mother wears this mask while responding to the child and in return the child adapts it as his false self. New relationships are developed by the child as its false self adapting to the demands of the environment with compliance. The role of a mother in the development of a child is of high importance to decide the future identity of the child and whether it grows into a secure or insecure adult. The mother plays major role in the transition and developmental stages which is also known as the objective role. In our days the mother’ role plays the same significant importance in the development of the child; however the society and culture have shaped this role raising a multitude of demands on women. Many mothers engage in the desire of having a fulfilled career becoming less involved in the developmental stages of their children. Many children are too early placed in nurseries and day care centres as mothers return to work. Like Winnicott suggests, an absent mother will determine children to either grow up confused, non-passionate and psychologically affected individual’s or according to the rule of self development, will grow up to be individuals who have succeeded through self development. Another issue could be represented by the option of not nursing the infants in a natural way, but feeding them with formula milk. This fact could lead to the loss of bondage, security and love between mother and child. On the other side, technology and the multitude of equipments facilitate mothers’ ability to crate safe and stimulating settings for their children. The quality of early parental styles and the development of the child in relationship with others is associated with maternal attachment and is entirely responsible for the development of a child into a secure adult. References: Changing Minds, 2013. The good Enough Mother [online] available at: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/psychoanalysis/concepts/good-enough_mother.htm [Accessed on: 21nd April 2014] Phenomenological Psychology, 2009. Winnicott the â€Å"false self† and contemporary media celebrity. [Online] Available at: http://phenomenologicalpsychology.com/2009/05/winnicott-the-false-self-and-contemporary-media-celebrity/ [Accessed on: 22nd April 2014] Reber, A. (1995). Dictionary of psychology, (2nd ed.). London: Penguin books. Rodman, F. R (2003) Winnicott Biography: life and work. Cambridge, Persus Books. Winnicott, D (1965) The International Psycho-Analytical Library, 64:1-276. London: The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis. Winnicott, D (1971) Playing and reality. England: Penguin books. Winchester.ac.uk, 2011. Donald Winnicott’s contribution to understand children and parenting. [Online] available at: http://www2.winchester.ac.uk/edstudies/courses/level%20one%20sem%20one/es1204w7Winnicott.htm [Accessed on: 22nd April 2014]

Women and Love In Chaucer Essay -- Chaucer Poetry Poem Essays

Women and Love In Chaucer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaucer's opinion of women and his views on love are very prominently featured in his poetry. Focusing on women, one must first examine the popular views concerning women during Chaucer's time. Arlyn Diamond writes of Chaucer that, ". . . he accepts uneasily the medieval view of women as either better or worse than men, but never quite the same." (Green 3) This is evident in Chaucer's portrayal of women in such poems as "The Wife of Bath" and "The Clerk's Tale" which assault the reader with antithetical views of women. The Wife of Bath is one of the most memorable characters Chaucer ever created. She is considered, in view of Diamond's statement, to be better than the men in her life. Patient Griselda in "The Clerk's Tale" is a peasant woman, married to a nobleman, who tests her loyalty through a series of ordeals in which she is lead to believe her children to be murdered. In this tale Chaucer is exposing his reader to a woman who is beneath her husband, and is treated horribly by him. Chaucer frequently treats the women he writes about as objects, some prize to be won by the heroic man. This is evident in "The Knight's Tale," in which the two protagonists, Palamon and Arcite, war over the hand of Emily, who they have never met, but only gazed upon from a distance. Their devotion to her branches not from love, but the want of men to contain and control the women surrounding them. Now on to the subject of love. Chaucer writes in "The Knight's Tale" of a love based on physical beauty, where the two protagonists fall in love at first sight. This is a common device used in medieval literature to create conflict between characters. "The Book of the Duchess" focuses on the real love between the Black Knight, and the White Woman. This allows Chaucer to explore the nature of love in context.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaucer's Wife of Bath is a domineering woman who demands the men in her life to be subservient. The reader gains from her prologue that she is concerned with sovereignty, which she views as the control or mastery in the relationship. She does not appear to truly love any of her husbands. The first three are older men whom she seems to marry for their money. They pass on quickly leaving her with wealth, standing, and the chance to find herself a more suitable man. Her fourth husband was a profligate, a man of loose morals, who keeps ... ...t sight. The pointless death of Arcite only emphasizes the hollow nature of this love. Love in "The Book of the Duchess" is treated differently. When Arcite dies there is no real pain felt for his loss. This is not the case with the death of the Black Knight's lady. Chaucer spends about eight hundred lines allowing the knight to lament his lost love. In his poetry Chaucer tries to be sympathetic to the plight of women. He endeavors to discuss love honestly, accepting the contradictory types of love and giving them all equal opportunity to prove themselves. The problem, however, lies in the subjects, for no matter how long or intently you look at them, they will always be as complex and incomprehensible as they always were. Works Cited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Green, Richard Firth. "Chaucer's Victimized Women." Studies in the Age of Chaucer. Ed. Thomas J. Heffernan. Vol. 10. 1988. 3-21.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wynne-Davis, Marion., ed. The Tales of the Clerk and the Wife of Bath. By Geoffrey Chaucer. Routledge: New York, 1992.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edwards, Robert R. Stephen Spector. Ed. The Olde Daunce: Love, Friendship, Sex, and Marriage in the Medieval World. Albany: State University of New York Press. 1991 154-176.

slaverybel Treatment of Slaves in Toni Morrisons Beloved Essay

Contrasting Treatment of Slaves in Beloved  Ã‚     Slavery has always been a known as a relationship of one person entirely under the domination of another person.   One of the horrific instances of slavery took place in the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries.   During this time Europeans living in the New World enslaved Blacks from Africa.   The White European enslaved many Blacks from Africa, but the degree that each master treated his slaves was different.   This contrasting treatment of Slaves is portrayed in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved.   The two masters in the book; Mr. Garner and Schoolteacher treat the same slaves very differently.   Mr. Garner gives his slaves as much freedom as he sees fit.   Conversely, Schoolteacher controls his slaves with an iron fist.   The way that Schoolteacher manages his slaves is a superior way to control slaves because it is more up front.   He gave his slaves a sense of identity, while Mr. Gardner deceived his slaves and provided them with a lack of ident ity.   The first master, Mr. Garner was in charge of the farm called â€Å"Sweet Home† before the other master named Schoolteacher took over. Mr. Garner ruled his slaves without raising a fist.   He was a seemingly polite master.   He considered his Slaves â€Å"men† and allowed them to do things that most owners wouldn’t.   His slaves were allowed and encouraged to correct him, and â€Å"even defy him† (p.125).   He allowed his slaves â€Å"to buy a mother, choose a horse or a wife, handle guns, even learn to read if they wanted to† (p.125).   These are actions that a typical slave owner didn’t allow.   But Mr. Garner was not a typical slave owner.   He was a proud man, and very pleased with the way he ran his farm and his slaves.  Ã‚   Some writers even feel tha... ...eet Home.   He realized that he and the other slaves had all â€Å"been isolated in a wonderful lie† (p.221).   He finally comes to the conclusion that life was really was not better under Mr. Garner.   He was a slave both under Mr. Garner and under Schoolteacher.   The only difference is that under Schoolteacher he had an identity.   There are many different ways a human being can control another.   During the 1800’s slavery was a common practice in the southern states of the United States and throughout Latin America. During this time many Africans were enslaved.   Most Africans lived their lives knowing that their purpose in life was to be slaves.   Others lived their lives with a lack of identity, never actually realizing their purpose in life and in doing so living a life of deception. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York, Penguin Books USA Inc, 1988. slaverybel Treatment of Slaves in Toni Morrison's Beloved Essay Contrasting Treatment of Slaves in Beloved  Ã‚     Slavery has always been a known as a relationship of one person entirely under the domination of another person.   One of the horrific instances of slavery took place in the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries.   During this time Europeans living in the New World enslaved Blacks from Africa.   The White European enslaved many Blacks from Africa, but the degree that each master treated his slaves was different.   This contrasting treatment of Slaves is portrayed in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved.   The two masters in the book; Mr. Garner and Schoolteacher treat the same slaves very differently.   Mr. Garner gives his slaves as much freedom as he sees fit.   Conversely, Schoolteacher controls his slaves with an iron fist.   The way that Schoolteacher manages his slaves is a superior way to control slaves because it is more up front.   He gave his slaves a sense of identity, while Mr. Gardner deceived his slaves and provided them with a lack of ident ity.   The first master, Mr. Garner was in charge of the farm called â€Å"Sweet Home† before the other master named Schoolteacher took over. Mr. Garner ruled his slaves without raising a fist.   He was a seemingly polite master.   He considered his Slaves â€Å"men† and allowed them to do things that most owners wouldn’t.   His slaves were allowed and encouraged to correct him, and â€Å"even defy him† (p.125).   He allowed his slaves â€Å"to buy a mother, choose a horse or a wife, handle guns, even learn to read if they wanted to† (p.125).   These are actions that a typical slave owner didn’t allow.   But Mr. Garner was not a typical slave owner.   He was a proud man, and very pleased with the way he ran his farm and his slaves.  Ã‚   Some writers even feel tha... ...eet Home.   He realized that he and the other slaves had all â€Å"been isolated in a wonderful lie† (p.221).   He finally comes to the conclusion that life was really was not better under Mr. Garner.   He was a slave both under Mr. Garner and under Schoolteacher.   The only difference is that under Schoolteacher he had an identity.   There are many different ways a human being can control another.   During the 1800’s slavery was a common practice in the southern states of the United States and throughout Latin America. During this time many Africans were enslaved.   Most Africans lived their lives knowing that their purpose in life was to be slaves.   Others lived their lives with a lack of identity, never actually realizing their purpose in life and in doing so living a life of deception. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York, Penguin Books USA Inc, 1988.

African Traditional Education Essay

TRENDS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN THE WORLD, AFRICA AND PARTICULARLY IN KENYA Course description History of Early childhood and primary school education from the ancient Greco-Roman times to the present times. The Renaissance period in Europe; The Industrial period in Europe; The Education in Traditional African set up; The History of Early childhood in colonial time. Childhood and Primary School Education in Independent Kenya Early Childhood Education in Old Greece. Generally, education and schooling can be traced to about 500 BC in old Greece. Old Greece as the pioneer of civilization had many city states. But prominent amongst these were Athens and Sparta. History reveals that early training of the Spartan Child was not only done at home with the mother of the child as teacher, but infant education was a state concern. This is in the sense that at infancy, the child was carefully examined by local elders to see if his physical and psychological posture would suit the aim of this predominantly militaristic state. Where the child was found physically weak he was immediately got rid of. The implication is that among the Spartans, only healthy children were raised to become citizens. The Athenians may not have paid particular attention to early childhood education in the beginning, but history tells us that with the coming of Athenian Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, recognition was given to the need for early childhood education from birth till about age seven. This period, (birth to 7years) in their view should actually be devoted as the first stage of â€Å"proper† elementary schooling. Early Childhood Education in Old Roman Empire. The Old Roman Empire came into being shortly after the collapse of Old Greece. Having conquered Greece, the Romans adopted the Greek system of education. Before then, education for the Roman child was mostly a home affair. Right from birth, the father of the newborn child actually determined his survival. – The newborn child was laid at his father’s feet. If the father lifted him that meant that he acknowledged and accepted responsibility for him. But if the father turned away, the reverse was a death penalty for the child. This also meant that before the influence of the Greeks, the Romans never had a set standard on formal schooling for the young child. Their idea of preschool education was learning the father’s trade. The mother on the other hand took care of the child’s moral training. The influence of Greek education brought about a new experience in the Roman ideal for education. This new Graeco-Roman educational system introduced the Ludus or elementary education amongst other stages of learning. The Ludus was the first stage of learning which took care of preschool education all through to elementary school. Specifically the Ludus preschool curriculum content had Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, using the play method. Generally in the matter of early childhood education in the old Roman Empire, one cannot  underestimate the contributions of Quintilian. He was an education theorist of Roman parentage. He took cognisance of the child as a learner who needed the right type of education. Quintilian has so much concern for the child, and parental responsibility towards his normal and effective growth. He advocated early childhood education contrary to the Roman entry school age of seven years. His emphasis on early childhood education centres on the argument that the elements of learning solely depends on memory. This also exists in young children, especially in their formative years of between zero to seven years. Generally Quintilian’s contribution to early childhood educational theory and practice was quite significant to educational development in the old Roman Empire. Early Childhood Education in the Renaissance Period. AD 1300-1600 Unlike the Middle Ages, the Renaissance period witnessed the birth of new ideas and knowledge of ancient Greek learning. A historical analysis of this period reveals that there were some notable scholars who contributed immensely to educational world view. Such scholars include Vittorrino da Feltre (1378 – 1446), Desdirus Erasmus, (1446 – 1536), Juan Luis Vives (1495 – 1553). All of them worked on a theory of early childhood education. Vittorrino da Feltre developed his idea of early childhood education along the line of Quintilian. He named his school for preschoolers, â€Å"The House of Joy†. In Erasmus’ theory and Practice of education, he recommended that education should begin with the first stage or pre-school stage. His belief for such recommendation is that at this early stage of learning, the child’s mind can easily acquire the seeds of piety which will make him accustomed to the rudiments of good behaviour. He also suggested that at this young age, subjects would be better learnt through games and stories. Erasmus also stressed the need for mothers to participate fully in the early education of the child, while fathers taught moral and scriptural instructions. Generally Erasmus’ emphasis on infant education suggested the right training and method of Instruction. Also in the generation of Erasmus was Juan Luis Vives. His contribution to the development of early childhood education in this age centred on helping the child imbibe goodness and right knowledge beginning at infancy. He also recommended that teaching at the early childhood stage could firstly be done in the child’s mother-tongue. Above all, learning should come through play and practical activities. The industrial period in Europe The rapid expansion in the overall population of Europe during the Industrial Revolution was matched by increases in the proportion of people who lived in towns and cities, and in the proportion of the population who were children. This dramatic social, political and economic transformation served to reveal the utter inadequacy of England’s educational provision. A number of reports highlighted the deficiencies and called for more and better schools. To fill the gaps, and to provide for England’s newly-industrialised society various types of school began to be established to offer some basic education to the masses. One such school is the infant school Infant schools They admitted two to six year olds and cared for them while their parents were at work in the local cotton mills. The instruction of children under six was to consist of ‘whatever might be supposed useful that they could understand, and much attention was devoted to singing, dancing , and playing’. Infant schools were thus at first partly ‘minding schools’ for young children in industrial areas; but they also sought to promote the children’s physical well-being and to offer opportunities for their moral and social training and to provide some elementary instruction in the 3Rs,(reading, writing and ‘rithmetic) so that the children could make more rapid progress when they entered the monitorial school. This system of infant education left its mark for many years on the curriculum and buildings of elementary schools (for children above age six). The Education in Traditional African setup African indigenous education can generally be defined as the form of learning in Africa traditional societies in which knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the tribe, were passed from elders to children, by means of oral instructions and practical activities. In traditional African society, education was quite functional and aimed at training the child to acquire knowledge and skills and internalize the customs and norms of the people. The African child is born into a family or society where he looks up to his ancestors and elders for support. The younger children look up to the older siblings as characters to emulate. Thus the traditional family with their communal living provided an anchorage for the younger ones in all aspects of their training. In this society, the extended family system, no matter how distant, was seen as a member of the immediate home, and played a role in the upbringing of the child. But today, with modernisation and increasing economic problems, it is becoming difficult to look beyond the immediate family. Essentially at a very early age, once the child was weaned, he was taught to accept some moral responsibilities. The traditional agencies of socialisation include the family, kin-group, social group and age groups. Even though today these agencies are still crucial to the early education of the child, they are quite modified with lesser roles. In other words, the cohesiveness of traditional African society is today weakened with the emphasis on child individualism as advocated by Rousseau and other child-centred pragmatists. Basically though, the African child in the traditional setting just like the kindergarten school child in modern society was taught in the most practical way. He was made to learn from older people, especially from his mother. He learnt through initiation, recitation and demonstration. He participated in recreational exercises like dancing and singing, wrestling, drumming and other physical displays that suited his age. He was also taught elementary practical skills. Finally, he imbibed intellectual training from story – telling, stories from local history of his people, poetry, proverbs and riddles. The learning experiences were made orally and the knowledge was stored in the heads of elders. The instructors were carefully selected from the family or clan. Their task was to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes to the young, informally at the didactic and practical levels. at the didactic level the teaching process took the form of the stories, legends, riddles, and songs; while at the practical level individuals enacted what they had learnt didactically, by imitating and watching what their elders performed. The child was also taught through play, the names of plants, animals, birds and the local geography of his area. DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN KENYA During colonial time The first recorded school for young children in Kenya was founded at Rabai (a coastal province) in 1886 by the Church Missionary Societies. The first early care centers can be traced to the 1940s, when British colonists established centers to serve both European and Asian children. During the same period, the colonial government established early childhood care centers for Kenyan children living on the tea, coffee, and sugar plantations. These centers were set up in response to Mau Mau uprisings and struggles for independence. The centers were nonacademic child care settings and only provided custodial care, a situation that persisted until the early 1970s Kenya’s system of early childhood care and education reflected a separate and stratified society, with Europeans receiving educational resources superior to that received by people from Asian and Arab cultures; Africans came last. The colonial government argued that the different races needed the kind of education that was deemed â€Å"appropriate† for their respective positions in colonial life. According to Rodney (1981), this colonial schooling approach was akin to â€Å"education for underdevelopment. † In 1954, UNICEF started supporting early childhood development and education in Kenya. Its focus was support for the health of mother and child. In later years, UNICEF expanded beyond the goals of child survival to include development and education. Post independence Kenya President Jomo Kenyatta’s call for a national philosophy of Harambee, which means â€Å"Let’s pull together. † saw mobilization of communal labor groups in order to achieve certain education and socioeconomic goals. Early care and education of children was considered to be a community concern necessitating collaboration. Communities raised money to purchase land and other materials to build schools. The labor was provided free of charge by community members. The parents and especially the mothers organized themselves into groups to build and manage the centres. The centres were small, simple in structure and catered for children from the village. Some of them were maintained within regular school buildingswhile others were placed in individual homes, makeshift sheds, or even outdoors, under trees. One of the mothers was chosen as the â€Å"teacher† and children were brought to the centre while the other mothers went to work. The activities were mainly games, songs and dances and a few ABC related activities. By 1970, the increasing participation of Kenyan women in the labor force, the growing number of female-headed households and changing family structures and child-rearing practices created new demands for external support. The community alone could no longer be the primary provider of nutrition, health care, and education for preschool children. Consequently, the government encouraged the formation of partnerships as a way to coordinate resources and share costs of early childhood care and education. The Ministry of Education became involved in overall administration, policy-making, provision of grants for training, and professional guidance of preschool education. Collaborative Partnerships In the 1970s, the government entered into partnerships with communities and other institutions engaged in the provision of preschool education in Kenya. These partnerships involved nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), parastatal bodies, religious organizations, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Aga Khan Foundation, and UNICEF In 1972, a 10-year Preschool Education Project was undertaken at the Kenya Institute of Education by the Ministry of Education and the Bernard van Leer Foundation. The main objective of the research project was to improve the quality of preschool education through three key areas: 1) development of training models for ECCE personnel; 2) development of a quality curriculum; and 3) development of support materials for use by children, teachers, and trainers. –In 1976 pre-school education was established in the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) to coordinate preschool programme. -October 1982 the Ministry of Basic Education and the Bernard Van Leer Foundation held a national seminar on preschool education in Malindi with the aim of reviewing the progress achieved during the preschool project’s first decade and making recommendations for the rapid development of preschool education in Kenya. Outcomes of the Malindi Seminar -(i) A preschool section was established in the Ministry of Education. (ii) Clear policies were formulated to guide preschool education in Kenya. (iii) In 1984, the Ministry of Education established the National Center for Early Childhood Education (NACECE), a national endeavor aimed at harmonizing the growth, evaluation, and oversight of early childhood education. (iv) In 1985 a network of sub-centers was established at the district level. These centers were called District Centers for Early Childhood Education (DICECE) Milestones of ECE in 1990s 1990 symposium in Mombasa -Kenyatta University and KIE funded by Bernard Van Leer foundation developed content components and regulations for the Bachelor of Education (ECE) . The prrogramme did not take off at this time . The centre for Early Childhood Education was established at Kenyatta University in 1995. –Increased funding by the government and the world bank of the early childhood development project. -In 1997 the Kenya government procured a credit from the world bank to support ECDE programmes in the centres. The project was implemented between 1997 and 2002. Its main objectives were to: (i) Increase access of ECDE services (ii) Improve child health and nutrition status (iii) Improve quality of personnel and reduce dropout and repetition rates at lower primary school –Alternative and complementary approaches launched by UNICEF. -The government through the sessional paper no. 1 of 2005 recommended the development of comprehensive ECDE policy framework and service standard guideline. The policy and the service standard guidelines were launched in 2007. ***************************************************************************** Access and participation in education at the ECDE level in Kenya are still low with a Net Enrolment rate (NER) of 42% in 2009 and 50% in 2010. This means that 58% and 50% 0f school age-going pupils were not in school in 2009 and2010 respectively. The lowest values in enrolment were observed in North Eastern province 5%. Low access levels in the country can be explained by the fact that ECDE was not compulsory in spite of being critical in laying the foundation for performance in the subsequent levels of education. Currently the following sponsors and agencies offer preschool education services in Kenya (i) Parents/committees/ local community : they are responsible for putting up buildings and furniture. (ii) church Organizations. Nursery schools are built on church compounds or use church buildings as classrooms during the week. Some churches employ teachers and some assist with a feeding programme. (iii) Firms, estates and corporations. Some have established preschools for their employees children. They also employ the teachers and provide the equipment. (iv) Voluntary organizations. (Lions Club, Red, Child Welfare Society). They have initiated the construction and running of preschools. (v) Women’s organizations such as Kanu Maendeleo ya Wanawake,YMCA,Women’s Guild which run some institutions for young children (vi) private communities/individuals (vii) Local government. Functions of NACECE * Training of personnel for ECE . * Development and dissemination of the curriculum for ECE programmes. * Identifying, designing, undertaking and coordinating research in ECE. * Offering services and facilitating interaction between agencies and sponsors. * Coordinating and liaising with external partners and also informing the public on the needs and developments of the ECE programme. The functions of the DICECE * Training of the pre-school teachers and other personnel at the district level. * Supervision and inspection of pre-school programme at district level. * Mobilization of local communities in the pre-school programme so as to improve the  care, health, nutrition and education of young children. * Development of pre-school curriculum. * Participation in the evaluation of pre-school programmes and carrying out basic research on the status of pre-school children in and out of school. Challenges facing Early Childhood Development Education Programmes in Kenya ?Mushrooming of ECDE centres. Many ECDE centres continue to be opened by communities And individuals sometimes without proper supervision and regulations. ?Low funding of ECDE programmes by the exchequer in comparison with other levels of education. ?Problems in Access: Household, communities, NGOs and other private providers primarily Provide ECDE, which makes the programme inaccessible to the majority of households due to the high cost of providing the services. ?Policy formulation: Inadequate clear policy to guide ECDE has led to un-coordinated service Provision between government organs, the NGOs, international agencies and the local communities. ?ECDE centers all over the country offer different services and this is made worse by competition for admission to good primary school and also the fact that many private centers are  commercially based and are competing for children. ?Education policy: Kenya has no clear national philosophy of education or a solid national Education policy. The two should be clearly defined and put in place to guide the development of education. ?Widespread poverty and poor economic growth hampering the quality of sustainable ECDE programmes. The government should increase learning facilities and also introduce feeding programmes. ?Lack of awareness: Many communities and parents lack awareness on the importance of ECDE for both girls and boys. The government should sensitize parents and communities on the  importance of ECDE. ? Lack of identification of children with special needs: . The government lacks an institutionalized system for early identification of children with special needs,specially gifted and talented children who cannot fit in the mainstream schools in ECDE centres. This is a critical issue that needs to be addressed as the gifted and talented might end up dropping out of school. ?Inadequate Physical Facilities: Most ECDE programmes have inadequate physical facilities, equipments and materials inadequate ECDE materials owing to the fact that many publishers  decline to undertake publishing of ECDE materials as they lack quick and ready markets ? Lack of schemes of service for ECDE teachers: Low and irregular remuneration of pre-school Teachers thus adversely affecting the morale of pre-schoolteachers. To address this issue the government should develop and implement a scheme of service for ECDE teachers. . At the moment ECDE teachers are employed by community committees and their salaries depend on the local income of parents. ?Poor transition to primary school: Absence of a smooth transition from pre-school to primary. Schools result in high wastage in the form of elevated repetition and dropout rates at the primary education level, especially standard 1,2 and 3. A World Bank sponsored study by Nyamwanya and mwaura (1995)in its focus on transition between pre-school and primary school examined the teaching methods and learning of the two systems of education. The study observed that both teachers and parents of lower primary perceived child readiness from an academic perspective and this influenced the teaching methods and content used in pre-schools to prepare children for primary school. ?Inadequate qualified ECDE teachers Due to high rates of attrition as a result of the poor pay packages many pre-school teachers are untrained and so lack skills to enhance the holistic development and learning of children. ?Lack of supervision: This has also affected the quality of services. Quality Assurance Standard Officers (QUASO) is not adequately equipped to handle inspection and assessment of ECDE services, including issues relating to transition. ?Relevance to curricula: Relevance of ECDE refers to how appropriate a particular ECDE Programme addresses the development needs of pre-school children. Consequently, the area of curriculum in terms of teaching methods and content has raised attention from researchers’ in ECDE. Many pre-schools overemphasize the teaching 3 Rs. This is attributed to parental pressure and interviews for entry to standard one. Many ECDE teachers spend a lot of time preparing children for entry into primary school and cover the academic content of standard one. ?Rising number of orphans: HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the greatest challenges to mankind. The Education sector is experiences lower Productivity due to absenteeism of ailing teachers. And students, also number of orphans has been in the increase resulting in low enrolment and increase in the dropout rates in ECDE centres. ?Medium of instruction: ECDE centres should use Kiswahili, or local language as the media of instruction, the government should institutionalize and put in place, mechanisms and strategies of making Kiswahili a medium of instruction. Books written in English should be translated to Kiswahili and other local languages. Teachers handling lower ECDE should be in serviced on the use of mother tongue as a medium for instruction. However children in the urban and slum areas learn different languages and hence young children do not learn their first languages adequately. ?Free Primary Education Universal Free Primary Education (FPE) in 2003 did not include ECDE services. Early Childhood Development services continue to be provided on a partnership basis between the parents, the local communities and the government. Free Primary Education affected the co- operation of ECDE parent sin the following ways: (a)Some parents refused to pay fees to ECDE centres (b)Parents refused to contribute toward the building of ECDE. (c)Some parents refused to take their children to ECDE centres hence wait for FPE (d)In some cases, the ECDE classes in public schools were taken by the FPE pupils leaving ECDE children out of class. (e)Some of the ECDE teacher’s lost their jobs while others were underpaid due to the non- payment of fees in the ECDE centres. (f)Many untrained teachers were employed to replace the trained teachers who were demanding more money/higher salaries. (f)The under age children were admitted in lower primary classes affecting enrolment in ECDE centres ? Culture: (a) female genital mutilation, early child marriage, gender bias. (b)Pastoralism ; affects ECDE in that Families might be far apart making the centre to be very far for some children to access. Children are also part of the society and are trained to look after animals at an early age so they also follow animals at the expense of schooling and as a result centres can only be established if there is a teacher who will be able to shift with the families. Early childhood Education There are different names for the various establishments that take care of preschool children * Daycare or play group: for children below the age of three. Working mothers use them as safe places to keep their children. * Creche : for children below three years. This establishment is usually located where the mother is working. * The kindergarten : normally refers to the school for children between three and six years. In Kenya they are found mainly in urban areas. They are privately run and costly. * Nursery schools : Usually for children between three and five years. A majority of these in Kenya are found in rural areas. They are managed by parents committees and some are assisted by local authorities. * Preschool units or reception classes: These are usually attached to and managed by primary schools. They serve children aged five and older who are preparing to enroll in the first primary grade at the same school. A majority of these are found in urban areas. The direct government in early childhood education started soon after independence in 1963. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health were charged with the responsibility of inspecting nursery schools and day care centres to ensure the health and the safety of children. –In 1966 in Kenya The German volunteers Services had assisted the department of community development and social services to train local  personnel to work inndaycare centres. –In 1968 there were 76 supervisors and 290 trained teachers. –Advisory committee on daycare centrwe programme was founded in 1968 under the ministry of housing and social services. This committee contributed to the formulation of the programme objectives and guidelines and made recommendations on instruction at the training and school levels. Tge committee became inactive in 1973. –In 1969 in a seminar to evaluate preschool education in Kenya , it was recommended that (i) There should be a national policy on pre-school education that would encourage self help efforts. (ii) Formulating a working committee to formulate the working principles of the programme and coordinate the efforts of all agencies concerned and to promote expansion of the proogramme by reviewing training programmes and conditions of services of personnel. (iii) The ministry of Cooperatives and Sociial Services was to function as the coordinator of nursery school activities. Central government was to provide nursery centre supervisors at provincial and district levels. –Establishment of major trainng centre to train personnel. There was one major training centre and several smaller units to train personnel at provincial levels. The government wass to contribute to and completely finance the highest category of district trainers and supervisors. The local committees and parent committee were to contribute by paying teaschers salaries and to subsidize their upkeep at the training centres. Theere was also a single certificate awarding body. –The government was to sponsor training. The candidates to be sponsored were to be 18 years old. They were to possess a minimum of certificate of primary education. The course was to be localized to allow the use of local languages. –Attainment of international standard, as pertains the nursery facilities; there were to be 25 children per teacher with the goal of achieving international standards of 15 children per teacher. –Establishment of parents committee. These were to give financial and moral support. They were also to seek advise of District planning committee before setting up nursery schools. 1970-1979 N. B 1969 recommendations served as a guiding principle for the future development of early childhood development in Kenya.