Example of Bullwhipp Effect Essay Example for Free

Example of Bullwhipp Effect Essay The Barilla company, a major pasta producer located in Italy provides a demonstrative of issues resulting from the bullwhip effect. Barilla offered special discounts to their customer who ordered full truckload of their goods. Such marketing deals created customer demand-patterns were highly peaked and volatile. The supply chain costs were so high that they outstripped the benefits from full truckload transportation. The Barilla case was one of the first published cases that empirically supported the bullwhip phenomenon. The 5 major reasons leading to the bullwhip effect according to Lee: Demand signal processing is the is the practice of decision makers adjusting the parameters of the inventory replenishment rule. Target stock levels, safety stocks and demand forecasts are updated in view of information or deviations from targets. Another major cause of the bullwhip problem is the lead-time, which is caused by two components. The physical delays and also delays in cause of information. The lead-time is a key parameter to calculate safety stocks. The third bullwhip creator is the practice of order batching. Economies of scale in ordering, production set-ups or transportation will quite clearly increase order variability. The fourth major cause of bullwhip is highlighted by Lee has to do with price fluctuations. Price discounts and quantity discounts are often offered by retailers. So the retailers buy goods in advance and quantities and store them. This do not reflect their immediate needs. The fifth cause of bullwhip is connected with rationing and shortage gaming. Inflated orders placed by supply chain occupants during shortage periods tend to boost the bullwhip effect. Possibilities to minimize the bullwhip effect (in order to avoid costs): improve communication in the supply chain simultaneousness of actions (therefore time delays and reaction times can be avoided) centralization of disposition establish strategic alliances reduce the variability

Critical Reflection on Professional Practice | Education

Critical Reflection on Professional Practice | Education In this essay I will critically review the literature on the role of the modern educator. To this end I will consider the history of teaching and the impact of modern educational theory before defining â€Å"reflective teaching†. I will then go on to consider the ramifications of critical reflectivity at different granularities. The concept of a â€Å"teacher† in the modern sense mayhave originated with the ancient Greeks. The Socratic Method set out byPlato and Xenophon encourages the learner to become an independentthinker through a process of elimination of working hypotheses.Throughout the European â€Å"dark ages† scholarly pursuits were largely thedomain of the clergy, who developed the school system and theprofessional school educator came into being. By Victorian times,however, the role of the educator was that of an instructorwho, in the spirit of John Locke, perceived children as â€Å"blank slatesonto which knowledge can be written† . Then, in the 20th Century, the view of education, and consequently the role of the educator, changed dramatically. The concept of a â€Å"teacher† in the modern sense mayhave originated with the ancient Greeks. The Socratic Method set out byPlato and Xenophon encourages the learner to become an independentthinker through a process of elimination of working hypotheses.Throughout the European â€Å"dark ages† scholarly pursuits were largely thedomain of the clergy, who developed the school system and theprofessional school educator came into being. By Victorian times,however, the role of the educator was that of an instructorwho, in the spirit of John Locke, perceived children as â€Å"blank slatesonto which knowledge can be written† . Then, in the 20th Century, the view of education, and consequently the role of the educator, changed dramatically. Educational theory in the 20thCentury was influenced by, amongst others, Piaget, Vygotsky and Dewey.It will be worth briefly reviewing their ideas. Jean Piaget developed the notion of constructivism in which learnersare considered to construct their own â€Å"theories† of the world.  Constructivism acknowledges the need to build upon and modify existingknowledge rather than simply to fill learners heads with knowledge. Lev Vygotsky emphasised the importance of scaffolding for childrenscognitive development in which the sociocultural environment isinternalised as knowledge is constructed.   As such learning was nolonger situated exclusively in the head but became an interactionbetween the child, peers and educators. John Dewey endorsed Vygotskys sociocultural approach and highlightedthe subjective nature of communal learning.   He is credited withpopularising socioconstructivist ideas into what became known asprogressive education. Another important influence came from cultural theory in the form ofwhat is known as postmodernism. Postmodernism is not a theory butrather a rejection of the â€Å"certain†. Instead, â€Å"meaning is always inprocess†,   and that which seems to be external reality is a culturalconstruct. Postmodernism demands a shift in perspective. Derrida   wrote: â€Å"The center is at the center of the totality, and yet, since the centerdoes not belong to the totality (is not part of the totality), thetotality has its center elsewhere. The center is not the center.† Perhaps the most important contribution of postmodernism to education,then, is the identification and questioning of underlying assumptionsand a blurring of focus from naà ¯ve clarity to reflective holism. As thinking human beings it isnear-on impossible to not be reflective in an everyday sense of theword. However the term â€Å"reflective teaching† refers to something moreprofound something systematically undertaken by practitioners thatâ€Å"implies flexibility, rigorous analysis and social awareness.†Ã‚   I willnow consider how a teacher might be critically reflective at threegranularities: (i) the fine-grain which occurs whilst teaching; (ii)the medium-grain which occurs retrospectively; (iii) the large-grainwhich considers teaching in the context of wider society. Fine-grain reflection relates to whatSchà ¶n calls â€Å"reflection-in-action† . I interpret reflection-in-actionto be a sociocultural process that is not located solely in theteachers head. Indeed it is a process of which the (experienced)teacher is not consciously aware. Rather, it relates to concepts suchas routines, attention and making judgments. It is a subtle teachingskill that is often at odds with the fashionable notion ofâ€Å"well-planned lessons†. The long-term refinement of fine-grain reflection over time is perhapswhat distinguishes the â€Å"expert† from the â€Å"novice† practitioner.Luntley   investigated the nature of expertise which he defines asâ€Å"attention-based knowledge†. He reports on an experienced teacher in amathematics lesson who drew shapes on the board and asked the classwhich ones were similar. She received answers that made no sense (toher) and reflected afterwards: â€Å"I was beginning to think: Oh God! There is something I am missinghere. [Laughter] Something that is obvious to them but not obvious tome.† The teacher then took action to resolve the issue because she: â€Å"recognised a mismatch between the pupils focus of attention and herown, and was able to interrogate this in order to respond in a waywhich changed the direction of the lesson, but enabled her to re-focusthe pupils ideas.† It is difficult to imagine how a trainee teacher might instantlyimprove their â€Å"expertise† and reflect instinctively at the chalk facelike this. Sheer experience seems necessary but it may be that thisexperience can be enhanced through systematic medium-grain reflection. Medium-grain reflection has profoundimplications. Postmodernism suggests the need to be mercilesslyself-critical.   A consequence of this is the lack of a yard-stickagainst which to measure progress. For example, one cannot simplyreflect on how to improve test scores without reflecting that anenvironment engineered for passing tests may actually damage childrenslearning by other standards.   Similarly, one cannot simply reflect onhow to reduce classroom noise levels as a way to â€Å"improve† behaviour.Rather we must identify and reflect on the complex power relations atplay in the classroom. Given these shifting-sands and the opaque nature of presuppositions, itis clear that reflective teaching at the medium grain size is no simpletask. There is no formula or recipe to follow rather it is therejection of such. Practitioners retrospective reflection is in factan attitude that encompasses many areas. Here I will attempt to listjust a few of them. The teacher must consider his or her own â€Å"wholeness†Ã‚   in thesociocultural context of the classroom. Age, gender, ethnicity,class-background, culture, religion, political views are relevant.Similar holistic consideration must be given to the pupils. Furthermorethe classroom itself is a complex sociocultural environment demanding aholistic reflection. The teacher must also consider the nature of the curriculum : how it isto be implemented and what is meant by learning and how we assess it.Policies and models and recipes and formulas abound, both voluntary andcompulsory (such as the 1988 Education Reform act which introduced aNational Curriculum). Reflective practice can be valuable in helpingteachers remain cool-headed amidst passing frenzies such as the currentunsubstantiated craze for â€Å"Accelerated Learning†. However it is no good the teacher merely being aware of thesociocultural nature of the environment, or the possible flaws in thecurriculum, as though this might vaccinate her from problems. Theentire purpose of reflective teaching is to inform practice throughâ€Å"evidence-informed professional practice†Ã‚   such as reflective markingof pupils work, discussion with colleagues, classroom observations,journal keeping and so on. Another aspect is how critical reflective practice might inform ateachers professional development, such as the acquisition offine-grained â€Å"knowledge-based attention† mentioned above. Professionaldevelopment should be considered holistically in a wider socioculturalcontext as a â€Å"process of enlightenment† that is â€Å"a reflective andcommunal process†.   The next step up after school and career focused critical reflection isteachers reflecting on their role in wider society which I discuss inthe following section.   Large-grain reflection refers tocritically considering ones role as a teacher within wider society. Itcan involve quite pragmatic issues such as joining a union, decidinghow to vote and keeping an eye on political developments such as thecurrent â€Å"dominant managerialist ideology†Ã‚   in the work place. It can also involve philosophical and ideological considerations aboutthe future of education. During the ‘cultural revolution of 1960sAmerica many teachers (e.g. Herbert Kohl ) came to reject the ideal ofschool altogether, imagining a future utopia in which society educatesits young without institutionalisation. Other educationalists havevisions of how the nature of learning might be revolutionised in anincreasingly complex and technological society (e.g. Seymour Papert ). Considering that the teaching profession does not offer the greatestfinancial returns, working conditions or status the higher ideals areessential to me personally. Teaching must be seen as a holisticlifestyle an attempt to â€Å"save the world† even to be enjoyable. For me reflective teaching contains an inherent paradox -yet this is its strength. It is a ‘formula for thinking that teachesus to reject formulae for thinking. It is an ongoing questioning andanalysis at all granularities in which our attitude should be aholistic, dynamic process rather than a static set of commandments.Although critical reflection should be painful to a degree, the returns are enriching and invaluable. Research Proposal: Child Attachment with Care Providers Research Proposal: Child Attachment with Care Providers Rationale The author has chosen to focus on the area of nursery care for children aged six months to five years, chiefly because it is an area of personal and professional interest, and because despite a wealth of research on parenting attachment, child development, behavioural development and the like, the field of study is still lacking in good, applied research which explores how children become acclimatised to a nursery environment, and what factors may affect this process. Because of social and societal changes â€Å"many infants tart their out-of-home lives at an early age with non-familial caregivers in childcare settings† (Lee, 2006 p 133). This care setting has potentially long-term implications for the child, the family, and for society as a whole. â€Å"The infant-caregiver relationship is crucial for infants since this first relationship with a caregiver will not only provide a working model for the subsequent relationships with teachers but will also set the stage for adju stment, development, and learning in the current setting and for later school life† (Lee, 2006 p 134). Attachment theories explore how attachment between child and caregiver affect these issues.The focus on attachment theories is also related to the need for nursery workers to engage in partnership working with parents in order to ensure good supportive exchanges of information from both sides, and to promote the best possible experience for the child (and their peers). The author has observed great differences between different children in the ways that they settle into the nursery environment. Some children adapt quickly to the new situation, the caregivers and the activities, while others take much longer, displaying ongoing signs of separation anxiety and other behaviours which indicate they are not fully acclimatised to the nursery environment and carers. While there are arguments here about whether or not childcare workers and parents should expect certain levels of conformity from such young children, and about the individual needs of children being met in a flexible, responsive manner, there is no doubt that children do need to learn to interact in peer groups and to integrate into environments other than the home environment at some point during their developmental processes. The adaptation to the new environment may be related to parenting styles, attachment, or the characteristics of caregivers. Literature Review A range of variables might affect the child’s ability to settle into the childcare environment. Some of these are potentially derived from the home setting, from attachment to parents and other caregivers, and from the kinds of parenting styles that the child has already experienced and from the family situation (David et al, 2003). Other variables are related to (potentially) biology and the social behaviours which reinforce gender. Turner (1991) explores the complex relationships between attachment and gender and child integration with peers in preschool environments, and shows that there are gender differences in these phenomena. How much this is due to carer and peer preconceptions of appropriate child behaviour is not clear, but Phillipsen et al (1999) show that social acceptance, and carers’ perceptions of behaviour and peer interactions are mediated by preconceptions about expected behaviours. This author is concerned that children’s individuality and indi vidual circumstances are perhaps, on the basis of such studies, not being given enough attention, and that this drive for behavioural conformity is perhaps serving a different purpose to the expressed, child-focused aims of nursery providers. McKown and Weinstein (2002) also relate teacher expectations to gender and to ethnicity in early years environments, and so the kinds of demographic information that would be needed in an exploratory study of this kind would include gender and ethnicity questions. Other authors have researched relationships between children and their childcare providers, and shown that the relationship between these may vary according to the perceptions of different childcare workers (Howes et al, 2000), and according to the sensitivity and characteristics of the childcare workers (Gerber et al, 2007). This study would focus on the kinds of perceptions of attachment identified by Howes et al (2000). A more useful study would employ an objective observer to measure and record attachment behaviours (Delamont, 2002), but this is a small scale academic piece, and there are insufficient resources to employ an objective, skilled observer. Other variables affecting the child’s ability to settle must obviously derive from the nursery environment. These may be characteristics of caregivers and caregiver-child relationships, which may be in turn influenced by nursery policies, by organisational culture and norms and managerial practices, and also by the personalities of the caregivers (Cryer et al, 2005). Resources may also affect this environment. Lee (2006) found that â€Å"infants and their key caregivers did build firm (close, secure, synchronous) relationships in the relationship-valued and supportive childcare context† (p 140). This suggests that the context may affect this process in significant ways. However, it is the characteristics of the child his or herself, and their parents or their attachment to their parents which may be the issue here, hence the focus on attachment theory. Rydell et al (2005) suggest that â€Å"a central prediction from attachment theory is that the quality of the child’s attachment to parents will be related to the quality of relationships with other people† (p 188). Therefore, it is important as part of the proposed study to assess the parenting experience and any markers of attachment from the point of view of the parent(s). This may be important in identifying children’s ability to develop secure relationships with other carers (Rydell et al, 2005). Bowlby (2007) argues that babies and toddlers will have their attachment seeking response activated in the absence of a primary or a secondary attachment figure when they are in the presence of a stranger and in unfamiliar surroundings, which is what may happen in nurseries when children do not ‘settle’. This attachment seeking response may be terminated if the child is able to develop an attachment to a secondary carer (Bowlby, 2007). Bowlby (2007) suggests a model of childcare that actively promotes and monitors long-term secondary attachment bonds between baby and carer. This kind of model is shown in the theory of having a key person identified for each child within the setting, which has benefits for the baby/child, in terms of affection and attachment, for parents, and for the key person (Elfer, 2002). Understanding this in the context of the child-caregiver relationship is challenging, because this relationship is multidimensional (Lee, 2006). Aims The aims of this study are: to answer the following question: Why do some children settle in nursery in a short space of time and some take longer, using the same settling in method?; and to model the complex interactions between the factors which may be seen as affecting this process. Theories of attachment will be used as a framework to inform and support the design of the study, but a range of potential variables will be explored in order to fully develop a model of understanding which may answer the key research question. Other aims of this study are that it should improve understanding in order to help childcare workers and parents support children’s transition into the childcare environment Methodology While an ethnographical methodology would be a logical choice of research methodology in this case (Massey, 1998), there are some issues around this kind of approach, including the potential bias of the researcher and the issues cited elsewhere about observation and participant observation. Perspectives other than that of the researcher need to be addressed, and data from parents and from the childcare setting needs to be incorporated. A Grounded Theory approach will be used, chiefly because of the way that this methodology supports the inclusion of a range of qualitative data sources along with quantitative data in the form of descriptive statistics and demographic characteristics (Borgatti, 2005; Glaser and Strauss, 1967). Grounded Theory sets out to develop models of knowledge and explication which are ‘grounded’ in the data under investigation, the nature of which always include ‘rich’ qualitative data (Charmaz, 1994). The complexity of Grounded Theory m odels lies in their derivation from the data themselves, and so would serve well this attempt to address a complex phenomenon likely to be affected by a range of variables. Grounded Theory allows the researcher to make full use of the data (Bell and Opie, 2002; D’Onofrio, 2001). Data analysis is via a process of constant comparison of the data with each other, through stages of analysis towards an end model (Charmaz, 1994; Glaser and Strauss, 1967). The kinds of complexities, the human nature of the interactions within the childcare environment, and the many variables that would likely affect the child’s interactions within that environment, do not lend themselves to a quantitative methodology, particularly one carried out on so small a scale. Nor would it be ethical to carry out quantitative research on vulnerable children when there is no hope of gaining a statistically significant sample size for a good quality quantitative study. Therefore, a qualitative study, which supports and exploratory approach, has been deemed more suitable. Methods which collect talk and conversation would be suitable for this kind of research (Adelman, 1981), but due to the vulnerability of the children involved, the data collection methods must be chosen with care. Similarly, the data collection methods and sources have been selected to include all relevant information which might indicate factors which impinge upon the infant or child’s ability to settle into the nursery environment. Because of the issues of perception discussed above, participant observation was ruled out as a data collection approach (Arnould, 1998). The data collection methods were chosen to minimse the impact on children, parents and childcare workers. These will include exploratory questionnaires given to parents and semi-structured interviews with nursery caregivers, documentary data in the form of the children’s nursery records, nursery policies, mission statements and staff training and orientation documents, and interviews with staff. All these kinds of data sources are suitable to a Grounded Theory Approach (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). It is important to take into account the complexities and details of the context, both physical and behavioural, within which the child behaviours are taking place, because this may indicate factors within the nursery itself which affect the child’s orientation into that environment. The data collection tools, which consist of a parental questionnaire and a pro-forma for the semi-structured interviews with childcare providers, will be informed by the use of established measures, including the Q-Set measure (Moss et al, 2006). Other studies have applied such measures to a similar situation in relation to attachment theory (Moss et al, 2006). Interviews will be audio-taped, anonymised at point of recording, and then transcribed as text documents. All data, from questionnaires, interviews and documentary sources will be transferred into an electronic qualitative data analysis programme such as NVivo, for ease of management and improved analysis (Drisko, 2004). NVivo allows for the development of models from qualitative data, but also supports the integration of quantitative and demographic data to develop correlations between these data and qualitative concepts and findings (Drisko, 2004). Because Grounded Theory tends to treat the literature review as a concurrent process (Glaser and Strauss, 1967), and literature sources as a form of data in themselves (D’Onofrio, 2001), the use of NVivo also supports and aids this process in terms of the management of large amounts of textual data (Drisko, 2004). Ethical Considerations It is important that the quality of the research is such that it is justifiable to carry it out within this setting (see methodology section above). Ethical considerations include the ethics of carrying out research on small children who are unable to give consent, and the affects the research might have on their caregivers. Research that distracts the childcare workers or affects their ability to take care of children would not be ethical. Participant observation was deemed as unsuitable (Arnould, 1998).Having a ‘strange’ adult (the researcher) in the environment might also disturb the ‘status quo’. Therefore, an observational method was not chosen, and parents given full information sheets and consent forms for participation in the study. Only those parents who consent will be included, and data will only be gathered pertaining to their children. Ethical approval will be sought from the researcher’s place of study (via normal ethics committee approv al). Permission will be gained from the child care organisation’s manager, and staff will be recruited via information sheets and consent forms in the same way that parents were. Staff interviews will be carried out at a location convenient to the place of work, and at agreed times which do not interfere with their normal workload. All interviews and demographic data including even the location and name of the childcare setting will be anonymised. Timescale Because of the data collection methods chosen, the timescale is adjusted to take into account the difficulties in gaining good response rates from questionnaires and in fitting in the interviews with the childcare providers in a way that does not place them under undue stress or affecting their working lives. A three month timescale (from the point of ethical approval) is projected for the data collection phase of this project, which will allow for an initial recruitment of the sample, distribution of questionnaires, a second round of questionnaires to improve response rates, and concurrent interviews with childcare providers and collection of documentary evidence from the childcare setting. The concurrent literature review must also take place within this timescale, and so literature searching, identification and collection will occur during the data collection phase, and critical literature review and analysis will commence during this phase and continue through the data analysis p hase of the research. This second phase, data analysis, should take a further three months, from initial analysis to completion of a model. Writing up should take a further two weeks. Conclusion It is anticipated that this study will illuminate the still murky waters of attachment with childcare providers, the potential benefits of the â€Å"key person† in relation to attachment and to promoting the adjustment of the child to the childcare setting. It should also shed light on demographic and other characteristics which may affect this process, thereby, at the very least, identifying key areas for further, more in-depth or targeted research. Because this is an exploratory study, the potential richness of the data should allow for some insight and discovery about issues affecting attachment and adjustment. Attachment theories would need to be explored in much greater detail than this brief proposal allows, and the quality of the existing research on these theories applied to this setting appraised. The resultant model should incorporate the evidence from the literature with the evidence from the study data into a model which may inform future approaches to caring for c hildren within this setting. Bibliography Adelman, C. (1981) Uttering Muttering : collecting, using and reporting talk for social and educational research. London:Grant McIntyre Arnould, E.J. (1998) Ethical Concerns in Participant Observation/Ethnography. Advances in Consumer Research 25 72 Asher, S.R., Pankhurts, J.T., Hymel, S. and Williams, G. (1990) Peer rejection and loneliness in childhood. In Asher, S.R. and Cole, J.D. (eds) Peer rejection in childhood. Cambridge studies in social and emotional development (253-273) New York: Cambridge University Press. Bell, J. and Opie, C. (2002) Learning from Research : getting more from your data Buckingham: Open University Press. Birch, S.H. and Ladd, G.W. (1997) The teacher-child relationship and children’s early school adjustment. Journal of School Psychology 35 61-79. Birch, S.H. and Ladd, G.W. (1997) Children’s interpersonal behaviours and the teacher-child relationship. Developmental Psychology 34 934-946. Borgatti, S. (2005) Introduction to Grounded Theory www.analytictech.com accessed 12-07-08. Charmaz, K. (1994)The grounded theory method: An explication and interpretation. In Glaser,, B. (ed) More grounded theory methodology: A reader p 95-115 Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. Coady, M. (2001) Ethics in early childhood research in: MacNaughton, G., Rolfe, S. and Siraj-Blaqtchford, S. (2001) Doing Early childhood Research: international perspectives on theory and practice Oxford: Oxford University Press. Cryer, D., Wagner-Moore, L., Burchinal, M. et al (2005) Effects of transitions to new child care classes on infant/toddler distress and behaviour. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 20 37-56. David, T., Goouch, K., Powell, S. and Abbott, L. (2003) Birth to Three Matters: a Review of the Literature Nottingham: Queen’s Printer. Delamont, S. (2002) Fieldwork in educational settings London: Falmer Press DeMulder, E.K., Denham, S., Schmidt, M. and Mitchell, J. (2000) Q-sort assessment of attachment security during the preschool years: links from home to school. Developmental Psychology D’Onofrio, A. (2001) â€Å"Grounded Theory† Qualitative Research Methods in Education Spring/Summer http://muse.widener.edu accessed 10-7-08. Drisko, J.W. (2004) Qualitative Data Analysis Software: A User’s Appraisal.† In Padgett, D. (ed) The Qualitative Research Experience p 193-209. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Gerber, E.B., Whitebook, M. and Wienstein, R.S. (2007) At the heart of childcare: predictors of teacher sensitivity in center-based child care. Early Childhood Research Quarterly22 327-346. Glaser, B.G. Strauss, A.L. (1967) The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine Goossens, F.A., and van Ijzendom, M.H. (1990) Quality of infants’ attachments to prorfessional caregivers: relation to infant-parent attachment and day-care characteristics. Child Development 61 832-857. Howes, C, Phillipsen, L.C. and Peisner-Feinberg, E. (2000) The consistency of perceived teacher-child relationships between preschool and kindergarten. Journal of School Psychology 38 113-132. Howes, C. (1999) Attachment relationships in the context of multiple caregivers. In Cassidy, J. and Shaver, P.R. (eds) Attachment Theory: research and clinical applications9671-687). New York: Guilford Press. Lee, S.Y. (2006) A journey to a close, secure and synchronous relationship: infant-caregiver relationship development in a childcare context. Journal of Early Childhood Research. 4 (2) 133-151. Massey, A. (1998) â€Å"The way we do things around here: the culture of ethnography.† Ethnography and Education Conference, Oxford University www.voicewisdom.co.uk accessed 13-07-08. McKown, C. and Weinstein, R.S. (2002) Modeling the role of child ethnicity and gender in children’s differential response to teacher expectations. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 32 (1) 159-184. Moss, E., Bureau, J-F., Cyr, C. and Dubious-Comtois, K. (2006) Is maternal Q-Set a valid measure of preschool child attachment behaviour? International Journal of Behavioural Development 30 (6) 488-497. Phillipsen, L.C., Bridges, S.K., McLemore, T.G. and Saponaro, L.A. (1999) Perceptions of social behaviour and peer acceptance in kindergarten. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. 14 68-77. Rydell, A-M., Bohlin, G. and Thorell, L.B. (2005) Representations of attachment to parents and shyness as predictors of children’s relationships with teachers and peer competence in preschool.† Attachment and Human Development 7 (2) 187-204. Turner, P. (1991) Relations between attachment, gender and behaviour with peers in preschool. Child Development 62 1475-1488.

Essay --

In this discussion, they are talking about how to using workforce with strategy. Also they are trying to introduce about core concept of the differentiated workforce and help to understand how to manage their talent more like a portfolio. It was hard to get the concept when I saw the video. They are talking about large scale of workforce strategy concept such as capabilities, positions, value and so on. It is not like text book that we can memorize the knowledge. So I have to keep thinking, brain storming and research about example that shown at the video. Workforce strategy is really related with our management class because workforce is linked with management, human resource, planning, motivation, and so on. It is all about managing, developing and motivating workforce. The Key words in this video are capabilities, positions, business strategy, workforce strategy and human resource. In discussion they keep talking about make differentiation. We can change the word differentiation as a competitive advantage. That is the key concept of this discussion. First of all we need to under...

Voices from Vietnam :: essays research papers

This reader’s rating for this book is average. It is a very well written book but it may not appeal to some people. If the reader was familiar with the war then this would be a wonderful book to read. This reader thought it was interesting but not as enthralling as it should be. The book was mainly made out of quotes or dialogue from the men in the war. This was a very different way of writing but it was interesting. Many of the veterans had interesting stories to tell and how it felt like to be in the war. Overall it was a book to consider if you’re into war stories. The things this reader likes about this book is that it was interesting in the fact that it had real stories from real veterans in the war. Some of the stories were explained in gruesome detail in which this reader thought was very disturbing. It is disgusting to know what happened to some of the Vietnamese and veterans during that war. What this reader also liked was how they explained the war while showing the opinions of some of the veterans. The least thing this reader liked about this book was that it didn’t keep you on the edge. Even though this was a war story it didn’t captivate me as much as I would have wanted it to. It became boring at parts when they explained how the war started and how the Chinese were trying to take control of Vietnam. What the author should have done was explain the war with minimum detail and have many comments from the people who were actually involved in it. In this reader’s opinion this book should be good for older people. Older people would understand the meaning of the war better and how it started. Also older people would probably find it interesting and actually want to read into it. Since older people have most likely lived during the Vietnam War they would appreciate this book much more than a teenager would. Voices from Vietnam is not even close to simple. With the exception of the dialogue the words used in the book were a little advanced for a teenager. This reader didn’t enjoy much of the book because of this reason. The book is also quite long since it explains the war and contains comments from the veterans.

Sympathy for Nora in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay examples -- A

Sympathy for Nora in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House In "A Doll's House," Henrik Ibsen primarily addresses issues not only relating to women in Norway, but to women embarking on twentieth century life in general. To achieve his desired effect, he employs the use of contextual dialog and places Nora as the central character, which gives her a great edge. Because of her prominent role throughout the play, she becomes familiar, and what is familiar is favored. With the lone exception of the exchange between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad at the beginning of Act III, there is not a single scene that features a dialog that in some way does not include a prominent part from Nora. It soon becomes apparent that Nora emerges from the dramatis personae as the pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance Ibsen intends to win our sympathies. In Act I, scene I, the stage is set, bringing the meaning behind the plays' title into sharp focus. Here, Ibsen uses contextual dialog to demonstrate that Nora is indeed, as the title implies, little more than a doll in a toy house, a plaything that Torvald doesn't take seriously. For instance, Torvald asks: "Is that my little lark twittering out there? Is it my little squirrel bustling about?" (Ibsen, 500). A short pace later, he calls her "a poor little girl," and then adds "you needn't ruin your dear eyes and your pretty little hands" (502). Nora appears to willingly-if not a little naà ¯vely-play into this role: after clapping her hands she replies, "No, Torvald, I needn't any longer, need I! It's wonderfully lovely to hear you say so" (503). A second issue Ibsen presents for consideration in the first scene is a discussion of money, Nora appearing to play the role of the pampered child with a penchant for shiny coins clin... ...lly good reason for favoring Nora beyond our sense of familiarity with her: she lies, she cheats, she rationalizes, she walks out on her husband and children-she is not an innocent character. But is this tendency not the wont of human nature, to excuse that which is connected to us while failing to consider there is a whole other side to the issue? It would seem that by the prominence Ibsen affords Nora, he masterfully steers our sympathies in her direction like a crafty rhetorician employing the Greek concept of kairos. By what he chooses to reveal (and conceal), Ibsen has us feeding out of the palm of his hand, for in the end, it could be said that life is all a matter of perspective . . . almost. Works Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. "A Doll's House." Literature: The Human Experience. 8th ed. Ed. Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz. Boston: Bedford, 2002. 499-557.

Social Reformers of India

Mahatma Gandhi: (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) (Father of the Nation, Rashtrapita, ) was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women's rights, build religious and ethnic amity, end untouchability, and increase economic self-reliance. Above all, he aimed to achieve Swaraj or the independence of India from foreign domination. for main article go to Virchand Gandhi Virchand Gandhi:Virachand Raghav Gandhi (Gujarati: ; VRG 1864–1901) was from Mahuva . He is 19th Century Indian patriot who was friend of Mahatma Gandhi and contemporary to Swami Vivekanand. He and swami vivekananda drew equal attention at the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 . He won a silver medal in same . His statue still stands at the Jain temple in Chicago. He was key member of Indian National Congress . And as a reformer established a] Gandhi Philosophical Society, b] Society for the Education of Women in India (SEWI). Under the banner of SEWI, several Indian women came to U. S. A. for higher studies. c] School of Oriental Philosophy, d] Jain Literature Society in London. . And he delivered 535 lectures in USA and europe. He also died at young age of 37 alike Swami Vivekanand. Today Govt. of India has recognised his service by issuing Postal Stamp in his memory. for main article go to Swami Vivekanand Swami Vivekanand: (January 12, 1863–July 4, 1902) He was the founder of Ramakrishna Mission. Vivekananda is considered to be a major force in the revival of Hinduism in modern India. He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and America. He introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicago in 1893. for main article go to Swami Dayanand Saraswati Swami Dayanand Saraswati: (February 12, 1824 – October 31, 1883) was an important Hindu religious scholar and the founder of the Arya Samaj, â€Å"Society of Nobles†, a Hindu reform movement, founded in 1875. He was the first man who gave the call for Swarajay in 1876 which was later furthered by Lokmanya Tilak. Himanshu Mishra Is also a Social Reformer Born in January 23, 1976 in Pilibhit District for main article go to Raja Ram Mohan Roy Raja Ram Mohan Roy: (August 14, 1774 – September 27, 1833) was a founder of the Brahma Sabha in 1828 which engendered the Brahmo Samaj, an influential Indian socio-religious reform movement. He is best known for his efforts to abolish the practice of sati, the Hindu funeral practice in which the widow was compelled to sacrifice herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. It was he who first introduced the word â€Å"Hinduism† into the English language in 1816. For his diverse contributions to society, Raja Ram Mohan Roy is regarded as one of the most important figures in the Indian Renaissance. Ram Mohan Roy's impact on modern Indian history was a revival of the pure and ethical principles of the Vedanta school of philosophy as found in the Upanishads. for main article go to Jamnalal Bajaj Jamnalal Bajaj: (4 November 1884 – 11 February 1942) was an industrialist, a philanthropist, and Indian independence fighter. Gandhi is known to have adopted him as his son. He is known for this efforts of promoting Khadi and village Industries in India. With the intent of eradicating untouchability, he fought the non admission of Harijans into Hindu temples. He began a campaign by eating a meal with Harijans and opening public wells to them. He opened several wells in his fields and gardens. Jamanalal dedicated much of his wealth to the poor. He felt this inherited wealth was a sacred trust to be used for the benefit of the people. In honour of his social initiatives a well known national and international award called Jamnalal Bajaj Award has been instituted by the Bajaj Foundation. for main article go to Vinoba Bhave Vinoba Bhave: (September 11, 1895 – November 15 1982) was an Indian advocate of Nonviolence and human rights. He is considered as the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. Vinoba Bhave was a scholar, thinker, writer who produced numerous books, translator who made Sanskrit texts accessible to common man, orator, linguist who had excellent command of several languages (Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, English, Sanskrit), and a social reformer. He wrote brief introductions to, and criticisms of, several religious and philosophical works like the Bhagavad Gita,works of Adi Shankaracharya, the Bible and Quran. His criticism of Dnyaneshwar's poetry as also the output by other Marathi saints is quite brilliant and a testimony to the breadth of his intellect. A university named after him Vinoba Bhave University is still there in the state of Jharkhand spreading knowledge even after his death. for main article go to Baba Amte Baba Amte: (December 26, 1914 – February 9, 2008) was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy. He spent some time at Sevagram ashram of Mahatma Gandhi, and became a follower of Gandhism for the rest of his life. He believed in Gandhi's concept of a self-sufficient village industry that empowers seemingly helpless people, and successfully brought his ideas into practice at Anandwan. He practiced various aspects of Gandhism, including yarn spinning using a charkha and wearing khadi. Amte founded three ashrams for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people, and people from marginalized sections of the society in Maharashtra, India. for main article go to Shriram Sharma Acharya Shriram Sharma Acharya: (September 20, 1911 – June 2, 1990) was an Indian seer, sage, Indian social worker, a philanthropist, a visionary of the New Golden Era and the Founder of the All World Gayatri Pariwar. He devoted his life to the welfare of people and the refinement of the moral and cultural environment. He pioneered the revival of spirituality, creative integration of the modern and ancient sciences and religion relevant in the challenging circumstances of the present times. To help people, his aim was to diagnose the root cause of the ailing state of the world today and enable the upliftment of society. Acharyaji recognized the crisis of faith, people’s ignorance of the powers of the inner self, and the lack of righteous attitude and conduct. During 1984-1986, he carried out the unique spiritual experiment of sukshmikarana, meaning sublimation of vital force and physical, mental and spiritual energies. for main article go to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar: (1820-1891) Vidyasagar was a philosopher, academic, educator, writer, translator, printer, publisher, entrepreneur, reformer, and philanthropist. His efforts to simplify and modernize Bangla prose were significant. He was a Bengali polymath and a key figure of the Bengal Renaissance. Vidyasagar championed the uplift of the status of women in India, particularly in his native Bengal. Unlike some other reformers who sought to set up alternative societies or systems, he sought, however, to transform orthodox Hindu society from within. Vidyasagar introduced the practice of widow remarriages to mainstream Hindu society. In earlier times, remarriages of widows would occur sporadically only among progressive members of the Brahmo Samaj. for main article go to Dhondo Keshav Karve Dhondo Keshav Karve: (April 18, 1858 – November 9, 1962) was a preeminent social reformer of his time in India in the field of women's welfare. Karve was one of the pioneers of promoting women's education and the right for widows to remarry in India. The Government of India recognized his reform work by awarding him its highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, in 1958 (Incidentally his centennial year). The appellation Maharshi, which the Indian public often assigned to Karve, means †a great sage†. Those who knew Karve affectionately called him as Anna Karve. In Marathi-speaking community, to which Karve belonged, the appellation Anna is often used to address either one's father or an elder brother. ) for main article go to Balshastri Jambhekar Balshastri Jambhekar: (January 6, 1812– May 18, 1846) is known as Father of Marathi journalism for his efforts in starting journalism in Marathi language with the first newspaper in the language named ‘Darpan' in t he early days of British Rule in India. He founded Darpan as the first Marathi newspaper. He was editor of this newspaper during the British rule in India. This turned out to be the beginning of Marathi journalism. He had mastery in many languages including Marathi, Sanskrit, English and Hindi. Apart from that he also had a good grasp of Greek, Latin, French, Gujarati and Bengali. for main article go to Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar B. R. Ambedkar: (14 April 1891 — 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, political leader, Buddhist activist, philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, orator, prolific writer, economist, scholar, editor, revolutionary and the revivalist of Buddhism in India. He was also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar spent his whole life fighting against social discrimination, the system of Chaturvarna — the Hindu categorization of human society into four varnas — and the Hindu caste system. He is also credited with having sparked the bloodless revolution with his most remarkable and innovative Buddhist movement. Ambedkar has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. for main article go to Annie Besant Annie Besant: (October 1 , 1847 – September 20, 1933) was a prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule. In 1908 Annie Besant became President of the Theosophical Society and began to steer the society away from Buddhism and towards Hinduism. She also became involved in politics in India, joining the Indian National Congress. When war broke out in Europe in 1914 she helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the Empire which culminated in her election as president of the India National Congress in late 1917. After the war she continued to campaign for Indian independence until her death in 1933. for main article go to Vitthal Ramji Shinde Vitthal Ramji Shinde: (April 23, 1873 – January 2, 1944) He was a prominent campaigner on behalf of the Dalit movement in Maharashtra and established the Depressed Classes Mission to provide education to the Dalits in Maharashtra. for main article go to Gopal Hari Deshmukh Gopal Hari Deshmukh: (1823-1892) was a social reformer in Maharashtra. Deshmukh started writing articles aimed at social reform in Maharashtra in the weekly Prabhakarunder the pen name Lokhitwadi. In the first two years, he penned 108 articles on social reform. That group of articles has come to be known in Marathi literature as Lokhitwadinchi Shatapatre. or main article go to Pandurang Shastri Athavale Pandurang Shastri Athavale: (October 19, 1920–October 25, 2003) was an Indian philosopher, spiritual leader, social reformer [2] and Hinduism reformist, who founded the Swadhyay Movement and the Swadhyay Parivar organization (Swadhyay Family) in 1954 [3], a self-knowledge movement based on the Bhagavad Gita, which has spread across nearly 100,000 villages in India [4][5], with over 5 million members [6]. He was also noted for his discourses or â€Å"pravachans† on Srimad Bhagawad Gita and Upanishads. for main article go to Kandukuri Veeresalingam Kandukuri Veeresalingam: (16 April 1848 – 27 May 1919) was a social reformer who first brought about a renaissance in Telugu people and Telugu literature. He was influenced by the ideals of Brahmo Samaj particularly those of Keshub Chunder Sen. He got involved in the cause of social reforms. In 1876 he started a Telugu journal and wrote the first prose for women. He encouraged education for women, and started a school in Dowlaiswaram in 1874. He started a social organisation called Hitakarini (Benefactor). for main article go to Swami Ramdev Swami Ramdev: Ramkishan Yadav popularly known as Swami Ramdev (Hindi: ), is an Indian Hindu swami. He is known for his efforts in popularizing yoga as it is enunciated in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. He is also one of the founders of the Divya Yog Mandir Trust headquartered in Haridwar, that aims to popularize Yoga and offer Ayurvedic treatments. The New York Times calls him an â€Å"Indian who built Yoga Empire†, â€Å"a product and symbol of the New India, a yogic fusion of Richard Simmons, Dr. Oz and Oprah Winfrey, irrepressible and bursting with Vedic wisdom†. for main article go to Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru:Jawaharlal Nehru (Hindi/Kashmiri: , pronounced [d a r? la? l ? ne ru]; 14 November 1889–27 May 1964[4]) was an Indian statesman who was the first (and to date the longest-serving) prime minister of India, from 1947 until 1964. One of the leading figures in the Indian independence movement, Nehru was elected by the Congress Party to assume office as independent India's first Prime Minister, and re-elected when the Congress Party won India's first general election in 1952. As one of the founders of the Non-aligned Movement, he was also an important figure in the international politics of the post-war era. He is frequently referred to as Pandit Nehru (â€Å"pandit† being a Sanskrit and Hindi honorific meaning â€Å"scholar† or â€Å"teacher†) and, specifically in India, as Panditji (with â€Å"-ji† being a honorific suffix). Periyar E. V. Ramasamy Thanthai Periyar or E. V. R. , was a businessman, politician, Indian independence and social activist, who started the Self-Respect Movement or the Dravidian Movement and proposed the creation of an independent state called Dravidasthan comprising South India. He is also the founder of the socio-cultural organisation, Dravidar Kazhagam. [1][2][3]

Cultural Practices that Affect Health Essay

The Community Health Nurse (CHN), an individual who works outside of the hospital setting and typically with a specific community to provide basic health care systems (All Nursing Schools, 2009) can be perceived as the bridge to address the gap between western medicine and cultural traditions. In cases when cultural practices cause physical harm and health risks, the CHN can be the tool to provide information and educate individuals to inform them of the tangible health risks and often permanent damages caused by such practices. What is also important to acknowledge is that there is an imminent health risk that needs to be addressed. According to Megan Costello (2004), in an article about female circumcision, sometimes making a practice illegal does not serve as a good enough deterrent. Costello (2004) explains that what people need is more information to understand the health risks and the unwarranted, in terms of perceived health benefit, practice. In North African countries, an average of 94 percent of women are subjected to female circumcision (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 2008). In the United States there are an estimated 228,000 girls and women at risk of female circumcision (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 2008). The CHN through community agencies or organizations can work to create care systems that will facilitate the dissemination of information. The CHN can effect policy change that will bring health care to the disadvantage populations or minority groups, such as refugees, who may have little understanding of western health care systems. Essentially, to address the gap between large health care institution and individual members of small communities, the CHN has the task of developing a system that will inform members of these groups of the serious harm caused by their practices. Similarly, the CHN through the same system can protect the young adults often subjected to these traditional practices. In the case of female circumcision, Bien Aime of Equality Now (quoted in Costello, 2004) says, â€Å"†¦ people need education. We need people on the ground who have access to girls and young women at risk, to help them understand that not only is this procedure against the law, but also that there are harmful effects. † As more and more cultures and ethnic backgrounds are assimilated through migration activities there is a need to provide health care that is culturally competent. The CHN becomes integral in the task of providing adequate care to all individuals with equity regardless of cultural or ethnic backgrounds through a sensitive approach. In cases where the cultural practice causes permanent injuries and prolonged negative complications to health the CHN can contribute to changing these practices. References All Nursing Schools. (2009). Become a Community Health Nurse. All Nursing Schools. Retrieved March 7, 2009, from http://www. allnursingschools. com/faqs/community-health-nurse. php Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (2008). African Women’s Health Center. Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www. brighamandwomens. org/africanwomenscenter/FGCprevalence. aspx and http://www. brighamandwomens. org/africanwomenscenter/education. aspx? subID=submenu4 Costello, A. (2004, February 19). Two in U. S. Accused of Genital Mutilation. Women’s E News. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www. womensenews. org/article. cfm/dyn/aid/1718