Chapter 6 – Planning Capacity

chapter 6: Planning capacity Capacity the maximum rate of output of a process or a system. Acquisition of new capacity requires extensive planning, and often involves significant expenditure of resources and time. Capacity decisions must be made in light of several long-term issues such as the firm’s economies and diseconomies of scale, capacity cushions, timing and sizing strategies, and trade-offs between customer service and capacity utilization. Planning capacity across the organizationAccounting provide cost information needed to evaluate capacity expansion Finance financial analysis of proposed capacity expansion investments and raises funds Marketing demand forecasts needed to identify capacity gaps. Operations selection of capacity strategies that can be implemented to effectively meet future demand. Human Resources hiring and training employees needed to support internal capacity plans. planning long-term capacity When choosing a capacity strategy: How much of a cushi on is needed to handle variable or uncertain demand? Should we expand capacity ahead of demand, or wait until demand is more certain? easures of capacity and utilization Output Measures Are best utilized when applied to individual processes within the firm, or when the firm provides a relatively small number of standardized services and products. For example, a car manufacturing plant may measure capacity in terms of the number of cars produced per day. Inputs Measures Are used for low-volume, flexible processes (custom products). For example a custom furniture maker might measure capacity in terms of inputs such as number of workstations or number of workers. The problem of input measures is that demand is expressed as an output rate.If the furniture maker wants to keep up with demand, he must convert the business’s annual demand for furniture into labor hours and number of employees required to fulfill those hours. Utilization Degree to which a resource (equipment, space, w orker) is currently being used. Utilization= Average Output RateMaximum Capacityx 100% The numerator and the denominator should be measured in the same units. A process can be operated above the 100%, with overtime, extra shifts, overstaffing, subcontracting, etc, but this is not sustainable for long. Economies of scaleEconomies of scale The average unit cost of a service or good can be reduced by increasing its output rate. Why? * Spreading fixed costs same fixed costs divided by more units * Reducing construction costs doubling the size of the facility usually doesn’t double construction costs (building permits, architect’s fees, rental) * Cutting costs of purchased materials better bargaining position and quantity discounts * Finding process advantages speed up the learning effect, lowering inventory, improving process and job designs, and reducing the number of changeovers. diseconomies of scaleDiseconomies of scale The average cost per unit increases as the facili ty’s size increases. The reason is that excessive size can bring complexity, loss of focus, and inefficiencies. capacity timing and sizing strategies sizing capacity cushions Capacity cushion=100%-Average Utilization rate (%) When the average utilization rate approaches 100% for long periods, it’s a signal to increase capacity or decrease order acceptance to avoid declining productivity. The optimal capacity cushion depends on the industry. Particularly, in front-office processes where customers expect fast service times, large cushions are vital (more variable demand).For capital-intensive firms, minimizing the capacity cushion is vital (unused capacity costs money). timing and sizing expansion Two strategies: * Expansionist strategy large, infrequent jumps in capacity. Is ahead of demand, and minimizes the chance of sales lost to insufficient capacity * Wait-and-see strategy smaller, more frequent jumps. It lags behind demand. To meet any shortfalls, it relies on sho rt-term operations (overtime, temporary workers, subcontractors, postponement of preventive maintenance on equipment).It reduces the risk of overexpansion based on overly optimistic demand forecasts, obsolete technology, or inaccurate assumptions regarding the competition. This strategy fits the short-term outlook but can erode market share over the long run. Timing and sizing of expansion are related: if demand is increasing and the time between increments increases, the size of the increments must also increase. An intermediate strategy can be â€Å"follow the leader†, so nobody gains a competitive advantage for being ahead of demand, and everyone shares the agony of overcapacity in the other case. inking capacity and other decisions Capacity cushions in the long run buffer the organization against uncertainty, as do resource flexibility, inventory, and longer customer lead times. If a change is made in any one decision area, the capacity cushion may also need to be changed to compensate. For example: Lower volume of production (more capacity cushion) to raise prices or vice versa. a systematic approach to long-term capacity decisions 4 steps: 1. Estimate future capacity requirements 2. Identify gaps by comparing requirements with available capacity 3. Develop alternative plans for reducing the gaps . Evaluate each alternative, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and make a final choice step 1: estimate capacity requirements A process’s capacity requirement is what its capacity should be for some future time period to meet the demand of the firm’s customers (external or internal), given the firm’s desired capacity cushion. Larger requirements are practical for processes or workstations that could potentially be bottlenecks in the future, and management may even plan for longer cushions than normal. Capacity requirements can be expressed in: * Output measure * Input measureEither way, the foundation for the estimate is forecasts of demand, productivity, competition, and technological change. The further ahead you look, the more chance you have of making an inaccurate forecast. Using output measures Demand forecasts for future years are used as a basis for extrapolating capacity requirements into the future. If demand is expected to double in the next 5 years, then the capacity requirements also double. For example: Actual demand 50 customers per day; expected demand = 100 customers per day; desirable cushion = 20%. So capacity should be (100)/(1-0. )=125 customers per day. Using input measures Output measures may be insufficient in these situations: * Product variety and process divergence is high (customized products) * The product or service mix is changing * Productivity rates are expected to change * Significant learning effects are expected In these cases, an input measure should be used (number of employees, machines, trucks, etc) One product processed When just one service or product is processed at an operation and the time period is a particular year, the capacity requirement (M) is: M=DpN[1-C100]D=demand forecast for the year (number of customers served or units produced) p=processing time (in hours per costumer served or unit produced) N=Total number of hours per year during which the process operates C=desired capacity cushion (expressed as a percent) M=number of input units required and should be calculated for each year in the time horizon Many products processed Setup time time required to change a process or an operation from making one service or product to making another. To calculate the total setup time D/Q*s Where D=demand forecast for the yearQ= number of units processed between setups s= time per setup For example, if the demand is 1200 units, and the average lot size is 100, there are 1200/100=12 setups per year. Accounting for both processing and setup times for multiple products, we get: M=[Dp+DQs]product 1+[Dp+DQs]product 2+†¦+[Dp+DQs]product nN[1-C100 ] When â€Å"M† is not an integer and we are talking about number of machines, you can round up the fractional part, unless it is cost efficient to use short-term options, such as overtime or stockouts.But if we are talking about number of employees and we get 23. 6, we can use 23 employees and use a little overtime (in this case, 60% of a full-time person). step 2: identify gaps A capacity gap is any difference (positive or negative) between projected capacity requirements (M) and current capacity. step 3: develop alternatives Develop alternative plans to cope with projected gaps. One alternative is the base case do nothing and simply lose orders from any demand that exceeds current capacity or incur costs because capacity is too large.Other alternatives: various timing and sizing options (expansionist or wait-and-see strategies); expanding at a different location; and using short term options. For reducing capacity, the alternatives include closing plants, laying off employ ees, reducing days or hours of operations. step 4: evaluate the alternatives Evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative concerns The manager looks at how each alternative fits the overall capacity strategy and other aspects of the business not covered by the financial analysis (uncertainties about demand, competitive reaction, technological change, and cost estimates).Some of these factors can’t be quantified and must be assessed on the basis of judgment and experience. Quantitative concerns The manager estimates the change in cash flows for each alternative over the forecast time horizon compared to the base case. tools for capacity planning waiting-line models Are useful in high customer-contact processes. Waiting-line models use probability distributions to provide estimates of average customer wait time, average length of waiting lines, and utilization of the work center.Managers can use this information to choose the most cost-effective capacity, balancing cu stomer service and the cost of adding capacity. This topic will be treated more deeply in the appendix (siguiente resumen) simulation Simulations can identify the process’s bottlenecks and appropriate capacity cushions, even for complex processes with random demand patterns and predictable flows in demand during a typical day. decision trees A decision tree can be particularly valuable for evaluating different capacity extension alternatives when demand is uncertain and sequential decisions are involved.

Benecol: Raisio’s Global Nutriceutical Essay

Raisio, a Finnish grain and chemical company, is the proud owner of a product that has been deemed one of the ten most important nutritional innovations in the world (â€Å"Benecol ®,† 2010). This product is a unique compound composed of plant stanol esters and has been scientifically proven to help lower cholesterol levels in humans. With the prevalence of high cholesterol in the world population and the incidence of mortality associated with a high cholesterol level, it is no wonder that Raisio had a deep desire to share their product with the world. Raisio’s first introduction of Benecol margarine was in November of 1995 in Finland and, even though it cost substantially more than regular margarine, Benecol flew off of the shelves (Moffett & Howard, 1999). Seeing the potential of Benecol, Raisio formed a plan to take it globally. A successful global product roll-out requires an intricate knowledge of the market and careful planning and preparation of all necessary channels. According to the Global Minds Network, there are 10 critical steps to global launch success. They are; 1) evaluate local market opportunities, 2) create a global plan and roadmap, 3) design an effective launch process worldwide, 4) engage launch team across cultures, 5) communicate across functions and cultures, 6) test your message and image, 7) internationalize customer communications, 8) ensure timely and localized deliverables, 9) deliver effective support tools to ensure global readiness, and 10) enable local sales teams through training (â€Å"10 Steps to Global Launch Success,† n. d. ). As Raisio had no prior knowledge of dealing in foodstuffs, they required a global partner who could perform the 10 steps. Johnson & Johnson was to be this partner. Using their McNeil Consumer Products group, they proposed a comprehensive production, promotion, and distribution strategy (Moffett & Howard, 1999). This strategy clearly defined the roles that each partner would perform and be financially responsible for. Raisio would continue to maintain control of the stanol ester including the production of it and the supply of the raw material or plant sterol. Their input of capital was geared toward keeping the supply constant and Raisio was quick to go into joint ventures with DRT (France), Detsa S. A. (Chile), and Westvaco Corporation (U. S. ). Along with building sterol production plants in these countries, Raisio also built another one in Finland (Moffett & Howard, 1999). Raisio would buy the stanols that were produced at the various plants and then turn them into stanol ester using a process that they had patented. McNeil would then purchase stanol ester exclusively from Raisio, make the products containing the ester, and send these products to market and promote them. McNeil had budgeted over US$80 million for the promotional commitment (Moffett & Howard, 1999). Two other items that were covered in the agreement between Raisio and Johnson & Johnson pertained to payments that would be made to Raisio. Raisio would receive royalties on the sales of all products containing Benecol and they would also receive milestone payments. The milestone payments were an incentive for Raisio and an insurance policy for McNeil. If McNeil were to introduce Benecol products into major markets, they needed to make sure that there would be no break in the supply chain regarding the stanol ester because any lag in the production of the ester could have serious implications for McNeil. If Raisio could not keep up with the demand for stanol ester, there would be no payment. As for being an insurance policy, introducing a new product into the market carries with it enormous financial risk, if Raisio only receives a milestone payment if the launch is successful, McNeil has alleviated some of their risk by sharing it with Raisio. Financially, if McNeil was able to get beyond the FDA and other regulatory hurdles, Raisio stood to make considerable gains. This was welcome news as Benecol sales in Finland had gone fairly flat and had only accounted for 2% of the Raisio Group sales just two years after it had been introduced (Moffett & Howard, 1999). Under the agreement with McNeil, Raisio would receive returns in the short-term, on a continuing basis, and over the life of the agreement. In the short-term, Raisio would receive milestone payments for the use of their intellectual property. These payments would start in 1998 and go thru 2001. Their amounts would be (millions of Finnish marks, FIM) 110, 150, 100, and 50 respectively. These payments are an assured inflow of cash and incur no direct expense associated with them. On a continuing basis, Raisio holds the patent on stanol ester so they would be supplying all of the stanol ester to McNeil. The projected amount ranges from 1723 tons in 1999 to 6851 tons in 2005. This gives Raisio continued sales of the ester and because they are partnered with McNeil, Raisio would receive an acceptable sale price. Projected revenues from the sale of stanol ester, for the years 1998 thru 2005, are (millions of FIM) 0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, and 4. Over the life of the agreement, Raisio would be the recipient of any royalties from the sale of any products containing Benecol. The royalties are to be paid as a percentage of the retail product price. This is in the favor of Raisio because the royalties aren’t tied to profitability of the Benecol products. Royalty payments made to Raisio are projected to be (millions of FIM) 0, 108, 218, 279, 311, 340, 380, and 428 for the years 1998 thru 2005. In looking at the pro forma income statement, revenues from Benecol are predicted to rise from 2% of the Raisio Group sales to 8% by the end of 2005 thanks to the agreement with McNeil (Moffett & Howard, 1999). The strategy that Raisio needed was indeed partnering with a multinational company as time was of the essence due to possible competition entering the market first. Unilever, Forbes Medi-Tech, and pharmaceutical giant Novartis were on the heels of Raisio also trying to bring their products to market. Raisio had spent immense amounts of money and time formulating Benecol and doing clinical trials and did not want to lose out on any gains to be made (Moffett & Howard, 1999). Raisio was unfamiliar with this line of business so with the experience that Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil division had in the world of pharmaceuticals and consumer products; they were an excellent choice to assist in bringing Benecol to the global market. The only hurdles that now stood between Benecol and the world were regulatory issues. To bring Benecol to the market as quickly as possible would be difficult in Europe but even more difficult in the U. S. Of the three possible classifications that Benecol could be awarded by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), qualifying it as a pharmaceutical would mean substantially larger value-margins as Benecol was shown to have as much, if not more, efficacy then the cholesterol-reducing drugs on the market, however, this path also required the most time (Moffett & Howard, 1999).

Huawei Suicide Scandals

Huawei Suicide Scandals Songyan Liang Harding University Abstract Nowadays, Huawei get worldwide people’s eyes since it become the second-largest integrated provider of telecommunications equipment in the world since 2009. It is hardly to make people to believe this is true. Although Huawei is successful, four suicide scandals drive people’s attention to wonder Huawei Company management. This article is focusing on Huawei cultural background: â€Å"wolf culture† and human resource management. Huawei Suicide ScandalsNowadays, Huawei get worldwide people’s eyes since it become the second-largest integrated provider of telecommunications equipment in the world since 2009(Economist, 2009). It was listed in the top of Intellectual Property Organization’s 2008 ranking for international Patent applications (Economist, 2009). It is hardly to make people to believe this is true. Although Huawei is successful, four suicide scandals drive people’s atten tion to wonder Huawei Company management. This article is focusing on Huawei cultural background: â€Å"wolf culture† and human resource management. Introduction Huawei Technologies Co. , Ltd. which was founded in 1987 in Shenzhen, ranked first in the 2011 top 500 Chinese private companies list in the November 8, 2011. In the famous American magazine â€Å"Fortune†, Huawei was listed in the 500 companies rankings in 2010 (Wiki, 2011). It headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, and it is an employee-owned private technology company which engages in the production and sales of telecommunications equipment. Furthermore, it is a telecommunications network solutions provider. Huawei's main businesses are exchange, transmission, wireless and data communications class telecommunications products (Wiki, 2011).In the field of telecommunications, it can provide worldwide customers network equipment, services and solutions. Since the president Ren founded Huawei in 1987, he p romoted an aggressive â€Å"wolf culture† throughout the company (Beijing Review, 2007). The â€Å"wolf culture† is a kind of struggle with a wild spirit. In the team, all employees should be greed to work. This culture can quote employee to fight and explore the endless future. Also, as a result of Ren is a veteran, he worships militarization management. He tries to cultivate employees’ never give up spirit and build an effective team.In order to consistently create maximum value for worldwide customers, Huawei focuses on customers’ marker challenges and needs by providing great ICT solutions and services (Huawei, 2011). Ethics Background Huawei keeps a promise that it will enrich customers’ lives as possible as it can through communication. Core values are very important for a successful company. For Huawei, customers first is the most important value. Huawei believes that its success is based on customers’ success. It continuously create core value for fulfill customers’ needs and requirements. The second core value is dedication.Through dedication, Huawei can get customers’ respect and trust. Continuous improvement is the third core value. It requires Huawei to become the best partners for worldwide customer, improve company and grow as individuals (Huawei, 2011). Fourth, openness and imitative. In order to fulfill customers’ needs, Huawei, keeping an open manner, passionately pursue customercnetric innovations. Fifth, Huawei insists that integrity is the most valuable asset for its success. It drives Huawei to be honest and keep promises. At the same time, integrity helps Huawei to win customers’ trust and respect. The last core value is teamwork.Without team, Huawei cannot success. The president Ren said that Huawei’s success is built on successful cross-cultural collaboration, streamlined inter-departmental cooperation and efficient process. Every year Huawei will recruit a lar ge number of graduates from colleges and universities. Most of them are lack of practical experience in software development. Therefore, Huawei develops a new training system for new employees in order to help graduates quickly adapt to the scale of software development. This training system is divided into four parts. First, process development training. Second, programming-based training.Third, business knowledge training. Fourth, positive defense training. Besides, Huawei establishes a series of IP certifications system. In the rapidly growing trend of All-IP convergence environment, increasing numbers of people are extensively applying IP technologies. In the globalization, IP technical competence is a basic factor to improve individual employment rate and personnel’s competence. In response to customers’ needs, Huawei developed the Huawei Certifications System to help employees to assess IP expertise and develop essential skills. It provides three kinds of career certification (Huawei, 2011).The first one is Huawei Certified Datacom Associate. The second one is Huawei Certified Datecom Professional. The last one is Huawei Certified Datecom Expert. Employees’ Suicide Scandal March 6th, 2008 at noon, a Huawei staff who worked in Shenzhen Huawei R base Sakata Department of the Central platform died after falling on the third floor cafeteria. Police announced that the jumping suicide employee had insanity disease before his death. 10 days before the suicide scandal, February 26th, Dongbing Li, who worked in Chengdu, jump from Huawei R center and died on the spot.At 17:30 on August 11, 2007, in Changchun City, a Huawei staff, Bin Zhao, who worked in Changchun office, jumped from the 7th floor in the League of Nations communities after about 20minutes phone conversation. July 18, 2007 afternoon, only 26years old Huawei employee, Yue Zhang, hanged himself in the corridor area in Shenzhen Melin communities. He just entered into Huawei for 60 days. Before his death, he told to his parents several times and complained that he suffered endless pressure and wanted to resign.From 2007 to 2008, as a result of four employees’ suicide in less than a year, Huawei had undoubtedly put himself in the predicament of staff stress management. Fifteen minutes after Dongbing Li’s death, Tianya forum posted a great deal of messages and photos to describe the scene. According to scene photos, some posters were Huawei employees. They carried out real-time updated on this matter. It provided on-site users the latest developments. Various QQ groups which related to media and IT industry expressed a high degree attention to it immediately.At the same time, some on-site users described various kinds of aspects of this matter when they were in the scene. Some people believed that this suicide was result from corporate culture; some argued that whether the suicide was worth or not. In the Tianya forum, more than 2,000 on-site users participated in this investigation. Most of user contended that the basically reason for suicide was Huawei’s â€Å"wolf culture†. Huawei, once again, was brought to the cusp of public opinion. The company spokesperson explained that the company would not temporarily comment whether this suicide was related to work stress or not.Suicide Analysis After Dongbing Li’s death, the company once again became the focus of public opinion. â€Å"Cruel†, â€Å"competitive†, â€Å"tremendous pressure†, â€Å"overtime†, â€Å"Human Resource Management†, â€Å"ethic issues† or similar words, became heated words in the IT industry. Huawei’s human resources model was the one of reasons for employees’ suicide (QQ News, 2008). According to an unnamed Huawei older employee explored, Huawei human resources management was outsourced a private company which was Human resource management (QQ News, 2008). If Huawei needed a new e mployee, it would contract with the human resources firstly.According to Huawei human resources needs, the Human Resources Company would provide relevant labor force to Huawei. This model was called dispatch. Therefore, Huawei’s employees were sent to Huawei Company to work by Human Resource Company. Huawei paid compensation to the Human Resources Company, so employees get the money from the Human Resource Company. Staffs had not a direct relationship to human resource management. The Human Resource Company was in charge of labor management. This model reduced Huawei human resources management costs and avoided the risk of the employment law.As a result of China’s labor sub-system still needs to sound, employees’ basic rights do not be protected. They face a series of issues, and they will lose their jobs at any time (QQ News, 2008). The same as the most Chinese company leaders, Huawei leaders would like to find the law loopholes and maximize the use these looph oles these law loopholes. In the China business world, the character of integrity is becoming unfamiliar gradually. Based on Huawei employees’ frequent non-normal deaths, Huawei president Ren acknowledged that they did not take some measures to prevent employees’ suicide.He worried that growing numbers of employees were suffering depression and anxiety. When coming to corporate responsibility, Huawei should be responsible for physical and psychological safety of employees because the company was staffs’ work place and it was the place where produce stress. Some companies did well in employees’ physical and psychological safety, such as Haier, Lenovo. They would provide psychological counseling to staffs and evaluated staffs. The psychological evaluation was used to check whether staffs suffered excessive pressure, mental illness or other issues.Another factor lead employees’ suicide was Huawei’s â€Å"wolf culture†. There is no denyin g that wolf culture is an advanced corporate culture. The wolf culture not only focuses on teamwork, but also is in process of the spirit of never give up and never abandon. Meanwhile, wolf culture has the courage to overcome difficulties. The wolf culture can be divided into two parts: external and internal. In addition to business can use wolf culture to deal with competitive pressure from external environment, the wolf culture play an essential role in the internal management (Baidu, 2011).For example, wolf culture emphasizes the collaborative and discipline. The wolf culture is a sharp-edged sword. Behind the wolf culture, wolf has a deep inherent nature of ruthless (Baidu, 2011). In order to achieve the purpose, people will any unscrupulous measures. It is easily lead companies and employees to lose their culture. The wolf culture highlights the extreme relationship and emphasis on competition among people (Baidu, 2011). In the enterprise’s internal management, it is eas y to form a strong rigid culture due to employees lose their humanity. The wolf culture can be the internal factor for Huawei employees’ suicide.Employees could not endure the high competition in the workplace. The wolf culture made employees produce the mutual suspicion and no trust sense. Between employees and employers and among employees, they hold an â€Å"evil nature of human† principle. Solution After a series of suicides scandals, Huawei realized that they should intervene human resource management. In order to deal with the external pressure, Huawei tried to reduce and eliminate the external inappropriate management and environmental factors. For example, Huawei organized some entertainment programs during weekend.Besides, Huawei tired to establish a psychological evaluation system to release staffs’ pressure. Summary Even though Huawei has become the second-largest integrated provider of telecommunications equipment in the world since 2009, four suicid e scandals did not change its Huawei human resource management and wolf culture. Huawei is quite different from other international enterprises. It was founded on the Chinese culture. Also, China law system is not as perfect as the Unite States. All of these factors lead employees to enter into the suicide road. Reference Baidu (2011), wolf culture, retrieved from: http://baike. aidu. com/view/155988. htm Beijing Review (2007), Tech Boss Slammed for Staff Layoffs. Vol. 50 Issue 46, p3-3, 2/3p, 1 Color Photograph Economist (2009), Up,up and Huawei, Vol. 392 Issue 8650, special section p13-15, 3p Huawei (2011), Vision ; Mission, Retrieved from: http://www. huawei. com/en/about-huawei/corporate-info/vision-mission/index. htm QQ News (2008,Feb 27), Huawei: temporarily comment whether employees’ suicides related to work stress, Retrieved from: http://news. qq. com/a/20080227/001389. htm Wikipedia (2011), Huawei, Retrieved from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Huawei

Engagement Exercise Create and Explain your own Example Essay

Engagement Exercise Create and Explain your own Example - Essay Example In my capacity as an Asian, I would like to point out that I was introduced to a very good culture. All along, I have learnt to respect my culture and use it to define my religion, language, communications and relationship with other people. I always know that I should relate well with other people since my closeness with them can help me a great deal. Also important, is the respect, acceptance, understanding and appreciation of other people’s culture. Since my childhood, my parents have been telling me that I should be ready to respect other people even if they have different cultural beliefs from my own. One day, when I was in college, I met a man from a different culture. So, despite coming from a conservative community that restricts the relationship between people of different genders, I had to greet him without any fear. Also, I had to take my time to be close to him and discuss a lot with him. Even if I knew that this is something not accepted by my culture, I had to do it because of my colleague who comes from a different culture. It was a good thing to do because it showed respect and enabled us to communicate so well without any barrier. Since that day, I have been effectively communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds. My experiences demonstrate how the acceptance, understanding and tolerance of other people’s culture can be of great contribution to the communication process. This has made me to be an effective communicator who relate so well with other people. As a communication expert, I know that intercultural understanding is necessary for a healthy relationship between different people. Due to my free interactions, I have managed to learn different aspects of other people’s cultural traditions. This has enabled me to know how to use verbal and non-verbal communication strategies. At the same time, it has prepared me to be a critical listener who does not only lend my

Air Pollution or Endocrine Disrupters Research Paper

Air Pollution or Endocrine Disrupters - Research Paper Example Such disruptions manifest among humans with most affectations in the male and female reproduction systems. The US EPA has set forth the screening of thousand of chemicals in order to screen endocrine disruptors before they are introduced to the human body. This screening program has proven to be problematic because of the bulk of chemicals which have to be screened. There are thousands of disruptors which have to be tested and testing them cannot adequately be carried out without incurring high costs which the government agencies and laboratories cannot afford. Nevertheless, these tests help establish clear guidelines and standards for government officials and the general public in the assessment of these products and their use by the general public. There are advantages and disadvantages to these tests; mostly these tests are advantageous because they help determine the health impact of chemicals to the general health of the population. The validation of chemicals and the investigat ion of the disruptor effects to the endocrine system can be determined through in vitro and in vivo assays. However, carrying out these tests can also be disadvantageous because of the practical considerations for testing. In effect, there is a need for the government to be more prudent and selective in the programs it would implement to evaluate these chemicals. Moreover, people also need to be more cautious about the chemicals they use because they can have negative impacts on both humans and animals. Introduction We are currently in the midst of an era where we are facing various environmental issues. The Global Warming phenomenon has been explained and explored by various experts and politicians as a major cause of concern to our planet because of its growing impact on all living things. One of these issues pertains to air pollution and their effects to our human physiology. Air pollution largely affects our respiratory system because chemical and air-borne toxins enter our body through inhalation. The respiratory system then helps to process the inhaled gases while exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen which is crucial to our survival. This paper shall consider the role of air pollution in terms of chemical endocrine disruptors which mimic the hormone in our bodies. These chemicals seem to interfere with the actions of hormones – mimicking behavior and upsetting normal growth, behavior, and reproduction of wildlife. This paper shall explain how endocrine disruptors enter the cells. It shall evaluate if these compounds also harm people and how they affect the human body. This paper shall also discuss the pros and cons of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) screening thousands of chemicals that are used as endocrine disruptors before they are introduced to the human body. It shall discuss this student’s opinion on whether EPA is right in conducting the screening. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehens ive assessment of these endocrine disruptors and their impact on the human body. Body There are various chemical toxins which enter the lungs and the respiratory system and which affect the endocrine and the normal processes of our body. Some of these chemicals are known as endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are often seen in our daily use products, including â€Å"plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, and pesticides†

Does the Problem of Evil Provide a Defeater for the Existence of God Essay

Does the Problem of Evil Provide a Defeater for the Existence of God - Essay Example One of the major functions of religious belief has been to give human beings a structure and a set of codes to help them minimize their exposure to this evil, by concentrating on God and keeping themselves pure and well away from temptations and sins. This paper traces some of the main arguments that have been used throughout history to explain the problem of evil and concludes that it can never be fully explained due to the difference between human and divine ability to understand things. In the simplest terms there is a basic contradiction in the fact that both God and evil exist. We can accept that it is not possible to know where God came from, since he is eternal, having existed always, existing now, and going on to exist for ever into the future. But what about evil? It seems unlikely that a God who is absolutely good would actually create evil. Similarly, if he came across evil arising out of what he created, then it seems logical that a God who is good would eliminate evil from the world, or would prevent it from occurring in the first place. How can a good God stand by and watch terrible injustices, suffering of innocents, or indeed be the cause of these evils? This is a big moral and logical problem which has been tacked from several different angles. From an atheist perspective the answer is quite straightforward: the absence of intervention to stop evil from happening proves that there is no such thing as an absolutely powerful and absolutely good God, as defined in the Judaeo Christian tradition. One solution to the apparent contradiction between the existence of evil and the existence of God, is to argue that God and evil are two separate and different things, and that evil is in some mysterious way the â€Å"opposite† of God. This line of reasoning preserves the absolute goodness of God, and means he is not contaminated by the bad things that happen in the world. From this position it can be argued that that evil is a necessary thing because without it, we would not be able to understand the goodness of God. An analogy from the physical world would be the relationship between light and darkness. It is possible to conceive of absolute light, and absolute darkness, but in these two extreme situations we would be blind, and not able to appreciate anything in the middle of them properly. This is quite a promising line of argument, because it places the problem in the limited, physical nature of man, rather than the realm of logic or ideas. The physical world, unlike the world of pure ideas, is not an absolute situation, and it exists between the extremes of good and evil, in such a way that they set up a contrast, allowing us to operate in the grey area in the middle, an by implication make choices to orient ourselves towards the one or the other extreme. In the history of Christianity this kind of thinking was put forward as a suggestion but quickly condemned, and it is since known as the â€Å"Manichean heresy.† The problem with this line of argument is that it waters down the essential nature of the divine being, in order to explain away the problem of evil. This solution also implies either that evil was co-existent with God from the beginning, so that good and evil define the nature of G od, or that God in some way relinquished some of his omnipotence when he created the earth, and allowed evil to take on existence

A Practitioner's Tool for Child Protection and the Assessment of Essay

A Practitioner's Tool for Child Protection and the Assessment of Parents - Essay Example Approximately two years ago, a friend of mine Claire has told me a story which has impressed me greatly. Her neighbours, a young couple, had an eight-year-old son and Claire has noticed that the boy was not sociable - he never talked to anybody and she was trying to approach him he started to cry and closed his face with hands. She also noticed bruises on his arms and legs. She decided to talk with his parents but she knocked on their door, a drunk has opened it and told not to intervene in his life, he knows better how to deal with his son. Later Claire has found out that the mother of the boy had mental problems and most of the time was in the hospitals, while the father of the boy was used to drinking. As the result, nobody took care of the boy and, most likely, his father often beat him up. When she has finished the story, I could not say anything. I knew that in such cases the special services should be informed, but did not know whether we had the right to intervene. Now I know that in this case, the intervention in family life is compulsory because the child needs protection. The partnership with parents should be still encouraged. When the child is of sufficient age and understanding, he should be kept fully informed of the processes involving his and decisions about their future should take account of their views. This boy is not of sufficient age to understand the harm being done to him, however, the cooperation of his father with social workers might improve the situation in the family.First steps The first step to be taken in this situation is to contact Social Services or the police. Once it is done, the law states that the police have the responsibility to investigate the case and they cannot ignore this information.  

Leadership in corporate strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership in corporate strategy - Essay Example But the modern concept of leadership has experienced sea change. The present standards of the industry focus on the fact that the strategy should come from within the organisation. There are certain limitations of the strategies getting out - sourced. Firstly, it limits the issues upon which such strategies are based and secondly, the out - sourced strategies are also limited by timeframe. Most importantly, the management of the organisation might not have any clue upon which the external consultants would have prepared the strategy. The companies of the present day are growing organically and so it is more than a requirement that the organisations have both the internal and the external factors analysed in the strategy. It is the own management and the leadership of any company that has the best idea about the vision and mission of the organisation. The other important factor is that the strategies and the leadership should be dynamic as the environments are changing every now and then. The leadership of the organisations should aptly understand the scope and the future trends. And for the purpose, the process of strategy formulation should be a continuous and never ending for the organisations. It is the Chief Executive Officer who is the head of the strategy formulation of any organisation assisted by other key members and the job should not ideally be outsourced as it is only the management of the organisation that can have the right knowledge about the vision, mission and the objectives of the company. Also , the internal rank holders have fair idea about the organisational politics and abilities which often becomes important differentiators. It can be well analysed from the case study that increasing emphasis are laid upon the real objectives of the businesses as the author puts stress upon the fact of identification of vision of the organisation. The strategy formulation and implementation is a thorough and continuous process and should

News Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

News Article Analysis - Essay Example In such a situation, contrary to economic rules, budget deficits and printing money do not drive up inflation and slashing government spending has a disastrous effect on incomes and employment. Low inflation discourages borrowing and spending and encourages sitting on cash. The persistent weakness in the economy forces businesses to cut prices and prevents workers from bargaining for better wages. Paul Krugman argues for the need to provide monetary and fiscal stimulus to the economy to reduce unemployment and increase economic activity. He fears that letting these problems fester in the belief that these are short term problems would cause larger problems in the longer term. Conventional economic theory suggests that money supply is the most important factor in causing inflation, the classic explanation of â€Å"too much money chasing too few goods†. The $ 2 trillion that was injected into the economy should have caused the high inflation that many economists feared. However this perhaps was not real money injected into the system but more in the nature of a book adjustment for the distressed financial institutions. The two other factors that could have driven inflation were however absent in the US economy, the demand-pull factor and the cost-push factor. The demand-pull factor has been weak because of high levels of unemployment and the pessimism about the future in large sections of the people. There was no cost-push factor perhaps due to the fact that the crisis was global in nature. The Euro zone has been in recession and the China growth rate has slowed, reducing demand for a whole range of commodities. Conventional economic theory was formulated in a time period where each country’s economy was significantly insulated from others through geographic distance, tariff barriers and other obstacles to trade. These theories perhaps need re-examination in the light of the interconnection in global economy. Paul

Concept Analysis Paper on Nursing Advocacy Essay

Concept Analysis Paper on Nursing Advocacy - Essay Example Historically, patient advocacy has been a moral obligation for nurses. During recent years, nursing literature has been focused on the advocacy role and nursing professions has adopted the term 'patient advocacy' to denote an ideal of the practice. Nurses assume that they have an ethical obligation to advocate for their patients. They also frequently describe their judgments and actions on behalf of a patient as "being a patient advocate. An examination of advocacy in the nursing literature reflects broad and at times different perspectives. Advocacy has been described in ethical and legal frameworks and, more recently, as a philosophical foundation for practice. It has also been described in terms of specific actions such as helping the patient to obtain needed healthcare, assuring quality of care, defending the patient's rights, and serving as a liaison between the patient and the health care system. Although multiple factors influence the need for advocacy, it is generally true that someone in the healthcare environment must assume the role of client advocate, particularly for the client whose self-advocacy is impaired. Generally, advocacy aims to promote or reinforce a change in one's life or environment, in program or service, and in policy or legislation. In healthcare delivery, these activities focus on health conditions, healthcare resources, and the needs of patients and the public. When nurses advocate for patients, they face certain risks and obstacles associated with the settings within which they work. Therefore, there is always the possibility that attempts to advocate for a patient can fail, and that nurses can experience many barriers when addressing the rights, choices, or welfare of their patients (Negarandeh 2006). The term "advocacy" has been used in nursing literature to denote a variety of nursing roles, each derived from a specific set of beliefs and values. The changing forms of advocacy may actually reflect the metamorphosis of nursing from the role of loyal, subservient handmaiden to autonomous health care provider. Strong yet diverse feelings regarding the appropriateness of nurses to be advocates are evident in the nursing literature and may stem from the use of one word label, "advocate," to represent several related and sometimes conflicting concepts. These concepts are defined as follows: beneficence-the principle of doing good; nonmaleficence-the principle of do ing no harm; unitary-transformative paradigm-a perspective that views human beings as unitary, self-organizing energy fields interacting with a larger environmental energy field; and utilitarianism-an ethical doctrine in which actions are focused on accomplishing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Simplistic advocacy Mitty (1991) defined an advocate as one "who pleads the cause of another. She asserted that this role is implicit in the social contract between society and a profession such as nursing. She noted that although advocacy may occur at the individual or sociopolitical level, the underlying ethics guiding it varies from nurse to nurse. Ethics of justice might lead one nurse to advocate for a client's right to certain health care procedures, for example, whereas a nurse guided by an ethics of utilitarianism

Festival in British Essay Example for Free

Festival in British Essay INTRODUCTION Festival is defined as a time of celebration marked by special observances. Every festival tells a message pertaining our customs, traditional values, mythology, culture and historical events. Festival usually brings happiness and glee. Thereby, it strengthens the bond of relationship and friendships. Britain is a land known of its British cultures. It inevitably celebrates a variety of festivals throughout the year. For example, British people celebrate New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter Day, Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas. Each festival is celebrated with enthusiasm by British people. Everyone enjoy them especially children and family usually prepares for the festival well in advance. METHODOLOGY Questionnaire is a set of questions used for gathering information from individuals. It is well known as the easiest and simplest way in collecting information. That is why this method had been used in this project. Questions been set as the first step of creating a questionnaire. Then, few kinds of questions had beenchosen out of many types of questions. In this project, list more than one, ranking question, yes/no and multiple choices questions had been selected. After that 40 interviewees were interviewed at the street in Sheffield. The questions are mainly about how people in British celebrate festivals. RESULTS The first question is a yes/no question where interviewees where asked either they like or dislike festivals. Within 40 interviewees that been interviewed, 95% of them like festival and only 5% of them dislike festival. Interviewees had been asked how many festivals they celebrate in a year in question 2. 19 of the interviewees celebrated 10 or more festivals in a year. There are only 5 of them celebrate 1-2 festivals in a year while the remaining of interviewees celebrate 3-4 festivals.Question 3 is tick more than one question where interviewees were asked to tick festivals that they celebrated in a year. The answer choices included New Year, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween day, Bonfire night and Christmas. 35 interviewees celebrate Christmas which are slightly more than New Year. Only 17 interviewees celebrate Valentine’s Day which is the fewest festivals that been celebrated by interviewees. In addition, question 4 is a ranking question.where interviewees were required to rank the festival they like the most. According to the pie chart above, it clearly showed that interviewees liked Christmas the most. However interviewees who like liked Christmas are only slightly more than New Year. Nearly one third of the interviewees dislike Valentine’s Day than other festivals.Besides, in question 5 there are more people selected spending time with friends and family and party with friends as the way to spend their days during a festival. Only minority of them said that they go for a vacation during a festival. In question 6, there are more considerably more interviewees thinks that festivals such as Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Bonfire Night should have free day than those who thinks that those festivals should not have free days. In question 7 when interviewees were asked do they know the origin or history of the following festivals: (i) Valentine’s Day (ii) Easter (iii) Halloween (iv) Bonfire Night (v) Christmas There are far more interviewees knows the origin or history of Christmas than the others festivals. Most of the interviewees do not know the origin of Easter compares to other festivals. Only five of the interviewees said they knew the origin and history of Easter. In the last question, interviewees had been asked which festival that they likely to spent the most on foods, gifts and etc, where 29 of them mentioned that they spent on Christmas the most while most interviewees voted that they spent on Easter lesser than other festivals. CONCLUSION In conclusion, British people love celebrating festivals. According to the questionnaire that been made, it is clearly showed that they love Christmas the most. This is because interviewees spent most on Christmas and most of them knew the history and origin of Christmas. From my point of view, British people love Christmas because of the long history and the tradition of Christmas that been rooted in United Kingdom for a long time.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay Example for Free

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay In his book, ‘post-traumatic stress disorder source book’, Schiraldi, Glenn identifies three major causes of post-traumatic stress disorder. These are, â€Å"intentional Human causes (the most difficult to recover from), unintentional Human causes and the acts of Nature (least complex and can be resolved quickly)† (Schiraldi, 2000: pg.4). The intentional human causes include those traumatic events that are intentionally caused or triggered by humans. These events include war, rape, physical torture, robbery with violence, use of bombs and explosions, killing someone, kidnapping and holding others hostage. Unintentional human causes involve those traumatic events that occur accidentally. These include car accidents, plane crash, collapse of a building, fire and exposure to nuclear reactants. There are also post-traumatic stress disorders that are caused by events of nature. These natural catastrophes are always more severe and disastrous. It includes earthquakes, flood, drought, outbreak of certain diseases, hurricanes and occurrence of volcanic activities. Other cause that may trigger post-traumatic stress disorder involves the changes in the normal biochemical rate in the brain which results to a condition known as Neuroendocrinology. Apart from this condition, morphological changes in the brain have also been identified as another cause of post-traumatic stress disorder. Various studies have shown that the existence of amygdale in the brain usually result to the development of emotional flashbacks. These flashbacks are mainly those related to worry and horror. Genetics have also been identified as another cause leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. Various studies in genetics have shown that some characteristics that are possessed by a parent who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder are sometimes passed on to the children. These characteristics that are usually passed to the children include violence and aggressiveness. Signs and symptoms: The signs and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder usually manifest itself within three to four months following the trauma. In other cases, these symptoms might last for a year or even several years. The symptoms in most cases manifest in various ways as discussed below. 1) Recurring memories: Memories and experiences of the real traumatic event usually re-emerge in form of dreams, images and thoughts. The re-emergence of these memories is usually unexpected and the victim usually undergoes difficult moment since the memories are so hard to bear. Such memories in most cases inflict feelings of fear to the victim, anger and also guilt. In his book, Schiraldi Glenn provides an example to this scenario by stating that, â€Å"a survivor of a Russian prisoner-of –war camp often daydreams, absorbed in unpleasant memories and out of touch with his surroundings. A number of cues can trigger this re-experience, including thin soup, walking in the woods, Russian music, a harsh rebuke by a supervisor, or any unpleasant confrontation. Sometimes there is no apparent connection to the thoughts or feelings that are replayed,† (Schiraldi, 2000: pg 7). Recurring memories usually manifest in terms of nightmares. These nightmares in most cases reflect the accurate traumatic events or almost similar events as those of the real trauma. Most individuals who experience nightmares in most cases do not get enough sleep as they are being interrupted by the imaginations. Recurring memories can also manifest in terms of flash backs. Flash backs makes an individual feel as if the real traumatic events are being revived and can influence the behavior and the feelings of an individual. 2) Arousal: Post-traumatic stress disorder is also characterized by over reaction of an individual to any event that seems to cause panic. The victims’ reaction becomes spontaneous due to the sensitivity of the nervous system as a result of destructive traumatic events. The reaction of an individual to even smaller interruptions is as spontaneous as the bigger ones. As a result of arousal, an individual usually develops difficulties in falling asleep, lacks concentration, becomes short tempered, overcautious, develops fear to the recurrence of the same event, becomes over expectant to disasters and overprotective. 3) Avoidance or numbing: Because the thoughts of traumatic events are very painful to most of the victims, most people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder usually look for various ways of avoiding the reminders to such events. In most cases, they avoid talking about it while in other instances they restrict their minds from thinking about such events. Most of the victims therefore end up staying indoors to avoid coming in contact to reminders of the tragic events. 4) The normal routine of an individual is disrupted: One losses interest in his/her future ambitions due to too much cautiousness and the avoidance of exploring different avenues and mingling with other people to gain more knowledge. Victims of post-traumatic stress disorder are therefore in most cases locked in their own world. Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder is mainly aimed at relieving symptoms because there is no treatment that can completely wipe out the post-traumatic stress disorder. Treatment can therefore be achieved by use of two methods. These include use of drugs and non-drug treatment methods. Non-drug treatments involve the following; a) Cognitive therapy: It is believed that different ways of thinking can lead to various mental disorders including the post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, during the cognitive therapy, the patient is advised on various thinking patterns and how to avoid false perceptions and thoughts. They are also thought on the importance of thinking positively and constructively. At the end of every session, each and every patient is given an assignment to go and try it out at home (http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain). b) Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: This treatment usually involves therapist asking the patient to think about any traumatic occurrence. As the patient is thinking about the event, the therapist moves his/her fingers so that the patient can follow it with his/her eyes (Schmeltzer Bhagar, 2007). It is not clear how this treatment works but after a couple of therapy session, most of the patients are no longer worried by the thoughts of the event. c) Individual Help: This involves all the individuals having the same signs coming up together. The patients can then share their experiences and learn from one another on the possible ways of overcoming the trauma. Medication treatment: a) Antidepressant drugs: These drugs are in real sense used in the treatment of depression but it has also been found out to suppress the post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. They usually work by blocking the chemicals in the brain that lead to the development of the symptoms. These drugs usually take two to four weeks or even months before their results can be noticed. b) Benzodiazepines: These drugs are used for short term mainly to reduce the chances of an individual not falling asleep and also to get rid of those symptoms leading to sleep interruptions. The problem with this drug is that they are not effective if taken for a longer period of time. The patient is supposed to use it within two to three weeks (Rose Armstrong 1997). Prevention: Post-traumatic stress can be prevented by employing the following measures; 1) Debriefing: This technique is usually employed to soldiers after war and also to those victims that underwent through events of natural catastrophes (Schmeltzer Bhagar, 2007). It mainly involves victims exchanging feelings and thoughts about the tragic event. 2) Immediate therapy: Studies have shown that incase an individual is provided with therapy within the first two weeks of trauma, the chances of individual developing long term post-traumatic stress disorder is drastically reduced. 3) Taking short medication drugs: Drugs such as benzodiazepine when taken by the victim immediately, the chances of him/her developing long-term symptoms is also reduced. Conclusion: Though most of the victims of post-traumatic stress take long to experience the symptoms; it is very crucial that an individual who is suffering from trauma seek for help immediately. The treatment that the victim is able to obtain will be very useful as it will suppress the long term symptoms from re-emerging. Victims of trauma that usually don’t get treatment can be completely crippled by the post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Some victims may feel guilt of surviving a tragic event or not providing enough assistance to those who perished. These may negatively affect on the normalcy of an individual.

An Introduction To Early Care And Education Young People Essay

An Introduction To Early Care And Education Young People Essay This essay will identify the range of early years settings involved in the care and education of young children. Then discuss the roles and responsibilities of the professional workers involved in the setting. The essay will also evaluate the curricula appropriate to two different settings that will be focused on. The essay will culminate with a personal statement. First, the history of education of young children will be reflected upon. When the Education system first started and when children became important. Focusing on Education legislation, (historical to present day). Also looking at the various types of Early Year education provisions and the professionals that work in the provisions and their roles. Followed by a discussion on theorists that have had an impact upon Early Years provision. Next, there will be a discussion on social care and health care legislation which is affiliated to the support of childrens health and safety (historical to present day). Looking at the range of health care settings for early years. Discussing the various health professionals and their roles in relation to health care. Subsequently, the essay will look at management styles of the different settings using a reflection diary and identify the role of the professionals that work in various setting, discussing the definition of reflective practice and the i mportance of reflective practice. Finally, conclusions will be drawn as to whether the objectives have been met. Pre 1870 there was no organised system of education. Some children attended schools run by charities and churches or dame schools (called because they were run by women) for young children. There were fee paying schools for those rich enough to afford them. In early Victorian England, most children never went to school at all and grew up unable to read or write. Instead they were sent out to work to earn money for their families. Only the upper and middle class children went to school. It wasnt until 1880 that schooling became mandatory. All children had to attend a school until they were ten years old. In 1889, the school leaving age was raised to twelve, and in 1891, the schools pence fee was abolished and schools became free. Children were first considered important to society after the Victorian era (1837-1901). The era has been described as a source of the modern institution of childhood. Ironically, the Industrial Revolution during this era led to an increase in child labour, but due to the campaigning of the evangelicals, and efforts of author Charles Dickens (1812- 1870) and others, child labour was gradually reduced and halted in England via the Factory Acts of 1802-1878. The Victorians emphasized the role of the family and the sanctity of the child, this attitude has remained dominant in Western societies since then. The needs and welfare of children today are met through a series of polices and legislation which aims to protect and provide for their welfare. These policies are informed and underpinned by historical policies and legislation. The first legislation passed by the government to protect the children of the country was The Factory Act passed by the Government in 1833. It was intended to improve conditions for children working in factories. It introduced a compulsory two hours schooling each day for children. This was the first time that children of all backgrounds in the UK had access to education. Thirty seven years after the Factory Act of 1833, the Elementary Education Act of 1870 provided education on an extraordinary scale. This new law set up mass primary education (education for everyone). It was introduced because the government was worried that the working class was becoming revolutionary and also because it was thought that Britains economy we falling behind the rest of the world. The 1880 Education Act made school attendance compulsory for all children up to the age of ten. The school education boards were abolished under the 1902 Education Act. In their place Local Educational Authorities (LEAs) were created to organize funding, employ teachers and allocate school places. During the 1920s and 1930s Sir Henry Hadow (1859-1937) was responsible for several important reports on education in England. In 1926, a report entitled The Education of the Adolescent looked at primary education in detail for the first time. It prioritized activity and experience, rather than rote learning and discussed, for the first time, the specific needs of children with learning difficulties. The report also made the important recommendation of limiting class sizes to a maximum of thirty children. In 1931, another report was published: The Primary School was influenced by the educational ideas of  Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget and advocated a style of teaching based on childrens interests. The 1944 Education Act saw the introduction of the tripartite system. Devised by Conservative MP Rab Butler (1902-1982), the Act introduced three different types of school: Grammar schools for the more academic pupil, Secondary Modern schools for a more practical, non-academic style of education and Technical schools for specialist practical education. Pupils were allocated to a particular type of school by taking an examination called the  11 Plus, which was also introduced under the Act. Secondary education now became free for all and the school-leaving age rose to 15. The Plowden Report is the unofficial name for the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council for Education (England) into Primary Education. The report was called Children and their Primary Schools and was named after the chair of the Council, Lady Bridget Plowden (1910-2000). It observed that new skills were needed in society, stating that,  the qualities needed in a modern economy extend far beyond skills such as accurate spelling and arithmetic. They include greater curiosity and adaptability, a high level of aspiration, and others which are difficult to measure. (The Plowden Report 1967; Chapter 31; p433; verse 1175). The National Curriculum was introduced in the 1988 Education Act. It made all education the same for state-funded schools, ensuring that all pupils had access to a basic level of education. A selection of subjects were made compulsory including Mathematics, English, Science and some form of Religious Education. It also introduced sex education for the first time. The 2002 Education Act introduced the existing Foundation stage to become a new stage of the National Curriculum and Nursery education became inspected by Ofsted. There are many different types of organizations offering Early Years Education and childcare. There are independent private settings working for profit owned by companies or individuals, ranging from large nursery chains with hundreds of settings to owner-manager with only one setting. The nursery manager and deputy manager in all of these settings have the same responsibilities they are responsible for ensuring the nursery provides the best possible standards of care and education; ensuring the environment is safe and secure, where the children are valued as individuals through a loving and child centred approach in all aspects of the way the nursery is run. It is also the managers responsibility to ensure that the children have access to learning opportunities throughout their time at the nursery; providing learning activities which are educational, stimulating and fun. The Nursery staff need to have the correct level of qualification to work with children. Also they are required to have a working knowledge of Ofsted standards and the ability to work in partnership with parents. Workplace nurseries are classed within the private sector even though they may be run for the benefit of particular employees the professionals working there still need to have all the relevant qualifications to work with the children. Nannies and child minders are similar. Nannies are sometimes self-employed, but more often are employees of a family. Some nannies work for agencies. Childminders are self-employed individuals working from home. Ofsted require childminders and nannies to carry out a Paediatric first-aid course (first aid for children) as well as introductory courses in childminding. Voluntary sector comprises groups operated by a voluntary management committee and run for the benefit of the community rather than for profit (e.g. pre-school playgroups, parent/toddler groups, community day nurseries and sure start centres). Despite its name, most workers in the voluntary sector are paid employees, not volunteers. Public sector provision includes school-based services, such as nursery classes, and nursery schools, local authority day nurseries and nursery centres. These setting will have to have a trained Nursery teachers and a nursery nurses. The entire list of professionals mentioned above will have to have an enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure (CRB) and are required by law by anyone who works with children. In England 1700-1800 people became reformers and saw that they werent benefitting from the lifestyle. England was the first country in the world to undergo the Industrial Revolution and it created large numbers of working class people. A key figure that recognised the way children were treated was Robert Owen (1771-1858), he was a utopian radical socialist reformed mill owner who set up crà ¨ches for the children of his workers as well as housing and health facilities. His reform began around 1816. Pestalozzi (1745-1827) an Italian educationalist attempted to recognise the stages of development in childrens education. In 1836 the Pestalozzian Centre of Home and Colonel Education Infant school society began training teachers for infant schools in its college in London. Also very influential was the kindergarten movement. Froebel (1782-1852) first opened in England in 1851. Froebels vision was to educate the whole child, outdoor activities played significant part, but his vision was of the children as plants in the garden of school flowering and blossoming under the correct care and attention as you would a plant. Gradually though more precise nature of Froebels pedagogy and philosophies got taken over by a wider emphasis on play combined with domestic tasks as defined by the theorists of psychologists Stanley Hall (1884-1924) and John Dewey (1859-1952). Also these kindergartens were rescuers of the children of the urban poor so teachers became more like social workers. Another significant figure was Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Her work came to be seen as more a preserve of middle class private nurseries. Originally she worked with deprived children in Naples and aimed to develop cognitive physical linguistic social and self care skills through carefully structured play activities and equipment. She was a big advocate of natural material such as wooden blocks, sandpaper letters and thought that too many brightly coloured toys and pictures could over stimulate the children. Children were taught to concentrate on one activity then put it away and move on to the next activity. During the First and the Second World War committees argued the importance of child care. Margaret McMillan (1860-1931) and Rachel McMillan (1859-1917) were Christian socialists and were the originators of the Nursery School concept. In 1913 the first open aired nursery was opened in London, it focused on sense training and the health of the young children. Sand, water, clay and paint were used and free cooked meals were given and the children were encouraged to enjoy fresh air as much as possible with covered area outside. In 1960 the Playgroup Movement (1961-1987) was started by Belle Tutaev. She started a Campaign for Nursery Education and organised a petition collecting three and a half thousand signatures that she sent to those in authority. She wrote letters to Councillors and knocked on doors pleading for some provision to be made for the under fives. So, being a trained teacher, she decided to do it herself ! She hired a hall, raised funds and opened her own Nursery/Playgroup. It proved such a success that she felt sure others could do as she had done, so she penned a letter to The Guardian that appeared on 25 August 1961. A small committee was formed and the National Association of Pre-school Playgroups was formally constituted on 10 July 1962 and registered as a charity. Historically, child health surveillance and screening have been central to monitoring childrens health and development (Luker and Orr 1996; Hall and Elliman, 2004). There is no doubt that health throughout life is influenced by the experiences in early years of childhood. Recent government policy has highlighted the importance of health professionals working with families and children to improve their health outcomes (Acheson, 1998). Looking back at past legislation there have been indications since the Industrial Revolution of the need to protect children. In 1834 New Poor Law placed duty on parents to protect their children. The children not cared for would be looked after by the state as an apprentice. The aim of the Act was to reduce poverty but in fact perpetuated it. The children were also still counted as the fathers property with their welfare in his hands. This would not change until Childrens Law Reform Act 1990. 1847 Public Health Act aimed at improving the environment and childrens health, education added to local authoritys responsibility. The Act laid foundations for todays health provisions. The late 19th century was a time of social deprivation and great hardship for many children. On 8 July 1884, The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was established. Lord Shaftesbury (1801-1885) was appointed as president and the Reverend Benjamin Waugh (1839-1908) and Reverend Edward Rudolf (1852-1933) as joint honorary secretaries. Waugh was to be significant in shaping the Societys future. After witnessing the levels of deprivation and child cruelty in Greenwich, London where he lived, Waughs urgent priority was to draw public and government attention to the plight of children. At the 1889 annual general meeting the Society changed its name to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). By 1945 we had uniformed child welfare services, but local authorities continued to hold overall responsibility for social care or services and child care. Legislation aimed at evolving the development of childrens rights and care embedded in health, education and social care legislation, but childhood becoming more and more regulated and controlled. Political theorists of this time such as Mill (1773-1836) and Locke (1632-1704) lobbied for the protection of children whilst Paine (1737-1809) and Neill (1883-1973) campaigned for the liberation of children. Currently there are over 4,000 non-statutory agencies worldwide, helping millions of people and children, none of whom are part of any government organisation (Harrison 2004, in Wyse, 2004). As Stone and Rixon (2008)state in (Foley and Rixon, 2008), the drive for services to work more closely together is not a new phenomenon, it has existed as long as there have been different groups of people providing services to families. In his 2003 report into the death of Victoria Climbie, Lord Laming highlighted the need for all parties involved in the care and education to engage in more collaborative working practices. His enquiry led to enhanced legislation, as the findings of the report were incorporated into update of the Children Act (2004) and in response to the recommendations, the Every Child Matters green paper was published in 2003. The reports became fundamental to the development of child health services. They required health professionals and families to form relationships of partnership rather than supervision, in which parents could be empowered to make use of services and expertise according to their needs. The Fourth Edition of Health For All Children (Hall and Elliman 2004), included recommendations for a streamlined surveillance programme, with even greater emphasis on health promotion and primary prevention. Although the health of children is predominantly a parental responsibility, society has a vested interest in ensuring that parents are supported to improve the health and well-being of their children. This will help to ensure the needs and rights of our children are respected. There are five main types of childrens services there are Health services, Social services, Education and Leisure and Recreation. The health services that are available in schools for children are mainly School Nurses and support workers, working in a team or network to offer needs based approach to the provision of healthcare within schools for children. School Nurses have a public health role with school-aged children, their families, schools and the surrounding communities to promote health. Also there is the early years and health visiting service. This service refers to multi disciplinary early years teams delivering a family centered public health role. The services that hospitals provide are General paediatrics. This service refers to all non-tertiary hospital based activity. Maternity staff also cover Antenatal care, Intrapartum care, and Post natal care. The Health Visitor is a qualified registered nurse, midwife or psychiatric nurse with specialist qualifications in community health, which includes child health, health promotion and education. The role involves promoting health in the whole community and the health visitor is particularly involved with families who have children under five. Every family has a named health visitor, the role is to offer support and encouragement to families through the early years from pregnancy and birth to primary school and beyond. They work closely with GPs and cover the geographical area of the GP practice. Most health visitors work alongside midwives preparing parents for the birth of their baby by their involvement in pre-birth classes. One of the practical placements visited was a preschool. The preschool was without a manager at present so the deputy manager was in charge. There were eight members of staff all female, only one was a full time member of staff. The preschool is situated at the back of the school in a porter cabin, it does have all the facilities needed for the children but could use an update. A definition of a preschool or a play school is to be an educational institution for children too young for elementary school. For parents, it is a common place where toddlers meet, play and spend time together under the supervision of qualified adults. It is also where the children gain experience to enable them to transition into reception class. The pre-school deputy managers role is to provide inclusive play and learning opportunities for all children attending and to maintain a safe, stimulating and enjoyable environment. She or he will assist the pre-school manager in curriculum planning within the pre-school. They will manage the provision in the absence of the pre-school manager. The Statutory Framework for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) states that all early years providers must by law deliver, regardless of type, size or funding of the setting, follow the EYFS framework. The EYFS comprises a set of welfare requirements and a set of learning and development requirement that all childcare providers must comply with. (Ref) The second practical placement visited was an Ormiston Childrens Centre. Ormiston is the biggest childrens charity in the East of England. They work to improve the wellbeing of children, young people and their families, whatever their circumstances. The Ormiston Centre is an exciting community project with excellent facilities for supporting children, young people and families through a range of health promoting physical activities, sport and learning opportunities. The emphasis is on providing fun activities which promote physical and social well-being rather than ability or excellence. The service manager of Ormiston Centre Colchester states that, as service manager  I have  responsibility to develop play and learning and address issues related to childcare.   With this in mind I have close contact with all pre-school, parent and  toddler groups. I  help to develop good practice built on experience and identify support where appropriate. The author assessed her own placement settings and found that the management styles were allot different from each setting. The evidence of this was discovered by observing the the different styles of management at both settings and comparing them (see appendix 1 and 2). Looking at the different style the author focused on three areas: all round management, sudden decision making and involvement with the children. Also looking at the three main categories of leadership styles: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic and observing which category the different placement managers follow. Autocratic managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. (Ref). This approach derives from the views of Taylor (1856-1915) as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregors (1906 1964) theory X view of workers. This approach has limitations (as highlighted by other motivational theorists such as Mayo (1880-1949) and Herzberg (1923-2000) but it can be effective in certain situations. Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. Managers are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways they act as a father figure. (Ref). They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. The manager will however make the actual decisions. The style is closely linked with Mayos Human Relation view of motivation and also the social needs of Maslow (1908 1970). A democratic style of management will put trust in employees and encourage them to make decisions. They will delegate to them the authority to do this and listen to their advice. This requires good two-way communication and often involves democratic discussion groups, which can offer useful suggestions and ideas. Managers must be willing to encourage leadership skills in subordinates. (Ref). This style has close links with Herzbergs motivators and Maslows higher order skills and also applies to McGregors theory Y view of workers. Looking at appendix 1 the observations of the deputy managers behaviour on page 17-19 confirms the authors opinion that within the preschool the management style seems to be extremely autocratic. This could be down to not enough training, lack of confidence or negligence of position. Comparing this attitude to Taylors theory of Scientific Management argued the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. This could be the case at the preschool as the management doesnt seem to get involved with the children which is the main reason that professionals are present. As stated earlier the deputy managers role is to provide inclusive play and learning opportunities for all children in a stimulating and enjoyable environment. This doesnt seem to be happening. When observing the management style of the Ormiston manager it seems that she understands her role and has a great deal of passion for the position. After carful observation it felt like the management style of the Ormiston manager was paternalistic with a little witnessing of a democratic style. This can be seen in appendix 2 on page 20. In fact, comparing these two different management styles it appeared to the author that the management style of the Ormiston Centre seemed more successful than that of the preschool. Hopefully the preschool will obtain a manager to fill the position soon. Reflective practice is not a new concept. Boud, Keogh and Walker (1985) stated twenty years ago that it features the individual and his or her experiences, leading to a new theoretical view or understanding. They included the element of learning, as well as involvement of the self, to define reflective practice: Reflection is a forum of response of the learner to experience (Boud et al. 1985, page18). Johns and Freshwater (1998) also described the value of reflective practice as a means of learning. Reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice (Reid, 1993 p.305). Reflective practice is something more than thoughtful practice. It is that form of practice that seeks to problematise many situations of professional performance so that they can become potential learning situations and so the practitioners can continue to learn, grow and develop in and through practice (Jarvis, 1992 p.180). According to the educator Professor David Boud, effective learning will not occur unless you reflect. To do this, you must think of a particular moment in time, ponder over it, go back through it and only then will you gain new insights into different aspects of that situation. According to Kolb (1984) reflecting is an essential element of learning. This is shown through an experiential learning cycle. To conclude, the range of early years settings involved in the health care and education of young children has been explored by examining the history of education and the history of the health service using legislation and key theorists. The essay has also examined management within the settings and the various roles of professionals working with different settings and how government legislation has changed over time. It has been learnt that it is essential that all families and children are aware of the different types of education and health care services provided in the early stages of child development and that there are a lot of different settings available to all different needs and backgrounds. Also that a good management style in child care is fundamental in producing an all round successful setting no matter what the circumstances. For future practice the key points that the author has taken away is that there are a lot of different professionals out there that are able to offer the support and help that is needed for young children and parents to have successful and happy lives. Also that a successful manager is not all about paper work, delegation and targets. Its about getting stuck in to all areas of Early Years and proving to yourself and your staff that you are a team. Reference List (* denotes those referenced in-text) *Acheson, D. (1998). Acheson Report : Indepent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health. London: Her Majestys Stationery Office Arià ¨s, P. (1962). Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Atherson, J.S. (2009) Learning and Teaching; Reflection and Reflective Practice [online] http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/reflecti.htm (Accessed 26 May 2010) *A Sure Start Childrens Centre (2003-2010) Colchester Childrens Centres [online] http://www.colchester.surestart.org/index.php?page_id=1 (Accessed .) *Barrow, M. (1999) Project Britain: The Victorians Schools during the Victorian Times. [online] http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/victorians/children/schools.htm (Accessed .) Boas, G. (1966). The Cult of Childhood. London: Warburg * Bray, J. Conway, J. Dykins, M. Hawkins, W. Slay, L and Webster, I.(2008) Memories of the Playgroup Movement in Wales 1961-1987 [online] pdf Wales Pre-school Playgroups Association http://www.playgroupmemorieswales.org.uk/Memories_of_the_playgroup.pdf (Accessed .) Bruner, J. (1997) Lord Ashley [online] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/IRashley.htm (Accessed .) Cole, G.A (2004) Management Theory and Practice. Sixth Edition Thomson *Corbett, B. (1985) Centuries of Childhood [online] http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/children/aries.html (Accessed .) Reference List (continued) Cunningham, H. ( 1995). Children and Childhood in Western Society since 1500. London: Longman. Department of Education Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage [online] pdf http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/151379 (Accessed .. Department of Health Durham University (2005) Child Health, CAMHS and Maternity Mapping Service types used in the mapping. [online] http://www.childhealthmapping.org.uk/help/servicetypes.php#srvctyp_34 (Accessed .) Department of Education Northern Ireland (1997) Curricular Guidance for Pre-school Education [online] pdf Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment. http://www.deni.gov.uk/preschool_curricular-2.pdf (Accessed .) DfES, (2004). Every Child Matters: Change for Children. London: QCAA Dickens, C. (1854) Hard Times. Barnes and Nobble Classics. *Elliman, D and Hall, D.M.B (2003) Health for all Children. Revised Fourth Edition. Oxford University Press. Foley, P (2001) Children in Society, Contemporary Theory, Policy and Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Freeston, M.(2006) Pre School Learning Alliance: Children First [online]. http://childrenfirst2006.co.uk/the-early-years-foundation-stage.html (Accessed .) Foley, P and Rixon, A (2008) Changing Childrens Services: Working and Learning Together. The Open University.

Comparing The Us Constitution :: essays research papers

In 1918, while the rest of Europe was still engaged in World War I, a newly formed communist government was developing in Russia. Much like 18th century Americans, they had just managed to overthrow what was viewed as a tyrannical government and hoped to form a new nation free of the injustices of the previous rule. Both countries wrote a new constitution as well as a declaration of rights to facilitate this, but their respective documents had vast differences. These disparities stemmed from differences in the ideologies of the new governments. The primary objectives of the Russian Declaration of Rights of the Working and Exploited People and the later constitution were the â€Å"abolition of all exploitation of man by man, complete elimination of the division of society into classes, merciless suppression of the exploiters, socialist organization of society, and victory of socialism in all countries.† Americans wanted equality of opportunity and personal freedom instead of th e social equality desired by the Russians. The American constitution and Bill of Rights were created to protect personal liberties and individual freedom while the Russians were more concerned with the welfare and equality of the population as a whole. This difference is partially due to the differences in the conditions leading to revolution in each country. The American Revolution was initiated by the wealthy in response to what they considered unfair treatment by a foreign ruler while the Russian revolution was instigated by the poor in reaction to centuries of oppression and exploitation by the wealthy within their own country. In the years leading up to World War I, social unrest among the Russian people was spreading rapidly. There was a huge social gulf between the peasants who were former serfs and the landowners. The peasants regarded anyone who did not work as a parasite. They had always regarded as all land belonging to them. They regarded any land retained by the landowners at the time serfs were freed as stolen and only force could prevent them from taking it back. By the time Russia entered the war, one peasant rebellion had already been suppressed and several socialist revolutionary movements were developing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In February of 1917 a group of female factory workers and led a revolt in which the Tsar was dethroned, only to be replaced by a provisionary government composed of the Russian elite. When this government did not live up to its promises of an end to Russian involvement in World War I, the Bolsheviks (â€Å"majority†), a revolutionary movement led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the provisionary government in what bacame known as the October revolution.

El Mercado :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EL MERCADO   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Mexican Mercado is a historical, sociable, and wonderful experience. I believe it says a lot about Mexico's culture and how they have kept some of the ways of there ancestors. The Mercado is a thing that should be highly respected. Many things are related to the Mercado like bargaining, communicating, making friends, shopping, and agriculture. That right there describes Mexico's history and present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the US I believe that people usually don't like to socialize as much as people in Mexico than people in the US. That is half of the reason people in Mexico go to the Market. People in Mexico like to negotiate prices and people in the US seem to be in more of a hurry. The US and Mexico have supermercados which are pretty similar to each other because they sell a lot of the same things. The traditional Mercado is an open-air market, which is similar to some of the farmers markets that the US has. Except people in Mexico have bigger markets and they have a bigger variety of stuff. They aren't as popular in the U.S. because of the differences in the history of the cultures. I think a lot of people would like to bring open-air markets to the US.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some advantages of the Mercado is being able to visit and get to know more people. There are also many shops with many varieties of things to choose from. Stores for everyone, they have flower shops, craft markets and many other shops. A disadvantage I would think is that it would always be crowded. I consider this a disadvantage, but there are some people that wouldn't. I'm not sure how fresh the fruits would be either, because you don't know how long they have been sitting there. Some advantages for the U.S. markets would be having the out-of-date prints on the things you buy and knowing that your fruit is fresh. Plus you have a better chance of getting a refund. Some disadvantages are not being able to negotiate with people for lower prices. In the US the grocery shopping isn't as much about visiting and talking, but getting your shopping done quickly because people are always in a hurry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Mercado was started by the Aztecs, this cultural activity is historical and a wonderful experience.

Noras Symbolism in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay -- Dolls Hous

Nora's Symbolism in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House      Ã‚  Ã‚   In every society power is the bringer of fortune and influence. In his play A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen portrays, through the character of Nora, the power women are gaining in patriarchal societies. Nora, who symbolizes all women, exercises her power throughout the entire play. She cleverly manipulates the men around her while, to them, she seems to be staying in her subordinate role. In all three acts of the play Nora controls many situations and yields the most power.   Act I, along with the introduction of Ibsen's tone and style, brought the introduction of power. It seems that since the Helmer household is symbolizing patriarchal European society that male characters should bare the most power. However, this is not true. Nora, a woman, yields a great deal of the power over the men in the play. In act I it becomes obvious that Nora has forged documents for a loan in order to save her husband, Torvald's, life. This deed in itself shows that she has power to   be manipulative and deceitful. But also in act I Nora uses one of her most powerful weapons, influence over Torvald, to threaten Krogstad. Krogstad is a malicious character who puts the Helmers' reputation in jeopardy by threatening to reveal Nora's illegal actions. Nora, on the other hand, will not stand for this type of slander and says to Krogstad, "Nora:   Sometimes one has a tiny bit of influence, I should hope. Because one is a woman, it does not necessarily follow that--. When anyone is in a subordinate position, Mr. Krogstad, they should really be careful to avoid someone who-- who-- Krogstad:   Has power? Nora:   Exactly." (21) Nora uses an understatement by making i... ...r over many years (or acts), until they have enough power to "shut the door" on the patriarch. The entire course of the play takes place in the Helmer household, which represents the patriarch, until the last scene where Nora leaves the house to show the beginning of women-powered societies. Nora's power-yielding role in Ibsen's play further proves that women were and still are gaining power in male run societies.    Works Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House (1879). Trans. Rolf Fjelde. Rpt. in Michael Meyer, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 5th edition. Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 1999. 1564-1612. Shaw, Bernard. "A Doll's House Again."   Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism.   Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1979. Templeton, Joan. "The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen." PMLA (January 1989): 28-40.

Teen Pregnancy Is One Hundred Percent Preventable

Teen Pregnancy Retha McDonald Argument Essay ? Abstract The following research paper contains important information on how you can prevent your teen from becoming pregnant. The thesis is clearly stated in my argument. Topic sentences and sub-topics support my theory. Teen Pregnancy and prenatal care are very important issues but can be avoided all together with patience, guidance and instruction from responsible parents. Parents have to discuss issues such as safe sex, prevention of pregnancy along with topics such as birth control and being abstinence until marriage.This paper will also cover issues dealing with peer pressure. ? Teen pregnancy and prenatal care Parents need to discuss the importance of abstinence with their teenagers. If a teen was to become pregnant, prenatal care is the best way to provide and insure the safe arrival of an unborn child. Teenagers are not being taught at home about the practice of safe sex and prevention of an unwanted pregnancy. Teenagers that are sexually active need to be put on birth control and taught about STD’s, which mean sexual transmitted disease. Teen pregnancy is one hundred percent preventable.Sex and prevention Teenagers are not being taught at home about safe sex and prevention. When a child starts puberty or even before puberty parents should discuss changes that are happening with their bodies. Explaining that it is normal to feel attraction toward the opposite sex, but acting on those feelings can result in serious consequences. Parents should also go into particular issues dealing with the dangers such as STD’s, and unwanted pregnancies. Discussions about birth control and abstinence should be discussed at an early age.Parents should talk to their teens in a comfortable setting so the child won’t feel like they are being lectured, but feel like they are in an open conversation that they can join in and ask for advice. Parents should allow time during the end for teenagers ask any questi ons that they might have. In the article† Is Parenting Associated with Teenagers ‘Early Sexual Risk-Taking, Autonomy and Relationship with Sexual Partners? â€Å"Crabtree, S. (2005) states â€Å"very extensive Research showed that relationships between parents and teenagers are linked to various outcomes associated with teenager’s first sexual experience. Parents have a big influence on their children future and they play a major role in the behavior that their child will exhibit. Parents have to set values, perfect communication about sex will help build beliefs in teenagers and they will have the necessary skills to deal with situations if confronted with sexual advances. Parkes, A. (2011) states â€Å"teaching teenagers to abstain from sex is also associated with teenagers not engaging in risky sexual behavior, positive parenting has shown it will delay first sex. † Proper prenatal careAdolescent childbearing negatively affects society and families, an d increases health risks, as well as developmental and childrearing problems for mothers and children (Letamo &Majelantle 2001; Smith & Pell 2001). Underage childbearing may result in miscarriage, preterm births and repeated pregnancies, with increased rate of low birth weight delivery, neonatal death and subsequent incidence of infant illness (Williams &Delavan 2006). Teens that do become pregnant do not receive the proper prenatal care because they are afraid to approach parents; they have feelings of being ashamed of what they have done.They are embarrassed, and they feel that they may have let the family down. Majority of teen pregnancies are hidden and kept secret up until month six or seven, simply because the teens are afraid to speak up. They come to a crossroad where they know that soon they will need medical attention. What teens don’t realize is that they are compromising their health and the health of their unborn child every pregnancy needs to be monitored by a d octor; prenatal vitamins need to be given, possibly iron pills.While pregnant the teen could form serious conditions such a preeclampsia or develop high blood pressure. Proper prenatal care is a must with any pregnancy this is to ensure the safe arrival of a baby and making sure the mother is healthy before, during and after the birth. Immaturity is implicated as a cause of most problems with preterm labor. Monitor your children â€Å"Teenage parenthood passed down through generations, with the children of young mothers becoming parents themselves at an early age, such a difficult tradition to break. Frances, G. (2011) monitor your children. Know where your children are at all times. Know the company that they keep. Most of the time parents like to feel that they know what their child would and would not do. That is not always the case when you have one bad apple; sometime teens can easily be persuaded to fit in with the popular crowd, it is important to know the company that your teen is surrounded by. Bad association and peer pressure can lead down a terrible road of destruction for example an unwanted pregnancy.Teens should not have a lot of idle time. Engaging in an after school program or sports can keep your teen busy from just hanging out with friends and possibly experimenting with sexual behavior. Family outings on the weekends learning activities, family oriented activities that can include all the kids not just the teen, helping with yard work, building something with dad, planting and gardening with mom are ways to insure that your teen is safe and not being pressured in the streets and forced into sexual behavior too soon.Activities with the family will ensure you are monitoring your teen correctly and know where they are at all times. Conclusion Teen pregnancy is one hundred percent preventable parents need to discuss the importance of abstinence. If a teen was to become pregnant prenatal care is the best way to provide and insure the safe arriv al of an unborn child. Monitoring your teen’s friends and who they are affiliated with, by finding out where they like to hang out and go in their free time can warrant some behaviors that you wouldn’t want your teen engaging in.Start talking to your teen about safe sex at an early age and teaching them about the dangers that come with having sex is a sure way to keep away the STD’s and the unwanted pregnancies. Work Cited and Reference: Crabtree, S. (2005). Teens on Sex Education: Abstinence-Only or Safe-Sex Approach. Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing, 1-3. Parkes, A. (2011). Is Parenting Associated with Teenagers' Early Sexual Risk-Taking, Autonomy And Relationship with Sexual Partners. Perspectives On Sexual ; Reproductive Health, 43(1), 30. doi:10. 1363/4303011 Chen, C. W. , Tsai, C.Y. , Sung, F. C. , Lee, Y. Y. , Lu, T. H. , Li, C. Y. , ; Ko, M. C. (2010). Adverse birth outcomes among pregnancies of teen mothers: age-specific analysis of national data in Taiwan. Child: Care, Health ; Development, 36(2), 232-240. doi:10. 1111/j. 1365-2214. 2009. 01039. x Mahavarkar, S. H. , Madhu, C. K. , ; Mule, V. D. (2008). A comparative study of teenage pregnancy. Journal Of Obstetrics ; Gynaecology, 28(6), 604-607. doi:10. 1080/01443610802281831 Frances, G. (2011). Teenage pregnancy: successes and challenges. Practice Nursing, 22(1), 12-16.