Promoting Wellness and Resilience Essay

This paper deals with promoting wellness and resilience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). First, a model of wellness and resiliency is presented. Then, recommended intervention activities that promote resilience and wellness are discussed. Lastly, prevention and education activities are proposed. Wellness and Resiliency Model Studies on wellness and resilience models among individuals with IDD appear non-existent and very few have been written about counseling methodology. Most focus on a cognitive-behavioral approach to psychotherapy (CBT). Therefore, a paradigm must be created that combines CBT and an evidence-based model of wellness. Myers, Sweeney, and Witmer (2000) define wellness as â€Å"a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well-being, in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live life more fully within the human and natural community. Ideally, it is the optimum state of health and well-being that each individual is capable of achieving† (p. 252). â€Å"Resilience refers to positive adaptation, or the ability to maintain or regain mental health, despite experiencing adversity† (Herrman, Stewart, Diaz-Granados, Berger, Jackson, Yuan, 2011, p. 259). Myers and Sweeney (2005) created a model of wellness called The Indivisible Self which is based on A dlerian principles. This model delineates five areas of wellness: physical, essential, social, coping, and creative. Physical well-being is further divided into two areas: exercise and nutrition. Essential wellness is broken down into four components: spirituality, self-care, gender identity, and cultural identity. Social felicity is divided into two parts: friendship and love. Coping is divided into four aspects: realistic beliefs, stress management, self-worth, and leisure. Creative fitness is broken down into five elements: thinking, emotion, control, positive humor, and work (Myers and Sweeney, 2005). Recommended Intervention Activities That Promote Resilience and Wellness As  the IDD population tends to be of lower socioeconomic status (as adults), placed in residential facilities, and highly medicated, physical health is a vital component of overall wellness. Physical fitness can be maintained through exercise programs. A community-based program described by Lante, Walkley, Gamble, and Vassos (2011) provided health and psychosocial benefits to participants. In the area of essential wellness , spirituality plays an important part in the lives of most. IDD individuals should be allowed to attend worship services or participate in other activities cultivating the spiritual nature. Watts (2011) proposes utilization of Special Religious Education for People with a Developmental Disability (SPRED), defined as â€Å"†¦symbolic catechesis where formal instruction is supplemented or completely replaced by visual, aural, sensory, and physical stimuli (p. 237). In the area of self-care, individuals can be taught tasks to their fullest level of independence. Gender identity can be explored through modified sex-education curriculums exemplified by The Facts of Life†¦and More by Walker-Hirsch (lesliewalker-hirsch.com, 2014). Social well-being is a necessary component of wellness among those with IDD. Friendship and love are very possible and should be encouraged. Community groups, such as The Gathering Place and Pathfinders, provide a venue and activities for the population (welcometowesley.com, 2014; gracenc.org, 2014). Dating sites such as Special Bridge provide access for individuals with IDD a chance to meet and date others with IDD (specialbridge.com). CBT can be utilized to help disabled individuals in the area of coping. Irrational beliefs can be explored and replaced with more realistic views. Stress management techniques can be taught. Self-worth can be explored and improved (Lee, 2004). Leisure skills and interests can be explored and improved upon through systematic testing and development (Kreiner and Flexer, 2009). Creative fitness can be cultivated through activities that involve thinking, particularly critical thinking. Handling emotions and controlling behavior can be taught via dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) (Rizvi, Steffel, and Carson-Wong, 2013). Work needs can be met through sheltered, supported, and/or competitive employment. In North Carolina, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provides services and referrals to service providers (ncdhhs.gov/dvrs, 2014). Proposed Prevention and Education Activities Education and prevention can focus on training individuals, families, caretakers, and facility staff. If those who are in contact with the population everyday can be educated as much as possible, the level of wellness and resilience in persons with IDD should increase. IDD clients can learn about healthy eating and exercise through objective plans adjusted for functioning level. For instance, individuals with autism can read a social story (The Gray Center, 2014). Individuals, families and staff can be trained on proper nutrition by registered dietitians who can develop meal plans (American Dietetic Association, 2009). The importance of gender and sex education, spirituality, and cultural identity can be taught to those working with people with IDD. Gender and cultural identity and sex education can be taught to individuals with IDD through modified curriculums or incidental learning. Social skills, coping mechanisms, and creative pursuits can be taught to individuals. Families and facilities can learn what coping mechanisms are effective for clientele. Identified Strategies to Promote Community Resources Families in particular can be directed to community resources. Many resources exist for individuals with IDD. Brochures, information about service providers, and government resources can be given to families and higher-functioning individuals. Providing links to websites for organizations such as The Arc and managed care organizations such as Coastal Care can be a good starting place (thearc.org, 2014; coastalcarenc.org, 2014). References Beange, H., & Lennox, N. (1999). Health targets for people with an intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 24(4), 283. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.capella.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=2731367&site=ehost-live&scope=site The gathering place. (2014). Retrieved May 18, 2014, Retrieved from http://welcometowesley.com/connect/special-needs/ The gray center: What are social stories. (2014). Retrieved May 18, 2014, Retrieved from

Himachal Predesh

Himachal Pradesh (Hindi: à ¤ ¹Ã  ¤ ¿Ã  ¤ ®Ã  ¤ ¾Ã  ¤Å¡Ã  ¤ ² à ¤ ªÃ  ¥ Ã  ¤ °Ã  ¤ ¦Ã  ¥â€¡Ã  ¤ ¶ [É ¦Ã‰ ªmaË tÊÆ'É™l prÉ™dÃŒ ªeË ÃŠÆ'] ( listen)) is a state in Northern India. It is spread over 21,495 sq mi (55,670 km2),[3] and is bordered by Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east.Himachal Pradesh is famous for its abundant natural beauty.[4] After the war between Nepal and Britain, also known as the Anglo-Gorkha War (1814–1816), the British colonial government came into power. In 1950 Himachal was declared a union territory, but after the State of Himachal Pradesh Act 1971, Himachal emerged as the 18th state of the Republic of India. Hima means snow in Sanskrit, and the literal meaning of the state's name is In the lap of Himalayas. It was named by Acharya Diwakar Datt Sharma, one of the great Sanskrit scholars of Himachal Pradesh.The economy of Himachal Pradesh is currently the third fastest growing economy in India.[citation needed] Himachal Pradesh has been ranked fourth in the list of the highest per capita incomes of Indian states. The abundance of perennial rivers enables Himachal to sell hydroelectricity to other states such as Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. The economy of the state is highly dependent on three sources: hydroelectric power, tourism and agriculture.Himachal Pradesh is the least urbanized state in India with nearly 90% of population living in rural area, but the Shimla district is comparatively urbanized with nearly 25% population living in an urban area. According to a 2005 Transparency International survey, Himachal Pradesh is ranked the second-least corrupt state in the country after Kerala.Contents1 History 2 Geography and climate 3 Flora and fauna 4 Subdivisions 5 Government 5.1 Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh 6 Agriculture 7 Economy 8 Heritage 9 Transport 10 Demographics 10.1 Languages 11 Cultu re 11.1 Food 11.2 Famous people 12 Education 12.1 Universities and colleges 13 Media and communication 14 State profile 15 See also 16 Notes 17 References 18 External linksHistory Main article: History of Himachal PradeshThe history of the area that now constitutes Himachal Pradesh dates back to the time when the Indus valley civilisation flourished between 2250 and 1750 BCE.[7] Tribes such as the Koilis, Halis, Dagis, Dhaugris, Dasa, Khasas, Kinnars and Kirats inhabited the region from pre-historic era. During the Vedic period, several small republics known as â€Å"Janapada† existed which were later conquered by the Gupta Empire. After a brief period of supremacy by King Harshavardhana, the region was once again divided into several local powers headed by chieftains, including some Rajput principalities.These kingdoms enjoyed a large degree of independence and were invaded by Delhi Sultanate a number of times. Mahmud Ghaznavi conquered Kangra at the beginning of the 10th ce ntury. Timur and Sikander Lodi also marched through the lower hills of the state and captured a number of forts and fought many  battles. Several hill states acknowledged Mughal suzerainty and paid regular tribute to the Mughals. Sansar Chand (c.1765–1823)The Gurkhas, a martial tribe, came to power in Nepal in the year 1768. They consolidated their military power and began to expand their territory. Gradually the Gorkhas annexed Sirmour and Shimla. With the leadership of Amar Singh Thapa, Gorkhas laid siege to Kangra. They managed to defeat Sansar Chand Katoch, the ruler of Kangra, in 1806 with the help of many provincial chiefs. However Gorkhas could not capture Kangra fort which came under Maharaja Ranjeet Singh in 1809. After the defeat the Gorkhas began to expand towards the south of the state.However, Raja Ram Singh, Raja of Siba State managed to capture the fort of Siba from the remnants of Lahore Darbar in Samvat 1846, during the First Anglo-Sikh War. They came into direct conflict with the British along the tarai belt after which the British expelled them from the provinces of the Satluj. The British gradually emerged as the paramount power. In the revolt of 1857, or first Indian war of independence, arising from a number of grievances against the British, the people of the hill states were not as politically active as were those in other parts of the country. They and their rulers, with the exception of Bushahr, remained more or less inactive. Some, including the rulers of Chamba, Bilaspur, Bhagal and Dhami, rendered help to the British government during the revolt. Rock Cut Temple, MasroorThe British territories came under the British Crown after Queen Victoria's proclamation of 1858. The states of Chamba, Mandi and Bilaspur made good progress in many fields during the British rule.[7] During World War I, virtually all rulers of the hill states remained loyal and contributed to the British war effort, both in the form of men and materials. A mong these were the states of Kangra, Jaswan, Datarpur, Guler, Nurpur, Chamba, Suket, Mandi and Bilaspur.After independence the Chief Commissioner's Province of H.P. came into being on 15 April 1948 as a result of integration of 28 petty princely states (including feudatory princes and zaildars) in the promontories of the western Himalaya, known in full as the Simla Hills States & four Punjab southern hill States by issue of the Himachal Pradesh (Administration) Order, 1948 under Sections 3 & 4 of the Extra-Provincial Jurisdiction Act, 1947 (later renamed as the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1947 vide A.O. of 1950). The State of Bilaspur was merged in the Himachal Pradesh on 1 April 1954 by the Himachal Pradesh and Bilaspur (New State) Act, 1954. Himachal became a part C state on 26 January 1950 with the implementation of the Constitution of India and the Lt. Governor was appointed. Legislative Assembly was elected in 1952.Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory on 1 November 1956. Fo llowing area of Punjab State namely Simla, Kangra, Kulu and Lahul and Spiti Districts, Nalagarh tehsil of Ambala District, Lohara, Amb and Una kanungo circles, some area of Santokhgarh kanungo circle and some other specified area of Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur District besides some parts of Dhar Kalan Kanungo circle of Pathankot tehsil of Gurdaspur District; were merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 November 1966 on enactment of Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 by the Parliament. On 18 December 1970, the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and the new state came into being on 25 January 1971. Thus Himachal emerged as the eighteenth state of the Indian Union.Geography and climateMain article: Geography of Himachal Pradesh Key Gompa with Spiti River flowing behind. A summer view of Khajjiar. Climate Temperature [citation needed] †¢ Avg. Winter 7  °C (45  °F) †¢ Avg. Summer 28  °C (82  °F) Precipitation 1,469 mm (57.8 in) Asian Paradise Flycatcher in Kullu Himalyan Monal at Birds Park in ShimlaHimachal is situated in the western Himalayas. Covering an area of 55,673 kilometres (34,594 mi),[3] it is a mountainous state with elevation ranging from about 350 metres (1,148 ft) to 7,000 metres (22,966 ft) above the sea level.The drainage system of Himachal is composed both of rivers and glaciers. Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire mountain chain. Himachal Pradesh provides water to both the Indus and Ganges basins.[10] The drainage systems of the region are the Chandra Bhaga or the Chenab, the Ravi, the Beas, the Sutlej and the Yamuna. These rivers are perennial and are fed by snow and rainfall. They are protected by an extensive cover of natural vegetation.There is great variation in the climatic conditions of Himachal due to extreme variation in elevation. The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical in the southern tracts to cold, alpine and glacial in the northern and eastern mountain ranges with more elevation.[11] The stat e has areas like Dharamsala that receive very heavy rainfall, as well as those like Lahaul and Spiti that are cold and almost rainless.Broadly, Himachal experiences three seasons: Summer, Winter and rainy season. Summer lasts from mid April till the end of June and most parts become very hot (except in alpine zone which experiences a mild summer) with the average temperature ranging from 28  °C (82  °F) to 32  °C (90  °F). Winter lasts from late November till mid March. Snowfall is common in alpine tracts (generally above 2,200 metres (7,218 ft) i.e. in the Higher and Trans-Himalayan region). Flora and faunaMain article: Protected areas of Himachal PradeshAccording to 2003 Forest Survey of India report, legally defined forest areas constitute 66.52% of the area of Himachal Pradesh, although area under tree cover is only 25.78%.[12] Vegetation in the state is dictated by elevation and precipitation.The southern part of the state, at lower elevations than the north, has both t ropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.[12] These are represented by northwestern thorn scrub forests along the border with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and by Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests in the far southeast. Sal and shisham are found here.Rising into the hills, we find a mosaic of western Himalayan broadleaf forests and Himalayan subtropical pine forests. Various deciduous and evergreen oaks live in the broadleaf forests, while Chir pine dominates the pine forests. Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests grow near treeline, with species that include East Himalayan Fir, West Himalayan Spruce, Deodar (State tree), and Blue pine.The uppermost elevations have western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in the northeast and northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows in the northwest. Trees are sturdy with a vast network of roots. Alders, birches, rhododendrons and moist alpine shrubs are there as the reg ional vegetation. The rhododendrons can be seen along the hillsides around Shimla from March to May. The shrublands and meadows give way to rock and ice around the highest peaks.Himachal is also said to be the fruit bowl of the country with orchards scattered all over the place. Meadows and pastures are also seen clinging to steep slopes. After the winter season, the hillsides and orchards bloom with wild flowers, while gladiolas, carnations, marigolds,[13] roses, chrysanthemums, tulips and lilies are carefully cultivated. The state government is gearing up to make Himachal Pradesh as the flower basket of the world.Himachal Pradesh has around 1200 bird and 359 animal species, including the leopard, snow leopard (State animal), ghoral, musk deer and Western Tragopan.[citation needed] It has 2 major national parks and sanctuaries — the largest number in the Himalayan region. The Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district was created to conserve the flora and fauna of the m ain Himalayan range, while the Pin Valley National Park to conserve the flora and fauna of the cold desert. SubdivisionsMain article: List of districts of Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is divided into 12 districts namely, Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi, Bilaspur, Una, Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti, Sirmaur, Kinnaur, Kullu, Solan and Shimla. The state capital is Shimla which was formerly British India's summer capital under the name Simla.A district of Himachal Pradesh is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner or District Magistrate, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. The district magistrate or the deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to Himachal Administrative Service and other Himachal state services. Each district is subdivided into Sub-Divisions, governed by a sub-divisional magistrate, and again into Blocks. Blocks consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. A Superintendent of Polic e, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Himachal Police Service and other Himachal Police officials.GovernmentMain article: Government of Himachal Pradesh Town Hall in Shimla.The Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh has no pre-Constitution history. The State itself is a post-Independence creation. It came into being as a centrally administered territory on 15 April 1948 from the integration of thirty erstwhile princely states.Himachal Pradesh is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Universal suffrage is granted to residents. The legislature consists of elected members and special office bearers such as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker who are elected by the members. Assembly meetings are presided over by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker in th e Speaker's absence. The judiciary is composed of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and a system of lower courts. Executive authority is vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, although the titular head of government is the Governor.The Governor is the head of state appointed by the President of India. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly  is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers reports to the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is unicameral with 68 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).[15] Terms of office run for 5 years, unless the Assembly is dissolved prior to the completion of the term. Auxiliary authorities known as panchayats, for which local body elections are regularly held, govern local affairs.Governments have seen alternates between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and In dian National Congress (INC), no third front ever has become significant. In 2003, the state legislative assembly was won by the Indian National Congress and Virbhadra Singh was elected as the chief minister of the state. In the assembly elections held in December 2007, the BJP secured a landslide victory. The BJP won 41 of the 68 seats while the Congress won only 23 of the 68 seats. BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal was sworn in as Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on 30 December 2007.In the assembly elections held in November 2012, the Congress secured an absolute majority.[16] The Congress won 36 of the 68 seats while the BJP won only 26 of the 68 seats. Virbhadra Singh was sworn-in as Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister for a record sixth term in Shimla on 25 December 2012. Virbhadra Singh who has held the top office in Himachal five times in the past, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Urmila Singh at an open ceremony at the historic Ridge Maidan in Shimla.[17] Ch ief Ministers of Himachal PradeshYS+Parmar.jpg Thakur Ram Lal.jpg Virbhadra Singh HP.jpg Main article: List of Chief Ministers of Himachal PradeshYashwant Singh Parmar Thakur Ram Lal Shanta Kumar Virbhadra Singh Prem Kumar Dhumal Virbhadra SinghAgriculture Himalayas from Kullu ValleyAgriculture contributes nearly 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income as well as employment in Himachal. About 93% of the state population depends directly upon agriculture.However, agriculture in the state suffers from certain limitations, especially in the production of food grains. One of these reasons is that the area under cultivation can't be extended to an appreciable extent. Also, reclamation of land on slopes is not economical and increases environmental degradation. The state can profit more by cultivating cash crops as per the agro-climatic conditions.The main cereals grown in the state are wheat, maize, rice and barley. Kangra, Mandi and the Paonta valley of Si rmaur (to some extent) are the major producers of the first three cereals, while barley is mostly cultivated in Shimla.Though the state is deficient in food grains, it has gained a lot in other spheres of agricultural production such as seed potato, ginger, vegetables, vegetable seeds, mushrooms, chicory seeds, hops, olives and fig. Seed potato is mostly grown in the Shimla, Kullu and Lahaul areas. Special efforts are being made to promote cultivation of crops like olives, figs, hops, mushrooms, flowers, pistachio nuts, sarda melon and saffron.Fruit cultivation has also proved to be an economic boon. There are huge tracts of land suitable only for growing fruits. Fruit of all cultivation does not add to the problem of soil erosion and its employment potential is more than conventional farming. The yield per acre in terms of income is also much higher. Apple farming produces the maximum income. Fruit growing in the state is fetching over INR300 crore annually.Land husbandry initiativ es such as the Mid-Himalayan Watershed DevelopmentProject, which includes the Himachal Pradesh Reforestation Project (HPRP), the world’s largest clean development mechanism (CDM) undertaking, have improved agricultural yields and productivity, and raised rural household incomes.[18] EconomyMain article: Economy of Himachal Pradesh Gross State Domestic Product at Current Prices figures in millions of Indian Rupees Year Gross State Domestic Product1980 7,940 1985 13,720 1990 28,150 1995 66,980 2000 135,900 2005 230,240 2007 254,350The era of planning in Himachal Pradesh started 1948 along with the rest of India. The first five-year plan allocated INR5.27 crore to Himachal. More than 50% of this expenditure was incurred on road construction since it was felt that without proper transport facilities, the process of planning and development could not be carried to the people, who mostly lived an isolated existence in far away areas. Himachal now ranks fourth in respect of per capi ta income among the states of the Indian Union.Agriculture contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment in Himachal. Over 93% of the population in Himachal depends directly upon agriculture which provides direct employment to 71% of its people. The main cereals grown are wheat, maize, rice and barley.Hydro Power is also one of the major source of income generation for the State.[19] Identified Hydroelectric Potential for the state is 23,000.43 MW in five rivers basins[20] i.e. (Yamuna, Satluj, Beas, Ravi and Chenab). HeritageHimachal has a rich heritage of handicrafts. These include woolen and pashmina shawls, carpets, silver and metal ware, embroidered chappals, grass shoes, Kangra and Gompa style paintings, wood work, horse-hair bangles, wooden and metal utensils and various other house hold items. These aesthetic and tasteful handicrafts declined under competition from machine made goods and also because of lack of marketi ng facilities. But now the demand for handicrafts has increased within and outside the country.Himachal is extremely rich in hydro electric resources. The state has about 25% of the national potential in this respect. It has been estimated that about 20,300MW of hydro electric power can be generated in the State by constructing various major, medium, small and mini/micro hydel projects on the five river basins. The state is also the first state in India to achieve the goal of having a bank account for every family.[citation needed] As per the current prices, the total GDP was estimated at INR25,435 crore as against INR23,024 crore in the year 2004–05, showing an increase of 10.5%.[21] TransportMain article: Transport in Himachal Pradesh Kalka-Shimla RailwayAir:State has three domestic airports in Shimla, Kullu and Kangra districts The air routes connect the state with Delhi and Chandigarh. Shimla Airport, which is around 21 km in west of city.Bhuntar Airport is in Kullu distr ict around 10 km away from district headquarter. Gaggal Airport is in Kangra district which is aorund 10 km from Kangra and 23 km from Dharamsala.Railway:Himachal is famous for its narrow gauge tracks railways, one is UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla Railway and another one is Pathankot–Jogindernagar. Total length of these two tracks is 259 km. Kalka-Shimla Railway track is  passes through lot of tunnels while Pathankot–Jogindernagar gently meanders through a maze of hills and valleys. It also has standard gauge railway track which connect Amb (Una district) to Delhi. Survey is being conducted to extend this railway line to Kangra (via Nadaun). Another proposed railway tracks in state are Baddi-Bilaspur, Dharamsala-Palampur and Bilaspur-Manali-Leh.Road:Roads are the major mode of transport in the hilly terrains. The state has road network of 28,208 km (17,528 mi),[22] including eight National Highways (NH) that constitute 1,234 km (767 mi) and 19 State Highways wit h total length of 1,625 km.[22] Some roads get closed during winter and monsoon seasons due to snowfall and landslides. It is quite interesting that Hamirpur, has got the highest road density in the country.[23] DemographicsTraditional home, Manali [show]Population Growth [show]Literacy RateHimachal Pradesh has a total population of 6,856,509 including 3,473,892 males and 3,382,617 females as per the provisional results of the Census of India 2011. This is only 0.57 per cent of India's total population, recording a growth of 12.81 per cent. Total fertility rate (TFR) per woman is 1.8 which is one of lowest in India.Himachal Pradesh has a literacy rate of 83.78 per cent and gender ratio at 974/1000, according to the 2011 Census figures.Census-wise, the state is placed 21st on the population chart followed by Tripura at 22nd place. Kangra district was top ranked with a population strength of 1,507,223 (21.98%), Mandi district 999,518 (14.58%), Shimla district 813,384 (11.86%), Solan d istrict 576,670 (8.41%), Sirmaur district 530,164 (7.73%), Una district 521,057 (7.60%), Chamba district 518,844 (7.57%), Hamirpur district 454,293 (6.63%), Kullu district 437,474 (6.38%),  Bilaspur district 382,056 (5.57%), Kinnaur district 84,298 (1.23%) and Lahaul Spiti 31,528 (0.46%).The main communities are Rajputs, Rathis, Brahmins and Ghirth. The Ghirth (choudhary) community is found mainly in Kangra District. Himachal has a sizeable population of Tibetans. Himachal Pradesh has the one of the highest proportion of Hindu population in India (95%). Other religions that form a small percentage are Buddhism and Sikhism. The Lahaulis of Lahaul and Spiti region are mainly Buddhists. Sikhs mostly live in towns and cities and constitute 1.23% of the state population.For example they form 10% of the population in Una District adjoining the state of Punjab and 17% in Shimla, the state capital. The Buddhists are mainly natives and tribals from Lahaul and Spiti, where they form majorit y of 60% and Kinnaur where they form 40%, however the bulk are refugees from Tibet.[25] The Muslims constitute slightly 1.63% of the population of Himachal Pradesh.The life expectancy at birth in Himachal Pradesh is 62.8 years (higher than the national average of 57.7 years) for 1986–1990. The infant mortality rate stood at 40 in 2010 and crude birth rate has declined from 37.3 in 1971 to 16.9 in 2010, below the national average of 26.5 in 1998. The crude death rate was 6.9 in 2010. Himachal Pradesh's literacy rate grew by 34.65% between 1981 and 2001.LanguagesHindi is both the official language and the lingua franca of Himachal Pradesh. However, much of the population speaks Pahari, which includes nearly all Western Pahari dialects. Medium of education in schools and colleges is Hindi, Punjabi, and English.CultureMain article: Culture of Himachal Pradesh `Kullu Dussehra festival The village of Nako in Kinnaur, Himachal PradeshHimachal was one of the few states that had remai ned largely untouched by external customs, largely due to its difficult terrain. With the technological advancements the state has changed very rapidly. It is a  multireligional, multicultural as well as multilingual state like other Indian states. Some of the most commonly spoken languages includes Hindi, Pahari, Dogri, Mandeali Kangri, Mandyali, Gojri and Kinnauri. The caste communities residing in Himachal include the Brahmins, Rajputs, Gujjars, Gaddis, Ghirth (choudhary), Kannets, Rathis and Kolis, Sood There are tribal populations in the state which mainly comprise Kinnars, Pangawals, Sulehria, and Lahaulis.The state is well known for its handicrafts. The carpets, leather works, shawls, metalware, woodwork and paintings are worth appreciating. Pashmina shawls are a product that is highly in demand in Himachal and all over the country. Himachali caps are famous art work of the people. Extreme cold winters of Himachal necessitated wool weaving. Nearly every household in Himacha l owns a pit-loom. Wool is considered as pure and is used as a ritual cloth. The well-known woven object is the shawl, ranging from fine pashmina to the coarse desar. Kullu is famous for its shawls with striking patterns and vibrant colours. Kangra and Dharamshala are famous for Kangra miniature paintings.Local music and dance reflect the cultural identity of the state. Through their dance and music, they entreat their gods during local festivals and other special occasions. Apart from the fairs and festivals that are celebrated all over India, there are number of other fairs and festivals that are of great significance to Himachal Pradesh.Shimla, the state capital, is home to Asia's only natural ice skating rink.FoodThe day to day diet of Himachalis is though similar to the rest of north India but is unique for its taste and ingredients used. They have lentil, rice, and vegetables. The rotis (breads) are made of flours like wheat and maze. Some of the specialties of the Himachali c uisine include Mandra, Maahni, Batt, Mitha Saloona, Bhujju, Saag, Palda, Redhu, chouck, bhagjery, jhoul,siddu/batooru, beduan, chutney, khatti dal, etc. Famous peopleProminent people associated with Himachal include The Great Khali, Anupam Kher, Amrish Puri (who studied here), Prem Chopra (brought up here), Mohit Chauhan, Anand Sharma (member of Rajya Sabha and Union Cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry of the Government of India), Third Supreme Court Chief-Justice and former Prime Minister of Kashmir in 1947 Mehr Chand Mahajan, economist and former vice-president of World Bank Shahid Javed Burki, NSG Commando, Pritam Singh, Bollywood actresses Preity Zinta is the brand ambassador of the state while other famous people from Hindi cinema are Kangna Ranaut, Hollywood actress Namrata Singh Gujral, Satyananda Stokes who introduced the company â€Å"apple† in the region, writer Idries Shah, ornithologist Allan Octavian Hume (had his home here); former general of Pakistan Muh ammad Zia-ul-Haq and current president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai who both studied here.Vijay Kumar won silver medal in 25m shooting in 2012 Summer Olympics belong to village Harsore near Barsar in Hamirpur district. EducationMain articles: Education in Himachal Pradesh and List of institutions of higher education in Himachal Pradesh Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital at ShimlaIndian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, (Admin block)Himachal Pradesh has one of the highest literacy rates in India next to Kerala.[31] Hamirpur District is among the top districts in the country for literacy.[31] Education rates among women are quite encouraging in the state.[31] The standard of education in the state has reached a considerably high level as compared to other states in India[31] with several reputed educational institutes for higher studies.The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Himachal Pradesh University Shimla, Institute of Hima layan Bioresource Technology (IHBT, CSIR Lab), Palampur, the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, the Central University Dharamshala, the Baddi University of Emerging Sciences and Technologies Baddi, the Jaypee University of Information Technology Waknaghat, Eternal University, Sirmaur & Chitkara University Solan are some of the pioneer  universities in the state.CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalya Palampur is one of the most renowned hill agriculture institutes in world. Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has earned a unique distinction in India for imparting teaching, research and extension education in horticulture, forestry and allied disciplines. Further, state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College started in 2006 at Sundernagar is an important milestone in higher technical education in the state.The state government is working constantly to prepare plans and projects to strengthen the education system. The state gove rnment decided to start three nursing colleges to develop the health system.There are over 10,000 primary schools, 1,000 secondary schools and more than 1,300 high schools in Himachal. The state government has decided to start three major nursing colleges to develop the health system in the state.[31] In meeting the constitutional obligation to make primary education compulsory, Himachal has became the first state in India to make elementary education accessible to every child.The state has Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Homoeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Kumarhatti. Besides that there is Himachal Dental College which is the state's first recognised dental institute

College Isn’t for Everyone

The words â€Å"You can’t†, have been apart of my mind set since day one. I was always told that it isn’t possible for me to be as smart as my sister, or on the same level of my brother who is special needs. I was always in the in between, but the main reason I am striving for success is because I know I can and even though at times I don’t think college is for me, I know I can achieve anything I set my mind to. In less than three years I will have a whole new life started for myself, all because I made it possible for myself to receive a college degree and start the perfect life full of success, money and happiness.Throughout W. J Reeves â€Å"College Isn’t For Everyone†, he point outs many topics that I believe effects me personally but also my peers. Attendance, happens to be one of them. If you don’t give your classes the time needed, you begin to slack in every way possible. â€Å"After four years, the bad habits of not being on time and attending sporadically have become second nature. Such habits are unlikely to make for a very productive worker†.In all honesty, this is one of the main things that I have problems with, because of health issues and the thirty minute drive to class sometimes I believe it isn’t worth it. But almost 99% of the time it is worth it, for all I know missing a class could end in my failing the class cause I missed certain notes or a quiz. With that in mind, referring back to â€Å"College Isn’t For Everyone† Reeves says â€Å"It is hard to be a productive worker if one appears occasionally, yet token appearances, sometime just cameos, are tolerated in college†.I believe if I make the effort to not miss class then I’m not wasting my education or money, I’m making it possible for the life I want three years from now. Experiencing college so far at community college has been everything I expected but so much better. I take pride in tell ing others I am a college student, because it shows that I have the initiative to strive for higher education to become the woman I want to be and have the life I dream of. With having only a day or two to socialize and spend time with friends, school has been my main priority.Which includes less time on my phone texting, or any social media sites. This relates back to Margaret Soltan’s essay â€Å"Better Living Through Consciousness: Why You Should Take Your College Education Seriously†, she discusses how technology should be limited to reduce distraction of students. She wrote â€Å"Students are gazing at all manner of stuff on their laptops (and in doing so distracting those students trying to pay attention to the front of the room); professors are staring down at their PowerPoint slides and reading the words on them aloud.In some classrooms, professors report that groups of students are gathering in various corners to watch films together on someone’s scree n while the professor attempts to lecture†. Many students use technology whether it’s a laptop, cell phone or IPad almost every class period you will find at least one student on a device. College depends on the amount of time and effort you put into it, I recently examined the amount of time I spend on work, school and the free time I do have.According to my time blog, I spent 8 hours working, 12 hours studying or doing school related things, and my free time was limited to sleeping. In total I spent 20 hours out of those two days working, studying or sleeping. With that in mind, my determination to be as successful as possible shines through, even with some struggles along the way. I truly believe success comes from your desire to be successful. As long as your mind is right about the life and future you have planned out then that dream can come true with a few dozen essays, a few math tests, maybe some biology labs too.But in today’s society a high school dipl oma can get you a job as good as a waitress at a restaurant, not a Oncology Nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The reason behind me attending college is because I want to have my dream job of being a nurse at night, a stay at home mom during the day and the money and happiness to have the lifestyle I had growing up. According to Margaret Soltan’s; Better Living Through Conciousness, â€Å"All brains eventually fade, but we shouldn’t, before our time, collude in that fading.We should cultivate the highest forms of consciousness that we can, while we can (Soltan). To me, I believe that if I’m not giving something my all from the beginning then there is no point in my doing it. I believe by sitting in this classroom today, I am saying yes to my education and to my future. Also in one of W. J Reeves articles, he says, â€Å"that 70% of the workers in the coming decades will not need a four-year college degree, but, rather, an associate degree from a community college or some type of technical certificate (Reeves).I have never been more shocked by a statement in my life, with this many people won’t have to say yes to their education for four years but two which might strike people to want to further there knowledge NEED HELP ON CONCLUSION! Works Cited Reeves, W. J. â€Å" College Isn’t for Everyone. † USA Today. CBS Interactive, 01 May 2003. Web. 29, Feb 2012. Soltan, Margaret. â€Å"Better Living through Consciousness: Why You Should Take Your College Education Seriously. † Inside Higher Ed. (2008): Web. 29 Feb. 2012.

Planning and Controlling Direct Labor Costs Essay

Planning and Controlling Direct Labor Costs - Essay Example In the current competitive business environment, companies that cannot afford to charge low prices on their products are likely to be excluded from markets. In this regard, cost cutting allows firms to employ low pricing strategy and still make profits (Burns, Quinn, Warren & Oliveira, 2013). Business costs come in many forms. As noted by Burn et al. (2013), manufacturing companies incur expenses in acquisition of raw material and labour among other things. Sometimes it is not easy to assess the value contributed to the company’s product or service by the expenses incurred. According to Burn et al. (2013), many firms find it hard to assess actual contribution of their employees to their products. In this regard, planning and control of direct labour costs is one of the most challenging tasks for businesses. This paper discusses direct labour costs in relation to a soda ash mining company called Tata Chemicals Magadi. Importance of the study Tata Chemicals Magadi has been exper iencing financial difficulties in the recent years. As a result, the company hired an expatriate in May this year to help streamline its operations. After analysing the company’s operations, Paul Patterson (the expatriate) asserted that the Magadi’s financial problems were mainly caused by poor planning and control of labour costs. He therefore proposed a plan to improve labour efficiency. He took office in July 2013 but his progress has never been assessed until today. This study aims at determining the extent to which Patterson has been successful in streamlining the company’s direct labour costs. The specific objectives include: (1) determining actual contribution of individual employees to product output in the months of September, October and November. (2) Reconciling variances and providing information that will help the company to properly plan and control its direct labour costs. (3) Enhancing maximum output from employees. Analysis Direct labour cost co mprises of human resource expenses that goes directly to processing of products or provision of services (Horngren, Datar & Foster, 2003). In a manufacturing set up, direct labour cost would be the expenses incurred in form payment of wages and other benefits to employees who are directly involved in product manufacturing (Horngren, Datar & Foster, 2003). In this regard, as pointed out by Horngren et al. (2003), benefits may range from house allowance, transport allowance, medical cover, social security contribution and workmen’s compensation insurance among other things. This excludes labour expenses related to administrative functions such as accounting, human resources and purchases departments. Some functions in manufacturing department such as supervision and other overhead costs are not part of direct labour costs (Horngren et al., 2003). Tata Chemicals Magadi mines and dries soda ash from Lake Magadi before packaging and transporting to the market. In this case, direct labour costs comprise of wages and other benefits enjoyed by employees who are directly involved in mining and drying of soda ash. There are seven plant operators in charge of mining machines and 22 in charge of driers. In addition, there are 6 drivers who operate tracks that transport wet ash from the lake to the drying plants 4 in charge of front-end loaders at mining

See the description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See the description - Essay Example It is through these processes that the supply chain gets completed and helps to meet the demand of the consumer. When managed properly these stages help the firm to minimize costs and maximize profits. Firms like United Price Service (UPS) and FedEx are a very important part of the supply scale. They are a vital component in the distribution of products and services of a firm and help to contribute to supply chain improvements. Supply chain improvement is required for the better functioning of the firm as it helps them to stabilize their costs and satisfy their consumers. Some important areas in the supply chain improvement are: process, measurement, information management and technology (http://www.intercai.co.uk/library/pdf/supply_chain.pdf). For this the factors important are the velocity by which the supply chain functions to transport the end product to the consumers. Also what is important is that the product reaching the consumer is correct and meets the customer’s needs on time. UPS, which has been in existence since 1907, is one of the largest package delivery firms in the world with regular access to around 200 countries in the world. Similarly FedEx is another huge distributor business and again one of the leading firms in the business. Such transporting businesses not only play an important role in package delivery for people, but they also act as a medium of delivery for huge firms which use such transportation companies to deliver their products to customers anywhere with maximum speed. This is an extremely vital component in the supply chain of any firm which wishes to maximize its access areas and profits. These firms also provide many IT services to both the firms and the consumers. One of the major services is transportation. Any person anywhere in the world can buy products of any multinational company; like laptops, printers, cell phones, etc. and have them delivered at his/her

Strategic Sourcing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Sourcing - Assignment Example For instance, fluctuation of prices and global crisis are factors that create a lot of problems to running of companies via sourcing. Owing to this fact, employee and customer satisfaction are as well evident. From the article Boeing Faster, faster, faster in The Economist magazine, it is evident that most supplying companies show tendencies of consistently failing their customers. This result to demand for production services overwhelming many sourcing companies hence customers cancellation of business deals. This theme of in-sourcing is also evident in the article below: As much as outsourcing helps in saving on costs, it is associated with a lot of challenges which attributes the sourcing companies being unreliable. According to Wagner, & Boutellier (2002), small firms in the US lose the chance for supplier savings beyond $134 billion as a result of insufficient sourcing capabilities. It is thus evident that strategic sourcing is based on two factors which include operational and structural risks. On the operational risks, there are beneficial factors like price upgrading, cycle time reduction, upgraded inventory returns, transaction decrease, elevated services heights, inventory decrease and upgraded quality programs. On the structural risks, there are factors that include advanced profits, viable positioning, advanced reactions period to market state, employment of seller capability, outsourcing probability and authentic partnering with sellers. In order to ensure that companies receive great services, it is comparatively better to in source prod ucts and services. This will guarantee swift production and customer satisfaction at all times. This alternative however, limits the companies from obtaining diversified services and at times may be expensive to manage. There are some products/services that cannot be readily available within the company. Therefore, this implies that, companies may still find the

Prokaryotuc and eukarytotic cell & endocrine and exocine glands Essay

Prokaryotuc and eukarytotic cell & endocrine and exocine glands - Essay Example Prokaryotic organisms like bacteria have cell walls that have peptidoglycan. Bacteria are unique organisms that have this material inside their cell walls and no any other organism has this material. Some of the eukaryotic cells have cell walls for example eukaryotic animal cells do not have cell walls while eukaryotic plant cells as well as fungi have cell walls that consist of cellulose and chitin (Black 93). Prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus but there is a central nuclear region. In addition, prokaryotes also have a single molecule of DNA that is circular in shape. Nucleus is the most important and unique part of eukaryotic cells and maximum DNA of the cell is present in the nucleus and multiple molecules are present (Campbell and Farrell 16). In prokaryotes, DNA is located in the nuclear region that does not have any membrane while in eukaryotes DNA is enclosed in Nucleus covered by nuclear envelope (Black 80). Eukaryotic organisms are bigger in size as compared to prokaryotic org anisms for example eukaryotic organisms consist of size from1 micrometer to 1 millimeter while prokaryotic organism consists of size from 1 to 10 micrometers. Eukaryotic animals have centrioles and centrosome while eukaryotic plants, fungi, algae and prokaryotic organisms do not have centrioles and centrosome. ... example, all eukaryotic cells have mitochondria except oddball parasites and all eukaryotic plants have chloroplasts that help in the food making process with the help of photosynthesis (Campbell and Farrell 19). Binary fission is the cell division process in prokaryotes while in eukaryotes, cells divide through mitosis and meiosis. Prokaryotic cells divide by asexual reproduction but eukaryotes divide by asexual as well as sexual reproduction (Black 80). Prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes can be autotrophic (generating food themselves) as well as heterotrophic (getting food from other sources). Examples of prokaryotes are bacteria while plants and animals can be taken as examples of eukaryotes. Autotrophic prokaryotes are photosynthetic (who make organic food using energy from sunlight) as well as chemosynthetic (who make organic food using energy from inorganic chemicals) while eukaryotes are photosynthetic but not chemosynthetic (Black 81). Difference between Endocrine and Exocrine Glands Human body consists of two types of glands that are endocrine and exocrine. Endocrine system contains glands that are responsible for discharging their secretions. Endocrine glands are responsible for discharging their secretions within the body while exocrine glands secrete on the body surface. The secretions that are secreted by the glands are the hormones (Clark 229). There are number of hormones that move from here to there in the body in the flow of blood. Level of hormones is influenced due to minerals in the blood, stress, infection in the body and misbalance in the fluid. Both exocrine glands and endocrine glands are formed from epithelial tissue (Clark 229). Exocrine glands secrete with the support of ducts while in endocrine glands, no distinct ducts are present for

Unix Vs. Windows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unix Vs. Windows - Essay Example operating system to be used by complete novices (as a result of the ease of operation and the simple user interfaces), Microsoft has also forged partnerships with many big and small PC manufacturers, thereby ensuring that the operating system is shipped along with the PCs that consumers purchase (Jeurguen Haas, 2005). However, UNIX (as also its various versions) continues to be the preferred choice of programmers and software developers in the case of network programming. This is due to the fact that UNIX offers ready-to-use libraries that facilitate the use of direct networking features such as sockets, semaphores and pipes. In windows however, the user is encapsulated from all such features, thereby denying them flexibility at the core programming level. This, according to them, is due to the fact that the operating system offers additional advanced capabilities when compared to Windows (Jeurguen Haas, 2005). One of the most versatile features of UNIX is the fact that the operating system can be installed on numerous machines consisting of different architectures (be it cluster or distributed architectures). Moreover, unlike window, which is a PC based OS; UNIX can be installed on supercomputers and mainframes with a minimal change of configuration alone (KernelThread, 2006). Another problem that continues to plague windows is the constant occurrence of system breakdowns and frequent hang-ups, while such a problem has been found to have lesser frequency of occurrence in the case of UNIX. As such, a UNIX machine requires less network administration and maintenance. UNIX also offers a greater processing power and is found to have solutions for distributed environments as well. The above points do not mean that windows do not provide networking solutions. The upper advantage of UNIX over windows based solutions lies in the fact that in order to operate across a network using windows, one would have to usually install additional software in order to communicate

Reading Response Questions for One.Life 8 & 9 Essay

Reading Response Questions for One.Life 8 & 9 - Essay Example In my view, the church is the perfect place to worship and pray. In addition, the church makes Christians have the desire to know more about the old devotional traditions of the Christian faith, and to become fully engaged in their renaissance today. There are various strengths and weaknesses in the church. Some of the strengths include the church enabling people explore how Jesus Christ prayed, how various denominations pray (Orthodox Christians, Anglicans and Roman Catholics) and how the Psalms teach Christians to pray. Other strengths of the church is empowering believers and making them understand that praying as a church is an important part of spiritual formation. The main weakness of the church is incorporating modernity into worship whereby God is no longer given the due respect as He was being given in the early church during the time of apostles of Christ. If I were in the capacity to change, I would ensure that every single believer follows the word of God to later, remaining holy since God is Holy. Chapter 9 of the book covers the life that believers lead in their ministry of serving God. According to the chapter, believers need to live a committed and dedicated life; however, they later get it hard to maintain the committed life (McKnight, 2010). The main reason as to why believers fail to maintain the life is the mixing of money and possessions with the church. I agree with the chapter since it speaks of the practical life that believers face every day. The chapter strikes me when it introduces the issue of leading a committed life and mixing possession and money with the church; something that drifts believers (me, for that matter) away from Jesus. There are various reasons that make people find the committed life difficult to follow. Such reasons include peer pressure whereby a believer with non-believer friends would be swayed away. In addition, some people have the

Teenage Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Teenage Prostitution - Essay Example (India Today) The reasons why children work as prostitutes and why adults seek sexual favors from them, are multiple and interdependent. From information gathered during interviews with children, the following reasons seem most prevalent (Jain P & Kasturi 25) Almost all the girls interviewed mentioned poverty, lack of financial support from their parents and the need to eat and clothe themselves as reasons for getting involved in prostitution. Thus, in many ways, in addition to mere sexual exploitation, the children's poverty is exploited. Another way in which child prostitutes are victimised is their social exclusion and stigmatisation. Most girls become prostitutes to seek better living conditions and due to their desperate situation and/or lack of information -do not care about the consequences, which can include contracting STDs and HIV through unprotected sex. Child prostitution is also caused by changes from traditional values to those of a contemporary society. The consequences of rural to urban migration, and the subsequent reorientation of lifestyle can have far-reaching effects, most notably on the structure of the family. Fewer girls than boys enroll at school, and girls are more likely to drop out. For those who have the opportunity to go to school, conditions are basic and learning materials are in short supply. Many pupils have to travel long distances to get to the schools, which are overcrowded and under-equipped. Also, poverty and the need to contribute to the family's income often cause children to leave school to go to work instead. (Jain P & Kasturi 25) Because of their limited educational opportunities, many girls realise that their chances of obtaining good jobs are poor. Informal education and recreational opportunities are basically non-existent. All of these contribute to a lack of optimism with regard to the future (5) Social attitudes towards child prostitution Many girls testify to facing problems from their parents, their peers or members of the community because of the work they are doing. The social alienation can occur before the girls take up sex work. It is evident that the stigmatisation of the child who is vulnerable and at risk of getting involved in prostitution can be a factor in driving her towards prostitution. (6) Sexual abuse/violence and rape (7) Use of children as 'attractions' by owners and managers of bars, discotheques and restaurants Teenage prostitution is a growing phenomenon in the world. The reasons for this are multiple, but they include chronic family poverty owing to a lack of employment for adults and young persons; a breakdown in family support mechanisms; migration; gender inequality; and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Another contributory cause is the inadequacy of the education systems, which provide quality schooling for only a limited number of children. (India Today) Child prostitution is often dealt with exclusively as a form of child abuse. Although teen prostitututes

Polygamy and why people should be imprisioned Essay

Polygamy and why people should be imprisioned - Essay Example Current followers of polygamy, also called plural marriage or the Principle, as it is referred to by those who practice it must can only be understood within the context of its social and historical ties. We should be careful to note, however, that the history of any practice is irrelevant to understanding its importance as a religious practice. While history can help us understand polygamy as outsiders, those within the group would likely consider the historical context irrelevant to the religious importance of the practice. Whether we as outsiders think the practice is legitimately based on religious tenets or is recently "made-up" will not help us to understand the role that it plays. A forced marriage, in contrast, consists of imposing a partner on a girl or a young man, regardless of or even against their wishes. Young women can find themselves under threat of violence, even death, if they marry outside the community. Although of Pakistani ethnic origin, Nasreen Rafiq was a British citizen and Scottish domiciliary (Glasgow); prior to 1983, she had not been to Pakistan since she was six months old. In 1983 she was taken to Pakistan, ostensibly for a visit, by her father; until the very last minute the fourteen year old girl did not realize that the wedding preparations she witnessed at the house of her relatives in Pakistan were intended for her own marriage to her cousin. She objected to the marriage; during the ceremony itself she vigorously refused her consent. Nevertheless, she was "married" to her cousin and left in what was to her a foreign country whose language she did not speak, without friends or funds, totally dependent on her "husband" and his relati ves (who, although related to her, were strangers to her Forced marriages are an issue in Belgium too. As early as 1986, Jorgen Nielsen has noted that in Belgium "a more common problem than polygamy are cases of marriages forced on Moroccan girls to prevent them marrying a man of their own choice, especially if he is Belgian and non-Muslim". Young girls of Muslim origin have long been a central element of national integration and public health policies. It has been noted that in order to fight against violence and other forms of gender discrimination within the family, some Muslim girls in Belgium have devised strategies including the quoting of egalitarian Qur'anic verses to the father Consequently, polygamy can be given a kind of hidden approval. Any marriage that occurs after the recording of a first marriage in the civil register will obviously have no legal status, but since marriages do not actually have to be registered, contracting more than one cannot be considered illegal Emotional abusing In many cultures, women are the repositories of family honour, which makes them first victim if this honour is brought into question through allegations or actual violation by themselves or by their family members. The UN population fund estimates that about 5000 women are killed each year around the world through so called honour killing (Feminist.com, 2003) A study of female homicide in Egypt, revealed that 47% of all women killed were murdered by a relative after they had been raped (Side Bars, 2003). In parts of Ethiopia, families and communities use abduction and rape as a tool to take wives who risk being ostracised if they do not consent. Female

Poem Analysis- Robert Fross; Robert Browning; Anne Bradstreet Essay Example for Free

Poem Analysis- Robert Fross; Robert Browning; Anne Bradstreet Essay Robert Frost, â€Å"Out,Out—â€Å" 1. In line 15, Frost describes the saw as being sinister. He infers that the saw has a mind of its own, by stating that the saw jumped out of the boy’s hand and cut the boy’s hand terribly. Frost also makes it seem as if the saw is in a way, like a friend. He does this by demonstrating that using the saw is an advantage for the boy because it is making his job ten times easier. Without the saw, the boy would spend hours cutting through the wood. 2. In Frost’s poem, the people that surround the boy must be his family. It could also very much be friends, or members of his community, along with the doctor and nurses working on his injury. The tone of the poem leads me to conclude that the â€Å"they† in the poem weren’t very surprised or moved by the boy’s injury, or death, because this might have happened before, or they just didn’t care for the boy. 3. Frost’s reference to Macbeth’ contributes to my understanding of â€Å"Out, Out-â€Å"that this poem’s theme is about death. From the reference to Shakespeare play, Macbeth, I can expect read about someone dying, an unexpected death. In my opinion, the theme of this poem is the cruel, emotionless, merciless relationships adults had with their children back then in America. Children weren’t given the opportunity to enjoy their childhood. They had many responsibilities and tasks to fulfill. 4. Robert Frost’s â€Å"Out, Out-‘† resembles the medieval folk ballad, â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence,† in its theme. Both poems are relaying a message about death. In Frost’s poem, the boy acknowledges the fact that he is going to die when he realizes he is losing a lot of blood. In â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence,† the sailor realizes he is coming face to face with death when he reads the letter the king has sent to him. Both of the protagonists in the poems are on the verge of dying a sudden, unexpected death. Robert Browning, â€Å"My Last Duchess,† 1. Throughout the entire poem, it is almost impossible allocate who the Duke is addressing. Towards the end of the poem, lines 49-52, it is disclosed that the Duke is speaking to a servant, or worker of a Count. This specific Count seems to have the Duke interest, because he wants to marry the Count’s daughter. The Duke appears to be hosting some sort of gathering in his home. I inferred this from lines 47 and 48. 2. Throughout the poem, the Duke emphasizes on his last Duchess, kindness and flirtatious attitude. In the Duke’s opinion, and observance, the Duchess was easily impressed, and fulfilled. Everything and anything made her happy. She would always say thank you to anyone, and everyone that would bring her things, or do things for her. The Duke interprets the Duchess’ kindness, and mannered behavior as flirtatious, which leads to his distrust in her. Based on the Dukes description, the Duchess, in my eyes was a well mannered woman. She wasn’t mean, or sought herself above anyone. Which is how he, the Duke wanted her to act. He wished she’d be a greedier or unfulfilled character. 3. In lines 34-41, the Duke explains why he never sought to confront his Duchess on her behavior. He states he didn’t have the eloquent skills to do so. He claims that he didn’t posses the speech to confront her. â€Å"Who’d stoop to blame/This sort of trifling? Even had you skill/ In speech-(which I have not)-to make your will/† This in my opinion is a lame excuse. I believe that he was simply afraid of confrontation. The Duke also states that if he had confronted the Duchess on her behavior, she would have made an excuse for her actions. 4. From this poem, I conclude that the Duke himself murdered, or gave orders to murder his Duchess. There is no clear evidence to support this, but I believe it is a clear interpretation. The poet should have included the Duchess’ fate in the poem. It would leave little room to assume her fate. 5. Robert Browning makes a direct connection between the Duke’s art collection, and the attitude towards his wife. The Duke has the portrait of his wife; his last Duchess displayed in his home, behind a curtain. A curtain, which only he can draw back, or remove. In other words, he, the Duke, controls the Duchess; or he wishes to control his Duchess. The Duke wouldn’t want anyone to see the portrait of his Duchess, with her blushed cheeks, unless he was there. The same can be inferred from the last few lines of the poem, line 54-55, â€Å"Notice Neptune, though,/Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,/ Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!† The Duke is implying, that he himself is Neptune, and his last Duchess is the sea-horse. No one could have imagined that a sea-horse could be tamed, but Neptune achieved it. Identical to the way that the last Duchess herself was tamed. Adrienne Rich, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,† In her poem, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,† Adrienne is describing the protagonist’s feelings towards her marriage. In lines 9-10, the protagonist feels that she is a prisoner of her marriage, and will only be set free when she dies. The protagonist uses the tigers as a symbol of who she wished she could be. In the first stanza of the poem, Adrienne describes the tigers as being un-fearful of the men. A trait she wishes she possessed. Sharon Olds, â€Å"Rite of Passage,† 1. The speaker describes the first-grade boys at her son’s birthday party as men. Their behavior is pure imitation of the men they have been around. Her description of them is ironic, because how can first-graders realistically be grown men? She also uses the concept of violence a lot in the poem. 2. In the last two lines of the poem, the author compares the first-graders to generals, and states that they are playing war. This is ironic, because she is inferring how (grown) men glorify war. The first-graders are innocent and naà ¯ve to the truth behind war. They don’t understand the sadness, and deaths behind it. To them, it is a reason to celebrate and rejoice. What is even more ironic, are the lines prior to the last two lines of the poem. The speaker quotes what the little boy has said. In line 22, â€Å"We could easily kill a two-year-old†. Little boys should not be speaking of death. But just like (grown) man boost up their ego by feeling superior to others and educing violence, these first-graders are doing the same. 3. From line 15-20, the mother describes her son as being innocent. She paints her son to be better than the other first-graders, because she seeks him out to be more mature than they are. Throughout the rest of the poem, due to the speaker’s description of her son, it can be inferred that the speaker’s on is the leader of the group. He is the mediator; the peace maker. Suji Kwock Kim, â€Å"Monologue for an Onion,† 1. The tone of this poem is mocking, and judgmental. It implies that humans live their lives chasing false hopes; searching for a truth that does not exist. The poet symbolizes this by using the analogy of shaving an onion to get to its heart; searching for a heart that does not exist. It depicts that humans are hopeless, and helpless. Humans are viewed as lost creatures. The speaker expresses hostility towards the human. It begins to mock humans by describing them as an idiot, thirsty (to find the truth), soulless, foolish, and destined to die. The speaker does this by comparing how a human cuts an onion over and over again, even though the onion makes the cutter cry relentlessly. 2. In line two, â€Å"I mean nothing† is projected to be interpreted on two ways, â€Å"intend†, and â€Å"signify. The poet is saying that the onion’s intentions aren’t to make the â€Å"cutter/human† cry. As the onion is cut, it forces the cutter’s eyes to fill up with tears. A reaction that is not intended, but occurs automatically. The poet also uses the phrase â€Å"I mean nothing† to symbolize that the onion feels like it is no one. It feels as if it has no value, or meaning of existence. 3. If someone said this to me, it would prove how close-minded and naà ¯ve they are. Poems generally convey a meaning far beyond what the poem explicitly reads. In poetry, you must read between the lines to understand the underlying significance of the poem. The poet is using the analogy of an onion’s (chemical) reaction to a human’s tear ducts to deploy how foolish human beings can be, and are. Continuing to cut through an onion, knowing that the onion will force us to cry is foolish. This simple action is identical to human life. Human’s cut through life searching for a truth they never attain. 4. I personally feel that the author is trying to give everyone a wake-up call in this poem. Suji Kwock Kim is trying to give her readers a few words of wisdom. She is exploring, and revealing a new approach on how one should view the world. Trying to encourage her readers to refrain from what an onion cutter is doing: cutting away at life causing them harm. Anne Bradstreet, â€Å"The Author to Her Book† Anne Bradstreet’s poem, â€Å"The Author to Her Book† is a complex narrative concerning the conflicting emotions and thoughts an author can have for a piece of literature he or she has written. Through metaphor and personification, Bradstreet examines the similarities between being a parent and being an author. The love, discouragement, and fear that all come into play when something is going to be revealed to the world at large are present in both a parent and a writer. Metaphor is used to relate authorship to parenthood in order to convey to the reader the complex emotions the narrator is feeling about sending a book he or she wrote out into the world. As the narrator points out, â€Å"Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain†, drawing the parallel between the author and a parent and all of the complicated emotions that go with it (line 1). The narrator refers to the book-child as â€Å"My rambling brat†, revealing the negative side of the emotion (l ine 7). As a frustrated parent with a child who will not behave, so the narrator feels towards the book because it is not as perfect as he or she would want and the narrator sees this as a reflection upon the author, just as a parent would see a naughty child as a reflection on themselves. But later the narrator writes, â€Å"Yet being mine own †¦ affection would thy/Thy blemishes amend† demonstrating the conflicting emotions associated with love (lines 10-11). The metaphor of the book as a child reflects the conflicting emotions of the narrator as the book is seen as an extension of the narrator, just as a child is seen as a reflection of a parent. Personification of the book as a child creates empathy within the reader and makes it easier for the reader to relate to the anguish and love felt by the narrator. â€Å"I washed thy face† the narrator writes, speaking to the book, giving it life even as the book’s qualities as an inanimate object are examined (line 13). The narrator cares for the book’s presentation to the world just as a parent would care for the presentation of a child to the world. â€Å"I stretched thy joint to make thee even feet† the narrator writes, emphasizing the care needed for the book (line 15). The personification of the book and the metaphor of the book as a child work together to give the reader a full and complete understanding of the complex emotions felt by the narrator towards the book. The understanding needed and the guidance required to make the book the best possible so that it reflects well on the narrator is cast in light of parenthood and the ways in which a parents must care for and bring up a child. There is shame and the love that go along with an imperfect child, but it all is ultimately overshadowed by the pride felt in the final product.

Anaphylactic Shock Critical Care Case Study

Anaphylactic Shock Critical Care Case Study Introduction (200 Words) In this project a medical case is going to be studied deeply with literature support as a case study. My topic is about an anaphylactic shock that happened to patient in hospital while I was doing my clinical placement it is a very interesting case to be considered. An evidence-based information will be provided and identified such as: the definition, the symptoms, the diagnostic features and tests, the progress and the treatment and alternatives. The benefits behind studying a case is effectiveness of delivering the information. As stated by Davis and Wilcock, 2014 that it allows the application of theoretical concepts to be demonstrated and will encourage an active learning, increasing the student enjoyment and interest of the topic and their desire to learn and it also provide a developmental key in learning skills such as problem solving, communication and team work. It is an enjoyable and challenging way of studying filled with evidence-based practice that will enhance the level of doing researches and studies that will help in future studies. Nursing Assessment (300 words) The patient has been received in Accident Emergency in resuscitation room (RR). J.A.M 52 years old Bahraini female. The patient had an insect bite in that day while she was walking in public walking area, she stopped walking and itching occurred all over the body. While driving home after the insect bite the patient felt drowsy and hit another car near her house and loss consciousness. J.A.M was brought to the unit by 999 ambulance fully awake, well oriented, alert, afebrile, no respiratory difficulties, no complains of pain, skin is warm and dry, pallor and shivering with rash on the face gave history of feeling nauseated and vomited 4 times. Vital signs Checked and recorded Temperature 37.4C, Spo2 98%, Pulse 118/Minute, BP 145/43, HGT 7.6 Mmol/L. The skin was mainly involved representing pale colour and rash on the face, the cardiovascular system represents tachycardia, and the immune system is responsible for this reaction against the insect bite. The patient denies any chest pai n, denies shortness of breath, the patient is known case of dyslipidemia on tablet Lipitor, no other history of other illness, no history of surgery and no history of any allergy. The patient can handle the basics of activity daily living such as eating, bathing, toileting, dressing and she is able walk and get out of the bed but she is not able to perform certain activities such as food preparation, housekeeping and driving a car. After the acute symptoms have been treated the family should be given health education about how to prevent possible future allergic reaction and the importance of seeking help as quick as possible if they do not know how to deal with the situation. Physical examination was done for cardiovascular system representing chest is equal in shape, no bounding or heaving, no lifting with heartbeat. Upper lower extremities are normal in color and capillary refill within 3 seconds, skin is warm periphery with no edema. S1 is heard in all sites and S2 is heard all sites but louder at base and tachycardia observed. Skin is pale, dry, soft, warm. No edema, lesions or odor, good turgor, no signs of insect bite, rashes on face. Medical Diagnosis and other pertinent medical information (500 words) When received the patient the physician has requested ECG, blood tests as following: Full blood count, Cardiac enzymes, Liver function test, Electrolytes, serum, PT + APTT, ESR. Some of the results was not approved but most of the results were normal, this table shows the most important values and abnormal findings: Date Diagnostic Test Rationale Findings 12/11/14 Electrocardiography (ECG) Can be examined to detect dysrhythmias and alternations in conduction indicative of myocardial damage, enlargement of the heart or drug effects. (Kozier and Berman, 2012) The result is Normal valves, no vegetation observed, the heart produces rapid electrical signal, tachycardia. 12/11/14 Complete blood count (CBC) The CBC identifies the total number of blood cells (Leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets) as well as the haemoglobin, haematocrit (percentage of blood volume consisting of erythrocytes), and RBC indices. Because cellular morphology (shape and appearance of the cells) is particularly important in accurately diagnosing most hematologic disorders, the blood cells involved must be examined. (Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010) The results are normal except: WBC: 24.5 High. Platelet count: 536 High. Red cell size 20.6 High. Haemoglobin: 8.5 Low. Haematocrit: 0.27 Low. Mean cell volume, Hb, Haemoglobin Con are Low. Band forms: 15. 12/11/14 Fluid (Urea) Electrolytes Fluid and electrolyte balance is a dynamic process that is crucial for life and homeostasis. Potential and actual disorders of fluid and electrolyte balance occur in every setting, with every disorder, and with a variety of changes, that affect healthy people, (e.g., increased fluid and sodium loss with strenuous exercise and high environmental temperature, inadequate intake of fluid and electrolytes) as well as those who are ill. (Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010) Patient Fluid (Urea) electrolytes results are normal. 12/11/14 Serum Initial diagnostic test begin with serum laboratory studies, including but not limited to CBC, complete metabolic panel, prothrombin time/partial thromboplastic time, triglycerides, liver function tests, amylase, and lipase. Studies such as carcinoembrynoic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen (CA). (Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010) Liver function test are normal. Cardiac enzymes are normal. Creatinine is normal. The patient was diagnosed as having an anaphylactic shock, the case was chosen because it is very common and could happen to anyone by exposure to an allergen of any kind which is in this case an insect bite. The community may not be aware about how dangerous is developing a serious reaction from a small allergen such as insect bite. The statistics was not specified in Bahrain but in some countries worldwide: â€Å"Systemic allergic reactions to insect stings are reported by 0.3% to 7.5% of persons in the United States and Europe’’. (Ruà «ff et al., 2009) An anaphylactic reaction is an acute systematic hypersensitivity that occurs within seconds or minutes after exposure to an allergen or foreign substance. It is a result of the relationship between Antigen and Antibody, The immunoglobin E is the responsible for human allergic reaction. The person may have a hypersensitivity to the venoms of insects (hymenoptera), stings in any part of the body can trigger anaphylaxis . The signs and symptoms includes Itching, nasal congestion, chest tightness, wheezing, cyanosis, dyspnea, generalized itching over the body, urticarial, tacky or bradycardia, pallor, decreased blood pressure, circulatory failure leading to coma and death, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. (Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010) All the required tests has been done to the patient in RR except antibody screening which refers to a special protein that is found on the surface of RBC to check for RH positive or negative. (Mayoclinic.org, 2014) IV cannula inserted once received the patient, Injection Hydrocortisone 300mg IV given, Injection promethazine 50mg IV given, Injection adrenaline 0.5mg s/c given, Injection Ranitidine 50mg IV given. Patient put on Cardiac monitor, Dexamethasone 10mg IV given, old file requested, chest x-ray requested, Paracetamol 1g IV, changed the patient and kept clean, Injection rocephin 2g given on Right Arm. The physician advised to be kept on 1.5 litres of Normal Saline for 12 hours, 2-4 litres of Oxygen on nasal cannula, kept the patient covered with necessary blanket to keep her warm and comfortable. Impact of the condition on the patient’s Quality of Life (200 words) The patient may move on to anaphylaxis which is dangerous fatal stage thus the treatment did a great job in reducing this effect by using drugs such as: epinephrine (Adrenaline) which inhibits the mediator release from mast cell and basophils and protect the patient from upgrading to anaphylaxis. The hydrocortisone prevented relapse or protracted anaphylaxis. Lockey, 2014 states that the oxygen therapy will deliver the required oxygen to the patient which makes her comfortable. Promethazine will act on receptor as antihistamine which will reduce the itching and has a sedation effect will put the patient into more comfort. Ranitidine will prevent gastric acid secretion which reduces the nausea and vomiting. Rocephin is an antibiotic which inhibits the bacterial cell wall synthesis and will lead to cell death (Skidmore-Roth, 2012). Normal saline to maintain hydration of the patient. After receiving the treatment patient is feeling better, nausea and vomiting reduced, itching reduced, t he patient is comfortable with the treatment. Discussion (700 words) The patient treatment started with requesting blood tests which shows any abnormal values to be treated. Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010 advised that treatment starts with removing the causative agent which is the insect venom but the patient did not know the exact site of the bite thus physical examination clarified that there is no proof of an insect bite. Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010 admits that the patient should be given the necessary emergency support of basic life functions which was given already to the patient, Epinephrine was given as vasoconstrictive. Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010 states another drug named Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) included in treatment of this condition to reverse the effect of histamine and reducing the capillary permeability but replacement alternative was given which were Promethazine and Ranitidine that acts on H1 and H2 receptors (Antihistamine) (Skidmore-Roth, 2012). Another medication which was stated by Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010 albuterol through nebuliza tion to reverse the histamine bronchospasm if occurred. Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010 recommended that IV lines should be inserted to provide access to administer fluids and medication, IV cannula was inserted to the patient. They also state that respiratory status is measured by monitoring respiratory rate and if there is any abnormal lung sound and pulse rate any rhythm to be monitored regularly, cardiac monitor was put on the patient to assess the respiratory status and vital signs of the patient. The physical examination of the chest clarify that lung sounds are normal. Oxygen was applied to the patient to help compensate breathing pattern. The patient was assessed for previous allergies or exposure to such antigens and the understanding of the patient about this condition to prevent any future complications. Locky, R. 2014 recommended that the family should be educated about how to avoid the allergen and know the underlying causes of any allergy. Lockey, 2014 recommends that the p atient should be given an auto injector which is a syringe that automatically injects single dose of medication when triggered and to be educated about it and the necessary information such as: dose, expiry date, route of administration. Such device is given to many people that are at high risk of developing anaphylaxis only during an anaphylactic emergency. The patient and the family should be also educated about prevention of exposing to the allergen by wearing protective clothes that is covering all the skin when needed to do such sport in public area and the onset symptoms that occurs when already exposed to such allergen. As stated in Brunner and Smeltzer, 2010 there is early simple management that could be done by the patient or the relative by removing the venom or stinger of the insect when found, wound care to be done using water and soap, scratching to be avoided to prevent histamine, to apply ice on the bite site as it will reduce the swelling and decreases the venom abso rption by the body. In my opinion, the patient should be identified by wearing an allergy warning band that contains emergency information in case if the patient fainted or lose consciousness. The allergy should be documented in the patient file to avoid any further exposure to allergy and to avoid using the venom immunotherapy (VIT) which treats certain medical conditions. The patient should be monitored carefully during hospitalization because any adverse complication may occur suddenly. The patient should be referred to an allergist or immunologist to follow up regularly to maximize the quality of life. Conclusion and recommendations (100 words) An allergic reaction could develop anywhere in the nursing practice such as administering certain drug that the patient allergic to or using and device that has an allergen element. Nurses must highly prioritize the general assessment done when receiving patients specially asking for allergy for any medication or substance or any allergic reaction that occurred in the past, because we held such responsibilities to prevent any fatal complications that occurs because of anaphylactic reaction, shock or anaphylaxis. Nurses must be aware of such symptoms to detect an early reaction which could be preventable as soon as possible. This will be beneficial to the patients and nurses to deliver the maximum health outcomes. References Brunner, L. and Smeltzer, S. (2010). Brunner Suddarths textbook of medical-surgical nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Davis, C. and Wilcock, E. (2014). Teaching Materials Using Case Studies. [Online] Materials.ac.uk. Available at: http://www.materials.ac.uk/guides/casestudies.asp [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014]. Kozier, B. and Berman, A. (2012). Kozier Erbs fundamentals of nursing. Boston: Pearson. Lockey, R. (2014). Anaphylaxis. [Online] Mayoclinic.org. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anaphylaxis/basics/treatment/con-20014324 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014]. Lockey, R. (2014). Anaphylaxis: Synopsis. [Online] Worldallergy.org. Available at: http://www.worldallergy.org/professional/allergic_diseases_center/anaphylaxis/anaphylaxissynopsis.php [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014]. Mayoclinic.org, (2014). Rh factor blood test Why its done. [Online] Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/rh-factor/basics/why-its-done/prc-20013476 [Accessed 30 Nov. 2014]. Ruà «ff, F., Przybilla, B., Bilà ³, M., Mà ¼ller, U., Scheipl, F., Aberer, W., Birnbaum, J., Bodzenta-Lukaszyk, A., Bonifazi, F. and Bucher, C. (2009). Predictors of severe systemic anaphylactic reactions in patients with Hymenoptera venom allergy: Importance of baseline serum tryptase—a study of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology Interest Group on Insect Venom Hypersensitivity. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 124(5), pp.1047-1054. Skidmore-Roth, L. (2012). Mosbys 2012 nursing drug reference. St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Mosby. Appendices Page 1 of 7

The Acquisition Vs Learning Education Essay

The Acquisition Vs Learning Education Essay The innateness of language structure is most relevant to the process by which a child learns its first language. The first language is learnt informally, naturally and spontaneously without the child being aware of the fact that it is learning something. But there comes a stage when the child learns a new language which may be the second or third language. As second or third language learning happens through a formal process, exposure to an altogether different kind is required where the learning situation is artificial. It is generally said that people acquire the first language and learn the second language but experts in the field often use it interchangeably. People learn or acquire these languages in different circumstances with different results. The difference between first language and second language acquisition are presumably due to different conditions that either facilitates or constraint language acquisition/learning. In First Language Acquisition (FLA) abundant exposure is available but it is not so with the second language where natural circumstances are available. It is through instruction that second language is mostly learnt. Second Language acquisition appears to be a process which exhibits certain regularities, is constrained by a number of factors determining its course, rate of progress, and final outcome, is subject, within certain limits, to external influences such as (methods of ) instruction(Klein, 1988.1). Krashen attempts to distinguish between the first language acquisition and second language learning by saying, there are two independent ways to developing ability in second languages. Acquisition is a subconscious process identical in all important ways to the process children utilize in acquiring their first language, while learning is a conscious process that results in knowing about language (1985.1). Hence, Acquiring a language is picking it up i.e. developing ability in a language for use in natural, communicative situations. Language learning is knowing the rules, having a conscious knowledge of the grammar (Chaudhary, 2002, 96). A second language can be acquired rather than learnt in situations where children have exposure to a wide range of languages i.e. a multilingual situation is conducive to language acquisition. However, it is necessary to keep in mind that there is a wide range of learners from different environments and settings which affect the degree to which learners have the opportunity to acquire the second language. Moreover, cognitive processes of learning by rule formation helps learners to acquire language faster than by the natural processes of unconscious acquisition. Teacher Education in India The development of both, Pre-service and In-service teacher education in India is explained, in order to gain a good knowledge of the objectives of the programmes, the developments that have taken place in various teacher education programmes and the current state of affairs in the field of teacher education in India. Pre-service teacher education Teacher education programmes have existed in the country for over a century. In the 1850s, teacher training existed as an undifferentiated course of study meant for school teachers. Later, on the recommendations of the Indian Education Commission (1884), the teacher training programmes were mode more differentiated and for graduates the course was designed to be of shorter duration. During the twentieth century, greater differentiation was sought and practised with respect to the stages at which teachers were expected to teach. Alongside this, different training modes were introduced, such as regular campus-cum-practicing school experience, correspondence-cum-contact programmes and the more recent distance learning programmes of teacher education. Despite such diversification, the basic features of these programmes as well as the theoretical premises have not altered significantly. Although newer concerns surface from time to time have been taken cognizance of, for e.g. learner-centeredness and the break-with-methods. These concerns have not influenced in any major way the main stream system of teacher education (Stern, 1983). The professional preparation of teachers has been recognized to be crucial for the qualitative improvement of education since the 1960s (Kothari Commission, 1964-66). The Commission, in particular notes the need for teacher education to be: brought into the mainstream of the academic life of the Universities on the one hand and of school life and educational development on the other. Recognizing quality as the essence of a programme of teacher education, the Commission recommended the interdiction of integrated courses of general and professional education in Universities and a comprehensive programme of internship. Subsequently (1983-85), The Chattopadhyaya Committee Report of the National Commission on Teachers envisioned the New Teacher as one who communicates to pupils: the importance of and the feeling for national integrity and unity; the need for a scientific attitude; a commitment to excellence in standards of work and action and a concern for society. The Commission observed that: what obtains in the majority of our Teaching Colleges and Training Institutes is woefully inadequate If teacher education is to be made relevant to the roles and responsibilities of the New Teacher, the minimum length of training for a Secondary teacher should be five years following the completion of class 12. Reiterating the need to enable general and professional education to be pursued concurrently, the Commission recommends that: to begin with we may have an integrated four year programme which should be developed carefully it may also be possible for some of the existing colleges of Science and Arts to introduce an Education Department along with their other programmes allowing for a section of their students to opt for teacher education. The Chattopadhyaya Commission recommends a four-year integrated course for the secondary as well as the elementary teacher. (NCERT, 2005) The National Policy of Education (NPE 1986-92) recognized that: teachers should have the freedom to innovate, to device appropriate methods of communication and activities relevant to the needs of and capabilities of and the concerns of the community. The policy further states that teacher education is a continuous process, and its pre-service and in-service components are inseparable. As a first step, the system of teacher education was to be overhauled. The Acharya Ramamurti Committee (1990) in its review of the NPE 1986 observed that an internship model for teacher training should be adopted because the internship model is firmly based on the primary value of actual field experience in a realistic situation, on the development of teaching skills by practice over a period of time. The Yashpal Committee Report (1993) on Learning without burden noted: inadequate programmes of teacher preparation lead to unsatisfactory quality of learning in schools The content of the programme should be restructured to ensure its relevance to the changing needs of school education. The emphasis in these programmes should be on enabling the trainees to acquire the ability for self-learning and independent thinking. (NCERT, 2005) In-service Teacher Education Similar developments have taken place in respect of in-service programmes of teacher education. However, it may be noted that the in-service programmes have drawn their substance from the emerging needs and concerns of education appeared from time to time. As a result these programmes have, at at best, been awareness programmes in respect of specific concerns and not teacher development programmes, as visualized. As an outcome of the National Policy on Education (1986), orientation of school teachers gained momentum on a mass scale. Efforts have been initiated over the past few years to gradually develop a network of institutions like DIETS, IASEs, CTEs with the mandate of providing in-service education to primary and secondary school teachers respectively. During the last decade the use of satellite interactive television based activities have been provided for teacher up-gradation as part of the SOPT and DPEP projects. The majority of them however continue to perform their legacy functions (NCERT), 2005). The major indicator of quality of training is its relevance to the needs of teachers. The transactional approach and other concepts like activity based teaching, joyful learning, classroom management for large size classes and multi grade situations, team teaching, co-operative and collaborative learning which require demonstration and participatory training are also planned to included in in-service education programmes. The potential for radical shifts in school practices and programmes via effective in-service education programmes has been acknowledged by most Education Committees and Commissions. The Report of the National Commission on Teachers (1983-85) highlighted the absence of of clear-cut policies and priorities for in-service education and lack of systematic identification of needs. It recommended planning ahead of time and closure scrutiny of methodologies adopted for in-service education of teachers. It also recommended that strategies used for in-service education must be imaginative, bold and varied. It further states that the most effective among them are the services organized through the school complex put forward by the Kothari Commission intends to link primary and secondary schools with a view to pulling resources and including the educational processes. The commission mooted the idea of Teachers Centres that could function as: a meeting place for teachers located in a school that has resources that it would like to share with others it is a forum where workshops practical in nature are organized for teachers of all faculties and at all levels it pools in the talents of all teachers of various schools who act as resource personnel for centres workshops and it arranges book fairs. What teachers need most is a change in the climate of schools, an atmosphere conducive to educational research and enquiry (select) teachers could be given study leave and sent to advanced centres of learning for furthering their professional competence through visiting fellowships. The landmark National Policy on Education (1986) linked in-service teacher education as a continuum with pre-service education. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme of restructuring and strengthening of teacher education was evolved and implemented. The scheme visualized the establishment of DIETs in each district, up-gradation of 250 Colleges of Education as Colleges of Teacher Education, establishment of 50 institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs) and strengthening of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (NCERT, 2005). In all these reports, common ideas expressed are: the need to restructure the teacher education programmes to the changing needs of education, and to make these programmes more as awareness- raising programmes. Also, these programmes needed to be demonstrative and participatory in nature, with varied strategies to explore methodologies. With all these developments in teacher education, it is interesting and important to see the outcome of these changes from the perspectives of teachers, teacher educators and researchers. REFERENCES Stern, H. H. (1983). Fundamental Concepts of Language Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press. NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) (2005). Fifth Survey of Educational Research (1988-1992). Vol. I and II. New Delhi: NCERT. NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) (2005). National Curriculum Framework. New Delhi: NCERT. II CHAPTER In order to organize and interpret the descriptive data, the following three related areas in the literature were reviewed. These are: (a) Theories of language teaching and learning, (b) The methods of language teaching and language skills and (c) In-service teacher education. This chapter puts together the summary of the review findings from these three major areas. Researchers acknowledge the complexity involved in teaching and in learning to teach effectively (Ballentyne, Bain and Packer, 1999; Calderhead, 1996; Clark and Peterson, 1986). At the primary and secondary levels, the difficult and complicated process of learning to teach has been well studied (Ethell, 1997; Wideen, Mayer-Smith, and Moon, 1998). Emerging from these researches is the understanding of the central role that teachers views and theories play in teaching practice (Pajares, 1992; Richardson, 1996; and Trumbull, 1990). The field of language teaching is subject to rapid changes. This is because the profession responds to new educational paradigms and trends, changes in curriculum, and students needs. Educational institutions also face new challenges resulting from changes in language teaching. As a result, teachers need regular opportunities to update their professional knowledge and skills. This update is necessary for teachers to take appropriate decisions in the classroom. Decision taking depends on teachers understanding and assumptions about language teaching. The dominant conception of teacher learning and development as development of skills of performance which is largely unreflective has led to a formal procedure of following instructions from authority. The result is that teachers are growing more alienated for a lack of personal significance in the teaching and learning processes. So, the search for an alternative model of development is motivated by dissatisfaction with the existing one and possibility of an alternative view as holding more potential to address issues of concern to this study. This could be in form of providing opportunities to teachers voice their views about teaching/learning English as a second language. It could also be reflecting on their practices, thus finding out their own insights in more concrete terms and, through INSET programmes, rethinking of their teaching practices for better understanding of teaching and learning processes. In the reconstituted view of teacher change, teachers are seen as playing an active, developmental and constructivist role that is based on both understanding and skills. This alternative view of teachers receives support in the literature where, for instance, teachers have been seen as authors of reform (Krishner, 2002.47), as researchers and curriculum developers (Stenhouse, 1975), and as progressing towards self-authorship (Baxtor Magolda, 2001, 2002, 2003, 200; and King, 2004). The responsibility this entails in making informed choices as a teacher is a moral and intellectual meaning making process involving the teacher in self-reflection. Beyond acquiring behaviour, it centres more fundamentally on the views of teachers about the nature of knowledge, nature of teaching and learning, and, their role in making explicit their implicit theories of teaching/learning, among other things. In this chapter, the theories of teaching and learning, methods of teaching language skills will b e discussed in detail. It will also discuss the INSET programmes offered in India and, look at some studies in these areas in order to arrive at a methodological framework of the present study. Theories of Teaching Teachers teach within the context of framework of assumptions that shape their planning and interactive decisions. Theories of teaching are central to how one understands the nature and importance of classroom practices. As Posner (1985) observes, different theories of teaching lead to a different understanding of classroom life. A didactic view of teaching is based on the belief that teaching is primarily concerned with transmitting knowledge through providing clear explanations, or discussions. A discovery view of teaching by contrast, is based on the idea that students can develop knowledge themselves through active investigation and discovery, with a minimum of teacher explanation and with a provision of opportunities to learn inductively from observation. An interactionist view, on the other hand, holds that students come with well-formed ideas, so that there is a necessary interaction between the students own ideas and the learning materials. While general teaching theories such as these have informed approaches to mainstream teaching, such as behaviourist, cognitive-developmental, social-psychological, theories specific to second language teaching and learning have been developed and formed the basis for specific methodologies for language teaching such as the Communicative Approach and Natural Approach. However, teaching is an individual activity. As such, teacher development involves teachers in creating an approach that draws on their experiences and understanding as well as their personal principles about food teaching. These are known as the teachers implicit theories of teaching. the explanations given by teachers for what they do are typically not derived from what they were taught in teacher education programmesRather, the classroom actions of teachers are guided by internal frames of reference which are deeply rooted in personal experiences, especially in school ones, and are based on interpretations of these experiences. (Marland, 1995. 131) Theories of Learning There are numerous approaches and theories which have a huge impact on learning. Generally, approaches provide information about how people acquire their knowledge of the language and about the conditions which will promote successful language learning. Five major approaches to language teaching/learning will be discussed below. The Naturalistic Approach This approach is based on the assumption that language acquisition is innately determined and that one is born with a certain system of language that one can call on later. Numerous linguists and methodologists support this innateness hypothesis. Chomsky, who is the leading proponent, claims that each human being possesses a set of innate properties of language which is responsible for the childs mastery of a native language in a short span of time (Brown, 2002. 24). According to Chomsky, the mechanism, which he calls language acquisition device (LAD), governs all human languages, and determines what possible form human language may take (Dulay, Burt, Krashen, 1982. 6). Some linguists, in particular Stephen Krashen, distinguish between acquisition and learning. Acquisition is supposed to be a subconscious process which leads to fluency. Learning, on the other hand, is a conscious process which shows itself in terms of learning rules and structures. Furthermore, Krashen claims that there are three internal processors that operate when students learn or acquire a second language: the subconscious filter and the organizer as well as the conscious monitor (Dulay, Burt, Krashen 1982. 11-45). The organizer determines the organization of the learners language system, the usage of incorrect grammatical constructions as provisional precursors of grammatical structures, the systamatical occurrence of errors in the learners utterances as well as a common order in which structures are learnt. The filter is responsible for the extent to which the learners acquisition is influenced by social circumstances such as motivation and affective factors such as anger or anxiety. The monitor is responsible for conscious learning. The learners correct mistakes in their speech according to their age and self-consciousness (Dulay, Burt, Krashen 1982.45). Cognitive Approach Cognitive psychologists claim that one of the main factors of second language acquisition is the building up of a knowledge system that can eventually be called on automatically for speaking and understanding. At first, learners have to build up a general knowledge of the language they want to understand and produce. After a lot of practice and experience they will be able to use certain parts of their knowledge very quickly and without realizing that they did so. Gradually, this use becomes unconscious and the learners may focus on other parts of the language. The cognitive theory is relative newcomer to second language acquisition and there have been only a few empirical studies about this approach so far. Although it is known that the processes of automatizing and restructuring are central to the approach, it is still not clear what kinds of structures will be automatized through practice and what will be restructured. Also it cannot predict which first language structures will be transferred and which will not. As far as the phenomenon of restructuring is concerned, psychologists state that things that one knows and uses automatically may not necessarily learned through a gradual build-up of automaticity but they may be based on the interaction on knowledge one already has. They may also be based on the acquisition of new language which somehow fits into an existing system and may, in fact, restructure this system (Lightbown and Spada, 1995. 25). Two important models in this approach are Attention processing model and Implicit and Expli cit models. The Constructive Approach In the constructive paradigm, learning emphasizes the process ans the product. Learning is process of constructing meaningful representations, of making sense of ones experiential world. In this process, students errors are seen in a positive light and as means of gaining insight into how they are organizing their experiential world. The notion of doing something right or correctly is to do something that fits with an order one has established oneself (Von Glasersfield, 1987. 15). This perspective is consistent with the constructivist tendency to support multiple truths, representations, perspectives and realities. Multiplicity is an overriding concept for constructivism. It defines not only the epistemological and theoretical perspective but also the many ways in which the theory itself can be articulated. Researchers and theorists have developed variants of constructivism or have evolved the theory in different directions. Nonetheless, there are many common themes in the literature on constructivism which permit the derivation of principles, instructional models and general characteristics. Social Interaction Approach According to Vygotsky, social interaction plays a vital role in the learning process. He emphasizes the role of shared language in the development of thought and language which stands for social interaction. According to Vygotsky (1962) children develop higher order cognitive functions such as linguistic skills, through interactions with adults or more knowledgeable peers. Eventually these skills are internalized independently. The most important interactions take place within a childs Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). It is the teachers duty to try to take each child to the next level (X+1). The teacher does this by giving maximum help to the children. Perhaps he/she can give learners just the prompt they need. This prompt provides for the learners a breakthrough he/she needs. Sometimes the teacher can take the whole class through a series of steps, which help them solve the problem. Learning depends on the differences in their areas of zones of proximal development. Children are to be exposed to the social interaction first and it will eventually enable them build their inner resources. Vygotskys contention is that language is the key to all development and words play a central role on the development of thought but in the growth of cognition as a whole. Therefore, child language acquisition is the result of social interaction. Teaching is social responsibility and a cognitive activity. The Communicative Approach Proponents of this approach state that the goal of language teaching is communicative competence. Another aim is the development of procedures for the teaching of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Moreover, the four skills build the basis of the independence of language and communication (Richards and Rodgers, 1986. 64-66). According to Littlewood, one of the most important aspects of Communicative Language Teaching is that it plays systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language (Littlewood, 1981.1). Another important aspect is pair and group work. Learners should work in pairs or groups and try to solve problematic tasks with their available language knowledge. Generally, communicative language teaching focuses on communicative and contextual factors in language use and it is learner-centred and experience-based. A central aspect of Communicative Language Teaching is communicative competence. (See also ) Also there is little discussion of learning theory, there are still some elements that, according to Richards and Rodgers (1986), can be defined as communication principles and meaningfulness principles. The first one includes activities that involve real communication which are supposed to promote learning. The second element describes activities in which language is used for carrying out meaningful tasks which are also supposed to promote learning. The last one states that language that is meaningful to the learner supports the learning process. Of great importance is meaningful and authentic language use (Richards and Rodgers, 1986. 72). In-service Teacher Education (INSET) Teachers can continue to be learners and develop their pedagogical understandings using their beliefs, by engaging themselves in ongoing professional development opportunities. One of these opportunities is the In-service teacher education programmes where teachers can learn to reflect on other teachers teaching and, think meta cognitively about teaching and learning which is a key factor in being able to resolve problems and dilemmas that arise in their daily teaching practices. There are fundamental assumptions underlying teacher education (Fullen, 1991): Teacher education must be thought of as a career long proposition. Teacher development and the academic development of the school in terms of curriculum, materials, and methods of teaching must go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other. The role of teacher education programmes in preparing teachers for the difficult endeavour of teaching a second language (English) in India, and particularly the role of in-service teacher education programmes and their impact of teachers classroom teaching would be examined, keeping the above said assumptions in the forefront. In-service Teacher Education (INSET) in India The need for ongoing teacher education has been a recurring theme in language teaching circles in recent years and has been given renewed focus as a result of the emergence of teacher-led initiatives such as action research, team teaching and reflective teaching. Opportunities for an in-service education are crucial for long term development of teachers. The well established tradition of teaching and learning in India has retained its inherent strength even under adverse circumstances. The post-independence period was characterized by major efforts being made to nurture and transform teacher education. The system of teacher education has come under considerable pressure as a result of expansion and growth of school education. Having inherited the foreign model of teacher education at the time of independence from Britain in 1946, major efforts have been made to adapt and upgrade teacher education curriculum to local needs, to make it more context-based. The current system of teacher education is supported by a net work of national state and district level resource institutions working together to increase the quality and effectiveness of teacher education programmes for serving teachers throughout the country. The changing role of teachers in the changing definitions of teacher effectiveness have been frequently studied and analysed. The current focus on teacher education is to develop professional competencies, and achieve higher levels of commitment and motivation for higher level performance in teaching. Emerging information and communication technologies is an added dimension to the teacher education programmes. As a result of all these developments, teacher education in India is on the verge of major transformation. Bolam 1986) define teacher education as: Education and training activities engaged in by teachers following their initial professional certification, and intended primarily or exclusively to improve their professional knowledge, skills and attitudes in order that they can educate childrenmore effectively. In-service training for teachers in India is provided by: The State Department of Education. Colleges of Education. Educational associations. Voluntary Agencies. In-service programmes are often conducted via short term instructional courses and workshops. Many teachers take part in these programmes which contain a mix of many-courses and expository lectures. Each state has a State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) and whenever a new curriculum is implemented, massive training programmes are arranged across the state. At the district level, District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETS) undertake education programmes to train the teachers at district level. In the absence of DIETS, the Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs or IASEs) are entrusted with the responsibilities of training the teachers. The INSET programmes currently in practice can all be put under five different categories based on the aims of the programmes. The following table familiarizes with some types of INSET programmes currently offered in India. Types of INSET programmes in India INSERT PROGRAMME AIMS Organized by educational Institutions such as CIEFL or RIE Enriching teachers subject knowledge and pedagogy Centrally designed programmes such as KV schools Teaching approaches such as orienting all teachers towards CLT approaches Locally determined programmes. For e.g. ALC School courses Attending to the felt needs of schools One-off short programmes Specific aims such as teaching vocabulary, or developing materials Programmes determined by individual needs Pursuing higher education or self-development Table 2:1: Types of INSET programmes in India (Source: Mathew, R.2005) These programmes differ mainly in their aims of the programmes and thereby differ in their training methodologies also. The takers of the programme also vary in each of these INSET programmes. As a result, the impact of these courses also differ. For example, many teachers who are willing to attend the three month INSET courses offered by the Regional Institute of South India (RIESI) are serious about updating themselves with the latest developments in the field of ELT and re-equipping themselves to meet the changing demands made by the students, parents and the society. Another example of an INSET course was the 5-Day intensive training programme for teachers working in rural areas which used to be offered by the RIE (i