Families of the Forest Essay Example

Families of the Forest Essay ANTH 418 Final Paper This paper will be discussing the ethnography by Allen Johnson titled Families of the forest. The ethnography describes the Matsigenka people of Shimaa that live in the Peruvian Amazon. The paper will examine the Matsigenka culture, the needs and resources of the culture, and proposed projects to meet the needs of the culture. The Matsigenka of Shimaa live in isolation along river valleys and forested mountains in the Peruvian Amazon (Johnson,1999, p. 24). They live in small villages of about 7 to 25 people, that make up three to five nuclear family households (Johnson, 1999, p 3). The Matsigenka prefer to live in these hamlets and avoid interacting with people outside of their immediate family. The Matsigenka live a family level society and this helps them to avoid being exploited or to encounter enemies (Johnson, 1999, p. 6). Their isolated hamlets are very self-sufficient; â€Å"good land for horticulture is ample, however, and the low population density and widely scattered small settlements has meant only minimal competition between family groups for what wild foods do exist† (Johnson, 1999, p. 21). They live off of fishing, foraging and horticulture and the most important food to the Matsigenka is insect larvae. This provides them with protein and dietary fats, which they can get year round from moths, butterflies, beetles, bees and wasps (Johnson, 1999, p. 36). The cultural values of the Matsigenka are not to far from that of Western culture. Much of their religious beliefs are stemmed from folklore and spirits which promote proper behaviors within the group. They can be calm, quiet, gentle, but also mean, aggressive, and violent. They might be less sociable in large groups, but â€Å"they are more courteous and thoughtful in individual interactions. They are less attracted to the lure of commerce and new value systems. Their commitment to freedom of the family unit is truly remarkable† (Johnson, 1999, p. 50). The Matsigenka are a people that are at their happiest when left alone from outsiders and in their isolation. Much of their happiest in isolation stems from the fear of outsiders bringing in infectious diseases, which happened in the 1950s and 1960s when they first encountered Peruvians and Euro-Americans (Johnson, 1999, p. 75). They maintain societal standards for their hamlets that require independence and being able to live peacefully within a group. We will write a custom essay sample on Families of the Forest specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Families of the Forest specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Families of the Forest specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They do not have or give proper names to one another and when they do name a person it is usually referring to a deformity or amusing incident (Johnson, 1999, p. 20). â€Å"Somehow individual men and women must be highly self-reliant, motivated to do the necessary thing according to their own judgment with little encouragement (or interference) from others, and yet at the same time be generous in the family and avoid the impulsive expressions especially of sex, aggression and greed that can shatter even the strongest interpersonal bonds in closely-cooperating family groups† (Johnson, 1999, p. 10). â€Å"Courtship is generally open and a topic of delighted conversation at large. For many couples, courtship is a more or less public expression of mutual interest as they test the possibility of marriage† (Johnson, 1999, p. 120). A married couple within the Matsigenka culture have established roles, they are partners with skills in separate areas of surviving. They seek to m arry well and make sure to not marry a lazy person. They think that this will lead to an unequal marriage and the lazy person will always be dissatisfied (Johnson, 1999, p. 121). Matsigenka husbands and wives spend much time together in evident harmony and enjoyment of each other’s company. We frequently find them sitting side by side at home, working quietly at some task, talking and laughing together. At times they become playful and giggle or wrestle erotically† (Johnson, 1999, p. 120). Anger does not play a large role in their marriages, but it does happen occasionally when there are beer feasts and the men become drunk. The men may even beat their wives who in return will runaway to the home of their brother or father. The Matsigenka understand that intercourse between a man and woman is what leads to pregnancy and that the woman always knows who the father of that infant is (Johnson, 1999, p. 78). They do practice abortions and infanticide if the child is not wanted or is believed to not be the husband’s baby. Abortions are used if the mother is a widow or already has enough young children, and it is considered the mother’s choice (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). In early childhood, â€Å"the matsigenka overtly do little to hasten a child’s development. Their style is best described as a gradual raising of expectations. They do not cajole a child to rise up and toddle toward them, but they welcome her when she does† (Johnson, 1999, p. 85). The child learns responsibility from interacting with the mother. The families feel they need to tame the willful child, so that the family can survive and multiply (Johnson, 199, p. 78). â€Å"Matsigenka siblings are close and affectionate. They spend most of their childhood in each other’s company, and interact seldom with other children. This is partly because there may be few other children around, but it is also a reflection of the nuclear-family centeredness of Matsigenka behavior† (Johnson, 1999, p. 14). Some hamlets send their children to school. The school is about an hour walk each way for most children. â€Å"The school acts as both a magnet and a repellent for Matsigenka households. Attraction to the school, for trade goods, medicines, and a general sense of security comes into conflict with many of their most basic preferences abo ut where and how to live best. It is these conflicts that account for the aversion many Matsigenkas have toward school communities† (Johnson, 1999, p. 197). When reading the ethnography by Allen Johnson there are a few specific needs that would benefit the Matsigenka people of Shimaa. When assessing the needs of the Matsigenka community it begins with gathering the information from the ethnography and then applying it to the community problems. The first need involves their drinking water and the access to it. The Matsigenka get their water from the river closest to their hamlets but because of their desire for isolation and the danger, they do not live close to the river banks. When they are in a the season of high water or Kimoariniku the trails become become muddy and make it hard to travel. During low season the â€Å"little streams that supply household needs during dry high water dry up, forcing people to lug river water in heavy, sloshing gourds up steep trails to their houses. And dry spells occur of long enough duration that crops in well-drained fields begin to wilt under the intense sun and Matsigenkas anxiously watch the skies for welcome signs of rain† (Johnson, 1999, p. 34). The second need of the Matsigenka people is a latrine. Johnson mentions in his book that a house did have a latrine but most of the people would use strips of land where brush or cane grow to defecate (Johnson, 1999, p. 207). â€Å"These are preferred areas for urination and children’s defecation. Adults are fastidious about defecation, however, and prefer whenever possible to refrain until they are at the edge of an old garden or out foraging in the forest† (Johnson, 1999, p. 207). By having effective latrines they can ensure proper sanitation, the prevention of infectious diseases, and help keep their drinking water safe and clean. The Matsigenka are disgusted by feces (itiga), not only of other people but of any animal. The feces of toddlers, not yet toilet trained, are quickly collected into a leaf and disposed of† (Johnson, 1999, p. 208). The Matsigenka do try to maintain good health but they do not have the proper tools and means to make sure they do not develop any infectious diseases. They try to locate their homes in areas where a family is not living upstream from their location, this ensures that the water will not be contaminated by urination or feces. They have standards of cleanliness to which they adhere, and they respond to injury and illness with all the tools at their command. But their technology for dealing with health threats, and particularly with infectious diseases, is of limited effectiveness† (Johnson, 1999, p. 431). Johnson notes that they do not go around with dirt all over them and smelling bad. They usually sit on the dirt floor with a mat, wash themselves daily, wash their garments daily, and wash their hands before preparing food (Johnson, 1999, p. 431). They also make sure that any waste or garbage is thrown away from their homes and in a designated area. â€Å"But efforts at hygiene are in a sense a losing battle in Shimaa. In addition to parasites, infections pass freely between members of a household or hamlet because of the continual affectionate touching and sharing between them† (Johnson, 1999, p. 434). The third need for the Matsigenka is the prevention of infanticide. â€Å"A small but significant proportion of women, again perhaps one in ten, contemplate killing their infants rather than raise them. Men may have attitudes in the matter, and may promote infanticide if they believe another man is the father, but it is primarily the woman’s decision and her action† (Johnson, 1999, p. 81). Johnson discusses that some women feel the need to kill their infant because they have been unable to stop it from crying after a few days. Not everyone in the hamlet feels that infanticide is right but most do feel that it is the mother’s choice. â€Å"The general belief is that troublesome children should be bathed in hot water, not given up on† (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). There is a need of prevention not only with the mother but also with those closest to the mother. Some of the mothers were told by others to kill their babies, either because they needed them to continue working or because a co-wife told them they cannot raise children (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). â€Å"In the difficult choices of abortion and infanticide, the mother has the ultimate say and performs the act, even when her husband or parent tries to influence her decision†(Johnson, 1999, p. 82). The final need involves the Matsigenka’s access to school and their participation in school. Education is important because it helps to increase income and knowledge which makes future generation better able to survive. Many Matsigenka people do not like the school communities because they involve being around people they do not know. â€Å"Although social relations are peaceful and courteous, in private there is a good deal of suspicion and accusation leveled against members of other hamlets† (Johnson, 1999, p. 49). Other Matsigenka school communities besides Shimaa are much more integrated, visit each other more often, and trade goods (Johnson, 1999, p. 49). This is why it would be beneficial for all members of the community to be more open and involved in the school systems. With more students attending the school there is more opportunity to have better teachers and a better education. Discussing the proposed needs of the Matsigenka cannot happen without having a proposed development project to accompany each need. The first need discussed was drinking water and the access to it. To gain better access to drinking water the Matsigenka people need manually drilled wells to help secure their water and make it more accessible. By working with the school ommunities they could work to gain donations and funding through organizations to help manually drill wells for the people. While doing this, information could be explained to the different hamlets on the importance of boiling the water to prevent infectious disease. The second need for the Matsigenka is latrines. This is an important project because it helps to prevent disease and keep peo ple healthy through proper sanitation. Many places that use latrines collect the waste and transport it out to be processed for future use as compost. With Matsigenka’s isolation and lack of roads and transport this makes this process very difficult. The project being proposed is to still use latrines but use biodegradable clay or stones to build it so that when the latrine fills up, it can still be used for farming in the future. Another possibility is to use good bacteria to help compost the human waste faster to help prevent the odor and flies from accumulating. When there is too much smell and flies people will prefer to defecate other places than the latrines. An additional way to cut down on the flies and smell is to install a type of sky light or vent that is at the top of the latrine. By building the latrine it will help sanitation and prevent water from being contaminated. While building the latrines it will be important to inform people in the community of the importance of not to defecating in the surrounding areas that they are living. To help keep infectious disease and bacteria from spreading it will be important to inform the community on the important of washing their hands after use of the latrine. The Matsigenka are already practicing good habits by avoid the areas of used for urination and defecation, so this would help in their transition to using latrines. The third proposed development project involves the prevention of infanticide. The Matsigenka people also practice abortions which are done before a child is born. This will not be a debate regarding whether or not abortion is right or wrong but rather a discussion on preventative measures to protect babies that are already born. Infanticide is usually used as a way to control the population or because of stressful parental situations. The community in Shimaa leaves the decision to the mother on whether or not to kill her infant. This is why it is important to inform the mother on etter ways to soothe a crying infant and ways to handle stresses regarding the infant. A project could be to implement awareness in the schools on how to handle infants and what are the options outside of infanticide for them and their infant. This is not a problem that could be change overnight. It may take many years of education and awareness to see the number of deaths decrease. The last proposed develo pment project is the need for more school communities and access to education. Education is incredibly powerful and when that knowledge is obtained it is something that cannot be taken away. Education for the Matsigenka people can mean opening up their communities to more opportunities to trade and increase their incomes. With more income they can afford to have stronger and more functional housing. More income can also mean better access to medicines and clinics so illnesses can be treated early. â€Å"Attraction to the school, for trade goods, medicines, and a general sense of security, comes into conflict with many of their most basic preferences about where and how to live best. It is these conflicts that account for the aversion many Matsigenkas have toward school communities† (Johnson, 1999, p. 197). The Matsigenka people fear outsiders because of their fear of illness and their history with outsiders bringing influenza to their communities. â€Å"Always a topic of conversation, news of a viral infection in the neighborhood travels quickly. Families scatter to their alternative residences. They will stay away until they believe the danger has passed and the locale is again safe† (Johnson, 1999, p. 198). This will be a hard part of the project to handle but with proper sanitation, clean water, and awareness of proper hygiene their fear of outsiders bringing infection can be lessened. The Matsigenka are unique in their want of isolation. Most communities are looking to make sellable goods or use of their land, so that they can reach more people to have the possibility of more income. With more people coming to the Amazon in search of natural gas and to exploit their resources the Matsigenka people are going to have to become more aware and take more preventative action with the outside world. This means they need more information to protect against infectious diseases and to keep their community in the changing world. References Johnson, A. , (1999). Families of the Forest. Retrieved from http://www. sscnet. ucla. edu/anthro/faculty/johnson/ethnography. html

Documenting Primary school teaching in Mumbai (India) The WritePass Journal

Documenting Primary school teaching in Mumbai (India) Introduction Documenting Primary school teaching in Mumbai (India) IntroductionHypothesis RationaleLiterature Review Teacher’s Quality   Teacher’s Interpersonal Skills Documentation of the best practices Primary school teachers and primary educationMethodologyAims ObjectivesOperational DefinitionsData CollectionSampleResearch DesignResearch ToolsData AnalysisReliability and Validity of the researchEthical Issues References: Related Introduction A century ago, when we look back at the educational situation, it can be seen that the concept of ‘primary education’ was not seeded in the minds of the people. Mist of the countries focussed on education as knowing of their religious needs rather than a preparation for one’s active life. Only in 19th century did most countries make primary education compulsory and people began regarding education as a right (Amrung Gerald, 1999). Children usually enrol in primary schools by the age of 6 and it evolves as a five-year cycle and primary education forms as a basis for all further education and schooling and it is also the foundation to cope with the changing world and society (Pollard Bourne, 1995). India’s primary education is like a glass which is two-third full and one third empty having 67 million children aged 6 to 10 years attending primary schooling but 28 to 32 million children who are not (World Bank Publication, 1997). Millions of young children ha iling from lower socio-economic, comprising nearly 40% never complete their primary schooling and those who can have to face a number of problems like poor qualified teachers, very high teacher-student ratio, inadequate teaching materials (Saxena, 2005). All these factors contribute to low quality of education that imparts only little or no learning. Teachers teaching in primary schools account for the largest steadily growing profession in India, with nearly 2.8 million primary and upper primary teachers employed in the year 2000 (Tilak, 1995) It is rightly said ‘upon the teacher rests the school’; the ‘teacher’ becomes the prime revitalizing force and plays a pivotal role in the education system. Good teacher is the one who is T- thoughtful, E- Enthusiastic, A-Ambitious, C- Creative, H- Having high dignity, E- Executiveness and R- Reliability and it is the teacher who helps the child to build his self-concept (Devasenathipati, 2001). According to Miyan Rastogi (2005), a primary school teacher can be called as ‘competent’ only when she/he has a varied range of knowledge in all spheres and skills to achieve her/his goals. Primary schooling is very complex as teachers introduce the children to mathematics, science, language and other social studies which can be very tough and boring for the children, so the onus likes in the hand of the teacher to make all these subjects interesting by using various techniques of teaching like games, music, books etc (Richardson Stop, 1998). ‘A unique human being- the teacher’ who has to play multiple roles; of a listener, leader, psychological diagnostician etc and requires her/his total self, the personal and professional side to shape the personality of the child (Spodek, 1972). In India till the 18th century, education was confined to conventional beliefs and thoughts. It was only later when great thinkers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy felt the urgency to introduce an ‘institution for training teachers’ to help the students cope with the changing educational system around the world (Saxena, 2005). Cheng (1996) commented that â€Å"A teacher with ‘low educational efficacy’ believes that education cannot affect student’s performance, whereas a teacher with ‘high educational efficacy’ believes that education does positively affect learning outcomes. High educational efficacy has been constantly correlated with child centred (developmentally appropriate) environments and positive student outcomes†. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is a term coined by the ‘National Association for the Education of Young Children’ which talks about the teaching techniques that identify and foster the developmen tal needs of children (Bredekamp, 1997).   Documenting these practices which can be named as ‘best practices’ will help teachers to enhance their skills and help them improve for the better, at the same time documentation will also prove as a link between the teaching fraternities globally giving birth to more systematic and educational system along with this it will be a boon for the upcoming generation of teachers to adopt these protocols. Hypothesis Rationale Many a time’s teachers are criticised for not doing their best in schools. There could be many reasons; either it could be ineffectiveness of the teacher or lack of resources. Hence it will be very useful to identify the best/healthy practices carried out by teachers with or without resources. This study will help in knowing and understanding the teacher’s effectiveness in primary schools and documenting the best practices so that other teachers who work under similar circumstances with similar goals and constraints get an idea of effective teaching.   The teachers will be observed, recorded and documented in 4 areas: Teacher as a Person, Teacher as a Professional, Teacher’s Interpersonal Relationship and Qualities of the Teacher. Literature Review The literature is based on past researches done on teachers and primary school teaching and it is presented on the following subtopics:   Teacher’s Quality Teacher’s Interpersonal Skills Teacher’s Qualification Documentation of the best practices Primary school teachers and primary education Teacher’s Quality According to Hammond (2000) teachers preparations and teachings are the strongest correlations of the student’s achievement and teacher’s quality is the most vital educational investment. Similarly Rvikin, Hanushek and Kain (1998) reported the student’s performance outcomes to the teacher’s quality, they analysed 400,000 students in 3000 schools from New York, which concluded that school quality is the most important factor in students achievement however teacher’s quality is the most important predictor whereas size and teacher education plays a very small role. Relationship between teachers’ personality and academic and social development was analysed by Heil and Washburne (1998). They found out that children made the greatest progress under the guidance of self-controlled teacher and least under fearful teachers. They also reported that children seem to grow as friendlier under self-controlled teachers.   Teacher’s Interpersonal Skills Dasgupta (2004) observed that those teachers who had a strong interest in their students as individuals and were sensitive to their needs, the students could relate themselves with such teachers in a much better way creating a level of comfort with them. On the other hand, those teachers who are friendly but make no attempt to know their students, the children feel anxious being with them and they even doubted the teacher’s ability to perform. Similarly, those teachers who did not show any interest, the students believed that the teacher had a very low ability to perform and was low self-motivated. A significant body of research reported that academic achievement and students’ behaviour is influenced by the quality of the teacher-student relationship. It also suggests that the emotional aspect of the teacher-student relationship is far more important than the conventional advice on methods and techniques of teaching (Gerald, 1999) Teacher’s Qualification Cheng (1996) conducted a study on high school students’ performance using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Studies (1998) and found that fully certified teachers have a significant positive impact on student test scores as compared to teachers who are not well qualified and certified. Heil (1998) through his study concluded that teachers who had been out from teacher education since long and were away from on-going professional development lacked familiarity with current knowledge. She also commented that there was a significant difference in strength of developmentally appropriate practice beliefs between novice teachers and veteran teachers. The more oriented teachers scored significantly high on measures of developmentally appropriate practices. Documentation of the best practices A study was conducted by Miyan in 2005 documenting the best practices on 25 children in 7 schools and it was seen that the most prominent best practices carried out were providing children with positive reinforcement, treating all children equally, spontaneity while teaching and innovativeness in teaching methods. Similar study conducted by Rastogi (2005) found out that the best teaching practices were using teaching aids and creative methods to teach like dramatizations, providing children with a stimulating environment. Primary school teachers and primary education According to Dasgupta (2004), ‘play’ should be the central activity of children even in primary schools and primary school teachers should teach children using the play way method as it helps children to relate to what is being taught. Introducing games in classroom is one of the ways of encouraging cooperation and motivating the children to study and learn the concepts. Washburne (1998) surveyed primary school children to see the kind of the teachers liked by them and those who were disliked. He found that physical characteristics such as grooming, nice voice, and pleasing personality were found to be more important along with teacher’s qualities like interest in teaching, enthusiasm, innovativeness etc. At the same time children also laid equal emphasis on the personality traits like being cheerful, fair, non-judgemental etc. Methodology Aims Objectives To identify and document the ‘best practices’ of teachers, nominated as ‘effective teachers’ by principals/supervisors To identify the practices that need improvement To observe, record and document the ‘best practices’ of primary school teachers in 4 areas: Teacher as a Person, Teacher as a Professional, Teacher’s Interpersonal Relationship and Qualities of the Teacher. To compare the teachers best practices in relation to the fee structure To compare the teachers best practices in relation to his/her years of teaching experience To compare teachers best practices in relation to the teacher child ratio. Operational Definitions Effective Teachers: These are the teachers having innovative and creative teaching practices and who will be nominated by the principals/supervisors Primary Teacher: Teacher teaching to children in 1st and 2nd grade Low Fee Structured Schools: Schools having fees ranging from Rs.15/- to Rs.350/- per month High Fee Structured Schools: Schools having fees ranging from Rs.350/- to Rs. 450/- per month Data Collection Sample Primary school teachers serving in the schools having low and high fee structure and located in Mumbai, India will be approached using an introductory letter. The schools will be selected keeping in mind the indicators like fee structure, location of schools, medium of instruction and minimum 5years of establishment. 10 schools will be approached and nearly 30 teachers will be observed and interviewed. From these 10 schools, 5 schools will represent schools having low fee structure and remaining 5 schools will represent high fee structure. Research Design The school authorities will be approached with a prior appointment and the school supervisor/principal will be given and introductory letter conveying the nature of the research (refer to appendix 2). The information and the facts about the school (profile of the school) will be obtained from the authorities including details of the school like the name, number of teaching staff, fee structure, teacher-child ratio etc. The principal/supervisor will be asked to nominate three teachers who according to them are effective in their teaching, in short who are exemplary. The teachers will be given a consent form (refer to appendix 1) which will agree their part-taking in the research. Research Tools The research tools that will be used for this study will be a fact sheet, an observation record documentation sheet along with an interview questionnaire. The sample of the research tools is provided in the appendix. The fact sheet will have two parts to it; first it will help in gathering the profile of the school and second one to gather the nomination of the teachers made by the principal/supervisor (Refer to appendix 3) The observation record sheet will be again divided in two parts.   First part will focus on gathering the teacher’s profile (age, qualification, number of years of experience) whereas the second part of the sheet who help in observing the nominated teacher in four criterias namely- Teacher as a Person, Teacher’s Interpersonal Relationship, Teacher as a professional and Qualities of the Teacher (Refer appendix 4a. 4b). The documentation sheet will help in documenting the best practices of teachers along with those practices which need improvement. This will also help in understanding the teacher-child interaction and noting down the minuscule but important details of classroom teaching (Refer to appendix 5) The interview questionnaire will help in interacting with the teachers on one to one basis. The nominated teachers will be interviewed on the basis of the four criterias namely- Teacher as a Person, Teacher’s Interpersonal Relationship, Teacher as a professional and Qualities of the Teacher. The interview will consist of open end questions will be give a chance to the teachers to be more expressive, so that all the details could be captured. (Refer appendix 6) To summarise, the researcher will visit the schools during the school hours for observation. Observation will be done for each teacher for 3 days and each session would be for an hour. The observation record sheet and the documentation sheet will be carried to the classroom to record the verbal comments as well as the non-verbal gestures of the teachers along with the recording of the best practices. So the researcher will observe 3 teachers for 3 days in each school (schools having high as well as low fee structure), one hour per teacher in each school.   The researcher will then interview the teachers during the school hours according to the convenience of the teachers. The interview session would approximately last for an hour. Data Analysis The observation record sheet will be analysed both quantitatively as well as qualitatively where as the documentation and interview sheet will be analysed qualitatively only. The data for the quantitative analysis will be encoded using the SPSS and co-relational analysis will be conducted for the statistical analysis. The data for the qualitative analysis will be encoded using the analysing conversation technique and the IPA (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis) so that a rich data is collected. Reliability and Validity of the research To understand the reliability and validity of the research, a pilot study will be conducted on two schools. During the pilot study the effectiveness of the tool will be checked. A meta-analysis can also be conducted to understand the nature of previous researches done and certain improvisations in the present study can be made on the basis of the systematic review of meta-analysis. Ethical Issues Any research and the practical applications of the procedures come under the scrutiny of professional ethics (Anastasi Urbina, 2004).   Even for this research certain ethical issues have to be taken care of in a systematic manner. A formal approval will be taken from the principals/supervisors of the school who decide to become a part of the study, even the nominated teachers would be asked if they would like to participate and be one of the respondents, they will also be entitled to sign a consent form. All the data collected will be confidential. No one except the researcher will be allowed to access that data. There are no foreseeable risks involved with the tools used for the research. They will be assured that all their information will be kept confidential and privacy will be maintained. While conducting the observations and interview there could be some risk involved like anxiety and questions in the respondents mind. All the participants will be explained the nature of the study, objectives. They will be assured that all their information will be kept confidential and privacy will be maintained. References: Amurang, C., Gerald. (1999). ‘Evaluating Primary Education’, International Developmental Research, Canada Anastasi, A., Urbina,S. (2004). ‘Psychological Testing’, Prentice Hall, USA A World Bank Publication, (1997). ‘Primary Education in India’, U.S.A: Library Cross Publication Bredekamp, S., Copple, C. (1997). ‘Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Programmes’, Washington D.C.: National Association for Education of Young Children. Cheng, Y.C. (1996). ‘Total Teacher Effectiveness: New conception and improvement’, International Journal of Education Management, 10 (6), 7-17. Devasenathipathi, M. (2001). ‘A Good Teacher’, Educational Review, 144 (9),   101. Hammond, L. (1999). ‘Teacher Quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence’, Seattle, WA : Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington. Kain, F., Rivikin, S. (2005). ‘Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement’, Econometrica, 73 (2), 417-458. Heil, Lousi., Washburne, C. (1998). ‘What characteristics affect children’s growth?’, The School Review, 68(4), 420-428. Dasgupta, D. (2004), ‘Effective teaching techniques’, Avishkar Publications. Miyan., M., Rastogi., A. (2005). ‘Manpower Planning for Elementary Teacher Education: A pre-requisite for Quality Elementary Education’, University News, 43 (18), 56-62. Pollard, A., Bourne, J. (1995). ‘Teaching and Learning in Primary Schools’, New York: Rout Ledge. Saxena, C. (2005). ‘A Historical Overview of Teacher Education in India from Rig Vedic Age till 1947’, University News, 43(18), 1-7. Spodek, B., (1972). ‘Teaching in Early Years’, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Tilak., J.B.G. (1995) ‘How free is Free Primary Education’, Occasional Paper-21, New Delhi: NIE Richardson, J., Stopp, P. (1998). ‘Becoming a Primary Teacher’, London: Penguin Books

The Economics of American Farm Unrest, 1865-1900 Article - 2

The Economics of American Farm Unrest, 1865-1900 - Article Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that as for the farmers’ complaint of high-interest rates, these were logical as creditors faced a lot of risks involved in providing loans to farmers and, thus, had to be compensated via higher interest rates. However, they were right in that there was a monopolistic attitude of railroads and grain elevators whereby the real railroad rates showed an increasing trend. The real cause of the unrest, Stewart states, was the dissatisfaction of the frontier farmers due to the rising risks and uncertainties involved in US agriculture after the Civil War. Semi-arid areas of the United States were now involved in agriculture and there the farmers experienced droughts. Accustomed to plain agriculture, now the farmers faced a lot of hardship in these areas. Moreover, farm foreclosures and fluctuating crop prices agitated the frontier farmers a lot. Stewart also relates how the farm unrest caused institutional change by causi ng the federal government to engage itself in regulating the private economic sector. In the end, Stewart relays the reason for the success of the farmers with regard to cooperation in the unrest, citing membership incentives and peer pressure as the reasons thereof. James I. Stewart has earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the Northwestern University, Illinois. He has also held the post of Assistant Professor at Reed College, Oregon. Keeping this in mind, it is expected that Stewart has written this article for academic purposes. Stewart has done much research for this article and, as is documented by the references, has obtained a lot of his information from published academic works of historians and economists.

External and Internal Environments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 9

External and Internal Environments - Essay Example From this study it is clear that people bewildered by the business strategy of the company which lead to the rapid upsurge of Starbucks. The rapid growth of the Starbucks has made rivals challenging to match the speedy success. The prime purpose of the company is to maintain old-fashioned way of making coffee by creating a culture of belonging and warmth with implementation of new technology. Furthermore, these values and mission can help to retain old customers and attract new customers.This paper highlights that the general environment of the company is defined as the conditions and factors that are uncontrollable and can affect everyone in a market or industry. It is difficult for a firm to control forces affecting the general environment. Moreover, the evaluation of the general environment can benefit companies to identify future opportunities and predict changes. There are seven segment of general environment which includes demographic, legal, technological, sociocultural, globa l and economic segments. It is pivotal for Starbucks Corporation to assess the changes and continually monitor necessity changes for the benefit of organization. Two segments that can effectively influence Starbucks Corporation are technological and economic environment.  Emergence of technological advancement has forced organization to innovate to sustain in the market. The capture of Chinese market has been one of the prime objectives of Starbucks Corporation.

Exploring Another Ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exploring Another Ethnicity - Essay Example I wondered if my friends would identify a mosque as a different place as I thought the church was at that particular time. Having been brought up in a deeply rooted Islamic culture, I had never associated myself with any other religion before but I knew about their existence. My prior knowledge concerning Christianity and the urge to prove what really happens in other religions however helped me to gain some confidence, which could not be sufficient to withstand uneasiness. I thought it unfair to have religious differences such as one religion dominating a particular region of the world. As an Arab amongst the congregation, I appeared odd and abandoned due to the hijab I was wearing unlike the warmly and familiar feeling I usually have when I attend mosques. In fact, at some point I could hide my face when I realized that someone within the congregation was staring at me. The similarity between the church and the mosque is that the attendees recognize their way of worshipping and rel igious status as the best compared to others. There is uniformity in the way Christians and Muslims carry out their prayers when they are in their prayer gatherings. Christians do have a pastor who conducts the prayers as it is in mosques where there are Imams guiding Muslims in worship. Additionally, there are two different holy books used by the two distinctively different religions by their respective followers in worshiping. Interestingly, the two different religions believe in God whom they respect and fear (Stefon, 2010). Quran and Bible share most of the stories especially in the Old Testament such as the stories of Moses and Abraham that really connects the two religions. I further realized that Christians also believe in continuous prayers at specific times such as in the evening and early mornings just like Muslims. Additionally, both religions do have almost similar believe concerning family issues such as women submitting to their husbands and prohibition of sex before m arriage. However, there are numerous beliefs that both religions do not agree on such as the existence of trinity according to Christians’ beliefs and the fact that Jesus is a son of God as claimed by Christians. Muslims believe that Jesus was a human prophet and not divine as claimed by Christians and that there is only one God who is the creature of the universe. Muslims further believe that God who is referred to, as Allah is the father to everyone and that there is nothing special or divine about Jesus that should make him worshiped directly or indirectly. Muslims also believe in original sin and that Jesus did not die on the cross to save humanity from sin but instead God made it to appear so. Christians strongly believe in salvation in the name of Jesus to cleanse their original sins that Muslims are strongly opposed to (Ra?isa?nen 2010). My perception towards Christianity is influenced by the Islamic belief that Jesus was not God’s begotten son hence should not be worshiped as Christians do since he was just a prophet and a great teacher. Additionally, Muslims consider that calling Jesus God or son of God is blasphemy and that there is no day God’s word has never existed. Muslims do not believe that Jesus died for our sins as claimed by Christians that all their (Christians) sins were forgiven after the death of Jesus on the cross. Muslims regard themselves as perfect and the true

Emotional intelligence leadership

Emotional intelligence leadership Abstract It is apparent that implementation of emotional intelligence in organizations require the use of soft-skill tools that are beneficial for most organizations. The challenge of convincing an organization to commit to a particular method and to provide resources for this kind of development will be explored in this paper. The results indicate that true change in leadership skills requires in-depth experiential training and on going support. Emotional Intelligence Leadership Organizations have been thrust into a highly competitive environment that is in continuous states of change. Leaders need to begin building a learning organization that includes every person in every position. Leaders with a passionate inspiration will motivate their people by including them in the creation of the corporate vision. Empowered employees require a leader willing to devote time, effort, and energy to establish a core of shared values. Leaders that invest themselves, their resources as well as time are the foundation for building an emotionally intelligent organization. Promotion of emotional intelligence (EQ) requires a broad scope of soft-skills that leaders can use for the benefit of their organization. Foundations of Emotional Intelligence Emotional leadership is the spark that ignites a companys performance, creating a bonfire of success or a landscape of ashes (Goleman, Boyatzis Mckee, 2001). Goleman (1996) defines emotional intelligence as the capacity for recognizing ones feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in relationship with self and others. His framework includes four major branches that have grown from the seed of EQ: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Kreitner Kinicki (2010) affirm the first two are personal competencies and determines how we handle ourselves; the second two are social competencies and determine how we handle our relationships with others (p. 145). Daft (2005) defines emotional intelligence as the ability to recognize, comprehend and assimilate emotions in self and others and stresses that everyone has the ability to increase their EQ (p. 145). According to Daft, (2005) Managing emotions does not mean suppressing or denying them but understanding them and using that understanding to deal with situations productively (p. 146). Benefits of Emotional Intelligence Skills It is easy to understand the importance of emotional intelligence in regards to managing stress, increasing motivation, and productive conflict resolution, as these have been linked to improved overall organizational effectiveness (Daft, 2005). Individuals and organizations that can learn to operate in emotionally intelligent ways will remain vital and dynamic in todays competitive marketplace. Leaders with high levels of EQ are able to instill unity and create high performance teams that are cohesive in their work efforts. In todays fast paced, static environment, organizations that introduce and implement EQ are able to create sustainable changes in an established corporate culture and build a new culture of shared responsibility with a united purpose (Daft, 2005). Emotional intelligence is exactly what the name implies. The basis of an emotionally competent leader is one with an inspiring vision for change with increased adaptability. The emotional stability of a leader can affect the whole organization by being a positive role model that is able to motivate and inspires others by their empathetic abilities (Daft, 2005). Golemans research, over several years with diverse types of organizations has shown the ability to predict high performance individuals and teams through soft skill competencies associated with EQ. Organizational training and development of EQ for leaders and managers have been shown to increase employee productivity, reduce apathy, and increase employee fulfillment, and job stability. The Process of Organizational Emotional Intelligence Emotional Intelligence is not just managing emotions: it involves engaging emotional intelligence insights and tools combined with the potential of the current rational tools. The process for learning EQ follows a logical progression. First the organizations top leaders should be comfortable with using EQ competencies, such as self-awareness to build empathy, coach others, resolve conflict, and improve their political awareness and teamwork. Organizational leaders need a clear definition of the critical importance of EQ through conducting a detailed self-assessment of EQ competency skills for all staff members. This is not something that can be accomplished in a one-week seminar. It requires repeated application of basic competencies of EQ at home, work or social gatherings. This requires insight into leadership capacity and increasing organizational performance by benchmarking and strategically leveraging diversity (Druskat Wolff, 2001). Leaders and managers provide coaching or men toring support and should establish a 360-degree feedback for visible improvements, as well as a high return of the organizations initial investment that can improve corporate culture for a lifetime. It has been determined that consistent utilization of emotional intelligence encourages staff members towards intentional communication, in terms of people issues and individual response to change (Fariselli Ghini, 2005). Extensive research by Goleman, Boyatzis Mckee (2001) have shown that high levels of emotional intelligence, create organizational cultures where learning, trust, sharing of information, and healthy risk-taking increases on a consistent basis. Organizations that have committed to EQ change initiatives do benefit from frequent and random monitoring for talent retention, staff performance, and customer service with adjustments made as indicated. References Daft, R. L. (2008). The leadership experience (4th ed.). Cincinnati: South-Western. ISBN-13: 9780324539684. Druskat, V. U. Wolff, S. B. (2001, March). Building the emotional intelligence of groups. Weatherhead School of Management. Harvard Business Review; 81-90. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from http://nootropics.com/social-intelligence/emotionalgroup.html Fariselli, L. F. Ghini, M. (2005). Optimizing manufacturing reengineering with emotional intelligence: SAP, LEAN, and people at CIBA Specialty Chemical. Six Seconds. Bologna, Italy. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from http://www.eqtoday.com/modules.phname=Newsfile=articlesid=317 Goleman, D. (2000). Emotional intelligence: Issues in paradigm building. Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. In Goleman, D. Cherniss, C. (eds.). The Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select for, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, Groups, and Organizations. San Francisco. Jossey-Bass. Retrieved March 22, 2010 from http://www.eiconsortium.org/reprints/ei_issues_in_paradigm_building.html Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. Mckee, A. (2001, December). Primal leadership: The hidden driver of great performance. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved March 20, 2010 from http://hbr.org/2001/12/primal-leadership/ar/1 Kreitner, R., Kinicki, A. (2010). Organizational behavior (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073530451

Alice in Wonderland Essay -- essays papers

Alice in Wonderland In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll tells an entertaining story about a young girl’s adventures in a strange â€Å"Wonderland.† This novel represents a typical girl’s struggle to break away from adult control and receive a desired freedom from their absurd society. Although the novel was written during the Victorian age and many of the events of the story are based on Victorian society, children today also feel the suffocation of adult control and a society without morals. Carroll uses symbolism and various scenes throughout the novel to show the reader the freedom that Alice strives to achieve as well as how she tries to break away from the domination and conformity. The first scene in which Alice’s struggle to break away from adult control and Victorian England’s society is in Chapter 1. After falling into the rabbit hole, Alice finds herself lost in a corridor with many locked doors. The doors being locked represents Alice being controlled by society. The reader can see Alice’s struggle to break away from this control when, finding a key, she searches right away for the door that it fits in. She finds that it fits a very small door and when she unlocks it, Alice first sees â€Å"the garden.† She believes it to be the â€Å"loveliest garden you ever saw† and â€Å"longed to get out of the dark hall, and wander about among those bright flowers and those cool fountains...† Alice’s strong desire to enter the garden is clearly evident. After trying everything she can think of to get into the garden, Alice finally realizes that she is not yet able to enter it and breaks down in tears. Not being able to get into the â€Å"lovely garden,† which represents a place Alice can be away from... ...an society, it was not considered proper etiquette to raise your voice to anyone, whether you are an adult or not. Alice rebels against the rules of the Victorian culture by expressing herself in such a manner. Free in the garden, Alice defies the Queen when she tries to execute her. It is then that Alice realized she must act against society or it would control her. Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a paradoxical novel that represents a typical child’s struggle to break away adult society’s beliefs and rules. It is shown in three vital scenes of the novel how Alice struggles to enter the lovely garden of â€Å"Wonderland,† which represents a freedom from society’s rules and regulations. Alice did understand until the closing of the novel that society cannot be changed and to get away from it, you have to change yourself and rebel against it.