Benefits of Breastfeeding and Stages of Child Feeding

Benefits of Breastfeeding and Stages of Child Feeding Breastfeeding is the oldest method of feeding a child and has existed since the beginning of time. Most of the mothers received advice on the methods of feeding their infants and it comes from a variety of different sources like relatives or their mothers, health professionals, friends, books, magazines and baby food manufacturers. Similar findings were reported by Worsfold (1996). It is found to confer several advantages to both the breastfed child and his mother. This is in line with the study by Gartner et al. (2005). 98.0% of mothers knew about the importance of breast-feeding. The most prominent benefit identified by 92.6% of mothers were protection of the baby from diseases as stated by Duggan et al. (1990) and Berg et al. (1984). 23.4% who found it to be economical and this matches the study by Duggan et al. (1990) and NRDC (2005). 8.5% of mothers concluded that breastfeeding protects the baby from childhood obesity as suggested by Cook et al. (2003) compared to the study by Clifford (2003) who did not find any association between them. Also, 8.5% of mothers agreed that breastfeeding prevents the mother from gaining weight. This is explained by the fact that during lactation, many calories are spent to produce milk as mentioned by NRDC (2005) and Brudenell et al. (1995). It can be seen that mothers in Mauritius had a good knowledge on the beneficial aspe cts of breastfeeding. Therefore mothers will try their best to breastfeed their child. This will not only provide adequate nutrition to their child but also some beneficial health effects to the breastfeeding mothers. Out of those 98 mothers who said that breastfeeding is important, 90 breastfed their child. However, all those who said that breastfeeding is not important breastfed their child. Those eight mothers who could not breastfeed their baby despite being aware of its benefits reported that they were either drug addicts, HIV positive or their baby was adopted. A study by Ashworth (2005) reported that the HIV virus can be passed from an HIV-infected mother to her baby, known as mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). This study also suggested that one in every 20 babies will become infected if breast-fed for six months while three in every 20 will become infected if breast-feeding continues for two years. Breast milk substitutes and their hazards Breast milk substitutes are alternatives to breast milk. They include powdered or liquid milks or formula, wet-nurses and exclude therapeutic formulas used under medical supervision (USAID, 2006). 82.0% of mothers knew about the hazards associated with breast milk substitutes. 61.0% of mothers reported diarrhea as the utmost hazard which does not tally with the study by Fein § et al. (1997). The second hazard mentioned by 48.8% mothers was severe abdominal pain. 41.5% of mothers stated that vomiting was associated with the use of breast milk substitutes as researched by Dugdale and Eaton-Evans (1987). Allergy and childhood obesity were reported by only 31.7% of 7.3% of mothers respectively. These show that the mothers were very much aware of the hazards associated with breast milk substitutes. Mother would probably try to limit the use of breast milk substitutes as much as possible by taking into account the hazards associated with them. In this way, breastfeeding will be promoted leading to an improved health status of the children of Mauritius. However, for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed for genuine and valid reasons, the use of breast milk substitutes may still be considered as a safe choice. Colostrum Colostrum is the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy (WHO, 2010). 78.0% of mothers knew about colostrum. 72.5% of mothers correctly rightly defined it as the precursor to breast milk while 78.0% 0f mothers correctly described its appearance as a sticky pale yellow liquid. This shows that Mauritian mothers knew that colostrum is the first milk produced just after delivery and was able to describe it properly. 4.2 BREASTFEEDING PRACTICES Initiation of breastfeeding 47.3% of mothers breastfed their child in less than one hour after birth as recommended by the WHO (2010) and USAID (2006) while some breastfed their child after several days. A 22% reduction in neonatal mortality was seen in rural Ghana if breastfeeding is started within the first hour after birth (Edmond et al., 2006). It was also found that early initiation of breastfeeding builds on the babys innate reflexes and babies who start breastfeeding at this time continue to breastfeed exclusively thus adopting optimal feeding. The mothers body produces the hormone while enhancing the flow of milk. The mothers commensal (normal) bacteria start colonizing the babys skin and gut thereby protecting the baby against the harmful bacteria in the environment. During this time, the baby is calmer, is in an alert state with stable breathing and heart rate. Early initiation of breastfeeding has also been shown to help reduce post-partum bleeding, a major cause of maternal mortality in developing c ountries (IBFAN-Asia, 2007). In light of these studies, mothers should be advised and encouraged to breastfeed their baby just after birth or in less than one hour after birth. 66 mothers claimed that breastfeeding must be initiated in less than one hour after birth but unfortunately only 39 of them practised it. The main barriers associated with late initiation of breastfeeding in cesarean section deliveries were the adverse effects of anesthesia on mother-infant pairs, maternal discomfort and delayed onset of lactation as stated by Emel. (2010). Exclusive breastfeeding 36.8% of mothers rightly carried out exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Exclusive breastfeeding was found to contribute to protection against common infections during infancy and to lessen the frequency and severity of infectious episodes while partial breastfeeding did not seem to provide this protective effect and this was confirmed in a research by Galanakis et al. (2010). Unfortunately very few Mauritian mothers did exclusive breastfeeding for six months. This implies that mothers introduced breast milk substitutes like for example infant formula or food items earlier in the babys diet. Stopping breast-feeding before four months and introducing solid foods were associated with overweight and obesity at three years old as reported in a study by Hawkins et al. (2009). Formula-fed babies show quicker growth rates than breast-fed babies and seem to be at a greater risk of obesity as they progress into childhood. This could be explained by arguing that a breast-fed infant has mor e control over the rate of feeding and the timing of the end of feeding while bottle-fed infant might feel pressured to take in more feed due to being led by a parent to finish the bottle as stated by Ebbeling et al. (2002). Among 51 mothers who knew that exclusive breastfeeding must be carried out for six months, only 28 of them did so. The major reason reported by mothers was insufficient milk production which was in line with the study by Petit (2008). A small group of mothers thought that breast milk did not satisfy their baby as it is easily digested as stated by Maeda et al. (2001) and that infant formula would prevent their baby from getting hungry more often. Some mothers stopped breastfeeding before six months due to fatigue, backache, nipples infection, child refuses to suckle or simply due to the easy availability of breast milk substitutes on the market. Others wanted their baby to get used to infant milk so that they can leave their baby with some family members when they had to go out or had to resume work. Complete breastfeeding 22.3% of mothers carried out breastfeeding for up to two years which shows that only a minority of mothers practiced breastfeeding for two years. However, the data showed that 17.0% of mothers carried out breastfeeding for eighteen months, 12.8% for twelve months followed by 11.7% for three months only. This was explained in terms of several reasons like inadequate amount of milk produced and baby was not receiving enough milk. Some mothers stopped breastfeeding as they wanted to get pregnant again and for aesthetic reasons. Those who work reported that they did not get breastfeeding time. Others mentioned that their infants have lost interest in nursing and their husbands had negative opinions on breastfeeding. Among the respondents, few mothers stopped breastfeeding as they had sore nipples. Others were under medication and were advised by doctors to stop breastfeeding. Certain mothers found it difficult to breastfeed their baby when they had to go out and found it more convenient to use infant formula in public places. A study claimed that the leading reason why mothers stopped breastfeeding was insufficient amount of milk produced (Hussain, 2003). Most Mauritian mothers did not breastfeed their child for two years for several reasons and this would probably had adverse health effect on the child with a reduced beneficial effect of breastfeeding to the mother herself. Weaning Weaning is the process of expanding the diet of the infant to include foods and drinks other than mothers or formula milk, to enable them to meet the extra nutritional needs for rapid growth and development (DOH, 1994).The weaning period is a crucial stage in the growth and development of the infant and child. The timing of weaning, the choice of foods, their methods of preparation, and how weanlings are fed, all affect the outcome46.5% of mothers introduced supplemental feed at six months of age. 93.0% of them introduced infant formula while others introduced mostly solid foods. It can also be seen that 29.4% of mothers started weaning before six months compared with 18.1% of mothers who began it after six months. The introduction of solid foods before 3 to 4 months were found to be associated with increased fatness and wheeze later in childhood, with an increased risk of allergy, and with higher rates of coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes in infants while the European Food Safety Authoritys panel on dietetic products, nutrition, and allergies concluded that for infants across the EU, complementary foods may be introduced safely between four to six months, and six months of exclusive breast feeding may not always provide sufficient nutrition for optimal growth and development as shown by Booth et al. (2011). Out of those 58 mothers who knew that supplemental food must be introduced at six months, 42 rightly introduced it in the babys diet at this age. At around 6-9 months changes occur in babies mouths that help them cope with the change from drinking to eating. Babies younger than this may be more at risk of choking on solid foods. For parents, leaving solid foods until around six months means less time spent preparing smooth purà ©es as babies can then cope with finger foods and lumpy foods more quickly and also fewer smelly nappies. Mothers who encourage their babies to help themselves to solid foods (an approach called baby-led weaning), rather than spoon-feeding them, say that this makes introducing solids an easier, more enjoyable and sociable experience. If breastfeeding is being continued to six months or more implies that your baby receives more antibodies and other protective factors. Giving only breast milk also means your baby is less exposed to harmful bacteria. Babies are more likely than adults to develop diarrhea and vomiting from such exposure as they have less acid in their stomachs. Early weaning is not convenient as babies do not actually produce all the enzymes needed to digest food thoroughly until they are about a year old. Under four months, any foods other than milk could put strain on the babys kidneys and the larger molecules in food are more likely to trigger an allergy. Although a baby given solids early may appear fine at the time, there are increased risks of eczema, wheezing and chest infections in childhood as suggested by NCT (2008). Others factors affecting weaning may include young maternal age, low maternal education, low socioeconomic status, absence or short duration of breastfeeding, maternal smoking, and lack of information or advice from health care in compliance with the study by Lakshman et al. (2009). Preparation of babys food at home and Use of ready-made pots 99.0% of mothers were preparing their babys food at home with 53.0% of mothers not using ready-made pots at all. This implied that among the 99.0% of mothers who were preparing their babys food at home, 40.0% of them were using ready-made pots in parallel as mothers found the cost of ready-made pots high. But due to its availability and convenience for babies, mothers tried to buy them for some meals. Therefore mothers would prepare one meal and use pots for others. Moreover, 29.4% mothers were using ready-made pots everyday while 30.4% claimed to use them rarely. The reasons for using ready-made pots rarely were due to their unaffordable price to some parents, unacceptable taste by babies, had to resume work, low freshness and less nutritious compared to ready-made pots. Mothers who prepared their babys food at home were mostly unemployed. Practice of exclusive breastfeeding and weight classification of children and BMI classification of children 35 children were exclusively breastfed for six months. From the findings, it can be seen that most of them (19) had a healthy weight represented by a percentile range which lies between 5th percentiles to less than the 85th percentile as mentioned by the CDC (2011). Also, most children had a weight of more than twice their birth weight at six months. This implied that the childs weight doubled between four to six months which tallied with the study by Mahan and Escott-Stump (2008). This indicted that exclusive breastfeeding for duration of six months did prevent excessive weight gain in children thereby protecting the children against childhood obesity. Practice on complete duration of breastfeeding with BMI classification of children Among the 21 children who were breastfed for two years, most of them had a healthy weight represented by a percentile range which lies between 5th percentiles to less than the 85th percentile. This showed that breastfeeding for two years prevents childhood obesity. However, some of the children were underweight as classified with a percentile range of less than 5th percentile. This could be explained by the fact that mothers wrongly timed the introduction of food in the babys diet or the amount and type of food given to the baby was not correct. Practice on age at which weaning started with BMI classification of children 31 children out of those 46 children who were weaned at six months had a healthy weight classified by a percentile range between 5th percentiles to less than the 85th percentile. This demonstrates that weaning at the right time prevent excessive gain of weight by children thereby preventing them from becoming obese. It was also seen that despite some mothers rightly introduced supplemental food in the babys diet, the baby was overweight as she was not breastfed. 4.3 AGE OF INTRODUCTION OF SPECIFIC FOOD ITEMS The WHO (2011) recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at 6 months of age in addition to breast milk, initially 2-3 times a day between 6-8 months, increasing to 3-4 times daily between 9-11 months and 12-24 months with additional nutritious snacks offered 1-2 times per day, as desired. The main items that were introduced early were cow milk, mashed fruits, fresh vegetables and mashed vegetables. 61.1% of mothers introduced cows milk before 8 to 9 months as reported by CHW (2008). This was a bad practice as early introduction of cows milk is associated with an increased risk of developing Type-1 diabetes afterwards and a protein in cows milk was responsible in causing an unusual immune response as stated by Goldfarb (2008). Also, early introduction of cows milk and infant formula increases the frequency of atopic dermatitis, cow milk allergy, and wheezing in early childhood which is in line with a study by Burks et al. (2008) and IDACE (2005). Fortunately the majority of mothers (49.0%) rightly introduced infant formula in their babys diet at 6 months. Mothers introduced eggs irrespective of whether it is egg yolk, white egg or whole egg at around 9- 12 months as stated by ADC (2005) to prevent allergies. However, a study by Koplin et al. (2010) showed that introduction of cooked egg at 4-6 months of age does not increase the risk of egg allergy but can rather protect against its development. Bread was introduced earlier than recommended by 37.0% of mothers which is a bad practice. Bread is a starchy food and consists of sugars. Therefore, early introduction bread in a childs diet may lead to unusual weight gain in children. With time, the child may become overweight and obese. Research showed that overweight and obesity in children in most cases turned out to be obese adults which elevates the risk of diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and breathing problems as stated by AACAP (2010). Meat was introduced early by 40.8% of mothers. Meat is rich in saturated fats which is stored in the childs body. The digestive system of the child is affected and with time, the walls of the arteries may thicken leading to atherosclerosis together with many other chronic diseases. 20.0% of others introduced salty snacks earlier than recommended in their babys diet. Excessive salt consumption leads to storage of water in the body and affects the normal functioning of the digestive system. Afterwards, this person is more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and others health related problems. The main reason claimed by mothers for the introduction of milk and milk products were mainly as a source of calcium for the child. Other reasons include strength of bones and teeth, proper growth and development of the child. Eggs were given to children as a source of vitamin D, protein and to test for allergies. Cereal and cereal products were given as a source of carbohydrate to provide the child with adequate amount of energy to carry out his daily activities and for basal metabolism. Meat and meat products were given mostly as a source of protein and to vary the type of food the child consumes. Sweet and salty biscuits were given to children as snacks usually at tea time with a glass of milk to prevent the child from being over hungry at dinner time thereby preventing overconsumption of nutrients during the meal. The purpose of inserting fruits and vegetables in the diet is to provide the child with all the essential vitamins and to prevent constipation and other health problems related to malnutrition. Ice cream was rarely given as a dessert while custard was given to the child when he could not eat normal meals or during illnesses. With respect to my study, no problem was encountered with children. However, some children may be allergic to eggs, some specific brands of infant formula or fish while some children may suffer from cold while eating ice cream. 4.4 DETERMINATION OF THE ACTUAL BMI OF THE CHILDREN The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a childs weight and height and is used to assess obesity (CDC, 2011). The BMI of the children ranges from 12.82 to 21.33. These values were plugged on the body mass index-for-age percentiles to determine the percentile curve to which the childrens BMI tally with. Using this percentile and the data in Table 2, it can be easily seen whether the child is underweight, has a healthy weight, is overweight or is obese. The majority of children had a healthy weight compared to a small majority of children being underweight, overweight and obese. Therefore, it can be concluded that most Mauritian children had an ideal weight. 4.5 WEIGHT EVOLUTION OF CHILDREN Most children had a weight of more than twice their birth weight at six months and thrice their birth weight at twelve months. This implied that the childs weight doubled between four to six months and tripled at one year which tallied with the study by Mahan and Escott-Stump (2008). This showed that exclusive breastfeeding for six months, introduction of supplemental food at six months with continued breastfeeding till two years enable the proper growth and development of the child by preventing excess weight gain by the baby. In some cases, the childrens weight did not double at six months as they were ill and lost some weight during that period. Some children whose weights were more than thrice their birth weight were not properly breastfed. That is why their weights were higher than thrice their birth weight even though supplemental food was introduced at the right time. 4.6 CONCLUSION Breastfeeding is and will always remain the best way of feeding a child. Children who were exclusively breastfed for 6 months and were given supplemental food at this age with continued breastfeeding till 2 years were found to grow properly with a healthy weight. It was also found that those children who were not breast fed as recommended probably gained more weight despite the fact that supplemental food was introduced at the right time. Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months with the right age of introduction of complementary food in the babys diet together with prolonged breastfeeding till 2 years old is essential for the proper growth and development of a child. Mothers should be given knowledge on breastfeeding so that they can practice it in a more effective manner. 4.7 RECOMMENDATIONS Breastfeeding must be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding should be carried out for the first six months with continued breastfeeding for two years or more, together with safe, nutritionally adequate, age appropriate, responsive complementary feeding starting in the sixth month. Mothers should be informed about the advantages of breastfeeding to both their baby and themselves Medical staffs should make mothers aware of the hazards associated with breast milk substitutes and its consequences, which may arise afterwards throughout the babys life. The weight of children must be controlled regularly to ensure that the child is growing properly i.e. to see if his weight doubles at 4-6 months and triple at around 12 months. HIV mothers must not breastfeed their child to prevent the Mother To Child Transmission (MTCT) of the virus. Advice must be given to mothers regarding the preparation of babys food at home and ready-made pots available for babies so that babies can be given more hygienic and nutritious food.

Assess the view that, in today’s society, the family losing it’s functions?

There are many sociologists who have many different views on the family and the functions that they require. For example, George Murdock and Talcott Parsons who are functionalists. The warm bath theory and feminists.A famous sociologist who looked at the family is Murdock; he thought that the nuclear family was universal. He came to believe that the family had four main functions; economic – the family pool their resources and share financial responsibility, sexual – a male and female relationship that is socially accepted within society, reproduction – spouses reproduce and have children, educational – the family learns the shared norms and values of society. This theory however has its critics, it is outdated and other structures within society, such as, banks, benefits, schools and adoption can take over to help the family perform its functions.Another functionalist is Parsons, he believed that families were to fulfil two basic irreducible functions; th e primary socialisation of children – this was important to Parsons because he thought that everyone should know the shared norms and values of society and a child begins to learn at a very young age at home. Without this there would be no consensus and without this a social life would not be possible as people would not know how to act and greet people in a respectable way. The second function is the stabilisation of adult personalities – unstable personalities can threaten the smooth-running and stability of society. Parsons believed that having a family can help support the adults and help them stay grounded.

Analysis of Health Education Pamphlet Essay

Analysis of Health Education Pamphlet: Helping Yourself Heal When Your Spouse Dies Mental health is an important component of overall healthcare, but it is often overlooked. Although society has become more aware of mental health issues, there is still a stigma perceived, and individuals are often reluctant to disclose their mental health issues for fear of rejection, prejudice or avoidance by others (Turner, 2013). Grief and the grieving process is a common aspect of mental health; this pamphlet’s target audience is individuals who have lost their partner (Wolfelt, 2011). The goal is to provide information and reassurance that their grieving is normal and necessary. The analysis of this pamphlet will include an examination of its layout appeal, content and quality of information, an assessment of the reading level and its appropriateness for the target audience, clarity, examples of health care promotion, usefulness, cultural sensitivity and competence, along with helpful tip s for self-care and health management. Layout Appeal A first glance at this pamphlet shows a soothing but attractive picture of a dandelion in full seed. The background is a muted brick red/brown, with the dandelions depicted in light blue that lighten further to bright white in the center. The title is in white with the word â€Å"Spouse† enlarged. This certainly catches one’s eye and clearly announces the target audience it intends. The interior of the pamphlet is all text but divided into titled sections of two paragraphs each. The section titles could read separately from the rest of the content and still lend insight to the reader. For example, the first four section titles are as follows: Acknowledge Your Loss, Allow Yourself to Mourn; Recognize Your Grief is Unique, and Talk Out Your Thoughts and Feelings. The background of the interior is white, the print in black, with the exception of the section titles, which are in blue ink. There are faint pictures of dandelions on the interior, carrying over the cover design. Overall it is very pleasing and attractive. Content and Quality of Information The content of this pamphlet was developed by Dr. Alan Wolfelt, Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Wolfelt has  written extensively on the subject of grief and loss, as well as conducting classes in the subject. Each of the titled sections is two paragraphs and covers just one aspect of grief and loss. It can be read in one sitting or one section at a time. The information of the pamphlet covers the entire grieving process and offers reassurance, comfort, and empathy without being rigid about the grieving process. It allows an individual to take in as much as they can, and then refer to the pamphlet as a reference. Reading Level/Appropriate Literacy Level Delgado and Weitzel conclude in their study on literacy of lower-income urban adults that most participants had â€Å"reading and comprehension levels at beginning high school level† (Delgado, 2013), and suggest that clients may have difficulty understanding the offered information. They recommend that printed information for the general public be written on a level to ensure comprehension by the target audience – at the 8th to 9th grade level (Delgado, 2013). The content of this pamphlet flows nicely and was analyzed using two different reading level assessment tools: ATOS (ATOS Assessment, 2014) and SMOG (SMOG Assessment Overview, 2012). The ATOS scoring placed the content of the pamphlet at the 8th grade reading and comprehension level, with the SMOG scoring slightly higher at the 9th grade reading and comprehension level. Overall, the pamphlet meets the recommendations of Delgado and Weitzel, and should be readily understandable by most adults. As this pamphlet is targeted for adults who have experienced the death of a spouse, the pamphlet is entirely appropriate in reading and comprehension levels. Clarity The target audience and intent of this pamphlet are clear from the first glance and onward. It contains concise and useful information and gentle guidance while stressing individuality. The content is written in plain language and is easily understood. Each section has a title and addresses only what the title states, creating manageable bits of information. It does not overwhelm the reader. Usefulness This pamphlet provides much useful information on the grieving process. It gives examples of the types of emotions one might experience during grief and reassures the reader that each person grieves in their own way. It gives valuable information and reassurance without becoming â€Å"preachy† and patronizing. Different aspects of grief are explored and explained, and the reader is encouraged to embrace their grief, experience it and know that to suppress the grief and emotions accompanying it can be detrimental. Cultural Sensitivity and Competence While the pamphlet does not address specific cultural differences, it does acknowledge that there are cultural differences exist. The author also encourages the reader to embrace their own cultural traditions pertaining the death, loss and grieving that will bring them and their families comfort. Helpful Tips for Self-Care and Health Management Many helpful tips are offered in this pamphlet; from acknowledging grief and mourning to finding support systems to dealing with the possessions of the deceased. The overall tone of the pamphlet is one of acceptance, reassurance, and comfort. It encourages the reader to be compassionate with oneself, to be open about the pain of loss and not to repress emotions. It also informs the reader that they will experience a range of emotions, sometimes within a short period of time, and that it is normal. This is a gentle and useful pamphlet that offers both comfort and a guideline to aid a person through the grief of the loss of their partner. Reference ATOS Assessment. (2014). Retrieved from Renaissance.com: http://www.renaissance.com/Products.Accelerated-Reader/ATOS Delgado, C. &. (2013). Reading comprehension levels in a sample of urban, low-income persons. Health Education Journal 72(3), 345-350. SMOG Assessment Overview. (2012). Retrieved from Havard.edu: http://www.cdnl.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/135/2012/09/pdfSMOGoverview Turner, R. N. (2013). Combating the mental health stigma with nostalgia. European Journal Of Social Psychology, 43(5), 413-422. Wolfelt, A. (2011). Helping yourself heal when your spouse dies. Fort Collins, CO: Companion Press.

Colombian Democracy Essay - 5929 Words

Colombian Democracy There is a practical problem to capturing a cogent understanding of Colombia in a single snapshot. There are two realities of Colombia scholars use to frame analysis of the birthplace of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magical realism: â€Å"armed conflict† and â€Å"political democracy.† These phenomena are a defining feature of modern Colombia. They have coexisted since 1958 when the National Front political pact ended intra-elite conflict in La Violencia but failed to guarantee a stable social order. In a sense, Colombian society was never successfully â€Å"pacified† in the way its neighboring nations were. The question of whether and how these two realities will be linked in the future is what stimulates my interest in this Andean†¦show more content†¦These theories are perhaps always true according to their own criteria but whether they advance understanding of an issue—let alone opened up new possibilities for interpreting it—is a se parate question. Let me be more concrete about my critique. Security-specific and most democratization studies interventions on Colombia trouble me because they detach their respective complementary realities. As a result, they produce unsatisfactory substantive accounts. Naturally, security wonks and democratization studies scholars proceed differently in presenting their views of Colombia. But in reviewing the scholarship of influential works on Colombia such as Jonathan Hartlyn’s, The politics of coalition rule in Colombia (1988 and an update, 1999), John D. Martz’s, The Politics of Clientelism (1995), Laurence Whitehead’s, â€Å"Reforms† (2001), Fernando Cepeda Ulloa’s, â€Å"Colombia: The Governability Crisis,† (2003), Nazih Richani’s, Systems of Violence: The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia (2002), and Ricardo Vargas’s, â€Å"State, Espirit Mafioso, and Armed Conflict in Colombia,† (2004), I find a blank middle space between security and democracy approaches that renders either narrative inadequate. This void needs filling in to make intelligible the contradictions mediating the juxtaposed realities of Colombia. Social movement scholars creatively address this deficit from the micro level. I follow scholars such as Daniel Pecaut (1992, 2001,Show MoreRelatedImpact Of Globalization On The World1229 Words   |  5 Pagesduring that decade than in the previous three combined. Economic globalization has largely eliminated the benefits of territorial acquisition, while the destructiveness of modern warfare has increased its costs. The near-doubling in the number of democracies since 1990 has been equally important, because established democratic states, for a variety of reasons, rarely fight each other militarily.† These statistics exemplify how our world is substituting wars with other forms of solution making methodsRead MoreThe History Of Community Television In Colombia1194 Words   |  5 Pagescapturing incidental signals, those which circulated for free via satellite, and didn’t require a decoder. As a condition, authorized organized communities could guarantee the reception without interference of open television Colombian chan nels. In Agreement 006 of 1996, the Colombian National Television Authority also established a set of prohibitions to community television which include signal radio diffusion, service commercialization, reception and distribution of codified signals. However, a yearRead MoreStruggles and Setbacks of Developing Democracies in Latin American Countries 1477 Words   |  6 Pagesmany Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, and Bolivia have continued to remain oppressed throughout history and stand on a slippery slope towards democratic reform of their national governments. The impeded development of democracy in these countries is much derived from Spanish empirical forms, reigning from the colonial era in which Spanish conquistadores implemented the first forms of government in Latin America based off of the authoritative structure of power that wasRead MoreTrafficking And Organized Crime During Latin America1859 Words   |  8 Pagesthe poor cannot do this an d their response to crimes is the emergence of vigilante action and lynching mobs. Both cases affect the confidence in democratic institutions and rule of law. In 2010 Guatemala was the country where the lowest share felt democracy was preferable to other forms of government (58%). A rising group of the population of some Latin American countries feels it is acceptable for the government to act outside the law when faced with a â€Å"difficult† situation. Recurrent patterns ofRead MoreCitizenship And Democracy Of The Classrooms : A Need For Soledad s Society Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesCitizenship and Democracy in the Classrooms: A Need for Soledad’s Society Purposes aligned to linguistic competences as a base for the development of skills in the foreign language are usually found as the goals in English language syllabuses especially in Colombian public schools. However, this linguistic emphasis has not contributed as expected for the consolidation of an awareness on the helpfulness of the learning of the English language in communities affected by problematic social phenomenonRead MoreBric Analysis Essay11111 Words   |  45 Pagesembrace familiar ‘‘Northern’’ preferences: liberal, and mixed-capitalist, democracy. Polity (2010) 42, 14–37. doi:10.1057/pol.2009.15; published online 7 December 2009 Keywords BRICs; Brazil; global governance; democracy; power transition; emerging powers Leslie Elliott Armijo is a visiting scholar at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University. The editor of Financial Globalization and Democracy in Emerging Markets (1999), Debating the Global Financial Architecture (2002)Read MoreThe United States and Colombia1578 Words   |  6 PagesColombia have had a long standing relationship through the course of history. There have been trade agreements signed by the two parties; also negotiations have taken part in regard to development strategies on the part of the US to promote the rule of Democracy and it’s institutions in Colombia, where illegal armed forces sought to control many aspects of the country’s development. Aside from trade agreements the United States and Columbia have also had agreements related to the protection of the environmentRead MoreThe Ongoing Colombian Conflict1583 Words   |  6 PagesCOLOMBIAN CONFLICT Introduction: The Colombian Conflict is a long drawn out, ongoing low-intensity intrastate war between the Colombian goverment, paramilitary troops, crime syndicates and left-wing guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), with the Colombian goverment and the paramilitary troops combatting against the guerrillas. Its origins can be traced back to 1964. Since its inception, tens of thousands of people have been killedRead MoreCultural Domains Of Colombia And Respective United States1097 Words   |  5 PagesREPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA 1. This informative paper will discuss the cultural domains of Colombia and respective United States (US) interests in the country. The enduring civil conflict between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government has created a power struggle that has shaped Colombia’s culture. The Political and Social Relations domain has been in flux for the past fifty years as these actors struggle for control over Colombia. The Economics and Resources domainRead MoreUnited States Vs Cologo803 Words   |  4 Pagespublic as progressive and center-left. However, the reality is that it is a party with an ideological divergence with different ideological sectors as the conservative center-right, through the center, classical liberalism, social liberalism, social democracy, trade union, labor, progressive and left sectors. These sectors can be dominant according to the historical moment, for example, conservative Democrats, almost all Southerners. Currentl y, the American population associates democrats as liberals

Huntingdon College Admissions ACT Scores, Admit Rate

The Power Of The Middle Ages - 3688 Words

The Inquisitions The Church is a highly acclaimed power that is still in power to this day. The Pope is still in power and the Catholic Church has been in power for almost 2000 years. The Church has a huge following and many people follow it blindly. Though there is no feudal system to put the Church on top and there is now a separation of Church and State, it was not always like that. The Church’s history is anything but pure. It constantly used it’s power against those that relied on the Church for answers and reassurance on salvation. The illiteracy of the Middle Ages allowed the Church officials to be trusted mindlessly. Reforms were looked down upon and even resulted in the imprisonment or death of some people. The Church is responsible for taking advantage of the lower class in the Feudal system, committing the Crusades or the â€Å"Holy wars† and killing and torturing heretics during the Inquisition as the result of trying to spread Catholicism. The Middle Ages was an age where the church was at the top of the social ladder, from England to Spain, the Church controlled the citizens. Due to the lack of literacy in the country and the fear of going to hell, the Church could easily influence and manipulate the people of the Middle Ages. The Church being this time was extremely corrupt due to the fact that they knew that they could make the citizens believe in most things that they said. The Church could also strip power away from anyone under its rule, as it couldShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Deserving Titles for the Middle Ages896 Words   |  4 Pagesperiod of slow development called the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages occurred around 500 A.D. to 1400 A.D. The Middle Ages were split into several different time periods called the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, and the Late Middle Ages, each period contributing to the tension or progress of the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is deserving of the titles Age of Feudalism d ue to this governing style influencing the social order of the society and the Dark Ages because this time was plagued with diseaseRead MoreThe Middle Ages : Religion, Politics, And Warfare998 Words   |  4 PagesThe Middle Ages provides historians with various examples of concepts like kingship, church, warfare, politics, and health. Historians are able to explore events during the middle ages to determine how society operated and what mindset medieval people had. The middle ages is split into three sections early (500-1000), high or central (1000-1300), and late (1300-1500). This paper is going to delve into some similarities and differences between the high and late middle ages specifically looking atRead MoreEssay about The Renaissance as a Distinct Period of Time650 Words   |  3 PagesThe Middle Ages was a time in history where everyone was faithful to religion as well as others. Also, in the Middle Ages, people were encouraged to always try their best; they were encourage d to strive for the highest achievement possible and to never give up. The Renaissance, however, was more focused on becoming matured and finding a way to be successful at everything one does. During this era, people strived to become all-sided men, also known as; renaissance men. This means they are not onlyRead MoreHistorical And Philosophical Movement Of The Renaissance1596 Words   |  7 Pagesperiod. Although some modern scholars argue that the Renaissance did little to supersede the middle ages, I believe that the Renaissance served as a transition that led to the idea we have today of individual thought and philosophy. Southern focuses particularly on the emergence of the culture of the middle ages by focusing on the 11th and 12 centuries . Taking a look at southern s description of the middle ages, it allows a different view of the medieval times that not too often occurs. He managesRead MoreThe Pardoners Prologue And Tale By Chaucer Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pagessomeone with power can influence less intelligent and poor people for financial gain, which was relevant in society during the Middle Ages. In Chaucer’s story, the Pardoner uses his influence and tells a tale of three men to convince the people to pay for him to pardon their sins. Chaucer’s tale and story is often used to emphasize the moral values in our society. There are many points in the tale that are based on the theme of greed being the cause of all evil in humanity, and the Middle Ages was a periodRead More Christianity Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagessome for the better and some for the worse. During this period in Europe, commonly known as The Middle Ages, economic reforms took place as well as social, political, and religious changes. One common theme throughout The Middle Ages consisted of the relationship between the Church and the State. The Catholic church during this era held a prominent role in society, and it had an abundant amount of power and authority during this time. The Catholic Church exercised its authority in many differentRead MoreThe Best Titles and Descriptions for the Middle Ages Essay702 Words   |  3 Pagescommonly known as the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages was a time period where several events had occurred, each supporting a different label for this era. The Middle Ages deserve the titles of the Age of Feudalism and the Dark Ages because people needed stability and relied on higher government officials for protection, and there were many wars and there was no organized government. However, the Middle Ages can be best described as the Age of Faith because the Church had power over every citizen. AlthoughRead MoreThe Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Times Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesEngland and had much more power than the Church of today does. In Medieval England, the Roman Catholic Church dominated everyday life and controlled everyone whether it is knights, peasants or kings. The Church was one of the most influential instituti ons in all of Medieval England and played a large role in education and religion. The Churchs power was so great that they could order and control knights and sends them to battle whenever they wished to. The Church also had the power to influence the decisionRead More The Late Middle Ages Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Middle Ages, often referred to as the Dark Ages, was regarded to be a time of despair, disease, and death. Just as the name the â€Å"Dark Ages† suggests, this period of European history seemed to be surrounded by darkness and hopelessness. Unfortunately, the majority of people only see this side of the Middle Ages when, in fact, the Middle Ages was a much more important era. Especially during the late Middle Ages, one can find a change in orthodox social structure, political instability mostly concernedRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Middle Ages1485 Words   |  6 Pagesonce said, â€Å"Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light† (â€Å"Faith Quotes†). Through many years of fighting and sorrow, the Middle Ages regressed down to points of murder, rape, and mass killings of the innocent and the non-innocent. Overtime, many lost faith and hope in their peers, thus causing the medieval ages to plummet even more. But soon enough, the church was shook with the realization that no one was paying attention to what really mattered: religion. As time

Leadership and Change Management Practices Sample

Executive Summary Changes can lead to transformation. For any organization to constantly innovate and grow it is critical that the policies should be driven towards that. This is only possible with the help of effective organizational leadership. The approach of leader and vision should be communicated to the employees. The study initiates with the introduction and importance of change and that shifts focus to MAS holdings. The company based in Sri Lanka has been considered due to its efforts on the transformational front. Relevant theories of Leadership Organizational change will be used in the study, and then conclusion is propounded on the basis of it. It has been found that relevant measures have been taken by MAS holdings in the past to remain competitive and communicate with employees has been effective. Introduction Change is truth and changes are crucial. For the organization it is critical that the change must be guided by efficient leadership. This brings sustained growth for the organization and creates its competitive advantage. Studies of Damanpour (1996) argue that the changes are often resisted by people. The change should therefore be driven by the effective measures and effective leadership. The organizational changes mean that the organization is trying to transform itself. The change in organization is change in the future work and the process of working (Hage, 1999). These changes are either planned or unplanned in nature. Organizational changes are important as they can improve the functioning of the organization. There are distinct advantages of organizational changes for which they are preferred. The changes are in relation to the motivation levels of employees, satisfaction of the customer and increase in competitive ability of the organization. Studies from Ulrich (1998) have found that it is necessary that the company caters with the challenges of change. It is also critical to understand the role of leadership in that regard. The leadership and its efficiency are judged on the way it manages the changes. If the leader is effective, he will be able to create effectiveness in the organization through the change (Kennedy, 2000). It is also stated in some of the studies that the leader should possess some kind of proven competencies so that he is able to inculcate the changes. Initiation of change and co-ordination of it is done through effective leader that is ready to transform the organization (Heifetz Laurie, 1997). This research paper focuses on the Organizational leadership and the management practices. For the purpose of understanding case of MAS holdings, Sri Lanka has been taken into consideration. Company Background MAS holdings are a leading manufacturer of intimate apparels, lingerie, and Swim wears in Sri Lanka. The company has 38 apparel facilities that are located in 10 countries (MAS, nd). The company transformed itself in the 80s and works on the principle of Change is Courage. The company has also been focusing on the SAP based solutions and providing these services to the footwear business and apparel businesses across globe. The annual turnover of the company has been over USD 1 billion. Leadership and Change: How MAS Holdings Do it? Changes are generally of two types as stated in Figure 1. i.e Changes based on Evolution and Changes bases on Transformation. Evolutionary changes are slow in nature; they are taking marginal moves forward for the organization vision. Meanwhile, transformational changes, which is also the focus of this study is based on the urgency and is much fast compared to evolution change. A change from the old traditions to the new business which is modernized is transformational. Lewin (1943) proposed a model of change in the organizational structure. The model has three stages which is Unfreezing, Implementation and Freezing. First Stage: Unfreezing in MAS Holdings The first step towards transformation is the changes and readiness of the people involved in the organization. The vary basis of change is dependent on the first stage that is unfreezing. In regards to MAS holdings, the unfreezing stage of the company started in the middle of 1980s when the company one the order of the manufacturing of dresses from synthetic fabric. The quota restrictions were revised and the company was not able to fulfil the order. However in order to keep the capacity utilized Mahesh Dayalal Amalean, the co-founder and visionary of MAS holdings decided to manufacture lingerie. Manufacturing of lingerie was a niche field as the company did not have the business and manufacturing experience of the same, but it was outside the purview of the quota system. Mahesh, visited the countries like China, and Hong Kong to understand the manufacturing process and the business. The company also persuaded the management of Victoria Secret to become a supplier of bras, which are of high quality (IFC, nd.) The company has been in the process of unfreezing as it hired the workers from Sri Lanka. As stated by Chairman We reached the workers to deliver our work, rather than they reaching us for the search of work. The company also stuck the cord with the German giant Triumph and entered into a Joint Venture with them in Sri Lanka. The problems with countries like Sri Lanka were also there, even though the company was trying to expand its presence. The problems were of competition from countries like China. Even on the wages front the initial problems were of higher wages compared to some other countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. The ongoing civil war that began in the year 1983 between the North and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka was another issue for the company. The problems of the infrastructure were critical yet the companies managed to overcome these difficulties through strong will. Second Stage: Implementation MAS holdings faced the problems of the expertise in textile work. The experts in textile were hard to find, and the infrastructure was not enough to manage the issues of workers coming in the metros for the search of work. MAS holdings treated this as the opportunity as the government was also keen to move to the rural areas for the work such as textiles. The company set up its plants in the areas that were close to workers (IFC, nd). Therefore it was the approach where the work was taken near to the workers. The changes were made for the achievement of the set objectives. As stated by Jick (2001) vision is 10 percent of the development of the organization, remaining 90 percent of it is implementation. The innovative the company is the more are its chances to survive in long run and grow. Senior Fleming (2006) if the organization is able tom synergize in terms of the work to be done and the objectives to be achieved it succeeds. The company implemented better working standards to start with so that the workers can remained committed towards the organization. The idea behind giving breakfasts and health care to the MAS holdings was to attract the best people for the work (Dinkar, 2007). The company have taken responses from the workers in order to stay in the work and gain more experience. Based on the responses the company provides education and Information Technology knowledge to students. The company encourages the females to work in the organization and employs 90 percent females on an average for the daily work. The implementation of eco manufacturing plant that reduces the carbon emissions is done in order to use better quality standards (MAS, 2014). The standards ISO and EMAS have been implemented by MAS holdings so that the work is done in the environmental friendly environment. The company is also the first to install the fully integration and customized software packages that are capable of manufact uring apparel. MAS holdings feared to have lost the advantage after the expiry of Multi Fiber Agreement in 2005. The business advantage was taken by China, though MAS holdings also marked increase in the exports even after the scrap of MAS. In terms of the employee size, the company has been moving ahead and has a total of 40000 employees. The main exporters of MAS holdings have changed the focus and emphasizing more on the innovations and designs, which is also the USP of the company. The company focus also shifted from being a low cost producer to more design oriented and innovative producer. Third Stage: Freezing After the implementation has been done, the next stage is called freezing or refreezing (Lewin, 1943). This is a stage where stability is seen in the organization after the initial phases of struggle and implementation. However, it has also been noted that there is no stage of stability that persists in the modern organizations, which have to constantly change themselves to fit into the current environment. Competitiveness is by the virtue of changes. Reardon (1998) mentioned that it is the role and duty of senior leadership to constantly enthuse the feeling of radical change, which is difficult. The realization of the employees and people involved for this change is important. However the company has been constantly adopting the changed approaches in terms of the social and environmental efforts that are required for this competitive environment. The sustainability of the changes that are required by the organization and process of achieving it has been discussed under the next head ing. Eight Step Process for Sustaining Change Kotter (1997) propounded the eight step process of sustaining the change. The studies from Kotter (1997) have found that the changes and initiatives of the change in almost 70 percent of the organizations suffer failure. The eight step process of the organization has been designed to achieve success from the change initiatives. The process mentions that the first four steps are basically to bring company in line and change the situation of the status quo, the next two steps are there to bring new principles and practices in the company and the last stage is brining the changes in the corporate framework of the company. These steps have been discussed in the light of MAS holdings to understand on what grounds they have transforming themselves and brining leadership and management changes. First Step: Developing Urgency Sense The urgency stage as it is called is very important. The companies that have failed in the transformation and change have failed in the very beginning of the stages. Sense of urgency is always required and that should come from the top leadership. In case of MAS holdings, the urgency was brought by Mr Mahesh Amalean, travelled to various destinations just to learn the process of manufacturing. The urgency to defy the quota system and develop the expertise in that area, made the company thrive in its objectives. Second Step: Coalition through guidance The next step is to guide the people around you for the purposes of creating a team. MAS holdings have a charismatic leader that understood the importance of change, but even for him it would not have been possible to bring the change alone. Providing better work culture brought the workers together to achieve the goals. The feelings of company being world class were imbibed in the employees. This is again as per Kotter (1997) process. The right people were recruited and more emphasis on their social well being was given in the initial stages only so that the commitment levels remain higher. The company guided the employees to work as per the international standards and the leadership drove the new initiative like the overtime, safety and security in the work (IFC, nd). Third Step: New Vision for The Company The vision of MAS holdings was to grow in the apparel and inner wear space; this was done by adopting a worker friendly approach by establishing the work where it was close for them to work. The vision of the company initially was to create an organization that is bigger than anyone. Fourth Step: Vision Communication Vision for the company is important but it is equally important that the vision is communicated. MAS holdings hired employees and communicated their vision with them of being world class in their products. To complement the vision, the company hired female employees with an idea to polish and make them skilled for the work. Fifth Step: Removal of discrepancies and focusing on Environment Empowerment of the employees is very important. MAS holdings handled this in a appropriate manner. The education and safety was given preference. The preference was also given on their education and free transportation facilities. This helped the workers in becoming a part of the organization and understands the vision. Troubleshooting by the supervisors or the organization is an important part of this step. MAS holdings have shown commitment towards empowering workers and eradicating there issues (Dinakar, 2007). The suggestion of worker in terms of IT knowledge was accepted by the company along with English language. Sixth Step: Short Term Goal Achievement The company goals should not be secluded from the transformation efforts. Any organization should be able to achieve short term goals so that the mission of changing the organization should get a boost. Hellriegel Slocum (2004) have stated that the changes in the short term should be matched with the goals and the same should be visible. If the visibility is missing it cannot be termed as the achievement of the goals. In case of MAS holdings, the tie up with Victorias Secret and Triumph was achievement of that goal. Seventh Step: Crisis Management All the steps are for the transformation of the company and the creation of vision. Therefore there should be a plan with the company for the promotion and development of the steps that meet those plans. MAS holdings celebrate Empowered Woman of the Year Award so that the women are promoted and motivated. The company promotes knowledge, and leadership qualities in its employees this ensures that at the time of crisis MAS has adequate talent and people who can manage the crisis. Eight Step: Including the changes in the Culture The eighth step is to include the changes in the culture of the organization. Unlike Sri Lankan companies, MAS holdings have uplifted the level of working standards and culture of women. The efforts like Women Go Beyond. From being a important player, MAS holdings has also ensured that the Corporate Social Responsibility is maintained. Training to the employees and the approach of the organization is to make them close to the organization. This helps in maintaining the culture and changes that MAS holding has adopted for its business. Conclusion Inclusive growth and the sustainability are important if the transformation is to reach a desired goal. The study highlights the measures that have been taken by MAS holdings in evolving itself as a major player in the industry. The study has shown that MAS holdings have so far taken right steps by empowering employees and also focusing on their benefits. The role of leadership is critical and MAS holdings have managed to give a sense of vision it has for its business. The employees are a major part of the changes and they are enthused to work in a committed environment. The usage of modern techniques and clean environment regime is for the betterment and advancement of the company. Employees do understand these changes in MAS holdings. Since inception, the company has constantly brought justice to the transformational patterns suggested by Lewin, (1943) and Kotter (1997).