Reaction Paper to McFerson's African Women Essay

Reaction Paper to McFerson's African Women - Essay Example These women are the nomad community’s architects. They construct and are the owners of the nomadic houses. The construction of these houses is a form of wedding ritual and is one of the events women perform collectively. In some areas, women in Somalia work collectively to fetch water, collect firewood, make food and take care of the children. Pre-nuptial gifts are from the groom’s family or himself to the girl she wants to marry or bride. In a number of cases, pre-nuptial gifts together with dowry are given by the husband as a fraction of the total wealth for the new household (McFerson 443). The nature of the pre-nuptial gifts depends on the events that occur in the marriage union, for example, if the marriage union collapses without the wife’s fault or if the head of the household dies, the pre-nuptial gift is used to support the wife. Similarly, in Western cultures, there are a number of gifts that bypass amid the groom and bride and their respective relatives during marriage. There are rules that regard the nature of these in the occasion of divorce or death, and they vary with area or time (McFerson 444). The traditional Ashanti society has a high regard for ancestors, ancestor worship and matriliny. They use ancestors as an element of worship. The ancestors are perceived to be superior and powerful to human beings. Additionally, they honor and acknowledge the presence of the ancestors (McFerson 446). The poem presume the dead or ancestors are immortal and appear in the form of wailing children, the firebrands, the grass, dying fire, whimpering rocks, forest, and in the house. This community feels the presence of the ancestors. That is why the poem insists the dead are not dead. The poem highlights matriliny in the form of inheritance. That is why ancestors or the dead are in the form of wailing

Slavery in Africa Essay Example for Free

Slavery in Africa Essay For almost the entire recorded history in most communities, slavery is a prominent feature. However, slave trade in Africa left a remarkable legacy due to the large numbers of slaves that were involved and also the sufferings that the slaves were subjected to. This makes the slavery that took place in Africa to be of great significance and thus it cannot be ignored. Slavery was outstanding in Africa than in any other part of the world, many years before the transatlantic slavery. The Lagos maritime town was the first to be used by the Portuguese as a slave market where they could be able to sell the African slaves after they were imported (Evans, Para 3). Slavery in Africa The issue of whether slavery existed in the communities of the sub Saharan Africa before the Europeans arrived in these regions is an issue that is hotly contested between the Eurocentric and Afrocentric academics. But the controversy does not eliminate the fact that slave trade was a prominent feature in Africa. It is very evident from many historical sources that the Africans were subjected to various forms of slavery. The chattel slavery was practiced by the Europeans via the famous Trans Atlantic slave trade and the Muslims who were conducting the Trans Saharan slave trade. Years after slave trade was abolished in Africa, the vice continued as the colonial powers governing Africa continued to subject Africans to forced labor (Evans, Para 5). Slavery in Africa was practiced by both the Europeans and Muslims. The Muslims were involved in slave trade across the Saharan region. They based this practice on the Qur’ran which prescribes that slavery should be approached on humanitarian grounds. According to the Qur’ran, free men should not be made slaves and those practicing other religions should be protected. Nevertheless, the increase of the empire of the Islam in Africa led to the harsh interpretation of the Qur’ran law. This made the people who were proclaiming other religions to be considered as ideal candidates of slavery by the Muslims. Such slaves were either sold by the Muslims to other people who wanted slaves or the Muslims themselves could take them as their own slaves (Miers, pp 130). When the Portuguese arrived for the first time at the African coast of the Atlantic in 1430s, they were only interested in gold and not slaves. However, by the end of the sixteenth century, the Portuguese had already traded more than eighty one thousand African slaves to the neighboring Atlantic islands, Europe and to the Muslim merchants (Evans, Para 7). For two centuries, i. e. between the years 1440-1640, the Portuguese had the monopoly of exporting slaves to Europe from Africa. It is remarkable that Portugal was the last European nation to abolish slave trade, although France continued to oppress the former slaves through forced labor. It is approximated that during the entire period of slave trade in Africa, which lasted for about four and a half centuries, the slave trade of the trans Atlantic, in which the Portuguese were the main players, managed to export more than four and a half million Africans as slaves to other countries. However, during the 18th century, when more than six million Africans became slaves in foreign countries, Britain was the most notorious nation practicing the vice, but this fact is usually forgotten by the people who cite the prime role played by Britain in bringing to an end the slave trade not only in Africa but in the entire world (Lovejoy, pp 129). The main aim of slavery in Africa was to provide cheap labor to the countries which were developing at that time and which were in dire need of cheap labor. The Muslims and countries such as Portugal were the main participants in the trade since they were able to export the slaves from Africa and thus sell them to other countries and creating wealth from the trade. The Africans who were captured as slaves were first taken to the local slave markets where they were sold and later transported via the Atlantic Ocean to other countries where they remained for the rest of their lives as slaves (Miers, pp 220). Conclusion Slave trade in Africa was very prominent than in any other part of the world. This is because millions of Africans were enslaved by the more powerful nations such as Britain and Portugal. The Africans who became slaves in foreign countries were subjected to a lot of suffering by their masters. They were denied most of their rights and were forced to work for their masters without any pay. Work cited: Evans, Alistair Boddy; Slavery of Africans and Slavery in Africa (2009): Retrieved on 3rd July 2009 from, http://africanhistory. about. com/od/slavery/a/Slavery101. htm. Lovejoy, Paul E. ; Transformations in slavery: a history of slavery in Africa (2000): Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521784301. Miers, Suzanne; Slavery in Africa: historical and anthropological perspectives (1979): Univ. of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 0299073343.

Comparison of Stroke Rehabilitation Guidelines

Comparison of Stroke Rehabilitation Guidelines Stroke is considered to be the third cause of death and disability for millions of people in developed countries (1). Stroke is the clinical manifestation of a wide range of pathologies, with different etiologies and prognoses, and many risk factors. Stroke is defined as a syndrome characterized by rapidly developing clinical symptoms and/or signs of focal loss of cerebral function, in which symptoms last more than 24 hours or lead to death, with no apparent cause other than that it is a vascular origin. Stroke victims who survive the first attack may have persisting impairments such as cognitive impairments, upper and lower limb impairments and speech disabilities. The United Kingdoms prevalence of stroke in the population is estimated to be 47 per 10000 making stroke the most common cause of adult physical disability (1; 2; 3). In the United State the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) estimated that 15000 veterans are in hospitals with a diagnosis of stroke every year (4). Stroke rehabilitation is a main factor in helping stroke survivors to regain their functional ability when medical and surgical interventions are limited (5). Physical therapy plays a major role in stroke rehabilitation. Physical therapists choose the duration and type of therapy given and provide education for stroke patients. Stroke rehabilitation aims at giving the patients the ability to regain maximum and full potential in functional activities and restoration of motor control (6; 7; 8; 5). Three main factors in rehabilitation contribute to the speed and quality of recovery. These factors are: treatment session duration and frequency, type of treatment approach used for rehabilitation, and providing education about the condition for patients during and after therapy (2; 3; 7; 8; 9). Physical therapy rehabilitation for stroke patients is designed to impact the disabilities and impairments associated with post stroke conditions. Rehabilitation is mainly aimed at limiting any deterioration of impairments and maximizing the functional level for patients suffering from stroke. To be able to deliver this, physical therapists should follow a certain set of guidelines which will insure better outcomes and avoid unnecessary practices that could prolong and delay optimum gain of function (6; 7). It is unclear whether physical therapists in Kuwait follow any specific guidelines in stroke rehabilitation. Therefore, it would be plausible to learn more about current local rehabilitation procedures. This may help in the further development of local rehabilitation procedures and practice guidelines, optimization of treatment and rehabilitation management, improvement in stroke patients health and quality of life, and minimization of conflicted rehabilitation practices that prolong therapy which in turn affect and burden the health system with increased number of patients (6; 8; 10; 11). We hypothesize that physical therapist in Kuwait rehabilitation do not follow stroke rehabilitation guidelines and science based practices in stroke rehabilitation. Therefore the aims of this study are to: Explore if stroke rehabilitation in Kuwait follow general guidelines of stroke rehabilitation regarding frequency of treatment sessions and duration of each session. Investigate if physical therapists specializing in the field of neuroscience in Kuwait follow general guidelines of stroke rehabilitation regarding their treatment approaches. Identify if education is being provided for stroke patients about their condition during and after rehabilitation. Literature Review: Stroke is defined as a syndrome in which clinical symptoms and/or signs of cerebral function loss develop rapidly, and last for more than 24 hours or result in death. Stroke can be classified according to the cause, which is either ischemic or hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes account for 85% of all strokes, while 15% account for hemorrhagic strokes. Over 10% of patients who had a first stroke will have a second one within a year, and the risk of recurrence within 5 years is 15-42% (1). There are a wide range of conditions that lead to stroke, such as hypertension and diabetes. Each year, 5.45 million deaths are attributed to stroke, and over 9 million survive. Survivors often experience a wide range of persisting impairments. Common impairments include Physical disability, cognitive impairment, Lower limb impairments, and speech difficulties (1). Rehabilitation is an important part after survival from a stroke. Rehabilitation was defined in the New Zealand guideline for management of stroke as a problem-solving and educational process aimed at reducing the disability and handicap experienced by someone as a result of disease, always within the limitations imposed by both available resources and the underlying disease (12). Its of utmost importance that the stroke patient understands, and receives education concerning his/her condition and what limitations may persist, even after rehabilitation (12). Reker D. M. et al, researched whether adherence to post stroke guidelines was associated with greater patient satisfaction. They used a prospective inception cohort study design for new stroke admissions, including post-acute care, and they made follow-up interviews at 6 months after the stroke injury. Two hundred and eighty eight patients were included in the study, from eleven Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs). The main outcome measures used in this study were: 1) compliance with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2) patient satisfaction with care provided, and 3) stroke-specific instruments. Results have shown that, for every 10% percent increase in guidelines compliance, the average value of patient satisfaction increases by 1.5 points for the mean overall satisfaction score, which ranges from 4 to 39, and includes items for hospital satisfaction, home satisfaction, and overall satisfaction. The study concluded that compliance to AHRQ guidelines is sign ificantly associated with patient satisfaction (7). Several comparisons between Stroke Rehabilitation Protocols/ guidelines have been performed. This is beneficial in establishing the best treatment, with regards to dosing, intensity, duration, as well as efficiency and efficacy of interventions. A study by McNaughton H, et al examined the practice and outcomes of stroke rehabilitation between New Zealand and the United States facilities. This study used a Prospective observational cohort design and included 1161 participants from six United States (U.S.) Rehabilitation facilities and 130 participants from one New Zealand rehabilitation facility, all above the age of 18 years. In this study, New Zealand patients were older than the United States patients. However, the severity of initial stroke was higher for the U.S. patients. Despite that fact, patients in the U.S. were discharged earlier. They also had more intensive therapy, represented in higher durations spent with physical therapy and occupational therapy professionals. Also, U .S therapists tended to spend less time on assessment and non-functional activities, while focusing more on active management of patients. Results showed that, U.S. participants had better outcomes represented by changes in Functional Independence Measure FIM scores and fewer discharges to institutional care (13.2% vs. 21.5%). This study illustrates that duration and intensity of therapy can be adjusted to gain a better outcome. Also, it is important to know which activities are being done in the treatment session, and find out if they contribute to a better outcome of rehabilitation (10). Horn et al. investigated the effect of specific rehabilitation therapies in stroke rehabilitation on outcomes, taking into account the differences between patients. In this study, they wanted to examine the associations between patient characteristics, rehabilitation therapies, neurotropic medication, nutritional support, and time of starting therapy with functional outcomes and discharge destination for stroke inpatients. Discharge total, motor, and cognitive FIM (functional independence measure) scores and discharge destinations were registered for 830 patients with moderate or severe strokes from five U.S. inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Results showed that earlier initiation of rehabilitation, time spent in higher-level rehabilitation activities, such as upper-extremity control, gait and problem solving, usage of newer psychiatric medications, and gastric feeding, were all associated with better outcomes. The study also illustrated that a variety of Physical Therapy, Occupat ional Therapy, and Speech Language Pathology activities were correlated with higher or lower FIM scores. On one hand, more minutes spent per day on PT gait activities, OT upper-extremity control activities and home management, and SLP problem solving activities were associated significantly with higher FIM scores. On the other hand, more minutes spent per day on PT bed mobility and sitting, OT bed mobility, and SLP auditory comprehension and orientation were consistently associated with lower FIM scores (11). One study described Physical Therapy intervention for stroke patients in inpatient facilities within the U.S. (13). Six rehabilitation facilities in the U.S. included 972 subjects with stroke injury. Variables studied were time spent in therapy, and content and activities that were used in rehabilitation. The mean duration of stay in the inpatient facilities was 18.7 days, and received PT was on an average of 13.6 days. Patient spent 57.15 minutes on average for Physical therapy treatment every day. Activities of gait, transferring, and pre-functional activities, which include strengthening exercises, balance training, and motor learning, were the most performed interventions. Also, therapists included activities that incorporated different functions into one functional activity. This study implicated that a focus of physical therapist when providing treatment is optimizing functional activities, as they were the most frequent activities performed. However, activities to remediate im pairments and to compensate for lost functions were also included in the treatment sessions (13). Brocklehurst et al. investigated the use of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy for patients suffering from stroke, as they mentioned that those interventions formed the basis of stroke rehabilitation. The study included 135 stroke patients from five general and one geriatric hospital, in South Manchester. Of the 135 subjects, 107 received PT, 35 received OT, and 19 received speech therapy. Results were obtained after measuring the rate of change in function over a one year period. Patients, who had more severe disabilities, and the worst prognosis, were more likely to get physical therapy treatment. Factors that determine type and specificity of physical therapy to stroke rehabilitation were also examined. Some of the factors were extent of disability, and disability-associated morbidities, such as fecal incontinence, spasticity, sensory loss and dysphasia. Even though the most disabled received the most physical therapy treatment, they showed the least improv ement in function even after six months of therapy. This study also concluded that patients, whose progress was poorest, received more physical therapy (5). Hsiu-Chen Huang et al. investigated the impact of timing and dose of rehabilitation delivery on the functional recovery of patients suffering from stroke. In this study, a retrospective review of medical charts was done for 76 patients who were admitted to a regional hospital for a first-ever stroke. Patients had multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs, including PT, OT, and a continuous rehabilitation for at least three months. The main outcome measure for this study was the Barthel index, taken at initial assessment, one month, three months, six months and one year after stroke. Results of this study showed that there is a dose-dependent effect of rehabilitation on functional outcome improvements of stroke patients. Also, earlier delivery of rehabilitation is associated with lasting effects on functional recovery up to one year post-stroke (14). It is unclear whether physical therapists follow evidence based practice many countries of the world including Kuwait. There is no doubt the era of evidence based practice is upon us for many reasons including better treatment outcomes, patient satisfaction, reimbursement amongst others. In one survey study, conducted by Iles and Davidson, examination of physical therapists current practice in Australia was undertaken. This study found that there are several barriers in the way of evidence-based practice. Those barriers included time to stay up to date, access to journals, access to summaries of evidence that are easy to understand, and lack of personal skills in looking for and evaluating research evidence (15). Salbach et al. examined the determinants of research use in clinical decision making among physical therapists treating post-stroke patients. Two hundred and sixty three physical therapists from the state of Ontario, Canada, responded to a survey questionnaire, containing items for evaluating practitioner and organizational characteristics and perception of research believed to be influencing evidence-based practice. The survey also contained the frequency of using research evidence in clinical decision making in a typical month. Results showed that, only a small percentage of therapists (13.33%) reported using research in clinical decision making six times a month or more. However, most therapists (52.9%) reported using research 2-5 times a month, while 33.8% used research 0-1 time per month. In this study, research use was associated with the academic preparation in the principles of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), research participation, service as a clinical instructor, being self -effective in implementing EBP, attitude towards research, perceived organizational support of research use, and access to bibliographic databases at work. This study concluded that a third of therapists rarely apply research evidence in clinical decision making. Suggested interventions to promote research use included education in the principles of EBP, EBP self-efficacy, having a positive attitude towards research, and involvement in research (8). A study by Ogiwara, made a comparison between the bases of treatment between Japanese physical therapists, and Swedish therapists. They investigated the reasons why the Japanese choose certain approaches of treatment when handling stroke patients, and then compared the results with those of Swedish therapists. Swedish therapists attributed their choice of treatment to hands-on experience and participation in practical courses, in which various techniques are taught. Bobaths approach was the only method that was commonly continued to be used after graduation in both countries. Results have illustrated that Swedish therapists were more interested in new methods of treatment (91%), whereas only 77% of Japanese therapists had an interest. Implication of their results might mean that Japanese therapists are interested in their treatment approach, and also show that introducing new approaches of treatments takes a longer time in comparison to Sweden. Additionally, Swedish therapists tend t o make a combination of treatment approaches, while Japanese physical therapists tend to follow only one particular approach. Several reasons were speculated for addressing the differences in treatment protocols, some of which were: 1) diversity of cultures, 2) diversity of health the care system, 3) availability of equipment and space needed to follow a certain new approach, 4) belief of efficacy of a certain approach and 5) the language barrier imposed on Japanese therapist, and availability of translated literature. This study showed that there are several barriers and differences encountered when the need of application of new approaches is desired (9). Wachters-Kaufmann et al. conducted a study regarding the conferring of information for stroke patients and caregivers. Their study investigated how information was provided to patients and caregivers and how they actually preferred to be informed. The actual and desired information correspond in terms of content, frequency, and method of presentations well as the actual and desired information. The study was done in the North of the Netherlands and the stroke unit of University hospital Groningen. The General practitioners (GP) distributed a guide from a community-based study of cognitive disorders and quality of life (CognitiVA) after a stroke. The guide was given three months after the stroke. For the final measurement of the study, which was 12 months later, the patients and caregivers participated in a telephone survey, which asked about three things: 1) professional stroke-care providers, 2) other sources of information, 3) the guide. Fifty one patients and 38 caregivers were co ntacted, of which 18 patients and 11 caregivers declined to be interviewed for various reasons. The results showed that the GPs, neurologist, and physical therapists were both the actual and desired information providers. As for the content, the actual content was the guide, whereas the desired was mostly medical information concerning the course of the disease, its cause, consequences, and treatment. Regarding the frequency, the actual and desired was within 24 hours of the stroke, and one day to two weeks later, and after two weeks. As for the method of presentation of information, the patients and caregivers mostly desired only verbal (73% patients, 89% caregivers) (16). Methods: This comparative design research project will compare the stroke rehabilitation program implemented in Kuwait with the established guidelines for stroke rehabilitation in the United States of America. The rehabilitation program stroke patients are receiving in Kuwaits Ministry of Health hospitals, specifically, Al-Jahra, Mubarak, Farwanya, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Al-Sabah hospitals will be investigated. Subjects of the study will be physical therapists practicing in the stroke rehabilitation field. We will provide physical therapists experienced in stroke rehabilitation with self-administered questionnaires, which will be collected after one week. We will also examine patient records over a three week period. To access the records, we will get permission from the head of the physical therapy department of each hospital as well as each hospitals director. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval will be obtained prior to any data collection. Approval from the Minist ry of Healths IRB will be obtained as well as approval from Kuwait University. Data will then be compared with the established American Stroke Guidelines. All data gathered during the study will be kept under lock and key. Any identifiable information obtained from patient files and records will only be accessible to the primary investigator. No identifiable information will be used for publication purposes. Confidentiality will be insured throughout the study duration. Subjects: The subjects of this study will be physical therapists working in Kuwaits Ministry of Health hospitals neurology department and with experience in out-patient stroke rehabilitation. Tools: To investigate the frequency and duration of treatment, we will look into the records, which are the patients files. There is also a section in the questionnaire that will ask about the frequency and duration of sessions. As for finding out the treatment approach patients are receiving, a self-administered questionnaire will be distributed at selected MOH hospitals, specifically at Al-Jahra, Mubarak, Farwanya, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Al-Sabah hospitals. Therapists will be given the questionnaire to fill out. In order to evaluate the type of education given to patients, educational guides, or pamphlets, about the patients condition available at the hospital and distributed to patients will be looked at. The questionnaire will also ask about different patient education techniques used by the participants. For comparison of data, we will compare the data we obtain with the American Stroke Association guidelines. Questionnaire: The questionnaire will consist of several questions used in the Ogiwara (9) questionnaire as well as others pertinent to our study population. The questionnaire will consist of four parts: demographic information questions concerning the therapists professional history and experience Questions concerning the rehabilitation program: treatment approach, and frequency and duration of sessions. questions concerning the types of education techniques Each questionnaire will have a cover letter explaining the purpose of the study, and a consent form. Data Analysis The data will be analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) (v. 17.0) to describe means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. Once the data is analyzed, we will compare the data we collected with the general guidelines and treatment approaches in the literature. Expected Outcomes and Recommendations Our expectation for this study is that physical therapists in the state of Kuwait will not be following the American stroke rehabilitation guidelines. Due to cultural differences between the two countries, establishing new guidelines for the stroke rehabilitation in Kuwait might be necessary, addressing the nature of referral to physical therapy in Kuwait, and making recommendations for increasing treatment duration if needed. Also, it should be mentioned what type of special equipment might be used in the process of rehabilitation. References: Rudd A, Olfe C.W. (2002, Feb). Aetiology and pathology of stroke. Vol. 9, pg 32-36. Hafsteinsdottir T.B, Vergunst M, Lindeman E, Schuurmans M. (2010, 29 July). Educational needs of patients with a stroke and their caregivers: A systematic review of the literature. www.elsevier.com/locate/pateducou Hoffman T, McKenna K, Herd C, Wearing S. Written stroke materials for stroke patients and their careers: perspectives and practices of health professionals. Top Stroke Rehabil 2007;14(1):88-97 Duncan P, Zorowitz R, Bates B, Choi J, Glasberg J, Graham G, Katz R, Lamberty K, Reker D. Management of Adult Stroke Rehabilitation Care: A Clinical Practice Guideline. (Stroke. 2005; 36:e100-e143.) Brocklehurst J.C, Andrews K, Richards B, Laycock P. J. (1978, 20 MAY). How much physical therapy for patients with stroke? Vol. 1, 1307- 1310. British Medical journal. Kollen, B, Kwakkel G, Lindeman E. (2006, 11 July). Functional Recovery after Stroke: A Review of Current Developments in Stroke Rehabilitation Research. Vol.1, No.1, 75-80. Reker D.M, Duncan P. W, Horner R.D, Hoenig H, Samsa G.P, Hamilton B, Dudley T.K.(2002, June) Post acute Stroke Guideline Compliance Is Associated With Greater Patient Satisfaction. Arch Phys Med Rehabil Vol. 83, pg 750-756. Salbach N, Guilcher S, Jaglal S, Davis A. (2010) Determinants of research use in clinical decision making among physical therapists providing services post-stroke: a cross-sectional study. http://www.implementationscience.com/content/5/1/77 Ogiwara S. (1997) Physical therapy in stroke rehabilitation: A comparison of bases for treatment between Japan and Sweden.vol.9 Pg. 63-69, Journal of physical therapy sciences. McNaughton H, DeJong G, Smout J, Melvin L, Brandstater M. (2005, Dec) A Comparison of Stroke Rehabilitation Practice and Outcomes between New Zealand and United States Facilities. Vol. 86, suppl.2, Arch Phys Med Rehabil. Horn D, DeJong G. Smout J, Gassaway J, James R, Conroy B. (2005, Dec) Stroke Rehabilitation Patients, Practice, and Outcomes: Is Earlier and More Aggressive Therapy Better? Vol. 86, pg. 101-114, suppl. 2, Arch Phys Med Rehabil. Life after stroke: New Zealand guideline for management of stroke (November 2003). Jette D.U, Latham N.K, Smout R.J, Gassaway J, Slavin M.D, Horn S.D (2005, March) Physical Therapy Interventions for Patients with Stroke in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities. Vol. 85, num. 3, pg. 238-248, physical therapy. Huang H, Chung K, Lai D, Sung S. The Impact of Timing and Dose of Rehabilitation Delivery on Functional Recovery of Stroke Patients (J Chin Med Assoc: May 2009 , Vol 72, No 5) Iles R, Davidson M. Evidence based practice: a survey of physiotherapists current practice. Physical therapy. Res. Int. 11(2) 93-103 (2006) Watchers-Kaufmann C, Schuling J, The H, Jong B. Actual and desired information provision after a stroke. Patient Education and Counseling 56 (2005) 211-217 Appendices Appendix 1 American Stroke Association Guidelines: E. Patient and Family/Caregiver Education Background The patient and family/caregivers should be given information and provided with an opportunity to learn about the causes and consequences of stroke, potential complications, and the goals, process, and prognosis of rehabilitation. Recommendations Recommend that patient and family/caregiver education be provided in an interactive and written format. Recommend that clinicians consider identifying a specific team member to be responsible for providing information to the patient and family/caregiver about the nature of the stroke, stroke management rehabilitation and outcome expectations, and their roles in the rehabilitation process. Recognize that the family conference is a useful means of information dissemination. Recommend that patient and family education be documented in the patients medical record to prevent the occurrence of duplicate or conflicting information from different disciplines. N. Educate Patient/Family, Reach Shared Decision about Rehabilitation Program, and Determine Treatment Plan Objective ensure the understanding of common goals among staff, family, and caregivers in the stroke rehabilitation process and, therefore, optimize the patients functional recovery and community reintegration. Recommendations Recommend that the clinical team and family/caregiver reach a shared decision about the rehabilitation program.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The clinical team should propose the preferred environment for rehabilitation and treatments on the basis of expectations for recovery.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Describe to the patient and family the treatment options, including the rehabilitation and recovery process, prognosis, estimated length of stay, frequency of therapy, and discharge criteria.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The patient, family, caregiver, and rehabilitation team should determine the optimal environment for rehabilitation and preferred treatment. Recommend that the rehabilitation program be guided by specific goals developed in consensus with the patient, family, and rehabilitation team. Recommend that the patients family/caregiver participate in the rehabilitation sessions and be trained to assist patient with functional activities, when needed. Recommend that patient and caregiver education be provided in an interactive and written format. Provide the patient and family with an information packet that may include printed material on subjects such as the resumption of driving, patient rights/responsibilities, support group information, and audiovisual programs on stroke. Recommend that the detailed treatment plan be documented in the patients record to provide integrated rehabilitation care. Intensity of Therapy The heterogeneity of the studies in all aspects-patients, designs, treatments, comparisons, outcome measures, and results-combined with the borderline results in many of the trials limits the specificity and strength of any conclusions that can be drawn from them. Overall, the trials support the general concept that rehabilitation can improve functional outcomes, particularly in patients with lesser degrees of impairment. Weak evidence exists for a dose-response relationship between the intensity of the rehabilitation intervention and the functional outcomes. However, the lack of definition of lower thresholds, below which the intervention is useless, and upper thresholds, above which the marginal improvement is minimal, for any treatment, makes it impossible to generate specific guidelines. Partridge et al did not find any differences in functional and psychological scores at 6 weeks in 104 patients randomized between a standard of 30 and 60 minutes of physical therapy. Kwakkel et al randomized 101 middle-cerebral-artery stroke patients with arm and leg impairment to additional arm training emphasis, leg training emphasis, or arm and leg immobilization, each treatment lasting 30 minutes, 5 days a week, for 20 weeks. At 20 weeks the leg training group scored better for ADLs, walking, and dexterity than the control group, whereas the arm training group scored better only for dexterity. The clinical trials provide weak evidence for a dose response relationship of intensity to functional outcomes.

Themes in the Tempest Essays -- Tempest essays

Themes in the Tempest       The Tempest is generally considered to be Shakespeare's last sole-authored play. The play draws a number of oppositions, some of which it dramatises, and some of which it only implies. Prospero, a figure exhibiting many resemblances to the Elizabethan idea of the 'Mage', (of whom the best known is probably Dr. John Dee), is opposed to both his corrupt brother, usurper of his role as Duke of Milan, and to Sycorax, an evil witch and mother of the 'deformed slave' Caliban. Sycorax does not enter the action of the play, having died before it opens, but enough is made of her evil disposition and behaviour to show Prospero as a model of human virtue in comparison. This despite Prospero's own use of magic to accomplish his will, and his bullying of the spirit Ariel and his threats to and punishments of Caliban. Prospero's role is central to the play, he is in control of the action throughout, through the exercise of his 'Art'. A further contast is drawn between Miranda, Prospero's daug hter, and caliban. Bothe were brought up together by Prospero since his arrival on Caliban's Island, but Caliban has not responded suitably to Prospero's civilising education. Miranda, however, in line with the tenor of Shakespeare's late plays in particular, is a model of chastity and virtue. Caliban's 'ingratitude' would seem to result from what we would call his genetic inheritance. Miranda calls him    Abhorred slave Which any print of goodness will not take (1:2:353-354) [FN1]    And Prospero    A devil, a born devil, on whose nature Nurture can never stick; on whom my pains, Humanely taken, all, all lost, quite lost. (4:1:188-190)    The opposition of nature and nurture is made... ...ntual relinquishing of power which entitles him to regain it. In my opinion, Shakespeare is associating true authority with renunciation, not with the exercise of tyrannical power.    NOTES 1. All citations and references are to Frank Kermode's Arden Edition, to the excellent introduction of which I am indebted throughout. 2. In the Masque, the anti-masque is a comedic prelude in which the villainous characters (of lower-class origin) plot against virtue and established power-relations. In the Masque proper divine beings (frequently played by courtiers) would step in and defeat the evil plot, whereupon the cast would leave the stage and dance with the audience. 3. Paul Brown, 'This Thing of Darkness I Acknowledge Mine' (in) Political Shakespeare, (eds) J. Dollimore & A. Sinfield, Manchester University Press, Manchester, (1996), pp. 48-71.   

Jurisprudence Assignment Essay

Answer the following questions by referring to the Nurse Practice Act from the Texas Board of Nurse’s website (www.bon. state.tx.us) & (www.tpapn,org) and other relevant source. Answers must be in APA format.(Question & Anwer). APA format means writing down the listed questions, using complete sentences, correct spelling, grammar & punctuation. In addition, a reference page & source(s) of information citations are required. (6 points) Q1 What is Impaired Nursing Practice? (5 points) Q2.Which group of nurses are most at risk? (8 points) Q3. What are the contributing factors that lead to chemical dependency in the nursing population? (8 points) Q4.List the warning signs of chemical dependency/abuse in the nurse? (8 points) Q5.Who does the nurse first report to when she/he finds a nurse impaired due to chemical dependency and/or mental illness? (5 points) Q6.What is the Board of Nurse’s responsibility following such report when an impaired nurse is in violation? (8 points) Q7.What are the methods of discipline imposed by the BON for intemperate use of alcohol or drugs or mental incompetency? (10 points) Q8. State the mission of Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses. (8 points) Q9. What are the functions of Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses? (8 points) Q10. List the guidelines the Board of Nurses by rule 301.4106 developed that the Peer Assistance Program must comply with. (8 points) Q11.Identify what would constitute grounds for disciplinary action for possible violation of the NPA 301.452 and Standard of Nursing Practice? (10 points) Q12. Discuss briefly your opinion on violation by a nurse of the NPA due to use/abuse of a chemical, drug or mental illness. (8 points)

Foot and Mouth essays

Foot and Mouth essays Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle, sheep, and swine. It also will affect goats, deer, and other cloven-hoofed animals. This disease is characterized by fever and blister-like lesions on the tongue and lips in the mouth, on the udders, and between the claws. Many affected animals usually recover, but the disease leaves them debilitated. It causes severe losses in the production of milk and meat. This disease spreads widely and rapidly and it carries with it grave economic and physical consequences. Because of these reasons, many livestock owners dread this disease. This disease is caused by a virus. This virus has the ability to remain viable in carcasses, in animal by-products, in water, in such materials as straw and bedding and even in the open pastures. There are seven different types and many subtypes of FMD virus. The animal s can become infected by one or more than one virus types at the same type. Recovered animals can suffer repeated attacks of the disease because immunity to one type does not protect against other types. FMD is spread by animals, people, and materials that bring the virus into physical contact with susceptible animals. Some of the +causes of an outbreak are: v People wear contaminated clothes of footwear or use contaminated equipment v Contaminated animals are introduced to susceptible herds v Contaminated facilities are used to hold susceptible animals v Contaminated vehicles are used to transport animals v Raw or improperly cooked garbage containing infected meat or animals products is fed to animals v Animals are exposed to areas that may have been contaminated with the virus v Cow is inseminated by semen from an infected bull There has been no documented case of human becoming infected with the disease; however, they can carry it on heir clothes and hair, even in their lungs and nostrils, the virus, which kills cloven-hoo...

The Battle of Palo Alto

The Battle of Palo Alto The Battle of Palo Alto: The Battle of Palo Alto (May 8, 1846) was the first major engagement of the Mexican-American War. Although the Mexican army was significantly larger than the American force, American superiority in weapons and training carried the day. The battle was a victory for the Americans and began a long series of defeats for the beleaguered Mexican Army. The American Invasion: By 1845, war between the USA and Mexico was inevitable. America coveted Mexicos western holdings, such as California and New Mexico, and Mexico was still furious about the loss of Texas ten years before. When the USA annexed Texas in 1845, there was no going back: Mexican politicians railed against American aggression and fired the nation into a patriotic frenzy. When both nations sent armies to the disputed Texas/Mexico border in early 1846, it was only a matter of time before a series of skirmishes were used as an excuse for both nations to declare war. Zachary Taylors Army: The American forces on the border were commanded by General Zachary Taylor, a skilled officer who would eventually become President of the United States. Taylor had some 2,400 men, including infantry, cavalry and the new flying artillery squads. The flying artillery was a new concept in warfare: teams of men and cannons who could change positions on a battlefield rapidly. The Americans had high hopes for their new weapon, and they would not be disappointed. Mariano Aristas Army: General Mariano Arista was confident that he could defeat Taylor: his 3,300 troops were among the best in the Mexican army. His infantry was supported by cavalry and artillery units. Although his men were ready for battle, there was unrest. Arista had recently been given the command over General Pedro Ampudia and there was much intrigue and infighting in the Mexican officer ranks. The Road to Fort Texas: Taylor had two locations to worry about: Fort Texas, a recently-built fort on the Rio Grande near Matamoros, and Point Isabel, where his supplies were. General Arista, who knew he had overwhelming numerical superiority, was looking to catch Taylor in the open. When Taylor took most of his army to Point Isabel to reinforce his supply lines, Arista set a trap: he began bombarding Fort Texas, knowing Taylor would have to march to its aid. It worked: on May 8, 1846, Taylor marched only to find Arista’s army in a defensive stance blocking the road to Fort Texas. The first major battle of the Mexican-American War was about to begin. Artillery Duel: Neither Arista nor Taylor seemed willing to make the first move, so the Mexican army began firing its artillery at the Americans. The Mexican guns were heavy, fixed and used inferior gunpowder: reports from the battle say the cannonballs traveled slowly enough and far enough for the Americans to dodge them when they came. The Americans answered with artillery of their own: the new â€Å"flying artillery† cannons had a devastating effect, pouring shrapnel rounds into the Mexican ranks. The Battle of Palo Alto: General Arista, seeing his ranks ripped apart, sent his cavalry after the American artillery. The horsemen were met with concerted, deadly cannon fire: the charge faltered, then retreated. Arista tried to send infantry after the cannons, but with the same result. About this time, a smoky brush fire broke out in the long grass, shielding the armies from one another. Dusk fell about the same time as the smoke cleared, and the armies disengaged. The Mexicans retreated seven miles to a gulch known as Resaca de la Palma, where the armies would battle again the following day. Legacy of the Battle of Palo Alto: Although the Mexicans and Americans had been skirmishing for weeks, Palo Alto was the first major clash between large armies. Neither side won the battle, as the forces disengaged as dusk fell and the grass fires went out, but in terms of casualties it was a win for the Americans. The Mexican army lost some 250 to 500 dead and wounded to about 50 for the Americans. The biggest loss for the Americans was the death in battle of Major Samuel Ringgold, their best artilleryman and a pioneer in the development of the lethal flying infantry. The battle decisively proved the worth of the new flying artillery. The American artillerymen practically won the battle by themselves, killing enemy soldiers from afar and driving back attacks. Both sides were surprised at the effectiveness of this new weapon: in the future, the Americans would try to capitalize on it and the Mexicans would try to defend against it. The early win greatly boosted the confidence of the Americans, who were essentially a force of invasion: they knew they would be fighting against huge odds and in hostile territory for the rest of the war. As for the Mexicans, they learned that they would have to find some way to neutralize the American artillery or run the risk of repeating the results of the Battle of Palo Alto. Sources: Eisenhower, John S.D. So Far from God: the U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1989 Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007. Scheina, Robert L. Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899 Washington, D.C.: Brasseys Inc., 2003. Wheelan, Joseph. Invading Mexico: Americas Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2007.

Low Incomes essays

Low Incomes essays Low incomes I sometimes forget how fortunate I am. Fortunate that I don ¡Ã‚ ¯t have to worry about I can afford to buy or eat today or this month to survive. About 31 million people in this country suffer from food insecurity. Food insecurity is a problem in our society and hunger is not the only problem, nutrition is as well. This subject discusses five primary strategies that are used to meet these family needs for food and nutrition. It shows how educating families on these ideas gives them confidence and empowerment. my research was done in different Iowa counties. Focus groups were conducted, interviews, and case studies. Most of the case studies were data from low income mothers with young children of different backgrounds. Interviews were done by all ages between 16 and 46, the median being 31 years old, with different ethnicity. The researchers observed family grocery shopping, planning, and preparing and consuming meals. Data was collected and analyzed, and then categories were developed. Which are the five primary strategies. The results concluded in the five primary strategies. 1) Relying on others; help from extended family members, friends, and the community. For example, going to Costco for large quantities, splitting the costs and the quantities for cheaper deals. 2) Adjusting Resources; how each one uses government benefits differently and to their advantage. 3) Reducing Food Consumption; some families feel the food is secondary to other needs such as rent and utility bills. 4) Making trade-offs; the balance of time and energy. Making a quick dinner is easy, but it is less nutritional and probably less complaints from the family. 5) Acquiring Nutrition and Shopping Knowledge and Skills; EFNEP and FNP, helped develop strategies to stretch family resources. These five strategies is how many low income families get by ...

Above the Line Advertising Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Above the Line Advertising - Research Proposal Example In the last decade, a lot of research has been dedicated to conceptualizing and measuring customer-based brand equity. However, apart from putting forth various influencing factors, no integrative framework has so far been developed to account for the complex psychological processes underlying the formation of customer-based brand equity. In this context, this paper attempts to propose such a framework by drawing on the theory of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. (Kotler, 1997) This simple reason as to why ATL marketing is not used at all, or not used beyond the launch of a product, by popular brands is that these brands need to retain exclusivity in terms of the outreach and target audience that they are catering to. This generally implies a younger crowd which is constantly on the lookout for things that define their personalities in the most unique way, and in ways that they will not find anywhere else. Implications for Advertising Agencies A decade or so ago, branding meant little to people. Branding until then simply involved designing a logo or creating a corporate profile that will help identify it and differentiate it from other brands. In the past decade, things on the branding front have undergone a sea change due to above the line advertising. There is now a strong emphasis on brand building through the explicit communication of a vision in the whole organization where strong brands are more than mere trademarks that people recognize. In the generation of a branding idea and implementation of the same to build a brand profile, organizations behind the strong brands have managed to build a brand identity. "Brand identity should help establish a relationship between the brand and the customer by generating a value proposition involving functional, emotional or self-expressive benefits" (Aaker 1991).

How do you plan to fit the Wharton MBA Program for Executives into Essay

How do you plan to fit the Wharton MBA Program for Executives into your busy schedule over the next two years What will pose the greatest challenge and how will you deal with it - Essay Example Fitting a rigorous academic program into an already vigorous professional and personal life, however, is not a new or novel experience for me. During 2002 to 2004, I managed to study and finish the MSc (Investment Management) program at the HKUST (Hong Kong), while working full-time at my company. To be sure the challenge was tough; my time was taken up with extensive readings of technical textbooks, long hours in discussion with my classmates on group projects, a heavy workload from a typical Asian audit firm, as well as frequent travel between Hong Kong and cities in China. At the beginning, I felt challenged in keeping up with all the demands from both sides. However, I gradually realized that by applying better time-management skills, I could manage both of them rather well. I don't view time-management strategies in the abstract sense; quite the contrary, I utilized concrete time-management strategies such as listing out all the tasks for study and work, prioritizing these tasks according to different criteria, and focusing on the important issues rather than becoming bogged down by minor details or peripheral matters. In the final analysis, I managed to succeed in handling a busy schedule.

Compare and Contrast Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Compare and Contrast Research Methods - Essay Example Through observation, the researcher is able to identify particular aspects of the research (Poynter, 2010). Also, through observation, researchers learn more information about research aspects, thus being able to determine attitudes and behaviors. Both observation and in-depth interview methods are important because they will increase the objectivity of the study (Poynter, 2010). Informal and in-depth methods are largely qualitative. Researchers use in-depth interviews in collecting data, because it is a highly interactive, multivariate and objective method of conducting study, which makes it different from observation method (Wilson, 2010). Using interview, the interviewer seeks more explanation from the interviewees as opposed to observation, where the researcher simply looks at the objects of study (Wilson, 2010). Under this methodology of in-depth interview, the participants will be drawn from four departments within the research population (Wilson, 2010). Since there will be many prospective participants from each department, out of the available participants, the researcher will select a given sample for the study. This is similar to observation because in the latter, the researcher can chose from the available research items to carry out the study (Wilson, 2010). In addition, the selection of participants in informal and in-depth interview is done usi ng random sampling, which is representative and non-discriminative, a situation which makes the methods resemble observation. Under informal and in-depth interviews, the different categories under which the participants will be divided would be based on the management levels, where as in observation, the researcher carries the study alone (Wilson, 2010). Interviews will also increase the participation between the researcher and respondents. Indeed, using interview will increase the interaction and the researcher would get more relevant information about the topic, a situation that

Motivational Methods Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Motivational Methods Paper - Assignment Example However, despite setting up individual rewards, there will be a reward for the whole team if it achieves the set objectives. This will ensure that the team members do not concentrate just on individual performance, an aspect that would affect the overall performance of the team. Team achievements will be celebrated through employee-of-the-month awards. In addition, in some cases, the team will take time off and spend time together outside the work setting (Rigolosi, 2013). During this time, the team will celebrate the achievement of the goals through partying. This will bring the team members together and motivate them to take up the next task. Employees have different grievances that affect their levels of motivation. Constant disagreements demoralize them, an aspect that lowers their performances in the organization. In order to increase their motivation levels, I will introduce the open office policy and various employees’ benefits. The subordinates are a very rich source of information. They are the ones that interact with the patients daily. Therefore, when they are demotivated, they fail to pass the critical information concerning the service delivery to the top managers. Therefore, in order to increase the level of motivation in the team, all team members will be free to meet the top-level managers at any time without the use of intermediaries. This will be an important aspect in ensuring that all issues that might affect the performance of the employees are dealt with before they get out of hand. In addition, personal issues that require unique solutions will be addressed without the information being passed to any third party. This will play a significant role in motivating the employees to work harder towards the success of the organization. On the other hand, team members are constantly disturbed when they are not insured in terms of health. Therefore, the organization will provide insurance benefits to the employees.

How the Fico or credit score impacts on consumers Research Paper

How the Fico or credit score impacts on consumers - Research Paper Example A lot of consumers don't appreciate the importance of personal credit scores and how it impacts on their daily lives. Some don’t know that credit scores are available and accessible online. A credit score can have a say on what a consumer is or is not able to do. For instance, it can determine what one pays for leasing or auto financing, credit card rates, car insurance and mortgages. It can affect things we may take for granted like whether one gets a job or rent an apartment. When applying for credit, the lenders want to know your credit risk level Buyers or consumers with poor credit (high credit risk level) are turned away by the lending institutions. The current tightening up of the loan and mortgage market makes the situation worse. Customers with less than a 700 credit score are being turned away by car dealers. It is now more important than ever to have a good credit score. Keywords: Credit score, FICOÂ ®, consumers, lenders. What is a Credit Score? A credit score is a number that summarizes your credit risk, based on your credit report at a particular point in time (FICO Booklet). Credit reports and credit risk levels can be evaluated using your credit scores by the lenders. Since it’s just a single number, the lenders don’t have to read through the whole credit history report. It is an indicator of how likely you are to pay your bills. Consumers should be aware that lenders use other information to determine one’s creditworthiness along with the credit scores.... A high score is preferred by the lenders. For instance a score of 720 will get you favorable interests on a mortgage, according to Fair Isaac Corporation. The following table shows how credit scores break out for the American public. Credit Score Percentage 499 and below 2 percent 500 – 549 5 percent 550 – 599 8 percent 600 – 649 12 percent 650 – 699 15 percent 700 – 749 18 percent 750 – 799 27 percent 800 and above 13 percent Components of the FICO Score A credit report contains different types of credit data. It is this data that is used to compute the FICO Scores. Data is grouped into five categories as illustrated below. The percentage represents the importance of each category in computation of your FICO Score. Source: Fair Isaac Corporation Website Items considered in the payment history are account payment information (credit cards, mortgage and retail accounts), Public records (legal suits, bankruptcy, liens and judgments) and delinqu ency, Severity of delinquency, recency of delinquency and adverse public records, past due items on file and accounts paid on time. Amounts owed is checked for the amounts owing on the specific types of accounts, number of accounts with balances, proportion of credit lines used and proportion of installment loan amounts still owing The line of credit history is concerned with the time duration since the accounts were opened and other account activities that have taken place. New credit category is used to check recently opened accounts, recent credit inquiries, last duration of credit inquiry and positive credit history re-establishment following repayment problems Lastly, types of credit used category looks at the recent information on the various types of accounts, be they

Organisation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organisation management - Essay Example age because the enterprise cannot act quickly â€Å"on opportunities that arise in a fast-paced business landscape, nor is it able to make productive decisions about how to change in order to seize these opportunities† (Kotter 2011). It renders an organisation less competitive because the organization is burden with bureaucracy and non-cooperation. To be able to detect silos, managers must be quick to recognize its symptoms so that it can be stopped early. Once silos have grown to point of an â€Å"empire† in an organization, it would be extremely difficult to arrest them. The first telling sign is the existence of projects in other departments or divisions or even groups without management knowing them. It is like that some groups in the organization have a life of its own. Second is the management’s lack of touch with the organization. Silos are often a product of non communication from management. Lastly, when certain groups or departments are being left out be it with information or project, the defense mechanism of such groups or departments is to hoard information and services and thus, the creation of a silo. Silos are basically founded on distrust in an organization (Burdett nd). To tear down or remove silos in an organisation, Stone advised to reward cooperative behavior among employees. Encourage innovation which silos stunt and create a culture of collaboration. Responsibilities must also be clarified so that finding opportunities in cross functional initiatives would be easier (2004). This would reinforce and promote a culture of cooperation and trust in an organization which prevents silos. Conflicts, which silos thrive can also be prevented by clarifying responsibilities so that there is no overlap of functions that makes cooperation easy. Kotter also advised that departments in an organization share data so that none is left out and no one also can hostage the organization for possessing certain data. Cooperation must also be

Motivational Methods Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Motivational Methods Paper - Assignment Example However, despite setting up individual rewards, there will be a reward for the whole team if it achieves the set objectives. This will ensure that the team members do not concentrate just on individual performance, an aspect that would affect the overall performance of the team. Team achievements will be celebrated through employee-of-the-month awards. In addition, in some cases, the team will take time off and spend time together outside the work setting (Rigolosi, 2013). During this time, the team will celebrate the achievement of the goals through partying. This will bring the team members together and motivate them to take up the next task. Employees have different grievances that affect their levels of motivation. Constant disagreements demoralize them, an aspect that lowers their performances in the organization. In order to increase their motivation levels, I will introduce the open office policy and various employees’ benefits. The subordinates are a very rich source of information. They are the ones that interact with the patients daily. Therefore, when they are demotivated, they fail to pass the critical information concerning the service delivery to the top managers. Therefore, in order to increase the level of motivation in the team, all team members will be free to meet the top-level managers at any time without the use of intermediaries. This will be an important aspect in ensuring that all issues that might affect the performance of the employees are dealt with before they get out of hand. In addition, personal issues that require unique solutions will be addressed without the information being passed to any third party. This will play a significant role in motivating the employees to work harder towards the success of the organization. On the other hand, team members are constantly disturbed when they are not insured in terms of health. Therefore, the organization will provide insurance benefits to the employees.

Organisation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organisation management - Essay Example age because the enterprise cannot act quickly â€Å"on opportunities that arise in a fast-paced business landscape, nor is it able to make productive decisions about how to change in order to seize these opportunities† (Kotter 2011). It renders an organisation less competitive because the organization is burden with bureaucracy and non-cooperation. To be able to detect silos, managers must be quick to recognize its symptoms so that it can be stopped early. Once silos have grown to point of an â€Å"empire† in an organization, it would be extremely difficult to arrest them. The first telling sign is the existence of projects in other departments or divisions or even groups without management knowing them. It is like that some groups in the organization have a life of its own. Second is the management’s lack of touch with the organization. Silos are often a product of non communication from management. Lastly, when certain groups or departments are being left out be it with information or project, the defense mechanism of such groups or departments is to hoard information and services and thus, the creation of a silo. Silos are basically founded on distrust in an organization (Burdett nd). To tear down or remove silos in an organisation, Stone advised to reward cooperative behavior among employees. Encourage innovation which silos stunt and create a culture of collaboration. Responsibilities must also be clarified so that finding opportunities in cross functional initiatives would be easier (2004). This would reinforce and promote a culture of cooperation and trust in an organization which prevents silos. Conflicts, which silos thrive can also be prevented by clarifying responsibilities so that there is no overlap of functions that makes cooperation easy. Kotter also advised that departments in an organization share data so that none is left out and no one also can hostage the organization for possessing certain data. Cooperation must also be

Orthodox Jewish family Essay Example for Free

Orthodox Jewish family Essay (1) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8 Describe in detail the way in which a fully observant Orthodox Jewish family would keep this mitzvah. You should explain the symbolism of the various ceremonies and rituals where relevant Shabbat is the only Jewish holiday enjoined by the Ten Commandments, making it an especially important one to the whole family. It is observed on the seventh day in commemoration of the seventh day on which God rested after completing the Creation, and of Gods role in history and his covenant with the Jewish people. Along with all Orthodox Jews, the family are strictly obligated to sanctify Shabbat at home and in the synagogue. They will all avoid work on this day and will engage in worship and study. The Talmud specifies the activities which they are to abstain from and, being Orthodox, the family would say that anything resembling these is work and is therefore forbidden on Shabbat. They stop their creative work in order to reflect on the powers God has given, making sure they make the right use of them. A member of the family, usually the mother or father, will use a Jewish calendar, diary or newspaper to find out the precise time Shabbat begins on that Friday evening. This is because it varies from week to week and it is therefore uncertain to which day the period between sunset and nightfall begins. Knowing the correct time is important to the whole family to ensure they are observing the rules for Shabbat for the exact length of time God expects from them and because the time division follows the biblical story of creation: And there was evening and there was morning, one day (Genesis 1:5). Shabbat lasts from sunset on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday. Before Shabbat each member of the family will carry out the necessary preparations so that they wont need or want to undertake any of the forbidden activities. For example, the mother will have prepared all the meals needed because God said it was important to have three meals during Shabbat, but that they should still abstain from growing or preparing the food. Modern technology has made this easier because the Jews are able to put their meals in slow cookers and although the parents arent able to create a fire or turn on the heating, they are able to set a timer for the heating. The light on the fridge is also taped up so that the fridge can be opened without breaking the Shabbat rule, not to create fire or light. It is usually the mother that thoroughly cleans the house and gets all the necessary shopping beforehand because cleaning is seen as work and is therefore forbidden. The use of a car is also forbidden, so the parents will be unable to drive to shops. Collecting food is also seen as work because the Israelites had to collect manna in the wilderness. The whole family must have prepared their clothes for the day, because the mother is unable to iron or sew. Children must have completed any homework or jobs that have to be done, before the Friday evening, because the completion of work and writing is also forbidden. The children must also be able to leave school early (especially during winter) in order to ensure they have enough time to arrive home before Shabbat begins. If either of the parents have jobs, they must make sure that everything important is completed and that they wont need to speak to colleagues because they are unable to use the phone or machines such as computers and fax machines. The Shabbat table must be laid by the family beforehand because the meal that they share on the Friday evening is very important, even members of the family that have left home try to return for this meal because it unites them. Each member of the family has a bath before sunset and wears their best clothes, for the meal. All members of the family will try to wear some white to symbolise purity and hope. It is important to the whole family to abstain from these activities, and many more, during Shabbat. This is because the Talmud lists them as forbidden and says that God made the seventh day holy by resting after making the world, therefore the opportunity to rest is the mark of being free and Shabbat offers this opportunity. The Shabbat preparations involve everyone in the family, from the youngest upwards because, although there are synagogue services to attend, the main focus of Shabbat revolves around the home and is a day for the family to share together. In preparation for the approaching day of holiness, the woman of the house must light white candles before the sunset. This not only welcomes Shabbat, but it also symbolises peace coming into the house, joy, blessing and serenity, because God created light. For the family, the home is central to the celebration of Shabbat and this is an important duty for the woman. She will then recite the berachah of God, all in hope of driving away any sorrow and unhappiness. The father then takes an important role in welcoming the Shabbat. He says a special blessing over bread and wine and the emphasis of the family is expressed by blessing the children and reciting proverbs in honour of his wife. A fathers blessing is very important for the Jews because Abraham began the custom with their ancestors. The males in the family will attend an evening service in the synagogue. The service is attended to welcome Shabbat as a bride. The husband is the Jewish people. The women do not attend this service because it is felt that their place is at home at this time. They are also very busy with preparations and the rituals they partake in to welcome Shabbat. The men greet each other by saying Shabbat shalom, which wishes them a good and peaceful Shabbat. They also say hymns and psalms and recite blessings, like Kiddush, over wine. The Shabbat celebratory meal is eaten on the Friday evening. Each Friday morning, usually, the mother will bake fresh Challot (sweet braided loaves) because as it bakes it produces an amazing aroma that fills the house and reminds the family that Shabbat is on its way. Everybody washes their hands as a symbol of purity to give Shabbat the best welcome possible. Before the meal, after the father has blessed the family, he recites the prayer of holiness so that each member of the family is involved, by saying Amen at the end of each blessing. Kiddush begins the meal because it sets a special atmosphere and gives a sense of occasion. Kiddush is said because it is an important way of sanctify the meal. One of the adults in the family will recite part of the Genesis; this has the importance of teaching the children because it speaks of God resting after creating the world. This helps the family understand the importance of Shabbat and sticking to its rules. Throughout the meal, many items are present and many actions take place that are an important part of the festival. A white tablecloth is laid out on the family dining table before the meal, symbolising the purity. The woman of the house, or whoever has prepared the meal, must ensure it is eaten with the best cutlery and crockery because it is important that the family welcome the Shabbat with the utmost significance and treat it like a queen or bride. Two candles are used to give extra brightness than usual and to symbolise the extra or double soul that each member of the family has on Shabbat. This number of candles also has many other meanings that different members of the family will believe in. The adults present often believe that it symbolises the number of parents in an ideal family and the different commandments that have to be observed on Shabbat. The family may also believe it is an important symbol of past (creation) and future (exodus). Two loaves are placed on the table, and blessings are said over them. The double portion is an important reminder of when the Israelites were in the wilderness after the Exodus and a double portion of Manna was left for them so that they wouldnt have to collect any on Shabbat. The loaves are covered by a cloth called a Hallah, symbolising the dew over the manna. This is important because it makes the meal even more special and precious to the family. The hallah dressed the bread like a bride and protects its sensitivities. The two loaves, that the family eat, must be plaited to represent God, Israel and the Torah which are important when bound together in the bread because they are mutually dependant, showing the family that the three cant exist without each other. After the blessings, a piece of bread is dipped in salt and given to each member of the family. The parents or children will often have invited guests to this special meal and they are also given a piece of the salted brea d because hospitality is always greatly important to the Jewish faith and its festivals. The knife that is used to cut the bread for each member of the family is covered during the meal because the knife is a weapon of war and violence. The parents want to protect the children from this and emphasise that Shabbat is a time of peace and harmony. During the meal, a plaited candle is always present to symbolise Gods omnipresence and the potential in every human being. After the meal a special grace is said by a member of the family and Bible stories are told to the children to spread joy and happiness whilst they learn. The whole meal and the preparation involved is extremely important to the whole family because it brings them together on one of the most important days of the week and reminds them of their dependence on God for all that is good in life. Sometimes the family may sing songs at the table, which emphasise the joy and togetherness that Shabbat brings. On Shabbat morning the whole family will attend a synagogue service, which is one of the most important and central parts of the festival. It is the chief bond uniting the family with each other and other Jews. The parents ensure that the service is attended because it keeps the family as part of a worshipping community. It is often three hours long for everyone to fully appreciate the importance of the holiday. The males and females will sit separately during the service. The parents arent allowed to use the car during Shabbat, so the family are likely to walk to the synagogue together. The Rabbi leads the family and others in prayer, during the service. The men of the family refrain from wearing their Tefillin whilst praying because Rabbis say that Shabbat is a sign of Gods relationship with the Jews and no other sign is required. Every Shabbat one, or maybe two, scrolls are taken out of the Ark and as it is opened each family member will join the congregation in singing the first line of the Shema. The scroll is then carried round the synagogue with great rejoicing. The men will kiss their tallit as they touch the passing Torah, before it is taken up to the bimah. Having the Torah read to the Orthodox family, from the bimah, is very important because it reminds them of the altar in the Temple. The father may be involved in carrying the scroll and other members of the family may be called up to read or recite a blessing. If a boy in the family has had his 13th birthday during the previous week he celebrates his Bar Mitzvah during this service. This is a Jewish custom and makes the birthday extremely special for the young boy and his family. This is all a very important part of the service, especially for the family, because it involves them in the joy and gives them a sense of identity. The readings, by members of the congregation, are said before or after a portion of the Torah is read. This is then followed by the chanting of the Haftara. Psalms are also read to the whole congregation, by the Rabbi, during his sermon. These readings are all very important to the family because Jews look upon the Torah and Shabbat as Gods two greatest gifts to them. Kiddush is said again at the end of the service as an important blessing. As the family leave the synagogue they wish each other and, members of the congregation, Shabbat Shalom. This wishes them the peace of Shabbat. Often guests will be invited back to the familys home for the afternoon because hospitality is a great feature of Shabbat and the religion. Attending the service each week helps them to show their dedication to God and ensures the day is lived as a celebration and not an annoyance. The synagogue service is usually held in the morning, leaving the family with the afternoon free to enjoy the Shabbat holiday. A lunch is often eaten similar to the meal eaten the night before. Kiddush is again said over Challot to sanctify the remaining hours of the holiday and keep them just as special as the rest. The festival forbids many things, but there are still plenty of activities each member of the family can partake in. They may set time aside in order to study the Torah, this will remind them about what matters most to Jews the family and the Torah. They will spend time, during Shabbat, thinking about what God intends human life to be because Jews realise that it is important to God that there is human co-operation. All Jews want to help make the world a better place, and the family may spend this time thinking of ways in which they can achieve this. This can also be done in the synagogue during an afternoon service, if the family want to attend. If not, they may choose to go for a walk to spend more time together because family is seen as very important. If the adults are feeling particularly social, they may hold a gathering at their home to express outwardly the happiness inherent in the Shabbat holiday. Hospitality has also been very important to Jews because it is a custom that occurs in many festivals and goes back to the times of Abraham, so friends and family are invited. The group entertain them selves with drama, community discussions, lectures and singing. The children can play games and music. Usually the mother or father will provide refreshments that can be offered round by themselves or the children, in order to complement the congenial atmosphere and perpetuate the Talmuds recommendation to eat three full meals that day. As the day draws to an end, a special ceremony is held in the familys home to mark the end of Shabbat. It is said at any time after nightfall in order to give the day a departing ceremony. This is to show how special and important it is to them. They may choose to attend this ceremony at their local synagogue, to give a sense of socialism and community, instead of at home. Wine and candles are used to welcome the Shabbat and the same symbols are used for its departure. A chosen member of the family will say a special blessing called the Havdalah, which means division. It is said to emphasise the idea of separation (between light and dark, sacred and the profane, Israel and other nations and Shabbat from weekdays). It praises God for all these separations. The family then chant two other blessings, the first over sweet smelling spices and the second over a lighted candle. The spice box is passed around each member of the family, in the hope that the deeds of the next week will be sweetened. The spices are also important for the family to be able to remember Shabbat throughout the week, by the sweet scent of the spices. The lit candle is a very important symbol for the departure of Shabbat because fire can now be kindled, after having been forbidden for the past day. Each member of the family then spreads their hands towards the light to express the thought that light is Gods gift and is too be used to good purpose. It also reminds them that the first thing God created was light. With the end of Shabbat, the first day of creation begins. The family have used all five senses of smell, sight, taste, hearing and touch throughout this ceremony and this heightens the spirituality of the festival. The mother or father will end the ceremony by putting out the candle with the wine as the rest of the family sing songs that ask for help and for the arrival of the messianic age. (2) Discuss the ways in which the lives of this family will be affected by their observance of this mitzvah, and the reasons why they are enthusiastic about keeping the traditional Sabbath practices alive in modern times. The familys lives will be affected in many ways by their observance of Shabbat. It is the most difficult mitzvah of the year and will put each member of the family under pressure. There are lots of ways in which the festival can be very difficult and many Orthodox Jews would feel that although it is a day meant for rest it actually makes life more stressful, by having to fit it in around the busy, hectic lifestyles of todays society. The word Sabbath means rest, but in the home of an Orthodox family a great deal of work has to be done before the day. Friday becomes busier than any other day of the week and this puts the family under more stress to get everything completed on time. The whole house must be cleaned, food cooked and all jobs finished before sunset. Someone in the family also has to take even more time out in order to find the exact time in which Shabbat begins that week. This has to be done before Friday evening and can be difficult because the time is only displayed on some Jewish calendars and newspapers. This causes extra stress before the day has even begun. Orthodox women are not obliged to pray during Shabbat, wear the Tefillin or read the Torah at the services so it seems that the festival is easier for them and has less effect on their lives, but this is not so because there is lots that they are obliged to do. They must always keep to the traditional guidelines to set a good example to the children. It is usually the women who have to take time off work and important jobs in order to prepare for Shabbat. They must cook the meal, clean the house, light the candles and carry out traditional rituals like the removing of a piece of dough whilst the bread is baking. Women work more these days and preparation for Shabbat can be virtually impossible or can make their lives very hectic, making it difficult for them to obtain certain jobs and complete work on time. The men in the family are obliged to attend the Synagogue on Friday evening to pray, whereas the women arent. This could have the effect of dividing the family on an occasion which is meant to be joyous and bonding occasion. This may be difficult for the younger men in the family because they will see their sisters and mothers being able to stay at home on the Friday evening. As with the adult women, the men will also have to take time off work to observe the Sabbath in the traditional way and this can cause stress over the early or late completion, or worry over what is happening whilst they abstain from work, because they are unable to communicate via technology like the telephone and computer. Traditional observance of Shabbat will affect the choice of job the adults make because they have to ensure that they will be able to take at least a whole day off, each week. Using the car is forbidden and even using public transport, which means that the parents cant travel any distances a nd therefore cant make any important trips. This can have bad affects within businesses because it prevents problems from being solved as quickly as possible. Taking this time of work can cause a reduced wage, which can have a disastrous effect on the whole family. Life can be even more expensive if you have a family and so they would need as much money as possible. This could make it difficult to find enough money to buy essentials and pay the bills. To make things worse Shabbat can be an expensive holiday to have each week because to for an Orthodox family to observe it, they would need the correct bread and candles, good crockery and posh clothes. The family would also lose even more money by having to abstain from creativity, which means leaving the heating and lights on for the whole day, if they dont have timers. Not only do the candles cost money but they are a hazard to have in a family home. The constant lighting and close contact could cause a fire, effectively ruining homes and lives. They are also dangerous to have around children, especially the very young or babies. If accidentally left unattended the candles could cause the death of a child. The many forbidden activities on a traditional Shabbat could make the parents feel as though they are wasting a day because they are unable to get on with important jobs around the house. Even the children may feel they are wasting homework time. Not being able to work would have a very bad effect on teenagers because they would be unable to revise for important exams and would lose a day each week for coursework. University and sixth form students are unable to write essays and coursework over this time. This could ultimately affect their school and exam results, which affects their lives and futures. Children often have to leave school early, especially during winter, because it is a tradition to be home before sunset so that you can welcome in the Shabbat with the family. This can cause them to miss important information and work each week. It also puts them under stress to catch up on missed work, at the same time as new work. Teenagers and sixth form students are unable to get Saturday jobs, so they have less money than their friends and less to pay school fees. This can make life even more of a struggle during their education. This Orthodox family may have to abstain from doing things which they enjoy, during this free time, because they have been defined as work. This can be very frustrating because different people consider different things as work. Sometimes people choose to do things which are hard work to others, because they enjoy them. This makes it hard to abstain from doing these, whilst they have all this free time. The laws of Shabbat mean that food and milk cant be heated for babies. This can make it difficult for parents to feed them and if they dont get the correct food and nutrients it can cause health problems in the future. In todays society, a traditional Shabbat can have a particularly restrictive affect on children and can cause boredom, which leads to resentment against the festival and even the religion. If there are no afternoon activities planned and no television or computers allowed the day can become very boring. Modern society relies on things like television and computer games as a form of entertainment; it is very difficult for children to give this up each week. They are unable to participate in many weekend activities like other children their age and this can have a depressing affect on children, causing them to feel left out and isolated. It can also lead to bullying or loss of friends, which can have a devastating affect on children. Teenagers cant go shopping or even use mobile phones, causing them to feel isolated or cut off from society and their friends. Taking part in traditional rituals and practices on Shabbat can make the children, and even the parents, feel like an exhibit, different and as though they are not normal. Shabbat often doesnt fit in with local cultures and modern society work practices. This is made even worse by the fact that the Christian Sabbath, which is the majority, celebrate Sabbath on the Sunday. They can see everyone else going out and leading what society sees as a normal life. This can encourage bullying and a lack of enthusiasm for the festival. There are just too many rules to follow and all the dos and donts make the Jews sound weird to other people, affecting their lives in the community and creating a problem for the family, in distinguishing what can and cant be done. Using the car is forbidden on Shabbat, making the day even more difficult for the family, especially if they have young children or elderly or disabled members of the family. This means that walking long distances can become an almost impossibility. In Orthodox, traditional observance the family are meant to walk no further than 1 and 3 quarters miles. This is still a long distance and will tire certain members and make the trip feel like a chore. This also means that, to keep this rule, the family have to buy a house within this distance from a synagogue. This reduces their choice and can leave them feeling unhappy with the area they live in. However, for an Orthodox family, the Jewish rules become such a complete way of life that they cant and wont break the traditional observance, despite any restrictions and difficult effects it has. Tradition- doing things the way they have always been done- is very important in Judaism. It comes every week and is an important reminder of Gods creation. Shabbat itself symbolises the covenant God has with the Jewish people and this emphasises why they are so enthusiastic about keeping traditional practices, they feel these practices thank God , praising him for the covenant and creation, and help them feel closer to him. Despite the pressures involved, Shabbat is so unique that it must be respected by behaving differently, to differentiate it from the rest of the week, there are also many positive ways in which the day affects the lives of each member of the family and causes them to be enthusiastic about observing it in the traditional way. They festival has so many benefits for the family, heightening the enthusiasm. Orthodox Jews hold very firmly to the teachings of the Torah because they were revealed by God to Moses. The observance of Shabbat is the fourth commandment. This rule came from God, so strict Jews, such as this family, have no objections against it and enjoy the challenge Shabbat creates, seeing it as a necessity to their religious faith. Many Jews would say that all the festivals are wonderful occasions and Shabbat provides a discipline to life which brings family togetherness, right from childhood and this is seen as a wonderful thing. The adults in the family are particularly enthusiastic about keeping the tradition of a day of rest, because it allows them to set time aside to study the Torah and Talmud. This is important to them for guidance in life and to learn new things, whilst enabling them to pass their Jewish knowledge to the children. Shabbat affects the way in which the next generation of Jews will develop because the parents are more able (through the festivities) to teach their children a sense of values and pass on what is believed to be right. The children will realise a sense of right and wrong, what is of real value in life and how people should behave. Shabbat is also a time for relaxing with the family. Nowadays, many people live highly stressful lives. People work too hard and Shabbat gives them time to remember whats really important in life. They are continually hurrying to get things done and families seldom have time to just be together. Shabbat is like calling time out, everything stops and an incredible peace descends on the family. A traditional Shabbat is important to them because they are able to spend time together in an unhurried, relaxed atmosphere. The family like to keep it traditional and abstain from work to feel relieved, happy and to aim for better spirituality, whilst feeling better physically. The opportunity to rest is the mark of being free, and the family know a traditional Shabbat offers this. This increases their enthusiasm for the holiday because it is enjoyable and they are able to talk about what has happened to each of them during the week. This is a nice change from always watching the television, ensuring that the family dont become more and more distant from each other. They want to keep it traditional, as their Jewish ancestors would have celebrated it, because their heritage is extremely important to them and is wonderfully satisfying. It is keeping Jewish culture alive and unites the family with all Jewish communities in the world to give them security and a sense of identity. Children may find the day restrictive, but most parents will try not to make it so. After a hard working week the whole family look forward to Shabbat because its a pleasure to come together, relax, eat a meal together, be able to talk and have some time to read without interruption. Some Jewish families feel pressurised to have certain objects at Shabbat, like fine cutlery or a white tablecloth, but the traditions and nature of the festival teach the family that its not the objects, but the actions that are important. Its having the loaves of bread on the table, not what covers them that matters. Many Orthodox Jews are enthusiastic about the practices of Shabbat each week because it is a day out of the twentieth century for a change. A day of rest and relaxation. All the traditions like candles, songs, a special meal affects each individual. It provides a sense of wellbeing and fulfilment, as though everything they do is right. This means they enjoy life more and have something to look forward to each week. It is a festival primarily enjoyed in the home, which affects the lives of the family in a very positive way and is important because the home is a very special place in the Jewish faith. It is the central point of the religion and is of great spiritual and physical importance because it is where we learnt to talk, walk, feed and play. This reflects on how the family feel about Shabbat. Instead of feeling like they are being cooped up inside all day, they feel there is much to learn and share. They are able to have a celebratory meal together and even invite friends and re latives, to be hospitable and make it more enjoyable. During the meal, the family are able to have deep and interesting discussions lasting long into the night. It is quality time, a time of connection, communication and inclusion. The women are especially enthusiastic to observe the tradition of candles and the lighting, because it is seen as a lovely sharing time which brings mums, daughters, grans, friends and guests close in the warmth and beauty of the moment. It is important to them, to know that Jewish women all over the globe do the same thing, and that gives a wonderful feeling of unity. Baking home made Challot for Shabbat is very satisfying for the women in the family. They are still able to keep the tradition, even if they are unable to bake their own, because it is easy to buy some from tasty Jewish bakeries that are now around. The celebratory meal fills the house with many wonderful aromas of traditional Shabbat food, including from the lunch for the next day, this increase the enthusiasm of everyone involved and especially entices the children to keep the festival traditional, whilst reminding and teaching everyone present of their dependence on God for all that is good in life. As technology progresses, keeping the traditions of Shabbat has become easier for the whole family, which makes them more enthusiastic to observe it as it always has been. For example, the family may eat a dish called cholent for lunch. This will be left to keep warm on the stove, the low flame of which will be covered with a sheet of metal called a blech. This covers the flame and controls of the stove, as no cooking is allowed over the entire Shabbat. Modern appliances have made it much easier for Orthodox Jews to keep to the rules of Shabbat, which inevitably increases their enthusiasm for keeping the holiday traditional. For example, timers can be set for things like the heating and lights so that they dont have to be left on for the whole of Shabbat. This saves the family money that would have cost previous Jews. Machines can be programmed to do things at certain times, like cookers and even computers, so essential work may not be missed. The synagogue plays a very important part in Jewish worship. This is part of the reason why the family are enthusiastic to keep the festival traditional, by attending special services to worship God. The Friday evening study services at the synagogue help the family to better understand the Torah and how to live your life, the service will not only help them to strictly observe Shabbat, but it also brings the congregation together and the family can be more social, making new friends or just spending time with ones they already know. The children can also attend youth services and groups that help them meet with other Jews their own age. They can learn about fun things surrounding Shabbat and it helps them realise that although Saturday is a special day out for their non-Jewish friends, it is just as special, in so many ways, to the Jews. As well as attending these services, the children can also conduct their own, which would be more appropriate to their interests and much more suit able and interesting for the youths of the congregation. This also helps them to become practically involved with the religion as well as giving them key skills in preparation, speech giving and co-operation which are very important. The services during Shabbat are especially important to young boys, because the first Shabbat after their 13th birthday is when their Bar Mitzvah is held. They are especially enthusiastic to keep it traditional around this time because it is a celebratory custom that has been conducted since the time of Abraham. The Orthodox family would have found their home near to a synagogue, because walking there each Shabbat is a tradition they would want to keep. By not using the car for a whole day each week, the family are saving money that non- Jews wouldnt. This makes them more enthusiastic to keep the tradition of only walking, to travel, on Shabbat. The walk can have a very positive effect on the family, giving them time to spend together and a chance to walk rather than constantly depending on the car, because life is always a rush. It slows life down, giving each individual a chance to think. After the services there are lots of afternoon activities that take place to prevent boredom. These will often happen in the home. The children and parents can get much enjoyment and happiness out of this hospitality. They make new friends, feel part of the community and can play games or show off certain talents in drama and singing. These activities are fun and still keep to the rules of Shabbat. This makes it seem less restrictive and encourages the family to keep it traditional. The free afternoons are also a perfect time for the children to importantly widen their knowledge on the religion. Any festival has its negative effects on those that observe all its rules, but despite these the family are still enthusiastic about keeping the traditional Sabbath practices alive because they can all become involved and enjoy the festivities of their unique day. It is important for parents to bond with their children and to encourage them to do something different when they find it difficult to abstain from televisions and computers. Children may find it particularly difficult and separating from their friends, but it helps them to learn that if your friends are truly genuine and caring, they will respect your religious beliefs as part of who you are. Its a day so different from all the others, that gives each member of the family a sense of identity and by keeping the traditions they can all find their own place in the religion, knowing they are spending the day as their older relatives always have done. They know that, by observing traditional practices, Jews around the world are doing the same things and this emphasises their sense of identity and helping them to feel part of a community. When they are in the homes of other family members or friends, during Shabbat, they know that each ritual will be the same and this provides a welcome structure for the whole family. So to be able to spend a holiday at a friends or relatives house and see the same candles, the same bread and the same wine focuses the mind, to create something beautiful out of very basic objects is very satisfying. (3) For religious people, every day should be holy. Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Judaism in your answer. I believe that in religion, every day should be treated as holy because, especially in Judaism, the whole life is directed towards thinking about and putting into practice their faith in God and observance of his guidelines. There are days of the year on which holier rituals are carried out and more time is spent reflecting on the religion, but every day of the week involves activities that are important to the religion and are considered holy. The faith of a Jew is incorporated into every day of their life, giving each one a special holiness because of its dedication to God. The covenant that God created between himself and the Jews is the reason for this. By following the lifestyle advocated by God: And you shall do that which is proper and good in the eyes of Hashem, The Jew is commanded to be holy and to create holiness in themselves. They can experience and contribute to the holiness through many actions. They feel that as a sign of gratitude and commitment every aspect of everyday should be sacred and set apart. They also believe that actions which arent considered holy or being carried out for God should not be done. On an average day, Jews will be thinking about God, their religion and how they should act, which already makes the day more sacred and holy to them, but they aill also partake in lots of rituals that set time apart for remembrance, thanks or even just thought. Even the home, in which every day is spent, is considered holy because of the mezuzah, a parchment scroll on which two passages are written. These command the Jew to write Gods words on the doorpost, setting it apart from other houses. It is a constant reminder of God and his Torah. By having mezuzah in the house as well they can make every room sacred for God. They touch it and then their lips when they enter or leave the room. It is then a permanent visual aid, reminding them of Gods commands in their home life. A typical Jewish day is the best example of the way Jews want every day to be holy. Prayer is not simply something that happens in the synagogue once a week but it is an integral part of everyday life. They are constantly reminded of Gods presence and of their relationship with him because they continually pray to him. The first thought in the morning, even before they get out of bed, is a prayer thanking God for returning their souls to them. The holiness and sanctity continues throughout the day because there are prayers to be recited before enjoying any material pleasure, such as eating and before performing any mitzvah, such as washing and lighting candles. They will also pray whenever something good or bad happens and before they got to bed. These are known as berakhot and have to be said at least 100 times each day to increase the holiness and acknowledge God as the ultimate source of all good and evil in the universe. These prayers are said in addition to the formal ones which are recited three times a day, every weekday. This is to dedicate as much of the day as possible to thought about God and to increase the awareness of the role he plays in their lives. If they only pray when they feel inspired then not every day would be set apart for God. The Talmud states that it is permissible to pray in any language, nut to pray in Hebrew adds a special importance and holiness to each day. Reciting in Hebrew is important because it is the pure essence of Jewish thought and is a responsibility they undertook as part of the covenant made with God. It is also considered a holy language because of its intrinsic characteristics. As well as praying in Hebrew, every time they pray they face Israel. This makes it extra sacred because the Land of Israel is more holy than all other lands. A Jewish day completely revolves around their religion and keeping it holy. This is partly due to the comprehensive way of life, filled with rules and practices that affect every aspect of life: what they can and cannot eat, what they can and cannot wear, how to groom themselves, how to conduct their business and most importantly, how to treat God. These rules and practices are known as Halakhah and is the Jewish law. It gives spirituality to each day and gives all trivial acts a religious significance. They are constantly reminded of their faith and so it becomes an integral part of their entire existence. The daily rituals, I am about to explain, are laws of the Halakhah, instituted in the Torah to keep every day, between holidays, holy. Kashrut is the body of Jewish law that deals with what they can and cannot eat and how it must be prepared and eaten. They call this keeping kosher and it is something the Jews will do every single day of their lives. This involves the maximum removal of blood from their meat and not mixing meat with milk. This is because the Torah commands thou shalt not boil a kid in its mothers milk. Every day, great trouble is put into observing this law, making sure they are not cooked or eaten together. It is observed with exact care as a means to self discipline and purity. This shows their obedience to God and it elevates the simple everyday act of eating into a religious ritual. Even the dinner table, used regularly each day, is holy because it is compared to the Temple altar. A Jew that observes the laws of kashrut cannot eat a meal without being reminded of the fact that they are a Jewish. A Jew will ensure that time is set apart each day to study the Talmud and Torah. They learn more about the religion and achieve guidance in life, whilst proving their commitment to God and keeping his mitzvah. They are able to spend thinking only of this and none of the material things in life, which is very holy and sacred to them. At the heart of the Halakhah is the unchangeable 613 mitzvot that God gave to the Jewish people in the Torah. The Jews keep to all mitzvah (commandments) that apply to them. For example, every day Jews observe the mitzvah to recite grace after meals because the Torah has told them to and that it blesses the Lord. It is also performed out of respect for God and to make the day holier for him because he has ultimately provided them with the food they need to survive. As well as prayer each day, Jews will often visit the synagogue by themselves or with the family, to bring extra holiness to each day. They dont just visit the synagogue for special services and festivals; instead they often go to just pray and be closer to God. Prayer in the synagogue brings them closer to God and allows their mind to be completely focused on God rather than things that are happening in the home. There are many items worn during prayer in the synagogue that are of great significance to each day and the sacredness of prayer. There are three items worn by adult male Jews, each time they pray, as reminders of God and their obligations to him. The first is a prayer shawl, called a Tallit, a white, square or rectangular garment made of wool or silk. The most important feature of it is the fringe tzizit in each four corners. This is very important to remind them of the holy mitzvoth they have to keep each day. The second sacred object is the tephillin, which are two black boxes that contain four passages of the Torah to instruct the Jew. The material it is written on is very important because it comes from a kosher animal and is treated with great respect. This is worn every time the Jew prays. One box is bound to the forehead and the other to the arm opposite the heart. This is important because they remind him that he must worship God with his whole person, the heart and the head. Tephilin are very holy symbols of the covenant because they stress obedience to the Torah. The third item is the kippah. This is a skull-cap worn by the men during prayer. Some wear this all day as a way of expressing their respect for God. To incorporate their faith into everyday and make it holy Jews will fulfil the commandment in the Torah to help those in need, both in physical and financial. They will give at least ten percent of their income to charity. It is a sacred, instinctive response to express thanks to God, ask forgiveness or to request a favour from God. The spiritual benefit of giving to the poor each day is so great because it gives them an opportunity to perform Tzedakah, which is the highest of all commandments. Although I agree that for the Jews, each day is holy there are some days which are holier than others and have a special focus. These days are considered holidays, emphasising their holiness because the word originated from holy day. Morally, everything a Jew does each day is directed towards God, but certain days are more important because more focus is put on God. These days are mainly well known festivals and are holier because extra effort is made, there are more rules to observe and far more togetherness. Pesach (or Passover) is a very important festival because unlike all other holy days it celebrates the beginnings of the Jewish people, when God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Before Passover their house must be cleared of all foods containing leavened grain products or yeast in response to a passage commanding so in the Torah. This is followed so completely that families will have special kitchen utensils, crockery and cutlery used only for this festival and stored away for the rest of the year This makes it extra sacred because it means the use of it reminds them only of Passover and of Gods control over history and nature. The most spiritual part of the festival is the opening meal, called the Seder, in which unleavened bread is eaten to recreate the slavery conditions of their ancestors and to relive the exodus. It is very holy because of its strong connections with their ancestors and God, and because of its reminder of their dependence on him. Bitter herbs are eaten during Seder, to remind them of what is being commemorated. Parsley leaves represent freedom and the bitter stalk, slavery. This is rarely eaten throughout the year, giving it its own important spiritual meaning. These are dipped in salt water as a symbol of the slaves tears. Many other spiritual, unusual foods are eaten, including a hard boiled egg and a lamb bone as a reminder of the sacrifices offered in the temple. The Talmud states that each person must also drink four glasses of wine. This shows dedication to Gods commandments. The days of Passover are sacred and set apart from the rest because they celebrate freedom and without the events commemorated by it, there would be no Jewish people. In every Kiddush, throughout the year, Jews speak in remembrance of the exodus, but it is Passover which celebrates the birth of a nation. It expresses the sense of belonging to a people, chosen by God and depending on him. The tradition and ritual of Sukkot creates an important festival to the Jews. The seven days in which it is observed are very holy and special because they focus on what God has given and celebrate his protection of the Israelites in the wilderness. This is different and holier than the rituals carried out on normal days because the Jews fulfil the mitzvah to dwell in booths. These booths remind them of their dependence on God and contain a hole in the roof, so that they feel closer to him. Having to stay in these booths is very special because it means families are able to spend more time, than usual, together. The four species is a very symbolic part of Sukkot and makes it extra holy. It contains an etrog and different leaves as a reminder of the harvest and the variety of people making up the Jewish community. It is waved in all directions, each day of the festival. This is a very spiritual act that symbolises Gods omnipresence. The days leading up to the festival of Rosh Hashanah are far holier than most of the year because they are spent repenting and Jews must enter into a mood of self reflection. The days are made holier and happier by an increase in good deeds. To fulfil the obligations of honouring and enjoying the festival, Jews will prepare, bathe, wear new clothes and clean the house. Rosh Hashanah lasts for two days, in which certain work is forbidden. These days are of great holiness and importance because they are traditionally when God opens the Book of life. During these days Jews beseech mercy in recognition of their sins, reflecting the importance of God. It is also the anniversary of the creation of the world, making it particularly holier and more significant than other festivals. Sacred blessings are recited over the candles, lit before sunset on the first night. Evening prayers and services are conducted with special melodies that enhance the special atmosphere. Each day of the festival is sanctified over wine by saying Kiddush, which sets it apart from other days. Special foods are eaten on Rosh Hashanah that arent eaten for the rest of the year, this gives the meals a special importance. Jews are more careful about keeping kosher on these days to make it holier and perfect in the eyes of God. Each food is very symbolic to the Jews, for example apples dipped in honey represent joy and blessing. Fruit is eaten, that has not been eaten for a year, to represent renewal. On Rosh Hashanah everyone should hear the Shofar to fulfil the commandment in the Torah. Its powerful blasts are a very important part of making the festival holier than others because it is only blown 100 times on these days out of the whole year. It not only warns people of the coming day of judgement, but importantly calls people together before God, so that communities and families spend more time together. Yom Kippur is without a doubt the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. It is a sacred experience for the Jews. The principle theme is atonement and is extremely holy because all actions are directed towards making God happy. On this day, Jews ignore physical needs, such as eating, to help them to concentrate on special needs, notably forgiveness. This Day of Atonement is extra holy because it combines the elements of remorse and confession with those of prayer and spiritual purification. Fasting enhances this because it is done in fulfilment of the biblical command you shall afflict your souls. In honour of the holiday, it is customary to wear best clothes and to prepare the house as they would for Shabbat. Most clothes and special materials are white, on this day, for holiness and to symbolise purity. Many Jews will carry out a special ritual on the eve of Yom Kippur, particular to this festival to set it apart from others. They immerse themselves in a ritual bath in order to enter into a pure, holy manner. Jews do not light candles in their home every day, only for special occasions, and because Yom Kippur is so holy they will light specific candles called Yahrzeit candles. To set it apart from regular days and other festivals, Jews attend more services on Yom Kippur. They chant Kol Nidrei to stress the importance of the day and to remember when Jews were forced to convert to Christianity, but vowed to God to remain Jewish. The story Of Jonah is read on this day as a sacred reminder that God is willing to forgive anyone that repents their sins. Yom Kippur is especially holy because of the constant communication with God and the many pleas of forgiveness, for sins. It is the holiest day of the year because, they believe, it is when God makes his final judgement on each individual and what will happen to them throughout the next year. In addition to these festivals, Shabbat is the holiest day of each week. It is a spiritual day because of its constant focus on God. It is immensely holy because it is the only festival in whose observance is a commandment. Sabbath is so important each week that God told the Jews to keep it holy, therefore it is referred to as the holy day. This emphasises how holier it is than regular days with the same rituals each day. Shabbat has lots more additional mitzvah and rituals, for every Jew to partake in. Shabbat itself is the holiest day of each week, even without the rituals, because it symbolises Gods creation of the world and his covenant with the Jewish people. The holiness is shown by the way in which the day is welcomed so much differently from any other. Other than festivals, it is the only day of the week in which the Jews must ensure that the house is cleaned, the table laid, food prepared and the best clothes are worn by everybody. There are also so many more rewards for observing Shabbat because each individual has something to do and everyone wants to keep the day holy to show their obedience to God. A special meal is eaten on Shabbat, where the whole family and guests can spend more time together than usual meals. The rituals and symbols involved with this meal make the day much holier and give it great meaning. They also give the family something important to look forward to each week. Plaited loaves are eaten on Shabbat as an important representation of the dependence between God, Israel and the Torah. Two loaves are used to symbolise the double portion that God left for their ancestors so that they wouldnt have to break the mitzvah to not work, looking for food. Shabbat is the only day of the week where a Hallah cover is used to protect the bread and the best cutlery and crockery are used. Candles are an extremely important part of Shabbat, to set it apart from regular days. They are lit various times throughout the day, symbolising peace coming into the house, the creation of the world and the extra brightness that Shabbat brings over other days. The family can spend more time together and with God on Shabbat because they are not distracted by work and school, like the rest of the week. They are also able to spend more time within the Jewish community because there are special synagogue services that only occur on Shabbat. They meet as a community to pray and worship before God. It is only during the Shabbat service that a weekly portion of the Torah is read. This makes the services on Shabbat extra holy because of the great importance of the Torah to Judaism. It is how God wishes them to live their entire lives. Shabbat even has its own special greeting, different form other days. When greeting or bidding farewell, each Jew will say Shabbat Shalom to express their wishes that everyone has a peaceful and happy Shabbat. The afternoon is made extra sacred by the study of the Torah or spending more time in the synagogue. Shabbat gives them the time to do this and focus on God. As well as having a special welcome, Shabbat is set apart from normal days by its sacred departure. The Havdalah is performed and more prayers are recited. This shows how important and holy the day is because they are sad that the day has ended. The ritual involves blessings over wine and spices as well as a candle, and this only happens on Shabbat. For a Jew, each day is holy and important, but there are some days in their lives which are even more important to the individual and their family. These days are so important that they have a special name, each one is known as a rites of passage. The rituals carried out on these days are in addition to the normal mitzvah, making them even more holy than usual. The birth of a Jew, into a family, is an extremely sacred occasions. They believe a child is born completely pure and free from sin and the birth is so holy that extra prayers are said. They believe that every person is a gift from God, so the day must be sanctified by prayer in thanks to God. After a child is born, the father is given the holy honour of aliyah, which is an opportunity to bless the reading of the Torah in the synagogue. This is especially holy because it is the only day when a blessing is recited purely for the health of the mother and the child. Brit Milah is a much holier day than most because it is one of the most universally observed commandments. It is the circumcision of a male, usually when eight days old. There is more to the ritual than merely the process of removing the foreskin; it is very holy because it is a commandment specific to the Jews. The circumcision is a physical sign of the eternal covenant between God and the Jews. It is also a sign that the Jewish people will be perpetuated through the circumcised man. The circumcision is performed on the eighth day of the boys life and is holier than most other rituals because it can only be carried out by an observant, educated Jew called a mohel. This man is religiously qualified and it is a very religious ritual, blessed by a rabbi, so that it is completely directed towards God. The Bar and Bat Mitzvah is the next very holy rite of passage in the life of a Jew. Bar Mitzvah means son of the commandment and occurs when the Jewish boy reaches the age of 13. Bat Mitzvah is the same for girls at age 12. It is very important because it enters them into the covenant relationship with God. When approaching Bar Mitzvah, the boys wear a very sacred prayer shawl and can begin wearing a pair of Tefillin. On this special occasion the relatives recite blessings for the child as they become adults in the religion. During the ceremony, for the first time the child is able to read a portion of the Torah to the congregation, in Hebrew. This brings them closer to God and involves them more in their religion. After this, the father recites baruch shepatarani, in which they thank God for having brought the boy to maturity and declares the boy is now responsible for his own actions. This is very sacred to the father because it is the only time he will recite it for that child. Marriage is an extremely holy occasion in the life of an adult Jew. It is seen as vitally important in Judaism. Refraining from it is not considered holy. There are many rituals carried out on the day of the ceremony that set it apart in the life of a Jew and bring them much closer to God. The ceremony takes place under a chupah because it can be held up by 4 poles, held by friends or relatives of the couple. This is a very important way of bringing people together before God. The Rabbi reads a section from the psalm as a blessing. This is a sacred way of blessing the couple in the name of the Lord and expresses thanks to God. The bride then circles the groom to symbolise her basic rights for the rest of their marriage: food, clothing and sex. A betrothal blessing is said to sanctify the marriage. The groom places the brides ring on her right index finger to symbolise her acceptance. The Ketubah is read and signed before God to sanctify and bind the marriage, setting it apart from the betrothal. The ceremony is set apart from most other joyous occasions, by the blessings over wine. This is very sacred, as well as adding to the festivity. Kiddush is recited twice to sanctify the occasion. Fasting on the day of the wedding is a very important part of the holiness because the couple are able to make peace with God before entering the covenant of marriage. In Judaism, life is valued above almost all else to every day is considered holy, but death is not considered a tragedy or any less holy. Death is the last rite of passage, but is still considered very holy because they believe, like our lives, it is all part of Gods plan. Candles are a sacred symbol in Judaism and so they are lit next to the body. The mourner recites a specific blessing, holier than usual blessings, to describe God as the true judge. The mourners have a special meal that is very symbolic and holy. It usually consists of eggs (as a symbol of life) and bread. Death is such a holy occasion for Jews that it has a mourners prayer called Kaddish. This is to reaffirm their faith in God, despite their loss. Holiness and faith is incorporated into every day of their lives, so I agree that every day is holy for them, but the specific festivals and rites of passage are considered much holier days. The sanctity and importance of each of these extra rituals, brings every individual Jew closer to God. The focus of these days is completely spiritual, with none of the usual distractions faced every day.