Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Summary - Essay Example It took a whole 50 years before youth were first taken seriously as potential consumers. The three major ideals that changed it were deregulation, character licensing, and a new approach to market segmentation.1 The 1980s was a decade of great change in so many different ways. The debate over the regulation of the media industry during the previous decade helped open up the possibility of children to become consumers. Opponents claimed that children’s advertising was deceptive since kids could not possibly understand the hidden meanings of what was being marketed to them.2 Others argued that the government had no right to impose restrictions on what was acceptable in the marketplace. What eventuated was self-regulation, which broadcasters slowly let diminish over the years. Once this process had taken place in the United States, it was only inevitable that it would prevail in Canada too. Before the start of the commercialization of youth, young people were all lumped together in one giant market segment. Once youth advertising had begun to take place, audiences were segmented into separate niches.3 This was partly achieved through the creation of television networks specifically for children such as Nickelodeon and Music Television (MTV).4 These distinct networks were able to focus on a small set of viewers by involving their needs and wants in the makeup of programming.

Analysis of Learning Theory Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Learning Theory Essay Teaching and education in the church utilizes both the spiritual, as well as the psychological. Andy Stanley and Lane Jones in their book Communicating For A Change discuss teaching the Bible in a clear and concise way that encourages one to change. William Yount in his book Created to Learn examines traditional learning theory and how it applies to teaching the Bible. Andy Stanley has come up with three ways one can approach teaching the Bible. The first way is to teach the Bible to people. This method is just to educate the people about Bible facts. It does not address doctrine or to dig deeper into biblical truth. Stanley states, â€Å"This is the perfect approach for the communicator whose goal is to simply explain what the Bible teaches.† This is not a very helpful teaching method. Just knowing Bible knowledge will not impact one’s life. Change requires application. The second way to approach teaching Scripture is to teach people the Bible. This is the traditional way pastors and teachers approach the Scriptures. It is three points and a poem. Stanley states, â€Å"This goal differs from the first in that the communicator takes his audience into account as he plans his approach.† The third method of teaching is the method the authors present, which is hearing and doing. Stanley states, â€Å"A third goal, and the one I subscribe to, is to teach people how to live a life that reflects the values, principles and truths of the Bible. In short, my goal is change. I want them to do something different instead of just think about it.† This is best summed up when James states to be a doer of the Word not just a hearer, in the first chapter, talks about being a hearer and a doer of the Word. Appling the Word is the only way one will see any change in one’s life. Learning also has a psychological aspect as well. There are various theories on how one learns. One such theory is behavioral learning theory. Behavioral theory teaches that one learns through conditioning. Edward Thorndike has adapted traditional beha vioral learning to the classroom. William Yount describes Thorndike’s law of readiness. â€Å"The law of readiness states that learning proceeds best when learners are properly prepared to respond†¦In the classroom, learning proceeds best when learners are made ‘ready’ – when they are engaged in the subject – at the beginning of the session.† The law of readiness takes into account the environment where learning takes place. By providing the optimal learning environment, the teacher is creating an atmosphere that encourages learning. Learning also takes place through repetition and practice, which is known as the law of exercise. The third law Thorndike recognizes is the law of effect. Yount states, â€Å"The law of effect states that any response that is followed by pleasure or reward strengthens the association between that response and its stimulus.† This theory treats human learning just like training an animal. It does not take into consideration man’s spiritual nature. However, conditioning is useful in classroom management and conduct. Another theory of learning is social learning theory. Albert Bandura is the psychologist who popularized this theory. It has four stages. Stage one is known as attention. Yount states, â€Å"Attention is attracted, intentionally or not, by the perception that models help status competence, popularity, success, or similarity.† The concept of modeling is best described biblically as discipleship. The next phase is called retention. Yount states, â€Å"Retention – ‘retaining information or impressions’ – refers to the observer’s encoding of the model’s behavior into memory so that it can be remembered and produced at a later time.† This is done by mentally storing the information in one’s brain. The third stage is production. Production is practicing the observed behavior and adapting it based on feedback. This concept is learning by doing what one has seen in the model. Jesus sent out the disciples in groups of two to put into practice what they have learned. The fourth stage is motivation. The learning is motivated by their behavior being reinforced. This is done through feedback, both positive and negative. Social learning theory is consistent with the process of discipleship. Mentors are able to model what the Christian life looks like and the disciples put that behavior into practice. A third learning theory is cognitive learning theory. One form of cognitive learning is known as discovery learning. Yount states, â€Å"Discovery learning builds upon direct instruction to help students see the relationships among principles and concepts. It leads to longer-lasting retention of the material, as well as higher self-esteem in learners. Discovery learning encourages the development and use of creative thinking skills, involving formal logic, but more, including beliefs, desires expectations, emotions, and intentions of learners.† Discovery learning is made up of five concepts. The first concept is structure. This is organizing material in a concrete way in order to be taught. It is organizing material into outlines or graphs and the like. The next concept is presentation. Yount states, â€Å"Bruner believed that people possess different modes of under standing, and that these modes were available to learners of any age. He called these modes the enactive, the iconic, and the symbolic.† The enactive mode is learning by doing and seeing presentations. The iconic mode is learning visually by pictures and such. The symbolic mode is learning by describing complicated concepts verbally. The third concept is economy. This concept deals with the idea that providing too much information can cause overload and actually hinder learning. Stanley refers to this when evaluating traditional Bible teaching. The next concept is power. This power is best found in keeping learning simple and concise. Breaking concepts down into formulas or diagrams is helpful. The final concept of discovery learning is motivation. Yount states, â€Å"Intrinsic motivation sustains that will to learn; extrinsic motivation does not. Intrinsic motivation comes from the student’s own curiosity, their drive to achieve competence, and reciprocity – the desire to work cooperatively with others. These are rewarding in themselves, and thus, self-sustaining. The fourth learning theory is educational humanism. This concept takes the whole person into consideration and is learner focused. Yount states, â€Å"Learners are persons; therefore, life-changing learning engages personal attitudes, emotions, and values. The goal of educational humanism was to personalize the classroom.† There are several positive aspects to humanistic learning. One is the ability for teachers to build relationships with their students. This can also apply the modeling concept of social learning. Another positive aspect is the ability for students to explore their feelings and emotions. Yount states, â€Å"In the context of Bible study, exploring personal feelings and sharing personal testimonies are means to spiritual growth as God’s Word speaks, and Bible truths are discovered, personalized, and integrated into the authentic activities of life.† Learning theory impacts how one approaches teaching the Bible. In the opinion of the author, social learning theories, as well as, aspects of discovery learning and humanistic learning are effective in teaching the Scriptures. The concept of modeling is biblical. When Jesus told the disciples to follow Him, He was inviting them into a modeling relationship. This is the call to discipleship. By discovering biblical truth and applying to one’s life, both individually and in community, is how one grows in Christ. Bibliography Stanley, Andy and Lane Jones. Communicating For A Change. Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2006. Yount, William R. Created to Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Introduction to Educational Psychology. Nashville: BH Academic, 2010. [ 1 ]. Andy Stanley and Lane Jones, Communicating For A Change, (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2006), 93. [ 2 ]. Stanley and Jones, 94. [ 3 ]. William R. Yount, Created to Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Introduction to Educational Psychology, (Nashville: BH Academic, 2010), 178. [ 4 ]. Yount, 179. [ 5 ]. Ibid., 219. [ 6 ]. Ibid., 220. [ 7 ]. Ibid., 221. [ 8 ]. Ibid., 242. [ 9 ]. Ibid., 243. [ 10 ]. Stanley and Jones, 102. [ 11 ]. Yount, 244. [ 12 ]. Ibid., 313. [ 13 ]. Ibid., 323.

Henry David Thoreau :: Biography

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Henry David Thoreau was bon on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, on his grandmother’s farm. Thoreau was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker decent. Thoreau was interested in writing at an early age. At the age of ten he wrote his first essay â€Å"The seasons†. He attended Concord Academy until 1833 when he was accepted to Harvard University but with his pending financial situation he was forced to attend Cambridge in August of 1833. In September of 1833 with the help of his family he was able to attend Harvard University. He graduated college in August of 1837.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Thoreau returned home his family noticed a change in his personality. He was no longer accepting people’s opinions as facts but would shock people with his own independent and unconventional opinions. He desired to live his life with the freedom to think and act as he wished. He obtained a local teaching job and refused to Flog children as punishment. Instead he would give moral lectures. The community objected to this method of punishment and forced Thoreau to flog his incorrigible children. That day Thoreau flogged six students and then turned in his resignation. He did so believing that physical punishment should have no place in education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1837 Thoreau’s sister introduced hi to Lucy Jackson Brown. Lucy Jackson Brown was the sister-in-law of Ralph Waldo Emerson. She read some of Thoreau’s work and noticed a similarity between his writing and Emerson’s writing. When she informed Emerson of this news he demanded that the two meet. Upon meeting each other they quickly became friends. Emerson helped Thoreau deliver his first lecture â€Å"Society†. Emerson introduced Thoreau to the rest of the Transcendental Club, which included Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller and many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On August 31, 1839 Thoreau and his older brother, John, left Concord on a boat trip down the Concord river, onto Middlesex Canal, into the Merrimack River and into the state of New Hampshire. This trip left Thoreau with the experiences to write his first Book, A week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Early in 1841 Thoreau’s brother John became seriously ill. Not able to deal with the current situation Thoreau moved into an upstairs bedroom in Emerson’s home. On March 11th of the following year Thoreau lost his friend and life long companion, his brother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 4, 1845 Thoreau decided to go on sabbatical at the nearby Walden Pond. Henry David Thoreau :: Biography   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Henry David Thoreau was bon on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts, on his grandmother’s farm. Thoreau was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker decent. Thoreau was interested in writing at an early age. At the age of ten he wrote his first essay â€Å"The seasons†. He attended Concord Academy until 1833 when he was accepted to Harvard University but with his pending financial situation he was forced to attend Cambridge in August of 1833. In September of 1833 with the help of his family he was able to attend Harvard University. He graduated college in August of 1837.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Thoreau returned home his family noticed a change in his personality. He was no longer accepting people’s opinions as facts but would shock people with his own independent and unconventional opinions. He desired to live his life with the freedom to think and act as he wished. He obtained a local teaching job and refused to Flog children as punishment. Instead he would give moral lectures. The community objected to this method of punishment and forced Thoreau to flog his incorrigible children. That day Thoreau flogged six students and then turned in his resignation. He did so believing that physical punishment should have no place in education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1837 Thoreau’s sister introduced hi to Lucy Jackson Brown. Lucy Jackson Brown was the sister-in-law of Ralph Waldo Emerson. She read some of Thoreau’s work and noticed a similarity between his writing and Emerson’s writing. When she informed Emerson of this news he demanded that the two meet. Upon meeting each other they quickly became friends. Emerson helped Thoreau deliver his first lecture â€Å"Society†. Emerson introduced Thoreau to the rest of the Transcendental Club, which included Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller and many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On August 31, 1839 Thoreau and his older brother, John, left Concord on a boat trip down the Concord river, onto Middlesex Canal, into the Merrimack River and into the state of New Hampshire. This trip left Thoreau with the experiences to write his first Book, A week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Early in 1841 Thoreau’s brother John became seriously ill. Not able to deal with the current situation Thoreau moved into an upstairs bedroom in Emerson’s home. On March 11th of the following year Thoreau lost his friend and life long companion, his brother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 4, 1845 Thoreau decided to go on sabbatical at the nearby Walden Pond.

Alzheimers Disease :: Alzheimers Disease Essays

Alzheimer’s disease is a slowly progressive, degenerative disorder of the brain that eventually results in abnormal brain function and death. The disease was first described in 1907 by a German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer(1864-1915). In the neurological autopsy on the brain of a 56-year-old woman Auguste D., of Frankfurt, who died after several years of progressive mental deterioration marked by increasing confusion and memory loss. Taking advantage of a then-new staining technique, he noticed an odd disorganization of the nerve cells in her cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and memory. The cells were bunched up like a rope tied in knots. He termed the strange nerve bundles neurofibrillary tangles. He also noted an unexpected accumulation of cellular debris around the affected nerves, which he termed senile plaques. In a medical journal article published in 1905, Alzheimer speculated that the nerve tangles and plaques were responsible for the women’s dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder marked by a gradual decline in brain function that gets worse with time. It used to be assumed that this change was a normal part of aging that we called senility. Some people develop this condition when they are as young as 40 years of age. However, the disease is most common in persons over the age of 65. It is estimated that approximately 10 percent of persons over 65 years of age may have Alzheimer’s disease and that in persons over the age of 85, up to 50 percent may be affected. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process. It is not contagious, and it is not known how it can be prevented. While the physical changes in the brain are very similar among different people the behavioral and psychological symptoms that result are complex and may differ from person to person(Kawas, 80). These symptoms lead to a form of dementia which is the loss of mental skills and abilities, including self-care capabilities. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, these losses will result in total dependency for even the simplest activities(Erickson, 149).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s disease usually comprises of three stages. The first being the onset stage. The symptoms of the onset stage often appear very gradually. There may be some minimum memory loss, particularly of recent events. The individual may experience difficulty in finding the right words to use during casual conversations. Work performance may begin to deteriorate and changes in behavior may start to become obvious. Alzheimer's Disease :: Alzheimer's Disease Essays Alzheimer’s disease is a slowly progressive, degenerative disorder of the brain that eventually results in abnormal brain function and death. The disease was first described in 1907 by a German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer(1864-1915). In the neurological autopsy on the brain of a 56-year-old woman Auguste D., of Frankfurt, who died after several years of progressive mental deterioration marked by increasing confusion and memory loss. Taking advantage of a then-new staining technique, he noticed an odd disorganization of the nerve cells in her cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and memory. The cells were bunched up like a rope tied in knots. He termed the strange nerve bundles neurofibrillary tangles. He also noted an unexpected accumulation of cellular debris around the affected nerves, which he termed senile plaques. In a medical journal article published in 1905, Alzheimer speculated that the nerve tangles and plaques were responsible for the women’s dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is a disorder marked by a gradual decline in brain function that gets worse with time. It used to be assumed that this change was a normal part of aging that we called senility. Some people develop this condition when they are as young as 40 years of age. However, the disease is most common in persons over the age of 65. It is estimated that approximately 10 percent of persons over 65 years of age may have Alzheimer’s disease and that in persons over the age of 85, up to 50 percent may be affected. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process. It is not contagious, and it is not known how it can be prevented. While the physical changes in the brain are very similar among different people the behavioral and psychological symptoms that result are complex and may differ from person to person(Kawas, 80). These symptoms lead to a form of dementia which is the loss of mental skills and abilities, including self-care capabilities. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, these losses will result in total dependency for even the simplest activities(Erickson, 149).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s disease usually comprises of three stages. The first being the onset stage. The symptoms of the onset stage often appear very gradually. There may be some minimum memory loss, particularly of recent events. The individual may experience difficulty in finding the right words to use during casual conversations. Work performance may begin to deteriorate and changes in behavior may start to become obvious.

Child Marriage: A Human Rights Violation Essay

Child marriage is a serious form of human rights violation affecting young girls globally. It was estimated 10 million girls under the age of 18 get married every year (Bruce & Clark 2004) and according to Population Council Analysis of United Nations Country Data on Marriage (2002), more than 100 million girls will get married in the next decade if the current pattern persists. Girls who are disproportionately the most affected by this inhumane practice suffer tremendously. It is unreasonable such practice that robs away a girl’s childhood can exist, considering the devastating effects such as physical and psychological damages, severe health consequences and denial of personal development. 1.1 Physical and Psychological Damages Many young girls who are being forced into marriage face abuse and violence as their daily reality, yet most of them believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife (Jenson & Thornton 2003). For example, in Kenya, 36 percent of girls married before 18 consider the action of a husband beating his wife is acceptable as compared to 20 percent of married women (UNICEF 2005). Prolonged violence behaviours towards child brides including coercive sex, verbal abuse, slapping and beatings cause them to be emotionally affected and undergo post-traumatic stress. According to Khan and Lynch (1997), such symptoms are like feeling of hopelessness, helplessness and severe depression. Young married girls are extremely vulnerable and have little power in relation to their husbands and in-laws. They are often treated as domestic slaves to work in their in-law’s households. As much as young married girls are desperate to run away from their brutal marriages, they are often tied down with reasons that oblige them to stay. Most often than not is because of economic pressures and other social circumstances. There are those who seek for avenues to leave their spouses, there are also those who are abandoned, divorced or led into widowhood. They suffer a loss of status and ostracized by society with additional discrimination, for example being denied of property rights, as in many cultures divorced, abandoned or widowed women are often looked down upon (Tamunoimama 2012). They usually end up living in poverty as they have no financial support and bear the responsibility of raising their children on their own. The high rates of Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF) amongst young married girls is one of the reasons why child marriage is linked to wife abandonment. Sexual reproductive organs of the child brides that are not fully developed cause them to endure very prolonged labour. The relentless pressure from the baby’s skull breaks the walls of the birth canal and leads to uncontrollable leakage from the bladder into the vagina. They are usually perceived as unclean and often abandoned or divorced by their spouses. In Nigeria, around 150,000 women with VVF, 80 to 90 percent of them are divorced by their husbands; in Niger Republic, VVF is the reason for 63.3 percent of all divorce cases (Tamunoimama 2012). In many countries, young girls are married off to older men of twice their age, because their parents believe that it is the best way to ensure their daughters are protected when being placed firmly under a male’s control. Influenced by negative social and religious norms, girls are married early to older men in the belief that a husband will provide a safeguard against her ‘immoral’ or ‘inappropriate’ behaviour (Senderowitz 1995). Consequently, when the girl is still young, their spouses died, leaving her with the sole responsibility on taking care her children. For some traditions, girls are not allowed to remarry and her families are also unlikely to accept her back once she has become widowed (UNICEF 2001). Even when a child bride feels able to challenge and leave her marriage, it usually takes her years to do so. Her families will cut her off from their lives because it is believed that running away from a marriage brings shame upon the family. This leaves the girl even more alone than before (The Effects of Early Marriage Cause and Effect Essay 2004). It will contribute to a lack of confidence and low self esteem in the young married girls, plunging them into poverty especially when they are under-educated and has few income-generating skills (Tamunoimama 2012). 1.2 Severe Health Consequences Girls and woman who marry early and with little or no education background often lack of knowledge and have limited awareness of their rights to negotiate safer sex, including the use of condom (Plan UK 2011). In addition to the age difference between the child bride and the husband alongside with her low economic status, it is almost impossible for her to demand fidelity or enjoy the freedom of movement. Barriers like distance, fear, expenses or the need for permission from their spouses or in -laws to access health services deteriorate the risks of maternal complications and mortality for young mothers (Tamunoimama 2012). According to UNICEF (2001), girls aged between 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die giving birth as compared to women over 20 years old; whereas for girls aged between 10 to 14, it is five times greater the risk. Young married girls face considerable physical pain associated with sexual intercourse as their sexual organs are not fully developed and matured (Alemu 2008). Pregnancy-related deaths including heavy bleeding, fistula, infection, Anaemia, and Eclampsia, are the leading cause of mortality for 15 to 19 year-old girls (married and unmarried) worldwide (Tamunoimama 2012). Fistula conditions like vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) and recto-vaginal fistula (RVF) are permanent without surgical intervention to reseal the tissues. Many women have to endure with this condition for the rest of their lives, as such intervention may not be sought or may be hard to access (Tamunoimama 2012). WHO (2010) estimates there are two million women suffering from fistulas and for each year, there is a nother addition of 50,000 to 100,000 new cases of fistulas, many of which go untreated. Even though parents see early marriage or child marriage, as a method to protect their daughters from HIV/AIDS, future spouses may engage in unprotected sexual relations with other partners and already be infected (Tamunoimama 2012). Child brides are more vulnerable to HIV infection, due to the physiological immaturity of their sexual organs. A girl who has not reached puberty face serious risk on being infected by HIV/AIDS, because her vagina is not well lined with protective cells and her cervix may be penetrated easily (Alemu 2008). According to Clark (2004), a small scale research done in Kenya and Zambia shows that among 15 to 19 year-old girls who are sexually active, getting married increased their chances of HIV by more than 75 percent. Girls who are of lower status in society and lack of autonomy cannot have a say when to engage in sexual relations and when to bear a child, especially if it is a young virgin, she would be under pressure to become pregnant in the first year o f her marriage. 1.3 Denial of Personal Development Education is one of the largest losses a girl has to face when she is married off at a young age. Her opportunities to develop as an individual is limited as she needs to bear the burden of being a wife and a mother. Most of the child brides, who are forced to drop out of school during the preparation of marriage or at the point of union and transfer to their in-laws house, as badly as they want to return to school, they are denied of their rights to education. Older husbands and even fathers of young wives believe that the role of females are merely to stay home and undertake household and child-care duties. They fear that education undermines cultural practices and teaches the girl to reject tradition (Bayisenge 2009). The following quote illustrate well the case: â€Å"At the age of about 14 years, my father sent me to my uncle in Adagbira near Binaba so that he could let his wives â€Å"train me† for marriage. He believed that if I continued to go to school, I would be a â€Å"spoilt girl† and no man would agree to marry me. Being a â€Å"spoilt girl† meant that I would be too wise to marry back in his village where he could get my dowry.† (Interview with Ateni Adongo, Womankind,1999). Apart from that, parents of a child bride perceive education as an investment wasted because she is simply going to get married and it will only benefit her husband’s household. The child bride stand even little chance in hope that her husband and in-laws would invest their scarce resources in her education. In rural areas, secondary education is only attainable at a far distance from home, leading to a fear in parents that this may expose the girl to risks on premarital sex and unwanted pregnancy (Tamunoimama 2012). Child brides also find it difficult to return to school, because even the school itself has a policy of refusing married or pregnant girls to attain education. They believe that it will set a bad example to other students and destroy the reputation of the school for going against traditional beliefs. Besides, young married girls are unable to cope up and adapt with the school environment which includes rules, time tables and physical conditions, at the same time juggling their duties as wives and mothers. This further reduces the chances of them to enjoy the rights to education, which they require for personal development and contribution to the future well-being of their family and society. Early marriage was considered the main challenge to achieving universal primary education (MDG 2) and promoting gender equality (MDG 3) for girls and boys in rural communities (Plan Egypt 2010). It is not only a lost opportunity for the girls affected, but has a wider reach of repercussions for their own children and society (ICRW 2006). Young married girls, being denied of education are powerless in regards of deciding the size of their families, demanding the use of contraception and healthcare needs of their children. They are not well informed and knowledgeable about sexual relations, their bodies and reproduction, furthermore aggravated by the cultural silence surrounding these subjects (Tamunoimama 2012). With a low level of education and life skills, child brides face an increase of vulnerability to abuse and poor health, and therefore acute poverty and create a massive knock-on negative effect to the community. Marriage is regarded as a moment of celebration and a milestone in an adult life, but girls as young as five being married off to older men, forced to drop out of school to carry the heavy burden of being a wife and a mother is equivalent to being condemned a death sentence on their bright future. Article 16 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) states that men and women of full age are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution and marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending parties. Therefore child marriage is considered as a violation of human rights and must be viewed within a context of force and coercion, because valid consent of the child is absent – and also often disregarded (Kumar 2008). Early marriage or child marriage is one of the ills that have eaten deep into the marrows of the third world countries, with Niger (76.6%), Chad (71.5%) and Bangladesh (68.7%) leading the top countries with highest rates of child marriage (ICRW 2005). It is a deadly curse in the modern society, with all the consequences that come along with it, including high rate of maternal mortality and morbidity, violence and abuse, reinforce cycle of poverty and many more. It stands in direct conflict with the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), (Mathur & Malhotra 2003) as it threatens the achievement of the first six goals respectively, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primarily education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases (UN 2007). In conclusion, different parties like governments, parents, schools, medias, NGOs, by and large, everyone else that is in the community should come together to trickle this challenging phenomenon and ban this from being an acceptable cultural practice. Actions to restore the rights of those already married should go hand in hand with preventive actions in protecting the rights of unmarried girls because to ensure a good start of their life, they need education instead of being trapped in a child betrothal.

Evolutionary Imperatives and Genes are the Driving Force Beh essays

Evolutionary Imperatives and Genes are the Driving Force Beh essays Evolutionary imperatives and genes are the driving force behind animal and human instincts and behavior Humans have for a long time now wondered what it is that drives us to behave the way we do. The most popular theory was that our actions are an equal combination of nature and nurture. Or, instincts and how we were raised. This is no longer considered to be true. New studies and findings show that the scale has been tipped more towards instincts and genes. To better understand how instincts and genes drive us we must first realize that humans are in fact animals. We, as humans tend to place our species a tier above other animals. The truth is, many other species can act, think, and reason much the same way that we do. The most notable examples of this are found in the studies of apes. Chimpanzees, for example, can figure out how to solve a puzzle on their own, seem to do so in much the same way as humans and, like humans will do it for no other reward than the satisfaction of having done it. (Chance pg.1) Apes also display other human characteristics by making tools and using sign language in original ways to express new ideas. The apes are not the only other species that display human tendencies. Porpoises can be trained to not only perform tricks but also invent or create their own. (Chance pg.1) Behavior is not the only trait that animals and humans have in common. Mans behavioral equipment of sense organs, nerves, and hormones is basically the same as that of other mammals and similar to that of vertebrates. (Davis pg.110) Not only is their behavioral equipment the same but also the responses to environmental stimuli are similar to those of other vertebrates. Davis also states that, Mans social organization is derived directly from that of primates and parallels the organization of a large number of vertebrates. (Pg. 110) The truth is, man is so similar to other animals ...

Directions for a Child Meteorologists Workstation

Directions for a Child Meteorologist's Workstation A home weather station can entertain your kids regardless of the season. Theyll also learn about weather patterns and the science behind sunny skies and rainy days. The more fun you make your home weather station activities, the more your kids will engross themselves in this fun learning activity. They wont even realize theyre learning as they tackle this science experiment for kids of all ages while the whole family gauges the weather together Rain Gauge No home weather station would be complete without a rain gauge. Your kids can measure everything from the amount of rain thats fallen to how much snow has accumulated. You can buy a rain gauge or its easy enough to make your own. Your most basic rain gauge is to simply put a jar outside, let it collect rain or snow and then stick a ruler inside to see how high the precipitation reaches. Barometer A barometer measures air pressure. Monitoring the changes in air pressure is one way to make predictions about the forecast. The most common barometers are Mercury Barometers or Aneroid Barometers.   Hygrometer A hygrometer measures the relative humidity in the air. Its an important tool in helping forecasters predict the weather. You can buy a hygrometer for about $5. Weather Vane Record the winds direction with a weather vane. The weather vane swivels when the wind blows to show you the direction the breeze is coming from so your kids can record it. Kids can also learn if the wind is blowing north, south, east or west with a weather vane in their home weather station. Anemometer While the weather vane measures the direction the wind is blowing, an anemometer measures the winds speed. Make your own anemometer with items you can find at a hardware store. Use your new anemometer with the weather vane to record wind direction and speed. Windsock A windsock is a more simple way to identify wind direction and speed as opposed to solely using a weather vane and anemometer. Its also fun for kids to watch the sock fly in the wind. Make your own windsock out of a shirt sleeve or pant leg. Your windsock can be flying in about an hour. Compass Even if your weather vane has the N, S, W and E points of direction, kids love holding a compass in their hands. A compass can help kids identify wind direction, which way the clouds are rolling in and can also teach kids how to navigate. Be sure the kids know the compass is for the weather station only. Compasses are an easy buy so if you think your compass will end up on a childs bike or in their backpack instead of staying with the weather station, pick up a few so you can always have one in place. Weather Journal A kids weather journal can have basic information within its pages or be as detailed as you want. Younger children can draw a picture of a sunshine and the letter to mark the winds direction. Older children can record the date, todays weather, wind speed, direction, humidity levels and make weather predictions based on their findings.