Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak

Gawai Day or Gawai Dayak is a festival celebrated in Sarawak on 1 June every year. It is both a religious and social occasion. The word Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the native ethnic groups of Sarawak (and neighboring Indonesian Kalimantan): the Iban, also known as Sea Dayak and the Bidayuh people, also known as Land Dayak. Thus, Gawai Dayak literally means â€Å"Dayak Festival†. Dayak would visit their friends and relatives on this day. Such visit is more commonly known as â€Å"ngabang† in the Iban language. Those too far away to visit would receive greeting cards. It started back in 1957 in a radio forum held by Mr Ian Kingsley, a radio programme organiser. This generated a lot of interest among the Dayak community. The mode of celebration varies from place to place. Preparation starts early. Tuak (rice wine) is brewed (at least one month before the celebration) and traditional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, sugar and coconut milk) are prepared. As the big day approaches, everyone will be busy with general cleaning and preparing food and cakes. On Gawai Eve, glutinous rice is steamed in bamboo (ngelulun pulut). In the longhouse, new mats will be laid out on the ruai (an open gallery which runs through the entire length of the longhouse). The walls of most bilik (rooms) and the ruai are decorated with Pua Kumbu (traditional blankets). A visit to clean the graveyard is also conducted and offerings offered to the dead. After the visit it is important to bathe before entering the longhouse to ward off bad luck. The celebration starts on the evening of 31 May. In most Iban longhouses, it starts with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greed), signifying the non-interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebration. Two children or men each dragging a chapan (winnowing basket) will pass each family's room. Every family will throw some unwanted article into the basket. The unwanted articles will be tossed to the ground from the end of the longhouse for the spirit of bad luck. Around 6 pm or as the sun sets, miring (offering ceremony) will take place. Before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual music) is performed. The Feast Chief thanks the gods for the good harvest, and asks for guidance, blessings and long life as he waves a cockerel over the offerings. He then sacrifices the cockerel and a little blood is used together with the offerings. Once the offering ceremony is done, dinner is then served at the ruai. Just before midnight, a procession up and down the ruai seven times called Ngalu Petara (welcoming the spirit gods) is performed. During this procession, a beauty pageant to choose the festival's queen and king (Kumang & Keling Gawai) is sometimes conducted. Meanwhile, drinks, traditional cakes and delicacies are served. At midnight, the gong is beaten to call the celebrants to attention. The longhouse Chief (tuai rumah) or Festival Chief will lead everyone to drink the Ai Pengayu (normally tuak for long life) and at the same time wish each other â€Å"gayu-guru, gerai-nyamai† (long life, health and prosperity). The celebration now turns merrier and less formal. Some will dance to the traditional music played, others will sing the pantun (poems). In urban areas, Dayaks will organise gatherings at community centres or restaurants to celebrate the evening. Other activities that may follow the next few days include: cock-fighting matches, and blowpipe and ngajat competitions. On this day, 1 June, homes of the Dayaks are opened to visitors and guests. Traditionally, when guests arrive at a longhouse, they are given the ai tiki as a welcome. From time to time, guests are served tuak. This would be called nyibur temuai which literally means â€Å"watering of guests†. Christian Dayaks normally attend a church mass service to thank God for the good harvest. Gawai Dayak celebrations may last for several days. It is also during this time of year that many Dayak weddings take place, as it is one of the rare occasions when all the members of the community return home to their ancestral longhouse. Up till 1962, the British colonial government refused to recognise Dayak Day. Gawai Dayak was formally gazetted on 25 September 1964 as a public holiday in place of Sarawak Day. It was first celebrated on 1 June 1965 and became a symbol of unity, aspiration and hope for the Dayak community. Today, it is an integral part of Dayak social life. It is a thanksgiving day marking good harvest and a time to plan for the new farming season or activities ahead.

Valuable Traditional Events on New Year’s Day

A racial group or an ethnic group is defined by its culture and religion. This is because the collective actions of people who belong to the same group are guided by that group’s cultural values and religious beliefs. The global community consists of several racial and ethnic groups with different sets of cultural values and religious beliefs. The differences in these beliefs explain why people all over the world do not dress alike (Muslim women are prohibited from wearing skimpy clothes which are popular among western women); do not eat the same food (unlike Christians, Muslims do not eat pork); and do not treat one another in the same manner (western women are allowed more freedom than Muslim women). Sometimes these differences are minor and easily ignored, thereby facilitating relationships across cultures. At other times, however, such differences become very antagonistic and irreconcilable as to develop into major irritants and even cause wars. Since people from different cultures believe and behave differently, traditions also vary across cultures. Traditions consist of the customs and practices which people consider important enough to hand down from generation to generation in order to preserve their core cultural values and beliefs. Every culture has several important traditions. In Korea, for example, one of the most important traditions is the manner of celebrating the biggest event of every year: New Year’s Day. Seol-Nal in the Korean language, the celebration starts with all Koreans, children and adults alike, greeting one another with the usual â€Å"Happy New Year† greeting. Actually, the actual Korean greeting, when literally translated into English, means: â€Å"I wish you have a great year and good luck this year. † Koreans greet one another while bowing their heads. Children, particularly, are enjoying this bowing and greeting tradition. While the tradition is for elder people to give their advice to their family members who bow to them, when children do the bowing, tradition dictates that the elders should give them â€Å"lucky money. † This tradition dates back as early as four hundred years ago. Children, therefore, could get â€Å"lucky money† from their parents, their aunts and uncles, and their grandparents. Koreans consider this a very important tradition because it shows their elders’ desire for the success of the members of their families. Therefore, this â€Å"lucky money† is a means of helping them start their new year in a prosperous manner. For the children, â€Å"lucky money† means new clothes, backpacks, pens and pencils because they want to return to school with brand new clothes and school supplies. Because of the importance of the New Year’s Day celebration, Koreans, wherever they are, make it a point to do their utmost in order to go back home to celebrate this event together with their families since most of them are now living elsewhere because of their jobs. Korean families of two hundred years ago usually lived in one big house where they could always have time to talk about their affairs and their problems. Nowadays, the New Year’s Day celebration is the only occasion during which they could be together again and talk just like old times. The celebration actually starts on the eve of the New Year called Sut dal kum mum in the Korean language. To prepare for the New Year, Koreans clean their houses thoroughly. After the house-cleaning, they light halogens of different colors. Then they take hot water bath and light sticks made of bamboo because they believe that doing so would drive the evil spirits away. Koreans do not sleep during New Year’s Eve. The belief is that when one goes to sleep, his or her eyebrows â€Å"would turn white. † Then the coming of the New Year is welcomed by switching on all the lights in the whole house and keeping their eyes wide open (Society for the Confluence of Festivities in India). Then they take their bath early the following morning, New Year’s Day, and dress themselves up in new clothes. Afterwards, the bowing and giving of â€Å"lucky money† begins immediately. Meanwhile, the day is spent by Korean women in cooking delicious meals. Almost all Koreans cook the traditional rice-cake soup called â€Å"Deok-Guk† on New Year’s Day. According to them, this stands for purity because its color is white. The Korean saying is that if â€Å"Deok-Guk† is served on New Year’s Day, those who eat will have a longer life because the rice cake used in making the soup are long. Korean children love â€Å"Deok-Guk† because they believe that they will grow faster and taller when they eat it during this day. Aside from â€Å"Deok-Guk,† Koreans also cook many healthy recipes which contain plenty of meat and vegetables (SCFI). Koreans, in keeping with tradition, also celebrate the day by drinking a special kind of liquor which, according to them, improves their hearing power. In other words, when they drink this liquor on New Year’s Day, they are convinced that their sense of hearing will be in excellent condition throughout the year. Their ancestors are also part of the celebration. In a ritual which they call Chesa, the ancestors are being energized so that they could bless their descendants. This ritual is being conducted in a clean room where there is an altar with foods on it according to a specified arrangement. First, the meat is placed on the left side of the altar and the rice drink is on the right side of the altar. Then all items colored white should be on the western side and the red-colored foods on the eastern side. In addition, if any food contains heads and tails, the head should be situated on the east while the tail should be positioned facing west. Finally, using a special paper which Koreans call Chi Bang, the name of the male ancestors are then written clearly on the left side while the female ancestors’ name are written on the right, arranged in the order of their ages. For instance, the names of the great grandparents come first, followed by the names of the grandparents, then the names of the parents if they are already dead. This particular ritual, according to Koreans, is being observed in order to obtain the blessings of their descendants (SCFI). Koreans also believe that their ancestors are living in the sky and are always ready to protect them. Because of this belief, one of their traditions is a memorial service conducted for their ancestors. First, they prepare different kinds of food and then place them, together with the framed photographs of their ancestors, on a big table. Then every member of the family should bow in front of the photographs of their ancestors two times at the same time wishing for the protection of the whole family. After everybody is done with the bowing, the elders offer alcoholic drink to their ancestors. Then everybody is allowed to spend a quiet time in the room so that they can talk with their ancestors. Afterwards, everybody leaves the room and silence is maintained in the whole house to enable the ancestors to come down from the sky and eat the food prepared for them. Most Koreans observe this custom which is believed to be one thousand years old already. After the rituals have been observed, the family members, especially the children, find time to play. Most of the games being played are outdoor games because they are considered good for the health, especially for children. Some of the more popular outdoor games for New Year’s Day are tops-spinning, kite flying, and the Korean game called Jae gi cha gi which is like the game where hacky sacks are kicked. Another traditional game which is very popular among Koreans because it could be played almost anywhere is called Yut-nol-ee. This game is usually played during the New Year’s Day and everyday until the fifteenth day of January. Children are very fond of this game because it involves stick-throwing (SCFI). People from different cultural backgrounds observe their traditional events every year not only to commemorate significant occasions but more importantly, to be able to hand down tradition from generation to generation for the purpose of preserving their core cultural values. This is the most effective method of keeping their cultures alive. Koreans subscribe to this school of thought. This is why efforts are being exerted to require the current generation and the generations to come to keep Korean traditions alive no matter what. It is all right for Koreans if people from different cultural backgrounds celebrate the New Year differently and sometimes even on different dates. What is important is for people across cultures to respect each others’ traditions and preserve the cultures of the world.

Newspaper article Essay

The Pirates put out an amazing playoff season, this year having been the first year in the playoffs since 1992, but on October 9, 2013 they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals ending their amazing playoff season. In their last playoff game in St. Louis the Pirates lost 6-1 to the Cardinals, ending the season. In the second inning the Cardinals scored two runs taking the lead over the pirates. There was no more scoring until the sixth inning when the Cardinals scored yet another run, now having a three point lead over the Pirates. In the next inning the Pirates scored their first run. And sadly, the Cardinals scored three more runs in the eighth inning ending the game at a score of 6-1. The Pirates played the best they’ve played since 1992, which wasn’t enough this time. There was some amazing plays in the game, but I believe an incredible one was in the fourth inning when Starling Marte covered about twenty feet to catch a fly ball and get the second out with his incredible dive catch. An articles read about their season said that they played everything right, it was a amazing season but it wasn’t enough this year, they needed a little more. This year the Pirates MVP player is Andrew McCutchen, he put up an OPS+ of 158, and swiped 27 bags this season. The teams LVP was Barmes, who plays shortstop, he hit a measly . 211/. 249/. 309, which is considered quite weak. The Pirates gameplan for next season is to keep the team mostly intact, and to hopefully make it farther into the playoffs next season. According to Christian Hartman † The teams MVP should definitely be McCutchen, he hits well, plays amazing center field, and he’s just overall great. He is everything a player should be. † The Pirates put out an amazing playoff season, this year being their first playoff season since 1992.

Speech, Language and the Developing Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Speech, Language and the Developing Child - Essay Example Motherese is something that parents do with their children, perhaps not even realizing that they are doing it. They repeat their child, often substituting other words to the sentence, use a higher pitch to their voice, use simple sentences that the child can understand, and use grammatically correct language that their child then embraces and adds to their own vocabulary. This, working in concert with simple words and sentences, creates early conversational skills that the child can then expand upon in order to acquire more knowledge of how to communicate. Using a stage approach may not sit well with some people, for it limits what a child should know at a certain time. Children are pigeon-holed into a stage depending solely on their age, and not necessarily on their ability. If you believe that children should be free to learn at their own pace, then a staged approach isn’t for you. On the other hand, stages are clear markers of where a child should be, making it very obvious when a child would need extra help in order to catch up to his peers.

DEVELOPING PERSONAL,SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS IN THE OUTDOOR PLAY Essay

DEVELOPING PERSONAL,SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS IN THE OUTDOOR PLAY - Essay Example On the upper side the ground, there is this large field meant for football and sometimes used rugby. On the lower side of the ground, there is this other field where basketball, table tennis, badminton, netball and other games were being played. On the far end of the school compound, there is this small fenced compound where the school’s agricultural club is situated. Here, there is this structure made of iron sheets that is used for chicken rearing. The other structure was one meant for keeping rabbit while the third structure was for pigs. Away from this corner with these structures, on the opposite side, there’s this area made with benches and a cool shade meant for outdoor reading and for people to relax, at times when watching the matches in the lower playground. The school also has another section where there are these tree nurseries to develop tree seedlings meant for school beautification and tree planting. Right behind the agricultural club structures, there is his big field that is also demarcated and used as a garden. In this garden, the school has planted various vegetable crops like lettuce, coriander, pepper, kales and cabbages among others. The other side of the garden has these beautiful lines full of fruit trees such as mangoes, oranges, peach, papaw, lemon and apples. Everything in this planting area just looks awesome because it makes the school seem not like one. The fruits and vegetables are meant for teaching lessons, eating as well as being sold to the students and nearby market in order to earn some income for the school that can support the project. These projects are also meant for outdoor activities as they expose the students a lot on how they can do other meaningful activities outside the classroom work (EDEN, 1998). The main purpose of the school being started up in the area was to provide education opportunity to

Information System Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Information System Managment - Essay Example To conduct this study, I have used two basic methods. First a secondary research to give me theoretical background about information system. The tools used were: Books, Articles, and Websites along with various charts and reports available and deduced in the course of investigation. Second primary research to provide a background on ETC and its current strategies strategic objectives, mission and vision, as a foundation for my research The resources conferred with were from analytical activities and personal observations on operation and customer services. Also books and journals were used. Telecom industry should ever succeed in providing customers to communicate to their kith, kin or co-workers with better approach according to their requirements. When it comes to UAE a nation where employees are present form almost all countries around the world; communication thus is having very high priority. Etisalat is a name heard attached to UAE and its telecom system. ETC is a very rich company with ample excellence of successful history above which they structured their undetermined deep knowledge as telecommunication heart of UAE. Acquisition spree of ETC has revealed as success for them within as well as outside UAE. They have already made up to achieve licenses to work any various other countries across the world. â€Å"Etisalat, with its long history of sponsorship and support for community and charitable projects in the  UAE, is interested in encouraging the adoption of CSR policies by companies operating in the Middle East, according to Ahmed Bin Ali, Manager of Pub lic Relations for Etisalat.† 3 With their success history in telecom sector, they are even expanding to other areas of business as well. 4ETC has been the solitary donor of telecommunications facilities inside the UAE for the past 31 years. â€Å"Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the UAE since 1976, and has built

The Value of SWOT in General and Regarding Planning Case Study

The Value of SWOT in General and Regarding Planning - Case Study Example SWOT is essential in the planning stage of any management or marketing implement because it defines the internal and external environment of which the plan will be based. The efficacy of a plan depends on the accuracy of the assessment of the environment of which it will be applied as defined in the SWOT. SWOT provides a reality check in the execution stage of any management or marketing implement. It fine tunes the execution as SWOT considers the new realities in the internal and external factor of the organization. a) The extent to which the foregoing listed strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are generic, ie. insofar as product and service providers are concerned? SWOT can be generic in terms of the internal assessment (strength and weakness) in terms of assessing the competency of its people. It is usually expressed in general terms such as â€Å"we have very talented people to execute the task†. In the weakness aspect, factors such as ailing equipment that ca n no longer perform the task adequately are expressed in general terms. With regard to external factors, competition is typically expressed in general terms in the threat aspect of SWOT. Assessment of opportunity in SWOT can be expressed in general in terms of growth of companies if they will be successful in the identified market. b)What SWOT considerations would you delete, change categorically, or add, if you were in the sports shoe industry and wished to be known as a socially responsible producer? The threat factor would be removed in the SWOT in order to be known as a socially responsible producer of shoes. It is because the competition must be ruled out in the consciousness of the business that compels it to compromise social responsibility in exchange for competitiveness.

Battle Royal( Ralph Ellison) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Battle Royal( Ralph Ellison) - Essay Example In the beginning of the chapter, the African American Narrator is praised by the white folks for his speech in satirical terms. But the black man will not relent. He wishes to protect his essential dignity, notwithstanding the fact that the white people are out to ridicule him on all counts. The black narrator is firm about his decision. Instead of avoiding the white men, he wishes to actively associate with them, to prove his worth. But racial segregation continues. Social harmony between the people of black and white races is still a distant dream. Blacks undergo horrific experiences and Ellison has availed the option to make the story full of imagery and satire than come out with statements and statistics. Strange situations are created for the humiliation of the black youngsters. This happens in an all-white men’s club, where a black protagonist of the story, considered to be a brilliant orator, is invited for a speech on cultural issues. A clever plan is hatched to humiliate him and other black youngsters. He is supposed to give a talk on humility but what is the use of talk on such a topic to people devoid of humanity? In the next situation, describing a fight scene in the ring Ellison states, "It was complete anarchy. Everybody fought everybody else. No group fought together for long" (942). This is the broad indicator as for the tactics used by the white people to keep the blacks suppressed, divided and fight amongst

Managing The Artist Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing The Artist Assignment - Essay Example However, dissatisfaction by artistes led to filing of suits, which later formed precedent by altering the laws governing music practices. Artist management has to be effective for all the stakeholders in music to benefit. Therefore, there has to be an artist manager who takes the responsibilities to ensure business takes place mutually (Allen, 2011). The person will take charge in planning and other managerial responsibilities. This paper looks at how the report cases influenced the music artist management in the United Kingdom. The cases in this study have caused a shift from the traditional practices in music management for over the last twenty-five years. The judgments of those cases have lead to the establishment of laws guiding relations in the music industry, specifically artist management. All the cases emphasized on the need to shift away from split management, which was common in the UK in the past. In the case of Mills Company as an example, Sullivan received 50% for the co pyright, which later became a precedent in the customs and practices of artist management. Legal authorities nowadays have influence on artist management activities compared to the past (Allen, 2011). In the case above the judge ordered an inquiry into profits made by Mills Company. There are compensations to artists as opposed to the past, from the above case mills is fighting for his empire, which is suffering because of engaging in malpractice. The judgment and laws in place forces him to adhere to requirements when managing artists. According to the case reports music has become a source of livelihood to many individuals in United Kingdom. Allen (2011) states that the music industry has experienced growth over the past years commercially thus promoting professionalism in artist management. The present day artists understand their basic patent rights regarding music and the relations with their managers (Marcone, 2003, p.145). Awareness has made the artists challenge status quo f rom the traditional style of artist management. In the case reports, financial agreements takes place in accordance to the acts stipulated thus alteration to custom and practices, which took place in the past. The case reports clearly highlight management roles in ensuring success to the music industry. All the cases prove that some management duties are more critical like marketing and selling artistry works. The report cases have influenced the present practices by managers whereby signing contracts have become a basic legal requirement before managing an artist (Allen, 2011, p.2). This ensures justice and fairness to all the parties who engage in music in case where a dispute arises. In the report cases, copyright is a sensitive element considered as the major contributor of disputes in music. Financial disagreements are subjective to patent rights when solving cases affecting artist managers (Beeching, 2005). The artists and other individuals in the music industry have the manda tory obligation of recognizing copyright laws as stipulated in the United Kingdom. The copyright law has provision that allows for fair utilization of literature material by all citizens, whereby they have a right to conduct personal research on a piece of music works. The law gives artists managers the right use music from other artists but reciprocate with payment (Allen, 2011, p.186). The United Kingdom lined their copyright law with the international

Personal Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Identity - Essay Example In addition, his memories and believes remain unchanged. According to Schmid (2), the resultant person is a convection referring to bundle of mental states and events hence resembling the original person from whom the brain was removed. This can be tested by evaluating the persons memory after the procedure. Thus, person A is the same as person B if and only if A can remember having an experience of B. The procedure done on Gretchen Weirob revealed that a person’s identity does not change if his brain is replaced with a duplicate one. The person’s looks, character, personality, beliefs, habits, desires, and skills remain the same. Therefore, from the success of the procedure done on other people, the results will not be different with me; I will remain the same person as long as my brain is replaced with a duplicate of my own brain. Considering Brain view theory, if I was to undergo brain rejuvenation, I will wake up the same person I was before the procedure. My resultant person will resemble the original person since our brains will be identical. I will be numerically identical to the person I was as long as I do not get another person’s brain. This includes having all the spheres in the new brain identical to the original ones. However, this theory is insufficient and needs to be used in combination with the psychological bundle view theory. This theory compares relationship in the conscious states of a person at different times. For example in my case, my conscious states after the procedure will be appropriately related to what I have now. I will be remembering the same things, relating events to the right experiences thus making the resultant person the same as the original one as defined by the memory proposal theory. If the process is undertaken as required, survival is guaranteed. The brain, which will be place in my skull to replace my current one, will be a complete duplicate. This will enable it

Affirmative Action in America Essay Example for Free

Affirmative Action in America Essay Throughout the years, much of the public’s confusion over affirmative action lies in the manners it is defined, because the manner at which the concept is described usually becomes the basis that shapes public attitude. Affirmative action in the United States basically refers to policies that take ethnicity, race, and gender into consideration in an effort to encourage equal opportunity. The focus of such policy varies from employment and public contracting objectives to health and educational outreach programs. It is intended to promote public institutions, such as police forces, hospitals and universities to be more representative of the people they serve. The thrust towards affirmative action is twofold, which is the rectification as a result of involuntary, institutional, or blatant discrimination, and maximization of the advantages of diversity in every levels of society. Affirmative action continues to be one of the most conflict-ridden issues in the United States, remaining unsettled ever since the civil rights legislation in 1960s. Despite the fact that numerous efforts have been challenged to get to the bottom of the problem, none attempted to recognize the fundamental causes of the criticism against the policy. Therefore, in order to understand the future of affirmative action, one must be aware of its evolution, its resistance, and its application in the United States. Evolution of Affirmative Action Affirmative action in the United States started as a device to deal with the enduring discriminations among African-Americans in the 1960s. This particular phrase was initially applied to represent the country’s government policy in 1961 as a means of redressing inequalities that had persisted albeit the constitutional guarantees and civil rights laws (Brunner, 2007). Focusing particularly on jobs and education, affirmative action policies mandated that active measures be taken to make sure that African-Americans and other minorities benefited from equal opportunities for financial aid, scholarships, school admissions, career advancement, salary increase, and promotions that had been practically the whites’ exclusive province. Affirmative action was visualized from the start as a provisional remedy that would end once there was an identical playing field for every Americans. President Kennedys Executive Order 10925 of 1961 intended and mandated every government contracting agencies to practice affirmative action to make sure that black applicants were hired and that they were equally taken cared of throughout their employment, without considering their color, creed, race, or national origin. In 1964, the landmark legislation of Civil Rights Act was signed into law, which prohibits employment discrimination by large employers, regardless of their previous contracts with the government. President Johnson developed and enforced for the fist time the country’s affirmative action through the Executive Order 11246 of 1965, requiring every government contractors and subcontractors to observe affirmative action so as to expand employment opportunities for minorities. President Johnson amended Executive Order 11246 in 1967 to incorporate affirmative action for women. By this time, federal contractors were required to make good-faith endeavors to increase employment opportunities for minorities and women (Wilcher, 2003). The 1978 decision of the United States Supreme Court in the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U. S. 912 upheld the use of race as one aspect in selecting qualified applicants for admission. Concurrently, it also ruled illegal the practice of the University Medical School of setting aside 18 seats for minority students in every incoming class of 100 (Wilcher, 2003). The following year, a National Women’s Business Enterprise Policy was created by President Jimmy Carter through the issuance of Executive Order 12138, which further requires every agency to take affirmative action to support business enterprise of women. In the same year, the Supreme Court ruled in United Steel Workers of America, AFL-CIO v. Weber, 444 U. S. 889 that race-conscious endeavors intended to abolish an evident racial disparity in an employers labor force ensuing from past discrimination are acceptable if they are impermanent and do not infringe the rights of other employees. The United States Supreme Court in 1987 ruled in Johnson v. Transportation Agency, 480 U. S. 616 that a serious under representation of minorities and women warranted the use of sex or race as one aspect in selecting amongst qualified applicants. Opposition to affirmative action has resulted to numerous legal challenges, starting with the United States Supreme Court’s 1989 decision in City of Richmond vs. J. A. Croson, which required local and states governments to draw on more comprehensive evidence of inequalities to validate the need for the programs. Immediately after that, Oregon and Michigan discontinued their affirmative procurement programs. In 1998, both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives prevented efforts to abolish particular programs of affirmative action. Amendments to eliminate the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program sponsored through the Transportation Bill were rejected by both houses, and the upper house rejected an endeavor to abolish the use of affirmative action in higher education admissions programs supported through the Higher Education Act. Throughout these periods, the opinions of the Supreme Court justices in affirmative action cases have been generally divided partly because of conflicting political beliefs but moreover because the issue is basically so complicated. Rather than tackling the whole policy, the Court has approached majority of the cases in a piecemeal manner, focusing on its narrow features. But in 2003, the landmark case involving the affirmative action policies of University of Michigan, which became one of the most imperative rulings on the issue in 25 years, the Supreme Court finally and positively supported higher education’s right of affirmative action (Brunner, 2007). The Court held as constitutional the use of race, among other aspects, of the University of Michigan in its law school admissions program given that the program advanced a compelling interest in achieving an educational advantage that flows from the diversity of student body. In addition, the Court established that the law school’s program was narrowly tailored, flexible, and supported a holistic assessment of every applicant.

Basal Cell Carcinoma Essay Example for Free

Basal Cell Carcinoma Essay Skin cancer, cancer that forms in the skin. There are three types of skin cancer; melanoma, squamous cell, and basal cell carcinoma. Out of the three skin cancers basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is by far the most common. BCC accounts for 90% of all skin cancers. Basal cell carcinoma is also the easiest to treat for the simple fact it rarely metastasize. Bcc tend to stay in the same general area and cause damage to tissues by growing and invading surrounding tissue. Some people are more susceptible to basal cell carcinoma than other. If youve received at least one blistering sunburn during your childhood you have a greater risk than someone who has received most of their sunburn later in life. Also people with fair skin, blue, green or gray eyes, and blond or red hair, have a greater chance of contracting basal cell carcinoma then someone with darker features. Where you live can also affect your chances since certain places have a higher ultraviolet radiation than others. In some cases it can run in the family, and if you take any immunosuppressant or medications that help prevent organ rejection it increases your risks. Basal Cell Carcinoma can be caused by lots of things. One of the most common is environmental factors. Environmental factors include exposure from Sun, Arsenic and radiation. Suns the most common of these because everyone gets sun whether it be by tanning beds or just being in the sun. But arsenic exposure which is the hardest to come by since most people does not go around putting arsenic in their systems. Arsenic is a toxic metal commonly found in the environment. Most people get their greatest exposure from food like chicken, beef and fish. Some even get it from working at certain jobs to long. Then theres radiation. Radiation comes in many ways. Some come in therapeutic ways and some come from natural everyday things. Therapeutically you can get if from Psoralen Plus Ultraviolet A (PUVA) a treatment for Atopic Dermatitis- A skin condition that causes intense itching and a red, raised rash- or from radiation treatments received during childhood for acne or ringworm. Everyday radiation can be received through visible light, infrared radiation and UV radiations. UV radiation comes in three types, A, B and C, A produces some tanning and isnt blocked out by the atmosphere and is considered harmful over long periods of time. B is what makes you tan and also causes wrinkling sunburn and your skin to age. B is somewhat filtered out by the atmosphere and its Highest intensity is after noon. C is filtered out by the atmosphere by the ozone layer before reaching the earth. It accounts for a major source of artificial germicidal lamps. However there are more than environmental factors at play for skin cancer. Other factors would include genetics. So far there are three common genetic disorders Xeroderma pigmentosum a disorder where you have an extreme sensitivity to sunlight, Nervoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (Gorlins Syndrome) a disorder that causes basal cell tumors all over the body, and Acrokeratosis Neoplastica (Bazexs Syndrome) is a rare inherited disease where hair follicles characterized by the breakdown of follicle and multiple Basal Cell carcinoma on the face, Hypohidrosis (reduced sweating), and Hypotrichosis (reduced body and head hair). There are eight types of basal cell carcinoma: Nodular, Pigmented, cystic, superficial, Micronodular, Morpheaform, and Basisquamous. Nodular basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of bcc it has a waxy papules (Small solid rounded bumps rising from the skin that are each usually less than 1 centimeter in diameter) with central depressions. Nodular bcc tends to have a pearly skin colored or pinkish appearance. With lesions that act like they are healing over time only to rupture again like an ulcer. Pigmented bcc behaves like nodular bcc except pigmented bcc is easily confused with melanomas. Even though melanomas don’t always have a lot of pigments pigmented bcc isn’t very common. Cystic bcc are papules that are blue gray translucent pseudo nodules that mimic benign lesions. Superficial basal cell carcinomas has scaly patches that are anywhere from pink to red-brown, with a thread like border. Commonly found on the trunk (torso) and shoulders. Erosion in superficial bcc is not very common the papules tend to mimic psoriases or eczema, and can take months or years to become apparent. Superficial bcc is most commonly caused by arsenic exposure. Micronodular basal cell carcinoma is an aggressive subtype of bcc that is not prone to ulceration and appears yellow-white when stretched and is firm to the touch. Morpheaform basal cell carcinoma also known as scelerosing bcc usually found in mid facial sites. Tend to have a waxy scar-like appearance and is prone to recurrences sometimes Morpheaform bcc cab invade cutaneous nerves. Basisquamous bcc is a mix of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Basisquamous bcc is also the most aggressive subtype of basal cell carcinoma and can metastasize. If left untreated basal cell carcinoma can damage surrounding tissue to the point you will need plastic surgery to fix it. Also if you have Basisquamous bcc you run the risk of the cancer metastasizing and turning in to other types of cancers. BCC can also cause severe muscle, nerves and bone damage. You will also be at risk of losing vision if it is close to your eyes and nerve function. There are five major warning signs to Basal Cell Carcinoma including: 1. An open sore that bleeds oozes or crusts and remains open for a few weeks only to heal up and then bleed again. . A reddish patch or irritated area frequently located on the face, chest, shoulders, arms or legs, sometimes the patch crusts and May also itch or hurt. 3. A pearly white or waxy bump often with visible blood vessels on your face, ears, or neck. The bump may bleed develop a crust or form a depression in the center. In darker skinned people this type of tumor is usually brown or black and is sometimes confused as a mole. 4. A scar like area that is white yellow or waxy and often has poorly defined borders. The skin itself appears shiny and tight. Although this is less frequent sign it can indicate the presence of an aggressive tumor. 5. A pink growth that is slightly elevated rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center as the growth slowly enlarges tiny blood vessels may develop on the surface. If you experience any of these warning signs speak to your doctor immediately and set up an appointment as soon as possible. After you set up your appointment get prepared for a long wait till the day you go. At the doctors he will ask you a lot of questions and it’s important you can answer them. Make sure you know your family, medical and personal history and start thinking about someone to take with you to the doctors. Although basal cell carcinoma skin cancer is treatable and rarely fatal it’s still good to have someone with you. Cancer is cancer and it’s not the news you want to get on your own at the doctors. Also make sure that you have questions you would want answered dont walk in there clueless. When you get to the doctors you will most likely get a biopsy to test and see whether or not you have it. There are two different types of biopsys shave and punch, shave is used to diagnosis most basal cell carcinomas but it’s really easy to miss the tumor or go too far. Punch is the most common method along with the easiest. But cannot be used if you plan on having curettage and electrodessication as your treatment There are 10 different treatments that fall under 4 different types’ surgery, therapy, radiation, and medications. The surgery consists of Mohs micrographic, Excisional, cryo, curettage and electrodessication, and laser surgery. During Mohs Micrographic surgery the surgeon removes the tumor with the tissue around it then checks the tumor for additional cancers. Excisional surgery the surgeon cuts out the lesion and the skin is stitched up. This treatment is most commonly used for nodular bcc and morphemic basal cell carcinoma. If the lesions are very large he may require a flap or skin graft to repair the cut after surgery. Cryosurgery is where the dermatologist uses liquid nitrogen and freezes the tumor. Mainly used to treat external tumors. Curettage and Electrodessication the surgeon or dermatologist uses a curette (spoon like instrument) to scoop out the bcc. Electrodessication (uses of electric current) is added to control bleeding and kill the remaining cancer cells. The skin will heal with out stitching but this treatment is only useful for small non crucial bccs. Laser surgery is the last surgery treatment of bcc. Laser surgery consists of using high intensity light to treat cancer. The lasers can be used to shrink or destroy tumors. But laser surgery is most commonly used to treat superficial cancers. Lasers can also relieve certain symptoms of cancer such as bleeding or obstruction. If the tumor is still present in the deeper skin then the procedure is repeated to the last layer examined is cancer free. Therapy consist of chemotherapy, biological, photodynamic. Most people know what chemotherapy is. Chemotherapy is the most common cancer treatment for most all cancers. It means your treating your cancer with the use of anti-cancer drugs. For skin cancer the drugs come in a lotion or cream. Chemo is for superficial tumors that have not advanced beyond the top layer of skin. With skin cancer chemo doesnt tend to cause nausea. Biological therapy treats to uses our bodys own natural defenses to attack and destroy cancer cells. In biological therapy the white blood cells are removed grown in a lab and exposed to substances that boost there ability to fight cancer. The activated cells are then injected back into the body to attack the tumor. Biological therapy is mainly used for the advanced forms of cancer that can’t be treated by other methods. Photodynamic uses drugs that collect inside the tumor. The doctor then focuses a special l light on the tumor the light triggers a chemical reaction in the drug that destroys tumor cells. But doesnt harm the surrounding health tissue. The last treatment is Radiation is a complicated treatment because when you stop and think radiation can cause some basal cell carcinomas. To treat bcc with radiation doctors use high powered x-ray beams directed at the tumor. To completely destroy the tumor it takes several treatments. Most of the time radiation is only used for tumors that are hard to deal with surgically and when the patient’s health is poor. However radiation can cause long term cosmetic problems and radiation risks. Some of the causes would be rash red or dryness of the treated area and changes in skin texture or color that will become more noticeable throughout the years. After treatment there are some post treatment things you need to be aware of Follow up appointments are scheduled. Once you’ve had a form of basal cell carcinoma it’s extremely hard to eliminate it completely you have an increase chance of getting it again and a good chance that it will appear in the same spot. Perform regular self-examinations of your skin. Watch for early signs of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinomas treated incompletely can recur. All treated sites must be monitored after therapy. Individuals with basal cell carcinoma have a 30% greater risk of having another basal cell carcinoma unrelated to the previous lesion compared with the risk in the general population. (eMedicine) perform self checks to perform self checks you will need a full length mirror a handheld mirror and a well lit room that offers privacy. After you collect all your materials start performing the self check. You and your partner examine your entire body as skin cancer can occur anywhere, not only on areas frequently exposed to the sun. Be sure to check your back, scalp, underarms, genitals, palms, soles, and skin between the toes and fingers. When examining your scalp, it may help to part the hair to check the entire scalp. Look for: 1) you should become familiar with your birthmarks, blemishes, and moles so you know what they look like and can spot changes. As you or your partner examines your skin, look for changes in the size, color, shape, or texture of a mark on your skin. Don’t forget to look and watch for any of the five warning signs of skin cancer. After all this information it’s important to know how to prevent yourself from having to go through this. Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4PM. Do Not Burn. Avoid Tanning and UV tanning booth. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you’ve been in the sun, consider using sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it. Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Use Sun Screen Year Round. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating. Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months. Sunscreen should not be used to prolong sun exposure. Some UV light gets through sunscreen. Sunscreens should be applied to dry skin 15-30 minutes before going outdoors, and reapplied approximately every two hours and after being in water or sweating. Sunscreen does not make sunbathing safe so don’t stay out in the sun just because you have sunscreen on. Get plenty of vitamin d beware of sun-sensitizing medications. Some common prescription and over-the-counter drugs make your skin more sensitive to sunlight like certain cholesterols, High blood pressure and diabetes medications, Ibuprofen, Acne medication. Make sure you ask your doctor about any side affects your prescriptions might have. Examine your skin head to toe every month. See your doctor every year for a professional skin exam.

Creating a Suitable Braking Assembly

Creating a Suitable Braking Assembly To understand the advanced material and processing technologies specifically to study the interaction between different materials and the design process to create a suitable braking assembly consisting of disc, caliper and brake pads. Disc A disc brake or rotor is used to stop or slow down a moving vehicle. There are two types of disc brakes namely solid and ventilated disc .The rotating disc is connected to the axle and rotates with the wheel. When brake is applies the kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy. The temperature range of a disc braking under braking is 400C-600C. The weight if the disc also matters. For better braking and longer disc life. The disc should have grooves to disperse water to give maximum performance under wet conditions. Disc which are likely to corrosion are coated with anti rust paint. It should be resistant to wear and tear. The reliability of the disc increases when it responses fast and gives safety in all situations. Caliper The main function of the caliper is to hold the brake pads and to hub the brake fluid. The caliper is the actuator in braking and is attached to the steering knuckle. The pistons inside the calipers push against the brake pads which rub against the disc. There are two types of caliper-floating and fixed calipers. Fixed type does not rotate and are fixed. Floating type rotates in relation with the disc on an axis. The caliper should be clean and dirt free for maximum performance. It should also be corrosion resistant. Since calipers are actuators, they have to be made for maximum safety. Need to check if all the pistons are working or if they are engaged. Calipers should also dissipative heat produced. The calipers should provide complete safety in all conditions. Brake pads Brake pads are friction materials mounted on the caliper. They have high friction and help stop the vehicle. They wear out and have to be replaced for better braking. Brake pads or friction pads are the most important part in a brake assembly as this is the part that stops the vehicle. The most important property of the pad is the have a constant high coefficient of friction in a wide range of temperature. The pads should have enough surface area. Heat produces during braking should be dissipated or absorbed. It should have high melting point or the pads could face a phenomenon called brake fade. The brake pads must not wear out rapidly neither should it wear the disc. All the braking action should be quiet, even and stable. Disc Since the disc is thin, the material should be high compressive strength and should not deform under pressure or stress. Therefore the disc rotors need to have high melting point, high dynamic and thermal stability. Rotors should also be wear and rust resistant. The material should also have high dampening to absorb all the vibrations and noise when braking. It should also high have high thermal conductivity and should dissipate heat quickly. It should be able to minimize thermal expansion and should also be hard enough to withstand cracking. Finally the material should have superior machineability and castability. Caliper Material selection for caliper is crucial as it takes in high pressure and stress. It should be light and should have high tensile strength. The pistons should be made of high strength materials to transfer the force from the hydraulic fluid to the brake pads for effective braking. The material should not deform under high stress. Caliper design can get complicated so it should be easy to machine. The material should help in absorption and dissipation of heat and vibrations. Moreover it ought to be rust and dirt resistant. It should also exhibit high dynamic and thermal stability. Brake Pads The material selection for brake pads must have high coefficient of friction for a wide range of temperature and high melting point. Moreover it should withstand heat and dissipate quickly. Another desirable quality of the material is low dust and also low NVH which gives brakes a quiet operation. The material should provide a fade free operation and help eliminate rotor squeal. Pads should have long life but should be rotor friendly also. Since the pads are replaced frequently the pads should be easily machineable and the materials should be easily available. Disc and Caliper The material selected for Disc rotors and caliper is Cast Iron. Cast iron is an alloy of iron and carbon, where the carbon presence is about 3%-4.5% by weight. It is popular because of its low cost and ability to take complicated shapes and ease of machineability. The mechanical properties can be divided into the following Tensile strength-Cast Irons have comparatively less tensile strength but it serves the purpose in disc brakes. The strength is of the magnitude of 7 tonnes per square inch. Hence making the disc brake safe under tensile loading. Compressive strength-Cast iron is popular for its high compressive strength and can take the high compression from the friction material under braking. Consequently brake caliper can take in high load and resist bending or crack. High melting point-The melting ranges from 1140C to 1200C, which is more than sufficient for disc rotors. This helps in removing the disc fade phenomenon and helps braking more efficient at high temperature. Resistances to deformation-Cast irons resist any form of deformation and give a very rigid frame. Hence any form of cracking or breaking is eliminated by careful manufacturing methods. Resistance to Corrosion-Cast iron provides resistance to rust as it inhibits the oxidation of iron. But any part subjected to rust is coated with paint for extra protection. Wear and tear The chosen material is known for its hardness. Wearing out or eroding cast iron is incredibly difficult. Cast iron has proved its excellent abrasion resistance for years. For this reason, cast iron has been selected for disc rotors and caliper for excellent braking performance. Durability and Environment Issues Cast Iron are known to have high durability against fuels where the disc and caliper are often in attendance. The hydraulic fluids used in calipers cause no harm to the metal and hence provide good braking. Cast irons are environmentally friendly material which can be recycled and also doesnt require high energy in machining which reduces cost and pollution. Therefore Cast Iron proves to be the suitable material for disc rotors and brake caliper as it serves the entire design requirement. Adding to the qualities is the dampening ability which helps in NVH free running. It even has an extremely low coefficient of expansion .moreover it also has low sound emission level and also dissipates heat quickly. All these qualities add up to make the cast iron the suitable material. Pads The material selected for brake pad is Asbestos because of its high coefficient of friction. It mainly found in silicate minerals and usually found as long, thin fibrous crystals. Asbestos became popular with its physical properties and came to be used widely in spite of its health hazards. The physical properties are divided below. Tensile Strength Asbestos is known to have very high tensile strength which makes it perfect for use as brake pads. As the brakes are applied at high speed, the pads are rubbed against the disc at high speed producing high tensile force. Therefore asbestos provides the require strength to counter it. High Melting point Asbestos has melting point in the order of 1200C-1500C.This helps in removing the fear of brake fade giving high performance even at high temperatures. Resistance to deformation Asbestos is found to be flexible material. The flexibility of the material helps it to change angle and help increase the braking as the surface of the pads will be evenly run over the disc generating excellent braking. Adding to flexibility is its high tensile strength. Wear and tear Asbestos has high coefficient of friction which makes it perfect but since asbestos are fibers, they tend to wear out but on a reduced or controlled rate according to the manufacturing method. They are designed to wear out eventually. But asbestos are durable material resistant to a number of elements. Environmental issues Asbestos are not environment friendly material neither is it safe for humans. Its fibers often cause health risk which makes it quiet dangerous to use. Asbestos has a number of outstanding abilities such as heat, fire, chemical, friction, electrical, acoustical resistance. All these qualities help in providing a smooth braking feat. It insulates heat and helps dissipate heat quickly. The acoustical properties help absorb the noise and sound and give a quieter operation. Since its chemically inert, it helps in operation in any conditions. Moreover it is insoluble in water and corrosion has no effect. All these qualities add up to prove that asbestos is a good material for brake pads. Disc Disc brake rotors are made using a simple process of casting. Casting is a manufacturing process where the selected material is poured into a mold which has the shape and geometry of the design and then allowed to solidify. Once the metal is solidified, the finished product is taken out by ejection or breakage of mold. Casting is also helpful in mixing two or more materials.The current manufacturing route for the disc brake rotor is casting as cast iron has excellent cast ability and machineability. Since casting has been used for a very long time, it has been developed over the years too. Its economical because of the low equipment cost and tooling cost which helps keep cost down. Disc rotors are made using sand mold. The disc shape is made in a sand cavity and molten cast iron is poured into the cavity. The liquid metal flows to all the space and empty crease in the cavity and takes the shape of the mold. Once the mold shape is taken, it is allowed to cool. After the mold has been cooled to a temp where it can be taken out of the mold, the product can be ejected or the mold can be broken to take the product. Once it is casted, the shape of the disc rotor has been created. It then goes for machining where it is trimmed to final dimensions and level the surface for critical surfaces/dimensions. After machining, the disc is taken over to surface abrasive section where all the rough edges and surface are made clean and smoothen to increase smoothness. After all the work has been done it might be given a coat of anti rust or left over for packaging. Many disc manufacturers drill holes and mill the disc rotors for better air flow and heat dissipation. Casting is a low cost process but often it come with flaws. The rotors would have sand inclusions, bubbles, porosities and usually end up in one piece which can induce really high stress. This can cause uneven cooling or heating and produce cracks in the rotor. Once a crack is formed in a disc, it can lead to the destruction of the whole disc. Therefore the cracks should be taken care of beforehand. To counter this problem, many companies resort to what is called ASTM high temperature cast iron. They use vacuum assist degassed to eliminate the pososite to help stop cracking. Caliper The selected material for caliper is cast iron. Since cast iron have good castability, calipers are also made from casting. But since calipers take a very complex shape and have minute detailing, a high pressure casting is used. High pressure casting is similar to sand casting except that very high pressure of the order 14-140MPa is used to force the liquid to the mould giving good surface finish and also production of very thin sections. The process involves the cast iron melted to be flowing liquid. A mold of the caliper is made and the liquid is injected to the die using a plunger. The liquid fills the die cavity and since high pressure is used, the liquid goes to the smallest creases and takes the whole of the die space leaving less room for inclusions or porosity. Once the liquid is cooled, the die is opened and the product is taken out for further processing. Since the surface finish is good, there is less need to machining. It may be treated with chemicals and all the complicated shapes are cleaned. The caliper is given a protective paint coating for anti rust property. The major advantage is of the high pressure casting is the high production rate compared to sand cast. This is the current route of the manufacturing of calipers using cast irons. Pads Pads are manufactured rather traditionally. Basic process involves cutting of 2 metals one with a friction lining and then sticking them together to make the brake pad. The process starts with cutting two sheets metal. One metal will have the friction material and the other metal will act as a carrier. Once the sheet metals are cut, the two metals are bonded together by a damping layer. The damping layer is an adhesive that sticks both the metals together. Its a layer is a peroxide-cross linked polyacrylate adhesive of a thickness of about 75 ÃŽ ¼m or a peroxide-cross linked silicone adhesive of a thickness of about 100 ÃŽ ¼m. First the damping layer is applied onto one material and then the metal is pressed to the other metal. Few individual supports are punched out from the metal bonded together, providing support on one side and friction on the other. Thus the brake pad is manufactured and the process is very simple. d) Alternate Material Disc The alternate material that can be used is Carbon Ceramic rotors. Carbon ceramics rotors were into application in high performance cars because it called in for high performance.CC rotors are very heat resistant and much more durable than cast iron brake. Advantages of Ceramic Brakes over Cast iron Carbon Ceramic s rotors have more frictional force which helps in stopping the car quickly. They dissipate heat quickly which helps reduce brake fade which is the loss of friction at high temperature Since the heat buildup is lesser, the wear and tear is also reduced The overall weight of the rotors are reduced which help in reducing the weight of the car especially the unsprung mass which helps in handling. CC rotors can withstand 2.5 times the heat steel can withstand which enables it to work in extreme heat. Ceramics have found their place in most of the high performance cars. Ceramics are still under the development stage. Disadvantages of Ceramic Brakes over Cast Iron CC rotors are limited to open wheel configuration because of the high temperature generated. The major disadvantage is the low coefficient of friction in wet or damp condition. CC rotors phenomenally expensive They cannot be repaired if cracked or damaged The production process is very complicated too. Ceramic Rotors are perfect selection for sports car and high performance cars but they seem to be inefficient for normal passenger cars. There are many researches going on in ceramics as they seem to give the best of all the worlds. The potential for ceramics are immense in automotive industry. They are widely used in aerospace now. The manufacturing process is also being refined which are moderating the cost which enables ceramics in a wider driving spectrum.CC rotors help reduce the weight of the vehicle as it is 4 times lighter than cast iron which increases fuel efficiency and help reduce the unsprung mass of the vehicles which gives better handling.CC rotors are made from a carbon reinforcement impregnated with a carbon matrix which is subjected to long and expensive process. There is new ceramics under development and this field is expanding. Caliper The alternate material used in caliper is aluminum. Aluminum is a very light material and can be cast without much expense. Aluminum is used because it is light weight, stiff and non corrosive. Advantages Light weight material comparing to cast iron which helps reduce the upsprung mass of car It can be manufactured easily and tooling is inexpensive. It can be anodized for better look and protection Stiff material and gives sufficient strength Non corrosive and is not affected by water under most conditions. Disadvantages over cast iron Material not strong enough and have lesser compressive and tensile strength. Aluminum has low damping and doesnt absorb vibrations More expensive than cast iron, more manufacturing process Poor ability to transfer heat, aluminum is a poor thermal insulator. Aluminum is widely used to make calipers in modern cars due to its properties and charactertics. More research is being carried out to make aluminum stiffer and harder. Many new aluminum alloys are being produced and tested. Aluminum calipers are larger in size when compared to cast iron calipers; this is due to the fact that the required stiffness is reached only within a certain size. The pistons used in the caliper vary from steel to titanium. The caliper needs good surfaces finish and should also take high stress and shape. Aluminum delivers all the required design specification and making aluminum the best alternate material to be used in calipers. Pads As the increasing rate of technology, brake pads have improved over the years. Asbestos were replaced by semi metallic and now replaced by ceramic pads. Asbestos pad caused health issues and semi metallic pad were noisy and eroded the rotors. Ceramic brakes have been selected as the alternate material for brake pads. Advantages The major advantage is low dust formed when braking. Improved braking over semi metallic and asbestos Stable and even friction available at all temperature range Extremely quiet performance and provide comfort to the passenger The pad life has also been extended also the rotor life as the pads dont erode the rotors. Disadvantages The only disadvantage till now is the rather expensiveness of the brake pads, but with constant manufacturing up gradation, the prices will come down. Ceramic brake pads are found to be an ultimate product, but research is continuing in the process of making it more efficient and cheaper. The dusts produced by ceramics are minimal and are not noticeable making the disc more cleanly in appearance. The ceramic pads are made up of a carbon-ceramic mostly with carbon fibers within silicon carbide matrix(C/SiC).This gives all the qualities to the brake pads according to the design requirement. e) Manufacturing Route for Alternate material Disc The manufacturing process of a ceramic disc rotor is complex and involves a number of steps. Rotors are expensive because of the expensive manufacturing process. The process starts with the preparation and arrangement of multiple layers of fiber fabric. Forming a material in with all the properties involves complex manufacturing process and the properties depend on the selection and densification process. The fibers are taken and heated to a point where they dont melt or burn. Fiber arrangement range from random chopped mat to woven fabric. Then the fiber material is formed in mould to produce the disc shape and then heated to eliminate non carbon elements. After this a process known as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is used. In CVD porous product is heated in vacuum and then hydrocarbon gas is supplied in to diffuse all the cracks. In isothermal CVD, densification occurs at uniform temperature. Once the specific density and porosity is obtained, the disc is taken out and mach ined, drilled and treated with an antioxidant or special paint for protection. The process is a very length one and takes about 30 to 40 days. The manufacturing process increases the cost of the brakes. Research is being done to reduce the process while maintaining the property of the ceramic disc rotors. Caliper The manufacturing process used to make calipers out aluminum is Gravity Die Casting (GDC).This is different from High pressure die casting used for cast iron. This involves pouring the liquid gently into a reusable metal die. In this process the cores make the difference, the cavity formed due to the cores help the movement of liquid through the core. It includes two cores where one is moveable. The liquid is poured into the die and due to gravity it flows to the cavity and fills the gaps. Once it is solid and set, the die is removed and the finished is removed. After that it is machined to give it a surface finish. The main advantage of gravity die casting over sand casting is the production speed. The same die can be used for hundreds of casting. This process also gives a dimensional accuracy and surface finish. This process is widely used in cast aluminum alloy calipers. Pad Ceramic brake pads are manufactured similar to the cast iron brake pads. The ceramic material is cut into the shape and another metal piece is taken and the both are cold pressed into green compact. Sintering is carried out in vacuum where the organic binding agent concentrations get pyrolized and the metal particles bonded by reaction to carbon. Several binding agents are suited for pyrolysis.eg silicon carbide. One side of the pad will have the friction material and the other will have the support. Thus the manufacturing process for brake pad for alternate material uses expensive materials and process making it more expensive than conventional brake pads.

Comparing Ideology in Emersons Self Reliance and Catcher in the Rye Es

Non-conformist Ideology in Emerson's Self Reliance and Catcher in the Rye      Ã‚   Human beings all around the world are different in many ways. They all have their unique and physical characteristics, as well as different personalities. They each also have different ideas and thoughts on different topics. America is made up of a great amount of diverse people with diverse, even conflicting opinions and ideas. Diversity is a major component of the foundation of our country. The clichà © of American as a salad bowl is extremely true. Every person is different and every person in his or her own way makes up a small part of America. Without the diversity of ideas and beliefs of Americans, the nation would not be nearly as successful as we are. A major similarity between Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self Reliance and J.D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is a non-conformist ideology that both exhibit, and the idea that one should choose their own individuality above confomity.    Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye portrays Holden as a character who views conformity as evil. Conformist is a word associated with people who dismiss their own ideas and opinions and act the way most others do. In doing so, they believe others will respect them more because they are more like the majority of the population, Holden saw all those who tried to conform to society as `phonies'. He stated, "At the end of the first act, we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette. What a deal that was. You never saw so many phonies in all your life, everybody smoking their ears off and talking about the play so that everybody could hear how sharp they were." (Salinger 126) Almost everyone in the novel acted as phonies according to Holde... ...his own mind. No one should be afraid of what society believes they are or what they believe in. One should decide what is good for him/her, not act according to what humanity as a whole believes is good for him/her.    The roles of diversity and uniqueness are a crucial part of society today. Without these qualities being enforced into the American character, people won't produce thoughtful ideas that could help shape America. Both authors illustrate the evil effect of conformity in society and support how one should be self reliant, not phony, and confident in their own beliefs and ideas.    Works Cited       Emerson, Ralph. "Self-Reliance." The American Tradition in Literature. Eighth Edition. Ed. George Perkins. New York. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.    Salinger, J.D.   The Catcher in the Rye.   Boston: Little, Brown, 1991.   

Emotional Fundamentalism in River of Earth Essay -- Literary Analysis

James Still's River of Earth presents the bleak realities faced by an Appalachian family that struggles with meeting their most basic needs. The Baldridge's struggle with poverty is surely representative of many Appalachian families during the Depression era. The hardships of poverty, and its psychological and physical effects, are worsened by the isolation and sense of helplessness felt by the characters within River of Earth. Religion functions as the combatant to these struggles; the form of Christianity offered by Still strays from the standard fundamentalist fire-and-brimstone preachings often associated with evangelism in the Appalachian region. Instead, a more emotional form of fundamentalism is found. Religion is a positive, empowering force that is both spiritually and socially freeing for the otherwise repressed and isolated characters within the novel. Within the text, Still offers little escape for the characters. They are grounded and focused on the realities at hand. There is little indulgence in fanciful things or things not of this world. Religion is one of the few escapes the characters are allowed. Still does not offer a standard fundamentalist take on Christianity, despite the strong fundamentalist strains that are often associated with Appalachia. Generally, fundamentalism strongly emphasizes innate depravity and the damnation sinners face. Instead, Still lightens the message. Sermons on hope, grace, and mercy are extended to the characters. Through this more forgiving variety of Christianity, the characters are able to look forward to an eternal existence without adding any more stress to their current existences. It is suggested there is a tendency in Appalachia to lean towards forms of Christianity that pe... ...tianity that thoroughly responded to the needs of individuals. The isolation and desperation found in Depression-era rural Appalachia greatly influenced the type of Christianity that involved in the region. The need for society, community, control, and most significantly, optimism, spawned a form of Christianity that was both social and accommodating to sensitive emotional needs. Works Cited Photiadis, John D., and John F. Schnabel. "Religion: A Persistent Institution In A Changing Appalachia." Review Of Religious Research 19.1 (1977): 32. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. Still, James. River of Earth. Lexington: The University of Kentucky Press, 1978. Print Tillich, Paul. "Paul Tillich on the Method of Correlation." The Christian Theology Reader. Ed. Alister McGrath. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, 43-46. Print. .

An Inspector Calls - Mrs. Birling Essay -- English Literature

Diary Entry: An Inspector Calls Mrs. Birling Well tonight has been truly awful. After that lovely engagement dinner when we were all so happy too! I don’t believe they all gave up so easily, I was the only one who stood up to that Goole character. I knew he wasn’t a real inspector all along; no one on the police force would dare speak to our family in that impertinent manner! I hope this next inspector is at least not a fraud. I don’t believe that this time we shall give up so quickly they didn’t even know they were looking at the same girl for goodness sake, they just naturally assumed. I have a reputation to keep, can’t afford to be having policemen coming to question us at all hours. The real inspector should arrive soon; I don’t believe this wretched girl has anything to do with us but if it really the same one before I shall stand by my previous verdict. I did nothing wrong in turning her away, girls like her can’t be speaking to good women in that way, and it was a disgrace to our family name. Mrs. Birling indeed! We haven’t half learned a lot tonight though, w...

Should Drinking Age Be Increased to 21

Should drinking age be increased to 21. It is no secret, that people drink alcohol before they turn 21. Stories about drinking on college campuses and high school parties are very easy to find. That is why underage drinking can be stopped if the law were changed. The major reason that people drink at an early age is because they feel it is fun and exciting to do something they are not supposed to. However, if it would be lowered to 18, then the trill of doing something illegal would vanish. Besides that, 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about alcohol consumption.What is also very important, that other countries had demonstrated that young people, who are allowed to drink at the age of 18, don’t go wild. Although the legal alcohol purchase age is 21, a majority of college students under this age consume alcohol in an irresponsible manner. This is because drinking by these youth is seen as enticing â₠¬Å"forbidden fruit†, a â€Å"badge of rebellion against authority† and a symbol of adulthood. According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism the major argument for lowering the drinking age is that prohibitions have always provoked over – indulgence.Those of us who have attended college over the last 25 years can certainly attest to the fact that the law has done nothing to diminish freshman and sophomore access to alcohol. It has only pushed underage consumption underground. The statistics show that many underage people drive home after a night of drinking in order to hide it from their parents. If the drinking age were lowered, young adults would feel less pressure to notify their parents that they have been drinking. Ultimately, the greatest threat to people’s safety comes, when young adults drive home under the influence.In addition, we say that 18 year olds are adult enough to kill and die in the armed forces, change the course of a n ation in the voting both, judge other adults on a jury, be prosecuted as an adult, enter into binding contracts, operate automobiles and heavy machinery, smoke tobacco, own and operate a business, have a bank account and credit card, own a house, be married and have a family of their own. As a Froma Harrop, nationally syndicated columnist wrote in her Feb. 9, 2010 article â€Å"Age Discrimination for the Young† â€Å"Being adult who cannot have a beer is highly, absurdly inconsistent. â€Å" According o her, in our imperfect world, the law has to draw lines, however arbitrary. But laws that only appear to address a problem by burdening young people aren’t wise, and they aren’t fair. For the past 20 years, the U. S. has maintained a Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21, while in most other countries is 18, and in U. K. is as low as 16 in restaurants. According to John Cloud, writer for Time Magazine, all those countries with drinking age under 21 tend to have fewer alcohol – related problems, than we do in the U. S. In those countries, people learn how to drink from an early age and do so in the safe and supporting environment of the home.Alcohol statistics say that teens coming from homes that had no alcohol and were not taught how to drink responsibly had more issues with alcohol. The behavior in these teens was less risky if parents allowed them to drink at home. In today’s world alcohol is and always going to be a problem no matter what age we are. However, there is no evidence of massive brain impairment, alcohol dependency, or underage alcohol abuse, which the experts tell us, will be the inevitable result of lowering the drinking age in the United States.By lowering drinking age, young adults would be allowed to drink in controlled environments such as restaurants, taverns, pubs and official school and university functions. In these situations responsible drinking could be taught through role modeling and educational prog rams. Mature and sensible drinking behavior would be expected. If the drinking age was lowered, it will help kids realize how important alcohol is, and how mature we must become when we are under the influence of alcohol.

How Does the Nature of Children’s Friendship Change with Age

How does the nature of children's friendship change with age? Within this essay I will be looking at how children's friendships change in nature as they age. I will begin first by defining what is meant by the term friendship. I will then examine theories on stage and age development in relation to the development of friendships, exploring research which suggests that the nature of a child's friendship is based on their age.I will look at conflicting research which suggests that although stage's of friendship may be categorized, that there is conflicting research to suggest the ages at which this behaviour manifests itself may not be the same for each child. Finally I will summarize by concluding how the nature of children's friendship changes with age. The very definition of what the term friendship actually means in itself is difficult to clarify and categorize. A dictionary definition defines friendship as an attachment from mutual esteem, and a friend as someone who is loving or attached to another.As an adult it can seem easy to define who are friends are, they are like minded individuals whom we share common interests with, people we trust and socialize with. Other people within our adult life are associates, work colleagues or general acquaintances. The category of friend is reserved for those whom we have developed a bond with and in most cases an emotional attachment to. However, when we consider this in relation to the nature of children's friendship this dictionary definition and an adults view of friendship may not hold true for all children.It also over simplifies the nature and dynamics involved in friendship. Barnes (2003, pg 49) highlights this when he discusses the many experiences children have of friendship, and the emotions and experiences these friendships expose children to, for example it affords them the opportunity to share experiences, develop communication and develop a sense of closeness to another person, however in contrast to this Barnes tells us that friendships in childhood introduces children to a to conflict situations and emotions such as jealousy, anger and loneliness.Best to leave a line space between paragraphs. The significance of childhood friendships can be a difficult area to gauge. The importance of these relationships and the subsequent impact on a child is not something which can be measured with any certainty. Allison James, an anthropologist, states the difficulty of guaging impact but also acknowledges the significance of childhood relationships and the importance of these ‘friendships' in preparing children for later life and adult roles. participation in this tangled web of social relationships helps to shape identity and sense of self which is assumed as s/he moves towards adulthood to become a person in society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. the actual process of socialisation can only ever be haltingly documented† (James, 1993 cited in Kehily and Swann, 2003. pg 51). James admission that research in this area can be difficult to record and analyse is supported by Barnes when he discusses the reminiscing of childhood by adults in later life â€Å"none of this is to deny the the value of personal reminiscence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ut it serves as a reminder not just to accept it in an unquestioning way† ( Barnes, 2003, pg. 51) American psychologist Robert Selman supports the theory that the nature of children's friendships is influenced by their social understanding which develops as they age. Selman carried out research whereby he posed ‘dilemma's' through scenarios to children aged between three and fifteen, he then questioned the children on their solutions to these dilemma's and recorded these interviews.In doing this Selman came to the conclusion that the nature of friendship could be categorized into four distinct stages, related to four distinct ages. Barnes (2003, pg 56) outlines Selman's four stages, ‘Momentary physical playmate† this is the stage whereby children, usually around the age of three to five will categorize their friends as those who live in their locality, go to the same school and who partake in similar activities.The second stage is ‘ One-way assistance' this is the stage whereby children do things to please another, within this stage Selman acknowledges that although at this stage children may try to adapt to others the friendship is still one sided and there is little evidence of the reciprocal nature of friendship, the age at which this occurs in most children is between the age of six to eight years old. The third stage of Selmans theory is the â€Å"fairweather co-operation† stage usually evident in children aged between nine and twelve years.Within this stage children begin to see the consequence of their actions and begin to act accordingly, that is to say they appreciate that their actions and the actions of their friends are now evaluated and hence they begin to become adapt able taking into account the thoughts, needs and preferences of their ‘friends'. Within this stage Selman argues that children may encounter conflict and disagreements which in turn may cause these friendships to peter out as opposed to enduring. Selmans final stage is called â€Å"mutual concern† this is usually seen around the ages of eleven to fifteen.Within this stage Selmans research suggested that children have developed the skills required to develop stronger friendships based on a mutal understanding Within this stage friendships can survive minor conflicts, Selman acknowledges the fact that, through his research, he found the way in which children describe their friendship has now changed, he found that descriptions were not based on physical descriptions, which had been the case with younger children but were now based on psychological attributes.Selman's theories on stage development of friendships can be compared with other researchers who also concluded tha t their were specific points in a child's life whereby the nature of their friendship differed dependent on age, Barnes (2003, pg 55) comments on Bigelow and La Gaipa (1980) who also categorized the nature of friendship based on particular age/stage brackets. Bigelow and La Gaipa argued that the changing nature of friendship developed alongside children's cognitive development.That is to say as children develop their cognitive understanding and have experiences of social interaction and the nature of their friendships develop and this can be categorized in general terms into particular ages. Barnes uses Zick Rubin, an American psychologist, to illustrate this staging theory, â€Å"Rubin (1980) likens this to climbing a ladder and resting at each rung in order to consolidate the new level of interpersonal awareness that has been achieved† (Barnes,2003, cited in Kehily and Swann).This categorization of stage development is not a new concept in the 1950's and 1960's Jean Piaget a Swiss psychologist through years of research developed theories regarding child development and the stages which children will act in a certain way based on their cognitive development, however â€Å"Increasingly psychologists have adopted a ‘lifespan perspective' which recognizes that development is a process that continues from birth to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ he end of childhood, as well as the beginning and middle, is not fixed by chronological age' (Morrow, 2003). It is therefore important not to wholly focus on the age of a child and assume that they will fit into a pre-defined category or stage, in my opinion what Morrow highlights for us is that development isn't fixed in to particular ages and stages, it suggests to me the way in which children and adults act can be determined by other factors such as their surroundings and the experiences they have.Avoid using too many quotations in U212 essays – use them sparingly. We want to hear your answer primarily in your words. Although it can be argued that â€Å"slotting†children's friendship development solely into age brackets isn't conclusive, it is helpful in determining the changing nature of friendship. By using stage development theories such as Selman's or Piaget's theories on the cognitive development of children we can use these ‘stages' to further explore the changing nature of friendship within a wider context.In the case of Selman, research was carried out by interviewing children of varying ages and asking them to comment on scenarios, a different approach in determining the changing nature of friendship has been explored through the observation of children in the context of play and life experiences and comparing these social interactions against the stage models.By taking an ethnographic approach studying children, this involves the direct observation and analysis of their communications, sociologist William Cursaro (1985) explored the way in which children talked abo ut friendship with each other. Through his studies Cursaro identified six distinct ways in which children talked in relation to friendship these included instances whereby children talked about ‘friends' as a method to gain access to play or categorized ‘friends' as the people they were playing with.Cursaro's research was based around children aged between three and five year old and in his findings highlights that empathetic behaviour is displayed even in children at this young age, if we compare this to Selmans stages of friendship development this empathetic behaviour should be seen at around the age of eleven onwards according to his research. Barnes (2003, pg 61) uses Allison James own findings from her study of four year olds to support Cursaro's findings.James (1993) suggests â€Å"through it's discrete performance that children learn about and experience friendship, which means that social contexts in which children find themselves, not simply their age, play th e greater part in shaping children's understanding of the concept† James and Cursaro offer a contrasting view to that of Selman and Piaget in the way in which children develop their friendships. It is clear that age alone can not truly determine how a child will behave towards their ‘friends' and that considerations relating to social experiences and environmental influences have to be taken into account.Common held beliefs, discourses, can also influence the way in which children will behave and react in relation to friends and friendship, factors such as culture, gender and social status will also have a bearing on a child or adults behaviour and thus influence the way in which they behave and feel they should behave. What is clear is that research offers no definitive model on the changing nature of children's friendships it cannot be precise in relation to age when a child will move from one stage to another it merely confirms the fluid nature of friendships.Previous sentence is too long and is actually three separate sentences. However what is apparent is the importance and significance of friendships need linking words or an introduction of some sort here for this quote;gt; â€Å"friendships are among the central ingredients in children's lives from as early as age three†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. through adolescence. Friendships occupy, both in their actual conduct and in the world of thought and fantasy, a large proportion of children's waking hours. They are often the sources of children's greatest pleasures and deepest frustrations. † ( Rubin,1980, cited in Barnes, 2003, pg 52).

Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education Essay

Introduction The first six years of life are critical years of human life since the rate of development in these years is more rapid than at any other stage of development. Global brain research also informs us about the significance of early years for brain development. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) makes a positive contribution to children’s long term development and learning by facilitating an enabling and stimulating environment in these foundation stages of lifelong learning. Parents as caregivers are critical in providing a stimulating learning environment to the child and the first two and a half to three years need not be in a formal learning environment. The National Curriculum Framework acknowledges the significance of involvement of parents, family and community. The programme at the early childhood stage helps to ensure opportunities for holistic learning and growth. The ECCE programme needs to be determined by children’s developmental and contextual needs, providing for more need based inputs and an enabling environment. Given this need for an individualised approach, it was believed that a common ‘curriculum’ would not be appropriate for all. However, over the years it has been observed that the practical realities are different and most of the ECCE programmes on offer currently do not have developmentally appropriate programmes for the young child. The vacuum created by a lack of curriculum framework has resulted in its being filled with either a minimalist programme or the downward extension of the primary stage curriculum. To ensure optimal development for all children, there is a need to create a planned curriculum framework, encompassing developmentally appropriate knowledge and skills, with flexibility for contextualization. A curriculum framework is also required to ensure that important learning areas are covered, taking care of all the developmental needs of the young child. It also facilitates adoption of a common pedagogical approach to reach for a certain level of quality and address the widespread diversity in the ECCE programmes available for the young children in India. This Curriculum Framework is in line with the Government’s vision of ECCE as spelt out in the National Early Childhood Care & Education Policy and is a broad framework of basic guidelines for curricular goals, programme content, classroom practices, parent guidance 4 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012  and teacher preparation across different provisions and across all regions. The purpose of this open framework is to promote quality and excellence in early childhood education by providing guidelines for practices that would promote optimum learning and development of all young children and set out the broad arrangement of approaches and experiences rather than detailed defining of the content. A cautious approach is being adopted to not provide a detailed curriculum/syllabus which would be prescriptive and ‘delivered’ to the young children in a ‘straight jacketed manner’. The Curriculum Framework calls attention to the common principles and developmental tasks, at the same time, respecting the diversity in the child rearing practices and contextual ECCE needs. Each programme is expected to develop its own curriculum to meet the needs of its children, their families, the specific setting, the linguistic culture and the local community. However, the programmes should be based on the curriculum principles and guidelines laid down in this framework. This Framework is a dynamic document and would be continually reviewed and evolved in the light of emerging needs. Also, with the adoption of the framework, case studies of emerging best practices will follow and learnings from them would further strengthen the framework. This Framework is firmly focussed on the needs of the child and should lead to improved quality of learning and increased attainment of learning outcomes for children participating in ECCE programmes. The other components for the holistic ECCE programme such as nutrition, health and care are to be ensured by cross reference from related instruments. Objectives of Early Childhood Education The aim of Early Childhood Care and Education is to facilitate optimum development of the child’s full potential and lay the foundation for all round development and lifelong learning. This aim is to be achieved through enabling the child to: ? Develop a positive self-concept. ? Establish a sound foundation for a good physique, adequate muscular coordination and basic motor skills. 5 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? Imbibe good health habits and basic life skills/ self-help skills necessary for personal social adjustment. ? Enhance verbal and non- verbal communication skills which would facilitate expression of thoughts and feelings in fluent, correct, clear speech. ? Develop the five senses and cognitive skills and concepts which are foundation for higher order thinking and reasoning. ? Develop emotional maturity by guiding the child to express, understand, accept and control feelings and emotions. ? Imbibe values, social attitudes and manners important in his/her socio cultural context and to become sensitive to rights and privileges of others. ? Develop independence, aesthetic appreciation and creativity by providing child with sufficient opportunities for self-expression and active exploration, investigation and experimentation. ? Make a smooth transition from preschool to primary through development of emergent literacy and school readiness. Principles of Early Learning Learning begins from birth: From infancy children are mentally and physically active. They learn through all their senses and stimulations. Children construct knowledge: They construct their own knowledge or working models while they actively engage in their environment and through repeated interactions with people and materials. This simply means that children touch, taste, shake things etc. to find out what happens and learn about things in their environment. Children’s curiosity and desire to learn: Children are curious and eager to learn. They have an inherent need to make sense of their experiences and learn about the world around them. Children learn through play: Play is central to the child’s well-being and development Children’s spontaneous play provides opportunities for exploration, experimentation, manipulation and problem solving that are essential for constructing knowledge. Play contributes to the development of representational thought. 6 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Child development and learning are characterized by individual variation: No two children are same. Each child has an individual pattern and timing of growth and development as well as individual styles of learning. Children’s personal, family experiences and cultural backgrounds also vary. Children’s learning reflects a recurring spiral that begins in awareness, and moves to exploration, to inquiry, and finally, to application. Any new learning by children begins with awareness, which is generated from their experiences with objects, events, or people and ends with utilization, where children are able to use what they have learnt for multiple purposes and apply their learning to new situations. At this stage children start exploring the next level of information and the spiral continues. Children need to experience success more than failure to form a positive self-concept: The experiences should be planned in accordance with the maturational level of the children, such that they are challenging yet achievable, so as to promote self-confidence. When children have confidence in themselves, they do better. They are eager to try new and harder things; they gain new skills and become more confident and capable. Children develop holistically and benefit from integrated experiences and education: Learning and development of children takes place in totality. All the domains of development i. e. physical, motor, cognitive, language, socio-personal, emotional and creative and aesthetic appreciation are interrelated and take place simultaneously. Curriculum Content The curriculum must address the following interrelated domains of holistic development through an integrated and play based approach which focuses on development of life skills. ? Physical and Motor Development: Gross motor skills; coordination of fine muscles with dexterity ; eye hand coordination; sense of balance, physical co-ordination, and awareness of space and direction; nutrition, health status and practices. ? Language Development: Listening and comprehension; oral skills/speaking and communicating; vocabulary development; pre- literacy/emergent literacy skills like phonological awareness; print awareness 7 and concepts; letter- sound Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 correspondence; recognition of letters; building words and sentences and early writing. Introduction to language of school transaction. ? Cognitive Development: Development of various concepts including pre number and number concepts and operations (knowledge and skills related to comparing, classification, seriation, conservation of space and quantity, one to one correspondence; counting); spatial sense; patterns and estimations in measurement; data handling; skills related to sequential thinking, critical thinking, observing, reasoning and problem solving; and knowledge about concepts and physical, social and biological environment. ? Socio-Personal and Emotional Development: Development of self-concept; selfcontrol; life skills/ self-help skills; habit formation; initiative and curiosity; engagement and persistence; cooperation; compassion; social relationships; group interaction; pro- social behaviour; expressing feelings, accepting others feelings. ? Sensorial Development: Development of the five senses through visual, auditory and kinaesthetic experiences. ? Development of Creative and Aesthetic Appreciation: Exploring different art forms, develop dispositions, expression and appreciation for artistic, dance/ drama and musical activities Physical & Motor Development Creative and Aesthetic Appreciation Language Development Socio-Personal Development Cognitive Development Emotional Development 8 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ECCE is†¦.. †¢ A balanced play based programme of language, cognitive, creative and psychomotor activities A child centered programme catering to individual children’s learning &emotional needs through individual, small and large group activities and one to one communication. A school readiness programme which ‘readies’ children for learning to read, write and do arithmetic later. A programme which indirectly promotes self-control and thereby inner discipline in children through interactions. †¢ ECCE is not†¦.. A syllabus bound programme for teaching 3R’s nor ‘a song and a rhyme and go home’ approach. A teacher centred programme that follows formal classroom approach as in school A program for formally ‘teaching’ reading, writing and arithmetic, which is to be done in primary. Not a programme which demands unquestioning obedience or exercise strict classroom discipline †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ (Source: Kaul, V. (2010): Early Childhood Education Programme. National Council for Educational Research and Training) The ECCE programme should ensure ‘holistic development’ of the child and reflect the inseparable nature of care and education by comprehensively addressing the need for care, nutrition, health and well-being of young children and parent counselling along with supporting the development of all domains. The holistic development approach is vital for provision of interconnected and interrelated activities covering all domains of development. Suggestive Developmentally Appropriate/Age appropriate Activities for ECCE For Children Under 3 years ? Focus on health, nutrition and early psycho social stimulation through free play and a lot of adult child interaction. Eg. s. , (infant games, traditional songs & syllables, access to variety of play materials, individualized adult attention and interaction, opportunities to explore, early introduction to stories, infant books, drawings etc. ) in safe, spacious and clean environment. 9 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 For Children between 3 to 4 years ? Planned play based programme for all round development with more of free play. Continuous opportunities, more free but some guided, for adult –child, child to child Basic Tenets of Curriculum Development ? Based on needs and capacities of young children ? Recognition of special features of children’s thinking ? Mix of formal and informal interaction ? Familiarity and challenge in everyday rhythm ? Primacy of experience rather than expertise ? Developmentally appropriate practice and flexibility ? Use of local material, arts and knowledge which reflect the diversity and culture of the children. Source: Position Paper, National Focus Group on ECCE, 2005 interaction and interaction with play materials and environment through a variety of individual, small group and large group activities. ? Opportunities to listen to stories, learn rhymes, create, indulge in imaginative play, ask questions, do simple problem solving, experiment to promote active and interactive learning and generally have a ‘feel good’ experience for a positive self-image. For Children between 4 to 6 years Moving towards an increasing ratio of adult guided vs. free play activities, and more of large group activities for 4-5 year old and focused more on specific school readiness for 5-6 year old, with increasing complexity in all of above. ? Reading Readiness: e. g. picture –sound matching, shapes, phonetics; increasing vocabulary; verbal expression, developing bond with and interest in reading through picture books, storytelling, charts etc. 10 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? Writing Readiness: e. g. eye hand coordination, interest in writing, left to right directionality. ? Math: developing skills in classification, seriation, pattern making, reasoning, problem solving, forming concepts: pre number and number concepts and space concepts and vocabulary, environment concepts. ? Motor development: fine motor development through activities such as beading, pegboards and puzzles and large muscle development through running, jumping, balancing activities etc. ? Creativity and aesthetic appreciation: Creative drama, cultural activities, field trips etc. The programme should be relevant to individual and societal needs. The age demarcations are indicative and the activities have to be planned according to the developmental level of the children. Principles of Programme Planning ? ? ? The activities should be age and developmentally appropriate. Activities fostering all domains of development should be appropriately planned. The attention span of young children is 15-20 minutes; therefore the duration of activities should be 20 minutes, with additional time allotted for winding up and initiation of the next activity. However, the programme should allow space and flexibility for need based variations. ? There should be a balance between structured and unstructured; active and quiet; outdoor and indoor; self-directed and adult initiated learning opportunities and individual, small group and large group activities. ? ? ? ? The experiences should progress from simple to complex. A wide range of individual and group experiences should be planned which are related to the child’s environment, are enjoyable and challenging for children. Routine fosters a sense of security in children. Therefore some routine should be followed in the daily programme. The ECCE programme should never be rigid. 11 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? The duration of the pre-school programmes should be 3 to 4 hours. The programme should provide for some rest period during the day and if it is of longer duration, as a full day programme, then a nap time is to be ensured. ? Learning opportunities should be interconnected, linking learning experiences across developmental domains in a meaningful context, reflecting the real life context of the children. ? The language used should be the mother tongue of the child. Efforts should be made to extend their language sensitively and introduce the school language gradually to facilitate school readiness. ? Curriculum goal and objectives should guide classroom process and assessment of the children. The curriculum should be implemented in a manner that reflects responsiveness to family/ home values, beliefs and experiences. ? The programme should provide opportunities for exploration and experiential learning, promoting active engagement with people and objects in the environment. Outcomes of Early Childhood Education Curriculum Children who ? ? ? Communicate effectively Display emergent literacy skills, mathematical skills and scientific temperament Express emotions in socially acceptable manner, are socially adaptive and cooperative ? Have physical control, strength and healthy habits Pedagogical Approaches The curriculum adopts a play and activity based approach. Children are visualised as active beings who construct their own knowledge and the process of teaching –learning is one of co-construction of knowledge, with adults as facilitators. 12 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Various approaches are practised for transacting the Early Childhood Education programme. Some commonly adopted approaches are: Montessori Method: This method is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development and is transacted through specialised sensorial material. Regio Emillia: Based on the work of Loris Mallaguzi, this is a constructivist approach which focuses on creation of a learning environment that enhances and facilitates children’s construction of their own thinking through the combination of communicative, expressive and cognitive languages as they engage actively with people, material and environment. Progressive Method: This is an eclectic approach which draws from the major child development theories. Recognizing the many paths of learning, latest researches and contemporary work lay the foundation of this framework. Thematic Approach: Integrated themes and projects form the core content of the curriculum. These themes should enable the children to make meaningful connections among the different concepts and develop holistic understanding of the world around them. The curriculum should be flexible and responsive to the needs of the children in the class. It is to be constructed to suit the diverse social, cultural, linguistic contexts in the country, and initiate integrated learning. A programme can adopt any of the above mentioned approaches to transact the curriculum. An integrated daily/ weekly/ monthly programme should be prepared with a well-rounded selection of learning experiences that strengthen all domains of development and are age and developmentally appropriate. The activities for different domains and concepts should be planned purposefully to enable a child to actively engage with and experience the concepts. These will help to consolidate the learning and lay the foundations for future. Caution should be observed to not equate the curriculum to just an exercise of organising activities, rather it should be viewed as a planned and purposeful intervention and adult child and child to child interaction to facilitate the process of knowing, understanding and construction of knowledge by the children. The aim of the curriculum should be to foster 13 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 development through integrated activities rather than mere completion of worksheets or repetitive exercises and activities. To address the needs of the large group of children in one class and multi-age setting, the strategy would be to conduct the activities in large group, small group and individual level. Essential Play and Learning Material In early childhood stage, a child learns through interacting with immediate environment hence environment should be stimulating and should have a variety of materials to arouse and sustain the child’s curiosity, interest and promote his learning. ? Adequate supply of developmentally appropriate play materials to foster all round development should be available at the ECCE centre ? The materials should be safe, clean and in good conditions. Sufficient quantity should be available to work in small groups and it should be easily accessible to the child. ? The materials should promote gross and fine motor development and help the child to discover and explore including constructing and reconstructing. It should promote sensory exploration and social interaction along with creative expressions through arts, painting, etc. Some essential play materials are Indoor Material o Blocks for constructive play o Manipulative toys 14 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 o Material for imaginative play /Dramatic play – dolls, puppets, masks, kitchen sets, mirrors, old spectacle frames, purses, old shoes, weighting scales, clock etc. o Material to develop Language skills – books and picture books, storytelling aid, puppets, story cards, sound board, conversation cards, flash cards, picture dominoes, collection of rhymes and stories, visual discrimination and auditory and visual association materials, slates, chalks, crayons, blackboard, drawing paper, etc. o Material to develop cognitive skills – sound boxes, visual discrimination cards, touch cards, feel bag, food items of varying kind to develop sensory skills, number domino cards, picture jigsaw and self-correcting puzzles for matching, sorting, arranging, classifying, problem solving, memory and sequential thinking to develop cognitive skills and materials in the environment o Musical instruments o Art material for creative expression such as paints, crayons, pencil, paint brushes, cotton, threads, clay, knife, papers, scissors, cloth, gum and fevicol, bead, etc. In addition to locally available material, teachers/caregivers can develop play and learning material for specific activities planned in the programme. Outdoor Materials o Play equipment to build balancing, jumping, climbing, swinging, swaying, cycling, etc. o Materials like large or small balls, old tyres, rings, etc. for throwing, catching, kicking, rolling, etc. 15 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 o Sand and water play arrangement with sand pit, mugs, spoons, cups, bucket, sieves, strainer, etc. Assessment Assessment is an essential and integral component of any ECCE programme to ensure that the programme remains child centric and the experiences and activities are planned according to the level of the child. It gives an insight into children’s interests, achievements and possible difficulties in their learning from which next steps in learning and teaching can be planned and thereby provides a platform to support the planning of a coherent curriculum for progression in learning. In order to ensure that the programme is responsive to the developmental needs of the child, it is essential to maintain their developmental and learning profile. The purpose of assessment is to give useful information about children’s learning and development to the adults providing the programme as also to children and their families. It also helps ensure early identification of developmental delays, special educational needs and particular abilities. Assessment contributes to evaluation, revision, and development of programmes. The areas of assessment ? ? ? The child’s interest and participation Skills and abilities Social interactions The assessment of the children should be formative, continuous and flow from the experiences planned in the curriculum. Formative continuous assessment implies documenting the development of the child, by interpreting the evidence from the day to day experiences of the child with the purpose of recognising and encouraging strengths and addresses learning/developmental gaps. Teachers need to evaluate each child’s progress on an ongoing basis, through observations of their behaviour; their artwork and other products. Home-based observations may also be 16 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 conducted. The current level of performance should be rewarded to reinforce small steps of accomplishments towards the long term goals. Portfolio should be maintained for individual child. It should contain anecdotal records, developmental checklists, samples of drawing, writing and other activities, observation notes and parent teacher meeting notes. Role of Caregiver/Teacher The caregivers/ teachers in an ECCE programme are facilitators who engage children in multiple experiences to foster their all-round development. They play the following roles: ? Observe children to identify their needs and capabilities and move with the pace of the child’s development ? Plan appropriate, ? ? ? developmentally holistic and challenging activities Focus not only on planning and conducting activities but also on continuous processes for interaction and relating learning to child’s environment. Create nurturing and positive relationships with children and among children Organise supportive learning environment by taking care of aspects such as the arrangement of the physical environment and equipment; the scheduling of activities and events and groupings ? ? ? Work in partnership with parents Facilitate learning to meet the objectives of the curriculum Help in early identification and intervention for children with special needs 17 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 To accomplish the above the teachers need to enjoy being with young children, be knowledgeable about children’s development and early childhood curriculum and should be skilled at implementing the curriculum. Role of Parent The young child spends most of the time at home and much of the early learning occurs through the child’s day to day interactions with the family. The parents have a major role to play in the child’s development, much beyond merely being around the child and providing food and other basic needs. Parents need to: ? Provide a conducive environment at home for optimal development and learning and spend quality time with the child ? ? ? ? ? Encourage exploration and experimentation at home and optimally utilise the ample opportunities for incidental and lifelong learning arising from the daily activities Play a cooperative role and establish a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the teacher/caregiver at the ECCE centre Share and plan the development of their child along with the teacher/caregiver Participate in the open days and other events for parents and community Not to force formal learning and competition at this early age and respect children’s abilities and personalities. Supportive Essentials The open framework approach to curriculum adopted herein requires certain preconditions as essentials. These are: ? An enabling and stimulating learning environment which has been carefully designed and is child friendly 18 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? ? ? ? ? Contextually and culturally appropriate curriculum content Developmentally appropriate learning and play material Activity; rhyme and story bank Children’s Activity Book Trainer’s Manual and Teacher’s Guidebook addressing adult-child interaction, arrangement of the physical environment and equipment, planning of the daily routine etc.to help teachers implement the curriculum effectively ? ? Supportive supervision Professional development opportunity for ECCE caregivers 19 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Annexure 1 Some Significant Themes to be covered in the Curriculum Myself, my family and community Food, health, hygiene and cleanliness Natural world and environment: plants; animals and birds; fruits and vegetables Physical environment: air, water, universe, seasons Social environment: My country; festivals and celebrations; neighbourhood; means of transport 20. Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Annexure 2 Sample Weekly Plan Theme: Animals Time 9. 00-9. 30 9. 30-10. 00 Monday Circle Time Free Conversation (Animal Names) Tuesday Assembly Guided Conversation (Homes of Animals) Sorting Cards (Animals and their young ones) Block Play Lunch Tearing and pasting on animal drawings Wednesday Circle Time Free Conversation (Food of Animals) Soft and Hard Surface Thursday Assembly Guided Conversation (Animals and their young ones) Shape: Circle Friday Circle Time Guided Conversation (Uses of Animals) Pattern Writing. 10. 00-10. 30 Seriation Activity (Small to large animal) 10. 30-11. 00 11. 00-11. 30 11. 30-12. 00 Animal Race Lunch Free hand drawing of pet animals Swings and slides Lunch Models of animal homes Walking on Zigzag line Lunch Making Clay Animals Sand Pit Lunch Mask Making 12. 00-12. 30 Animal Rhyme (Pet Animals) Music and Movement Activity (How animals move) Rhyme Dramatization (Farm Animals) Animal Story (Wild Animals) Song and Dance (Birds) 12. 30-1. 00 Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure. Note: The time allotted for each activity is 15-20 minutes; the time slots of 30 minutes allotted in the plan include setting up, distribution of material and winding up for each activity. 21 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Annexure 3 Sample Thematic Web Numeracy: Sorting pictures of animals and their young ones Creative Art : Models of Animal Homes Language: Rhymes and stories on Animals Cognitive : Animal names Types: Pet/ Wild/ Aquatic Animal food, sound , home Animals Physical & Motor: Animal Race Tearing and Pasting on Animal Drawings. Socio-Emotional : Free Conversation Music & Movement : Song and Dramatization 22 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Important Resources 1. Bhatnagar, R (2005): Little Steps. A Manual for Preschool Teachers. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 2. Kaul, V. (2010): Early Childhood Education Programme. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 3. Mother and Child Protection Card, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. 4. Muralidharan, R. , Asthana, S. (1991): Stimulation Activities for Young Children. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 5. Position Paper on Early Childhood Care and Education, National Focus Group (2006). National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 6. Soni, R, Kapoor R, Vashishtha, K. K. (2008): Early Childhood Education. An Introduction. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 7. Swaminathan, M. and Daniel, P. (2004): Play Activities for Child Development: A Guide to Preschool Teachers. National Book Trust, New Delhi. 8. WHO Child Growth Standards- Methods and Development, World Health Organisation 23.