The Origins and Purpose of the Goblin Queen in George MacDonald´s the P

The Origins and Purpose of the Goblin Queen in George MacDonald ´s the Princess and the Goblin Whatever the purpose of a story may be, whether the tale is a philosophical, moralizing or merely entertaining one, an assortment of characters with sufficient depth, notability and believability is vital to shoulder the burden of the author’s intent. George MacDonald, in one of his most famous novels, The Princess and the Goblin, displays an acute awareness of this fact, presenting us with some of the most colorful and unforgettable characters seen in children’s literature. When considering the exceptional imagination MacDonald infused into his story and characters, it is little wonder that The Princess and the Goblin is considered to be one of the pioneering novels that gave birth to the immense genre of modern fantasy. Of the two worlds introduced to us by MacDonald in his novel, that of the surface world, a land of sunlight, castles upon rolling hills, and princesses, and that of the underworld, a realm of darkness, stone, and, of course, goblins, it is definitely the latter that is more bereft of significant characters. On the surface, Lootie, Curdie, Princess Irene and her mysterious, powerful grandmother are all key characters with a prominent role in advancing the plot, yet in the dark goblin world, we are given an impression of a teeming, faceless mass of bizarre creatures, with no real sense of individualism. Of the few underworld characters we do meet, the goblin queen is the most prominent, and indeed, she is one of the memorable and distinctive characters in the entire novel. Her impact on the reader is greater reinforced by her embodiment of many elements of folklore and fairytale on top of the already ancient t... ...ons that MacDonald collected, converged, and ultimately made his own. Or perhaps she represented for MacDonald some female presence in his own life, an overaggressive figure deserving of the author’s fearsome representation in his novel. This remains unknown, but the goblin queen nevertheless represents one of the few truly menacing figures in the story; despite many goblins, also presumably the king and his son, we do not feel that the goblin threat has been truly removed until we see her lifeless form, and, with relief, bid her farewell, as Hamlet once said: â€Å"Wretched Queen, adieu!† Works Cited Keightley, Thomas. Fairy Mythology. New York: AMS press, 1968. MacDonald, George. The Princess and the Goblin. New York: Dell Publishing, 1986. Mark Morris. Of Goblins and Dwarves. 5 Nov. 2002 < http://www.humanities.ualberta.ca/mmorris/388/goblins.htm/>. The Origins and Purpose of the Goblin Queen in George MacDonald ´s the P The Origins and Purpose of the Goblin Queen in George MacDonald ´s the Princess and the Goblin Whatever the purpose of a story may be, whether the tale is a philosophical, moralizing or merely entertaining one, an assortment of characters with sufficient depth, notability and believability is vital to shoulder the burden of the author’s intent. George MacDonald, in one of his most famous novels, The Princess and the Goblin, displays an acute awareness of this fact, presenting us with some of the most colorful and unforgettable characters seen in children’s literature. When considering the exceptional imagination MacDonald infused into his story and characters, it is little wonder that The Princess and the Goblin is considered to be one of the pioneering novels that gave birth to the immense genre of modern fantasy. Of the two worlds introduced to us by MacDonald in his novel, that of the surface world, a land of sunlight, castles upon rolling hills, and princesses, and that of the underworld, a realm of darkness, stone, and, of course, goblins, it is definitely the latter that is more bereft of significant characters. On the surface, Lootie, Curdie, Princess Irene and her mysterious, powerful grandmother are all key characters with a prominent role in advancing the plot, yet in the dark goblin world, we are given an impression of a teeming, faceless mass of bizarre creatures, with no real sense of individualism. Of the few underworld characters we do meet, the goblin queen is the most prominent, and indeed, she is one of the memorable and distinctive characters in the entire novel. Her impact on the reader is greater reinforced by her embodiment of many elements of folklore and fairytale on top of the already ancient t... ...ons that MacDonald collected, converged, and ultimately made his own. Or perhaps she represented for MacDonald some female presence in his own life, an overaggressive figure deserving of the author’s fearsome representation in his novel. This remains unknown, but the goblin queen nevertheless represents one of the few truly menacing figures in the story; despite many goblins, also presumably the king and his son, we do not feel that the goblin threat has been truly removed until we see her lifeless form, and, with relief, bid her farewell, as Hamlet once said: â€Å"Wretched Queen, adieu!† Works Cited Keightley, Thomas. Fairy Mythology. New York: AMS press, 1968. MacDonald, George. The Princess and the Goblin. New York: Dell Publishing, 1986. Mark Morris. Of Goblins and Dwarves. 5 Nov. 2002 < http://www.humanities.ualberta.ca/mmorris/388/goblins.htm/>.

Social Role Play and the Search For Identity in Chopin’s Desiree’s Baby

Social Role Play and the Search For Identity in Chopin’s Desiree’s Baby When I think about women’s role in our society, especially nowadays, the first word that comes to my mind is ‘exhausted’. What I mean is that this subject is exhausted. There are so many literary and sociological interpretations of the physical and psychological female image that whatever I say or prove would be just another attempt to understand the ‘incomprehensible’. It’s not because I am a woman, or may be exactly because I am. But here the important expression is ‘I am’ and the extension can be endless. And what a human life is but an everlasting search for the right word that would complete the sentence. As if we could complete it, our personality will be completed as well. And after years of searching, finding and again searching, we finally understand that there are so many ‘I ams’ some of which have no logical explanation or certain definition and all are subjected to so many social and personal factors. Nevertheless I will turn to one literary interpretation, Kate Chopin’s Desiree’s ...

Challenges Faced when Grandparents Raise Grandchildren Essay

There has been a drastic increase in recent years of grandparents raising their grandchildren. Statistics have shown that between 1970 and 2000, the number of grandchildren being raised in a grandparent-headed household has actually doubled from 2.2 million to 4.4 million (Hayslip & Glover, 2009). Research has also shown that more than half of of these children are under the age of six (Brintnall-Peterson, et. al., 2009). New Mexico ranks sixth in the nation for the number of grandchildren living in grandparent-headed households (Goodman & Rao, 2007). A substantial amount of research has been done in the last decade to explore the effects, both negative and positive, that this increasing trend has had on grandparents and their grandchildren. There are many reasons why grandchildren live with their grandparents. Reasons include parent’s incarceration, drug abuse, death or divorce, unemployment, mental illness, abuse or neglect, child abandonment, or even deployment (Goodman & Rao, 2007; Bunch et al., 2007). Goodman and Rao (2007) list three different types of caregiving roles for grandparents: transitional, custodial, and co-parenting. In the transitional role, parents are away temporarily and are expected to return after a brief period of time (after incarceration or deployment, for example). Custodial grandparents assume responsibility when a parent dies or is deemed unable to care for the child. Co-parenting grandparents are residing with the child and a parent due to financial hardship or other reasons. These grandparents share the responsibilities of raising the children with the parents. For the purpose of this paper, information focuses on transitional and custodial grandparents and the effects that this rol e has on their financial, physical, social, and emotional well being. Financial Challenges When a child comes into any home, even in the best of circumstances, there are financial ramifications. This is especially true for grandparents who assume custody of their grandchildren. Even when grandparents feel positively about taking on the custodial role, they report substantial financial hardship and loss of financial freedom (Hayslip & Glover, 2009). In many cases, the dreams and plans for retirement are postponed to meet these financial challenges (Bunch et al., 2007). Additionally, grandparents often draw on savings and retirement funds to make ends meet. One grandmother in Dunne and Kettler’s (2008) study explained that she had spent thousands and thousands of dollars out of her retirement fund to support her granddaughter. Her son made no effort to help financially. There are also legal ramifications that come with assuming custody of a grandchild. Sometimes the grandparent does not have legal custody of the child, making it difficult to get educational, medical, and financial help without first hiring an attorney. Without documented legal custody, frustration increases when enrolling children in school, daycare, or when seeking medical and dental care (Bunch et al., 2007). Physical Challenges Current research has shown that grandparents that raise grandchildren experience lower physical health than their non-custodial peers (Kelch-Oliver, 2011; Brintnall-Peterson et al., 2009) due to higher levels of emotional stress (Lumpkin, 2008). In Bunch, Eastman, and Moore’s (2007) study, the research showed that grandparents can feel overwhelmed with addressing their own physical and emotional needs. This is due, in part, to parenting with pre-existing health challenges. However, the research also found that many grandparents report deteriorating health because it becomes difficult to interrupt their new responsibilities to seek healthcare for themselves. Furthermore, this same study conducted a questionnaire for grandparents that addressed health concerns. Out of 23 custodial grandparents, none of them listed their health as â€Å"very good.† In another study, the researchers found that grandmothers tend to downplay health issues, but that the phy sical stresses of their new responsibilities often resulted in an increase in insomnia, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and smoking (Erbert & Aleman, 2008). Physical health seems to be a recurring theme in the studies involving grandparents that are raising their grandchildren. Most of the research found a negative impact on health when assuming responsibility and custody of grandchildren. This presents other difficulties as well. In Goodman and Rao’s (2007) study, they interviewed many grandparents and grandchildren that expressed fear surrounding the grandparent’s mortality. The grandmothers were worried about what would happen to the grandchildren if their health continued to deteriorate. In another study, the grandchildren expressed extreme concern about losing their grandparent (Erbert & Aleman, 2008). Social Challenges Social ramifications of grandparents raising grandchildren can be very difficult for both the grandparent and the grandchild. While non-custodial peers are in the best position to provide needed support to custodial grandparents, grandparents often feel socially isolated as they raise their grandchildren. Hayslip and Glover (2009) conducted a study specifically examining the social challenges of custodial grandparents. The grandparents in this study described a lack of validation by society that resulted when others around them did not acknowledge their sense of loss or provide empathy and support for their situation. The custodial grandparents often made comparisons of themselves to non-custodial grandparents and expressed a sadness in the loss of a more traditional grandparent role. This feeling seemed to cause some grandparents to further isolate themselves from their peers and to be less likely to seek support for themselves. Interestingly, the study did not stop with the custodial grandparents and their feelings. The researchers also interviewed non-custodial grandparents and their perceptions of their custodial peers. The peers were given sample scenarios and discussed their impressions in a packet, which they then mailed back to the researchers. The findings indicated that the custodial grandparent’s concerns regarding a lack of support and empathy from others may not be completely accurate. Their peers seemed to be more sensitive to their loss than the custodial grandparent had perceived. There was a high level of empathy for most of the circumstances outlined in the study (Hayslip & Glover, 2009). One major factor of social isolation for both grandparents and grandchildren appears to be social stigmas attached to the reasons of the custody circumstances (Goodman & Rao, 2007; Dunne & Kettler, 2008). There is often a high level of shame associated with situations involving substance abuse, incarceration, or child abuse. Changes in custodial arrangements can present social challenges for children as well. When moving in with grandparents, children face the loss of friends, schools, and other family support (Dunne & Kettler, 2008). Social losses can create stress in other areas, leading to behavioral problems and emotional challenges. Emotional Challenges Stigmas and shame related to the reason of assumption of the custodial role can cause substantial emotional and psychological challenges for the grandparent. Hayslip and Glover (2009) state, â€Å"grandparents may also experience loss that comes from a sense of failure resulting from social stigma associated with behaviors of their adult child which resulted in the need to care for a grandchild.† This study also recognizes that custodial grandparents often, but not always, experience a decrease in general life satisfaction. Another study found that depression, stress, and anxiety are significantly higher in grandparents who are raising their grandchildren (Dunne & Kettler, 2008). These findings were particularly notable when dealing with the behavioral challenges of granddaughters and the emotional concerns for grandsons. The emotional well-being of the custodial grandparents is directly related to their ability to cope with the stress of their situation. Since coping refers to an individual’s capability to manage the demands of an environment, coping skills are crucial for the emotional well being in a home with high-stress circumstances (Lumpkin, 2008). Coping with stress can often be more challenging when the grandparent is caregiving in the shadow of losing their own child. This can cause an overwhelming sense of loss and stress as they deal with their own emotional needs in addition to the needs of their grandchild (Bunch et al., 2007). Further stress can occur in the grandparents’ marriage after assuming the role of caregiver to their grandchildren. In a study with 23 grandmothers, every one of them reported a negative impact on the relationship with their partner (Bunch et al., 2007). Reasons included having less privacy, less time, disagreements about child rearing decisions, and drastic changes in leisure time. These grandmothers also reported lower levels of satisfaction with themselves as parents when compared to parents in the general population, further adding to emotional challenges. Behavioral Challenges Many children living with their grandparents exhibit behavioral problems, often due to disrupted family relationships (Brintnall-Peterson et al., 2009). Before coming to live with their grandparents, the grandchildren may have experienced high levels of trauma and family dysfunction, leading to abandonment issues (Kelch-Oliver, 2011). Brintnall-Peterson and colleagues (2009) put together a web-based fact sheet series to help grandparents that are raising grandchildren with these issues. These researchers argue that there are many resources focused on helping grandparents with legal, school, health, and economic issues but there is a drastic shortage of resources for developmental and relationship challenges. They created a fact sheet series entitled â€Å"Through the Eyes of a Child: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.† This fact sheet offers easy to read, academically useful, and low cost education about behavioral and relational issues for children who are living with a grandparent. The fact sheet focuses on attachment theory to address â€Å"interactions among behavioral, cognitive, emotional, interpersonal, and social-contextual dynamics in relationships rather than focusing on any one of these domains.† These researchers believe that attachment theory is particularly helpful when addressing thes e children because of the parental deprivation, trauma, and loss of development that has already had an effect on the child’s life. This approach also emphasizes the importance of sensitive and responsive caregiving to improve the child’s relationships, especially with the custodial grandparent. Since children that are living with their grandparents are often struggling in school or experiencing anger and depression, it is critical that custodial grandparents seek help in constructive discipline. Clear rules and boundaries can also provide a sense of security for children that are confused and overwhelmed (Erbert & Aleman, 2008). Benefits of Grandparent-Headed Households Although raising grandchildren provides many challenges and concerns for custodial grandparents, many grandparents express joy and optimism while raising their grandchildren. Some reported greater feelings of self-esteem and grandmothers expressed a feeling of relief that they no longer had to worry about their grandchildren’s safety once they were no longer in the care of neglectful or abusive parents (Goodman & Rao, 2007). Grandparents also expressed contentment and purpose in their lives, especially when it came to the protection of their grandchildren (Erbert & Aleman, 2008). One grandmother said that she could not imagine her life without her granddaughter in her home and that if her biological mother showed up, she would fight to protect her and not let her go. Another grandmother voiced her commitment to determine herself whether her daughter was well enough to resume custody or visitation. Grandchildren also experience positive effects when living with their grandparents. One study showed that children living with their grandparent experience less trauma than if they were with a non-relative because of the increased sense of family support (Goodman & Rao, 2007). Perhaps the most compelling argument for the benefits of grandparent-headed households is the findings that grandchildren often begin to achieve their potential in school, sports, music, or art once they feel safe and stable (Dunne & Kettler, 2008). Grandparents expressed a deep sense of pride in their grandchildren, and themselves, during interviews with Dunne and Kettler (2008). Conclusion Present research indicates that are there are many challenges when it comes to grandparents raising their grandchildren. Although there can be financial, physical, social, and emotional repercussions for grandparents and their grandchildren, sometimes it is the best option in an otherwise impossible situation. Research shows that children appear relatively well adjusted and happy living with their grandparents (Kelch-Oliver, 2011). Since it is apparent that the numbers of custodial grandparent households will continue to rise (Goodman & Rao, 2007), ongoing support is critical for grandparents. Social and emotional support is invaluable and grandparents should seek out support groups to help them feel less alone in raising their grandchildren. Education about various parenting approaches is also beneficial. Better access to educational resources would help provide clearer direction when it comes to behavioral and emotional challenges that grandchildren face. If the grandparent feels better equipped, it would drastically improve overall feelings of contentment in both the grandparent and their grandchildren.

Book Report Psychology Essay

The famous Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and self actualization is a subject of study of the past as much as the subject of study by many psychologists, practicing managers and behavioral scientists even today for its relevance and profound impact on the lives and understanding of human behavior. Maslow, in his famous book â€Å"the Farther Reaches of Human Nature† describes various aspects of the Human Nature and tries to impress upon the fact that it is possible for all human beings to attain that ‘higher peak’ and transcend. Maslow suggests that to get the best out of every human being, a society needs to be led by people, managers and leaders who are compensated not by the money but more by the ‘higher pay’ where work itself becomes a passion for love, reward and pay. The book also brings out clearly the need for people who are rich and in higher positions to help people surrounding them achieve self actualization. Not by teaching, imposing, interfering with what they are but by helping them to be what they really want Being, By helping them transcend through knowledge and understanding using big brother love and the Taoistic model of non interference. A good clinical therapy is to help a client unfold, break through the defenses against self knowledge, recover himself or herself and to get to know himself or herself. It is possible to stay transcended on a plateau in stead of experiencing peak as one off momentary and transient experiences. Counseling More and more individuals and families seek psychiatric help for dysfunctional behaviors today than in the past. Family dysfunction may seriously impede children’s development. Parents in such families are struck by pain from their past, fear of the present, and resistance to change. Many apparent disorders or diseases of the body are linked to the psyche and are categorized under psychosomatic diseases. Many individuals and families are now exposed to new knowledge and understanding of the human behavior making them prepared to seek guidance as needed from a qualified counselor. There are counselors handling various issues such as performance, marriage, alcoholism, drug addiction, education etc. A normal school student who is not faring well in math may be a candidate for counseling. By identifying the fears and obstacles faced by the student, the counselor can help the student unravel the fact that everybody is capable of understanding and solving math problems. Individual performance and team performance is an important aspect addressed by all progressive organizations. By looking at performance issues closely, a counselor can help business organizations identify and address the issues squarely so that the performance bottlenecks are removed. Similarly, issues in family surround marriage, education, children’s welfare etc. To keep a family together or resolve a dispute amicably in a family has become the subject of many professional counselors. By making the members of the family realize the higher purpose of life, by making them realize and thus actualize the ‘peak’ in the family, a counselor can unravel and untie the shackles holding them moving forward. The family counselors do not interfere, teach, provide medicine but help the family identify on their own what the real issues are, what would make them happy and what would help them peak and actualize. By looking at family as a system, the counselors view family as a bundle of do’s and don’ts and unspoken rules. Thus any psychological symptoms are viewed as manifestations of dysfunctional family and not the family member alone. The family system then becomes the target for treatment and not the family member. A well trained psychotherapist tries to understand and identify the correlation between the psychological symptoms such as a lack of interest in studies of a child and the family dysfunction. Then only does the counselor provide an appropriate intervention. By keeping the Maslow’s self actualization model, a successful counselor would not interfere with the family, be a teacher or prescribe some medication but tries to bring the focus of the family on the real issues and make them owners and problem solvers while the counselor provides needed help along the way. By making them believe that it is possible to solve the issues, the counselor provides a mirror for the family to look at themselves and seek answers to their real issues. Faith, hope and love are the components of Malsow’s self actualization model. Communication and recounting the past successes will help the family to catapult to the next ladder in actualization and not necessarily reaching the ‘peak’ itself. By recognizing the fact that the ideal is a moving target and is the ultimate goal in life, a counselor can help the family focus on the path to that goal , the goal of self realization, self actualization and the ultimate ‘peak’.

Communication Strategies for Leaders Essay

A leader must be able to communicate effectively. When asked to define leadership, theorists and practitioners alike frequently use the words â€Å"influence,† â€Å"inspire† and â€Å"transform,† all of which depend on communication, verbal and nonverbal. Leaders lead through their words and actions. This text focuses on both, thus the emphasis throughout on emotional intelligence, the ability to understand the self and others (Barrett, 2011). Effective leadership communication requires the ability to anticipate to the potential interruptions in the transmission of the message, appreciate the context, understand the audience, select the right medium and craft a clear message that allows the meaning to reach the specific receiver as intended (Barrett, 2011). In my quest to achieve superior communication leadership skills I have had the opportunity to assess and evaluate my effectiveness in communication leadership. This personal assessment has indicated I must become more strategic as strategy is the foundation on which any effective communication depends on. Leaders must be able to analyze their audience in every situation and design a communication strategy that facilitates accomplishing their communication. Communication is critical to every organization and for any aspiring leader. I plan to be strategic in developing a plan to be a more effective communicator by reaching out to external constituents as that is an area for communication improvement. Overall, effective communication strategy depends on ones thinking and planning strategically understanding your audience, and structuring your communication for different situations, delivery methods, and audiences to ensure that you connect with your audience and deliver your intended message (Barrett, 2011). III. As a leader and manager in my organization I take pride in being an effective leader and communication. I have been at my non-profit organization for the past 6 years and have made significant improvement and learned to grow my communication skills. Owens (1998) mentions two key features of leadership which are: (1) the engagement of persons in a process that identifies them with goals, and (2) the potential to change the institutional environment (e.g. values, beliefs, etc.) by implementing diversity goals into the organizational culture. At the same time, I am a leader that promotes integrity to motivate ethical behavior across the entire organization. Also, it is important for me to create an open environment in which followers and employees feel free to speak up and come forward to me when any action needs to take place. Overall, I am always striving to be a better communicator in all situations as it teaches as I want to be recognized by others as a transformational leader. I consider my oral public speaking skills to be my major strength when communicating to internal colleagues at my organization. I am always poised to conduct presentations and participate in public speaking engagements. I always maintain a sense of confidence and take pride in my public speaking skills. At the same time, I feel much more comfortable in situations where I can communicate effectively with my team members and demonstrate my dynamic skills to engage them effectively. I tend to be a coach and a motivator among my employees. I use different means to get my employees to want to be better at their duties and take full ownership of their tasks and goals. I also have a lot of confidence in being able to utilize my skills in dealing with others feelings and communicating with them solutions to help them with their particular situation. I would consider my interpersonal communication skills with external relations as an area for improvement. I tend to be an extrovert when it comes to public speaking and very confidant with communicating with large audiences but I tend to be introverted when it comes to communication in smaller groups or individual communication with members of external organizations. Barrett (2011) suggests that selecting the right spokesperson to deliver external messages can be almost as critical as the message themselves. I need to work on this part of my communication leadership by participating in more social and networking events to work on my confidence in communicating with external constituents. I also plan to travel more with my executive leadership team and attend meetings and events to get a better understanding of how to communicate more effectively in my external communication. Improvement Goal Effective leadership communication requires the ability to anticipate to the potential interruptions in the transmission of the message, appreciate the context, understand the audience, select the right medium and craft a clear message that allows the meaning to reach the specific receiver as intended (Barrett, 2011). I always maintain a sense of confidence and take pride in my public speaking skills. At the same time, I feel much more comfortable in situations where I can communicate effectively with my team members and demonstrate my dynamic skills to engage them effectively which include motivating and coaching. I would consider my interpersonal communication skills with external relations as an area for improvement. I tend to be an extrovert when it comes to public speaking and very confidant with communicating with large audiences but I tend to be introverted when it comes to communication in smaller groups or individual communication with members of external organizations. I have action steps in place to help me in my leadership development which include attending more external corporate events and meetings with the executive team. Solicit feedback from executive team members concerning areas for improvement and change any behavior based on feedback. Also, I plan to participate in more networking events with external constituents. References Aamodt, M. (2013). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An applied approach. Seventh edition. Cox et. al (2007). Evaluating organizational-level work stress interventions: Beyond tradition methods. Work & Stress, 21, 348-362. Ebbers, L., Conover, K., Samuels, A. (2010). Leading from the middle: preparing leaders for new roles. New directions for Community Colleges.Wiley Periodicals. Frese, M (2009). The changing nature of work. In N. Chmiel (Ed.) An introduction to work and organizational psychology (2nd ed., pp. 397-413). Oxford: Blackwell publishing. Lawler, E.E. (2001). Organizing for high performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Owens, Robert. (1998). Organizational Behavior in Education (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Diversity, Inclusion, Equality & Participation Essay

†¢Diversity is the differences between individual and groups in society such as culture, belief, faith, background, skills, gender, ethnic origins, sexuality, family structure, appearance, social, values, knowledge, attitudes and life experience of a person from any group or community. When it is conjoined with equality it is about understanding an individual and group differences and instilling peace, harmony, value and respect of diversity both in the community and work setting. Every person from any group must be respected for their individuality and for who they are. †¢Inclusion is used within an educational setting and is a term used for stamping out discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender, disability, class, ethnicity, faith or background. It is about recognising and understanding that all children have the right to a wide range of facilities, learning and opportunities. In other words every child and young person or adult must be given equality of opportunity and allowed access to any form of education and care by meeting the individual’s specific needs. †¢Equality is to make sure that everyone has the same rights as anyone else to make a contribution to society and to be treated fairly no matter what race, gender, language, sexual orientation, age disability, religious beliefs, social origin, marital status and any other personal identity. †¢Participation is when practitioners participate to protect and promote the rights of the child allowing them to express themselves, have a choice and have a say if they wish to do so, in no way should they be forced, influenced or manipulated to prevent them from thinking freely and expressing their opinions. Practitioners should provide clear information about access to resources and provision to all children and their families and even he community. IMPORTANCE OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY OR ANTI-BIAS PRACTICE Anti-discriminatory or anti-bias practice is to actively prevent discrimination via words and actions. It also prevents prejudice towards any group or individual. It is a fabulous way of promoting equal opportunities. Practitioners do this by making sure that everybody involved with the  setting is treated equally in a non-biased way. All policies and procedures must demonstrate positive inclusive attitudes towards all members of the setting regardless of their age, gender, background, culture or their needs. Every single activity carried out in the setting concerning children, young people and their families must be underpinned with anti-discriminatory practice by the early year’s staff as they play a major role in promoting equal opportunities and being inclusive towards all children. Anti-discriminatory practice is to implement the settings equal opportunities policy in every area and aspect of the setting from setting out activities to having group discussions. Practitio ners must make sure every child is included and they achieve the best. APPLYING ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY / ANTI BIAS PRACTICE 1.Providing dolls which have needs such as hearing aids or intravenous lines. 2.Providing clothing of different cultures for role play. 3.Look at wall displays is there any stereo typical images such as a female nurse and a male doctor etc. 4.Celebrating diversity by joining in as a class such as learning about and celebrating ‘Chinese New Year’ or ‘Diwali’. 5.Books showing diversity and equality such as a book about the ‘Olympic Game Champions’. 6.‘Mirror Activity’ by getting children to view themselves and paint/draw a picture and see how we are different. 7.Decorative displays showing no stereo types. 8.Dolls dressing up clothes representing different cultures. 9.Dressing up clothes representing different professions. 10.Variety of toys during free flow, encourage boys and girls to play with a variety different toys which are normally branded as ‘girls’ or ‘boys’. Looking at number 5 I would plan this activity keeping in mind how I can implement inclusion and equal opportunities. I would show them a short clip if possible or a book of the Olympic Games which shows the champions who are from different races, gender, age and needs some of the champions even use special equipment to aid their needs such as a wheel chair. I will praise them as they are so motivated, successful and have achieved amazing results. I will give every child the opportunity to participate, I will provide open  questions allowing them to express themselves and clear the air of any misconceptions they may have in a positive way. Hopefully this activity will promote a feeling of self-worth, motivation and sense of achieving positive goals in life. Looking at 4 I would plan ahead by doing research on the background of the celebration so that I can answer any questions in a child friendly way that the children may ask. I will promote inclusion and equal opportunities giving every child a chance to participate in the discussion if they wish to do so. I will accommodate for every child’s needs such as effective communication, provide support, promote independence and additional equipment if required. We will all look at books looking at the beauty, colorful art and customs linked with the celebration and attempt to make and participate in it too such as making a painting of a dragon for Chinese New Year or making a lamp out of clay for Diwali. Looking at number 9, I would play a game with the group asking the children what do they want to be when their big, I could show them images of people in roles that a not stereo typical. I can even wear items of clothing that may fit me such as a builder’s hat. If a child has not decided what they want to wear I can encourage them to wear uniform that is not stereo typical I can ask them if they were a girl if they would like to be fire officer or if they were a boy I may ask them if they would like to be a nurse etc. SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE EARLY YEARS SECTOR Scope- the extent of the area or subject matter that something deals with or to which it is relevant. â€Å"we widened the scope of our investigation† Purpose- the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. â€Å"the purpose of the meeting is to appoint a trust  (Oxford Dictionary)

Forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Forecasting - Essay Example Good judgment, intuition, and an awareness of how the economy is doing might give the management an idea of what is likely to take place in the future. Nonetheless, it is not east to change a belief concerning the future into a useful and precise number. Forecasting techniques can assist in estimating various aspects of a company operation. All forecasting techniques can be split into two wide classes: quantitative and qualitative. Most of the forecasting methods use historical or past data in time series. Time series is just a set of examinations measured at consecutive points in time or over consecutive periods. Forecasts provide future elements of the time series on a particular variable like sales volume. Division of forecasting techniques into quantitative and qualitative classification is based on the accessibility of time series information (Zech and Nallau, 5-57). Forecasting is a tool that assists management in its effort to tackle future uncertainties. It is mainly based on information from the present, past, and evaluation of trends. Forecasting begins with some assumptions based on the business’s knowledge, experience and