Why politics needs religion

Table of Contents Introduction Arguments for keeping religion out of politics Conclusion Works Cited Introduction Religion has influenced political decisions for the longest time in various states and vice versa. This has created an interesting relationship between the two actors whose weight is felt across governmental fronts, religious communities, pressure groups and political parties (Jevtic 63-64). This paper looks at the arguments for and against keeping religion in politics according to Sweetman’s study.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Why politics needs religion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Arguments for keeping religion out of politics According to the study carried out by Sweetman (pp.115), there are about eight arguments on why politics and religion should not mix. Religious beliefs are viewed as irrational and therefore do not form a strong basis on which politics can be linked to. They are seen to defy the US constitution and this makes them dangerous since the public square must always remain neutral. The reason why religion must be kept out of politics is that it persuades people to subscribe to that religious experience and not all do so as some are atheists by choice. In addition, some people view religious arguments as inferior and this further discredits their inclusion in politics (pp.121). Religion is also seen to lack an adequate basis to be used in liberal democracy and it seems inappropriate to base politics on other people’s revelations. On the other hand, arguments introduced by believers are seen to undermine the freedoms of non-believers and a good example is the issue on whether to legalize abortion and euthanasia among other controversial issues. This brings in a conflict between the church and the state as the church is pro-life whereas the state could opt otherwise. Political decisions thus made would impact negatively on religion a s they defy what is appealing to it. However, Sweetman (pp.128) shows the important role played by religion in politics citing that the secular arguments are not convincing enough to rule out the religious arguments. He sees the religious arguments as rational enough to stand firm against the provided secular arguments and in this regard, religion has a right to voice its opinions on the aforementioned issues of euthanasia and abortion among others. Life is a precious gift from God and no one has a right to take it away apart from Him (pp.141). The secular arguments could therefore only be meaningful if those who coin them can be able to convince the religious fraternity satisfactorily that their arguments fall short. This Sweetman sees as impossible since he views the religious arguments on its inclusion in politics as rational and weighty enough to win the case.Advertising Looking for assessment on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15 % OFF Learn More Secular arguments are too worldly and materialistic to form a solid argument against religion and that is the reason why they can never be taken as default. God can never be ruled out and neither can the existence of human beings and that is why secular arguments appear inferior. In a debate scenario, secularist arguments take a back seat since they are hard to spot as compared to the religious arguments that feature prominently (pp. 158). Conclusion According to this study, it is evident that Sweetman answers the question of why religion must be included in politics persuasively. He discredits the secularist arguments citing that God cannot be ignored and this is the stand taken by arguments against the inclusion of religion in politics. He insists that it is possible for the secularists to have a spiritual life despite their stand on religion and this adds weight to the argument on why politics needs religion (pp.63). Works Cited Jevtic, Miroljub. â€Å" Political Science and Religion.† Politics and Religion Journal, 1 (2007): 63-64. Print. Sweetman, Brendan. Why politics needs religion: the place of religious arguments in the  public. USA: Intervarsity Press, 2006. Print. This assessment on Why politics needs religion was written and submitted by user Donald Hardin to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Music Concert Report essays

Music Concert Report essays On Sunday November 10, 2002 at 4:00 PM I went to Queensborough Community College/CUNY located at 56th Avenue and Springfield Blvd., Bayside, NY and I saw Masterworks Series Coffee Cantata presented by the Queens Symphony Orchestra featuring Maria Ferrante, Soprano; Eric Fennell, Tenor; Nmon Ford, Baritone. This was a free performance courtesy of Queensborough Community College and the Queens Symphony Orchestra. The physical surroundings of the theater were full of acoustics to prevent echoing, and it also had dome lighting which gives it a modern effect. The behavior and attire of the audience was atrocious, people were putting there feet up and over the chairs in front of them like they would do at home and people were leaving early in the middle of movements. This is what happens when tickets are free and they let anyone in. The performers were wearing black tie attire. Of course they were behaving since it was there own performance. The composition I like best was the Symphony No. 29 in A major, K.201 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I especially like movement 1, Allegro moderato. The style is classical; it is classical because it was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1774, and historians classified him that group. I like this composition best because it has the most sensation to it, unlike no other composition during this performance. The composition I liked lease was Quiet City composed by Aaron Copland. The style is modern; it is modern because it was published in 1941. I didnt like it mainly because it was dull and unexciting; it almost made me want to fall asleep. This was not a new experience to me since I have been to other musicals with my previous classes in other schools. It was not difference than what I expected. This was like any other concert Id been to in the past. I did un-expectantly enjoy the experience. I would not recommend others to go to thi ...

Where to Start When It Comes to Writing Your First Essay Paper

Where to Start When It Comes to Writing Your First Essay Paper Essay writing, it ain’t no fun. Of course, if you’re writing about something you have a massive passion for then you could enjoy the process of getting lost in the content, but the actual structure and, of course, the deadline, could cause you some problems. Everyone struggles when it comes to writing an essay from time to time, but there are a few tricks to follow, some guidelines if you will, which will help you put together the bones of your outline, which you can then meat out with the content you know inside out – or the content you hopefully know inside out! So, how do you start writing that paper? It’s all about being organized. And a couple of other tricks. So heres what you need to do: Know Your Brief If you go off on a tangent, without truly understanding what the brief is, then you’re onto a losing streak from the very start. It doesn’t matter how good your essay content is, if you don’t answer the question or meet the aims of the essay brief, then you’re going to fail. Understand what you are being asked to do. Make Sure You Understand the Topic You need to read about the topic until you understand it completely. For instance, if you’re being asked to write an English Literature paper about a book, make sure you have read it, because how can you write about a subject you have flaky knowledge of? Research the Hell Out of It Knowing your topic is one thing, but you’re never going to know everything. Research the topic and different viewpoints attached to it. Essays need light and shade, and you need to give different arguments depending on what type of essay it is. Make an Outline for Your Essay Plan your essay, think of it as the skeleton, if that makes sense. You need the outline to give subheadings, so you know what you’re going to write about, and where. This makes the whole writing process easier because it breaks it down into bite-sized chunks, and also makes it easier to read, without being one long ramble that nobody really has time for, not least the person marking your final paper. Write in Sections Once you’ve sorted out your outline, do a section at a time. For instance, write the introduction, spell check it, re-read it, and edit it, before moving onto the next section. This makes the whole writing process much less of a long and drawn out process, because you’re completing a section as you go, and it’s almost like putting a tick in a box – instant feel good. Make a Timetable If you feel like you simply don’t have enough hours in the day, it’s a good idea to organise your time. Draw up a timetable, e.g. on Monday you will write section 1,2,3, and on Tuesday you will write sections 4 and 5, and so on. This means that you have an idea of when your essay will be finished, and you can factor in time in case of unforeseen circumstances. Having a loose timetable is one of the best ways to cut down on stress, as the process won’t seem overwhelming. And if You Need Help †¦ Sometimes things happen in life and it basically throws our plans right up in the air. If this happens to you and you’re halfway through writing an essay, with a looming deadline, it’s a recipe for stress and worry. Equally, if you’re facing a deadline and you don’t have a clue how you’re going to complete the task, there is help at hand. Here at Essay Writing Place, we offer professional and expert essay writing services, be it a persuasive essay, a creative writing essay or some other brief which fits the bill. Our team of native writers are highly trained and knowledgeable, and are on hand to take the task off your hands. Cut out the stress and don’t let it take over your life if this sounds like a situation you’re in, simply hand it over to us! Writing an essay and making it top class in quality isn’t the easiest kind of a task, but with plenty of research and preparation, you can certainly create a paper to wow your lecturer.

Teacher Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teacher Leaders - Essay Example of schooling, be it classroom activities, field trips, co-curricular activities, or provision of hygienic food, one important area that at times is easily looked upon and needs consideration is Homework. All other areas mentioned above are time limited and hence often are easy to deal within the constraint. However, homework is one such area for which teachers tend to have different perspectives. In fact, the same goes for the students and parents as well. Moreover, it also varies with the school level the students are belonging and therefore needs consideration accordingly. For the purpose of this paper, the school level chosen is middle level whose most common children group arrangement is from grade sixth to grade eighth. It is essential to see how this age group responds to homework. Having based on year-end surveys and classroom observation, creating a teacher-centered committee can help bring out those perspectives and align the two in order to identify areas of contradiction. Moreover, with their active involvement in suggesting remedies and attaining a mutual consensus over the best possible remedy, further implementation can take place. A simple approach towards developing up a teacher-centered committee will be to include a number of key figures that can directly affect the whole procedure of homework-policy making. The committee should have the subject teachers of each of these three grades as well as an educational psychologist as educator who can help teachers, understand how students of middle-level respond to homework and what type as well as what amount of homework should be given to them at what number of intervals. Prior to this for the head of the committee, it will be important to make up a plan for the formulation of the committee. However, even before that it will be imperative to analyze the survey results, received from the principal and derive conclusions and recommendations from the observation. This will not only help identify any

Blues Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Blues Culture - Essay Example They took the form of second lines, pleasure, social clubs and even music. Its roots were in different manifestations of African American slave melodies, for example, field hollers, work tunes, spirituals, and nation string numbers. Blues music that caught the torment, anguish and any expectations of 300 years of bondage and inhabitant cultivating, soul was regularly played by travelling solo musical artists on acoustic guitar, piano, or harmonica at weekend gatherings, picnics, and juke joints. Their audience was essentially comprised of farming workers, who moved to the propulsive rhythms, groans, and slide guitar. As the African American group that made soul started moving far from the South to escape its hardscrabble presence and Jim Crow laws, blues music advanced to reflect new circumstances. After a great many African-American ranch specialists had moved north to urban areas like Chicago and Detroit amid both World Wars, numerous started to view customary blues as an undesirable indication of their humble days drudging in the fields; they needed to hear music that mirrored their new urban surroundings. Accordingly, transplanted soul specialists, for example, Muddy Waters, who had lived and chipped away at a Mississippi manor before riding the rails to Chicago in 1943, swapped acoustic guitars for electric ones and rounded out their sound with drums, harmonica, and remain up bass (Woods). This offered ascent to an energized soul music with a blending beat that drove individuals onto the dance floor and directed the route toward musicality and soul and shake and roll. Malcolm x was a black child whose father was killed by the white people and as a result, he developed mistrust for the white community. As a result, he started engaging in crime and was soon imprisoned. However, he found Islam in the prison and found out that he had

Health Improvement And Innovation Health And Social Care Essay

Health Improvement And Innovation Health And Social Care Essay In the past the health service has been overly focused on commissioning for price and volume rather than quality and outcome. There was too much emphasis on treating illness rather than its prevention. Health inequalities have also been worsening and in England the rich can still expect to live for longer than the poor. Now is a new era for public health. The government is committed to closing the gap between the most advantaged and the least advantaged parts of society (GBDH, 2010a; GBDH, 2010b; GBDH 2010c; GBDH, 2010d). Health needs assessment (HNA) is a vital tool in this process because it targets services and support towards the most disadvantaged. It is a method for examining the health needs of a population leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation in order to improve public health (Hooper and Longworth, 1998). The purpose of this assignment is to undertake an HNA for the community that I currently work in as part of my Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) qualification in health visiting. In fact HNA is a standard of proficiency in order to gain professional registration (NMC, 2004). Recent evidence has increasingly demonstrated that the first few years of life greatly influence future health, wealth and happiness (Tickle, 2011; Field, 2010; Marmot, 2010). The involvement of health visitors during this period is vital as they are experts in public health. The Health Visitor Implementation Plan (2011) aims to expand the health visiting service with an extra 4,200 health visitors to be in post by 2015. This will support the Governments commitment to improve health outcomes by developing an understanding of the health needs of children, families and communities enabling the commission of services that are based on need. The five-step approach to HNA developed by Cavanagh and Chadwick (HDA, 2005) will be used as a framework for this assignment because it is simple, robust, flexible, and has been tested over several years. This five step process is based on the model outlined by Hooper and Longworth (2002). Due to time constraints and lack of resources only steps one to three of the five steps of HNA will be undertaken: step 1 (my community), step 2 (identifying health priorities) and step 3 (assessing a health priority for action). All of the data used within this assignment is within the public domain however effort has been made to protect identity. Step 1 My Community According to Cavanagh and Chadwick (2005) the community for HNA can be identified as those sharing: a geographic location like a housing estate; a setting such as a school, prison or workplace; a social experience like ethnicity or sexuality; or an experience of a particular condition for example mental illness or diabetes. The community has also been defined as a group of people who share an interest, a neighbourhood, or a common set of circumstances. They may or may not acknowledge membership of a particular community (Smithies and Adams, 1990). It is the common interest of people that is particularly significant for public health. This is because even though people operate as individuals, they may share characteristics or needs that can be assessed at a community level (Brocklehurst, 2004). However Naidoo and Wills (2000) state that individuals may be a part of different communities at various points in their lives rather than belonging to a single community. The community which i s the focus of this HNA is a geographical area. It has been chosen because it is attached to a GP practice from which a team of health visitors are based and most work is with clients within this community. It consists of two wards in the borough of North Tyneside. They will be referred to as ward A and ward B and will be compared to regional and national data available. Step 2 Identifying Health Priorities This section will focus on the identification of the health priorities of my community by considering the factors which may affect health conditions. These factors can be grouped into five categories: biological, social, economic, environmental and lifestyle. Biological The population of wards A and B are shown in appendix 1.1 using data from the census of 2001. Census data can be extremely useful however it has significant limitations. Its data rapidly goes out of date and only provides a picture of the UK population decennially. For example, wards A and B have experienced population change within the past ten years due to new housing developments therefore the 2001 census data may now be unrepresentative. For this reason a population estimate (appendix 1.2) based on expected births and deaths is often a valuable tool but must be used with caution as it is only a guide to what may happen if past trends continue. From the data it is clear that this borough has an ageing population but it is also notable that the percentage of the population under 5 years in both wards A and B is significantly higher than the regional and national percentages. This perhaps underlines the importance of the role of the health visitor in these wards. Appendix 1.3 illustrates that the combined male and female life expectancy for wards A and B are significantly lower than the North Tyneside and national figures. It is particularly alarming to note that some of those in ward A could potentially expect to live for seven years less than some living merely a few miles away in other parts of North Tyneside. The poor life expectancy of wards A and B may be due to the condition of their general health. These wards have worse general health than North Tyneside and England (appendix 1.4). That is, a greater percentage of those in wards A and B report poor health compared with locally and nationally. However Sen (2002) argues that there are complications in the self assessment of health because a persons own understanding of their health may differ from that of the healthcare professional. Therefore additional statistics should be used to assess health status. The prevalence of long-term health conditions in wards A and B as reported by the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) is also shown in appendix 1.5. Ward A has a higher prevalence of conditions such as coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer all of which contribute to lower life expectancy. Indeed CHD is the biggest cause of preventable death in England (British Heart Foundation, 2010). In contrast ward B has a similar prevalence of long-term conditions to that of the national. However data from within the QOF has several limitations. For example QOF was not originally designed as a research tool and its data is not externally validated. It has also been suggested that QOF data may be more favourably presented with the aim of maximising practice income (Ashworth et al., 2008) yet Doran et al. (2011) found that financial incentives had little impact upon the data. Further limitations include that prevalence data is not standardised for age and sex and that many patients appear simultaneously on more than one disease register (Ashworth et al., 2008). Mental health was seen as having equal importance to physical health for the first time in 2010 (GBDH 2010c). It was recognised that inequality contributes to mental health and in turn mental health can cause further inequality. Consequently tackling mental health is now a key priority for the Government (GBDH, 2011b). It is difficult to determine the exact prevalence of mental health disorders but there are indicators to reflect the situation in North Tyneside (appendix 1.6). For example benefit claims for mental health disorders along with hospital admissions due to self harm and mortality rates due to suicide are significantly greater in North Tyneside than England. Social The Marmot Review (2010) emphasised the correlation between lower social position and poor health. The social grade of those living in wards A and B is shown in appendix 2.1. Almost a quarter of those living in these wards are of lowest social grade compared with just 16% of people nationally. Marmot called for action to reduce social gradients in order to improve the health of communities like those living in wards A and B. Appendix 2.2 shows the measure of deprivation for wards A and B from the 2001 census. It is clear that both wards rank as some of most deprived in the country but as discussed earlier the census data is extremely out of date. After the 2001 census local super output areas (LSOAs) were created to improve reporting of small area statistics as it was thought that wards vary too much in size (ONS, 2011). The English Indices of Deprivation 2010 ranked LSOAs according to their deprivation level. It has undergone a range of procedures to assure its quality as well as being externally validated. According to the index North Tyneside is ranked as 113 out of 326 boroughs in England and is one of the least deprived areas in the North East. However within the borough there are pockets of extreme deprivation which fall into the 10% most deprived areas in England (ONS, 2011). It is difficult to determine ward level deprivation using LSOAs because they do not fit exactly into ward boundaries. Never theless appendix 2.3 shows estimates of the deprivation levels of wards A and B using a best fit geographical alignment combined with averaging the LSOA scores. It shows that these wards have been ranked as the most deprived wards in North Tyneside (North Tyneside Council, 2011). It has long been known that there is a relationship between deprivation and poor health (Marmot, 2010). In a social context this may be because a more deprived community is more likely to offer health risks such as higher crime rates (appendix 2.4) and poor housing. Research has shown that poor housing is associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and mental health conditions. The poorest communities are often made up from estates of mostly socially rented housing (Marmot, 2010). Indeed appendix 2.5 shows that wards A and B have a significantly higher percentage of people living in socially rented accommodation than regionally and nationally. Those who live in social housing have been found to have increased unemployment rates, poor health and disability than the rest of the population (Clarke et al., 2008). There is also evidence to suggest that children living in social housing have a greater risk of disadvantage in adult life (Feinstein et al., 2008, Harker, 2006). Further, poor housing conditions like overcrowding can influence health. Appendix 2.6 illustrates the increased problem of overcrowding in wards A and B relative to North Tyneside and England. Economic Social gradient in communities is also affected by patterns of employment. Appendix 3.1 shows employment levels in wards A and B and it is clear that the percentage unemployed is significantly higher in these wards than in the rest of North Tyneside and England. Evidence suggests that the unemployed have considerably increased health risks including higher incidence of limiting long term conditions and mental health problems (Thomas et al., 2005; Gallo et al., 2006). In addition Jin et al. (1997) demonstrated a relationship between unemployment and decreased life expectancy although this research is dated. Perhaps it could be said that the poorer health and decreased life expectancy of wards A and B previously discussed may be linked to their high levels of unemployment. Physical and mental health is also affected by low paid, poor quality employment. Appendix 3.2 illustrates that the percentage of those in elementary, low level employment is greater in wards A and B than regionally and nationally. There are also less people working in managerial and professional roles in these wards. Further, those with few or no qualifications have the highest rates of unemployment and poor quality employment (Marmot, 2010). Appendix 3.3 clearly shows that wards A and B have a significantly greater proportion of people with no formal qualifications than figures for North Tyneside, North East and England. There is a well established link between income and poor health because those with lower incomes cannot buy items that maintain health and have to buy cheaper goods that could elevate health risks (Marmot, 2010). Appendix 3.4 shows that the average weekly income is less in wards A and B than the average for the North East. Unfortunately there is no data available for North Tyneside or England to enable comparison. The data discussed above forms a picture of the economic factors that influence health in my community. The data is from the census 2001 and as previously stated it is ten years out of date. Consequently a greatly significant limitation of the data is that it will not reflect changes caused by the recent economic downturn. Therefore wards A and B could currently have worsened levels of unemployment and income however this cannot be confirmed until the results of the 2011 census are published. Environmental An important factor in reducing health inequality is creating an environment where people can live healthily. Those who live near areas of green space such as parks can have improved health and wellbeing (Croucher et al., 2007). Green space may also encourage social integration, physical activity and improve quality of air. Appendix 4.1 shows a decreased percentage of green space areas in wards A and B compared to the borough. Another contributing factor to the creation of a healthy living environment is reducing cold housing. The cold is thought to be the main cause of extra deaths each year during the winter (Marmot, 2010). It is clear that the ability to afford to keep a warm home is crucial in the prevention of these deaths. Appendix 4.2 shows the percentage of households with central heating in wards A and B. Ward B has a significantly lower percentage of households with central heating than regionally and nationally. This data is again out of date and will not reflect recent rises in fuel costs. In November 2008 the increased price of fuel caused fuel poverty in more than half of single pensioners and two thirds of workless households (Bradshaw et al., 2008). This is important to note considering the ageing population of North Tyneside and the high unemployment levels of wards A and B. Finally appendix 4.3 shows information regarding car ownership. Wards A and B have a lower percentage of households without a car than North Tyneside and England. In fact the percentage of those with no car in these wards is double that of England. Transport is vital because it enables access to employment, education, services and social networks (GBDT, 2004). Transport also has an impact on health inequalities when considering deaths from road traffic accidents (RTAs). RTAs are thought to be particularly high among children who live in the most deprived areas in England (GBDT, 2009). However appendix 4.4 shows that the rate of injuries and deaths from RTAs is much lower in North Tyneside compared with England although data at ward level is unavailable. Lifestyle Lifestyle choices have a huge impact on health. England has one of the highest obesity rates in Europe (WHO, 2012). It is linked with increased risk of conditions such as diabetes, cancer and mental health problems (GBDH 2011c). The percentage of obese adults in North Tyneside is significantly higher than the national average and there are less healthy eating adults locally than nationally (appendix 5.1). This data is from the Health Survey for England (HSE) and is based on a sample of the population therefore estimates are subject to sampling error. In contrast to the findings above the Active People Survey found that the percentage of physically active adults in North Tyneside is greater than that of England (appendix 5.1) but this data also has several limitations. Firstly it is not age standardised and it is likely that those who are younger undertake the recommended levels of physical activity. Secondly the survey is self reported so may be subject to responder bias. Finally the data does not include active recreation such as housework or active transport. There is great concern over the trends for childhood obesity in England and more than 20% of children are overweight or obese by the age of 3 (Rudolph, 2009). Appendix 5.2 contains data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) which shows that wards A and B have higher percentages of obese children in year 6 than nationally. But the NCMP has a considerably low participation level therefore it is likely that some prevalence of childhood obesity figures are underestimated. Indeed there were a much lower number of children measured in the North East than any other region. There may also be an element of selection bias particularly with the year 6s where those who do not participate are those most likely to be obese. These limitations must be addressed in order to improve accuracy of the data. Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of illness and premature death in England (GBDH 2011) but 1 in 5 adults remain smokers (Robinson and Bugler 2010). Appendix 5.3 shows that the prevalence of smokers is greater in North Tyneside than England. This data could be affected by responder bias as it is self reported and therefore lead to underestimation of the prevalence of smoking. Regular heavy drinking has caused a huge increase in liver disease and is currently the fifth biggest cause of death in England (GBDH 2011). Appendix 5.4 illustrates that the rate of alcohol related hospital admissions in North Tyneside is much higher than the national average. It also shows that the rate of alcohol specific hospital stays for those under 18 in the borough is double that of England. In addition 33% of people were found to binge drink in North Tyneside compared with just 20% in England. Clearly harm from alcohol is a huge concern for the borough. Appendix 5.5 demonstrates the higher rate of under 18 conceptions in North Tyneside than England. Teenage pregnancy is a major social concern as teenage mothers are at increased risk of poverty, poor health and lower educational attainment. They are also considerably less likely to breastfeed and access services (DfE, 2006). The evidence also shows that children born to teenagers have greater chance of experiencing a range of negative outcomes later in life (GBDH, 2008). Breastfeeding has a huge positive impact on the health of both mother and baby (Wilson et al., 1998; Horta et al., 2007; Quigley et al., 2012). But for the past fifty years the UK has had some of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world (WHO, 2010) even though UK policy clearly promotes breastfeeding (GBDH, 2003; NICE, 2008; GBDH, 2012). Breastfeeding is a huge factor in promoting public health and reducing health inequalities as there is increasing recognition that women from lower socio-economic groups have decreased rates of breastfeeding. Indeed appendix 5.6 shows breastfeeding statistics for North Tyneside and it is evident that both breastfeeding initiation and prevalence at 6-8 weeks are significantly decreased in the borough compared with nationally. It would be interesting to compare with ward level data however this is currently unavailable. The data is considered accurate however there remain some limitations. For example the initiation data is susceptible to observe r and measurement bias because it based on observation by the midwives or nurses who record the data and interpret whether or not breastfeeding has been initiated. Similarly the number of infants who are totally or partially breastfed at the 6-8 week check is also based on observation so the same bias may arise. The method of data collection also assumes that all infants whose breastfeeding status is unknown are not breastfed resulting in underestimation of its prevalence. Even so it is obvious that low breastfeeding rates are of significant concern for the borough. Step 3 This section will focus on the identification of a health need for action. The concept of need in relation to HNA can be discussed using the frequently quoted taxonomy of need by Bradshaw (1972) which considers: Normative need perceptions of what professionals, experts or commissioners define as need based on available data. Felt need perceptions of what the profiled population feel that they need. Expressed need demand of the profiled population or felt need turned into action. Comparative need the need found by those who receive a service. When selecting a priority for action HNA should balance these different needs (Thurtle, 2008; Cavanagh and Chadwick 2005). Therefore a significant limitation of this HNA is that only normative need is taken into account as only quantitative research is used. The incorporation of qualitative research would address felt, expressed and comparative need and greatly strengthen this HNA. It is evident from step 2 that North Tyneside has many health needs. Those of highest priority appear to be mental health, adult and childhood obesity, smoking, alcohol intake, teenage conceptions and breastfeeding. As an aspiring health visitor the priority that if addressed could have the greatest impact and changeability in my community is breastfeeding. As discussed previously breastfeeding is supported by much evidence for the short and long term health benefits for both mother and baby (UNICEF, 2012). The government recognises the importance of improving initiation and prevalence of breastfeeding and it has been included in the Public Health Outcomes Framework 2013-2015 to encourage the prioritisation of local breastfeeding support. Yet as illustrated in step 2 North Tyneside has extremely poor rates of breastfeeding. There are also more teenage mothers in the borough and wards A and B are areas of extreme deprivation. Research has found that females under 20 demonstrate the lowest incidence of breastfeeding (Infant Feeding Survey, 2010) and that there is a relationship between low rates of breastfeeding and socioeconomic deprivation (Dyson et al., 2010). Current services to promote breastfeeding in North Tyneside include breastfeeding support groups and a breastfeeding coordinator who visits the homes of breastfeeding mothers to provide one on one support. However the support groups are based mainly in more affluent areas and the coordinator has a massive caseload often failing to see many struggling mothers. Perhaps the supporting and influencing of disadvantaged younger mothers would be easier if the NHS embraced the technology that these people use on a daily basis. The proposed action of this HNA is to use social media to engage with hard to reach mothers to provide breastfeeding information and support. Social media is a modern, convenient and cost effective method of communication. Research from OFCOM (2012) showed that in the past year 50% of adults used the internet to access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition social networking has now overtaken text messaging as the most used method of communication among 16-24 year olds in the last two years. A study for the NHS Confederation (2012) recommended that health organisations should act immediately to avoid falling behind and to use social media to become communitarians that is, to engage, listen, respond and support communities. There is a significant lack of literature concerning social media and the N HS but Hawker (2010) suggests that some health organisations are starting to become more digitally connected. Still it is clear that a vast amount of further research in this area must be undertaken. In conclusion this HNA has identified breastfeeding as an urgent priority for intervention in my community. The proposed action is to take advantage of social media opportunities in order to engage with young or disadvantaged mothers who require breastfeeding support and advice. Indeed the Health Visitor Implementation Plan (2011) called for more innovative approaches to the profession. Incorporating such a change into health visiting practice would of course be a huge challenge that would require planning, funding and training of staff. But now is the time to develop a new service vision and to embrace these opportunities. This will establish health visiting as a central part of community health, working with families to improve health equity and life chances.

Baobab

1. Description 2. Background Information a. Common Names African Baobab, Baobab, Monkey Bread Tree, Upside Down Tree, Cream of Tartar Tree b. Scientific Name Adansonia digitata L. c. Family Name Bombacaceae 3. Species a. Adansonia digitata L. b. Adansonia Grandidieri c. Adansonia Gregorii d. Adansonia Madagascarcariensis e. Adansonia Perrieri f. Adansonia rubrostipa g. Adansonia suarezensis h. Adansonia za 4. Geographical Distribution/Distribution Range a. Located in Semiarid regions of tropical Africa, including countries south of the Sahara except Liberia, Uganda, Djibouti, Burundi and Central African Republic. . Found in coastal areas of eastern and western Africa c. In East Africa – found in the lowlands 5. Conservation Status 6. Importance and Use a. Leaves b. Fruit c. Food Uses d. Seeds 7. Environmental Characteristics 8. Morphological Traits and Variation a. Characteristics b. Traits c. Genetic Variation 9. Threats 10. Socio-economic Value 11. Environmental Impact 12. E ffects on Indigenous People Adansonias reach heights of 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft) and have trunk diameters of 7 to 11 m (23 to 36 ft) †¢ Adansonia digitata L. African Baobab (western, northeastern, central & southern Africa, and in Oman and Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, Asia) †¢ Adansonia grandidieri Baill. – Grandidier's Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia gregorii F. Muell. (syn. A. gibbosa) – Boab or Australian Baobab (northwest Australia) †¢ Adansonia madagascariensis Baill. – Madagascar Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia perrieri Capuron – Perrier's Baobab (North Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia rubrostipa Jum. & H. Perrier (syn. A. fony) – Fony Baobab (Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia suarezensis H. Perrier – Suarez Baobab (Diego Suarez, Madagascar) †¢ Adansonia za Baill. Za Baobab (Madagascar)[5] Distributional range: Native: †¢ AFRICA Northeast Tropical Africa: Chad; Ethiopia; Somalia; Sudan East Tropical Afri ca: Kenya; Tanzania West-Central Tropical Africa: Cameroon; Zaire West Tropical Africa: Benin; Burkina Faso; Cote D'Ivoire; Ghana; Guinea; Mali; Niger; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo South Tropical Africa: Angola; Malawi; Mozambique; Zambia; Zimbabwe Southern Africa: Botswana; Namibia; South Africa – Transvaal Western Indian Ocean: Madagascar Naturalized: †¢ widely naturalized in tropics Cultivated: †¢ AFRICA Africa †¢ ASIA-TROPICAL Indian Subcontinent: Bangladesh; India; Sri LankaMalesia: Indonesia – Java †¢ SOUTHERN AMERICA Caribbean: West Indies South America An Ecosystem Within a Tree The sculptured branches, with their hollows, dents and bloated stems, provide shelter and home for a great variety of animals. Galagos (bushbaby), squirrels, rodents, lizards, snakes and tree frogs, as well as spiders, scorpions and insects may live out their entire life in a single tree. Holes in the trunk provide ideal nesting sites for birds such as rollers, hornbi lls, parrots, kestrels and spinetails. Larger cavities are frequently occupied by families of Barn Owls or Ground Hornbills.Eagles, vultures and storks frequently build their large stick nests on the outer branches, and the colonial nests of Red-billed Buffalo-weavers are more often found in Baobabs than any other tree. Uses to Mankind For centuries, the baobab tree has played an important role in the economy and culture of Africa. Practically every part of the tree is useful and in Sudan they are so highly valued that individual trees may be privately owned! The wood itself is too fibrous for structural use but the bark is shredded into strands of fibre for use as rope, baskets, nets, snares and cloth.Tonics and cosmetics are derived from the roots, and spinach and soup from the large palmate leaves. The seeds may be ground into a coffee-substitute or eaten fresh and the white pulp is used as ‘cream of tartar' for baking. The hollow trunks of living trees have served as homes , storage barns, places of refuge or worship, and even as prisons or tombs. One tree at Katimo Mulilo in Namibia has suffered the rather ignominious fate of having been converted into a flush toilet, while one near Gravelotte in South Africa's Northern Province was once used as a bar where up to a dozen thirsty gold diggers would quench their thirst.The Future Because of its many uses and its ability to survive in semi-arid conditions, the Baobab survives in the face of man's expansion across the continent. Ironically, the tree is probably most at risk in wildlife reserves where confined populations of African Elephant may outstrip their resources and demolish and consume baobab trees in their struggle for survival. [pic] Baobabs are trees recognisable by their distinctive swollen stems. Occurring naturally in the dry areas of Magagascar, Africa and Australia, they store massive amounts of water in their stems to cope with seasonal droughts.The tree's fruits are large pods known as ‘monkey bread' or ‘cream of tartar fruit' and are rich in vitamin C. One baobab tree in South Africa, known as ‘Big Baobab', has a circumference of 47 metres and even a bar for 60 people inside the trunk. 1. The African tribes call the tree â€Å"the upside down tree†. When bare of leaves, the spreading branches of the Baobab look like roots sticking up into the air as if it had been planted upside-down. An African legend tells that the baobab was amongst the first trees to appear on Earth.When the palm tree, the flame tree and the fig tree appeared, the Baobab began to grumble that it wanted to be taller, to have brilliant flame coloured flowers, and bear tasty fruit too. The Gods grew angry at this incessant wailing and pulled up the tree by its roots, and replanted in upside down to keep it quiet! 2. The African baobab tree is also called the â€Å"tree of life† as it can store water during the drought season which is sometimes vital to the rural p opulation. Large baobab trees could contain more than 30,000 gallons of water, and to get to it, Kalahari bushmen use hollow pieces of grass like a straw to suck the water out. . The baobab is Africa's latest fair trade sensation. On the 15th July 2008 the European Union has officially approved the export of powdered baobab fruit to the United Kingdom as a healthy additive to cereal bars and smoothies. The baobab is said to have three times the vitamin C content of an orange, and as much calcium as a glass of milk. According to Britain's University of Southampton, the baobab is rich in vitamin B1, B2, and C, and calcium, plus it's bursting with antioxidants. 4. The citric and tartaric acids found in the pulp provide the base for cream of tartar, often used as a baking ingredient. . Because of their size, people have been storing supplies in old hollow trunks or have been living inside a Baobab Tree. Have a look at a website called â€Å"bigbaob† for some amazing videos. 6. Na tural medicine uses the bark of the Baobab to lower fevers, chewing a leave is apparently waking you up and ingesting some of the tartar powder is helping with stomach aches. 7. In rural Africa the bark is used to make ropes and even clothing. Article Source: http://EzineArticles. com/4214639 Why the Baobab is endangeredSevere droughts of recent years have affected the thorn woodlands of the savannahs and fears have been expressed about the regeneration of plant species. In Sudan the over-use of multipurpose fruit trees, such as the Baobab, has become a significant problem. There is high year-round demand for fruits, even in cities like Khartoum. With fruit being collected from wild stands of trees, stocks are decreasing and no provision is made for replacing these trees – no plantations have ever been seen in Sudan. In cities seeds are just thrown away as garbage, eliminating any chance of regeneration.There is often a lack of awareness by the local people on the need to pla nt, protect and manage under-utilized fruit species. It is believed that in the past the Baobab fruits were widely eaten by large animals, especially elephants. They dispersed seeds and broke the seed dormancy which encouraged regeneration. With elephants now in danger of extinction because of habitat destruction and illegal killing, the natural regeneration of Baobab has been badly affected. Practical Action realized the importance of organizing a campaign to save the endangered species of this region, especially the Baobab tree.What’s the cause? The Baobab tree is on the endangered list for many reasons. For one, droughts within the tree’s habitat have caused them to not have enough water to grow properly. Also, these trees are often cut down so that people can use the trunks to store water in, which can hold about 2376 gallons of water. The fruit is also used for making porridge as well as the leaves, which can be used to make a salad. Some of these seeds are even e aten by elephants, but the elephants would be able to break the seed dormancy which will cause regeneration; however, the population of the elephant is also endangered.Because of all of this, many Baobab trees are used for multiple purposes which then cause the trees population to decline because no one is taking the time to replace the trees that were used. To help regenerate the Baobab Tree, a group known as Practical Action has come about, which aims to save this species of tree before it’s too late. They collect and plant seeds, raise awareness, and encourage others to plant Baobab trees as well. Read more: http://www. toptenz. net/top-10-endangered-trees. php#ixzz2Bkpm44sJ Read more at http://www. toptenz. net/top-10-endangered-trees. php#8rIWSqRUArdUEQt3. 99The food industry is always looking to launch the next big thing Providing these exotic products for Western palates can be both good and bad for the environment. There is the obvious concern of carbon and transporti ng these products over long distances. However, these new markets allow local farmers and suppliers to enjoy newfound wealth. Deforestation, fair trade, and sustainability are other issues. However, the demand for some fruit trees can result in reforestation and afforestation projects. Baobabs,  Adansonia sp. , consist of eight species, which are naturally found on the continents of Africa and Australia.Six species are native to Madagascar, so Madagascar has the highest endemism. Mainland Africa and Australia both have one species. The entire genus is spectacular. The first image below shows the giant  Adansonia grandidieri, which is endemic to Madagascar. This titan-sized tree is considered endangered. Baobabs are trees recognisable by their distinctive swollen stems. Occurring naturally in the dry areas of Magagascar, Africa and Australia, they store massive amounts of water in their stems to cope with seasonal droughts. The tree's fruits are large pods known as ‘monkey bread' or ‘cream of tartar fruit' and are rich in vitamin C.One baobab tree in South Africa, known as ‘Big Baobab', has a circumference of 47 metres and even a bar for 60 people inside the trunk. Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island. A typical common name is baobab. Other common names include boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The generic name honours Michel Adanson, the French naturalist and explorer who described A. igitata. Baobabs (Adansonia spp. ) are iconic trees, known for their immense size, strange forms, sources of food Baobab trees are iconic plants and represent some of the most recognisable trees in the world. The eight species of baobabs reside in the single genus, Adansonia. Madagascar is their centre of divers ity, with six species endemic to the island. These include A. grandidieri, A. madagascariensis, A. perrieri, A. rubrostipa, A. suarezensis and A. za (Baum 1995, Wickens & Lowe 2008) The baobabs are trees of considerable importance in local economies