Important Initiatives in the Promotion of Public Health

Important Initiatives in the Promotion of Public Health Introduction Health initiative programs are global phenomena. They are as old as humankind. Continued government support has shown that alls of health promotion initiatives include Michelle Obama’s Lets Move program in America, Living Longer Living Better initiative, and Headspace initiative. The last two are in Australia. Let’s Move Health Initiative Obesity in America is an old problem. Thirty three percent of American children are overweight or obese. The condition leads to complications like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer (Batan, Li Scanlon 2010). Almost forty percent African American and Hispanic children are affected by the problem. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is determined to solve the obesity problem in America. To this end, she launched the â€Å"Let’s Move† campaign. A letter was written to President Obama by Melody Barnes on behalf of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. The letter detailed an action plan to solve the obesity problem. It led to the launch of Michelle Obama’s initiative (Batan et al. 2010). Priority areas were identified by the task force. The areas include empowering parents and guardians, as well as providing the children with healthy food in schools. In addition, the task force recognised the importance of enhancing access to healthy foods in the country. Finally, the task force advised for the promotion of physical activity in school (Batan et al. 2010). The task force spent three months reviewing available research. More than 2500 people were interviewed by the task force. Twelve federal agencies supported the ideas of Lets Move program. Today, the initiative is one of the most comprehensive and well-funded programs that are effectively addressing the age old problem of obesity. By merging all-inclusive strategies and common sense, Michelle Obama is helping to raise future healthy children. Obesity is a condition where the body has excess fat. It is represented in terms of body mass index [BMI] (Chung et al. 2008). Grown-ups whose BMI is between 25 and 29 are regarded as unhealthy. Individuals whose ratio goes beyond 30 are regarded as obese (Nestle 2010).Advertising Looking for report on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In children, BMI varies with gender and age. Children with a BMI greater than 95 percentile on the sex-and-age growth chart are regarded as obese. The condition increases the risk of contracting diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and heart conditions (Chung et al. 2008). Children with obesity tend to develop into obese adults. Pregnant women who use tobacco products or who are overweight are likely to give birth to obese children (Nestle 2010). In addition, women who are diabetic are at risk of giving birth to obese children. Let’s Move initiative recognises that no single action can reverse childhood obesity. The initiative ad opts some important approaches, which include improving eating habits and increasing physical activities among children. It also advocates for control of tobacco consumption. The initiative identifies material incentives as major risk factors that contribute to obesity. Some of these incentives include the cost of food and social norms. Others include nutritional and physical activities among peers and family members. The surrounding environment, such as availability of playground or fast food stores, is another contributing factor (Chung et al. 2008). The program advocates for the provision of information to parents and caregivers to help them provide nutritious foods to children. Let’s Move advocates for the elimination of â€Å"food and play ground deserts† (Chung et al. 2008, p. 34). The First Lady’s initiative advocates for more opportunities to engage children in physical activity. One of the findings made in the program is that physically active children have improved motor skills. Such skills are necessary for children to attain developmental milestones (Nestle 2010). Michelle Obama’s initiative targets the participation of every person in the society. Parents, healthcare personnel, government officials, and caregivers participate in the initiative. States have formulated policies regarding activity and provider training. Portable and fixed play equipments are a common sight in schools. The program has influenced the amount of physical activity children engage in while in school (Nestle 2010). Research by Nestle (2010) shows that public programs like Lets Move greatly improve the nutritional value of the food given to children. Children in early childhood care centre are also healthier. Pupils under the Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) eat healthier food compared to those who bring meals to school. Let’s Move program has taken the lead in providing healthier foods and implementing evidence-based activities. The activit ies promote healthy eating and encourage â€Å"developmentally-appropriate† physical activities (Chung et al. 2008, p. 23).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Important Initiatives in the Promotion of Public Health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As ambitious as it looks, Let’s Move has not performed very well. The number of children meeting the guidelines for physical activity is not clear. Surveys show that only high school students follow the physical activity guidelines. Another setback is the recommendation by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Children under two years are not allowed to view television. In addition, those over two years must limit their television exposure to two hours (Wisdom et al. 2010). However, in spite of this initiative, 44% of children below two years watch television daily (Wisdom et al. 2010, p. 12). The negative impacts that obesity has on public health and the econo my justify Let’s Move initiative by Michelle Obama. Research findings show that obesity affects the lifestyle of a given population. Let’s Move is a successful public health initiative. Its ability to institute various programs and attract the support of players from different sectors of the community is laudable. Living Longer Living Better Initiative The gradual increase of the ageing population in Australia is a phenomenon that has greatly affected social balance. The scenario demands for shift in society’s beliefs about the old people (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012a). Man has fought so hard over the centuries to increase his life span. Australians are now enjoying an extended period of healthy existence (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009). Older people in Australians still have the energy, knowledge, insight, and experience to contribute to the development of the country. Their contribution in the fields of business, education, and communal partici pation is of great importance to the entire country. Their contribution calls for creative ways of encouraging and supporting them. Old age does not diminish dreams and aspirations (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b). The government has found it necessary to initiate programs that take care of the changing needs of the ageing population. Such initiatives include the Living Longer Living Better program (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009). Living Longer Living Better is an amalgamation of different packages that help improve the living standards of the older generation. In this program, the government aims to build â€Å"nationally consistent aged care programs† (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012c, par. 16). The initiative has provided a total of four billion dollars over the last five years (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012d).Advertising Looking for report on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Out of the total allocation, 995 million dollars was set aside to help the aged to stay at home. The money was used to finance the acquisition of new homecare packages. The initiative regulates arrangements for home care packages for the aged (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009). Another allocation includes the 54 million dollars set aside to help support the aged in their careers (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012c). Seven hundred million dollars was used to deliver better housing facilities for the aged population in the country. 1.2 billion dollars was used to support the working class among the old age population. The remaining part of the allocation went to consumer support and research. The aim was to empower the aged through advocacy and networking. The project has improved the living standards of the older population in Australia. It is a public health initiative since it addresses both psychological and sociological needs. The initiative has direct impacts on the healt h status of an individual. Majority of senior citizens in the country prefer to spend their last days at home. By 2015, the initiative aims to introduce a number of programs with the help of government. One of them is the Commonwealth Home Support Program (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012d). One of the demerits of the Living Longer Living Better initiative is high taxation rate on the entire population. Current exemptions with regards to accommodation payments among the aged are a burden to the tax payers. In conclusion, Living Longer Living Better initiative has shown that old age programs are critical in tackling health issues that are important and sensible to the aged. The initiative focuses more on the health of the aged, largely because of the high mortality rate among the group and huge medical bills incurred by them (Kumanan Keelan 2009). The welfare of the aged has improved greatly in the last twenty years as a result of the initiative. Headspace Initiative in Australi a Headspace is an initiative of the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. It was launched in 2006 (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing [AGDHA] 2007). It is part of the Australian government’s obligation to the Youth Mental Health Initiative (AGDHA 2007). The main aim of the initiative is to promote and expand access to mental health services. It also aims at improving social and economic security among the youth. The initiative targets those aged between 12 and 25 (Hardey 2008). Headspace provides holistic services via Communities of Youth Services [CYS] (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006). It creates community awareness as far as young people suffering from mental complications are concerned (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006). One of the components of the initiative that helps it achieve its mandate includes the Headspace National Office (HNO). It is a research and information dissemination arm of the organisation. An independent evaluation of Hea dspace was conducted in 2008 by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC). The centre rated the program positively. A longitudinal evaluation, which included a mixed methods research, was conducted. The evaluation made use of qualitative and quantitative data from different sources. Headspace has continued to provide mental health services to young people in the country. Some of the positive impacts of the program include improved governance of clinical services to the youth. It has come up with effective mental health policies and procedures (BeyondBlue 2006, par. 4). To ensure that the program achieves the envisaged objectives, those tasked with the responsibility of implementing the Headspace initiative have come up with a number of strategies (Wisdom et al. 2010). The program has come up with campaigns aimed at increasing community awareness. The management has also introduced youth-friendly services and centres accessible to the youth. The initiative has increased the number of young people seeking and accessing mental health services in the country. Current research shows that the program has provided services to more than fourteen thousand young people. An evaluation of Headspace program unearthed some limitations and recommended that the period of setting up centres be increased to twelve months. The duration would allow enough time to recruit qualified members of staff, as well as refine policies and procedures (BeyondBlue 2006). Another limitation identified involves the number of times that one can access psychiatric services. Psychiatric services should be increased to improve the mental health of young people in Australia. It is evident that Headspace has managed to achieve its objectives of addressing the mental health issues among the youth. The initiation of similar programs will go a long way in improving mental health among the Australian population. References Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006, Mental health in Australia: a snapshot, 2004- 05, abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/mf/4824.0.55.001. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, Survey of disability, ageing and carers, Australia 2009, http://carersaustralia.com.au/storage/Economic-Value-Informal-Care-Oct-2010.pdf. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012a, Caring for children: gender indicators, Australia, abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/Lookup/by+Subject/4125.0~Jan+2012~Main+Features~Caring+for+children~4120. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b, Labour force status by sex 15-64 years, abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[emailprotected]/DetailsPage/6202.0Jun%202012. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012c, Labour force status aged 15 years and over, abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[emailprotected]/DetailsPage543/6202.0Jun%202012?. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012d, Caring in the community, Australia, abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/cat/4436.0. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing 2007, National mental health report 2007, Sidney, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Batan, M, Li, R, Scanlon, K 2010. Is child care providers’ support for breastfeeding associated with breastfeeding duration?, American Public Health Association, New York. BeyondBlue 2006, BeyondBlue: about us, beyondblue.org.au/about-us. Chung, M, Raman, G, Trikalinos, T, Lau, J, Ip, S 2008, ‘Interventions in primary care to promote breastfeeding: an evidence review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’, Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 149 no. 8, pp. 565-82. Garrett, L 2007, ‘The challenge of global health’, Foreign Affairs, vol. 86 no. 1, pp. 14-38. Hardey, M 2008, ‘Public health and Web 2.0’, Perspectives in Public Health, vol. 128 no. 4, pp. 181-189. Kumanan, W Keelan, J 2009, ‘Coping with public health 2.0’, Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 180 no. 10, p. 1080. Nestle, M 2010, Health care reform in action: calorie labelling goes national, NEJM.org. Wisdom, J, Downs, J, Loewen stein, G 2010, ‘Promoting healthy choices: information versus convenience’, Applied Economics, vol. 2, pp. 164–178.

Improve your energy levels to work your best

Improve your energy levels to work your best The grind of wake-work-sleep-repeat five times a week is enough to make anyone tired. Fold in family obligations, housework, and, you know, the occasional night out of fun, and it’s no wonder that most of us are exhausted by 2 p.m. every day. If you want to feel better so you can work better, you don’t have to make huge life changes in order to see results. Start small with the following tips and fold them into your life  bit by bit. If you’re diligent about changing your ways, your physical and mental energy are sure to see a boost.Eat good, whole foods.Whole grains, protein, and fruit are great ways to keep your brain and body going, even if you’re not feeling at your perkiest. Try oatmeal with a banana or berries and a sprinkling of nuts for breakfast instead of that muffin or bagel. (Keep a canister at work.) Store healthy snacks in your desk or in the common fridge so you have good options when you’re flagging and need an energy or blood suga r boost- try almonds, or carrots and hummus, or plain popcorn. If you’re prepared when hunger strikes, you won’t go searching for the first vending machine you can find. And don’t forget to hydrate! Keep a refillable bottle by your desk to fill with water and mug for green tea, which is less dehydrating and much healthier than coffee.Get enough sleep.â€Å"Enough sleep† will differ from person to person. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours. Of course, this is just an average, and you know your body best. For you, a restful sleep might mean 8 hours, or it might mean 5. If you’re exhausted every day, chances are you need to increase your sleep time. Try adding 30 minutes every day and taking note of how you feel the next work day. Once you start to feel more rested, you likely have found a sweet spot.The issue for most working adults is finding the time at the end of the day to wind down and actually fall asleep at a rea sonable hour. If you establish a bedtime routine and turn off electronics in the hour leading up to your bedtime, sleep will come easier to you. Adding in exercise a few days a week can only help. Finally, it’s not the best idea to consume caffeine after lunch, so watch your coffee and soda consumption.Move around.If you’re drooping mid-day, move your body to wake it up. Are you able to get out for a lunch break? If so, take advantage- even a 20 minute daily walk in fresh air will do wonders for your energy levels and your morale. Can you make it to the gym, do a quick workout video, or go for a jog at least 3 times a week? Even better. If you just don’t have the time, take 15 minutes at home (in front of the T.V. will do!) to stretch your body every night. Anything to get the blood moving will make you feel and perform better at work.Check your vices.Smoking and drinking alcohol might feel like crutches that you desperately need to keep functioning, but both ca n have an adverse affect on both your energy and your health. If you don’t want to cut them out, at least aim to cut back.Make a workday soundtrack.This one is fun: If you’re allowed to play music out loud or listen to headphones while you work, take advantage. Every night, take a few minutes to create a playlist of tunes that will keep you motivated throughout the next day. It’s harder to doze off when you’re (silently) singing along to your favorites. When a long day stretches ahead of you, a curated music list is a small pleasure you can anticipate.

Content Calendar for Breath Mat Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Content Calendar for Breath Mat - Assignment Example Make the content of the product pages more detailed with information about features and unique quality of the product including the advantages. Ensure the product appears in many different images, allowing the customer to easily view every aspect of the product satisfactorily. Update constantly the site’s content. Create a simple to understand, but detailed information about shopping, returns, shipping, etc. Also includes the use of sounds on videos on the site and create content that builds more trust in the company in terms of helping the customer. Ensure that the images can be viewed from different angles with minimal clicks as possible to enhance the efficiency of the website.[Appendix 1-3] Improved the web-site’s layout and design by making it more appealing and friendly by using impressionable colors such as cream and light blue. Layout the website in a very organized manner such that user’s don’t have to necessarily use the search function to look up anything-though it allows users to look up anything.[Appendix 2-2] Create a simple to use website allowing customers to easily interact and locate the right page or the site of interest. In addition, have an optimal search function for complex searches. Also creating simple headings Use product differentiators such as colors and headings for better emphasis thus consolidating the brand image and the company’s uniqueness, Organize fonts and sub-titles in a simple yet elegant manner by employing bright and impressive color scheme e.g. maroon tiles with black. Breath mat is a product that allows yogis to focus on their practice without having to suffer the distractions of sticky mat and towel. Because the Breath mat for Bikram yoga offers the solution to sticky mats and towels that can’t adequately absorb sweat and pool liquid on the floor beside bunching-up during postures and be uncomfortable to lie on.

Teenagers and pregnancy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Teenagers and pregnancy - Research Paper Example As one of Faulkner’s most highly regarded works, the novel has the ability to incite an understanding in the reader’s mind that goes beyond the existence of our lives at face-value; it questions one’s thoughts, ideas, beliefs, values and perception even to the brink of questioning the meaning of existence. Unlike other literary pieces penned down by Faulker, As I Lay Dying is not an abstract or complex plot, which suggests the author’s creation of mind during the writing process. Cited time and time again by literature instructors and students worldwide is the one famous fact associated with the novel which also provides an ample insight into the author’s imagination – the novel took only six weeks to complete and William Faulker did not even change one single word of the manuscript upon completion. The author famously talked about how he felt completely in control of Bundrens’ lives when he penned down every agony that they were to su ffer, the novel is one-of-kind in the sense that it is one of those rare, magical and incredible instances when one experiences those rare bouts that mislead person to believe that they are masters of their own destiny, thankfully for Faulkner, this period of intense activity was translated into a prolific and fine literary specimen. Quite straightforward however, and rightfully so, As I Lay Dying is also a journey as much as it is an awakening, the journey that leads to the family’s arrival Jefferson and the burial of Addie Bundren’s body. Analyzing as to why Faulkner preferred to select breaking down his novel into fifty-nine monologues each spoken by one of the fifteen characters of the novel can be best described as an experiment in literary technique, which to put it in modest terms proved to be quite successful. Faulkner never seeks precedence of one theme or genre throughout the novel as he always has something surprising to give, which further cements the idea that the creation of the author’s mind during the process of the development of his work was clear-cut, Faulkner never seems to get lost in the premise that this story is actually the account of the deliverance of a man’s promise to his dying wife. The forty mile journey to Jefferson is a mixture of absurdity, comedy and drama with hints of a grotesque and determined effort to make Addie’s last wish come true. The family’s capricious pursuit is augmented to the nearness of a laborious ordeal with the wide character map that the author has given birth to. More than their desire to focus on the task at hand; which is the sole purpose for the trip to the town of Jefferson, each character has its own whims and yearnings (Faulkner, Random House, 1999). In the dazing context of events, Dewey Dell, the only daughter of the family has a very inconvenient issue at an inopportune time; she is seventeen, unmarried and pregnant. The purpose of this paper is to critic ally analyze and understand the psychology of the author and the creation of his mind, while understanding how Faulkner sheds light

Dove Marketing Analysis Essay Example for Free

Dove Marketing Analysis Essay Imagine you have oversight of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. Are you comfortable with what is going on? Is this a brand that is out of control with its promotional messages? Dove released its first advertising on 1957, in which Dove called its product as cleaning cream instead of soap. After that, Dove launched some advertising to emphasized on its functional feature. In 2000, Dove became a Masterbrand of Unilever. In other words, it had to establish a meaning for Dove that could apply to and extend over the entire stable of products. In order to stand for a point of view, The Campaign for Real Beauty began to process. Then campaign focus on the self-esteem and confidence instead of appearances, it still could be include into female field. Just from external to inner, So Dove is not out of control with its promotional message. In my opinion, I am comfortable with Dove’s campaign due to the following reasons. First, Dove more concerned about women’s feeling and inner spirit. When the advertising plays too many shots on the beauty of girls, sometimes, the values and aesthetic of the society will be influence. Women and teenager girls would pay more money and time to fit their body. Therefore, Dove’s advertising will not add this misleading. Second, Dove choose YouTube and Blog as the major platform, it is a wise and trendy choice. Internet plays more and more important role in the modern life, especially the raise of the social networking. In the future, Dove has more opportunities to attract public and ahead of other companies. Third, Dove always guarantees the quality of ads. Their advertising is not a simple product promotion, but some interesting story and conversation. The products of Dove even do not need to be photographed. The consumers will remember such high-quality ad and are willing to share with others. Moreover, Dove’s Real Beauty campaign built a buzz and was widely exposed. People actively discussed the campaign through Internet and TV shows, even famous celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Jay Leno talked about it in their TV shows. Though there were many parodies in the Internet, they were funny and generated more attentions on the brand. Last but not least, the campaign was contributed to the brand’s business growth and values. In 2006, Landor Associates identified Dove was one of the 10 brands with the greatest ercentage gain in brand health and business values. 2. Is Dove’s attempt to engender social engagement through its promotional campaigns too risky an endeavor given its lack of control over consumer parody and accusations of trying to sell under the pretense of contributing to the social good? In the business, every decision faced the profit and risk. Generally, th e greater the risks result in the greater rewards. The risks are as follow: Through the investigation, Dove found out that many women had discontent with the young, white blonde and thin models, because they could not attain that standard. Dove started the advertisement Campaign for Real Beauty, underlining their products will feel better, while other company always publicize look beautiful in the commercial. The risk is that whether or not the consumers understand and accept that change. On next stage, Dove was a very controversial event. Billboards were erected to vote on whether a woman on the billboard was outsized or outstanding. A counter showed the result. As a beauty brand, this campaign will attract public attention; simultaneously will challenge the brand cognitive. Whats more, Dove broke the traditional rule in the company and go forward without paid media at all. YouTube become the most important platform instead of television. When Dove made this decision, the risk is that maybe they will lose some traditional and classical consumers. Facing the negative responses, Dove did not ignore them, but positive embrace them. The company list both view in other medias and allow public to discuss these. They also sent interactive packages to media outlets to help spur the debate. Finally, Unilever established the global Dove Self-Esteem Fund to raise the self-esteem of girls and young women. Such activities give a support to the Real Beauty. Doves public relations channel strategy was to generate broad awareness for The Campaign for Real Beauty and establish an emotional connection with women. Therefore, a political figure or a major news organization or even a film is not as influence as an open dialogue. 3. After reviewing the blogs, what do the various discussions contribute to the meaning of the brand? There are mainly two opinions exists among the blogs. The supporters considered Dove’s Real Beauty campaign was an emotional touch from Dove to consumer. They thought the campaign has shed light on some important truths about the media’s unrealistic portrayals of women, and it’s important and necessary to send a health beauty message to the society. However, the criticisms thought that Dove is hypocritical and the campaign is just aimed to sell more products and gain more profits. The reason they thought Dove is hypocritical is because Dove comes from Unilever, which promotion young, thin and sexy woman in the Axe’s advertisements. They also criticized Dove’s advertisements had many untruthful details and inconsistent. What’s more, they thought the campaign has no major aspirational values attached to the product and was undermining the aspiration of consumers. Regardless of these different opinions towards the Real Beauty campaign, Dove’s brand name has successfully gone viral and drew a lot of attentions worldwide. People were spreading quickly the message of â€Å"Real Beauty† and they still continuously discuss it nowadays. This kind of exposure has extraordinary impact of Dove’s brand awareness and popularity. Therefore, it contributed to the brand’s long-term value and equity. Though there were many parodies exits in the Internet, for ordinary consumers, they might just remember how funny and interesting the parodies were, as well as the appealing â€Å"real beauty† messages that Dove tried to spread. It was a risk strategy for Dove, but as long as Dove manages its public relations and other advertisements carefully, consumers would still like Dove’s affordable good-quality products. The increasing sales growth of Dove could be a strong argument for it. Moreover, I think Dove was trying to be an inspirational brand to inspire positive self image among women. It successfully differentiated itself to other competitors. The Dove Self-Esteem Fund program was a plus to win over customers’ hearts. 4. Describe Dove’s brand management organization and the reason for it. Do you see any problems or issues that will result with this split-responsibility setup? In 2000, Dove was selected to be a Masterbrand and lent its name to Unilever entries in personal care categories. There are two split-responsibility groups in Dove’s brand management organization: Brand Development and Brand Building. Brand Development group charged with development of the brand, took responsibility for developing the idea behind the brand, developed the brand plan. It was accountable for medium-to long-term market share, for brand health, for measures of innovativeness, and for creating value in the category. It was centralized and global in scope. The other group Brand Building charged with building the brand in specific markets and was decentralized according to the major geographic regions in which Unilever operated. It was accountable for growth, profit, cash flow, and short-term market share. It managed public relations and informal communication. The pros of this split-responsibly setup brand management system are that the advertising messages could be more tailored to different markets. However, the problem might result with this split-responsibly system is the inconsistent management of the brand image. It’s a challenge for the two groups to balance between short-term values and long-term values for the brand. For example, the Brand Building group might develop an aggressive public relations strategy to generate attention in order to gain short-term market share, which might not be a smart move to build the brand’s long-term value and gain long-term market share.

Critiquing and Repairing Free Trade under NAFTA :: Global Political Politics Essays

Critiquing and Repairing Free Trade under NAFTA On January 1, 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the free trade policy linking the economies of Canada, the United States, and Mexico was officially implemented. Over the past decade, the policy has evoked a firestorm of debate involving neoliberal advocates, mercantilist critics, and radical critics, all of whom analyze and critique NAFTA in an effort to determine the success of free trade. Since NAFTA policies are evaluated by political economists with differing ideologies, the success of NAFTA’s first decade remains in question. After a decade, which economists herald NAFTA as a success and who disregards it as a failure? Which set of economic and political standards should be used to evaluate free trade? And ultimately, what policies should be implemeted in NAFTA’s second decade? Since there is little agreement on the future of NAFTA, it is wise to look to the past if we are to determine where the future may lead. By understanding the conflicting arguments inherent in debate on free trade, then perhaps we can better establish priorities and suggestions for policy reform in NAFTA’s second decade. Essentially, all disagreements in political economics stem from three theoretical perspectives: neoliberalsim, mercantilism, and radicalism. The three theories emphasize divergent characteristics associated with economic vitality: neoliberals emphasize market efficiency, mercantilists defend state sovereignty, and radicals value social justice. History has taught us that these theories regularly contradict each other and ultimately result in policy conflicts evidenced by countless case studies. Free trade and economic growth is a pressing concern for political economists, suggesting that little common ground can be found among the three theories. The first of the three political economy scholars are neoliberals, who reject government intervention in the economy through protectionist policies such as tariffs, subsidies, and quotas; rather, their focus is on overall economic growth as evidenced by increases in gross domestic product. Neoliberal advocates expected NAFTA to produce an increase in exports of goods and services, create additional jobs, expand foreign investment, and spur overall economic growth. These four expectations of free trade policy serve as a means of evaluation for neoliberals. Neoliberal standards of success are easy to understand: if NAFTA has produced more goods, jobs, investment, and overall profits, then NAFTA should be heralded as a success.

The Pattern Of Development In The First Three Years Of Life

From birth to the age of 3 children progress greatly, considering they are born with only simple reflexes and are helpless and dependent on adults to feed and care for them. At birth babies are born with many actions that are done without thinking, these are called reflexes, and many of these reflexes are carried out in order to survive. To ensure a baby can feed they have a swallowing and sucking reflex. To help a baby find food they move their head to look for a nipple or teat if their cheek or mouth is touched this is called rooting.Babies have a grasping reflex by where they will automatically grab whatever is placed in their hand if it touches their palm. If there is a loud sound or bright light babies will perform their startle reflex, they will raise their arms and clench their fists. If a baby is held with their feet touching a hard surface they will perform the walking and standing reflex by making stepping movements. At 1 month babies change a great deal, they begin to sett le into a pattern and still sleep a lot of the time but they will gradually begin to stay awake for longer periods.They cry to communicate their needs and may vary their cry dependant on a particular need. At this age babies are also learning about their parents or carers and may stop when they hear their voice, they coo when they are content. They can focus at a distance of around 20 -30 cm but try to focus on the face of who is holding them. While asleep they smile fleetingly, this is usually done when they are content. At 3 months they have grown a lot in both height and weight. Some babies may now know the difference between day and night and are able to sleep through the night.They are now able to lift and turn their head and begin to notice mobiles and other objects that are around them. They are now more alert and sleep less during the day. They now know their parents voice and smile quite a lot, especially when they see a smiling face. At 6 months babies have learnt many new skills. They are very alert and will move their head to see what is happening around them. When playing with their parent or carer they will smile and squeal to express their enjoyment. They can now focus on objects and toys and explore them by using their mouth and fingers.Babies start to show that they understand a little of what is been said to them and lift arms to show that they want to be picked up. They are beginning to try and feed themselves by grabbing the spoon and should be enjoying their food. Teeth are now beginning to come through which can be painful at times. By this age babies are getting stronger and should be able to sit with support and should be able to roll over form their back to their fronts. They should now be settled into a routine and will nap and play throughout the day.At 9 months babies should now be crawling or finding other ways of getting around, they will sit and spend a lot of time playing and exploring their surroundings, babies can now pick up and handle things and begin to feed using their fingers. Their language should now be developing; their babbling is now more tuneful and long strings of sounds are put together. They can now understand some simple words such as drink or bath and may get excited when they hear them. At around 8 months they may cry when they are left with a stranger and will try their hardest to be with their parents.Around this age babies will now understand that objects and people around them do not disappear but continue to exist when they can no longer see them. This development is important and explains why at around his age babies protest and become distressed about their parents leaving the room, as they now know they are still around and are desperate to be with them, unlike before when they thought they disappeared once out of sight. At 1 year babies have developed a great deal and are now mobile, if they are not already walking they may be on the verge of learning to walk.They can stand hold ing onto furniture and may walk holding onto things around them. They can now crawl very fast and their eyesight has developed to that of an adult. Objects can now be held, touched and moved, they enjoy putting things in and out of containers as well as dropping things to see what happens to them, they will enjoy doing things like this over and over again. By now babies should be able to sit unsupported and should be able to feed themselves with their fingers and should now know what foods they like and dislike so will only eat what they like.Babies now understand more of what is being said to them and long strings of babbling is still how babies of this age communicate but now they are beginning to try and say their first words. At 18 months they can now walk and are usually referred to as a toddler, they enjoy playing with adults but are still fascinated by other children, they take an interest in what older siblings are doing too. At this age they begin to want some independence, they start to develop a mind of their own , they cry and have temper tantrums if they cannot have their own way or what they want.They may now be able to use a few words but can understand most of what adults say to them, but this does not mean that they understand the meaning of sharing and how to wait for things. Toddlers can change their mood very quickly and fidgety, which can be tiring for parents, they get upset if they are left in unfamiliar surroundings or with people they don’t know. At 2 years toddlers are now showing their individuality, they know what they want and what they want to do.They can now walk confidently as well as run and climb, they are able to pick things up. They like to be independent and get annoyed or frustrated if they cannot or are not allowed to do things for themselves, these outbursts are known as the terrible twos. They can now say around 200 words and are beginning to enjoy pretend play such as giving a teddy a pretend drink, they will pl ay with building blocks and simple jigsaw puzzles. At 2Â ½ years children are still happy to be independent and still find it hard to wait for things.Their communication skills are improving greatly and they can now put two words together, such as daddy gone, they may even manage short sentences. Their physical development is progressing and they are now determined to get things they want which could mean they put themselves in dangerous situations, such as climbing on chairs or standing on tables. They now begin to play more with other children rather than just alongside them. Pretend play and small world toys are now popular, as well as riding tricycles and climbing frames.Adult attention is still important and still enjoys cuddles and helping an adult, such as throwing paper in the rubbish bin. Been away from parents is still upsetting, unless they know who they are going to be with. At this age potty training may begin and may only take a few days to be out of nappies during th e day, for some children. At 3 years children are making a big jump in development which is linked to their language skills, instead of them showing that they are upset they are able to tell us and temper tantrums begin to happen less often.They begin to understand more of what is happening around them and understand the needs of others. They are now able to play with other children and are able to share toys with ease, other children begin to be important to them and will look forward to going to nursery. Children of this age are now generally happy to be away from parents as they now understand that they will return and are able to talk to staff who are looking after them.