Argentine Market Essay Example for Free

Argentine Market Essay The current status of the Argentine Market has remained open to foreign investments. The Argentine market offers a wide array of opportunities which serve as a great factor for attracting American and other foreign investors to invest (â€Å"Argentina,† 2007). To invest in the Argentine market, foreign business entities must always be keen the position held by Argentine economists and business people in entering into partnerships with foreign corporations. The government of Argentina, along with the local business entities within the country, has always been protective of the economic status of the Argentine market. As such, in order to enter the Argentine market and to be able to convince local business entities in forging business partnerships, foreign corporations must realize the need to stress the advantage which can be gained by local Argentine corporations. One of the most important concerns that are to be taken into account is the Argentine government’s policies for protecting its economy. Over the past years, the government of Argentina has worked hard enough to ensure the stability of the Argentine peso as against the United States currency. This move was made to protect local corporations against hyperinflation. In addition to this, the government has also adopted an intensive market-based policies which opened its economy towards a more comprehensive and competitive market (â€Å"Argentina,† 2007). On the other hand, aside from economic concerns, foreign business entities must also become aware of the cultural and social aspects that are inherent to the Argentine market. In order to successfully penetrate the Argentine market, local producers and consumers as the primary actors in the economy must be regarded with great importance in making deals in the Argentine market. A brief example of taking into consideration the social and cultural aspects of the Argentine market is the strategy employed by Walt Disney in venturing in the Latin American market. In entering the Latin American market, the Walt Disney Company penetrated the Latin American audience by understanding the people through their culture. As such, Disney produced stories and movies that are relevant to the Latin American culture and those which reflected the lives of the Latin American people (â€Å"Disney Latin America,† n. d). In general, to be able to capture the consumers in the Argentine market, it is important for foreign business enterprises to forge contacts with local entrepreneurs which can briefly guide foreigners in handling local issues and to be able to know the relevant details necessary to understand the culture and needs of the local consumers in Argentina. 2. Identify two of Argentina’s most successful companies and provide an explanation for their successes. Compare and contrast the strategies of those two organizations (and with a US company if you wish). Two of the most prominent and successful companies in Argentina are Razzani – Vera S. A and the Comidas Gaucho. Both companies are locally owned and operated and at the same time, both were able to sustain the growth of the company with very minimal help from foreign entities until such a given time. Razzani – Vera S. A was an Argentine company founded in 1952 by an Italian immigrant, initially as a supplier of candies and cigarette product into â€Å"kiosks. † After several years of operation, the company consistently grew and the need for reinvestment and expansion became more attainable. Since the inception of the company in 1952, the owners and partners of Razzani – Vera S. A operated independently. Instead of accepting assistance from banks and other companies which viewed Razzani as potential clients and partners, Razzani stood independently, refusing offers for financial assistance. In 1994, under new management, Razzani remained to adhere to the company’s old policies thus avoiding incurring scarce debts. In this way, Razzani was able to successfully grow and maintain the business with a good credit reputation which allowed satisfactory collection for the company (â€Å"Razzani – Vera S. A,† n. d). However, in 1996 at the new changes in the company’s management, the new management resorted to more aggressive plan. In order to administer the new plans set forth by the new management and to fund technology investments, the company availed of mortgage loans from the United States (â€Å"Razzani – Vera S. A,† n. d). Alongside the growth of investments in the company, a deficit was also experienced by the new management. However, Razzani – Vera S. A was still able to cope with such difficulties and were able to procure an alternative solution to strengthen the company’s business. On the other hand, Comidas Gaucho is a local beef processor in Argentina. Comidas Gaucho operated the same way as the start of the Razzani – Vera S. A. Comidas Gaucho opted to run its business with the least intervention and aid possible from foreign entities. The company also showed its reluctance to let foreign enterprise penetrate their business by making ties and alliances. Gaucho’s decline in the offer by American company Great Plains Food as a business partner is an indication that Gaucho rather chose to operate independent from foreign firms (Rarick, n. d). Despite Comidas Gaucho’s refusal to make partnership with the American company Great Plains Food, nonetheless Gaucho was able to maintain the stability of its business by adhering to the old customs and policies that were inherent to the corporation. 3. What are the challenges facing private firms in Argentina? Are there any advantages for private firms in Argentina? What are the advantages/disadvantages for state-owned firms in Argentina? The Argentine market offers a vast set of opportunities both for foreign and local business enterprises. However, in order for foreign corporations to make successful business launch in Argentina, there are certain factors that should be given ample consideration by entrepreneurs. One of the most important things that foreign businessmen should do before investing in Argentina is to study the historical background of the Argentine government and market which is essential in determining matters that are crucial to the people in Argentina. One of the challenges that will be encountered by foreign investors wishing to enter the Argentine market is to penetrate the laws and policies set forth by the government. Dating back from the earlier years, the Argentine government has always been protective of its local economy (Di Tella and Vogel, 2004). Thus in order to penetrate the Argentine market, foreign investors must provide the government, local entrepreneurs and consumers opportunity for growth and a glance to the possible benefits that can be attained from foreign partnerships. In addition to Argentina’s political background, foreign investors must also be keen in understanding the culture innate with the people in Argentina. For investors to be able to gain the trust of the consumers, they must cope with the customs, beliefs and experiences that are of great importance to the people. Though these factors provide tough challenges for foreign investors, once the Argentine market is penetrated, there are numerous opportunities open to be tapped and developed that are beneficial not only to investors, but as well as the consumers. In Argentina, investors can penetrate various business aspects including franchising, security services, specialized services, legal services, transportation, aviation, education and training, engineering and architectural fields, finance, insurance, healthcare and the tourism services. Within these fields, there is a vast room for development which can greatly benefit consumers and local and foreign business entities. However, although foreign involvement in the Argentine business sector may be greatly advantageous to the country’s economy, state-owned business enterprises also hava advantages. State control over business corporations can standardize business process thus eliminating excessive competition among various privately owned business entities. This in turn may provide the people and the market with vast opportunity for improvement. However, on the disadvantage, in state-owned and controlled corporations, the state will shoulder the entire expenses needed to finance development and growth projects in order to maintain the stability of the company (Hill, 2007, p. 493). Failure to provide the financial needs of the company, the state may resort in acquiring debts from international organizations. And in such cases, the government may reach the point of dependency towards in international financial institutions, which in the long run may become detrimental to the growth of the company and the country as well. 4. What are the mechanisms for foreign investment in Argentina? Is there an ideal strategy for foreign investment there? During the past years, foreign investment has always remained open in Argentina. As such, the growth in Argentina’s Gross Domestic Product in the past years can be attributed to foreign investments made with the Argentine market. In the old Argentine decree governing the market and economic policies of Argentina, foreign investors have been made to enter the Argentine market freely with fewer restrictions imposed. In addition to this, foreign and local investors were provided with equal rights in establishing independent businesses and equal rights in the acquisition of new business enterprises (â€Å"Argentina,† 2007). However, changes in the policies implemented in Argentina provided more restrictions which resulted to a decrease in foreign investment. One of the changes enacted was in June 2003 when the government of Argentina passed a legislation which limited foreign business enterprises from owning â€Å"cultural goods. † These â€Å"cultural goods† included the media sector and Internet providers (â€Å"Argentina,† 2007). Nonetheless, despite these controls that were set by the government, deregulation in the economy and privatization boosted the foreign investment in Argentina (â€Å"Australia – Argentina Relations,† 2008). The vast richness of raw opportunities waiting to be tapped was the attraction of foreign entrepreneurs in investing in Argentina. The prospect of diversification lured most of investors to penetrate Latin American countries, Argentina in particular. In addition, market inefficiencies during past Argentine governments became an asset rather than a liability to the Argentine market. These market inefficiencies practiced by previous governments was seen as raw resources waiting to be tapped and developed (Deal and Rosso, 2001). Nearly during the last two decades, alongside the changes made by the government in Argentina’s trade and import policies, the Argentine market made a significant improvement in reducing economic barriers. New trade policies were able to decrease confusion for foreign investors, which resulted to an increase in foreign investments. In particular, during 2003 import exchange controls were abolished and restrictions on certain aspects of foreign trade were removed. Such actions helped in stabilizing the Argentine currency and kept it in pace with other foreign currencies (â€Å"Argentina: Foreign Trade Barriers,† 2004). However, there are no such things as â€Å"ideal† in foreign investment. To become successful in venturing in foreign investments, it is only essential to know the necessary details and the factors inherent within the local economic arena. It is important that both foreign and local business entities are adept in understanding market behavior and learn how to adopt in the society and culture of the consumers involved. 5. What challenges would Argentine firms likely face when attempting to build brands at home (or abroad)? What challenges will overseas firms face when trying to build brands for the Argentine market? In every business enterprise, there are different challenges that are inevitable to foreign and domestic business investors. In the international arena, the competition among different emerging markets is innate and necessary. In order to expand businesses and firms, tough competition must be faced and surpassed (Grosse, 2003, pp. 2-4). In a globalized competition, market expansion is always a step taken by emerging countries. However, success in expanding the market is dependent on certain factors. First, the type of industry that is pushed for expansion should be relevant and in demand for most countries. Second, the country itself is important in determining the success of market expansions. For example, more developed and powerful countries are more likely to succeed in expanding their market towards less developed countries compared to the possibility that smaller and less able countries will be successful in competitively expand their market towards other foreign territories. Third, the target market for expansion is also relevant in assessing the necessity for expansion (Grosse, 2003, p. 3). Argentina, being a rather less powerful country in the international arena is more likely to have difficulties in penetrating foreign markets. There are more technologically advanced service providers and producers that are more competitive than Argentina, coupled with the reality that politics is an integral factor in gaining an upper hand in the economic playing field. However, in terms of building branches locally, Argentina will relatively gain an advantage as compared to foreign investors entering the Argentine market. Given the distinct economic, political and social background of Argentina, local consumers will become rather more comfortable and enthusiastic to patronize the brands that they have been accustomed with. In addition, Argentine enterprises are more focused on retail sales and small to middle enterprises which people in Argentina can afford better. Thus, Argentine business enterprises can be more successful in building local branches rather than penetrating foreign markets. On the other hand, for foreign investors wishing to enter the Argentine market, same challenges will apply. The social and cultural background of the Argentinean consumers will serve as distinct barriers in entering the Argentine market. Although in the past years, foreign investments in Argentina have been successful, it will still be relatively harder for foreign entities to penetrate the Argentine market as long as there are still local small enterprises that can cater better to the needs of the local consumer more affordably. In addition, local enterprises can better cope to the cultural needs and preferences of local consumers. References Argentina. (2007). U. S Department of State. Retrieved August 27, 2008, from http://www. state. gov/e/eeb/ifd/2007/80675. htm Argentina: Foreign Trade Barriers. (2004). Office of the United States Trade Representative. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from ustr. gov/assets/ /2004_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file568_4735. pdf Australia – Argentina Relations. (2008). Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from http://www. dfat. gov. au/geo/argentina/argentina_country_brief. html Deal, M. and Rosso, C. (2001). Foreign Investment in Latin America Real Estate. (Diss. ) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Di Tella, R. and Vogel I. (2004). The Argentine Paradox, Economic Growth and the Populist Tradition. Harvard Business School. Disney Latin America. (n. d). Escuela de Direccion Negocios. Grosse, R. (2003). The Challenges of Globalization for Emerging Market Firms. Latin American Business Review. Vol 4 (4) 2003. Hill, C. W. L. (2007). International business (6th ed. ). New York

Controlled But Not Cured Chronic Diseases Nursing Essay

Controlled But Not Cured Chronic Diseases Nursing Essay The life of someone with a chronic medical condition is changed in many ways that a healthy individual cannot understand. There is remarkable impact to the social, recreational and occupational functioning of someone with chronic illness. Relationships are also often compromised and strained as the effects on the family can be as great, but different, than that of the person who is affected. The emotional toll on someone with the challenges of an ongoing illness can be overwhelming. Mood-related symptoms, anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, helplessness and hopelessness are emotions that all those with chronic illness will probably experience. One of the most common chronic illnesses is Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterised by high levels of glucose in the blood. This is also known as hyperglycaemia. This results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. (American Diabetes Association (ADA), Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus, 2003). There are several types of diabetes mellitus; they may differ in cause, clinical cause and treatment. The main classifications of diabetes are: Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, Gestational diabetes mellitus and Diabetes mellitus associated with other conditions or syndromes. This report is focused on Type 1 diabetes. The number of new cases of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus has increased significantly in recent years, particularly in younger children (Alderson et al. 2006). Type 1 diabetic patients are usually diagnosed before thirty years of age (CDC, Diabetes Surveillance, 1999) and in fact an alternative name is Juvenile diabetes. Approximately 5% to 10% of people with diabetes have Type 1 diabetes, in which the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells are destroyed by the auto immune process. Consequently they produce little or no insulin and therefore require insulin injections to control their blood glucose levels. The clinical manifestations of type 1 diabetes are immense. These include rapid weight loss, thirst and hunger, frequent urination, lethargy and maybe even diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) Smeltzer, S.C, (2004). If this chronic illness is not managed properly it can result in terrible consequences. These may include loss of eyesight and limbs, coma or even death. All of these complications can affect the persons personal, social, and work life. When diabetes is managed properly, complications like retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy can be prevented (Hernandez Williamson, 2004). This chronic disease has a huge impact on both the patient and the whole family. Parents are continuously concerned about their childs transition through adolescence and often consider this as a stressful period in their life. When individuals are still very young, and thus, depending on their parents or carers there will be a sense of attachment between the two. This situation creates further anxiousness since parents act in different roles simultaneously, the role of a mother or father and the one who pricks her child everyday to check blood glucose levels and administer insulin therapy by injections. Much of the spontaneity of everyday life disappears in a routine of set-meals, blood tests, injections and attention in trying to keep blood glucose levels within a target range. According to Silink (2002) diabetes never takes a holiday. There is no disease in medicine in which parents are asked to make so many daily decisions about a life-saving treatment such as administering of insulin which, in the wrong dose, could cause harm to their child. There is evidence that a grieving period is experienced not only by the child but also by the parents following the loss of their childs health and sometimes parents even blame themselves for their childs disease . At times parents feel helpless in front of the disease and unable to provide the necessary diabetes care for their child. Affected children try to live normal and want to be seen and treated as no-diabetics, even though they know that to cope with their illness, there are things that they have to do that their friends can do without. This situation has a significant impact on the individuals involved and it can lead to loss of confidence and social isolation. Persons having chronic illness are in a constant state of grieving aspects of themselves that they may not get back. According to Stanton, A.L. et. al (1994), coping with the effects of the chronic illness requires a constant reorganizing and redefinition of self based on the changed reality imposed by the illness. The emotions elicited by chronic illness resemble the five stages described by Elisabeth Kubler Ross (1969) as stages of grief. The five stages are Denial, Anger, Depression, Bargaining and Acceptance. In fact, the individuals feel sad over their lost health and all the ramifications of that loss. Kà ¼bler-Ross originally applied these stages to people suffering from terminal illness, later to any form of disastrous personal loss such as employment. This may also include important life events such as the death of a family member, divorce, drug addiction, the onset of a disease or chronic illness or others. Kà ¼bler-Ross claimed these steps do not come in the order noted above, nor are all steps experienced by all patients, though she stated that a person will always experience at least two. It is a fact that no one can ever be prepared for the despair and disruption that a chronic illness bring about. For some individuals, it creates an inner struggle around beliefs and faith.   The person may feel abandoned, angry and confused and start asking the why questions.   For other people, turning to spiritual practice, meditation or prayer can offer comfort.   One theoretical model that has dealt with how cognitive factors influence illness coping behaviours and its outcomes is the Common Sense Model (CSM) of illness representations proposed by Leventhal, Meyer and Nerenz (1980) (Leventhal et al.,1984). The common-sense model of self-regulation of health and illness was developed in the 1980s by Howard Leventhal and his colleagues    (Diefenbach Leventhal, 1996).  The theory has various titles such as the, Self Regulation Theory, Common Sense Model of Illness Representation or Leventhals Theory (Hale et al, 2007).   The key construct within the Common Sense Model is the idea of illness representations or lay beliefs about illness. These representations integrate with existing guidelines that people hold, enabling them to make sense of their symptoms and guide any coping actions. Leventhal et al (1997) describe five components of these illness representations: The first component is identity. This is the label or name given to the condition and the symptoms that appear to go with it, in this case Type 1 diabetes. When a person is diagnosed with a chronic illness, he experiences a health threat in his life. Type1 diabetes presents itself with different symptoms and these are both experienced as body symptoms and also at an abstract cognitive level. Information about diabetes is provided to the individuals in order to have a clear picture of their disease. Hence the more illness coherence the individual has, the more they are capable to deal with it and create their personal model (Hampson, S.E, 1990). For example, a patient in the study of Huston, S.A Houk, C.P. (2011) who was an adolescent with well-controlled disease, noted that T1D is hereditary à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [text omitted] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Its when your body attacks your pancreas and it stops producing insulin. You have to give yourself insulin to make your blood sugar level. In cont rast, patient 10, an adolescent with poorly controlled disease, reported that diabetes type 1 is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ ah, actually I really cant explain it. Time line is another domain of the Common Sense Model, this represents the duration of the illness which can be chronic, acute or cyclical. These beliefs will be re-evaluated as time progresses, and it has been suggested that Inside every chronic patient is an acute patient wondering what happened (Brown, F.M., 2002). The vast majority of patients understand their condition as a lifelong one, although sometimes the hope for a cure is mentioned. A few conflate cure with disease improvement or needing fewer treatments. Several timeline models have been put forward to depict the outcome of the interplay between the genetic and environmental factors. Chatenoud, L., Bluestone, J.A., 2007 argue that disease progression in T1D is not a linear process, but rather proceeds at variable pace in individual patients. For example in the study of Huston, S.A Houk, C.P (2011) a patient with good control of T1D, stated theres a honeymoon stage where you dont have it, like-it could go up from, like 2 days to a month, but à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I havent gone through that yet, and I think it can-it can go away. Personal control can also suffer an impact and since diabetes is a chronic disease there is the risk of poor adaption and lack of control. It is comprehensible that at this age children are difficult to control and can struggle with metabolic management at times. These representations will be based on information gathered from personal experience as well as the opinions and discourses of significant others, health professionals and media sources, reflecting issues such as stress, environmental pollution and other pathogens. Although Diabetic patients try to adhere to treatment and diet, they are also likely to cheat. Some of the patients sometimes are glad that their glucose level is low. They feel so not because of the good result but in order to take the opportunity and eat something sugary so that they have a decent blood glucose level. Treatment control represents the perception that following ones treatment is beneficial.. Managing this chronic illness is challenging. Parents of type 1 diabetic patients have to be strict in order that their children are compliant and empowered to control this disease. Although diabetic patients especially adults tend to be very compliant, those who still have high blood glucose results are then put back. They argue that although they are adherent and sacrifice themselves they still do not have the desired outcome. Consequences and emotional representations: the individual beliefs about the consequences of the condition and how this will impact on them physically, psychologically, financially and socially. These representations may only develop into more realistic beliefs over time. Some sort of consequences always exists when having a chronic illness. For example individuals who are diabetics are sometimes ashamed of telling their friends about their condition. Instead they make up excuses that they do not like sweets or they still get some and then they end up with hyperglycaemia. This shows that the individuals have not yet accepted their disease and are still denying the reality. Self-care activities are seen as a consequence by all diabetics, with specific activities varying by disease and age. Diabetic people describe their disease as serious or very serious, with death most frequently mentioned as the worst that could happen, followed by coma, eye sight problems, wounds or amputations re lated to Diabetes and hospitalization. Apart from all these some of the patients are always hiding that they have diabetes as for them it is a great loss in health which is eventually embarrassing. Financial problems and employment complications can be present as well (Marmot, M., Madge, N., 1987). This is probable due to a diminished level of independence which will effect mobility and reduce the working capacity in the advanced stage of the disease. Moreover, children will also fail to attend school due to frequent hospital visits or admissions, and perhaps sickness from secondary diseases caused by diabetes. Another model is the trajectory model which is a nursing model that mostly considers the situation of individuals with chronic diseases. It has been introduced by Juliet Corbin, a nurse and nursing scientist, and by the sociologist Anselm Strauss. This is also known as the Corbin-Strauss-Model and is recognised as a middlerange explanatory nursing theory (Corbin Straus, 1991). This model focuses on the concerned person having the chronic illness who requires support of the health care system during the process of coping with the illness. In terms of the Trajectory Model (TM), a faithful building of a relation between the caring nursing person and the patient should be affected. McCorkle Pasacreta, (2001) explains eight phases of chronic illness trajectory. The first phase is the Initial or pretrajectory phase, this takes place prior signs and symptoms are present whilst the Trajectory onset phase is when there are the first signs and symptoms and diagnosis takes place. The third phase is the crisis phase which takes place when serious situations occur. The acute phase is the stage where the symptoms are normally controlled by a prescribed regimen. The following phase stable phase is when the symptoms are under control and managed well. On the other hand the unstable phase takes place if the symptoms are not controlled with the prescribed management. The downward phase arises when there is development of mental and physical deterioration and the dying phase is the period before death approaches. This report provides recommendations to improve both the chronically ill individual and his relatives quality of life. The goal of these recommendations is to improve the health and hence become more compliant and adherent to treatment. However before blaming a person who is not very compliant, the health care team should assess the individual for any underlying problems which the patient might be facing. Recommendations Treatment adherence difficulties are common in individuals with diabetes, making glycaemic control difficult to attain. Since the risk of complications of diabetes can be reduced by proper adherence, patients who are not compliant should try and cope with some ideal recommendations for diabetes management. The concepts of compliance and adherence to treatment should be discussed and advices for improving adherence should be offered by adopting a more collaborative model of care emphasizing patient autonomy and choice. Ideally, prioritization and a realistic goal setting programme are discussed with both the patient and his carer to facilitate the implementation of self-management care. These targets should be selected on their importance, patient and carer motivation to succeed and the promptness of self-care. Bodenheimer et al. (2002) argues that selecting the wrong target or initiating too many changes at once can overwhelm the patient and lead to poor adherence. Nurses play a critical role in reducing diabetic difficulties through holistic care and education. The health care team can prevent such complications in patients by providing diabetes education especially to newly diagnosed patients. This can include creating a multidisciplinary diabetic control regimen by meeting patients regularly to check upon patients compliance. Through these interventions, nurses can greatly reduce diabetes complications in patients. When diabetes is not managed appropriately, it can put the individual at risk for long-term health and social problems. The role of the nurse in educating children and their families on the management of their care is imperative. Nurses can provide this information in a variety of settings, such as hospitals and schools. Good management of diabetes can be difficult for anyone, but there are special challenges when the effected person is a child. Youth with diabetes have a much higher rate of depression than the general population (Kanner, Hamrin, Grey, 2003). Young children may not understand why they need treatment and have their fingers pricked all the time. The teenagers are usually more interested in fitting in, and doing whatever their friends are doing at the time (Nabors, Troillett, Nash Masiulis, 2005). All of these challenges increase the need for good education to prevent diabetes related health problems. The average hospital stay for newly diagnosed child with diabetes is less than three days (Habich, 2006). This is barely enough time for the child, and his or her family, to learn the minimum skills needed to manage this disease at home. Some basic skills include how to check blood sugar level, what is the normal range, what to do if it is not within the normal range, and how to administer insulin. After being discharged from hospital most children spend a long time of their day at school where the school nurse will play a role in the management of their care. The nurses may also be the only ones at school with enough knowledge about diabetes to educate the students teachers and coaches about their disease. Educating the school staff is important because they need to watch the children for signs and symptoms of hypoglycaemia, such as nervousness, shaking, irritability, or blurred vision. They should also know how to check the childs blood sugar if they suspect it is low, and what to give them if it is. This happens especially if the child is still very young and is not yet compliant. When the child goes for a school activity, the teachers or those caring for the students should always have something sugary such as sweet drinks or sweets which can raise the childs glucose level quickly when necessary. Nurses are both educators and managers of care at schools. According to Brown, S.A (1999), physician encouragement can successfully assist patients change their behaviours. They may also organise support groups if more than one child is diabetic, so that the students can discuss among themselves some issues regarding their illness. The more children are educated about their own disease, the better the chance of it being managed properly. According to ADA 2005, it is important for physicians to provide patients with blood glucose goals. To achieve these goals, patients may need counselling on how to appropriately balance their caloric intake, physical activity, and insulin doses throughout the day. This balance requires patients to learn how food, physical activity, and insulin affect their blood glucose levels. Physicians may refer a patient to a certified diabetes educator at the time of diagnosis or if the patient is unable to meet his or her glycaemic goals. Diabetes self-management education is the essential foundation for the empowerment approach and is necessary for patients to effectively manage diabetes and make these decisions. Funnell, M.M. et al. (1991) state that the purpose of patient education within the empowerment philosophy is to help patients make decisions about their care and obtain clarity about their goals, values, and motivations. Patients need to learn about diabetes and how to safely care for it on a daily basis (Anderson, R.M, 1995). It is also essential to give information about various treatment options, the benefits and costs of each of these strategies, how to make changes in their behaviors, and how to solve problems (Arnold, M.S., 1995). In addition, patients need to understand their role as a decision-maker and how to assume responsibility for their care by means of giving appropriate information. The DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, 2001), demonstrated that tight control of blood glucose levels can cause weight gain and even obesity. Patients should be reminded that food portion control and lower caloric intake plus regular physical activity are critical to avoid weight gain. When dealing with diet, diabetic patients should only eat sweets in moderation. To slow the rapidly rising blood glucose levels caused by sweets, patients should eat them with other foods when possible and use rapid-acting insulin (ADA, 2005). Eating at bedtime and eating other snacks are largely needless to raise blood glucose levels if a patient uses insulin. On the other hand they may be necessary if the patients blood glucose level is low. If the patient is still dependant, parents should be aware of the products available on the markets which are good alternatives of the normal sugar-based ones. It is ideal that people should be encouraged to ask more about these foods and where they are available. In England, a structured educational programme (DAFNE) to help people with Type 1 Diabetes exists. This is called Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE). Making use of this programme persons learn how to regulate their insulin dosage to suit their free choice of food, rather than having to work their life around their insulin doses. Similar programmes will be precious for diabetic patients in Malta if they are implemented. The patient or physician should teach persons who have frequent contact with the patient about the symptoms of hypoglycaemia. They should be knowledgeable on how to treat the condition, how to overcome the patients occasional hypoglycaemia, and the importance of remaining calm during an episode. If the patient needs help, they should simply provide him or her with a source of sugar. Patients usually recover quickly and if not, additional sugar can be given. If extreme hypoglycaemia inhibits a patient from eating or drinking safely, a single injection of glucagon (1 mg intravenously or subcutaneously) usually will restore consciousness within few minutes. One should pay special attention when having excessive alcohol consumption. This increases the incidence of hypertension and stroke and inhibits the liver from releasing glucose, exacerbating hypoglycaemia. Patients should limit alcohol consumption to one to two drinks per day and focus on maintaining a normal blood glucose level when drinking alcohol (Whelton, P.K, 2002). Regular physical activity is especially important for patients with diabetes, because inactivity in these patients is associated with a two times higher risk of cardiovascular disease. According to Moy, C.S. et. al (1993), patients should exercise for thirty to sixty minutes daily at an intensity of at least a brisk walk. These people should be counselled on how to accommodate exercises effect on blood glucose levels. Physicians should tell patients that insulin is absorbed and peaks faster during exercise, especially when injected into the leg. Klonoff, D.C, (2005) recommends that patients should assess fingertip blood glucose levels at least three times daily and record the results whenever they notice that it is not within the normal range. In addition, patients should test their blood glucose levels before and after exercising, before driving, and when they are uncertain if their blood glucose is at an appropriate level. Bedtime testing is especially important because nocturnal symptoms may go unnoticed, causing severe hypoglycaemia. Patients should know how rapidly their insulins take effect, when they peak, and how long they are active. Each type of insulin has distinct advantages and disadvantages. People with diabetes have an increased risk of depression and anxiety, which may be why many diabetes specialists regularly include a social worker or psychologist as part of their diabetes care team. One important aspect of the experience of caring for a child with a chronic illness is social support. Social support can be positive when social interactions are advised and these can leave a fruitful impact on health and well-being. On the other hand, certain social contacts can be stressors rather than supportive. This may include creating uncertainty and worry, negative labelling, giving misleading information and creating dependence (Suls, 1982). There are support groups available both online and in person. Although support groups are not for everyone, they can be good sources of sharing of information. Group members often know about the latest treatments and tend to share their own experiences or helpful information. It is well understood that a supporting family background and a combination of medical professionals involving nutritional therapists, nurses, physiotherapists, education supervisors and the diabetic specialist, lead to the successful management of this increasingly common childhood illness. Patients with diabetes should be reassured that they can do almost anything those without diabetes can do as long as they maintain glucose control. Family doctors can significantly influence their patients outlooks on living with diabetes by educating them and encouraging them to take control of their health. The previous recommendations focus on the key educational messages that patients with diabetes need to know. Taking the time to explain these recommendations, instead of simply providing written materials is beneficial to patients. These discussions can increase patients satisfaction and understanding and benefit their future health. The major focus of Diabetes is the need for adhering to treatment. Also it is imperative that individuals follow the dietary requirements in order to help manage the disease and ensures that certain problems like hypo or hyperglycaemia attacks are minimal. Mancuso et al. (2003) emphasises that education of both children and parents is of extreme importance for understanding diabetes and all it is about and subsequently being successful in long term care. Following the previous recommendations ensures that individuals are empowered to improve and hence have the best quality of care possible.

Social Issues With Multiculturalism

Social Issues With Multiculturalism What are the main sociological issues raised by the idea of a multi-cultural society? ‘Multiculturalism is not about difference and identity per se but about those that are embedded in and sustained by culture’ (Parekh, 2000:2). Despite the fact that most countries today are culturally diverse, it would be impossible to discuss the main sociological issues raised by the idea of a multicultural society without explaining first, what is the meaning of culture itself? The most common definition of culture refers to a complex entity which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and habits acquired by members of a society. Claire Alexander sees culture as a set of traditions and beliefs linked to ethnicity and common origins which led to the realisation that culture is not a fixed set of beliefs, but it is made and unmade in daily life. (1996) The query of multiculturalism is not a recent topic for debate since it has been present in the political life of European countries since 1945, year that does not only mark the Second World War but also the beginning of an era of concerns and changes. The main issues raised by this matter refer to immigration, delegation of power and growing numbers of political refugees and asylum seekers. Yet, further problems emerge concerning collective and political rights, liberal ideas, identity, and individual freedom. (Rex, 2003) Furthermore, Kymlicka suggests that the diversity of cultures we are experiencing today has led to a conflict between majorities and minorities over matters such as language, autonomy, political representation, and national identity (1996). He also argues that this, mainly affects democracies: ‘attempts to create liberal democratic institutions are being undermined by violent nationalist conflicts; volatile disputes over the rights of immigrants, indigenous peoples, and other cultural minorities are throwing into question many of the assumptions which have governed political life for decades’ (1996: 2) Until recently, multiculturalism was seen by politicians and monarchs as a positive trait of modern and nation-states. However, this perception changed due to ethnic conflicts within nations such as the ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia or the riots in the United Kingdom between Asians and native British citizens. In the past few years, many philosophers and social scientists have taken an interest into the idea of cultural diversity and tried to define the image of a liberal society, answer the question whether individual rights should be expanded to groups and solve the problem of recognition which appeared it implied the denial of individual rights in the first place. (Rex, 2003) On this matter, Charles Taylor argues that in fact, recognition is an essential component of the concept of rights and individuals could be recognised as part of a group (1994). In order to expand his argument, he goes as far back as the collapse of social hierarchies and the ancient regime and states the common element that constitutes both a hierarchy and a democratic society. He claims that the ancient hierarchies were based on the notion of â€Å"honour† which even though it was a matter of choice, it defined the individuals of the society; the term we use today is â€Å"dignity†. On the other hand, Taylor states that recognition has acquired a different meaning with the new understanding of individual identity that emerged at the end of the eighteenth century. This new idea focused on the inner voice of the individual and on the concept of authenticity: ‘on the original view, the inner voice was important because it tells us what the right thing to do is; bei ng in touch with our moral feelings matter here, as a means to the end of acting rightly’ (1994:28) He also argues that identity is necessarily collective and that cultural rights cannot be enjoyed by individuals alone because they are collective by nature. However, Taylor’s position collides with the liberal tradition which is based on the idea of individual freedom and the neutrality. According to Henri Giordan, the pillar of the modern society is fighting for individual freedom rather than the traditional structures of societies. Thus, the progress of civilizations was reflected in the freedom of speech and press, liberty to gather political parties and vote, concepts which defined human rights that in Pareks` view: ‘represent a great historical achievement’ (2006: 17) Furthermore, he explains that: ‘for the first time in history (human rights) provide a universally accessible moral and political language in which to articulate our shared concerns and differences. In so doing it builds moral bonds between human beings in different parts of the world and helps create an awareness of our shared humanity.’ (2006:17) Nonetheless, Parekh suggests that human rights should follow three conditions: ‘firstly, they should be integrally related to and indispensable for a life of dignity; secondly, they should be universal or rather universalizable in the dual sense that all human beings are entitled to claim them and that this claim extends to all societies; thirdly, human rights should be widely accepted as such by a cross-cultural consensus.’ (2006:25) In order to sustain this point of view, Kymlicka states that minority rights are inseparable from human rights and mentions UNESCO: ‘the defence of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative inseparable from respect for human dignity. It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights belonging to minorities and those of indigenous peoples. Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and interdependent.’ (UNESCO, Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, 2001) However, the rise of democracy was brutally interrupted by the First and Second World War. National identity became a threat for ideologies such as fascism and Nazism which led to a tragic outcome (Kym1icka, 1992). Some minorities were exterminated, either by expulsion or by genocide while other minorities were assimilated and force to adopt the language, customs and religion of the majority group and were denied political rights. It became evident at the end of the Second World War that a different approach to minorities’ rights was necessary and attempts were made to redistribute collective rights to individuals rather than granting special rights to members of a group. (Kymlicka, 1996) Starting with the 1980s, a new dimension was given to minorities rights and Kymlicka suggests that ‘these changes have followed two tracks: there is one track for the specific case of â€Å"indigenous peoples†, and another track for â€Å"minorities† in general’ (2007:31) He goes on explaining that the rights that were exclusively given to indigenous peoples (the Indians and Inuit in Canada, Aboriginal in Australia, Indian tribes in the United States, the Maori of new Zealand) included land claims, language rights, customary law and representation in the central government: ‘this is a perception that is sometimes promoted by indigenous peoples themselves and their advocates, who assert that the status of indigenous peoples has nothing in common with the claims of â€Å"minorities†, and that the ideology of â€Å"indigenism† has no connection with more general theories of multiculturalism’ (2007: 34) The latter track that Kymlicka explains refers to the distinction between â€Å"historic minorities† (that were traditionally settled in the country and included groups that were considered â€Å"indigenous peoples† and long-standing â€Å"national minorities†: the Scots and Welsh of Britain, the Catalans and Basques in Spain, Puerto Rico in United States) and the â€Å"migrants† (2007). In what immigration is concerned, it appears that the countries with a high density of migrants (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States) have approached the problem of immigration through a process of assimilation with the hope that they will blend in with the native-born citizens. Solid evidence for the progress of minority rights was given by the European Union when they declared that the promotion of minority rights was the â€Å"ascension criteria† for the countries that wanted to join the Union (Kymlicka 2007) Another topic that Kymlicka approaches in his theory refers to the distinction and the connection between â€Å"collective rights† and â€Å"individual rights†. He begins by explaining that there are two meanings of â€Å"collective rights†: ‘collective rights could refer to the right of a group to limit the liberty of its own individual members in the name of group solidarity or cultural purity (â€Å"internal restrictions†); or it could refer to the right of a group to limit the economic or political power exercised by the larger society over the group, to ensure that the resources and institutions on which the minority depends are not vulnerable to majority decisions (â€Å"external protections†)’ (1996: 36) The internal restrictions imply intra-group relations- the group may use the state power to limit the liberty of its own members which raised the question of individual oppression. As an example, Kymlicka refers to culture where women are oppressed or cultures were the religious orthodoxy is enforced. Moreover, he argues that some minorities would limit even further the rights of their members: ‘it is one thing to require people to do jury duty or to vote, and quite another to compel people to attend a particular church or to follow traditional gender roles. The former are intended to uphold liberal rights and democratic institutions, the latter restrict these rights in the name of cultural tradition or religious orthodoxy.’ (1996:36) External protections imply inter-group relations- the ethnic/ national group seeks to preserve its distinction and identity by limiting the effect of the decisions taken by the majority group. Doing so, this also raises yet another issue: not of individual oppression but of inequality between groups. However, Kymlicka makes it clear that ‘collective rights’ are indeed opposed to individual rights: ‘On one natural interpretation, ‘collective rights’ refer to the rights accorded to and exercised by collectivities, where these rights are distinct from, and perhaps conflicting with, the rights accorded to the individuals who compose the collectivity. This is not the only possible definition of collective rights—indeed there are hundreds of definitions in the literature—but almost everyone agrees that collective rights are, by definition, not individual rights.’ (1996: 45) This matter led to a conflict of ideas between individualists and collectivists on the priority of individuals within a community or the community itself. It appears that individualists argue that the individuals are essential for a community seeing that a community only matters if it contributes to the well-being of its constituent members. On the other hand, collectivists deny the idea of a community that`s meant to attend to its individuals. (1996) ‘Collectivists and individualists disagree about whether communities can have rights or interests independently of their individual members (). Most such rights are not about the primacy of communities over individuals. Rather, they are based upon the idea that justice between groups requires that the members of different groups be accorded different rights.’ (1996: 48) Despite the fact that multiculturalism and immigration have always been present in our lives and are essential components of the modern world, it is still impossible to find the answers to the always-present sociological issues that a multicultural society rises. What triggers the majority of problems is immigration: with it, emerge matters concerning minority rights, individual freedom and identity, oppression, riots, protests for human rights, violence and racism. Economical and political issues, religion and race concerns, language and culture barriers are also consequences of this cultural diversity that we are experiencing today. The topic looks as if it appealed to theoreticians and social scientists and it still remains an ever-present subject of discussion. It also led to conflicts of ideas between theoreticians such as Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka, both Canadians but with opposing views. It is quite obvious that multiculturalism is now seen as a persistent problem, taking into account the changes that took place in the structures of societies. However, there is no doubt that immigration improved our knowledge of different cultures, languages, traditions and food; it had also thought communities to be tolerant and accept diversity even embrace it. Economy and trade between countries has developed and societies became â€Å"cosmopolitan†. Even thought, migrants have always been put in a bad light, they are not in fact, trying to deter natives. They have good working skills and are willing to work for low-paid jobs and extra hours. Usually, they do the jobs that the natives would not do and it app ears that there are more immigrants than natives that have a permanent job. It seems unfair to argue that migrants do not help the economy of the country they live in seeing that they still pay taxes and have less claimed benefits than the unemployed natives. Moreover, due to the fact they have a low wage they can always be found in the rough area of big cities, living in modest and dangerous conditions. On the other hand, language it is definitely a cause of having low-paid jobs since most migrants do not speak the language, thus making it more difficult to find employment. Another factor of immigration is religious discrimination. Considering the recent events in the United States, Arabs and Islamists in particular are discriminated and put in a bad light. Romanians and Bulgarians also have a bad reputation around Europe and a false image which may lead to cultural conflicts between migrants and natives. Somehow, it appears that the society makes it harder for migrants to obtain necessary documents in order to reside and work legally in the country. Until recently, Romanians and Bulgarians were bound to apply for a work permit in order to work legally in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, attempts are being made to improve and solve these problems and it is quite obvious that many advantages have been gained from this. Moreover, it is evident that multiculturalism is the way forward and while modern societies need to become more tolerant of migrants and their values, the migrants have to accept the majority`s way of life and integrate in their community and nation. Unfortunately, these changes might not occur in the near future considering that minorities have more and more claims for rights and benefits and natives are becoming more and more reluctant to the controversial idea of multiculturalism, which seems to lead their lives.

Why Religion Is Important Essay -- Why Study Religion?

"You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself." -- Swami Vivekananda "I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live as if there isn't and to die to find out that there is." -- Albert Camus In this essay, I will explore the religious experience in general and some of its variations around the world. The focus will be on the types of religious beliefs and religious leaders, especially in small-scale societies. An exploration of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other major religion is beyond the scope of this essay. The approach taken is that of cultural relativity--religious practices or beliefs are not evaluated in terms of their "correctness" or "sophistication" but, rather, in terms of their function within the societies that have them. What is Religion? A religion is a system of beliefs usually involving the worship of supernatural forces or beings. Religious beliefs provide shape and meaning to one's perception of the universe. In other words, they provide a sense of order in what might otherwise be seen as a chaotic existence. Religions also provide understanding and meaning for inexplicable events such as a loved one being killed in an earthquake or some other unpredictable force of nature. For most religious people, their beliefs about the supernatural are at the very core of their world views. Rituals in Religion The performance of rituals is an integral part of all religions. Rituals are stylized and usually repetitive acts that take place at a set time and location. They almost always involve the use of symbolic objects, words, and actions. For example, going to church on Sunday is a common religious ritual for Christians around the... ...what is right and wrong behavior. If individuals do the right things in life, they may earn the approval of the gods. If they do the wrong things, they may suffer supernatural retribution. For instance, the most sacred text of Islam, the Koran, not only provides detailed lists of specific kinds of crimes and appropriate earthly punishments, but it also gives descriptions of how to do mundane tasks such as eating specific kinds of food. The sacred texts of religions usually set precedents for proper behavior in common situations. The Judeo-Christian Bible stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah, Job, Moses, Solomon, and even Jesus provide examples of how virtuous people should lead their lives. It does not matter whether the sacred stories or myths of a religion actually occurred in every detail--they are still illustrative of correct thought and behavior.

An Inspiration :: Personal Narrative Writing

An Inspiration â€Å"Just try it. It couldn’t hurt to try,† my high-school advertising teacher constantly reminded me. Mrs. Panarelli wanted me to apply for a scholarship given by the business department in my school. I thought about all the other applicants; I had no chance whatsoever. I decided to express my feelings to her. In doing so I noticed a solemn look come across her face. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, â€Å"I don’t want you to be intimidated by the other students, their averages, or their SAT scores; this is a very good opportunity for you.† Finally, she convinced me to apply for it. I had to write a resumà ¨, an application letter, and schedule an interview. To my surprise, this was a big deal for the business department. When going on the interview, one had to dress as if applying for a job. The amount the scholarship awarded was not very much, just enough to recognize your accomplishments in this field. Like Nicholas Gage, the author of â€Å"The Teacher Who Changed My Life,† his Ms. Hurd was my Mrs. Panarelli, â€Å"the teacher who would become my mentor and my muse† (187). Both teachers find their students’ interests and shape them to achieve the highest standings in their chosen field. With motivation and compassion, both Nicholas and I worked endlessly to prove our potential to Ms. Hurd and Mrs. Panarelli. In a myriad of ways, the teaching methods of both my advertising teacher and Nicholas’ English teacher are similar. Before I set foot into Mrs. Panarelli’s illuminated classroom, I had never been interested in majoring or even succeeding in the field of business. Advertising II, in my school, was an elective which was well known as a â€Å"time sucker,† meaning it was an easy course that would only help your average and fill up your schedule. To be honest, like every other student in the class, I did not take it seriously. However, it became serious when I was made aware of the grades I was getting. Something didn’t seem right. I was not â€Å"slacking off.† I was doing my work well, perhaps not to my potential, but I wasn’t getting the grades I expected. Many times I would look around the room at others and what their work was like, and I couldn’t believe it.

Team assignment project

The following project proposal defines why Struck made the decision to expand, what the role is of the consultant and Struck management on the project, the project goals, and the tools that will be used o manage the project. Problem and Opportunity By applying analysis techniques, namely SOOT, and STEEPLE, to company performance Struck gains clarity about the company's strengths and weaknesses.Struck' strengths include its reputation for innovation and creativity, frontrunner's position of its industry with 9,000 cafes in 40 countries around the world, and its strong ethical values and mission. Company's primary weakness is a lack of diversification, which created by its limited portfolio and distribution. Struck portfolio depends heavily on one primary' product: coffee. Furthermore, the company hinders distribution potential by conducting 75% of its business within the United States. The company's weakness presents an excellent purport nits: expansion.Expansion of the company's port folio and expansion into other countries enables the company to both increase presence within its current industry sect and establish presence in other sects (Rapid Business Intelligence Success – Streaming, 2013; Marketing Teacher, 201 3; Rapid Business Intelligence Success – Mission, 2013; Struck, 2013). Roles of the Cons Titan and Management There are certain roles the insulate and the Struck management team must perform to make the project successful. Because there is a lack of diversification, the consultant must focus on how to expand the product line for Struck.The consultant must determine how to create a greater global presence, keep the current clientele, and yet attract coffee drinkers around the globe to visit the Struck establishment. The consultant will need to determine whether the same menu items are equally popular in all areas of the country and if introducing new menu items is advantageous to all the restaurants. Finally, he consultant will need to d etermine if the diversified menu will be appropriate in other parts of the world. Consultant's partner with management to get the job done.Management works with the consultants to provide them with as much information as possible. Management will need to communicate fully with the consultants and encourage the current employees to cooperate so the consultants can collect the most information possible. Defining the Project Goals Introduction of new products and rapid expansion of retail stores with new store concepts with all new distribution channels has to be he primary focus of Struck. To expand the market share, in United States as well as all the regions of its operations, Struck will expand its portfolio of products (Hickman & Hickman, 2008).Struck main product is coffee, the company will focus to expand its operations into other beverages such as tea, grocery stores, rest stops, etc. For this purpose, than introducing a newly start marketing the products, it should concentrate to attain product acquisitions (Hickman & Hickman, 2008). Since most of its operations are based out of United States, Struck will focus to increase its revenues by tarring more stores in emerging markets such as China, India, and Turkey. Tools, Processes, and Methodologies The goal is to expand globally.With this in mind, the consultant will use the association method to gain insight on the competition in the industry in the different desired locations. To ensure clients are frequently informed of the progression, and an outlet stays open for the need for further information, the consultant will maintain contact with the appropriate business managers. All activities will be logged to maintain a good record of the projects progression. This allows the consultant to reflect on the project, learn from the experience, and identify ways to improve future performance (Hickman, P; Hickman, L. 008). Another technique that will be used to manage the project is benchmarking. This method wil l be particularly helpful as this is a large project. Conclusion In conclusion, with the Struck expanding globally, the company will not only increase their current state of diversification, but also increase opportunity to own a presence in other business sectors, and ultimately increase revenue. The consultant on this project will work closely with key business leaders and SE the defined methods to manage the project.

India Under Nehru View

India has always been considered as a mysterious world with wide variety of interesting traditional values that was created all along the history line of India, from the big and complex things like philosophy schools of India to the daily’s things like the lamp in Diwali festival. So what has made India the way it is now with the blooming yet mysterious beauty from the richness in its culture? Well, here is a saying from the former Minister of India – Sir JAWAHARLAL NEHRU – to show the idea of Indian personality or India in general: She was like some ancient palimpsest on which layer upon layer of thought and reverie had been inscribed, and yet no succeeding layer had completely hidden or erased what had been written previously. All of these had existed in our conscious or subconscious selves, though we may not have been aware of them. And they have gone to build up the complex mysterious personality of India. † The meaning of this saying is that Nehru want ed to imply the idea of a complex yet so unified India in which everything from culture, living style to artistic structures was created in an unending process of both preservation and evolution at the same time.The way the Indian created their flourished culture has deeply showed the Indian personality who always try to maintain the traditional beauty in the evolution progress. They had built up the whole Indian culture based on the traditional values from thousands years ago without once trying to get rid of the old fundamental values of their grand and grand fathers, yet they known how to achieved the new things and balanced them between the old and the new so that now we can trace back the trail of the thousands years old civilizations through everything in Indian people’s daily life.After thousands years, India culture has now become richer in range wise and structure wise. We can see the richness in cultural values and the Indian has done a good job in advancing the Ind ia culture to be so flourished and full of colors from the very traditional base of their ancestors culture. The most common thing that people tend to think about India personality or India in general is that the life of Indian people is very rich in religious activities and it had played a big role in their life, also in their mind we can clearly see the strong affects of traditional value like Vedas or Upanishad.If we look inside those old literatures closely, we can find innumerable of evidences that can prove the uniquely richness in traditional values and also it can show the two paralleled processes of preserving and advancing, which is the personality of India that Nehru had stated. Here is some piece of my mind about Indian literature along the history to prove the statement of Sir. Jawaharlal Nehru. In every branch or various sections of literature from fiction, drama, biography, poetry, drama, novels, short stories and literary criticism, Indian literature has a tremendous variety to offer.Nearly every major Indian language has a rich tradition of literature. The earliest works of Indian literature were orally transmitted. Sanskrit literature begins with the Vedas collections of sacred hymns dating to the period 1500–1200 BCE. Those earliest works like the Vedas or Upanishads were composed to be sung or recited and were transmitted for many generations before being written down. Since almost all of the earliest works of ancient India literature were all orally transmitted so we can’t find the exactly time of those brilliant works in the timeline of India history.The earliest records of a text may be later by several centuries than the date of its composition. After this time from around 200 BC to around 11 AD, Sanskrit literature went through a secular phase. A major development during the secular period was the introduction of drama, with the early dramas set in historical epic tales. During the first through fifth centuries, South Ind ia's literature was primarily secular and written in Tamil, not Sanskrit, with the main topics being war and love.Following this period was a time of change for southern literature, with the tradition changing to bhakti (devotional) literature that in subsequent centuries eventually spread northward. All in all, the giant India literature was big in size and contents, and the number of literature works of India is like stars in the sky along the timeline of India history. This has shown how big and complex of the Indian literature. There was such a wide variety in types and styles of composing, from poems to verses, oral literature to written works but we can still see the unity in them with the main theme and color being India traditional mind and soul.Since the religious and Vedic culture had such tremendous impact on Indian culture and I must say those traditional elements were deeply engraved in every Indian people’s mind, so it’s no surprising to know that the maj or topic of Indian literature is about religious deities and philosophy. And much more later the ancient period of oral literature, the tradition of picking the idea from stories or myths in Vedas or the great Mahabharata to compose bhakti poems and literatures was very noticeable.This tradition was slowed down since the domination of British in India, which had bring major changes in the styles and topics of literature. It seemed like with the invasion of British culture or the Western in general, India’s literature had faced big challenge to preserve the traditional colors in their works yet somehow the India factor was still strongly presented. So we can conclude that along the timeline of India’s history, never once the traditional culture had failed to exist in every literature work, with time went by India literature was advanced bit by bit, yet it still maintained the main flow of tradition culture.It was indeed diversity in unity. The history of Indian literatu re dated back to 1500AD or more since the existence of the first ever literature work of India, which name was Rig Veda – the first and most important part of the famous Vedas. Rig Veda was composed in Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The Sanskrit word veda â€Å"knowledge, wisdom† is derived from the root vid- â€Å"to know†, that’s why the scholars called the Vedas the sacred books of knowledge.The Vedas can be considered an encyclopedia of ancient India and it gave many tips about how the life of ancient people would be like. With it giant length, it’s such an amazing thing to know that the Vedas were actually orally transmitted through centuries. And along with the Vedas, other ancient literatures were also preserved by oral way. This is why the literary tradition in India is primarily oral literature in vernacular languages. It was in the 6th century that an extensive written literature appeared.Through such a long period of time, the oral literature of ancient India has been successfully passed down to the next generations by using rhythmic recitation and thus the whole giant walls of text that we know nowadays are almost exactly the same to the one from approximately one thousands and five hundreds years before Christ. This has show how strong and effective of the preservation progress of Indian, they didn’t just let all the literatures to be in vain because of having no writing system to store it, ancient Indian had found a way by using oral literature to preserve the world’s longest literature work that is totally unbelievable!The Vedas were the all time topic for other writers to compose their own works that related to it like Puranas and Itihasas which explained myths in the Vedas to the mass Indian. From the original Vedas to the vast number of many branches that were expanded through years to explain or improve all the know ledge of Vedas. We can clearly see the broadening of the Vedas and its branches by many writers. They did not just make a whole new literature works out of nowhere but they based their works on the root of Vedas and its knowledge then added their own creativeness.The main themes of Indian literature were mostly about religious stories or myths with Brahmanism deities (and later Hinduism). Many epics dealt with Vedas stories and they always contained the spirit of Vedas’ principles. Noticeable evidences that we can find in India literature about this characteristic are Mahabharata, Ramayana from the early Sanskrit literatures and many Bhakti poems in the medieval period. Mahabharata and Ramayana are the longest literatures size wise in the world, those epics were the all time favorite of every Indian people.Mahabharata itself was an improved version of the originally 8,800 verses literature named Jaya which was composed by Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, later this version was enlarge d to 24,000 verses namely Bharata by Vaisampayana and then it became the giant version Mahabharata version which was written by Ugrasravas with up to 100,000 verses. This enlargement of the Mahabharata epic has shown that Indian literature had undergone many improvements through years and those advances had somehow made Indian literature become rich in content and complex in structure.Not only the expand of old literatures since the Vedic age, the tradition of Bhakti is also very noticeable in term of the common theme about deities. Bhakti (or a personal devotion to a god) usually was composed in poems to show their respectful attitude to a god. Many of the Bhakti poems told stories or just shown Indian’s praising to their gods from Vedas or epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. That’s why Indian literature was so big in size and varied in style. On another note, we can find many translated versions of the epics or myths in a wide variety of languages all over India.For an example, Jagannath Das wrote an Oriya version of the Bhagavata and Tuncattu Eruttacchan, the so-called father of Malayalam literature, wrote recensions of traditional literature. Much traditional Indian literature is derived in theme and form not only from Sanskrit literature but from the Buddhist and Jain texts written in the Pali language and the other Prakrits (medieval dialects of Sanskrit). This has shown how effective of the persevering process in India since many literature works were not only available in its original language but also in many more languages.This process had somehow helped spread the traditional values to all other areas in India and maybe other places out side of India too. So, all we can conclude here is that in term of preserving and advancing of the traditional values, Indian has maintained their own colorful literature and culture through many obstacles in history. I must say Indian was worth being called the ocean of knowledge and mysterious myths! After being through many centuries of improving and preserving, Indian literature has grown giant with such a wide variety of themes and styles, yet it still possessed the unity in variety.And to top of it all, through analyzing Indian literature to prove my point of view of Sir Nehru’s saying, I’ve realized that India has such a unique charm that no other country can possess, that is the ability of keeping the thousands years old traditional culture’s values and indigenous spirit in every aspect of Indian’s daily life without any cracks even though many new things were accepted in the culture during the history’s timeline. No wonder, Indian literature and Indian culture in general had such an attracting charm to everyone who ever had a chance to know about it.