The Lose of a Child †The Unthinkable

The Lose of a Child – The Unthinkable Free Online Research Papers It is the unthinkable, every parent prays that it never happens to them; But the truth is that it can happen to anyone in a blink of an eye. The lose of a child, which could be a lot of different things, as in death, lost, or kidnapped. In any of these instances your heart breaks for the parent whether it is you, someone you know, or even a stranger. When something happens or goes wrong with a child you the parent are not the only ones affected. The other children in the house hold, other siblings, classmates, friends of the child, grandparents, other family members, and the community. In my thesis I will go over how each of these possibilities and how it affects everyone involved and what you can do to help yourself. When a child is lost at the store, in the woods, or even at a theme park. Being the parent, panic is the first thing that sets in your heart races, your hands sweat and you try to keep the worst possible thoughts out of your head. You run around calling for your lost child hoping and praying for the best. As a on looker, a stranger, you ask if you can help search for this child, Secretly thankful that it is not your own, while griping your own child’s hand not letting them go. You look every where bathrooms, stores, cafes, and even security desk, hopefully with luck you will find your child quickly. When a child is lost, the child is scared and does not know what to do. It is very stressful on a child all they can see are people they do not know. After all we teach our kids not to talk to strangers at a young age. So what are they to do? Hopefully a good Samaritan will take the your lost child to the security desk or help them find you. A lot of times that is not the way thi ngs go, most people now a days will stand their looking at the child screaming for mommy or daddy It is sad. Most people need to put their selves in your shoes, if that was my child what would I want someone to do. What to do if something like this happens and you lose your child in a crowded place. First, you should stay calm, get a resent picture of your child out and go to the security desk and ask for help. Second, calmly walk the grounds and look for your child. Third, ask and show people that walk by you if they have seen you child. The important thing is to find your child quickly. One of the two worst things that can happen to a child is being kidnapped. Over the years here in Texas there have been several children who have been kidnapped by strangers, or family members. It doesn’t really make a difference if you know the person who took your child your or not knowing what kind of person took your child just makes the stress of the situation worse. I remember one little girl a year or so ago that was kidnapped. This little girl was five years old, and her mom and dad believed that her uncle had taken her. They called the police and had a nation wide man hunt and amber alert for this little girl and her supposed kidnapper. After months of the searching the cops finally found his vehicle, inside they found the man suspected of kidnapping this little girl dead. This man killed himself, why, who knows but there was no sign at all of the missing girl. Nothing in this mans car or in the area around where they found his body. What happened to this little girl? Where is she they never found her? Now if this was your child how would you feel right now? You would be consumed by fear, grief, and what if’s. A parent who has lost a child to not knowing as I call it. Have a harder time dealing with it. They have many emotions such as anger, sorrow, fear, and confusion. The sad thing about today’s society is a lot of men, women and yes even some young adults are pedophiles. So they first thing that comes to your mind in this instance is Oh My God what if !!! You cry and pray that the awful thoughts going through your head are not what’s happing to your baby. Something like this just doesn’t affect the parents they other children in the household become fearful. They start to worry and look over their shoulders hoping they are not next. They cry and miss their brother or sister, wonting them to come back. The grandparents and other family members are affect as well, they try to protect the other kids and help the parents the best they can. The other family members are a wreck as well worrying and fearing the unknown. The community is deeply affected, The fact of knowing that someone in your community could possibly take or hurt a child is down right scary. Parents in the community as well as teachers and the children themselves become very aware of their surroundings and the people in it. What do you do if this happens to you? You call 911 and get help at the soonest possible second because in kidnapping cases the firs t 24 hours a critical in finding the missing child. To me the worst possible thing that could happen to my child is death. When you lose a child your world comes crashing down around you. There is this sinking filling in you, this huge hole in your heart, soul and life. When something this awful happens it doesn’t just affect the parent or parents it dramatically affects the other children, grandparents, aunts uncles and the whole community. People say that if a child is sick for a long time with a painful debilitating disease that it wont be as bad on the family they are wrong. Yes that child is not suffering anymore but the parents have still lost a part of them and their life it is still very devastating, but when a healthy child dies suddenly I can see how people might find that harder. For instance, Montana Lane Fisher, 15 months old, He was so full of life. He passed away January 31, 2009, reasons still unknown, His death was ruled natural causes He passed away one night in his sleep. For the parent even though ther e is another child still there and living, life seemed to end that day not just for him but for her to. She lost a piece of herself that she will never get back. I think that every parent God help them in this situation feels that way, not meaning to hurt the other children that they may have but it is a difficult situation to be in. Most parents that lose a child together will end up divorced a lot of times because they blame them selves and each other, or just have a hard time holding on to that love. I have watched Momo’s mom and sister over the last year and tried my best to help. There is so much pain and not understanding especially in his sister, she is 7 now, she does not understand all she knows is that God called Momo home to heaven because he needed a special angel at his side. She still cries out for Momo at night and most days. Her mom cant help her because she cant even help herself right now. Something this devastating really affects the whole family. I ha ve watch Montana’s Papa and grandma too for the last year, and seeing a man cry for his grandson that has not cried but maybe 5 times his whole life. Watching the pain in his eyes while he watches his daughter die inside more and more each day, the grandma has become mean and vindictive towards Momo’s mom because she blames her for his death. My boys for instance there isn’t a day that goes by that they don’t say momma when is Montana coming back? It breaks my heart because I have to tell them they will see him again one day but only in heaven Its like they have relive his death all over again. What can you do to get through something this awful? Talk to someone, get out your anger through words to a good friend or a dr. and not by hurting someone. Go to God for guidance he will never lead you wrong. Talk to your spouse and children and talk about his or her life, the cute and funny things that he or she did. Just remember that your family and God love you so hold you head up high and live your life in their memory, because giving up is not what they would want you to do. Almost 900,000 children a year go missing, that’s over 2,200 a day. It ranges from runaways to kidnappings. All the research that have done tells me as parents we need to teach our children about the bad in the world, teach them what to do if they are in this situation, teach them to protect themselves. As far as the child death rate it is high everywhere in the us and in other countries. a lot of child die from abuse or neglect but even more from illness and disease. In conclusion, just because we pray it wont happen doesn’t mean that it wont. The unthinkable, It happens everyday to millions of families and children all across the USA and the world. We have to teach our children to protect themselves and be more cautious and as to there heath just because it looks like a cold doesn’t mean that it is. A dr. visit is expensive but a funeral cost you a lot more, and I don’t mean just money wise, it can cost you your family, life, career and most important your child. The reason I chose this topic is mainly to educate so that you and your family don’t have to go through what millions of families are going through right now as you are reading this. The unthinkable can happen to you, your child could get lost, kidnapped, and God forbid the worst die. Any of these things can drive a person crazy and cause all kinds of different emotions and effect everyone. So take care of your family and remember to educate yourselves and your children. Research Papers on The Lose of a Child - The UnthinkablePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenStandardized TestingComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseHip-Hop is Art19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraGenetic EngineeringThe Hockey Game

The Basic Guide to Integers on SAT Math

The Basic Guide to Integers on SAT Math SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many SAT math questions involve the use of integers, especially in the early and middle ranges of each math section. This means that integers are a foundational element to SAT math and you should have a solid understanding of what integers are and how they work if you want to do well on the SAT math section. This guide will cover the basics of integers- what they are, how they relate to one another, and how you’ll see them on the test. For the more advanced integer concepts (including prime numbers, absolute values, exponents, and roots), check out our advanced guide to SAT integers. What is an Integer? An integer is a whole number. This means an integer is any number that is NOT expressed via a decimal or a fraction. Integers include all negative whole numbers, all positive whole numbers, and zero. Examples of Integers: -55, -2, 0, 14, 10,699 NOT integers: $Ï€$, $2/3$, 0.787 Think of integers as something you cannot split. For example, you cannot have half a marble in a box (unless you are either very strong or very careless). Positive and Negative Integers A number line is used to demonstrate how numbers relate to each other and to zero. All numbers to the right of zero are positive numbers. All numbers to the left of zero are negative numbers. Positive numbers get larger the farther they are from zero For example, 154 is larger than 12 because 154 is farther away from zero along the number line in a positive direction (to the right). Negative numbers get smaller the farther away they are from zero For example, -154 is smaller than -12 because -154 is a farther away from zero along the number line in a negative direction (to the left). A positive number is always larger than any negative number. For example, 1 is larger than -1,109. Typical Integer Questions on SAT Math Most SAT integer questions are a combination of word problem and equation problem. The test makers will tell you that the problem involves integers by explicitly using the word "integer" in the passage. You will then be asked to solve a given equation or identify whether or not certain equations are true. You must know that an integer means a whole number (and that integers include negative numbers and zero) to solve these problems. We will go through the rules of how integers behave with one another in order to make sense of these kinds of questions. Sometimes you’ll have to answer more abstract questions about how integers relate to one another when you add, subtract, multiply and divide them. You do not need to find a numerical answer for these types of questions, but you must instead identify whether certain equations will be even or odd, positive or negative. If $a$ is an odd integer and $b$ is an even integer, which of the following is an odd integer? A) $3b$B) $a+3$C) $2(a+b)$D) $a+2b$E) $2a+b$ There are two ways to go about solving these kinds of questions- you can either memorize how integers interact, or you can plug in your own sample numbers. For example, in the charts below, you'll see that: $\a\positive\number * \a\positive\number$ will always result in a positive number. If you forget this rule, you can always try it by saying $2 * 3 = 6$. Because you can always find these results by plugging in your own numbers, these rules are categorized as "good to know," not "necessary to know." negative * negative = positive $-2 * -3 = 6$ positive * positive = positive $2 * 3 = 6$ negative * positive = negative $-2 * 3 = -6$ Another way to think of this is, "When multiplying numbers, the result is always positive unless you’re multiplying a positive number and a negative number." odd * odd = odd $3 * 5 = 15$ even * even = even $2 * 4 = 8$ odd * even = even $3 * 4 = 12$ Another way to think of this is, "When multiplying numbers, the result is always even unless multiplying an odd number and an odd number." odd +/- odd = even $5 + 7 = 12$ even +/- even = even $10 - 6 = 4$ odd +/- even = odd $5 + 6 = 11$ Another way to think of this is, "When adding or subtracting numbers, the result is always even unless adding or subtracting an odd number and an even number." By understanding these rules (and/or by testing them out using your own numbers), you will be able to answer more complicated theoretical questions. Why is six afraid of seven? Because 7, 8, 9! Hardy-har-har. If we revisit the question above, knowing what we do now about number relationships, we can go through our answer choices to find the correct answer: If $a$ is an odd integer and $b$ is an even integer, which of the following is an odd integer? A) $3b$B) $a+3$C) $2(a+b)$D) $a+2b$E) $2a+b$ Choice A is incorrect, because $b$is an even integer. And we know that an even number * an odd number = an even number. Choice B is incorrect because $a$is an odd integer. And we know that an odd number + an odd number = an even number. Choice C is incorrect because $a$is an odd integer and $b$is an even integer. An even number + an odd number = an odd number. And an odd number * an even number (in this case 2) = an even number. Choice D is correct. Twice $b$ will be even, because an even number * an even number = an even number. And the final result will be odd because an odd number ($a$) + an even number ($2b$) = an odd number. Choice E is incorrect. Twice an odd number ($a$) will be an even number, because an even number * an odd number = an even number. And an even number + an even number = an even number. So your final answer is D, $a + 2b$. You can see how you could also solve this by double-checking these rules by using your own numbers. If you assign an odd number to $a$ and an even number to $b$, you can test out each option in about the same amount of time it would take you to go through your rules like this. So for this question, you could have said $a$ was 3 and $b$ was 4. Then option D would have looked like this: $3 + 2(4) = 11$ Again, because you can figure out these kinds of questions using real numbers, these rules are classified as "good to know," not "necessary to know." So let's look at how to put all the clues together to solve integer questions. Steps to Solving an SAT Math Integer Problem #1: Identify if the problem is, in fact, an integer problem. The SAT will always explicitly use the word "integer" to let you know if your answer must be in integers or if you can only use integers while solving the problem. For any problem that doesn’t specify that the variables (or the solution) are "integers," your answer or example numbers can be in decimals or fractions. Because the problem specifically uses the word "integer," we know we must only work with whole numbers. #2: If the problem asks you to identify equations that are always true, test out multiple different kinds of integers. If the question asks you to identify whether certain equations or inequalities are true for ALL integers, the equation must work equally with 10 as with 0 and -5. A good rule of thumb is to try -1, 0, and 1 with variable questions like these. These numbers often have special properties that make or break conditions. I'll explain what that means with a practice example. If $x$is an integer, which of the following equations MUST be true? I. $x^3 ≠¥ (-x)^3$ II. $x^3/x ≠¥ x^2/x$ III. $x(x + 1) ≠¤ -x + x^3$ A) I onlyB) II onlyC) III onlyD) I and III onlyE) I, II, and III For questions like these, we should test out our sample numbers, as it can get confusing to use our rules of integer behaviors with complex problems such as these. So for option I, let use our test numbers of -1, 0, and 1. $-1^3 = (-1)(-1)(-1) = -1$ $(1)^3$ = $1^3 = (1)(1)(1) = 1$ -1 is NOT greater than +1. This automatically eliminates option I. And by eliminating option I, we can eliminate answer choices A, D, and E right away. Now let's look at choice II with our same test numbers. ${(-1)^3}/{-1} = {(-1)(-1)(-1)}/{-1} = {-1}/{-1} = 1$ ${(-1)^2}/{-1} = {(-1)(-1)}/{-1} = {1}/{-1} = -1$ 1 -1. This means that option II works so far when we use a negative number. So let's try it with our positive number, 1. $1^3/1 = {(1)(1)(1)}/1 = 1/1 = 1$ $1^2/1 = {(1)(1)}/ 1 = 1/1 = 1$ 1 = 1. So option II still works. Lastly, we should test if the equation still works with 0. $0^3/0 = 0$ $0^2/0 = 0$ Option II works for all answer choices, so our final answer is B, II only. Because we know that option I does not work, we have eliminated all other answer choices. But if you want to make absolutely sure you did not make a mistake somewhere, you can test out option III as well. $-1(-1 + 1) = 0$ $-(-1) + (-1)^3 = 1 + (-1)(-1)(-1) = 1 + -1 = 0$ $0 = 0$ The two are equal, which means that option III works so far. Now let's try it with 1. $1(1 + 1) = 2$ $-1 + 1^3 = -1 + (1)(1)(1) = -1 + 1 = 0$ $2 0$ When we used a positive number, the equation was incorrect. This means that answer choice C is eliminated and our choice of B has been confirmed to be the only correct answer. #3: If the problem asks you to find the answer to long calculations, use your rules that you learned above or test it out with smaller numbers. $a, b, c, d, e, f$ are odd integers such that $a b c d e f$. Which statement(s) must be true? I. $abcdef$ is odd II. $a + b + c + d + e + f$ is odd III. $a(b + c + d + e + f)$ is odd A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and III only E. I, II, and III Now you can approach this problem in one of two ways: by using your number rules or by using your own numbers. First, let's use our number rules to test option I. We know that each letter represents an odd integer and that the product of an odd number and another odd number is an odd number. Because an odd * an odd will always be odd, we know that option I is true. This means we can also eliminate answer choices B and C. Now let's look at option II. We know that an odd number + an odd number = an even number. We also know that an even number + an even number = an even number. So if we split $a + b + c + d + e + f$ into pairs of numbers, we'll have $(a + b) + (c + d) + (e + f)$. We know that each pair of numbers will have an even sum, so we're left with: an even number + an even number + an even number, which will give us an even final result. So option II is incorrect. This means we can eliminate answer choice E. Finally, let's look at option III. As we saw before, when we have six odd numbers (in other words, an even number of odd numbers), the sum will be even. Now, our parenthesis holds five (an odd number) of odd numbers, and an even number + an odd number = an odd number. So we know the number in the parenthesis will be odd. We also know that an odd number ($a$) * an odd number (the sum of $b, c, d, e, f$) = an odd number. So option III is correct. This means that our final answer is D, I and III only. The other way you could solve this problem would be to test out these rules with small numbers and extrapolate to find the larger answer. In other words, use small numbers in place of the variables. So for option I, if you didn't know an odd * an odd = an odd, you could replace $a$and $b$with the numbers 5 and 3. $5 * 3 = 15$, so you know that an odd * an odd = an odd number, no matter how many times you multiply it. So option I is correct. For option II, again test it out with smaller numbers. $7 + 5 = 12$, and $7 + 5 + 3 = 15$. So you know that adding odd numbers an even number of times gets you an even answer and adding odd numbers an odd number of times gets you an odd answer. There are six odd numbers, so the final answer must be even. Option II is incorrect. Taking what you learned by testing option II, you know that adding odd numbers an even number of times gets you an odd answer. And, taking what you learned from testing option I, you know that an odd number * an odd number = an odd number. This means your final answer must be odd, so option III is correct. This means the final answer is D, I and III only. Always remember that there are several ways to solve integer problems. So use real numbers and don't give up if it looks too complicated. The Take-Aways Simply by understanding what an integer is, you will be able to solve many SAT questions. Integer questions are often fairly straightforward if you know what numbers are included in the definition of an "integer" and which are not. If you remember to experiment with your own numbers when presented with the more abstract SAT questions and pay attention to when you must use integers and when you’re free to use any number, you will be able to solve most of the basic SAT integer questions. For the more advanced integer concepts- absolute values, exponents, etc.- be sure to check out our advanced guide to SAT integers. What's Next? Now that you’ve learned about what integers are, you may want to check out the advanced guide to SAT integers where we will go through absolute values, prime numbers, and exponents (among other concepts). Make sure that you also have a solid understanding of all the SAT math formulas you're both given and not given. Running out of time on SAT math? Check out our article on how to buy yourself those extra precious seconds and minutes and complete your SAT math problems before time’s up. Feeling overwhelmed? Start by figuring out your ideal score and check out how to improve a low SAT math score. Already have pretty good scores and looking to get a perfect 800? Check out our article on how to get a perfect score written by a perfect SAT-scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math strategy guide, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Crimonology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Crimonology - Essay Example The main purpose of this program is to reduce congestion in the court by allowing some of the suspects to be tried when operating from outside the confinement of remand. I do find the program much effective given the fact that some of the offences are categorized as petty offences and do not threaten the societal order. These categories of people following a compelling instigation from the officers should indeed be allowed to resume to the society pending trial, as this will reduce unnecessary congestion as proposed in the program (Siegel 122). It can be said to be an alternative court, if one goes through the system, they are no longer required to be tried in court. Whereas the program cushions one to avoid criminal charges by the court, when one fails to comply with the requirements of the program as stipulated it may revert to a full criminal trial. When those who have gone through the system are involved in criminal offences in the future, the criminal record following diversion can still be used to account for a criminal history of a convict. Under the diversion program, the offenders are suppose to complete a program that is aimed at; education them on the need to uphold law and order in order to avert future criminal activities, victims restitution, community service hours, and restraining coming to contact with other people are some of the programs under diversion (Liebmann 113). I do find the process equally effective in the administration of justice, a part from reducing the time needed for arbitration in court; the suspect pleads guilty and serves certain mandatory programs as said above. During this period, the offenders are also prepared for rehabilitation, for example in the program they are made to appreciate upholding law and order in their future life. The willingness of the offenders to serve alternative sanctions is dependent on many factors; if the offenders feel that they have

Relationships and Connections of Variables Research Paper

Relationships and Connections of Variables - Research Paper Example Learner’s without properly citing the source of the work will be considered plagiarism and will result in an unsatisfactory grade for the work submitted or for the entire course, and may result in academic dismissal. The literature offers a myriad of information yielded by various researches on human relationships. Concepts on a wide spectrum from physiological responses to romantic relationships, emotions that are manifested during romances, social implications or consequences of engaging in romantic relationships, and perceptions and viewpoints that are attempted to explain some phenomena related to romance have been analyzed and discussed in the paper. Studies on romance include research conducted by social scientists, which unearthed evidence of physiological responses manifested by heightened hormones in new romances of Dr. Donatella Marazitti and Helen Fisher. Rule of thumb in writing is that you do not use the same word twice in a sentence. One such study is that of adolescents who have become popular subjects/ participants in researches on conceptualization and expectations in romantic relationships... Feiring conducted interviews with adolescents with outcome results that indicated romantic partner selection in late adolescence and early adulthood is initiated due to of stimulus characteristics, such as desirable personality and physical attractiveness. In the adolescents’ reports, physical attraction to a prospective romantic partner is expressed as finding the person cute, pretty or handsome, rather than in terms of sexuality (e.g. a good kisser). As the relationship progresses, common interests and interpersonal compatibility becomes essential. (Conger, Cui, Bryant, and Elder conducted a longitudinal study that examined the effects of family influences on adolescents’ romantic behavior in their early adult life.  

Gobi Fund Essay Example for Free

Gobi Fund Essay Why is it difficult to establish a new fund? Why is track record so important in fund raising? The main concern is to convince the investors to invest their money in Gobi. Therefore, it is necessary to raise a rational-sized fund. To raise a new fund is not an easy thing to do as everything including the fund structure, team, approach, LP base, and amount of capital have to be defined appropriately. The general partners also need to contribute their own money in order to convince the investors to invest together with them. The track record is very important in fund raising because if Gobi has a good track record, more investors will be interested to invest in it. Q2. Prepare a SWOT analysis for Gobi Fund II proposal in the context of venture capital fundraising. Gobi operates in an area where there is a lot of pent up demand (IT and digital media). * Gobi can acts like a bridge for western LPs to invest in Chinese companies. It is difficult to raise a new fund and if Gobi do not really have a good track record, it will become harder to gain the investors trust in order to raise the new funds. May have the advantage in acquiring a higher return from investment in the IT and media market since they already invest in that industry during the early stage. Meaning that they already have the experiences in investing in IT industry, therefore, may not become a problem to earn a high return. What are the keys to raising the second fund and how large should it be? There is no definite answer in this question as they could be changing depends on the situations. The planning horizons may take between 7 to 10 years or maybe longer than that because of a lack of infrastructure and development in the industry. The fund size may be between $100 million to $200 million allowing around $2 million to $5 million for each company. The subsequent funds should be of similar size or larger as the industry grows. Gobi wants the first close at $75 million. The key is whether to include more financial LPs or not. Q4. From the perspective of a potential LP, what are your choices when funding international focused VC funds? Would you fund Gobi? Gobi has never exited from an investment before, and there is high level of risks involved in the development of early stage IT companies as well as huge risks that may impede company development and growth. However, Gobi operates in an area where there is a lot of pent up demand (IT and digital media) and Gobi can acts like a bridge for western LPs to invest in Chinese companies. It may be a good choice to invest in it if it offers a rational return considerate with the level of high risks involved.

Order, Disorder and Imagination in John Buck’s Sculptures :: Art Essays

Order, Disorder and Imagination in John Buck’s Sculptures There is always a first impression, a first glance seeping through the corner of your eye. When passing by one can’t help but to notice the overwhelming presence of John Buck’s freestanding sculptures which stand in front of the Gallery. I find myself overwhelmed by both the size and the boldness by which these sculptures speak. Their organized structural nature combines a variety of ideas from branches, birdhouses to molecular structures and globes, and in the middle of it all stands the ringing human form. Initially, the forms and elements I saw in these sculptures impressed me but their composition did not challenge or stimulate my curiosity. So I kept up with the flow of traffic and continued on walking by. I couldn’t quite figure out why I had an aversion to these sculptures. It wasn’t until I started to break down the elements of these sculptures and take a closer look within the walls of the gallery that my first impression faded and a new aur a of his work came into being. A have found an appreciation for both his ways of making and the perceptions he presents. I am a big fan of wood carving, so I am thoroughly impressed by John Buck’s carvings of both his sculptures and woodblock prints. I appreciate the details of his work for instance the visibility of the chip carving and the control he has over the bends of the wood. I am curious to know the techniques he uses to get these details and his methods to making them. I read that John Buck uses a special kind of wood called jelutong. The artist said about working with wood, â€Å" There is an automatic and direct relationship between the nature of the wood and how I am able to work with it†¦In the carving of wood there is a physical activity that is more about nature in the making –not just the concept of the image, but the actual making, is connected to nature.† His connection to nature and the environment go beyond his use of wood as a medium, but are explicit in the stories he tells. In the lecture ‘Pillar to Pole’, Bruce Gunter commented on three forces which he found impacted Buck’s art work, these being: Midwest roots, environmental degradation and relationships to humanity.

African Childbirth Traditions

In the majority of African communities birth is a meaning-laden event both for the parents and the community as a whole. Children are viewed as a blessing from God.   However, despite this, very little preparation will be made prior to the birth itself as it is believed that performing acts such as naming a child, buying clothes or preparing food is overly optimistic.For this reason pregnancy will not be mentioned until the point at which it becomes noticeable.   In addition to this, the women themselves will continue to work throughout their pregnancy as this is deemed a sign of their strength and suitability for motherhood. Hot mustard will not be eaten during pregnancy as it is widely believed that it can cause the mother to miscarry.Warm foods, however, will be consumed due to beliefs that they assist with the healing process after the birth of the child.   Many women will refrain from taking vitamins or other supplements during their pregnancy as they believe that such nut ritional supplements will cause the baby to grow larger and thus make delivery more painful.In African society the birth itself will generally take place in the house of the parents, or, in the case of the first born child, the house of the Mother’s or Father’s parents.   In some communities there are special birthing houses that are created for the purpose of childbirths but these are relatively rare.Although, in some cases, a trained specialist will usually deliver the baby it is not uncommon for an elderly woman or traditional healers to act as a midwife.   This can threaten the health of both the mother and the baby and concerns over this tradition are well documented.During the labor stage of delivery men are not allowed in the room.   The woman will generally give birth in a squat position or on a birthing stool surrounded by her close friends and family who will burn incense and drink fresh coffee.In some African communities the mother will be permitted so me pain relief during the later stages of delivery and this will generally be administered in the form of herbal remedies.   However, many people in Africa view pain as a compulsory part of giving birth and view it as a reminder of their basic human weakness.Many women treat childbirth as a test of their own self worth and will refrain from crying out in pain during the process in order to retain dignity and moral virtue.