Consumerism and Fashion in Singapore

Consumerism and Fashion in Singapore Everlasting consumerism has shaped the way 21st century landscape looks like. It creates unlimited demand of products and stores in any possible space. Retail design is responsible to convert this possible space into a consumerism space. It is where people encounter strong force to see and buy products. A perfect example to show evidence exists in fashion world. There is strong indication of tense competition happens between clothing manufacture to win the market. In relation to that, the store has become one key aspect or rather a strong statement to create brand awareness among public. The question arise is how, in a relatively over-saturated market, a store can be possibly designed to convey strong message to draw the crowd of consumerism into the space. 1.1. Consumerism Today The idea of consuming has changed over the past decades. Back to the early human civilization period, most of the activities were needs-driven actions. Earlier, as hunter gatherer, human hunted animals to be able to eat. Followed by agricultural period, farming and plant cultivation were done to produce their food. Consuming was a mere activity that must be done in order to survive. In Industrial and technological age, the way people consume things has changed. As more diverse product being produced and diverse ways of distribution being invented, there are pleasure factors of consuming in form of choices. People find excitement in choosing what they want to consume. This leads to modern consumerism where the concept of consuming goes beyond the needs of survival. 1.2. Shopping as Modern Consumerism Shopping is the 21st centurys representation of human consumerism. People find delights surrounded by range of different shops and brands. To be able to choose and compares is the highlight of modern life consumerism. In forms of choosing, buying, and using, shopping has catered these needs. Shopping can be seen as in a positive way of fulfilling peoples needs and wants. But apparently, it has developed so fast, in terms of activity, space, and products. And over the past decades, it becomes major aspect in human life. Museums, libraries, airports, hospitals, and schools are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from shopping. Their adoption of retail for survival has unleashed an enormous wave of commercial entrapment that has transformed museumgoers, researchers, travelers, patients, and students into customers (Koolhaas cited in Luna, 2005, p.26) Shopping is arguably the most universal activity nowadays. The way designer design space has to follow this idea as well. Space has to be designed in such a way to accommodate this, to enable people to shop anywhere, anytime. 1.3. The Existence of Fashion Retail Fashion retail perhaps is the best example to portray the modern consumerism. It shows how people eagerly choose what they wear under the spotlight of diverse fashion brands. If the case is taken to a higher level, it demonstrates obviously how people decisions are led by choice instead of needs. High class fashion brands such as LMVH, Gucci, and Prada exist to serve beyond peoples demand of clothing. They meet peoples desire for choices for range of luxury products. 1.4. Fashion of Singapore Singapore cityscape pictures clearly the existence of international fashion brands. They, indeed, has become one strong attraction point of Singapore for both local costumers and tourists. Singapore is one of the main competition arenas for these giant fashion brands in Asia. To be able to meet customers demand, every brand has to come up with high-end design for its retail. Design and technologies are optimized in its use to boost the shopping experience that lead to brand awareness. All these things have to be done so that people will choose certain brand and not others. Orchard Road is a good example depicting the competition among these brands. Interior design, facade treatment, display technologies are being optimized to attract pedestrians along the road. 2. Retail Rebirth People find pleasures in choosing what they want. Retail has two different approaches in response to the demand. Firstly, they must be able to provide a range of products for customers to choose. Secondly, the retail itself subject to competition. That means it is also considered one of so many choices in the market. In this matter, the retail has to prove to the market that it is worth chosen. The brand, the products, and the store has to work together to stand out and creates strong awareness in the marketplace. Retail has to rebirth, leaving old conservative way of promoting brands, and creating fresh interaction between products and customers. 2.1. Brand Manifestation With a strong competition in the fashion market, a strong distinctive image of a brand is required to create public awareness. The case is not only competition among products but also continues to the environment where the products being promoted. At this stage, a store has become key tool for the brand to create its images. A flagship store is designed to represents the identity of the brand indeed. For new customers, the store become the first things that attracts them before they go further down to the products being offered or even before they see the window displays. 2.1.1. Design for the Brands Architecture and interior design are responsible to create environment to deliver products to customers. Fashion retail, regardless of style, trends, or brand identity, should be able to create customer awareness and stimulate them to come and choose it instead of other shops. This is the fundamental function of retail design before it goes down into a deeper and more specific case-based function. On higher level, the architect or interior designer must understand the nature of fabric and how individual fashion designer, that is being represented, has their personal technique to treat it. This unique quality is the one that gives character to a brand. The character, then, must be translated into the space in order to create strong statement of the brand. 2.1.2. Emphasizing Character In order to be distinctive in an over-crowded market, a strong character of the brand is required. This character is projected from the way the brand carry itself to the market. It consists of range of products and service being offered, and the environment of where the commercial activities take place. Retail design has to be able to create the atmosphere that bridge customers and products. The store acts as a package and shelter, literally and metaphorically, to the brand. The character will only be emphasized if there is unity between the brand, the product, and the store. 2.1.3. Characterizing Structure A store as a physical shelter might be more than enough to envelope the commercial activity happening under it. But in fashion world, it goes further than functionality. More than just a place to display the product and providing circulation for people to walk and browse the product, the retail has to relate itself to the product and the company philosophy. In other words, the store has to establish relation, in form and purpose, with the clothes. The physical structure, that provide commercial environment, has to blend in with the clothes and create overall unity. Only by this way, the customer will see the bigger picture of the brand, and not loose pieces of the brands. One ideal example of harmony between brand and store is shown in Calvin Klein store located in Avenue Montaigne, Paris. Its store, designed by John Pawson in 2002, made a good illustration of how the character of the clothes -especially the early Calvin Kleins work- has been translated into the retail space. (Klein) has said It s important not to confuse simplicity with uninteresting, and executes his simplified, refined, sportswear-based shapes in luxurious natural fibers, (Stegemeyer, 2004, p.130) It is the idea of simplicity that is consistently conveyed through the brand, products, and store. Straight lines and clear space sequences brings out the clarity of the clothes, creating a clean and subtle ambiance of the store. The desired simplicity atmosphere is reinforced through neutral colour that is achieved by materials and lighting installation. 2.2. Design Distinction A character manifestation to a space is inevitability essentials to create strong brand awareness. However, regardless of the brand that is being represented, fashion store can be distinctive by itself. It is a second step after establishing strong representation of the brand. This is about different approach from the experience side, exploring the interaction between products and customers in a conducive controlled environment. In other word, it redefines the way people shop inside a store, creating a fresh shopping experience. 2.2.1. New Fashion Stores Fundamental With Singapore landscape that has been over-crowded with shopping malls and retail stores, the creation of retail store should be more carefully considered. When the market is driven by consumerism, the rate of retail formation will continue to rise up. However, any retail creation should consider avoiding similar addition to the existing scene that might create saturation to market. It is a strategy to evade the similarity and, at the same time, open up a chance to stand out in the marketplace. To address the issues, the store must cater certain factors in its design approach in spite of the brand it conveys. 2.2.2. Flexible Frequent Space Retails should be able to update themselves frequently. It has to be able to adapt to new products, seasonality, and customer trends. There is a high level of experimentation in retail design. It relates to fashion, and fashion changes constantly, is surprising and wants to create experiences (de Wild, 2009, p.14) In advance level, apart from the temporary things, it has to change in order to create different interaction between customers and product in each encounter. In other word it needs to shift, not just in terms of layout, but in a bigger store scheme. By applying this concept, it is not only the window displays that change every time new products are launched, but the whole store represent the display that able to change entirely. The idea can be achieved by applying modular system for the furniture, placing digital multimedia interface, using less heavy fixed display furniture, and installing replaceable lighting systems. 2.2.3. Centre of Social Activities The new concept of retail store is not merely about catering commercial activities -selling, advertising, and buying. It is to incorporate retail space and communal space to be a social meeting point. With the global trend of privatization, I think we are most interested in the idea of shopping as a new kind of public space. How can we enrich these experiences? Can we bring new content, information, ideas and visual experiences to shopping in a thoughtful and dynamic way? (Seller, 2009, p. 23) The idea is to facilitate people do many other inspiring activities in their shopping time. This idea can be done by open-space concept store, creation of different communal spaces inside the store, and even distribution between product display and decorative items -plants, resting furniture, etc. The ideal integration of social space and commercial space is when people are able to rest and relief without any pressure to buy while they are unconsciously take pleasure in the products and tempted to buy. 2.2.4. Cultural Relevance Local relevancy is important to make a store appears hospitable. Establishing relation with the local culture is crucial to relate the global brand to smaller local market. Selling products is not about bombarding potential customers with the global products. Instead, it has to be relevant to the context and understand local customers. This can be manifested through adaptive re-use of local landmark as retail space, renovation of historical aged building, and design fusion between brand character and local culture. The new concept store is about being able to combine the attractiveness of the brand with local taste to create strong invitation and also sense of belonging to customers. The design approach mentioned above can be applied into a store regardless of brands and products. The purpose is to create new way of shopping. Back to the statement earlier where people find satisfaction to be able to choose, it is how the choosing activity can be more valuable and rich in experience. When this approach merged with the brand character, it becomes a holistic package that convey strongly to the marketplace. The mission is accomplished when people find delight in choosing and be able to trustfully choose the brand. 3. Conclusion The consumerism-driven market will make people enthusiastically choose the products they want. With an over-saturated market in Singapore, an unconventional design is required to for a fashion retail to be distinctive and thus, win the market. Firstly, the store has to manifest the brand that it represents. The store design must convey the brand and products philosophy to create holistic picture and strong brand awareness. Secondly, in terms experience, it must create refreshing and enriching way of shopping. In attempt to achieve the experience, store needs to be designed with consideration of three approaches (flexible frequent space, center of social activities, and cultural relevance). The new retail store requires constant changing in order to provide up to date shopping experience for customers. A store has to be a social assembly more than a commercial place, providing a tranquil customer-oriented atmosphere. Additionally, it is necessary for a store to have a connection with local context and create a sense of belonging in customers mind. Bibliography Antonini, Alessandra. 2008. Design Boutiques. Barcelona: Links Design Council, 2009. Retail Design. [Online] (Updated 26 Oct 2008) Available at: http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/About-Design/Design-Disciplines/Retail-Design/ [Accessed 17 January 2010] de Wild, Femke. 2009. Retail Future. FRAME. Issue 69, Jul/Aug, p.14. EnterpriseOne, 2009. Recent Retail Trends Future Developments. [Online] (Updated 01 Jan 2010) Available at: http://www.business.gov.sg/EN/Industries/Retail/StatisticsNTrends/FactsFiguresNTrends/retail_overview_trends.htm [Accessed 12 January 2010] Harvard Design School. 2001. The Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping. Cambridge: Taschen Pawson, John. Calvin Klein Store Paris [Photographs][Online] Available at: http://www.johnpawson.com/architecture/stores/calvinklein/paris [Accessed 5 April 2010] Luna, Ian. 2005. Retail. Architecture + Shopping. New York: Rizzoli Manuelli, Sara. 2006. Design for Shopping. London: Laurence King Mostaedi, Arian. 2004. Cool Shops. Singapore: Page One Pawley, Martin. 2000. Fashion + Architecture. London: Wiley-Academy Riewoldt, Otto. 2000. Retail Design. London: Page One 2002. Brandscaping. Berlin: Birkhauser Sellers, Susan. 2009. 24, Inc on interview with Idn. Idn vol 15 number 6, pp.22-23. Singapore Department of Statistic. 2009. Yearbook of Statistics Singapore. Statistics Singapore [Internet] (Updated 13 Aug 2009) Available at: www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/reference/yos09/yos2009.pdf [Accessed 10 January 2010]. Stegemeyer, Anne. 2004. Who s Who in Fashion. New York: Fairchild Publication.

Greek History Class and Status

Greek History Class and Status Are there any special insights to be had from analysing Greek history in terms of either class or status? Greek history cannot be viewed as complete without analysing the class structure and status, as most of the historical evidence we have acquired from the classical period have come from inscriptions and sculptures made by one particular class of people, who had a high status in society. Thusly it is not necessarily about gaining special insights as it is gaining as complete an insight into Greek Ancient history as possible, though special insights will inevitably present themselves. This side of Greek history has only been focused on since these issues have come to the fore in modern times what with Marxism and communism rising in the 20th Century; these issues of class and status come under classical scrutiny because it is inevitable that they were as relevant then as they are now because human nature does not change and you will see clear comparisons. Only men native to a particular city-state who were free and owned land were entitled to the full protection of the law in a city-state and be considered citizens. The Athenian social structure consisted of the population being divided up into four classes based on wealth. This differs from Sparta where all male citizens who finished their education were considered equal. So it is clear that insights can be gained from analysing Greek history because both class and status are issues that classical historians must understand in order to have as complete as possible outlook on Greek history. People who were not part of the free land owning citizens were known as metics. Foreigners who moved into the city were part of this group, so too were slaves who had been freed. It can certainly be argued that this is exploitation of and looking down on certain groups of people showing us a special insight into how the different classes saw each other and the status each acquired. This insight could not be attained without analysing the class or status. Because they did not have the technology we have today in antiquity, G. E. M. de Ste. Croix argues in his book The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World that the dominant wealthy classes continued to dominate by demanding a lot more than was actually necessary from the lower classes. Such things as slavery, serfs, debt bondsmen and many other methods were employed to stop the lower classes from rebelling by keeping them busy. This is backed up by people such as Aristotle, who wrote in his Politics that men (meaning citizens of the state) were rational animals but slaves and women were not capable of reason. He called slaves animate tools whose only use was to obey the commands of the rich masters. In his Politics work he writes, But among barbarians no distinction is made between women and slaves, because there is no natural ruler among them: they are a community of slaves, male and female. Wherefore the poets say, It is meet that Hellenes should rule over barbarians; as if they thought that the barbarian and the slave were by nature one. This gives us some clear insight into the mindset of the citizens of Greek city states. There is a common misconception amongst people that Greece was a unified nation that thought as one. But, I have already displayed a difference between two different cities in Greece and their social structures were quite different and these differences do offer us special insights. Greece was not one nation operating under the same thinking, but it contained many different identities, it is both a Mediterranean and a Balkan country. In fact, an official Greek state did not come into being until Rome united it as one. There were hundreds of different states across the area which contained the people who became known as the Greeks. Loyalty was held to their own city states, rather than Greece as a whole. We can also gain some insight into daily life when analysing Greek history in terms of class or status. Most of the population were forced to work on the soil by those that were free citizens who were a small number of wealthy landowners and owned a lot of land. The slaves would work on the wealthy landowners land, there was little alternative to this. So they were viewed as mere tools, as the aforementioned quote from Aristotle shows, describing them as animate tools as if they were modern day tractors or any other tool that makes agriculture easier, for the wealthy landowner at least. There is also another area of study, apart from the relationship between the wealthy landowning citizens and the metics and slaves which is about how business in general was conducted in Ancient Greece that is opened to us once we study Ancient Greece from the perspective of status and class. Paul Millet suggests that patronage has had so little written about it that one might think it did not even exist in the Ancient Greek World. However, it must be said, with what little evidence we have; Sparta is the city-state we have the most evidence for patronage, but below this is Athens. Athens was viewed as the most advanced democracy of the time, and the aforementioned Aristotle also viewed it as such, despite its inequalities. This quote from Aristotles Politics is relevant here as, remembering his previously quoted view on barbarians, here he is talking about the citizens of the perfect democracy, which does not include slaves, women, metics and others: Democracy arose from the idea that those who are equal in any respect are equal absolutely. All are alike free, therefore they claim that they are all equal absolutely. Athens has always been said to have been the first true democracy by mainstream classical historians, special insight can be gained here from studying Ancient Greek history from a class and status perspective to denounce that myth. Though all members of the citizenship of Athens could vote at the assembly, the vast majority of the people who actually lived in Athens, like the metics, women, slaves and others could not vote or have any say in political life. Comparisons can be drawn to today here as, before Solons reforms slavery was given as a punishment for debt. This is comparable to today and offer special insight because today personal debt is at an all time high, particularly in America and Britain and if the debt becomes too high the banks send bailiffs to seize your property and your home effectively removing you from the citizenship and making you a metic. Using the Marxist ideology adopted by de Ste Croix in his aforementioned book, more comparisons can be drawn to today as a small minority of the people still maintain all the wealth. The means of production concept is also as relevant then as it is now and the owners of the means of production, the bourgeoisie still control it thus forcing the common man or the proletariat into working in order to survive. This in effect is slavery as they have no other choice but to work and feed the means of production to keep the wheels of democracy and capitalism turning. Analysing the status of women also offers special insights into Greek History that would otherwise have gone unnoticed by the male dominated classical period. The role of the female in Ancient Greece was one of purely being a housekeeper and a mother to any children she may have. As I have said, there was no way for them to get involved in political life. Plays like Aristophanes Lysistrata shows that the very idea of women being in power was considered completely ludicrous and was only relevant when they wanted to make a joke. Like slaves, women could hold no possessions as they belonged to her father and then once she is married to her husband. Their primary function of looking after the home included the use of many slaves, sorting out finances, spinning, bread making and of course weaving which is the epitomy of the feminine thing to do as in evidence from Homers The Odyssey. They lived and ate in separate quarters from the men, nor could they go out in public on their own. Spartan women had it better as they were allowed to take part in athletic competitions and generally had more freedoms. Comparisons can be drawn here with modern times also as in the Islamic faith women are encouraged not to be seen in public and in the Christian faith women have always been vilified. This is clearly special insight being drawn from Greeces Ancient history as studying the status or class both offer the opportunity to compare social issues from ancient times to today, as they are clearly still relevant. We can also gain insight from this because Athens direct democracy may not have worked if it werent for its usage of such strict requirements to be allowed to participate. This creates insightful debate over this very reasoning meaning that it was not a democracy per se, but rather a democracy for the few where only a small section of society could participate and be elected. Comparisons can also be drawn to today with the long Bush-Clinton dynasty heading towards their fourth straight president, who comes from the same elite wealthy section of society. But the only difference is that the debt slaves of modern times actually choose not to participate instead of being forced not to as was the case in Ancient Athens. A more obvious comparison to modern times and what we can learn from the Ancient Greeks is the modern examples of literal slavery as opposed to the economic enslavement I have spoken of. Slaves in near modern times are quite comparible to those of Ancient times and thus offer an interesting insight into Greek history and what we can learn from it in terms of their mistakes, before slavery was abolished in 1863 in America many people were taken from Africa and elsewhere to America to work as slaves. This is quite reminiscent of the barbarians I quoted Aristotle speaking of earlier, saying how they were less than human. This was the kind of attitude that allowed slavery to continue for as long as it did, and as Western society takes its origins from classical history it is then easy to understand why it was so readily accepted. The same comparisons can be drawn about the treatment of women and minority groups whose racism they had to endure is similar to the treatment and opinions of barbarians at the time. In conclusion, what constitutes special insight can be interpreted many different ways but I feel that it relates to the information we can gain that has previously been ignored by the classical history establishment, in favour of focusing solely on the elite wealthy landowners without considering the slaves and the people who did not necessarily have a voice. This is why I feel de Ste. Croixs use of Marxist ideology in his book The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World is extremely apt in portraying this special insight as it effectively shows the same system of control that is employed today as back in the Ancient Greek World in a different format to today, but still ultimately debt slavery. It also offers special insight in the general goings on of Ancient Greek society with the question of status and class relating to patronages usage and if it was even used at all as the lack of it in history books would suggest. The biggest special insight I feel it offers in terms of either class or status is that it shows the lack of willingness to make the unheard voices heard, it clearly shows that Greek history is written by those that dominated it and its majority of people living there as slaves, metics, women will unfortunately remain an unheard voice in the trumpeting of the creators of democracy we apparently hold so dear today. References De Ste. Croix, The Class Struggle in the Ancient Greek World, Duckworth Ed, 1997 Paul Millet, Patronage in Ancient Society, Routledge, 1989 Aristotle, The Politics, Jowett translation, revised by Jonathan Barnes, 1981 Homer, The Odyssey, E.V. Rieu translation, Penguin Books, 2003. Arisophanes, Lysistrata and Other Plays, Alan H. Sommerstein translation, 2003 Professor Paul Cartledge, Critics and Critiques of Athenian Democracy, 1st January 2001, BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekcritics_01.shtml

Exaggeration of Despair in Sherman Alexies Reservation Blues Essay

Exaggeration of Despair in Sherman Alexie's Reservation Blues Gloria Bird realizes that for generations Native Americans have had drinking problems, and she also realizes that it is difficult for â€Å"native writers to accurately represent our communities without exploiting them.†(G. Bird) However, Bird criticizes Alexie of embellishing or exaggerating the Native Americans’ despair. Alexie cannot ignore the alcohol situation when describing Native American culture, but Alexie does not need to make alcoholism a common trait amongst almost every ‘Indian’ on the reservation and other reservations. Bird’s statement concerning Alexie’s embellishment of Native American despair due to alcoholism is an accurate interpretation of Reservation Blues. In Reservation Blues, almost every Native American is an alcoholic. Two of the main characters, Victor and Junior, spend all of their money on booze and get wasted on a regular basis. â€Å"After the tavern had closed, Junior and Victor climbed into the water truck and passed out.†(p.24) It is reasonable for there to be a few drunks, but Alexie introduces or makes references to too many Indians who either lost everything or their lives because of alcohol. When Thomas’ father Samuel is introduced he is drunk, and Alexie explains that this is normal, for â€Å"Thomas†¦had lost count of the number of times he’d saved his father†¦ Once, a month, he bailed his father out of jail for drunk and disorderly behavior.†(p.95) Even though Thomas didn’t drink,...

Essay --

/* * Copyright 2005 dotlucene.net * * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. * You may obtain a copy of the License at * * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 * * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and * limitations under the License. */ using System; using System.Diagnostics; using System.Drawing; using System.IO; using System.Windows.Forms; using Lucene.Net.Analysis.Standard; using Lucene.Net.Documents; using Lucene.Net.Index; using Lucene.Net.QueryParsers; using Lucene.Net.Search; using DesktopSearch1.Icons; using DesktopSearch1.Parsing; namespace DesktopSearch1 { /// /// Summary description for Form1. /// public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form { private string pathIndex; private IndexWriter indexWriter; private string[] patterns = {"*.doc", "*.xls", "*.ppt", "*.htm", "*.txt"}; private SystemImageList imageListDocuments; private IndexSearcher searcher = null; // statistics private long bytesTotal = 0; private int countTotal = 0; private int countSkipped = 0; private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox textBoxPath; private System.Windows.Forms.Button buttonBrowse; private System.Windows.Forms.Button buttonIndex; private System.Windows.Forms.Label labelStatus; private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox textBoxQuery; private System.Windows.Forms.Button buttonSearch; private System.Windows.Forms.ListView listViewResults; ... ...ond) { return first } private void listViewResults_DoubleClick(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { if (this.listViewResults.SelectedItems.Count != 1) return; string path = (string) this.listViewResults.SelectedItems[0].Tag; Process.Start(path); } private void textBoxQuery_KeyDown(object sender, System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs e) { if (e.KeyCode == Keys.Enter) search(); } private void buttonBrowse_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { this.folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath = this.textBoxPath.Text; if (this.folderBrowserDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK) { this.textBoxPath.Text = this.folderBrowserDialog1.SelectedPath; } } private void buttonClean_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { Directory.Delete(this.pathIndex, true); checkIndex(); } } }

career paper ( preschool teacher) -- essays research papers

History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool is something very important for toddlers. Preschools were established in Europe around the late 1800’s. They were later introduced to the United States in the 1920’s. According to the Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance 9th edition â€Å"preschools expanded rapidly in the united states during the 1960’s†. Job Description   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool teachers usually instruct children usually until they reach the age of five. They conduct activities designed to develop social, physical, and intellectual skills needed for primary school. During an interview I was told many things on the subject. â€Å"You need a lot of patience† said Esther Rodriguez a preschool teacher. There are many tasks needed to be done. While researching I came across plenty of information on the internet, Echoices says that some typical tasks are â€Å"planning individual and group activities, and monitor activities to prevent accidents and conflicts between children†. Nature of Work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool teachers play a very important role in the development of children. In the Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance 9th edition states that â€Å"a preschool teacher’s primary responsibility in the social development and health of each child†. Preschool teachers design activities that build on the children’s native abilities and help them develop skills and characteristics that will help them grow. What children learn a...

Pathophysiology of Asthma – Essay

Exam Case Scenario Pathophysiology of Asthma Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by episodes in which the bronchioles constrict due to oversensitivity. In asthma, the airways (bronchioles) constrict making it difficult to get air in or out of the lungs. Breathlessness is the main symptom. The bronchi and bronchioles become inflamed and constricted. Asthmatics usually react to triggers. Triggers are substances and situations that would not normally trouble an asthma free person. Asthma is either extrinsic or intrinsic.Extrinsic is when the inflammation in the airway is a result of hypersensitivity reactions associated with allergy (food or pollen). Intrinsic asthma is linked to hyper responsive reactions to other forms of stimuli like infection. Or they can have a combination of both. The bronchi and bronchioles contain smooth muscle and are lined with mucus-secreting glands (goblet cells) and ciliated cells (push the mucus towards the throat). Next to the airways blood sup ply there are lots of mast cells.Once they become stimulated the mast cells release a number of cytokines (chemical messengers), which cause physiological changes to the lining of the bronchi and bronchioles. Three such protein cytokines are histamine, kinins and prostaglandins (leukotrienes) which cause smooth muscle contraction, increased mucus production and capillary permeability. The airways soon narrow and become flooded with mucus and fluid leaking from the blood vessels. Airflow becomes obstructed resulting in a wheeze.As the airways become obstructed the patient will become fatigue and their respiratory effort becomes weak and inadequate causing hypoxaemia and hypercapnia. Airway – Assess the airway. If the patient is talking this means they have a patent (clear) airway therefore they are breathing and have brain perfusion. Look and listen for signs of airway obstruction. A partial obstruction is often noisy, and in complete airway obstruction there are no breath sou nds. Maintain and monitor the airway and report any changes. If the airway does become compromised suction or sit the patient up.If the patient’s level of conscious has altered carry out the head tilt and chin lift. If you have had airway management training insert an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway. Breathing – Count the respiratory rate over 1 minute. The normal range is between 14 – 20 resps per min. A high respiratory rate (tachypnoea) indicates that the patient is unwell and that the patient is struggling to breath. Evaluate the rate, rhythm and depth of the breathing. Make sure the patient’s chest is moving equally on both sides (symmetrical), if not this could indicate a pneumothorax.Observe to see if the patient is using his or hers accessory muscle to breath (if the patient feels they are having difficulty getting enough oxygen, their body begins to clench these muscles every time they breath in an attempt to acquire more air) as this coul d be a sign of respiratory distress. Monitor the peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) using a pulse oximeter. A low SpO2 reading can indicate that the patient is in respiratory distress. Give oxygen as prescribed using a venturi mask. Check the colour of the patient’s lips and tongue, central cyanosis indicates lack of oxygen to the skin.Listen to the patients breathing, breath sounds are normally quite. Any abnormal sounds such as wheezing suggest that there could be a fluid build up in the lungs. Circulation – Palpate the radial pulse, assessing for the rate, quality and rhythm. The normal range for this is between 60-100 beats per min. An elevated pulse rate can be due to the patient being in pain, anxiety or a sign of an infection. Take the patient’s blood pressure and insure that this is within the normal range (100/60 – 140/90 mmHg). Look at the patient’s colour in their hands and fingers, and check if the patient feels warm or cool.Measure th e capillary refill time (CRT). Apply pressure to a fingertip, held at a level of the heart, for 5 seconds so that the skin becomes blanched and then release. Measure how long it takes for the colour to return. The normal capillary refill time is less than 2 seconds, anything over indicates reduced skin perfusion. Ask the patient if they have any chest pain, if so begin a ECG monitoring. Take the patients temperature. The normal range for this is 36-37. 5 degrees Celsius. A high temperature can be a sign of infection.The doctor may also like to re-take the patient’s Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) because previous results showed respiratory acidosis. Disability – Assessment of disability involves evaluating the patient’s central nervous system function. Assess the patient’s level of consciousness using the AVPU scale. Talk to the patient if they are alert and talking they are classified as A. If the patient is not fully awake establish whether they respond to the sound of your voice (opening their eyes, making any sounds) if they do they are classified as V.If the patient does not respond to voice administer a painful stimulus (gently rubbing the sternum bone). If they respond they are a P on the AVPU scale. And finally if they do not respond to any of the above they are a U, you should then move onto the more detailed Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). You will assess the patient’s pupils (eyes) and motor responses (arms and legs) among other things to give the patient a score out of 15 (15 being the highest). A GCS of fewer than 8 is a medical emergency and you would then have to go back to assessing the patient’s airway.Exposure – It may be necessary to undress the patient, taking care to maintain their dignity at all time, in order to undertake a thorough head to toe check, looking out for any signs of DVT, sores or rashes. Always gain consent before any procedure so always keep the patient informed of what it is you are doi ng. Reassure the patient to reduce anxiety and try to make them as comfortable as possible. Ask the patient if they are in any pain and get the doctor to prescribe an appropriate analgesia.If the doctor has prescribed the patient antibiotics ensure that blood cultures are done prior to giving the patient their antibiotics, this will give an accurate result from the lab. Give the patient any other due medication making sure to ask if they have any known allergies. Regular peak flows should be done on the patient pre and post medication, this will tell us if the medication being given to the patient is working or not. Spirometry test will show how well the patient breathes in and out and it is also used to monitor the severity of some lung conditions, and their response to treatment.Take a mid stream urine sample from the patient and dip stick, depending on the results send down to the lab. The doctor might also want a chest x ray from the patient. Complete all the relevant risk asses sment such as the Waterlow score (patients are classified according to their risk of developing a pressure sore), the MUST score (screening tool to identify adults who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition), falls risk assessment (what the chances are of the patient falling) and Moving and Handling (if the nurses are required to use any equipment on the patient).And the patient’s hygiene needs must be assessed and if necessary an appropriate nursing plan must be put into place. Start the patient on a fluid chart, making sure to write down any IV fluids that they have. The cannula site must be checked and the patient must have a VIP score to make sure there are no signs of phlebitis. A sputum sample must also be collected and sent to the lab. Carry out a blood glucose test to ensure that the patient’s blood glucose levels are within normal ranges (4-7 mmol/l). A referral should be made to the respiratory nurse who will provide support to patients who suffer from c hronic respiratory diseases.Give patient advice to avoid any triggers that they are aware of, advice on medication and if relevant give advice on smoking cessation. Symbicort combination inhaler containing budesonide and formoterol Inhalers are used to deliver drugs to relieve or prevent the symptoms of asthma. Budesonide – Corticosteroid drug used in an inhaler to prevent attacks of asthma but will not stop an existing attack. Budesonide is used by patients whose asthma is not controlled by bronchodilators alone. Budesonide controls symptoms by reducing inflammation in the swollen inner layers of the airways.By suppressing airway inflammation they reduce the swelling (oedema) inside the bronchioles. There are fewer side effects to the drug when inhaled because it is absorbed by the body in much smaller quantities than when it is taken orally. Budesonide is usually taken twice a day and normally lasts between 12 to 24 hours. Asthma prevention is the condition for which prolon ged use may be required. There may be a small risk of glaucoma, cataracts, and effects on bone with high doses inhaled for a prolonged period.Side effects include a cough, sore throat Formoterol – Bronchodilator’s are prescribed to widen the bronchioles and improve breathing. Bronchodilator drugs act by relaxing the muscles surrounding the bronchioles. Formoterol is from the sympathomimetic group which is mainly used for the rapid relief of breathlessness. Sympathomimetic drugs interfere with nerve signals passed to the muscle through the autonomic nervous system. Because sympathomimetic drugs stimulate a branch of the autonomic nervous system that controls the heart rate, the patient may sometimes feel palpitations or trembling.People with heart problems, high blood pressure or an overactive thyroid gland will have to be extra cautious. Salbutamol inhaler/nebuliser Salbutamol is a sympathomimetic bronchodilator that relaxes the muscle surrounding the bronchioles. It i s used to relieve symptoms of asthma. Inhalation is considered more effective because the drug is delivered directly to the bronchioles, thus giving rapid relief, allowing smaller doses and causing fewer side effects. Compared to some similar drugs it has little stimulant effect on the heart rate and blood pressure, making it safer for people with heart problems.Salbutamol is usually taken 1-2 inhalations 3-4 times a day, usually starts working within 5-15 min and can last up to 6 hours. The most common side effect of salbutamol is fine tremor of the hands also anxiety, tension and restlessness may occur. Prednisolone A powerful corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation and suppress allergic reactions and immune system activity. Corticosteroid drugs reduce inflammation by blocking the action of chemicals called prostaglandins that are responsible for triggering the inflammatory response.These drugs also temporarily depress the immune system by reducing the activity of certain types of white blood cell. Because corticosteroids suppress the immune system, they increase susceptibility to infection. They also suppress symptoms of infectious disease. IV Hydrocortisone Hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid used in the treatment of a variety of allergic and inflammatory conditions. Hydrocortisone is chemically identical to the hormone cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands. Prolonged high dosage may cause diabetes, glaucoma, fragile bones and thin skin.Aminophylline Aminophylline is a bronchodilator used to treat bronchospasm (constriction of the air passages) in patients suffering from asthma. It can be used to treat acute attacks. Slow-release formulations of the drugs produce beneficial effects lasting for up to 12 hours, they are also useful taken at night to prevent night-time asthma and early morning wheezing. Side effects are headaches and nausea. Smoking and alcohol increase excretion of xanthines from the body, reducing their effects.

Law of Constant Composition Lab Essay

Purpose: To determine the percent magnesium by mass in magnesium oxide and to observe if the percentage composition is constant by comparing class results. Hypothesis/Prediction: The percent composition by mass of magnesium in magnesium oxide will not change significantly with each group that conducted the experiment. The composition of each substance should stay the same and any differences must be due to some error. Materials:Magnesium stripCrucibleCrucible coverClay triangleIron ringRetort standTongsBalanceBunsen burnerProcedure:1.obtained a strip of magnesium between 30-40 cm long2.coiled magnesium strip into a tight roll3.measured the mass of the crucible and cover4.Added the magnesium strip to the crucible and measured the magnesium, crucible and cover together. 5.Partially covered the crucible with the cover and heated it using a Bunsen burner until the magnesium ignited. 6.Turned off Bunsen burner. 7.waited for combustion to proceed8.when the reaction appeared completed, heated the crucible again for another five minutes9.allowed crucible to cool for ten minutes10.measured the mass of the crucible, cover and magnesium oxideObservations:When ignited, the magnesium strip gave off a bright light. There was a colour change on the magnesium. It started out as silver and turned into a white colour. The combustion gave off a distinct odour. The end result was a white powder but some magnesium had been left in its original shape. According to the theory of J.L. Proust, a compound always has the same percentage composition no matter how it is prepared. For all three of our own individual groups trials, we obtained the same percentage composition and this satisfies Prousts theory. This is also accurate with what we have read in the textbook Chemistry 11 on the Law of Definite Proportions on pages 147 150. 2.What conclusion can you make upon the class results?The conclusions I can make based upon the class results are that the composition of a compound must vary because everyone had a different answer. In most cases, the percent composition of magnesium in the compound was very different from what my group achieved. However, sometimes, the classes results were quite similar to my own. The theory that C.M. Berthollet introduced about the composition of a compound was that a compound has an infinite number of compositions depending on the proportions of the components that were used in its preparation. His theory satisfies the results obtained from the whole class. Since every group had a different amount of magnesium they must also have had a different composition of magnesium in the compound formed, magnesium oxide. However, this is inconsistent with what we have been taught and with what is written in the textbook. Since the textbook is a more reliable source of information, I must conclude that the reason for this difference in results may be attributed to error on the part of the students conducting the experiment. 3.Which French Scientist would you tend to support? Explain. The French scientist that I support is J.L. Proust. I agree with Prousts theory because I believe that if the composition of a substance were to change, so would its properties. An obvious example of this is one stated in the textbook: water and hydrogen peroxide. The simple addition of a hydrogen atom to the compound of water can make a liquid that is essential to life become deadly. Since I know that the percent composition of a particular substance is the same no matter where, how or when it is made, I must agree with J.L Proust and support his theory. Sources of ErrorOne reason why a student may have obtained a higher percentage of magnesium than the rest of the class is: during the experiment, mass must have been lost. This could have been done in many ways. Often, the magnesium took too long to ignite and students began to put it straight into the flame to ignite it and then put it back into the crucible. Sometimes, the magnesium wilted and little pieces of it broke off. In addition, the magnesium would sometimes ignite and then extinguish itself. In the constant removal of the magnesium from the crucible, mass was lost in the form of ashes. When mass is lost during the experiment, the total mass of the compound is lower and when the mass of magnesium was divided by the total mass, yielded a higher percent of magnesium. One reason why a student may have obtained a lower percentage of magnesium than the rest of the class is: the magnesium did not properly combust. In many cases, the magnesium would extinguish itself and would not burn completely. This resulted in some white powder, ash, and some magnesium still in the same shape that it was when we began the experiment. This suggests that it did not burn with the rest of the magnesium ribbon and therefore, did not form the compound with oxygen. This would yield in a higher total mass than what it should have been and when the mass of magnesium is divided by the total mass, would give a lower percentage. The following calculation shows the actual percentage of Magnesium in the compound magnesium oxide. Molar mass of MgO = 24.3 + 16.0= 40.3For 1.00 mol of MgO:%Mg = 24.3 / 40.3 x  100= 60.3%Therefore, the actual percentage value of Mg in MgO is 60%The following calculation shows the percentage error for my own groups result% error = (experimental accepted) / accepted x 100= (72 60) / 60 x 100= 20%Therefore the percentage error for my group was 20%. ConclusionBased on the data collected by each group, the composition of a substance must change depending on the proportions of the components that were used in its preparation. However, as explained earlier, the textbook and the properties of matter state otherwise. Scientifically, if the composition of a compound was to change, so would its properties. The results obtained by the class are quite the opposite of what has already been proven by Proust to be true and therefore, I believe that the evidence obtained by our chemistry class is the result of many mistakes and cannot be used to convey the idea of the Law of Constant Composition which states that the composition of a specific compound is constant.