Sunday, November 10, 2019
Listo Systems: Cami Machado, Trainer
Listo Systems: Cami Machado, Trainer Context: Listo Systems is a graphic service agency and is one of the leading companies within the sector. They recently implemented a new black box technology which resulted in a demand for trainings for the employees as well as ââ¬Å"train-the trainerâ⬠sessions. Cami Machado is responsible for conducting these sessions and she feels well prepared. She is also the one who represents the company at an annual Computer Graphic Service Trade Show. Key Issues and Problems: Cami Machado has previous experiences and therefore feels confident and eager for the first session of the trainings.However, the general evaluations of the course were poor and most of the trainers had no clue of what was expected from them. Although Cami is not worried, her manager realizes that something needs to be done. The second issue is related to the Graphic Service Trade Show where Cami routinely represents Listo Systems. This year because of the occurring changes, L isto has scheduled a private presentation for key contacts. Cami is assigned to give a flashy, multimedia overview of the clients benefits of the new ââ¬Å"black box systemâ⬠.However, she is procrastinating and thinks that from sales or marketing would be better suited for this task. Applying concepts: Cami knows that she could do a good job making the ââ¬Å"glamour showâ⬠, however she wants to have the presentation reassigned. In this case Cami is able but unwilling and therefore her performance readiness is R3 (at level 3). She prefers to talk to the ââ¬Å"realâ⬠people with ââ¬Å"realâ⬠questions. As for the trainings that she has been assigned to organize, Cami feels herself able, confident and willing (R4). In the past she has taughtInformation Technology courses at a local university and for that reason she feels well prepared. She has spent two weeks preparing detailed manuals however the professional trainers do not share her enthusiasm and confidence . From their perspective, Cami is an R2, because even though she is very motivated and willing to accomplish this task, the other trainers are not satisfied with her work. She is not very effective in giving precise directions of what should be done and what is expected, and the majority of the trainers are lost and confused.It is important to notice that the concepts of ability and willingness are an ââ¬Å"interacting influence systemâ⬠. In other words, that they are interconnected and a significant change in one will affect the whole. This is why the amount of knowledge, experience and skills often affect confidence and motivation. Cami feels that she knows what is required for the trainings to be successful because she has had experience at the University. However, it is hard to say whether she has all the skills that are necessary to train-the-trainers.Comments from the trainers also included ââ¬Å"lots of smoke but no fireâ⬠and ââ¬Å"talks down to usâ⬠. We ca n therefore conclude that the reason why the trainers where not satisfied was not necessarily because of Camiââ¬â¢s technical skills, but maybe her relationship with the employees. Her directive behavior is very high but her relationship and supportive behavior not as much. Looking at the Situational Leadership model, Cam is using S4 leadership style, which includes low relationship and mostly delegating. Alternative Courses of Action:In order to be more successful in leading the others, Cami should use the S2 leadership style, which includes selling and most importantly explaining what she expects from the trainers. Cami considers herself well prepared and experienced however the evaluation of the course was poor because of lack of explanations. Another reason why the employees were not satisfied was because Cami was ââ¬Å"talking down to themâ⬠. To avoid this, Cami should be more supportive and use participative leadership style that will allow her to interact with the ot her trainer and to improve her relationship with them.To make everything more certain, Cami should clarify the path by explaining the followerââ¬â¢s ââ¬â in this case trainersââ¬â¢ work role. Only then she should display her motivations and effort to accomplish the work outcomes. The Chosen course of Action: The combination of all the above-mentioned solutions would work best for Camiââ¬â¢s situation. However, I believe that the biggest issue in this cause was that the trainers where unaware of what was expected from them. And therefore the best solution would be that Cami clarifies the goals of the trainings and only then tries to motivate and encourage the trainers.Action Plan: Although Cami is a very valuable employee, I believe that her manager should be more directive towards her. For example, he shouldnââ¬â¢t let her procrastinate and reassign her tasks. It is obvious that Cami loves her job and making her tasks more certain and a bit stricter would make a posi tive change for everyone. The trainers and employees of the organization are already dedicated and hard-working, therefore no big changes are necessary. However, slight alterations could be beneficial as discussed above. Listo Systems: The New Security System ââ¬â Buying In Context:Listo Systems is a graphic service agency and is one of the leading companies within the sector. They recently implemented a new black box technology that caused different reactions from the employees. Key Issues and Problems: One of Camiââ¬â¢s team members, Steve, was unsatisfied because he just got used to the ââ¬Å"oldâ⬠system and doesnââ¬â¢t want to start all over again. He is thinking about transferring to another department within the company that doesnââ¬â¢t involve the use of the black box. The main issue in this case is that the implementation of the new security system can be a potential risk for losing the employees.There might be other employees like Steve, who are not will ing to adapt and who might take to decision to leave. In the long run this could negatively affect the company because the turnover ratio would increase. Applying concepts: Even though Steve was having difficulty adapting to the new system, there are other employees who are willing to do ââ¬Å"whatever is necessary to keep the customers happy and them employedâ⬠. The majority of the employees want to keep their current jobs and this is what motivates them to learn and to adjust to the new security system.The company is doing everything that is necessary in order to train the employees, so the main factor that is required for an overall success is the motivation of the employees. It is clear that Steveââ¬â¢s performance readiness was at the very bottom (R1) because he was unable, insecure and unwilling to learn how to work with the black box. He is displaying frustration and has a complaining behavior, which is typical to the level 1 employees. Angie, the second team member, is an R2, because even though the new black box is foreign to her, she is willing and is motivated to learn.The third member, Dorothy, has an extensive experience with the black box, and therefore she is at the highest performance readiness level (R4). She has the right skills and at the same time we can see that she is willing to work with the new system, because sheââ¬â¢s encouraging all the other members to support it as well. According to Maslowââ¬â¢s hierarchy of needs, employeeââ¬â¢s motivation and performance depend on various factors that need be satisfied at the first place. In this case, we can assume that the physiological, social and safety needs are satisfied. However, as some of the employees donââ¬â¢t feel confident, their esteem nd self-actualization factors are not fully satisfied. This demotivates the members of the company and negatively affects the productivity level. Alternative Courses of Action: As stated in the case, in order to diagnose the perf ormance readiness level, the indicators of ability and willingness should be combined. You have to assess whether the individual is able (presently performing) and whether he is willing or unwilling to perform a certain task. A good way to do that would be by running an emergency survey, right after the implementation of the black box.This would help to find out in which areas the employees need help and guidance, as well to assess the overall satisfaction level. In order to avoid losing more employees, the management should have more individual approach towards its employees. Some people are quick-learner while the other dislike major changes. The results of the survey would show who needs additional help, and the trainers could focus more on this specific group of employees. There is not an appropriate leadership style for this case, because every member needs to be approached in a different way.The S3 level would be the most appropriate because the manager would be able to encour age and help its employees by participating more. The Chosen course of Action: The best solution would first of all be to run a quick survey within the department. After determining the indicators of ability and willingness, it will be much easier to find out the employeesââ¬â¢ performance readiness and to decide which leadership style is the most appropriate. Action Plan: Different employees have different opinions and it is hard to keep every single member satisfied.The survey would allow to asses the common weaknesses within the group and to fill the gap by organizing trainings. Listo Systems: Cami Machado ââ¬â System Conversation Context: Listo Systems is a graphic service agency and is one of the leading companies within the sector. They recently implemented a new black box. Cami, the responsible for the system has taken the black box through all the recommended steps tests and it performed perfectly. The system has also been tested by a former CIA computer specialist an d its was declared to be flawless. Nevertheless, Cami insisted to keep the old system ââ¬Å"just in caseâ⬠.Key Issues and Problems: Even though everything turned out to work perfectly, Cami confessed that she has never been so nervous in her life. She had asked to keep the old system as well, however she was still very anxious and was sleeping only a few hours at night. Applying concepts: Camiââ¬â¢s performance level in this situation is R3, because even though she was able to make the switch, she was still not confident and very hesitant. However, she had asked to keep the parallel system, so in case if something went wrong, there was an alternative solution. There was no reason for Cami to feel nervous, even if the black box failed.The leadership style that Camiââ¬â¢s manager should use is S3. He should support her in risk-taking and compliment the work. Alternative Courses of Action: The manager should not disempower Cami, because she has done a hard work and deserves appreciation. He should be very supportive and help her to deal with her nervousness. As mentioned above, this would be a S3 leadership style, which would result in building confidence, actively listening and encouraging. The employees should try to adapt to the new system, instead of leaving the department and creating more issues to deal with.They should also be supportive towards Cami, and appreciate her effort. The Chosen course of Action: Camiââ¬â¢s manager should take more participation in the implementation of the black box. He should leave everything on Camiââ¬â¢s shoulders, even though sheââ¬â¢s the one responsible for the project. A supportive leadership style would be very effective in this situation and would help Cami to work more productively with less stress and anxiety. Action Plan: With the help of her manager and her employees, Cami should be able to overcome the difficult period at her workplace and gain more confidence in the work that she is doing.The management should help her to increase her performance readiness level to R4, by showing more support and encouragement. Listo Systems: Randy Mack, Trainer, Listo Systems Context: Randy Mack is an experienced trainer for Listo Systems and has worked with the company for a number of years. His evaluations have always been first rate and he has been able to develop a rapport with the people whom he trains. Key Issues and Problems: Recently, Randy is not happy with his job and had received below-par evaluations for the first time. His main concern is the lack of career advancement at Listo Systems.Some of his training have ended in confrontations with the trainees. Applying concepts: Maslowââ¬â¢s hierarchy of needs explains clearly why Randy is dissatisfied with his job. Even though he has performed perfectly for so many years, the lack of self-actualization and career advancement demotivates him. With all the new changes occurring with Listo Systems, the management is possibly more focused on profit and the technology rather then promoting its employees. This lack of attention has resulted in demotivation because Randy feels that his work isnââ¬â¢t much appreciated anymore.His performance readiness is at R3, considering that he knows his job very well and his has been number one for a long time. However the lack of career advancement made him unwilling and decreased his productivity. Alternative Courses of Action: The management should use S3 leadership style, in order to improve Randyââ¬â¢s performance readiness level. Considering that he is a valuable employee, it would be a big loss for the company of Randy left. In order to avoid that, the management should try to show more encouragement and offer possible ways of growth within the company.For example, another solution would be motivating him with financial bonuses. The Chosen course of Action: Itââ¬â¢s Randyââ¬â¢s experience that makes him a valuable employee, and he cannot be easily replaced . For that reason the managers should compromise by either promoting Randy or suggesting other potentials ways of career advancement. Action Plan: The managers should make a quick decision before it gets any worse. They have to motivate Randy to stay by offering bonuses and showing that they appreciate his work.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Albinism Gentic Essay
Albinism Gentic Essay Albinism Gentic Essay Gabrielle Correia Albinism What is albinism? Albinism is a defect of the melanin production of color pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. Melanin is the substance that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes. Albinism is passed down through families, from parent to offspring. There are only two specific types of this syndrome, Type one effects the colors of your eyes, skin, and hair, Type two is due to the effect of the P gene children born with this type have slight coloring. But, the worst case of albinism is called oculocutaneous albinism. People with this form of albinism have either white or pink hair, as well as vision problems. Type one albinism affects mostly the eyes, when looking at a person with type one they look pretty normal. But, with an eye exam it will show that there is no coloring in the retina. There are some ways you can tell if you have Albinism. You can tell by the absence of color in the hair, eyes, or skin. Most people with Albinism have lighter skin then most people and have patchy and m issing skin colors. Also many forms of Albinism associate with these symptoms including: crossed eyes, light sensitive, rapid eye movement, and vision problems. People with Albinism have to be careful with how much exposure they get to the sun because freckles, moles with no color, freckle spots can form all over their body, in which case could cause much harm to ones body. Their hair color can range from very white to brown. People who are either African or Asian have a hair color that is yellow, or reddish brown. But, their hair color may change before early adult hood. Eye color ranges from light blue to brown and may change over time. The iris can completely block light from entering the eye. Because of this their eyes might somewhat appear red in some lighting. The main purpose of the treatment for Albinism is to try and relieve the symptoms. But, treatment depends on how server the case is. One way people with Albinism can treat themselves is by staying out of the sun or weari ng sunblock. Also make sure the person is clothed well so no sun has a way of hitting them. Wearing sunglasses also plays a huge role because this may help with light sensitivity. Most doctors prescribe glasses for people with Albinism to correct vision problems and eye position. But, sometimes eye muscle surgery is needed to correct incorrect eye movements. Albinism does not affect ones lifespan though. But, people with Albinism may be limited to most activities outside because of the sun. Albinism is an inherited disorder; most patients with this disorder are encouraged to go see a genetic
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Free Essays on Mastering Hotel Design From Beginning To End
A developerââ¬â¢s vision for an out-of-this-world resort is often much grander than the real-world budget will allow. This hard reality demands a hotel design team capable of making the vision affordable. A key step in making a project affordable is involving the major design team members at the very outset of the project. When an experienced architect joins with a developer from the beginning, the team can develop a cohesive concept and establish a suitable budget. The ideal situation is to involve the design team in the development of a master plan. The design firm is responsible for- and compensated for- generating ideas for utilising the site, accommodating future growth and expansion, and phasing of development. IN THE BEGINNING Hotel developers often have in-house staff capable of producing conceptual plans for hotel and resort projects. Such drawings need to be examined carefully to make sure the program is complete. An architectural firm with considerable hospitality expertise can review conceptual drawings with an eye for programming and point out what is missing. Once any programmatic or area adjustments are made, the preliminary concept can be refined into a schematic design. It is critical that the architect is brought in as early as possible, even with a fully defined program. Failing to evaluate both the program and the developer-provided conceptual design means that time and money will be lost as problems surface later in the design process. CAN YOU VISUALIZE IT? Project imagery boards help all participants visualise design direction. After meeting with the client and listening intently, the architect can begin researching and gathering images that reflect the developerââ¬â¢s vision for the project. Image boards with architectural, landscape and furniture depictions convey the atmosphere and aesthetic of the project. The development team can determine if these images represent their ideas about the project, or if ... Free Essays on Mastering Hotel Design From Beginning To End Free Essays on Mastering Hotel Design From Beginning To End A developerââ¬â¢s vision for an out-of-this-world resort is often much grander than the real-world budget will allow. This hard reality demands a hotel design team capable of making the vision affordable. A key step in making a project affordable is involving the major design team members at the very outset of the project. When an experienced architect joins with a developer from the beginning, the team can develop a cohesive concept and establish a suitable budget. The ideal situation is to involve the design team in the development of a master plan. The design firm is responsible for- and compensated for- generating ideas for utilising the site, accommodating future growth and expansion, and phasing of development. IN THE BEGINNING Hotel developers often have in-house staff capable of producing conceptual plans for hotel and resort projects. Such drawings need to be examined carefully to make sure the program is complete. An architectural firm with considerable hospitality expertise can review conceptual drawings with an eye for programming and point out what is missing. Once any programmatic or area adjustments are made, the preliminary concept can be refined into a schematic design. It is critical that the architect is brought in as early as possible, even with a fully defined program. Failing to evaluate both the program and the developer-provided conceptual design means that time and money will be lost as problems surface later in the design process. CAN YOU VISUALIZE IT? Project imagery boards help all participants visualise design direction. After meeting with the client and listening intently, the architect can begin researching and gathering images that reflect the developerââ¬â¢s vision for the project. Image boards with architectural, landscape and furniture depictions convey the atmosphere and aesthetic of the project. The development team can determine if these images represent their ideas about the project, or if ...
Monday, November 4, 2019
Market Segmentation and Product Positioning Term Paper
Market Segmentation and Product Positioning - Term Paper Example By the year 2006, the company has become amongst the most popular beer company in the African region (Smit, 2009). This was as a result of aggressive marketing of the beer by the company. This implied that advertising was exceedingly an essential factor for the success of the product. In fact, by the end of 2008, the beer was sold across the whole continent. Up to around 2010, most of the big cities and small town dwellers loved the beer at the bars and lodges. Frequently, joined by competitive alcoholic drinks, the beer has decreased in popularity. Currently, the companyââ¬â¢s products are consumed at one billion beers rate per each single day. The company headquarter is located in Lusaka, in Zambia. It is a large firm and has many facilities and structures in different regions across the world. In addition, our company operates in seven nations, specifically in the northwest. The BERVET Company owns three manufacturing facilities with more than twenty five sales locations. The f irm is the largest beer company in the northwest region of Africa. The company offers a wide range of beer brands and services that makes it attractive to its customers. Some of the known brands include kegi, chura, and kiboko among many others. The company has several foundations and programs to assist in various services. For instance, the company has partnered with an LGC company which is an NGO to offer health services. We also support various corporate initiatives that empower girls and women around the region through economic support. We are also focused on providing services on sanitation and water to people who cannot access them. Vision The company is committed to continual renewal so that individuals, organizational structure, facilities, products, systems and our partnership remain dynamic. Mission statement BERVET produces high quality; alcoholic products with a vision of becoming the leading company in Africa by 2015. We are focusing on maintaining our customers as an a sset in expansion mission of the company. We are, therefore, committed to winning our customers loyalty to BERVET products forever. Market target BERVET targets the European market. The market segment for our company includes retailers, wholesalers, the private sector, the government and the individual customers. The company target customers by having specific lines in Europe. We expect our sales to be exceedingly high bearing in mind the variety and quality of our beer that we offer. This is because BERVET plans on reducing prices and opening more outlets for the drink in the region. We are targeting the big restraunts, bars, and lodges. However, there are some essential economic factors that will affect our products that include taxes, economic trends, and the rising energy prices. The legal factors include legislation and regulations on the operations of the business and government initiatives. Also, control from the government might affect the operations of the business. Environ mental factors might also affect the market, but some are uncontrollable like natural disasters and calamities such as fire, earthquakes, and floods. Having identified the market and the factors that might affect these will help in proper planning for strategies like price, promotion and distribution. We must come up with pricing strategies that will aid in profit maximization, current revenue maximization, and maximization of quantity, quality, and profit margin,
Friday, November 1, 2019
Communication in the Nursing Profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Communication in the Nursing Profession - Essay Example Communication may be verbal, non-verbal, or inferred through the actions that a nurse may take or avoid. Communication may be a single sentence that begins with the sender, but the receiver is the integral part of the process where the message is interpreted and placed in context with a larger discourse. Communication is ubiquitous and pervasive. Every bit of information that is transferred from nurses to the world around them comes through some form of communication. In today's fast paced world of nursing, where accuracy and time can make the difference between success and failure, communication becomes the most critical component driving a patient's outcome. The structure of a health care setting today is far more inter-dependent than at any other time in history. Cultural and social diversity have made the communications between nurses and patients at risk of miscommunication, but has also presented nurses with the opportunity to be more articulated and meaningful. Communication skills are an area where it is sometimes difficult to measure, yet there are always issues that warrant improvement. In addition, knowledge is passed from nurses, specialists, and physicians through the act of communicating. It is one of the single most important activities that a health care worker engages in. Technology has presented nurses with new opportunities and methods of communication, though there is always some resistance to change within any group. This paper will evaluate some of the current literature in regards to communications among the nursing profession. By knowing what technologies are available, the current thinking on communication, and th e impact of culture and diversity, nurses can elevate the status of their communications and get more value for the time that they spend communicating Literature Review. Bedside Manner Some of the most prevalent and important communications for a nurse takes place between the nurse and the patient. Known traditionally as bedside manner, these may be critical instructions on self-care, or may be the casual words that offer the patient hope, support, comfort, and esteem. A nurse may be viewed as being positive and caring by being compassionate, genuine, and sympathetic, or alternately display the negative traits of arrogance, rudeness, or indifference (Person and Finch 6-7). This alters not only a patient's view of the hospital and its level of care, but may also have more lasting implications. According to Person and Finch, "the patient's perception of provider bedside manner impacts health status, satisfaction, and compliance" (Person and Finch 1). A nurse may need to communicate instructions that are necessary to maintain the patient's follow up care after they have been discharged from the hospital. This may be in a context where death, illness, and family wishes need to be considered from a cultural vantage point. The nurse may be the most vital actor in explaining and clarifying the information that the physician gave a patient during a hurried period of anxiousness (Ufema 70). The nurse can bridge the critical gap between 'cure' and 'care', and begin to communicate in terms of peace and closure, rather than the more technical language that might be expected from a physician (Ufema 70). If the
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The Financial Cooperation of Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo Triangle after 2008 Essay
The Financial Cooperation of Seoul-Beijing-Tokyo Triangle after 2008 Financial Crisis - Essay Example Prompted by a domino effect, the crisis eventually led to damaging consequences for the labor market and initiated a subsequent disintegration of the banking system. This severe decline in economic progress was experienced on a global scale and spanned across North America to Asia. According to Plummer, the premise of regional cooperation amongst Asian economies as a result of the global financial crisis is primarily associated with the factor of competitiveness in order to enhance the opportunity to achieve integration within the global economy and combat the effect of external forces (32). The assessment of this concept entails examining how each of the economic motivators for increasing cooperation has been impacted by the global financial crisis and how the extent of this regional cooperation can be promoted owing to the influence of external factors and the changing economic scenario. Movements and frameworks to advance the potential of regional financial cooperation amongst Asian nations namely Japan, China and Korea have been characterized by the emergence of specific challenges which must be resolved in order to attain the desired objectives of trilateral economic agreements. However, Madhur asserts that launching any potential financial and economic cooperation agreement between these Asian economies has traditionally posed several challenges and hurdles which have even led certain bilateral agreements and FTAs including the CJK FTA in failing to materialize successfully (377). The key difficulty in advancing the scope of financial cooperation between the three nations is linked with the inherent concept of preferential trade agreements and the criticism which is raised by trade analysts regarding such type of agreements. As noted by Madhur, a comparison of PTAs with the value and worth of potential multilateral free trade suggests that the former does not ho ld the several benefits
Monday, October 28, 2019
Females and males had equal but complementary roles in traditional Aboriginal life Essay Example for Free
Females and males had equal but complementary roles in traditional Aboriginal life Essay The purpose of this report is to show that women and men shared many roles in Traditional Australian Aboriginal life. It is acknowledged that men and women were given equal and complementary roles when it came to ceremonies, hunting and gathering, raising and initiating the children, building shelter and throughout the leadership hierarchy. This is proved through evidence collected and presented in the following paragraphs. The roles of both men and women were important and neither was thought to be as more significant than the other. While men had certain roles and women had other roles, they complemented each other which made day to day life easier and more bearable for the group. There were many different types of ceremonies performed by the Australian Aboriginals. Some ceremonies performed were initiation ceremonies, funeral ceremonies, cleansing ceremonies and ceremonies to great other tribes or groups of Australian aboriginals onto their land. During initiation ceremonies, young boys and girls begin the journey to become a man or woman. They are often taken away from the group and left in the bush to be shown and taught by the elders. The elders will pass on the laws relating to their country, spiritual belief and the role and obligations they have within the tribe. [1] This ceremony is performed by both men and women and each role they play complements the other. While men look after the young boys and women look after the young girls, without their roles complementing each other, neither group would be able to co-exist. In funeral ceremonies, both men and women elders would smoke out a house where a person may have died. This is to rid their community of the potential of the deceasedââ¬â¢s bad spirits coming back. They also find the last place the deceased person was and smoke it for the same reason. [2] During this ceremony, they would often cut open their own flesh to show their pain and sorrow because one of them had passed. They sung and danced to ensure the deceasedââ¬â¢s spirit had left to return to its birth place where it was to be reborn into the world. [3]Without both the men and women complementing each other throughout this ceremony, they would not be able to be performed. Aboriginal people believe that when a person dies, their spirit goes back to the Dreaming Ancestors in the land. This is only possible if certain ceremonies and rituals are performed. They used dances and special songs in times of death or mourning periods. It is also thought that when a person dies they are one with the land again, so often, the aboriginal group will vacate the area that a group member died. It is unsure whether this is out of respect or out of fear that the spirit will return and haunt them. They will return to the place sometime within a year and bury the bones of their dead group member. All other ceremonies that are performed by the Australian Aboriginals were able to be performed by both male and female members of the group. Some also include other groups or tribes. It is known that the Australian Aboriginals were avid hunters. They had a very deep knowledge of their land and believe they were born of it. They also had great knowledge of water sources and seasonal changes which affect the type of food readily available to them. They were knowledgeable about certain foods which were poisonous to them and knew when and how to avoid them should they ever come across these foods. Both males and females made different but complementary contributions when it came to hunting and gathering. The roles of both men and women were complementary in that they worked together to gather food to prepare a meal. Women gathered things such as vegetables, eggs, honey, roots, fruit, and small reptiles such as snakes and goannas. Mostly, the men hunted larger animals such as emus and kangaroos as well as birds. [4] The preparing of such foods was done by both the men and women. It is believed that women were the main carers of young children in traditional Australian Aboriginal society. However, during initiation, the men took over the role of caring for the young boy so they could be taught the laws of the land. When a young boy was roughly six years of age, he would go and join the male adults to learn about hunting and food gathering while the young girls would remain with the women to learn about different things such as child bearing, child rearing and food gathering [5] Because of a combination of nomadic lifestyle and the regions sunny climate, aboriginal people believed there was no need to build shelters or dwellings. The shelter that was used in permanent camps consisted in a frame made from saplings, or straight branches, covered with materials that were available locally such as leafy branches or sheets of bark. In some areas the covering of the shelter was sheets of soft paperbark, which were pulled down from trees. In other areas they used bushes and leafy branches instead because the bark was not available. Australia has such a mild climate, most of the time, they would sleep in the open, and warmth was often provided by a fire or two. They would sometimes be accompanied by a dingo or camp dog, which would also provide warmth to the man or women who it slept beside. During the wetter and colder seasons, they sometimes used closed dome-shaped shelters which were made with a frame of different sized sticks bent over, which joined in the middle to make the dome shape. They were not very big, standing between one and two metres tall. The frame for these was covered with whatever materials that could be found locally such as sheets of bark, layers of soft grass and leaves. [6] Both men and women would collect and assemble the shelters used as well as the campfire. Sometimes they had daytime fires which needed protection from the wind, so they used bushes and branches as a windbreak. Women would gather the leafy branches and bark that is needed to make the roof while the men would gather the saplings and/or the straight branches used to make the frame. Another form of shelter used when available was small or shallow caves that were often hidden behind rocks or bushes. These provided natural shelter for the nomadic Australian Aboriginals. [7] Both men and women had various roles when it comes to leadership in the Aboriginal culture. Both genders would contribute in leading ceremonies, tribal or group meetings and hunting parties. Although it is often shown that men have the main role of being an elder, women also were elders. Elders were leaders of the group who shared knowledge of the laws surrounding the land and how each member of the group intertwines with another. Elders are valuable members of each aboriginal tribe or group as they bring the wealth of knowledge and pass it down generation to generation. While male elders bring knowledge of hunting bigger animals, laws of the land and initiation, female elders bring knowledge of child irth, food gathering and child rearing. The knowledge used by both male and female members of the group helps them to become one with the land. In conclusion, in Traditional Australian Aboriginal life men and women were proven to share roles and complement each other through various ways. Through raising children, hunting and gathering, ceremonies and in leadership they comple ment each others roles so that the tribe or group can exist harmoniously. While men seem to have the main role throughout the Australian Aboriginal culture, it has now been proven that without the complementary role of women, the group would not continue to coexist.
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