Kenyan Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding

Kenyan Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding HOW DID THE KENYAN STRATEGY ON INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD FEEDING COME TO BE?A CRITICAL ANALYSIS. *Commonly used Acronyms EBF-Exclusive Breastfeeding IYCF/N-Infant and Young Child Feeding/Nutrition BFHI/CI-Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative/Community Initiative. MOPHS-Ministry Of Public Health and Sanitation The first 1000 days of life are crucial stages for a childs growth and development. Damages accrued from nutritional deficiencies during this time are likely to lead to poor cognitive development which results into compromised educational achievement and hence low economic productivity.(Murage et.al,2013;Bhutta et.al,2013).Poor nutrition results from inappropriate feeding practices with poor timing, poor quality and inadequate quantity of food.(M.O.P.H.S,2010). Optimal breastfeeding and complimentary feeding practices are essential in meeting the nutritional needs of children in the first years of life.The Lancet (2003),indicates that exclusive breastfeeding(EBF) for the first 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding from 6-11 months in addition to complementary feeding and a continued breastfeeding up-to 2 years of age help reduce child mortality rates by 19%.This would not only be in line with The Kenyan National Health Sector Strategic Plan II but also significantly contribute towards attainment of Millennium Development Goal 4(Huffman et.al,2001), and The Kenyan Vision 2030.(M.O.H,2000). Several worldwide efforts intended to address child malnutrition emerged in the 1990s,championing to promote Infant and Young Child Feeding by providing appropriate breastfeeding environment.(M.O.P.H.S,2007/10).These included; The Innocenti Declaration(1990),World Summit For Children(1990),Earth Summit, International Conferences on Nutrition and on Population Development(1992),World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action(WABA) and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. The 2003 Kenya Demographic Health Survey(KDHS) results showed only 2.6% of exclusive breastfeeding( EBF) rates in the country.Additionally, the rates of malnutrition were 30% for stunting,20% underweight and 6% severe malnutrition. Between 2008-2009,Kenya was listed among the top 20 countries with the highest under-nutrition rates.26.9% stunting and 20.3% underweight rates for ages 6-59 months(KDHS 2008/09;KNBS,2008).The HIV pandemic and the attendant risk of Mother To Child Transmission continued to pose a threat to exclusive breastfeeding even to the non-affected families.A study revealed the increased fear by both mothers and peer counsellors on the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding(Koricho et.al,2010).The peer counsellors were more comfortable if HIV positive mothers would abstain from EBF and rather opt for replacement feeding which mostly did not meet the WHO guideline of AFASS(Acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, safe).This led to an increase in infant m ortality rates and malnutrition(Creek et.al,2006). Over 30 countries have developed National IYCF(Infant Young Child Feeding) Strategies based on WHO/UNICEF guidelines..(Sagoe et.al,2012;WHO,2006).Kenya was also a signatory to all global conventions meant to improve IYCF practices.(M.O.P.H.S,2007/10). This essay aims to critically analyse the Kenyan Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding practices (IYCF), developed between 2007-2010. The strategy was intended to provide a strong mechanism, through which the government and various sectors could in a comprehensive and coordinated manner influence accelerated action to improve IYCF practices in Kenya.(M.O.P.H.S,2007/1O).I will draw upon the Walt and Gilson approach of the health policy triangle(1994,cited by Buse et.al,2012) to critically analyse and discuss how the Strategy came into place, what were the key driving factors and the stakeholders involved in the policy making process. I will combine the health policy triangle for analysis and John Kingdons Policy Windows and 3streams approach to agenda setting. The Health Policy Triangle comes in as a more suitable approach, as it acknowledges the importance of looking at content and process of policy making; besides exploring the role of power by the state, national and internati onal organisations and its influence on policy making.(Buse et.al,2012).Kenya is a low income country hence hence a policy making process would involve an interaction among various different stakeholders. Buse et.al(2012) defines policy as the decisions made by those with responsibility for a given area; and a health policy as that which covers courses of action or inaction that affects the set of institutions, organisations, services and funding arrangements of both private and public healthcare systems.The health policy triangle is divided into four constituent parts, both interrelated and interconnected and which are suitable for describing and understanding the Kenyan IYCF Strategy. These include the context, content, process and actors. Context entails the political, social, economic, cultural, both national and international which may have an effect on health policy(Buse et.al,2012).Further classified into situational, structural, cultural and international/exogenous factors by Leichter (1979),cited by Buse et.al,(2012).Some of the situational factors that stimulated the development of The Kenyan Strategy on IYCF include the issue of HIV and its great influence on exclusive breastfeeding and the increased rates of malnutrition combined with decline in the key indicators of IYCF(M.O.P.H.S,2007/10).A rapid assessment study (Chopra et.al,2009)indicated widespread mis- information on the Mother To Child Transmission(MTCT) of HIV as a major factor influencing breastfeeding patterns in Kenya.IYCF practices that differ from the commonly seen ones in the community would result in unwanted disclosure of HIV status.(Onono et.al,2014).This had a great influence on the duration of breastfeeding and the method of infant feeding used by the mother. Increased malnutrition rates caused by declined exclusive breastfeeding rates from 3.5%(KDHS 1998)to 2.6%(KDHS 2003) was the other factor(M.O.P.H.S,2007/10).Structural factors included inadequate capacity building on healthcare workers on IYCF ,HIV and breastfeeding leading to decline in promotion of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative(BFHI) and breastfeeding promotion through healthcare facilities(Kimani et.al,2015;MOPHS,2007/10).Buse et.al,2012 describes capacity as the ability of the government to make and implement policies.Kenya recorded a decline in BFHI from 600 in 1996 to less than 6 in 2003(M.O.P.H.S,2007/10;Chopra et.al,2009). On the other hand, contextual cultural factors would entail issues such as, the fact that 60-80% of Kenyan women were involved in labour and agricultural practices with minimal male involvement in childcare, leading to poor child caring practices(MOPHS,2007/10).Other beliefs and practices in Kenyan families e.g the belief that breast milk alone is not sufficient for a child also played a great role in influencing the strategy(MOPHS,2007/10;Matsuyama et.al,2013;Murage et.al,2013).To most African countries, exclusive breastfeeding(EBF) is alien(Magoni et.al 2005,cited by Onono et.al,2014).Mixed feeding(breastfeeding along with other liquids or fluids) is the most common method of infant feeding globally and is often continued up to 2 years of age.The strategy was developed to mirror the WHO/UNICEF global strategy for IYCF that was developed to improve global IYCF practices.(Murage,2015).Kenyas aim was to actualize this through the BFHI, along with other interventions such as adopting a nd implementing the WHO Code Of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes(MOPHS,2007/10)meant to regulate the marketing of breast milk substitutes.A reflection of the influence of international factors to the development of this strategy. Content of a policy refers to substance of a particular policy which details its constituent parts.The aim of the strategy was to contribute to improved health, nutritional status development and survival of infants and young children in Kenya.(MOPHS,2007/2010).Some of the component parts and targets of the strategy between 2008-2010 included: strengthening national structures on IYCF to facilitate planning, coordination and advocacy for implementation of the strategy; updating the existent IYCF policy guidelines and the National policies in the context of HIV, to be in line with WHO consensus and statement on HIV and IYCF(WHO,2006) ,and disseminating it by 2008;Enactment of Kenyan National Law for regulation of foods eaten by children aged below 3years and putting up a monitoring system by 2009;revitalization of the Kenyan BFHI to ensure 75% of mothers who deliver in healthcare facilities are initiated on exclusive breastfeeding and providing support and necessary information to hel p them continue up to 6 months of age; ensuring support for breastfeeding mothers by employees through the Employment Act and attendance of IYCF Inter-grated Course by 60% health workers, and 80% PMTCT service providers.The nine main strategic components deemed crucial for the attainment of the strategy goals included; policies and legislation on IYCF, practices in IYCF and IYCF in difficult circumstances, HIV and infant feeding, capacity building on IYCF, communication and advocacy, research on IYCF, partnerships and coordination and finally monitoring and evaluation in IYCF.(MOPHS,2007/10). The process of policy making refers to the way in which policies are initiated,developed,formulated,negotiated,communicated,implemented and evaluated.(Buse et.al,2012).The Kenyan strategy on IYCF can be broken down into the four different theoretical stages of policy process named by Sabatier Smith,(1993) cited by Buse et.al,(2012).These are, problem identification, policy formulation, policy implementation and evaluation.Kenya had recorded a decline on key indicators on IYCF during the two decades prior to the formation of this strategy.Exclusive breastfeeding rates were at 3% with virtually no BFHI facilities(MOH,2007-2010).Additionally, only about 52% of mothers would initiate breastfeeding within one hour.Complementary feeds were introduced way too early for the babies.These issues were closely linked to poor IYCF programming at that time(Lancet 2003;MOPHS,2007/2010). On formulation, The Strategy was developed as a measure that sought to build on past initiatives and improvements to promote IYCF in Kenya(Murage et.al.2013).It was derived from The Global Strategy on IYCF, the Kenyan Policy Guidelines on IYCF, The National Assessment of IYCF policies, programmes and practices and National Food and Nutrition Policy (was still being reviewed in parliament).(MOPHS,2007/10).The rationale for the strategy accrued from among other issues, the increased evidence on interventions to promote exclusive breastfeeding and complimentary feeding practices being able to prevent about a fifth of under-five mortality rates in developing countries(Lancet,2003;MOPHS,2007/10). Nutrition is universally recognized as a childs right to enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health(UNICEF,2012).Based on the global strategy, an assessment of IYCF policies, programmes and practices was conducted in 2004.(Sagoe et.al,2012).Weaknesses were identified, hence leading to a suggestion of the need for a national programme focusing on IYCF, with high levels of advocacy if mothers and children were to practice exclusive breast and complementary feeding.This strategy evolved as a response to that assessment. The strategy would be mainly implemented through BFHI which promotes breastfeeding around the maternity ward during the time of delivery (Murage et.al,2013).It would call for increased political will, public investment and heightened awareness of the critical importance of IYCF amongst health workers, other professionals and community based care providers.(MOH,2007/10).Additionally, involvement of the government, families, communities and community based organisations(CBOs)in collaboration with international organisations and other concerned parties would ensure that necessary action is taken(MOH,2007). The monitoring and evaluation(ME) process would be achieved through: reviewing, developing and harmonizing monitoring and evaluation tools for IYCF; developing and installing software for IYCF at district level; all level monitoring of the National Communication Strategy on IYCF; developing and maintaining a data bank for the persons trained on IYCF/BFHI/code; developing ME tools for IYCF in difficult situations including HIV and Infant Feeding; regular review of IYCF strategy implementation, among many other evaluation strategies such as ME of the implementation of the communication strategy at all levels.(MOPHS,2007). Actors in a policy refers to individuals, organizations the state and their actions that affect policy(Buse.et.al,2012).They may try to influence policy at local, regional, national and international levels.Buse et.al(2012) further classifies the actors into: interest/pressure groups which refers to a type of civil society group that attempts to influence the policy to achieve specific goals; or civil society groups which refers to group or organization which is outside the government and beyond the family group.The actors who played different roles towards the formation of this strategy and were to be actively involved in the implementation included: the government; the non-governmental organisations and community based support groups; international organisations; industries and enterprises; professional associations, ministries, mass media and other groups and communities which includes parents and caregivers directly responsible for feeding children.(MOPHS,2007/10).These can be cl assified as either interest/pressure groups or the civil society groups. The power of international bodies and their influence on the development of this strategy is clearly depicted.Power as defined by Buse et.al,(2012) is the ability to influence and to control resources or the ability to achieve a desired outcome.Being a member of the WHO, Kenya had to comply to the guide it provided on IYCF by creating a National strategy, just like all the other member countries(Jones et.al,2013;Sagoe et.al,2012)),especially within the Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.The strategy also adopts the BFHI which was originally launched by WHO/UNICEF(1991) following the Innocenti Declaration, meant to promote exclusive breastfeeding (WHO/UNICEF,2009).A demonstration of the power emanating from WHO as a decision making process.(Dahl,1961 cited by Buse et.al,2012). Development of the strategy would involve using WHO/LINKAGES assessment tool to assess the policies and practices in the country, after which they would be rated after review by national stakeholders and the results used to create a interventions meant to address the gaps(Sagoe et.al,2012). A mixed scanning method of decision making was applied in the formation of the strategy.Mixed scanning would involve a sweep of the problem as a whole followed by a detailed analysis of the component parts(Etzoni,1967 cited by Buse et.al,2012).The Ministry Of Health ,at the national level was involved in assessments intended to quantify the levels of different IYCF practices.Whereas the Ministry Of Public Health And Sanitation(MOPHS)went further ahead to come up with different approaches towards addressing the issue e.g revitalizing BFHI, training all health officials on PMTCT(Prevention of Mother to child transfer);and renewing commitments to create an environment that enabled Kenyan women to practice optimal IYCF.Additionally,it would collaborate with other ministries and international stakeholders and NGOs towards fulfilment of the objectives of the strategy.Therefore working as a policy community. A Policy community is a recognizable subdivision of public policy making in which there is sustained interaction between participants through a web of formal and informal relationships(Buse.et.al,2012).It was demonstrated through participation and consultation among different key IYCF stakeholders; including the government, international bodies, non-governmental organisations and communities, steered by a technical working group under the auspices of National Infant Feeding Steering Committee(MOPHS,2007/10). A legislative framework that would help support and promote breastfeeding had to be set up in the formation of the strategy.The legislature refers to a body that enacts the laws that govern a country and oversees the executive.(Buse et.al,2012).Its roles would include, legislation to give effect to the aims and principles of the International Code Of Breast Milk Substitutes.Additionally,it would legislate towards protecting and supporting breastfeeding among working mothers.(MOPHS,2007/2010). Getting onto the agenda setting aspect of the IYCF strategy; Kingdons(1984) theoretical model of agenda setting(cited by Buse et.al,2012), would be much suitable in explaining how the Kenyan Strategy on IYCF became a major focus of government. Agenda setting is the process by which issues come into the policy agenda from the much larger number of issues potentially worthy of attention by policy makers.(Buse et.al,2012).Policy making is therefore viewed in agenda setting as responding to daily problems that need solutions.(Thomas and Grindle,1991 cited by Buse et.al,2012).The approach focuses on the role of policy entrepreneurs within and outside the government who utilize policy windows(agenda setting opportunities)to move issues onto the governments formal agenda.It is explained using 3 streams ;problem, policy and politics streams and the policy windows.Policy entrepreneurs promote their ideas into many different fora and invest time to ensure they are put onto the agenda.(Kingdon, 1995). Problem stream is defined as public matters that requires attention(Gulbrandson and Fossum,2009). With an emphasis that it only becomes a problem if identified by the decision makers besides other lists of problems presented.Chopra et.al 2009 acknowledges the existence of a huge gap in the level of political support that nutrition and infant feeding was able to achieve compared to other components of the Prevention of Mother To Child Transfer(PMTCT) programme.An explanation to the delay in implementation of the then, already existing IYCF policy and the pending approval of other existent nutritional programmes that would promote IYCF.The Ministry Of Public Health and Sanitation(MOPHS) was majorly involved in advocacy besides other nongovernmental organizations.The overwhelming evidence on malnutrition recorded by KDHS and Kenya Bureau of Statistics e.g 29.% stunting and 20.3% underweight children, data on huge reduction in EBF and decrease in BFHI by 70% (KDHS 2003;Lancet,2003) were the key indicators that evidenced the magnitude of the issue and the need for prompt government action. Implementing this strategy was Kenyas way of renewing its commitment to WHO, by adopting its 2006 consensus statements on HIV and infant feeding.It was also a major stakeholder and a potential source of funding.The policy stream consists of ongoing problem analysis, and their proposed solutions together with debates surrounding the problems.(Buse et.al,2012).The solutions should be easily available and promptly reachable by decisionmakers.(Guldbrandson and Fossum,2009). The strategy was drawn from national assessments of IYCF policies ,programmes and practices in the country(2004)and from consultative meetings with stakeholders.In addition to being harmonized with the National Food and Nutrition policy that was pending in the government at that time; it was intended as a guide of action based on accumulated evidence on importance of infant and child nutrition during their early months and years of life and for growth and development.(MOPHS,2007;Murage et.al,2013). The Kenyan Public Health Sanitation ministry then also had the expertise, technical and programme knowledge to rapidly improve Infant and Young Child Feeding indicators and to save lives.(MOPHS,2007/2010). Politics stream is defined as being composed of such events as national mood swings, government changes and campaigns by interest groups.(Buse et.al 2012;Guldbrandson and Fusson,2009).The year of 2007 was an elections and campaign year in Kenya.The then existing government had a strong intention to go for a second term.Cairney and Jones,(2015) describe this as an existence of both motive an opportunity in politics stream.Implementing the IYCF strategy during this period would be one of the moves to entice the public by showing attention to their problems.The strategy would provide a strong framework through which the government and other important stakeholders could contribute towards improvement of Kenyan childrens nutritional status through IYCF practices.(MOPHS,2007/10). The existence of an attention lurching problem(problem stream),with readily proposed solutions(policy stream) and a conducive and positive political environment that accepted and supported the strategy(politics stream) led to development of a policy window.An opportunity to develop the strategy in parliament and eventually its implementation. The Kenyan Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation(MOPHS-Kenya)would support this strategy by renewing its commitment to create an enabling environment for optimal IYCF(MOPHS,2007/10).It would also improve child survival by strengthening focus on IYCF through various ways like: advocating for enforcement and implementation of Maternity protection Provision in the Employment Act 2007 in all sectors; working with the attorney general and the Minister Of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to ensure enactment of a law that protects optimal IYCF; develop clear, consistent policies and guidelines; build the entire capacity of the public and private healthcare system to implement them, among many other key supportive tasks.(MOPHS,2007). Development of the IYCF strategy was a huge and commendable step in Kenya.Different factors are clearly outlined as having contributed towards its formation.Improvement infant and young child feeding practices, and maternal health being the core driving factors, besides adherence to WHO Global Strategy on IYCF.(MOPHS,2007/10).By 2012,Kenya was in its final stages of enacting the strategy.(Sagoe et.al,2012). The successive process of the strategy formation can be attributed to, the involvement of WHO/UNICEF, the intense collaboration between the Ministry of Health(MOH) and the MOPHS-Kenya together with other major national and international NGOs such as APHIA II Partners, World Vision Kenya among many others.(MOPHS,2007/10) Several significant achievements accrued from the implementation of this strategy include the 61% increase in EBF rates(KDHS,2014).Making Kenya among the handful of countries that have managed to achieve the WHA target of 50% EBF rates by 2025.Enactment of the Code of Marketing for breastmilk substitutes(Sagoe et.al,2012)and the development of various models like the BFHI and the Breast Feeding Community initiative(APHRC,2014) have greatly contributed towards achieving high EBF rates. A critical analysis of the strategy implementation process and the challenges pertaining to its implementation, an aspect my essay did not focus on; would be a clear and concise way of depicting the achievements of the strategy and the barriers faced on rolling out and implementation of its plans. TOTAL WORD COUNT-3,265.

A Passage to India – Analysis

The novel and film ‘A Passage to India’ written by Forster and directed by Lean is about the Society of British people in India. Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested arrived in Chandrapore, India because Mrs. Moore’s son Ronny and Adela are recently engaged. However, when they arrived they sensed, and were quickly trapped in, a prejudiced British community which misuses the natives of India and abuses them throughout the whole novel and film. ‘A Passage to India’. The film is directed by Lean presents and emphasis meaning throughout the film. An example of presenting meaning is when it is the scene when you see Mrs. Moore standing up for ‘God save the Queen’ and you see her directing her view slowly towards the Ganges. Lean uses the glance to turn down the music, presumably at the time that Mrs. Moore’s attention is transferred to the magnificence of the river. As time goes by when she is viewing the Ganges, you hear ‘God save the Queen’s’ volume dimming, this represents silence when is just looking, during this time she is just reflecting on things which have recently happened which she thinks is wrong. Lean at times presents the moon, the night sky and the expanses of the Ganges. Few examples of where Mrs. Moore is shown with the moon, night sky and the expanses of the Ganges, the first example is when you see Mrs. Moore entering the Moslim mosque which Dr. Aziz was there reflecting and Mrs. Moore for the first time looks out to the Ganges with the night sky so close. An another scene is when Mrs. Moore and Adela are on the train and while the train is crossing the bridge the night sky and expanses of the Ganges are shown. Another scene is when Mrs. Moore is on the ship leaving Chandrapore and she is seen by the deck reflecting on the recent things, the night sky is shown and the expanses, She finally dies after suffering from her heart condition. Lean presents a scene at the club when they were playing English songs such as, ‘God save the Queen’, ‘Tea for two’ and more. From this we can say that Lean presents the Indians as serving, There is no real meaning because all that they are doing is taking time away from their own lives to perform what they don’t really understand. They are merely used to imprint the British culture is rendered with seeming pride and enthusiasm. Lean shows Mrs. Moore and Godbole as characters who technically do not talk with each other but they do recognize and appreciates each others time. A good example of a scene where Godbole and Mrs. Moore are communicating without words spoken is the scene where Mrs. Moore is on the train and leaving Chandrapore, Godbole walks out of his temple and does a hand sign in the rear darkness. Mrs. Moore responds in a wave that seems to deepen the silence to meaning. A Passage to India – Analysis The novel and film ‘A Passage to India’ written by Forster and directed by Lean is about the Society of British people in India. Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested arrived in Chandrapore, India because Mrs. Moore’s son Ronny and Adela are recently engaged. However, when they arrived they sensed, and were quickly trapped in, a prejudiced British community which misuses the natives of India and abuses them throughout the whole novel and film. ‘A Passage to India’. The film is directed by Lean presents and emphasis meaning throughout the film. An example of presenting meaning is when it is the scene when you see Mrs. Moore standing up for ‘God save the Queen’ and you see her directing her view slowly towards the Ganges. Lean uses the glance to turn down the music, presumably at the time that Mrs. Moore’s attention is transferred to the magnificence of the river. As time goes by when she is viewing the Ganges, you hear ‘God save the Queen’s’ volume dimming, this represents silence when is just looking, during this time she is just reflecting on things which have recently happened which she thinks is wrong. Lean at times presents the moon, the night sky and the expanses of the Ganges. Few examples of where Mrs. Moore is shown with the moon, night sky and the expanses of the Ganges, the first example is when you see Mrs. Moore entering the Moslim mosque which Dr. Aziz was there reflecting and Mrs. Moore for the first time looks out to the Ganges with the night sky so close. An another scene is when Mrs. Moore and Adela are on the train and while the train is crossing the bridge the night sky and expanses of the Ganges are shown. Another scene is when Mrs. Moore is on the ship leaving Chandrapore and she is seen by the deck reflecting on the recent things, the night sky is shown and the expanses, She finally dies after suffering from her heart condition. Lean presents a scene at the club when they were playing English songs such as, ‘God save the Queen’, ‘Tea for two’ and more. From this we can say that Lean presents the Indians as serving, There is no real meaning because all that they are doing is taking time away from their own lives to perform what they don’t really understand. They are merely used to imprint the British culture is rendered with seeming pride and enthusiasm. Lean shows Mrs. Moore and Godbole as characters who technically do not talk with each other but they do recognize and appreciates each others time. A good example of a scene where Godbole and Mrs. Moore are communicating without words spoken is the scene where Mrs. Moore is on the train and leaving Chandrapore, Godbole walks out of his temple and does a hand sign in the rear darkness. Mrs. Moore responds in a wave that seems to deepen the silence to meaning.

Hippie Culture Essay

Few social movements marked the twentieth century in the United States as the protest movement of the 1960s. However, despite the scope and scale of such a wide movement that encapsulated so many different peoples and causes, including voting rights, women’s rights, civil rights, and ending the war in Vietnam, the movement is better known by a stereotype of the type of people that seemed so instrumental in perpetuating the movement: hippies. Though the great majority of those in the protest movement were not hippies, the movies, music, and cultural events that marked the times were dominated by hippie culture, and few events represented this fact as the stereotype-reinforcing Woodstock Music Festival. By the time Woodstock happened in 1969, the hippie movement was already something that had been growing the entire decade and most people who were not hippies had a good idea what a hippie was. If one would have to describe a hippie then, it could be said to be a young man or woman that was dirty, hairy, unemployed, and on drugs. While these are only a few attributes ascribed to a few hippies, the stereotypes became so strong that they were hard to remove from the other significant contributions they made, including in music, art, culture, and social awareness. So, while hippies were far more complex than most people chose to see them, they were pigeonholed to the stereotype of spoiled middle-class kids with too much time and freedom, and who refused to do their patriotic duties as their mothers and fathers had done before them, most specifically by starting families and fighting in the country’s wars. However, the decade leading up to Woodstock only helped reinforce many of these stereotypes. Hippie culture could have been said to begin the words and ideas of the Beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and others. These writers laid the foundation for the rebellious, anti-establishment ideals that would come to be so strongly embraced by the hippie culture during the 1960s. However, it would be Bob Dylan, who was strongly influenced by the Beats, who would use their ideas in his folk music. Dylan’s popularity not only made folk music popular, but his songwriting also tackled many of the issues of the time, including war, civil rights, and the basic questions of whether America was heading in the right direction, and if not, why. Dylan’s music influenced the songwriting of almost every major recording artist that came after him, or at least any that achieved any amount of success. Through Dylan and those he influenced, music became the first defining characteristic of hippie culture, showing a long history of music defining cultural movements and times through its almost religious effect on those that listen to it. Religious forces, like art, music, and everything that inspires classification as sacred, Emile Durkheim (1965) writes: â€Å"do not translate the manner in which physical things affect our senses, but the way in which the collective consciousness acts upon individual consciousnesses† (1965, p. 254). Music has the ability to act as a symbol of this collective consciousness, bringing the masses together to celebrate a shared philosophy or perspective. While many contend that art and music is nothing more than an escape from the everyday anxieties that life offers up, it is far more than that. Similar to the sacred in religion, which Durkheim asserts is not rooted in fear as humanist and existentialist theorists claim, but in the idealism of the collective mentality, music becomes sacred when presented in a way that appeals to the individual and the collective. Music and those who perform it act in ways similar to religious totems, representing the ideals of the collective and how they inhabit the individual, and take their roots in exhalation and celebration. According to Durkheim, â€Å"In fine, the sentiments at the root of totemism are those of happy confidence rather than terror and compression† (1965, p. 56). Music became the inspiration for hippie culture and gave them the confidence to fight back against ideals they saw as wrong, including the Vietnam War. There was no better representation of this than Woodstock. The Woodstock Music & Art Festival that took place on a farm near Woodstock, New York, August 15 through August 18, 1969 not only assembled some of the greatest rock, pop, and folk musicians of the day, but also had a half million enthusiastic young and old fans celebrating life and music in a concert that changed the way the younger generation was viewed. After Woodstock, the burgeoning counter culture exploded into the mainstream, as the entire United States realized that the hippie culture was a force that could not be ignored, and its icons such as The Who, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and Jimi Hendrix reinforced many of the stereotypes of long hair, reckless behavior, and sexuality. Woodstock would become a legendary orgy of drug use, sexual intercourse, nudity, and mud, but also of peace, love, and a general togetherness that also characterized hippie culture. Another popular stereotype was the hippie general disregard for all authority, and Woodstock was no different. Over one-hundred thousand tickets had been sold to the event, but soon fans were crashing over fences and simply began streaming in to see the show (Woodstock. com, 2009). However, there were very few incidents of violence and the festival went on to become one of the iconic points in the culture of the 1960s. It also marked the beginning of the end of hippie culture. Woodstock was the last hurrah for a generation of young men and women that did their best to rebel against the previous generations and create their own persona. Unfortunately, stereotypes were rich and long concerning hippie culture, and Woodstock did well to encourage both the good and bad stereotypes. They displayed their amazing music and free-loving culture, but also their drug abuse and contentment with filth. By the time the 1970s began, hippie culture was all but dead, even though many of the hippies continued to live on. Today, hippies are seen as largely a joke and very superficial, which may speak of their ultimate failure to live up to their own ideals. The country is still largely conservative in many regards, still refuses many of the ideals of peace and love that the hippies inspired, and is still at war with foreign countries. Hippies are now seen in modern form as environmentalists, annoying activists for un-American or unethical causes, potheads or vegetarians. Hippies are no longer seen as a viable threat to the conservative ideals of the United States, and have in essence become all style and no substance. While stereotypes helped perpetuate the romantic notion of the idealistic hippie, they just as equally helped destroy a notion that never really existed in the first place.

Comparing Domes of Architect Sinan to Renaissance architect Palladio, Palladianism Free Essay Example, 2000 words

Apparently, the link between the central dome and half-domes illustrates the Islamic multifaceted implementation of the gorgeous ornaments. To say more, the dome was inserted with a huge passion of Sinan who tried to engrave the memory of the sultan Suleyman’s son Mehmet (Foster, 2004). What is more important, the construction of the columns supporting the dome in the mosque is also done in a symmetrical proportion, so that to shed light on the logic of the architectural form. Coloured stones and the mosaics incremented in the interior part of the dome of the Sehzade Mosque are done with the pure genius of Sinan. It means that the glory of the Ottoman classical architecture is rooted to the picturesque and full-of-wealth representation of the religious tradition throughout the Empire. Admittedly, Sinan felt his responsibility for praising Islam in terms of the architecture. Hence, his first mosque proved this idea right. Another Example of Sinan’s talent, as an archite ct is Selimiye Mosque. Built by Sinan in 1575 in Edirne, Turkey, the mosque is full of the architect’s idea of symmetry and geometrical concept of sphere-plus-square representation. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparing Domes of Architect Sinan to Renaissance architect Palladio, Palladianism or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Looking at this mosque, an expert would see that Sinan viewed the use of the half-domes as obsolete for the whole embrace of the symmetrical bizarrerie of the building. Robinson (1996, p. 277) illustrates the peculiarity of the Selimiye Mosque by analyzing what came new to the Sinan’s idea of dome in the framework of the whole architectural environment around it, namely: â€Å"The dome, the largest in Ottoman architecture (102 feet in diameter), is carried on eight massive piers, which made the large half-domes of earlier mosques unnecessary. † Thus, the mosque in Edirne magnifies the use of the octagonal support for the spherical continuation of the building implemented in the use of the dome. Both examples of the dome in the architecture by Sinan take notice of the evolution in the creative work by the architect. That is to say, one admits the improvement of Sinan’s talent developed at a frantic pace. With no step back from hi s ideal of the dome as an illustration of the divine design of God’s mind, Sinan puts emphasis on the core idea of his architectural style as a huge contribution into the world’s architectural heritage. On the other hand, it is high time one drew parallel to the works by another 16th century architect from Italy. Needless to say, it is all about Andrea Palladio. He was well accurate in approaching the architecture by means of both theoretical and practical constituents.