Pictured below: Bill Norton, the bathing beach policeman of Washington, D.C., in 1922 enforcing a regulation prohibiting a woman's bathing suit from stopping more than six inches above the knee.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Materialism and depression
Depression Skyrockets Amidst Growing Materialism
By Matthew Little
Epoch Times Staff Reporter
Apr 04, 2008
Recent reports describe a sharp rise in the number of students seeking counseling services at universities across the country for help with depression. (Photos.com)
Rising depression rates at Canadian universities and around the developed world may point to problems with our modern way of life according to experts and a growing list of studies. Recent reports describe a sharp rise in the number of students seeking counseling services at universities across the country for help with depression.
Queen's University alone has seen patient numbers triple in the past ten years. Vancouver's Simon Fraser University has added a psychiatrist to its health and counseling services to deal with the problem.
Data for Canada is incomplete, but in the United States the National College Health Assessment of almost 24,000 students found that in 2006, nearly half of the female students surveyed and 36 per cent of the male felt so depressed it was difficult to function at least once in the past 12 months.
In that same time period more than half the students said they had experienced hopelessness. About 10 per cent had seriously considered suicide.
But even with such high numbers seeking counseling, there is some debate among mental health experts about the actual prevalence of depression.
Some experts say there is little past research to compare to so it is impossible to know if the number of people with the illness is actually growing. Others say more people are aware of depression now resulting in more people seeking medical help.
Some also think that people are seeking help for less severe forms of depression than they did in the past.
Overall, however, there is widespread belief that depression is on the rise. The World Health Organization predicts depression will be the second most common disease by 2010.
As for the cause of the increase, research into factors that contribute to depression could offer some explanation.
There is a growing list of studies that establish a link between depression and materialism — a strong attachment to material goods to the exclusion of spiritual or intellectual values.
Recent findings by John Abela, associate professor of psychology at McGill University and director of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Clinic at the Montreal Children's Hospital, found that children as young as six can be affected.
Abela and his team of student researchers are conducting a study of approximately 1,000 adolescents in Montreal and Shanghai. He found that the rapid change in China's culture and its embrace of materialism has increased depression rates.
"Materialists have a fragile sense of self because their worth depends on attaining external things. The quality of their interpersonal relationships suffers and they feel more stress while pursuing extrinsic goals," Abela said in a McGill magazine.
Psychologist Tim Kasser of Knox College found materialistic children have less self-esteem, less happiness and describe experiencing more signs of anxiety than their peers.
Studies of adults link materialism to poor relationships and unhappiness and researchers at the University of Newcastle, Australia, found materialistic people were more likely to experience anger and depression.
Researchers have also been aware of a connection between depression and increased alcoholism and illicit drug use, but the connection can be complicated.
Depression has been found to lead to drug abuse and alcoholism, but drug abuse and alcoholism can also lead to depression. An unknown host of other factors, materialism among them, may contribute to both.
Basia Pakula, a research associate at Centre for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria, said some people turn to drugs as a way to self medicate, even though attempts may do more harm than good.
Pakula said researchers "frequently see people who have depression or other mental health problems develop substance-use dependency."
Some drug users find the substance helps with problems like depression and that this "function" can lead to addiction, said Pakula.
Does that mean depression is behind the 11 per cent jump in alcohol consumption in B.C. over the last decade? No-one is saying that, but the two issues could be related.
Joseph Rochford, a researcher the Douglas Institute and associate psychiatry professor at McGill, says some people being treated for alcoholism recover after being treated for their depression.
He also said that stress is one of the main contributors to depression.
Rochford speculated that the rise in depression may be partially attributed to changing lifestyles that have eroded people's traditional support networks.
He described families of yesteryear living closer together and neighbors being more familiar and friendly with each other, calling on each other in times of need.
People today are more isolated, he said, leaving them to face the world on their own, which can cause more stress and more depression.
"Neighborhoods aren't as strong as they used to be."
By Matthew Little
Epoch Times Staff Reporter
Apr 04, 2008
Recent reports describe a sharp rise in the number of students seeking counseling services at universities across the country for help with depression. (Photos.com)
Rising depression rates at Canadian universities and around the developed world may point to problems with our modern way of life according to experts and a growing list of studies. Recent reports describe a sharp rise in the number of students seeking counseling services at universities across the country for help with depression.
Queen's University alone has seen patient numbers triple in the past ten years. Vancouver's Simon Fraser University has added a psychiatrist to its health and counseling services to deal with the problem.
Data for Canada is incomplete, but in the United States the National College Health Assessment of almost 24,000 students found that in 2006, nearly half of the female students surveyed and 36 per cent of the male felt so depressed it was difficult to function at least once in the past 12 months.
In that same time period more than half the students said they had experienced hopelessness. About 10 per cent had seriously considered suicide.
But even with such high numbers seeking counseling, there is some debate among mental health experts about the actual prevalence of depression.
Some experts say there is little past research to compare to so it is impossible to know if the number of people with the illness is actually growing. Others say more people are aware of depression now resulting in more people seeking medical help.
Some also think that people are seeking help for less severe forms of depression than they did in the past.
Overall, however, there is widespread belief that depression is on the rise. The World Health Organization predicts depression will be the second most common disease by 2010.
As for the cause of the increase, research into factors that contribute to depression could offer some explanation.
There is a growing list of studies that establish a link between depression and materialism — a strong attachment to material goods to the exclusion of spiritual or intellectual values.
Recent findings by John Abela, associate professor of psychology at McGill University and director of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Clinic at the Montreal Children's Hospital, found that children as young as six can be affected.
Abela and his team of student researchers are conducting a study of approximately 1,000 adolescents in Montreal and Shanghai. He found that the rapid change in China's culture and its embrace of materialism has increased depression rates.
"Materialists have a fragile sense of self because their worth depends on attaining external things. The quality of their interpersonal relationships suffers and they feel more stress while pursuing extrinsic goals," Abela said in a McGill magazine.
Psychologist Tim Kasser of Knox College found materialistic children have less self-esteem, less happiness and describe experiencing more signs of anxiety than their peers.
Studies of adults link materialism to poor relationships and unhappiness and researchers at the University of Newcastle, Australia, found materialistic people were more likely to experience anger and depression.
Researchers have also been aware of a connection between depression and increased alcoholism and illicit drug use, but the connection can be complicated.
Depression has been found to lead to drug abuse and alcoholism, but drug abuse and alcoholism can also lead to depression. An unknown host of other factors, materialism among them, may contribute to both.
Basia Pakula, a research associate at Centre for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria, said some people turn to drugs as a way to self medicate, even though attempts may do more harm than good.
Pakula said researchers "frequently see people who have depression or other mental health problems develop substance-use dependency."
Some drug users find the substance helps with problems like depression and that this "function" can lead to addiction, said Pakula.
Does that mean depression is behind the 11 per cent jump in alcohol consumption in B.C. over the last decade? No-one is saying that, but the two issues could be related.
Joseph Rochford, a researcher the Douglas Institute and associate psychiatry professor at McGill, says some people being treated for alcoholism recover after being treated for their depression.
He also said that stress is one of the main contributors to depression.
Rochford speculated that the rise in depression may be partially attributed to changing lifestyles that have eroded people's traditional support networks.
He described families of yesteryear living closer together and neighbors being more familiar and friendly with each other, calling on each other in times of need.
People today are more isolated, he said, leaving them to face the world on their own, which can cause more stress and more depression.
"Neighborhoods aren't as strong as they used to be."
Ethnic clothes mental health link
Ethnic clothes mental health link
Some 1,000 teenagers were questioned
Teenage girls from some minority communities who stick to their family customs have better mental health, researchers say.
Queen Mary University of London found Bangladeshi girls who chose traditional rather than Western dress had fewer behavioural and emotional problems.
The team said close-knit families and communities could help protect them.
Pressure to integrate fully could be stressful, the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reported.
Traditional clothing represents a tighter family unit, and this may offer some protection against some of the pressures that young people face
Professor Kam Bhui, report co-author
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, and the researchers said that identity, often bound up in friendship choices or clothing, played a role.
They questioned a total of 1,000 white British and Bangladeshi 11 to 14-year-olds about their culture, social life and health, including questions designed to reveal any emotional or mental problems.
Bangladeshi pupils who wore traditional clothing were significantly less likely to have mental health problems than those whose style of dress was a mix of traditional and white British styles.
When this was broken down by gender, it appeared that only girls were affected.
No similar effect was found in white British adolescents who chose a mixture of clothes from their own and other cultures.
More support
Professor Kam Bhui, one of the study authors, said that the result was "surprising" - he had expected that girls who were less fully integrated to show signs of greater strain.
"Traditional clothing represents a tighter family unit, and this may offer some protection against some of the pressures that young people face.
"What it suggests is that we need to assist people who are moving from traditional cultures and becoming integrated into Western societies, as they may be more vulnerable to mental health problems."
Professor James Nazroo, a medical sociologist at the University of Manchester, said that the findings meant that "notions of Britishness" should be dealt with in a sophisticated way.
"There are many ways in which people can be British - these girls who have good mental health, and still have a strong traditional culture, are by implication settled and comfortable with their identities."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7347092.stm
Some 1,000 teenagers were questioned
Teenage girls from some minority communities who stick to their family customs have better mental health, researchers say.
Queen Mary University of London found Bangladeshi girls who chose traditional rather than Western dress had fewer behavioural and emotional problems.
The team said close-knit families and communities could help protect them.
Pressure to integrate fully could be stressful, the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reported.
Traditional clothing represents a tighter family unit, and this may offer some protection against some of the pressures that young people face
Professor Kam Bhui, report co-author
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, and the researchers said that identity, often bound up in friendship choices or clothing, played a role.
They questioned a total of 1,000 white British and Bangladeshi 11 to 14-year-olds about their culture, social life and health, including questions designed to reveal any emotional or mental problems.
Bangladeshi pupils who wore traditional clothing were significantly less likely to have mental health problems than those whose style of dress was a mix of traditional and white British styles.
When this was broken down by gender, it appeared that only girls were affected.
No similar effect was found in white British adolescents who chose a mixture of clothes from their own and other cultures.
More support
Professor Kam Bhui, one of the study authors, said that the result was "surprising" - he had expected that girls who were less fully integrated to show signs of greater strain.
"Traditional clothing represents a tighter family unit, and this may offer some protection against some of the pressures that young people face.
"What it suggests is that we need to assist people who are moving from traditional cultures and becoming integrated into Western societies, as they may be more vulnerable to mental health problems."
Professor James Nazroo, a medical sociologist at the University of Manchester, said that the findings meant that "notions of Britishness" should be dealt with in a sophisticated way.
"There are many ways in which people can be British - these girls who have good mental health, and still have a strong traditional culture, are by implication settled and comfortable with their identities."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7347092.stm
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Warning issued over egg freezing
Warning issued over egg freezing Egg freezing should not be offered to women who want to put off having a family purely for lifestyle reasons, say experts.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) warned the procedure was still experimental, and the chances of success poor.
It said it would be wrong to give women a false sense of hope. Instead they should be offered counselling.
However, a UK expert said egg freezing was a valid option for some women.
It is wrong to deprive women of this option, which many of them say is empowering Dr Gillian Lockwood Midland Fertility Services
An increasing number of women are choosing to freeze their eggs for social reasons in the hope they will be able to have a child when they are older.
Critics argue they are delaying motherhood for the wrong motives, such as climbing the career ladder or until they have more money.
Dr Marc Fritz, of the ASRM, said it would be wrong for women who have frozen their eggs to think they had ensured their future fertility.
He said: "Existing medical evidence simply does not justify that conclusion."
The ASRM estimates that the overall live birth rate from frozen eggs is as low as 2% per egg.
It warned the figures may be even lower for women over 35 - the age at which fertility begins to decline rapidly.
Dr Fritz said a 25-year-old woman freezing her eggs now would have more chance of achieving a pregnancy through IVF using her fresh eggs when she was 35.
Successes
At the end of 2006, 185 women in the UK had eggs on ice. Many are cancer patients whose fertility is affected by treatment.
Four babies have been born from egg freezing in the UK - all following treatment at Midland Fertility Services.
Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director, argued success rates using frozen eggs were comparable with those using frozen embryos.
She dissuades older women from freezing their eggs due to low success rates.
But she added: "As long as women know it's not an insurance policy or a guarantee, then it remains an option they may wish to pursue."
"Many of those women have been with commitment-phobic men or have not found Mr Right, or they are part of a couple that needs two salaries to get a mortgage.
"These are social issues but it is wrong to deprive women of this option, which many of them say is empowering."
Caution key
Dr Simon Fishel, of the CARE Fertility Group in Nottingham, agreed it was important to explain to women that egg freezing was experimental, and carried no guarantee of success.
"Although significant research has been undertaken, and babies are being born from these new techniques, caution and counselling are imperative at this stage, and for several years to come."
Josephine Quintavalle, of the campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said the ASRM had issued "sound advice".
She said: "The best solution to lifestyle problems is to change one's lifestyle.
"Have babies naturally at the time nature intended and give IVF a miss altogether."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7048361.stmPublished: 2007/10/17 08:07:18 GMT© BBC MMVII
Comment
Delaying motherhood is becoming a major problem because it doesn't work with the biological clock of women's fertility. Now fertility treatment is becoming a million dollar business as the number of women delaying birth increased for different life style reasons: having enough money, finishing college, climbing career ladder, finding 'Mr Right". The best solution is to change your life style and to do it now not latter. Let nature do it instead of the fertility clinics.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) warned the procedure was still experimental, and the chances of success poor.
It said it would be wrong to give women a false sense of hope. Instead they should be offered counselling.
However, a UK expert said egg freezing was a valid option for some women.
It is wrong to deprive women of this option, which many of them say is empowering Dr Gillian Lockwood Midland Fertility Services
An increasing number of women are choosing to freeze their eggs for social reasons in the hope they will be able to have a child when they are older.
Critics argue they are delaying motherhood for the wrong motives, such as climbing the career ladder or until they have more money.
Dr Marc Fritz, of the ASRM, said it would be wrong for women who have frozen their eggs to think they had ensured their future fertility.
He said: "Existing medical evidence simply does not justify that conclusion."
The ASRM estimates that the overall live birth rate from frozen eggs is as low as 2% per egg.
It warned the figures may be even lower for women over 35 - the age at which fertility begins to decline rapidly.
Dr Fritz said a 25-year-old woman freezing her eggs now would have more chance of achieving a pregnancy through IVF using her fresh eggs when she was 35.
Successes
At the end of 2006, 185 women in the UK had eggs on ice. Many are cancer patients whose fertility is affected by treatment.
Four babies have been born from egg freezing in the UK - all following treatment at Midland Fertility Services.
Dr Gillian Lockwood, medical director, argued success rates using frozen eggs were comparable with those using frozen embryos.
She dissuades older women from freezing their eggs due to low success rates.
But she added: "As long as women know it's not an insurance policy or a guarantee, then it remains an option they may wish to pursue."
"Many of those women have been with commitment-phobic men or have not found Mr Right, or they are part of a couple that needs two salaries to get a mortgage.
"These are social issues but it is wrong to deprive women of this option, which many of them say is empowering."
Caution key
Dr Simon Fishel, of the CARE Fertility Group in Nottingham, agreed it was important to explain to women that egg freezing was experimental, and carried no guarantee of success.
"Although significant research has been undertaken, and babies are being born from these new techniques, caution and counselling are imperative at this stage, and for several years to come."
Josephine Quintavalle, of the campaign group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said the ASRM had issued "sound advice".
She said: "The best solution to lifestyle problems is to change one's lifestyle.
"Have babies naturally at the time nature intended and give IVF a miss altogether."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7048361.stmPublished: 2007/10/17 08:07:18 GMT© BBC MMVII
Comment
Delaying motherhood is becoming a major problem because it doesn't work with the biological clock of women's fertility. Now fertility treatment is becoming a million dollar business as the number of women delaying birth increased for different life style reasons: having enough money, finishing college, climbing career ladder, finding 'Mr Right". The best solution is to change your life style and to do it now not latter. Let nature do it instead of the fertility clinics.
Middle school in Maine to offer birth control pills, patches to pupils
Middle school in Maine to offer birth control pills, patches to pupils
18/10/2007 2:50:00 AM
PORTLAND, Maine - Pupils at a city middle school will be able to get birth control pills and patches at their student health centre after the local school board approved the proposal Wednesday evening.
The plan, offered by city health officials, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
There are no national figures on how many middle schools, where most students range in age from 11 to 13, provide such services.
"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.
The Portland School Committee voted 5-2 for the measure.
Chairman John Coynie voted against it, saying he felt providing the birth control was a parental responsibility. The other no vote came from Ben Meiklejohn, who said the consent form does not clearly define the services being offered.
Opponents cited religious and health objections.
Diane Miller said she felt the plan was against religion and against God. Another opponent, Peter Doyle, said he felt it violated the rights of parents and puts students at risk of cancer because of hormones in the pill.
A supporter, Richard Verrier, said it's not enough to depend on parents to protect their children because there may be students who can't discuss things with their parents.
Condoms have been available since 2002 to King students who have parental permission to be treated at its student health centre.
© 2007 Bell Inc., Microsoft Corporation and/or their contributors. All rights reserved. Terms of Use Advertise Privacy Statement About Us
Comment
Can you belive a school provides birth controll pills for girls of 11-13 years old instead of milk? Where and how can we raise our kids in such kind of environment? This is a question to be answered by every person who value morality and religious principles.
18/10/2007 2:50:00 AM
PORTLAND, Maine - Pupils at a city middle school will be able to get birth control pills and patches at their student health centre after the local school board approved the proposal Wednesday evening.
The plan, offered by city health officials, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
There are no national figures on how many middle schools, where most students range in age from 11 to 13, provide such services.
"It's very rare that middle schools do this," said Divya Mohan, a spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care.
The Portland School Committee voted 5-2 for the measure.
Chairman John Coynie voted against it, saying he felt providing the birth control was a parental responsibility. The other no vote came from Ben Meiklejohn, who said the consent form does not clearly define the services being offered.
Opponents cited religious and health objections.
Diane Miller said she felt the plan was against religion and against God. Another opponent, Peter Doyle, said he felt it violated the rights of parents and puts students at risk of cancer because of hormones in the pill.
A supporter, Richard Verrier, said it's not enough to depend on parents to protect their children because there may be students who can't discuss things with their parents.
Condoms have been available since 2002 to King students who have parental permission to be treated at its student health centre.
© 2007 Bell Inc., Microsoft Corporation and/or their contributors. All rights reserved. Terms of Use Advertise Privacy Statement About Us
Comment
Can you belive a school provides birth controll pills for girls of 11-13 years old instead of milk? Where and how can we raise our kids in such kind of environment? This is a question to be answered by every person who value morality and religious principles.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Teachers 'fear evolution lessons'
Teachers 'fear evolution lessons' The teaching of evolution is becoming increasingly difficult in UK schools because of the rise of creationism, a leading scientist is warning.
Head of science at London's Institute of Education Professor Michael Reiss says some teachers, fearful of entering the debate, avoid the subject totally.
This could leave pupils with gaps in their scientific knowledge, he says.
Prof Reiss says the rise of creationism is partly down to the large increase in Muslim pupils in UK schools.
The days have long gone when science teachers could ignore creationism when teaching about origins Professor Reiss
He said: "The number of Muslim students has grown considerably in the last 10 to 20 years and a higher proportion of Muslim families do not accept evolutionary theory compared with Christian families.
"That's one reason why it's more of an issue in schools."
Prof Reiss estimates that one in 10 people in the UK now believes in literal interpretations of religious creation stories - whether they are based on the Bible or the Koran.
Many more teachers he met at scientific meetings were telling him they encountered more pupils with creationist views, he said.
"The days have long gone when science teachers could ignore creationism when teaching about origins."
Instead, teachers should tackle the issue head-on, whilst trying not to alienate students, he argues in a new book.
'Not equally valid'
"By not dismissing their beliefs, we can ensure that these students learn what evolutionary theory really says - and give everyone the understanding to respect the views of others," he added.
His book; Teaching about Scientific Origins: Taking Account of Creationism, gives science teachers advice on how to deal with the "dilemma".
Further discussion of creationism should occur in religious education as it is a belief system, not one based on science Hilary Leevers Campaign for Science and Engineering
He supports new government guidelines which say creationism should not be discussed in science classes unless it is raised by pupils.
But Prof Reiss argues that there is an educational value in comparing creationist ideas with scientific theories like Darwin's theory of evolution because they demonstrate how science, unlike religious beliefs, can be tested.
The scientist, who is also a Church of England priest, adds that any teaching should not give the impression that creationism and the theory of evolution are equally valid scientifically.
Dr Hilary Leevers, of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said science teachers would be teaching evolution not creationism and so should not need a book to tell them how to "delicately handle controversy between a scientific theory and a belief".
"The author suggests that science teachers cannot ignore creationism when teaching origins, but the opposite is true," she said.
Teachers could discuss how creationism differed from scientific theory if a student brought up the subject, but any further discussion should occur in religious education lessons, she said.
A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokesman said it had recently published guidelines to teachers on the issue.
"Creationism and intelligent design are not scientific theories nor testable as scientific fact - and have no place in the science curriculum. "But we advise science teachers that when questions about creationism come up in lessons, it provides an opportunity to explain or explore what makes a scientific theory."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/education/7028639.stmPublished: 2007/10/04 23:28:30 GMT© BBC MMVII
Comment.
As far as the basic Islamic belief is concerned there is no compromise or justification to accept any kind of theory whether it is scientific or nonscientific theory related to the creation of the universe including human being. Muslims pursue knowledge by studying science to understand nature and to use science for betterment of human existence in this world. For the Muslim the study of science starts with the basic belief of creation-the man study what is created. It is every Muslims family responsibility to teach his children that the evolution theory is not acceptable for a beliver.
Head of science at London's Institute of Education Professor Michael Reiss says some teachers, fearful of entering the debate, avoid the subject totally.
This could leave pupils with gaps in their scientific knowledge, he says.
Prof Reiss says the rise of creationism is partly down to the large increase in Muslim pupils in UK schools.
The days have long gone when science teachers could ignore creationism when teaching about origins Professor Reiss
He said: "The number of Muslim students has grown considerably in the last 10 to 20 years and a higher proportion of Muslim families do not accept evolutionary theory compared with Christian families.
"That's one reason why it's more of an issue in schools."
Prof Reiss estimates that one in 10 people in the UK now believes in literal interpretations of religious creation stories - whether they are based on the Bible or the Koran.
Many more teachers he met at scientific meetings were telling him they encountered more pupils with creationist views, he said.
"The days have long gone when science teachers could ignore creationism when teaching about origins."
Instead, teachers should tackle the issue head-on, whilst trying not to alienate students, he argues in a new book.
'Not equally valid'
"By not dismissing their beliefs, we can ensure that these students learn what evolutionary theory really says - and give everyone the understanding to respect the views of others," he added.
His book; Teaching about Scientific Origins: Taking Account of Creationism, gives science teachers advice on how to deal with the "dilemma".
Further discussion of creationism should occur in religious education as it is a belief system, not one based on science Hilary Leevers Campaign for Science and Engineering
He supports new government guidelines which say creationism should not be discussed in science classes unless it is raised by pupils.
But Prof Reiss argues that there is an educational value in comparing creationist ideas with scientific theories like Darwin's theory of evolution because they demonstrate how science, unlike religious beliefs, can be tested.
The scientist, who is also a Church of England priest, adds that any teaching should not give the impression that creationism and the theory of evolution are equally valid scientifically.
Dr Hilary Leevers, of the Campaign for Science and Engineering, said science teachers would be teaching evolution not creationism and so should not need a book to tell them how to "delicately handle controversy between a scientific theory and a belief".
"The author suggests that science teachers cannot ignore creationism when teaching origins, but the opposite is true," she said.
Teachers could discuss how creationism differed from scientific theory if a student brought up the subject, but any further discussion should occur in religious education lessons, she said.
A Department for Children, Schools and Families spokesman said it had recently published guidelines to teachers on the issue.
"Creationism and intelligent design are not scientific theories nor testable as scientific fact - and have no place in the science curriculum. "But we advise science teachers that when questions about creationism come up in lessons, it provides an opportunity to explain or explore what makes a scientific theory."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/education/7028639.stmPublished: 2007/10/04 23:28:30 GMT© BBC MMVII
Comment.
As far as the basic Islamic belief is concerned there is no compromise or justification to accept any kind of theory whether it is scientific or nonscientific theory related to the creation of the universe including human being. Muslims pursue knowledge by studying science to understand nature and to use science for betterment of human existence in this world. For the Muslim the study of science starts with the basic belief of creation-the man study what is created. It is every Muslims family responsibility to teach his children that the evolution theory is not acceptable for a beliver.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Socialism is back
This story appear on the recent Christian Science monitor. For me it is an amazing story. It is a bad and a good story. I is good story- people form a community work together and improve their living condition. As far as fighting poverty is concerned it is a success story specially in a country like Ethiopia. On the other hand it is a bad news because to alleviate poverty these people abandon their religion both the Muslims and the Christians. It looks it was their religiousness brought their poverty. The story echoed that when they abandon their religion they become better of. Even their village was visited by religious leaders. I don't understand why the religious leaders went there. To bless their action of abandoning their religion or to preach them to keep their religion. To be economically successful is it necessary to abandon religion? Is religion against prosperity? Is material success is the only measurement for a community or a society success? In Ethiopia Socialism is back again.
Abdella
In Ethiopia, one man's model for a just society
By Orly HalpernTue Aug 21, 4:00 AM ET
He can't read or write, but Zumra Nuru created a society that would have made Karl Marx proud. The 60-year-old Ethiopian farmer founded and cochairs Awra Amba, a commune where men cook, women plow, and religion has no place.
His inspiration came from his childhood: He was sent to the fields instead of to school and beaten for eating meat at his Christian neighbor's home.His mother had to work much more than his father.
"It made me sad," says Mr. Nuru. "When I asked my parents about it ... they acted as if I were foolish."
In the 1980s, Nuru finally launched the egalitarian society he dreamed of with 19 other people who adopted his vision.
Today Awra Amba has some 400 members and is lauded as a model to alleviate poverty and promote gender equality in a country where women generally hold a subservient status to men.
The experimental community first came to national awareness when Nuru gave an interview on national television a few years ago.
Since then numerous camera crews have driven out to the northern village. They are not alone.
Government officials and members of parliament, sheikhs and priests, and local and foreign nongovernmental organization workers have made the trip via a rocky road only accessible with a four-wheel-drive vehicle to see the success for themselves.
"I was completely captivated by my visit to the community," says Ambassador Tim Clarke, head of the European Union delegation to Ethiopia. "I regard it as the model for the world community on how gender issues should be treated. I have come across nothing else like it anywhere in Africa – and indeed the world. I am using it to inspire the work of my office here on gender mainstreaming and empowerment of women."
Once ostracized, now laudedBut achieving this level of recognition was a long time in coming.
Since his childhood, Nuru was ostracized by his family and his neighbors not only for his support for gender equality but for his opposition to institutionalized religion.
"My family is originally Muslim," Nuru says. "I visited my Christian neighbors and ate meat at their home. My mother got angry and beat me. She said, 'We can't eat meat slaughtered by Christians. I said, 'Is it not the same animal?'
"I began thinking about these issues of religion. Later I thought why not make one family? There is one God. So why not unite? Honesty and love for fellow human beings is our religion."
Not surprising, there is no picturesque church or mosque decorating the village and religious observance is shunned.
However, in a tour for visitors, locals proudly show off the simple but clean mud-built library and the classroom, where children ages 3-5 study before attending the district public school.
Nuru never had the opportunity to study and when he was 13, he was thrown out of his home, he says.
"They said I was mad," says Nuru, whose name means 'Father of the Village.'
In his 20s he became a wandering preacher of his own ideals.
"I traveled to find people who would accept my ideas," he says. In the 1980s he gathered a group in the Amhara region and together they established Awra Amba – meaning "top of the hill."
For years the small group of farmers was ostracized by neighbors who saw its ideas as radical. Eventually they were forced to abandon their land for political reasons.
Model for reducing poverty?They returned in the early 1990s only to discover their neighbors had been given their land.
They managed to get back only 43 acres – not enough to support a growing community with farming. "So we began weaving for a living," says Nuru.
Weaving has become one of the symbols of Awra Amba.
In Ethiopian society, weaving is women's work, yet men and women work side by side here in Awra Amba.
The hand-woven scarves, clothes, and blankets are sold in the village shop. Awra Amba will not accept donations, but offers its products for sale.
Prices are low, but so is supply, partly because the village has a shortage of modern weaving machinery and training.
"Weaving is not so profitable because we are not experts," he says. "We are all originally farmers."
Fortunately, their reputation for being honest is also paying off. Donkeys laden with bags of grains wait beside the village grain mills to be unloaded.
"Neighboring farmers prefer to use our mills because they trust us not to cheat them," says Asnake Gebeyehu, 18, a native of Awra Amban who served as an English-language translator for foreign visitors on a recent day.
Awra Ambans work seven days a week and shun religious holidays.
Ideals are paying offTheir ideals have literally paid off.
The villagers are well fed and clothed. Children play instead of working.
"So many Christian and Muslim leaders from all over [Ethiopia's northern Amhara region] and some from outside have visited the village because it is very famous in its endeavor to eliminate poverty," says Mulgeta Wuletaw, a regional government administrator and member of parliament.
Still, the village hopes to earn more money in order to build potable water and sewage systems, pave the road, and create an education fund for the children.
Gebeyehu is one of eight Awra Ambans who will be attending university this year and he credits his village for that. "Education is very important to this community," he says.
The village is unique not only for its attitudes toward gender, religion, and education, but for the social security it provides its members in need.
Village social securityThere's a home for the elderly with 24-hour care and a committee that helps out new mothers, who also get three months of maternity leave. Early and forced marriage are forbidden.
The village's success has made it a subject of numerous studies.
"This is an extraordinary initiative within a traditional and conservative community," says Mohammed Musa, a rural development consultant who prepared a case study on the village for the World Bank. "It's a good example for other Ethiopian communities – and even beyond Ethiopia – because of its gender equality, its work ethic, and its social security system."
Today 96 families live in closely built mud huts.
Nuru said more people want to join, but there is not enough space.
Now, after years of being ostracized, Awra Amba is seen as having a positive effect on its conservative region.
A newsletter published by the regional state health bureau last year credited the village with triggering "amazing change in the Amhara region."
Copyright © 2007 The Christian Science Monitor
Abdella
In Ethiopia, one man's model for a just society
By Orly HalpernTue Aug 21, 4:00 AM ET
He can't read or write, but Zumra Nuru created a society that would have made Karl Marx proud. The 60-year-old Ethiopian farmer founded and cochairs Awra Amba, a commune where men cook, women plow, and religion has no place.
His inspiration came from his childhood: He was sent to the fields instead of to school and beaten for eating meat at his Christian neighbor's home.His mother had to work much more than his father.
"It made me sad," says Mr. Nuru. "When I asked my parents about it ... they acted as if I were foolish."
In the 1980s, Nuru finally launched the egalitarian society he dreamed of with 19 other people who adopted his vision.
Today Awra Amba has some 400 members and is lauded as a model to alleviate poverty and promote gender equality in a country where women generally hold a subservient status to men.
The experimental community first came to national awareness when Nuru gave an interview on national television a few years ago.
Since then numerous camera crews have driven out to the northern village. They are not alone.
Government officials and members of parliament, sheikhs and priests, and local and foreign nongovernmental organization workers have made the trip via a rocky road only accessible with a four-wheel-drive vehicle to see the success for themselves.
"I was completely captivated by my visit to the community," says Ambassador Tim Clarke, head of the European Union delegation to Ethiopia. "I regard it as the model for the world community on how gender issues should be treated. I have come across nothing else like it anywhere in Africa – and indeed the world. I am using it to inspire the work of my office here on gender mainstreaming and empowerment of women."
Once ostracized, now laudedBut achieving this level of recognition was a long time in coming.
Since his childhood, Nuru was ostracized by his family and his neighbors not only for his support for gender equality but for his opposition to institutionalized religion.
"My family is originally Muslim," Nuru says. "I visited my Christian neighbors and ate meat at their home. My mother got angry and beat me. She said, 'We can't eat meat slaughtered by Christians. I said, 'Is it not the same animal?'
"I began thinking about these issues of religion. Later I thought why not make one family? There is one God. So why not unite? Honesty and love for fellow human beings is our religion."
Not surprising, there is no picturesque church or mosque decorating the village and religious observance is shunned.
However, in a tour for visitors, locals proudly show off the simple but clean mud-built library and the classroom, where children ages 3-5 study before attending the district public school.
Nuru never had the opportunity to study and when he was 13, he was thrown out of his home, he says.
"They said I was mad," says Nuru, whose name means 'Father of the Village.'
In his 20s he became a wandering preacher of his own ideals.
"I traveled to find people who would accept my ideas," he says. In the 1980s he gathered a group in the Amhara region and together they established Awra Amba – meaning "top of the hill."
For years the small group of farmers was ostracized by neighbors who saw its ideas as radical. Eventually they were forced to abandon their land for political reasons.
Model for reducing poverty?They returned in the early 1990s only to discover their neighbors had been given their land.
They managed to get back only 43 acres – not enough to support a growing community with farming. "So we began weaving for a living," says Nuru.
Weaving has become one of the symbols of Awra Amba.
In Ethiopian society, weaving is women's work, yet men and women work side by side here in Awra Amba.
The hand-woven scarves, clothes, and blankets are sold in the village shop. Awra Amba will not accept donations, but offers its products for sale.
Prices are low, but so is supply, partly because the village has a shortage of modern weaving machinery and training.
"Weaving is not so profitable because we are not experts," he says. "We are all originally farmers."
Fortunately, their reputation for being honest is also paying off. Donkeys laden with bags of grains wait beside the village grain mills to be unloaded.
"Neighboring farmers prefer to use our mills because they trust us not to cheat them," says Asnake Gebeyehu, 18, a native of Awra Amban who served as an English-language translator for foreign visitors on a recent day.
Awra Ambans work seven days a week and shun religious holidays.
Ideals are paying offTheir ideals have literally paid off.
The villagers are well fed and clothed. Children play instead of working.
"So many Christian and Muslim leaders from all over [Ethiopia's northern Amhara region] and some from outside have visited the village because it is very famous in its endeavor to eliminate poverty," says Mulgeta Wuletaw, a regional government administrator and member of parliament.
Still, the village hopes to earn more money in order to build potable water and sewage systems, pave the road, and create an education fund for the children.
Gebeyehu is one of eight Awra Ambans who will be attending university this year and he credits his village for that. "Education is very important to this community," he says.
The village is unique not only for its attitudes toward gender, religion, and education, but for the social security it provides its members in need.
Village social securityThere's a home for the elderly with 24-hour care and a committee that helps out new mothers, who also get three months of maternity leave. Early and forced marriage are forbidden.
The village's success has made it a subject of numerous studies.
"This is an extraordinary initiative within a traditional and conservative community," says Mohammed Musa, a rural development consultant who prepared a case study on the village for the World Bank. "It's a good example for other Ethiopian communities – and even beyond Ethiopia – because of its gender equality, its work ethic, and its social security system."
Today 96 families live in closely built mud huts.
Nuru said more people want to join, but there is not enough space.
Now, after years of being ostracized, Awra Amba is seen as having a positive effect on its conservative region.
A newsletter published by the regional state health bureau last year credited the village with triggering "amazing change in the Amhara region."
Copyright © 2007 The Christian Science Monitor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)