Health Promotion And HIV

Health Promotion And HIV The origins of health promotion lie in the 19th century when epidemic disease eventually led to pressure for sanitary reform for the overcrowded industrial towns. Alongside the health movement emerged the idea of educating the public for the good of its health (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). In 1977 the World health Assembly at Alma Ata committed all member countries to the principles of Health for all 2000 (HFA 2000) that there should be the attainment by all the people of the world by the tear 2000 of a level of health that will permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life Naidoo and Wills, 2000). The Ottawa charter held on the 21st of November 1986 was the first international conference on health promotion and provided the basis for the current practice of health promotion. It defined health promotion as the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individ ual or group must be able to identify and to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment (WHO, 1986). Health is, therefore, seen as a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities. Therefore, health promotion is not just the responsibility of the health sector, but goes beyond healthy life-styles to well-being. It went ahead to identify strategies for health promotion namely; build healthy public policy, create supportive environment, strengthen community actions, develop personal skill and reorient health services (WHO, 1986). HIV/AIDS BACKGROUND AND ZIMBABWE The HIV virus is the cause of the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). All countries of the world are now affected with about 39.5million people living with the disease globally. 2.1million of the global 2.9million deaths due to AIDS in 2006 occurred in Africa ( UNAIDS/WHO, 2007). The extent of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in Africa makes it qualitatively different from other regions. According to UNICEF (2005), the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa has already orphaned a generation of children and it projected that by 2010, 18 million African children less than 18 years are likely to be orphaned by HIV. Africa has the worlds youngest population, with the youth constituting 33% of the total population. Subà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Sahara Africa is home to 70% of young people living with HIV/AIDS and 90% of the AIDS orphans in the world. Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is compounded by gender and age, making young people and women in particular more likely to contract the virus than others. The age distribution of HIV infection in Africa is skewed towards younger females, with infection rates among teenage girls five times higher than teenage boys in some countries.Zimbabwe is not spared this burden. One in six African is a Zimbabwe which has a population of about estimate of 140 million people. The first case of the Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was identified in Zimbabwe in 1986. HIV prevalence then rose steadily from 1.8% in 1998 to 5.8% in 2001. However, in the 2003 survey, the National HIV prevalence had dropped to 5%. At a current level of 5.6%, HIV/AIDS prevalence is highest amongst young people less than 30 years (World Bank, 2006). Several factors have been identified as the most important in driving the HIV epidemic in Zimbabwe. These include; early marriage of females and inadequate access to condoms and contraceptives particularly for young people. Young peoples lack of access to contraceptives is exacerbated by the age-structured society where children and young people have little or no control over their health, especially sexual health. There is also inadequate sexual education in schools as well as a restricted discussion of sexual health matters in public and even in families. Zimbabweans can have multiple wives as they think they can afford to take care of. This is very ambiguous and the result is that a lot of women are mistreated and left to take care of themselves without actually being empowered to do so. Other factors implicated are the presence of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), stigmatization and the inadequacy of health care systems (APIN, 2006). In addition, various cultural prac tices and values influence the health practices and sexual behaviour of our focus group. This makes them particularly vulnerable. Vulnerability can be defined as the degree to which an individual or a population has control over their risk of acquiring HIV, or the degree to which those people who are infected an affected by HIV are able to access appropriate care and support. (AIDS Vancouver, 2005) Zimbabwe being a male-dominated society, women are viewed as inferior to men, in some areas in particular in rural areas and some townships. Womens traditional role is to have children and be responsible for the home. Their low status, lack of access to education, and certain social and cultural practices increase their vulnerability to HIV infection. Many marriage practices violate womens human rights and contribute to increasing HIV rates among women and girls. Zimbabwe has legal minimum age for marriage, however in some areas early marriage is known to be allowed by parents, as they consider it a way to protect their young daughters from the outside world and maintain their chastity. Girls may get married between the ages of 14 and 15, and a large age gap usually exists between husbands and wives. Young married girls are at risk of contracting HIV from their husbands because it is considered acceptable for men to have sexual partners outside of marriage and even for some men to have more than one wife. Because of their age, lack of education, and low status, young married girls cannot negotiate condom use to protect th emselves against HIV and other STIs. Practices such as female genital mutilation also contribute to the scourge (APIN, 2006). COMPARATIVE STATISTICS From Appendix 1(behind), the tables show WHO statistics (2007) and compares different parameters from Zimbabwe, Brazil and South-Africa. It estimates Zimbabwes population, for 2005, at 131.5 million. This is compared to South Africas figure of 47.4 million and 186.4 million for Brazil. Zimbabwe and Brazil are classed as developing countries while South Africa is a middle-income African country. All these countries have achieved varying degrees of success in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Deaths due to HIV (per 100,000) are 8 for Brazil, 167 for Zimbawe and 675 for South Africa. Figures for HIV prevalence in adults aged 15 years and above show that the prevalence is reduced in Brazil (454 per 100,000 people), but Zimbabwe (3,547 per 100,000 population) and South Africa (16,579 per 100,000 population) still have very high numbers. This buttresses the fact that Africa still has major problems in the fight against HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS POLICY IN ZIMBABWE According to the Federal Government of Zimbabwe, the overall goal of the HIV/AIDS Policy is to control the spread of HIV, to provide equitable care and support for those infected by HIV and to mitigate its impact to the point where it is no longer of public health, social and economic concern, such that all Zimbabweans will be able to achieve socially and economically productive lives free of the disease and its effects. (Federal Government of Zimbabwe, National Policy on HIV/AIDS, 2003; pp. 13-14). The objectives of the policy include, among others to foster behaviour change as the main means of controlling the epidemic and to ensure that prevention programmes are developed and targeted at vulnerable groups such as women and children, adolescents and young adults, sex workers, long distance commercial vehicle drivers, prison inmates and migrant labour. The target is to improve the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices of high-risk populations, including youths and adolescents , to HIV/AIDS by 20 percent by the year 2005 and 40% by 2010. With the WHO statistics, there seem to be a lot of work to be done in achieving the above target. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT MODEL THE INTERVENTION The model was developed by a combination of two existing models of health promotion namely Caplan Holland (1990) and Beattie (1991) (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Beatties model uses criteria of mode of intervention (authoritative-negotiated) and focus of intervention (individual-collective) whereas Caplan and Holland use theories of knowledge and theories of society (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). From Caplan Holland (1990) the following components were taken: radical humanistic perspective (empowerment approach) and humanistic perspective (educational approach). From Beattie (1991) were taken; health Persuasion (educational approach) and personal counselling (behavioural approach). This model thus comprises of the 4 components namely; Radical Humanist/Empowerment approach where individuals are encouraged to form social and organizational networks including self-help groups, Humanist/Health Education approach this involves peer education and awareness campaigns, including activities such as dramas, role plays and debates, Health Persuasion which is essentially behaviour modification and life skills, Personal counselling which is client led and focus on personal development. The health promoter is a facilitator rather than an expert. (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). APPROACHES The components of this model made use of three main approaches to health promotion: behavioural, educational and empowerment approaches. The empowerment approach is based mainly on the formation of social and organisational networks including self-help groups, peer groups, abstinence clubs etc. The emphasis of this approach is to help people to identify their own concerns and gain the skill and confidence to act upon them Naidoo and Wills, (2000), and the behavioural approach aims at behaviour modification. It also uses personal counselling as a means of promoting healthy sexual behaviour, therefore aiming to impart life skills to the students, which would teach them to communicate, to learn to say no to casual sex, to wait till the right time and to make the right decisions. The educational approach aims to provide knowledge and information with the hope that this information would enable the students to make the right and informed choices (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). This would be achieved by means of awareness campaigns, debates, lectures, dramas, role plays, posters and other information, education and communication (IEC) materials. A key part of the education of these students would be peer education. Over the years, there have been various studies and theories supporting the use of peer education as a successful health promotion strategy. Peer pressure can be quite enormous and influential particularly in the focus age group. APPLYING THE COMPONENTS OF THE MODEL DISCUSSION As earlier mentioned, there are four main components of this health promotion model: health education, health persuasion, empowerment and personal counselling. EMPOWERMENT Empowerment in the broadest sense is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the process by which disadvantaged people work together to increase control over events that determine their lives'(Laverack, 2004). This entails raising consciousness of both the primary and secondary audiences; emphasis is on the exploration of personal responses to health issues. The students are encouraged to form social networks such as self-help groups and peer-educator-led groups. These social networks can lead to self-empowerment. The WHOs definition of health promotion as increasing peoples control over their health places it alongside the key concept of community empowerment (Laverack, 2004). Community empowerment can be viewed as both a process (something used to accomplish a particular goal or objective) and an outcome (in which empowerment is the goal or objective itself). There is considerable overlap between community empowerment and other concepts such as community participation and community development. Community empowerment builds from the individual to the group to the broader community (Laverack, 2004). Health promoters have conventionally viewed community empowerment as a part of bottom-up approached. In this the outside agent act to support the community in the identification of issues which are important and relevant to their lives, and to enable them to develop strategies to resolve these issues. Community empowerment includes personal (psychological) empowerment, organizational empowerment and broader social and political changes. Community empowerment has been viewed in health promotion literature as a five-point continuum model comprising the following elements; personal action, the development of small mutual groups, community organizations, partnership, social and political action. Each point on the continuum can be viewed as an outcome in itself, as well as a progression onto the next point. If not achieved the outcome is stasis or even a move back to the preceding point on the continuum (Laverack, 2004). The latter goes on to say the dichotomy between top-down disease prevention and lifestyle change and bottom-up community empowerment approaches is not as fixed as it is sometimes portrayed. As applied in this youth empowerment model, both approaches were used. HEALTH EDUCATION Health promotion is rooted in the narrower, more established field of health education. Health education is communication activity aimed at enhancing positive health and preventing or diminishing ill-health in individuals and groups, through influencing the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviour of those with power and of the community at large (Downie et al, 2006). Use of education in health promotion has to do with communication aimed at enhancing well-being and preventing ill-health through influencing knowledge and attitudes. The purpose is to provide knowledge and information, and to develop the necessary skills so that a person can make informed choice about their health behaviour (Naidoo and Wills, 2005). Health education interventions are valued because they empower people, enabling them to make desired changes and increase their control over their health. It involves working directly with them, enabling communication and feedback that in turn can be used to fine-tune the intervention, enhancing its effectiveness (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). This can be carried out in classrooms, and clubs aiming to empower the students. The peer educators will also be used at this stage as well as PLWHA. The contents for education in HIV prevention will include issues such as meaning and cause of HIV/AIDS, means of transmission non-transmission, modes of prevention, available treatment and management for PLWHA. HEALTH PERSUASION Health persuasion in this initiative forms a part of the Prevention Education. These are intentions directed at individuals and involve mainly health professionals, trained counsellors and peer educators, all acting as facilitators. The aim of this is to influence the development of positive health behaviour in the students, so that as they grow older, they can have good sexual health. People Living with HIV/AIDS are also involved as they are some of the greatest champions of HIV prevention as earlier mentioned. The ultimate aim of health persuasion is encouraging people to adopt healthy and careful lifestyles. The emphasis is on abstinence, safer sex and faithful partnership. The avenues included: classrooms and School HIV/AIDS prevention clubs, distribution of fliers and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS. PERSONAL COUNSELLING This focused on personal development and students (one-on-one or in groups) are helped by a facilitator to identify their health needs to increase their confidence and life skills. Peer Education This is the teaching or sharing of information, values and behaviours between individuals with shared characteristics such as behaviour, experience, status or social and cultural backgrounds (Macdowall et al, 2006). It is a prevention strategy for reaching youth either in school settings or for marginalized out of school youth, mainly through community based out reach programmes. Approaches to recruiting peer educators have included; providing information about a project and then asking for volunteers (Macdowall et al, 2006) identifying and approaching popular opinion leaders from among target groups; and asking members of the target groups to nominate peers. HEALTH PROMOTION RATIONALE Zimbabwe for obvious reasons stated above has a problem in tackling the scourge of HIV/AIDS and this required a multi-pronged approach in order to make an impact. Thus, developing a health promotion model targeted at the youth is in place. According to WHO, it is imperative to focus on young people because they have a high risk of contracting HIV since once they become sexually active, they often have several, usually consecutive, short-term sexual relationships and do not consistently use condoms. Likewise, IV drug use spreads at an alarming rate in this age group. Furthermore, young people often have insufficient information and understanding about HIV/AIDS; they may not be aware of their vulnerability to it or how best to prevent it. They also often lack access to the means of protecting themselves (WHO, 2004). The National HIV/AIDS policy specifically focuses on adolescents and youths, with a view to changing their sexual behaviour and practices, particularly before they become s exually active. School based programmes are logical avenues to provide most youth with preventive health education which should include helping the youth to identify their personal values and to promote positive self -esteem to enable them to resist pressure to engage in risky sexual behaviour. Zimbabwe practices a 7-2-3 system of education. Here individuals are expected to spend 7 years in the primary school, 2 years in sixth form 3-4 years in the University. The secondary school age in Zimbabwe is between 12-18 years. The focus for the model is in high school students aged 12 to 18. There were several reasons why the school is a key arena for health promotion. First, in accordance with a prevention is better than cure philosophy, it is better to encourage young people to adopt healthful lifestyles than to try to change unhealthful behaviour patterns in adulthood. Secondly, there is evidence that risk factors for disease in adulthood often originate early in life. Thirdly, schools provides a unique opportunity to augment other influences on health-related behaviour with properly planned programmes of health education (Downie et al, 2006). As early as 1982, it was reported that the age of first sexual intercourse had continued to drop in Zimbabwe and was then such that 50% of 16 year kids were already sexually active (Nwokocha and Nwakoby, 2002). Thus, the age range for the study is appropriate to equip them before they become sexually active. Mzikazi High School Bulawayo, Zimbabwe was the chosen high school. Mzilikazi is in Matebelaland, second capital city of Zimbabwe with an estimated population of 1.2 million residents. The city has a rich tourism culture and hospitality. Current research estimates the prevalence of HIV in Bulawayo at 6.19% , making it the second highest of all the states in Zimbabwe (The Herald News, 2006). Its easy access to Victoria Falls makes it a centre for visitors from different parts of the world. All these aid the sex trade in a country so rich yet poverty is the order of the day. People who do possess some knowledge about HIV often do not protect themselves because they lack the skills, support or incentives to adopt safe behaviours. High levels of awareness among the youth, a population group particularly vulnerable and significant as regards the spread of HIV/Aids, have not led, in many cases, to sufficient behavioural change. Young people may lack the skills to negotiate abstinence or condom use, or be fearful or embarrassed to talk with their partner about sex. Lack of open discussion and guidance about sexuality is often lacking in the home, and many young people pick up misinformation from their peers instead. PARTNERS IN THIS HEALTH PROMOTION The key partners in this initiative were the primary the students, and the secondary parents, teachers, school nurse and other members of the school community including staff. Other partners included professionals such as all clinical health practitioners such as doctors, nurses, and others health professionals who will act as facilitators, the local School Authorities, and donor agencies that are focused on HIV/AIDS issues they play a very crucial roles in community HIV prevention programmes. Donor agencies were involved in the provision of funds that were used in executing the project. PLWHA (People living with HIV/AIDS) have very important impact as people see for themselves living testimonies of the HIV scourge. It must be stated that stigmatization and discrimination against PLWHA are common in Zimbabwe. Nevertheless, some progress has been made more recently because of increased national campaigns and more visible and vocal societies and support groups for people infected with or affected by HIV. Their efforts have helped educate the public about HIV/AIDS, dispelling myths and giving the disease a human face (APIN, 2006). A potential reason for failure of school health promotion is that of culture clash between the school and the home and elsewhere (Downie et al, 2006) hence the inclusion of the parents in the secondary audience. However while the concepts of outcome succees were addressed to some degree in the study, there was nevertheless, a lack of firm and consistent evidence that positive outcomes had been achieved by the partnership concerned. Partnership working is seen as providing benefits that are achievable, improve health of whole population through working in partnerships with groups and individual to systematically address health needs within a community, (Coles and Porter, 2009). The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society, (Achenson, 1998). Wilson and Charlton (2004), claim that culture clashes in partnership working can often expected between people from different social background. In this study the barrier between the partners was the cultural background for the children , parents and the leaders. In this instance the NGOs were the leaders of the health promotion. The break down in communication and understanding of the intended education started when the educators told the students it is advisable to use condoms whenever you have sex. In Zimbabwe there is a deep-seated unwillingness to talk openly about sex, partly due to rules of re spect that lie at the heart of family and kinship structures, which limit communication across generation and sexual divides. Certain prevalent cultural norms and practices related to sexuality contribute to the risk of HIV infection. Negative attitudes towards condoms, as well as difficulties negotiating and following through with their use. Men in southern Africa regularly do not want to use condoms, because of beliefs such that flesh to flesh sex is equated with masculinity and is necessary for male health. Condoms also have strong associations of unfaithfulness, lack of trust and love, and disease. Certain sexual practices, such as dry sex (where the vagina is expected to be small and dry), and unprotected anal sex, carry a high risk of HIV because they cause abrasions to the lining of the vagina or anus. In cultures where virginity is a condition for marriage, girls may protect their virginity by engaging in unprotected anal sex. The importance of fertility in African communities may hinder the practice of safer sex. Young women under pressure to prove their fertility prior to marriage may try to fall pregnant, and therefore do not use condoms or abstain from sex. Fathering many children is also seen as a sign of virile masculinity. Polygamy is practised in some parts of southern Africa. Even where traditional polygamy is no longer the norm, men tend to have more sexual partners and to use the services of sex workers. This is condoned by the widespread belief that males are biologically programmed to need sex with more than one woman, ( ). Urbanisation and migrant labour expose people to a variety of new cultural influences, with the result that traditional and modern values often co-exist. Certain traditional values that could serve to protect people from HIV infection, such as abstinence from sex before marriage, are being eroded by cultural modernisation. ( ). However the NGOs wanted to continue with this education even the other secondary partners could tell it is affecting the whole process, with advice to first stop teaching the children, educate the parents first so when the children are taught it does not cause conflict. This dilemma here appears largely about power who has it, who needs it, and how much? Successful partnership requires leaders to redefine the boundaries of power in the organisation, and this can prove challenging, ( ). Careful design of the organisations decision-making processes and the setting of clear boundaries can help you tackle the leadership dilemma. Therefore with partnership, effective communication enables us to discuss each others concerns, acknowledge our different points of view and strive to understand those views. Good communication is especially important when there are strong views or feelings about an issue. The key thing to remember is that communication goes in all directions. Effective communic ation isnt just about telling people things. Its mostly about listening to each other. Consequently good communication is crucial to partnership. Lack of communication often creates an information vacuum. This vacuum is sometimes filled with rumour and speculation. . Evaluation Two different views of evaluation pervade the literature on health promotion. From the first view point, evaluation involves assessing an activity in terms of the aims or specific objectives of that activity. William (1987) has written as follows: .the purpose of evaluation is that it should demonstrate whether an activity has been successful or to what degree it has failed to achievee some stated aims. Before we can evaluate, then, we need to be clear about the aims of the activity in relation to the degree of attainment of these aims. From the second view point, evaluation is a broader process. It involves assessing an activity by measuring it against a standard which is not necessarily related to the specific objectives or purpose of the activity. This approach has been advocated by Green et al. (1980). From the second view point, evaluation is a broader process (Downie et al, 1996). Evaluation can be defined as the critical assessment of the value of an activity (Macdowall et al, 2006). Evaluation is needed to ensure that health promotion activities are having the intended effects. Evaluating activities helps inform future plans and contributes to the building up of a knowledge base for health promotion. It also helps prevent the reinvention of the wheel, by informing other health promoters of the effectiveness of different methods and strategies (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Downie et al (1996) identifies reasons for evaluating health promotion activities. These are to assess the extent to which projects are achieving their stated objectives, to inform the development of materials and methods, to ensure ethical practice, to optimize use of resources and to assess the place of health promotion within overall efforts to achieve health gain. Evaluation includes assessments of different kinds of events at varying time periods. A distinction is often made between process, impact and outcome evaluation. Process evaluation: this involves assessing the process programme implementation. It addresses participants perceptions and reactions to health promotion interventions. It is therefore a useful means to assess acceptability and may assess the appropriateness and equity of a health promotion intervention (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). In doing this in our health promotion study, inputs (time, IEC materials, money); self-evaluation (self-reflection); feedback from primary and secondary audience (using questionnaires, question and answer sessions, individual discussions) will be used. Impact and Outcome evaluation: Evaluation of health promotion programmes is usually concerned to identify their effects. The effects of an intervention may be evaluated according to its impact ( the immediate effects such as increased knowledge or shifts in attitude) and outcome ( the longer-term effects such as changes in lifestyle). Impact evaluation tends to be more popular because it is easier to do. Outcome evaluation more difficult because it involves an assessment of long-term effects (Naidoo and Wills, 2000). Evaluation of the impact could be planned or unplanned. Planned impact can be assessed using pre-session and post-session questionnaires or a review session with the target audience. Some of the planned impact/outcomes would include increasing attendance to activities, increase in the number of people taking part in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), increase in age of first sexual encounter and reduction in HIV prevalence rate. Unplanned impact/outcome will include counselling for other issues such as drugs and alcohol use, provision of support for PLWHA within the school community by referrals to NGOs and other support groups that can provide treatment and help them cope with other effects of living with HIV/AIDS. Limitations There are limitations to the implementation of this health promotion model. There is an ethical dilemma with regards what will be too much sexual information for the teenagers considering the cultural background. Many parents will object to some information given to their children. Issues pertaining to funds for running and sustaining the programme need to be considered. There could also be some logistics problems in terms of accessing rural areas: power, security, mobility and communication facilities all have to be provided and these are all functions of funds. Acceptability of the programme by the primary audience may be in question. The students may view the activities as being prescriptive rather than participatory, also, they may view the health professionals and facilitators as being old school in terms of age or social background or socioeconomic status and this could be a barrier which might face the programme. This is where the peer educators come in and may go a long way in overcoming this problem. If the students are able to see the project/activities as theirs, it would help to sustain the efforts after the health professionals may have left. Such continuity could be anchored on peer educator groups, abstinence clubs and other social networks. Long-term assessment of empowerment and change in behaviour is difficult. Is there any behaviour change? If so, is the behaviour change due to this Health Promotion activity alone?. These are pertinent questions which will need to be addressed at the long run. The model focuses mainly on empowerment without addressing other socio-economic determinants of sexual hea

Pneumonia and Older Adults

What is pneumonia? Pneumonia is a lung infection that can make you very sick. You may cough, run a fever, and have a hard time breathing. For most people, pneumonia can be treated at home. It often clears up in two to three weeks, but older adults, babies, and people with other diseases can become very ill. They may need to be in the hospital. You can get pneumonia in your daily life, such as at school or work. This is called community-associated pneumonia. You can also get it when you are in a hospital or nursing home. This is called healthcare-associated pneumonia. It may be more severe because you already are ill. This topic focuses on pneumonia you get in your daily life. What causes pneumonia? Germs called bacteria or viruses usually cause pneumonia. Pneumonia usually starts when you breathe the germs into your lungs. You may be more likely to get the disease after having a cold or the flu. These illnesses make it hard for your lungs to fight infection, so it is easier to get pneumonia. Having a long-term, or chronic, disease like asthma, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes also makes you more likely to get pneumonia. What are the symptoms? Symptoms of pneumonia caused by bacteria usually come on quickly. They may include: †¢Cough. You will likely cough up mucus (sputum) from your lungs. Mucus may be rusty or green or tinged with blood. †¢Fever. †¢Fast breathing and feeling short of breath. †¢Shaking and â€Å"teeth-chattering† chills. You may have this only one time or many times. †¢Chest pain that often feels worse when you cough or breathe in. †¢Fast heartbeat. †¢Feeling very tired or feeling very weak. †¢Nausea and vomiting. †¢Diarrhea. When you have mild symptoms, your doctor may call this â€Å"walking pneumonia. â€Å"

Job Satisfaction And Its Importance In The Workplace Education Essay

Job satisfaction is progressively going of import in the workplace. Employers now recognise that the â€Å" happier † their employees are, the better will be their attitudes towards the work, the higher their motive and the better will be their public presentation. Job satisfaction in any field of work depends a batch on how contributing the work environment is. The work itself, the wage and the range for publicity are merely some of the factors which have an impact on occupation satisfaction. â€Å" Educators ‘ occupation satisfaction is of import as it has a direct impact on pupils ‘ accomplishment and their hereafter calling † ( Pitkoff, 1993 ) . An pedagogue who is unsatisfied with his/her occupation tends to be unmotivated and more likely to get away from his/her duties. In these fortunes, we tend to see an addition in absenteeism among instructors. Such pedagogues normally show small concern in school affairs and this evidently has a negative impact on the public presentation of our kids. Assorted surveies have been carried out in the yesteryear to measure the impact of motive and occupation satisfaction on employee productiveness and public presentation ( Vroom, 1964 ) . Some of these surveies have found a positive relationship between occupation satisfaction and occupation public presentation which leads to the decision that satisfied employees tend to execute much better than less satisfied 1s.2.1 Definition of occupation satisfactionJob satisfaction is one of the most investigated subjects in the Fieldss of organisational behavior. The most-used research definition of occupation satisfaction is by Locke ( 1976 ) , who defined it as â€Å" . . . a enjoyable or positive emotional province ensuing from the assessment of one ‘s occupation or occupation experiences † ( p. 1304 ) . It is now recognized that occupation satisfaction is a planetary construct that besides comprises assorted aspects ( Judge et al. , 2001 ) including wage, publicities, colleagues , supervising, the work itself, acknowledgment, working conditions, and company and direction. Job satisfaction has besides been defined as â€Å" the extent to which a staff member has favorable or positive feelings about work or the work environment † ( De Nobile, 2003 ) . It refers to the positive attitudes or emotional temperaments people may derive from work or through facets of work ( Furnham, 1997 ; Locke, 1976 ) . Ivancevich et Al. ( 1997 ) defined occupation satisfaction as the feeling and perceptual experience of a worker sing his/her work and how he or she feels himself good in an organisation. Davis and Newstrom ( 2003 ) and Dessler ( 2001 ) depict occupation satisfaction as a set of favourable or unfavourable feelings for the employees to comprehend their work and that determine the possibility of a major temperament to accomplish higher public presentation. Therefore, occupation satisfaction refers to an person ‘s general attitude toward his or her occupation ( Robbins, 1998 ) . Jensen ( 2000 ) defines occupation satisfaction as: â€Å" a sense of personal growing most frequently measured by the extent of new challenges and larning state of affairss experienced † ( p. 1 ) . On the other manus, occupation dissatisfaction refers to â€Å" unhappy or negative feelings about work or the work environment † ( Furnham, 1997 ) . There exist many factors which may ensue in occupation dissatisfaction. Some of them are hapless on the job conditions, overwork, low degrees of wage, no range of publicity or calling promotion and deficiency of acknowledgment. But what is worst are the effects of occupation dissatisfaction which evidently affect both the employees and the organisation. It may ensue in loss of motive, deficiency of involvement, defeat, hapless productiveness, absenteeism and even high turnover rates. To sum up, we can state that occupation satisfaction describes how content an single with his or her occupation and besides implies making a occupation one enjoys, making it good, and being appropriately rewarded for one ‘s attempts. Job satisfaction farther implies enthusiasm and felicity with one ‘s work.2.2 Factors impacting occupation satisfactionJob satisfaction depends on several different factors such as satisfaction with wage, publicity chances, periphery benefits, occupation security, relationship with colleagues and supervisors and communicating within the administration. ( Nguyen, Taylor, & A ; Bradley, 2003 ) . Job satisfaction may take to be decrease by cut downing absences, undertaking mistakes, struggles at work and turnover. As work is an of import facet of people ‘s lives and most people spend a big portion of their working lives at work, understanding the factors involved in occupation satisfaction is important to bettering employees ‘ public presentation and productiveness.2.2.1 AgeAge is one of the factors impacting occupation satisfaction. Assorted surveies carried out in this field have shown that occupation satisfaction tends to increase with age. That is older employees tend to describe higher satisfaction and younger employees report the lowest occupation satisfaction rates ( Warr, 1992 ) . However, the survey carried out by Oshagbemi ( 2003 ) in United Kingdom ( UK ) , found that the relationship between occupation satisfaction and age was undistinguished for employees of the UK universities.2.2.2 GenderSeveral research workers have examined the relationship between occupation satisfaction and gender ( Mason, 1995 ) . However, most surveies have shown contractions in the relationship between occupation satisfaction and gender of the employees. On one manus, some surveies have found adult females to be more satisfied than work forces ( Ward and Sloane, 1998 ) , whereas other surveies have found work forces to be more satisfied than adult females ( Forgionne and Peters, 1982 ) .2.2.3 Working environmentIt is indispensable to supply employees with a work environment which is contributing to their overall development. They need an environment which is healthy and safe and which caters for both personal comfort and facilitates making a good occupation. As mentioned earlier, people spend a high per centum of their life-time at work. So we can state that employees expect more than money for the work they do. Hence, it can be said that holding a friendly and supportive environment can take to increased occupation satisfaction. Syptak, Marshland and Ulmer ( 1999 ) advise administrations to make everything they can to maintain the company ‘s equipment and installations up to day of the month. In their article, they besides recommend administrations to â€Å" avoid overcrowding and let each employee his or her ain personal infinite, whether it is a desk, a cabinet or even merely a drawer † ( p. 1 ) .2.2.4 Fair policies and patternsâ€Å" Persons who perceive that publicity determinations are made in a just and merely mode are likely to see satisfaction from their occupations † ( Witt and Nye, 1992 ) . Very frequently employees are demotivated and dissatisfied with their occupations because unjust policies and patterns prevail at their topographic point of work. It is hence of extreme importance for organisation to hold a just and equal system in footings of patterns and policies so that there is no favoritism and defeat. It is a fact that organisation which follows the right processs to advance employees creates a civilization of trust, trueness and beliefs in the whole organisation. When an employee gets just publicity, which is by and large based on his true appraisal, he gets a type of acknowledgment, and therefore, increases his occupation satisfaction. In other words, we can state that publicity provides chances for personal growing, more duties, and in creased societal position.2.2.5 Caring organisationTaylor ( 2000 ) suggested that occupation satisfaction is straight related to a company ‘s investing in its employees ‘ well- being. Arthur ( 2001 ) pointed out that employees want to believe their company truly cares about them. Care can be shown in assorted ways, but by and large it takes into consideration calling development, grownup intervention, being taken earnestly and being appreciated for a occupation good done. ( p. 221 ) . When people feel that the organisation for which they are working attentions for them and takes actions in order to better their work and lives, they are happy and this creates higher satisfaction. These employees moreover become loyal and committed.Advantages of occupation satisfaction to the administrationThe Frederick Herzberg ‘s theory and occupation satisfaction To better understand what keeps occupation satisfaction high, it is of import to remember Frederick Herzberg ‘s theory. The latter put frontward that satisfaction on the occupation depends on two elements: hygiene issues and incentives. Hygiene issues ( dissatisfiers ) Incentives ( satisfiers ) Organizational policies Work itself Kind of supervising Achievement Salary Recognition Interpersonal dealingss Duty Working conditions Growth chances Job security Harmonizing to the Herzberg ‘s theory, â€Å" Hygiene issues can non actuate employees but they can assist to minimise dissatisfaction, if handled decently † ( p. 1 ) . These issues are straight related to the employee ‘s working environment. On the other manus, incentives create satisfaction by carry throughing person ‘s demands for significance and personal growing ( Syptak, Marshland and Ulmer, 1999 ) . The above theory can be really helpful in steering organisations on how to keep employee satisfaction.Job satisfaction and productivenessSurveies have shown that, merely a few organisations believe that occupation satisfaction is a important component in their overall scheme and really small is being done to advance it. This can be due to the fact that many administrations fail to understand the nexus between occupation satisfaction and productiveness. Should we non care about occupation satisfaction? Is it true to state that happy workers are productive 1s ? In fact, in the right conditions and scenes, occupation satisfaction can to a great degree lead to higher productiveness. If employees feel that their occupations are fun and interesting, they will be more willing to give excess attempt at work for the benefit of the whole organisation. Alternatively if employees have the feeling that their businesss are nonmeaningful and deadening, they will hold a negative attitude which will decidedly take to a diminution in productiveness.Job satisfaction helps to make a better working environmentWhen employees are basking a higher grade of occupation satisfaction they tend to be more helpful and friendly with their co-workers at work. This helps to advance teamwork where sharing of information and cognition is enhanced. Furthermore surveies have shown that occupation satisfaction among employees may take to a better and safer working environment with lesser negative struggles which otherwise would hinder the smooth running of the organisation .Job satisfaction and absenteeism and turnoverHigh rate of turnover has ever been a great job to many organisations. It evidently consequences in loss of potencies and endowments and causes immense losingss in footings of extra costs. Harmonizing to Sattler and Mullen, by and large, the more productive people are, the more satisfied they tend to be and when employees feel satisfied they are less likely to go forth the organisation. ( 2007 ) . From this, we can state that in order to retain gifted people in the administrations, directors need to invent schemes in order to convey about occupation satisfaction. Once employees are happy and satisfied at work, the rate of absenteeism and turnover will be lower.Accomplishment and dutyHarmonizing to Herzberg theory, accomplishment and duty are two of import motivational factors which can be used to make occupation satisfaction at work. Noe ( 2005 ) suggests that larning can be facilitated by supplying employees with specific disputing ends and aims † ( p.111 ) . In this context, directors need to put clear and accomplishable ends to their employees. This will assist to supply employees with a sense of accomplishment on completion of undertakings and may convey approximately more satisfaction. Furthermore administrations need to authorise and promote their employees to take more duty. Such schemes do assist to convey more satisfaction in employees and do them more loyal, committed and will hold ownership involvements in their occupations.Employee satisfaction can take to client satisfactionNumerous surveies have been carried out to look at the nexus between client and employee satisfaction. Many of them have shown a relationship between employee satisfaction, client satisfaction and profitableness. For illustration, a survey carried out at Sears Roebuck & A ; Co. showed that â€Å" a five-point betterment in employee attitudes led to a 1.3 rise in client satisfaction which, in bend, generated a 0.5 addition in revenues. â€Å" Brooks ( 2000 ) reviewed the relationship between fiscal success and client and employee variables ( e.g. , client satisfaction, employee satisfaction, etc. ) and found that, depending on market section and industry, between 40 and 80 per centum of client satisfaction and client trueness was accounted for by the relationship between employee attitudes and customer-related variables. Similarly, Vilares and Cohelo ( 2000 ) found that sensed employee satisfaction, perceived employee trueness, and perceived employee committedness had a ample impact on sensed merchandise quality and on sensed service quality. In other words, when our staff is happy, our clients will be excessively. At the bosom of these enterprises is a strong belief that today ‘s employee satisfaction, trueness and commitment influence tomorrow ‘s client satisfaction, trueness and commitment-and, finally, the organisation ‘s net income and growing. Job satisfaction is a affair of great significance for employers. As shown above, organisations benefit a batch from satisfied employees in the undermentioned ways: aˆ? Lower staff turnover aˆ? Higher productiveness aˆ? Reduction in struggles and ailments aˆ? Punctuality ( decreased lateness ) aˆ? Better worked morale Therefore, we can state that occupation dissatisfaction affects both the administration and the employees negatively. If occupation dissatisfaction prevails, the administration is likely to be affected through hapless client service, quality production and profitableness. It is a clear and obvious that employees missing trueness and committedness will demo really small original thought and will remove themselves really frequently from work. All these put together will clearly ensue in hapless public presentation and low profitableness for the administration.Job satisfaction in the primary educational sectorIt is known to everyone that wages and acknowledgment are really scarce when it comes to the primary educational sector. Numerous surveies carried out by sociologists have confirmed this. Furthermore, as most of the instructors ‘ work is being carried out within the walls of closed schoolrooms, instructors frequently find themselves isolated from others without any support fr om equals and higher-ups. Due to such organizational construction, instructors do non have appropriate feedback from others and frequently happen it difficult to work together so as to better their work. Harmonizing to Frase, 1992, many instructors leave learning within the first three old ages of employment as a consequence of these conditions. Decision shapers hence need to happen ways to retain instructors in the profession and maintain them motivated and at the same clip promote satisfaction. Surveies have shown reasonably convincingly that instructors are motivated more by intrinsic than by extrinsic wagess. Pastor and Erlandson ( 1982 ) Carried out a study which found that instructors identify their demands and mensurate their occupation satisfaction by factors such as engagement in decision-making, usage of valued accomplishments, freedom and independency, challenge, look of creativeness, and chance for larning. In a study conducted by Brodinsky and Neill ( 1983 ) , a bulk of school decision makers ( and instructors ) cited three policies that efficaciously improved morale and motivated their staffs: shared administration, in-service instruction, and systematic and supportive rating.New Theories of Teacher MotivationFrase, 1992 identified two sets of factors that affect instructors ‘ ability to execute efficaciously and hence derive occupation satisfaction. These two factors are 1. Work context factors 2. Work content factors. Work Context Factors Work context factors are those which meet the basic demands such as aˆ? the category size aˆ? subject conditions aˆ? handiness of learning stuffs aˆ? the quality of the caput maestro ‘s supervising and his/her leading manner Harmonizing to Frase, 1992, the above context factors do non convey occupation satisfaction as such. However, during their absences or if non good handled, jobs which might impact the instruction and larning procedure might harvest. They may therefore take to occupation dissatisfaction. Work Content Factors Harmonizing to Frase, one time once more, work content factors are intrinsic facets related to the work itself. They include chances for aˆ? professional development such as farther on occupation developing taking to personal growing aˆ? Recognition of difficult work aˆ? challenging and varied undertakings aˆ? increased duty and authorization aˆ? accomplishment and authorization. Surveies carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics in the United States ( 1997 ) have clearly shown that instructors who do non experience supported in the above Fieldss are less motivated to make their best work in the schoolroom. Their informations confirm that â€Å" staff acknowledgment, parental support, teacher engagement in school determination devising and control in the schoolroom are the factors most strongly associated with teacher satisfaction † .Troubles pedagogues face in the schoolroomAs an pedagogue, it can convey much satisfaction to see pupils develop new accomplishments and competencies and accomplish success in footings of cognition. However, it may be thwarting when one is covering with unmotivated or disrespectful pupils. Very frequently, instructors must get by with boisterous behavior and force in the schools. Teachers may see emphasis in covering with big categories, heavy work loads, or old schools that are run down and lack many mod ern installations. Accountability criterions besides may increase emphasis degrees, with instructors expected to bring forth pupils who are able to exhibit satisfactory public presentation on standardized trials in nucleus topics. Many instructors are besides frustrated by the deficiency of control they have over what they are required to learn.Working ConditionssIt takes a nice work environment to learn good. Art 8 or the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation states that, we must better the on the job conditions and school environment so as to â€Å" best promote effectual acquisition and instruction, and enable instructors to concentrate on their professional undertakings. † Workload has to be just to be able to transport or tasks efficaciously and must non hold a negative impact on the wellness and safety of instructors. Besides, the governments must give equal instruction resources to all educational establishments.School climeThe values, attitudes, outlooks and behaviour more o r less shared by the members of a school community are by and large referred to as school clime. A positive school clime plays an of import function in furthering instructors ‘ public presentation, academic accomplishment of pupils and school motive. A positive school clime nurtures an ambiance of trust and common regard between each and everyone in the school. Teachers would wish to work in schools where they can experience comfy with their co-workers and the school leading. Therefore, making a healthy school environment for everyone Begins by back uping healthy relationships among the staff. Healthy relationships produce a clime conducive to honesty, unfastened communicating, and risk-taking ( Ames & A ; Miller, 1994 ) . In a true acquisition community, concerted acquisition and common regard are expected of module every bit good as pupils. Establishing a supportive school environment additions self-esteem and accomplishment ( Cantwell, 2003 ) .LeadershipTeachers are more satisfied when their caput instructors are good and theoretical account leaders. This includes actuating employees to make a good occupation and endeavoring for excellence. Effective caput instructors create constructions in which it is clear that instructors have a certain authorization. In certain schools some head instructors empower their instructors to work on certain undertakings like making a media and audio ocular room, or making other constructions for the benefit and public a ssistance of pupils every bit good as for staff members. Such sort of authorization and trust in employees yield committedness, trueness and higher public presentation at the topographic point of work. Such leaders motivate subsidiaries to make more than originally expected. They raise the consciousness of subsidiaries about the importance and value of designated results and ways of making them and, in bend, acquire subsidiaries to exceed their ain immediate opportunisms for the interest of the mission and vision of the organisation. ( Yammarino, Spangler and Bass,1993 ) .Teachers ‘ public presentationEducators ‘ occupation is one which does non bring forth touchable goods whose quality could be measured quantitatively. Their occupations consist of fixing students of 5-11 old ages old academically and assist them in their overall development. As a affair of fact, it is hard to mensurate their public presentation. A few old ages back, with superior system at the CPE degree, inspectors and school caput instructors used to measure the public presentation of their staff by analysing the public presentation of pupils in the concluding test. However, this is non an ideal manner of mensurating public presentation as there are other factors apart from the CPE base on balls rate which are linked to the instructor ‘s public presentation. Training After completion of a two twelvemonth sheepskin class at the Mauritius Institute of Education ( MIE ) , the pedagogue is posted in a given school and is assigned the duty of a category. The MIE together with the Ministry of Education offer auxiliary classs so as to upgrade the criterions of pedagogues and at the same clip maintain them abreast alterations happening in footings of methodological analysis, contents and course of study. Some of these classs are: aˆ? Certificate in Educational Management aˆ? Diploma in Educational Management aˆ? Advanced Certificate in Educational Management After the completion of these classs, pedagogues are eligible for a rise in their salary and furthermore are eligible to contend for occupations like Deputy Head Teacher and Head Teacher. It is a fact that the more positive the perceptual experiences employees have refering the utility and range of promotion the preparation Sessionss will supply to them, the higher will their occupation satisfaction. Promotional chances Promotion in the primary sector is based on senior status. It is merely after about 20 five old ages of service that a instructor will be automatically promoted to Deputy Head Teacher. From at that place, the latter will hold to wait for some five more old ages to draw a bead on to go the caput of a school. As a affair of fact, the promotional range is instead restricted and this is a existent demotivating factor to many pedagogues in the field.

Booker T. Washington - Civil Rights Activist - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1581 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/07/04 Category People Essay Level High school Topics: Booker T Washington Essay Did you like this example? Booker T. Washington: once a slave, beat down and told he could do nothing, accomplish nothing; now an example to all men, white and colored, raised above others. Why? Hard work and a desire to do good in this world. Booker T. Washington was a young African American male born into the restrained life of Southern slavery. With the Union victory in the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, Washingtons family and African Americans in the United States found hope in a new opportunity, freedom from the shackles that held them back. Washington saw this freedom as an opportunity to pursue an education. Washington persevered this idea of an education with high hopes and ultimately landed himself a spot at Hampton National Institute. At Hampton, his experiences and beliefs in industrial education contributed to his successful foundation at the Tuskegee Institute. The institute went on to become the main influence for African American education in the South. Booker T. Washington was an authoritative voice in the African American community following the Civil War. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Booker T. Washington Civil Rights Activist" essay for you Create order In his autobiography, Up from Slavery, Washington presents his personal accounts of his life, his achievements, and struggles. Washington overcame many obstacles throughout his life and became perhaps the most prominent African American leader of his time. In this autobiography, Washington argues that African Americans should attain a trade skill that enables them to find employment through meeting the economic needs of the South. By doing so, that would also lead to gaining morals, character and overall gaining more knowledge. His arguments are supported through his personal accounts as a student at Hampton Institute and as an administrator at the Tuskegee Institute. Throughout the book, Up From Slavery, Washington presents a reoccurring theme of the value of education. He emphasizes this idea throughout his autobiography, because as a slave, he had been denied the right to learn and once he was free, like nearly every one of his race, he soaked up learning like a sponge. That is not the only thing Booker focuses on. Also, in the autobiography he introduces the nobility of work. Booker firmly believed that no education was complete without learning a trade. He believed that there was tremendous value in work and that his race would never rise up without being able to work a trade in their communities that was needed by every race. Booker believed that success is measured by the obstacles we have to overcome to reach it and not what we have attained. Mr. Washington felt that a mans character was built by how many walls he had to climb over before he reached his goal. It was the process of achievement that was more important than the finished produ ct. Washington is writing to an audience that consisted of white Southerners and white Northerners, many of which had very little understanding of African American life outside of theatrical or newspaper accounts, and African American themselves. Washington manages to mock the south and its peculiar institution by employing the device of signification yet does so by using his own race as a device, almost like a double-edged sword. Another aspect of Washingtons work is the biblical quality of his writing. This is a work about movement, a journey, and an underdog rising from the ashes. Washingtons life moves through the American landscape like Moses moved through the desert to his promised land. Moses educated the Israelites and took them the religious land of the Lord. Washington is similar to Moses because he brings education to the African Americas which allows them to gain access to new jobs and land in America. Washington then writes of his unselfishness between himself and former slaves who do not harbor any bitterness toward Southern whites. It is hard for individuals to consider how hard it must have been to raise the mindset of an enslaved person once they had freedom. While the human soul craves independence, it does not automatically know how to use that liberty to the highest ends. Booker T. Washingtons approach to education of ex-slaves was extensive. He wanted to teach them everything about how to live civilized, useful lives of service and industry. Along with book learning, he taught them the simplest of skills that people today overlook like use a toothbrush, sleeping between the sheets of a bed, bathing daily, keeping their clothing clean, loving labor and avoiding indolence, learning marketable life-skills such as carpentry and brick-making, acquiring property, voting sensibly, worshiping and praying to God, and how to live moral lives. This book was practical, hard-working, selfless, always hopeful and optimistic. He was also a sought-after public speaker with an ability to sway many to his cause and bring an audience into complete accord with him. Theres so much to learn from this work and not just about it. There is so much to discover in a life like Washingtons. While reading this book it was hard not to be thankful for everything in life that is often overlooked. People today in America are born with many luxuries that are given to them. Booker T. Washington started out with the clothes on his back and a dirt floor to sleep on. Education was a piece of paradise to him; food was a luxury beyond all comparison. Whereas today, people expect those items to be given to them without hesitation. Up From Slavery is organized by topic which made it easy to understand and find specific content. Each chapter was a different topic and a new way to learn from Washingtons personal experiences. Up From Slavery begins with the story of Mr. Washington as a kid growing up a slave and his daily struggles. The first chapter gives an overall setting for what life was like for African Americans in the 1800s-1900s and how they were treated differently from the whites. The next few chapters are his story of growing up into a young man and when he realized his passion for education. Through the education it landed him in his early days at Tuskegee. The book continues focusing on the big and little moments of Booker T. Washingtons life all the way up until Europe and his last words. There is a total of 17 chapters and every single one is just as impactful as the next. There is an index that allows the reader to view key terms and information by simply looking in the back of the book which was extremely useful to find quick information and back up quotes about a main idea. One of the weaknesses found in this book was that it reads more like a how to manual than the life story about a former slave. It was almost like Washington was sharing his experience as a way to show other slaves how to get through all the deep valleys he faced. This is debatable however, considering many individuals could view that as a strength instead of a weakness. Washington closes Up From Slavery by reflecting on his legacy. The last chapter, titled Last Words, is a long celebration of his achievements and he expresses his hope for an end to the idea that the whites are more superior than the African Americans. Washington grounds his achievements within the lessons and teachings upon which Tuskegee was founded. This chapter Washington spends a majority of it quoting people who praise him and have looked up to him throughout the whole discriminatory actions against him. Wrapping up, he uses himself as proof that the race can advance. His story is definitely an unlikely one, but it shows how one can press on from the dark times of slavery to being one of the most respected and admired black leaders in all of American history. According to Washington himself; I believe that any mans life will be filled with constant, unexpected encouragements of this kind if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day of his lifethat is, tries to make each day reach as nearly as possible the high-water mark of pure, unselfish, useful living. I pity the man, black or white, who has never experienced the joy and satisfaction that come to one by reason of an effort to assist in making some one else more useful and more happy (143). Not only does Washington recognize the impact he has made on many others, but he wishes the same thing for others and feels bad for those who never get to experience the joy he has received. Up From Slavery should be viewed as a thinly disguised and subtly crafted literary masterpiece. All though this book was written in the 19th century, Washingtons views are still valid today. America can still learn from them. This book is a rollercoaster of setbacks interspersed with high points of success and optimism. Washington emphasizes the optimism and believes that people from both races living together in harmony is not only possible, but probable in spite of the negative history of slavery. One should love this book because Washington never communicates feeling sorry for himself and only his responsibility to help other African Americans succeed in a time when everything was against them. All Americans should read this book. Booker T. Washington is one of the nations greatest men, in which everyone no matter what race and ethnic background should learn from. No matter how modestly Washington tries to tell his story, the facts of his life shine with the brilliance of greatnes s.