Underprivileged Children Research Articles

Anthill creations – scaling and sustaining a new social enterprise

Subject area Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Social Sector. Study level/applicability The case can be used in undergraduate, graduate and executive education courses in entrepreneurship and strategic management. It is a perfect fit for executive sessions at incubation centers for not-for-profit (NPO) start-up social enterprises. The case is aimed at early-phase social entrepreneurs and those interested in the field. Case overview Anthill Creations (hereafter referred to as Anthill) is a NPO organization engaged in building low-cost sustainable playscapes for underprivileged children. Their mission is to “Bring Back play” in the lives of millions of children of marginalized communities by building sustainable playscapes. It is an effort that contributes toward the objectives of clause 1.2 (Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, 2020), on “Early Childhood Care and Education” (ECCE) in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India as released on July 30, 2020. The ECCE clause emphasizes the importance of “learning through play”; and recognizes it to be central to quality early childhood pedagogy and education. Anthill has been working on the same philosophy since its inception in 2016. They have successfully built 300 playscapes across 18 states of the country and impacted the lives of more than 200,000 children. The playscapes are built using upcycled waste material, such as scrap tires, waste cable and oil drums; further, they use local resources and contextual designs and built them by mobilizing community participation. The playscape play elements provide for unstructured free play for children and encourage them to use their imagination to invent new games. Pooja Rai – the founder and CEO of Anthill Creations, an architect by discipline started the NPO immediately after her graduation. It was her “calling” in life that pushed her to quit a corporate job in the early stages of her career and instead pursue a career in the social sector. The case details her methodical approach in pursuing her intuitive response to a social need, the way she adopts a lean start-up framework to set-up Anthill, her frustrations, personal resilience and ability to balance different stakeholder interests as she treads the difficult journey of building the awareness of inculcating play as a pedagogy in the early years of childhood development. The case provides data on the large proportion of the marginalized population in India and the abysmal conditions of the Indian Government schools. The objectives of clause 1.2 on ECCE in NEP 2020 show the Indian Government’s good intent. And yet with the prevailing conditions, the policy’s ambitious target of universalization of ECCE by 2030 (Chanda, 2020), seems a mammoth task, even for the Indian Government. On the other hand, Anthill as a small NPO of young dedicated individuals is invested and experimental in their approach; they have a tested model but financial dependency limits their activities. The ECCE clause is a sign of new hope for NPOs such as Anthill who want to reach out to millions of Indian children from marginalized communities. What could be a compatible, perhaps complementary or even skillful pathway to integrate Anthill’s tested model of building sustainable playscapes with the Indian Government’s good intentions of universalization of ECCE by 2030? How could Anthill “scale” for a systemic “impact”? Should not the NPOs, early childhood development researchers, funders and government authorities study collaboratively instead of the present siloed approach so as to bring about a systemic change in the thinking lenses about “play” to be an integral part of early childhood development? Rai ponders on the above questions. Expected learning outcomes To explain the importance of one’s purpose (calling) in life and how the authors can identify with it. To explain how an intuitive response to social need can be complemented with a methodical approach to social entrepreneurship. To discuss the importance of business model canvas from the social sector lens. To explain the important elements in sustaining small start-up social organizations. To discuss and evaluate the options an early-stage social enterprise can engage into “scale” for “impact.” Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Access versus integration: the benevolent undermining of an Indian desegregation policy

ABSTRACT Efforts to desegregate schools have consistently been undermined by privileged parents finding ways to avoid undesirable schools. In some contexts, a more complex picture is emerging, where ‘progressive’ privileged parents choose ‘diverse’ schools but still reproduce segregation. We demonstrate how the desegregation aims of an Indian education policy are similarly undermined by seemingly well-intentioned privileged actors. India’s Right to Education Act of 2009 requires private schools to educate disadvantaged children for free. The architects of this policy imagined that it would not only provide access to quality education for disadvantaged children, but also desegregate schools. Beneficiaries of the policy share the policymakers’ vision of desegregation. However, various elite and middle-class actors prioritise access over integration, and assert that segregated classrooms may be in the best interests of underprivileged children. This highlights how desegregation policies can fail not just as a result of direct opposition but also through discourses of benevolence.

Impact of Disaster on Underprivileged Children in Covid-19 Pandemic: Policy Response for Emergency Education

It is necessary to recognize and address the differential impact of disasters on society. It is quite possible that a significant number of children to become victims of the COVID-19 caused social disaster. As a result, there would be an increase in the number of school dropouts and child labor, which indicates a substantial number of children will be deprived of their right to education. Any alternative response during school closure, like internet-based remote teaching learning, might not compensate the loss of learning as nearly half of the world is without access to the internet. "Emergency situations" are considered any situation either man-made or natural disasters suddenly disrupt the normal course of life, empathy and educational opportunities of children. The present study intended to find out the nature of social disaster caused by COVID-19 and how it impacted the learning loss and socio-emotional immunity of the under privileged school going children. A narrative review technique was used for this research study to explore the policy advocacies adopted in emergency basis in mitigating the impacts of the ongoing pandemic on such underprivileged children. The data were derived from published articles and reports available in national and international data repositories. The findings reveal that the closure of schools raise the vulnerability of underprivileged children as they are being deprived of their right to education and socio-emotional security. Present pandemic has led adverse situation, therefore disrupted delay or deny the right to education. It is time to rethink to adopt a new policy and mechanism to continue their education and to provide socio-emotional immunity in the time of emergency to address the gravity of crisis.

EFFECT OF MULTI-MEDIA APPROACHON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED COMPETENCIES IN MATHEMATICS AMONG SLUM STUDENTS

Since Independence, UEE has been solitary imperative goal of educational progress in India. To achieve UEE, Government of India has initiated numerous programmes but it is sad that dropout rate is not declined. A foremost percentage of the dropouts comprises of socially underprivileged children. Most of the children have to effort very hard to earn their livelihood, and reside in slums. Recent approaches in the education technology like applications of multimedia by computer technology prove to cater to the various requirements of students in the educational system. Multimedia is a sole medium with structures of quality, audio-visual recording, and sound effects. Using Multimedia Approach, in teaching-learning process, is a perceptual knowledge, and as outcome students acquires the concepts and skills effectively. The present study was carried out with the objective to study the effect of the multi-media approach in relation to traditional approach in fostering selected Mathematics Competencies among Slum Students. The sample of the study was 40 slum students of standard six. The pre-posttest experimental design was followed for the present research study. The treatment for the Experimental group was given by the investigator for 40 sessions specically to foster Mathematics Competencies using a specially designed instructional material. Analysis of the results revealed, that Multi-Media Approach was signicantly more effective than of the traditional approach in fostering selected Mathematics Competencies among Slum students. Educational implications of the study were discussed in the study

Home literacy practices that support language and literacy development in bilingual children: a longitudinal case study

ABSTRACT In the past few decades, literature has consistently suggested that bilingual children are at risk for academic failure due to their limited language skills. However, many of these studies included underprivileged bilingual children, and few of them attempted to disentangle the effects of bilingualism from the effects of socio-economic status. Critically, it is not clear how the language and literacy skills of bilingual children develop when they benefit from home support. This paper presents the case study of a child who emigrated from Romania to the United States at the age of 4.8 and enrolled in preschool with no prior knowledge of English. With support from his family, by the end of the 4th grade, his English vocabulary was 2.5 standard deviations above national norms (11th grade level equivalent), and all other standardized language and reading comprehension measures placed him between the 82nd and the 99th percentile. This study suggests that the socio-economic status (in general) and the home language and literacy environment (in particular) has the potential to play an important role in the language and literacy development of bilingual children.

New discovery of ‘inspiration’ from the old treasure chest: An initial report on the Lexington Early Childhood Music Project

The Lexington Early Childhood Music Project aimed to improve the quality of musical experiences of young children living in Lexington, Kentucky, a mid-size US city. Classroom teachers collaborated with teaching artists, music therapists and music teachers on the development of a music programme that served thirty 3- and 4-year-old underprivileged children and their parents at the Family Care Center. The pedagogical approach of the project included: (1) helping children relate to an unfamiliar culture through music made familiar; (2) creating mediational tools for traditional songs and movements; (3) teaching children how to play musical instruments; and (4) attending participatory concerts. Collaborative efforts of the participants were found to enhance young children’s musical experiences. Shared inspiration played a critical role as the teachers and children voluntarily and creatively enriched their musical cultures.

Why and How Stories Matter in Treating Children with T1DM—Best Practice from CDiC

AbstractType 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a lifelong disorder that mostly happens any time during childhood. It needs constant care and attention. Self-management becomes very essential as there are multiple factors that influence management of blood glucose levels and good outcomes. Diabetes education1 is essential for this and it involves the process of providing the person with the knowledge and skills needed to perform diabetes self-care, manage crises, and to make lifestyle changes to successfully manage their life. It begins with teaching of survival skills and continues with higher learning to fit diabetes into lives of people with diabetes rather than changing the lives to manage diabetes. Although parents are responsible for this initially, children must be part of this learning and journey as they are the one who must deal with diabetes in their life.Although knowledge transfer from scientific (truth and fact based) and narrative story (experience and meaning based) is fundamentally different but narrative or stories are better absorbed and retained. Storytelling and experience sharing are rapidly developing fields in medical education, but its potential has yet to be realized in medical education. The Changing Diabetes in Children program focused at reaching out to the economically underprivileged children with T1DM has implemented the use of stories to help the T1DM child learn to take insulin injections and understand the basic do’s and don’t’s for proper diabetes management and motivate them to become self-reliant and independent adults in long run.

소외계층 청소년의 자아존중감 향상을 위한 코딩 융·복합 프로그램 제안 -새터민 청소년을 대상으로-

소외계층 청소년의 자아존중감 향상을 위한 코딩 융·복합 프로그램 제안 -새터민 청소년을 대상으로-

MANAGING PERSONAL FINANCE WIRED FOR WORK SOFT SKILL TRAINING BEKERJA SAMA DENGAN LSM “BULIR PADI FOUNDATION” DAN SMK PERTIWI

The Bulir Padi Foundation, a non-profit organization that has been established since 2002, is committed to contributing to the education of underprivileged children in the suburbs of Jakarta by turning them into foster children. And in 2020, one of the work programs is to produce mentored children who have work skills so that the hope is that they are better prepared to enter the workforce at the entry level so that they can answer industry needs through providing job readiness training. To support the economic development of young people and the absorption of youth labor, The Wired For Work Soft Skill Training (W4W) program is a non-formal training program for Bulir Padi Foundation children to produce children who have work skills so that they are expected to be better prepared to enter the world of work at the entry level so that they can answer industry needs by providing readiness training. work. In this W4W Program, Bulir Padi Foundation will collaborate with Atma Jaya University and Pertiwi Vocational High School as a form of synergy between non-governmental organizations and the academic community in solving social problems, especially in the field of education. Pertiwi SMK students will be facilitated to receive soft skills training for their readiness to enter the world of work. The material covered in the Wired For Work Soft Skill Training (W4W) training activity this time includes Self management to improve work ethics, Implementing basic communications skills, Implementing the right equality of female and male workers in the workplace, Implementing the quality of grooming and professional manner, Preparing Job Application and interview test and Manage Personal Finances.

Model Residential School Education to Scheduled Caste Pupils in Kerala

There are about forty lakh scheduled caste people in Kerala. Most of them are poor and daily wage workers. The socio-economic backwardness of scheduled caste people is a historically determined outcome of a caste system in India. Education is the only way for them to get out of this historical whirlwind of economic deprivation, denial of rights and social exclusion. The Government of India passed The Right to Education Act in 2010 and it ensures “free and compulsory education” for all children aged 6 to 14. The government of Kerala has introduced many innovative programs to provide education for scheduled caste pupils in the state. “Model Residential School” owned and managed by the Scheduled Caste Development Department of The Government of Kerala, is one of such successful initiatives. Model Residential Schools take special care to cater to the educational needs of the underprivileged children and help them to attain quality education. In this article, the investigators explore the role played by the model residential schools in the educational development of scheduled caste pupils in Kerala and particularly in solving the burning issue of a high rate of dropouts among scheduled caste pupils.

Stunting as a Synonym of Social Disadvantage and Poor Parental Education

Socially, economically, politically and emotionally (SEPE) disadvantaged children are shorter than children from affluent background. In view of previous work on the lack of association between nutrition and child growth, we performed a study in urban schoolchildren. We measured 723 children (5.83 to 13.83 years); Kupang, Indonesia; three schools with different social background. We investigated anthropometric data, clinical signs of malnutrition, physical fitness, parental education, and household equipment. Subjective self-confidence was assessed by the MacArthur test. The prevalence of stunting was between 8.5% and 46.8%. Clinical signs of under- or malnutrition were absent even in the most underprivileged children. There was no delay in tooth eruption. Underprivileged children are physically fitter than the wealthy. The correlation between height and state of nutrition (BMI_SDS, skinfold_SDS, MUAC_SDS) ranged between r = 0.69 (p < 0.01) and r = 0.43 (p < 0.01) in private school children, and between r = 0.07 (ns) and r = 0.32 (p < 0.01) in the underprivileged children. Maternal education interacted with height in affluent (r = 0.20, p < 0.01) and in underprivileged children (r = 0.20, p < 0.01). The shortness of SEPE disadvantaged children was not associated with anthropometric and clinical signs of malnutrition, nor with delay in physical development. Stunting is a complex phenomenon and may be considered a synonym of social disadvantage and poor parental education.

Nutritional Status of Under-five Children among Urban Slum Dwellers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Background Childhood malnutrition is a leading public health issues in Bangladesh. Present study focusedon current nutritional status among underprivileged children (0 to 59 months), living in selected slum areasof Dhaka city.Methods Data were collected from 138 under-five children and their mothers in a cross-sectional study usingsimple random sampling from two slums (Mirbag and Modhubag) of Dhaka city. A structured questionnairewas administered to collect demographic, anthropometric (involving stunting, wasting and underweight)and other information related to nutritional status.Results Anthropometric data revealed, the prevalence of both stunting and underweight was more in femalechild, 29% and 41% respectively, whereas the prevalence of wasting was more than 50% in both male andfemale. Qualitative analysis of mother’s food intake revealed that, major portion of diet came from plantsource whereas animal sources contributed trivial portion. Tendency to skip meal also reflected poor foodintake both in quality and quantity.Conclusion Findings of this study revealed, nutritional status of under-five children is associated withmultiple factors contributes to childhood undernutrition and attempts should be taken to improve thenutritional status of this disadvantageous cohort, living in impoverished areas of an affluent city of Dhaka.

Gaya Komunikasi Kepala Madrasah Terhadap Peningkatan Kinerja Guru Di MTs Al Huda Pangkalan Susu Kabupaten Langkat

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This study was conducted to determine how the principal's communication style towards improving teacher performance. Mts Al Huda is one of the educational institutions in Langkat district, which is located at Jl. Kurnia village of Sei Siur Kec. Pangkalan Susu Kab. Leave. Based on the grand tour that the researchers conducted, Mts Al Huda was dominated by underprivileged fishermen's children and Mts Al Huda did not charge education, meaning thats education was held free of charge and had a growing number of students from year to year. The research methodology used is a qualitative approach using descriptive methods. This approach is used to study the problem and get a deep meaning about the Communication Style of the Head of Madrasah towards increasing Teacher Performance in Mts Al Huda Kec. Pangkalan Susu Kab. Leave. The results of the study (1) The communication process that occurred in Madrasah Tsanawiyah Al Huda Kec. Pangkalan Susu Kab. Langkat is already running well, Madrasah principals use formal and informal communication. Where formal communication is used by the head of the Madrasah in meetings in the form of two-way communication by expecting opinions and suggestions from the forum in making decisions. (2) The efforts of the head of Madrasah in improving teacher performance at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Al Huda Kec. Pangkalan Susu is by paying attention to the environment, providing motivation so that it makes teachers feel comfortable in carrying out their duties, while maintaining discipline so that good performance from teachers can be realized. (3) communication of the head of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Al Huda Kec. Pangkalan Susu Kab. Tool in improving teacher performance using The Equalitarian Style and The Relinguishing Style. These two styles are interconnected, where the Equalitarian Style has a common ground, meaning that this communication is two-way, everyone is free to express their opinions or suggestions.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Telerehabilitation: An Alternative Service Delivery Model for Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Services at a Tertiary Care Center in India

Background: Neurorehabilitation is facing a unique challenge as COVID-19 circumstances magnify the access and resource barrier in healthcare provision; and are causing disruption in the continuity of care of children with disability. An affirmative action is required as a ‘Disability-inclusive response to the COVID-19 crisis.’ This study thus aimed to determine if Telerehabilitation (TR) model of service delivery is a feasible and effective alternative for pediatric neurophysiotherapy. Methodology: This is a clinical trial conducted on children diagnosed with developmental delay or neurological condition and referred for Physiotherapy at a tertiary care center. Clinical consultation was provided remotely with the use of real time interactive technology. Outcome indicators used were: 1)Timely receipt of physiotherapy services; 2) Child’s clinical outcomes; and 3) Familiy’s acceptability and satisfaction with the provision of TR. Results: With regards to feasibility, the most common issues faced during TR sessions were technical; lack of time with mother; child’s medical illness, etc. Children’s clinical outcomes showed improvement reported as ‘acquisition of developmental skills’ and ‘the use of appropriate functional behaviors to meet their needs’. Families showed satisfaction with TR services however, expressed the need for in-person sessions. Conclusion: In the current scenario, TR may enhance the capacity of families to meet the needs of their child with a disability by connecting them with health care providers, resources and supports; thus ensuring continuity of care. While guidelines to tackle this unprecedented situation continue to develop, TR demonstrates the potential as an alternative rehabilitation strategy thereby ameliorating the impact of social distancing on underprivileged children. However, some psychosocial factors act as barriers to feasibility of TR in pediatric population.

Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence among Inmates of Orphanages: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence are the two psychological faculties that are closely related, both neurobiologically and conceptually and has significant influence in life outcome. Children living in orphanages are a group of unprivileged children with insufficient opportunities for both physical and psychological developments. Aim: To find out the intelligence, emotional intelligence and relationship between them among inmates of orphanages. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study which included 100 children living in orphanages. Personal data sheet developed by the investigator, Binet Kamat test of intelligence and Mangal Emotional Intelligence Inventory were the tools used for the study. Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank-order correlation was the statistical tests used. Results: The study subjects consisted of 58 girls and 42 boys. The mean score of intelligence in girls was 100.40 and the mean score of intelligence in boys was 99.12. The mean score emotional intelligence in girls was 61.45 and the mean score in boys was 59.95. No significant difference was found between girls and boys in intelligence and emotional intelligence. A positive correlation was found between intelligence and all the sub-scores and total score of emotional intelligence. Conclusion: Both nature and nurture are important in the development of psychological faculties like intelligence and emotional intelligence. There should be policies and programmes that focus on enhancing the intelligence and emotional intelligence of the underprivileged children living in child care institutions which in turn can decrease the deviant behaviours and increase the positive life outcomes.

Vision for the Future Project: Screening impact on the prevention and treatment of visual impairments in public school children in São Paulo City, Brazil

OBJECTIVES:Uncorrected refractive errors are the leading cause of visual impairment in children. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, we analyzed a social visual screening program for school children in São Paulo, Brazil, evaluated its impact on the prevention and treatment of children’s visual disabilities, and assessed its epidemiological outcomes to outline suggestions for its improvement.METHODS:First-grade children from public schools were submitted to prior visual screening by their teachers. Selected children were forwarded to the hospital’s campaigns for a second screening by ophthalmologists and treatment if needed. Data were analyzed for age, sex, visual acuity, biomicroscopy, refractive errors, ocular movement disorders, amblyopia, number of donated spectacles, and number of children forwarded to specialized care.RESULTS:A total of 1080 children were included with mean age of 6.24±0.45 years. Children with normal ophthalmological exam, 591 (54.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 51.7%-57.7%) were dismissed and considered false-positives. Myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism components were found in 164 (15.2%; CI: 13.1%-17.4%), 190 (17.6%; CI: 15.3%-20.0%), and 330 (30.5%; CI: 27.8%-33.4%) children, respectively. Amblyopia was diagnosed in 54 (5%; CI: 3.5%-6.4%) children, and 117 (10.8%; CI: 9.8%-12.8%) presented ocular movement disorders. A total of 420 glasses were donated.CONCLUSION:Epidemiological findings for amblyopia and refractive errors are consistent with those of similar studies. The expressive number of diagnoses performed and number of glasses donated to underprivileged children depict the importance of such projects. New guidelines to improve their cost-effectiveness, such as professional training and community sensitization, are imperative.

The Positive Impact and Associated Mechanisms of Physical Activity on Mental Health in Underprivileged Children and Adolescents: An Integrative Review.

(1) Background: Review-based studies are required to consider the different designs and data that describe the association between physical activity and mental health for underprivileged children and adolescents. There is a particular need to identify mechanisms which could explain the association, and factors which influence the association in this population group. (2) Methods: An integrative review with a systematic search was conducted in three stages: (i) a systematic literature search on four databases from inception until May 2020. Studies were eligible if they examined underprivileged children, involved moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and had a focus on at least one outcome measure related to mental health. (ii) Two critical appraisal tools were used to assess quality across different study designs. (iii) Synthesis was undertaken in four stages, examining social, internal and physical outcomes and mechanisms. (3) Results: A total of 16 studies were included (2 qualitative; 12 quantitative and 2 mixed methods). Fifteen (15/16; 93.8%) showed an association between MVPA and a significant improvement in at least one mental health outcome. The most studied outcomes included: internal aspects (n = 14), significant effects were identified in 12/14 studies; social aspects (n = 6), significant effects were identified across all studies and finally physical aspects (n = 5), significant effects were found in 3/5 studies. Autonomy support was identified as a mechanism to explain the change, whilst age and gender influenced the strength of the association. (4) Conclusions: The findings provide confirmation of the link between MVPA and the improved mental health and wellbeing of disadvantaged children and adolescents. Future research must consider the long-term effect through longitudinal studies, along with determining whether any specific types of PA are more impactful than others.

DXA and pQCT derived parameters in Indian children with beta thalassemia major - A case controlled study.

Children with beta thalassemia major (BTM) are known to have reduced bone mass which increases incidence of non-traumatic fractures. Few studies have assessed prevalence of fractures and bone health in underprivileged children with BTM. Our objectives were to 1) determine prevalence of fractures in underprivileged Indian children with BTM, 2) assess size corrected bone density and bone geometry using Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) in these children and healthy controls 3) determine predictors of fractures in children with BTM 4) compare differences in bone density between children with BMT with and without fractures. Bone mineral content and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) of lumbar spine and whole body and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) was performed by DXA in 334 children (3-18years, 167 BTM+167 controls). Volumetric BMD (vBMD) and bone geometry were assessed by pQCT (subset, 70 BTM, 70 healthy) at distal radius. Children with BTM had higher prevalence of vertebral and long bone fractures (p<0.05). DXA aBMD was lower in children with BTM (p<0.05), whereas, lumbar spine bone mineral apparent density (LSBMAD) was higher (p>0.05). Children with BTM had lower total distal radial vBMD, cortical vBMD and strength strain index (SSI) at 66% site whereas, distal radial trabecular vBMD at 4% was higher (p<0.05). On height adjustment, children with BTM had lower muscle area and cortical thickness and higher marrow area (p<0.05) at 66% site. Age, body size, total body less head (TBLH) aBMD and strength strain index (SSI) were important predictors of fractures in children with BTM. Thus, children with BTM had higher prevalence of non-traumatic fractures. Despite lower areal and volumetric densities, they had higher LSBMAD and trabecular densities which may be attributed to erythroid hyperplasia and iron deposition due to inadequate transfusion and chelation. As LSBMAD is raised in these children, it is unlikely to identify BTM subjects at risk of fracture; VFA thus maybe useful in identifying asymptomatic vertebral fractures.

Perilaku Pemilih Etnik Aceh Dalam Pemilihan Kepala Daerah 2017 Kabupaten Aceh Barat Daya

This paper aims to find out about the behavior of Acehnese ethnic voters in determining regional head candidates in accordance with the expectations of voters and the form of strategies used by regional head candidates in gaining sympathy from the people of Southwest Aceh. This research uses ethnographic methods. Research techniques with in-depth interviews and participatory observation of campaign teams, leaders and the community in the implementation of the 2017 elections. From the results of the study, the community chose regional head candidates based on vision and mission related to social welfare such as, empowering farming communities by cutting seed and fertilizer prices, or scholarships for underprivileged children. In getting the voices of the people of Southwest Aceh, prospective regional heads have strategies using cultural symbols such as traditional clothing, meukotop skullcaps, rencong, agamai and post bases. Then the candidates also make use of community groups such as the Koran and youth communities. With a strategy approach to cultural symbols and community groups, the candidates hope to gain the voice of the community and be able to provide knowledge to the younger generation about awareness of the cultural values of Aceh in the Southwest Aceh District.

Low-income parents\u2019 perceptions of the importance of a musical training programme for their children: a qualitative study

BackgroundDespite clear evidence for the effectiveness of musical training in promoting psychological well-being among underprivileged children, parents’ perceptions of the importance of such training for their children remains unknown.MethodsOf the parents of 171 underprivileged preschool children in Hong Kong who had participated in a free musical training programme, 25 were randomly selected and invited to participate in individual semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological data analysis strategy was followed for analysing the data.ResultsThe results showed that parents identified numerous benefits of the programme for their child, including increased happiness, improved confidence, positive behavioural changes, and enhanced parent-child relationships. At the beginning of the programme, parents tended to disregard the usefulness of musical training but gradually came to recognise its importance for their children’s psychological and social well-being. However, children were limited by their parents’ financial constraints from participating in musical training after the free programme ended.ConclusionsThese findings imply that existing policy may overlook the psychosocial needs of underprivileged children and suggest that more resources should be allocated to facilitate the continuity and sustainability of such a free programme for this vulnerable population.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02762786, registered on May 5, 2016.