Taking a broad approach, Beyond Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care relates issues of early childhood to the sociology of childhood, philosophy, ethics, political science and other fields and to an analysis of the world we live in today. It places these issues in a global context and draws on work from Canada, Sweden and Italy, including the world famous nurseries in Reggio Emilia. Working with postmodern ideas, this book questions the search to define and measure quality in the ...

Diversity can be a rich source of possibility and opportunity in early childhood education. Appreciating that learning and development are shaped by culture and context, history and values, the diversity of cases found in this volume provide a useful tension in considering one’s own practices, policies and beliefs.Pedagogies for Diverse Contexts draws on the knowledge and professional experiences of actors from a wide range of countries and cultures. For some, early childhood’s dom...

This book, the first of its kind, presents a balanced collection of articles written by African and non-African authors ranging from field practitioners to academicians and from members of government organizations to those of nongovernmental and local organizations.Africa's Future, Africa's Challenge compiles the latest data and viewpoints on the state of Sub-Saharan Africa's children. Topics covered include the rationale for investing in young children, policy trends in early ...

Canada, like other countries, is aging. The media has reported on a "grey tsunami," a demographic change reflecting longer life expectancy and the retirement of the so-called baby boomer generation. The numbers and percentages of older adults within our population continue to increase. In 2010, 15.3 percent of Canada's population was over 65; in 2030, it will be 24.1 percent. Many commentators have risen alarm about this flood of adults potentially bankrupting our health care system. This ...

In Africa, with the expansion of coverage of primary education in recent decades, many of the remaining out-of-school children are in hard to reach areas, with low population density and poor transport. Providing access to education is challenging in such contexts, as the population in any village is often too small to support a conventional primary school. One of the answers is the use of multigrade teaching, where one teacher works with students of two or more grades.This paper examines the...

Education is often seen as a fundamental means to improve economic prospects for individuals from low income settings. However even with increased emphasis on basic education for all many individuals fail to achieve basic skills to succeed in life. The book presents evidence that one core reason is that by the time a child is old enough to attend school there is already a wide disparity in cognitive skills and in emotional and behavioral development among children from households of different...

This volume's contributors evaluate the accomplishments, limits, and consequences of using quantitative metrics in global health. Whether analyzing maternal mortality rates, the relationships between political goals and metrics data, or the links between health outcomes and a program's fiscal support, the contributors question the ability of metrics to solve global health problems. They capture a moment when global health scholars and practitioners must evaluate the potential effectiveness...

This introductory text is perfect for students new to the specialised area of the theoretical constructs underlying health and humanitarian work.

This book reviews the research on campaigns and elections and investigates the effects of campaigning in referendums, drawing on panel survey data, media content data, focus groups, and interviews with journalists and campaign managers. The authors argue that the media coverage not only influences public perceptions of the campaign, the referendum issue and the party leaders, but that, in a close race, it also shapes the voting and the political future of the incumbent party. The first stu...

Public health social work is an interdisciplinary, epidemiologically oriented approach to improving human health and well-being. About one quarter of all social workers in the United States currently work in medical or public health settings, a number that is expected to increase significantly in coming years. This handbook, written and edited by respected leaders of the Social Work Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA), describes the rapidly expanding roles of public he...

"This book is an optimal tool for instructors and students of graduate classes in social work and related disciplines."--Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health"I applaud social work students, professors, and social workers who seek to serve and empower the immigrant community. This text is a great tool toward raising awareness of the many issues immigrants face, and helping them find solutions."--Frank Sharry, Executive Di...

This book concerns the process of transition that we all make throughout our lifetime, and the necessary skills individuals with disabilities need to function outside of school. The book illustrates that the problems of transition are not just for persons with disabilities, but for everyone. Acceptance of differences, understanding that our perceptions may not be accurate, and the ability to be honest with one another are shown to be key elements in assisting transition.