Hinduism and the State in Trinidad

Abstract

Between 1845 and 1917, a total number of 143,939 Indian immigrants were brought to Trinidad under the system of Indian indenture to fill the labour gap created by the abolition of slavery. Approximately 88% of these immigrants practised various facets of Hinduism. Upon completion of their five‐year periods of contracted labour, over 90% of the indentureds opted to make Trinidad their permanent home. From their very entrance into Trinidad society, Hindus were engaged in the practice of many aspects of their religion. However, in Trinidad, elements of religion were variously truncated, modified, diluted, intensified or excised. During the initial decades of Indian indenture, Indian cultural forms were met with either contempt or indifference. Yet, despite the arduous nature of the task, various dimensions of Indian culture have now been integrated into the Trinidad and Tobago's multicultural prism.

Whether within the context of colonialism, the immediate post independence ferment, or the post 1980s dynamic political ethos, Trinidad's ‘cultural’ diversity has consistently underscored intriguing, sometimes tumultuous dialogue between the State and various elements of the society. Predictably, the common factor and point of contention was the conflict between Hindu and non‐Hindu ideologies. This essay seeks to explore one dimension of that dialogue; namely, the engagement of the Trinidad Hindu community with the State, with specific emphasis on the issues that can be situated within the realm of culture. These include Adult Franchise, the Hindu Marriage Bill, the Divorce Bill, the Cremation Ordinance, the issuing of capitation grants, education, symbolic claims and ‘nationalizing’. Underscoring the dialogue are two, often contradictory, determinants: the attitude of the State towards Hinduism (and Indian culture on the whole), and the tension between the retention of ‘Hindu’ culture and the need to transcend the boundaries of communalist discourse into the nationalist frame. Therein resides the crux of a most intriguing interaction between two very dynamic entities.     

A Review of Innovation Systems Framework as a Tool for Gendering Agricultural Innovations: Exploring Gender Learning and System Empowerment

Abstract

Purpose:

To reflect on the opportunities that a systems understanding of innovation provides for addressing gender issues relevant to women, and to provide some insight on how these might be tackled.     

Fathers' and mothers' involvements in sibling communication

The purpose of this study was to measure fathers' and mothers' linguistic involvements with the development of communication between young siblings. In a laboratory setting, 39 two-child mother-father families were videotaped in semistructured activities. The older sibling was from 18 to 26-months-old (M=22.4 months, SD=2.5 months) and the younger sibling was from 4 to 8-weeks-old (M=5 weeks, SD =1.5 weeks). Regardless of type of vocalization, when only one parent was present, utterances encouraging sibling interactions were more often aimed at girls than at boys. As a result, such utterances occurred more when both siblings were girls than for any other gender combination. Fathers were more active in issuing such utterances, especially to girls. When both parents were present, gender differences between parents disappeared, although the effects of children's gender did not. Overall, the results suggest that fathers very actively direct sibling interactions, especially those involving girls.     

Who benefits? What benefits? Part-time postgraduate study in health and human services

Part-time postgraduate students make up a significant proportion of the student population, yet their experience remains poorly understood. In this article, a multi-phase, explanatory mixed-method study conducted within Tasmanian health and human services provides some answers. Students reported improved job performance, self-esteem and increased motivation to learn as primary outcomes. Other benefits of significance included an increased ability to manage change and increased job satisfaction. At the other end of the scale, fewer than half of all respondents agreed that part-time postgraduate study led to increased pay or remuneration, and only one-quarter of respondents believed their study led to improvements in personal relationships. There were significant associations between organisational placement and perceptions of benefit. The managers of those who were studying were less likely to perceive either increased job satisfaction or improved job performance in their subordinates. Amongst postgraduate, mature-age, part-time student respondents, their prior experience in higher education, professional background, seniority in the organisation, age and gender were also associated with differing perceptions of the benefits of higher education. These results add to the body of knowledge around the human, social and identity capital benefits associated with lifelong learning, and this study provides guidance for students, employers and universities.     

Perceptions of Women and Men Leaders Following 360‐Degree Feedback Evaluations

In this study, researchers used a customized 360‐degree method to examine the frequency with which 1,546 men and 721 women leaders perceived themselves and were perceived by colleagues as using 10 relational and 10 task‐oriented leadership behaviors, as addressed in the Management‐Leadership Practices Inventory (MLPI). As hypothesized, men and women leaders, as well as their supervisors, employees, and peers, perceived women leaders to employ nine of the 10 relational leadership behaviors significantly more frequently than men leaders. Additionally, the employees' perceptions of their women leaders' use of task‐oriented behaviors were significantly higher when compared to similar assessments from the employees of men leaders. However, the leaders as well as their supervisors and peers perceived men and women leaders' use of task‐oriented behaviors as approximately equal. Broader implications of these findings are discussed.     

Designing and assessing day care environments in hospital settings

Conclusion This article has examined: a. the increased need for child care; b. some special problems posed when this need is met within the hospital setting; and c. techniques and strategies for designing effectively functioning day care environments. Transforming the hospital environment into a child-centered day care program involves numerous and often difficult tasks. The benefits, however, of meeting employee and community needs and of aiding optimal development in young children unquestionably override the obstacles involved. We enthusiastically anticipate growth in this area of day care.Victoria Jean Dimidjian is Assistant Professor and Director of Early Childhood Education at Carlow College in Pittsburgh, PA. Mary Ann Hvidos, who was the consultant to the project and the designer of the center, is now Director of the Child Development Center at the Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. Special thanks to Micaela Young and Edward F. Verner at Mercy Hospital for their technical assistance.     

‘Am I Like a Scientist?’: Primary children's images of doing science in school

A considerable body of evidence highlights how inquiry-based science can enhance students' epistemic and conceptual understanding of scientific concepts, principles, and theories. However, little is known about how students view themselves as learners of science. In this paper, we explore primary children's images of doing science in school and how they compare themselves with ‘real’ scientists. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire, drawing activity, and interviews from 161 Grade 4 (ages 9–10) students in Singapore. Results indicate that ‘doing science as conducting hands-on investigations’, ‘doing science as learning from the teacher’, ‘doing science as completing the workbook’, and ‘doing science as a social process’ are the images of learning science in school that most of the students held. In addition, students reported that they need to be well behaved first and foremost, while scientists are more likely to work alone and do things that are dangerous. Moreover, students often viewed themselves as ‘acting like a scientist’ in class, especially when they were doing experiments. Nevertheless, some students reported that they were unlike a scientist because they believed that scientists work alone with dangerous experiments and do not need to listen to the teacher and complete the workbook. These research findings further confirm the earlier argument that young children can make distinctions between school science and ‘real’ science. This study suggests that the teaching of science as inquiry and by inquiry will shape how students view their classroom experiences and their attitudes towards science.