The first students to study alternative medicine at university level in Australia began their four-year, full-time course at the University of Technology, Sydney, in early 1994. Their course covered, among other therapies, acupuncture. The theory they learnt is based on the traditional Chinese explanation of this ancient healing art: that it can regulate the flow of ‘Qi’ or energy through pathways in the body.
Australia has been unusual in the Western world in having a very conservative attitude to natural or alternative therapies, according to Dr Paul Laver, a lecturer in Public Health at the University of Sydney. "We've had a tradition of doctors being fairly powerful and I guess they are pretty loath to allow any pretenders to their position to come into it.’ In many other industrialized countries, orthodox and alternative medicines have worked ‘hand in glove’ for years. In Europe, only orthodox doctors can prescribe herbal medicine. In Germany, plant remedies account for 10% of the national turnover of pharmaceuticals. Americans made more visits to alternative therapists than to orthodox doctors in 1990, and each year they spend about $US 12 billion on the therapies that have not been scientifically tested.
Disenchantment with orthodox medicine has seen the popularity of alternative therapies in Australia climb steadily during the past 20 years. In a 1983 national health survey, 1.9% of people said they had contacted a chiropractor, naturopath, osteopath, acupuncturist or herbalist in the two weeks prior to the survey. By 1990, this figure had risen to 2.6% of the population. The 550,000 consultations with alternative therapists reported in the 1990 survey represented about an eighth of the total number of consultations with medically qualified personnel covered by the survey, according to Dr Laver and colleagues writing in the Australian Journal of Public Health in 1993. ‘A better educated and less accepting public has become disillusioned with the experts in general and increasingly skeptical about science and empirically based knowledge,’ they said. ‘The high standing of professionals, including doctors, has been eroded as a consequence.’

Bullying can take a variety of forms, from the verbal -being taunted or called hurtful names- to the physical- being kicked or shoved- as well as indirect forms, such as being excluded from social groups. A survey I conducted with Irene Whitney found that in British primary schools up to a quarter of pupils reported experience of bullying, which in about one in ten cases was persistent. There was less bullying in secondary schools, with about one in twenty-five suffering persistent bullying, but these cases may be particularly recalcitrant.
Bullying is clearly unpleasant and can make the child experiencing it feel unworthy and depressed. In extreme cases, it can even lead to suicide, though this is thankfully rare. Victimised pupils are more likely to experience difficulties with interpersonal relationships as adults, while children who persistently bully are more likely to grow up to be physically violent, and convicted of anti-social offences.
Until recently, not much was known about the topic, and little help was available to teachers to deal with bullying. Perhaps as a consequence, schools would often deny the problem. 'There is no bullying at this school' has been a common refrain, almost certainly all true. Fortunately, more schools are now saying: There is not much bullying here, but when it occurs we have a clear policy for dealing with it.
Three factors are involved in this change. First is an awareness of the severity of the problem. Second, a number of resources to help tackle bullying have become available in Britain. For example, the Scottish Council for Research in Education produced a package of materials, Action Against Bullying, circulated to all schools in England and Wales as well as in Scotland in summer 1992, with a second pack, Supporting Schools Against Bullying, produced the following year. In Ireland, Guidelines on Countering Bullying Behaviour in Post-Primary Schools was published in 1993. Third, there is evidence that these materials work, and that schools can achieve something. This comes from carefully conducted 'before and after" evaluations of interventions in schools, monitored by a research team. In Norway, after an intervention campaign was introduced nationally, an evaluation of forty-two schools suggested that, over a two-year period, bullying was halved. The Sheffield investigation, which involved sixteen primary schools and seven secondary schools, found that most schools succeeded in reducing bullying.

In our minds, we often picture the typical family as a married couple with a few kids. However, this "nuclear family" is now becoming less and less common in the United States. We're in a time of change, holding on to an old idea of family that was popular between 1950 and 1965. So, why did this traditional family structure fade, and what do families look like today?
Throughout history, families were close-knit groups that worked as a unit to support the family's livelihood, especially on farms. In 1875, most American workers were farmers, and the rest worked in small family-run businesses. In many cases, extended families, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, were a big part of life. They provided a safety net if something went wrong, a large group who could help with childcare, look after elderly and frail family members, and provide for each other in times of hardship or disability.
During the Victorian era, a period in the 1800s, extended families were more common in the US and Britain than ever before. This was a time of big changes, and people felt not just economic pressure, but also moral pressure. The extended family served as a moral compass, teaching children right from wrong and preserving traditional family values. But as cities grew, young people left home so they could chase their dreams. This led to the rise of the nuclear family. By 1960, almost 78 percent of children were raised in nuclear families and there was heavy pressure to conform to this way of living.
The evolution of family structures reflects shifts in societal values and lifestyles. From the close-knit agrarian families of the past to the emergence of nuclear families during the mid-20th century, each era brought its own set of challenges and opportunities. Today's world continues to change and with it, the kinds of family structures we can find around us.

The economic and political problems caused by ethnic inequality are not limited to conflicts in Africa or the caste system in India. In most European countries, new migrants often work in insecure or even exploitative conditions, and in low-paid jobs that the native-born population may deem too lowly to perform – not a million years away from those Indian high castes who refuse to clean toilets.
Such ethnic inequalities will not simply go away by themselves, though it appears Treasury estimates for future UK economic growth assume they will. If inequalities persist at current levels, an 11% ethnic employment gap will amount to one million “missing” ethnic minority workers when ethnic minorities make up 30% of the UK population in 2051. This would be a significant drag on economic performance, with reduced tax contributions and increased benefit payments to an already ageing population. Policymakers are too complacent if they think inequalities will simply disappear with new generations of ethnic minorities.
As well as ensuring that education, training and policies such as apprenticeships actually reduce ethnic inequalities, European governments should also take the lead in their own employment policies and public pronouncements. They should do more to listen to and encourage employers to hire a diverse range of skills and experiences, and consider putting targets for ethnic minority representation on boards, something that has proven successful in the case of gender. It’s important to recognise the benefits of positive discrimination in the labour market, rather than view legislation to combat inequality as red tape or political correctness.
Ethnic inequality is a problem that affects developing and developed nations, albeit in different ways, and policymakers everywhere must do much more to tackle it. Global economic growth and the stability of our democracies depend on it.

The art of puppetry has existed for thousands of years and it can be found in many cultures in the world. They belong to major families including string puppet, hand puppets and rod puppets. Water puppet is a unique form that can be found only in Viet Nam.
Water puppet is an ancient art that dates back to the 11th century in the Red River Delta in the northern region. This art can be quite enjoyable and is a must-see performance when visiting the country. For recent decades it has been promoted enthusiastically and become known internationally.
Folk art is a form of entertainment for farmers who want to perform and relax after their hard-working days. The shows tell stories about legends and national history. Topics are changed from the everyday to the fantastical. They are also based on traditional tales and myths," said Meritorious artist Chu Luong who has been involved in water puppetry for almost 40 years.
The villagers also staged water puppet performances to celebrate the end of the rice harvest, at festivals and celebrations. They believed that through puppet shows they could teach their children the values of community life and passed down the rich history and folk tales.
Water puppetry is exactly as it sounds - puppets dancing and moving along the water. Traditionally, ponds and flooded rice paddy fields after harvest were stages for these communal shows, with up to eight villagers standing in waist-deep water to control the puppets behind a bamboo screen. Using string, wires and bamboo poles, the puppeteers make the puppets glide across the water.
The show began with a performance by the drummers, followed by the arrival of Uncle Teu. The comedic storyteller Teu keeps reappearing to introduce characters and leads audiences through different scenes and stories as they unfold on stage.
The puppets are about 60cm tall and stand on small wooden platforms. They weigh between 5 kilograms to 15 kilograms and are made of wood that has been painted and then lacquered.
Most of them look cheerful and awash in vivid colors to emphasize their own characters in many creative ways like women in beautiful clothes, boys riding on buffalos and dragons appearing suddenly from underwater.
Their rhythmic dance changes with the tempo of the music. Performances are usually accompanied by live Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) musicians, playing wooden bells, drums, bamboo flutes, horns, and cymbals, and singers.