Effect of outdoor play on children

Effect of outdoor play on children The aim of this project is to explore the effect of outdoor play on childrens social, emotional and physical development. According to Bruce (2004) play is probably one of the least understood aspects of an early-childhood practitioners work (p.135). The conceptualisation of play is shared by many other early childhood practitioners for whom play is considered essential, as an activity promoting learning (p.135). Outdoor play is a much needed activity in the early childhood. You may have come across a child playing and you are sure he/she is having a fun time. Therefore, play is the building block of a childs intellectual skills. Through play child develops social, emotional and physical skills. The outdoors according to Letter Wyver (2008) presents obvious opportunities to move and be active, and for children to discover and engage with the natural environment, as well as the chance for open ended activities such as sand water play, construction and pretend play. According to Hutt et al (1989, p.10) the emotional and social development of pre-school children depends crucially upon play while Penn (2008) asserts that to learn about child development is to learn about Piaget (p.41). As Piaget focused on how children acquire knowledge, he tried to understand how children change the way they think, how babies show intense reactions to external stimuli them (Penn, 2008). Ibid (2008) asserts that it was Piaget who provided a theoretical legitimating of learning through play. In addition, Berk (2009), Keenan (2002) Bruce (2004) are firm believers that children actively explore their environment and are influential in shaping their own knowledge. They believe that it was through social interaction with more experienced and more knowledgeable members of the society parents, relatives, teachers, peers etc. that children are able to acquire the knowledge and skills that a culture deems to be important According to Bruce (2004) there is no clear definition for play. It is still an umbrella world (Ibid, 1991), while other early childhood practitioners defined play as childs work. Play is primary way children express their social nature (Strickland et al, 2003). Ibid (2003) argued that all kids enjoy playing alone some of the time; while some prefer to play with others (social play) much of the time. Play is an integral part of learning. Piaget defined play as a kind of scientific rehearsal (Penn, 2008; p.43). While Bitton (2010) stated that play offers a meaningful context for children and that it is only when a situation has meaning and purpose ED3000 0749364 that children can function at a higher level (p.49). Childrens emotions are ways in which they react to situations while social development refers to how they get alone with peers and form relationships (Ashiabi, 2007). Furthermore, emotional and social developments are linked because childrens social interactions are usually emotionally charged (Ibid, 2007). To clearly explore the role of outdoor play on social, emotional and physical development. Strickland et al (2003) asserts that outdoor play is critical to the social development of 3-4 year old children, and to girls in particular when it comes to building self confidence (p.2). In addition, children learn to be more empathy and less egocentric through play and they develop more skills for coping with conflict while boys tend to engage in more social dramatic outdoor play than indoors; outdoor play allows boys who are more physical to assume leadership roles (Srickland, 2002) and perhaps get more positive affirmation than they do inside. White (2007) confirmed that when given the choice, the outdoors is where most children want to be and playing outdoors is preferable to indoors. In support of this argument, Eustice Heald (1992) argued that outdoor play is an extension of classroom activities which summarises the beliefs of early year management that children learn best by explorin g, investigating and solving problems outdoors (p.7). While Alfano (2010) asserts that playing outdoors is a form of exercise that promotes well-being and wholesome physical developments; and that children are naturally drawn to active play outdoors. One of the obvious benefits of getting kids outside to play is the increased exercise they will be getting as opposed to setting in front of the T.V. or computer. Most early years scholars have also assert that when children play outdoors they are developing mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically. This view is supported by Johnson et al (2002) that children gain lots of opportunities outside to develop basic social skills and social competencies e.g. running, jumping cycling, hide and seek, sing; sensing, make noise, make mess, crawl, and explore the natural world unchallenged. While Brice (2004) viewed that through play, children develop initiative and are strengthened to face challenges in life (p.134). More so, playing outdoors reduces stress in kids. Children express and work out emotional aspects of everyday experiences through unstructured play (Levesque. 2011). Whilst Strickland (2002) argued that there are also opportunities for emotional development as children test their limit and challenge themselves to try things that may be just at the edge of their reach ED3000 0749364 Moreover, most theorists found that pretend play outdoors was the most dominant form of play (Bulton, 2002). Perhaps thats why theorists such as Piaget and Vygotsky assert that pretend play provides children with opportunities to practice grown up and perspective talking (Ashiabi, 2007; p.2002). Also, in pretend play a child is always above his average age (Penn, 2008; p.44) and above their daily behaviour. In addition, Wyver Little (2008) asserts that play also facilitates language development, creative thinking and problem-solving; and helps children deal with complex and competing emotions. In view of the above statement, parents should allow their children play with other children because it helps in the emotional and social development. Although social and emotional benefits of outdoor play may not be in clear cut, one benefit from research is that it allows kids to move freely, make noise and self-express themselves in ways that many not be encouraging inside. Outside play encourages logical thinking and the ability to reason through highly interactive activities such as building sand-castles, playing games with friends, playing puzzles with friends etc. Time spent outside with peers helps to create social skills that are needed for great healthy friendship (Brouillette, 2010). While Froebal cited by Bruce (2004) stated that play is the highest level of learning.activities of the child (p.132). While Siraj-Blatchford et al (2002) cited by Bruce (2004) shows that the richest play is found especially in nursery schools. According to Little Wyver (2008) the significanc e of outdoor play as an essential part of every childs life has also been acknowledged by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 31 supports a childs right to rest and leisure, and to participate in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child. There are other reasons why playing outdoor is important for children, according to Stewart (2010) when children play outside, they are more likely to maintain a healthy weight because they get the chance to burn off extra calories by running, jumping, climbing, riding bikes, yelling etc. which can also lead to better sleep. Also, the above exercise help children to develop small and large muscles, strengthened bones, increases flexibility, fine and gross motor skills and improves their overall health (Ibid, 2010). In addition, outdoor play is important in early childhood because it helps in the physical development of the child as ED3000 0749364 obesity is a common problem among children today (Pillar, 2010). Therefore, engaging in outdoor play helps in preventing childhood obesity. More so, Vitamin D is essential for the skin and can only be derived by playing outdoors as it is impossible to get an adequate amount from food and vitamins alone. Getting kids outdoor increases the exposure to sun and their natural production of Vitamin D. In contrary to the above advantages of outdoor play, White (2007) argued that today it seems that the motivation for childrens outdoor play has declined because global society is very busy in its day-to-day activities and over protected parents. Furthermore, many school age children have too much homework after school, therefore having less time for outdoor play. Whilst those without homework are too busy/lazy watching T.V, playing computer games, or pre-occupied chatting with friends on-line. Lastly, some parents are too busy with work and other activities (watching T.V, Football, cooking) to see to their childrens adequate outdoor play. Some parents are so paranoid that every man outside the street with big glasses/spectacles is a pervert or paedophile waiting to attack or abduct their children as they play outside. Furthermore, social and environmental factors have greatly impacted on childrens opportunities for outdoors play. Little Wyver (2008) asserts that where once children may have spent time playing in the street riding bicycle, playing chasing games, and hide seek etc, increased traffic has made these areas and play opportunities off-limits for children as the changes are far too great. Children are now confined to classroom, backyards or local parks for relatively safe places to play. Also, Ibid (2008) stated that increase demand for housing in many areas, particularly urban areas, is eroding childrens play ground. Lastly, according to Johnson et al (2005) providing for outdoor play needs for children is a complex and challenging task. A variety of factors must be considered, including the various play needs of young children, supervision, safety etc. while many educators, politicians, and parents believe outdoor play takes time away from academic activities; as a result, recess and physical education in many schools is limited or totally eradicated (Sutterby Frost, 2002 cited by Johnson et al, 2005). Word Counts: 1,613

24 Hour Society :: Economics

24 Hour Society Objective 2 Â · What is the 24 hour society? Â · Describe the growing 24 hour society? Â · In special detail explain the reason for the growing number of E-commerce and 24 hour supermarkets and specialised stores? Analysis of main elements of the system. These days extended working hours are not uncommon. The 24 Hour Society is one in which certain activities are performed around the clock. The old saying "there is a time and a place for everything" no longer holds true. This trend is partly driven by the levels of convenience demanded by consumers, but also enabled by changes in legislation and the increasing opportunities provided by technological innovation. GRAPH When using the library I will look in books with the most relevancies to my objectives, for instance I would want to look up why shops decided to become E-commerce and not just lists of E-commerce shops although this could also be partly relevant. Using the Internet will be very difficult for this case study, the reason for this is because if you search using the keyword 'E-commerce', '24 hour' or '24 hour society' many of the results will be just online shops with out information of the reasons they become E-commerce, however some other reports published on the 24 hour society might be useful. Interviews will also be quite hard but not impossible. It is not easy to find someone who has an active role in E-commerce businesses this is because of the 'junk' on the Internet. Detailed research plan. Visit County Library Using Library search engine input "24 hour society" and other variables Note down the placement number of the section Go to that section and collect books that seem most relevant Scan through books and look for information on the 24 hour society Mark places in books with bookmarks Check out the books and take them home for heavier research Find a computer with Internet access Go to a search engine such as http://www.google.com / http://www.yahoo.com / http://www.ask.co.uk Type in the key work '24 hour society' Scan through search results for relevant sites If sites are too general try using bouillon commands such as '+', 'AND' or 'NOT' From results copy relevant information in to a word processing program such as Microsoft Word and edit it down in to useful points Save and print Find a person with information you would like to here from him/her Ask if you could record the conversation to write the report Ask the person the questions and push for a detailed response

Benito Mussolini Essay Founding Father of Fascism

Name: * Teacher: * ENG2D1 27/05/2012 Benito Mussolini, Founding Father of Fascism Mussolini once stated that â€Å"It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do. † As you would expect words like these from the mouth of Mussolini himself had been the inspirational backing to this dictator’s rain as sole leader of Italy in the Fascist party for nearly 24 years.Before the war, Mussolini formed the Fascist Party of Italy, by gathering the roaring support of many unemployed WWI veterans, like him. He proved to be the founder of Fascism and he had united Italy as one. During the war, Mussolini became power hungry, after joining forces with Hitler and the country of Japan. Hitler had influenced Mussolini to make many poor choices which would ultimately lead to the deaths of the both of them and the slaughtering of Fascism itself.After Mussolini’s fall from power, which occurred in the midst of WWII, Italy was thrown into chaos as the remaining Fascists fought against the partisans and the Italian army was left with no orders as to what they must do. As one may expect, this was just a temporary setback, and Italy once again formed its democracy. This essay will look at Benito Mussolini’s effect on Fascism and Italy before and during the war and after his fall from power. After WWI, Mussolini developed distaste for Socialism and had declared it to be a failure, he called for a new system to be formed, one that would revive the nation of Italy to its former Roman glory.Mussolini utilized a number of books and ideals to form the Fascist system. When discussing the Ideology behind Fascism, Mussolini affirmed that â€Å"Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity, quite apart from political considerations of the mome nt, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. † In 1922, Mussolini had gained the support of a number of Italian war veterans, at this same time Italy was in complete political anarchy, with no real party in power.He had used this as leverage to gain power and eventually make himself the leader of Italy. The King handed over power to Mussolini by inviting him to form his own government. Soon, Mussolini’s Fascist movement had formed into the National Fascist Party. The Fascist party had gradually disassembled the democratic government and gained full support of the military, business class, and the liberals. By 1925, Mussolini’s Fascist party had taken control of Italy and he had given himself the title of ‘II Duce'. With such a title, he holds no responsibility to parliament and can only be removed by the king.He now set out to re-establish Italy as a major European power. In the years to come, Mussolini faced many assassinatio n attempts, one being from an Archaist, this lead to Mussolini outlawing all other parties, in 1926. He coordinated many illegal activities in order to keep himself in power, one such being cooperating with the Mafia to reduce violence in order to make it seem as if the Mafia was defeated. With Mussolini in power, surrounded by greed, and no opposition left standing, the living standard for the average Italian fell greatly.Mussolini knew he needed to do something to prevent uproar from the Italian people. In 1930, an economic depression hit Italy and Mussolini had to find some way to help recover the economy. By 1935, Mussolini had control over three quarters of all business in Italy. He made an attempt at creating government initiatives to combat the economic setbacks and unemployment levels. Most of these failed because they used up valuable resources. Mussolini made it seem as if all was well and these initiatives were working by the means of propaganda.To gain further control of the economy, he issued price and wage controls in 1938. He later attempted to make Italy self-sufficient by instituting high tariffs on trade against all countries except Germany. As one would expect, the whole of Mussolini’s rein, up to this point, had been an utter failure and all he had to defend himself with was propaganda. His first and most important priority was to brainwash the minds of the Italian peoples through careful monitoring and censorship of press, radio, education, and films.In conclusion, before the war, Mussolini had a negative effect on the quality of lives of the Italian people up to this point, and he also has so far proven that although it may have some sense in theory, Fascism when under the wrong leadership can go very bad. In 1939, the threat of war was approaching as tensions were growing in Europe; it was now up to Mussolini to decide which side to choose. It was clear to Mussolini that Nazi Germany had a strong chance of winning if war was to ar ise in Europe and that he would have to join with them now in order to secure Italy’s position as a global superpower in the near future.And so, in 1939, Italy and Germany agree to a military and political alliance, giving birth to the Axis. Soon after, in 1940, Japan joined the Axis. With the war in its beginning stages and Germany already showing strong favor, Italy joined the war. On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France. Many Italian people were very wiry about the joining of a major war at such a bad time for the economy, but their fears were tarnished by the quick takeover of France in just eleven days. Regardless, Italian soldiers were ill-equipped and poorly trained.These facts became exposed when Italy encountered failures in safeguarding their territory in Northern Africa and the Balkans. Mussolini’s defeated armies were sent to the Soviet Union to help Nazi Germany in their poorly planned invasion on the USSR. This proved to be a fatal choic e, as the thin numbers of the weak Italian army grew even thinner. It was clear that it Italy was to face invasion on its own soil then it would never have the power left to defend. That fact was clear to the allies, and so, in July 1943, the fighting came right to Italy’s doorstep with the invasion on Sicily by allied forces.Things were looking down for Italy, with a portion of southern Italy seized by the allies and a bombing occurring in Rome for the first time in history. Mussolini was losing confidence from his people. Mussolini had proven himself a failure in his handling of the war and he was soon removed from his position by the King. He was arrested almost immediately. With Mussolini powerless, and the nation split in half between the Nazi north and the Allies south, the nation was in anarchy. In time, the Fascist system was overrun and some of Italy changed sides. The Allied controlled south of Italy declared war on Germany on October 13, 1943.Mussolini was rescued from his imprisonment at the Hotel Campo Imperatore during the Gran Sasso Raid, two months after his arrest. Hitler assisted Mussolini in setting up a new regime (Italian Socialist Republic) and during his final two years, Mussolini lived in Northern Italy and spent much of his time writing his own autobiography. Soon, the war was over and the Fascist rein in Italy was over as well as the Nazi rein in Germany. Hitler found solution to this through suicide; Mussolini chose a different solution and decided to make an attempt at fleeing to Switzerland with the remaining members of the Italian Socialist Republic.Mussolini was caught and executed along with the other members of the Italian Socialist Republic which were with him at the time. In conclusion, during the war, Mussolini had had worsened the lives of the Italian people and had proven once and for all that Fascism simply does not work and will never function well enough to be a proper system of government. Mussolini was beaten, having failed the nation he swore to protect, his corpse was left hung upside-down on a meat hook for all of Italy to ease their worries.Following Mussolini’s fall from power, Italy was pushed into further distress. Italy was left without a proper leader and the aftereffects of Mussolini’s poor governing still remained a very real issue to Italians. Strung in poverty, fighting within the government and lack of leadership had tossed Italy into a war within its own borders. And so, in September of 1943, the Italian Civil War began. It was a fight between the remaining supporters of Mussolini (Fascists) and the Parisians. The Fascists still had the support of Nazi Germany and the Parisians had support of the Allies.This was a war within a war, a fight between Italians over governmental system and ultimately for basic freedoms. This war had dragged on until the demolition of Nazi Germany and the surrendering of the final Axis members. The Fascists had been defeated and a n ew system had to be put into place. It all started with elections just as it had nearly 30 years ago before Mussolini was in power. The first democratic vote made resulted in the dissolving of the monarchy, and soon a new prime minister was in place and Italians began to renew their trust in the democratic system.One may think that Mussolini’s legacy did not in fact live on in the governmental system or in the people of Italy, but in fact, it did. Successors of the recently banned National Fascist Party had formed their own parties, the most famous of which being the MSI (Movimento Sociale Italiano) which was dissolved in 1995. The MSI was later replaced with National Alliance which still exists today as a party that is in fact opposed to Fascism; its leader even once stated that Fascism is â€Å"an absolute evil†. In conclusion, afterMussolini had died, Italy had recovered very well, and now, thanks to Mussolini, we all know it’s wise to learn from history and never to return back to such an illogical system as Fascism. This essay has looked at Benito Mussolini’s effect on Fascism and Italy before and during the war and after his fall from power. Before the war, following WWI, Italy was in chaos, without a leader and with distrust in the democratic system, Italy had placed its trust in Mussolini and his newly invented Fascist System.During this time, Mussolini made Italians poor and had worsened their quality of lives and thus had been a poor leader. During the war, Mussolini had risked the lives of Italians through carless actions on his part. He allied with the evils of the Nazi Party and sent his men to wars they couldn’t fight when being so ill-equipped and poorly trained. After his death, Italy was once again in chaos, so much so that they entered into a civil war which finally put an end to the Fascist movement. His legacy still lived on in the parties that replaced his.Even though some may wish to forget, his legacy h as become the savior of many more innocent people due to the fact that he proved that Fascism is an evil system that shall never be used again. This report has concluded that Mussolini was an awful leader who divided the nation more then he united it and also that Fascism is too archaic for a sophisticated modern society, such as ours. Work Cited Trueman, C.. â€Å"Benito Mussolini. †Ã‚  History learning site. historylearningsite. co. uk, 2008. Web. 31 May 2012. . â€Å"Head of Government and Duce of Fascist: In Office. â€Å"Wikipedia. Google, 2011. Web. 31 May 2012. . unknown, . â€Å"Historic Figures: Benito Mussolini (1883-1945). †Ã‚  Bbc. co. uk. BBC History, 2011. Web. 31 May 2012. . Mussolini, . â€Å"Benito Mussolini Quotes . †Ã‚  Benito mussolini quotes. N. p. , 2001. Web. 31 May 2012.

Technology and Society essays

Technology and Society essays Technology affects the way individuals communicate, learn, and think. It helps define society and determines how one interacts with others on a daily basis. Technology has both positive and negative affects on society including the possible improvement or declination of society. Society is defined as, the sum of social relationships among human beings and technology is defined as, the body of knowledge available to a civilization that is of use in fashioning implements, practicing manual arts and skills, and extracting or collecting materials. Technology shapes our society and has both positive and negative affects. One aspect of technology that has had great impact upon society is mechanical inventions. Before machines were invented everything had to be handmade. For example, before automobiles were invented many citizens means of transportation was the wagon. While the automobile industry did eliminate the need for individuals whose occupation was making wagons, it also created numerous job opportunities including work in factories and on assembly lines. The obvious positive affect of such a change was the efficiency such inventions created in the lives of everyday citizens. However, as is the case with any change, society had to reevaluate the traditions that had for so long been in place, creating a sense of tension and unrest for those not ready for the change. This is only one example of how technology has affected society both positively and negatively. Technology has made huge advancements in the way that we communicate with others. Phones, e-mails, instant messenger, and the Internet are all a part of the technology todays citizens take for granted. However, with these new and improved forms of communication and information accessing comes unforeseen problems and glitches. The Internet, while making all information only a click away, has also had negativ ...

SQL BUSINESS REPORT essays

SQL BUSINESS REPORT essays Third-Part Augmenting Software and Enhancements 5 Data modification and retrieval 9 Application Environment 10 The Team A Corporation is the creator of a next-generation software program called Do It All Software. Team A is planning to soon start a user Beta testing program for Do It All Software. The Team A beta test management team is expecting a heavy interest by users to test the program and is preparing a website to assist them. Team A anticipates that the website will be updated several times a day. Team A plans to create a SQL driven Content Management System for the current website that will allow the beta test team members to dynamically update pages on the website and create new pages as needed, without worrying about knowing HTML. The Content management System (CMS) will be primarily used to manage a beta-testing website for the new software programs. The Team A beta test management team will be creating pages to support the development and beta test of Do It All Software. The main goal is to make it easy for the beta test management team to create, manage, distribution, and publish pages to the website. It will also have the ability to manage the structure of the site, the appearance of the published pages, and basic site navigation provided to the users. Since Team A anticipates a high number of beta testers, powerful hardware and software will need to be utilized. To meet these requirements, the CMS will run on multi-processor Intel based server running Microsoft Windows 2003 Server. The CMS will be developed by in-house engineers using Microsoft SQL Server as the database engine to manage and store beta testing information on Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) and ASP.NET to serve the website pages. The initial CMS prototype will be developed using Microsoft Access because of it ease of use. The CMS will require beta testers to register on the website. The foll...

Autism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Autism - Essay Example In many children, autism develops before the age of 3. A relationship between autism and psychology has been established by defining and associating their dynamics. Psychology is a field of study that deals with the human mind. The study of psychology has helped in the understanding and treatment of autism through methods such as psychotherapy, applied behavior analysis, and developmental psychology. Both psychology and autism deal with the brain and are complementary in nature. Psychology is largely used to understand the dynamics of autism, and develop methods to treat it. Psychologists use several types of therapies to treat autism. Autism impairs the communication and interaction skills of children (Cohen, 2002). Consequently, children become psychologically affected for being different from other children. Inability to communicate and interact effectively causes them social anxiety and depression that has far-reaching psychological implications (PubMed Health, 2012). Psychologis ts use various variations of talk therapy to correct strained communication skills. A psychologist is able to help autistic individuals improve their communication skills, overcome anxiety and depression, and learn how to interact effectively with other people (Flusberg, 1999). ... One of the roles of psychologists is to diagnose and recommend treatment methods for autism (Flusberg, 1999). Therefore, autism cannot be effectively diagnosed and treated without the services of psychologists. They aid autistic individual to eradicate depression, anxiety, and preservative behaviors that affect them adversely (Corsello, 2005). Psychologists accomplish these roles because they fully understand the effects and consequences of autism. On the other hand, psychologists also help victims to manage their lives, improve social interactions, and understand various social cues that determine the effectiveness of communication. Autism and psychology are related through the methods used to treat the disorder. These methods include psychotherapy, applied behavior analysis, and developmental psychology. Psychotherapy is a method that involves use of talk as a way of solving a patient’s emotional problems (Corsello, 2005). Psychologists use methods such as role-play and expo sure therapy to assist autistic individuals (PubMed Health, 2012). Applied behavior analysis manages the disorder by teaching autistic individuals new behaviors that replace existing behaviors that could have resulted from the effects of the disorder. Psychologists use rewards to teach patients certain behaviors thus conditioning them in ways that eradicate the disorder (Corsello, 2005). Development psychology deals with aspects of child development. A direct link can be established between this branch of psychology and autism because autism interferes with the normal development of a child’s brain while psychology studies the functioning of the brain. It forms the foundation for autism remedies such as relationship

The Hygiene Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Hygiene Hypothesis - Essay Example fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasitic microbes) and allergens hinders the normal development of a natural immunity. Consequently, this condition makes an individual to be vulnerable to infectious diseases and allergies. The hypothesis has been put forward as an explanation to the occurrence of many preventable diseases and allergic infections. The following is an analysis seeking to establish accuracy of the hypothesis with the use of a context that features several case studies in the world and the relevant deductions. Accordingly, it is important to note that the immune system develops from repeated attempts to keep off disease from the low level of pathogens found in a normal environment; as such, when the germs invade the body in life threatening amounts, the immune system successfully wards them off. The need for this exposure in developed nations some decades back saw to larger families than today. This is because parents believed that the elder child would expose the younger one(s) to pathogens, hence harden their immunity (Ascherio &Munge, 2007). It has also been observed that children who are taken to baby care institutions are less susceptible to allergies and immune diseases. The research has indicated that, children who had earlier been exposed to measles or hepatitis A are also quite resistant to allergies. Autoimmune diseases are those that the body should be able to naturally protect itself from, as per the hygiene hypothesis. Such include acute lymphoblastic leukemia affecting young people in the developed world. This is a region where young children are less likely to be exposed, and thereby develop the needed immunity. Unconfirmed evidence also links the hypothesis indirectly to autism, suggesting that an immune disease causes it (Lang, et al. 2010). However, extensive research shows that the hypothesis is of more significance to allergies than to immune diseases (Christensen, 2010). Some of the common allergens, i.e. substances that cause al lergic attacks, include pollen, dust, hay, household chemicals, synthetic material, pet fur, some foods and some food preservatives. When these come into contact with the body of the allergic person, his/ her system activates the white blood cells in response to the foreign negative stimulus. (These cells normally help us to fight disease-causing microorganisms). Once released, the white blood cells cause an inflammatory reaction (Christensen, 2010). This reaction is exhibited in various ways e.g. itching, swelling, coughing, asthma, sneezing, running nose, tears etc. Asthma is a chronic condition in which the victim, when exposed to allergens, is unable breathe due to blockage of air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. If no medical attention is availed, patient may collapse or even die. Drugs and inhalers are normally used to control the situation (Christensen, 2010). However, not all scientists concur with the hygiene hypothesis as there is an antithesis to this which is the exposure th eory. The exposure theory suggests that the higher the level of exposure to allergens, the more the possibility for allergies incidence. This theory is based on an observation that people living in urban areas have a higher percentage of allergies than their rural counterparts, and they are more prevalent in the developed than the developing world. Modern day people are more allergic as compared to people who lived some centuries back. While this appears at a glance to be true, large portions of the global population prove otherwise, hence the need for a more comprehensive and convincing explanation (Antony et al., 2006). On the other hand, some scholars support the hygiene hypothesis. A health researcher based in Germany, Dr. Erika Von Mutius investigated the