FIFA in Brasil: At last the frenzy is over!
A month of football frenzy culminates on Sunday bringing an end to well over 30 days of speculations, of mocking predictions, flukes and least to mention sincere prophecies based on logic and in-depth knowledge of the game. Good for those fortunate ones who could watch the Game live but better still for those watching it on the big screen with friends and companions.
From places of work to commercial centres, classrooms to canteens and streets to living rooms, football has beyond doubt been the lifeline of the city as myths were busted and newer heroes born. People were divided over teams and strategies so much so that friends turned into foes (sportingly) in times of crucial encounters.
At the receiving end were the Spanish supporters and much later the Brazilian fans of Shillong. A message, “Keep calm and support Spain” doing the rounds in FB could barely change the fortunes of the defending champions and their fans who were rather rendered miserable trying to counter the various comments bombarded on their pro-Spain status.
Several of those supporting the likes of England and Belgium quickly changed allegiance. But the semifinal knockout was a hard pill to swallow for the loyal Dutch supporters.
Rallying behind the mighty Germans seemed quite logical since the beginning of the tourney but that did not deter the “Argentines of Shillong” to back the little magician Messi to make it big for his side. Noteworthy though was the fact that irrespective of pledging support to a particular side, the speculator in each one of us manifested itself perhaps stronger than ever before in the last 30 days or more.
Thanks to the grand event called FIFA World Cup, 2014 Shillong breathed passion for over a month, Shillong mused for over a month and most importantly Shillong was alive for over a month.
Too many instructors, very few counselors
In a typical Government function a captive audience is conjured up by smart officials to fill the seminar/meeting hall. On World Population Day the captive audience was one which had to listen to over one full hour of instruction from learned doctors about family planning. Interestingly the captive audience comprised young and middle aged mothers only.
The men (fathers) were missing in action as if procreation was a female only activity.
The point that most people, including doctors and their ilk miss is that communicating with adults or teaching adults requires not pedagogy but andragogy as propounded by Malcolm S. Knowles. This is a learning theory that is developed on the specific needs of adults.
In contrast to pedagogy, or learning in childhood, Knowles emphasizes that adults are self-directed and expect to take responsibility for decisions. Adult learning programs must accommodate this fundamental aspect since learners themselves are a rich learning sources.
Perhaps it is because andragogy has never been applied in Family Planning trainings and awareness programmes that Meghalaya fares so miserably in population control with a total fertility rate that shames the State since it is the only things that it excels in. A senior doctor while discussing the failure of the Family Planning intervention said “Our people are thick-skinned. The only way is to shame them.” By implication this meant that some more “talking down” to women who according to her resist all attempts at behavioral change. Perhaps the problem is with the doctors who don’t known the first thing about Andragogy. They are actually the ones most in need of training.
And while the adult audience was bombarded with speeches their restless kids were crying and playing around wondering what the thunder and brimstone hitting their eardrums was all about.