CASE STUDY: Preschool Child: Ricky
Ricky, age 4 years, arrives in the clinic with his mother. Ricky lives with his mother and father,
who both work full-time, and his infant sister. Their extended family lives in a different state
more than 100 miles away. Both parents are of average height and in good health. Ricky’s
mother mentions that Ricky often expresses frustration, particularly in regard to food. Conflict
over food occurs every day. Mealtime is a battle to get him to eat, unless his mother feeds him.
Ricky’s baby sister seems to tolerate all baby foods but requires her mother to spoon-feed.
Ricky’s mother is quite frustrated and concerned that he will become malnourished.
Reflective Questions
1. What additional assessment information would you collect?
2. What questions would you ask, and how would you further explore this issue with the
mother?
3. In what ways does the distance of the extended family influence this family’s approach
to health promotion?
4. What factors would you consider to determine whether malnourishment is a factor in
this family?
Friedman has said that Hong Kong has a Laissez-faire economy because government economic spending in Hong Kong is at most 15 percent of the national income (1998). Laissez-faire is French for “let it do”. In relation to economics, Laissez-faire refers to minimal interference in economics by governments. Hong Kong is very close to having a laissez-faire economy, which has its benefits. Hong Kong is very small in size, and therefore has very few natural resources; despite this, Hong Kong’s economy is booming. Its gross domestic product, GDP, per capita is the 17th highest in the world, at $61, 400 (The World Factbook, 2017). A high GDP per capita indicates a high standard of living because there is a large amount of economic output per person. The higher the GDP per capita is, the more likely it is that the public is satisfied with their country, which subsequently leads to a lower likelihood of political uprisings.
Unlike Marx’s theory that capitalism is only a stage that is overthrown by people who seek out communism after their dissatisfaction with capitalism, the Soviet Union was dissolved because people were unhappy with the communist system. The non-competitive nature of communism has negative implications on all tiers. The working class knows they are guaranteed the same benefits regardless of how much work they’re doing, and how well they’re doing it. The room for economic growth is minimal. At a higher level, there is no competition between firms, which causes a stagnation. No economic growth leads to unhappiness, which leads to political backlash, and revolutions.