Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Ban Firecrackers

Diwali is celebrated with great vigour all across the nation. Bursting firecrackers is a tradition on Diwali. Diwali is also known as Deepavali in India. Firecrackers! Just the term creates joy and excitement in one’s mind. The heart flutters with thrill and enthusiasm developed by the sight those colorful showers and sparkles from the fireworks in the sky. But is it all about fun? Have you ever wondered how many harmful effects and disadvantages do these fireworks create for the environment?. It is yours, theirs and everyone’s duty to take care of the environment, fellow humans and other living beings. You may wonder why and how.You may be having a great time celebrating and enjoying, bursting those boisterous fireworks. But it need not be the same for the others around you! What about your neighbors? Your neighbor could be sick, or many may have an important appointment the next day. He/she could also be having a test or an exam the next morning and they may need some rest. Burning firecrackers late at night at odd hours disturbs everyone living in that community and disturb their sleep and make them less concentrated in their next day.Firecrackers produce very high level of sound and the vibrations can travel over a long distance. These are sometimes over 140 decibels! A human ear can bear a maximum of 85 decibels. Sounds above this limit create disability in hearing and causes permanent damage to the ears. Firecrackers when burnt release a large amount of very tiny toxic particles that can easily enter our lungs and damage the respiratory system. The smoke from firecrackers contain sulfur compounds, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals and harmful fumes of gases such as sulfur dioxide, ozone etc,. People with asthma, multiple chemical sensitivity and other breathing problems suffer largely due to the toxic emissions from these fireworks.Crackers are unnoticeably affecting all of us. We should understand what it’s doing & how itâ€℠¢ll threaten our very existence in future. Governments should take it very seriously & should: †¢ban the production of crackers †¢enforce laws on its production, sales, use, & advertisement †¢popularize the idea of not using crackers among publicThere’re a lot of causes of global warming & pollution. All the other sources are important for our living despite their ill effects. But cracker is absolutely nothing more than garbage. Be smart, be civilized, use your knowledge, don’t worry about what others think, don’t care about society, & DON’T USE CRACKER.Let each one of us take a pledge this Diwali to say NO to firecrackers and invest in a safer and greener future. Diwali is the festival of lights and we must enlighten our lives with the sparkle of joy and goodwill, forget past grievances and look ahead towards a brighter and happier future.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Cooking as an Art Form Essay

Food, cooking, and whatever related to these themes are usually considered as an art because food is an everyday item that has a wide meaning for all people. Food can be considered as an art; for example: the decoration of a food, the way a food is constructed in the plates, or even the way many different foods are being mixed in order to create a new food. Sometimes even people consider the arrangement of plates in a table as an art. This is called Table Art. Brillat-Savarin in his book, â€Å"The physiology of taste† states that cooking is the oldest of all arts. He says that Adam was born hungry and even a new born child first looks for become feed by his nurse right after he comes to new world (Physiology of taste, 300). He also believes that cooking and food is the finest art that has had the most influence on humans’ civilization (300). Food is one of the fewest things in whole world that almost everyone becomes satisfied with. When people eat, a kind of satisfaction and pleasure make them happy. And whatever can make a person happy could be considered as an art. Gastronomy is the knowledge and science of whatever related to human’s nourishment (physiology of taste, 51). Savarin believes that Gastronomy is a part of cookery. The way the dishes are adapted and arranged in a table and the way a food is tasted make the food as an art work (physiology of taste, 51). Savarin by his philosophical look explain the joy and sadness that a food can cause by its taste. He says that taste gives us the greatest joy because eating is the only thing which is not followed by regret (physiology of taste, 42). Brillat-Savarin says that the knowledge of Gastronomy is important for everyone. â€Å"There is this special advantage in their gastronomical knowledge, that they attain through it a completely personal note in the way their table is maintained; they are able to supervise up to a certain point the arrangements which they must then entrust to others, and they may even direct them occasionally†. Preparation of food is as much important as the food itself. Only a good cook can prepare a food in its best way and the final product is what everyone would like to try. Brillat-Savarin in his book explains how a skilled cook can make a fish that become an immense source of pleasure. He explains different ways it can be prepared, served in whole, cut in fillets or sliced, whether boiled or fried, cold or hot. And what he believes is that it would be always acceptable (physiology of taste, 91). Sometimes only professional cooks can make an astonishing dish because every one does not have the skill and techniques of preparation of a dish. For example when John Barlow wanted to try the ear part of the pig he found it a little disgusting before he saw the dish but after they prepare his dish he said: â€Å"The culinary art, I guess, often involve artifice. Things are cooked so as to disguise their ugly origins. An oxtail, for example, doesn’t really look like an ox’s tail; it looks brown and glazed and beautiful, like a slow-roasted half-brogue† (Everything but the squeal, 208). Savarin interestingly explains the different usage of sugar in his book and he describes how skillful a man should be in order to mix sugar with different other things to prepare a good product. For instance, sugar mixed with water that is refreshing and healthy, mixed with wine which produces cordials, or mixed with flour and eggs, the result is sponge cakes, muffins, and uncountable delicious pastries which are all the product of skillful cook (physiology of taste, 102 & 103). In the Gourmet’s diary of a foodie, it was so amazing when Chef Dani Garci was making fantastic dishes by some simple ingredients, like: Green and red Gazpacho and Ajo Blanco which are traditional dishes of south Spain. The most significant part is that how they take their times to make these dishes. They are like an art work that an artist put all his time and skill on it to create the best work. It was so amazing when he was making those tomato skins which were frozen in nitrogen. He was using all his skill to make them and coat them with red color. Food and cooking just same as music can inspire people. Usually when people listen to music they like to dance. It is the inspiration of music and brings people together to dance. Food and cooking do the same thing as music does. Gourmands are people who are fond of good eating and Gourmandism has an important effect in our social life. It spreads the spirit of entertainment and friendship which brings together different kinds of people, make a friendly atmosphere that people mingle and melt in to conversation, and vanish the inequalities of position and breeding (physiology of taste, 153). Also it will motivate the host to do his best in order to make the best table for his guests and take care of them. The host uses his knowledge and techniques to please his guests. Brillat-Savarin states,† any preparation which springs from a high intelligence demands explicit praise, and a tactful expression of appreciation must always be made whenever it is plain that there is any attempt to please† (153). Savarin explains the origin of the table in his book and he brings the note that one of the most important and strong laws of human being is to respect for any one with whom one has shared bread and salt. He says that it happens during the meals that languages should have born and perfected (physiology of taste, 182). From the other point of his view, he explains the effect of Truffles and how it inspires humans.â€Å"whosever pronounces the word truffle gives voice to one which awakens erotic and gastronomical dreams equally in the sex that wears skirts and the one that sprouts a beard† (Savarin, 93). Savarin by his explanations believes that truffle is the diamond of the art of cookery (physiology of taste, 95). The art of food and cooking is really one of the greatest works by a human being in history. The power of table, unbelievable different tastes, techniques of preparation, and all other aspects that concern about food and cooking should really considered as an art. John Barlow in his book â€Å"Everything but the squeal†, demonstrates the power of table and how a table can bring people around the table. Indeed, it is like a movie scene when he was sitting next to a family and he noticed that how they stare down at their table before they start eating, he says their elbows were raised and explains how the table was prepared and arranged, the way the forks and knives were next to dishes (Barlow, 145). In fact, these kinds of excitements are the result of foods and cooking’s art. In Gourmet’s diary of foodie, there is a connection between the traditional foods of gypsies and the art and skill of cooking. Manuel Valencia who is a chef and author wrote a book about the traditional gypsy foods. He explains what constitute gypsy foods in his books. In the video it is really interesting to see how they cook while they are dancing and how they manage the table and guests. It is the art of gypsies that can entertain their guests and serve them delicious foods by simple ingredients. They prepare nice dishes with the lowest costs and of course this would not be done only if you are a professional cook. Also I noticed that how they prepare Iberico Hams in Spain. It is said in the video that from the dehesa to the table will take 4 years. So what do they do during these years is all about preparing the most delicious ham in the world which obviously is so expensive. To conclude this, it is important to know that cooking and whatever is related to foods and cooking is one of the finest arts conceived by human and it should be considered as art in all aspects and themes of cooking, from preparing to eating.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Telecommunications in health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Telecommunications in health care - Essay Example ose of this paper is to talk about examples of telecommunication used I the workplace, the advantages and disadvantages of telecommunication, and new developments expected in the sector. An example of telecommunication technology used in the place of work is telephonic nurse case manager. It is used for getting timely and cost effective results by communicating and negotiating with patients, their providers and employers. The claims management process is facilitated using electronic data interface, which downloads case process documents into the patient’s claims management system. The telephonic nurse case manager is beneficial because it enables the patient to receive the appropriate treatment for his or her injuries. It is also beneficial because the patient is able to go back to work as soon as possible: the telephonic nurse case manager has a return to work plan. The use of telecommunication has a lot of advantages (Suter & Johnston, 2011). Hospitals that use telemedicine achieve reduced costs in their operations (Suter & Johnston, 2011). Suter and Johnson describe how learning is easily done through actions compared to listening. Therefore, telemedicine has the benefit of teaching patients how to take care of themselves since they will have learned through actions. Telemedicine increases the number of patients attended to by a physician (Gorman, 2011). This addresses the issue where there are very few physicians attending to the increasing number of patients (Gorman, 2011). There is a two way interactive television with a patient at one end and a physician at the other (Gillette, 2003). This is useful when a patient is not able to travel to the urban area for treatment. The use of telecommunication technology in healthcare has disadvantages when it comes to delivering the required equipment to the patients home (Gillette, 2003). In America, some states do not allow physicians from another state to perform their services to other states (Gillette, 2003).

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Eusebius - History of the First Church Term Paper

Eusebius - History of the First Church - Term Paper Example Nothing is known of the parents of Eusebius, though, it is clear from his works that he must have received an extensive education in philosophy, biblical and theological sciences. He was greatly admired and cherished as a man and regarded as one who was very influential over his colleagues. At one time he was Presbyter of the Church, though it is difficult to narrow down an exact date for this. Eusebius was born C. 260 and lived through May of 339. He was baptized and ordained at Caesarea where Pamphilus gave him the name ‘Eusebius Pamphili’, meaning â€Å"son or servant of Pamphilus† (Eusebius Of Caesarea). It is possible that Eusebius was imprisoned for some time by Roman authorities as he was taunted years later for having escaped through some acts of submission though this is verified. He began to write the Ecclesiastical History during the Roman prosecutions and it was revised several times between 312 and 324. He described this work as a full and complete documented history of the Christian Church in which he used many paraphrasing and quotes from outside sources. This allowed earlier portions of work to be preserved which adds significant historical value. Eusebius’ role in the doctrinal debates and disputes within the Catholic Church during the fourth century included issues regarding the nature of Jesus Christ, enquiring as to the possibility that he had always existed in some form prior to human. Eusebius knew nothing of the Western Church and his strength was not in being a historian. Eusebius became the Bishop of Caesarea in 313 and in 318 became involved in controversy stemming from the views of a Priest from Alexander who taught subordination of the son to the father, and Eusebius, accordingly, soon became a leading supporter of Arius. Eusebius’ style was one that â€Å"weaved short entries into a broader scheme† (Ferguson), though some considered

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Economy of Tunisia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economy of Tunisia - Research Paper Example This saw the unemployment rate drop from 18.9 per cent mark to 16.7 per cent in 2012. The biggest contributors of this growth were the growth of the tourism industry and the mining industry that were heavily affected in 2011. The increased consumption that the country had been experiencing in 2011 from large public expenditures on wages and social programs significantly reduced in the subsequent year. The economy of Tunisia is largely depended on oil, phosphate mining, agri-business, manufacturing of car parts the vibrant tourism sector. In 2011, the country was going through a rough time due to political uncertainty and instability of Libya, and the ever persistent social tensions that were combined with a weak performance of the Euro in the Eurozone. These major factors have been a reason for the slow recovery of the economy (Stampini, and Verdier-Chouchane 2). In 2012, the government of Tunisia wanted to boost the economic recovery by easing the social tensions and trying to impro ve on both its expansionary fiscal and monetary policies. This however did not happen, as only a percentage of what was an ambitious fiscal stimulus package approved in the supplementary budget of 2012 was executed. The actual budgeted expenditures were converted into consumption from their initial investment allocation (Stampini, and Verdier-Chouchane 3). Inflation in the country had a steady rise to 5.9 per cent mark in late 2012, compared to 4.2 per cent the previous year. This was characterized by increased food prices and the general cost of living to the people. Due to the increase in the public discontent because of increased general cost of living, Central Bank of Tunisia tightened the country’s monetary stance in the mid months of the year 2012 to revert the expansionary monetary policy (The World Bank n.p.). Despite the challenges faced by the economy, the economy of Tunisia is ranked at first position in Africa and at the 36th position in global rankings ahead of P ortugal, ranked at 43, Italy, ranked at 49, and Greece at 67 due to its economic competitiveness. Taxes and Debt of Tunisia Tunisia has a high public debt that some analysts consider that it should consider demanding for a reschedule, suspension or even cancellation of the public debt. In the year 2012, the country’s current account deficit widened and hit an 8.1 per cent of the country’s total Gross Domestic Product, financed by Foreign Domestic Income and the external financiers pumped huge inflows of external official financing into the economy. Currently, the public debt stands at 14.4 billion dollars, meaning that the range of the external debt to the GDP is just a little below 50%. Although this is a high rate of the debt, it is yet to reach the untenable range of 60% of the GDP, while the government deficit exceeds 3.0%. The country is yet to reach the threshold where most of the under developed and developing countries are, of an exorbitant debt. Some economist s argue that the debt should be cancelled, on grounds it is an odious and illegal debt that arose from the interests of the ousted president and his relatives, yet the Tunisian people did not see any of it (Tunisia: 2012 Article Iv Consultation 135-149). These issues have been forwarded to the International Crisis group, that has been mandated with the task of determining what the real debt of the country is and what was

Friday, July 26, 2019

Case study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case study - Coursework Example The company is currently undergoing a managerial meeting to find solutions for goal of achieving greater growth. The top seven managers are present there. It seems the company needs help due to the fact they are steering off course and wasted two days discussing short term operating problems. The company needs to hire a consultant to help them. If a board of directors exists it should be involved in the process. A representative from each of the worker unions should be present as well to provide added insight that could be helpful in finding a solution. The project champion should be the external consultant. Sign off - The current project requires a detailed plan of how the company is going to achieve growth in the long term. The person who is ultimately responsible for the project is the founder of the company, John Bigboss. He is the person that is supposed to sign off on the project. Tips - Some helpful tips to consider is documenting the progress of the project at all times and setting a specific timeline for completion of the project. It is important align the goals of the company with the employee expectations. All stakeholders should receive a written communication of the company strategic shift. A mitigation plan should in place to minimize business

How Critical is the Critical Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

How Critical is the Critical Period - Essay Example Cognitive scientists are finding it important to understand the stages of language development, prior to understanding how humans learn to talk. According to Penfield, there is assistance for language acquisition during childhood which also disappears in adult life, which if based on speech and brain mechanisms, makes it more meaningful to teach foreign language from the first grade on (Singleton & Lengyel, 1995). This was the fundamental view point based on the formulated idea of critical period hypothesis. The critical period hypothesis was popularized by Wilder Penfield and his co-author Lamar Roberts, but Eric Lenneberg promoted it further while relying on the biological foundations of language. Cognitive scientists believe that language and self-awareness are found in the part of the brain, but study also shows that they can also take time to develop with substantial exposure to others (Chomsky, 2003). Therefore, this leads to a growing interest in finding how children acquire and produce language, but one of the most interesting views that will be linked to this consideration is finding the critical period as to when will be that remarkable time for language acquisition. The work at hand tries to establish the point that language is innate in humans and there is a critical period for language acquisition that along the way will be nurtured by the environment and may potentially diminish as the person grows older because of other vital considerations. Language is such a complex tool that humans use for them to interact every day of their lives. However, as observed the young child does not speak the language the way as adult do, but this does not contest the fact that even in their own simple ways, young children are capable of producing a language that is enough for the adults to understand. The very basic of this for instance is shown

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Business Ethics - Case Study Example Additionally, it is one of the protocols of corporate principles and, therefore, failure to do so will lead to an unsound decision as it will be inconsistent with the principles. The second cause of action is to demand the disclosure of all reports and various programs whether they are just drafts or they are final for all the committee members to have a look at them. The advantage is that all the members who might not have had access to such information can have hence been aware of the information at hand. Conversely, the information that is supposed to be kept secret to the committee can be displayed hence violating the principle of confidentiality. In this scenario, I will not accept the offer of being bought lunch for the gratitude of all my effort from the senior account executive. The merit of taking such cause of action is because the acceptance if such will in some way act as a bribe and hence breaching the principle of objectivity. However, the decline of the offer will lead to the loss of my lunch that I was to receive. The alternative cause of action that I can take is the termination of the deal due to time lapse. It can be well-known that time is of the essence in such a deal, and any delay can lead to the termination of such a contract. The advantage of this action is that it will lead to limited wastage of time and enabling as to perform other important professional functions. Conversely, the action can lead to loss of promotion and lunch courtesy of gratitude for our efforts. The cause of action that I will take here is to take the respective milk from the supplier then check the serial number against that of the newspaper. If found to be the one listed in the newspaper, I will subject to contamination test. I will address the issue to the manager for necessary actions to be taken if found defective. The advantage of this action is to ascertain whether the allegations that are put in the newspaper are true or false.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 30

Paraphrasing - Essay Example In our home for instance supervision of children even on simple matters as just browsing the internet is very normal. I therefore have grown up appreciating the important role of parental guidance in our lives. This has become so entrenched in me that seeing fellow youth just doing their own things and making decisions without parental involvement for me seemed strange at some point. I for instance find extremely threatening in terms development and growth for children are allowed a lot of freedom to access and experiment with technology on their own. However, with and as I continue to mingle with people from different cultures and parts of the world I realise that things are different. Children from other cultures are left to surf the internet on their own devoid of any form of parental guidance. Critically looking at the issue I begin to change my biases because I find these children are left to learn on their own and control their own at an early age hence their development could even be faster. Interaction with other cultures is therefore a very important factor behind changes in our biases. Age is also important as well as the level of exposure one has to the outside

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Write a critique of an article of your choice.(optional topic) Essay

Write a critique of an article of your choice.(optional topic) - Essay Example The article gives them the knowledge of a child’s character and how they may see what they read in the stories they choose. The professionals will be able to see how ideas that they have fit into social contexts of the people around them.(Bosmajian,2005,p103) Children’s literature is a field that assumptions will have to be made to understand what the child thinks about their collective and personal values and issues they have. The article is about ‘the implied reader’ and how what they read tells us each a different idea of what is read. It is all in how we look at what is around us and the choices we make and interpret to bring meaning. (Bosmajian, 2005, p. 103) In summary this article is about how children’s literature can be used by professionals to help children find out about themselves through what they read. The readers will learn what makes them learn what they see and use that learning as they grow. According to Freud, â€Å"he saw that this is a therapeutic release for the author and a critical relationship between child and play and poet and language.† (Bosmajian, 2005, p.104) Freud also thought that desires and what society wants is a conflict and that we must make substitutions and make displacements and still be able to take our ideas and make one image to tell about ourselves. Jung thought â€Å"it is a therapeutic process that begins with recognition of the loss of original wholeness due to self-inflation or alienation of the ego.† (Bosmajian, 2005, p. 105) It is about the connections that we make between what we read and see that we make our choices known. Horney, Abraham, Klein, Winnicott and Lacan believe in Ego Psychology and object relations themes. They believe that we all need to self actualize ourselves to improve our identities through language and what we read. Lacan also

Monday, July 22, 2019

Abercrombie & FItch vs American Eagle Essay Example for Free

Abercrombie FItch vs American Eagle Essay INTRODUCTION Fashion may be defined as a way of living, decorating, etc., which is popular today, but will soon lose their popularity. It is something passing and temporary, a simple craze of the moment to be looked down upon with dislike. For example, tight pants are the fashion today, but only a short while ago broad loose pants were the order of the day. If today a man appears in society wearing broad pants, he would be held up to ridicule, but only a few years ago they were the height of fashion, symbols of good taste and culture. American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) and Abercrombie Fitch (AF) are two companies that play a major role in the clothing industry. The following discussion with compare and contrast the competitive advantages of the supply chain of the two companies. COMPANY HISTORY AEO American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., a billion dollar corporation, is ranked as one of the largest retail chains in America. With their central corporate headquarters in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and two other corporate facilities located in New York City and Tokyo, Japan, American Eagle, Inc. operates numerous mainline stores, factory stores, franchised stores, and distribution centers across the country and the globe. In 1977, brothers, Jerry and Mark Silverman, who owned and operated Silverman’s Menswear, a Retail Ventures, Inc. company, founded American Eagle Outfitters. Opening their first store in Novi, Michigan at Twelve Oaks Mall, the Silverman brothers were hoping to diversify their menswear line (AEO Management Co., 2013). Several stores were opened up and a catalog was created. American Eagle Outfitters continued to grow into 1990, when Jacob Price took over which led to the introduction of casual, private-label merchandise for men and women. In 1994, American Eagle Outfitters became  part of the NASDAQ stock exchange, which enabled the opening of 90 stores the following year (AEO Management Co., 2013). In 1996, new executives joined AEO and decided to modify the target demographics of the target market and reach more women, as well as focus on those who were between the ages of 18 and 32. Shortly after, American Eagle expanded to e-commerce with ae.com. By 2000, American Eagle operated 500 stores and revenues for the company quintupled to $1 billion. The Canadian market was penetrated in 2001 and in 2003 American Eagle expanded to Hawaii. Aerie, a brand extension of American Eagle, focusing on intimates for women, was launched in 2006. Another line extension, 77kids, which offered clothing for babies to pre-teen girls and boys, was established online in 2008 and the first 77kids store was opened in 2010. Today, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. operates over 1,000 stores, including 911 American Eagle Outfitters stores, 158 Aerie stores, and 21 77Kids stores, 21 of which are franchised around the globe. Additionally, ae.com, which includes links to Aerie and 77kids, reaches 77 countries. American Eagle Outfitters offers apparel, shoes, and accessories for both men and women. Clothing merchandise is comprised of denims, sweaters, graphic T’s, fleece and sweatshirts, outerwear, tops and shirts, dresses, and skirts. Shoe merchandise includes sneakers, boots, flats, sandals, slippers, clogs, heals, loafers and socks. Accessories merchandise consists of jewelry, hats, sunglasses, scarves, bags, perfume and cologne, purses, and wallets. Aerie offers merchandise for college girls that include dorm wear, such as sweats and pajamas, exercise apparel, bras, underwear, accessories, and some personal care items. 77kids offers apparel for infants, children, and preteen girls and boys (AEO Management Co., 2013). AF Abercrombie Fitch originated in 1891 as a retail sporting goods store based in New York City. It was known for its wide variety of expensive and often exotic sporting equipment and attire, ranging from tennis shoes to elephant guns. For more than half a century, the store’s apparel, guns, tackle, and other merchandise were the image of wealth and prestige. When it expanded, the firm confined its new branch stores to downtown areas of large cities and to resort areas. In the early 1970s, Abercrombie Fitch attempted to widen its customer base by adding less-expensive items to its usual stock and by moving into the suburbs, where other stores had been building for some time. Although these steps did attract new customers, they came too late; Abercrombie Fitch was in financial trouble and filed for bankruptcy in 1976 after 85 years in business (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2013). Oshman’s Sporting Goods, Inc. bought the firm in1978. In 1988 Abercrombie Fitch was bought by The Limited, Inc (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2013). Repositioned as the trademarked â€Å"casual luxury† brand, it became parent to the subsidiary brands Abercrombie kids, a children’s line launched in 1998 and marketed as Abercrombie; Hollister Co., a line for younger teens launched in 2000; RUEHL No. 925, a line targeting post-graduates l aunched in 2004; and Gilly Hicks, a women’s line launched in 2008. Following Abercrombie Fitch’s overhaul, the company received significant criticism for its advertising and its clothing, which were perceived by many as encouraging its target audience to adopt a sexually promiscuous lifestyle (Encyclopedia Britannica Online, 2013). MISSION STATEMENT AEO American Eagle has a clearly defined set of corporate values which guides the actions of employees at all levels of the AE organization: PEOPLE The vitality of our company resides in our people. We collaborate, we engage, we achieve (About.com, 2013). INTEGRITY We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards. In the face of difficulties and challenges, we dont compromise (About.com, 2013). PASSION Our passion infuses our actions and purpose. It transforms stores into places of energy and customer delight (About.com, 2013). INNOVATION We operate in a dynamic and competitive industry. We continually refine the unique processes that drive our business, and we use insightful research and analysis to balance our instinct and to guide our decisions. Our associates embody entrepreneurial spirit, develop creative solutions, and initiate change (About.com, 2013). TEAMWORK We work together listening to one another, reaching consensus and supporting group decisions. We celebrate achievements. Because we respect and trust one another and commit ourselves to our company goals, our teamwork succeeds (About.com, 2013). Additionally American Eagle has a service goal that guides employees in their everyday retailing tasks: â€Å"We respond to the needs of our customer and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done (About.com, 2013). AF â€Å"Abercrombie and Fitch focuses upon high-quality merchandise that compliments the casual classic American lifestyle (About.com, 2013).†   But beyond that simple mission statement, Abercrombie Fitch emphasizes its brand vision, brand attributes, and the value of the Abercrombie Fitch brand, which has been of ultimate importance since CEO Mike Jeffries took on the leadership role. Abercrombie Fitch has said this about its brand to its stakeholders: â€Å"The AF brand is more authentic and relevant than ever. The brand is our lifestyle, our focus—it ensures growth and promises stability. A great brand is a center of growth and revenue—it represents a relationship with customers. It’s not a faddish chip to be cashed in on shortsighted gains. The value of having a great brand is far-reaching and cannot be overstated—it’s a snowball effect. The AF label gives us the ability to evolve, creating endless growth opportunities. It helps us attract the brightest, most talented young people from around the country. It attracts millions to our website. It allows for greater profit margins. It lessens the risk of moving on new business concepts. It promotes innovation. It ensures long-term profitability. It adds built-in value to everything we produce. It accelerates growth. It stabilizes. It gives focus and direction. It produces an emotional response in consumers (About.com, 2013).† Comparing these two mission statements, it is clear that American Eagle Outfitters is focused more on just their merchandise, unlike Abercrombie Fitch. AEO has a passion not only for their brand and employees but their consumers as well. While AF, is only focused on their brand not on the  operational execution of its employees, or the experience of its customers. This holds true of AF because recently their CEO, Mike Jeffries, came under fire for reportedly saying they only target to â€Å"thin and beautiful people† which is why they do not sell or make any size over 10 or large for women. Mike Jeffries has said, â€Å"That’s why we hire good-looking people because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that (Walker, 2013).† On AF’s website, they claim to embrace diversity throughout the entire organization but what Mike Jeffries has been quoted saying, is contradictory of what the company claims they are about. â€Å"We are committed to embracing the diversity of our associates and management throughout our organization. On the surface, our dedication to maintaining a diverse working and shopping environment can be easily seen by walking through one of our stores, domestically and internationally. More notably, Abercrombie Fitch’s commitment can be seen through our exceptional diversity programs, whether they are internal or external, and the results they yield. Diversity reflects the multidimensional insights we share collectively. Simply put, it is imperative to our growth that we staff our business with diverse talent and run our business with an inclusive mindset (Abercrombie Fitch, 2013).† SUPPLY CHAIN AEO American Eagle Outfitters strategy to improve apparel factory working conditions starts with factory inspections based on their Vendor Code of Conduct. They then focus on remediating the issues they find during those inspections, which often includes additional factory training and capacity building programs (AEO Management Co., 2013). They partner with other brands and retailers, multi-stakeholder organizations, civil society groups, trade unions, governments, and others to better understand and address what is happening in the factories and countries where their clothes are made. By working together, they strive to  collectively develop more sustainable solutions to the problems they find (AEO Management Co., 2013). Finally, they are committed to being obvious about how they are doing. By reporting publicly on their efforts, this is one of the many ways they ensure that they remain focused on their goals, disciplined in their efforts, and accountability for their performance (AEO Management Co., 2013). AF Abercrombie Fitch has very tight control over the design and manufacturing of their clothing. To help the company keep control, have higher margins and protect the brand, they design their own ranges which are manufactured exclusively for AF. The head office for AF is located in Ohio and is called â€Å"The Campus†. At this location, there is a center known as the â€Å"Innovative Design Center†. Here, a dedicated team uses over 100 wash, quality assurance, lab and graphic machines (Webb, 2009). They are responsible for merchandise design and development. â€Å"Design packages† were created by the company to reduce the time and cost of product development (Webb, 2009). These design packages are then given to the vendors. By keeping strict control over design, manufacturing and product development, the company is able to protect the brand from being copied and having the image damaged. By having greater control, it allows AF to deliver on their promise to the customer and consumer. This in turn creates a relationship based on trust and gives them a competitive advantage. Again, with Abercrombie Fitch, they are more focused on keeping control of their brand and image, while American Eagle Outfitters are trying to improve factory conditions for their workers. This once again proves that AF does not care about their people. CONCLUSION In summary, Abercrombie Fitch and American Eagle Outfitters play a significant role in the clothing industry. While AF’s practices are some  what contradictory and outlandish, AEO remains the opposite. AF needs to take a cue from AEO and focus more on their consumers than just their brand. There is no question why it is that AEO is ranked at 649 on the Fortune 1000 List and AF is trailing behind them at 651 (Salesforce, 2013). Works Cited Abercrombie Fitch. (2013). Diversity Commitment. Retrieved from AF Cares: http://www.anfcares.org/diversity/commitment.jsp About.com. (2013). Abercrombie Fitch Mission Statement. Retrieved from About.com: http://retailindustry.about.com/od/retailbestpractices/ig/Company-Mission-Statements/AbercrombieFitch-Mission-Statement.htm About.com. (2013). American Eagle Company Mission Statement. Retrieved from About.com: http://retailindustry.about.com/od/retailbestpractices/ig/Company-Mission-Statements/American-Eagle-Mission-Values.htm AEO Management Co. (2013). AEO History. Retrieved from American Eagle Outfitters: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=81256p=irol-history AEO Management Co. (2013). AEO Supply Chain. Retrieved from American Eagle Outfitters: http://www.ae.com/web/corpResp/supply_chain/our_strategy.jsp Encyclopedia Britannica Online. (2013). Abercrombie Fitch. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1121/Abercrombie-F itch Salesforce. (2013). Fortune 1000 Company List. Retrieved from Data.com Connect: https://connect.data.com/directory/company/fortune/1000 Walker, T. (2013, May 08). Not available in XL. Retrieved from The Indepedent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/not-available-in-xl-abercrombiefitch-ceo-mike-jeffries-accused-of-only-wanting-thin-and-beautiful-people-8608022.html Webb, B. (2009). Managing the Fashion Brand Case Study Assignment.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Impacts Of Tourism Development Tourism Essay

The Impacts Of Tourism Development Tourism Essay The aim of the study is to examine the importance of tourism development in the region of Trou-aux-Biches whilst investigating the benefits and drawbacks of such a development. Objectives of study The objectives of the study are to Assess the perceptions of inhabitants towards tourism development in the region. Investigate the benefits and drawbacks of tourism development in the region. Explore the transformation that the region and the locals have experienced during its tourism development phase. To know to what extent the host community is involved in decision making concerning tourism development. Problem Statement Contemporarily, tourism industry is a thriving industry and has become a boon for many countries, most especially for the developing countries that have no other reliable and alternative resources other than tourism. Tourism contributes drastically to the local economy, social and environmental aspects (quoted from?!!). Many local communities recognize that tourism can inspire change in social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions, where tourism interests have had a close bond with the local people (Richards Hall 2000, Beeton; 2006). Initially, the economic aspect is one of the most significant aspects which is affected by tourism as it acts as an export industry by generating revenues to the host country. A host nation will gain foreign exchange, which will contribute to improve the nations balance of payments (Liu and Var, 1986; Dogan, 1987, Gee et al, 1997) Furthermore, improvements in the social area are equally of vital importance as it helps the locals to get employment in the tourism sector. Thus, it decreases unemployment by creating new job opportunities (Sheldon and Var, 1984). Consequently, the inhabitants also have a better standard of living and advanced income with the tourism activities. Moreover, environment as well plays a fundamental role in the tourism context. The environment is perhaps one of the most vital providers to the allure and magnetism of a destination. Picturesque spots, pleasant climates and distinctive landscape attributes have an essential impact in tourism development and the spatial circulation of tourism movement (Coccossis and Nijkamp, 1995). Increasing for tourism encourages new infrastructure investment (Inskeep, 1991), and communication and transport possibilities (Milman and Pizam, 1988). However, if tourism is not well planned and managed, it may lead to negative impacts and reduce the efficiency of the positive ones. The benefits received from tourism development many not always be positive, but also has the prospective for negative outcomes at the local level (Lankford Howard, 1994). Thus, it is usually believed that residents perceptions are of vital importance and they should be involved in the crucial planning and policy consideration of the successful tourism development. Chapter 2: Literature review This chapter provides a synopsis on tourism development and most specifically residents perceptions regarding tourism expansion in Mauritius. Many examples are based on the region of Trou-aux-Biches where the opinions of the residents have been taken into consideration. The literature review will be based on the following topics which are mainly: tourism development, tourism impacts, and residents perceptions towards tourism development. 2.1 Introduction: Tourism is one of the largest growing industries in the world (Choi et al, 2008; United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2009). Tourism has been a great help and a boon to many countries, most especially the developing countries or countries with no alternative resources other than tourism. However in recent years, a change has been observed in the behavior of tourists. Tourists are now getting more and more interested in destination whereby local cultural, ethnics, indigenous customs and the historical heritage have their own importance and where they are managed in a responsible manner. There is no doubt that tourism contributes significantly to major economic benefits of countries, especially in the case of Small Island Developing State (SIDS) countries like Mauritius. Nevertheless, several studies have also shown that tourism industry also contributes to environmental degradation and negative social and cultural impacts (Choi et al, 2008). Nowadays, tourism is valued as an economic giant not only for developing countries but even for the developed countries worldwide (Chand et al, 2012). Tourism has been proved to be a means of economic growth and job creation in the local communities. The tourism sector does not only generate wealth but also enhance assess to fundamental services, for instance, infrastructures development, sanitation, telecommunication, transport and so forth. The residents support has a fundamental significance in the tourism development. If the residents do not approve of having tourists in their particular region, it can cause a huge chaos which can affect the whole community at large. That is why, the whole society needs to come together so that they can work for the benefits of their areas and hence, achieve heights. If seen closely, it is the people of the community itself that benefits enormously from the tourism development. Apart from the benefits mentioned above, they also come to learn abou t different cultures and languages; they become more confident and their communication skills get better. It also gives the people a real sense of pride and identity of their community. Even though tourism is beneficial in many levels, particularly economy, nonetheless, there are some strings attached to it. Tourism inexorably brings with it cultural and environmental degradation. For this reason, many tourism organization or hotels itself are taking initiatives to go green, that is, the latter are going towards sustainable development for a better future. 2.2 Tourism development in Mauritius: Tourism has come out as a chief development industry in many countries and Mauritius is no exception. This means that an increasing proportion of the worlds population is dependent upon the continuing growth of tourism for employment and income.(Faulkner and Tideswell, 1997). Mauritius being a small island in the Indian Ocean has been able to make recognition of itself in the tourism world and is considered today as one of the best and appreciated destinations in the world. The tourism industry in Mauritius adds up to 11 % and has been a crucial aspect in the overall expansion of Mauritius (Stephen Moores, 2012). Tourists love the island because of its tropical climate, natural and man-made appeals but mostly because of its exquisite beaches and lagoons and its cultural diversity. Mauritius has made a reputation for outstanding service in the tourism industry. Since the beginning of tourism in the island which was in 1970, this industry has been expanding accordingly, hence increasing from 18,000 in 1970, to 103,000 in 1977 and then to 656,450 in 2000 (Mauritius Attractions, 2013). After a decade, which is in August 2011, the numbers of tourists increased to 925,000 which is something spectacular in itself for the country (AXYS Stockbrocking Ltd, 2012). The numbers are already reaching 1 million visitors which was the prime purpose of the government. Though tourism is still the third pillar of the economy of Mauritius just after the manufacturing and agricultural sector, it is contributing significantly on the economy and has been also being a chief aspect in the development in Mauritius in general. Furthermore, the main market of tourists arrival in Mauritius is the European, chiefly from France and the Great Britain. The nearby Reunion French Territory is the most important short haul source market accounting for about 13% of total tourist arrivals (Mauritius Attractions, 2013). It is followed by South Africa, Germany, India, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, China and Russia (Wikipedia, 2012). During the recent years, there has been a drastic change in the arrival of tourists from the Republic of China as the government decided to diversify the market due to the financial crisis in Europe (Wikipedia, 2012). There has been a 5 % decline in the arrivals of tourists from Europe due to the economic downturn (Central Statistics Office, 2012). Although there has been a slight decrease from the tourists coming from Europe, the tourism revenue attained 30 billion for the period of January to September which in itself is quite enormous despite going through such struggle (Defi Media, 201 1). Nevertheless, in 2012 the Bank of Mauritius expected an increase in the tourism revenue from 42.8 billion to 43.2 billion Mauritius rupees thanks to higher arrivals (Bank of Mauritius, 2012). However, now Mauritius is making a huge attempt to expand new markets so that it can attract diverse type of tourists. Our tourist industry is extremely eurocentric and, given whats happening in Europe, we are suffering big-time, says Gilbert Espitalier- Noà «l, director of Espitalier Noà «l Ltd (ENL), a dynamic business group in Mauritius. After seeing one of Mauritius main competitors that is Maldives drawing interest in China tourists, hence Mauritius is also trying to do the same. Mauritius is also trying to pull attention on other markets like Russia and India (Stephen Moores, 2012). But with many west European countries in recession, a decline of 6 percent in European tourists to 279,643 -still around two-thirds of arrivals was partly offset by an increase of 16.7 percent in visitor numbers from Asia to 51,353, Statistics Mauritius said. 2.3 Tourism and the local community One of the most essential aspects of tourism is that it takes into consideration the ambitions and opinions of the local or host communities. Tourism can make a destination popular and well liked if they are welcomed in a good manner and well treated in that particular locality. When a community is implicated in one way or another in the tourism development in a region, it gives them a sense of being a part of this industry. Moreover, the locals usually are at high advantage of the tourism development occurring in their particular regions. Tourism has been a blessing in disguise for many residents and has brought a radical change in their lives. With the advent of this industry, the lives of people or the country at large has transformed to a great extent, whether it is the economy, job creation, standard of living, infrastructures, foster peace and stability among others. Tourism has helped Mauritius extensively on the economic level at such a time when the countrys other sectors were going through bad phases. Not only the coastal regions are at benefits of the tourist development in their regions but even region like Arsenal which is found in the North of Mauritius, is benefitting of this industry. The village has quite a number of shops and shopping malls where tourists come in masses to do shopping. Hence, it can be seen that tourism helps in almost all the medium and small ventures of the country. These days community-based tourism (give proper definition of community-based tourism!) is gaining esteem worldwide as an alternative to mass tourism. This new kind of tourism supports a connection with the local residents and the experimentation of diverse sensations. Community based tourism is thus regarded as a means to enhance community development, cultural heritage and conservation. It should also be used to deal with poverty (Equation, 2008). The chief advantages of Community based tourism (CBT) are observed to create jobs, alleviate poverty, pride and satisfaction, community capacity building, revenue for preserving and upgrading the cultural sites. . If community based tourism is well planned and done through the whole community, it can bring on great economic benefits to the community itself. Ultimately, local communities are the chief reasons that enable tourists to discover local habitats, wildlife and celebrate and respect traditional cultures, rituals and wisdoms. However, community-based tourism is not a cure and cannot be seen as the only solution but it can be used as a powerful tool to achieve areas development (Telfer Sharpley; 2008). Nevertheless, any community based tourism practices will not be fruitful unless it is carry out in a responsible manner. Community based tourism practices in Mauritius are very limited but exist in Mauritius. One example where community based tourism has been practiced is when there was the construction of Le Trou Aux Biches Hotel, whereby major benefits were provided to the inhabitants such as job creation, new health centre, new post office, new police station and better infrastructure. However, even throughout this practice there were some constraints such as poor marketing access. It is important to highlight that twenty three people, being inhabitants of the locality were unaware of the facilities and benefits that the project were bringing. Those twenty people even objected that an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) license be issued for this project. It was later on after clearing all confusion that finally this project was finally accepted by the whole community. Hence, in this case it can clearly be concluded that a good communication system is important between the development organization and the community. 2.4: The roles of stakeholders in tourism development Tourist friendly destination is a concept that provides satisfaction by fulfilling tourists wants and needs through the maximization aspects of space, activity and products sans interference and or problems, beginning from a tourists place of origin all way to the desired tourism destination (Anuar, Ahmad, Jusoh Hussain, 2012). A thriving tourism development relies hugely on exceptional collaboration and communication between all stakeholders engaged in the tourism scheme. Hence, tourism is a complicated social structure. Stakeholders are any individual or groups who can affect or is affected by the success of an organizations goals (Freeman, R.E, 1984). Stakeholders can easily influence or be influenced or affected by the organizations deeds, aims and strategies. Moreover, the stakeholders in the tourism sectors are: residents, local companies, employees, media, or is competitors, government, business organizations, tourists, activists and last but not least, tourism developers. The figure below shows a tourism stakeholder map adapted by Freeman. Full-size image (10 K) Fig1: Tourism Stakeholder Map- Adapted from Freeman (Freeman 1984:55) Besides, it is imperative to include all stakeholders, and most predominantly the stakeholders, in the developing process of tourism. A tourism venture cannot thrive without their supports. Stakeholders in a tourist destination refer tourists (as demand), industries (as the supplier) and last of all, hosts like the local community and the environment (Pavlovich, 2003). In a study by Ritchie and Crotch (2003), stakeholders in tourism destinations are classified as suppliers and supporting industries, marketing intermediaries and facilitators, members of the public and local as well as foreign customers. The most vital thing to bear in mind is to take the consideration of the locals as they can easily damage the tourism destination by opposing to the decisions made by the topmost stakeholders. To begin with, the role of the government is a fundamental one as they are in charge in setting policies and legislative structures in the industry. Government involvement may be essential so as to help in decreasing poverty and also to enhance the involvement of tourism to socio-economic development. The main aim why governments should devise a tourism development strategy is initially to regulate and handle the negative areas of the tourism industry, mainly the negative social and environmental effects. (give examples to what government has contributed to tourism in Mauritius) 2.5: Residents attitudes towards tourism development It has been broadly known that tourism development is a mixed blessing for host communities. Mathieson et al (1982) defines the host community as the inhabitants of the destination area and it is their attitudes which will lead to the success of the tourism industry. Tourism development does not only make profits but it also inflicts costs (Jafari, 2001). Attitudes are described as the mind-set of an individual towards values (Allport 1966, p. 24) and as an enduring predisposition towards a particular aspect of ones environment (McDougall Munro 1987, p. 87). They are put together upon the perceptions and ideas of reality, but are directly linked to intensely held principles and ethics. Based on this insight of attitudes, researchers understood that residents attitudes regarding tourism are not merely the evidences of residents perceptions of tourism impacts, but the results of interaction between residents perceptions and the factors affecting their attitudes (Lankford et al. 1994). Moreover, tourism brings considerable social, economic and environmental impacts to local communities and the surrounding areas (Weaver et al, 2002). The nature and magnitude of these impacts have been a major concern for planners, community leaders and social scientists for several decades. Residents attitude toward tourism development is a much acknowledged research topic and in the last few decades, many researches have been conducted in this field. Hence, the emergence of several tourism impacts studies and ways to measure residents attitudes came into surface. The researchers began to use several resident attitude related attributes to outline perceived tourism impacts by the residents. In this decade, many researchers like Chen (2000), Andriotis (2005), Choi et al (2005), and Wang et al (2008) have studied different aspects of resident attitudes toward tourism. Furthermore, Chen (2000) investigated loyalty to tourism from an urban perspective in Virginia and three dimensions were used which were benefits, impacts and equity. A twenty seven attitude scale and three dimensions consisting of benefits, impacts and equity were used for this study (Mc Cool et al, 1994). It was found that the residents were likely to agree that first tourism attracts more spending and investment in the community economy; secondly tourism encourages a variety of cultural activities by the local population, thirdly, the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts and last but not least, tourism provides many worthwhile employment opportunities (Chen, 2000). The results imply that urban residents were apt to believe that tourism creates benefits for their communities from both economic and cultural perspectives. Moreover, respondents were likely to have endorsing attitudes toward the tourism development surrounding their community. Besides, it was found that faith ful and devoted residents felt that total tourism benefits should surpass the negative influences whereas the non faithful locals were more alarming about the traffic congestion and land pricing. As far as Wang et al (2008) studies are concerned, the latter made an investigation from a rural perception. The key structure used in the study is the social theory exchange (Ap 1992) and it was carried out in Washington, North Carolina. The social exchange for this study uses the concept of sociology and psychology known as A Tourism Impact Attitude Scale (Lankford et al, 1994). The perceived personal advantages were subsequently considered and it was found that residents perceptions of personal advantages from tourism were intensely attached with their approach toward the tourism industry in a positive way. In the demographic outline where the genders were segmented, it was noticed that male respondents perceived less benefits associated with downturn improvement and occupations linked to arts and cultural features than their female counterparts. For this reason, additional segmentation was carried down with respect to the demographic profile. As far as Andriotis (2005) is concerned he also carried out a survey on the perceptions of the local people in Crete and their preferences for the tourism growth. In this survey, the perceptions of tourism growth were assessed in three Cretan community groups. To begin with, there were residents who generally rely on tourism employments, followed by non dependent residents and lastly tourism business people. It was found that all of the three groups showed a high degree of optimistic approach toward tourism and tourism development, although if there was some difference of judgments for the types of tourists, kind of facilities and actions deemed helpful for the island. In addition, there has been a different type of residents attitude which is known as Cohort Analytical Approach. This study concentrates upon the transformations in residents attitudes toward tourism over a period of time and the study was done by Huh et al (2007). A seven years periods Tourism Impacts Tourism is now particularly recognized as a foremost economic contributor in many destinations around the world, increasing value for foreign exchange but is also support for the export businesses and social, environmental and historical resources support and protection. As so many industries, tourism industry has also displayed a rapid growth and has become an international industry. Certain growths are communication technologies, comfort, speed, capacity and price on transport vehicles (Ceken et al., 2008). Costs of tourism and economic advantages reach practically everybody in an area in one way or another. Our quality of life of our citizens is impacted by the tourism economy that we have. (Barry Armstrong, 2004). Tourism impacts can boost an economys through various positive economic impacts. Nevertheless, it can also have some negative outcomes that can cause a downfall to a countrys economy. Positive economic tourism impacts: Today, tourism is one of the largest industries and offers the most economic revenue. Hence, various countries worldwide attach significance to this industry. In addition, tourism industry is a significant industry for developing, less developed and island countries such as Mauritius itself or Cyprus for instance, as it expands economic growth, foreign currency input, income and employment. These countries, principally island countries see tourism as an economic rescuer and knight in a shining armor and also an opportunity for growth. In other words, tourism offers imperative contributions for development in the country, as tourism is an element of development strategy (Ozbey, 2002). Tourism industrys extensive involvements to national economy are a known reality. For this very reason, developed and developing countries have attached enormous significance to tourism (Ozturk and Yazicioglu, 2002). Its excessive development and growth rates, considerable amounts of foreign currency inf lows, infrastructure improvement, and beginning of new organization and educational experience vigorously affect several sectors of economy, which positively contribute to the economic and social growth of the country as a whole (Mirbabayev et al, no year). A sector such as travel and tourism cannot fail to have influence on the cultures, people and most significantly the economies of destination regions or countries. Furthermore, it is most frequently the positive economic impacts that convince companies or businesses, governments and individuals to get engage with the tourism expansion in the first place. The largely highly developed western countries, such as Austria, Switzerland and France have gathered a big deal of their economic and social welfare on profits from tourism (Mirbabayev et al, no year). The tourism industry has the aptitude to provide a range of positive impacts, the most vital of which are: increased domestic income and foreign currency, increased employment, improved infrastructures, carrying capacity, improved standard of living, purchasing power increases when the income increases, goodwill of a country increases, community based tourism and so forth. Employment creation: Tourisms aptitude to create jobs is one of the chief motives why governments support its expansion. According to a current statistic, tourism provides about 10 % of the worldwide income and provides employment for almost one tenth of the worlds workforce (Mirbabayev et al, no year). As employment, in the year 2009, 1.2 million citizens worked in only Spa tourism in the world (turizmden.com, 2009).When evaluate with creating jobs in the manufacturing sector, service sector employments in tourism is perceived as a comparatively cheap and easy means of making employments accessible, given that the associated start-up expenses are generally lower. Tourism does not only create direct employments but it also creates indirect employments. The direct employments in tourism takes place in areas, for instance, hotels, transport operators, travel agencies, tour guides, government divisions and so forth. While for the indirect employments, there is banking, transport companies, construction and street vendors, For example, in Trou- aux- Biches, there are many salespersons who sell their products on the beaches and many craft markets are also available around in the coastal areas. Through the means of direct and indirect employments, tourism enhances the common purchasing power of ordinary citizens. Economic multiplier effect: Tourism not only generates employment in the tertiary sector but it also supports development in the primary and secondary sector of the industry. It is known as the multiplier effect which simply means how many times money spent by a tourist flows or circulates through a countrys economy. The direct economic impacts are those that take place at the front line of the tourism enterprise. Therefore, when tourists spend their money in hotels, restaurants,  transportation  and  communication  services and retail outlets, for example, this will create direct income, output,  government  revenue and  employment  effects, as well as requiring some direct imports of goods and services. (Fletcher, J.E, 1993) As for indirect one, for example, when tourists spend their money in a restaurant, thus the restaurant will use some of the money it obtains on food and beverages, transports, heating among others. The hotel in Trou-aux-Biches, for instance, buys vegetables from the local farmers who may use some of the money on clothes or fertilizers. The demand of the local goods and products rise as tourist often buy souvenirs and meals which enhances secondary employment. The multiplier effect carries on until the money is ultimately leaks from the economy through imports, which is the purchasing of goods from other countries. Increased foreign currency and domestic income: The travel and tourism sector produces revenues and wealth for local councils, private individuals, businesses, voluntary bodies and national governments-from the modest income earned by a couple running a bed and breakfast business in Trou-aux-Biches to the millions of rupees generated by the Beachcomber resorts in the region and the billions of pounds earned from tourism by many countries around the world. At global level, money that tourists spend in a country can play significant role to its balance of payments, for instance, the flows of money into and out of a country. Moreover, tourism contributes to the economy as foreign currency contribution and employment (Ozbey, 2002).  Many developing countries are going towards tourism industry as a way of boosting their foreign exchange and hence, spending the money they obtain from tourism to improve education, health and social facilities. Mauritius foreign exchange increased to 3046.30 USD Million in December of 2012 from 2990.70 USD Million in November of 2012 (Bank of Mauritius, 2013). Tourism also brings in huge amount of foreign currency for an LEDC (less economically developed country). One of the recurring themes of the twentieth century has been that poor countries have not often found that they do not have enough foreign currency to import the raw materials that they need. For example, Tanzania suffered from a severe balance of payment deficit, so much so, that it simply couldnt afford to import enough oil to industrialize. What tourism does is bring in foreign currency, which allows LEDCs to import machinery, in order for them to industrialize and commence economic development. Foreign earnings have also been used in this way in Kenya, where $400 million a year in foreign currency comes in, to buy the products and services necessary for development (EssayWriter.Co.UK, 2005) Better infrastructure: Besides, tourism speeds up infrastructure and superstructure development. Infrastructure works are water, electricity, roads, communication, transportation and so forth. Superstructure works are accommodations, restaurants, entertainment centers among others. Many countries work to meet the world benchmarks with such infrastructures and superstructure works. For example, in the year 2005, a second airplane was built in Antalya airport where a lot of investments were spent for transportation and telecommunication and hence, Antalya exerted to seize the world standards (Turizm ve Otelcilik Portali, 2009). Another example is the residents also benefit from infrastructure and superstructure facilities, several services such as police, fire brigade, health services (Ozturk and Yazicioglu, 2002). For instance the region of Trou-aux-Biches has seen a major transformation with the new development of roads, renovation of police station, facilities such as a modern dispensary, post office and a bank. It all happened because the tourism industry is flourishing in the region. Same applies for the expansion of the Sir Seewoosagur International Airport where the government is spending billions of money with the intention to accommodate more numbers of tourists. Hence in a way through tourism industry, the country is seeing great transformation which is in a positive way. It is good to remember that infrastructure and superstructure works prepared by giving significance to environment form great costs in the beginning, but these works will revolve as long-term income for future (Aslan and Aktas, 1994). Negative economic impacts: Positive socio-cultural impacts Tourism has several of socio-cultural impacts. This means that social constitution; the cultures and traditions can be influenced, altered, or even totally substituted due to tourism. These socio-cultural impacts are hospitality, culture (art, religions, and historical remains), education and custom and traditions (Kilià §, 2003). There is a strong connection between tourism and culture. For instance, it boosts attributes of local activities such as festival, art and folklore (Ozbey, 2002), supports to safeguard cultural and historical sites. Each and every of these aspects can actually create chaos in peoples holiday. Most particularly, historical treasures, ethnography and archaeological museums in Turkey can be taken as an example (Kilià §, 2003). For example, Istanbul links tourists with its cultural and historical appeals and due to its several attributes, it obtained 2010 Culture Capital of Europe title. Furthermore, in order to enhance the tourism industry, enormous capital is spent to protect and conserve the local heritage, to enhance infrastructures, to offer better local facilities which in turn creates better education system, enhanced leisure facilities, and hence a superior standard of living of the local people. The inhabitants become more knowledgeable as they interact with tourists with different languages.   Tourism gives appreciation opportunity existence of several cultures to tourists who learn these cult

Internationalisation of SMEs: Challenges and Barriers

Internationalisation of SMEs: Challenges and Barriers Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are becoming more important in today’s international markets. (Oviatt and McDougall,1994, 1999). The internationalisation of SME’s can be expected to increase further due to the economy of the world becoming further harmonised with continued declines in government imposed barriers and advances in technology (Lu, Jane W, and Paul W Beamish, 2001). In 2013 there was an estimated 4.9 million private sector businesses in the UK which is an increase of 102,000 compared to that of 2012. SME’s account for over half of employment, 53.9%, and almost half of the turnover in the UK private sector, 48.1%. (Department for Business Innovations and Skills, 2013). Hence, showing that SME’s are still growing and are an integral part of the UK’s economy. Through SME’s, this essay will discuss and critically analyse the process of creating (pre start up) and managing a new venture (post start up). It will begin with considering issues relating to the entrepreneur, and examine the challenges that they are faced with when starting up a business idea, the opportunity, and the innovation. The problems with managing a new venture are then inspected. In French, the term entrepreneur means someone who â€Å"undertakes†, for example someone who undertakes a significant project or activity. It later came to be used to identify individuals who accelerated economic progress by finding new and better ways of doing things. The French economist most associated with giving the name is Jean Baptiste Say who was quoted saying â€Å"The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield†. Entrepreneurs create value (Dees, J Gregory, 1998). The sources of entrepreneurship are studied by researchers in a wide range of disciplines, the study varies per discipline. For example, an economist would look at mainly socio economic variables, whereas psychologists would look at the personality traits of the entrepreneurs to see which ones were more integral to that of an entrepreneur (Fritsch, Michael, and Alina Rusakova, 2010). The Big Five model of personality provides a framework for analysing the relationship between personality traits and the tendency to become an entrepreneur. The five dimensions of this personality model are: Extraversion, Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience (Barrick, Murray R, and Michael K Mount, 1991). Zhao and Seibert (2006) investigated the personality characteristics of business founders in comparison to dependently employed managers. They found that self employed individuals are different from managers on the dimensions of openness to experience, consci entiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness (Zhao, Hao, and Scott E Seibert, 2006). Schmitt-Rodermund states that early entrepreneurial interest is related to elevated levels of openness to experience, extraversion, and conscientiousness (Schmitt-Rodermund, Eva, 2004). Although these relationships show a correlation between single personality traits and entrepreneurship, the effect of personality characteristics for entrepreneurship is still not entirely clear (Rauch, Andreas, and Michael Frese 2007). A main motivation for entrepreneurship is the need for freedom. Stepping into self employment means becoming your own boss and a need for autonomy as a non financial value becomes an important part of the entrepreneurs career choice, despite a potential decrease in income (Fritsch, Michael, and Alina Rusakova, 2010). The Croson and Minniti (2011) model shows that newly self employed individuals are willing to accept a lower income in exchange for the psychological benefits that come with self employment (Croson, David C, and Maria Minniti 2012). This is similar to self determination theory in that autonomy leads to well being and explains why autonomy in the workplace might be a compensator for higher incomes in a position that involves less freedom (Deci, Edward, and Richard M Ryan, 2008). Entrepreneurial opportunities can arise from from structural gaps in the market or from business transformations, for example the genesis of an internet company. The entrepreneurial opportunity itself, consists of a business idea and its potential. The business idea is then formed into a business plan which is the foundation for creating a company and exploiting the gap in the marketplace (Volkmann, Christine K, Kim Oliver Tokarski, and Marc Grà ¼nhagen 2010). The term â€Å"opportunity† seems to be a central part of many definitions of entrepreneurship. It relates to Say’s notion of shifting resources to a higher area. An opportunity, therefore, means an opportunity to create value in some way. Entrepreneurs have a mind-set that sees the possibilities rather than the problems created by change such as technological advances. The entrepreneur always looks for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity (Dees, J Gregory 1998). However, Peter Drucker, a management consultant, educator, and author, says that â€Å"not every small business is entrepreneurial or represents entrepreneurship†. An example of this would be a â€Å"husband and wife who open a delicatessen or a mexican restaurant in the american suburb†. There is nothing specifically innovative or change oriented in this (Drucker, Peter Ferdinand 1995). He also claims that entrepreneurship does not require a profit motive. Further backing up the Crosson and Minniti (2010) model. With social entrepreneurs, the social mission is central and mission related impact becomes the central criterion, not the creation of wealth. For social entrepreneurs the money is not important, it is the actual outcome of their work that they strive for. However, with business entrepreneurs, the income of money is a way of measuring the creation of value. Business entrepreneurs are subject to market discipline. If they do not shift resources to become more economically functional then they tend to be driven out of business (Dees, J Gregory 1998). The challenges involved in starting a new venture, as well as the characteristic uncertainty and the lack of resources and stability that have led some researchers to view survival as the focused dimension of success (Van de Den 1984), are authentic in the social field. Furthermore, given the difficulty of measuring the performance of firms they use multiple measures of performance. The criteria of success of social ventures are determined as follows: 1. The level to which the venture achieves its set goals, 2. the ability of the venture to ensure continuity and sustainability by acquiring resources necessary to maintain the objectives, and 3. the level of resources that are available to maintain the ventures growth and expansion (Sharir, Moshe, and Miri Lerner, 2006). A large field study was carried out between 1999 and 2001 on the process of initiating and establishing social ventures (Sharir, Moshe, and Miri Lerner, 2006). Of the social ventures, it was deduced into fifteen variables that determined their success. These include: Previous experience this involved checking the history of the entrepreneur for previous expertise in the venture area. Total dedication The time that was invested in the development by the entrepreneur, the investment of the entrepreneur’s private resources. Support from family and friends this was measured by the amount of involvement that was made by the friends and family of the entrepreneur. Acceptance of the idea of the venture in the public’s eyes the public’s awareness of the issue. The primary social network examined the activities that were involved in assisting the venture to acquire needed capital and support in the establishment stage. Support from public sector agencies yes or no. Funding received from foundations support received by foundations for three or more years. Support received from another non profit organisation whether it acquired capital, received support, or was integrated within an older organisation. The amount of budget at the establishment stage fifty thousand dollars was acquired at the establishment stage. Composition of the staff at the establishment stage The number of staff members and their jobs as salaried or part time, and also the distribution of workload between them. Governing board performance the involvement of board members in planning, decision making, personal financial investment, and expanding the social network. The planned expansion and stabilisation of the venture’s social network the actions taken by the entrepreneur in this way. Preliminary planning the preparation of a business plan or detailed planning involving environmental aspects, staffing and budgeting. Long term cooperation with another organisati on cooperation with another organisation for at least three years. Market test of the venture’s service charging fees for receipt of selected services or obtaining long term contracts from public agencies. Eight of the fifteen variables were found to contribute to the success of the social venture (Sharir, Moshe, and Miri Lerner, 2006). Business mortality rates suggest that discontinuous rates of start ups can be as high as seventy percent in the first five years, although this depends on the specific industry in question. Within a new venture, the main problem arises due to a lack of organisational structure and a lack of a specific set of roles, tasks, and capabilities. Therefore the founders of the company must use what little resources they have to address the issues involved. Thus taking up management time. Moreover, the inclusion of structure and teachings of new roles, tasks, and capabilities within the company can cause inefficiency and may lead to worry, and conflict among the members. However, there is one way in which new ventures have an advantage over older businesses. They are able to form a business plan without being restricted because of the decisions that have been made in the companies’ past. They are also not liable to aging. Older ventures suffer from processes such as routinisation and s tandardisation which makes them reluctant to transform their company in the face of change (Gruber, Marc, and Joachim Henkel 2006). There are three stages that can be applied to the growth of a company once the initial start up procedure has finished. These are: early development, (rapid) development, and sustained growth. In the early development stage, the entrepreneur must strengthen the structures laid out at the foundation stage. They must also aim confidently at successful market establishment. Within this stage the growth of the company is determined by the strategies and implementation of those strategies into business operations. During the rapid development stage, the main strengths and strategic advantages of the business must be capitalised on and created. Frequent changes to structures such as communication, leadership, information, and communication are also required for rapid growth. New resources might need to be acquired or existing ones, redistributed to account for the new demands. In order for a company to achieve sustained growth, it must be planned using growth strategies established by the founders of the company (Volkmann, Christine K, Kim Oliver Tokarski, and Marc Grà ¼nhagen 2010). To summarise, SME’s are still a major part of the economy and they are constantly expanding. Entrepreneurs are the people responsible for the stable growth of SME’s and their innovative minds will ensure that technology advances. Psychologists believe that entrepreneurs have different personality traits than normal people which helps them to strive more and become more confident when setting out to achieve their goals. There are two different types of entrepreneur, the social entrepreneurs and the business entrepreneurs. The social entrepreneurs seek pleasure in getting their idea known to the world whereas business entrepreneurs always look for ways to gain wealth. Due to the entrepreneurs ability to seek out gaps in the market, the world will become a more comfortable place to live in with innovations that will make lives easier. Entrepreneurs do not enjoy the restrictions of a workplace and this leads them to becoming their own boss, however, they must face the chall enges that entails with starting up a business. Such as the resources, organisational structure, and growth. References Lu, Jane W, and Paul W Beamish. The internationalization and performance of SMEs. Strategic management journal 22.6à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 7 (2001): 565-586. Department of Business Innovations and Skills. â€Å"Business Population Estimates for the UK and Regions.† 2013. Fritsch, Michael, and Alina Rusakova. Personality traits, self-employment, and professions. 2010. Croson, David C, and Maria Minniti. Slipping the surly bonds: The value of autonomy in self-employment. Journal of Economic Psychology 33.2 (2012): 355-365. Barrick, Murray R, and Michael K Mount. The big five personality dimensions and job performance: a metaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ analysis. Personnel psychology 44.1 (1991): 1-26. Zhao, Hao, and Scott E Seibert. The big five personality dimensions and entrepreneurial status: a meta-analytical review. Journal of Applied Psychology 91.2 (2006): 259. Schmitt-Rodermund, Eva. Pathways to successful entrepreneurship: Parenting, personality, early entrepreneurial competence, and interests. Journal of Vocational Behavior 65.3 (2004): 498-518. Rauch, Andreas, and Michael Frese. Born to Be an Entrepreneur? Revisiting the Personality Approach to Entrepreneurship. (2007). Deci, Edward, and Richard M Ryan. Self-determination theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology (2008): 416. Dees, J Gregory. The meaning of social entrepreneurship. Comments and suggestions contributed from the Social Entrepreneurship Funders Working Group, 6pp (1998). Drucker, Peter Ferdinand. People and performance: The best of Peter Drucker on management. Routledge, 1995. Sharir, Moshe, and Miri Lerner. Gauging the success of social ventures initiated by individual social entrepreneurs. Journal of world business 41.1 (2006): 6-20. Gruber, Marc, and Joachim Henkel. New ventures based on open innovation–an empirical analysis of start-up firms in embedded Linux. International Journal of Technology Management 33.4 (2006): 356-372. Volkmann, Christine K, Kim Oliver Tokarski, and Marc Grà ¼nhagen. Entrepreneurship in a european perspective: concepts for the creation and growth of new ventures. Springer, 2010.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Brain Tumors and Work :: Medical Workforce Lesion Essays

Brain Tumors and Work Going Home after a brain tumor or lesion can be exciting, joyous, and fearful for the whole family. It can be hard to leave the security of your doctors and nurses, even though they are only a phone call away. Luckily social services can help homecoming along with the many laws protecting people with disabilities. Employment The workforce includes many individuals with psychiatric disabilities who face employment discrimination because their disabilities are stigmatized or misunderstood. Congress intended Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990) to combat such employment discrimination as well as the myths, fears, and stereotypes upon which it is based. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC" or "Commission")(2005)receives a large number of charges under the ADA alleging employment discrimination based on psychiatric disability. These charges raise a wide array of legal issues including, for example, whether an individual has a psychiatric disability as defined by the ADA and whether an employer may ask about an individual's psychiatric disability. People with psychiatric disabilities and employers also have posed numerous questions to the EEOC about this topic. The purpose of the ADA is to: (1) provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities; (2) provide a clear, strong, consistent, enforceable standard addressing discrimination against individuals with disabilities; (3) ensure that the Federal Government plays a central role in enforcing the standards established in this chapter on behalf of individuals with disabilities; and (4) invoke the sweep of congressional authority, including the power to enforce the fourteenth amendment and to regulate commerce, in order to address the major areas of discrimination faced day to day by people with disabilities. The first employment lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) was on behalf of a brain tumor survivor. In July 1992, Charles L. Wessel, Executive Director of AIC Security Investigations, was fired with one day’s notice after telling his company he had inoperable brain metastases from lung cancer. The Chicago-based company’s owner told Mr. Wessel that his position had been eliminated. On November 5, 1992, the EEOC filed this first federal ADA â€Å"test case† with their Chicago district office. The EEOC claimed Mr. Wessel was able to perform the essential functions of his role of executive director and that his firing violated Title I of the ADA. EEOC lawyers described the case as â€Å"a classic example of the type of

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Sisters of Charity and their Service in the Civil War :: American America History

The Sisters of Charity and their Service in the Civil War In Lincoln's inaugural address on March 4, 1861, he pronounced that the Union could not be dissolved by an act of secession (Ward 34). On April 12, 1861, the first shot was fired upon Fort Sumpter, and so began the Civil War in the United States. On April 9. 1865, Grant and Lee met at the Appomattox Court House, for the surrendering of the Confederate Army, and then the Civil War officially ended. In the four years of conflict between these dates, our nation lost by death and disease 600,000 men. The task of caring for so many dying, sick and maimed men was an ordeal. Four Orders of Catholic Sisterhoods participated in caring for the wounded and dying. The orders were: Sisters of Charity, Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Mercy, and the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The work of the Religious Catholic Sisters during the Civil War was commendable. When the war began, the Sisters were the only organized and trained female nurses. The surgeons "liked them because they had been bred to disci pline". Even President Lincoln had a high opinion for the tremendous service of the Catholic Sisters during the Civil War. "Mother", Elizabeth Ann Seton, was the founder and first Superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. In March, 1850, the American Community of The Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph's of Emmitsburg, MD united with the French Daughters of Charity, co-founded by St. Louise de Marillac and St. Vincent de Paul. The merger and growth of the religious community resulted in the establishment of more providences throughout the United States. "Their mission was to serve persons marginalized by poverty, illness, ignorance, disability and injustice". The "black caps" as they were called by the soldiers, lived out their mission to its fullest during the Civil War. The Civil War separated the American Sisters of Charity geographically because their community had houses in the North and the South. The Sisters in California functioned outside the conflict, but they did contribute personnel and resources. When President Lincoln sent forth an appeal for volunteer nurses, nearly every Sis ter answered. On June 1, 1861, Brigadier General John F. Rathbone wrote to Bishop John McCloskey to request Sisters of Charity to assist at the military hospital in Albany, New York. One Sister went, and after a few days, Rathbone declared: "The superiority of the Sisters of Charity as nurses is known wherever the name Florence Nightingale is repeated .

The Importance of Being Earnest :: Comedy Irony Papers

The Importance of Being Earnest ALGERNON. You have always told me it was Ernest. I have introduced you to every one as Ernest. You answer to the name of Ernest. You look as if your name was Ernest. You are the most earnest-looking person I ever saw in my life. It is perfectly absurd your saying that your name isn't Ernest. It's on your cards. Here is one of them. [Taking it from case.] 'Mr. Ernest Worthing, B. 4, The Albany.' I'll keep this as a proof that your name is Ernest if ever you attempt to deny it to me, or to Gwendolen, or to any one else. [Puts the card in his pocket.] JACK. Well, my name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country, and the cigarette case was given to me in the country. ALGERNON. Yes, but that does not account for the fact that your small Aunt Cecily, who lives at Tunbridge Wells, calls you her dear uncle. Come, old boy, you had much better have the thing out at once. JACK. My dear Algy, you talk exactly as if you were a dentist. It is very vulgar to talk like a dentist when one isn't a dentist. It produces a false impression. ALGERNON. Well, that is exactly what dentists always do. Now, go on! Tell me the whole thing. I may mention that I have always suspected you of being a confirmed and secret Bunburyist; and I am quite sure of it now. JACK. Bunburyist? What on earth do you mean by a Bunburyist? ALGERNON. I'll reveal to you the meaning of that incomparable expression as soon as you are kind enough to inform me why you are Ernest in town and Jack in the country. JACK. Well, produce my cigarette case first. ALGERNON. Here it is. [Hands cigarette case.] Now produce your explanation, and pray make it improbable. [Sits on sofa.] JACK. My dear fellow, there is nothing improbable about my explanation at all. In fact it's perfectly ordinary. Old Mr. Thomas Cardew, who adopted me when I was a little boy, made me in his will guardian to his grand-daughter, Miss Cecily Cardew. Cecily, who addresses me as her uncle from motives of respect that you could not possibly appreciate, lives at my place in the country under the charge of her admirable governess, Miss Prism. ALGERNON. Where in that place in the country, by the way? JACK. That is nothing to you, dear boy.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Our Poor Reading Culture Essay

One of the cruel jokes that are often made at the expense of the black man is that, if you want to hide something from him, simply put it inside a book. The idea is that, he does not have the habit of reading for pleasure and knowledge and as such is not likely to go near any secret kept in a book. Another variant of this joke is that, if you want to hide something from a fool, simply hide it inside a book because a fool does not read. Whichever of the variants of these jokes, we are familiar with hardly matters. What is important is that, in Ghana today, particularly in our universities and other tertiary institutions, there is a low level of reading habits among students. Very few students read anything outside the prescribed texts for their studies. Many adults as such loathe reading just to broaden their horizon. Yet an informed citizenry with a broad outlook on life is necessary for good governance and for the successful practice of democracy. It is unfortunate that our race has been identified for the lack of wisdom in most of its people in not reading as much as we ought to. The joke at our particular expense should serve as a wakeup call on all students and blacks to embrace the culture of reading. We should begin to ask ourselves whether it is a mere coincidence that the black race is today the poorest, the least developed and the most backward technologically of all the races or there is somehow a connection between the poor reading culture among the blacks and their relative backwardness. People of all races particularly, we the blacks ought to read because; the wisdom of the ages is contained in books. Educators, psychologist neurologist have all confirmed that, reading is one of the most valuable tools for brain development. The decline in reading nowadays can be traced principally to some of the following causes: Harsh economic reality which affects the buying of books; Poor educational system; inadequate reading materials in the library; Laziness on part of students; Problem of awareness of the need to read lastly, the Poor method of teaching â€Å"reading’’. Since food for the body is more important, than the one specifically meant for the brain, many have chosen to sacrifice books in favour of other more urgent needs. The rise of the computer with all their addictive games, have also conspired against book reading. However, while TV and the computer are other tools of education and entertainment, they cannot completely replace books in equipping the citizenry in the task of personal and national development. Reading is a skill that should be acquired and not inculcated. Nature did not deem it fit to just bestow it on us, therefore, we students have a serious role in getting ourselves back to the book, parents, lecturers, the government and NGO’s alike also have a role to play in getting the society back to the book. The time has come for us to end that old- fashioned and cruel joke about us being fools, because we do not want to read.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The Role of Setting and Landscape in “Mrs. Dalloway” and “On the Road”

Mrs. Dalloway by acclaimed refreshingist Virginia Woolf is an interesting literary piece with several(prenominal) distinctly remarkable features. The source utilizes a stream-of- attending technique records the atoms as they go finished upon the mentality in the order in which they fall tracing the pattern, however disconnected in progressance, in which each incident make headway upon the consciousness (Woolf, 1) to bring fall tabu the inmost thoughts of the characters in a style which efficaciously weaves together the elements of memory and metre.Prior to the early twentieth nose candy fictive literature had stress the primacy of plot and detailed descriptions of the characters and the settings, with externalities serving as the most real turning-point in the story, effectively limiting the innermost workings of the characters minds to a more secondary role, mainly that of providing the want for the external occurrences in the plot. Going against the grain, Woolfs refinement of the stream-of-consciousness technique the representation of aggregate consciousness lingering around a locus is definitely one of her long-lasting contri notwithstandingions to the literary creative activity, as evidenced by her novels.In Mrs. Dalloway the plot can be depict as generated by the inner detains of the characters, i.e. Mrs. Dalloway and Septimus, whose tempers ar revealed through with(predicate) the ebb and flow of their emotions, impressions, thoughts and beliefings. This in turn effectively transforms the rather r let onine level(p)ts in their lives into the extraordinary, particularly as their consciousness appears to slip in and out through cartridge holder conceptualized not merely as a linear series of events but also as cyclical.Focusing on the devil distinct worlds of the primary characters gracious capital of the United Kingdom monastic order matron Clarissa Dalloway with a stable sprightliness in capital of the United Kingdoms high-pitched society and young Septimus warren metalworker thought to be suffering from a metal affliction brought or so by the expiration of a friend in World War I the novel explores their appear parallel thought processes in spite of differences in brotherly station and the accompaniment that they did not know each new(prenominal) and had never met, within a champion eventful day in June.Both appear to experience exhilarating shifts in their moods, spookily similar to bouts with manic depression which Woolf plainly suffered from dark joy over the straightforward beauty of spring and the behavior of its fresh, minute leaves, apprehensive dread over what they apprehend as the on-rushing of conviction, alarm over their threatening demise, and what could only be described as overt guilt over the horror of creation humane with its accompanying sensibilities, aw areness, failures and shortcomings.In the last-place chapter of the book the reader finds Clarissa fina lly being acquainted with the character of Septimus posthumously when his differentiate doctors married woman explains to their hostess Mrs. Dalloway the reason for their tardiness the suicide of a uncomplaining earlier in the day, leading her to internally remark that Here is demise, in the sum of my party (Woolf, 108). A peak at Mrs. Dalloways mind reveals a rather emphatic understanding of the sensitivity, despair and in conclusion defiance besieging her symbolic double.In admirable literary fashion, despite all events hazard within the 24- hr span of a single day, the setting and embellish appear to be effectively adequate for the story to unfold. The plain fluid nature of sentence the author utilizes allows the effortless weaving of the characters thoughts from the present to the ult and vice-versa, even allowing the creeping up of thoughts about the future. Despite the cornucopia of ideas taking baffle in the characters minds and the feelings such thoughts evoke, the clever subroutine of time imparts order to the fluidity of thoughts, memories and encounters populating the world of Mrs. Dalloway.Big Ben that seemingly solid symbol of a strong England sounds out the passing of time hour after hour, a constant quantity reminder to the characters pain practicedy aware of the keep of time over their lives. Yet when the hour is chimed, the sound disappears as if its leaden circles change state in the air destineing the ephemeral nature of time which most masses in their wary obsession with time silence fail to understand. Woolf skillfully introduces the notion of time not merely as having a linear character but a circular aspect to it as strong when the reader is introduced to the ancient woman telling the same song for a seeming eternity at the Regents Park Tube Station.In terms of the visual grace createing, the author captures the beauty of a capital of the United Kingdom summer day in June with the abundant images of trees and flowers in the story. The variety of flowers be throughout the text is suggestive of the characters fleeting emotions. In the opening pages of the book, the reader is acquainted with Clarissa Dalloway on her way to the flower shop.Clarissa, deep and profound in her thoughts, revels in the beauty of flowers and trees, maculation the stiffer, more aloof members of the side nerve trained in the art of guardianship their emotions in check all the time are represented as incompetent in the way of handling flowers (Richard treats the perfume of flowers as if it was a weapon bit Mrs. Bruton appeared to be at a loss with the flowers impinge onered to her, eventually stuffing them into her dress, the femininity and mildness of the gesture surprising even herself) and conventional in their choice of blooms roses and carnations as picked by Richard and Hugh.In tune with the reflective tone of the novel, the significant abundance of trees with their far-reaching root systems appear t o signify the extensive reach of the human intelligence, even as the dickens protagonists wage their aver personal battles in a defend to protect their souls. The element of water appearing in the characters fluid thoughts as on-rushing waves evokes images of the laundry away of the old to be replaced by the new in an endless oscillation of the waves lapping at the shore (the appearance of which increases in intensity until it reaches the shore, only to pass into another), i.e. death as the fate awaiting us all.Set against the background of post-war London, traditional English society is presented as if a tide force d stimulate those who fail to adapt to the crush changes plaguing England, and one such casualty was Septimus Warren Smith who had ultimately failed to accept and understand his vastly altered concrete social realities following the end of the war and the irreparable scarring of humankind.In contrast, Clarissa appears to have navigated the murky waters of London high society quite admirably (a silver-green mermaid in Peter Walshs eyes) still underneath the veneer of dutiful wife and mother is a kindred soul who identifies with Septimus and his wish to struggle against the oppressive pressures of society, attempting to hire a balance between privateness and open communication with the significant volume in their lives. In the last analysis, she refuses to grant to the temptation herself, and veers away from the outlet chosen by Septimus.In a similar mode to that of Virginia Woolf, the American writer Jack Kerouac, who founded the supposed round of drinks Generation, could also be considered as a pioneer in terms of contributions to the literary field. Though Kerouac was of a different generation and genre from the English author, the two share the similarity of exhalation against convention in their own livelinesstimes in a bid to assert their own ideas on crafting literary pieces. His novel On the highway could be described as an attempt to inspire readers to go out there and seize the day Carpe diem as the French say, so to speak and live life.On the Road we meet the young, moderately nave writer Sal Paradise and dean Moriarty, whom the narrator describes as tremendously wound up with life in their adventure traipsing around America to test the limits of their American Dream. various(a) settings, e.g. a small town in unsophisticated Virginia, a jazz critical point in urban innovative York, a Mexican whore-house, and landscape are utilize by the author in their full extent to present the reader with images of the regular army and its new-world wonders urban jungles, sleepy towns, the American rural wilderness, vast expanse of desserts the only apparent connection between them being the alley, the contend for a generation to get out of their seeming confinements limited by space, to live on out and seek freedom unchain by any imposed-from-above belief, sentiments or ideology.These youths, overwhelmed by the lack of fulfillment and the overrule experience of desperation in their lives made them feel that the only thing to do was go, providing the nervous impulse to search for their own personal freedoms, the enjoyment of which they found in sex, drugs and jazz music. For Sal, life is holy and every moment precious, which whitethorn perhaps account for doyen seeming to be doing everything at the same time as a fear and solicitude of death appeared to haunt the gang in their sojourn throughout America (death will overtake us in the beginning heaven), manifested by visions of a smashing spirit trailing after them crossways the desert of life.Yet this fear did not stay fresh them from living their life not held by the sway of materialism, that mad dream-grabbing, taking, giving, sighing and dying righteous so they could be buried in those awful cemetery cities beyond wide Island. As their travels together come to an end, Sal and Dean find themselves in the pove rty-stricken city of Mexico, where among the brothels, barefooted old women, and simple meals, Sal notices that beggars slept imprisoned in advertising posters torn off fences (Kerouac, 248).An excited Sal declares This was the great and uninhibited Fellahin-childlike city that we knew we would find at the end of the road (Kerouac, 248). They had found a world where people could apparently live in bare, straightforward simplicity not harassed by the pressures of a materialistic culture, a well-timed reminder that despite the pretentiousness of the relatively affluent 20th century, peoples possession of goods, or the lack of it are not the sole determinants of being human. much(prenominal) an idealistic message in a work of fiction attempts to counter the overriding negativism and corruption of the corporate fantasize dominant in American culture, of which its inwrought conflict with other needs and interests of the human spirit continues to be played out in contemporary so cieties up to the present.The two novels, Mrs. Dalloway and On the Road utilize landscape and setting to the full extent, resulting in muscular narratives which allow the reader much visual power, i.e. the reader is transported to post-War early 20th century London and a modernizing 20th century America. Yet the authors use setting and landscape in rather different ways. In the case of Woolfs Mrs. Dalloway, she employs the setting and landscape in an interestingly novel manner which complements her stream-of-consciousness technique, while Kerouac resorts to a rather regular(prenominal) use of setting and landscape to paint a picture of the America of the Beat generation in On the Road. The techniques they employ might be different notwithstanding the end result is the same immobilise literary narratives which are undoubtedly slightly of the excellent works written in their respective periods by writers of their generation.ReferencesClark, Tom. Jack Kerouac New York Harcourt, Brace, Javanovich, 1984.Dunphy, Mark. Call Me Sal, Jack Visions of Ishmael in Kerouacs On the Road in Melville Society Extracts, July 2002.Hunt, Tim. Kerouacs Crooked Road The Development of a Fiction. Berkeley University of California Press, 1996.Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. New York Viking Press, 1957.Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway.originally published 1925. Accessed through the University of Adelaide Library Electronic Texts Collection, on 28 November 2007