Impressions of what life was like for the colonists Essay

Life in the new world for the colonists was like nothing that individuals in today’s society can understand. After taking the Would You Have Survived the Colony quiz on the website, it is easy to see that surviving the colonial atmosphere might have been one of the most difficult tasks on earth. This is because of the differences in culture, in food, in work load, and with other important aspects of life that would take an awful lot of adjusting. When the Europeans came across the pond to colonize America, they had a lot of adjusting to do, as well. The first way that they had to adjust to the new world was with the environmental changes. Life in America was rough because of all of the elements. Europe was a flat area with a lot of rain and average weather. When they came to America, they had to put up with mountains, with rivers, and with lots of other elements. There was also the animals that they had to adjust to. Because the United States was just being colonized and modernized, lots of wild animals were running around where people were living. Among them were predators like bears and big cats. When people went out to find food or to cut wood, they had to put up with this nuisance. This was how life was so difficult and it was something that people of today’s culture would struggle with. When taking that quiz, I thought about the clothes that people would wear if they had to go back to that time. I like to be in nice clothes. Though I do not have to have the latest in fashion, I do like to keep up with the times. Back then, the clothes had to last a long time and they had to be able to stand up to the elements. People had to track through the woods, so the clothes had to be able to put up with that challenge. Since there was no air conditioning or heating at the time, the clothes also had to be much more of an insulator in the difficult times. This would be a difficult adjustment for someone like myself if I were to go back in time. The last and most important thing is the overall work ethic and lifestyle that would have to be employed. Every time those people wanted something, they had to work hard for it. If they wanted a fire, they had to cut down some wood and start the fire. If they wanted to eat something, they had to go kill it and cook it. There were no fast food restaurants to go grab food at. Today, people go to work in order to make money to buy nice things. Those people had to go to work in order to keep themselves and their families alive. That was in addition to actually protecting themselves from the elements and the things in the environment that were so difficult. Overall, life in the colonial period was difficult and it would definitely be an adjustment for anyone who had to go back in time and face it. The differences in the economy and with the environment are so profound that people had to go through a whole lot each and every day. The main difference is that there were no days off if you felt bad or simply needed some rest.

From One War to Another Essay

The French and Indian war, a war that had assembled the largest number of troops ever, was caused by more than a hundred years of rivalry between the two countries, had several consequences on the British Empire, and impacted the colonies greatly. When the fire of the French and Indian war was blown out, another match was dropped, starting another war. The main causes of the French and Indian war also known as the Seven Years war, was due to the constant hostility of the two large Empires. Although peace was kept surprisingly well, at the beginning of colonization in the New World, the Ohio River brought upon a new battle. Not only the French and English wanted control of the Ohio River Valley, but the Native Americans who were living there also believed that it was rightfully their land. All held the notion that the Valley was a strategic economic location and none were willing to give it up, which led to the start of small battles. Eventually, this led up to a declaration of war from Britain to France. This caused both France and England to suddenly begin seeking friendship with the Indians in order to have them as allies. Although the English won the war, the consequences that they faced were immense. The war had increased Britain’s debt to 133 million pounds by 1763, which led to much hatred towards the colonies who were unwilling to help pay this debt. Grennville, and other men of the British Empire bestowed it upon the colonies as their duty to participate in paying the debt.. Grenville took it upon himself to impose harsh acts, such as the Sugar and Stamp act, inorder to take revenue from the colonies. This outraged many colonialists, including Patrick Henry, who at one of Virginias House of Burgesses meetings, openly protested the stamp act, and the unjust acts of the empire. Not only did the British feel that they colonies should take part in paying the debt, but they also held a feeling of resentment due to the colonists minimal of participation in helping with the army, and supplying food and clothing. The British were infuriated that the Colonies were so uncooperative, and unappreciati ve after all they had done for America.. This led to increased tension and unrest between the colonies and Britain. Quite different from the repercussions of the war of the British, the colonies had very different consequences. Men like George Washington who had participated in the battle began to see that the redcoats were not as powerful as they were thought of, and that they would not always be able to serve and protect the colonies. Also, with colonialists fighting the war beside eachother, this interaction with the other twelve colonies opened the eyese of the colonies making them aware that when united together, they could become a force that could challenge the British Empire. Also the Colonies were angered by the harsh acts initiated by the British, and began to despise the Parliamentary rule. Leading other colonies and people to protest Grenvilles acts; together they held an intercolonial gathering of nine colonies, called the Stamp Act Congress, which lead to the Governors writing to the British Government of how they should be in charge of their own taxation as they saw the British system of taxation without representation as unjust and unlawful. This perception led them to increasingly doubt their loyalty to the empire and these events led to the American Revolution. Beginning as a rivalry between the French and English which caused the Seven Years war, lead to drastic consequences of both the colonies and the British. The British Empire had a huge debt, and lost their relationship with America while the colonials began to imagine breaking free of British rule.The end of a war lead to another war.

An Analysis of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Time is not really suspended, even for the novels beautiful young hero In the light of this comment, discuss ways in which Willed portrays time passing in The Picture Of Dorian Gray. One of the main ways in which Willed portrays time passing is the ageing and changing of the portrait. Dorian is exceptionally vain and becomes convinced, after a brief conversation with rod Henry that his most significant characteristics; his youth and attractiveness are slowly going to fade away. The thought of this makesDorian worried and therefore he curses his fate and pledges his soul so that he could live without bearing the physical burdens of aging and sinning. He no longer sees his beauty as a gift but as something he must fight to retain at any cost. The fact that at first, Dorian Gray is described as a beautiful creature, and someone who should always be there in winter when we have no flowers to look at suddenly, with a matter of time, after listening to Lord Henrys famous aphorisms he soon believes them and with that he turns into meeting completely different from how he was first described. He changes into something volatile with mad hungers that become more ravenous. He goes through life living through sin and pleasure and after being given the yellow book by Lord Henry, he lives under the influence of the book. As he approaches his thirties, many people shun him, whilst others find him charming, due to the fact that these are the people that have seen him in person and therefore dismiss his wrong doings due to the purity of his face.His face however reveals no dissipation; his appearance is merely innocent, only his soul has been poisoned by a book. Although physically Dorian doesnt age, emotionally he does. He seems to grow more and more restricted from others and gain pleasure at any cost, something Freudianism would call an over indulgence of the id the pleasure principle where this pleasure principle is outweighed more than the ego -? reality principle and the superego the morality principle.

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Assignment 3 - Essay Example More so, if gays are allowed to marry, it will pile pressure to those who have not married to marry. It is observable that if gays and lesbians are allowed to marry, they will be fully integrated into normal society because relationship will engulf our thoughts and view this marriage as normal and eventually confining both the straights and gays in society. In addition, there is a greater fluidity in the relationship of gays and lesbian than straights because gays are more likely than straights to stay friends with old lovers and are less likely to become compartmentalized into isolated couples (Isaacson 302). Specialized references, books, encyclopedias, and regular book collections provide information that the reader trusts. Due to this, they offer data that is relevant and typical from personal experiences. For example, we in the gay community should not downplay the real benefits that legalizing gay marriage will bring. We are denied legal rights of marriage that the straights enjoys (Isaacson 92) Those who argue for the need to legalize gay marriage should provide relevant evidence. For instance, they argue that gays should fight for other important issues such as denial of their legal marriage rights and marginalization rather than fighting for legalization of gay marriage. This is because, some people will think that gay marriage has no biological benefits thus it should not be legalized. However, when they fight for their legal rights, it will be sensible to most people who will feel that they need to be offered a chance to medical treatment, tax benefits, and other legal rights that the straights enjoy (Isaacson 301). Internet search engine will provide up to date information on the issue of legalizing gay marriage. It is likely to be persuasive to the audience because of the credibility of the information provided. For instance, on such issue, the United States data bureau will give numbers of those people who are gays

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Analysis - Case Study Example Specifically, there was immense pressure from the US government for this program to be declared operational and to beat its deadline as part of the space race with the USSR (Edmondson; A 1). Finally, there was pressure from Congress for the program to become financially self-supportive. The environment NASA was operating in forced them to operate pseudo-commercially (Edmondson; A 2), which resulted in a culture of short-cuts, stress, and conflict between and within different contractors and NASA. Pressure increased before the launch of the Challenger, although they were still confident after conducting 24 successful launches. However, prior to the Challenger launch, NASA was faced with territorial battles and internal strife due to competing interests and political pressure. In short, NASA seems to have been operating in a semi-controlled decision making phase as they tried to serve industry, scientific, and military demands with a shuttle that was declared operational prior to completion of development. The decision-making process was also open to political manipulation (Edmondson; A 2), which left an impression on the employees that decision making was a political directive, leading to complacency among employees with safety decisions traded for keeping political deadlines. Roger Boisjoly was an engineer working under the Director of the Solid Rocket Motors project at Morton Thiokol (Edmondson; A 4), which was one of NASA’s contractors. His opinion on the decision to launch was that Challenger’s launch should be stopped. He gave this opinion based on data he had found about the rocket boosters meant to lift the Challenger into space, writing a memo to the Vice President of Engineering Robert Lund that the O-rings in the SRM joints were eroded and that this should be rectified (Edmondson; B 9). During the teleconference just before the Challenger launch, Boisjoly made a presentation to managers

Xplain the benefits of special journals and subsidiary ledgers Essay

Xplain the benefits of special journals and subsidiary ledgers - Essay Example This statement is also used to show net profit or loss the company or business incurred after a given accounting period. Balance sheet also known as statement of financial position is a financial statement showing the summary of financial balance of a business. The statement also shows the company’s financial condition. The two financial statements have different accounting transactions presented in these statements (William et al, 2008). While income statement describes the performance of a business of the current year, balance sheet shows the company’s overall position as from the beginning of the year to the current year. The transactions posted on the balance sheet include assets, liabilities and equity, the balance sheet has three parts arranged in liquidity order, assets are followed by liabilities. The difference between assets and liabilities gives capital, in the balance sheet the records of each account is usually maintained using double entry book-keeping, which is an accounting system. The transactions posted on income statement include revenues and expenses, this statement is however, divided into two parts the operating and non-operating sections. The operating section shows information concerning the revenues and expenses of the business, which comes because of regular operations of a business. Non-operating section shows information not related to direct regular operations of the business (Dani els & Mortimer, 1980). Information from these financial statements is normally posted in different journals and ledgers. Transactions made on income statement affect it in different ways, for example, an increase in sales by a certain amount affect the income statement since it will provide an additional income thus increase in net profit and vice versa when income from sales reduces. These sales also have an effect of balance sheet. Employee’s transactions, which amount to

In george orwell's Animal Farm, what is the difference between art and Essay

In george orwell's Animal Farm, what is the difference between art and propanda - Essay Example The process of achieving absolute power, the art of misinformation, and the way oppressed are perpetually oppressed in order to enjoy political power are allegorically portrayed in Animal Farm by the skilful use of irony and satire. A close scrutiny of the role of art and propaganda in Animal Farm is the focus of this paper. For a totalitarian government propaganda is essential in order to influence its audience. After selecting some important facts or information, they are presented in such a persuasive manner that they get injected into the minds of the people with little resistance. Propaganda is also needed to counter this kind of move. For example â€Å"our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies†, tells Old Major to his comrades (Ch. 1). The revolutionary spirit is thus put in the minds of the general public, by Old Major, in Manor Farm. Therefore, propaganda is an inevitable political t ool in a society. The problem arises when the information is selected with a sinister motive, to achieve some selfish interest for a person or a party, or when it becomes harmful to the people, in this book for the animals: "War is war. The only good human being is a dead one" (Ch. 1V). The stress here is on the emotional response rather than on the rational response. This kind of propaganda is used to further some political agenda without taking the welfare of the people into consideration. Ultimately it also assumes the form of political warfare, leading to totalitarianism. Orwell has not written his novel to appease any particular party. John Rodden writes, â€Å"Orwell reportedly told his friend Stephen Spender, the well-known English poet, that he â€Å"had not written a book against Stalin in order to provide propaganda for capitalists† (Rodden, 135). Therefore, Animal Farm is to be seen as a work of art written to condemn all forms of totalitarianism. Animal Farm, the refore, is not a political work intended to propagate that totalitarianism is bad. On the contrary, it is a literary work which only takes the evil nature of totalitarianism as its content. It enables the students to study all aspects of satire, and also enlightens them on how effective allegory is in literature. Character development is superb in Animal Farm. â€Å"Squealer, with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes, nimble movements, and a shrill voice† reveals his true nature (Ch. 11). Orwell gives minute details of each and every animal, its natural instincts, without forgetting that they are the caricatures of great political personalities. Their role is to propagate to the readers the idiosyncrasies of their human originals in politics they represent, and they do it extremely well without forgetting their original tails or wings. Variety is the richness of Animal Farm, an assembly of complex and conflicting characters uniting for a purpose. They reenact the historical and political events superbly, which if presented as a book of history or politics would have generated repulsion and boredom. In the hands of Orwell art and propaganda converge to gift to the readers a fantastic piece of literary work. The working class is presented in the novel very

Marine Corps O&M Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marine Corps O&M - Assignment Example In addition, funds are provided to assist landing force training, marine detachments afloat and security forces given the duty to guard the naval and other government activities ashore, Norway prepositioning and maritime prepositioning ships. Some of the shore facilities that get support from this appropriation include; one Marine Corps system command, eleven air installations, one Marine Corps combat development, two expeditionary warfare training groups and one Marine Corps air ground combat. These shore facilities are maintained at high level of standards to ensure that there is effective utilization of resources and avoidance of major replacement costs while at the same time allowing for operations and maintenance of Marine Corps on an effective and economical basis. Furthermore, this Marine Corps appropriation endorses other activities such as second destination transportation of things, special training of personnel, overhaul of equipment and repair, and other expenses that might be incurred. This appropriation uses the Marine Corps supply system that offers Marine units with relevant and proper equipment and material in quantity, time, condition and place required. It is also important to note that this appropriation provides support programs to Marine Corps such as quality of life which includes services such as child care, youth development, and procurement of relatively cheap equipments needed to outfit new military development projects at Marine Corps camps and compensation for injuries incurred while on duty. The Marine operation and maintenance budget request of $ 4,961.4 million shows an increase in budgetary allocation to maintain and sustain the operation of Marine Corps. Budget for operating forces is made up of two tasks, USMC propositioning and Expeditionary Forces. In this case, the expeditionary forces activity

Online vs. traditional classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Online vs. traditional classes - Essay Example According to Parker, around 77% of the universities they surveyed were offering at least some form of online courses (Parker 1). Online classes have several benefits to offer as compared to traditional classes. These benefits include: increased accessibility, decrease in educational gap and ease of gaining education. Online education has increased the accessibility of education. When only traditional classroom style education was available a lot of individuals used to fail to get themselves enrolled in universities that they always wanted to. This was because these educational institutes had limited amount of seats available and because several individuals did not have the funding required to attend classes in these educational institutes. Online education does not require seats and does not require an individual to be physically available in a setting to gain education. Due to this people have started gaining online education in universities of their choice at a lower cost. Online education has even helped in decreasing the educational gap. The problem with traditional classroom education was that it was only accessible for those who belonged to families who can afford to get their children enrolled in the best universities by paying for their travelling costs and tuition fee. Due to this people living in developing nations and poorer regions of the world used to fail to gain education in the best universities around the world. This led to an increase in the gap between quality and quantity of education being obtained by rich and the poor. Online education is quite inexpensive and does not need huge amount of funds for travelling from one region to another and this enables the poor to attain education thus leading to a decrease in the gap of quality and quantity of education being obtained by rich and poor. Online education provides students with the ease of gaining education. Adults who work used to fail to gain education in physical classroom because

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost Essay Example for Free

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost Essay Robert Frost constructed this poem with four stanzas in iambic tetrameter. Frost’s rhyme scheme is intriguing; the first, second, and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme, where as the third rhymes with the next set of first, second, and fourth lines. Although, this pattern is broken in the fourth and final stanza, where Frost rhymes all the lines with the third line in the third stanza. To finish off the poem, the fifteenth line is repeated as the last line (aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd). The poem’s title is a very straightforward description of the poem itself, since it says exactly what is going on in the delicately placed An Explication of Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost constructed this poem with four stanzas in iambic tetrameter. Frost’s rhyme scheme is intriguing; the first, second, and fourth lines of each stanza rhyme, where as the third rhymes with the next set of first, second, and fourth lines. Although, this pattern is broken in the fourth and final stanza, where Frost rhymes all the lines with the third line in the third stanza. To finish off the poem, the fifteenth line is repeated as the last line (aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd). The poem’s title is a very straightforward description of the poem itself, since it says exactly what is going on in the delicately placed words below it. Starting with the first stanza, the speaker decides to stop in the woods to, â€Å"To watch [it] fill up with snow† (Frost). He believes that he is acquainted with the owner of these woods; though the owner does not reside there but, â€Å"his house is in the village† (Frost). Therefore, the speaker is not worried about the owner spotting him on his property enjoying a tranquil moment on his journey. words below it. Starting with the first stanza, the speaker decides to stop in the woods to, â€Å"To watch [it] fill up with snow† (Frost). He believes that he is acquainted with the owner of these woods; though the owner does not reside there but, â€Å"his house is in the village† (Frost). Therefore, the speaker is not worried about the owner spotting him on his property enjoying a tranquil moment on his journey.

Poverty and Social Justice

Poverty and Social Justice Abstract This paper looks into the issue of poverty and social justice. The paper shows the contribution of poverty to social injustice. This is done by examining a social organization which fights poverty. This paper examines the City Team Ministry one of the many organizations which is helping to reduce poverty. The beneficiaries of the organization are interviewed to shed light on the issues of poverty. The questions used in guiding the interview are appended. SECTION I City Team Ministries was started by Lester and Pauline Meyers in 1957. It began as a feeding program. Four years later it expanded to include women in its feeding program and still later in 1069 merged with another ministry to bring on board homeless and troubled youths. In 1983 it changed its name San Jose Rescue Mission to City Team. In 1987 the churches in Philadelphia invited the City team to start national expansion to the East Coast. This was to serve the greater Delaware valley. The City Team Ministry records that this was the period that the full long term recovery program for men was started. Further the website claims there were continued increase in the number of the children and women who suffered from abuse, addiction, crisis pregnancy, abandonment and homelessness. To bring on board the women and children the city team ministry launched three programs three programs: heritage home and house of grace in San Jose and well baby program Philadelphia. The programs caused a l ot of changes in the lives of the women ands children (City Team 2010). The City Team International was launched in 1997 in an effort to broaden the City Team. In 2007 the name was changed to New Generations International. The New Generations International is specifically concern with training, equipping and coaching national leaders in 38 countries. This division cares people through the provision of compassionate services such food, clean water, education and medical services (City Team, 2010). The City Team Ministry has a disaster response team which started in 1989. The first beneficiaries of this team were the victims of the Loma earthquake. Afterwards the team has responded to and sheltered the victims of the Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in 2004. Since 2005 the response team has developed a four phase framework specializing in the long term recovery of communities affected by the major disasters (City Team, 2010). The mission statement of the ministry is, In obedience to Christ, passionately transforming individuals, their families and communities throughout the world (City Team Ministry para. 4). The programs which are offered by the organization are as follows: rescue missions, mens recovery programs, youth outreach, family programs and church advancement. These programs will be explained in a detailed way in the course of the paper (City Team, 2010). Section II I carried out an interview on clients served by the City Team Ministry. The interview was carried out after obtaining permission from the ministry authorities. Six classes of people were interviewed one from each program offered by the City Team Ministry. The fist person interviewed was a beneficiary of the rescue mission. This program is designed to offer a hot meal and a safe nights sleep. The program offers temporary emergency care to the homeless. A young man who had just been released from prison was one of those beneficiaries of this program who was interviewed. He has an Islamic background and was headed to the streets after being released but bounced into the agents of the ministry who enrolled him in the program. For the sake of this paper he will be called 1A. The second person to be interviewed (2B) was a black man an addict of drugs. He was a beneficiary of the men recovery program. He was not homeless but had been driven to the streets after being left by his wife who was the bread winner. The man in desperation turned to abuse of drugs. The program agents enrolled him in the program and slowly he was making some progress in recovering from drug use. The third interview was carried out on a group of street kids. These kids had an arrangement with the City Team Ministry whereby they met every Saturday and Wednesday. In the meetings they hold bible discussions and are groomed to become better citizens. These kids operate under the youth outreach program. Some of the have already being taken off the streets and are attending schools. The kids are of various backgrounds. The fourth interview was carried out on a family which is a beneficiary of the family program. This program offers basic needs like clothes to the families which can not afford the basic needs and view them as luxuries. The last person interviewed was a lady around the age of thirty who had been abused and was pregnant. She was taken in under the womens programs where she was taken care of through her pregnancy.   Section III This section presents the results of the interviews carried out above. The interviews were guided by the questions appended in the appendix. The interviews focused on how the clients have experienced social injustice as a result of poverty. Through the interview it was also possible to assess how the macro conditions of the society may have impacted upon the poverty experienced by the clients. Person 1A: Education The first interview carried out on person 1A who had just been released from the prison having been charged with mugging. He was a sharp young man aged 27 years who answered the questions succinctly though he was well educated having just attended the elementary level education. He could not continue with studies because he could no longer depend on his family which actually needed his help for sustenance. He therefore pulled out of school to help his  Ã‚   family meet the basic needs of life. Education which is a basic had turned out to be a luxury for him. This is one incident which clearly shows how poverty can easily cut short and change basic needs like education into a luxury irrespective of whether one is willing to continue studies or not. Some macro condition of the society can equally contribute to making the access of these basic services a challenge (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). According to the National Academic Press (2001), The U.S. system of education finance is characterized by large disparities in funding and opportunities (National Academic Press para 1). This disparity makes attaining education in some region to be expensive. Expensive education coupled with poverty makes education almost unattainable. The property tax is basically used to sponsor the education at the district level. This means that a poor district will equally be unable to fund its schools leading to disparity in education among the districts. Another macro environment factor which may contribute to insufficiency education and therefore poverty is the attitude of some communities. Education is not taken seriously by some people especially in regions which have large numbers of poor inhabitants (National Academic Press, 2001). Person 1B: Medical Care The second person to be interviewed is labeled person 1B. This man was a victim of depression which led him to drug abuse. He had part ways with his wife who used to provide for the family and could not take care of himself therefore resorting to the streets. He looked as a man who was well built before. Before joining the men recovery program with the City Team Ministry he could not afford medical care being unemployed. He was sick on several occasions as he narrated but could not afford medical care. From the interview, the main reason he gave for not getting something casual job to work on was his ailing status. He also made claims that he could not secure a job in his status of health. The interview with person 1B brings into limelight the issue of the access to health insurance. Health insurance is only accessible by those who are employed. Once ones job is no more and being not in position to submit the required periodical premiums the coverage is frozen and attaining medical care becomes hard. With the exception of such programs as Medicare and Medicaid it becomes extremely hard for the poor people to access medical care facilities (Cellini, McKernan Ratcliffe, 2008).   Street Youths: This was the third interview which carried out. Some street kids who are beneficiaries of the youth outreach program volunteered to give information about their lives and the program they were enrolled in. The program offers a combination of youth activities and mentorship to youth especially those who are affected by the street ways of life such as drugs. From the interview carried out it was found out that the youths mostly lacked a source of direction and mentorship. Most of the youths interviewed under this interview group were willing to work on any casual job. A close cross examination showed that they lacked the presentation skills which would be quite necessary if they were to win the confidence of those they would work for. Under this interview some macro conditions came into play (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). The first which was quite noticeable was the community. Some employers are likely to avoid employing individuals from some communities because of stereotypes which might be associated with them. For instance not all employers will be willing the street youths work for fears that they may steal from the workplace and cause some kind of conflict. The youths were mentored on presentation skills through the program offered by City Team Ministry. Family The fourth interview was carried out on a family which is a beneficiary of the family programs. This program is designed to help poor families have an access to basic necessities. This is done in form of giving the families quality second hand appliances, clothes and furniture. This has gone a long way to raise the standard of living of the families in the family programs. The family which were interviewed were able to live a comfortable life and invest money businesses which they could have spend buying the basic home necessities. Having a comfortable home environment is a basic for a family to concentrate on developing itself. This is quite significant especially for the parents who wish to see their children having a smooth life. From the family interview it was realized that children in a comfortable family set up are less likely to fall sick and have a potential of performing better in the schools. This interview implicated that comfort at homes is a necessity which is vital in helping families fight poverty in by creating peace of mind. This helps the family members to maximally concentrate in their duties.    Abused Lady The last interview was on a lady who was an orphan staying with uncle. The uncle sexually abused her for some times after which she decided to run away after learning about the women programs at the City Team Ministry. During the interview the lady appeared tormented by the acts of her uncle. She could not report the uncle to the police because she dependent on him for the payment of her college fee. When she could not bear it any more she run way terminating her studies and later realized that she was pregnant. The interview brought to surface the social injustice which silently takes place without anybody being aware of them. In this case poverty created a forum which an elderly person advantage of and exploited a young person. Poverty could not allow the lady to report the person for fear that she could lose her college sponsorship. Section IV This section will look at the issues of poverty at large. According to Anup Shah (2009) the poverty is caused by both individuals and governments. He examines this in a global perspective. He starts by analyzing the causes at individual levels. Being lazy and making poor decisions are the two reasons he gives which contribute to poverty. This is true but the he fails to talk about the victims of circumstances who find being born in poor families where despite any wise decisions made it takes a lot time to escape poverty. This happens to most of the children born in the ghettos of America. They start life with no basic education and nothing as a heritance. With no education and no money wise decision almost become a vague idea though not in most cases. Street musicians have been known to rise from dust but it should be noted that this may not happen to everybody born in the street (Anup Shah 2009). Anup Shah (2009) also brings in the issue of the corruption and unwise government policies. Corruption is predominantly responsible for poverty in the third world countries. In the U.S. government decision may make some region poor. For instance the federal government should come in to aid those districts which are in a position to support their own schools (Anup 2009). NCLB Act is one way the federal government is doing that but there should be more efforts to ensure that all the school age going kids are included especially in   the poor regions. The government should adapt a friendly way of drug war techniques. Instead of just hundreds of youths to prisons they should find a way keeping these youths busy (Cellini McKernan Ratcliffe, 2008). Conclusion Poverty and social injustice are two issues which seem to go hand in hand. Poverty creates a gate for many social injustices to be committed. This is so because poverty seems to handcuff the power of the people involved from shouting and demanding for their rights. Despite the many non governmental organizations which are fighting poverty across America, t he government has a responsibility in changing some of its policies which seem to foster poverty. References Anup, S. (2009). Causes of Poverty. Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from: http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty Cellini, S, McKernan, S. Ratcliffe C. (2008). The Dynamics of Poverty in the United States: A review of data, methods, and findings. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 27(3), 577-605. City Team. (2010). City Team Ministry. Retrieved on 4th February, 2010 from: http://www.cityteam.org/about/programs/ Kirst-Ashman, K. (2008). Human Behavior, Communities, Organizations Groups in the Macro Social Environment: An Empowerment Approach (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Thomson. Kissane, R. (2008). Teaching and Learning Guide for: Assessing Welfare Reform, Over a Decade Later, Sociology Compass 2(3), 1115-1126. National Academic Press. (2001). Equity and Adequacy in Education Finance. Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from: http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6166page=1 Appendix (interview questions) 1st interview (to person 1A) Do you view education as basic need? Given a sponsorship can you go back to school? How do you think would you be if your family had enough money? What could you have avoided if you had enough money? 2nd interview (to person 2B) Give us your story? How has the men recovery program helped you? What do you think has kept you in poverty 3rd interview (to the street youths) What are doing to get out of your current situation? How have you benefitted from the youth outreach program? 4th interview (family) How is the family program helping you to fight poverty? 5th interview (abused lady) Why did you give in to be abused?

SYMPTOMS Signs and Symbolism in Medical Discourse :: Essays Papers

SYMPTOMS Signs and Symbolism in Medical Discourse Whether it is regarded as disease or illness, whether it occurs in a society practicing biomedicine or a culture practicing indigenous medicine, sickness is universal. Diseases and illnesses of all types plague each and every society throughout the world. Central to the idea of sickness is the diagnostic element of the symptom. Although many cultures have unique ideologies regarding sickness, healing, and efficacy, these cultures use the symptom as the primary instrument to maintain their culturally constructed idea of health. Regardless of the healing system or society, globally, people tend to use the symptom as a tool to communicate illness to the appropriate medical practitioner. In seeking the healing action of practitioners and the advice of friends and family, the sick communicate their symptoms as a way of receiving social legitimization for their illness. Thus, symptoms are also used by the sick to gain legitimization of the sick role from society. Just as culture is integrated in the beliefs and behaviors of every society, symptoms are deeply embedded in the concept of sickness and healing. Symptoms add clarity to the complex ideas of sickness and healing in such a way that it is difficult to discuss either process without touching on these symbols. The symptom is regarded as a vital part of the illness experience because it offers insight into the physiological and psychological aspects of the patient’s body. In this way, the symptom symbolizes the roots of a tree, anchoring a societal understanding of medical knowledge and healing etiologies. Therefore, it is the purpose of this paper to explore the significance of symptoms and determine their centrality to a culture’s ideas of sickness and healing. Related topics such as the symptom’s significance in the process of social legitimization of illness and its symbolic nature will serve to supplement and support the argument that symptoms ar e, in fact, central in the process of healing. Definition and Importance of the Symptom Due to the intricacy of the symptom, it is difficult to construct a simple definition. Illness symptoms are â€Å"differently labeled by individuals in dissimilar social situations† (Browner 1983: 494).

John Updike :: essays papers

John Updike Men and women have depended on each other forever. The unique bond between the male and female is often discussed through literature. John Updike examines male freedom as a myth. Through his writing, John Updike shows a man’s need of women. In the novel â€Å"Marry Me† by John Updike an ordinary suburban love affair is illustrated. Jerry is a man, engulfed by self-hatred, as well as raging anger. Sally, his mistress, is a depressed and confused woman lacking self-confidence. Jerry is in a marriage with Ruth, but it is by name only. The true elements of love, passion and pure sexual appetite are only exhibited through the love affair Jerry is having with Sally. Men are the focus of John Updike’s literature. Using male characters allows Updike to open up a feminized world. The men in Updike’s novels are victims of forces, which only the reader understands, but the character does not. Women are usually the only masculine pursuit in John Updike’s novels that offer the promise of relief. Jerry lives in a typical Connecticut suburb. His home lacks the usual male obsession of both work and sports. Jerry’s only urge for advancement was for money purposes. Unlike the traditional love triangle, which leaves two men fighting for one woman, Updike puts Ruth and Sally in competition for one man. John Updike provides the character assessment of Jerry to be one of a man with boyish hope for pure love with the â€Å"perfect† woman and his underlying wants and needs to love, as well as his helplessness to understand his own complicated life. In numerous pieces of John Updike’s literature when the male character finds the woman of their dreams, he will eventually begin to hate her. Jerry conquers Sally and overpowers her concerns for her small children, her marriage, as well as her devotion to family and her financial security. However, he is extremely unwilling to change, but in the same way unable to remain the same man. He knows what he desires in a woman. Jerry wants a warm woman, yet he stays with a cold woman. Ruth (Jerry’s wife) keeps both his anger and contempt alive, but he still stays with her. He looks in turn to his mistress Sally to give him strength and encouragement. However, by sally giving Jerry the support he will truly craves, she allows him to become frustrated and angry at her for threatening to demolish the hatred, which binds him to Ruth forever.

Self Satisfaction Essay -- essays research papers

In the past sixteen years I have faced various challenges that have molded my personality to as it is today. I went through a very tough stage in my social life when I was in grade seven and eight at the age of twelve and thirteen. I had a group of five friends outside of school, we were always together and they were all very close to my heart. It came to the point where three of the girls decided that they did not want to associate with one other, and I was forced to choose between the three of them and the other girl. It was a feeling of indescribable disbelief and I did not know what to do. This one incident was a challenge that I had to overcome.It all happened so quickly. One minute she was our dear friend and the next minute everyone was yelling at her. At first I stood there and ...

Defining Honor

If I were to ask half a dozen people at random to tell me what they meant by the word â€Å"honor,† I think that I would probably receive very different answers. One of the reasons for this is that it often means different things in the minds of different people. For instance, we say that it was a great honor for Jim Smith to be elected captain of the football team; and then, on the other hand, we talk about a code of honor, — or the laws of honor. What does Jim Smith’s being captain of the eleven have to do with the laws of honor? What we mean, in the case of Jim, is that his election as captain shows that the other boys have confidence in his play, and therefore this position gives him a local reputation as a comparatively good player and leader. Now many people in the world have only this idea of honor; and, when they speak of holding their honor sacred above all else, they mean keeping their reputation good in the eyes of men. For this reason, they value any office or reward that adds to their reputation; and the more their reputation grows and the more distinction they earn, the more honorable they feels themselves to be. This was the idea of honor existing among the ancient heathen people before the Christian era. You know that, after the fall of the great Roman Empire, there was a period of about a thousand years, when the light of civilization went out in Europe, and the darkness of ignorance and barbarism took its place. During these dark days, there was much going on that was not better and sometimes even worse from a moral point of view than in the days of the Roman Empire; but, when the minds of men began to wake up again, their standards really had advanced further than the old heathen standards of life. A seed Christian principle had been germinating for all these years and finally blossomed out in the Age of Chivalry. This, as you know, was an assertion first of all that the notion that â€Å"Might makes Right† is false, although it had been almost universally believed to be true, in practice, before the coming of Christ. The orders of knighthood which arose in various parts of Europe were composed of men who made it their business to bring order out of confusion, — to kill the wild beasts that interfered with flocks and herds and made farming difficult, — to overpower and abolish the highwaymen and robbers who made traveling unsafe, — and to protect women and children in respect and security. These men bound themselves by solemn vows to keep certain laws which were necessary for carrying out their work, and their obligation or sense of responsibility to keep these laws they called their â€Å"Honor. † Hence a new conception of honor came into being, and their code of honor was the law according to which their conduct was judged among themselves. This is, of course, a very different idea of honor from that which consists of thinking that distinction before men is better worth having than anything else, and which therefore puts reputation above character. Anybody who compares these two ideas of honor can see that the one is only a counterfeit imitation of the other, and that there is not necessary connection between them at all; for a man may have character without reputation, and he may have reputation without character, for reputation may be either true or false; and, when true, it is in many cases because of the character underlying it. But many fine reputations of all sorts are the result of clever self-advertising, and this practice is one of the most destructive and degrading to character and true manliness. This is so because, when we seek reputation for its own sake, we are yielding to the temptation of vanity; and vanity is a weakness and disease of the soul. Everybody has temptations to overcome, and it is everybody’s business to know and work against his weaknesses; but, when our chief ambition in life fosters our weakness, and we deceive ourselves by giving the name of â€Å"honor† to that which weakens us, we can hardly expect to grow stronger as the years go by. The old knights had the right idea of honor, and there have been a great variety of orders of chivalry in different countries, such as those mentioned in the Boy Scout Manual; and the main idea in all of them was to hold up a standard of public service which would raise men above the habits and customs of selfish brutes and merely worldly men. There is another great distinction between these two conceptions of honor: when we think of our reputation as our honor we require spectators, for our reputation is what we are in the minds of other men; but the honor of character, which is our sacred obligation to keep the law of our code and to do our duty in God’s sight, is just as binding upon us when we are all alone, and therefore it must control our most private acts and secret thoughts. A little newsboy boarded a crowded car the other night with a very large bundle of papers, and the conductor, with coarse good-nature, tried to favor him by declining to take his fare, although of course he could not do this without cheating the railway. The boy looked at him with indignation and could not believe that he was the conductor. He went all through the car hunting for the real conductor to whom he could pay his fair. This little boy was richer than if he had had millions in bank in place of this high-minded feeling of honorable independence and of determination to fulfil all his obligations; and, if he remains true to this principle in all the phases of his life, he will accomplish far more than if he amassed millions, or became President of the United States. He will add to the joy and dignity of many other lives as well as his own; for, sooner or later, every human being finds out that without this loyalty to honor life cannot be happy, is — indeed, not worth living. But we must be careful to remember that, although this is such an important and central truth, we cannot expect every one to know about it; and therefore we cannot expect them to act accordingly. In this, as in all other such matters, we must be on our guard against feeling superior to those who have not had our advantages. Next to keeping our own obligations of honor is the duty of protecting the honor of all those with whom we have contact; — and especially of the weak and ignorant. The weak must be protected by whatever means is necessary and appropriate, and the ignorant may be taught if we go about it quietly and in a friendly spirit, without â€Å"laying down the law. † Of course, it is the duty of patrol leaders to see that all their boys understand as thoroughly as possible the nature of the obligations which they have taken upon themselves. It is also the duty of scouts to hand along whatever helpful knowledge they have to other scouts within reach of their friendship. But this holds good not only for boy scouts and their officers but for all men; and it cannot be done unless, in the first place, we ourselves try to practice what we teach and then teach it with a humble appreciation of the beauty or use of the subject, and without any vanity or conceit. There is no merit, but only privilege, — so great that it is difficult to estimate, — in teaching and being taught to understand and live by the deep and tested truths of life; and the more we learn, from obeying them, the more humbly grateful we shall be.

Estimation

Kiandria Grissett Business Math-7 4 / 20 / 2013 Estimation 1. Discuss at least two â€Å"real world† examples in which you use estimation in your daily life. 2. Discuss from your examples how estimating can have negative effects if you over or under estimated. 3. Think of an example in a real world scenario when a company or organization might use estimation and have negative or devastating results. One real world example I would like to discuss is how many minutes it takes me to get up and be at the marina at 11am. I work on Baldhead Island which means I have to catch a ferry to get to work.Each ferry leaves every half hour and not a minute late and I have to be there before 11am. I usually estimate my time right on point I wake up at 9:30 am it usually takes me 20 to 30 minutes or less to take a shower, get dressed, brush my teeth, and do my hair. I leave my house no later than 10:15 am which puts me at the marina at 10:45 am waiting on the boat. Another example that I would like to discuss is getting my boyfriend back and forth to court when he has it being that he is from another county in the state of North Carolina and it takes us at least an hour and forty-five minutes to get there.When he does have court it usually takes in at 8am. We usually wake up at 6:20am (I know we are pushing it on the time) get dresses, feed the dogs and are out getting gas no later than 6:40am. We make this long drive down the interstate driving 80 to 85 miles an hour just to make it to court by roll call but for some odd reason we always make it on time. That’s what I call good estimation. Some negative effects when over and under estimating are sometimes had to tell because you never know what may be going on, on the highway.Let’s dig into over estimating I think can be a good thing which means you are where you need to be early enough so that you are not rushing. It can also be a bad thing because if I leave my house too early and the ferry is running la te this means I may have to sit there for three maybe four hours waiting on a ferry which makes me miss money from work. Under estimating is always a bad thing because you really don’t want to be late for anything that is important point blank period.Being that I live twenty minutes from the ferry I have to drive thru another town to get to the marina. Sometimes this town is very busy because they always have cook-offs, parades, and sometimes just traffic from the outage. So under estimating for me sometimes is a no, no because I never know how traffic is going to be. An real world example scenario being that I am a cosmetologist and I use to work in a hair salon and some specials we use to run were negative because it use to bring a lot of business but when the specials were over it was like back to running a slow salon.I think it was devastating to the owner because she was estimating that she had a great salon and a good location and it would bring a lot of clientele but b ecause this town is so small I tried to explain to her some of these people don’t like to change up their stylist because they have been going to them for a long time. So she estimated by running specials it would bring customers and keep them coming but she was sadly mistaken.

Tim Burton’s Movie Expertise

Tim Burtons use of deferent movie techniques made one of the best directors existing. H made many movies, all very popular by his fans. His work Is considered to be some of the best, bringing Gothic humor and dark, but innocent tones to the audience. His works with Gothic fantasy, a genre almost never used in the past, is common in his movies. Some of his most popular gothic fantasy movies are Edward Chardonnays and the Nightmare Before Christmas. Tim Burtons use with in techniques with camera shots mostly made him famous. There are many examples to this.He used a variety of long shots, close-ups, and medium shots. A movie where I find the most of these angles used was Edward Chardonnays. In a scene In Edwards dark castle home, Peg, was trying to sell make- up products. She went up the hill, with Ion-shots establishing the setting in the scene. She drove up the dark trail up the hill, passing dead trees and a quiet, but leer area. She went up to the castle door, having a close-up to see the Intensity and emotion of her fear as she went Inside. She knocked on the door, but no one responded.She entered in herself, a long shot showing her walk into the castle uninvited. Peg went up a winding stairs, a medium shot following behind her, wowing from up her waist. On the empty CD floor, a long shot showed her walk over to a bed made of straw, with photos hanging by It. A close up on her face revealed her emotions as she examined the pictures. For the audience, the scene was predicting something, building up an event. Behind her, a medium shot showed the front of Peg, with a shadow moving in the back of the room, making a snipping sound.Peg looked behind her, as the flexure walked out of the shadow. She seems horrified, a close up looking at her face. A medium shot showed the figure to be Edward Chardonnays. A close up shot showed Edwards emotions, fear. He stood stiffly in front of her, the camera tracking both of them in a medium shot. Peg walked up to him, asking wh ere his parent's are. He responded with a close-up, â€Å"He never woke up. † Tim Burtons use of lighting is very extensive along with expert camera angles. Lighting was heavily used to emphasize the Joy and happiness of shots In Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.This was the key to the most Important establishing shot, the candy meadow. As the children and Wily Wonk walked through a dark, bland hallway, the lighting was from the back of the scene, where they came from. They mound a small door, and Wily Wonk crouched down, unlocking it. Light shown through the door as he opened It, revealing a large candy meadow, with a flowing chocolate waterfall and river. The children†s and parent's faces ere surprised, a high- key lighting the shot of the meadow.The camera moved, browsing through the many plants that were made of candy. The colors and lighting were bright, showing happiness and the Joy of the scene. Wily Wonk grinned, extending his arms to emphasize the scene's wond er. He let the children and adults go, as they browsed through the bright area for the candy. Another example would be from Edward 1 OFF Scissoring, where Peg brought Edward none in near car, driving by a ass's looking neighborhood. High-key lighting emphasized the bright grass, showing peacefulness and innocence.Children played on the lawns, while Edward watched the area with a mix of fear, wonder, and Joy. They passed bright colored houses, ranging from green to bright blue. Tim Burtons use of sound is another fan favorite of the director. The orchestra music ranges from Joy to fear, to being surprised. Dietetic sound includes eerie creaks, and other techniques for creating a mood for the audience to the movie. In the Charlie and the Chocolate factory, music and dietetic sound was used to display emotion in the shot and convey the message given to the audience watching the movie.In the candy meadow, a loud orchestra playing wondrous, beautiful music played non- didactically to set mood for the shot. As the character's moved around, they could could listen and hear dietetic music, like the chocolate waterfall, or the wind rustling the edible grass and trees. In Edward Chardonnays, non-dietetic music was used in the scene where Peg finds Edward. It was slow, and curious. When they both were riving to pegs home, it change dint a fast, more Joyful sound for the audience.Tim Burtons expert use of lighting, camera angles, and sound made his movies what they are now. Starting in the sass's his quality stayed the same, if not increasing over time. Even to his new releases such as Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. His audience grows eve large, as he spreads his techniques to new forms of film. In his most recent work, he directed the music video â€Å"Bones† by the British alternative rock band The Killers. Along with this, he found a student's short animated movie, turning it into a full-length feature film, called â€Å"Nine. â€Å"

Cultural Meaning Essay

The meaning humans give to actions, concepts and behaviours is dependent on the cultural milieu and is conditioned to a great extent by the underlying meaning systems, values and frames of meaning he/she inherites from the society in general. Socialization plays a direct role in that process. Education, effects of peers and the intellectual atmosphere all contribute to what is called cultural meaning or systems of meaning. Cultural meaning conditions our perception and determines the way we process external perceptions. In this sense, what Gregory Bateson calls â€Å"an ecology of mind† is at work here. The mind acts in an ecology of preceding concepts, comments and semantic networks operating in a particular field and in society as well. Through these networks meaning is produced within a particular person, system, or culture. This meaning then frames and motivates the actions of individuals and groups. â€Å"Events are not just there and happen, but they have a meaning and happen because of that meaning,† wrote Clifford Geertz. Meaning is also historically formed. For example; body image varies across cultures and is shaped by the specific meaning given to it by a culture. There is a time dimension involved in this same process, too. Western societies tend to value slim and fit bodies in terms of representation in popular culture. Whereas, body images of other cultures are very different in most cases. Some Pacific island people prefer fatness both as a sign of wealth and of esthetic superiority. But with the advent of globalization and the expansion of western cultural codes through TV and other media, these same people have come to question their body images. Western culture’s meaning system expanded its sphere of influence in that case. In fact, a mild fatness was accepted as a desirable physical trait in western history, too. Much of what is classified under popular culture is subject to meaning systems and the accompanying perceptions about them. A society’s selective perceptions and evaluations favor a certain behavior, a mode of thought and even such ephemeral things as fashion fads. Famous anthropologist Clifford Geertz suggests that an analysis of culture must also cope with the category of meaning. â€Å"The culture concept to which I adhere . denotes an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited concepts expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life. † As is understod from this definition, meaning is an inseparable component of culture and it directly shapes our perceptions and understanding. Alternative meaning systems combine to give a culture its core values. As a cultural phenomenon, gift giving may be evaluated from that pespective looking at different cultures and their subjective meaning systems attributed to this practice. As can be deduced from David R. Counts’ article , some cultures see the act of gift giving in a radically different way. Reciprocity brings about a gift giving approach that is essentially different from ours. The people of New Guinea think gift giving must include a symmetry in that you also have to respond to the act of gift giving by giving something in return for the one you received. It is a kind of implied bargain, or shopping through barter more to say. In the lack of formal rules and practices of trade, the natives created their own concept of reciprocal gift giving as a means of doing trade. From a western point of view, the meanings ascribed to gift giving are very different, though. But New Guineans have refined this form of gift giving through centuries and created this particular meaning system. Western culture sees gift giving as away from commercial thoughts. Though reciprocity is emphasized again, the hints of mutual give-and-take are shunned carefully lest monetary concerns come between. Western culture’s refusal of this kind of gift giving and its derisory look at the issue are witnessed through some sayings and idioms. The term â€Å"Indian giver† is one such example. A network of meanings developed through centuries of experience emerges as cultural meaning. It becomes a culture’s core over time and forms the basis also of other attitudes. Western culture makes one think there are indeed too many bananas, whereas in New Guinea there can not be too many bananas at all. Another cultural phenomenon seen through the different lenses of various cultures is leadership. Leadership is also loaded with cultural meanings and values. In general, eastern cultures are said to put much emphasis on social harmony and collective action. Respect to elders, family ties are given importance in these cultures. Leaders in these cultures are expected to be humble, caring and considerate thinking about the well-being of their followers. In this sense, they are seen as somewhat paternalistic figures. They are required to show mercy and understanding towards inferiors, to care for the problems of those they lead. Whereas, in western culture a competitive society is preferred and leaders are thought to be assertive, highly competitive and efficient decision makers. Humane considerations do not seem to play great role in this scheme. Efficiency and beneficial results matter more than paternalistic protection of subordinates. So, one who is accepted in the West as a good leader may be perceived as a ruthless go-getter obsessed with his egotistic views in the East. Cultural meaning acquired through immediate experience and classified into an unwritten code of ethics, appears as the determinant of perceptions about power and leadership. In contrast, a western look may detect an apathetic, lethargic society in the East viewing the style of leadership there as suffocating innovation and development. These two seemingly irreconcilable views about the same concept result from the respective meaning systems of the two cultures. Leaving aside the theoretical concerns over the validity of the broad-based concept culture, it is possible to derive conclusions after comparing differences between meaning systems of societies. Culture as a web of meaning systems is observed best in such comparisons. I would like to quote here a passage from Clifford Geertz who is among those attributing great singificance to culture as a system of meanings. † The concept of culture I espouse . . . is essentially a semiotic one. Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experiential science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning. . . . Meaning, that elusive and ill-defined pseudoentity we were once more than content to leave philosophers and literary critics to fumble with, has now come back into the heart of our discipline. † New Guineans asserted their view on gift giving and that’s what struck westerners most as strange. In the other case of Fiji girls experiencing problems with their body image, western culture’s meaning system can be said to intrude upon the culture-and hence meaning system- of Fiji through the images brought by mass media. Culture is an ambient, all encompassing structure composed of interrelated and interdependent meaning systems. There are both implied and overt systems of meaning in a culture and they can be grasped through socialization. As I tried to show with respect to the phenomena of gift giving and leadership, specific meaning systems forming a culture condition our perceptions and how we evaluate certain phenomena. If I am not mistaken, Italian writer Umberto Eco penned a short story protagonist of which is a â€Å"savage† from a distant land who visits a â€Å"developed and civilized† country to observe the mores, customs and habits of the people living there. Of course the apparent irony points to the reversal of the usual relationship between â€Å"savages and the civilized†; it has always been the civilized who observed and analyzed savages but that time roles were exchanged. The savage travels across the lands of the civilized people and, as can be expected in this case, gets surprised much. For the first time, the usually observed, passive one turns a critical gaze toward the usually active observer. It is such a striking idea that the story caught me surprised. I think the irony here explains once again the essence of culture as a web of meanings. The savage walks through streets of cities, analyzes people and their unintelligibly strange habits, behaviors and customs. He is faced with a maze of meanings totally out of reach of his understanding because he is the product of another set of meanings. He has difficulty with interpreting certain behaviors; some of them look funny and others as grotesquely irrational. I think Eco’s wonderful story has many implications for understanding culture and cultural phenomena. When faced with a different culture, all of us become as helpless and stricken as the savage. Devoid of cultural cues to interpret the events taking place around us, we try in these circumstances to find a usual meaning that enables us to grasp the world anew and have a sense of familiarity. We all live out our pesonal narratives in this search for meaning in a maze of seemingly opaque networks of meaning.

MGM465-0801A-05 Business Strategy - Phase 1 Individual Project 2 Essay

MGM465-0801A-05 Business Strategy - Phase 1 Individual Project 2 - Essay Example t question to consider is how to reconcile Ables need for building market share (long-term strategic business objective) with Waldens drive for year-to year quarterly increases in sales and pretax profit (short-term, corporate objective). Both of these are important to have, and they are not mutually exclusive. The company can hold both objectives in high priority provided that they all agree with each other to do so. However, Walden is demonstrating a lack of strategic management. Walden needs to consider strategic management as they move forward. According to Coulter, it is beneficial because â€Å"it gives a role to everyone in an organization to manage strategically, it helps the organization perform well, it helps the organization to effectively cope with the uncertainties in the external and internal environment, and it helps to coordinate various functions and activities† (2005). Strategic management is vital for the long-term success of any organization, and through implementing it, it is believed that the two blending organizations can come to a compromise and each get a great deal of what they are used to and what they want. The second challenge to consider is that Waldens success metrics of head count control, inventory management, inventory turnover, and day’s sales outstanding can be inhibitors to growth vitally needed by Able. It is possible to moderate these functional objectives and make them work for Able. This simply involves removing or raising the ceiling which currently inhibits this growth. For example, head count can still be controlled in larger numbers, inventory can still be managed when there is a lot more inventory to account for, and outstanding daily sales can still be recorded when the dollar figures are higher. Controlling objectives does not necessarily mean containing them. Able can still grow using the same basic framework of Walden’s success metrics, so long as Walden does not squash the growth being sought by Able

The moral, ethical and legal issues affecting modern e-business Essay

The moral, ethical and legal issues affecting modern e-business organisations - Essay Example In 2009 UK recorded 18.3 million internet users, accounting for the 70% of country’s total population, which â€Å"is an increase of just under 2 million households (11 per cent) over the last year and 4 million households (28 per cent) since 2006† (National Statistics, Internet Access, 2009). This scenario comprise of a number of different players that range from technological innovations, multinational companies, public policies, legal issues, and ethical values, present a number of challenging constraints and opportunities. Maintaining certain ethical and moral values within any form of commercial enterprise (including modern e-business organisations) are important for attaining sustainable success for that firm. Recently it has become especially important for the business firms, especially those involved in e-commerce, to maintain correct ethical and moral behavioural attitudes to avoid legal problems. In this era of economic globalization and technological convergence there is an emergence of a new form of internet-based society often referred to as the knowledge society, and has raised questions on issues related to various ethical, moral and legal matters. The modern computer based technologies, used for collecting, amassing, managing, and communicating data, though managed to bring in new reforms in the dispersion and application of information, also brought in various ethical and legal dilemmas. The various business firms that operate within this arena face difficulties in the context of right to information, right to privacy, right to the freedom of expression, and intellectual property rights, which vary from country to country. The immense importance and efficiency of internet based systems that include worldwide and local system networks, databases, and the various programs for data processing make it compulsory that policymakers make a review of the existing rights and r esponsibilities, in relation to conducting e-businesses in a legal and ethical manner. (Lynch, Ethical Issues in Electronic Information Systems, 1994). Discussion What is e-business and e-commerce? In the recent times it has been observed that â€Å"The capabilities and opportunities provided by the Internet have transformed many legitimate business activities, augmenting the speed, ease, and range with which transactions can be conducted while also lowering many of the costs†( Williams, 2002, 1). The increase in e-business transactions is evident in the figures presented in the UK National Statistics survey report, â€Å"The value of Internet sales by businesses rose to ?71.1 billion in 2004, an increase of 81 per cent [from] 2003... The results of the 2004 survey show growth in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and large increases in the value of trade over the Internet. The results also highlight significantly greater use of ICTs by the largest businesses (those with 1000 or more employees)... Internet purchases by businesses rose 64.6 per cent from ?37.9 billion in 2003 to ?62.4 billion in 2004† (National Statistics, News Release, 2005). Though computer and data processing systems were present during the 70s and 80s, it was primarily the late nineties that saw a rise in e-trade, where the Internet changed the way many business activities were conducted through speed augmentation, â€Å"ease, and range with which transactions can be conducted while also lowering many of the costs†(Williams, 2002, 1). Thus, the changing perspectives of trading community from that of an actual ‘

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Supply Chain Management -Case assignment - Essay Example Hence they have decided to face changing times by offering a low cost version of their product and introducing a new target audience. TFCs key strengths are their extensive experience in the field of chassis for motor homes, their technological adaptability & advancement, quality designs, marketing knowledge and design development on time exactly as per customer preference. TFC’s management has recognized the opportunity which lies in expanding their product portfolio to low priced product to cater to price sensitive audience. Low priced items have always posed threat to high end customized item especially when the economy is receding; hence diversity in product portfolio is always a balancing act (a safe bet for survival) for the company during all times. While expanding the product portfolio TFC faced a weakness for the first time that is delay in lead time of building chassis. Commonly a chassis would have been designed, customize and made ready in less than 30 days. However due to restrained capital available they could not meet all customer demands on time while catering two product types. Main area of time lag occurred at the designing stage as identified by the team. At this scenario TFC was approached by Computer-Images a design house in another estate proposing to become an outsourced designing outlet for low end chassis line working electronically only upon specifications provided by TFC. This approach was proposed with a key to keep TFC’s focus on high end chassis (TFC’s star product) while meeting demand for both high end and low end chassis. Now TFC has two options either to accept Computer-Image’s proposal to have low end product outsourced or increase current capacity to overcome time delay in designing and remain an in-sourced organization enjoying control over time, design and delivery. De Looff (1996) uses key 6 goals in his book defining outsourcing /

Significance of Proper Identification of the Market structure for the Essay

Significance of Proper Identification of the Market structure for the Organisaition using the example of The Ritz Carlton company - Essay Example However, consumer electronics industry is experiencing perfect competition and hence it is impossible for companies in this market to fix prices for their products. On the other hand in market with Oligopoly, only few suppliers are there and it is possible for the firms in such markets to control the price and market activities in such market structure. For example, OPEC is enjoying oligopoly in oil market. In monopolistic competition, there could be numerous suppliers; however, only few enjoy monopoly. In smartphone market, APPLE and Samsung are ruling now. Even though companies such as Nokia, LG, Blackberry, and Sony Erickson are there, only APPLE and Samsung have the upper hand. Even though monopolistic market structure is the primary objective of all organizations, it is difficult to maintain supremacy in such markets for a prolonged time. It is almost impossible for Ritz Carlton to think about following a monopoly or oligopoly market structure at present because of the huge capa bilities of competitors. At the same time, it is possible for Ritz Carlton dominate the hotel industry along with prominent competitors such as InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott International Hilton Hotels and Global Hyatt. Key internal and external factors affecting Ritz Carlton Manpower cost is extremely high in American and European regions compared to that in Asian region. Moreover, global wealth is currently shifting from American and European is not so good for Ritz Carlton. Monopolistic competition helps companies to attain huge profits for a short period and a normal profit in the long run which is evident from the following illustrations. (Monopolistic competition, n. d.). From the above graph it is evident that the arrival of...This paper outlines the importance of proper identification of the type of market where the organization is intending to conduct business. The case of The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company, one of the prominent hotel groups, which is planning to expan d into new Asian markets, is under consideration. The increased readiness of overseas countries in recent times in attracting foreign direct investment is helping Ritz Carlton to think positively about market expansion. Since competition is different in different regions, the objective of Ritz Carlton is to identify less heavily competitive service markets across the world. Asia is the rapidly emerging region at present and Ritz Carlton is giving more attention to this region at present. Identification of proper market structure is necessary for Ritz Carlton to excel in emerging markets. Based on the competition in the market, market structure can be divided into four major categories. In markets with perfect competition, the market determines the price whereas in monopoly, instead of market, the company decides the price. In market with oligopoly, only few suppliers are there and it is possible for the firms in such markets to control the price and market activities in such market structure. It is difficult to maintain supremacy in markets with monopolistic competition for a prolonged time. The ability to set different prices to different markets (price discrimination) is one of the major advantages of having a monopolistic market structure. Monopolistic competition helps Ritz Carlton to prove the worth of its products and services to the customers. Moreover, it helps Ritz Carlton to enjoy huge profits for short terms and normal profits in the long run.

Finace (IGR, SGR, EFN) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finace (IGR, SGR, EFN) - Case Study Example The remaining income was added back as the retained earnings for the company. This type of retained earnings generally helps companies like S&S Air to provide for internal financing required for further investments in the company. However, in the past S&S Air did not have proper planning regarding the investment opportunities of the company. As a result of this, the company lost sales in the past and had to go through crunch situations as regards to the liquidity position of the company. Hence the company is requiring the need for proper planning for its future investments. Ratio analysis has been done to analyze the current financial condition of the company. Next utilizing the financial ratios calculated, the owners of the company is willing to have a proper financial planning of S&S Air in future. The company needs this type of planning to decide upon the forecasted sales next year which the company can expect to generate. Moreover it would also help the company to know whether an y external financing is required to have the desired growth of the company next year. The company management also needs to have a proper idea about its current efficiency in utilizing its capacity so that improvements can be made if the capacity utilization of the company is less. Hence, calculating the internal growth rate and sustainable growth rate of the company along with the EFN, can help the company plan efficiently for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2012. Question 1: Calculate the internal growth rate and sustainable growth rate for S&S Air. What do these numbers mean? Answer: Internal Growth Rate (IGR) The internal growth rate of a company is given by the following formula (Ross, Westerfield, and Jordan 108): Internal Growth Rate = (ROA*b)/(1-ROA*b) Where, ROA = Return on Assets = Net Income/Total Assets b = Retention Ratio = (Addition to Retained Earnings/Net Income) Thus for S&S Air, ROA = 1,845,242/17,379,480 = 10.62% = 0.1062 b = (1,285,242/1,845,242) = 69.65% = 0.6965 (appro x) Hence, the Internal Growth Rate for S&S Air is given by: Internal Growth Rate = (0.1062*0.6965)/(1-0.1062*0.6965) = 7.99 % This implies that S&S Air would be able to expand its business and grow at a rate of 7.99% per year without the need of any external financing. Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) This growth rate gives a measure about the growth of a company utilizing its internal financial sources (Jones 383). It is given by the formula: Sustainable Growth Rate = (ROE * b)/(1-ROE*b) Where, ROE = Return on Equity = Net Income/Total Equity b = Retention Ratio Thus for S&S Air, ROE = 1845242/9556430 = 19.31% = 0.1931 b = 69.65% = 0.6965 Hence, the Sustainable Growth Rate for S & S Air is given by: Sustainable Growth Rate = (0.1931*0.6965) * (1 - (0.1931*0.6965)) = 15.54% This implies that S&S Air would be able to expand and grow at a rate of 15.54% per year without the need of any equity financing externally. Question 2: S&S Air is planning for a growth rate of 12 percent next year. Calculate the EFN for the company assuming the company is operating at full capacity. Can the company's sales increase at this growth rate? Answer: External Financing Needed (EFN) A company requires financing from external sources if it is unable to generate adequate cash flows required to fulfill its present financial obligations (Moles, Parrino, and Kidwell 756). The EFN for S&S Air is calculated using the pro forma statements which utilizes the approach related to percentage of

Crime Scene Specialist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crime Scene Specialist - Research Paper Example In today’s world of criminal investigations, particularly violent crimes, solid methods are essential in the collection of evidence at a crime scene. It is in this atmosphere that â€Å"The Crime Scene Specialist [CSS] maintains an impartial and neutral approach to the evidence collection process and crime scene investigation, regardless of the final outcome of the investigation† (Indy Gov website, 2009, para. 2).   The importance of the role of the CSS can not be overemphasized. â€Å"Proper evidence collection, documentation, preservation, packaging and analysis are an integral part in the functioning of the crime lab† (Indy Gov, 2009, para. 2), which will eventually assess the evidence collected. If the CSS does not do their job properly, evidence then can not be effectively processed and faulty conclusions by forensic specialists will likely occur, leading to the â€Å"unsuccessful prosecution of cases† (Indy Gov, 2009, para. 2). Gleaned from a job posting (2008) for Crime Scene Specialist, a summary of requirements and expectations are varied and dependent upon educational levels and other factors. Expectations involve investigative support by way of evidence collection for local, state and sometimes federal law enforcement at major crime scenes such as homicides, suicides, sexual assaults etc. Depending upon the expertise and knowledge of the CSS, the specialist may provide in-court testimony for the prosecution as often depicted on the television program, CSI. In the show the characters are both CSS and forensic experts, not only collecting evidence at the crime scene but performing much of the forensic lab testing as well. Salaries for CSS positions generally range from $30,000 to $75,000, depending upon experience and levels of educational. (Crime Scene Specialist, 2008, para. 1-2) The CSS uses varied skills to document a crime scene including videography, photography, bloodstain pattern analysis, diagrams,

Economy Industry Company Analysis Research Paper

Economy Industry Company Analysis - Research Paper Example This growth has enabled the potential investors in bonds, stocks and other investing opportunities, to establish their investments tremendously in the country. The gross domestic price that was analyzed at the first quarter of the year shows that it has grown for about 1.3 percent. This is the best indication of the economic growth and I will advice Johnnie to do an investment in this country. Gross domestic products, is a technique used to show the economic growth and stability of any given country. In Australia where the Crown head quarters is found, had a gross domestic product of approximately 918 billion united states dollars, with a growth rate of 2.3 percent, and the income per person or per capita income of40,800 in the fiscal year 2011. The standard rate of interest in Australia was previously indicated at 4.25 Percent, which was determined by the Australian reserve bank of panel. The graph shows that the rates of interest of the year 2010 and 2009 had a drastic fall. It has also increased gradually and encounters small decrease recently. This is a clear indication that the Economy of Australia, and the performance of the currency is in its stage of recovery. The estimate is that it has a moderate increase in the near future as it is indicated by the tendency of the graph. Increase in the interest rates means that the investors will benefit from the consequential increase in the amount of dividends that they will receive1. Given the fact that Jonnie is looking for an investment that will last for ten years, This is a favorable time to invest in a booming company in Australia. This is because during this period, there is an economic recovery and such will lead to better economic performance of all the factors discussed above. The ten year bond in Australia has also jumped to reach 3.02 percent increase. For a potential investor like

Assignment 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment 8 - Essay Example supervised in terms quality assurance and maintenance of functions as well as improving the competencies of the persons being supervised no matter how proficient they may be. Additionally, supervision brings together the efforts of the person supervising and whoever is being supervised in order to obtain the set objectives of the supervision as they can share ideas on how best to improve on the goals of their task at hand. The monitoring and supervision of the efforts to improve the atmosphere in which we learn in therefore help us to understand on what areas that we should improve on in order to instill effective supervision practices in our daily lives. This brings us to the question of what is expected of us in conducting effective supervision in the running of our affairs (Bachkirova, Jackson and Clutterbuck, 2011).   In order to be an effective supervisor, the person tasked with supervising must master his role and adopt a front-line mode of carrying out the task handed out to one. This shows that effective supervision begins with the supervisor who must be aware that effective supervision involves proper and regular planning as well as a review of the progress of the supervision. The supervisor must know whoever is being supervised and motivate them in order to have the best outcomes at the end of the supervision which can best be known by being aware of what drives the supervisees in the tasks allocated. As a strategy, the supervisor will be required to properly educate and train the supervisees through clear definition of the expectations, the missions and the vision of the tasks and the goals of the definition. The supervisor must also build a teamwork mentality in the supervision environment in that every person must be involved in the general supervision work for maximum benefits that will be enjoyed over a longer period of time. The teamwork also helps in the building of excellent relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee which helps both

Public use Heliports Essay Example for Free

Public use Heliports Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚   Heliports is a small airport variable only for use by helicopters. In the heliports we have windsock which are for the direction of the landing of helicopters, and also heliports contain one or more helipads which have limited facilities such as lighting and fuel. In larger towns, heliports are usually situated closer so as to give quick service to customers. Heliports give advantages in terms of travel to many urban destinations or even to the city’s airport which can be more much faster than driving there. In the hospitals, we have helipads for faster service so as to give emergency cases of the patients more quicker service in terms of remotes areas. Heliports have no orientation and no standard fashion like runways because of its service to customers and the space which it occupies. Heliports, the light usually consists of a circle or square of insert lights around the lift off area and another around the overall landing area in the take off area. Issues and challenges facing the development of heliports   Ã‚   The public perception in the growth of heliports is that the excessive noise produced by the helicopters which encourage noise pollution in the urban and rural areas whereby noise which comes from cars, music and people are less accountable by public. Also the reduction of traffic jams on the public used roads by vehicles. Development of public use heliports one has to believe is not the road to riches, but the way to manage it rightfully and generate income is difficult, thus the challenges are just like any business venture. Heliports could be viable but to venture into this business you need to have revenue and building infrastructure so as to hire a manager and partner.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The development of public use heliports must be designed so as to attract the travelers and to modernity the landing and service facilities which are supposed to be used in the heliports. The creation of heliports in the cities is the negative effects on the adjacent residence and to get the land so as to set heliports is very difficult around the cities because of discouragement of noise pollution. In other cities, heliports are said to harbor traveling of terrorists and other awful activities. The heliports managers must watch costs, and understanding profit and loss statements and their impacts. Managers must be good so as to promote the business and maintaining a good relationship with local communities and the government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the core challenges facing public use heliports is the private heliports, where the private use their own price to attract the costumers and also the service which are rendered by the company. The issues of availability of fuel, hangars, and maintenance of heliports must be focused as the first challenge that degrades the development and this also brings the problem between the manager and property owners. Citizen in different cities have tried to complaint about the manufacturing of the heliports, this is because of noise, geographical issues, economics and the level of tourist that brings the site of positioning of heliports to be difficult and challenge to developers. Even in a city with no noise complaints, city planners are adopting the view that the public doesn’t consider heliports the best use of land. Unfortunately, there are cities which have public use heliports, but city officials felt that a new convention centre parking lot would better serve the public and generate revenue as opposed to expenses. (Bednarek, 2001). Reference: Bednarek, J, R. (2001). America’s Airport. Texas A M University Press.

Analyse The Hotel Industry In Uk Tourism Essay

Analyse The Hotel Industry In Uk Tourism Essay It is very important that in todays competitive environment, (both in terms of business and employability) one has a clear understanding and sufficient knowledge of the sector or industry in which they would be operating. This report will be looking at, and analysing the Hotel industry in the United Kingdom, examining industrys micro and macro environment. Its purpose is to examine the industry with intention to gather market intelligence that would support prospective managerial development, career aspirations and prepare them for sufficiently informed participation at interviews. Findings from the report should therefore, enhance their business knowledge and employability prospects in the industry. The report will focus on the last five years which have in fact seen the industry at its best and at its worst in just a few years. A number of different data sources would be utilised such as industry reports, news paper articles and various websites related to the industry. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Industry overview The hotel industry and tourism in general is one of the worlds main growth industries worth trillions of ponds globally. According to a key note report (2009) the hotel industry in the United Kingdome grew by 29.1% in four years to 2008, reaching a staggering  £15.87 billion. This growth was attributed to a number of factors, such as the high disposable income available to people, introduction of low cost airlines and the rapid expansion of budget hotel sector. With hotels that opened up to a wide range of customers combined with cheap flights and high disposable income people could have more than one holiday a year. This in turn benefited the hotel industry as a whole from both foreign and domestic tourists. This vibrant growth, however, has seen a change in its fortunes in the last two years, due to a number of factors but mainly the economical downturn. In 2008 global economy took a turn for the worst and the problem deepened in 2009, leading to recession in most developed economies and UK was no exception. This had an immediate impact on holiday purchasing with research suggesting that a significant proportion of adults thinking of saving money by having a domestic holiday in 2009, while 25% of them were worried they could not afford a holiday at all (KeyNote 10). This has led to many hotels adapting to the situation by reducing prices or offering lucrative promotional deals to meet the market expectations and improve sales. The hotel industry could be divided into two sectors, corporate and consumer both providing services to meet their particular clients needs. The first one includes accommodations paid by businesses, for business travel purposes and the latter is paid by consumers for non-business reasons. A grading scale based on a star system is used to classify the quality and range of service provided by the company. The grading is comprised of 1-5 stars, where one star represents simple accommodation with no thrills attached and five stars represent exceptional quality of service with some degree of luxury. In some situations Silver or Gold may be added to Hotels that exceed the requirements under the star system. It is estimated that 1 one in every 10 people in the UK is employed in the Hospitality industry, in other words over 1.96 million (2007) people working in around 300,000 establishments across the country. Overall employment in this industry grew by 5% in 2007 but the Hotel sector had the lowest growth with only 2.7% adding another 6,500 jobs to the existing 238,500 jobs that existed in the previous year (Table 1.2). Major cities accounts for the highest concentration of hotels in the UK and are thought to attract the highest level of tourism activity with London leading the way. Market size trends During the economic boom of the late 90s and early part of this decade the Hotel Industry has expanded rapidly benefiting from a number of factors mainly related to economic growth an improved technology. The increasing globalisation of a lot of companies necessitated more corporate travel and accommodation. Being the financial centre of Europe and to some extent the world, London benefited a great deal from this rich consumer source. A lot of hotel groups responded to this by investing on their brands, positioning their portfolios to more upscale four/five star properties. In addition, the budget hotel sector was developed to suit a wider range of consumers as well as businesses. All was made even easier for consumers by the development of the internet. This allowed easy comparison in terms of price and guest facilities on offer, as well as a more convenient way to book them. Internet is now thriving with 34,104,175 or 57.2% of population having access to it in the UK spending an av erage of ten hours a month online (www.theanswerbank). In spite of the healthy growth experienced in the last two decades and the excitement of the coming Olympic Games London 2012, the industry has in 2009 suffered a setback. This was due to the recession that affected almost every developed or developing economy in the world. In the first quarter of 2009, the UK saw a fall in visits by one million, although statistics show that spending remained relatively the same as the corresponding time of the preceding year (table1.1). This could be accredited to the weaker pound which slummed at record lows both against the Euro and American Dollar at 75.86p to the Euro and $ 1.375 (bbc.co.uk). In 2008 there were 31.9 million visits in the UK producing on average  £512 of spending each, generating over  £16.3 billion of revenue for the economy. This however is considerably smaller than the spending generated by the internal visits of UK residents which marked  £21.1 billion for the same period, though slightly down from the previous year. The total spending generated by both UK and Overseas visits for 2008 was just above  £37.4 billion, 0.4% higher than 2007 (table 1.1). Hotel industry takes just above 42% of this wealth, in other words  £15.87 billion. During the peak of recession there was a significant increase on short-term holidays taken domestically. Though, as the economy comes out of recession domestic holidays are predicted to fall by 7.7% with a similar decline on value between 2009 and 2013. Holidays abroad on the other hand are forecasted to increase by over 16% between those years. (KeyNote) According to government data turnover in the hotel market gradually increased on average by 6.6% between 2004 and 2008. Key Note forecasted a 6.8% (appendix 4) decrease in total revenue for the following year but expects an upward trend from 2010, peaking in 2013 to 4.8% or 16.99 billion in total. Room occupancy which is a key indicator to measure the amount of business carried out by hotels was at 76% in 2007 according to VisitBritain but decreased in the following two years to 68% in 2009. Economic trends In the last five years the UK economy has seen some of its best and worst days. After the healthy growth that the economy had enjoyed in the early part of the decade came the downturn that succeeded in the second half of it. As a result of the global credit squeeze, 2007-09 proved to be a bumpy ride for the economy, enforcing banks to take a tougher line on lending. This caused a sharp fall in consumer spending, with unpleasant consequences for most industries. In 2005 research showed that productivity growth had slumped and business investment was at a record low, consequently the British economy was growing at a rate slower than the average growth for other developed economies, falling well short of chancellors budget prediction. Table 1.4 shows the GDP performance in the last five years to 2008. It is evident that GDP plunged in 2008 to only 0.7 and performing at its worse in the 3rd quarter of 2008 when the economy fell into a recession registering a -6% drop (nationalstatistics.co.uk). GDP started to recover late in the 4th quarter of 2009 when it was just under stagnation point and first signs of getting out of recession appearing in the first quarter of 2010. According to national statistics growth in the first quarter of this year register a 0.2% increase. The same source suggests that during the same quarter distribution, hotels and restaurants fell by 0.7% compared with an increase of 1.9 per cent in the previous quarter. Appendix 1 shows how this recession compares to the previous two in the 80s and 90s. It appears that last recession was the hardest of the three but seems to be the shortest of the three. High energy prices in the world markets (highest being $136.24 a barrel, 2008, appendix 2), forced inflation rates rise to record heights in September 2008 to 5.2% well above the Bank of Englands target of 2%. This increase forced the Bank to raise interest rates three times since summer 2006 with highest being in July 07 at 5.75% (BBC, 29/11/07). Although, this spike in inflation became less of e concern for the Governor as recession was deemed the major threat to the economy. This then led the Bank England to repeatedly lower interest rates reaching its lowest point at 0.5% in March 09 and hoping for the inflation to melt away. In fact that is exactly what happened with inflation rates falling to 1.1% in September 2009, the lowest since 2004. (thisismoney.co.uk) Increase in fuel prices is bound to raise travel costs for millions of people. High fuel prices, rise in interest rates and inflation followed with the credit squeeze effects are also leaving people with less disposable income. This is having a negative effect on consumer spending as it is getting difficult for consumers to keep up with credit payments (credit cards/mortgages/loans). Therefore, loss in consumer confidence may result in less spending on holidays consequently impacting on industry profitability. Competition According to National Statistics there are 10,195 hotels in the country and the majority of those establishments generate less than  £1 million annual turnover (appendix 5). This has not stopped competition in the industry intensifying in recent years, narrowing the gap between budget and midmarket hotels. However, its still the large chains/midmarket hotels that win the marketing battle by spending large sums on brand building. This has become a very important feature and most hotels are now seeking to develop stronger identity that would target both consumer and corporate sectors more effectively. Among others, Premier in was one of the largest spenders on media advertising in 2009, spending over  £5.5 millions on promotional activities followed by Travel Lodge who spent just under  £3 million. In addition to this the large chains have focused on seasonal offers and lowering their prices. For example, in autumn 2009 Travel Lodge lunched room sales for the next spring, offering rooms for as low as  £12 a night. Also these midmarket establishments have more flexibility to offer packages or meals to attract a larger, more price conscious market. Low budget hotels on the other hand have responded to this by providing more facilities and services than before as well as including more offers on their websites. Table 1.8 shows some of the major players in the United Kingdome and their relative annual turnover. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC seems to lead the way with close to  £2 billion annual turnover from which  £302 million were pre-tax profit. The company has a number of brands under its umbrella such as Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites operating in around 100 countries offering 630,000 rooms. Second in this list follows, Millennium Copthorne Hotels PLC with an annual turnover of  £703 million and pre-tax profits of  £103 millions. The company fosters four different brands including Millennium and Grand millennium Hotels, Capthorn Hotels and Kingsgate Hotels. Recently it has recently expanded with seven new hotels in China and Middle East. Accor UK Business Leisure Hotels Ltd is owned by Accor a French based group which has 15 different brands under its umbrella varying from luxury to economy accommodation. The UK based subsidiary generates an annual turnover of  £198 million of which  £37.5 million pre-tax profit. Travelodge which is owned by Dubai International Capital is the next in line generating an annual turnover of  £287 million and a pre-tax profit of  £16.5 million. The company is rapidly expanding both in UK and main land Europe, with 29 hotels planed to be built in UK in 2009 and 100 in Spain by 2020. De Vere Hotels Leisure Ltd operates two hotel chains generating a total annual turnover of  £248 million by combining a 100 bedroom hotels and fitness clubs. The company is owned by Alternative Hotel Group which is aiming to rebrand the De Vere portfolio under Deluxe, Heritage and Venue options, differentiating the accommodation offer. Tourism There was a slight drop in the number of overseas residents visiting Britain for business reasons in 2007/8 as a lot of companies tightened their budgets on travel expenditure. This has resulted in low room and bedspace occupancy levels which dropped to a 4 year low (426.2 million bed nights) with serious consequences for the hotel market. The following year was a very difficult year for tourism, experiencing a significant drop in visit numbers. 2010 is also expected to be somewhat difficult for the industry, with substantial improvement expected to start only in 2011. However, according to a keynote report on travel and tourism, research suggests that 1/3 adults in the Britain has taken at least one holiday in the last 12 months and 1/5 of them having taken three or more for the same period. Still, the economic downturn forced a lot of suppliers, including the package tour operators, to react by reducing their capacity and cutting the number of holidays on offer. UK continues to be an attractive place in the international holiday market and this is very important for the long term prospects of the hotel industry. The coming decade which has been described by many commentators as the golden decade of sport because of the many different international events due to take place in UK (table 1.7) is exiting times for the industry. Overseas spectator numbers to these events will provide a necessary boost for the hotel market. Records based on previous similar events staged by other countries in recent years show that hotel profitability increased as a direct result. BigHospitality referring to VisitEngland research suggests that tourism industry in the United Kingdome could be worth a staggering  £147 billion by 2020 with the potential of creating over 225,000 new jobs in the industry. This would be a 52% increase from the current estimated value of  £97 billion. Though smaller than the domestic spending in hotel sector, the international tourism is a significant contributor to total revenue. Only London, which earns over  £8bn from overseas visitors, depends more on the overseas visitor than on the home market. Employment and Demographics According to BBC unemployment in UK continued with its downward trend until August 2007, falling by 5000 in the second quarter of 07 to 1.65 million where it maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe at 5.5% but slightly higher than that of USA. ONS figures also showed that average earnings rose by 3.7% during the same quarter, beating expectations of a 3.6% rise. However, theses prosperous years were soon over and low unemployment was history. According to the national statistics, employment has seen a dramatic fall in the last three years reaching its lowest point since 1996 when it hit 72.1% or 28.82 million in February 2010 (appendix 3). In the last quarter to February there was a decrease in both part-time and full time employment totalling 89.000. The number of people working only part-time because they could not find full time employment increased during the same quarter to reach 1.05 million, the highest figure since 1992. The overall unemployment rate recorded 8.0%, in other words 2.5 million, higher than any time since September 1996. The inactivity rate in the first quarter of 2010 was at 21.5%, the highest since 2004. This added another 110,000 to the total figure, reaching a record high of 8.16 million people considered inactive in UK. Though, this could be as a result of a relatively large number of young people choosing to go into education after finishing their secondary school rather than go straight to the labour market. Population in the United Kingdome has continuously increased in recent years reaching 61.4 million in 2008, an increase this of over 9% in just five years (KeyNote). This was due to the high influx of migrants from the newly joined EU member states from Eastern Europe. This trend of population growth is forecasted to continue to the end of the century. Britains population is predicted to reach 71 million within 25 years, 78 million within 50 years and 85 million by 2081 (The Guardian, 28/11/07). This 39.6% growth (from 59,834,300 in 2004) represents an opportunity for steady market growth in UK in the next 78 years. The hotel industry is likely to benefit substantially from this if the lifestyle people have grown to enjoy in the last 20 years continue to be the norm. SWOT Strength UK is seen as a major tourist destination and has in place a good promotional and support system for tourists such as VisitBritain. The UK market incorporates a number of internationally well-known hotel brands and chains. Short term leisure breaks have risen due to high disposable income over the last decade. The development of the budget hotel sector opened the hotel market to a wider range of clients. The Internet has facilitated easier choice and booking of facilities. Weaknesses The industrys performance is highly dependable on the performance of the wider economy. The market seems to be over supplied in term of room numbers and this seems to keep room occupancy levels rather low at 60% average. Budget and upscale hotels seems to be putting the midmarket establishments under pressure. Continuing investment is necessary to maintain properties at a high standard. Opportunities A number of international sports event planned to be staged in UK between now and 2019 Western Balkans expected to join the European Union soon which would allow for more tourists from that region visit Britain. Forecasted growth of inbound visits till 2014 Steady population growth well into the century which would boost demand for travel and tourism and consequently Hotel facilities. Threats Some EU economies suffering from high deficits may be forced to freeze or lower wages all together in their public sectors. This could impact the numbers of overseas visits to UK which would adversely affect the turn over and consequently profits in the hotel industry It may get harder to raise expansion capital due to falling property values. High unemployment rates in UK could mean that people may not be able to afford holidays. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION The success of the industry is dependable on a lot of external factors and this was most clearly evident during the last economic downturn. However, in todays world globalisation plays an important role both in leisure and commerce. Therefore, hotel industry which is now well established will be a sector that would commend high demand for its services in the future. History shows that hotel industry has bounced back in the past after suffering similar setbacks. This will certainly be the case this time round with the first signs of recovery already in sight. At glance it appears that the industry has learned from previous downturns responding to it by adjusting prices and offers to look more attractive. Seeing that the largest share of revenue comes from internal visits and many EU economies risking Bankruptcy, it would be wise to try and encourage more British people spend their vacations in the UK. In the meantime the coming decade with its sports events to be held here presents a great opportunity for the industry. Therefore, companies should take advantage of this by planning ahead so they would have sufficient bed/room space to meet the demand. Although trading at the moment is rather low in comparison to pre-recession time and raising capital for further development has become harder. It is worth remembering that hotel projects take a relatively long time to materialise and now may be the time to start thinking for the future. As the economy recovers the hoteliers should also seek to build occupancy back, perhaps through further competitive pricing and promotional deals with the aim to reinstate RevPar growth. APPENDICIES AND TABLES Table 1.1. Overseas residents visits to the UK and the expenditure in the UK (Million,  £million and  £) 2004-09 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2008 Q1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   2009 Q1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Number of overseas visitors (million) 27.8 30 32.7 32.8 31.9 7.2 6.2 Expenditure ( £m) 13.047 14.248 16.002 15.960 16.323 3.129 3.128 Average expenditure per visit ( £) 469 475 489 487 512 435 505 UK residents Expenditure ( £m) 21,238 21,107 Q1- first qarter à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Seasonally adjusted Note: expenditure figures refer to total spending by visitors not solely accommodation/hotel costs Source. International Passenger survey (MQ6, Quarter 1 2009) National Statistics Table 1.2: EMPLOYMENT IN THE UK HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 2004-2007 2004* 2005* 2006 2007 Contract food service  providers 179,600 178,300 182,600 181,600 Hotels 247,100 238,400 238,500 245,000 Pubs, bars and nightclubs 368,400 333,900 297,700 319,600 Restaurants   518,700   514,700   499,700   526,700 Hospitality services   402,100   379,900   390,300   417,400 TOTAL WORKFORCE   1,917,300   1,843,000   1,866,300   1,960,700 Source: Labour Force Survey www.caterersearch.com Table 1.3: UK resident population estimates 2004-08 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Population (000) 59,846 60,238 60,587 60,975 61,412 % change year on year 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 Source: Monthly Digest of Statistics, August 2009, statistics.gov.uk Table1.4: UK GDP at Current and Annual Chain-Link Prices ( £m), 2004-08 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Current Prices 1,202,956 1,254,058 1,325,795 1,398,882 1,446,113 % change 4.2 5.7 5.5 3.4 Annual Chain-Link 1,227,387 1,254,058 1,289,833 1,322,842 1,332,652 % change 2.2 2.9 2.6 0.7 Source: Economic and Labour review, August 09, statistics.gov.uk Table 1.5. UK rate of inflation (%) 2004-2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Inflation (%) 3.0 2.8 3.2 4.3 4.0 Change year on year -0.2 0.4 1.1 -0.3 Source: Monthly Digest of Statistics August 2009, National Statistics website Table 1.6: Proportion of nights spent and expenditure on hotels, motels or guest houses and other accommodation in the UK by UK and Overseas residents (%) 2007 2008 Nights (%) Expenditure (%) 2007 2008 2007 2008 UK Residents Hotel, motel or guest house 23 23 46 48 Other accommodation 77 77 54 52 Overseas residents Hotel, motel or guest house 23 22 50 50 Other accommodation 77 78 50 50 Source: UK Tourism survey 2007 and 2008, VisitBritain/International Passenger survey 2007 and 2008, National Statistics. Table 1.7: Golden decade of sports Event Sport Year Location Ryder Cup Golf 2010 Wales Olympic Games Various 2012 London Commonwealth Games Various 2014 Glasgow Rugby World Cup Rugby 2015 England World Cup Football 2018 UK Cricket World Cup Cricket 2019 England Table 1.8: Major Players in UK Hotel Industry Company Revenue per year ( £m) Accor UK Business Leisure Hotels Ltd 198.3 De Vere Hotels Leisure Ltd 248.2 Guoman Hotels Ltd 220.4 Hilton International Hotels (UK) Ltd 58.10 InterContinental Hotels Group PLC 1,850.00 Macdonald Hotels Ltd 135.4 Marriott Hotels Ltd 149.5 Millennium Copthorne Hotels PLC 702.9 Premier Inn Hotels Ltd 159.5 Travelodge Hotels Ltd 287 Source: KeyNote Appendix 1: The Economy in three recessions (bbc.co.uk) Appendix 2: Oil price rise 2000-07 (bbc.co.uk) Appendix 3: Employment (statistics.gov.uk) Appendix 4: UK Hotel Market Forecast. Appendix 5: Number of establishments