Saturday, August 31, 2019

Marketing Strategy at Ikea Essay

Synopsis The case study is to discuss about the different strategy used by IKEA to approach their customers. It is also talking about the localization concept from a global company based on the cultural demand from different countries worldwide. IKEA is also famous for their less expensive furniture, has some other strategies to â€Å"reach† the customers based on their needs. 4 Ps concept plays a very important role on IKEA’s success besides the way of shopping which is differ from all other their competitor. Company Background 1920s At the age of five Ingvar Kamprad starts selling matches to his next door neighbors and by the time he is seven, he starts selling to further neighborhood, using his bicycle. He buy matches in huge numbers cheap and re-sell them individually at a very low price but still make a good profit. From selling matches he expands to selling flower seeds, greeting cards, Christmas tree decorations, and later pencils and ball-point pens. 1940s-1950s The roots of a furniture dealer, Ingvar Kamprad is entrepreneurial in developing IKEA into a furniture retailer. This period sees the exploration of furniture design, self assembly, advertising, the use of a catalogue and a showroom to reach the many people. 1960s-1970s The IKEA concept starts to take place. New IKEA stores opened and hero products are developed such as POÄNG, KLIPPAN and BILLY bookcase. It is a time where concept takes shape and is documented in Ingvar Kamprad’s The Testament of a Furniture Dealer. 1980s IKEA expands dramatically into new markets such as USA, Italy, France and the UK. More IKEA classics arrive such as LACK and MOMENT. IKEA begins to take  the form of today’s modern IKEA. 1990s IKEA grows more by introducing Children’s IKEA and the focus is on home furnishing solutions to meet the needs of families with children. The IKEA Group is formed and responsibility for people and the environment is seen as a prerequisite for doing good business. 2000s IKEA expands into new markets such as Japan and Russia. Everything for the bedroom and kitchen is explored and presented in coordinated furnishing solutions. This period also sees the successes of several partnerships regarding social and environmental projects. IKEA’s Vision and Business Idea IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Their business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. IKEA’s mission: People have very thin wallet. We should take care of their interests. IKEA’s Product RangeIngvar Kamprad The IKEA product range focuses on good design and function at a low price. It offers home furnishing solutions for every room in the home. It has something for the romantic at heart, the minimalist and everyone in between. It is coordinated so that no matter which style you prefer our designers and product developers work hard to ensure that our products meet your day-to-day needs and eliminates the unnecessary. IKEA’s Low Prices Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision and our business idea. The basic thinking behind all IKEA products is that low prices make well-designed, functional home furnishings available to everyone. We are constantly trying to do everything a little better, a little simpler, more efficiently and always cost-effectively. A better everyday life We have taken the straightforward approach to the furniture business, by starting with developing furniture with the price tag in mind. This is the IKEA way, to maximize the use of raw materials in order to fulfill people’s needs and preferences by offering quality products at an affordable price. Social & Environmental Responsibility In 2004, IKEA published their first Social and Environmental Responsibility report. IKEA believes good society is good for IKEA with the passionate to create successful business in a responsible manner. That’s the reason sustainability is very important for IKEA’s strategic direction. Prioritizing sustainability drives further innovation and development. Managing resources with new ways to do things and developing skill set and expertise are very important in driving IKEA’s business. As a company with low price product must be a low cost company which include earth’s limited resources usage in a good manner. IKEA has made tremendous and valuable contribution across the world. Forests of Siberia, cotton fields of India, homes in New York, Lisbon and Shanghai are good examples of sustainability. IKEA blue bags are big, sturdy and sustainable. Out with plastic bags! In with reusable bags! SWOT analysis IKEAs objectives are easily achieved via their SWOT analysis and it is a  strategic planning tool too. It helps the business to focus on key issues. SWOT is the first step of planning based on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a business. Strengths and weaknesses are internal aspects and it is within the control of the business. They may refer to aspects of marketing, finance, manufacturing or organization. Opportunities and threats are external factors and they are outside the control of the business. These may include the environment, the economic situation, social changes or technological advances, such as the internet. Strengths Strengths could include a company’s specialist marketing expertise or its location. IKEA’s strengths include: a.Low cost structure At any economic situation, IKEA able to maintain the profit margin due to their â€Å"affordable† products. IKEA buy the products in bulk from suppliers with a lower price and get their customers to assemble the product by themselves, which gives customer a lower price product. Their long term partnership with their suppliers also ensures they have access to high quality material at reasonable prices. Their furniture is stylish, modern and functional. The company’s low cost structure is able to meet the customers’ need at any point of economic condition. b.Sustainability IKEA’s cost effective and Social & Environmental Responsibility concept is a unique strength of IKEA compare to their other competitors. IKEA use renewable, reusable and recycled materials as much as possible. Example, IKEA’s catalogues are printed in chlorine-free paper and contain at least 10% to 15% post consumer waste. All of their products come in cardboard, compact packaging for easy use and recyclability. These make IKEA outstanding from their competitors. Opportunities A business uses its strengths to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. IKEA believes that its environmentally focused business conduct will result in good returns even in a price sensitive market. Some of the opportunities that IKEA takes advantage of through its sustainability agenda are: a.IKEA can further invest on the â€Å"go green† movement and IKEA’s customers’ desire to have less of an impact on the environment. This concept is also denoting the demand for cheaper and greener products. b.Sustainability can be further maintained by offer tips and ideas online for customers to create a more sustainable home in any part of the world. It can also help to reduce carbon footprint by packaging in less material. . Weaknesses and threats Weaknesses IKEA has to acknowledge its weaknesses in order to improve and manage them. This can play a key role in helping it to set objectives and develop new strategies. IKEA’s weaknesses may include: a.The size IKEA is a warehouse style shopping centre. Because of their huge size, there are not enough people in a smaller region to maintain a store at that size. Also, IKEA find it difficult to penetrate a small market because they offer only home furnishing. Unlikely company like Target offer home furnishing besides clothing, groceries and also technology. b.The need for low cost products. This needs to be balanced against producing good quality products too. They are also need to differentiate itself and its products from other competitors. IKEA believes there is no compromise between being able to offer good quality products and low prices. c.Communication Communication or updates on their environmental activities with its consumers and stakeholders must be consistent and up to date. IKEA produces publications in print and online (for example ‘People and the Environment’) and carries out major TV and radio campaigns to enable the business to communicate with different target audiences. Threats If a company is aware of possible external threats, it can plan to counteract them. By generating new ideas, IKEA can use a particular strength to defend against threats in the market. Threats to IKEA may stem from: a.Competition More competitors are now entering the low price household and furnishings markets. Example Home Depot is the 2nd largest retailer in the world and also a huge threat for IKEA. Home Depot also provides hardware, lumber, kitchen appliances, furniture and many other products. IKEA needs to reinforce its unique qualities to compete with this kind of â€Å"giants†. Question 1 – What are some of the things IKEA is doing right to reach consumers in different markets? What else could it be doing? IKEA Group operating 301 stores in 41 countries worldwide (IKEA statistics 2012) including franchisees. IKEA’s marketing strategy starts with their business concept as stated in IKEA’s vision statement: The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We make this possible by  offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing product at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. (IKEA Corporate Website) IKEA has a principle to work in the same way in every country. This standardized approach provides operational advantages besides some disadvantages due to the different markets. Based on the marketing mix which starts with product strategy, product covers more than the physical goods that a company wants to sell. It is the goods & service combination that a company offers to the target market. Thus, IKEA offers a whole range of product with the pricing which supposed to be the same (95%) with very small adaptations for all countries and in all stores worldwide. The pricing of products are comparatively low to what the consumers can find in a competing store. The basic aim of IKEA is to deliver high value at a low price. IKEA has been cutting price in most of the countries. IKEA is also source it’s products from various companies all over the world rather than a small number of suppliers like many of the retailers do. IKEA has 1,300 suppliers from 53 countries, who can supply products as per local taste based on their needs. Most of the IKEA stores are placed out of city centre, out of town location due to a lower land cost and traffic access. Exceptional for UK stores (Coventry – 2007 & Southampton – 2009) located in city centre as a response to UK government restrictions blocking retail establishment outside city centers. It is a seven floors store with a different flow compare to other IKEA stores. Normally the stores will be 2 floors with a car parking availability and also comes with restaurants. The restaurants sell foods according to the local taste and also it opens daily before the rest of the stores. Example in Canada, breakfast includes eggs, sausage, and hash browns and various add-ons like bacon and pancakes at additional costs. In the United States, the local variation serves scrambled eggs, bacon, country potatoes and choice of Swedish pancakes or French toast sticks. The selling environment and service of IKEA stores are also adjusted to fit with local taste. Example like DIY concept is fully accepted by Sweden and UK where the consumers believe that’s the price they pay for the low prices products. Whereby in China, DIY concept is new to them because of the cheap labor and the prices are also not perceived as generally low. Q1.1What else could it be doing? 1.Developing competitive advantage – because IKEA has a low cost structure, they should be able to expand online market easily without incurring too much additional costs. IKEA also should look at an expansion to the West Coast, particularly California. Also, expansion into regions with enough people to sustain a store of their size. 2.Developing a strategic focus – going online is not only reaching potential customers in less populated area, it is also will help customers to catch up with competitors. Besides that, younger people (Gen Y) willing to buy online more compare to the older people. Question 2 – IKEA has essentially changed the way people shop for furniture. Discuss the pros and cons of this strategy. Factors that encourage customer’s choice of visit to IKEA – Pros i.Social motives for the customer – the shoppers go in group since the outlet is huge and it will take time to shop. Also the location is far from city. It’s a kind of short trip instead of shop-visit which consume a lot of time and they prefer to go in a group (friends or family). ii.Availability of other services and amenities – Restaurants (food and beverages) and baby-sitting services within the stores which gives a greater convenient to all customer. Parking is also not an issue since most of the stores located far from the city. iii.Information availability – online info is more useful. Customers can  surf online catalogues in various languages for inspiration and planning purpose before go to the store. This will also help them to catch up with their competitors. Younger generation will be also attracted with this online concept because they are the IT savvy generation compare to the older generation who is still a little â€Å"doubt† about buying online. iv.Access – Operating hours are good. Long hours on weekend very helpful for those customers work odd hours and also busy on weekdays. v.Speed of delivery – no waiting time as they go and pick up their products. Factors that discourage customer’s choice of visit to IKEA – Cons i.Design – the color and bulbs used make the environment dull. Less store assistants and the routes are very long also make customers not really prefer to shop in IKEA. Customers feel bored when they are required to follow one special route instead go direct to the product that they want to purchase. ii.Product availability – difficult to find, stored somewhere else, arrange in an illogical order. Also, ONLY furniture available in IKEA unlikely Home Depot provides all kind of products / items beside furniture. iii.Amount of shopping time  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it is time consuming. The route makes them to go through all products and to get the product seen before must go a big turn again. Also, customers ended up buying more than planned as going thru all the display products. iv.Assemble yourself – most of the IKEA products are need to be assembled by customers themselves. If you’re a handyman, or someone experienced with tools, it is fine. But for the normal men or even women, assembling some pieces might be slightly difficult. Also it can be ended up doing something wrong. Conclusion In conclusion, IKEA is a good place to shop furniture with a lot of different designs. Less expensive furniture made IKEA grow consistently around the world. IKEA has their own way of sustaining their business for decades. The overall identity of IKEA is based in Smà ¥land, historical and thrift are strong characteristics of the region and its people. All IKEA policies live up to this standard from the products that they sell. Exhibit 1 – Facts & Figures FY2011 References 1.The Testament of a Furniture Dealer – A Little IKEA Dictionary by Ingvar Kamprad (founder). Published by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2007 2.Standardized Marketing Strategies in Retailing? IKEA’s marketing Strategies in Sweden, the UK and China by Steve Burt, University of Stirling, 2008. 3.IKEA Facts and Figures -2011 http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_AU/pdf/yearly_summary/Welcome_inside_2011.pdf 4.Student Info – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html 5.The IKEA Experience – A case study on how different factors in retail environment affect customer experience by Rebecka Isaksson & Mirela Suljanovic. 6.History – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/history/index.html 7.Introduction – SWOT analysis and sustainable business planning – IKEA case studies and information The Times 100 http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/ikea/swot-analysis-and-sustainable-business-planning/introduction.html 8.IKEA International A.S. History & Company Profile http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/ikea-international-a-s-history/ 9.Kerry Capell, â€Å"IKEA: How the Sweedish Retailer Became a Global Cult Brand,† BusinessWeek, November 14, 2005 10.IKEA group corporate site n.d., About the IKEA Group. Cited from (08.05.2009) http://193.108.42.168/?ID=25

Friday, August 30, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 19

I ran past the shanties set up around the circus through the deep woods, following the tracks of the wagon until I lost the vehicles scent completely at the outskirts of the city proper. A drunk was leaning against a brick building, whistling tunelessly. In a blind rage, I roughly fell to my knees and grabbed him, biting into his neck and sucking his blood before he even had time to gasp. It tasted bitter, but I kept drinking, gulping it in until I could stand no more. Sitting back on my heels, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and looked around. Confusion and hatred coursed through my veins. Why couldnt I save Damon? Why had I just watched as Gallagher goaded the audience into placing even more bets, as the mountain lion pounced onto my brother? And why had Damon allowed himself to be captured and put me in this impossible position? I wished Id never insisted on turning him into a vampire in the first place. If he werent here and I were alone in the city, everything would be so much easier. Now I was trying to be a good brother, and a good vampire, and yet was failing at everything. I walked home, clomping up the steps to the house. I slammed the door, causing the hinges to rattle and one of the paintings in the parlor to fall on the floor with a clatter. Instantly, I saw Buxton glaring at me from the opposite side of the room, his eyes glittering in the darkness. â€Å"Is there some sort of problem youre having with the door?† he asked through clenched teeth. I tried to brush past him, but he blocked my path. â€Å"Excuse me,† I muttered, pushing him. â€Å"Excuse you,† Buxton said, crossing his arms over his chest. â€Å"Coming in as if you own the place. Stinking like humans. While Im not one to question Miss Lexi, I do think its time you show a little respect for her home, brother.† The wordbrotherawakened something within me. â€Å"Watch what you say,† I hissed, baring my teeth. But Buxton just chuckled. â€Å"Ill watch what I say when you watch how you act.† â€Å"Boys?† Lexi called from upstairs, her lilting voice a contrast to the tense scene. She glided down the stairs, her eyes softening with concern when they rested on me. â€Å"Is Damon ?† â€Å"Hes alive,† I muttered. â€Å"But I couldnt get to him.† Lexi perched on the edge of a rickety rocking chair, her eyes large and sympathetic. â€Å"Buxton, can you please get us some goats blood?† Buxtons eyes narrowed, but he shuffled out of the parlor and into the kitchen. In the living room, I could hear Hugo playing a lively French march on the piano. â€Å"Thanks,† I said, sinking into an overstuffed love seat. I didnt want goats blood. I wanted to gorge myself on gallons and gallons of human blood, drinking until I got sick and passed out in total oblivion. â€Å"Remember, hes strong,† Lexi said. â€Å"Im not worried about Buxton,† I said. â€Å"I meant your brother. If hes anything like you, hes strong.† I looked up at her. She came over and took my chin in her hand. â€Å"Thats what you have to believe. Its what I believe. The trouble with you is that you want everything done right away. Youre impatient.† I sighed. The last thing I needed was another lecture about how I had no sense of the way the real vampire world worked. Besides, I wasnt impatient. I was desperate. â€Å"You just need to think of another plan. One we can help with.† Lexi glanced over as Buxton entered, carrying a silver tray laden with two mugs. Buxton paused midstep. â€Å"Faut-il l'aider?† he asked in French. â€Å"Nous l'aiderons,† Lexi replied. Neither Lexi nor Buxton knew that Id learned French at my mothers knee; it was odd to listen to them speakabout whether to help me free Damon. I stared at my hands, which were still covered with crusted blood from my hunt earlier in the evening. Buxton banged the tray against the polished cherrywood table. â€Å"You will not put us in danger,† he growled, his fangs inches away from my neck. He shoved me with all his might against the wall, and the back of my head cracked against the fireplaces marble mantle. My Power took over, and I pushed his shoulders hard. But Buxton was older and stronger than I was, and he kept me pinned to the wall, his hands firmly against my chest. I could feel blood beginning to seep from my skull, where Id hit my head. â€Å"You selfish, ungrateful monster,† Buxton whispered, hatred dripping from his voice. â€Å"Ive seen vampires like you before. You think the world is yours for the taking. You dont care about others. You dont care who you kill. You give us a bad name.† I twisted and writhed, trying to escape his grip, when suddenly I felt the pressure release from my chest, followed by an enormous crash as Buxton fell to the floor. â€Å"Buxton,† Lexi lectured, staring at the prone body lying at her feet. â€Å"How many more centuries will it be before you learn how to treat a guest? And, Stefan, wont you agree with me that human blood simply doesnt agree with you? That behavior wasnt necessary.† Lexi shook her head like an annoyed schoolmarm. â€Å"Now, Ill drink my blood in peace. Be nice, boys,† she said as she glided out of the room, the mug of blood in her hands. How could she walk away so casually, knowing that my brother was out there imprisoned and tortured? I had come to depend on Lexi for many things, and support in finding and saving Damon was my only priority now. As if reading my mind, she paused at the archway to her quarters, glancing from one of us to the other. â€Å"If and when I say we help Damon, we will. Is that clear to both of you?† â€Å"Yes, Miss Lexi,† Buxton murmured as he slowly eased onto his knees then stood up. I nodded, barely containing my scowl.If? Buxton limped out of the room, but not before he threw one last glare in my direction. Suddenly the house felt too small, as though the walls, floors, and ceilings were pressing in at me from all sides. Letting out one last growl, I flew through the parlor, out the door, and back down to Lake Road.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

One of the Greatest Founding Fathers of America

Alexander Hamilton was one of the Continental Army officers, who served George Washington during the American war of Independence. Hamilton prevailed over the greatest difficulties and miseries like penury and illegitimacy, while gaining the auspicious position as aide-de-camp to George Washington. Hamilton and Washington work hand in hand for more than quarter of century during the Revolutionary War, Hamilton helped Washington in framing the Constitution, and finally the Presidency of the US. The unyielding reputation Alexander Hamilton had enjoyed during the Revolutionary War put him among the greatest heroes of American history.Hamilton was the strongest advocate of the Constitution, and his contribution to the substance of American government is incomparable. Even today after the passage of two centuries, Hamilton’s importance remains unmatched. He will always be remembered for his financial prowess, principled politics, intellectual depth, and hard work. $10 bill of US cu rrency still reminds us of the only non-presidential face besides Franklin to appear on currency note. Hamilton’s Early Life Alexander Hamilton’s early life was not an auspicious by any means; he was born in 1755 in the British West Indies.His father, James Hamilton, was a merchant, could not come to America because of debt. Hamilton’s mother, Rachel Fawcett, had to depended upon friends and family to survival in the new land. When Hamilton reached the age of ten, the family moved to a small island of St. Croix, where his mother could not survive more than few months. Although Hamilton could not get the proper school education, but he excelled himself as a mercantile clerk upon the encouragement of friends and relatives. His formal education began when a Presbyterian minister Reverend Hugh Knox gave a sermon, which proved inspiring to him.Reverend Hugh Knox raised funds to send Alexander away to school in 1773. He entered Kings College in 1774. â€Å"He was qui te a mature young man, with a strong grasp on political issues with a working knowledge of British and American government, which he exhibited in a series of anonymous pamphlets so discerning; they were attributed to John Jay. He was only 17 at the time†. (Frisch, 33) Hamilton’s Military Career In 1775, he discontinued his education, and on March 1776 he founded a volunteer military company.He was then commissioned as Captain of the Provincial Company on New York Artillery. He demonstrated immense talent and intellect in his duties with artillery that Nathanael Green took notice of him. â€Å"He was asked to serve on the staff of Lord Stirling, which he declined, and continued his career with the artillery effectively at Long Island, Harlem Heights, White Plains†¦ as well as seeing action at Trenton and Princeton in the New Jersey campaign†. (Cooke, 71) Hamilton did not study military history and tactics in any institution but developed the military acumen o n his own.Hamilton led a successful raid for British cannon in the Battery, the capture of which resulted in the Hearts of Oak becoming an artillery company thereafter. Through his connections with influential New York patriots like Alexander McDougall and John Jay, he raised his own artillery company of sixty men in 1776, drilling them, selecting and purchasing their uniforms with donated funds, and winning their loyalty; they chose the young man as their captain. Association with George Washington In the campaign of 1776 around New York, Hamilton’s proficiency and bravery got the attention of George Washington.After Hamilton's gallantry and heroic accomplishment displayed at the crucial engagement at Trenton, he was appointed an aide to General Washington. In this position his writing skills and keen sense of judgement would prove essential to the highest command in the army. The 1777 winter encampment at Morristown, New Jersey, found Hamilton with an army of well under 10, 000. The army, however, was reinforced steadily as the winter progressed into spring. During this time Hamilton recorded, â€Å"the many deserters coming in from the enemy showed them to be in desperate straits†¦Since the possibility that the French might enter the war in Europe would disincline the British from sending reinforcements overseas†. (Flexner, 77) Hamilton spent the winter of 1777-1778 with Washington and the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Hamilton’s Non-military/Political Career Hamilton began his non-military career soon after the Revolutionary War. After three months of intensive study of the law in Albany, New York, Hamilton was admitted to the bar in July of 1783. Then, after the British army evacuated New York City, he opened his law office at 57 Wall Street.Hamilton also continued with his political endeavors. He served in Congress from 1782 to 1783, was elected to the Continental Congress, and founded the Bank of New York in February of 1784 . Once elected, Hamilton remained politically active all of his life. He prepared but did not present a proposal calling for a convention with full powers to revise the Articles of Confederation. Instead, he became one of the prime movers for calling the Annapolis Convention. At the Annapolis Convention in September of 1786, Hamilton served as one of three delegates from New York.â€Å"He supported Madison in inducing the Convention to exceed its delegated powers and personally drafted the call to summon the Federal Convention of May 1787 at Philadelphia. At that Convention, Hamilton again represented New York as one of three delegates†. (Goebl,, 127) Rivalry with Jefferson Considering Hamilton in relation to Thomas Jefferson is instructive. During their lives, the two men engaged each other in a titanic struggle over the form of the United States government and its relationship to society. In a directly parallel fashion, the public images of the two men also have been in per petual contention.â€Å"Yet while Hamilton and the Federalists were able to seize the reins of power in the 1790s and institute many of their programs, it is Jefferson who, in the long run, captured the imagination and love of the American people†. (Syrett, 82) Last Years Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton had been on friendly terms for years, but after fifteen years of having every political aspiration thwarted by Hamilton, Burr was seething with anger and itching for revenge. Burr's loss in the governor's race led him to challenge Hamilton to a duel. On July 11, 1804 in Weehawken, New Jersey, Burr exacted his revenge on his nemesis with a single shot.Alexander Hamilton died from the wound on July 12, 1804 in New York City. Works Cited Cooke, Jacob E. , The Reports of Alexander Hamilton, New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Frisch, Morton J. , Selected Writings and Speeches of Alexander Hamilton, Washington/London: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, 1985. Goeb l, Julius, The Law Practice of Alexander Hamilton, Vols. I & II, New York: Columbia University Press, 1964, 1969. Syrett, Harold C. , The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Vols. 1-27, New York/London: Columbia University Press Flexner, James T. , The Young Hamilton. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1978.

Quantitative Research Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quantitative Research Article Critique - Essay Example These are; Annual Survey of Hospitals, views from regular nurses and coordinators from the respective hospitals. During the research, conflicting definition about nurse staffing developed different results. One view of nurse staffing was the duration that patients are under complete care of nurses. The other view is the Canadian view. This view looked at the literal numbers of nurses proving healthcare services to patients. The results achieved from the former view in relation to medication errors established that the two factors never related statistically. The latter view revealed a correlation between the number of nursing staff and the medical errors reported in a nursing unit. The Mplus program and the ALT model was used to analyze the data collected. The analysis resulted to the establishment of four coefficients. The first coefficient reveals the relationship between the predictors and medical errors. The second category of coefficient determines the relationship between medical errors and a particular predictor variable. It reveals the changes implicated on medication errors. The third category of coefficients focuses on monthly medication errors on the following errors. The last coefficient category focuses on the variables in medical error and nurse staffing variables. The divergent views in the definition of nurse staffing implicate difficulties in the establishment of the relationship between nurse staffing and the medical errors. Only two coefficients from the 16 were fruitful. Many limitations experienced during the research could not assist in deriving substantial relationship between nurse staffing and medical

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Bankruptcy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bankruptcy - Essay Example Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is also known as straight bankruptcy in which an individual or a corporation will discharge the filing defaulter in exchange for giving up assets. Therefore, the chapter 7 is legislated specifically for people who cannot afford or who are unable to pay their debt. Accordingly, one chief reason people choose to file chapter 7 is that if one qualifies, he or she can then afford the monthly reimbursement for the items they wish to keep. This is unlike chapter 13 because those who file chapter 7 debtors are often ready to credit score more quickly because they aim to complete bankruptcy suit swiftly (Gambrell & Associates, n.d.). As with Chapter 13 on the other hand, the debtor is demanded to reimburse all or part of his/her debts in terms of reduction of upcoming income within a stipulated period of 3-5 years as per chapter 13 arrangement. Much of the debt that is not reimbursed as set out in the agreement or a plan of reorganization will have to be wiped out or discharged. This is unlike in chapter 7 where bankruptcy does not discharge much of the mortgage, for if debtor desires to keep an item product e.g. an apartment or a car as security for a loan, he is required to prolong these payments. However, under chapter 13, nearly all long-term debts and mortgages have to be paid in their usual monthly reimbursement either during or outside the plan, apart from for the payments that were due ahead of the case filing (Gambrell & Associates, n.d.). Chapter 9 deals with municipalities and a municipal is required to demonstrate its eligibility to be a debtor in pursuant of section 109 (c) and such eligibility to file for chapter 9 is often contested by creditor (s). Such is different with chapter 11 whereby eligibility is never challenged as a party is supposed to be eligible for filing save for insurance companies, stockbrokers, insured banks, and commodity brokers. Another

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Online education can be good supplement to regular school education Research Paper

Online education can be good supplement to regular school education - Research Paper Example According to Doan, Kim and Bloomfield (65), this kind of education is facilitated by virtual schools which are web-based programs catering for distance education students’ needs. Virtual schools provide facilitation for online education by providing the necessary learning environment consisting of software and hardware essential for online learning (Means 9). In the list of what virtual schools provide are cyber schools, electronic schools, cyber charts and e-schools. The internet has been observed to contain information overload (Greenblatt and Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly 788). This information is important in providing expansion of knowledge that is attained in regular school education. Thus, online learning serves this purpose of adding to the learning attained through regular school education programs. The combination of both, regular school learning and online learning, characteristically comprise what is referred to as blended learning. This has substantial benefits to an individual’s knowledge enrichment. The delivery as well as receiving of online courses involves relatively user-friendly essential software and hardware. The software system utilized for the packaging the communication tools, grade book, course content among other essential elements of the course is the learning management system (LMS) (Doan, Kim and Bloomfield 63). The second essential software for online learning is the student information system (SIS) which basically manages the students’ data (Ibid 63). Online instructors and students utilize audio and video plug-ins: to share course contents. Basic productivity software such as web browsers, Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Microsoft PowerPoint are important for a variety of activities expected of the instructors and students for information sharing (Ibid 64). Hardware requirements are also

Monday, August 26, 2019

Leader Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leader Analysis Paper - Essay Example A good leader should be able to persuade and motivate the juniors working under him in tough times to ensure that they are always focused and full of vigor. Organizations are run on set goals and objectives, therefore a good leader will be able to draft good objectives and incorporate all the stakeholders involved in the production or achievement of the goals so that they can work as a team. The leader should bridge the gap between him and the employees so that they can feel as part of the overall plan and pledge to offer their best. The leader should possess good listening skills and be ready to address the problems arising in a supportive and diligent manner. Constructive criticism is welcome in any given situation. This is important when one feels that one of the employees or any staff is not delivering his/her mandate in the expected way. It is therefore wrong to victimize an employee instead of using positive corrective measures that are needed in creating a good environment for the staff and the customers. The leader should be assertive so as to portray a positive image of himself to the employees and also to the society they are interacting with. Presenting a positive personal image ensures that the people looking up to you in the organization trust you and believe that you will be able to accord them the leadership they yearn for. It is important to delegate certain tasks to the juniors in the organization as this creates trust and increases responsibility among the workers. On top of these, a good leader should always have a positive attitude and an optimistic way of addressing problems as the approach he gives may be what it entails to make the projects or the goals achievable or not. An organization often goes through tough times which calls for tough measures to ensure that it does not close its business. In such cases, the leader or the manager should be persevering

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The War Against Boys Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The War Against Boys - Assignment Example The ideologies behind these types of feminism were first coined by Hoff Sommers in her famous writings. According to Sommers, gender feminism focuses on the interaction between the society and the cultural gender roles performed by women within the same social setting. On the other hand, equity feminism is associated with equal rights and equal treatment of women in the society. In its practical application, gender feminism has been labeled as bad feminism because it deals with the questioning of the fundamental rules of the society. On the opposite side, equity feminism is credited because it is occupied with the purpose of advocating and supporting the aspect of equal rights to every member of a society. The principles of gender feminism do not question the idea that women should stay at home and play their cultural roles. This type of feminism is only occupied with the aspects of equity and other legal issues. Contrary, gender feminism questions the ideas of cultural roles played by women within a social environment. It seeks to achieve cultural equity among women and men. At this juncture, we will focus at the equity feminism, which is the most dominant contemporary feminism at modern times (Rauchut 349).In every society, those individuals and groups fighting for gender equality con be heard complaining of numerous issues which they are not satisfied with. Therefore, equity feminists are constantly pushing forward their grievances to the relevant authorities for recognition.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Grigori Yefimovich Rapustin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Grigori Yefimovich Rapustin - Essay Example He taught his disciples that sex, alcoholism, bribery, violence or all kinds of sins are part of human life and these things are necessary to get salvation. He was succeeded in attracting many people with his magical powers, appearance and communication abilities. He was often referred as the mad monk in history because of his crazy life styles and teachings. He was able to establish deep relationship with the Imperial family in general and with Queen Alexandra Feodorovna and her son,  in particular. These relationships helped him to become a prominent figure in the even in the imperial court. Some people believe that he was responsible for the downfall of the Romonov Russian Imperial family whereas others argue that he was simply a scapegoat. This paper analyses Rasputin’s personal life and teachings in general and his influence in the down fall and later the overthrow of the Romonov Russian Imperial family in particular. Rasputin’s personal life and teachings Rasput in’s education was limited and he struggled even for reading and writing. Like most of the modern self declared saints, Rasputin also realised that it is easy to influence the public with the help of magical powers even without formal education. He has realised that most of the people around him were superstitious and exploitation of such superstitious public is easy. â€Å"Having undergone a form of religious conversion while aged 18, Rasputin embraced the Khlysty sect.   Happily for Rasputin the sect preached the notion that the closest relationship to God could best be achieved while exhausted from prolonged sexual engagements†3 Rasputin’s personal life was not suitable for the traditional beliefs about the life styles of a monk or saint. His teachings were entirely different from the teachings of traditional saints. He argued that sins are part of human life and it is necessary for getting salvation. In his opinion, â€Å"sin is an inescapable part of the human condition, and the responsibility of a believer is to be keenly aware of his sins, and willing to confess them, thereby attaining humility†4. He established strong relationships with people in the upper class society and engaged in all malicious activities. He stayed with prostitutes and had no hesitation in getting addicted to alcohol. â€Å"He shortly afterwards hit upon the satisfying discovery that sexual contact with his own body imbued a healing effect upon women†5. Influence of Rasputin in the downfall of the Romonov Russian Imperial family Even though historians have different opinions about the role played by Rasputin in the downfall of the Romonov Russian Imperial family which led to the formation of Soviet Union, nobody has any doubt about his deep relationship with the Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra and their only son, the Tsarevich Alexei. Rasputin was able to establish strong relationship with the ruling family because of Alexeiâ €™s hemophilia disease. Tsar and Tsarina had only one son and they were worried about their son’s hemophilia disease. They tried to treat their son using all the available medical facilities of that time; however their son’s pain and agony increased day by day. Rasputin used this opportunity well and convinced Tsar and Tsarina that he has holy power and he can easily get their son’s pain relieved. He was regarded as the last resort of the desperate Tsar and Tsarina. They had tried

Friday, August 23, 2019

International Business - Meli Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Business - Meli - Essay Example The firm has also focused immensely on the differentiation strategy. This has enabled it to increase its perceived value among its loyal customers. This is through offering superior services. This has made the customers to be willing to pay a premium for the new services to be offered. Lastly, the company has integrated the value chain through offering door-to-door services. Therefore, it can capitalize on these strategies in order to increase its competitive advantage in the market (Hamermes & Yong, 2012). Meli has performed effectively especially with the limits on the routes that its vessels can cover. The competitors have a wider range of route and vessels with high capacities. Therefore, when putting these constrains into consideration, the firm can be said to have performed above average (Hamermes & Yong, 2012). I would recommend that Tim approve the decision to acquire Teeh-Sah Holdings. This is because the new strategies will open up new routes for the company. In addition, the firm will acquire more assets and human resources that have an experience in different markets across the world especially in the trans-pacific route. This will strengthen the company’s position through reducing the risks and uncertainties associated with concentrating on few markets (Hamermes & Yong,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Powerful Poetry Essay Example for Free

Powerful Poetry Essay â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summers day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate. † This line is from sonnet 18 and it is one of the best known of William Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets. William Shakespeare is the man who created beautiful poetry and he influenced people to create their own. In today’s modern day society, whether it’s widely read or not, poetry has the ability to be considerably moving and to truly touch people. Poetry is relevant and interesting in today’s society because it expresses a great array and depth of people’s feelings, it makes the reader connect with the poem, and it has a unique value. Also poetry is second-hand in music because in most hip-hop songs the words rhyme and create a rhyming couplet. Pursuing this further, poetry is a very powerful thing and it should be included in today’s up-to-date society. Unquestionably, all poems express feelings and emotions that the writer has dealt with throughout their life. Poetry expresses emotion in a form that delights the reader in one field and a feeling of sorrow in another. No other type of writing has the power or capability to arouse that much emotion other than poetry. Every living creature has feelings, but everything has its own way to express it. One way humans express their deepest feelings is through using their language to write and compose poetry. Reading poetry can help see through the eyes of the writer and see what they are experiencing. â€Å"This power rises from within, like the color of a flower which fades and changes as it is developed† (Shelley). This quote says that people have the ability to express themselves and that is very important in life. Poetry can make it easier to step into the shoes of someone else and learn about their personality. Without poetry, people would not be able to express their feelings and emotions and show people their real personality. Also poetry can help people by using it to release tension or stress that they need to get rid of. After a rough day at school, reading some poetry is a good way to get rid of the tension that is caused from problems such as taking a hard test or getting a lot of homework. Poetry helps soothe the mind and gives the mind a respite. Poetry uses the five senses to create a peaceful and pristine image using just words. One example that uses the five senses is, â€Å"All overgrown with azure moss and flowers/ So sweet, the sense faints picturing them† (Shelley). This quote uses the sense of sight because the image is so beautiful that your sense of sight faints. This style of writing can be very calming and comforting when read in a quite environment. Poetry is just like a car wash for the mind and soul; it freshens the soul and gives the mind a brand new start. Without poetry, there is one less way to get rid of stress and release tension. In addition to being used as a stress reliever, poetry is used to compose music. Just as in poetry, music also shares a basic element known as rhythm. In poetry there can be many different kinds of rhythm at the same time. Individual lines include unstressed and stressed syllables which is called a meter. There is also a rhythm between lines when metric patterns are repeated. In music, cadence is the beat of the music and the beats give the music its regular pattern. Poetry and music also display emotion and expression in their amazing works of art. Rap is made up of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration and many other poetic attributes. It is the most alike to poetry, however it is still music. Music without words is poetry, but not in the general state. Without poetry there would be no music because they are very similar and one can’t live without the other. Another reason why poetry is relevant is because it is much more entertaining to read compared to reading a book. Furthermore, poems are much more interesting to read instead of reading a long, boring book. Book plots and characters can be remembered for a limited period of time but poetry is one of the only forms of literary language that can be memorized. In the world of poetry, all of the rules that are applied to writing books are ignored and a piece of art is created that is completely unique. Poetry is such a short form of writing that the reader can think about the poem for hours without having their nose buried in a book. Poetry uses three ideas that are important to the text; mindful imagery, emotions, and language. Without these three things, poems would not have descriptions that use the five senses to create an image and people would lose interest in reading it. On the other hand, some people believe that poetry is irrelevant and this is why they are wrong. Some people might say that poetry is irrelevant and it is a waste of time. They might say that poetry is irrelevant because they believe it is boring to read and there is more people writing poetry than there is appreciating it. Poetry is relevant because it is much shorter and easier to read compared to reading a book. Poetry is very exciting to read because it expresses the feelings of the writer and puts the reader in the writer’s shoes. Poetry is enjoyable to read if you can understand and comprehend what is happening in the poem. Reading poetry is a surrogate form of reading and it is read by many people. Therefore, poetry is relevant and important in today’s society and should be respected more. In short, poetry is very relevant in today’s fast-paced, technological society for many reasons. Poetry is a way to let people express their emotions and show what their personality is like. Reading poetry is a salutary method to reduce stress and can relax the brain when it is overloaded with too many problems. Also poetry is a way to create a rhythm and there would be no music without poetry. Lastly poetry is much more entertaining to read compared to reading a long, boring book. Poetry is an aberration because it is much better than the standard. If poetry was never taught again in schools we would most importantly lose a vital language from our past. Poetry is only as relevant as the message of the poem, depending on how well it has been written. Works Cited Shelley, Percy Bysshe. Ode to the West Wind. Mcdougal Littell Literature. Evanston: Mcdougal Littell, 2008. 850-52. Print. Shelley, Percy Bysshe. A Defense of Poetry. Mcdougal Littell Literature. Evanston: Mcdougal Littell, 2008. 857. Print.

Why I Deserve This Scholarhsip Essay Example for Free

Why I Deserve This Scholarhsip Essay I have constantly thought of returning back to College, I am submitting this essay to obtain the Scholarship. You ask why do I deserve the scholarship, and how will it help the organization. After carefully reviewing why I deserve the MG Scholarship, here is how I would summarize my Answer to your question, why I deserve the Scholarship. My Name is Juanita Monroe, I migrated from Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1972 with my mother and five siblings. We stayed with distant cousins in the new place leaving my immediate family behind. My mother want a better life and opportunity for us. I met challenges and adjust to this new environment and city. In elementary school at the 6th grade I had a reading level above average. During the 9th grade I was the Class Vice President in middle school. Graduated from High School and made the Honor Roll several times. I was the 2nd oldest child, after graduating from high school. My father returned to Baton Rouge I resided with my mother and siblings now with two siblings. After graduating I married and had 3 children and shortly returned to work, and divorced my husband. While helping my mother, and she helping me in return Shortly after 4 years I returned to college in the evening the family responsibilities grew. with the family of eight. I dropped out of college and had to start all over again. I was the first to graduated from college and get my Associate of Arts Degree in my family. I have met many challenges and have overcome them. I have raised four children, one child has graduated from Columbia University, two children are attending East Los Angeles City College one child is attending Southern California University. This is my reasons why I deserve the Scholarships.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Tourism Impact Studies Toward The Society Tourism Essay

Tourism Impact Studies Toward The Society Tourism Essay Tourism is often referred as the worlds largest industry and look upon as a means of achieving community development (Sharpley, 2002). According to the World Tourism Organisation (2009), tourism is one of the worlds fastest growing industry and one of the global engines of development. One of the most popular issues of tourism is tourism impact studies toward the society. The understanding of communitys perceptions on tourism impacts is important. The main reason for this study was to know, the increasing support that tourism bring both positive and negative impacts on local communities life. Different perception from different residents can give insight into the nature and degree of tourism impacts towards the respective tourist destination. The community perceptions on tourism impacts are likely to be an important planning for successful community development (Ko Stewart, 2002). 2.1 Social Conflict Theory The social conflict theories perceive society as providing a setting that creates conflicts and changes. In fact, this approach laid importance on equality and come across the degree to which factors like race, ethnicity, gender and age are connected to unequal distribution of money, power, and social prestige. (Macionis, 2000). Equation engaged a number of cases where communities are involved in struggling with tourism developments. Social change strengthen by challenges of tourism can be negative as well as positive. Indeed the positive example described above went through set-backs and conflicts as part of the process. However, in several cases, increased conflict is more than a momentary jinx. Conflict has arisen both within and between communities. 2.2 Aspects of Conflict Therefore, by discarding the fact that society functions to encourage solidarity and social consensus, conflict theorists put onward that society is about competition for scarce resources. This competition is replicated in the social institutions themselves and allows some people and organizations to have more resources and maintain their power and influence in society. Moreover, residents may experience a sense of elimination and isolation over planning and development concerning the village and they may even endure a loss of control over the community future as outsiders seize over the new development and establishment. Hotels built in massive quantity or restaurants with standardized franchise designs might collide with local standards and disrupt the aesthetic appearance of the community, harm the unique community character, and spread equality. Furthermore, since the tourism industry has developed, there have been an increasing number of incidents whereby local people are denied access to their traditional rights of use to beaches, land and sea. The locals often allege that they are chased away from their lands and are denied their exclusive rights. The farmers are compelled to move away from their original farms as soon as the area is earmarked for tourism development. 2.3 Doxeys Irridex Model Doxeys created a theoretical model in 1975, which has come to be considered as one of the most significant contribution to tourism literature. The Doxeys Irridex Model affirms that an increase in the numbers of tourists and a more developed tourism industry at the destination results in irritation in the community. In other words, this can show the way to incongruity of the local people and the guest. This irritation can take the form of unfriendly behavior personified as resentment from the local community towards tourism. In this case the perception of the residents varies from euphoria (a feeling of happiness or comfort) to apathy when locals start losing interest in tourism; to annoyance after the numbers of tourist and the unfavorable impacts have increased; and finally antagonism (a generation of hostile reaction against tourism) (Cordero 2008). 2.4 Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model (2006) proposed that every tourist destination experience similar stages of development: exploration involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, decline and/or rejuvenation. Figure 1: Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model (Source: Butler 1980) The primary stage in the destination lifecycle begins with small numbers of tourists who visit the area steadily due to limitation such as accessibility to the area. The numbers of tourist increases as development take several forms depending on such factors as the availability of information, marketing activities in the area and the existence of various services and facilities. The numbers of tourists then begin to decline because of the destination reaching its full carrying capacity. Butlers model has been supported by scholars such as Akis (1996); it has been contradicted by others such as Dyer (2007). Both Butlers Destination Lifecycle Model and Doxeys Irridex Model are limited by their unidirectional conceptualizations. 2.5 Aps Model For Understanding Residents Reactions According to Eagly (1993), attitude is defined as an emotional tendency that is articulated by evaluating a particular entity with some degrees of favor or disfavor. Development stages here are illustrated as embracement, tolerance, adjustment and finally withdrawal (Ap 1993). Similar to Doxeys and Butlers models, this model illustrates the way in which tourism development influences local peoples attitudes towards tourism. Embracement takes place when local people, especially those who benefit from tourism, accept it and feel positively about its impacts. In the tolerance stage, local people start feeling more of the impact of tourism. They become divided between being for or against tourism. Depending on the degree of their involvement in tourism, some of them adjust as per the adjustment stage while others do not. To end with, withdrawal takes place when local people can no longer deal with the impact of tourism and so their negative perceptions take over. 2.6 Social Exchange Theory Social exchange theory (SET), applied here, proposes that residents are akin to support tourism as long as the perceived benefits exceed the perceived costs. SET is supported on the principle that human beings are reward-seeking and punishment avoiding and that people are motivated to action by the expectation of profits (Skidmore, 1975). SET presumes that social relations engage exchange of resources among groups seeking mutual benefits from exchange relationships. There are a number of issues influencing residents attitudes towards tourism development related to its social, cultural, and environmental implications that have been studied using social exchange theory. SET is concerned with identifying the exchange of resources between parties in a dealings situation where the objects suggested for exchange have value, are measurable, and there is mutual dispensation of rewards and costs between actors (Ap, 1992; Madrigal,1995). From a tourism standpoint, SET hypothesizes that an individuals attitudes towards this industry, and ensuing level of support for its development, will be prejudiced by his or her valuation of resulting outcomes in the community. Exchanges must take place to have tourism in a community. Thus residents must enlarge and encourage it, and then serve the needs of the tourists. Some community residents obtain the benefits, while others may be negatively impacted. Social exchange theory advocates people estimate an exchange based on the expenses and profit incurred as a result of that exchange. An entity that makes out benefits from an exchange is likely to evaluate it positively; one that makes out costs is likely to evaluate it negatively. Thus, residents perceiving their benefiting from tourism are likely to view it positively, and visa versa. In general, we may end that residents are likely to contribute in an exchange if they believe that they are likely to gain benefits without incur ring unacceptable costs. If locals perceive that the benefits are greater than the costs, they are inclined to be involved in the exchange and, thus endorse future development in their community. 2.6 Tourism and Sustainability Sustainability, for tourism encompasses of three interconnected aspects: Socio Cultural, Economical and Environmental. Sustainability entails durability, so sustainable tourism embrace optimum use of resources, in concert with biological diversity; minimization of ecological, cultural and social impacts, and maximization of benefits to conservation and local communities. However, the promotion of tourism development in many circumstances often takes place without balancing short term economic other than priorities with longer-term environmental and socio cultural objectives. The tourism development study replicated highlights the importance of peoples participation throughout power sharing, social cohesion and knowledge enhancement (Prentice, 1993; Frumn, 1998; Timothy, 1999; Tosun, 2000; Mitchell and Reid, 2001). Therefore the justification of this study was to investigate the different type of conflicts and consequences arising from tourism in the village of Belle Mare. Tourisms socio cultural, economical and environmental impacts are example, from the perspective of the host community, of the problem caused by tourists. 2.7 Socio-Cultural Impacts of tourism The socio cultural impacts are changes occurring in the daily life of the society and the adaptation to the existence and operation of the tourism sector. Tourism has often been assessing for its negative socio cultural impacts, but all types of modern development bring socio cultural impacts. Socio-cultural amendment stimulated by tourism on host communities includes changes in conventional lifestyle, value systems, family relationships, individual behavior and community structure (Ratz 2000). They basically resulted from the cultural and economic differences between residents and tourists (Lavery, 1996; Crosby and Moreda, 1996). Evidence from numerous assessments of tourism impact reveals that tourism activity and development have both positive and negative impacts on local communities and their cultures. In simple term, Wolf (1977:3) states that socio cultural impacts are People Impacts; they refer to the positive and negative effects on the host population of their direct and ind irect connection with tourist. Socio-cultural impacts relay to changes in societal value systems, individual behavior, social relationships, lifestyle, and mode of expression and community structures. The focal point of socio-cultural impacts tends to be on the host community, i.e., the people who reside in tourist destinations, rather than the tourist-generating region. Mathieson and Wall (1982), state that socio-cultural impacts are the effect on the people of host communities, of their direct and indirect associations with tourists. The impacts of tourism on socio cultural aspect can be both positive and negative (Swarbrooke 1999). He argues that the negative or positive impacts are concluded in accordance of the factor such as the structure of the local community and its own culture. Thus the residents perception on the impacts can alter by factors such as age, education, gender, community attachment, and the reliance on tourism. With regard to community attachment, most studies have accomplished that the longer, a host has been resident in the area, the less they like tourism that is they are less attached to tourism (Jurowski 1997, Weaver 2001, McGehee and Andereck 2004). 2.7.1 Positive Cultural Impacts of Tourism Tourists want to welcome the uniqueness aspects of culture of various sections of the heterogeneous population that why they travel from one country to another. However, culture can be understood as the whole way of life that is fundamental for the survival of a specific group or people living in a specific society. Thus, culture can be the dominant values that give direction for the day-to-day activities of people in society, comprising of the symbolic values and beliefs, intellectual and artistic achievements, traditions and rituals as well as the dominant patterns of living. Arts and Handicrafts Tourism contributes in the protection of Archeological and Historical sites, Arts and Handicrafts, Customer and Traditions in our country. Special mention should be made to Arts and Handicrafts for tourism in Mauritius as it has paved the way for the success of this particular sector. The arts and Handicrafts sector produces a variety of souvenirs, with higher-quality carvings, and hand made Artifacts to please the demands of foreign visitors. In order to attract more tourists, architectural and historical sites are restored and protected (Inskeep, 1991; Liu and Var 1986). Souvenir is recognized as authentic memento of a particular place and is powerful signifiers of ideological meaning. It can be use as an aide memoire of a particular place; a symbols of certain cultures and religions and also as a reflex of social processes, interest and power relations. In certain societies the souvenir is important, not only as a cultural artifact but also as an analytic tool for understanding complex social processes. Culture Expression Tourism is the edge for cultural exchange, facilitating the communication between residents and guests (domestic and international). Apart from the economic benefits there are also outside contacts which draws the awareness to the community that is the resident want to intermingle with other culture, learn about other traditions and even meet with new perspectives of life and society. Tourism has brought villagers into closer contact with the outside world; residents come into contact with ideas of the wider world, partly by having conversation with tourists. Tourism also helps to encourage interest in, and conserve aspects of, the hosts cultural heritage, which contribute for additional income for the destination as well as for the individuals and local business. Moreover, many people of different cultures come together by means of tourism facilitating the exchange of cultures (Brayley et al, 1990). Tourism in general is an experience driven industry, and local culture is a sole experience, than building attractions. The further one makes out and learns about a destination or its culture the more satisfying the experience will be. Tourism also helps to encourage a sense of community pride when tourists visit a specific location for a reason. Nonetheless, community pride is normally transmitted into economic prosperity. Well-groomed village and well-maintained facilities help visitors to feel welcome and can contribute to community pride. 2.7.2 Negative Cultural Impacts of Tourism Negative socio cultural impacts are the result of direct contact and the demonstration effect. Tourism has been criticized because it generates anxiety and it can be a source of inter-generational stress. There are also other instances where cultural tourism has resulted in the commercialization of customs and traditional ceremonies. As stated by McNaughton (2006), tourism has the potential to create inequality and social tension. Sing-Cheong (2007) state that the tourism industry and globalizations are crossing borders between nations and cultures, resulting in many socio-cultural consequences. Trivialization It refers to the revolutionized facets of culture into a commercialized form of entertainment for tourist. A very well-known example of trivialization refers to the sega in Mauritius. The sega is mostly being sung by the slaves to grieve for their loss of freedom and taking them away from their homes or loved one. But today it has become a commercialized form of entertainment performed in an elegant style by professional groups in Hotels and Restaurants. The customary musical instrument The Maravanne, The Ravanne, The tambourine, and The Triangle have been replaced by sophisticated modern instruments with a view to develop culture. The sega has lost its natural beauty; they turned out to stimulate the inner feelings of the tourists. Religious Conviction Sacred places such as, Grand Bassin, Cathedrale Saint Louis, Le Temple Kaliamen (Kalaysson), La Jummah Mosquee, Le Marie Reine De La Paix and Le tombeau De Pere Laval are famous religious visiting sites in Mauritius. Important issues to be noted here is that tourists in Mauritius are free to visit any religious shrines. But when visiting all these holy places, they are not properly dressed that is they wears shorts, miniskirts, and no removal of shoes at the temple and mosques. Tourist Behavior Tourists often, out of ignorance or carelessness, fail to respect local customs and moral values, when they take a quick snap shot of the labourer or fisherman without asking their permission. When they do so, they can bring about irritation and stereotyping and can also invade the local peoples lives. Social Evils The relationship between tourism and crime is hard to ascertain. According to Doxey, 1975, tourism may also be related to an increased in crime, drugs, and prostitution and beyond a certain volume it can be a source of antagonism. Tourism may also lead to a decline in moral values, invokes use of alcohol and drugs; increase crime rates and tension in the community (Liu and Var 1986; Milman and Pizam 1988). But crime rates naturally increase with the growth and urbanization of an area. The existence of large number of tourists with lots of money to spend, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing. The commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women has paralleled the growth of tourism. Belle-Mare has become a victim of this act as apartments are being rent on a timely basis. Nevertheless tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation; it provides easy access to it. Loss of Control over Community Future The main collisions of the tourist host relationship are the demonstration effect, when the local people manners are modified in order to imitate tourists. Youth are particular prone to demonstration effect particularly in term of changing dress behavior, spending extravagantly on consumption and so on. As such tourist host interaction constitutes only one factor for change in attitudes, values or behavior. There are also other major agents who lead to the demonstration effects such as radio, internet, print media, increased traveling, television and videos. Access to Resources Though Mauritius has a number of potential inland attractions, beach visitation remains a popular leisure activity of Mauritians. The spreading out of hotels and campement along the coastline has snatched away the rights of the citizens to walk freely or enjoy the attractiveness of their beaches. They are even forced to move away from their original farms as soon as the area is earn marked for tourism development. The residents are as such not against tourist but rather against the restriction. The local people express a feeling of fear and frustration as the village of Belle Mare is developing rapidly and this will impinge further Right of Future Generation. 2.8 Economic Impacts of tourism The most prominent benefits used to promote tourism development are the economic benefits that communities can anticipate to derive from tourism activity. Thus tourism was encouraged first because of its economic impacts. Tourism is an engine for generating a range of new private and public income opportunities. Tourism is an industry with enormous economic impacts The most immediate and direct benefit of tourism development is the creation of jobs and the opportunity for people to increase their income and standard of living in local communities. Hence local communities turn to tourism as a means of raising income, increase employment and living standards (Akis et al., 1996). These impacts are obvious as tourists interact with the local economy, and community. The economic impacts of tourism are the most widely researched impacts of tourism community (Mason, 2003). Economic impacts are easier to research in local community because it is small and generally easier to assess. The impa ct can either be positive, beneficial, or negative and detrimental to local community. Tourism can have positive economic effects on local economies, and are visible impact on national GDP growth. It could also an essential component for both community development and poverty reduction (Ashe, 2005). The economic impacts of tourism are therefore, generally perceived positively by the residents (Tatoglu et al., 2000). Economic impacts are one of the most researched areas of tourism. As Pearce (1989) put out: Studies of the impact of tourist development on a destination or destinations have been the largest single element of tourism research à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦much of this is predominantly the work of economists and has concentrated on the effects of income and employment. Hence economic impacts are associated to and cannot be easily alienated from other types of impacts. All economic developments pertaining to tourism have effects on the society, economy and the environment. 2.8.1 Positive Economic Impacts of Tourism Tourism has been a milestone in the development of Mauritian economy. Our country has passed through several distinct phases and in the process, has successfully diversified from a Monocrop culture highly dependent on the Export of sugar into Manufacturing, Tourism and Financial sector. Contribution to GDP The National income or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of the most important measures of the pecuniary consequences of Tourism. As the largest component of tourism industry, hotels and restaurants, inevitably reflects a fair idea of overall tourism contribution on the economy. Data from the Bank of Mauritius indicate that gross tourism receipts for the first nine months of 2010 were Rs 28,167 million, i.e. an increase of 9.7% compared to Rs 25,685 million for the same period of 2009, (Table 1). Increase Opportunities for Shopping Another argument for the growth of tourism industry is that it gives local people the opportunity for more shopping. This is so because with the development of tourism, there are more and more shopping centers, supermarket, shops, restaurants and many other business units which are setting up in Belle Mare, as providing them with first class services for both the local as well for the foreigners. Employment Opportunities Tourism as a highly labour intensive service industry offers a wide range of Direct Employment and Indirect Employment. Also, tourism helps out to generate employments (e.g., Ahmed Krohn, 1992; Backman Backman, 1997; Milman Pizam, 1987; Var Kim, 1990). With the setting up of different hotels, restaurants, bungalows, shopping centers, supermarkets and many other businesses in Belle Mare, have help to reduce the unemployment problem. According to the survey of Employment and Earnings conducted by the Central Statistics Office, direct employment in hotels, restaurants and travel and tourism establishments employing 10 persons or more stood at 27,161 at the end of March 2010 showing an increase of 0.6% over the figure of 27,002 for March 2009. Of this number, 20,847 or 76.8% were engaged in hotel, (Table 2). Improve Transport, Infrastructures and Public Utilities The development or improvement of infrastructure constitutes an essential economic impact of tourism development in Mauritius. Urbanization caused by rapid development of tourism might improve governmental and local services such as police station, fire station and security (Milman and Pizam 1988). Usually the gains from infrastructural investment leads to good electricity, water network supply, improvements of roads networks and modernization of Airport are widely shared by other economic sector, tourist and hosts of the country 2.8.2 Negative Economic Impacts According to Schianetz, Kavanagh and Lockington (2007), while tourism provides financial benefits, it can also generate negative effects in other areas. An impact of tourism is generally evaluated negatively, it is concern for the welfare of the community as a whole and cooperation among its citizens is decreased markedly as tourism increases and incomes rise. Rise in Price The very expansion of tourism development has increased land values especially in some coastal tourist village. Increasing demand for accommodation, especially in tourism seasons, might push up the rents as well as the land prices for building new houses and hotels (Pizam 1978; Var et al, 1985). For example, lands for residential development in Belle-Mare were sold in 1987 at an average price of hundreds per square meter but in 2010 the land valued is within millions per square meter. Tourism is yet only one factor for escalation in the land values-speculative attitudes have been endangered by the increasing influence of the host population and by a realization that land is a scarce resource in small island Mauritius are potential significant factors to take into consideration. Cost of Living Negative economic impacts highlighted by an increase in the price of goods and services have been alleged by residents in several surveys (Belisle Hoy, 1980; Keogh, 1989; Pizam, 1978; Tosun, 2002; Weaver Lawton, 2001). Tourism is a contributor to inflation by preempting supplies, leading to higher prices of consumer items especially fresh fruits and vegetables, and fresh fish in tourist zone. Even Liu and Var (1986) argue that the price of goods and services might go up with the increased demand from foreign customers. Resident argues Belle-Mare has become very expensive, with the same price charged to resident and tourist alike. There exist a feeling of frustration and irritation among residents of tourist zone who felt deprive of some consumer items. Imported goods There are other short-term economic costs that may result from tourism. If tourism growth is largely dependent on imported goods and services, there is a risk that existing local production may be hit adversely. This effect can be particularly noteworthy if demonstration effect results in the local population, copying tourists and increasing their consumption of imported goods and services rather than domestically produced ones. Infrastructure Cost The development of tourism can cost the local government and local taxpayers a great deal of money. Developers will rely on the government to improve the airport, roads and other infrastructure, and other financial advantage, which are costly activities for the government and they will only enjoy the benefits. Public resources spent on the financing of infrastructure may trim down government investment in other artificial areas such as education and health 2.9 Environment Impact in Tourism The environment is being increasingly recognized as a key factor in the tourism sector. In the last decade of the twentieth century, it has been noted that tourism depends ultimately upon the environment, as it is a major tourism attraction itself, or in the context in which tourism activity take place (Holden, 2000). Tourism and the environment are directly linked since the idea of tourism is based completely on mans desire to get out and experience nature. The term environment is often assumed to be only the physical or natural features of a landscape but according to swarbrooke, 1999, there are five aspect of the environment, namely, the natural environment, wildlife, the farmed environment, the built environment and natural resources. Among these, each component are linked together. If tourism is not well planned it can result in the following consequences for the environment: Land Resources Since there is a rapid development in the tourism sector, there is a high use of land resources to cater for the demand of recreational facilities as well as construction of tourism accommodation and other infrastructure and consequently the natural landscape is threatened through deforestation. Sewage and Littering The construction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increase sewage and littering. Waste water has polluted seas and rivers surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna. There is also wide use of toxic pesticides on the beaches to control sand files and other pests. The chemical ends up in the sea in a very short time, thus sewage and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the water and cause the death of marine animals. Pollution Besides the consumption of large amounts of natural and other local resources, the tourism industry also generates considerable air, noise and sea pollution, which can be detrimental for the residents living in the locality. 2.10 Conclusion Thus we can say that in Mauritius, a more appropriately planned tourism development process is needed which would spread both costs and benefit more equitably as well as be more sensitive to the social and cultural impacts. This would not only reduce for local residents to trade off their quality of life and social costs for economic growth, but would also contribute to having more broadly based positive attitude towards tourism (Mansfield 1992). A larger proportion of the local population should benefit from tourism, rather than merely bearing the burden of its costs. Manu analysts call for greater local participation in the tourism sector to permit a more equitable distribution of costs and benefits (Blank 1989)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Values Of Russian Education Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Values Of Russian Education ABSTRACT: The paper discloses changes in Russian education from a prospective which focuses on the culturology of education (Krylova 1994, 1995, 1996), a new trend in theories of education that is being constructed upon the established turf of philosophy of education. The culturology of education includes inquiry concerning both cultural values and pedagogical methodologies. It attempts to explain the whole complex of cultural, sociocultural, and multicultural problems in education with reference to principles drawn from both educational theory, and cultural anthropology and philosophy. I argue that the solution to many educational problems will become possible when the educator or researcher utilizes the culturological approach in effective ways. The modification of practical and theoretical values in a given system of education is the best gauge of positive change and innovation in education. But as known, there are different kinds of values. For example there are value-myths and value-ideals, enduring and time honored values and and newly articularted values, invariable and variable values, and finally values based in super-personal, personal and interpersonal spheres of endeavor. The real values of education (and philosophy of education, too) have changed in the last years to a considerable extent. The Law of RF (On Education, at July, 10, 1992) directs educators to repect the following principles: education needs to be "humanist" in nature, entailing respect for human individuals; education needs to uplift values common to all humankind; there needs to be a unity of federal cultural and educational space; there needs to be protection for national cultures and regional traditions, so tha... ...not emphasize. The time has now come for culturology to develop their ideas and the practical norms that will change education. References Asmolov A. (1996). Cultural-historical psychology and constructing of the worlds. (Russ). Moscow. Haberman, M. (1991). Can cultural awareness be taught in teacher education programs? In: Teaching Education, N.4, 25-32. Krylova, N. (1996). The Introduction into culturological problems of education. In: New Educational Values: Cultural and Multicultural Environment of Schools (Moscow). N.4, 132-152. Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. In: American Educational Journal. V32, N.3, 465-491. Pai, Y. (1990).Cultural foundations of education. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Company. Rozin V. (1994). Psychology and cultural development of the Man. (Russ). Moscow, Russ.Open Univ.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essays --

International business it is combination business across national boundaries which has different region of export, licensing, franchise and foreign direct investment (FDI). FDI is an investment to acquire international business ventures and it’s also requiring a lot of commitment in term of sources that could bring socio economic growth to that country. Furthermore, FDI flows facilitate the acquirement of intangible assets and valuable tangible, in which FDI brings a positive value toward assets transfer, improve productivity and merchandise quality. This entry could bring positive factor to economic growth when the basic factors are been fulfilled such as competent human resource exists. In the recent studies shows that FDI inflow and economic growth has a positive correlation in shorter view. In to that extent, the acknowledgement of the FDI could influence several of channel such capital and overcome liquidity and have even largest channel in long term view however it can’t be undetermined if it’s will have positive correlation for long term situation. The intervention of Multi-National Corporation (MNCs) will be great sources for foreign direct investment which could predict the increases of the FDI flows in future. The Combination MNCs and FDI channels in the market could lead in accumulated sources and just MNCs itself enough could give high impact on operational structural to the country. The positive impacts cause for the both combination it is capital accumulation, balance of payment, international network, human capital, financial system boost and supply technology, knowledge and capital. On part capital accumulation, when the host country has the low saving rate but it will sufficient for them as long that it investment... ...atistical Institute on electronic data distribution system of the central bank of the republic of turkey. The resulted from the studies shows the Granger causality analysis state there is no causal relation between an increase in FDI and increase in the GDP in the short run. Accord to the OLS result there is possible result FDI inflow have positive impact to GDP growth. But the positive effect was shown aren’t has no significance to its. Further on, FDI in Turkey does not lead any growth in the GDP volume. FDI enter as privatization processes not as a substantial source of economic growth. Beside that there is also no correlation between FDI and GDP neither in short run or in long run. Moreover, this aim cannot achievable as with the old dated application and also Turkey hasn’t able to gains any positive inflows from the FDI to its economical potential and growth.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Obamas First Inaugural Speech -- Inauguration, American Presidents

Picture this: a cold January day in Washington D.C, the first African American president is about to be inaugurated with a combined audience of over 38 million looking to be inspired. Ted Sorensen, a former speechwriter for John F. Kennedy, believes â€Å"An inaugural address is by definition a defining moment for any new president.† An inaugural address is a stepping stone for each new administration because it creates a first impression; the address marks the time when the president stops trying to win votes and starts taking action. Barack Obama's speech is filled with eloquent language, and it lived up to the expectations of both critics and the public. The speech, as described in the â€Å"Think Again† section of the New York Times was â€Å"...rather than being a sustained performance with a cumulative power [it was] a framework on which a succession of verbal ornaments was hung, and we were being invited not to move forward but to stop and ponder significances only hinted at.† â€Å"’Just words’ is how a president manages to operate. ‘Just words’ is how he engages the spirit of progress for th...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

The Socio-Cultural Effects of Technology on Society

Group research paper: The Socio-Cultural Effects of Technology on Society Technology and society or technology and culture refer to the recurring co-dependence, co-influence, co-production of technology and society upon the other (technology upon culture, and vice-versa) (Webster’s Dictionary 5060). There are an extraordinary number of examples how science and technology has helped us that can be seen in society today. One great example is the mobile phone. Ever since the invention of the telephone society was in need of a more portable device that they could use to talk to people. This high demand for a new product led to the invention of the mobile phone, which did, and still do, greatly influence society and the way people live their lives. Now many people are accessible to talk to whomever they want no matter where any of the two people are. All these little changes in mobile phones, like Internet access, are further examples of the cycle of co-production. Society's need for being able to call on people and be available everywhere resulted in the research and development of mobile phones. They in turn influenced the way we live our lives. As the populace relies more and more on mobile phones, additional features were requested. This is also true with today’s modern media player. Society also determined the changes that were made to the previous generation media player that the manufactures developed. Take for example, today’s media players. At the beginning, cassettes were being used to store data. However, that method was large and cumbersome so the manufactures developed compact disks, which were smaller and could hold more data. Later, compact disks were again too large and did not hold enough data that forced today’s manufactures to create MP3 players, which are small and holds large amount of data. Today’s society determined the course of events that many manufactures took to improving their products so today’s consumers will purchase their products. Looking back into ancient history, economics can be said to have arrived on the scene when the occasional, spontaneous exchange of goods and services began to occur on a less occasional, less spontaneous basis. It probably did not take long for the maker of arrowheads to realize that he could probably do a lot better by concentrating on the making of arrowheads and barter for his other needs. Clearly, regardless of the goods and services bartered, some amount of technology was involved—if no more than in the making of shell and bead jewelry. Even the shaman's potions and sacred objects can be said to have involved some technology. So, from the very beginnings, technology can be said to have spurred the development of more elaborate economies. In the modern world, superior technologies, resources, geography, and history give rise to robust economies; and in a well-functioning, robust economy, economic excess naturally flows into greater use of technology. Moreover, because technology is such an inseparable part of human society, especially in its economic aspects, funding sources for (new) technological endeavors are virtually illimitable. However, while in the beginning, technological investment involved little more than the time, efforts, and skills of one or a few men, today, such investment may involve the collective labor and skills of many millions. Technology has frequently been driven by the military, with many modern applications being developed for the military before being adapted for civilian use. However, this has always been a two-way flow, with industry often taking the lead in developing and adopting a technology that is only later adopted by the military. Winston (2003) provides an excellent summary of the ethical implications of technological development and deployment. He states there are four major ethical implications: – Challenges traditional ethical norms. Because technology impacts relationships among individuals, it challenges how individuals deal with each other, even in ethical ways. One example of this is challenging the definition of â€Å"human life† as embodied by debates in the areas of abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, etc. , which all involve modern technological developments. – Creates an aggregation of effects. One of the greatest problems with technology is that its detrimental effects are often small, but cumulative. Such is the case with the pollution from the burning of fossil fuels in automobiles. Each individual automobile creates a very small, almost negligible, amount of pollution, however the cumulative effect could possibly contribute to the global warming effect. Other examples include accumulations of chemical pollutants in the human body, urbanization effects on the environment, etc. A Lancaster dropping bundles of 4lb stick incendiaries (left), 30lb incendiaries and a â€Å"cookie† (right) – Changes the distribution of justice. In essence, those with technology tend to have higher access to justice systems. Or, justice is not distributed equally to those with technology versus those without. – Provides great power. Not only does technology amplify the ability, and hence the strength, of humans, it also provides a great strategic advantage to the human(s) who hold the greatest amount of technology. Consider the strategic advantage gained by having greater technological innovations in the military, pharmaceuticals, computers, etc. For example, Bill Gates has considerable influence (even outside of the computer industry) in the course of human affairs due to his successful implementation of computer technology. Lifestyle In many ways, technology simplifies life. * The rise of a leisure class * A more informed society,which can make quicker responses to events and trends * Sets the stage for more complex learning tasks * Increases multi-tasking (although this may not be simplifying) * Global networking * Creates denser social circles * Cheaper prices * Greater specialization in jobs In other ways, technology complicates life. Pollution is a serious problem in a technologically advanced society (from acid rain to Chernobyl and Bhopal) * The increase in transportation technology has brought congestion in some areas * New forms of danger existing as a consequence of new forms of technology, such as the first generation of nuclear reactors * New forms of entertainment, such as video games and internet access could h ave possible social effects on areas such as academic performance * Increased probability of some diseases and disorders, such as obesity * Social separation of singular human interaction. Technology has increased the need to talk to more people faster. * Structural unemployment * Anthropocentric climate change Institutions and groups Technology often enables organizational and bureaucratic group structures that otherwise and heretofore were simply not possible. Examples of this might include: * The rise of very large organizations: e. g. , governments, the military, health and social welfare institutions, supranational corporations. * The commercialization of leisure: sports events, products, etc. McGinn) * The almost instantaneous dispersal of information (especially news) and entertainment around the world. International Technology enables greater knowledge of international issues, values, and cultures. Due mostly to mass transportation and mass media, the world seems to be a much smaller place, due to the following, among others: * Globalization of ideas * Embeddings of values * Population growth and control Environment Technology provides an understanding, and an appreciation for the world around us. The effects of technology on the environment are both obvious and subtle. The more obvious effects include the depletion of nonrenewable natural resources (such as petroleum, coal, ores), and the added pollution of air, water, and land. The more subtle effects include debates over long-term effects (e. g. , global warming, deforestation, natural habitat destruction, coastal wetland loss. ) One of the main problems is the lack of an effective way to remove these pollutants on a large scale expediently. In nature, organisms â€Å"recycle† the wastes of other organisms, for example, plants produce oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, and oxygen-breathing organisms use oxygen to metabolize food, producing carbon dioxide as a by-product, which plants use in a process to make sugar, with oxygen as a waste in the first place. No such mechanism exists for the removal of technological wastes. Humanity at the moment may be compared to a colony of bacteria in a Petri dish with a constant food supply: with no way to remove the wastes of their metabolism, the bacteria eventually poison themselves. Spook Country† introduces us to the interesting world of information immersion through the eyes of Hollis Henry, a former rock band- Curfew’s musician and the lead character in the novel. She is confident and ambitious. She quit her band because she was not making enough money for living, so she decided to start her career as a journalist. She actually started writing when sh e was little, even before she became a rock band member. It was obvious that she had a passion for writing. Hollis’s job is very complicated, she has to untangle all the mysterious things and find out information for the Node magazine which does not really exist yet. Hollis searches for a strange container throughout the entire novel and when she finally finds it in the end, she discovers that the container is ultimately filled with U. S. Government Money, â€Å"One hundred million dollars. In a set of fake pallets, along the floor. About fourteen inches deep. Little over a ton of U. S. hundreds† (Gibson 337). This makes her become a possible target for a Chinese / Cuban group intent on tagging the money with Cesium. She starts in Los Angeles and ends up in Vancouver. Henry’s assignment is to interview locative art specialist Bobby Chombo, who took his last name from a computer program which, according to the Applied Numerical Algorithms Group, â€Å"provides a set of tools for implementing finite difference methods for the solution of partial differential equations on block-structured adaptively refined rectangular grids. † Bobby is a computer geek with a fascination for the intersection of virtual space and real space. He specializes in geospatial technologies. He got into locative art after a career working navigational systems for the US military, and uses his expertise to place works of art on a VR grid mapped over real cities and towns. In my opinion, Gibson’s story is not only about locative art and how weird our world is becoming: he also has the good graces to give us a spy story, which deals with the ubiquity of information in a different way. Agent Brown and his captive junkie Russian translator, Milgrim, are on the tail of a Cuban-Chinese Spetsnaz-trained ninja believed (rightly) by the US government to be smuggling information to an unknown entity for an unknown purpose. Brown relies on satellite information to track him, another nod to the ubiquity of information, and keeps Milgrim in the dark about his actual affiliation and intent. Milgrim experiences a big shock in his life as he boards a Jet stream to Vancouver. He looses his mind completely which has never happened to him before. Prior to boarding a Jet stream, he was excited to get his hair and makeup done in Washington, DC free by Brown’s attache. Later in the novel, Milgrim crashes car in an attempt to kill Tito but he manages to escape and steals Hollis Henry’s purse which contains five thousand dollares given to her by proxy from a dead band mate, heroin overdose, Jimmy Carlyle. After all these activities are over, Milgrim wakes up in a nice bed with a nice egg breakfast next to him. As a drug addict, he is very calm and focused on what he is doing. He works with Brown very closely, their relationship is more like Brown takes control of everything and gives orders to Milgrim. They work in New York in the beginning. Milgrim is a prisoner of the world of information. In â€Å"Spook Country,† Gibson’s use of these three characters together, lets the story of Tito, Brown and Milgrim, and Hollis build to a conclusion which amounts to a great big middle finger to the war in Iraq. Gibson has illustrated characters looking, literally, for their place in the world, and they have shown that the world we live in today did not turn out to be the futurist paradise we might have wanted, validating our inevitable escape into the digital. No flying cars, no magic pill hamburgers, and no pocket computers, but works of art that we can only see if we are wearing virtual reality goggles, standing on a particular street corner. Information is all around us, rather than a thing into which we insert ourselves. The topics that I researched were the â€Å"Santeria† religion, Ochun, the National Security Agency (NSA), and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. These topics were all related in the novel â€Å"Spook Country† by William Gibson. Technology played a big a part in the plot from robots to cell phones to computers. Information as commodity was also a major influence in this novel with the use of Ipods, newspapers, and surveillance cameras. The characters depended heavenly on all these items as tools of survival. I will discuss the history, the development, and impact among the â€Å"Santeria† religion, Ochun, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. Santeria (also know as â€Å"La Regla Lucumi†) is a combination of the West African Yoruba religion and Catholicism. The Way of the Saints, Santeria or as the descendants of the Afro-Caribbean tradition in Cuba prefers to call it. Santeria rather overemphasizes the Catholic elements in the religion, which was essentially an African spiritual path, developed by their ancestors (www. african holocaust. net). They attempted to covert Africans but while they accepted the teaching they found it did not provide â€Å"religious fulfillment†. They continued to practice their own rituals which they found was useful and effective, most importantly, filled the spiritual void in their lives. It was brought to Cuba originally by the African slaves who were brought by the Spaniards to that island. Santeria believes in one creator, one All Mighty God – (Olorun Olodumare), who created the other â€Å"semi-gods† or entities called Orishas, to deal with every facet of human life a nature itself. They interceded in on our behalf just as the Catholic saints intercede. Although the African slaves were not allowed to express their religion freely they had to â€Å"disguise† their gods, with those of the slave owners (www. santeriaspells. com) below is a small list (marked with an asterisk) what are called the Seven African Powers: 1. Olodumare (God Almighty) 2. * Ellegua (Sant Anthony of Padua) 3. * Obatala (La Virgen de Las Mercedes) 4. * Yemaya (La Virgen de Regla) 5. * Chango (Santa Barbara) 6. * Oya (Santa Therese de Jesus) 7. * Ochun (Las Caridad del Cobre) 8. * Ogun (San Pedro) In the Santeria religion â€Å"Eleggua† is the keeper of the roads and the world. Eleggua is the gatekeeper that stands in the path of life and celestial grounds. Ellegua is an Orisha (spirit) associated with â€Å"opening the ways†, or crossroads. Often depicted as a child or a small man, he is playful and a trickster god. During the ceremonies worshippers would often have a â€Å"cement head† this is apart of the ritual: A cement head with a metal spike in the top, and cowrie shells for eyes and mouth, as a representation of Ellegua which receives offerings and protects in return (wikipedia. org). The â€Å"Babalu Aye† is the Orisha name for St. Lazarus it means â€Å"Father of the World† he is commonly referred to the Father of the World. His colors are brown, black and purple. His number is 17; his symbols are two dogs and crutches. He is portrayed dressed in burlap. He is offered white wine, popcorn, sesame seed candy and a variety of grains, beans, and seeds. Many Cubans hold a vigil starting the night of December 16th. They get together and light candles and make offerings to Babulu Aye and wait for him to arrive at midnight. Come midnight they ask for San Lazaro to watch over them nd keep them and their families safe and healthy. Today, December 17, is Babalu Aye day in the Afro-Cuban religion (www. babalublog. com). In Cuban Santeria, Oshun (sometimes spelled Ochun’ or Ochun) is the goddess of love, of money and indeed of happiness. She brings all the good things of life (www. angelfire. com). This goddess is adorned with jewelry she speaks to one o f her birds, the parrot. She is the goddess of sweet water, she is found near fresh water, at rivers, ponds, and especially waterfalls. Offerings are sometimes left at the waterfalls for her. Ochun loves to dance and make merry but she does have a serious side. Many offerings are sometimes left for her at the waterfalls. Many ceremonies are located at the river (www. angelfire. com). Her favorite day of the week is Saturday and the number she is associated with is 5 (wkipedia. org). It’s been known that she had to sell her body in order to feed her children and the other Orishas came and took her children away. Oshun went insane from heartache and became depress. She wore the same white dress everyday it turns yellow over time. A gentleman by the name of Aje’-Shaluga, another Orsiha, they fell in love while she was washing her dress. He supplied her with money, and gems that he gathered from the bottom of the river. They became married and she was reunited with her children again. Ochun has played a great role in Cuban history, revealing herself as the Virgin Mary to three copper miners caught in a storm at sea in the seventeenth century and also assisted Cuban soldiers, who sewed portraits of her in their uniforms, during the second war of independence in 1895. Ochun has been called La Virgin Mambisa, in commemoration of her fierceness in fighting for the independence of Cuba; Castro’s Movement the 26th of July used the colors red and black, which are the colors of Eleggua (www. african holocaust. net). This religion welcomes all doctors, lawyers, politicians, thieves and pimps. All those who seek the power to control their own lives and want to lead them in accord with the deepest parts of their beings are candidates for initiation into Santeria. This religion seems to be an open one that accepts all races there is no discrimination within this religion. Santeria is a religion of trance, mystery, possession, blood and sex. If you want to know more, go to the ceremonies, burn the candles and dance to the drums. Skin color or language is no barriers. The ancient gods will recognize their own (www. Moonweb/Santeria/Intor. html). The National Security Agency (NSA) was created in November 1952 provided United States decision makers and leaders for more than 50 years (The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA form 9/11 to the eavesdropping on America. ). The NSA is the largest, most secretive, and most powerful intelligence agency in the world. With a staff of thirty-eight thousand people, it dwarfs the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in budget, manpower, and influence (Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency). Cryptologists laid the foundation of the critical role of all major conflicts: â€Å"In 1956, the General Canine enlisted the help of an outside management firm to examine the agency’s problems. The consultants recommended a complete change. The repercussions, according to a later National Security Agency (NSA) report, lasted more than thirty years. Signals intelligence would be organized according to target-countries; China and Communist Asia; and so on. Each of the section would include specific disciplines, such as cryptanalysis and traffic analysis (42). On November 23, 1956, Ralph Canine walked out of National Security Agency for the last time as Director. A message from Howard Campaigme â€Å"I was surprised to learn later that the people above him didn’t think nearly as much [of him] as we did. Mr. Canine made a tremendous impression† (43). There efforts of the use of radio intercept, radio directional finding, and processing capabilities gave United States and its Allies a unique advantage in World War I. (www. nsa. gov/History. com). The use of the Radio intercept in the National Security Agency was a vital tool often used in tracking the location of planes, missiles and also served as a communication tool for the pilots. â€Å"For Years American intercept operators in Turkey had eavesdropped on Soviet radar installations as they tracked the occasional U-2 over flight. But because the spy planes flew far too high for either Russian MIG’s or their SA-2 surface-to-air missiles, they were out of harm’s way. It was like throwing a rock at a passing jetliner. This time, however, something was different; something was very wrong â€Å"He’s turning left! † the American heard a Soviet pilot shout. A few moments later the intercept operators watched the U-2 suddenly disappear from Russian radar screens near Sverdlovsk (49). The United States spends a lot of money to protect its National Security, in 2007 $572. 4 billion dollars on national defense. In 2004 $456 billion dollars was counted for. The total estimated budget for 2007 was $2. 7 trillion dollars. Most expensive components of National defense were the cost for development and testing new highly sophisticated military equipment such as: aircraft, ships, and submarines. Spending on Nat’l defense spiked during World War II. , reaching nearly 90% of the nations total outlays. (National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics). The National Security Agency is oversea of several federal agencies: – United States Department of Defense (DOD) United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) certain components After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks law makers quickly put together a new law designed to help the US fight the terrorist threat. The new law that was implemented was the Patriot Act which stands for: The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required Intercepting a nd Obstructing Terrorism (Terrorism- Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents. (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001. The act consists of ten titles: Title I. – Enhancing Domestic Security against Terrorism (Terrorism- Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents). Title II. – Enhanced Surveillance Procedures, Title III. – International Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-terrorist Financing Act of 2001, Title IV. – Protecting the boarder, Title V. – Removing Obstacles to Investigating Terrorism, Title VI. – Providing for Victims of Terrorism, Public Safety Officers, and Their Families, Title VII. Increased Information Sharing For Critical Infrastructure Protection Title VIII. – Strengthening the Criminal Laws against Terrorism, Title IX. – Improved Intelligence, T itle X. – Miscellaneous. One of the purposes of the act is to facilitate better cooperation and information sharing between government agencies, particularly between the IC and law enforcement agencies (National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics). In 2002 Congress and President George W. Bush created the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United States to investigate all the circumstances relating to the terrorist attacks. This investigation resulted in â€Å"For nearly two years the commission reviewed relevant documents and interviewed more than one thousand people as part of its investigation. In 2004 their findings were published in the 9/11 Commission Report (National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics). The term â€Å"Big Brother† came from a fictional character in George Orwell’s novel: Nineteen Eighty-Four. The novel was about a dictator of Oceania, a totalitarian state take to its utmost logical consequence. This is where the ruling elite (The Party) wield total power for its own sake over the inhabitants. The term â€Å"Big Brother† is caused to refer to any ruler or government that invades the privacy of its citizens (www. barleby. com). Big Brother physical appearance is of Joseph Stalin or Lord Kitchener. His moustache is also similar to Adolf Hitler. After researching there was a lot of information that I learned about the â€Å"Santeria† religion, Ochun, the National Security Agency and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. I learned the history of the Santeria religion, the Seven African Powers, the gate keeper â€Å"Eleggua†, the Father of the World – â€Å"Babalu Aye†. I read about The National Security Agency development and its functions within the Agency. I also discovered the birth of the term â€Å"Big Brother† affect this term had on the government. After reading the novel â€Å"Spook Country† by William Gibson the topics that I can relate to are the National Security Agency and the term â€Å"Big Brother†. The event that affects me the most is the bombing of the â€Å"Twin Towers† on September 11. From this event security has increased in airports, on planes, trains, subway stations, buses, malls, schools and also inside Federal Government and other buildings. The term â€Å"Big Brother† is watching you are related also to today because of the September 11th terrorist attack, which brings this term to real life: â€Å"Someone is Watching You†. The National Security Agency has made it a top priority to keep the United States a safe and secured country for everyone. Work Cited Applied Numerical Algorithms Group. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, California. 2007. 8 Nov. 2008 < http://seesar. lbl. gov/anag/>. Bamford, James. Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency: From the Cold War through the Dawn of a New Century. New York: Doubleday, 2008. Becker, Ernest. The Structure of Evil. An Essay on the Unification of the Science of Man. New York: G. Braziller. 1968. Evans Masters, Kim. National Security: The Information Series on Current Topics. Wylie, Texas: Information Plus, 2007. Langone, John. National Geographic's How Things Work: Everyday Technology Explained. Washington, D. C. : National Geographic Society, 1999. Technology, policy, ethics, and public health: a select bibliography Tavani, H. T. Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE Vol. 19, Issue 3 (2000): 26 – 34.