Saturday, August 31, 2019

Physical Activity and Obesity Essay

Childhood and adolescent obesity are prevalent in the United States (Nowicka 23; Clemmens and Hayman 801). This prevalence has caused widespread alarm and concern, particularly with respect to adolescent girls. The article of Clemmens and Hayman systematically reviews research on the interventions aimed at increasing physical activity among adolescent girls, with the aim in mind of avoiding obesity. The article rests on the premise that adolescence is an opportune time for interventions since it is the period where future health behaviors of people start (Clemmens and Hayman 801).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to make a comprehensive review of studies on interventions involving physical activities, the authors chose published journal articles from between 1989 and 2003, which featured experiments and trials involving adolescent girls and boys. Since physical activity is generally accepted as an effective means of addressing childhood obesity, many studies were conducted to determine how it could be effectively promoted among adolescents. Clemmens and Hayman found that interventions based in schools were effective in decreasing sedentary behavior among adolescent girls (Clemmens and Hayman 806).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nowicka suggests that genetic factors aside, environmental factors such as physical activity and nutrition could be effectively addressed by a multidisciplinary team composed of an exercise expert, a dietitian, behavioral therapist, nurse, and physician. This ensures that different experts would be working harmoniously and simultaneously to solve a complex problem (Nowicka 28).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some studies aimed to establish the relationship and association between weight gain and physical activity. One such study was conducted by Fogelholm and Kukkonen-Harjula. Unfortunately, this study resulted in inconsistent results, and it was concluded that that the effect of physical activity in weight reduction or gain is modest. It is further concluded that it is important to study means of promoting adherence to exercise programs in order to effectively manage weight (Fogelholm and Kukkonen-Harjula 109).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is another study that sought to make clear the association between obesity and its history in the family and poor physical activity. This study, which was performed on high school students in public schools, led the authors to conclude that family history of obesity is associated with little physical exercise or activity or sedentary lifestyles and reluctance to exercise (Baba, Iwao, , Koketsu, Nagashima and Inasaka 272).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jackson, Mannix, Faga and McDonald, on the other hand, discuss a study where mothers sought to have a plan in helping their children maintain healthy weight. This study, which discusses the role of increased physical activity in helping children achieve healthy weight, emphasizes weight management within the context of family life (Jackson, Mannix, Faga and McDonald 12).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Baba, Reizo, Iwao, Nobuko, Koketsu, Masaaki, Nagashima, Masami and Hiroshi   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inasaka. â€Å"Risk of obesity enhanced by poor physical activity in high school students.† Pediatrics International 48 (2006): 268–273. Clemmens, Donna   and Laura L. Hayman. â€Å"Increasing Activity to Reduce Obesity in   Ã‚  Ã‚   Adolescent Girls: A Research Review.† JOGNN 33.6 (2004): 801-808. Fogelholm, M. and K. Kukkonen-Harjula. â€Å"Does physical activity prevent weight gain – a systematic review.† The International Association for the Study of Obesity 1   Ã‚  Ã‚   (2000): 95-111. Jackson, Debra, Mannix, Judy, Faga, Pat and Glenda McDonald. â€Å"Overweight and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   obese children: mother’s strategies.† Journal of Advanced Nursing 52.1 (2005): 6-13. Nowicka, Paulina. (2005). â€Å"Dietitians and exercise professionals in a childhood obesity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   treatment Team.† Acta Pà ¦diatrica 94(Suppl 448): 23–29      

Friday, August 30, 2019

Bhggh

Lie Wisely wrote a book based upon survival and using everything to its fullest. Even through the struggle of being in those concentration camps, Lie was still capable of overpowering the enemy and push forward. In the novel Night, by Ell wisely, the theme Is to never stop moving forward and to make the most of what they have. The first major theme Is that people should never stop moving forward. In other words, this means that no matter what life throws at someone, people need to find the strength to pick them selves up.These thoughts were going through my mind as I continued to run, not feeling my numb foot, not even realizing that I was still running, that I still owned a body that galloped down the road among thousands of others. † This quote symbolizes that Lie was injured, but still had high hopes of hanging on, even if it meant to endure the immense pain coming from his foot. The second main theme is to make the most of what they have. In better detail, even if the Jews don't have anything, they use every inch, every aspect of the littlest to their advantage.They use everything to Its fullest extent. â€Å"We all got up. We all pulled our soaked blankets tighter around our shoulders. And tried to take a few steps, to shuffle back and forth, In place. † This quote encourages that even In the state of being helpless and cold, they still found a way to make the best out of their situation. In the book Night, by Lie Wisely, the themes are to never stop moving forward and to make the most of what they have.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A Review of the Character of Fielding and Aziz in E.M. Forster’s Book, A Passage to India

A Review of the Character of Fielding and Aziz in E.M. Forster’s Book, A Passage to India Emotional Unorthodoxy in Personal Relations Of Forster’s many declarations in his essay â€Å"What I Believe,† the most salient is that personal creeds or beliefs â€Å"stiffen† a person and render them less open-minded about everything that defies that creed. The budding friendship between Anglo-Indian Fielding and native Indian Aziz in Forster’s novel A Passage to India demonstrates the value of personal relationships over the value of creeds that generally obstruct those relationships. Forster does this in a way that highlights the unorthodox emotional and temperamental qualities of both men, suggesting that, without these, a friendship between the two who be unlikely. The relationship between Aziz and Fielding, while eventually descending out of real friendship, is based on their joined effort of overlooking the prejudices about Anglo-Indians and native Indians, respectively. However, to say that they are able to connect by ignoring prevailing prejudices is inaccurate; their ability to connect as they do is primarily because they are both of specific temperaments that allow them to be more emotionally accessible to the other. Fielding, according to the narrator, believes that â€Å"[t]he world†¦is a globe of men who are trying to reach one another and can best do so by the help of good will plus culture and intelligence† (62), and we are told that this is only because, unlike many of his fellows, Fielding has had ample time away from the â€Å"herd† of the English. He is not without prejudice or assumptions about non-English peoples. However, even when Aziz and Fielding’s emotional connection is strained by an ignorant co mment—like when Fielding implies Aziz, â€Å"an obscure Indian, had no right to have heard of Post Impressionism† (66-67)—the obvious underlying â€Å"good will† to both of their intentions softens the blow of their fumbles. If not for this perceptiveness, or indeed the willingness to perceive the character of the other as opposed to the stereotype of the other, both Fielding and Aziz could easily have written the other off as just another Anglo-Indian or just another native Indian. For his part, Aziz, who is generally unimpressed with Anglo-Indians, is eager to meet Fielding, as he perceives in Fielding a â€Å"true courtesy† and a â€Å"good heart† (60). This is unconventional for Anglo-Indians, and it is the continued emphasis on Fielding’s unconventionality and optimism about personal relations that attracts Aziz (67); Fielding is unconventionally willing to be vulnerable around Aziz—in a subtle way. Allowing an eager Aziz to assist him with his collar stud, for example, dispels a tension that might otherwise exist in a new meeting between any other Anglo-Indian and Indian. Aziz, of â€Å"so emotional a people,† appreciates and even idolizes this tendency in Fieldin g (65). While Fielding shows his prejudice by recognizing the tendency as a stereotyped action of Indians in general, he also acknowledges the tendency as useful in â€Å"[dispensing] with preliminaries† and getting right to the intimacy of friendship (65). Aziz’s openness to this unconventional Anglo-Indian and Fielding’s appreciation of Aziz’s ice-breaking emotionality paves the way for a friendship that might not exist if either had been of the mind to accept the prevailing prejudices toward each other’s â€Å"type.† While both men manage to set aside those prejudices and expectations of either’s behavior for the sake of friendship, that friendship is in constant jeopardy of collapse. By the novel’s end, the conflict borne of differences in the display of emotions and intentions finally unravels, and both Fielding and Aziz concur that the friendship they once cultivated cannot continue as it once had (316). While this is potentially a regression into their stiffening creeds, the moments when both men were able to approach the other as a person rather than as a character of India or a character of England illustrate the positive, if not completely enduring effects of personal relations over creeds and beliefs.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 58

Philosophy - Essay Example It constitutes of good traits that are important which enable a person to carry out their duties, at the right time, and in the correct way. This essay provides a detailed analysis of Aristotle’s ethics by analyzing his moral philosophy. The scholar discussed moral philosophy in three categories that include happiness, the right, and the good aspects. He explained that the personality of an individual is determined by elements such as individual agents, virtues, vices, and the mode of attaining happiness in life. The good feature composes of a superior good which is targeted by everyone to achieve their ultimate goals and targets. Non-Aristotle form of good entail attainment of wealth, honor, pleasure, and happiness. He explains that in order to achieve this aspect, the highest and worthy course of action should be taken (Modrak 2001). Aristotle describes happiness as the state of living and performing different activities with effective procedures. He emphasizes that this category of moral philosophy is not subjective, but it is objective that implies that it is not associated to feelings such as pleasure. It entails the activity of a person’s soul rather than their state that relates also to their virtues (Rorty 2006). An individual’s virtues are important and determine whether they can achieve happiness. They are connected, therefore since they provide conducive and flourishing environment that enables a person to work effectively and be good. Aristotle classified virtues into two categories that comprise of the intellectual aspect which is considered as the rational part of a person’s personality. The second classification is composed of moral values which encompass the rational and the appetitive area of the soul. Virtues are significant since an individual can engage in an activity to the correct extent (Aristotle & Reeve 2014) implying that they engage in different actions but which are appropriate. They maintain, therefore, the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

IP Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IP Law - Essay Example Firm managers carry out valuation of their patents when they are deciding whether or not to file a patent application or refurbish a patent, when computing royalties for patent licensing contracts, when calculating the value of a potential merger or acquisition, and when calculating their own corporate value. Lawyers and judges value patents in suits of patent infringement; financial institutions calculate the value of patents when they use the intangible asset as collateral for bank loans; and investors and financial analysts value patents to evaluate the cost of firms as a foundation for their investment decisions and recommendations (Hall, 1992; Martin and Drews, 2005). IP in the form of patentable technology, legally protectable trademarks and designs, copyright and others have progressively become the most crucial assets, not only for many of the worlds largest companies, but also for small and medium enterprises (Schweihs, 2002). Intellectual property (IP) is a term which refers to a number of discrete kinds of legal monopolies over conceptions of the mind, which can be either artistic or commercial. IP also includes the related areas of law (Raysman et all, 2008). A variety of intangible assets are given certain special rights under the IP law. The most common kinds of intellectual property include trademarks, copyrights, industrial design rights, patents, and trade enigmas in some jurisdictions. According to Sherman and Bently (1999), â€Å"The British Statute of Anne 1710 and the Statute of Monopolies 1623 are now seen as the origin of copyright and patent law respectively.† Originality is one of the most important terms which are related to copyright. Presently the term ‘originality’ is used by law as a touchstone in evaluating when and why something can be copyrighted. England’s conventional criterion for originality was a Lockeanderived industriousness criterion, according to which the work must spring up from the author at

Monday, August 26, 2019

Use of Remote Sensing for Development by the Indian Space Research Essay - 1

Use of Remote Sensing for Development by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) - Essay Example National development normally requires a comprehensive survey of the available natural resources in a country. This will help to optimize the management and sustainability of the available resources by making use of the strengths of remote sensing (Navalgund et al, 2007). India as a country has embraced remote sensing in development activities through various institutions such as the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in various fields such as agriculture, water resources management, management of forests and ecosystems, climate change and urban planning. These areas in which ISRO has employed the use of remote sensing for development activities are as discussed below. Agriculture normally supports 60 % of the total population of India and normally contributes about 2.5 % of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Remote sensing techniques have been extensively used as a tool for improvement on crop production by providing solutions for the current problems. A joint operation between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Agriculture resources inventory and survey experiment (ARISE) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been used to forecast the production of crops in the country. Aerial color infrared photographs were used to estimate the acreage of crops in the district of Anantapur and in Patiala district of Punjab (Navalgund et al, 2007). In the year 1986, a project referred to as the crop acreage and production estimation was created under the umbrella of remote sensing application missions.  Ã‚  The CAPE project provided the district-level forecast of production of all the major crops in India includin g Wheat, rice, sorghum, cotton, and groundnuts. The acreage of land under each crop was estimated using satellite imagery obtained using remote sensing techniques.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Three Mile Island Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Three Mile Island Accident - Essay Example However, people sometimes become complacent in performing such tasks, particularly routinely tasks. This kind of attitude are the often causes of accidents (Accident Prevention, 2014). In the morning of March 28, 1979, a very serious incident happened in the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. A series of equipment failures took place. It was even compounded by human error which resulted to the exposure and partial meltdown of the nuclear reactors core. Operators did not seem to realize the impact of their actions while solving the problem. They even fail to prevent future complications because of their negligence. But the worst thing was that the people surrounding the area had no idea of the dangers that they are into. It even took several years before the truth came out with the help of the engineers and a robotic camera. This incident may raise a lot of questions. What could have been if this kind of accident was anticipated? If potential hazards were identified before operating the machines? Maybe the problem will not be this serious. What if they asked for help instead of hiding the truth? There could be more knowledgeable people who may offer help. Instead of escaping from the problem, it is better to solve it immediately to prevent further complications. Are the operators really aware of the risks and danger that this accident may give to the people and the environment? Well, they should be but with what happened, it is really hard to say. "Reducing Workplace Accidents: Advice for Employers.† Accident Prevention. European Agency for Safety and Heath at Work Website, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.

Globalization and Multinational Corporations Essay

Globalization and Multinational Corporations - Essay Example The globalisation concept does not reveal the challenges leaving the companies to look at the positive side of the concept. There are very many management challenges due to different cultural issues and government intervention in different nations. As it will be discussed in the paper, countries differ in their levels of technology, development, availability of labour and resources and policies targeting trade and taxation. Both local and global companies normally do not have the right information concerning such issues thus end up making the wrong decisions in location and strategies (Karsten, 2000, pp.120-134). The best example of a multinational company to use is the Coca Cola Company as it has gone through very many challenges as it was in its race to meeting the global concept. Global strategy is defined in business as guidelines of an organisation to globalisation. For a firm to succeed in expanding globally it requires to define the extent to which it can expand its service and products provision. Local and global enterprises are facing a lot of challenges in expanding globally and this does not leave out the Coca Cola Company. The decisions Coca Cola makes on where it needs to locate its business are highly affected by the fact it usually defines how far it needs to allocate. Many multinational organisations that are failing expand unnecessarily. This occurs because of the lack of complete information on the different economic status of different nations. This limits them in attaining competitive advantage within the corporate world (Gupta, 2008, pp. 20-21). Strategic management Strategic management entails to plan and forecast, command, control, co-ordinate and organize. It is important for organizations to practice effective modes of management to ensure that at the end of the day they achieve their main objective; profit making. Though strategic management entails all this conditions, it is evident that they are not practised in all organisations globally. This is so because countries differ in their adoption of management strategies. This makes it hard for an organisation in a well established country that practises high management concepts to incorporate the concepts in another country that has not yet implemented them (Ghoshal, 1987, pp. 425-440). However, with Coca Cola being a multinational company for a very long time, it has identified that different areas need different ways of management though people are being urged to embrace global ways of management. Business courses and beliefs are very different in all nations. For instance, in developing countries, the business courses are outdated and it is only recently that they are trying to educate its people on the global strategic management principles. Many organisations that want to expand globally are misled by believing that all nations embrace the concept globalisation thus they set up their businesses in different localities only to find that they do not use the global strategies of management. This makes them to lag behind in making profits because they lack competent individuals to employ. It is evident that for a business to flourish there must be availability of labour within the area. Some multinational entities are forced to employ individuals from other countries which is a more expensive strategy because they demand a high pay for relocating from their native homes (Ghauri, 1995, pp.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Fuji Xerox Strategic Alliance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fuji Xerox Strategic Alliance - Essay Example However, the 4:1 success ratio of strategic alliances has not deterred companies and business enterprises from continuously forming strategic alliances. The most viable reason for this continuation of forming strategic alliances despite the frequent failures may be the present era's increasingly competitive environment. Business firms and companies in every industry are searching new and more effective ways to increase and sustain their competitive advantage. In this search for new mediums to augment the competitive advantage, most of the companies have realized that, owing to a variety of reasons e.g. cultural and social differences, change in consumer's needs and wants and today's accelerating technological advances, significant improvements in performance and competitive advantage cannot be achieved alone ( Whipple J.M. and Frankel R., 1999). Per se, the traditional response of acquisition to enhance the performance and competitiveness of a company is no longer the only alternative. Strategic alliance is the new alternative that facilitates the merging of partnering companies or firms' individual strengths and expertise while also compensating for the participating companies internal resource scarcities without them having to make the required investments for the actual ownership. The most fundamental aspect for a strategic alliance to be a successful, is finding the right match in which experience, expertise, knowledge and strategic resources of the participating companies will complement each other. However, in the business arena today, the researchers have found out that newly formed strategic alliances are more vulnerable to failure than those which have lasted for some time (Lunnan R and Haugland A.S., n.d1.). According to Steve Steinhilber, the vice-president of Strategic Alliances at Cisco, "companies worldwide launch more than two thousand strategic alliances every year, about the quarter of them are complete failures and more than half never deliver as promised" (Steinhilber S, 2008). However, amidst these strategic alliance failures there is the "Fuji Xerox", the strategic alliance between the Japan's Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd and America's Xerox Corporation, which can be said to be the most successful long term strategic alliance, till date. Hence this paper has been developed as report that envisages the evolution of this strategic alliance between Fuji and Xerox and how it became the most successful strategic alliance as "Fuji Xerox". In the course of understanding the factors that facilitated and made this venture the most triumphant long term strategic alliance, the report perhaps, will also be able to shed some light on the essential building blocks of successful alliances and how to establish them. Creating a

Friday, August 23, 2019

Socio-cultural Influences on Sexuality Research Paper

Socio-cultural Influences on Sexuality - Research Paper Example or, gender identity and roles and gender stereotyping and bais are majorly influenced by social and cultural issues as demonstrated by divergent perceptions and approaches across different socio-cultural settings. Different societies have cultures that have been nurtured over a long time that influence the perception of the members with regard to sexuality issues. The paper looks at the various perspectives in which socio-cultural issues influence perception with regard to sexuality. Debates surrounding sexual orientation and accomodation of same sex partners in most societies are usually influenced by the socio-cultural provisions with regard to such unions. The catholic church, most African and Arab countries have strongly expressed their opposition towards such unions. The common attribute of the catholic church, most African and Arab countries is that sexuality is not usually a subject that I spoken openly and even with the existence of gays and lesbians, these societies go at great lengths to condemn such unions. According to Worrel (2003), these socities are characterized by the existence of socio-cultural norms nurtured over long periods of time and no opposition to these norms is usually welcome. Worrel continues to outline that in more democratic societies in the western world and other developed countries, gays and lesbians are being given a chance to fight for recognition in the society. Gender roles and identity are aspects that are nurtured at a avery young that by the time children grow to become adults they already have solid perceptions towards these issues. The traditional set up where the man was supposed to provide for the family while the woman stayed at home to take care of children is still a major concern for gender equality activists. Even with the changing society where socio-economic developments have made it necessary for the woman to work to supplement the earnings of the man, the society still finds it difficult to embrace the change.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Modernism in the making Gustav Klimt Essay Example for Free

Modernism in the making Gustav Klimt Essay The early twentieth century is a period that gave rise to a number of artists distinguished as the best in their respective fields. From engravers, to painters, to sculptors and to literary greats, these individuals changed and modified the way their art was made and interpreted. They extended the tradition visions and opened new horizons for the world to better understand art. Gustav Klimt was one of these innovators, an artist that fascinated everyone with his unique style and approach in painting. Gustav Klimt, who lived from July 14, 1862 until February 6, 1918, was born in Baumgarten. He had four sisters and two brothers, and was the second eldest of them all. His father Ernst Klimt was from Bohemia and worked as a gold engraver. At a very early age, Gustav Klimt veered greatly towards art and enrolled at the State School of Applied Arts in Vienna where he studied a field called architectural painting. This led to a career in painting interiors and large ceilings of different public structures. A lot of murals in these buildings were also accredited to Klimt (Fliedl, 2006). In 1897, Klimt’s effect to the art world increased when he and others founded the Vienna Secession, a group of artists dedicated in bringing to the public works of unconventional artists. The group preferred no particular style, and different approaches to art existed under one roof. The movement became a revolt towards academic art style, challenging the views of the conservative fine arts (Sterling and Clark Art Institute, 2002). Throughout his lifetime, Klimt received numerous citations and awards for his contributions to art. One of these is the prestigious Golden Order of Merit from the Emperor Franz Josef. His group the â€Å"Company of Artists†, composed of himself, his brother Ernst, and their friend Franz Matsch also gained praises from both the academic and popular art divisions (Fliedl, 2006). Aside from art, Klimt also had a family by his side, with Emilie Floge as his wife. It is, however, quite known to many that Klimt had several relationships with different women, fathering a total of 14 children (Collins, 2001). But Emilie Floge stayed dedicated to Klimt, being his companion until his death at the relatively young age of 55 (Fliedl, 2006). Gustav’s style was known to many to be a revolution and a transformation from traditional works, and clearly from the common academic teachings of his time. His began developing his personal style at about the same time when the Vienna Secession took shape. It also evident that Klimt was consciously connected with the environment and factors around him that could have influenced his way of thinking. Klimt lived in the town of Vienna during the turn of the century. It was a time where a great battle between different aspects and standards of life was going on. Gilles Neret (1993) described the scene: Artists and intellectuals developed enormous creativity, torn as they were between reality and illusion, between the traditional and the modern. With inhabitants such as Sigmund Freud, Otto Wagner, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schonberg, the city was a â€Å"Laboratory of the Apocalypse†, a late bloom, a last creative tumult before its decline. (p. 7) It was within this â€Å"laboratory† where Klimt created his work, bringing up a linkage between a passing world of tradition and an emerging one of modernism (Neret, 1993). Just like many other artists in his time, Klimt was challenged to create something totally unique and different, something that would reflect his own feelings and personality. He achieved this by creating art works that are very ornamental. Gold and shiny colors are very much present in his works, such as in the painting entitled â€Å"Adele Bloch-Bauers Portrait†. The portrait depicts a woman in elegancy, covered with a magnificent flowing dress of gold. The background was also painted in gold and yellowish hues. Aside from the colors, several jewelries can also be seen around the subject’s arms and neck. One interesting thing about the painting is the presence of different styles, yet common theme, patterns along the dress of the subject and on the background. These figures composed of eyes, triangles, squares, and circles, are another trademark of the artist. Klimt uses a lot of kaleidoscopic elements in his work. Most of these can be seen as symbolic, and it would take a little more effort to be able to draw the different meanings from Klimt’s works. Another common theme of Klimt’s art is the erotic element in his art. Vienna during those days fostered a languid yet exalted atmosphere which could have encouraged the artist to work a lot on eroticism (Neret, 1993). He is fond of using women as his subjects, and exposes their beauty and sweetness in the form of painting. The effectiveness of this element is manifested perfectly in this work â€Å"Judith I†. This is another image of a woman, also painted in a flavorful golden background. Her neck is covered with a broad ornament, also colored gold. On her hand hangs the head of a man. Although covered with some clothing, a great deal of flesh and skin is blatantly revealed. Also, aside from holding a head, her left hand is positioned as if pushing the part of her dress away, intentionally exposing her right breast. The eroticism of the image is additionally stressed by the sensual expression of the woman: eyes and lips almost showing signs of inner ecstasy and goodness. Nevertheless, Klimt was able to capture the beauty and perfection of a woman, without compensating any single angle on which a woman may be viewed. Klimt’s eroticism, however, became the subject of many critics. One of his greatest controversies is the attack on his murals for a Vienna university due to the bold and pornographic essence they hold (Sterling and Clark Art Institute, 2002). This however, had little effect on Klimt as he continued working with eroticism and women. Personally, I do not find the styles of Gustav Klimt to be a sign of pornography and taboo. Klimt used eroticism to further increase the sensuality of his paintings, adding a new dimension to the flat portrait of his subjects. Also, his use of this element must be seen symbolically and not just as a random factor in his works. Gustav Klimt used a lot of symbols in his paintings, from the kaleidoscopic images to different repeating patterns around and on the subject, and even the subjects themselves. One final work of Klimt that was able to grab my utmost attention is â€Å"The Kiss†, a painting that was said to be one of Klimt’s greatest works. It is an image of a couple in an intense scene where the male is passionately kissing the female. Sensuality is present in the painting, and a hint of ecstasy can be seen from the woman’s expression. Both are shrouded in something that looks like a golden veil. The broad background is in a bronze color, with different shadings of gray and black. On the foot of the couple lies a carpet of green area with dots of pastel colors scattered all over. This area is not that symbolical, and an experienced viewer can easily depict this as a garden, or probably a meadow of flowers where the lovers did their kiss. As with his previous works, a lot of repeating patterns are used in the painting. The male’s clothing is covered with rectangles of colors ranging from white to black. Some are â€Å"transparent†, and reveals the golden overall color of the male’s suit. The female on the other hand is covered with circles of different colors and sizes. On the bottom part of the female, particularly on her legs and feet hangs golden necklaces that extend to the carpet of flowers. The painting as a whole is a treasure throve of symbols. This can be interpreted in different ways. The golden veil, for example, can be a sign of endlessness and infinity. It shows how strong a kiss can be in creating a union between a male and a female. Time was symbolized as an imperishable element like gold. The painting also evokes a â€Å"sparkling feeling† when someone kisses another. Aside from the golden color, the positioning of the subjects also shows the superiority of the male. The woman, with her facial features, expresses succumbing to the power the kiss of male gives. But the hug by her hands suggests a mutual understanding between the two, and not just any abuse of patriarchal power over feminism. The patterns on the dresses of the subjects also serves as symbols that provide additional foundation on the painting. The rectangles signify a being full of strength and power. The black and white scheme also fosters an atmosphere of courage in the male. He was also wearing a crown of vines that shows wisdom and knowledge. On the other hand, the circles define womanhood – caring, warm, open, and eternal. Some circles are drawn inside larger circles, which might suggest pregnancy and formation of a new life inside an old one. The painting â€Å"The Kiss† is ever since opened to different interpretations and translations. Some would say that it shows power of men, others would decode it as a balanced act of love, while still many unravels it as a hidden desire of pleasure in women. Nobody really knows what Gustav Klimt was thinking when he created this work, and this is what makes â€Å"The Kiss† special. It is a work embedded with numerous symbols waiting to be identified and clarified. And this is what makes viewing a Klimt painting enjoyable. Each picture tends to create a sensation of difference and a struggle to derive the real meaning of the symbols found in the artwork. This shows the effectiveness of Klimt as an artist – someone who can stimulate an audience’s mind to think beyond the normal. References: Collins, J. (2001). Klimt: Modernism in the making. Canada: University of Michigan Press Fleidl, G. (2006). Klimt. Berlin: Taschen Neret, G. (1993). Gustav Klimt. Berlin: Taschen Sterling and Clark Art Institute. (2002). Gustav Klimt Landscapes. Retrieved May 03, 2008, from http://www. clarkart. edu/exhibitions/klimt/klimt/bio. cfm â€Å"Adele Bloch-Bauers Portrait† image from NBC news archive, April 9, 2006. Retrieved May 02, 2008, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/12187512/ â€Å"Judith I† image from All Posters website, 2008. Retrieved May 02, 2008, from http://www. allposters. com/-sp/Judith-I-Posters_i324971_. htm â€Å"The Kiss† image from Art in the Picture website. Retrived May 02, 2008, from http://www. artinthepicture. com/paintings/Gustav_Klimt/The-Kiss/

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Sport in school Essay Example for Free

Sport in school Essay Sport at school should NOT be compulsory. Sports training and PE take up time that could be better spent learning other subjects, and PE and Sport are not as important as other subjects like maths, science etc. It is also my belief that it students should have the right to choose whether or not we do sport/PE, because we are allowed to choose the subjects that are more important, so why are we not allowed to choose whether or not we do sport? Every year in PE, we do the same sports and the same practice drills, so after year 7, there is no point continuing to do PE, because the you are just doing the same things that you have done in previous years. 2 periods per cycle are spent on PE, 2 periods which could be spent on subjects like foreign languages, which are only allocated 4 periods per cycle or English or Science, which get 5 periods per cycle. These subjects are more important than PE and time the two periods given to PE would be better used if distributed to these subjects. As well as PE, we spent up to 3 hours a week at training and another 3 hours on Saturday for competition. Can you imagine students academic performances if we were to spent 6 hours a week doing homework or study? And it is not only the actual time you are at training that counts, because often, after training you are tired and cannot be bothered to do homework or study, again dragging down our academic results. If sport was optional, then the people participating in the teams would be the people that wanted to be there, the people who wanted to play and win. But instead, there are people in the teams who are not interested in the sport, not interested in winning and are only there because they have to be. These people drag down the team and ruin the sport for those that want to be there.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Theoretical Basis Of Agritourism

The Theoretical Basis Of Agritourism Agritourism can be explained as a farm enterprise operated for the enjoyment and education of the public that may also generate additional income for the farmer by promoting farm products and experiences and giving many opportunities to local community to enhance their living standards (Wilson et al., 2006). The concept is gaining popularity and its providing a great escape for people in urban environment from their high-paced, strenuous and many times monotonous lifestyle. At the same time its helping the new generation to get first-hand experience of the rural life, which otherwise is limited only to the books for them. Spending time on the farms, interacting with the local people and farmers to get an insight into their day-to-day work and their traditions, participating in the local fairs and festivals, doing the actual work on the farm, milking the cow, riding a bullock cart, are some of the activities that can be enjoyed on an agritourism outing. 3.2.1 Theoretical basis of agritourism Agritourism is multifunctional and cooperative strategy (Sidali et al., 2011; Wilson, 2007; Essex, et al., 2005; Schmitt, 2010; Mason, 2000). The post-productivits agricultural system is the new approach in agricultural development. It is very complicated than subsistence and productivits agriculture systems (Topcu, 2007). Post-productivits agriculture system is a broad concept and the five main tasks of it are qualitative priorities in food production, alternative income sources for farmers and sustainability of agricultural lands, conservation of environment and new employment opportunities. Agritourism can easily link with these new aspects of agricultural development. Moreover, agritourism can be performed in five important sectors such as agricultural economic, socio-cultural, environmental and educational context in an effective manner. Further, since it is highly involved with the gender factor, agritourism as a gender approach is also having higher importance (Topcu, 2007; Si dali, Spiller and Schulze; 2011; Wilson, 2007; Essex, et al., 2005). 3.2.2 Definitions of agritourism Before 1990, only a little information has been published on agritourism. This lack of information was one of the reasons for the absence for the commonly accepted definition (Lack, 1997). However, after 1990, the research literature on agritourism has flourished and several number of definitions are available now (McGehee and Kim, 2004). Some selected definitions of agritourism are as follows. Agritourism can be defined as the practice of engaging in activities, events and services that has been provided to consumers for recreational, entertainment, or educational purposes at a farm, ranch, or other agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operation in order to allow consumers to experience, learn about, and participate in various facets of agricultural industry, culinary pursuits, natural resources, and heritage (Colorado Agritourism Research Project, 2010). Tew (2010) cited The Agribusiness Development Division of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (2010) defines agritourism as, visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or agribusiness operation for the purpose of appreciation, enjoyment, education, or recreational involvement with agricultural, natural or heritage resources Agritourism as an innovative agricultural activity related to tourism and agriculture both in which has capacity to create additional source of income and employment opportunities to the farmers and local communities (Maruti, 2009). Agritourism can be characterized as a business or activity that invites visitors to come on-farm or into a rural community to enjoy agriculture, its produce and the natural environment in which it exists. Agritourism is generally an additional enterprise added to the farm, integrating tourism into agri-business (Porcaro, 2009). An activity, enterprise or business which combines primary elements and characteristics of agriculture and tourism and provides an experience for visitors which stimulates economic activity and impacts both farm and community income (Bruch, 2008). Tourism on a working farm in which visitors can experience a direct connection with the host farm, rural life and/or the local environment. There is not a consistent definition of agritourism in the literature, and it has been used interchangeably with other terms. For example, some studies have previously been synonymously linked to rural tourism, farm tourism, agro-tourism, agricultural tourism and farm based vacation (Seong-woo and Sou-yeon, 2006; Ilbery, 1998; Ilbery, 1991). However, the main idea of all of these definitions is more or less similar. As a whole, agritourism can be explained as an interaction among agricultural producers, visitors, and local residents. Operators (mainly farmers) can earn extra income from the farm, visitors can get real knowledge and experience on farming and local residents can enhance their living slandered in several ways. 3.2.3 Working definition for agritourism in the study For the purpose of this study, agritourism is defined as tourism activities that conduct in working farm and surrounding, for enjoyment, education, recreation of visitors, hoping an additional income for the operator from farm resources in special and sustainable local development in general. This is the working definition for agritourism in this study that is suitable in Sri Lankan context. After having strong theoretical knowledge and practical experience in agritourism sector, this was developed, including considering the main purposes of agritourism visitors, motivation of agritourism operators and expectations of local residents for rural development. Economic, social, environmental dimensions have been included in this definition. 3.2.4 Activities involved in agritourism Normally, agritourism activities are the tourism activities take place in agricultural lands and surrounding rural environments. The number of agritourism activities mainly depends on the size of the farm and nature of the farming activities. These activities are important for the visitors to enjoy and learn agriculture. Blacka et al (2001) has divided agritourism activities in Virginia, into six categories as lodging and camping (bed and breakfast, camp sites, youth camp, farm vacation, weddings and honeymoons), special events and festivals (music festivals, haunted house, holiday celebrations, harvest festivals) Off the farm (farmers markets, roadside produce stands), recreational activities and events (fee fishing, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, skeet shooting), tourism related direct marketing (pick your own fruits/vegetables, sell processed food on the farm, sell herbal organic products) an youth and or adult education (Organized tours, agricultural educational program s, demonstrations). Lack (1995) divided agritourism British Colombia, into three groups as retail sales/ direct marketing (goods produced on-site, customer harvested produce and goods produced off-site), Tours (tour of processing facilities, scenic tours and tours of production facilities) and activities (accommodation, cultural activities, recreation and educational or hands on experiences). It is important to include all the possible agritourism activities because it helps to increase the length of stay and satisfaction of the visitors. In European countries, in a farm there are activities for visitors even for several days. However, the number of agritourism activities is lower in Asian countries. Further, activities in agritourism and rural tourism havent clearly categorized yet and most of the time they are used interchangeably. Briefly, a successful agritourism operation should have three aspects. They are the need to have things for visitors to see (educational tours, historical recreations, festivals/special events, crop arts), things for visitors to do (educational activities, petting zoos, hay rides, pick your own) and things for visitors to buy (food and drinks, farm products, souvenirs). Things to see and do are often offered free of charge. But, money can be earned by selling things to the visitors (Adam, 2001). Agritourism can be used as primary, supplementary or complementary enterprise. As a primary enterprise, agritourism would be the main activity in the farm. Agritourism could be a minor activity in supplementary enterprises and it would share equal footing in complementary enterprises (Blacka et al., 2001).Agritourism can consist of different alternatives such as temporary attraction or special event, part of a large agriculture-oriented destination, part of a huge non-agriculture-oriented des tination, and full agritourism operation. Different forms of agritourism business Farmers can incorporate agritourism activities to their farms in various ways according to the situation. Three possible ways are; as a supplementary, complementary or primary enterprise. To fulfill the final objective of agrotourism; farmer must think creatively and arrange it properly. (Mnguni, 2010). Supplementary enterprise In a supplementary enterprise, agritourism is a minor activity that would help the other products on the farm. For example, if the primary enterprise is crop production, educational and training programs can be introduced with marketing facility of value added crop products. Complementary enterprise In a complementary enterprise, agritourism activities have equal share with other enterprises in the farm product mix. For instance, if there is a grapes production enterprise on the farm, it the farmer wants to sell half of the grapes to a whole seller and the remainder to pick-your-own operations for visitors on the farm, then the two enterprises would be complementary enterprises. The primary enterprise In the primary enterprise, agritourism would be the major activity on the farm. For example, if a farmer hopes to begin a winery in the farm. He will definitely invite guests to have that experience by tasting the product. As a part of that package, he can offer an overnight accommodation in a cottage which is in the farm. And also the farmer can produce grapes in his own farm and use them to wine tasting activities. Here agritourism is the main part of the farm product mix and it becomes the primary enterprise (Bernardo, Valentin and Leatherman, 2007; Blacka, et al, 2001). Link the relevant sections with chapter 2 3.2.5 Issues and challenges of agritourism development As agritourism is a business activity, lots of requirements are essential for the successfulness of it. However, as agritourism it is conduct mainly in rural areas by farmers, presence of several issues and challenges is a common phenomenon. For example, a study by Lack (1995) in British Colombia, has discovered that, lack of training, marketing knowledge, quality control, finance, appropriate insurance, excessive regulations, personal challenges for farm families, conflict with primary agricultural production, distance from markets, infrastructure limitations and farm disease are the challenges of agritourism development in that country. Agritourism in Nova Scotia has some obstacles. Many agritourism operators face the problem of lack of assistance and the knowledge required to produce market-ready products as Nova Scotia Tourism. Culture is reluctant to include and to enhance agritourism in their marketing campaigns. This lack of support hinders the development of agritourism produ cts and services resulting poorly developed and marketed products by farmers. So, farmers could not develop many skills required to operate an effective tourism business (Colton and Bissix, 2005). A study in Haryana, India has reported that the Lack of funds for publicity and advertisement, less number of visitors, Lack of technology to develop farm tourism, lack of motivation of farmers, inadequate price for farm products/activities as major constraints in establishing agritourism (Shehrawat, 2009). In Sri Lanka, issues and challenges in agritourism are small size farm lands, lack of required skills for the operators, poor level of processing of agricultural products, low level of publicity and promotion are the significant factors. Furthermore, lack of visitors, environmental pollution, poor condition on infrastructure, are the common problems for all the operators (Malkanthi and Routray, 2011b). Although there are few differences, most of the issues and challenges are common for many countries. As issues and challenges are negatively affect for the growth of the sector, finding solutions is utmost important. Global warming is one of the prominent environmental issues and mass tourism has negative impacts on the environment. In mass tourism, large number of people gather to a same place and enjoy the tourism. Mass tourism indicates that the holiday is standardized, packaged rigidly and nonflexible. Due to the negative impacts of mass tourism, people have started to concern about the quality of the environment and the future of the tourism industry and also due to that has begun to focus on alternative forms of tourism. (Mairesse, 2007/2008) By showing importance of reality the rural environment reveals itself as an exceptional because it is far from the standard large-scale hotel chains. Rural Tourism needs a help for rural development without trespassing limits, an unseen entrance. Currently the issue of rural tourism is its sustainability. Only from the sustainable tourism can have an area of authentic countryside existence. Rural Tourism development should be totally different from the seaside tourism development which builds artificial villages and big holiday resorts without any identity. Currently the coastal lines have destroyed because the rural spaces are exceeding by urbanization. (Randelli, Romei, Tortora, Mossello, 2011) 3.2.6 Sustainability in agritourism operations Through Sustainable tourism development it is expected to protect and enhance the future opportunities while fulfilling the needs of current tourists and host regions. It is further explained as managing resources as fulfilling the economic, social, aesthetic needs, while maintaining cultural truthfulness, vital ecological processes, bio diversity and life carry systems (World Tourism Organization, 1999) Therefore, for long term sustainability, should have proper balance between environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects which is also known as principles aspects of Agro tourism development. Same as other tourism destinations, sustainability of agritourism destinations are very important in long run. Although most of the destinations that are feasible in short run, face difficulties in survival in long run. So, economic feasibility, social acceptability and environmental friendliness of tourism operations are equally applicable to agritourism as well. World Tourism Organization (2001) ,defines sustainable development as convene the requirement of present tourists and host regions as caring and improving opportunity for prospect. Its management of resources satisfies in way of economical, social and aesthetic needs satisfying while maintaining cultural integrity necessary for ecological processes, biological diversity and existence support system. Markandya, et.al, (2003) have reported that the three main linkages among tourism and sustainable development are economic, social and environmental. Given tourisms importance in the global challenges of climate change and poverty reduction, there is a need to urgently adopt a range of policies which encourages truly sustainable tourism that reflects a quadruple bottom line of environmental, social, economic and climate responsiveness. (Sharpley, 2009) Tourism can kill itself if we mismanage the tourism activities and places (Yalcin Kuwan and Perran Akan, 2001). Unspoiled natural environment is an asset of the industry. It will create the competitive advantage to the industry (Cater, 1993). The implementation and success of policies of sustainability, in employing tourism income to support social and cultural development and wild life conservation, require strategy framework which guides tourism development in a balanced and coherent way (Hall, 1998). Agritourism focus for increasing rural vitality and stimulating new economic opportunities through the diversification of farm operations and increased revenue on-site and near the operations (Geisler, 2008; Jensen, Lindborg, English, Menard. 2006). As a means to support the growth and development of the agritourism industry, Extension education can aid in the necessary programming for and education of community leaders and business operators. (Norby, Retallick, 2007) For sustainable Agritourism operations should minimize the environmental impacts by considering both local and global environmental impacts.Deforestation, water and air pollution etc should be minimized. And also through Agritourism can minimize the damage by conserving natural areas, habitats and wild life. One of the best ways of reaching to sustainability is through achieving a clear sense of difference from other competing destinations. By using local history, industry, culture, lifestyle and natural resources attraction can be done genuinely. And the operations should be done by representing the past, present and future aspirations of the local community as reflecting the values of the community.With proper understanding of target market can offer the products and services with added values.Agritourism is a kind of an operation which provides mutual benefits for visitors and hosts while acting as a economic and community development tool. Ultimately, good tourism businesses get involved with the community and collaborate with other businesses and stakeholders and help to build local capacity. Enhancing the production can be done through combination of agricultural and non-agricultural options. Increasing the productivity of labor, risk reducing and improving assets can be done through diversification. Linkages between the countryside, towns and cities can augment productivity and sustainability of production by creating employment, revenue and investment. Finance and investment involves the way of mobilization of resources from taxation, central government, the private sector, foreign direct investment and remittances from abroad. It also includes how resources are invested. Through proper strategic, Agro-Tourism could bring lot of advantages to the society. It could be a sustainable revenue producing product for rural market and can help inflow to resources from urban to the rural economy. It can avoid moving of rural people to urban. By using this particular form of rural tourism, it is feasible to fully discover the untapped potential of rural market. Both short term and long term preparation, implementing and monitoring are very important in avoiding harm to rural areas. Environmental management, local involvement, sound legislation, sustainable marketing and realistic planning are essential for Agro-Tourism development. Agro-Tourism is emerging as a vital instrument for sustain human development including poverty reduction, employment production, environmental renewal and development of remote areas and improvement of woman and other underprivileged groups in the country separate from promoting social integration and international consideration. The government should encourage Agro- Tourism to make sustainable economic growth and positive social change. In developing countries tourism has been greatly used for, and linked directly with reduction of rural poverty especially in developing countries. However, the application, and to a degree the principles, of the widely used organizing framework for considering reducing the poverty. Household income sustainability is applied the individual or family level, while tourism sustainability is applied to the industry and destinations at broad, more macro level scales. Economic feasibility As one element of destinations economy, tourism must support a viable economic base. A healthy economy enables a country, region or city to pursue initiatives designed to enhance the quality of its residents (Ritchie and Crouch, 2003). Traditional way of management of tourism destination was rather productive and resource-centered. But since there are limits in adapting to the market, the present strategy is combined supply and market let approach. In this context, management of demand is highly responsible for the sustainable tourism development (Kastenholz, 2004). So, instead of profit maximization of a destination by damaging the environment in short term, now the principle is to obtain the optimum profit. Economic benefits are positively related with the number of visitors. Further arrangement of traditional and cultural events is cost effective with this large number. However, as agritourism is a niche market, socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable, cooperation of cultural activities is very important. Socio-cultural feasibility Tourism operations must be compatible with the existing socio-cultural condition of the area where it is located. It is essential to test the social acceptability of tourism destinations (Gonzalez and Falcon, 2003). There should be a respect for the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance by the tourism operators and especially by outside visitors. Then it is easy to work together by the tourism operators, visitors and the local community. This is a common for agritourism also. Since agritourism is mainly a service industry in rural areas, goodwill and cooperation of local communities are essential to make it successful (Cole, 2006; Knowd, 2006). Agritourism should be able to offer more positive socio-cultural impact than the negative impacts for the local community. This way agritourism can enhance the socio-cultural feasibility. Sharpley (2002) said that socio-cultural growth includes population of remote areas, development and maintenance of public services, renewal of local craft, customs and cultural recognition. Environmental feasibility Tourism destination should less damage to the surrounding environment; especially it should be free from serious environmental pollution activities. So, it should match with environmental rules and regulations and followed by Environment Impact Assessment (United Nations, 1999). However, the literature reveals that little evidence is there regarding environment being considered by farmers, planners and tourism professionals (Kline et al. 2007). Although it is difficult and expensive, agritourism development should follow the sustainable tourism procedures to obtain the real benefits of it forever. However, most of the operators in many countries mainly emphasize only on short term economic advantages without social and environmental benefits. This is the reason for the breakdown of many tourism operations including agritourism, within a short time period. Participatory approach in Agro tourism and rural development The variety mentioned above may be explained by a brief analysis of some of the proposed definitions of participation. With regard to rural development, participation includes peoples involvement in decision-making processes, in implementing programmes, their sharing in the benefits of development programmes and their involvement in efforts to evaluate such programmes (Cohen and Uphof, 1977). Participation is a process through which stakeholders influence and share control over development initiatives and the decisions and resources which affect them (World Bank, 1994). Participation in spatial planning denotes the co-decision capability of the affected citizens and institutions of the civil society in diverse stages of the decision-making process. When some citizens are affected directly, the participation right is assured by law. In many cases, it is optional. But there are good reasons why optional forms of participation are being applied. Areas with an enduring high out-migration, the left over population often tends to act passively. The huge social changes, the harder it is to generate fulfill edged participation through the differences of education, local hierarchy, social position and political direction. Intraregional co-operation can be expected as a market place of potentials. Each of the groups or individuals integrated in the process of contribution brings in some kind of potential formal political power, informal power of opinion ideas, financial means, and ownership of land, contacts or just personal dedication. The position of the individual within the decision-making procedure is hugely determined by the extent to which the specific potential is esteemed according to objective and subjective criteria. Participatory approaches are used in order to start up novel development paths and to interpret ideas and concepts into action. At the commencement, however, the competing behavior of the actors prevails. One temporary goal of participatory approaches is therefore to stress common interests and to help compromises which are not pressed through by local things, but at least suitable to all. Participation typology Type of Participation Some Components and Characteristics Passive Participation People are told what is going to happen or has already happened. Top down, information shared belongs only to external professionals Participation in information giving People answer questions posed by extractive researchers, using surveys etc. People not able to influence the research Participation by consultation People are consulted and external agents listen to their views. Usually externally defined problems and solutions. People not really involved in decision making. Participation as consultation. Participation by material incentives Provision of resources, e.g. labor. Little incentive to participate after the incentives end, for example much farm research, some community forestry. Functional Participation Groups are formed to meet predetermined objectives. Usually done after major project decisions are made, therefore initially dependent on outsiders but may become self dependent and enabling. Participation as organization. Interactive Participation Joint analysis to joint actions. Possible use of new local institutions or strengthening existing ones. Enabling and empowering so people have a stake in maintaining structures or practices. Self-Mobilization Already empowered, take decisions independently of external institutions. May or may not challenge existing inequitable distributions of wealth and power. Participation as empowering (Source: Pimbert and Pretty, 1994). 3.2.7 Government policies in agritourism In general local government is the most important authority in establishing tourism development policies (Perce, 1989). However, the types and the content of its involvement vary from country to country based on the political, economic, and constitutional systems. In many European countries governments have supported the growth of the agritourism sector. There are national policies for the support and development of agritourism in a number of countries for a long time. For instance, in France, state financial aids to support the renovation of redundant farm buildings into accommodation facilities were introduced in 1954. Farms in Italy, Germany and Denmark also have long benefited from national support for the development of tourist facilities (Frater, 1983; Nilsson, 2002). In Britain, Scheme offering financial incentives and advices about diversification, together with partial relaxation of planning restrictions, have facilitated the development of farm-based tourism. The farm diversification Grant Scheme introduced by the ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1988, was one of the first measures offering grants to farmers to help them develop diversification schemes (Walford, 2001). According to Douglas and Douglas, (2001); Fernando, Rebollo and Biadal, (2003), it is important to develop policies in a proactive nature to lay the foundation and capture the development potential of tourism for rural communities. So, the national rural tourism strategy of a country must emphasis on infrastructure development, product development, accreditation and industrial standards, education and training, market analysis and the role of government authorities and industrial leaders in further developing the rural tourism product. Ritchie and Crouch (2003) reported that policy is an important factor which ensures the success of tourism destination. It also creates a friendly environment among stakeholders. Therefore, the main objectives of agritourism policy are to minimize and alleviate negative environmental, social and cultural impacts; optimize revenue for industry and re-invest in conservation; optimize the active involvement of, and equitable distribution of economic benefits to, local communities; educate visitors and citizens about the importance of conserving natural and cultural heritage; promote ethical behavior and responsibilities towards the natural and cultural environment; manage operations such that there are long term benefits to the resource, industry and the local residents; deliver high quality, value-for-money, enlightens and participatory natural resources and culture-based experience for visitors; encourage travel in a spirit of humanity, respect and learning about local hosts, their culture and the natural environment etc. Victorious farm-based tourism mostly depends on policy makers, government officers at the local or countrywide level (Beus and Dunlap, 1993) . Brohma (1996) has clearly explained the importance of government involvement in rural development in his study for the third world development, there are necessary new paths. Though the third world tourism has developed fastly, it has encountered many troubles common to outward-oriented development strategies such as extreme foreign dependency, the formation of separate enclaves, the strengthening of socioeconomic and spatial inequalities, environment destruction and increasing cultural separation. To avoid those troubles, institutional mechanisms require to be formed to give confidence active state and participation of community in tourism planning. Ritchie and Crouch (2003) reported that the following aspects are important as government policies of the sector. Infrastructure policy (Can make destination safer and attractive for the visitors), Local zoning policy/by-laws (Can restrict or encourage tourism facility development), Land use and land assignation, Water resource management, Heritage conservation, Credit facility (granting reduced-interest loans to business and enterprises Affects costs and therefore profitability), Tax and subsidies (Tax concessions for investments, Can affect the growth of the industry negatively and positively and finally for the profitability of the destination), Minimum wage policy (Can affect labor markets), Agricultural policy (Organic farming, Soil conservation), Welfare policy (Can influence the nature and behavior of the work force), Education, extension and Training policy (Can affect the quality of the workforce), Marketing policy, Environmental policy (Limits growth and access to attractiv e but sensiti

Monday, August 19, 2019

Evil Spirits - Short Story :: Papers

Evil Spirits - Short Story A number of years ago, as a poor student, I was renting the top 2 floors of a house with 7 other school friends. We thought ourselves lucky to get the house for such a low rent, plus all utilities paid for. With eleven of us, we each paid about $75.00 a month. The house had its fair share of windows facing east and west, so it should be a brightly lit house in the daytime, but, somehow, the house was always rather dark and dim. We could never figure this out. Often at night, we'd hear bumps and creaks; we always put it down as the old 100-125 year old Victorian style house settling down until one night... It was a Friday night, just around spring, exams were done with, and winter was almost over. We were all really overjoyed and happy. We felt that we did well in our exams. That evening, six of us went to the movies, had dinner. After the dinner, we headed home. The celebration continued. We were drinking coke; some of the guys were drinking beer. We were all laughing and joking in the kitchen, when we heard the door open, and footsteps coming up the stairs. We thought, Jenny and Sue were home, they had opted to go to a fellowship rather than join us at our celebration. We called out to the 2 sisters to join us, when we recieved no answer, Tom poked his head outside the kitchen, the dim hallway was empty. We figured, incredible as it sounds, they probably did not hear us, so, Tom went upstairs to the girls' room. A few minutes later, he came back downstairs looking very puzzled. The girls weren't home, yet, we heard someone open the front door and come up those stairs. We shrugged it off as the house settling down or a streetcar coming by shaking the house. A week later, as I was sleeping, I woke up quite suddenly. Unsure what woke me up, I switched on the light.

Character Essay :: essays research papers

Character Essay Characterization, a method that an author chooses to develop his/her character, is a very important element in a story. In â€Å"Lamb to the Slaughter,† Roald Dahl, effectively develops the protagonist both directly and indirectly; however, the use of indirect characterization is more dominant because it reveals her actions and how she deals with her conflict, her words, and creating a dynamic character with her words, and her personality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, she seems like a typical house-wife longing for her husband to return, but something is odd about this particular day; â€Å"There was a slow smiling air about her, and about everything she did†¦was curiously tranquil†¦the eyes, with their new placid look, seemed larger, and darker than before† (108). It was almost as if she is expecting something unusual to happen, and that she is preparing for that specific moment. In addition, her actions change from being a wife-pleasing-husband, to a self-conscious woman that knew all of a sudden, exactly what to do, as if she had been prepared for months. Also, in the beginning of the story she is described as a inoffensive, harmless person, but immediately after her husband reveals his burden, she becomes unstable and almost naturally she hits her husband. She â€Å"†¦simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb†¦and brought it down as hard as she could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (111). And as strange as it looks, she goes somewhat through a metamorphoses, from being a content house-wife, to a maniac, possessed woman, to the point of killing her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second, she reveals through her words, her duplicity and deceitfulness by exterminating all the evidence left. When the police arrived she trying to hide evidence, asks for her husband’s whiskey, â€Å"‘Jack†¦would you mind giving me a drink?’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢You mean this whiskey?’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Yes, please’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Why don’t you eat up that lamb that is in the oven?’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (115,116), and the reader realizes that she tries to convince others with her deceitful lies, and with a concrete set of credible words, she gets away easily; â€Å"She tried a smile. It came out so peculiar†¦The voice sounded so peculiar too†¦She rehearsed it several times more†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (112). Mrs. Maloney, had thought about it even before the incident happened, for she tries to look as normal as possible, by acting it out her daily routine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally, her personality creates in her a dynamic characterization, and as the reader observes it when she is talking to the shopkeeper, by saying something very odd: â€Å"’I got a nice leg of lamb from the freezer†¦I don’t much like cooking it frozen†¦but I’m taking a chance on it this time.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Spensers Amoretti and the Patterns of Domination and Recognition :: Spenser Amoretti Essays

Spenser's Amoretti and the Patterns of Domination and Recognition Edward Spenser's sonnet sequence, Amoretti[1], traces a lover's difficult courtship of his lady. Though he is eventually successful and they wed, the lover and lady must compromise, each giving up some of their independence and power, before they are able to love each other freely. By using Jessica Benjamin's book, The Bonds of Love, one can see the struggle for dominance and independent identity between the lover and mistress slowly evolving and resolving into a relationship of mutual recognition. Benjamin's model of dominance and recognition identifies the lover and mistress's progress as moving through various stages of domination and submission to mutual recognition, with both selves dominating and submitting at different times before reaching a state of equality. Benjamin bases her model of domination and recognition on the intersubjective theory of psychoanalysis. Intersubjectivity "maintains that the individual grows in and through the relationship to other subjects. Most important this perspective observes that the other[2] whom the self meets is also a self, a subject in his or her own right. It assumes that we are able and need to recognize that other subject as different and yet alike, as an other who is capable of sharing similar mental experiences" (20). Edna also needs recognition because that affirms her selfhood. Otto's recognition of her actions lets Edna define herself more clearly through his response to her actions (21). When Otto doesn't recognize Edna, doesn't treat her as an equal, conflict arises. Edna becomes aggressive, trying to force recognition from Otto. He, when faced with aggression, can either choose to be alone, and therefore somehow destroy Edna, or choose to become attuned to her and surrender (28). Surrender doesn't mean submission here; it means Otto recognizes Edna as an equal. From this surrender, a relationship can proceed on equal footing, with occasional imbalances in power common to relationships. If Otto chooses to destroy Edna, however, domination occurs. A self that chooses domination over surrender is generally fighting for independence. It is afraid to relinquish any independence or control.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

National Security vs. Civil Liberties Essay

The recent September 11th attacks have caused many Americans to wonder about the personal sacrifices to be made in order to keep the nation â€Å"safe and free.† With mixed results, it has become a common practice throughout history to restrict personal freedoms in the name of national security. Many questions arise from this process: Where is the line drawn? If liberties are restricted do they ever truly return? If it is true that we are doomed to repeat history if we fail to learn from it, an examination into the circumstances of the Japanese American internment in 1942 may inform the ways to most effectively deal with the security concerns faced by Americans today. There is a paradox in American theories of democracy and freedom. As the United States has fought abroad in the name of freedom, we have simultaneously restricted the personal freedoms of people in the country. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged in battle in World War II, it was not only to retaliate against the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but to bring down the Nazi regime that was murdering people in Europe. At the same time, Roosevelt had nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans, the majority of whom were American citizens or legal permanent residents, rounded up into internment camps, violating their civil rights to be treated with fairness and equality, without discrimination and the Fifth Amendment liberty of due process. In 2001, people are quick to dismiss the idea of an internment of American citizens, suggesting that the country has come a long way from 1942. The hypothesis that the government might conduct surveillance or use illegal wiretaps to monitor groups or individuals that it suspects of domestic terrorism seemed foreign before September 11th, and now has become a way to gain more information about potential suspects. These new measures, included in the USA Patriot Act, delicately trace the line between national security and civil liberties. A brief look at how the Bush administration has extended its powers since September 11th includes the detaining without charge of thousands of Muslim and Arab-American men without release of information to kin nor legal access, a new Bureau of Prisons regulation which allows Justice Department officials to listen in on conversations  between suspects and their lawyers and a new legislation, which includes warrant-less searches, roving wiretaps and a redefinition of a â€Å"domestic terrorist.† American society is not yet comfortably distanced from the practices of history that have threatened the civil rights and liberties Americans enjoy. Fred Korematsu’s speaking engagements continued in 2001, as he warned college students to stay aware of what the government is doing, and to stand prepared to defend their freedoms. In times of crisis, as presidential power expands, domestic policies must take shape to ensure the protection of Americans, from foreign and domestic threats. The Bush administration has a difficult task ahead, to keep Americans safe while maintaining the freedom which makes this country great. The delicate issue of interviewing Arab Americans has presented a challenge and continues the debate among Americans about how many of our civil liberties become expendable when the country is at war.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Information Communication Technology Ethics Essay

Reflection (1) Philosophy & Ethics; â€Å"allows us to breakout of prejudices and harmful habits that we held since we were too young or too naà ¯ve to know better†. Also allows us to see and appreciate other views of the world and study it to see â€Å"the consequences of our views†, because what we think & know might not be right â€Å"inconsistent†. What is Ethics? â€Å"Ethics deals with what we should and should not do, what acts are â€Å"good† and â€Å"wrong† â€Å". Ethics in my point of view is a very crucial yet sensitive controversial topic (Fluffy?).As humans there are defiantly dos and don’ts since the day of our birth, but since this is molded and inferred by ones culture, community, circumstances. These rules tend to change from one place to another (region, family culture, religion), also from times to others (eras). It is important to have ethics in our lives to co-exist as humans and have predictable consequences. The difficult part is the sensitive part, where the people are not open enough for change, sometimes not open minded enough for simply discussing their ethics, believes or their code of life, and just want to impose believes, culture, any form of ethics on others who don’t want to follow (you can’t please everyone when it comes to ethics). I personally follow somewhat a mixture of Deontological, virtue Ethics. Reflection (2) There is a difference between your molarity and your professional morality, where your morality doesn’t it always corresponds to the morality that your profession dictates. On the other hand the reason that a person would chooses a certain profession is because of its attractive value system that matches his/her morality and values, but it’s not always the case as discussed in class some people have the ability to switch entirely between their personal and professional lives, and some might be put in a position that opposes their morality and they are fully responsible for their actions and fully aware of the consequences that might follow. Ethics in information communication technology discipline is quite new, mainly because the major advancement in this system is fairly new as well, where it’s constantly changing and developing. The discipline now also occupied a huge rule in our daily lives, where we are almost always in contact with technology from the moment we wake up till the moment we sleep. Digital media significantly now alters our ethical responsibility on one another, because now we live in the digital world â€Å"we can’t assume that our ways work for everyone†, since the world not too long ago wasn’t that close, actions and data didn’t travel that fast, people and cultural ethics were preserved and rarely affected. In the meantime now data is flying everywhere the once local is now global in minutes maybe seconds and it’s just too soon unstudied cultural shocks and misunderstanding occur more often, but with this misunderstanding with the right people is corrected for good and others misconceived for good. By these experiences some therefore ethically knowing the cultural difference would tend to rethink before doing something offensive or controversial to avoid troubles. Reflections (3) Privacy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ we are our data† I do believe that. I also believe that if we are our data we can’t be denied the freedom of using, sharing or hiding it, because it’s a part of you. In this era of computer technology our data can be our thoughts regardless it might be moral or not it still belong to us, where in any other age than ours, it would have been kept the way you choose it to be, but now you can’t help but to feel stalked or judged. The floating â€Å"malleable† â€Å"greased† data privacy is a two edged sword, it can protect from evil and can cause evil and misfortune. And since evil and misfortune always exists and always will, the way it was before is known, which the freedom of our privacy choices is and that is because it will at least control one known evil which is this data misuse. Reflections (4) Intellectual freedom is a basic human right for all humans of all cultures and believes. This freedom has to be respected and protected universally. Furthermore I believe even if this is a basic human right, it must not be abused, and that’s where ethics and morality acts in, because even though you are entitled to your own opinion the person must bear in mind that words are very powerful and can do harm. The controversy between censorship and intellectual freedom, where one of the requirements of intellectual freedom to be fulfilled is that â€Å"the society makes an equal commitment to the right of unrestricted access to information and ideas regardless of the communication medium used, the content of the work/and the viewpoints of both the author and receiver of information.†

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Hamas Victory

The international community should continue with its restrictive policies towards Hamas even after it has recorded huge victories in the Palestinian’s election. Hamas has in the past declared its open hostility principle towards Israel its interests especially in the Middle East. Unless it openly denounces such ideas, it should continue to be treated as a terrorist group. Hamas is also referred to as the Islamic Resistance Movement. It practices both party politics and militarism. It is its later mission that has seen its branding as a terrorist organization by nations such as United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel amongst others. The European Union has also blacklisted it for exhibiting terrorist tendencies. It is currently having its moment of glory in Palestine having recorded surprise wins in the parliamentary elections that astounded many especially across the western world (Levitt, Matthew, 2006). The history of Hamas dates back to 1987. Its formation is known to have been inspired the Muslim brotherhood, a group reputed to have committed countless terrorist acts towards the Israelis. Hamas is said to have been formed by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin with a sole objective of annihilating the state of Israel and forcing its total withdrawal from the disputed Palestine territory. This is what its charter stipulates. It is credited for having been the mastermind and perpetrator of violence against the Israelis and their interests all over the world, these acts are meted out with impunity only equaled to that of al Qaeda. Together with Al Qaeda, Hamas leads the list of the worst terrorist organizations in the world (James L. Gelvin, 2005). After winning the elections in 2006 and assuming power, it issued a 10 year truce to Israel and vowing to let go temporarily, its suicide missions if the later withdrew from the disputed territories of Gaza, Jerusalem and West bank. This however was not the first truce as again in 2004, it had offered a truce if Israel could totally withdraw from the territories it captured during the Six Days War. This truce however was not held for long as it attacked Israel later in August 2005. Hamas had opted out of the presidential election in 2005 running for the municipal ones where it took control of some important territories. In the parliamentary elections the following year, it was able to garner over 42 percent securing majority seats. Hamas has been accusing Israel of violating the stipulations on the road map that had posited the formation of a Palestinian state, its feud is not limited to Israel only but also to the United States and is ready to wage terrorist attacks against the U.S in 2006 for example, a statement issued by the Hamas officials but later denied, urged the Muslims to target America and its interests all over the world, accusing it of providing financial and logistic support to the Israelis. Hamas officials though, have never owned up to any attack against the United States or to any other country apart from Israel (Lynfield, Ben, December 27, 2004). Its Democratic election into power has thrown a spanner in the works complicating relations with major powers in the world as well as the neighboring countries in the Middle East. Major countries in the western world have always branded Hamas as a terrorist organization. Japan for instance froze all Hamas properties within its jurisdiction in 2005. Jordan has in turn outlawed it due to its terrorist activities. All this animosity is directed to a political and terrorist organization that according to polls conducted in 2007 enjoys over 65% of popular support of Palestinians. The wide public support it has received stems from how it has initiated reforms in morale dilapidated country. It is rooting out massive corruption entrenched in the bureaucracy and order is being restored in the disputed territories. The bloody counter retaliations between the Hamas and Israel however continue, with both sides maintaining their hard stance. With grim prospects for a peaceful co existence, the issue of Hamas leadership in the Palestine state remains a headache for the western countries. Hamas has initiated a number of attacks this year killing a handful and maiming many in the region. It has perfected the art of guerilla warfare employing it tactfully against Israel. It is also accused of executions within its file and rank and also against its key rival, the Fattah. The United States however has been categorical in its stand even in the face of possible political realignments in the Palestine state. One state department spokesman said that the United States still maintains Hamas in its terrorist organizations’ list. The election has not changed this unless Hamas denounces its atrocious acts (Michael P. Arena, Bruce A. Arrigo, 2006). It is more than apparent that the United States is dismayed by the results but was quick to praise the temporal peaceful coexistence of people in Palestine. It is interesting to note that the Bush administration was non committal of the elections in Palestine as the prospects of Hamas loosing seemed grim. All this however is in the midst of reports in the media that the United States government together with president Mahmoud Abbas had planned to oust the Hamas leadership from the government. This was in an effort to overturn the gains made by Hamas. Hamas has been largely blaming the United States for funding and arming the Fattah combatants in its bid to water down its recent reigns (Tiebel, Amy, 2007). Some nations in Europe are caught between a rock and a hard place. There is a need to legitimize the democratic process that brought Hamas to power but also these countries are wary of an organization that has been labeled a terrorist group. Europe is divided. Berlin and the United Kingdom are adamant that they will have no relations with the Hamas. Russia however on the other hand welcomed Hamas leaders in Moscow, Turkey has also followed suit. Since its formation in 1987, Hamas has grown massively and seems to have stricken a chord with most Palestinians as evidenced in the latest elections. The greatest supporter of Hamas and financial bankroller is Iran. This is its vocal supporter but it has always denied claims of providing finances as alleged by the United States. The coming to power of the Hamas was met with elation from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran who vowed to back the country financially. The United States claims that Hamas is funded by some Arab countries as well as private businessmen. Most of these countries maintain anti United States stand and are in support of any group that is likely to maintain hostility against Israel. The elevation of Hamas into power legitimizes the relations that Hamas may have had with those countries (Andersen, Mark, 2004). Iran has vowed to commit funds to help the democratically elected government in Palestine. Most of those countries that support Hamas are doing so on the claims of strengthening democracy and seeing it as a solution to the disputes in Middle East. It is obvious that the coming into power of Hamas has complicated the relations that most nations have had with it. Many are in a dilemma on whether to initiate diplomatic contacts with its members or to deal with the president directly. However putting into consideration what Hamas has always stood for, the stand by America and Germany is the way to go, no negotiations of any sort or diplomatic relations should be instituted until Hamas denounces its acts of terrorism and its stand against Israel. References Levitt, Matthew, 2006. Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, Yale University Press. James L. Gelvin, 2005. The Israel-Palestine Conflict: One Hundred Years of War, Cambridge University Press. Lynfield, Ben, December 27, 2004. Hamas gains grassroots edge, Christian Science Monitor. Andersen, Mark, 2004. All the Power: Revolution Without Illusion, Punk Planet Books. Tiebel, Amy, November 27, 2007. â€Å"Analysis: Tough Mideast Bargaining Ahead†, Associated Press. Mark Weitzman, Steven Leonard Jacobs,2003. Dismantling the Big Lie: the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, KTAV Publishing House. . Michael P. Arena, Bruce A. Arrigo,2006. The Terrorist Identity: Explaining the Terrorist Threat, NYU Press.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Mat 540 Assignment 3

Julia’s Food Booth Based on the LP model to maximize profit with the established constraints Julia should sell pizza and hotdogs and not BBQ sandwiches. Based on this model Julia will earn $2250. 00 in profit. After buying food supplies for the next game she will have $750 remaining ($2250-1500). Julia’s goal was to clear $1000 in profit which she was not able to meet. It is not clear how Julia is paying for the booth rental each game, but assuming she is covering the costs with her profits from the prior game she will need $1000 for the booth + $1500 for food which equals $2500 she needs to make each game just to cover her expenses.The idea of Julia borrowing money would not be necessary because what is limiting her profit is the limited space she has in the oven. In the model all of the oven space is being utilized by Pizza and Hotdogs. If she borrowed money she wouldn’t have enough room to stock more food. She would have to borrow enough money to rent another oven, if there was enough space in the booth, and enough money to buy additional supplies.In addition, assuming that my calculations are correct paying a friend to help her does not seem like a good idea as it would further cut into any profit and increase costs. There are many uncertainties that can affect Julia’s profit. The case states that Julia anticipates selling all of her food; but not selling out will adversely affect her already strained profit margin. Fluctuations in the cost of the food could also change the profit. A game that doesn’t sell out could also reduce the number of customers Julia has on any given day.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Cultural Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Analysis - Assignment Example The first part shall give a theoretical background on the importance of culture in the formation of social identity, as well as the proper ways through which cultural analysis must be done. Through this part, the need for an objective assessment of culture will be reinforced through the help of Geert Hofstede’s Five Cultural Dimensions and the GLOBE Cultural Analysis Model. The second part, on the other hand, will zero in on the results of the three interviews conducted as regards the specific culture and traditions of Spain, Canada, and the Philippines. By using first-hand or primary information as obtained from the one-on-one interviews, credibility of data will be strengthened. The last part will be dedicated to an enriching and highly insightful conclusion that will put an end to this study. Importance of Culture: A Brief Overview By definition, culture refers to the set of beliefs, habits, and art forms that crucially characterize a specific group of people in a specific area. Because of this seemingly vast description, cultural representations may include art, literature, religion, lifestyles, and many more. With this, it can be said that the significance of culture is hinged on its capacity to give a unique identity to people. It gives a community certain character and personality that is original and unique. Thus, it is through the learning and passing of these traditions that cultural values are fostered, which in effect, form the founding principles that help govern people’s way of life. Since cultures have their own share of characteristics, objective measures must be used in order to properly understand and appreciate their natures. Two of the most commonly used analytical frameworks are Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions and the GLOBE cultural analysis model. 1. Geert Hoftstede’s Cultural Dimensions Hoftstede’s model examines cultural differences by highlighting five key dimensions: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidan ce, Masculinity vs Femininity, Individualism vs Collectivism, and Long vs Short Term Orientation. 1 Power distance refers to the degree of inequality that exists in a society and how such is accepted by the less powerful groups. Uncertainty avoidance involves a society’s level of tolerance for ambiguity, unstructured situations, and unplanned events. Masculinity vs femininity pertains to the expected gender roles in a society. Individualism vs collectivism refers to the extent of ties that people have with each other. Long vs short term orientation talks about the degree to which a society upholds traditional values. 2. GLOBE Cultural Analysis Model From a functional perspective, the GLOBE model is used as a long-term research effort to explore the effects of culture on leadership, organizational effectiveness, economic competitiveness of societies, and the human condition of the people being examined. Through the GLOBE model, researchers were able to clearly grasp the releva nce of cross-cultural interactions by studying different industries, organizations, and social groups. 2 Analyzing Three Cultures: Spain, Canada, and the Philippines After assimilating the vitality of culture in relation to social identity construction, as well as the various lenses that could be utilized when studying cultures individually, it is now time to focus on the results of the three interviews and expose the characteristics of each country. In order to put more conciseness in the laying

Information Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Security - Research Paper Example The progress in the field of information technology has been favorable because it has brought various benefits for the users all around the world. However, along with many significant benefits, the advancement in information technology has also created various issues related to the security of computer networks. These network-related issues need to be tackled properly in order to make the internet world safe and secure. Literature Review regarding Current State of Network Security Kaminsky (2010) asserts, â€Å"Network security comprises the measures a company takes to protect its computer system†. It is evident from the above statement that network security deals with the protection of information stored in the computer systems. There are various issues associated with the current state of the network security. Douligeris and Serpanos (2007, p.94) show their concern about network security by saying that current mechanisms of network security do not handle the threat of worm a ttacks properly. Leynes (2010) states, â€Å"Worm is a malicious code or software that spreads from one computer to another using the network highway†. ... Maiwald (2004) state that current state of network security cannot be called purely safe from all sorts of threats. Although virus and worm attacks have decreased considerably, yet the companies need to address information theft issue, which is the top network security concern these days (Batten, 2008, p.24). Network administrators also hold the responsibility to create new mechanisms for the security of networks. McFarlane (2010) asserts, â€Å"There is no doubt that network administrators are today dealing with much more sophisticated network and computer security threats than they did a few years ago†. Network administrators still need to do more in the field of network security. Laet and Schauwers (2005, p.3) state, â€Å"Currently, network administrators often spend more effort protecting their networks than they spend on the actual setup†. Reaves (2010) in an article states, â€Å"Steps need to be taken to ensure that user access to the network cannot compromise the entire network†. Lynn (2009) asserts, â€Å"In today's threat landscape, the most secure network infrastructures implement not a single network security technology, but a multilayered comprehensive security strategy†. Fundamental Issues and Concerns for Network Security There exist many fundamental issues related to network security, which are of significant importance for the successful advancement in the field of network security. Some of the core fundamental issues include authentication, access types, and authorization. Let us discuss these issues in some detail. Authentication Authentication of the user logging onto a network is one of the fundamental issues related to network security. Biometrics and passwords are generally used to