The Balek Scales: a Measurement of Injustice

The story â€Å"The Balek Scales† by Heinrich Bà ¶ll tells the experience of the narrator’s grandfather in the village upon which the Balek family had a firm grip. The Balek family, later known as Balek von Biligan, is part of the elite class, as the following quote describes: â€Å"the family who lived in the chateau and drove two carriages, who always maintained one boy from the village while he studied theology at the seminary in Prague† (Bà ¶ll 15-16).There are a lot more details, but given the following quotation, they can be seen as a prominent family from the elite class (Bà ¶ll 16). The scales—known as the Balek scales in the story—are the Baleks’ tool for trading mushrooms, herbs, and other tradable goods for money—marks and pfennigs. No one ever questions their sole possession of the scales.However, the narrator’s grandfather, Franz Brà ¼cher, discovers injustice within the measurement of the Balek scales. Even wit h this evidence, the efforts of villagers to seek justice are thwarted by the power and influence of the Balek von Biligan family, which Bà ¶ll portrays as a classic battle between the working and elite classes in â€Å"The Balek Scales.†Injustice is the recurring theme in the story as the Balek scales—the scales of justice for the villagers—favor the Balek von Biligan clan, as the story suggests in the following lines: â€Å"he pulled the five pebbles from his pocket, held them out to the young woman, and said, ‘This much, fifty-five grams, is short in every pound of your justice’† (Bà ¶ll 16).As the line states, the injustice that the narrator’s grandfather claims in front of Frau Balek von Biligan is the unequal or unfair measurement that the scales present for their foraged goods—mushrooms, herbs, and the like. Inevitably, the injustice results in a short bloody revolt with the Reeve’s gendarmes overpowering the pop ulation.Then everything goes back to normal, with the Balek von Biligan clan still on the driver seat—in control. The power of the Baleks is too strong for Franz Brà ¼cher’s, whose search for justice is seen as a futile attempt to overthrow the seemingly unfair rule of the Baleks over the village.Looking at it from a different angle, the village, along with the other two villages, could have avoided the short bloody revolt if Franz Brà ¼cher remained oblivious to the injustice that the Balek scales represented.Upon confronting this injustice, Franz experiences some tragic events, as stated in the following lines: â€Å"the reeve’s gendarmes arrived†¦shooting and stabbing as they came and removed the scales and the book by force. My grandfather’s little sister lost her life,† (Bà ¶ll 16-17) and â€Å"My grandfather’s parents had to leave the village, and the new grave of their little daughter† (Bà ¶ll 17).Franz Brà ¼cher expe riences two tragic moments in his lifetime which were caused by the Balek scales. These were his little sister’s death and their family’s constant migration. This could have been avoided by Franz if he remained ignorant to the injustice mentioned.A classic battle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat classes unfolds in the story of The Balek Scale. Relating the story to the social divisions of society, it is a fact—always has been—that the rich have control over those who are not because of the wealth they possess and their strong influence over the government; at least a portion of it is attracted to the wealthy of prominent families like the Baleks in the story.The scales of the story represent the injustice in the society—they favor the rich over the poor most of the time anyway. The scales may actually represent the justice system in society as they can sometimes be distorted in favor of those with money. The story represents this illness that is quite evident in past societies, as well as in today’s society. Regardless of how strong is the resolve of the acting â€Å"hero† or â€Å"deliverer of justice,† his efforts are usually just futile.Thus, the story entails a classic battle between the rich and the poor. This battle is always intensified by a mere claim for an injustice brought about by the rich, supposedly, which affects the poor many times over. As the following quotation suggests, the injustice that Franz Brà ¼cher and his family experience in the village is actually present in every place they went to: â€Å"but did not stay long anywhere because it pained them to see how everywhere the finger of justice swung falsely† (Bà ¶ll 17).This clearly shows how injustice is present everywhere and how great is its effect on those who are least fortunate—the poor. It will surely take a long time to cure this illness of society because those who know about this injustice remain o blivious to its presence in society; they are just watching it eat away the true concept of justice.The last two lines in the story are probably the most striking as the Brà ¼cher family and many others realize the gravity of injustice in society: â€Å"And those who wanted to listen can hear the tale of the Baleks von Biligan, whose justice lacked a tenth part. But there were few who listened† (Bà ¶ll 17). In this line, those who receive the painful end of the spear of injustice find it futile to express to the suffering they are feeling caused by the injustice. It is futile because rarely do people listen to their woes and cries for justice.Hardly anyone listens to them because of their place in society as the poor working class—during that time, the poor do not seem to have a strong voice in society. The rich and powerful simply have control over most of them. Any revolt or uprising seems to be thwarted most of the time; however, there are times when a revolt beco mes successful.Heinrich Bà ¶ll’s stor,y The Balek Scales, entails a seemingly unending battle between the rich and the poor as the latter would usually rise against the injustices that the former inflicts upon them and the society. However, it seems that the rich are too powerful and influential to be folded easily. It remains uncertain for the tide of this epic battle to change as many still remain oblivious to the injustices that occur within society.Work CitedBà ¶ll, Heinrich. â€Å"The Balek Scales.† A Walk in my World: International Short Stories about Youth. Eds. Anne Mazer. New York: Persea Books, 2000. 9–17.

Case Study for Canady vs Walmart Essay

1. In your own words, what does pretext mean? Pretext is a reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason. 2. Write a paragraph that supports the argument that Canady’s dismissal was based on racial discrimination. Canady’s would say that his dismissal was based on racial discrimination because Smith a manager introduced himself as a slave driver. Next Smith, ask Canady â€Å"What’s up, my nigga?† and was also referred to as a â€Å"lawn jockey†. He also claimed that Smith made states that all African American look alike, and that his skin color wiped off on towels. Since Canady did not report these comments when Smith made them; Smith continued to use the phase from the Rush Hour movie. He could also believe that the day we was left in the department by himself that management was discriminating against him because he was left to do all the work with no help. 3. Write a paragraph that supports that argument that Wal-Mart’s decision was based on Canady’s insubordination. Wal-Mart’s decision was based on insubordination for one Canady was eating in an area where there are policies in place that prohibits easting in the food preparation area. When asked to stop eating in the prohibited area Canady started an argument with management. After the store manager was called to help with the situation Canady continued argue loudly in front of customers and other associates. Candy did not follow the policy that does not allow employees to eat in the food preparation area and he was arguing with management in front of other was insubordination. 4. Research the case. How did the court rule? Why did they rule in this manner? The wrongful termination claim, that claim fails to make out a prima facie case in that Canady failed to establish the fourth prong (i.e. that there are facts that permit an inference of discrimination). Alternatively, even if Canady made out a prima facie case, he failed to present sufficient evidence of pretext. The fact that Smith made racially offensive remarks is of no consequence because those remarks were made outside of the decision making process. The ruling on the hostile work environment claim, the Court found that Smith’s comments are not sufficiently offensive to the actionable. The Circuit Judge Lay dissents.

Pacific Systems Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pacific Systems - Case Study Example Pacific System Corporation aims at diversifying its scoop of operation by venturing into a new business line, DVD business. However, the business has troubles determining the most ideal supplier for it products. Pacific System Corporation’s management has managed to come up with four suppliers that it find ideal for this new business line. However, one of the four suppliers is to be selected and the process of selection should be quantitatively supported. However, as much as the business wishes to venture into the DVD industry, it is bound to experience hostile reception into the industry due to the stiff competition. Moreover, the industry is prone to counterfeiting by various website operators. The DVD industry group has however filed a case against these operators so as to counter this illegal activity. Pacific System Corporation is a medium sized high technology company. PSC is located in San Francisco. During the company’s early years of operation, it specialized in production of subsystems for personal computers and engineering firms. However, in the year 2000, the company diversified its scoop of operation by adding an engineering workstation to its product offering. Over the years, the company has undergone a transition from being a single product manufacturer to a multi-product manufacturer. Moreover, the company’s growth did not stop at that. The company expanded its business in the computer industry since it forecasted a steady growth in the consumer industry since due to the steady but slow economic growth. The company indulged in outsourcing of DVD drives for that matter. Decision to outsource DVD Drives was arrived at based on the market study that the manufacturing cost of these products in-house was highly prohibitive. Pacific System Corporation need to critically analyze and quantify its purchase needs. Local sourcing is the most ideal sourcing strategy for pacific System

Is PR A Marketing Tool or Vice Versa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is PR A Marketing Tool or Vice Versa - Essay Example The old product-driven marketing concepts have given way to the consumer-oriented approach because of increasing economic competition. For this reason, companies have been forced to adopt a marketing mix to sell their products or services. In this strategic mix, specific marketing tools often overlap and one method may take the function of another, such that marketing is used as a PR tool instead of the other way around. For example, it is not unusual to see a PR man distributing his company’s promotional materials during a luncheon or seminar he arranges for the benefit of the firm. This is sales promotion, a distinct marketing function, being squeezed into a distinct PR activity, in which case marketing is effectively used as a PR tool. In its purest sense, public relations is confined to media relations, internal communications, community relations, public affairs and government relations, financial relations, emergency or crisis relations, and integrated marketing communications (Hendrix, 2001). PR uses media, a potent marketing tool, and the press release is its standard tool for promotion. The first requirement is to learn how to use media and build a working relationship with media practitioners (Smith). The end goal of doing interviews or sending out a press release is to raise a company’s, its expertise and products or the high quality of its personnel. These are more or less the same objectives of marketing set by Kotler (1980), which are: 1) to create direct sales, 2) to build the brand or company’s image, 3) to communicate specific messages, and 4) to counter negative publicity or competitor’s activity.

Environmental Geochemistry and Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Essay Example Unleaded gasoline has at least 15 hazardous substances including toluene (35%) and is classified as highly volatile and will result in vapour lock where combustion does not take place1. When mixed in water, most of the gasoline could evaporate if the water is open, but much of it cannot evaporate in underground water making a big proportion to dissolve and this will be absorbed by sediments. For aquatic organisms, this product will be quite toxic, depending on their size and resistance capability. Corrective action is necessary starting with site investigation. Hydrocarbon contamination with the groundwater should be stopped immediately. Its discharging point should be plugged and the nearest drains, water bodies should be sealed off, so that further contamination to distant water bodies does not happen. Residents could be evacuated if gasoline has already spread into drinking, using and sewage water or if that is not the case, water supply should be disconnected immediately and alternative water source should be provided. Complete groundwater monitoring should start immediately. Instead of one single action, it is better to perform by-monthly actions to remove all traces of gasoline from ground water, to ensure that dissolved contaminants are effectively vanishing. And groundwater sampling should be done on a regular basis through tracer testing. If widespread presence is detected, human exposure to it should be suspended immediately. Dissolved contamination level should be identified and ecological profile should be drawn, followed by remedial programme identified with the Corrective Action Plan. Public participation may be necessary in the entire operation to some extent. http://www-1.llnl.gov/IPandC/technology/profile/environment/DynamicUndergroundStripping/index.php This method is called Dynamic Underwater Stripping, in which steam drives contaminated water towards extraction wells. Where steam cannot penetrate, electrical heating dries and distils the clays, volcanic rocks and limestone. Heating of the soil also could do the same. It is very difficult to clean the underground contamination and this process is accepted as cost worthy, less cumbersome and minimum time consuming. Cleaning has to be done both above and below the water table. Clay has very low permeability, and the usual pump-and-treat method would be time consuming and more expensive and might not work below water level. Dynamic stripping could work even below water table, and by vacuum extraction, it could remove the gasoline and contaminated water2. This method relies on Steam Injection, Electrical heating, and underground imaging and all have proved very effective and reasonably cheaper. It has many additional advantages like being effective in low permeable soils, being capable of removing contaminant below and above water table. It is not risky to population, because the action is quick and decisive. Question 2: Gasoline (one of the Volatile Organic Compounds) contamination in ground water can cause major health hazards to people and ruin the river and water bodies' ecosystems completely. It can contaminate soil with hazardous results. MTBE in it creates alarming tension whenever leaks happen. Health of all 5,000 populations could be at risk by this environmental hazard, while the

Tourism in the Kingdom of Jordan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism in the Kingdom of Jordan - Case Study Example It is a small Arab country with not much supply of water and other natural resources like oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but since 1999, some broad economic reforms have been in place in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Under the leadership of King Abdullah, Jordan's government has taken some concrete steps towards encouraging foreign investment in the country. Key areas where maximum attention is being paid include tourisms and services. The country's economy largely depends on services, tourism and foreign aid. Tourism in general is being developed the world over as a revenue spinning industry Jordan too has an ambitious plan for inviting the attention of the world's touring community towards its vast historic treasures and nature's gifts to the country. Thourhg this study we'd like to analyse; Tourism being one of the key sectors for Jordanian economy, the government of Jordan has realized the potential of this rapidly growing sector, and the government is supporting the industry with aggressive marketing strategy with an aim to promote Jordan as a boutique destination. Despite being in the midst of disturbed surroundings the number of regional tourists is rising sharply. Now the government is paying more attention towards attracting the high-yield visitors from outside the Middle East. In this era of globalisation, tourism is said to drive transnational flows of people, commodities and capital. This flow results in circulation of globally coordinated production networks governed by Multi national corporations in the business of airlines, tour operators and hotel management (Hazbun, 313). As per the studies undertaken by organisation like CountryWatch (83) and Country Insight (3), the flow of tourists has been on an upward journey. The figure below takes a look at the num ber of tourists that arrived in the region for the period 1998-2004. Until the late 1990s Jordan's tourism sector remained hugely underdeveloped, with regional political instability doing most of the damage. Since there was no real effort on the part of the government of Jordan to come out of the shell and market the potentials of the country, the region remained largely un-explored. But with the concepts of globalisation have now made the government understand the benefits of being pro market. In fact Jordan realizes (EIU, 1) that it can't be a direct competitor for other popular Arab holiday destinations like Cairo or Beirut, but now Jordan has actually started selling its holiday proposition by way of offering quiet family holiday. This has materialized in earning revenues as well, which is reflected by some of the key points of tourism industry in Jordan like (Euromonitor, 2); Jordan received US$783 million in tourism receipts in 2004 and this is expected to rise to US$826 million in 2005. Tourism accounts for around 10% of the Kingdom's GDP. Tourism is the largest export sector, the second largest private sector employer and the second most important form of foreign exchange for the country. The

Compare characters Aeneas and Turnus from the Aeneid by Virgil Essay

Compare characters Aeneas and Turnus from the Aeneid by Virgil - Essay Example Aeneas is the character with whom Vergil most identifies. He is the primary character in the legend and like Vergil; he approaches the world, even its hostilities, in an idealistic and prophetic manner. Aeneas is also Vergil’s self, facing the devils of a peremptory, wicked, outer world that commanded him to act and to face hard things; and he is Vergil’s self, guarded and guided by a voice of God in tones of an ultimate authority, his own mother’s. Vergil was brave with the courage that poets need, and he used the excitement of heroic tradition to sustain his courage to face the horrors of the world. (2) Aeneas, in addition to being influenced by his mother, unlike Vergil, was strongly identified with his father, Anchises, who saw him as becoming the ‘ancestor of Rome.’ Yet, Vergil’s greatness is no less foretold than Vergil’s in his works of literature. It is in the past, not only in Rome’s past, but that of his own that Vergil finds good and evil. There he also finds†¦powerful friends to help him†¦ and to be worshiped as heroes†¦as well as feelings like his own and lines already drawn, which could discipline and classify and organize, and so justify, these feelings. These include both feelings belonging to his present, which his own experience arouses, and also feelings that were more instinctive, as well as tendencies such as we all inherit from a past, those in which the experience has been wider than our own.(3) It is feelings like these that predestine Vergil to produce great works. It is also these feelings that, in addition to being a soldier and Roman leader, predestine Aeneas to be a romancer of women. While Vergil, no doubt jaded by his experiences in the world, finds romance in words, Aeneas finds romance through the waging of wars and the lives of the many women whom he comes in contact with while these wars are waged. The motherly love

Law Enforcement and Citizen Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law Enforcement and Citizen Privacy - Essay Example This paper seeks to analyze and find out the effect that police have on crime. There are several conclusions that have emerged from the various studies made. One study showed that police deployment and level of crime had a reciprocal relationship. This implies that an increase say in the number of police means a reduction in crime while a reduction in the number of police encourages criminal activity. Another study revealed that though some scholars believe that increasing the number of police does not have any effect on crime levels, the truth is that it does reduce crime rates for specific criminal activities. The effect of increasing police numbers vary due to different factors such as the type of crime, police activities, environmental and social characteristics of an area (Ogilvie, Allard & Stewart, 2008). Aggressive patrols, which involve issuing citations, questioning or arresting suspicious and disorderly persons at a high rate tend to have direct and indirect effects on crime. The direct effect is that the patrols send a signal to potential offenders that their chances of arrest are higher than they are in reality. The indirect effect is that the police will be able to closely monitor citizens especially those that look suspicious. They will, therefore, have a high likelihood of finding fugitives, detecting contraband and arresting crime suspects (Sampson & Cohen, 1988). While analysts traditionally embrace the increase in police numbers as an effective way to prevent crime through deterrence and increased apprehension of suspects, empirical evidence does not support this idea. The opposition to this idea is based on the fact that not all police work focuses towards crime reduction. This means that while the police force my recruit more officers, these recruits may be deployed to departments that do not directly deal in crime prevention (Ogilvie, Allard & Stewart, 2008). A study conducted in the

Antigone and Euthyphro Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Antigone and Euthyphro - Essay Example The nature of piety was altercated in ancient literature through the characters of Antigone and Euthyphro. Antigone and Euthyphro’s individual’s beliefs and perception of how rules must be taken were the forces that influenced them to choosing decisions that shaped their recognition about the nature of piety. The life story of Antigone indeed began with a tragedy, which had provoked her to make a decision that changed the course of her life, or perhaps, has become the instrument to ending her life through unjust means. Antigone was trapped in a situation, where she had to choose between what is right based on her conscience, and on what is right based on the legal code of Thebes. Apparently, conflicts were brought by the opposing view of Antigone and Creon on the type of law that must be sustained, referring to the divine law and the human law. Despite this conflicting belief, Antigone was certain that the human law does not surpass the divine law, when it comes to what is morally right for people. For this reason, she stood by her conviction that religious piety supersedes whatever law is created by people, who claim as rulers or kings in this world. For Antigone, even the punishment of death will not defy her devotion to the divine law. Antigone’s views adhere to the idea that there is more to life than being devoted to an earthly government, whose doctrines do not agree with the authentic nature of piety. That is, decisions in life must not dwell on human laws that dishonor the essence of the divine law -- the laws, which are there to guide people of what is morally right and wrong. By and large, Sophocles’s Antigone encapsulates the weaknesses of an earthly government, where the elected military leaders reap the benefits of them having judicial authority. Antigone is being oppressed by the tyranny of an earthy government that is ruled by a male leader, whose interpretation of justice violates the divine law. Still, in spite of th eir oppression, Antigone was willing to sacrifice her life so that Polyneices may rest in eternal peace. No earthly law hindered here to fulfilling her duty to the corpse of her brother Polyneices. In the end, Antigone may have died, but her pious devotion became the instrument to amending the flaws of the justice system in a city that is oppressed by tyrants. The story of Euthyphro, on the one hand, narrates the experiences of Euthyphro as he pushes for the prosecution of his own father, who had murdered a servant. Similar to Antigone, Euthyphro’s desire to let his father bear the consequences of his actions was a result of him believing that what he was doing was a pious thing. However, the presence of Socrates in this story made the character of Euthyphro confused over the real meaning of piety, for Euthyphro has always believed that making his father liable for killing an individual is the right thing to do, and that his father has committed a wrongdoing, which is impious . Socrates was the key to letting Euthyphro realize that his own beliefs of what is pious do not justify the act of being pious itself. Euthyphro agrees to the nature of piety but he did not fully understand how it may apply in seeking for authentic justice not in the eyes of an earthly court, but in the eyes of the gods. He was adamant to defend not his own father, but the victim, who his own father has killed, and for Euthyphro this is deemed an act of piety. It is an act of piety not because it is

Study Habits Essay Example for Free

Study Habits Essay Do you have a friend that never studies for tests, yet he always seems to do well and aces them? It’s probably because he has good study habits. To improve your study habits you must first realize what your distractions are and eliminate them. Second, you must choose a good, quiet place to study without interruptions. Lastly, you should write down the material several times as it is a strategy proven to help memorize and learn the material. These steps will help you do better in school and have great opportunities in the future. The first step to having better study habits is probably the hardest one for most people: Acceptance. People refuse to think that talking on the phone while you study or having the radio on with songs that you know and love jeopardizes your material retention. The first step consists of you eliminating all of those negative factors so you can concentrate on your study session. Turning off your phone, logging out of your Facebook, Twitter and any other social media accounts, and concentrating on your goal are ways that you can use to be more efficient in your learning. These are usually the things that distract us the most so it’s important that you deal with them in order to focus and eventually succeed academically. But personal distractions aren’t always the things that keep us from our studies. The second step will teach you how to cancel out any outside interference. To ensure that you don’t get constantly interrupted with noise, questions and conversation with friends or family, you must choose a place where you can study quietly and alone. When you’re at home, family members usually don’t know what you’re doing and are unaware that they are interrupting your study time. In order to avoid this you can go to your room or the house office and study quietly and isolated. Chores and tasks around the house must come second in your list of priorities after studying. This will help you focus more and finish faster. The fewer interruptions you have, the quicker you study and go back to doing the things you want to do. This takes us to the final step necessary to improve your study habits. A technique that helps you retain information better and faster. The third step is a strategy that people use when they are short on time or when the material seems to be too overwhelming. Writing the material down several times has been proved to work better than reading a page over and over when memorizing. But in order for this method to work you must follow the first two steps. This way, not only are you writing it over and over but you are also focused on what you are writing which makes learning and absorbing the material way easier and faster. With this study tool you can be certain that you’ll remember every detail and vocabulary words and terms in the test and assignments. It doesn’t stop here. There are a million ways to study and have success in your academic life. Every person reacts a different way and everybody retains information a different way too. These steps are pretty generic; useful for any kind of learning. They work together as a unit. The first two steps cover the types of distractions and how to get rid of them, while the third step is a tool that you can use to make the most of that free time. Following these steps will guarantee a silent and study-friendly environment necessary for your academic development. So, next time you see your friend acing that test without putting up any effort or work into it, you can have the satisfaction that you reached that point of success by working hard, fast and efficiently. All by just following three simple steps.

Social And Cultural Impacts On The Environment Tourism Essay

Social And Cultural Impacts On The Environment Tourism Essay The Tourism Industry is regarded as one of the most important and fastest growing industry around the world. Travel has been of great interest to people since the beginning of the civilization. Recently, it has been noted that there has been an increase in tourists arrivals, especially in small island states. According to UNWTO, tourism will continue to grow in 2011. Tourism sector has suffered from the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, but thanks to the improved economic conditions worldwide, international tourism has been able to recover from the decline brought in the financial crisis. (United Nations, 2010). The travel and tourism industry is one of the largest and most dynamic industries in the world and this industry is expected to generate about 9% of global GDP and provide for more than 235 million jobs representing 8 % of global employment (Merco Press, 2010).The WTO has set up the long-term forecast of the assessment of the development of tourism up to the first 20 years of the new millennium known as the Tourism 2020 vision.UNWTOs Tourism 2020 vision predicts that international arrivals are expected to reach over 1.56 billion by the year 2020. Of these worldwide arrivals in 2020, 1.2 will be intraregional and 0.4 will be long-haul travelers. The top three receiving regions will be Europe with 717 million tourists, East Asia and the Pacific around 397 million and the Americas with 282 million, followed by the Africa, Middle East and South Asia (UNWTO, 2011). As such, the tourist will continue to be a flourishing industry in the coming years. Tourism has been described as the smokeless industry that can bring that can bring maximum benefit to a community as compared to other economic activities. Tourism has been viewed as a means of improving a community as a better place to live and generating economic benefits. 2.1 Tourism impacts There are many academic researchers that have been done on the impacts of tourism. Many local communities believe that tourism can stimulate change in social, cultural, environmental and economic dimensions where tourism activities have had a close connection with the local communities (Beeton, 2006;Richards Hall, 2000).It is important to understand and assess tourism impacts so as to maintain sustainability and the long-term success of the tourism industry (Diedrich Garcia-Buades, 2008). Tourism is also regarded to as the worlds largest industry and regarded as a means of achieving community development (Sharpley, 2002). As such, it becomes imperative to understand tourism impacts towards the community. Below is a diagram illustrating tourism impacts on the community. Perceived Negative Impacts of Tourism Personal Benefit from Tourism Resident Characteristics Support for Additional Tourism Community Tourism Dependence Perceived Positive Impacts of Tourism Support for Tourism Planning Source: Adapted from Perdue, Long and Allen 1990, p.589 In the twenty-first century, researchers on tourism points out a range of both positive and negative impacts on the host community as a result of tourism development. (Fredline and Faulkner, 2000; Upchurch and Teivane, 2000). Several studies have been conducted that explain the impacts of tourism on the environment, economy, society and culture. Researches done on the impacts of tourism on the society are wide and varied. For example, as Ryan (1991) states that the greatest impacts of tourism will occur when there is a greater gap between the culture and income level of both host and tourist. Locals perceptions towards the tourism impacts can vary significantly. According to Sharma (2004), if residents have more positive attititudes towards tourism impacts, tourism development will be more successful in a community. If residents benefit from tourism development they support additional tourism planning and development in a community. By understanding the residents perceptions, can help to access support for continued tourism development through community capacity building. Gursoy Rutherford (2004) outlines that tourism developers need to consider the perceptions and attitudes of residents before investing in scarce resources. In addition, understanding of residents perceptions towards tourism impacts can also help in identifying the types of tourism which have the potential for building community capacity (Moscardo, 2008, p.86). On the other hand, various studies show that people who have an economic benefit from tourism perceive more positive impact from it (Chon, 2000). Economic impacts In the beginning, tourism was encouraged because of its economic impacts. It is highly accepted that tourism provides economic benefits to the community. The economic impacts of tourism are the most widely researched impacts of tourism on community (Mason, 2003).Economic impacts are easier to research in a local community because it is small and generally it is more accessible. Moreover, tourism can have positive benefits on local economies and a visible impact on national GDP growth which can be an essential component for community development and poverty reduction. (Ashe, 2005). For instance, tourism creates employment for locals, investment opportunities, business opportunities, tax revenues for government and it also help small and medium enterprises for countries, regions and communities to expand (Ryan ,1998; Choi Sirakaya, 2005; Dyer,2007) but on the other hand tourism can have negative economic impacts on the society such as : too much dependency on foreign capital, inflatio n , leakages and a low education trap for locals (Giannoni Maupertus, 2007). Yet, more important is the benefits spread to the residents of local communities (Scheyvens, 2001).The economic impacts of tourism are therefore, generally perceived positively by the residents (Tatoglu et al; 2000).For the development of tourism to occur, environment, societies and cultures at the destination has paid a heavy price. The main concern is not only the development but to tackle the challenges posed by the development (Chaudhary, 2007). Social and cultural impacts According to law (1993,pp.135-164), culture and society are in a state of constant change because of many factors, notably the rapid progress in communications and social interactions that can extend rapidly over vast distances. Social impacts refer to changes in the lives of people who live in destination communities and these impacts are mostly associated with residents and tourists. On the hand, cultural impacts refer to changes in the arts, artifacts, customs, rituals and architecture of a people and are longer term changes resulting from tourism development than other types of development. Social and cultural impacts refer to changes to residents everyday experiences as well as to their values, way of life and intellectual and artistic products. Social and cultural impacts are strongly interrelated and not limited only to the host area population (Glasson, 1995, p.34).In many destinations, the nature and traditional meanings of culture may be substantially changed when culture i s redefined as market share (Earrington and Gewertz, 1996). Because of this, a host community may face cultural problems of the commercialization of culture, religion and the arts together with the misuse of indigeneous culture as attractions and be forced to adopt cultural habits of the tourists, such as their language, dress and manner to satisfy visitors (Cohen, 1979).Another downside of tourism development is seen in many parts of the world where tourism developments threaten the displacement of local people. On the other hand, Glasson (1995, p.35-36) argues that along with the downside of development, there are cultural benefits and intercultural communication between hosts and visitors that increase good understanding between them. Without tourists, local culture and tradition may have been lost completely, as there is no market for traditional products. Environmental impacts Environmental impacts occur as a result of tourism development in many regions of the world as communities struggle to find an optimal balance between optimal and conservation. Recently,it has been found that tourism activities are highly dependent on the environment. Research has shown the impacts that tourism has on natural resources (Green, Hunter and Moore, 2000).Most of the researchers have been conducted on natural or semi-natural areas, with very little research done on urban settings (Green, 1990).Specific sites have been examined such as Alpine areas (Goodman, 1987;Rodriguez, 1987), islands (Wilkinson, 1989), coastal areas (Martinez-Taberner, Moya and Forteza, 1990). In addition, most research has been focused around the negative impacts that tourism has on natural resources after the damage has taken place.As such, tourism is always blamed to be responsible for resource degradation (Farell and McLellan, 1987).On the other hand, there are also positive impacts of tourism ass ociated with the environment. 2.2 The Environmental Impacts of Tourism The environment is probably one of the most important contributors to the desirability and attractiveness of a destination. Scenic sites, amenable climates and unique landscape features have an important influence in tourism development and the spatial distribution of tourism movement. (Coccossis and Nijkamp, 1995, p.4) Tourism and the environment are interrelated as tourism is dependent on natural resources to survive. There are studies that have identified both the positive and negative environmental impacts of tourism (Burns Holden, 1995; Puckzo Ratz, 2000). Table 1 can better illustrate both the positive and negative impacts of tourism in a destination area. Table 1 Balance sheet of environmental impacts of tourism Area of effect Negative impacts Positive impacts Biodiversity Disruption of breeding/feeding patterns Killing of animals for leisure (hunting) or to supply souvenir trade. Loss of habitats and change in species composition Destruction of vegetation Encouragement to conserve animals as attractions. Establishment of protected or conserved areas to meet tourist demands Erosion and physical damage Soil erosion Damage to sites through trampling Overloading of key infrastructure (e.g. water supply networks) Tourism revenue to finance ground repair and site restoration Improvement to infrastructure prompted by tourist demand Pollution Water pollution through sewage or fuel spillage and rubbish from pleasure boats Air pollution (e.g. vehicle emissions) Noise pollution (e.g. from vehicles or tourist attractions: bars, discos, etc.) Littering Cleaning programmes to protect the attractiveness of location to tourists Resource base Depletion of ground and surface water Diversion of water supply to meet tourist needs (e.g. golf courses or pools) Depletion of local fuel sources Depletion of local building-material sources Development of new/improved sources of supply Visual/structural change Land transfers to tourism (e.g. from farming) Detrimental visual impact on natural and non-natural landscapes through tourism development Introduction of new architectural styles Changes in (urban) functions Physical expansion of built-up areas Regeneration and/or modernisation of built environment Reuse of disused buildings Source: Adapted from Hunter and Green (1990) For the negative impacts of tourism, Puckzo and Ratz (2000) observed that tourism development that are not well-planned often leads to increased stress on destinations and in negative changes in the destinations physical and socio cultural attributes. According to Wood (1991), it is possible to identify broad categories of impacts that may affect all destinations. Water pollution is believed to be one of the environmental impacts caused by tourism. It can affect surfaces such as rivers, lakes and oceans. Chemical and oils spills from boats can cause devastating water pollution that kills water birds, shellfish and other wildlife. Tourists can also contribute to the degradation of the marine life also through:snorkelling,scuba diving and sport fishing can threaten fisheries and other marine resources. For example, tourism is known to have contributed to inappropriate development around Lake Tahoe in the United States (Iverson, Sheppard Strain, 1993) and at Pattaya in Thailand (Mieczk owski, 1995); oil pollution in water at King George island (Harris, 1991); habitat loss, fragmentation and erosion in Nepal (Croall, 1995); destruction of wildlife at Zakynthos in Greece (Prunier, Sweeney Gree, 1993); disturbance of animals and loss of area for production in Kenya (Sindiga Kannunah, 1999). Apart from the consumption of large amounts of natural resources, the tourism industry also produces considerable waste and pollution. In fact, disposal of liquid and solid waste generated by the tourism industry has posed a problem for many developing countries and some countries are incapable of treating these waste materials. This has led to reducing the availability of natural resources such as fresh water. For example, in Kerala state the tourist industry collapses after two decades of fast growth because there was inadequate disposal of solid waste. Tourists also contribute to land pollution from solid waste and the contamination of marine waters and coastal areas from pollution generated by marinas, hotels and cruise ships. Moreover, the tourist industry uses high level of energy consumption in hotels including: air-conditioning, heating and cooking as well as transportation which can cause air pollution in many host countries. Air and noise pollution as well congestions are likely to result from tourist development. Tourism activities which are not properly controlled can also cause severe disruption of wildlife habitats and increased pressure on endangered species. For example, in Africas national parks tourists vehicles approach wild animals and very often distract them from hunting and breeding, in the carribean sea there are even boat crews that pursue whales and dolphins and as such discourage petting which tends to disturb the animals feeding and behaviour (Masny,2001). In addition, tourism also leads to the clearance of native vegetation for the development of new facilities, new infrastructure and tourist development. There is an increase in demand for fuelwood and even forest fires. This results not only in the destruction of local habitats and ecosystems but also in the processes of erosion and landslide. Fragile areas such as: forests, wet lands and mangroves are also threatened by tourism activities. On the other side, tourism contributes to the positive benefits of the environment. Doswell (1997) argues that tourism lays emphasis to conserve and protect the environment. Tourism also draws attention to subjects regarding biodiversity, endangered species and human impacts on the environment. Tourism is also used as a means to preserve natural areas rather than to develop them for alternative uses such as: agriculture, forestry and mining (Master, 1998). Tourism can contribute to the conservation of sensitive areas and habitat. For example, in Ghana tourism has helped in maintaining the natural reserves. Tourists can help towards environmental protection, conservation and biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources. In this way, natural areas become valuable and this can lead to creation of national parks and wildlife parks.Revenue received from park-entrance fees can be allocated to pay for the protection and management of sensitive areas. On the hand, in some pl aces government collect money from tourists in indirect ways. For example: user tax, sales or recreation of rental equipment and license fees for hunting and fishing can provide government with the proper fund needed to manage natural resources and to finance infrastructure. Tourism encourages cleaning programmes , and this reduces the damaging Another change that can affect tourism is climate change. Climate impact is considered as the consequences of climate change on natural and human systems (IPCC, 2001). Climate impacts can be for example: the primary productivity of an ecosystem, snow cover depth. For example, a Bigano (2006) stimulates the effects of development and climate change on tourism. Climate change could negatively affect countries and regions that depend heavily on tourism. 2.3 Residents perceptions towards tourism For the long-term success of the tourism industry, it is imperative to understand and assess residents attitudes towards the impact of tourism development (Ap,1992; Ritchie and Inkari, 2006). Sustainable tourism development can be achieved normally when all stakeholders are involved in the process (Bryd, 2007). Sustainable tourism believes that the community is the focal point of tourism and planning process (Choi and Sirakaya, 2005).In addition, investigating the residents perceptions towards tourism is important because it influence their behaviour towards tourism (Andriotis and Vaughan, 2003). Studies show that the perceptions of residents towards tourism differ toward tourism development. Sustainable tourism development largely depends on the hosts acceptability of tourists and tourism-related programs, offerings and activities by locals (Musa, Hall, and Higham 2004). The active support of the local population is required for tourism development to occur in a community. One indic ator that affects tourism development in a destination is the host attitude (Lepp, 2007). In a destination area, the attitudes of the tourists and residents are taken into account. Another factor that is likely to influence the negative and positive impacts of tourists destination is residents attachment to community. Some researchers, Canan and Hennessy (1989) states that the longer the residents live in a community, the more negative they are towards tourism development. The lengths of residency of locals have a direct impact on tourism development. There are several studies that have been conducted to explain the residents perceptions towards tourism impacts and how far residents support tourism development in a community. Theories such as the attribution theory (Pearce, 1989); dependency theory (Preister, 2008), the social representation theory (Andriotis Vaughan, 2003), Butlers (1980) tourist area life cycle, Doxeys Irridex model, the intrinsic and extrinsic framework (Faulkner Tideswell, 1997) and the social exchange theory (SET) (Ap, 1982) have been developed in an attempt to better understand the host perceptions towards tourism. However, it is the SET that have received the greatest attention by scholars attempting to study residents attitudes towards tourism and their support towards tourism development. (Gursoy Rutherford, 2004; Sirakaya, Teye , Sonmez, 2002). However there are also other popular theories such as:Butlers Area Life Cycle (1980, Doxeys Irritation Index, the extrinsic/intrinsic model (Faulkner and Tideswell 1997) which describe the host-tourist relation. 2.3.1Social Exchange Theory In a tourism context, social exchange theory would mean an exchange of resources between the tourists and the host population where each of the supply each other with valued resources (Ap, 1992, p.668). SET implies that residents who gain benefits from the tourism industry are likely to perceive the industry as positive and thus support tourist industry, while those who perceive themselves incurring costs because of tourism would display negative attitudes towards tourism thereby opposing such development. The SET theory is the most common type of theory used to assess tourism impacts in a particular destination. Social exchange theory firmly believes that a need exists to measure the level of active participation of residents in the planning and development process associated with tourism development (Wang Pister, 2008). In the tourism literature, several studies have been conducted and which explained the theory of residents perceptions and assessments of the costs and benefits of tourism and their support for tourism development. In simpler words, social exchange theory supports that residents calculate the costs and benefits of tourism development, and their effort for tourism development (Ap, 1992; Yoon 2001). As such residents become aware of the positive and negative impacts of tourism and can decide whether to support or not to support tourism development. Figure1: Factors affecting residents attitudes towards tourists EXTRINSIC DIMENSION INTRINSIC DIMENSION Period of Residence Mature State of Development Early Stage of Development Long Term Recent Arrival High Tourist Ratio Adapted Non- adapteddd Employment Lifestyle Choice Low Tourist Ratio Perception of Tourism + International Tourism Orientation Domestic Tourism Orientation No Yes Non-Tourism Zone Tourism Zone High Seasonality Low Seasonality Residential Proximity Involvement Source: Faulkner and Tideswell (1997) 2.3.2 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Model Numerous studies have identified the factors that affect residents perceptions .Such factors have been used in the tourism literature to describe tourism impacts (Jurowski Gursoy, 2004). These are intrinsic and extrinsic variables (Faulkner Tideswell, 1997, Fredline Faulkner, 2000, p.765). The intrinsic variables refer to the characteristics of the host community that affect the impacts of tourism with the host community (Faulkner Tideswell, 1997, p.6) and includes factors such as:employment, length of residence, proximity to tourist zones and involvement within the tourism industry. Length of residency affect tourism development in a community, native born of the community have been found to have more negative perception of tourism development because they are attached to that place (Madrigal, 1995). On the other hand, Bisle and Hoy (1980) found a positive relationship between distance of residence from the tourist zone and perceptions. As regards to community attachment, studie s showed that the longer a host has been a resident in the area; as such they become less attached to tourism (Weaver, 2001). Residents who are dependent and involved in the tourism sector are more likely to have positive attitudes towards tourism (Linderb, 1997). The intrinsic variable shows that the host community is not homogeneous but rather heterogeneous meaning that the perceptions of tourism differ among the residents (Andriotis Vaughan, 2003; Faulkner Tideswell, 1997; Fredline Faulkner, 2000). The extrinsic factors are the characteristics of a location with respect to its role as a tourist destination including the nature and stage of tourist activity and the types of tourists involved (Faulkner Tideswell, 1997, p.6).The extrinsic factors that are likely to influence host attitudes towards tourism is the stage of tourism development occurring in a destination (Andriotis Vaughan, 2003) as argued by Butler (1980) and Doxey (1975). The extrinsic factors are:seasonality, type of tourists, particular stage of development, the tourist guest-ratio (Doxey, 1973; butler, 1980; Ap, 1983).Seasonality affect a destination, during peak seasons there is high flow of tourists resulting in economic inflation, traffic congestion and this affect the residents way of lives on the other hand, residents who are dependent on tourism are likely to tolerate these disruptive conditions. (Rothman, 1978; Beliste, 1980; Sheldon, 1984).The type of tourists is another factor that affects residents pe rceptions of tourism. Some tourists are independent travellers while others depend on locals, they try adjust with locals they accept the hosts local conditions (Amir, 1985; Page 2003). In understanding residents perceptions towards tourism, the stage of development is considered among the most important factors. To better illustrate this issue, it was important to investigate Butlers Tourism Destination Lifecycle Model. 2.3.3 Butlers Area Life Cycle Another model in regard to the host-tourist destination is Butlers Area Lifecycle Model. Although that this model dates three decades, it is still academically recognized. Butler (1980) believes that tourist areas evolve and change over time. According to this evolution, the stages that tourist areas experience are: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, decline or rejuvenation. Using a life-cycle model, Butler describes the resident and tourist involvement in destination area. Unlike products, destinations have a lifecycle too. Figure 2 illustrates the lifecycle of a destination. ] Figure 2 Hypothetical Evolution of a Tourist Area (Adapted from Miller and Gallucci, 2004) Using a life-cycle model, Butler describes the resident and tourist involvement in destination area. Unlike products, destinations have a lifecycle too. Moreover, Butler has also explained why tourism leads to unsustainability. By using the example of the life-cycle model, he describes how a small group of tourists explore a natural attraction by involving local residents and making subsequent development of the area. With time, the number of tourists grows, eventually leading to mass tourism. And if the tourism products are not rejuvenated, stagnation occurs at the destination and there is a fall through over-consumption of tourism products which is beyond the carrying capacity of the destination. (including adverse effects on the environment)Butler also focuses that if there is no proper management and control, environment degradation is inevitable once carrying capacity has been reached and then exceeded making mass tourism unsustainable. As noted by Jamison (1999), at the stagnat ion stage, locals have begun to express some discontent with tourism and its effects. When a destination develops, unmet residents expectations and other negative impacts of development are also likely to result in changes and attitudes towards the industry. (Teye, Sonmez and Sirakaya , 2002). The TALC S-shaped curve has also been used to describe the host-guest dichotomy- from the excitement of the potential of tourism through to resentment of tourists, resulting from exceeding local social carrying capacity. However, certain limitations have been found in Butlers model. It has been pointed out that the model assumes a degree of homogeneity of community reactions (Mason and Cheyne, 2000), but Butler denies by saying a consistent evolution of tourist area can be conceptualized.Tosun (2002) suggests that this model applies to specific areas and not all areasbecause the cycle varies from one tourist area to another. 2.3.4 Doxeys Irritation Index Associated with Butlers life cycle theory is Doxeys Irritation Index or Irridex which describes the resident-tourist interaction and attitude. This model explains host community reaction to tourism development in a specific area. The model outlines that negative impacts of tourism development might make residents feel irritated as with time host and tourists become incompatible with each other. The model has four stages which vary from euphoria, apathy, annoyance and to antagonism. Although Doxeys (1975) irridex is regarded as one of the most influential theory has been starting from Euphoria to Antagonism, where the resident irritation increases through the stages 1 to 4. (1=low irritation,4=high level of irritation). One limitation of this theory and that of Butler also, is the assumption a community is heterogeneous. The study implies that is the whole community that becomes hostile to tourism, but very often different sections of the community have different reactions. It can be concluded that the Doxey Irritation Index is simple but it does indicate a factor in tourism development and by these social changes some residents will develop antagonistic attitudes towards tourism. 2.4 Residents perceptions towards tourism environmental impacts The environment is one of the main area in which residents assess the potential impacts of tourism before they decide to embrace or reject it. According to Kuvan and Akan (2005, p.703) residents are more sensitive and concerned for problems related to the environment than the other negative impacts of tourism. Following this, Liu, Sheldon, and Var (1987) reported that residents have high ratings for environmental impacts. According to Mieczkowski (1995, p.8) defines the natural environment as a combination of non-living things, that is, abiotic, physical components together with biological resources or the biosphere including flora and fauna. Kuvan and Akan (2005) describes scholars interests in investigating into community attitudes towards tourism impact on the natural environment at a time when ecological problems such as: pollution, depletion of natural resources and deforestation are increasing. This means that mountaineous areas, savannahs, wetlands, deserts, islands and the a rtic have biophysical characteristics that cause damage to the natural environment. These fragile areas when disturbed, normally have relatively slow rates of recovery (Harrison Price, 1996). The focus on environmental impacts emerged from residents perceived impacts of the environmental impacts and other tourism impacts such as economic and social impacts of tourism has lagged behind. (Kuvan Akan, 2005).Moreover, there is a lack of information on residents perceived environmental impacts of tourism in developing countries (Kuvan Akan , 2005; Madrgal, 1993). It is an agreed fact that tourism is believed to have a far more visible effect in rural areas and developing contries than urban areas and perhaps tourism has a greater effect on rural residents (Madrigal, 1993, p.337), studies related to residents perceptions of the environment has focused more on destinations, communities and regions in developed countries rather than on developing countries. Apart from this, Schluter and Var (1988) observed that there are some issues that are special to developing countries. Furthermore, a proper analysis of the residents perceived environmental impacts of tourism could help pla nners and tourism practitioners to identify real concerns and also to develop appropriate policies and actions. 2.5 Tourism development in Mauritius Mauritius was made first, and then heaven was copied from it (Mark Twain). Mauritius is among the top 20 beautiful islands of the world .Tourism is an important contributor to economic growth in Small Island developing States like Mauritius. The World Bank has mentioned Mauritius as an example for southern Africa of an economy that has attained remarkable success in its economic development (World Bank, 1992; Hwedi, 2001). This success as mentioned cannot be escaped from tourism development, given Mauritius as the choice of destination for European visitors (Prayag, 2009; Prayag Ryan, 2010).Mauritiuss tourism industry success can be measured by the fact that it makes the highest gross domestic product contribution (30 per cent) and receives the second highest yearly total budget allocation(16.1 per cent) of countries in

Racism in The Color of Fear Essay example -- Color Fear Film Movie Rac

Racism in The Color of Fear Let’s start with the definition of racism. Racism refers to the belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities, that a certain race is inherently superior or inferior to others, and/or that individuals should be treated differently based on their ascribed race. There are two main issues in the movie the â€Å"The Color of Fear† that I will discuss. These two issues include grouping people of color on the basis of the way one looks, and the attitudes of different races towards one another. Including also the idea that the white â€Å"do-gooder† feels that subconsciously racism is being taken care of, when in all reality it isn’t. The eight men in The Color of Fear candidly discussed racism not only as "whites oppressing blacks," but also the less addressed sides of racial trouble in America. A white man earnestly stating that he had never oppressed anyone in his entire life, and a Hispanic man talking about being afraid of driving in front of pickup trucks with gun racks, shows how there needs to be more progress towards ending these feelings in America. Stereotypes were openly declared, from Asians as "the model minority" to blacks as "lazy, violent, and dangerous." So the first issue is mainly a white culture problem; white people like to categorize those who do not look white and put the non whites into groups based on the color of their skin. Whites like to group together that which they do not understand. Man has been taugh...

How Minority Students Struggle in College Essays -- Personal Narrative

How Minority Students Struggle in College In the lives of minority students, education is seen as essential. It’s a dream, one that we are still trying to interpret. If we know nothing else, we know that education is important because it determines the future one is going to have. The major problem is that the education of minority students before college is poor. This deficiency causes great conflict for minority students in adapting themselves to new educational habits. Lack of good study skills makes it difficult for a minority student to control one’s time management and concentration. While these students are trying to change their study habits, there is another variable that could help or distract them from fixing their weaknesses. It is true that parents and professors do have an influence upon us. These people play a big part in the education of students, but the impact of their persuasion is not always positive. Despite all the struggles that a minority student faces, I believe people in this group can find the secret to becoming educated and successful individuals. Education is exceptionally significant for a minority student. A minority student faces economic issues with his or her lower class status. There is very little money. A minority student comes from a home in which parents have a low level of education. There are not many books around while growing up. A desire to change their economic and cultural position makes education their first priority as a goal they have to reach. Life’s circumstances did not give their parents the chance to go to school. Minority students have seen first-hand how hard it is to live throughout their lives without education. These students believe that if they ed... ...an the upper class students. As a minority student, I advise that we should not let anyone put us down. That is the secret. With or without support, we should keep in mind our goal of becoming professionals in our field of study. If our interest in school is interrupted, we must maintain our deepest reasons for attending college. Looking back and reminding ourselves of our goals will help us to get back on track. College is a race that many of us are competing to win, but we are starting off behind. Minority students should keep on fighting to catch up. It is a complicated battle that consists of personal ambition, educational desire, and inner persistence. If we keep on struggling to become better individuals, we can hopefully someday free ourselves and take off these uneducated and minority labels from our backs and become part of the educated majority.

Asian Essay -- essays research papers

Asian Financial Institutions and Markets The Asian financial markets can be compared to the economic philosophy of mercantilism, which is regulated commerce to produce a favorable balance of trade. Governments regulate production techniques to ensure the quality of exports, and in general, subsidize production in their exporting industries. Tariffs can be high on imported manufactured goods and low on imported raw materials. The state exercises much control over economic life in these environments, chiefly through corporations and trading companies. Production is carefully regulated with the object of securing goods of high quality at a low cost, thus enabling the nation to hold its place and wealth in foreign markets.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Asian countries have practiced mercantilism and protectionism under the guise of complex wholesale and retail marketing systems (Baker 13). The economic performance of the four Asian economies – Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan can be attributed to some of these practices. There is a significant degree of overlap between the government and the markets, suggesting that a broad-based approach is useful in understanding the nature of the Asian economy (Chowdhury 42). The government can control and regulate the financial system in order to finance development activities. The government acts as an internal capital market funding business sectors and industries. From a historical perspective, Korea was one of the poorest countries in world after experiencing two wars, World War II and Korean War. Food shortages that led them to heavily rely on the foreign aid, and to a yearly per capita income below the poverty level, this country is considered a successful newly industrializing economy. Korea has been transformed from its underdeveloped agricultural economy to a leading newly industrializing country. Countries that can be described as newly industrialized are more dynamic with a production structure corresponding to shifts in international division of labor, and where manufacturing plays an important role (Chowdhury 2). There have been many explanations for Korea’s successful story. Among those, the strong role of government would be probably the most important one. At the same time, this would be also responsible for current recession. After Koran war, the government in fact had no sense of direction a... ...cumulation. Controlling exchange rate is another good example to describe the effect of government’s role on Korean economic development. Economic growth in this period was result by an increase in export and output and as well as price level. With this historical review of one of the Asian countries and their development it is imporant to understand how the financial institutions involved operate. even though they were blamed as a major cause of Asian financial crisis happened in Korea brining the country to the brink of insolvency, as well as weak banking system, in fact, they could be victims of misleading government policy. The long term close relationship between government and big business creating rent and using them with unbalanced support between industries had worked well in the early stage of development, but as stated early, rent can bring corruption of bureaucracy or industries also, since it is caused by inefficiency. Allocation of financial resources is not an easy job, but this would be best time for Korea to consider again about the efficiency of closed relationship between the government and businesses while the country is restructuring its economy system.

Promoting Gender Equality Essay

For centuries women were not treated equal to men in many ways. They were not allowed to own property, they did not have a Share in the property of their parents, they had no voting rights, they had no freedom to choose their work or job and so on. Now that we have come out of those dark days of oppression of women there is a need for strong movement to fight for the rights of women and to ensure that they get all the rights which men have or in other words a movement for the Empowerment of Women. The present seminar has been planned with a view to discuss the various issues related to the Empowerment of Women and to suggest measures for achieving this end.The body of research on women‘s empowerment has conceptualized and defined this construct in many ways and used different terms, often interchangeably, including ―autonomy,â€â€"―status,â€â€" and ―agencyâ€â€" (Lee-Rife and Edmeades 2011; Malhotra et al. 2002; Upadhyay and Hindin 2005). see more:examples of gender equality A review of the literature also shows different measures for the same conceptualization. For example, studies often measure women‘s autonomy with an index that assesses their participation in decision-making in various household issues. This index represents women‘s degree of control over their environment. Some researchers include both major and minordecisions, while others include only major decisions, excluding day-to-day household decisions and those that are traditionally within the woman‘s domain. Women‘s empowerment encompasses many dimensions, including economic, socio-cultural, familial/interpersonal, legal, political, and psychological (Malhotra et al. 2002), which contributes to the wide variation in conceptualizations of women‘s empowerment. Given this variation in conceptualization, it is difficult to measure women‘s empowerment consistently. Kabeer (2001), whose definition is widely accepted, defines empowerment as ―the expansi on of people‘s ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability was previously denied to them. Two central components of empowerment are agency and resources needed to exercise life choices (Kabeer 2001; Malhotra et al. 2002). Even with a clear definition, these constructs are difficult to quantify in a standardized way.Additionally, to measure empowerment at an individual level, researchers must translate the amorphous constructs into a set of specific questions that population-based surveys can ask of individual respondents (Kishor and Subaiya 2008). Another challenge is the variation in cultural contexts that affect the measurement of women‘s empowerment. It is desirable to use standardized questions that enable cross-cultural comparisons of empowerment. Yet a measure that captures empowerment in one context may have limited relevance in another, as is the case with measures that assess mobility in a community where women‘s free movement is the norm. While many existing measures of empowerment were originally conceptualized and developed for the context of Asia, and for South Asian countries in particular (Dyson and Moore 1983; Mason 1987), measures that are universally applicable regardless of the gender equity environment, such as those used in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), are most useful for cross-national comparisons. Using the available standardized measures of women‘s empowerment among several population-based samples from sub-Saharan Africa will allow us to make comparisons and better understand whether the available measures adequately capture empowerment in these settings. It is still unknown whether the same dimensions of empowerment that were developed elsewhere are relevant in sub-Saharan Africa, where the gender environment is completely different than in other regions. In Africa, empowerment is likely to look different than elsewhere because of such differences as more working women who have control over their earnings, more polygamy, more nuclear families (as opposed to extended families), and larger ideal family size, and because women‘s status is often tied to their fertility. EMPOWERMENT AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH A broad body of research exists on women‘s empowerment and reproductive outcomes. Substantial research, primarily focused on Asia, demonstrates that women‘s empowerment is associated with contraceptive use (Gwako 1997; Morgan and Niraula 1995; Schuler et al. 1997; Woldemicael 2009), lower fertility (Balk 1994; Dyson and Moore 1983; Hindin 2000), and longer birth intervals (Upadhyay and Hindin 2005). Some researchers have suggested that women‘s empowerment is a key pathway through which education influences fertility (Jejeebhoy 1995; Mason 1987). To operationalize women‘s empowerment, much of the research literature uses the previously mentioned index of participation in house holddecision-making. The standard DHS questionnaire includes a set of questions about household decision-making. Other approaches include assessing women‘s acceptance of reasons that a husband is justified for beating his wife, and also reasons that a wife is justified in refusing sex with her husband (Ethiopian Society of Population Studies 2008). The DHS includes questions about these issues. Such gender-role attitudes measure the extent of women‘s acceptance of norms that justify men‘s control over women. As expected, they are associated with lower levels of power over household decision-making among women (Dhaher et al. 2010; Hindin 2003; Linos et al. 2010). MAJOR OBSTACLES TO THE PROMOTION OF GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT Notwithstanding the widespread commitment shown through the ratification of international and regional gender equality frameworks, normative gains are not yet fully reflected in substantial changes in women’s lives, as shown in the preceding section. Large gaps remain between policy and practice and it is the aim of this section to discuss some of the major challenges that have been experienced. Continued presence of strong cultural and traditional practices constraining progress in achieving gender parity The continued presence of long standing cultural and traditional practices that discriminate against women and girls’ have constrained the progress towards achieving gender equality. Discriminatory practices and public attitudes towards the advancement of women and gender equality have not changed at the same pace as policy, legal and institutional frameworks. Lack of ratification of the instruments that promote gender equality Previous sections have identified the status with respect to a number of regional instruments, particularly the African Women’s Protocol. Some countries are yet to sign this instrument, while a considerable number are yet to ratify it. Ineffective institutional and policy implementation mechanisms Thirteen years after the adoption of the BPFA by the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, the greatest challenge facing countries and regional institutions is the effective implementation of the adopted commitments. Good policies that do not have well formulated implementation plans and resources render the policies ineffective. In some countries, the capacity of gender machineries has also contributed to the slow pace. Some policies are not effectively implemented because they were not developed in a participatory way inclusive of both men and women. Lack of targets with well defined time-frames are also some of the factors that have hampered effective implementation of policies. Lack of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms also plays a significant role in the lack of implementation. Moreover, some policies tend to focus on the symptoms rather than addressing the persistent underlying causes of gender inequality. African women, especially those living in rural communities and those with disabilities, still face exclusion from participating in development processes that can empower them and improve gender equality. It is crucial to undertake inclusive participatory approaches in policy development that involve women as equal partners. Lack of adequate resources Lack of human and financial resources severely limits gender mainstreaming to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Even in situations where a comprehensive plan of action for gender mainstreaming has been developed, countries may not have adequate resources to implement the plan. In particular National Gender Machineries (NGMs) experience limited financial and other material resource base to enhance the implementation of gender equality mandates, roles and responsibilities. In addition, there are gaps in human capacity, there is generally a challenge with respect to gender competence skills of officers in the NGMs to influence the engendering of macro-economic and sector policy frameworks. There is high staff turn over of experts, and low staff retention, most countries are facing difficulties of retaining and sustaining staff with the necessary expertise. Continued presence of strong cultural and traditional practices constraining progress in achieving gender parity in education In taking decisions with respect to the education of their children, some families continue to have preference for educating boys rather than girls. As noted female-to-male school enrolment, retention and completion favor boys in a majority of countries. Very few countries have female to male enrolment rates that favor girls over boys and these countries have been making progress to redress the situation. Continued presence of strong cultural and traditional practices constraining progress in achieving gender parity in health Some cultural and traditional practices continue to inhibit progress in the area of sexual and reproductive rights. Women and girls continue to risk death from maternal mortality. There is need to provide accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services and education to reduce maternal mortality. Such interventions need to address the roles of both men and women. The rate of HIV infection is much higher among women than men and in this regard, governments must establish and monitor strict legal frameworks to address the vulnerability of women and girls. Furthermore, access to anti-retroviral treatment should be ensured. Lack of enforcement of laws that promote gender equality and lack of knowledge of laws In some countries laws that promote gender equality are in place, however lack of enforcement of such laws leads to the perpetuation of gender inequalities and violence against women. In some countries, laws are in place, but interpretation of these laws is lacking and as such, they are not enforced. Lack of full involvement of men and boys Changing cultural and traditional beliefs including patriarchy requires the involvement of men, and boys in the promotion of gender equality through innovative rights-based, culturally sensitive programmes and continued education and sensitization. Continued lack of recognition of women’s unpaid work The continued lack of recognition of unpaid work (domestic, reproductive, care and support) performed by women hampers the development of policies that can effectively promote gender equality. There is therefore need for such work to be given due recognition in the computation of national income. Limited role of the media The media can play a major role in promoting gender equality beyond what it is currently doing. In particular in creating awareness, sensitization and education campaigns to change patriarchal attitudes. As noted before establishing new laws alone is not enough; existing gendered social relations and cultural norms may quickly shape these laws. There is need for measures to counter preexisting social forces through education and training of both men and women. The media can make a major contribution towards promoting these gender equality messages. Lack of sex disaggregated and gender responsive data Sex-disaggregated data and information from gender-sensitive indicators are often not collected, lost in aggregation of published data, or not used. Gender responsive data would help in tracking the progress made towards achievement of gender equality. SUGGESTED RECOMMENDATIONS Translation of commitments and policies promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment into action on the ground remains a major challenge in Africa. Based on the findings of this study, this section highlights some recommendations that can help countries successfully implement the commitments and policies aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. Improved research and collection of gender responsive statistical data It is important to systematically collect accurate sex and gender disaggregated data and conduct research that is essential for monitoring and evaluating progress towards achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment. More efforts are needed to build capacity of national experts to collect gender disaggregated data in order to enhance integration of gender perspectives in the development process. Strengthen documentation and dissemination of information on promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment Sharing of information is important within countries, between countries and internationally and is critical to the success of achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. There is need to intensify documentation of experiences with successful and unsuccessful practices and widely disseminate this information. It is important for member States, development partners and international and regional bodies to identify information exchange systems that can facilitate wide exchange of this information in the region. CONCLUSION The Empowerment of women has become one of the most important Concerns of 21st century not only at national level but also at the international level. Efforts by the Govt. are on to ensure Gender equality but Government initiatives alone would not be sufficient to achieve this goal. Society must take initiative to create a climate in which there is no gender discrimination and Women have full opportunities of Self decision making and participating in the Social, Political and Economic life of the Country with a sense of equality. As countries around the world work to promote gender equality and empower women as part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, it can be expected that demand for smaller families will follow. Additionally, family planning programs can address women‘s empowerment as part of their mission to help women and couples have only the number of children they want. Such programs are likely to generate interest in family planning services, create demand for smaller families, and also reduce unwanted fertility. REFRENCES _Abadian, S. 1996. Women’s Autonomy and Its Impact on Fertility. World Development 24(12):1793-1809. _Gwako, E.L. 1997. Conjugal Power in Rural Kenya Families: Its Influence on Women’s _Decisions about Family Size and Family Planning Practices. Sex Roles 36(3-4):127-147. _Jejeebhoy, S.J. 1995.Women’s Education, Autonomy, and Reproductive Behaviour: Experience _from Developing Countries. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press. _Jejeebhoy, S.J. 2000. Women’s Autonomy in Rural India: Its Dimensions, Determinants, and the Influence of Context. Pp. 204-238 in Women’s empowerment and demographic processes: moving beyond Cairo, edited by H. Presser and G. Sen. London: Oxford University Press. _ Lee-Rife, S.M. 2011. Women’s Empowerment and Reproductive Experiences over the Lifecourse. Soc Sci Med 71(3):634-642. _Linos, N., M. Khawaja, and M. Al-Nsour. 2010. Women’s Autonomy and Support for Wife Beating: Findings from a Population-Based Survey in Jordan. Violence Vict 25(3):409-419. _ Mason, K.O. 1987. The Impact of Women‘s Social Position on Fertility in Developing Countries. Sociological Forum 4:718–745. _Morgan, P.S. and B.B. Niraula. 1995. Gender Inequality and Fertility in Two Nepali Villages. Population and Development Review 21(3):541-561. _Westoff, C. and A. Bankole. Reproductive Preferences in Developing Countries at the Turn of the Century. Calverton, Maryland: ORC Macro. DHS Comparative Reports No. 2. April 2002. http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pub_details.cfm?ID=369#dfiles . _Malhotra, A., S.R. Schuler, and C. Boender. Measuring Women’s Empowerment as a Variable in International Development. Washington, DC; June 28, 2002. http://hdr.undp.org/docs /network/hdr_net/GDI_GEM_Measuring_Womens_Empowerment.pdf . _ Gebreselassie, T. 2008. Spousal Agreement on Reproductive Preferences in Sub-Saharan Africa. Calverton, Maryland: Macro International Inc. DHS Analytical Studies No. 10. http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/AS10/AS10.pdf _ UNECA, (2004b), Seventh African Regional Conference on Women (Beijing +10) Decade Review of the Implementation of the Dakar and Beijing Platforms of Action: Outcome and Way forward, Addis Ababa. _UNECA-SA, (2003), Land Tenure Systems and Sustainable Development in Southern Africa, Lusaka. _ WHO, (2002) Gender and Reproductive Rights Glossary. Geneva . _ World Bank, (2000), Can Africa Claim the 21st Century?, The World Bank, Washington DC. _Budlender D, J. 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The African Gender and Development Index. (ECA) Addis Ababa.

Western Education Romans

ED 6000 Philosophical Foundations in Education Beginning Questions ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? 2-3 sentence responses foundation of your philosophy paper reflects your current stance/belief 30 minutes keep a copy for your final personal philosophy paper Scriptural Focus Deut. 6:1-9 Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Scriptural Focus Deut. 6:1-9 Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! Scriptural Focus Deut. 6:1-9 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Scriptural Focus Deut. 6:1-9 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Big Ideas: ! ? ! ? ! ? What are the enduring principles that have stood the test of time? To what extent are the principles being applied in today s classrooms? List the big ideas that you have experienced in today s classrooms and or those that should, from your perspective, be a part of current educational practice. A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Hebrews ! ? ! ? longest recorded western history teaching of religion and moral training A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Greeks ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? city-state civilization based on slavery achieve elegant leisure ignity of the citizen letters, music, gymnastics conscripted military service A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION Romans ! ? ! ? ! ? patricians, plebeians, freed men and slaves piety, courage, honesty, dignity, sobriety A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Christian ! ? ! ? ! ? change of heart attain peace and growth in body, mind, and spirit underground schools ! ? A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCA TION Renaissance (New Birth) ! ? ! ? Seven Liberal arts ! ? trivium: grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic or logic ! ? quadrivium: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music Renaissance Man da Vinci ! ? oastfulness, individualism and a resentment toward authority A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION Reformation (1500-1750) ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? educated class advocated reform Germany-moral indignation England-remove wealth from the church Geneva-strictly theologicals England became largely Protestant back to the basics grammar/spelling Inquisition court of heresy Heliocentrism (Copernicus) A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Jan Amos Comenius (1592-1627) ! ? developmental stages ! ? infant, child, youth, adult ! ? Orbis Pictus 1653-54 – the first picture book for school children A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? The purpose of education is that which every gentleman desires for his sons, virtue, wisdom, breeding and learning. I place virtue as the first and most necessary. I put learning last, especially if I tell you I think it the least part. Some Thoughts Concerning Education, p. 147. John Locke (1632-1704) A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION John Locke (1632-1704) ! ? ! ? Tabula Rasa ! ? There would be no problem, †¦ if the human intellect were even, and like a fair sheet of paper with no writing on it. A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION United States Old Deluder Satan Act (Massachusetts 1647) ne chief project of the old deluder, Satan, to keep men from a knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues†¦ A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION †¦. it is therefore ordered, that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased their number t o fifty thousand, shall then forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him, to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general. A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Enlightenment & Revolution (1750-1830 ! ? Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) ! ? Romanticism ! ? Emile ! ? On Education ! ? The Social Contract A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) ! ? ! ? The child will come to understand the world through creative play facilitated by the use of geometric objects (labeled by Froebel as gifts ) in which pure form is dominant. 1840 Pedagogics of the Kindergarten A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Maria Montessori (1870-1952) ! ? 1896 University of Rome s first woman physician graduate ! 1912 Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy ! ? If one fails to learn, there is a natural punishment that takes place as a loss of the consciousness of our own power and greatness, which constitute the quality of manhood. A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Maria Montessori (1870-1952) ! ? ! ? ! ? The classroom must be a prepared environment The classroom must always contain stimulating apparatus, objects, toys , and literature in order to capture the child s inner drives to be active. sensitive periods A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? John Dewey (1859-1952) ! ? ! ? ! ? ? psychologist, philosopher, educator, social critic and political activist Progressivism moral relativism applied evolutionary theory to ! ? biology ! ? geology ! ? anthropology A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? John Dewey (1859-1952) ! ? Morality is learned within a social context by observing appropriate rules, which emerge from shared experience. ! ? Values are defined through use of the scientific method as one selects a choice of action and how it will effect self, others, the community, and the environment. A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION Catholic Church (1929) ! ? Every method of education founded, wholly or in part, on the denial or forgetfulness of original sin and grace, and relying on the sole powers of human nature, is unsound†¦ A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? †¦Such, generally speaking, are those modern systems bearing various names which appeal to a pretended self-government and unrestrained freedom on the part of the child, and which diminish or even suppress the teacher s authority and action, attributing to the child an exclusive primacy of initiative, and an activity independent of any higher law, natural or divine, in the work of his education. Catholic Church (1929) A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Scientific or Logical Positivism (1950-1967) ! ? ! ? ! ? purpose of education national development stand against the threat of communism ! ? U. S. Department of Education ! ? ! ? ! ? President Jackson signed legislation that created the first Department of Education in1867 (non-cabinet level) that lasted less than a year President Charter signed Public Law 96-88 The Department of Education Organization Act in 1979 Reagan established it as a cabinet-level agency in 1981 A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) ? ! ? ! ? operant behavior teaching machines Beyond Freedom and Dignity A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? Multiculturalism & Private Schools (1980-1990) ! ? Mortimer Adler (1982) ! ? ! ? ! ? The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto liberal, non-specialized education without electives or vocational classes three purposes ! ? ! ? ! ? use leisure time well earn their living ethically tea ch people to be responsible citizens in a democracy ! ? A Nation at Risk (1983) ! ? ! ? ! ? National Commission of Excellence in Education The Imperative For Educational Reform If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves†¦ A HISTORY OF WESTERN EDUCATION ! ? †¦We have even squandered the gains in student achievement made in the wake of the Sputnik challenge. Moreover, we have dismantled essential support systems which helped make those gains possible. We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament. A Nation at Risk (1983) ! ? A Nation at Risk (1983) ? ! ? ! ? ! ? strengthen graduation requirements five new basics: English, mathematics, science, social studies, and computer science adopt higher and measurable standards for academic performance significantly increase time students spend engaged in learning Strengthen the teaching profession through higher standards for preparation and professional growth ! ? A HISTORY OF WEST ERN EDUCATION ! ? Standards (1998-present) ! ? ! ? ! ? ! ? Academic Content Standards for Students No Child Left Behind Academic Performance Indicator (API) scores National Board for Professional Teaching Standards