Gender Roles And The Attributes Of A Person - 1471 Words

Gender roles and the attributes that a person is believed to need, in order to be male or female, has at times, affected me negatively throughout my life. I never questioned my gender as a child, but made the connection that our society views femininity with being biologically born female and masculinity with being male. I didn t have much of a problem going outside of my assigned gender roles as that is what my parents exposed me to. My father though, he fits the traditional roles of a man; going to work and providing for his family, did many things that are considered women s roles: taking care of his kids, cooking, cleaning, he was very nurturing and often did not discipline us as harshly as my mother, etc. My mother seemed to fit†¦show more content†¦This was an issue throughout high school though, there I met other girls that were like me. I was still teased for not being feminine enough. My freshman year of high school I was in a play with a children s theater that I was working with, as at that time I dreamed of becoming an actress. I was a fairy in the play Flash Gordon and while rehearsing the pianist told me that I should practice my role with a higher voice as my role was feminine and my voice was â€Å"too deep and masculine like a boy. This was the first time I ever really felt that my attributes were a problem. I then associated being feminine with having a high voice. My gender was often questioned by my traits after this. People often called me like a boy in a dress. This was followed by individuals making connections to my sexuality. With outside sources telling me that I wasn t like â€Å"a real girl† yet, â€Å"too girly† to be a boy from males I struggled with the terms feminine and masculine as well as boy and girl. I never identified myself as either feminine or masculine nor female or male. I just always figured that was how you were born and you chose for yourself. I always just viewed myself as just a human, just Mounia. My experience with having my traits analyzed by others relates to that of Leslie Feinberg in Feinberg’s work â€Å"We Are All Works in Progress† (1998). The degree of misunderstanding that Leslie Feinberg experienced was based solely offShow MoreRelatedConsumers as Individuals – the Self1498 Words   |  6 PagesLECTURE 5: CONSUMERS AS INDIVIDUALS – THE SELF Self-concept The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about their attributes, and how they evaluate these qualities. Components of the self-concept It is composed of many attributes, some of which are given greater emphasis when the overall self is being evaluated. 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Angels Demons Chapter 86-88 Free Essays

86 No light. No sound. The Secret Archives were black. We will write a custom essay sample on Angels Demons Chapter 86-88 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Fear, Langdon now realized, was an intense motivator. Short of breath, he fumbled through the blackness toward the revolving door. He found the button on the wall and rammed his palm against it. Nothing happened. He tried again. The door was dead. Spinning blind, he called out, but his voice emerged strangled. The peril of his predicament suddenly closed in around him. His lungs strained for oxygen as the adrenaline doubled his heart rate. He felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. When he threw his weight into the door, for an instant he thought he felt the door start to turn. He pushed again, seeing stars. Now he realized it was the entire room turning, not the door. Staggering away, Langdon tripped over the base of a rolling ladder and fell hard. He tore his knee against the edge of a book stack. Swearing, he got up and groped for the ladder. He found it. He had hoped it would be heavy wood or iron, but it was aluminum. He grabbed the ladder and held it like a battering ram. Then he ran through the dark at the glass wall. It was closer than he thought. The ladder hit head-on, bouncing off. From the feeble sound of the collision, Langdon knew he was going to need a hell of a lot more than an aluminum ladder to break this glass. When he flashed on the semiautomatic, his hopes surged and then instantly fell. The weapon was gone. Olivetti had relieved him of it in the Pope’s office, saying he did not want loaded weapons around with the camerlegno present. It made sense at the time. Langdon called out again, making less sound than the last time. Next he remembered the walkie-talkie the guard had left on the table outside the vault. Why the hell didn’t I bring it in! As the purple stars began to dance before his eyes, Langdon forced himself to think. You’ve been trapped before, he told himself. You survived worse. You were just a kid and you figured it out. The crushing darkness came flooding in. Think! Langdon lowered himself onto the floor. He rolled over on his back and laid his hands at his sides. The first step was to gain control. Relax. Conserve. No longer fighting gravity to pump blood, Langdon’s heart began to slow. It was a trick swimmers used to re-oxygenate their blood between tightly scheduled races. There is plenty of air in here, he told himself. Plenty. Now think. He waited, half-expecting the lights to come back on at any moment. They did not. As he lay there, able to breathe better now, an eerie resignation came across him. He felt peaceful. He fought it. You will move, damn it! But where†¦ On Langdon’s wrist, Mickey Mouse glowed happily as if enjoying the dark: 9:33 P.M. Half an hour until Fire. Langdon thought it felt a whole hell of a lot later. His mind, instead of coming up with a plan for escape, was suddenly demanding an explanation. Who turned off the power? Was Rocher expanding his search? Wouldn’t Olivetti have warned Rocher that I’m in here! Langdon knew at this point it made no difference. Opening his mouth wide and tipping back his head, Langdon pulled the deepest breaths he could manage. Each breath burned a little less than the last. His head cleared. He reeled his thoughts in and forced the gears into motion. Glass walls, he told himself. But damn thick glass. He wondered if any of the books in here were stored in heavy, steel, fireproof file cabinets. Langdon had seen them from time to time in other archives but had seen none here. Besides, finding one in the dark could prove time-consuming. Not that he could lift one anyway, particularly in his present state. How about the examination table? Langdon knew this vault, like the other, had an examination table in the center of the stacks. So what? He knew he couldn’t lift it. Not to mention, even if he could drag it, he wouldn’t get it far. The stacks were closely packed, the aisles between them far too narrow. The aisles are too narrow†¦ Suddenly, Langdon knew. With a burst of confidence, he jumped to his feet far too fast. Swaying in the fog of a head rush, he reached out in the dark for support. His hand found a stack. Waiting a moment, he forced himself to conserve. He would need all of his strength to do this. Positioning himself against the book stack like a football player against a training sled, he planted his feet and pushed. If I can somehow tip the shelf. But it barely moved. He realigned and pushed again. His feet slipped backward on the floor. The stack creaked but did not move. He needed leverage. Finding the glass wall again, he placed one hand on it to guide him as he raced in the dark toward the far end of the vault. The back wall loomed suddenly, and he collided with it, crushing his shoulder. Cursing, Langdon circled the shelf and grabbed the stack at about eye level. Then, propping one leg on the glass behind him and another on the lower shelves, he started to climb. Books fell around him, fluttering into the darkness. He didn’t care. Instinct for survival had long since overridden archival decorum. He sensed his equilibrium was hampered by the total darkness and closed his eyes, coaxing his brain to ignore visual input. He moved faster now. The air felt leaner the higher he went. He scrambled toward the upper shelves, stepping on books, trying to gain purchase, heaving himself upward. Then, like a rock climber conquering a rock face, Langdon grasped the top shelf. Stretching his legs out behind him, he walked his feet up the glass wall until he was almost horizon tal. Now or never, Robert, a voice urged. Just like the leg press in the Harvard gym. With dizzying exertion, he planted his feet against the wall behind him, braced his arms and chest against the stack, and pushed. Nothing happened. Fighting for air, he repositioned and tried again, extending his legs. Ever so slightly, the stack moved. He pushed again, and the stack rocked forward an inch or so and then back. Langdon took advantage of the motion, inhaling what felt like an oxygenless breath and heaving again. The shelf rocked farther. Like a swing set, he told himself. Keep the rhythm. A little more. Langdon rocked the shelf, extending his legs farther with each push. His quadriceps burned now, and he blocked the pain. The pendulum was in motion. Three more pushes, he urged himself. It only took two. There was an instant of weightless uncertainty. Then, with a thundering of books sliding off the shelves, Langdon and the shelf were falling forward. Halfway to the ground, the shelf hit the stack next to it. Langdon hung on, throwing his weight forward, urging the second shelf to topple. There was a moment of motionless panic, and then, creaking under the weight, the second stack began to tip. Langdon was falling again. Like enormous dominoes, the stacks began to topple, one after another. Metal on metal, books tumbling everywhere. Langdon held on as his inclined stack bounced downward like a ratchet on a jack. He wondered how many stacks there were in all. How much would they weigh? The glass at the far end was thick†¦ Langdon’s stack had fallen almost to the horizontal when he heard what he was waiting for – a different kind of collision. Far off. At the end of the vault. The sharp smack of metal on glass. The vault around him shook, and Langdon knew the final stack, weighted down by the others, had hit the glass hard. The sound that followed was the most unwelcome sound Langdon had ever heard. Silence. There was no crashing of glass, only the resounding thud as the wall accepted the weight of the stacks now propped against it. He lay wide-eyed on the pile of books. Somewhere in the distance there was a creaking. Langdon would have held his breath to listen, but he had none left to hold. One second. Two†¦ Then, as he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, Langdon heard a distant yielding†¦ a ripple spidering outward through the glass. Suddenly, like a cannon, the glass exploded. The stack beneath Langdon collapsed to the floor. Like welcome rain on a desert, shards of glass tinkled downward in the dark. With a great sucking hiss, the air gushed in. Thirty seconds later, in the Vatican Grottoes, Vittoria was standing before a corpse when the electronic squawk of a walkie-talkie broke the silence. The voice blaring out sounded short of breath. â€Å"This is Robert Langdon! Can anyone hear me?† Vittoria looked up. Robert! She could not believe how much she suddenly wished he were there. The guards exchanged puzzled looks. One took a radio off his belt. â€Å"Mr. Langdon? You are on channel three. The commander is waiting to hear from you on channel one.† â€Å"I know he’s on channel one, damn it! I don’t want to speak to him. I want the camerlegno. Now! Somebody find him for me.† In the obscurity of the Secret Archives, Langdon stood amidst shattered glass and tried to catch his breath. He felt a warm liquid on his left hand and knew he was bleeding. The camerlegno’s voice spoke at once, startling Langdon. â€Å"This is Camerlegno Ventresca. What’s going on?† Langdon pressed the button, his heart still pounding. â€Å"I think somebody just tried to kill me!† There was a silence on the line. Langdon tried to calm himself. â€Å"I also know where the next killing is going to be.† The voice that came back was not the camerlegno’s. It was Commander Olivetti’s: â€Å"Mr. Langdon. Do not speak another word.† 87 Langdon’s watch, now smeared with blood, read 9:41 P.M. as he ran across the Courtyard of the Belvedere and approached the fountain outside the Swiss Guard security center. His hand had stopped bleeding and now felt worse than it looked. As he arrived, it seemed everyone convened at once – Olivetti, Rocher, the camerlegno, Vittoria, and a handful of guards. Vittoria hurried toward him immediately. â€Å"Robert, you’re hurt.† Before Langdon could answer, Olivetti was before him. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, I’m relieved you’re okay. I’m sorry about the crossed signals in the archives.† â€Å"Crossed signals?† Langdon demanded. â€Å"You knew damn well – â€Å" â€Å"It was my fault,† Rocher said, stepping forward, sounding contrite. â€Å"I had no idea you were in the archives. Portions of our white zones are cross-wired with that building. We were extending our search. I’m the one who killed power. If I had known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria said, taking his wounded hand in hers and looking it over, â€Å"the Pope was poisoned. The Illuminati killed him.† Langdon heard the words, but they barely registered. He was saturated. All he could feel was the warmth of Vittoria’s hands. The camerlegno pulled a silk handkerchief from his cassock and handed it to Langdon so he could clean himself. The man said nothing. His green eyes seemed filled with a new fire. â€Å"Robert,† Vittoria pressed, â€Å"you said you found where the next cardinal is going to be killed?† Langdon felt flighty. â€Å"I do, it’s at the – â€Å" â€Å"No,† Olivetti interrupted. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, when I asked you not to speak another word on the walkie-talkie, it was for a reason.† He turned to the handful of assembled Swiss Guards. â€Å"Excuse us, gentlemen.† The soldiers disappeared into the security center. No indignity. Only compliance. Olivetti turned back to the remaining group. â€Å"As much as it pains me to say this, the murder of our Pope is an act that could only have been accomplished with help from within these walls. For the good of all, we can trust no one. Including our guards.† He seemed to be suffering as he spoke the words. Rocher looked anxious. â€Å"Inside collusion implies – â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† Olivetti said. â€Å"The integrity of your search is compromised. And yet it is a gamble we must take. Keep looking.† Rocher looked like he was about to say something, thought better of it, and left. The camerlegno inhaled deeply. He had not said a word yet, and Langdon sensed a new rigor in the man, as if a turning point had been reached. â€Å"Commander?† The camerlegno’s tone was impermeable. â€Å"I am going to break conclave.† Olivetti pursed his lips, looking dour. â€Å"I advise against it. We still have two hours and twenty minutes.† â€Å"A heartbeat.† Olivetti’s tone was now challenging â€Å"What do you intend to do? Evacuate the cardinals single-handedly?† â€Å"I intend to save this church with whatever power God has given me. How I proceed is no longer your concern.† Olivetti straightened. â€Å"Whatever you intend to do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"I do not have the authority to restrain you. Particularly in light of my apparent failure as head of security. I ask only that you wait. Wait twenty minutes†¦ until after ten o’clock. If Mr. Langdon’s information is correct, I may still have a chance to catch this assassin. There is still a chance to preserve protocol and decorum.† â€Å"Decorum?† The camerlegno let out a choked laugh. â€Å"We have long since passed propriety, commander. In case you hadn’t noticed, this is war.† A guard emerged from the security center and called out to the camerlegno, â€Å"Signore, I just got word we have detained the BBC reporter, Mr. Glick.† The camerlegno nodded. â€Å"Have both he and his camerawoman meet me outside the Sistine Chapel.† Olivetti’s eyes widened. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Twenty minutes, commander. That’s all I’m giving you.† Then he was gone. When Olivetti’s Alpha Romeo tore out of Vatican City, this time there was no line of unmarked cars following him. In the back seat, Vittoria bandaged Langdon’s hand with a first-aid kit she’d found in the glove box. Olivetti stared straight ahead. â€Å"Okay, Mr. Langdon. Where are we going?† 88 Even with its siren now affixed and blaring, Olivetti’s Alpha Romeo seemed to go unnoticed as it rocketed across the bridge into the heart of old Rome. All the traffic was moving in the other direction, toward the Vatican, as if the Holy See had suddenly become the hottest entertainment in Rome. Langdon sat in the backseat, the questions whipping through his mind. He wondered about the killer, if they would catch him this time, if he would tell them what they needed to know, if it was already too late. How long before the camerlegno told the crowd in St. Peter’s Square they were in danger? The incident in the vault still nagged. A mistake. Olivetti never touched the brakes as he snaked the howling Alpha Romeo toward the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. Langdon knew on any other day his knuckles would have been white. At the moment, however, he felt anesthetized. Only the throbbing in his hand reminded him where he was. Overhead, the siren wailed. Nothing like telling him we’re coming, Langdon thought. And yet they were making incredible time. He guessed Olivetti would kill the siren as they drew nearer. Now with a moment to sit and reflect, Langdon felt a tinge of amazement as the news of the Pope’s murder finally registered in his mind. The thought was inconceivable, and yet somehow it seemed a perfectly logical event. Infiltration had always been the Illuminati powerbase – rearrangements of power from within. And it was not as if Popes had never been murdered. Countless rumors of treachery abounded, although with no autopsy, none was ever confirmed. Until recently. Academics not long ago had gotten permission to X-ray the tomb of Pope Celestine V, who had allegedly died at the hands of his overeager successor, Boniface VIII. The researchers had hoped the X-ray might reveal some small hint of foul play – a broken bone perhaps. Incredibly, the X-ray had revealed a ten-inch nail driven into the Pope’s skull. Langdon now recalled a series of news clippings fellow Illuminati buffs had sent him years ago. At first he had thought the clippings were a prank, so he’d gone to the Harvard microfiche collection to confirm the articles were authentic. Incredibly, they were. He now kept them on his bulletin board as examples of how even respectable news organizations sometimes got carried away with Illuminati paranoia. Suddenly, the media’s suspicions seemed a lot less paranoid. Langdon could see the articles clearly in his mind†¦ The British Broadcasting Corporation June 14, 1998 Pope John Paul I, who died in 1978, fell victim to a plot by the P2 Masonic Lodge†¦ The secret society P2 decided to murder John Paul I when it saw he was determined to dismiss the American Archbishop Paul Marcinkus as President of the Vatican Bank. The Bank had been implicated in shady financial deals with the Masonic Lodge†¦ The New York Times August 24, 1998 Why was the late John Paul I wearing his day shirt in bed? Why was it torn? The questions don’t stop there. No medical investigations were made. Cardinal Villot forbade an autopsy on the grounds that no Pope was ever given a postmortem. And John Paul’s medicines mysteriously vanished from his bedside, as did his glasses, slippers and his last will and testament. London Daily Mail August 27, 1998 †¦ a plot including a powerful, ruthless and illegal Masonic lodge with tentacles stretching into the Vatican. The cellular in Vittoria’s pocket rang, thankfully erasing the memories from Langdon’s mind. Vittoria answered, looking confused as to who might be calling her. Even from a few feet away, Langdon recognized the laserlike voice on the phone. â€Å"Vittoria? This is Maximilian Kohler. Have you found the antimatter yet?† â€Å"Max? You’re okay?† â€Å"I saw the news. There was no mention of CERN or the antimatter. This is good. What is happening?† â€Å"We haven’t located the canister yet. The situation is complex. Robert Langdon has been quite an asset. We have a lead on catching the man assassinating cardinals. Right now we are headed – â€Å" â€Å"Ms. Vetra,† Olivetti interrupted. â€Å"You’ve said enough.† She covered the receiver, clearly annoyed. â€Å"Commander, this is the president of CERN. Certainly he has a right to – â€Å" â€Å"He has a right,† Olivetti snapped, â€Å"to be here handling this situation. You’re on an open cellular line. You’ve said enough.† Vittoria took a deep breath. â€Å"Max?† â€Å"I may have some information for you,† Max said. â€Å"About your father†¦ I may know who he told about the antimatter.† Vittoria’s expression clouded. â€Å"Max, my father said he told no one.† â€Å"I’m afraid, Vittoria, your father did tell someone. I need to check some security records. I will be in touch soon.† The line went dead. Vittoria looked waxen as she returned the phone to her pocket. â€Å"You okay?† Langdon asked. Vittoria nodded, her trembling fingers revealing the lie. â€Å"The church is on Piazza Barberini,† Olivetti said, killing the siren and checking his watch. â€Å"We have nine minutes.† When Langdon had first realized the location of the third marker, the position of the church had rung some distant bell for him. Piazza Barberini. Something about the name was familiar†¦ something he could not place. Now Langdon realized what it was. The piazza was the sight of a controversial subway stop. Twenty years ago, construction of the subway terminal had created a stir among art historians who feared digging beneath Piazza Barberini might topple the multiton obelisk that stood in the center. City planners had removed the obelisk and replaced it with a small fountain called the Triton. In Bernini’s day, Langdon now realized, Piazza Barberini had contained an obelisk! Whatever doubts Langdon had felt that this was the location of the third marker now totally evaporated. A block from the piazza, Olivetti turned into an alley, gunned the car halfway down, and skidded to a stop. He pulled off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and loaded his weapon. â€Å"We can’t risk your being recognized,† he said. â€Å"You two were on television. I want you across the piazza, out of sight, watching the front entrance. I’m going in the back.† He produced a familiar pistol and handed it to Langdon. â€Å"Just in case.† Langdon frowned. It was the second time today he had been handed the gun. He slid it into his breast pocket. As he did, he realized he was still carrying the folio from Diagramma. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten to leave it behind. He pictured the Vatican Curator collapsing in spasms of outrage at the thought of this priceless artifact being packed around Rome like some tourist map. Then Langdon thought of the mess of shattered glass and strewn documents that he’d left behind in the archives. The curator had other problems. If the archives even survive the night†¦ Olivetti got out of the car and motioned back up the alley. â€Å"The piazza is that way. Keep your eyes open and don’t let yourselves be seen.† He tapped the phone on his belt. â€Å"Ms. Vetra, let’s retest our auto dial.† Vittoria removed her phone and hit the auto dial number she and Olivetti had programmed at the Pantheon. Olivetti’s phone vibrated in silent-ring mode on his belt. The commander nodded. â€Å"Good. If you see anything, I want to know.† He cocked his weapon. â€Å"I’ll be inside waiting. This heathen is mine.† At that moment, very nearby, another cellular phone was ringing. The Hassassin answered. â€Å"Speak.† â€Å"It is I,† the voice said. â€Å"Janus.† The Hassassin smiled. â€Å"Hello, master.† â€Å"Your position may be known. Someone is coming to stop you.† â€Å"They are too late. I have already made the arrangements here.† â€Å"Good. Make sure you escape alive. There is work yet to be done.† â€Å"Those who stand in my way will die.† â€Å"Those who stand in your way are knowledgeable.† â€Å"You speak of an American scholar?† â€Å"You are aware of him?† The Hassassin chuckled. â€Å"Cool-tempered but naive. He spoke to me on the phone earlier. He is with a female who seems quite the opposite.† The killer felt a stirring of arousal as he recalled the fiery temperament of Leonardo Vetra’s daughter. There was a momentary silence on the line, the first hesitation the Hassassin had ever sensed from his Illuminati master. Finally, Janus spoke. â€Å"Eliminate them if need be.† The killer smiled. â€Å"Consider it done.† He felt a warm anticipation spreading through his body. Although the woman I may keep as a prize. How to cite Angels Demons Chapter 86-88, Essay examples

Sustainability of Tourism in South Africa free essay sample

Sustainable tourism development aims to manage the negative impacts of the industry while developing local communities both economically and socially (UNEP, 2005). Sustainable tourism originally referred to preventing environmental damage from tourism, however, it is now aimed at a variety of different developmental activities related to the tourism industry. Tourism, when left unmanaged, may have adverse effects on a local community environmentally and economically; this may include soil erosion and soil/air pollution due to the pressures of infrastructure to develop a location into a tourist destination. Increased CO2 emissions due to air travel and water pollution are some of the negative impacts of developing tourism that may impact the locals living in the area (UNEP). Tourism may also stimulate price inflation due to fierce competitive economic environment that causes the cost of land and labor to increase (Cooper amp; Gilbert, 2008). Socio-culturally, tourism may cause a â€Å"commercialization† of a destinations’ local culture, reducing religious traditions, festivals and local cultures to conform to tourist expectations, causing what is known as â€Å"reconstructed ethnicity† (Grunewald, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainability of Tourism in South Africa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Two approaches may be applied when developing a long-term plan for sustainable tourism development; one is a proactive approach, that aims at analyzing all the factors attributable to a local community, such as the structure and limitations of a local economy and any external factors that may play into effect. The other approach is of a reactive nature, following the theory that there are too many factors affecting a local community to all be taken into consideration when developing a long term plan, therefore any schemes are developed in order to cover all possible factors that may arise. (Cooper amp; Gilbert, 2008). The subject of sustainable development has caused much academic debate between scholars, with some arguing that it is a vague and loosely used term that does not cover the key issues related to sustainability in tourism. Due to the widely interpretable nature of the concept of sustainable tourism, critics speculate that the whole idea is merely a marketing ploy (Lansing amp; De Vries, 2007). It is argued that a sustainable level of tourism is not a measurable factor, therefore rendering â€Å"sustainability† as an ambiguous term in reference to tourism since it remains unclear as to what it is that needs to be sustained and what the appropriate indicators for measuring sustainability are (Liu, 2003). Tourism in South Africa has yet to become a major part of the countries national income. The development of the destination to promote entrepreneurial growth and opportunities requires government initiatives that foster the growth of the tourism industry in the country. The potential for maximizing the positive impact of tourism is tremendous (DEAT, 2002). Currently, South Africa is in the process of transforming the country into a ‘green’ destination through a variety of private sector and government initiatives to promote sustainable tourism in the country. Sustainable tourism plays an import role in maintaining the countries wildlife, an important factor in the destinations attractiveness, and in providing economic benefits to the local community by creating jobs and improving the quality of life. South Africa was a leader in what is known as conservation tourism, through use of nature reserves and game parks. Recently, the South African Government has developed new legislation in promotion of â€Å"green tourism† in the country, not only to benefit visitors to South Africa, but in an effort to improve the lives of the locals. An example of this is the Madikwe Game Reserve in the North West of the country, a project aimed at creating jobs and enriching conservation efforts (Madikwe Game Reserve). South Africa also went on to extend the label of Fair Trade products to tourism products; encompassing accommodation and a variety of tourist activities, such as adventure packages and bicycle tours (Fair Trade Tourism). Another initiative to promote sustainable tourism, in relation to the environment, is the Food and Trees for Africa program, which allows visitors to the country to calculate the carbon foot print produced by their travel to South Africa, and donate a corresponding amount to plant fruit trees or indigenous trees nearby schools, clinics and impoverished areas (Food and Trees for Africa). Other initiatives to promote responsible tourism in South Africa include a program by the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) to protect the countries sea life. This is done through informing visitors of seafood restaurants whether a species is endangered or not by providing them with the opportunity of sending an SMS to the initiative of their menu choice, a response is then received indicating whether the item they have chosen is ‘green’, ‘orange’ (endangered but legal) or ‘red’ (endangered and not legal to eat) (SASSI). Such initiatives allow tourists to take an active role in the protection of their destination and promote a sense of responsibility among visitors.

The American Dream 2 Essay Research Paper free essay sample

The American Dream 2 Essay, Research Paper Thomas Jefferson described the American Dream as life, autonomy, and the chase of felicity. Every individual has a dream and in the three short narratives, The Catbird Seat by James Thurber, Winter Dream by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, the subject is one common American Dream: felicity. The hunt for felicity is found in The Catbird Seat when the chief character Erwin Martin plays an luxuriant stunt to salvage his occupation and dispose of a annoying colleague. In Winter Dreams the effort to happen felicity is found in Dexter Green s attempt to woe Judy Jones, a immature flirtatious adult female of the upper category who is out of his conference. Emily Grierson the chief character of A Rose for Emily was a lady of high position every bit good, but she had an overprotective male parent whom felt she was excessively good for any of the work forces in their town. We will write a custom essay sample on The American Dream 2 Essay Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When her male parent dies, she mets a adult male and fails in her effort to happen happiness with him. In all three of these narratives the chief characters will fight to carry through their American Dreams. The chief character of James Thurber s The Catbird Seat, Mr. Erwin Martin, is best described in his foreman s, Mr. Fitwieler s, words Man is fallible, Martin International Relations and Security Network t. ( Pg.602 ) . Mr. Martin is a perfectionist, who has a set agenda he follows mundane, and he enjoys his life that manner. Then a fellow colleague named Mrs. Ulgine Barrows disrupts his felicity. Mrs. Barrows is hired two old ages before and was invariably harassing Mr. Martin with raging expressions such as Are you rupturing up the pea spot? ( Pg. 602 ) and Are you sitting in the Catbird place? ( Pg. 602 ) For about two old ages [ she ] baited him. In the halls, in the lift, even in his ain office ( Pg. 602 ) It had driven Mr. Martin near to distraction from his perfected ways. When Mr. Martin discovers she is be aftering to reorganise his section, he decides to rub [ her ] out ( Pg. 601 ) . He so executes his secret plan in which he would carry through his American Dream. He follow s his everyday as usual but after him dinner, he walked to Mrs. Barrows place. He arrives unnoticed and Mrs. Barrows lets him indoors. He sits down, and pulls out a coffin nail, from which he bought a battalion a few yearss earlier. He drank the score Mrs. Barrows pours for him and told her he is traveling to acquire coked to the gills ( Pg. 605 ) and kill their employer, Mr. Fitweiler. This was really uneven behaviour for Mr. Martin because it was good known that he neither drank nor smoke-cured ( Pg. 603 ) . Mrs. Barrows kicks him out of her house and he returns place. The undermentioned twenty-four hours at work Mrs. Barrows came in early and warned Mr. Fitweiler about what had occurred the old dark and he doesn t believe her. Alternatively, Mr. Fitweiler thinks she is insane and fires her. Mr. Martin would carry through his American Dream by happening felicity one time once more. Unlike Mr. Martin, the chief character of F. Scott Fitzgerald s narrative Winter Dreams, Dexter Green neer achieves the felicity he reaches for. Dexter Green is a 14-year-old male child working at a golf class as a caddy, when he meets an 11-year-old miss named J udy Jones. Dexter is instantly attracted to her. After that twenty-four hours of caddiing for her, he could non halt thought of her. A few old ages subsequently Dexter meets her once more and she invites him to a picnic supper ( Pg. 617 ) . Before traveling to the field day supper she tells him I think I m in love with you. She finally leaves the field day with another adult male. Dexter became tremendously upset and was barely able to be decently civil to the other people present. ( Pg. 617 ) After fighting with the hurting Judy had brought, he subsequently engages Irene Shires. Then he meets Judy at a party, and she says, I wish you d get married me ( Pg. 621 ) . Dexter so breaks his battle with Irene and engages Judy. After non excessively long Judy terminates their battle stating that she did non desire to take him off from Irene. ( Pg. 622 ) He becomes really disquieted and his American Dream would neer be accomplished. In William Faulkner s short narrative A Rose for Emily, Emily Grierson s American Dream is to happen felicity and love. She yearns for felicity, because her male parent is really authoritarian and neer truly shows her love. He is a baronial adult male in the community of their little town and believes she is excessively good for any of the hapless townsman. The town s people frequently think, she carried her caput [ excessively ] high ( Pg. 512 ) significance she is clannish. After her male parent dies, she is left with nil but the house. The townsfolk said they remember all the immature work forces her male parent had driven away ( Pg. 512 ) and they know she has nil left. Old ages subsequently she meets a adult male named Homer Barron and the townsfolk began to see him and Emily on Sunday Afternoons # 8230 ; ( Pg. 512 ) together. Not to long after run intoing Homer, Emily asks him to get married her. Homer tells her he is non the marrying type. ( Pg. 513 ) She becomes so disquiete d that she decides if he is no traveling to get married her now, she is traveling to do certain he still comforts her. So she buys arsenic from the drug shop and all the townspeople think, she will kill herself ( Pg. 513 ) . After she kills Homer with the arsenous anhydride, she leaves his organic structure in bed and frequently lays following to it. She dies a long clip subsequently as an old, lonely adult female, go forthing her American Dream unfulfilled. In The Catbird Seat by James Thurber, Winter Dreams by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, all three chief characters struggle in their effort to carry through their American Dream. Although merely Mr. Martin of The Catbird Seat finds felicity, they all try to do better for themselves what they can. In The Catbird Seat, the writer portraits Mr. Martin s American Dream by demoing us the mental trouble Mr. Martin goes through everyday at work and how he works to alter that for himself. Dexter Green s American Dream is shown to us by the writer s descriptive usage of the emotional agony, that Dexter must travel through. Emily Greirson neer received the true love she desired, but the writer shows utilize how much she wants love when she kills Homer, so that she can be with him dark and twenty-four hours. Most Americans can t carry through their American Dreams, but merely like the characters in these narratives, they try every bit hard as they can.

population and food essays

population and food essays  ¡The United Nations projects that the global population, currently at 6 billion, will peak at about 10 billion in the next century and then stabilize or even decline. ¡(popindex.Princeton.edu) A question immediately following the statement, can the Earth feed that many people? It is understood that even if food crops increase sufficiently, other renewable resources, including many fisheries and forests, are already under pressure.  ¡Our food production doubled from 1961 to 1994, but there are still people who go hungry. ¡ (popindex.Princeton.edu) This is because the human population has increased more rapidly than the food production. One of the well-known economists Thomas Robert Malthus claimed that there was an imbalance between population growth and our ability to produce food. In his famous work, An Essay on the Principle of Population, his principle of population was based on three main points: population cannot increase without the means of subsistence; population inv ariable increases when the means of subsistence are available; and the superior power of population cannot be checked without producing misery or vice. When taking into account Malthus ¡s principle of population it is evident that his fundamental analysis of population has been proven right. Since the earth ¡s resources are finite, when human population increases, it affects human beings. Will there be a problem if population keeps increasing? Rapid population growth and the technical development of society have led to difficulties for farmers worldwide to maintain this dual compatibility. In fact, today farmers face demands for a high productivity as well as environmentally sound, sustainable farming practices. Some economists believe human beings have the ability to produce enough food to feed all the people in the world, but according to Malthus ¡s theory, this cannot happen. When the number of people keeps increasing while the amount of available ...

Nothosaurus - Facts and Figures

Nothosaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Nothosaurus (Greek for false lizard); pronounced NO-tho-SORE-us Habitat: Oceans worldwide Historical Period: Triassic (250-200 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 10 feet long and 150-200 pounds Diet: Fish and crustaceans Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, tapered body; narrow head with numerous teeth; semi-aquatic lifestyle About Nothosaurus With its webbed front and back feet, flexible knees and ankles, and long neck and tapered bodynot to mention its numerous teethNothosaurus was a formidable marine reptile that prospered across the nearly 50 million years of the Triassic period. Because it bears a superficial resemblance to modern seals, paleontologists speculate that Nothosaurus may have spent at least some of its time on land; its clear that this vertebrate breathed air, as evidenced by the two nostrils on the top end of its snout, and although it was undoubtedly a sleek swimmer, it wasnt as well adapted to a full-time aquatic lifestyle as later pliosaurs and plesiosaurs like Cryptoclidus and Elasmosaurus. (Nothosaurus is the best known of the family of marine reptiles known as nothosaurs; another well-attested genus is Lariosaurus.) Although its not widely known to the general public, Nothosaurus is one of the most important marine reptiles in the fossil record. There are over a dozen named species of this deep-sea predator, ranging from the type species (N. mirabilis, erected in 1834) to N. zhangi, erected in 2014, and it apparently had a worldwide distribution during the Triassic period, with fossil specimens discovered as far afield as western Europe, northern Africa and eastern Asia. There is also speculation that Nothosaurus, or a closely related genus of nothosaur, was the distant ancestor of the giant plesiosaurs Liopleurodon and Cryptoclidus, which were an order of magnitude bigger and more dangerous!

Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Theories of Learning Essay

Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Theories of Learning - Essay Example Learning has always played an important role in the lives of human beings. It is only because of learning that human kind is able to enter the recent boosting of technological development. For learning, human kind has always developed certain methodologies and learning theories that can be employed for successful learning. The learning theories that are quite well known are behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism. Learning can be assessed by the transformation of a person, which is considered by all the above mentioned theories. The learning theories of behaviorism, constructivism and cognitivism regard knowledge as acquirable and identify various ways with the help of which, a person is able to learn in this world. This paper takes into consideration the critical features of behavioral, constructivist and cognitive theories of learning. According to the learning theory of behaviorism, the knowledge that a person keeps or attains by means of experience or rationality can be assessed by means of change of behavior (Gredler, 2005). When a person attains knowledge, his/her behavior changes with the acquisition of knowledge. The behaviorism philosophy can be defined as a philosophy that deals with the transformation of behavior as an indication of learning (Vaill, 1996). Therefore, in behaviorism learning theory deals with the transformation of behavior of an individual as a sign of his/her learning. Learning theory of behaviorism regards learning as wholly external. The behaviorist theory of teaching is more concerned to theoretical knowledge and the teacher divides the learning tasks into chunks and then instructs the students to learn the divided tasks one by one (Vaill, 1996). The teachers’ skills are needed in terms of direct teaching in the behaviorist theory. The students are not only taught but they are also asked to do practice that

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

Malaria - Research Paper Example There are several devastations wrought by the disease itself. As a result of that fact, malaria in most cases gets the blame for fevers arising from other infections. In addition, malaria interferes with the treatment of other non malarial infections thereby; resulting into higher death rates from the other causes. Without forgetting, malaria has an enormous impact on the economy of most African countries. It slows down economic growth by 1% in African countries hence causing more than $ 1000 annually in per capita GDP. In 1970, 24 countries in the world had eliminated malaria completely. However, there were several countries in the other parts of the world especially; Africa had most of the countries. Malaria is an infection that caused by one of the four species of a parasite known as plasmodium. The four species include; Plasmodium vivax, P. falciparum, P. ovale, and P. malariae (Greenwood & Mutabinghwa 671). Transmission of the disease from one person to the other then occurs thr ough the bite of an anopheles mosquito (David 1). Plasmodium enters the bloodstream of another individual only if the anopheles that bit him or her had previously bit a person who had malaria. Once the plasmodium finds its way into the bloodstream, it travels to the liver. This is the main part of the human body where plasmodium gets an opportunity to multiply rapidly. In a short period of a fortnight, thousands of plasmodia get back into the bloodstream. They then damage oxygen-carrying red blood cells hence resulting into anemia and high fever. After maturity of the disease causing microorganisms in the red blood cells, they rapture the cells and find their way back into the bloodstream. Damaged blood cells form small clumps that block blood vessels hence causing either kidney or brain damage. One of the species of plasmodium causes a detrimental infection known as falciparum malaria. This infection causes fatal blood vessels damage. Signs and symptoms of malaria sometimes seem to be vague. However, it is an undisputable reasoning that fever is one of the most conspicuous signs the disease. Other symptoms given consideration for include; increased sweating, headache, abdominal cramps, fatigue, dizziness, dry cough, joint pains, chills, pain from the back, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, cough, and diarrhea (Marcus & Alcamo & Heymann 46). If plasmodium falciparum does not get immediate treatment, it can result into a coma, pulmonary edema, and failure of the renal and even death. Despite the symptoms, physicians advocate for malarial diagnosis for those people who have the named symptoms. The symptoms do occur on the third day or any other day in the calendar. Fever in malaria normally develops remarkably early in the patients. There are numerous procedures used in the diagnosis of malaria the most common one being clinical diagnosis. Despite the fact that reliable diagnosis cannot be obtained on the basis of signs and symptoms alone, clinical diagnosis of malaria is much practiced in most malarial areas. In malarial endemic world, trained health care personnel and necessary facilities are inadequate. This therefore, means that the presumptive clinical diagnosis is one of the most realistic options. It is therefore, the commonest approach in the context of complex emergencies. This method offers the merits of speed, ease, and low costs. In areas that are common with malaria, clinical diagnosis ends up treating all patients with fever and other common malaria

Theme Parks Essay Example for Free

Theme Parks Essay Domestic an International Tourism Economy, 303 Mihai Bravu Street, bl 18 A, sc B, ap 54, sector3, Bucharest, Email: [emailprotected] com, Phone 0744. 671. 291 Strutzen Gina 14 Alexandru Ioan Cuza Street, Voluntari, Ilfov, Email: [emailprotected] com, Phone: 0723. 212. 300, Romanian American Univerity, Faculty of Domestic an International Tourism Economy Theme parks are star players in the tourism industry, and play a special and important role in generating tourism demand. Theme parks are the main motivators for tourism trips to many destinations and core elements of the tourism product. Domestic an International Tourism Economy, 303 Mihai Bravu Street, bl 18 A, sc B, ap 54, sector3, Bucharest, Email: [emailprotected] com, Phone 0744. 671. 291 Strutzen Gina 14 Alexandru Ioan Cuza Street, Voluntari, Ilfov, Email: [emailprotected] com, Phone: 0723. 212. 300, Romanian American Univerity, Faculty of Domestic an International Tourism Economy Theme parks are star players in the tourism industry, and play a special and important role in generating tourism demand. Theme parks are the main motivators for tourism trips to many destinations and core elements of the tourism product. Competition in the theme park market is growing also in terms of an increasing number of parks, but also relative to other uses of leisure. But in different areas, the theme park market in seems to be reaching its saturation point and the parks have to cater for visitors who are getting more and more experienced and demanding. Given these trends of growing theme park supply, environmental constraints and increasingly discriminating consumer demand, it can be concluded that theme parks, to survive in this competitive market, must optimize is, given an ever increasing number of parks and future trend of consumer behavior. Keywords: tourism, theme parks, development The theme park concept In general, theme parks can be defined as a subset of visitor attractions. Visitor attractions are described as permanent resources which are designed, controlled and managed for the enjoyment, amusement, entertainment, and education of the visiting public There are the main types of managed attractions for visitors: ancient monuments; historic buildings; parks and gardens; theme parks; wildlife attractions; museums; art galleries; industrial archeology sites; themed retail sites; amusement and leisure parks. Another definition of visitor attractions is regarded by specialists as â€Å"single units, individual sites or clearly defined small-scale geographical areas that are accessible and motivate large numbers of people to travel some distance from their home, usually in their leisure time, to visit them for a short, limited period of time†. Although this definition excludes uncontrollable and unmanageable phenomena the definition does imply that attractions are entities that are capable of being delimited and managed. The adepts of this definition consider four main types of attractions: features within the natural environment (beaches, caves, forests); man-made buildings, structures and sites that were designed for a purpose; other than attracting visitors (churches, archeological sites); man-made buildings, structures and sites that were designed to attract visitors and were purposely built to accommodate their needs, such as theme parks (theme parks, museums, waterfront developments); special events (sporting events, markets). These four types are distinguished by two aspects. Firstly, the first three types are generally permanent attractions, while the last category covers attractions that are temporary. Second, tourism is often seen as a threat to the first two types, and is generally perceived to be beneficial and an opportunity for the last two types. Managers of the first two types of attractions in general deal with problems caused by visitors, such as environmental damages and pollution, while managers of the other two types tend to aim to attract tourists, increase visitor numbers, and maximize economic input. The main features that distinguish theme parks from other kinds of visitor attractions are: †¢ a single pay-one-price admission; †¢ charge; †¢ the fact that they are mostly artificially created; †¢ the requirement of high capital investments. Theme parks attempt to create an atmosphere of another place and time, and usually emphasize one dominant theme around which architecture, landscape, rides, shows, food services, costumed personnel, retailing are 635 orchestrated. In this definition, the concept of themes is crucial to the operation of the parks, with rides, entertainment, and food all used to create several different environments. Examples of types of themes used in contemporary theme parks include history-periods, fairy tails, animals, water, marine and futurism. These themes are used to create and sustain a feeling of life involvement in a setting completely removed from daily experience. Most theme parks are isolated, self contained units. Furthermore, it needs to be noted that most theme parks are developed, targeted and managed as private sector companies, and are commercial enterprises. The world’s best known theme parks arguably are the Disney parks, such as Disneyland, Disneyworld and Euro Disney. The amusement parks, appeared previous the theme park concept, which were developed at the turn of this century and consisted of a mixture of entertainment, rides, games, and tests of skill provided at fairs, carnivals, circuses, and frequently they had an outdoor garden for drinking. Amusement parks were an important element of mass tourism in the pre-depression period. However, the World War II has strongly influenced the decline of the traditional amusement park. Many parks were forced to close down permanently, while others survived, on a reduced scale, into the 1950s or even beyond. Since the end of World War II the number and range of theme parks available to consumers has multiplied dramatically. The rise of car-ownership has increased mobility and allowed people to visit more isolated parks in their own countries that were previously inaccessible. Rising affluence has increased the amount of free time. Also, longer weekends and increased paid holidays have helped to stimulate the expansion in theme park visits. Furthermore, the growth of tourism in the past fifty years and the recognition of the economic benefits of tourism have led to the growth of purpose-built attractions, such as theme parks, specifically designed to attract tourists, and to encourage them to spend their money. Disney was the first to introduce a special and new style of parks around a number of themes or unifying ideas to sanitize the amusement park for the middle classes. The modern day techniques for reproducing landscape, buildings, and arte facts can create a reality in theme parks that has been previously the preserve of film and theatre. Through changes in transportation technology and social attitudes, downtown industrial and residential land has become redundant. For example, historic buildings are often inaccessible to the new scale of road, and historic buildings worthy of conservation are not always adaptable to new business practice. The current interest in urban space for leisure and the use of leisure as a generator for adaptation and renewal is significant. In marketing urban locations for new investment the quality of life is becoming identified with the quality of the leisure environment. During the 80’s and 90’s, theme parks began spreading around the world. While many developing nations are experiencing the entertainment of theme parks for the first time, the theme park growth slowed in the USA due to escalating costs and a lack of markets large enough to support a theme park. The development of theme parks over time has been different in every country, reflecting differences in a number of factors including: the level of economic development and the distribution of wealth; the transport system; the natural environment and built heritage; the national culture; the degree to which tourism is a matter of incoming foreign visitors rather than domestic demand. The tourism general environment of the theme parks The theme park and its total tourism environment need to be a place in which the entire array of physical features and services are provided for an assumed capacity of visitors. The tourism supply and demand market is the two sides that require close examination for theme park planning. Insight in market developments is necessary for taking a longer term perspective in theme park planning. The economic environment of theme parks The planning efforts of theme park are mostly directed towards improving the economy, because the economic impact of theme parks is generally positive including: increased direct and indirect employment, income and foreign exchange; improved transportation facilities and other infrastructure for tourism that residents also can 636 utilize; generation of government revenues for improvement of community facilities and services; the multiplier effect within the local and regional economy. Although improving the economy is an important goal, it will not be achieved unless planning for the economy is accompanied by three other goals, enhanced visitor satisfaction, protected resource assets, and integration with community social and economic life. For example, some theme parks use imported goods and services instead of taking advantage of locally available resources. Also, tourism can cause inflation of local prices of land, goods and services. The socio-cultural environment of theme parks The impact of theme park operations can bring both benefits and problems to the local society and its cultural patterns. A theme park in an area generates contact between residents and visitors. This can be problematic in areas where the traditional cultural pattern of the residents differs extremely from that of the visitors of a park. Also, when there is a substantial socioeconomic difference between the visitors and the residents this may cause a problem. For example, problems may include over crowding of facilities and transportation, over commercialization, misunderstandings and conflicts between residents and visitors because of differences in languages, customs, and value systems, and violation of local dress and behavior codes. Theme parks especially have peak attendance figures, and therefore the concentration of visitors in space and time is a major problem. On the other hand, tourism in an area may improve the living standards of people and help pay for improvements to community facilities and services if the economic benefits of tourism are well distributed. The psychically environment of theme parks Theme parks’ environmental impact is mostly negative and a cause for concern. As theme parks have been designed specifically to accommodate the modern visitor, the environmental impact of theme parks can include visual pollution like unattractive buildings and structures, and large unattractive car parks. The space occupation of parks is enormous and mostly involves destruction of parts of the natural environment. Other environmental problems are air and water pollution, noise, vehicular and pedestrian congestion, and land use incompatibility. Therefore, an essential element of theme park planning is determining the carrying capacities or use saturation levels of the area. The transportation of the theme parks Passenger transportation is a vital component of the theme park system. Theme parks have a relationship with transport systems in a number of ways: The transport networks make theme parks physically accessible to potential visitors and therefore are an important factor in determining the number of visitors a theme park is likely to attract. The e existence of major theme parks and attractions leads to the development of new public transport services to meet the demand of visitors. The transport is also important within destinations to make travel between theme parks and attractions and between attractions and services as easy as possible. The modes of transport can often be an attraction in themselves with passengers being encouraged to see using them as a type of special event. The novel methods of on-site transport are used to move visitors around the theme park in ways that will add to the enjoyment of their visit. The planning of inter modal transportation centers is needed for domestic local, as well as outside, visitor markets. The infrastructure of theme parks In addition to transportation facilities, other infrastructure elements include water supply, electric power, waste disposal, and telecommunications. These components are usually planned by the public sector. Even though private and independent decision making are valued highly by most enterprises in all tourism sectors, each will gain by better understanding the trends and plans by others. The public sector can plan for better highways, water supply, waste disposal, when private sector plans for attractions and services are known. Conversely, the private sector can plan and develop more effectively when public sector plans are known. Facilities offered by the theme parks Accommodation, hotels and other tourist facilities, provide services so that tourists can stay overnight during their travels. Other facilities necessary for tourism development include tour and travel operations, restaurants, retail 637 outlets, souvenir shops, financial facilities and services, tourist information offices, public safety facilities and services of police and fire protection. A theme park and its environment need to be planned in such a way that the entire array of physical features and services is provided for an assumed capacity of visitors. It is important in planning the services businesses to realize that they gain from clustering. Food services, lodging, and supplementary services must be grouped together and within reasonable time and distance reach for the visitor. The institutional environment The institutional elements need to be considered in planning the theme park environment. From national to local governing levels, statutory requirements may stimulate or hinder tourism development. For example, policies on infrastructure may favor one area over another. Also, the administrative laws and regulations can influence the amount and quality of tourism development in a particular area. Policies of the many departments and bureaus can greatly influence how human, physical and cultural resources are applied. The development of theme parks The theme park market worldwide has grown dramatically during the last decades. For example, in the USA (where most of the theme park trends originated), theme parks have more than 200 million paid attendees each year. This strong consumer demand has resulted in the development of many parks. These parks are not only growing rapidly in size and importance, but also are investing substantial amounts in new entertainment and facilities, and extending their services into relatively unexplored areas such as catering and accommodation.. Also, Asia is the theme park market for the new millennium. Even more, several Asian cities, like Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, want to become ‘tourism hubs’, and theme parks are central to these plans. Although in the Asian countries a shift from hopping centers to theme parks can be seen, the opposite can be observed as well indicating a growing role of retailing in existing theme parks. The relationship between merchandising and theme park visits clearly has potential for further growth, and the advantages of stimulating this demand are becoming increasingly recognized by theme park operators. They are racing to obtain more profits out of their rides, activities and exhibits by linking rides to merchandise and placing goods at spots where visitors are most likely to buy, and that is close to the key rides, activities and exhibits The objective is to give people a part of the park to take home and share with others. In Europe most theme parks were built in the last 25 years. First, theme parks were more a Northern Europe phenomenon, but recently, several regions and countries in Southern Europe have supported the growth of theme parks as an attractive option to increase economic input. Due to all these new parks built, the theme park market is saturating. Consequently, the competition in the European theme park market is growing. Not only in terms of the growing number of new other parks, but also due to other uses of leisure time and discretionary expenditure such as home-based entertainment systems. Managers of large theme parks are concerned about the scale of the investments required to add new exciting rides, activities and exhibits to their product. Especially, because a golden rule is that a theme park every year has to expand their park with a new attraction, to attract the required level of visitors European theme parks invest in average twenty percent of their turnover on new or better rides, activities and exhibits. Theme parks challenges The first challenge for theme parks managers is to integrate the elements in the park itself with all the elements defining the theme park environment in the theme park development plan. For example, theme parks cannot function without transportation possibilities to bring the visitor to the park, or food supply or accommodation to support the visitor’s stay. Planning a theme park requires significant public private cooperation. More and more public governments turn to the private sector for the provision of services and the production of new products However, in order for such processes to run smoothly in theme parks, greater understanding of the roles of both sectors is needed. All private sector players on the supply side of the theme park environment such as, attractions, services, transportation, etc., depend greatly on investment, planning and management policies of government. Conversely, governments depend on the private sector for many tourism activities and responsibilities. Therefore, cooperation between the public and private sector is essential. 638 Another characteristic of theme parks is that their demand is highly seasonal. For theme park planners seasonality effects mean that they need to plan the facilities in such a way that whatever season or number of visitors in the park, the visitor experiences in the park are optimal. Also, when demand for rides, activities and facilities fluctuates during the day this can cause problems for the park, such as congestion and time specific peaks at the rides, activities and facilities. For theme park managers, capacity planning and routing is therefore an important task to deal with these problems. For example, to optimize the visitor streams in the park and to minimize waiting times at the activities. Another characteristic is the fact that theme parks face high fixed costs and low variable costs. This means that the costs per visitor in the low season, when there are only few visitors in the park, are much higher than in the high season, especially if the quality of the visitor experience has to be maintained. Furthermore, each year parks require high investments to add new exciting attractions to their product to attract the required level of visitors At the demand side, theme park planners may rely on marketers to actively try and manipulate tourist demand, by price differentiation across seasons, special rates for early bookings and bundling of services and visits over time or with other tourist facilities in the region. Similar to other tourist attractions, theme parks first and foremost provide enjoyment to their customers. This implies that theme park managers face especially strong demands from customers for new and exciting innovations in their services. Special strategies need to be devised to deal with tourist variety seeking. Also typically a diverse number of services within a park is required to promote repeat visits and to cater for different members of visitors groups as seniors and children) and for different segments in the tourist population at large. This has important implications for theme park planning in terms of location and type of activities that should be introduced and supported. Detailed consumer information often is essential to meet these consumers’ requirements. The costumers requirements place special demands on theme park planners in terms of: meeting environmental standards imposed through (inter)national regulations and local communities, by increasing demands in terms of landscaping and design, and financial responsibilities in terms of managing large areas of land which need to be bought, leased or rented depending on the organization’s financial management strategy. Another challenge facing theme park planner is that planning a park requires special skills in terms of combining creative and commercial abilities. Theme park design is crucial in determining the success of a park. In terms of design, several different levels can be distinguished. First, rides, activities and exhibits have to be designed attractively and effectively both in terms of initial appeal and usage. Second, landscaping and urban designs are required to integrate the different single facilities into a whole based on the selected theme for the park. And finally, activities and services need to be arranged that can support and increase consumer experiences of the physical elements in the park. There also are some more general features of the theme park product that are shared with other services and that are a challenge to theme park planning. Meeting consumer demand must be done however without compromising environmental and socio-cultural objectives. Because the theme product is consumed and produced at the same time, the service must be right the first time. Therefore, adequate theme park planning is highly critical for optimizing the delivery of the theme park product to the consumer. The final challenges facing theme park planners are created by the theme park market. There is a growing competition in the theme park market, with an ever increasing number of parks and many parks expanding their activities. Even more so, the tourist demand market is facing demographic changes in the form of agreeing population, economic changes that lead to tighter family time budgets because of an increasing number of double earner households, and the introduction of new technologies such as multimedia entertainment that compete directly with the traditional theme park market. Knowledge of potential market origins, and interests, habits and other travel characteristics of the population is a necessary but not sufficient condition to plan the several components of the supply side. It is important for the parks to know how consumers think, and what makes them visit or not visit attractions, and when they want to visit a park. Also, for theme park planners, an estimate of peak visitor volume is essential to the planning of every feature of the theme park, parking, attractions, exhibits, toilet facilities, tour guidance, food services and souvenir sales. 639 It can be concluded that the challenges theme park planners face ask for planning methods that can integrate the different components in the planning processes within and across various levels of planning. References : 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Clave, Clark, Global theme park industry, Cab International, 2007; Goelder, Ch. , Tourism – principles, practices, philosophies 8th ed. , Edit. John Wiley Sons, SUA, 2000; Wright, Godwin, The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Disney Press, 2005; www. themeparkinsider. com www. amusamentparks. com.

Comparing Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, is a futuristic look at a man and his role in society. Bradbury utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in addition to various occupations and technological advances, to show what life could be like if the future takes a drastic turn for the worse. He turns man's best friend, the dog, against man, changes the role of public servants and changes the value of a person. Aldous Huxley also uses the concept, of society out of control, in his science fiction novel Brave New World, WHICH deals with man in a changed society. Huxley asks his readers to look at the role of science and literature in the future world, scared that it may be rendered useless and discarded. Unlike Bradbury, Huxley includes in his book a group of people unaffected by the changes in society, a group that still has religious beliefs and marriage, things no longer part of the changed society, to compare and contrast today's culture with his proposed futuristic culture.(THIS IS A RUN-ON WHICH NEEDS FIXING!) But one theme that both Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 HAVE IN COMMON is of individual discovery BY refusing to accept a passive approach to life and refusing to conform. In addition, the refusal of various methods of escape from reality is shown AS a path to discovery. In Brave New World the main characters Bernard Marx and the "Savage" boy John come to realize the faults WITHIN their own cultures. In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag begins to discover things could be better in his society, but DUE to some uncontrollable events his discovery happens much faster than it would have. He is forced out on his own, away from society, to live with others like himself who think differently that the society does. Marx, from the civilized culture, seriously questions the lack of history that his society has. He also wonders as to the lack of books, banned because they were old and did not encourage the new culture. By visiting a reservation, home of an "uncivilized" culture of savages, he is able to see first hand something of what life and society use to be like. Afterwards he returns and attempts to incorporate some of what he saw into his work as an advertising agent.

Comparrative Essay of Cooking Programs Essay

â€Å"Nigella Bites† And â€Å"Surfing the Menu† are two cooking programmes that share the same end result of delicious foods, but are very different in the contrasting aspects of social context, form and purpose which all help to reflect the cooking styles and personalities of their hosts. The atmosphere and contents of both shows generally appeal to the audiences of a different social status and/or age group. Set in Britain, the programme â€Å"Nigella Bites† appeals to an audience who belong to more of a winter climate. Each episode is formatted as a very comfortable and inviting home movie, using amateur camera work making it look more personal and family orientated. The show is filmed in Nigella’s own house and kitchen allowing her audience to feel welcomed. Images and visuals of illustrated foods and vibrant pink colours are shown throughout the opening credits with Jazz music engagingly flowing in the background. Many of her episodes begin with the view of a freezing British winter day/night and then follow onto Nigella being in the warmth of her own home. â€Å"Surfing the Menu† is a travelogue formatted programme set in Australia which promotes different towns and locations around the country in each episode. Along with catching/acquiring their own ingredients before cooking their meals, the hosts Curtis Stone and Ben O’Donoghue aka â€Å"Bender† also make sure to interact with the culture of each location they shoot in, making the Programme very relaxed as well as educational to the viewers. The opening credits consist of a range of photo shots and bright colours that go with the themes of the tourism and the outdoors. While the boys are traveling cameras makes sure to capture different angles and views of the scenery, including aerial views of the land around them. The atmosphere for each show is evidently contrasted; â€Å"Nigella Bites† is more of a matured cooking programme compared to the jovial attitude of â€Å"Surfing the Menu†. Both shows have very different exterior climates which appeal to different audiences: Nigella pursues the comforts of the indoor warmth compared to the blistering cold of its winters outside. This tends to attract those who like to spend their time inside during the cold/wet days, such as women and mothers living in a winter climate wanting to create more wholesome and warm meals for their friends and families. Nigella showcases a particular social lifestyle that represents the enjoyment involved in cooking and preparing meals for the ones that are dear to her. â€Å"Surfing the Menu† however attracts, and is more of a target to those who are more outgoing, young and interested in the experience of Australia’s summer cultures. Both international and Australians viewers are drawn in by the advertised beauty of the scenery captured during each episode because of all the multicultural nature and Australian cuisine involved, advertising tourism within the country. Nigella is portrayed as a very family orientated and homely person who always enjoys her food and loves to cook. She has a proper upper-class British accent and speaks in a husky, somewhat seductive voice. Nigella is currently in her late thirties and is seen as very sophisticated to her viewers, usually she cooks on her own but once her meal is cooked and ready she shows her serving and sharing the meals with her children and/or all of her family and friends. The way that she describes her ingredients and recipes along with the terminology she uses such as â€Å"stunning†, â€Å"simply beautiful† and â€Å"absolutely gorgeous† makes it sound as if she is in love with what she is making, the endearment and emphasis she puts in makes her so believable and intriguing. Nigella tends to mainly use informal measurements and verbs to describe what she is doing which remind you of how a mother figure would teach you how to cook. Ben and Curtis on the other hand are completely different to Nigella, ‘typical Aussie blokes’ is what they are stereotyped as. Both in their mid-twenties, always wearing informal and comfortable ‘beach clothing’ and using a lot of Australian ‘slang’ such as â€Å"Mate† and â€Å"Chuck it on the barbie† the boys give off a very relaxed and casual feeling to their viewers. The meals that Nigella prepares are heavy winter foods which are more time consuming but are perfect for those who have the time and love to cook. The â€Å"Surfing the Menu† recipes on the other hand are light summer foods that are quick and easy to prepare. Nigella makes sure her cupboards are full of all the different ingredients that she uses and she then gives her viewers an insight of the different things that she likes to always make sure she has stocked, what they can be used for and why they come in handy for her to have around. Curtis and Ben use ingredients that are imported into the local stores such as stir-fry noodles that they cook on an Australian barbeque, along with many other ingredients that they go out and personally collect from the local produce or catch on their own in each episode. As well as collecting their own ingredients from each place they visit, each meal they prepare always relates to the location they’re in making the programme even more entertaining and educational. Typical cooking program camera techniques are used throughout both programs â€Å"Nigella Bites† and â€Å"Surfing the Menu† these techniques include: close-ups on the hands on action with the food preparation, and snap shots throughout the shows that are used to cut out the un-necessary preparation time and skip straight to the cooking, then to the completed meals. To show their personalities and connect with their audience both of the programmes hosts make sure to speak and look directly towards/into the camera whenever possible. â€Å"Surfing the Menu† also uses aerial shots during the car travels to capture the different scenery around them. Highlighted sounds of the cooking appliances and food being prepared are accompanied by soft music underneath throughout each episode in both â€Å"Nigella Bites† and â€Å"Surfing the Menu† to draw more attention to what they are doing. The contrasting features between both â€Å"Nigella Bites† and â€Å"Surfing the Menu† such as; social context, form, purpose, audiences and the atmosphere differ due to the personalities and cooking styles of their hosts. Nigella’s show expresses her love for warm homely meals and cooking for her family and friends during the cold British winters and the programme is filmed as a home movie style, which gives off an inviting comfortable feel to her audience. Curtis and Ben’s show however, reflects on the adventures and experiences of local cultures during the warm Australian summer days and is filmed as a travelogue. Both of the programmes hosts have very similar camera etiquettes and happy/warm, engaging mannerisms.

Mary Wollstonecraft and Gender Inequality in Our Modern World Essay

Ridgeway states that â€Å"In the United States as in many other societies, gender relationships are changing and inequalities between men and women are questioned in virtually every sphere – at work, in the home, and in public affairs.† In Mary Wollstonecraft’s â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Women,† she argues different issues about women’s role in society, and she called for equality between men and women. However, even now women still demand equal rights with men because gender inequality still exists throughout different countries in the world. Since â€Å"A Vindication of the Rights of Women,† many issues have changed for women in society in various fields such as education, employment, and politics, but some specific problems exist now. In the modern world, there are many gaps between men and women in different positions. Wollstonecraft’s piece still applies to women in the modern world because of social, economic, and political inequality. Wollstonecraft argues that women’s societies are neglected when she wrote hundreds of years ago. This is still true in the present day because in most societies men and women are allocated diverse duties, rights, and privileges. Women and men have different roles in society. Gender inequality is characterized by the social process individuals deal with. According to Wollstonecraft, â€Å"There must be more equality established in society or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock† (198). This means that society plays an important role in determining the position role of the women, and that role depends on religion, traditions, and customs. They are attached to values joined to human well-being and prosperity. Research shows that â€Å"Sex categorization unconsciously primes gender stereotypes. This allows the stereotypes to become cognitively available to affect our behavior and judgments† (Fisk ). Regardless, how much they truly do shape our conduct can vary from inconsequential to huge depending on the particular situation and our own specific goals and interests. For example, in general, men are accepted by society to be particularly more skilled than women in male work -settings such as engineering, sports, and positions of expertise, while women are advantaged in female- work settings such as childcare and communication. In other words, Wollstonecraft acknowledges society expects a different thing from men and women. Also, Wollstonecraft writes about the role of women in the economy is not as clear and concrete as it is for men. Wollstonecraft mentions that â€Å"Business of various kinds they might likewise pursue if they were educated in a more orderly manner, which might save many from common and legal prostitution† (205). In other words, people don’t know what women can accomplish because they have never been allowed to fully participate in the economy because of gender-defined jobs. In most of the world, women spend more hours working than men. In addition, they spend a lot of energy doing housework which is unpaid and along these lines not considered when economists analysts measure the amount of work done by men and women. Indeed, even women who have full-time occupations do the majority of housework in the household. In most countries, women possess an exceptionally small percentage of the basic leadership positions in the upper economic range. Although women work more hours than men, the wage gap between the genders remains generally static between women and men working full time according to the study in the article, â€Å"Women still make only about 80% of what men earn for full-time work† (Ridgeway). Also, corporations should assist in treating both women and men similarly because when women choose to have kids and stay home for maternity leaves they don’t make it up the chain of leadership. However, companies should significantly assist in executing approaches that incorporate women again into the workforce in senior positions after having children including more flexible advancement processes and activities as strategic scheduling. Furthermore, Wollstonecraft discusses that women’s politics has been intangible for many years and still exists in the modern world. According to the article, â€Å"Women are less likely to hold managerial or supervisory positions, and when they do, their positions carry less authority† (Ridgeway). Men have had the monopoly on political power for a long time which indicates gender inequality and led to its continuation. Even in democratic societies, gender segregation happens in governmental issues both concerning assumptions about political devotions that fall along gender lines, and dissimilar gender representation inside delegate vote based systems. Truly, this is considered obvious when women couldn’t even vote. Wollstonecraft writes that â€Å"They might also study political, and settle their benevolence on broadest basis, for the reading of history will scarcely be more useful than the perusal of romances† (205). The participation of women in politic al life is one of the most important elements of the democratic process in a country. Therefore, the weakness of democratic mechanisms and forces in society contributes to the marginalization of women’s political participation. Public and private communities should strengthen their capacities to contribute to the development of their female population. It should be noted that traditional societies are more likely to recognize women’s political rights. This is important because women with access to political power might have an opportunity to change her situation thus disrupting the narrative that men are the traditionally powerful ones in society. Obviously, when Wollstonecraft wrote the â€Å"Vindication of the Rights of Women,† she opened the doors for women’s rights. Wollstonecraft piece is still applicable to women in the modern world because of social, economic, and political systems. Although women have equal rights in some fields, some issues of equality regarding society’s rights and duties are still with us today because it depends on society how people think about and respects women. Works Cited Fisk, Susan, â€Å"How Does Gender Inequality Persist?.† Gender.stanford.edu, Monday,2 May. 2011, http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/how-does-gender-inequality-persist. Ridgeway, Cecilia. L, â€Å"HOW GENDER INEQUALITY PERSISTS IN THE MODERN WORLD.† Scholarsstrategynetwork.org, June. 2013, http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/brief/how-gender-inequality-persists-modern-world. Jacobus, Lee, editor. A World of Ideas. Bedford /St. Martin’s, 2017. Mary, Wollstonecraft. â€Å"Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural Distinctions Established in Society†. Bedford /St. Martin’s, 2017, pp. 198-205. NSCC Grading Rubric for Composition I and II Note: All essays are marked for errors and include comments. This rubric shows the breakdown of your score. Any essay that does not meet the requirements of the assignment may not be graded and may receive a zero. Any essay that contains an abundance of major grammatical errors or numerous repetitive errors that negatively affect the meaning and readability may lose extra points. A. Content Topic Fits assignment, narrowed appropriately, focused, original, shows independent thought, creative Thesis Statement Clear, strong, focused, logical, and insightful Rhetorical Technique Adheres to assigned rhetorical technique or blends rhetorical techniques effectively to enhance the strength of content Support Evidence, details, examples, and explanations are sufficient, thorough, accurate, logical, well-developed, and effectively support claims, ideas, and the topic Critical Thinking Appropriate level of analysis, evaluation, inference, or deduction of issues related to the topic Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 B. Organization Thesis Placement Thesis statement is logically placed for the specific essay Introduction Catches reader’s attention, accurately introduces scope of paper, interesting Conclusion Leaves reader with a sense of completion reemphasizes point and/or motivates reader, the appropriate ending for essay Paragraphs Each paragraph is well developed and relates to the thesis has a strong topic sentence and presents solid supporting information Sequencing Careful development of related ideas in coherent, sequential paragraphs with smooth and logical transitions that create a smooth flow of the essay Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 C. Editing Grammar Essay is free from major errors, such as fragments, comma splices, run-ons, and agreement errors, and minor errors, such as punctuation and capitalization Style Tone is mature, consistent, and suitable, a voice is appropriate for academic writing, and awareness of audience is evident Language Sentences are forceful, clear, and logical, a variety of sentence structures are present, and diction is precise and expressive using college-level vocabulary Presentation Correct MLA style formatting, including MLA style heading, double-spacing, correct margins, and font style and size, with a strong title and indented paragraphs Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 D. Documentation Sources Appropriate amount of research is used from credible and quality sources instead of sources such as encyclopedias, SparkNotes, eNotes, BookRags, Wikipedia, answers.com, or the like; sources support rather than overwhelm the writer’s ideas Borrowed Information Quotations use quotation marks or are put in block format if needed and are written exactly as the author intended, paraphrases and summaries are written well and do not change the meaning of the original, information is integrated smoothly into text and thoroughly discussed, and quantity and quality of information is appropriate In-text Citations Formatted correctly with a signal phrase and a citation that matches the first element of the works cited the entry Works Cited Page Starts a new page, entries are double-spaced and indented correctly, information is incorrect order and complete, and no extra sources are listed that are not cited in the essay Comments Possible Score Your Score 25 Total Score Possible Score Your Score 100

The social cultural impacts of the Montserrat Volcanic Crisis placing the experience in a wider Caribbean context Essay Example

The social cultural impacts of the Montserrat Volcanic Crisis placing the experience in a wider Caribbean context Essay Example The social cultural impacts of the Montserrat Volcanic Crisis placing the experience in a wider Caribbean context Essay The social cultural impacts of the Montserrat Volcanic Crisis placing the experience in a wider Caribbean context Essay Montserrat is a small Caribbean island of approximately 102km2 in size and is situated to the South of its closest neighbour, Antigua. Both islands form part of the Leeward Islands chain as shown below: The island itself is a British overseas territory of volcanic origin, and until recently remained dormant. However, since 1995, the island has been severely affected by eruptions of the Soufriere Hills Volcano and the subsequent pyroclastic flows and mudslides associated with the volcanic activity. Such events have destroyed Plymouth, the Islands capital, the Airport situated on the East coast and much of the Southern third of the island. This has resulted in considerable social implications as a consequence of de-territorialization defined by Rozdilsky (2002) as the process of losing the natural relationship between culture and social territory, including the old new forms of symbolic production. The island once had a population of over 11000 people, which decreased considerably by approximately 2/3 to just 4500 in 2000 and is now home to only 80% of the original population figure approximately 8 000 people. In response to the eruption, approximately 2500 people relocated to other Caribbean islands and 3300-3700 had relocated before 1998 (DFID, 1999). Currently, the population is concentrated into the Northern third of the Island following the introduction of an Exclusion Zone encapsulating the most dangerous areas surrounding the Soufriere hills as shown below: The evacuation of people from dangerous areas of the island caused localized unrest and placed enormous pressures on the islanders. As Shotte describes the effect of these movements: Life for Montserratians has never been the same since July 1995. Three phases of internal displacement within the first nine months of the volcanic crisis, proved to be a frustrating and emotionally draining experience. Thus began the roller-coaster existence of a people whose lives were forcefully propelled on to unexpected and challenging roadways. The considerable reduction in land available for housing created serious social impacts; Those who chose not to leave the island following evacuation from the South where faced by two possibilities share with friends/family or be placed in temporary accommodation such as the Montserratian Defence Force barracks at Geralds. Eventually 1 in 7 people were housed temporarily in shelters. For many, a sense of order and stability in life is represented by land and home. For many Montserratians, this has been removed, producing disassociation and a confusion as to the sense of belonging. The people of Montserrat pre-1995 had a particular emotional attachment to their land. Plymouth and other areas around the island not only symbolised their identity and sense of being but also their ancestors struggle against colonialism and slavery. The land was previously seen as a type of security that can be handed down (Skelton. 2000. p70). Evacuation from the South has placed a strain on the areas of Davy Hill and Geralds where a large proportion of relocation has taken place. Geralds in particular has and is facing major changes through the construction of the new Airport to replace Bramble Airport, which was lost under pyroclastic flows on the East Coast. Despite offering 35 new jobs when completed and many during construction, at a cost of $EC42.6 million, the airport will dramatically change a large area of cultivated and inhabited land in the North of the Island meaning yet more relocation for those unlucky enough to be living where the airport is being built. Angela Greenaway (2002) comments that: for sustainable development to be achieved, there must be planning which caters for the local community but also has a healthy respect for the environment. This statement supports the need for sustainable development incorporating the airport but will come as little relief for the residents of Geralds who could well be relentlessly affected. The airport is however, very important to the development and safety (in terms of evacuation) of the island as more passengers will be catered for in light aircraft than the heliport could ever support. The questionable closure of the port (Osbourne, 2003) however, and removal of a twice-daily ferry service capable of carrying over 300 passengers is likely to hinder the development process until larger aeroplanes are able to service the island. For this to be the case, the runway must be extended which, according to the head of construction for the airport, is impossible given the shape of the land. Montserrat is characterised by a unique social and economic structure following the recent volcanic activity. Once self-sufficient and striving for independence, Montserrat is now more dependent than ever on Britain. The island once boasted low levels of unemployment and one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean and up until the 1995 eruptions, had not received budgetary aid from the UK since 1981 (Skelton, 2000). The extent of Montserrats substantial borrowings (Cassell-Sealy, 2002) following 1995 was highlighted by the Chief Minister John Osbourne, who when interviewed, estimated that 80% of development funding post-volcanic event was received from the UK and EU. A return to self-sufficiency by 2007 is a target set out by the Montserratian government despite the admittance that independence is now impossible for the foreseeable future (Osbourne, 2003). As a direct result of the volcanic activity and threat of future such occurrences highlighted by the introduction of the exclusion zone in October 1996, much of the aforementioned population reduction was through migration to other Caribbean islands (predominantly the neighbouring Antigua to the North and Guadeloupe to the South), North America and most importantly the United Kingdom (Mainly due to colonial links). The decrease in population generated several negative effects such as the dramatic reduction in revenue from taxes and a productivity base loss of 95% (resulting from the dramatic reduction of both males and females in the main productivity age group of 15 64 years old) (DFID, 1999). Similarly, the island is experiencing the brain/skill drain, which symbolises the loss of talent and intellect to other countries from the same age group. Attracting Montserratians back to the island is proving a difficult task mainly due to the rates of pay, which are low in comparison to other countries such as the UK. Services such as education suffer considerably as a result with the lack of teachers hindering future development of the education system. This is a problem which the government hopes to ease with the use of subsidies from the UK, should they become available. Pre-1995 the economy was primarily service-based with a significantly large female workforce acting as both producers and reproducers (Skelton, 1989). Since the volcanic activity began, the depletion of the service industry has meant the majority of job vacancies now exist in the construction industry, an industry dominated by male intake. This male preference is causing a detrimental psychosocial fallout (Barnes, 2001) which has lowered self-perception and worth for women. According to Lee (1996), Montserratians are experiencing the pull of the UK and other locations away from the threat of volcanic activity as well as the push of poverty. In an attempt to achieve sustainable re-development of the island, three major government-backed agencies have been introduced. Firstly, the Montserrat Volcanic Observatory (MVO) provides the siland with detailed analysis of the volcanic activity, mainly through Radio Montserrat. As Jill Morten, director of the MVO (2003) states: The level of trust the people hold for the observatory is evident and the government and emergency department rely heavily on data from the observatory when changing the exclusion zone area or in case of an evacuation. Secondly, the Emergency Planning Department (EPD) was introduced to ensure the minimal impact of any natural disaster possible is experienced. As Horatio Tuitt (2003) from the EPD explained: The department have plans for every conceivable eventuality including Operation Exodus the plan to evacuate the entire island should it be necessary. Finally, the Physical Planning Department (PPD) ensures the most effective use and management of land on the island. Modern techniques are used to develop the island as Angela Greenaway (2003) states: Using base maps, surveying techniques and aerial photography, the department is working towards having the entire island plotted using GIS (Geographical Information Systems). It is hoped that with the successful management of the natural hazards which affect the island, the Tourist Industry will be able to re-develop itself and the national economy. The Government is targeting tourism as the main source of income as it was pre-1995 through re-development and since 1998, figures have steadily increased: * 1999 saw a 37% increase on the figures for 1998 * 2001 saw a further 9% increase on the figures for 2000 (West, 2003) Achieving sustainable development is key to the re-development of the island if it is to build for the future, this is possible in many ways including using the remnants of the eruption for tourism (such as Plymouth in its inundated state) and using the unique culture and habitat that characterises the island as a whole. The second method is perhaps one of the most important. As those who visit the island soon realise, Montserrat features a unique culture which welcomes visitors and when combined with the natural beauty of the island, creates an alternative to many other holiday destinations. Key to the re-development of the Montserratian tourist industry is for the UK to assist in the promotion of the island as a safe tourist destination and to curb the negative media attention surrounding the volcanic eruptions of recent years. Similarly, the promotion of the island needs to be enhanced with help from the UK (where many tourists are likely to come from) and a reduction in the reliance upon word-of-mouth and repeat visitors as mediums. The problems faced by the tourist industry in Montserrat are highlighted by Roselyn Cassell-Sealy of the National Development Fund (2002): Our incapacity to control the quantity and quality of the context of international news releases continues to handicap our attempts to market ourselves as an alternative small island tourist destination as well as a very real potential investment option. Currently, the Caribbean economy as a whole is a very complicated system originating from its colonial history (Boxhill, 1999). Most of the islands are still influenced or governed by their previous colonisers. More recently, the Caribbean countries are in the process of developing the idea of a Caribbean Single Market and Economy. Key features of which include the introduction of a single Caribbean currency, which would be utilised by all the full members of CARICOM (Caribbean Community Common Market) in an attempt to prevent marginalization and the influence of Trans-national Corporations. (Boxhill, 1999) Although Montserrat is a British Territory and is likely to be so for the foreseeable future, it is a member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), using the Eastern Caribbean Dollar ($EC) as its main currency. Despite its reliance upon the UK and EU for funding, Montserrat maintains full independent status within the OECS (Skelton, 2000). However, the Chief Minister has highlighted the islands intentions to join the Single Caribbean Currency should the plan come to fruition. Montserrat purveyed one of the stronger Caribbean economies prior to the volcanic crisis (Skelton, 2000). Despite the activity since 1995, the standard of living on the island is still of a reasonable quality and is much higher than on other Caribbean islands areas of Africa and South America. Processes such as Globalization (featuring increased communication and transport links), have attracted migrants from such areas. Montserrat is keen however not to allow the introduction of possible detrimental activities to the island such as drug and gun cultures which could spoil the image and portrayal the island is striving to achieve as part of its sustainable development. The Governor, Chief Minister and Press officer Keith Greaves highlighted such matters as well as the already evident cultural changes which are a feature of the modern global community and are brought to the island by tourists and migrants alike. Such actions do however introduce the possibility of a sense of confusion as to the national identity which Montserratians are attempting to ascertain. As Fergus (1994) comments; Montserrations are still not certain what they are. One part of the Monserratian culture which is evident, and indeed prominent, is the importance of religion to the people. Walking or driving through villages on a Sunday morning immediately presents the level of importance the church holds to the people. There is very little activity, except for those going to or from church. Communities appear to be based around religious activities and groups with most activities being held in the local church hall. It is difficult if not impossible to determine what the future holds for Montserrat and its people. The volcanic activity since 1995 has had several socio and cultural impacts on the Island. The people have been relocated, sometimes on several occasions and are uncertain where their future lies perhaps this is why so many have moved to security and a certain future associated with an alternative sense of being. Many of those who took advantage of the UK governments 2-year exceptional leave to enter granted in April 1996 allowing free entry to the UK for Montserratians. It is also important to point out that those who chose to remain or moved to the island are now located in one third of the original size of the island. Islanders are now therefore living more on top of each other and the scope for future conflicts greater than those already experienced through activity such as relocation is increased. If the island is to achieve sustainable development, the reliance upon the UK and EU will continue for some considerable period and it is difficult to see how Montserratians will be able to achieve a real sense of nationalism and complete identity until the island re-develops considerably. It is not of course a foregone conclusion that volcanic activity will cease in the short term. This raises the question as to whether the Southern area of the island will ever be safe to use again in light of recent events. Either way, the socio-cultural impacts on Montserratians lives are likely to continue until the island achieves a stable economy and structure similar to that which existed pre-volcanic activity. The question remains as to when and indeed if this will happen.