Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analysis - Essay Example To begin with, it is not safe to love someone too much. It is neither safe to kiss the person one loves. Besides, it is dangerous to declare that one loves someone. The author mentions that everyone is a murderer. In this case, the girl is susceptible to murder. It is crucial for the girl not to venture outside at night. Furthermore, she should inform her mother about her whereabouts and the time she will come home from a night out. More essentially, such a person should not sleep so deeply. In the end, the author warns the girl to protect herself by carrying a knife, pepper spray, mace, and a gun. The author urges the teenage to spontaneous. In the last line, however, the story surprises the readers by saying that the teenage girl will die anyway. It is essential to highlight that this text does not read as a short story. Instead, it reads as an instruction manual that is indispensable for maneuvering a complex life. All the same, the story uses a mild flashback as the author conceals the subject in the second paragraph. Before that, the audience is not aware of the direction of the short story. It, therefore, occurs that the subject is a vulnerable person of whom the society poses danger from all fronts. The text thrives on contradictions. In the first paragraph, the protagonist receives a warning not to venture outside. The audience expects that once the subject receives a warning not to go on dates she may be allowed to go outside for other activities. In addition, the author warns the subject neither to go on dates with men who drive nor drive herself to date (Monson 64). In this case, the subject is torn between these two extremes of advice since she cannot choose. Besides, the author warns the girl to spend time neither with men friends nor with any friend at all. In the end, the girl will lack any friend. The author also tells the girl neither to stay home alone nor to venture out in public. The audience,

The Origin of Old-Earth Geology and its Ramifications for Life in the Article

The Origin of Old-Earth Geology and its Ramifications for Life in the 21st Century - Article Example In an attempt to develop an objective basis upon which the age of the universe and that of the earth can be established, Dr. Mortenson draws upon diverse literature mainly geological based. Through his argument, Mortenson convincingly demonstrates the relevance of the genesis geology today, explains the true nature of the 19th century debate with regard to postulations made about the age of the universe, dissects new theories about the history of creation, and examines the perceptions and evidence presented by scriptural geologists. In support of the way in which the credibility of scriptural geologists can be affirmed, Mortenson adds strength to the article through giving several illustrations on how spiritual geologist’s have to be believed by providing examples on how their concern about rejection of early chapters of Genesis has ultimately brought about religious decline of the church and moral decadence of the society especially in the Western countries. On demonstrating the relevance of the early 19th century Genesis-geology debate to today, Mortenson presents his ideas in the most logical way with concision and precision. The author attains this first through providing relevant examples, and finally concluding that scientific truth is not self-explanatory, and that their interpretation is significantly influenced by the philosophical and religious assumptions of the scientist. Mortenson’s dismissal of Lyell’s way of interpreting the rocks through uniformitarianism on the grounds that it does not fit the facts, and erroneously assuming that evidence presented by catastrophism both on a global and a continental scale is becoming increasingly obvious does not in itself present any scientific or even logical basis to be accepted. Therefore, this argument is weak in the sense that the author does not provide a credible basis upon which

An introduction to the Discount House in Nigeria

An introduction to the Discount House in Nigeria In selecting an industry, the Discount House, a sub sector of the Nigerian financial sector was selected because they are peculiar in their own special way in that they offer unique financial services which put them in almost the same pedestal as the regular banks in Nigeria but they are not banks. They could also be referred to as specialised banks. In carrying out an analysis of its competitiveness, the PESTLE model was used to analyse how the Discount House sub sector is affected by environmental factors while the Porters Five Forces was used to analyse the various threats and challenges that beset the Discount House sub sector. Discount houses are specialised financial Institutions created by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to assist its management of liquidity in the economy (Consolidated Discount Limited, 2009). They are composite but specialised financial services solution provider (Associated Discount House Limited, 2009) whose primary function is to provide safe and secured short-term investment opportunities within the banking system. (Express Discount Limited, 2009). The Structure Of The Nigerian Financial System The Nigerian financial system is made up of two sub sectors; the formal and the informal sub sectors. The formal sub sector comprises of the regulatory bodies, money market, capital market, foreign exchange markets, insurance companies, brokerage firms, deposit money banks (DMBs), development finance and other financial institutions. As at the end of March 2010, there were 24 deposit money banks(DMBs), 5discount houses(DHs), 941 microfinance banks(MFBs), 107 finance companies(FCs), 101 primary mortgage institutions(PMIs), 13 pension fund administrators(PFAs), 5 pension fund custodians(PFCs), 1 stock exchange, 1 commodity exchange, 1621 bureau-de-change operators(BDCs), 690 securities brokerage firms, 5 development finance institutions(DFIs) and 73 insurance companies. The informal sub sector includes self-help groups, financial cooperatives and credit associations. It is imperative to know that there is a weak relationship between the informal sub sector and the formal sub sector (financial stability report, 2010) Discount House Sub Sector Overview: Discount Houses in Nigeria were first established in 1993. They were licensed to commence operations with just three discount houses as players. Their number later increased to five and their foundation can be linked to Great Britain, which is generally regarded as the origin of discount houses. These institutions evolved to provide a link between the banks and the Bank of England by serving as a channel for the interchange of banks funds as well as providing access to the Bank of England as a lender of last resort (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, ) and in like manner discount houses in Nigeria are to act as intermediaries or mediators between the Central Bank of Nigeria and other licensed banks in Nigeria in Open Market Operations transactions (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). There are five discount houses in Nigeria wholly owned by consortiums of banks and other financial institutions as allowed in the Discount House guidelines 2004 by the Central Bank of Nigeria. However the maximum allowable equity holding for any investor in a discount house is 40% (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004).These Discount Houses are named as follows: Associated Discount House Limited (ADHL), Consolidated Discount Limited (CDL), Express Discount House Limited (EDL), First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) and Kakawa Discount House Limited (KDHL).They fall under a common umbrella referred to as Nigerian Discount Market Association. They are presently not listed in the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The Discount House sub sector is highly monitored, guided and regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria requiring of them their daily, weekly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports showing the state of their affairs. Their daily operational activities include the injection and the withdrawal of funds by the Central bank of Nigeria from the money market through them (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010) of which they must invest 60% of their deposit liabilities in government securities at any point in time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). By this a balance is maintained in the economy thereby guarding liquidity. Apart from this function, the discount houses also facilitate the issuance and sale of short term government securities, provide discount/re-discount facilities for treasury bills, government securities and other eligible financial instruments, accept short-term investments on an intermediary basis from banks and wholesale investors and lastly provide short term financial accommodation to banks (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2004). The Discount House Sub-Sector Environment: The discount house sector is greatly influenced and controlled by environmental forces; global and domestic. The global economic environment shows that the global economic crisis appeared to have eased off in the latter part of 2009 but general optimism is being replaced with pessimism of a double dip recession, as fears grow that governments and policy makers around the world might be forced (due to pressure or mistakes) to remove monetary and fiscal props, too soon. So even though developed economies are gradually beginning to come out of the general recession, the situation is still delicate (First Securities Discount House, 2009). In emerging market economies, growth has been robust but inflationary pressures are strong and on the rise. The negative impact of the political crises in the oil-producing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on oil prices and the disruptions and destructions associated with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have added to uncertainty about the sustainability of global economic recovery and growth%( Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). This has great implications on the discount houses with Nigeria being a developing and emerging economy and the effect of the global crises is strongly felt with a probability of increases in the international interest rate. The domestic economic environment is being characterised by a fluctuating inflation rate which has significant impact on interest and lending rates. It has been a herculean task trying to bring down the inflation rate to a single digit as proposed and rather the rate rose from 11.1% as at March, 2011 to 12.8% in April, 2011(Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2011). This inflationary rise still has a tendency to heighten further as a result of the general increase in global and food prices. The operating economic environment is full of challenges as there are array of issues. In March 2011, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank increased MPR from 6.5% to 7.5% maintaining interest rate corridor of +/-2% around the MPR. By this, the Standing Lending Facility Rate (rate at which CBN lends to Banks and Discount Houses as bank of last resort) became 9.5% and has remained so. On the other hand, the Standing Deposit Rate (rate at which Banks and Discount Houses place excess funds with the Central Bank of Nigeria) remained at 4 %. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had a projection of an increase by 7.43% in the first quarter of the year 2011, giving a generally good outlook to the Nigerian economy. This projection arose as a result of the expectation for a perk up in the oil sector and also the increasing emphasis on the development and improvement of the other sectors in the economy (Central Bank of Nigeria communiquà © No 75, 2011). Finally on the political scene, the year 2011 being an election year for Nigeria, there are a lot uncertainties associated with the electoral process and the election results and this could affect the discount house sub sector and the Nigerian economy as a whole and it is projected that the effect of these uncertainties will result in higher exchange rate risks with lower reserves and high spending-currency devaluation possible and that Inflation will remain over 10% with implications for demand, input costs and projects(Resource and Trust Company Limited, 2011). Competitiveness In The Discount House Sub- Sector The discount house sub sector is just a small sector in a large financial sector with just a few players who are almost of equal standing; hence, there is strong competition among the services providers which have led to innovation, efficiency and the upgrade of competitive advantage by the players. The provision of specialised personalised services allowable within the scope of the discount house guidelines. Example is the personal pension plan developed by Consolidated Discount Limited which was created as a way of preparing clients to be less vulnerable to loss of earning capacity after retirement (Consolidated Discount Limited, 2009). Also Associated Discount House Limited in conjunction with the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria organized an awareness seminar on 12 February, 2009 to enkindle the interest of retail investors both local, international and in the diasporas in Federal Government of Nigeria Bonds (Associated Discount House Limited, 2009). Opportunities In The Discount House Sub- Sector Without gainsaying, there are opportunities in Discount Houses businesses (if not many) which gives them an edge over banks and other specialised banks. As earlier inferred, discount houses are allowed to offer certain unique financial services which puts them almost in the same stand as banks and even much more but they cannot be referred to as banks and one of the reasons is because there is minimum paid up capital imposed on the regular banks which amounts to N25,000,000,000.00(Twenty five billion naira) only at any point in time. For the discount houses sub sector, the minimum paid up capital shall be N1,000,000,000.00(One billion naira) only or as may be prescribed by Central Bank of Nigeria from time to time (Revised Guidelines for Discount Houses, 2008). There is a revised Guideline for year 2008 which also relaxes the ownership of Discount Houses to now include non-financial institutions and individuals. This revision provides the opportunity for Discount Houses to grow their capital base to enable them to explore new areas of business and boost their profitability (Kakawa Discount House, 2009). Discount Houses have sizable support from the Central Bank of Nigeria as they often have the privilege of being able to gain access to cheap funds by using the government securities in their custody to borrow. Discount Houses are tightly regulated therefore there can be little room for carrying out activities outside their stipulated guidelines. Discount Houses are proactive in monitoring and managing money market trends to the benefit of their clients. Unlike other deposit taking institutions, the financial assets acquired by Discount Houses are of the finest quality with little or no credit risk (Express Discount House Limited, 2009). Threats To The Discount House Sub- Sector Naturally the discount house sub sector is faced with its own threats and challenges as from inception, discount houses operated in an environment that could termed as unusual or abnormal. There was a distress situation in the banking sector which was at its peak and most banks patronized discount houses in order to ensure the safety of their funds, but with the return of orderliness and calm, discount houses patronage by banks reduced. Rather, the interbank and foreign exchange markets seem to have provided more attractive trading options for the banks, to the detriment of the discount houses. Licensing of additional discount houses to make the total number of discount houses 5 proved to be a challenge as it had an adverse effect on the total turnover of the discount house sub sector, following the initial boom from the year of operations of 1993 where total asset stood at N9,600,000,000.00(Nine billion, six hundred million naira) only which dropped significantly to N3,400,000,000.00(Three billion, four hundred million naira) only in 1995 following the entrance of a new entrant into the market. With these happenings, licensing of new discount houses might still impact on the sub-sector further negatively. Their narrow scope of operations has also proven to be a major challenge for the Discount House sub sector being a specialised bank is inhibiting a lot of opportunities for expansion (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, 2010). Finally, from the inception, discount houses had the exclusive right to conduct Open Market Operations transactions (OMO). Open Market Operations (OMO) is an indirect monetary policy technique that is used to control the level of money supply. It involves the sale/purchases of money market instruments in the open market; these instruments being Nigerian treasury bills (Ezirim and Enefaa, 2010). With the Central Bank of Nigeria opening up the window to banks as well, the discount house sub sector lost the sole right of Open market Operations. Conclusion In spite of all the challenges and threats faced by the Discount House sub sector, the Discount Houses are still are very vital part of Nigeria as an emerging economy and just the existing players in the market are not enough to keep a balanced financial sector and the economy as a whole. In the light of the fact that the Central Bank of Nigeria as the major regulator keeps on revisiting and revising the guidelines of the Discount House sub sector, there is hope yet still for growth, expansion, innovation and maximum output which should encourage new players to participate. Part 2 Strategy Overview Strategy is a plan or blueprint of what an organisation intends to achieve and how to go about it. Artto, Kujala, Dietrich and Martinsuo (2008) define strategy as a firms goal to attain a desired position in its competitive external environment. This is in line with Kenneth Andrew (1987) school of thought that views strategy from the corporate angle where he views corporate strategy as the nature of decisions a company takes which reveals its short and long term goals, how it plans to go about achieving these goals and how its outcome will affect all stakeholders and community at large. There is a popular belief that an organization that fails to plan or strategise, plans to fail and Goold (1996) goes on further to share his own view when he says that matured businesses can easily become staid and resistant to change. Usually this behaviour leads them to a decline and the only way it can regain its position is through strategy or change in strategy. This resolve usually involve the p ursuit, accomplishment, and maintenance of competitive advantage in its industry (Varadarajan and Clark cited in Morgana and Strong, 2003). Whittington (2001:10) summarises it all when he says strategy is all about thinking better and thinking differently and claims that a good strategy means doing something different from every other person. But there are pitfalls to strategy as Mintzberg (1994) puts forward the question; is a climate conducive to strategic planning necessarily one conducive to effective strategic thinking and acting? He claims that there are underlying issues which affects the ability of plans to make head way and emphasizes that these issues are neither technical nor analytical but rather human (Abel and Hammond cited in Mintzberg, 1994). But Smith and Reese (1999) argue that as long as there is a fit or alignment between operational elements and business then there should be no pitfalls where he defines fit as the degree to which operational elements match the business strategy. Alternative Approaches to Strategy: Similarities and Differences There are various approaches to strategy but Whittington (2000) classifies strategy into four approaches: the Classical, Evolutionary, Processualist and Systemic. He further analyses each approach as follows: The classical approach sees strategy as a process of rational deliberation, calculation and analysis, intended to achieve long-term benefit and that good planning is what it takes to master internal and external environments. The Evolutionary approach analyses strategy from the point of view that rational long term planning is often irrelevant and that strategies that turn out to be successful only turn out so because it was inevitable. The Processualist approach sees long term planning as basically pointless, but they are not so doubtful or cynical about the fate of businesses that do not take full advantage of environmental opportunities as they do not their see inability or failure to think up and strategise is going to lead to any serious competitive disadvantage. Finally the Systemic approach to strategy sees organizations strategic planning as basically being influenced and controlled by the social system in which they operate. Meaning the demographic setting of the organizations environment needs to be taken into consideration when strategizing. In analyzing the similarities and differences of these approaches, their style or processes and their end result is paramount. In comparing the classical and evolutionary approaches to strategy, Whittington (2001:2) posits profit maximization as the natural outcome of strategy-making. This he made in reference from the point of view of their end result which is profit or return on capital. These approaches associate profitability with strategy and believe the higher the level of strategy employed, the higher and better the profit generated. This view is shared by (Friedman and Baumol cited in Vining and Meredith, 2000) where they argue that the only appropriate goal or strategy in any organisation is to maximize profit and that any other goal is considered inappropriate. As much the classical and evolutionary approaches are similar in terms of profit maximization being their goal; they differ in style and processes. The classical approach adopts a style of rational planning (Whittington, 2000:11) whereas the evolutionary approach lacks confidence in rational planning where they argue that no matter the level or intensity of strategy, the outcome is usually driven by market dictates and how well a manager is able to perform and that investing in long term strategies can be counter productive (Whittington, 2000: 19). In this instance, the evolutionary approach can be compared with the Processualist approach to strategy in that they also do not believe in rational planning. This view is shared by Peppard 1995, who argues that in a claim to gaining competitive advantage, management develop strategies with seemingly superiority above others which is just a way of them being seen to be doing something and not necessarily hope to achieve anything by their strategies. By this claim, peppard tries to show that rational planning is just an act which is not necessarily relevant to the overall performance of the organisation but it is something that is done for the corporate image. His view is supported by Cyert and March ( cited in Whittington 2000:22) who argue that firms can plan in such a way that major strategy sessions could be cut off and yet still deliver just enough to keep everyone satisfied. Although the processualist approach is similar to the evolutionary approach in terms of processes and style, that where all their similarity ends because in terms of outcome. The Processualist approach can be compared with the systemic approach of strategy whose school of thought sees not only profit maximization but other outcomes as a an end result of strategy (Whittington 2000: 21 27). Werther Jr and Chandler (2005) argue that firms are continuously appraised in terms of both the financial and social benefits that result from their corporate actions or strategies. The systemic approach proposes that firms differ according to the social and economic systems in which they are embedded (Whittington, 2000:27) thereby viewing strategy as being guided and controlled by the environmental forces in which they operate. In the same spirit, the processualist advice against striving after unattainable ideal of rational fluid action, but to accept and work with the world as it is (Whittington, 2000:21). Finally, the systemic approach can be compared with the classical approach in that they both believe in rational planning and do retain faith in the capacity of organizations to plan forward and to act effectively within their environment'(Whittington 2000:26). This view is shared by Casadesus-Masanell and Ricart, (2010) when they opined that strategy is a high-order choice that has profound implications on competitive outcomesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. and strategy should contain provisions against a range of environmental contingencies, whether they take place or not and Stallwood (1996) maintains that strategy is necessary but insists that whatever strategy is used must be appropriate and simple enough for it to become adopted by an organization without necessarily having to change after its initial usage. Conclusion Strategy can be seen as a means of avoiding [perhaps] costly and damaging warfare (University of Leicester, 2009:90) and it is quite clear that all the approaches of strategy have their own benefits even though they are similar and also dissimilar in their own unique ways. Therefore which ever method adopted should be seen to add to an organizations performance and must be duly analysed and deliberated on ensuring it is in alignment with the organizations goals and objectives before adoption.

Knowledge Is Power: How To Buy A Computer :: essays research papers

Knowledge is Power: How To Buy A Computer Buying a personal computer can be as difficult as buying a car. No matter how much one investigates, how many dealers a person visits, and how much bargaining a person has done on the price, he still may not be really certain that he has gotten a good deal. There are good reasons for this uncertainty. Computers change at much faster rate than any other kind of product. A two-year-old car will always get a person where he wants to go, but a two-year-old computer may be completely inadequate for his needs. Also, the average person is not technically savvy enough to make an informed decision on the best processor to buy, the right size for a hard drive, or how much memory he or she really needs. Just because buying a computer can be confusing does not mean one should throw up his hands and put himself at the mercy of some salesman who may not know much more than he does. If one would follow a few basic guidelines, he could be assured of making a wise purchase decision. A computer has only one purpose; to run programs. Some programs require more computing power than others. In order to figure out how powerful a computer the consumer needs, therefore, a person must first determine which programs he wants to run. For many buyers, this creates a problem. They cannot buy a computer until they know what they want to do with it, but they cannot really know all of the uses there are for a computer until they own one. This problem is not as tough as it seems, however. The consumer should go to his local computer store, and look at the software that's available. Most programs explain their minimum hardware requirements right on the box. After looking at a few packages, it should be pretty clear to the consumer that any mid-range system will run 99% of the available software. A person should only need a top-of-the-line system for professional applications such as graphic design, video production, or engineering. Software tends to lag behind hardware, because it's written to reach the widest possible audience. A program that only works on the fastest Pentium Pro system has very limited sales potential, so most programs written in 1985 work just fine on a fast '486, or an entry-level Pentium system. More importantly, very few programs are optimized to take advantage of a Pentium's power. That means that even if the consumer pays a large premium for the fastest

Tourism Problem in Australia

INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT AURANGABAD, INDIA Tourism planning aims at reducing damage which might be caused by tourism while ensuring maximum benefits for the socio-economic development for the nation†(Shashi Prabha Sharma, 2004) Abhishek Mohan (H-17005) Module: Tourism Planning and Development Module Tutor: Mr. Subhasis Mandal â€Å"Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for B. A. (Hons. ) in hotel Management† UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD, U. K. Synopsis This essay states the positives and negatives of tourism and the negative impacts that tourism has on different systems of a country such as economic, social and environment. It also focuses on the Tourism industry of Australia and the negative impact it has on the various attractions. It comprises of facts and figures from the tourism extracts of Australia. The essay explains the stages of tourism planning with its importance and function. It will enable the reader to connect the concepts of tourism of planning with the tourism impacts and how it can be beneficial for minimizing the negative impacts. List Of Contents TopicPage Number 1. Introduction 2. Damages Caused by Tourism and its Impacts 3. Tourism Impacts: Australia 4. Tourism Planning 5. Critique 6. Suggestions and Recommendations 7. Conclusion 8. Bibliography Introduction As stated by _________ tourism is defined as â€Å"The temporary movement of people of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the facilities created to cater to their needs†. It is the business of travel with no political, ideological, geographical or cultural boundaries. As a industry it is very vast including wide array of people, activities and facilities. Although tourism is not identified as a distinctive industry but a unique grouping of industries tied together by a common denominator – the traveling public. As claimed by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) the tourism industry is currently the worlds largest industry with annual revenues exceeding 3 trillion dollars. The tourism industry is a very old industry dating back up to Mayan period, which developed as civilizations became established and spread geographically. It mostly developed during the empire era, which started from the time of the Egyptians who had centralized government locations. As travel became common, food and lodging had to be provided which started a new wave of growth in the industry. Further the tourism industry is sub divided into various parts on the basis of the major stimuli attracting the people. The most common forms are: Medical tourism, Cultural tourism, sports tourism, eco tourism and many more. The new concept in the industry is of sustainable tourism which involves using all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity. Many countries have tourism as their main economic base, i. e. they totally depend on tourism for their income. Tourism also plays the role of a major income base for many other countries around the globe. In India in the year 1989, tourism marked as the largest foreign exchange earner for the countries. Even developed nations like Canada (which derived 11% of its GDP from the tourism in the year 1989) rely heavily on tourism for their income. Other than this tourism is also one of the most labour intensive industries offering jobs to skilled and semi skilled people. It is a major source of employment for the countries having scarce natural resources which cannot support the economy. Although tourism has been always identified as a industry for growth and development of a nation, but it has an other side also which involves the depletion and damage of the tourist places because of excess movement of travelers and many other reasons. Governments of many countries as well as social firms are now diverted towards the conservation of these unique tourism sites so that their beauty remains intact and they are preserved for the future generations. Tourism is an important human activity of great significance but it has negative sides also which are the social, cultural and political impacts on the region. Damages Caused by Tourism and Their Impacts Tourism is considered as an important factor for a country’s development, it has its impacts on the economy as a whole. With the economic impacts it is really important to focus on the impact of tourism on nature, people and cultures of a region. At a certain point of time if tourism is not properly managed it can lead to â€Å"overpopulation† of tourists in a region. Every region has its own carrying capacity of the tourists which is divided into three categories: †¢Physical Capacity †¢Environmental Capacity †¢Ecological capacity If the Carrying capacities are not controlled it can lead to multiple problems leading to depletion of tourism in that location. Economic Impact Tourism industry is one of the major industries that have a huge impact on country’s economy. Therefore governments are spending so much on the development of tourism, which in turn helps their economy in terms of GDP growth, employment, and development. It also has an impact on the foreign exchange, it has been seen that tourist arrivals increase with decrease in currency value. Tourism industry stabilizes the economy; even at the time of recession the industry had only minor declines in revenue based on the fact that citizens of most industrial nations have come to view vacationing as a necessity of life. Tourism also provides the economic incentives to developed infrastructure, which in turn can e enjoyed by the residents also. On the negative side overdependence on tourism can lead to a dangerous lack of economic diversity. If the tourism in a totally tourism dependent economy fails then they have no other option to support the economy. Tourism can also highlight too much of a good thing for a region and bring too many visitors to the area, this increased tourist arrivals can lead to increased prices and the increase of population in the region, increased number of residents will lead to strain the basic public services like hospitals and schools. Environmental Impacts The term environment has been defined in many ways. It can be simply defined as â€Å"a given set of conditions in which one lives and is influenced and in turn influences these set of conditions†. It was only after 1960’s that people realize that environment is a perishable resource and tourism has bad impacts on the environment too. To provide adequate services to the visitors, a region must first developed the necessary infrastructure to support these services. The development of infrastructure for tourism will have a direct impact on the environment of the area. With increased level of tourist movement on the road as well as the air, there is an increase in the consumption of fuel as well as pollution being spread in the air harming the natural habitat and the forest cover of the region. Historical site detonation is also a cause of major concern. From tourism prospective the environment comprises of the following: 1. Natural environment †¢Beaches †¢Water bodies- lakes, rivers and oceans †¢Hill Stations †¢Caves †¢Forests †¢Wildlife 2. Built Environment: †¢Accommodation and built facilities †¢Transport infrastructure †¢Theme parks †¢Dams and Reservoirs 3. Natural Resources: †¢Air †¢Water †¢Climate- Temperature, rainfall, snow, glaciers etc. Tourism has its impact on environment in many different ways some of them are listed below: †¢Pollution: It is a major impact that tourism has on environment. Transportation facilities used for the movement of tourists over land, sea and air emit harmful gases which damage the natural ecosystem and beauty. One common example is of construction of resorts and lodging facilities inside or very close to wildlife sentries or an historical site which pollute the nearby environment with their waste and construction and other such activities. †¢Depletion of natural resources: With the development of tourism facilities the forest cover of a region gets depleted. The forest wood are also used many times for fuel purposes and careless behavior of tourists also becomes a reason for many forest fires. Other impacts include the bad effect or garbage by tourists, traffic congestion and other such problems. Socio/Cultural Impact Even though a tourist is a temporary resident of a region, but they often leave long lasting impact on the community. Often the tourists visiting the underdeveloped countries have an impact on the clothing, lifestyle and oth er behavioral patterns of the local community. Although the culture is usually used for marketing a region or a community but the tourism has a huge impact on the social and cultural lives of the people of the community. Cultural Impacts: Culture is one of the main stimuli for tourists to travel. Handicrafts, cultural events, traditional dressing, religion, dance, music, folktales etc. generally attract them. Apart from creating awareness about one another’s culture, tourism has marked influence on many aspects of a society’s culture. when tourists visit an unknown destination and are unaware about local customs and practices, a conflict situation may arise. Culture shock and cultural arrogance are often the reasons that create conflicts between the tourists and the host communities. Culture shock results from witnessing a totally different lifestyle or behavior by the tourist or the host. Lack of communication or understanding can cause such situations. Culture and Authenticity: Mass tourism has resulted in a shift from natural authentic culture to contrived culture and tourism planners are fulfilling the quest for knowing and enjoying the culture. While tourism helps in preservation of culture and rejuvenation of traditional art forms, sometimes locals cannot meet the demands or sell the handicrafts at low prices. The demand for large quantity of artifacts at cheaper prices has led to commercialization of material culture, which is either mass produced in a factory or imported, from abroad. In both cases there is loss of authenticity. This may lead to misunderstandings and disappointments for both tourists and residents. Handicrafts are time consuming and authentic crafts involve a lot of effort while the number of articles produced per day is low. Mass produced or factory produced crafts are cheaper and often the tourists are disappointed to note that the artifact purchased in one country has the manufacturing label of another country. Impacts On Society: The socio cultural impact of tourism varies from destination to destination depending on the nature of tourism, attitude of hosts, background of the tourists and the strengths and weaknesses of the destination. Below are listed some of the negative socio cultural impacts of tourism. †¢Rural-urban migration †¢Disruption of lifestyle †¢Staged authenticity †¢Narcotics and drug abuse †¢Deceased use of local languages †¢Health issues, HIV/AIDS, Avian flu etc. †¢Prostitution, pedophilia, Homosexuality etc. †¢Alcoholism †¢Crime- pick pocketing, mugging, rape, murder †¢Money laundering Disrespect of local customs Although tourism cannot be blamed for all social evils, it is a known fact that the presence of strangers, temporary visitors, floating populations, or even the armed forces may influence such social problems. Tourism Impacts: Australia Tourism is an extremely important industry in Australia. The industry has been credited for creating jobs and generating a great deal of income for the nation. In the year 2003-04 it roughly contributed 4% towards Australia’s GDP, it also employed around 5. 6% of Australian workforce and made up 12% of all exports. People from around the world are attracted towards Australia for its unique attractions like the Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Rainforests and a rich indigenous heritage. It has a very well established infrastructure set up for tourism. Environmental Impact: There are many examples of tourism having impacted negatively on the physical environment. Over-development along coastal strips (such as the Gold Coast in Queensland) has created ecological problems for many of Australia's beautiful beaches. Plants and shrubs have been removed from rainforests to make room for walking trails. Recreational activities such as four-wheel driving have destroyed sand dunes and vegetation, and bottom-trawling in the Great Barrier Reef has had adverse effects on biodiversity. Visitors have dumped non-biodegradable rubbish into previously unspool ecosystems, the construction of sea walls and marinas for the benefit of humans has disrupted natural erosion processes of marine and estuarine environments, and the growing presence of humans in remote areas lacking infrastructure has caused significant waste management problems. These are just a few of the negative effects that increased human traffic caused by tourism has had on Australia's natural environment. Heron Island is an example of an ecotourism destination located on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The University of Queensland runs the Heron Island Research Program on the island and visitors are encouraged to participate in activities organized by the research center, such as coral-coding, which contribute to the area's ecological well-being. Over 1. 5 million people visit the Australian Alps national parks annually (Good and Grenier 1994; Good 1995). Winter and summer tourism and recreation active- ties can have negative environmental impacts, such as trampling of vegetation, introduction and spread of weeds, littering, and nutrient enrichment of soils and water (Good 1992; Good and Grenier 1994; Buckley et al 2000; Pickering et al 2001; Eagles et al 2002; New- some et al 2002). Social/Cultural Impacts: Often, in a rush to develop the tourism industry, the social impacts are often overshadowed by the short-term gains, despite the fact that the essential composition of the host society will have a significant influence on the potential success of the development. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the effects of tourism in Australia is its displacement of local residents, who are unable to afford the dramatic increases in the costs of living arising from the tourist prices for commodities. Tourism has also been associated with an increasing crime rate, from prostitution, gambling and drug abuse, and the tensions and dangers these factors create in local communities is equally responsible for resident displacement and subsequently, a general disintegration of community morale. Tourists to Australia in recent years have become increasingly interested in exploring the cultural diversity of Australia from the traditional Anglo-Saxon lifestyle, to those of the various ethnic groups and particularly of the indigenous peoples. To a considerable extent, this has enhanced the mutual intercultural understanding and awareness between all parties, and significant management actions have been undertaken to incorporate culture into tourism. Economic Impact: Tourism is often seen as â€Å"the solution† to economic hardship but in Australia it is rather diversifying the local economy. Small communities started to become reliant on tourism which drew labor away from staple industries such as agriculture and manufacture. Tourism Planning Tourism planning basically involves predicting the future, setting goals and objectives to attain the desired outcomes in the future. Planning is an important phase in any industry or organization. However, because of involvement of so many diversified organizations in the tourism industry it is not easy to plan. The planning process is a combination of processes to develop as well as sustain the tourism revenues. A wide variety of decisions are made which include the timing of development, size of infrastructure, promotional campaigns, and efforts to serve tourist places. Planning must include studies of the increased burdens on natural resources as well as basic infrastructure like roads, protection, water supply etc. so that the burden on these resources can be minimized. Planning is a continuous process and plans should be revised continuously according to the present conditions and tourist arrivals and on the basis of study of various surveys. It is also a very important phase, which will determine the future of the tourism in a region so the authority to plan usually rests with the government. Research on new industry trends should be conducted continuously to keep up with the planning process by using the information derived from those researches. Key Steps to take care for tourism planning The planning process should lay out how the government or the leading authority can maximize benefits from tourism while minimizing environmental damage and conflict with local stakeholders; it should reflect national tourism policy and development plans. A tourism plan may be part of the management plan, a stand-alone document, or combined with a site tourism development plan if tourism is important. It should give: 1. An explanation of the objectives of tourism and recreation, the activities to be encouraged or excluded in different zones, and the amenities to be provided; 2. The national context (e. g. tourism growth rates, impact of global or national socio-economic events) and policies concerning tourism development; 3. Carrying capacity and limits of acceptable change; . User fees and other income from tourism and local visitors, recognizing that the latter are likely to provide less revenue but that their support for the government is essential; and the extent to which tourism/ recreation is expected to provide income in a certain area; 5. Interpretation and education activities 6. Recognition that tourism activities and infrastructure must respect International regulations and national legislation; these should meet required s tandards and demonstrate best practices; 7. The roles of government agencies, the private sector and local communities in tourism development in and adjacent to the region, and any potential or existing conflict between this and other economic activities; 8. Monitoring key parameters to monitor include visitor trends, social and environmental impact of visitors, quality of the service provided, whether visitors’ needs are being met, etc. Critique Australia is among the top 10 tourist destinations of Asia pacific with 5. 89 million tourist arrivals in the year 2010. It is famous for its beaches, wildlife and the coral reefs on of them being the Great Barrier Reef. Australia has a sophisticated and developed infrastructure to cater the tourism needs and the government has been able to properly harness the natural beauty of the country. There is an increasing demand for sports tourism in Australia and also educational tourism with the expansion of good Australian universities. Increasing number of foreign arrivals also lead to many difficult situations and problems, which the government has to cope up with. One most recent issue, which happened, was the case of racial discrimination brought up on several Indian students for a long time, which involved mob fights, and even more serious problems, which the foreign students faced. This happened mostly because of the increase in Indian students going to Australia and settling down there only. After this incident Australia has seen a decline in foreign student exchange programs. One more major incident that came up in news was about the Great Barrier Reef, which are a world famous UNESCO world heritage site and a crown to Australia’s tourist destinations. Due to many natural as well as man made reasons there has been a depletion of the reef since 1998. In current scenario the reef generates income over A$7 billion annually and is a optimal destination for scuba divers and other water sports enthusiasts. On a negative side tourism rarely had much impact on Australia’s economy. With the development of the tourism industry it provided jobs to unskilled as well as semi skilled workers, which in turn shifted the workforce from basic agriculture and farming jobs to the industry. Suggestions and recomendations Australia has a very particular and a strict tourism plan for monitoring tourism in the country, instead of this there are some problems which it needs to take care of which were earlier stated above. Australia should form norms and regulations for the protection of local people as well as the tourists to prevent the mishaps that haven been accuring in the future, this can also include setting up a new infrastructure or a whole new security system for the tourists. Australia also needs to maintain its tourist intake capacity because inviting more and more tourists and earning money is not the only thing, there are negative sides to it also. One can see the results of increasing tourists in Australian Alps and the Reefs in Australia. The pollution and the waste material left back by the tourists serves as a harmful element to the nature and its beauty. It can also lead to more tourists coming to visit than the carrying capacity of the region, so to revent all this the australian government should take steps at an early stage to monitor tourism for the betterment of nation as well as the tourists. The conflict between the local industries and the tourism industry should be solved in Australia. This conflict can lead to a worse later stage which will damage the job structure and economy of Australia. All other industries including the tourism industry should be interdependent on each other catering to each others needs. Conclusion Keeping Australi a tourism in the center has made this project. Australian tourism has seen a drastic increase in the previous years. Australia also features in the top 10 tourist arrivals in the Asia pacific. In spite of many negative impacts of tourism on the country as a whole the tourism continues to grow in the same pace. Recently the government has taken necessary measures to cope with the problems. Tourism planning is a plays an important role in the formation of strategies and rules for the tourist arrivals. It is a complex and continuous process which involves the involvement of more than one authoritative body. Bibliography Social and Cultural impacts Of Tourism. (2004). Retrieved 2011, from http://www. gawler. sa. gov. au/webdata/resources/files/5_Gawler_Impacts_Tourism. PDF The Tourism Industry in Australia. (2003). Retrieved from http://www. skwirk. com. au/p-c_s-16_u-140_t-417_c-1468/tourism/nsw/tourism/issues-in-australian-environments/geographical-issues-human-elements Catherine Marina Pickering, e. a. (2003). Environmental Impacts of Tourism on the Australia. Mountain research and Development . Roy A. cook, e. a. Tourism Tge Business of Travel. Dorling Kindersley.

John Steinbeck and his book ‘Of Mice and Men’ Essay

John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, in 1902 in Salinas, California, He came from a reasonably well off family. He worked his way through college at Stanford University, but never graduated, so in 1925 he set off to New York where he tried to start his career as a writer, but he failed to have any of his writing published and returned to California. He then published a few books and short stories. His first novel, Cup of Gold was published in 1929, but attracted little attention. The readers also poorly acknowledged his following two novels, The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown. Steinbeck then married his first wife, Carol Henning in 1930. But he still wasn’t recognised in the world of literature until 1935 when Tortilla Flat was published. It received the California Commonwealth Club’s Gold Medal for best novel by a California author, and then his work became recognised far and wide. Steinbeck then went onto produce some of his greatest novels, including Grapes of Wrath, which was a Pulitzer Prize winner in 1939. The greatest prize Steinbeck was awarded for his writing was the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1962. John Steinbeck died on December 20th, 1968, in New York. The first book I read by John Steinbeck was ‘Of Mice and Men’ and it is about two men who are immigrant American labourers. Together they have a dream to settle down and farm their own land rather than work for other people. So they join a group of farmers to earn the money, so that they can buy the farmland for themselves. These two friends are completely unlike each other. One of them, who is called George, is a small intelligent man, and the other, Lennie, is a big, clumsy, caring, but child-like man. The two men have been friends since they were children. But Lennie was not always stupid, but became like this after an accident that happened when he was young. George is always with Lennie for comfort, friendship, but mainly as he is very strong and can work on a farm better than most people. George supports him, helps him and puts thoughts into his head, to try to him motivated. Lennie trusts George with everything and really values their friendship. When the two friends finally get the money to make their dreams come true George takes advantage of Lennie and kills him, so that his dream is secured. In this book you are made to feel sorry for Lennie, as he was very caring, and even when he killed the animals, and boss’s sons wife, you know that he was only being friendly and caring, and just wasn’t aware of his own strength. At the beginning of the book George seems to be Lennie’s friend, but by the end you realize that he is only using Lennie to fulfil his own dreams. The second book by Steinbeck I read was ‘East of Eden’. This book was set in the period between the American Civil War and the end of World War I. It is about the conflicts of two generations of brothers. The opening chapters describe Samuel and his family, and what living in Salinas Valley is like for them. The first generation is the kind, gentle, caring Adam Trask and his wild brother Charles. Adam eventually marries Cathy Ames who is a wicked, manipulative, but very beautiful prostitute. Cathy betrays Adam, with his brother Charles on the very night of their wedding. Later, after giving birth to twin boys, she shoots Adam and then leaves him to return to her former job. With the help of their Chinese servant Lee, Adam raises their sons, the fair-haired, charming, yet stubborn Aron, and the mysterious, clever Caleb, without telling them about their mother. The second generation of brothers compete for their father’s approval. In resentment Caleb reveals the truth about their mother to Aron, so he then leaves to join the army. At the end of the story, Lee makes a great effort to help keep the Trask family together, when Adam is lying in his bed dying, Caleb is overwhelmed with guilt because Aron has been killed in the army. Lee believes that if Adam gives Caleb his blessing for indirectly killing his own brother, he will able to move on in life, and not always feel so guilty. In this novel, although he is not a main character, Lee, their servant is a good friend to Adam, and helped him at his worst times, and managed to hold the family together, so the story wouldn’t have turned out the same without him. The third book I read by John Steinbeck was ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. The book is set in California and it follows the terrible misfortunes of the Joad family, who like many others have given up their lives in Oklahoma in search of employment in California. The book follows both their hopes and setbacks creating a true account of the American dream of the 1930’s, as we observe their struggle to try to get by with what little money and possessions they have. When the Joad family leave the Hooverville, which is an independent migrant camp and move to a government camp, because they cannot find a job at Hooverville. This camp is clean and has a local government made up of migrant workers. For the first time since arriving in California, the Joads find themselves treated as human beings. However, when the work runs out they had to move on. Tom ends up killing a man who is responsible for the death of is good friend John Casey. They have to flee and find work picking cotton, and Tom’s presence there is soon spotted, and Tom has to go into hiding. The ending of this book, even though not dreadfully clear, does suggest a little hope for the Joads, but more so hope for humanity. I enjoyed this book because I saw a lot of things that all of these books have in common, and the most obvious thing was that each book was about underprivileged people who were fighting to keep their lives and families together through many misfortunes. In Steinbeck’s books there is always an inferior character that keeps the people together, for example in The Grapes of Wrath Ma Joad tries as hard as she can to keep her family together, but apart from that you don’t know much about her. And also in East of Eden the servant, Lee, holds the family together, and helped to bring up Adam’s children. The struggle between good and evil is the most dominant theme in these books. John Steinbeck shows that everyone has the potential to be a good person, or completely immoral. An example of this theme is in East of Eden, as Adam is a very kind and caring person, but Cathy is nasty and pitiless. Also in Of Mice and Men, Lennie is a gentle loving man, whereas his friend George turns out to be a horrible, ruthless person. Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath have a connection between the type of work the people do because they are both about people trying to make ends meet working on farms, trying to fulfill their own dreams. Love is another issue that all these books have in common, because whenever love is missing from a specific part of the story, the results become disastrous. The three of Steinbeck’s books that I read all have a very detailed and descriptive writing style, which adds to your satisfaction of his books, as you are given persuasive glimpse into the lives of others. The characters in Steinbeck’s books seem to come to life because of the vast understanding of human courage to be able to choose between what is right and wrong Steinbeck has. I enjoyed reading all of these books, because even though in some ways they were very similar, they all had a different storyline, so I didn’t find the second and third story boring after reading the first one.