Walk of Privilege free essay sample

I would learn a lot about myself, but I really didn’t. Instead of learning I prefer to see it as I came to a realization about my life. And that was, that I am so very privileged, more then I had ever thought of before. â€Å"The Walk of Privilege† that I took in my Anth 280 class made me see how very lucky I am. While we as a class all started in the same spot, on the same line, we all ended up very far away from each other. Some of us ahead of the line, and some of us behind the line. While doing this exercise not once did I take a step back. I took fourteen steps forward though. Fourteen steps forward and no steps back is proving how privileged I really was. I learned that even though I thought I had it â€Å"rough† sometimes as a kid, there were so many people who had it much worse. We will write a custom essay sample on Walk of Privilege or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I saw that in my class. When â€Å"The Walk of Privilege† exercise was over and I was counting my steps backwards to the starting line a lot of my class was counting their steps forward to the starting line. That means that they just had so many more struggles then I would have ever imagined having in my life. Yet, we all have been accepted and are attending University of Illinois which is a nationally ranked school, and one of the best research universities in the nation. What did I learn about my classmates from our collective Walk of Privilege? Well I learned that I had an extremely easy life compared to some people. One question that stuck out in my head after our collective walk was the one about food. â€Å"If you ever had to skip a meal or were hungry because there was not enough money to buy food when you were growing up, take one step back. This was question twelve on our collective Walk of Privilege and when I saw a good group of my class step back a piece of my heart broke for them. This small discussion class of only 17 people grew to be a very vital and important part of my week. Even though we did not agree on every subject this group made me feel at home even when though I am so far away from home. Going to this class was something I looked forward to every week and to see how many people could not afford food at one point or another was very sad to me. Another thing I noticed was that some people in the class didn’t end up where I thought they would have. I had presumed that a couple of the girls that I had become close with would be up with me, further away from the starting point, but they weren’t. The two of them stuck close together, which I attributed to the fact they grew up in the same place, yet still they were not close to me. I have my personal opinions and thoughts as to why they were not close to me, but I don’t feel as if it is right or necessary to discuss the reasons why I presume they were not further away from the starting line. When I say the word America the first thoughts that come to mind are; united, we are all the same, pursuit of happiness, freedom, etc. But, after our collective Walk of Privilege I have come to realize that is what America used to represent but not so much anymore. How can we call ourselves united or one in the same when even in just a class of 17 there is such diversity. Much of my class is from the same state, Illinois, and even then they are all so different. America used to be a place where you could find freedom, and create your own happiness but now it is a place of such diversity, poverty, and corruption that it is nearly impossible to call us all one. An article that really puts this into perspective for me was, â€Å"Crack in Spanish Harlem: Culture and Economy in the Inner City† by Philippe Bourgois. In this article Bourgois writes on the cultures of Spanish Harlem and how once you are in the drug or sex business it is hard to get out, and that it is hard to get out of Spanish Harlem in general even if you aren’t involved in those businesses. The thing is, is that this article is written about a place in America. I know I didn’t grow up in a place anywhere like this. I grew up in a quaint little coastal town in Maine. This is why I can’t see America as united, or that everyone in America is â€Å"one in the same. † I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. This is what our country and we as American’s are supposed to live our lives. Yet, in all of our readings I feel as if America is anything but indivisible. Privilege, opportunity, and life course, well these are all words I never thought I had in my life until I did the Walk of Privilege and read all the articles for class. I grew up in a middle class, white, Christian family, in an all white neighborhood, in the state of Maine, which was voted the most peaceful state to live in the past eleven years. I didn’t have a rough life, and I don’t have a sob story about how my parents were divorced and it was so hard growing up or anything. I learned I am so lucky, and that I should never take what I have for granted. Being 14 steps ahead of the We are a nation with 312,780,968 people. We all have different pasts, different futures, different religions, different races, and opportunities. The only common factor is that we are Americans. And yet we all take the Walk of Privilege everyday. It may not be that we take steps forward everyday or steps back. We may stand in place for a long time, but at least we are trying. Some of us end up way ahead of the starting line. This doesn’t mean we are better then those close to the line or far behind it. The people who are behind the starting line just had different battles then those more privileged. The fact that they are still fighting, and trying to find their happiness weather it be pursuing their education, or finding a better payed job, at least they are fighting.

A Brief History of Fuedal Japan essays

A Brief History of Fuedal Japan essays Japans influence on the west has been nothing short of miraculous, in less than a century and a half they have risen from a small isolated culture to one of the preeminent superpowers of the world. Although most people know a little about modern Japan most people do not know anything about the early history of the Japanese islands. For this essay I have chosen to focus on three major points of Japanese history, Origins to 710, Early Medieval History from 710-1600, and the Tokugawa Period from 1600-1868. Origins of the People and State to 710 The early history of the Japanese people is, in many ways, similar to the history of the Native Americans and the British, French, and Spanish immigrations. To understand where the people of Japan come from you first need to understand that there are two races of people living in Japan now, the Japanese people and the Ainu, who live chiefly in the northern part of the country areas like Hokkaido and northern Honshu. The Ainu are similar to Native Americans of the United States in so far as they are the indigenous people of the land. (Henshall, 7) About thirty to fifteen thousand years ago, during the last glacial age, groups of immigrants crossed over several land bridges connecting ancient Japan to the Asian mainland, they were called the Jomon. These people were the original inhabitants of Japan, they were hunter/gatherers and lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle, however they did not look like traditional Japanese people, they were short, muscular, and had wide, square faces. During the Jomon Period (13,000BC - 300BC) these people dominated the island, by 300 BC though most of them had settled in the northeastern most part of Japan, what would later become know as Hokkaido. By 300BC a new wave of immigration was bringing a new racial stock of people from the Asian mainland over to the island, these peoples were slightly taller than the nat...

ANalysis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ANalysis paper - Essay Example Finally, I will evaluate the success of these arguments, with the goal of understanding the role of class in contemporary African American racial relations. I will conclude that while West’s notion of nihilism as an underlying cause is an appealing one, it is impossible to determine a causal relationship between the many different problems facing the lower class African American community. For West, nihilism is â€Å"the lived experience of coping with a life of horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness, and (most important) lovelessness† (West 4). West emphasizes that nihilism is neither a problem lying in any social or political structure nor a behavioral flaw, but rather it is â€Å"a disease of the soul† (West 5). West’s approach, then, is different from that of the liberal structuralists and conservative behaviorists. The problem with both of these groups, according to West, is that each fails to notice and address what he takes to be the real problem: the nihilism with which poor, black communities seem to be stricken. Furthermore, both groups only address one part of the problem at a time while the truth is that â€Å"structures and behavior are inseparable, that institutions and values go hand in hand† (West 2). In other words, there is no way to find what is the cause and what is the effect between structure and behavior in the blac k communal problems. Instead, it is this nihilist point of view that underlies and unites both issues. But if the problem cannot be isolated as neatly as the liberals or conservatives suggest, what can be done differently? West proposes that the ‘cure’ for nihilism is â€Å"a love ethic† that might help the African American population to feel that they are important and valuable members of society (West 6). In order to effect this sort of change, West uses the suggestions of both the structuralists and the behaviorists to help fix both the structural problems at hand

Online Socializing Has Given Rise to Social Isolation Essay

Online Socializing Has Given Rise to Social Isolation - Essay Example   When there is too little interaction with people, man tends to get socially isolated and becomes depressed. This gives rise to anxiety and stress which is not manageable by the person himself. Hampton, Sessions and Her state: â€Å"Evidence from the US General Social Surveys (GSS) suggests that during the past 20 years, people have become increasingly socially isolated and their core discussion networks have become smaller and less diverse.† When a person spends hours and hours in front of the computer screen behind the objective of staying connected to the people online, he is unaware that he is getting disconnected from the world around him, and is getting oblivious of those living around him who need him and can make him happier than the online community. Social isolation creates adverse effects on the family relationships because online socializing works â€Å"by divorcing social relationships from physical reality and moving them beyond our local community† (Ro bins, qt. in Straubhaar, LaRose and Davenport 437). Hence, we can say that social isolation, anxiety, depression, and loneliness are linked with each other, and the root cause is the epidemic of online socializing. Literature supports that online networking gives rise to many problems.  Ã‚  

Investment in an Uncertain World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Investment in an Uncertain World - Essay Example 10,000,000 = 6,000,000 + 1,000,000 + G G = 10,000,000 – 6,000,000 – 1,000,000 = G = 3,000,000 G as a percentage of GDP = (G divided by Y) and multiplied by 100. =(3,000,000/10,000,000) *100 = = 30 per cent. (ii) Calculate households’ savings as a percentage of GDP. Explain your calculations. (6 marks) In this situation, Y = C + I + G (Savings = Investment = Gross Capital Formation) Therefore, Y = C + S + G. And S as the percentage of Y = (S/Y)* 100 = (1,000,000/10,000,000) *100 = = 0.10 * 100 = 10 per cent Therefore, households’ savings are 10 per cent of GDP. 1b. Now imagine an unexpected shock to the economy (not predicted by the majority of economists and other experts), which hits households’ confidence so that they increase their savings until these amount to 25 per cent of GDP. (i) Under Say’s Law, what is the mechanism by which firms’ investment is expected to change and what will its new value be? J. B. Say, a French classical economist, says supply creates its own demand until the equilibrium between the two is reached. By extension, Say’s law also applies to money market. When there is a glut of savings, there will be more supply of money than demand. As a result, interest rate for borrowing will come down and investment will increase. In this given case, since the savings have increased to 25 percent of GDP, investment should also increase by the same ratio of GDP. Thus, market finds the equilibrium between demand and supply for money through variations in interest rate. (ii) According to the demand-side approach, explain why firms might not necessarily adjust their investment plans. The demand-side approach argues that investors do not automatically make their investment because demand has increased. To invest, they have to be confident about the future – for the demand to sustain. Investments are often long term about which we know very little. Keynes says, ‘If we speak frankly, w e have to admit that our basis of knowledge for estimating the yield 10 year hence of a railway, a copper mine, a textile factory, the goodwill of a patent medicine, an Atlantic liner, a building in the City of London amounts to little and sometimes nothing’ (Keynes, quoted in Walsh, 2008, p. 63). In such a situation of uncertainty, the animal spirit of investors drives investors to invest. Investors wait for that spirit, which gives them confidence, to develop before they invest. This explains the fluctuation in investments and departure from the supply-demand equilibrium. For instance, in the 1999 recession, ‘the reduction in output of 1.4 per cent coincided with an 8.1 percent fall in investment’ (Trigg, 2010, p. 230). In conclusion, investors do not make adjustments in their investment plan until they are confident about making money. (iii) If firms did not change their investment plans, explain what would be the consequences for national income and how fisca l policy might be used to address this situation. (11 marks) Investment has a direct impact on national income, and fiscal policy often encourages firms to invest in order to restore the gap between savings and investment. Government expenditure is one of the key components of national income. When government increases its expenditure, national income rises; when it decreases its spending, national income also declines. Government thus can influence national income. Classical economics believes that savings and

Topshops Commitment to the Environment

Topshops Commitment to the Environment Topshop is a British clothes retailer with stores in over 20 countries and online operations in some of its markets. Topshops sales primarily come from womens clothing and fashion accessories. It is part of the Arcadia Group, which owns a number of other retail outlets including Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge. The chain was founded in 1964 as Peter Robinsons Top Shop, a young fashion brand within the Sheffield branch of the Peter Robinson Ltd ladies fashion store chain (former department store chain). The first standalone Topshop store was opened in 1974. In 1978, Topman was created as a spin-off brand to cater for male customer and is now run as a separate chain, although some stores are co-located. The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California. A specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies. With more than 134,000 employees and about 3,100 company-owne d stores and 175 franchise stores, our presence is felt around the world The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. As of September 20010, Gap, Inc. has approximately 135,000 employees and operates 3,076 stores worldwide. Gap Inc., seek to make lasting, positive impressions on the people and communities where the company operate Next. is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Next has three main outlets: Next Retail, a chain of 500+ retail stores in the United Kingdom and Eire; Next Directory, a home shopping catalogue and Website with more than 2 million active customers, and Next International, with 180+ international stores. Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Galicia. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius and Bershka. It is claimed that Zara needs just two weeks to develop a new product and get it to stores, compared with a six-month industry average, and launches around 10,000 new designs each year. Zara was described by Louis Vuitton fashion director Daniel Piette as possibly the most innovative and de vastating retailer in the world. Zara has also been described as a Spanish success story by CNN. As of 2011 Zara stores have mens clothing and womens clothing, each of these subdivided in Lower Garment, Upper Garment, Shoes, Cosmetics and Complements, as well as childrens clothing (Zara Kids). The Environmental Protection Act 1990 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that as of 2008[update] defines, within England and Wales and Scotland, the fundamental structure and authority for waste management and control of emissions into the environment. Duty of Care Every store has to waste properly and prevent it from harming the environment and also ensure that all waste collected from the stores is transferred to an authorised person such as the local council or a waste contractor. Packaging waste regulations These apply to larger stores and require them to recover and recycle a certain percentage of their packaging waste. The regulations currently apply to companies with an annual turnover of over 2 million and which handle more than 50 tonnes/year of obligated packaging. Landfill tax The Government imposes a tax on all waste sent to landfill. This tax is designed to penalise the excessive use of landfills and to encourage businesses to reduce and recycle waste. This is one of the reasons why the cost of trade waste collections has gone up and will continue to increase. Topshop COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: Reducing impact on the environment and Endeavour to limit consumption of valuable resources. constantly developing ways to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption in companys operations. Reducing packaging Gap,inc. COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: the product groups who seek sustainable design solutions. store managers who conserve energy and reduce waste. the denim laundries that meet high wastewater standards. Next. COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use. minimise waste produced and increase the quantity recycled. increase the efficiency of our delivery fleet. Zara COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: to develop in-store sustainability and energy efficiency standards. to install sources of renewable energy, such as wind energy, solar photo-thermal and photovoltaic solar energy, at the companys distribution hubs and reduce energy use to a minimum. to create, in as-yet-to-be-determined locations, the forest biomass needed to absorb 100% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the use of electricity at Zara headquarters. Inditex has just opened its 5000th Inditex store as the flagship of its 2011-2015 Sustainable Inditex Plan. Inditex new global benchmark in eco- efficiency is housed in the Palazzo Bocconi (Rome), a building whose history dates back more than 120 years. Just some figures: this is a store which consumes 30% less energy with regard to the annual average consumption of a conventional store, saves 50% of water consumption and avoids the emission of over 150 toms of CO2 per year. The Inditexs Strategic Environmental Plan 2007-2010 achieved various certifications in 3 of its stores including a first of its kind in Europe with Zara Barcelona being awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. This new concept of boutique hides behind a faà §ade that makes use of three key elements: shop windows and geometric composition with big metal and glass squares, and a large-format logo. The new-look shop interior comprises an extensive range of grey tones which contrast with its black furnishings. The sales area is spread over five stores. Highlights of features contributing to the stores eco-efficiency include automatic monitoring of the stores indoor air quality (CO2 levels, humidity, light intensity, noise), to ensure the comfort of employees and shoppers; motion detectors to turn lights on and off in low-traffic areas and a an air curtain system at entrance doors, equipped with special sensors that continuously monitor outside temperatures to prevent abrupt indoor air temperature changes, thereby reducing the need to run heating/cooling systems. Besides and in order to lessen the nocturnal light pollution which plagues cities, the establishments lights are programmed to dim by more than 50% when the shop is closed Companies of the dimensions of HM can have a big impact on the environment, its a responsibility of HM to reduce his impact. By our research the company has to minimize his impact at every stage of the products life cycle from how cotton is grown to the way the customer use the garments. The first major advantage of working with secondary data is economy: because someone else has already collected the data, the researcher does not have to devote resources to this phase of research. There is also a savings of time. Because the data are already collected, and frequently also cleaned and stored in electronic format, we can spend the our time analyzing the data. The second major advantage of using secondary data is the breadth of data available. Few individual researchers would have the resources to collect data from a representative sample of adults in every state in the United States, let alone repeat this data collection process every year, but the federal government conducts numerous surveys on that scale. Data collected on a national basis are particularly important in environmental issues. The third advantage in using secondary data is that often the data collection process is informed by expertise and professionalism that may not available to smaller research projects. For instance, many of the Government environmental surveys discussed in this research use a complex sample design and system of weighting that allows the researcher to compute population based estimates of health conditions and behaviors. One major disadvantage to using secondary data is inherent in its nature: because the data were not collected to answer your specific research questions, particular information that you would like to have may not have been collected, or it may not have been collected in the geographic region you want to study. In any case, you can only work with the data that exist, not what you wish had been collected. A second major disadvantage of using secondary data is t hat because the analyst did not participate in the planning and execution of the data collection process, he or she does not know exactly how it was done. More to the point, the analyst does not know how well it was done and therefore how seriously the data are affected by problems such as low response rate or respondent misunderstanding of specific survey questions. Sometimes it is readily available; for instance, many of the government data sets have extensive documentation of their data collection procedures, refusal rates, and other technical information available on their websites or in published reports. SECONDARY DATA Secondary Data is existing information that has been gathered for some purpose outside the planning process. Obtaining Secondary Data in practice normally means desk or library research. Information can be obtained from the data that is routinely collected by the planning organisation or from external sources. External data are gathered by other organisations either for their own use or for commercial use. General sources of external data are, for instance, various computerised databases, associations, other government agencies and different published sources such as libraries and newspapers. A computerised database can provide information on a wide range of topics, and lists of commercial databases are normally available in public libraries. Librarians can also be invaluable in the search for specific information for planning. Among the potentially useful data provided by government agencies are demographic data, employment data and special reports on industries. Other examples of s econdary data are historical information and census data. Associations may have valuable information about conservation or social aspects. To estimate the relevance of information for the planning process it is essential to know how and why the information was produced. Burns and Bush (2000) claim that a researcher should examine five factors when evaluating a piece of secondary data. These are: The reason the study was undertaken. Sometimes a piece of research is not independent in nature but has been carried out to support a specific point of view. Obviously, an organization should try to avoid taking decisions based on information that has been produced as a result of a biased piece of research. The credibility of the organization or individuals who undertook the research. What specific information was collected and what method the researcher employed to measure or evaluate the data. How the data was collected. There are many different methods for collecting data, which will be discussed later in this chapter. Each method may have an affect on the quality of the findings of a piece of research. The consistency of the findings of a piece of research with other studies. If several studies report similar results, that may provide support for the reliability of any findings. If a report contradicts a number of other studies it may be an indication that the research is not reliable. However, in both cases the researcher has to evaluate a specific piece of research across all criteria and not merely agree with or discount a reports findings on the basis that it does not agree with the majority of the results from other secondary research sources. Secondary data can be obtained from a number of sources BENEFITS OF SECONDARY DATA The major advantages of using secondary data are: Cost. It is much less expensive to obtain information from existing sources than to develop entirely new data. These existing sources may require a nominal charge for the information, but it will be much less than the cost of undertaking primary data collection. Timeliness. Secondary data are available almost instantaneously. A manager can have access to data very quickly and therefore does not have to wait weeks or perhaps months for primary data to be collected, analyzed, and summarized. By using secondary data whenever possible, a manager avoids the frustration of developing the research methodology design, designing the data collection instrument, pretesting the instrument, devising a sampling plan, gathering the data, checking all data for accuracy and omissions, analyzing the data, and summarizing and reporting the results. Instead, a manager can merely locate the appropriate source and access the information desired. This process can be completed in a few hours or days, whereas primary data collection can take weeks or months to complete. LIMITATIONS OF SECONDARY DATA However, secondary data collection does have the following disadvantages. Limited applicability. A manager has no assurance that information gathered by others will be applicable to a particular hospitality operation. For example, information obtained in New York about the popularity of a specific menu item is not necessarily useful to a manager operating in another part of the country. Information that pertains to one operation may apply only to that operation and be of limited value to anyone else. Information may be outdated. Managers need current and accurate information on which to base decisions. All too often, secondary data are not as useful as they might be merely because they are not current. For example, the results of a consumer attitude survey conducted by a restaurant four years ago would be of limited value to a manager making plans today. During the four years, a number of changes in consumer attitudes are likely to have taken place. These changes in attitudes will make the original data outdated and useful only in a historical sense. If a hospitality manager makes use of less-than-timely data, the results are likely to be less than satisfactory. Reliability. Whenever a hospitality operator uses secondary data as the basis for a decision, the manager runs the risk that the information may not be reliable and accurate. A manager would do well to determine who collected the data and what method of data collection was used. Information is only as good as the individuals who collect it and the methods they use. If a study is administered in a haphazard manner, the results and conclusions should be viewed with caution. SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA There are two main types of secondary data that can be used by managers within a firm (see Figure 6.2). Internal data exist within the firm and can be obtained with minimal time and effort. Advances in computer technology have made it easier to obtain this information and provide it to managers in a form that is useful. External data are not readily available within the firm. Managers must obtain this data by spending more time and/or money contacting outside sources. The Internet has made this a much easier task, but there is still a fair amount of effort involved. The various sources of internal and external data are discussed below. INTERNAL DATA. The component of a marketing information system that is the simplest to design and implement is an internal system, or the component designed to collect data from within the organizational environment. When considering the organizational environment, management needs to be concerned only with information available from within the physical confines of the organizations units, whether they are hotels or restaurants. This component of a marketing information system requires less time and money than does the competitive environment or externally generated marketing information. The internal component of a marketing information system is very valuable to management because it provides a wealth of information. Management has three main sources of internal marketing information: guest histories and sales data, employees and management staff, and customer feedback. Employees and management staff. All too often, hospitality management ignores the wealth of information that is informally gathered by hourly employees such as front desk personnel, telephone operators, restaurant service people, and hosts and hostesses. These individuals are in constant contact with guests, yet they are rarely asked to relay customer comments and reactions to operational changes, such as new menu items or guest room dà ©cor changes. These employees represent an excellent source of information, although the information they provide may not be totally objective. It is a good idea for management to meet with employees on a regular basis to discuss problems and opportunities. Employees crave recognition from their supervisors; this recognition increases the employees satisfaction and commitment to the organization. All employees need to be exposed to some motivational techniques, although managers often ignore the simple and basic needs of employees as individuals. Customer feedback. The focus of the marketing concept is the hospitality operations clientele. All aspects of the entire operation should be aimed at satisfying these individuals. The purpose of using an internal marketing information system is to solicit opinions and comments from the current clientele. This can be done in a number of ways, such as having the manager talk with a few of the customers or having service personnel check with the customers. One method used frequently is the comment card. These cards are placed in guest rooms or are provided to the guest upon checkout or when they have finished a meal in a restaurant. The purpose is to solicit their opinions and comments concerning the operations quality. All three internal sources of marketing information are very valuable. Together they can provide a great deal of useful information with which to make decisions. Historically, hospitality managers have failed to use these sources to maximal advantage, but the current competitive situation in the hospitality industry dictates that all sources of information be used to gain a competitive advantage and to earn maximal financial rewards EXTERNAL DATA. Although externally generated marketing information is extremely valuable, it is normally not collected on a daily basis, as is the case with internally generated marketing information. This is due to a much larger investment of time, money, and other scarce resources required for externally generated information. Management should consider using a wide variety of sources of external marketing information. Literally thousands of sources are available, and these sources are limited only by managements own efforts to locate them. A few typical sources of external marketing information are: Trade associations. Many industries form trade groups that provide data for their members. These trade associations collect information from their members and then provide industry averages that can be used to measure a firms relative performance. Some of the popular trade associations for the hospitality industry are the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel Lodging Association, and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. Two of the more popular tourism associations are the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). However, most of the data for the tourism industry are collected by government travel bureaus. Travel bureaus. Cities, states, and countries usually form organizations that are responsible for promoting travel to the area. Most cities have a chamber of commerce that is responsible for promoting business in the city and, in some cases, tourism as well. Larger cities and regions form convention and visitors bureaus for the sole purpose of promoting business and leisure travel to the region. A chamber of commerce has member firms from all types of industries, whereas convention and visitors bureaus tend to have member firms from travel-related industries such as lodging, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Finally, most states and countries have government travel and tourism bureaus that are responsible for promoting travel to that state or country. Trade journals and periodicals. Many industry, or trade, journals are available to firms. Trade associations often publish their own journals, but many other organizations publish periodicals covering certain industries. Some of the more popular hospitality publications are Restaurants Institutions, Restaurant Hospitality, Nations Restaurant News, Restaurant Business, Lodging Hospitality, Lodging Magazine, and Hotel Motel Management. The articles in these publications provide information on new products and advertising campaigns, as well as current trends in the industry. These articles also provide a valuable resource for case studies involving successes and failures of industry firms. Other Periodicals. In addition to trade journals that specialize in a certain industry, other publications cover business in a variety of industries. Some of the more popular business publications that cover the hospitality and tourism industries are Business Week, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barrons, and Forbes. Internet. The growth in both the quantity and quality of information available on the Internet is well documented. Using one or more of the available Internet search engines will uncover information, some of which will be highly valuable for managers. A key consideration for managers is being able to determine the accuracy and usefulness of information gathered from the Internet. University sources. Universities and colleges have well-stocked libraries that can be a valuable resource for firms in the area. These institutions often have access to many of the other sources of external data. In addition, universities and colleges form centers to research specific areas such as hospitality. This information is often free to the public or available for a reasonable fee. Government sources. Local, state, and federal governments maintain detailed data on all aspects of the economy; the data are free or available for a nominal fee. The United States Census gathers detailed information about the population and retail business, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States contains similar information in abbreviated form. Census and statistical documents are now available in electronic form, enabling quicker searches and data retrieval. The federal government also collects information about foreign countries and provides specialists to answer specific questions and address inquiries. Syndicated services. Firms such as Harris and Gallup polls, Target Group Index, Nielsen, and W. R. Simmons specialize in collecting and distributing marketing information for a fee. These syndicated services provide information about consumer profiles and shopping behaviors, consumer responses to sales promotions and advertising, and consumer attitudes and preferences. This information is useful in focusing on market segments using aggregate data. These services often advertise in trade publications and marketing periodicals. Guides, indexes, and directories. Other valuable sources of external information include guides, indexes, and directories that are available at most university libraries and larger public libraries. Guides such as the Business Periodicals Index provide references by subject matter for articles

Satellites :: essays research papers

Satellites orbit the earth doing our bidding in ways that enrich the lives of almost all of us. Through electronic eyes from hundreds of miles overhead, they lead prospectors to mineral deposits invisble on earth's surface. Relaying communications at the speed of light, they shrink the planet until its most distant people are only a split second apart. They beam world weather to our living room TV and guide ships through storms. Swooping low over areas of possible hostility, spies in the sky maintain a surveillance that helps keep peace in a volatile world. How many objects, exaclty, are orbiting out there? Today's count is 4,914. The satellites begin with a launch, which in the U.S. takes place at Cape Canaveral in Florida, NASA's Wallops Flight Center in Virginia, or, for polar orbiters, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. One satellite in 20 is crippled by the jolt of lift-off, or dies in the inferno of a defective rocket blast, or is thrust into improper orbit. A few simply vanish into the immensity of space. When a satellite emerges from the rocket's protective shroud, radiotelemety regularly reports on its health to round-the-clock crews of ground controllers. They watch over the temperatures and voltages of the craft's electronic nervous system and other vital "organs", always critical with machines whose sunward side may be 300 degress hotter than the shaded part. Once a satellite achieves orbit--that delicate condition in which the pull of earth's gravity is matched by the outward fling of the Page 2 ------ crafts speed--subtle pressures make it go astray. Solar flares make the satellite go out of orbit. Wisps of outer atmosphere drag its speed. Like strands of spiderweb, gravity feilds of the earth, moon, and sun tug at the orbiting spacefarer. Even the sunshine's soft caress exerts a gentle nudge. Should a satellite begin to wander, ground crews fire small fuel jets that steer it back on course. This is done sparingly, for exhaustion of these gases ends a craft's useful career. Under such stresses, many satellites last 2 years. When death is only a second away, controllers may command the craft to jump into a high orbit, so it will move up away from earth, keeping orbital paths from becoming too cluttered. Others become ensnarled in the

Analyzing Timo

In the poor urban area of Richmond, California, the only thing more common than the violence is that deliquesce within the high school system – especially on the Richmond basketball team. With inflated rates of murder, violence and local crime students have affiliated themselves with negative forces that will have detrimental results. Many youth end dropping out of school and of that, majority will wind up in prison. However, Ken Carter makes it his objective to be the catalyst for a massive social shift. Taking the position of the Richmond basketball team coach, Coach Carter plans on inspiring the youth to continue their education and create safe, happy and successful lives for themselves. But, this of course is easier said than done. Many have tried to halt Carter’s process for social change and Timo Cruz, A player on the Richmond basketball team was the first. Cruz was the initial impediment against Coach Carter’s attempt shift the dynamic of the Richmond basketball team. When the team was first introduced to Carter and the new regulations he brought Cruz revolted against Carter’s authority. Doing this by roaring vulgar threats towards Carter and claimed he wasn’t aware of the struggles that accompanied living in Richmond. Cruz’s actions can be justified based on his living conditions. Residing in a low-income, hostile, violent neighborhood, Cruz has not been socialized to deal with issues with sophistication and maturity. Rather, in Cruz living conditions, it is far more beneficial to create a guise of strength and solve issues through force. Carter did not tolerate this hindrance to his objective nor was he fazed by Cruz’s foul behavior. This resulted in Cruz leaving the team and deserts his team members. At this point, Cruz has become alienated. Which has resulted in his drug affiliation with his emotionally absent uncle, Renny. No longer sharing the commonalty of playing on the basketball team Cruz feels a sense of division from their players – especially when they win. As an academic delinquent who had was only familiar with failure Cruz greatly desires to taste success and return to the team. However, Carter’s rules were firm and he wouldn’t allow any lack of consistency in his team. He assigned Cruz with the nearly impossible task of completing 10,000 pushups and suicides. When Cruz inevitable fails this task and his dreams of rejoining the team are crushed, the team members he had deserted early now help him complete the task based on the virtue of teamwork Carter invested in them. Cruz dependency on the basketball team can be seen in the most extreme case in the string of events that followed the shooting of his uncle, Renny. Cruz finds himself blood splattered at Coach Carter’s house, pleading for a spot of the Richmond basketball team. This is because through the basketball team, Carter had created a safe haven, shielding the members from the horror of their violet urban community. For Cruz, the being a member of the team was for more than playing the game, it was being accepted into a safe family. Now accepted, polarizing where Cruz was at the beginning of the movie, he is now a condition to Carter’s movement. It is also thanks to Carter’s social change that Cruz is now excelling in many aspects of his life where he had previously given up on. Member to an undefeated team, thriving academically, the prospect of attending college is now conceivable. Now, more than ever, Cruz has felt a sense of belonging and true friendship with his fellow players. From a sociological standpoint, Cruz can be defined as the extremist in the movie. His character is used to display the extremities in emotions and changes that occur within the story. In the beginning, Cruz passionately revolts against Carter’s administrative roles and represents an extreme social impediment that Carter must hurdle over. Then, ostracized for his actions, Cruz desires to feel acceptance and success of the Richmond basketball team. This desire only increases when his Uncle had been shot in front of him. At this point Cruz is contrasting his beliefs and is a strong condition to change. Timo Cruz was a youth in revolt, possessing a strong hatred towards Coach Carter and the change he was bringing to Richmond. However, over the duration of the film Cruz recognizes that the social alterations Carter has brought have only enforced positive virtues of; respect, teamwork and effect upon the basketball team. Ultimately, Cruz is the unsung role model of Coach Carter, if he has the capacity to change – anyone can.

Savage Inequalities Essay Example

Savage Inequalities Essay Example Savage Inequalities Essay Savage Inequalities Essay Savage Inequalities How is it possible for one of the wealthiest countries in the world to have such poverty stricken areas with the living conditions of a third-world country? After reading the words of Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kola, I was given countless explanations on how deprivation of funds, opportunity and education affect a community in a negative light. The author ventured into the city of East SST. Louis, examined the environment and gave readers a first-hand observation of the people who live there. As a reader, one will get an in depth illustration on how negligent politics affect the overall condition of a city that was initially one of the most economically sound cities in America. Many years ago, E. SST. Louis was an industrialized city of great opportunity Now lays the abandoned structures that once gave the city financial stability. Kola informed the audience of how E. SST. Louis inhabitants have to succumb to the endless problems that come with living in one of the poorest cities in America, and how it affects their everyday lives. Although corrupt ileitis affect the economy and education systems of this city, adequate leadership would be of great Justice to the rehabilitation of E. SST. Louis. For many years, the corrupt politics in E. SST. Louis has heavily affected its physical appearance. From streets in need of major repair to a sewage system that is backed- up throughout the city, there seems to never be enough money to fix the infinite list of problems. After being $40 million in debt, former Governor James Thompson proposed an emergency state loan to keep city staff in the workplace. In order for the loan to go in affect, Governor Thompson requested that the current mayor resign from office. The lack of good leadership affects many of the critical responsibilities that need taken care of within the city. For some reason the funds that are designated to help maintain E. SST. Louis, somehow fall into the pockets of city officials. This is why I think that adequate leadership would serve as a solution to fix the overall problem within the city. The second leading cause for hardships and poverty in E. SST. Louis is the failing economic structure that is one of the many factors affected due to the political system. Labeled as the most distressed city in America, nearly one third of E. SST. Louis population lives on an average income of $7,500 a year. Drastic lay-offs due to financial shortages left over a thousand city workers unemployed. Consequently, due to the lay-offs many tasks in the city were left undone because of the shortages in city workers. Although E. SST. Louis appears to be a city with no opportunity for employment this has not always been the case. For many years E. SST. Louis was a very industrialized city with many opportunities for black families migrating from the southern states. Now that industrialized times have passed, and most of the plants simply disappeared, the open Jobs that once held up the economy went along with them. Education is one of the most neglected factors that affect the productivity and chances for E. SST. Louis citizens to have an equal chance of living The American but also one of the most inadequate. Some of the E. SST. Louis school districts flaws that Kola touched on included the inadequate plumbing system, out of date books, ND the under-representation of staff and administration. In other words, there is a deficit among the number of resources that is given to the school district and the physical appearance of the schools that inhabit this particular school district. Other issues were oriented toward the districts extra-curricular activities, such as worn-out football Jerseys or poor equipment. Because school is a childs training ground for life, attaining an education in E. SST. Louis school district could predict an either or future for a student. Either a student will allow a presumably unsatisfactory school district fail them, or they will rise above the inadequacies and strive for something more. Although many underlying factors affect the citizens of East SST. Louis, based off Kohls information, I think that it is the political, economic and education systems that affect them the most. Furthermore, I think that the political system is the starting domino that perpetuates problems unto the citys economic and education systems. Because the citys political power is corrupted and ran by individuals with ulterior datives, the economy is directly affected by debt. I imagine that the debt that the city collects affect the education system because of the inability to keep up with current books or refurbish the schools infrastructure. With that being said the lack in leadership plays a major part in managing the funds that should be transferred to its respective places, which obviously is not being done. From reading Kohls work the city of E. SST. Louis is in desperate need of strong leadership to dig its community out of a hole that has lasted for over 50 years.

Letter to the President †Letter about the Education System

Letter to the President – Letter about the Education System Free Online Research Papers Dear President Obama: I am writing to ask you to inform you of some issues in our education system. This is vital for the future of our children; I think we need to address these issues now. First of all I think you really need to sit down and take a look at our education system. There are a lot of problems to many for me to even talk about today, but you need to re-evaluate the way our whole educational system is implemented. The first thing I would like to bring to your attention is being that we need to make sure every school is taught the same way. The second thing that needs to be discussed is that the how much funding a school gets is based on test scores and how well the school scores. Schools are focused on getting better test scores than actually teaching. For starters why should some children be taught one way at one school and then in the next town over the kids are learning in a totally different way. For example in my readings I came across a very good writing about the social classes of schools he writes about four different social classes in the education system. The working class school (most of the families are below federal poverty lines) â€Å"work is following the steps of a procedure. The procedure is usually mechanical, involving rote behavior and very little decision making or choice†. (pg 177) Another thing he mentioned about the lower class school is how they did a science experiment in the class performed, by the teacher then the answer was wrote on the board for the class to copy. Giving the students no chance to come to their own conclusions on what the results of the experiment were. The second class is the middle class (is made up of blue collar workers and higher paid workers). â€Å"The middle-class s chool, work is getting the answer right. If one accumulates enough right answers, one gets a good grade. One must follow directions to get the right answer. (pg 180) In this class the children are basically taught to follow orders because they are thought to grow up and work in a blue collar job and having to follow bosses orders. The third affluent professional school (parents who have a higher income and are mostly professional) â€Å"In the affluent professional school, work is creative activity carried out independently. The students are continually asked to express and apply ideas and concepts. Work involves individual thought and expressiveness, expansion and illustration of ideas and choice of appropriate method and material†. (pg182) This is the best out of all the classes the children learn in an enriching environment and have choices they also get involved in their education. The fourth class is the executive elite school (fathers are executives in major corporation s) â€Å"In the executive elite school, work is developing one’s analytical intellectual powers. Children are continually asked to reason through a problem, to produce intellectual products that are both logically sound and of top academic quality†. (pg185) Looking at this you can see how differently our children are being taught based on were there go to school. This needs to change and I think you are the perfect president to do something about it. President Bush did take one step in the right direction with the no kid left behind act but that barely touched the surface of the problems that we have. The second problem that I think you need to take a look at is the money issues with education. School has become all about test scores, no more about teaching skills required. The main focus in schools now is to make sure all students pass tests such as the SAT. Bushs No Child Left Behind Act doesnt make much of a difference either, students learn how to take a test, not necessarily anything else other than techniques needed to correctly answer questions. You can have a student study every little detail for the SAT. But it doesnt mean anything when you put them in the real world. Students arent evaluating and criticizing what they learn anymore. money is the cause of this problem. Money is the primary cause schools are about testing rather than about learning. More specifically, it is how the government distributes money to the districts that causes this problem. The government distributes money to schools in the district according to their respective students grades on tests. Bette r scores on tests is more money for the district. No it has come to the point where school isnt about learning anymore. Its all about memorization of information and getting good test scores. School didnt intend to be a foundation of testing rather than teaching relevant issues for peoples lives.We need to make them conscious of this, we are being tested for the wrong reason. The test is just telling the teachers what they want to hear. Money has always been one of the biggest issues with the education system but now it has become a fight for who gets more money based on. How are your children supposed to get the best education if they are learning from old texted books? How come we have money for guns and supplies for the war in Iraq but we can’t give our schools money for highly qualified teachers or for new books and supplies. If we don’t care enough to give the children supplies and books why should they care and go to school. Teachers don’t care about teaching because there are not receiving high enough salaries, and also aren’t being given the supplies necessary to deliver a quality education to the students. Also I think we need to have more governmental regulations on were and how the schools spend the money there are given. Well thank you for listening to what I have to say about how to reform our education system in America. I have pointed out that all the children need to be taught in the same manner no matter where they go to school. I also briefly discussed are money problems in the educational system. I hope now that you are aware of the issues at hand you can make a change for the better. Thank you for your support. 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Critically evaluate the literature relating to the role of coaching in Essay

Critically evaluate the literature relating to the role of coaching in developing leadership capabilities and reflect on your ab - Essay Example 12). As compared to other leadership techniques, coaching is more focused on improving employees’ learning (Lee, 2003, p. 60). Over the past few decades, the role of coaching in the study of leadership has developed to the extent that coaching has been considered one of the most significant components in the development of executive leadership. Using relevant theories, this report will focus on evaluating the literature behind the role of coaching in the development of effective leadership capabilities. Aside from appraising the characteristics of effective leaders, this report will critically review the role of coaches in the development of leadership characteristics by comparing the leadership approaches of different authors in terms of achieving these outcomes. Working as a part-time sales supervisor in one of the well-known insurance companies in UK, coaching leadership is important in terms of making me able to effectively facilitate a positive business outcome with my cl ients. Because of the importance of developing coaching leadership when managing a group of people (i.e. ... Since employees can be self-sufficient, improvements in the customer service quality is also possible. Leadership Leadership is often mistaken as a management skill. Despite the close similarities between leadership and management skills, there are still some clear differences between the two. In line with this, Winston and Patterson (2006, p. 7) explained that leadership is actually referring to the ability of the corporate leaders to â€Å"influence, select, equip, and train† employees in order to improve their existing skills and work performances aside from encouraging this group of people to be willing in participating in the guidance of the corporate leaders. By encouraging employees to work towards a single organizational goal, there is a higher chance for them to improve the overall work performance of the group. On the other hand, management skills are referring to the corporate managers’ ability to handle the actual business affairs (Merriam-Webster 2011). It is easy to appoint any person to be a corporate manager. However, not all corporate managers are good leaders. Corporate leadership is an important skill that managers should develop. According to van Maurik (1994, p. 121), a competitive corporate leader should have â€Å"wisdom, integrity, sensitivity, and tenacity (WITS)†. By having these special characteristics, a good leader will be able to develop and implement a clear organizational vision that can make managers easily make business decisions that are heavily based on facts. Given that leadership is a learnt and acquired skill, it is a wrong belief to think that â€Å"leaders are born leaders† (Cox 2010). As stated by Adair (2005, p. 7),

Business - Project Management Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business - Project Management - Dissertation Example Project management includes developing a project plan, which includes defining and confirming the project goals and objectives, identifying tasks and how goals will be achieved, quantifying the resources needed, and determining budgets and timelines for completion† (All about Project Management n.d.). 25 Research Design and Methodology: 27 2.6 Methodology: 27 2.7 Research Design: 27 2.7.1 Operations and Lean Strategies: 27 2.7.2 Developments and Project Management Principles: 28 2.8 Analysis Strategy: 29 2.9 Validity and Reliability 30 2.10 Summary 30 2.11 TBD 30 2.12 TBD 30 2.13 TBD 30 2.14 TBD 30 2.15 Results Model (TBD) 30 2.16 Summary 30 3 Discussion 30 3.1 TBD 30 3.2 TBD 31 3.3 Summary 31 4 Conclusions: 31 4.1 Summary of Conclusions: 31 4.2 Weaknesses of the Research: 31 4.3 Future Research 31 4.4 Summary and Concluding Remarks 31 Figure 1 - Toyota Production System (King 2009, p. 9). 13 Figure 2 - Project Management Triangle (Phillips 2007): 19 Figure 3 - Improvement Meth odology (Freire & Alarco'n 2002, p. 250). 29 1 Introduction: This dissertation is a case study of an exploration and production company in the Oil & Gas Industry that has operations in six Continents. The remainder of this document will refer to make reference to the subject of this Case Study as â€Å"The Company†. The Company has more than 50 years of history and aspires to be a leading Independent Global Exploration and Production Company (IOC). In this effort, it has grown its global production from 200,000 barrels per day in the year 2000 to more than 400,000 barrels of oil per day today. The ability for a company to grow its sales by six percent a year average over 12 years is stellar achievement, as changes in the industry make increases in production more difficult. Marathon Oil, according to Gelsi (2011), had a target growth of three to five percent for the same period and has only recently increased their target growth. This is a clear indication of the dedication t o performance of The Company during the period that allowed it to exceed the expectations of its peers during difficult times in the Oil Industry. The Oil Industry has changed over time and the number of large oil discoveries made in recent years continues to fall. Ibrahim (2007) explains that the percentage of large oil finds has fallen dramatically and most large findings are natural gas and are located in deep water or other high cost operating areas. IOC’s must adjust to the changing environment in which large discoveries are rare. A second issue that has a detrimental impact on IOC’s profitability is the Nationalization of the existing oil fields. The Nationalization of 65% of the World’s Oil fields (Fox, 2007) has dramatically changed the competitive environment for the Independent Oil Company (IOC). This reduces the number of opportunities for the Independent Oil Company and increases the level of competition between them. The increased competition caused by Nationalization has resulted in most IOC’