Pestel Analysis of Mobile Phone Industry

Pestel Analysis of Mobile Phone Industry Political Mobile phones have now become a tool with which political parties can directly target voters. People with smartphones can now receive video advertisements and messages via the internet. According to the Economic Intelligence Unit (2012), 83% of Americans who own a smartphone or tablet are registered to vote. This new gimmick is called â€Å"m-campaigning† and is currently most common in America. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are both using this as a medium for their campaigns. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy set up a Twitter account to help him in his re-election bid.This shows the growing importance appreciation of mobile phones by politians. There is potential here for some companies to use this strength as a bargaining tool with governments and potentially charge political parties to have built in apps on the phones. (Economic Intelligence Unit, 2012) â€Å"Thanks to location-tracking, potential supporters may recei ve an automated message urging them to drop in just as they are passing a voter-registration office, or to turn up to a nearby rally† (EIU, 2012) The mobile phone market in Africa is one which is heavily affected by politics.The more unstable a country is the more the economy is constrained. This has a negative effect on imports going into these countries. Africa has a history of political instability and coups. According to AfricaGoodNews. com the last few decades have seen a huge decline in the number of war torn countries. The number of countries in Africa considered completely(11) and partially(34) free today has risen tremendously since 1972(3 and 10 respectively). These figures suggest that, from a political point of view at the very least, Africa has turned a major corner. A new more stable standard of life looms over the horizon.This may signal a new era of stability in the continent. (AfricaGoodNews. com) According to Techwireasia. com China is the biggest telephone m arket in the world. They boast over 1 billion mobile phone subscribers. However political factors have a huge influence on the market. The three biggest players in the market China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom are majority-owned by the Government. This can be a potential oportunity or threat. It can be an opportunity as long term agreements with these providers can cement a companies place in the market and provide a platform for further growth.On the other hand these companies in the next few years may begin to promote and seek to make deals with China based manufucturers and slowly dilute the market share of the market leaders. (Techwireasia. com, 2012) Economical The global smartphone market is quite an competitive market. Across the globe people are paying high prices for these products. In Ireland the prices for the top three phones on the market are the HTC One X (â‚ ¬519. 99), the Samsung Galaxy SIII (â‚ ¬569. 00) and the iPhone 5(â‚ ¬579. 99) (Carphone War ehouse, 2012). These phones are in excess of â‚ ¬500 to buy which is expensive to the average person.At such a high price, such goods are very sensitive to a customer’s economic situation. We will look now at such economic indicators which could influence sales in this industry. The growth of an economy can be measured by its Gross Domestic Product(GDP). According to figures released by Trading Economics (2012) the GNP in the Euro area is -0. 4%. This figure represents the effect of the financial and economic crisis Europe now finds itself in. European countries like Italy(-2. 6%), Greece(-6. 3%), Portugal(-3. 3%) and Spain(-1%) are all in recession.Other countries which have a positive GDP are experiencing very slow growth like Germany(0. 5%), France(0. 25%) and Austria(0. 2%). The smartphone industry will suffer in Europe due to these figures and sales growth will be slowed significantly. These figures can be used to highlight countries and regions where economic growth is strong. It is shown in tables 2,3 and 4 (Appendices) that there is strong economic growth in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. (Trading Economics, 2012) These are areas in which the mobile phone industry should concentrate marketing strategies.Countries which show huge market opportunities are China, India and Australia. These countries are booming. China has a population of 1. 3 billion and GDP of 7. 4%. India has a population of 1. 2 billion and GDP of 5. 5%. The mobile phone industry should place huge emphasis on trying to gain a share of these expanding markets. Africa is a continent known more for its poverty than prosperity. However it is a continent with great potential. From an economic perspective many countries are showing strong economic growth such as Rwanda and Nigeria for example which have a GDP of 9. % and 6. 3% respectively. â€Å"Over the past decade six of the world's ten fastest-growing countries were African. In eight of the past ten years, Africa has grown f aster than East Asia, including Japan† (The Economist, 2011) If we look at unemployment figures released by the IMF (2012) we can see a similiar trend that shows unemployment rising across europe with the notable exception of Germany. The rate for the euro area for the second quarter of 2012 is 11. 2%, up from 7. 6% in 2007. Rates in North America don’t look too good either with Canada at 7. 2% and US at 8%.Again we can see that the shining lights are in Asia with China, Korea and Japan showing the lowest unemployment rates (need figures ). Even though many of the industry’s products are made in Asia, but the markets over there seem to have the most potential to grow. Socio-Cultural The way we use phones is constantly changing. A recent OECD publication goes into great detail about how people are using the internet and mention a study called the Global Internet Phenomena Report in Canada (OECD, 2012). Table 1 in the Appendices show that people’s demand for real time entertainment is growing rapidly over the last few years.In 2012 the video streaming service Netflix accounted for 32. 9%, almost one third, of all downstream traffic in the United States. This suggests that consumer preferences are moving towards high quality video streaming and audio features. People want more entertainment from their phone. There is an opportunity the industry to notice this and focus resources on achieving these demands. (OECD, 2012) There is surely a fear amongst those companies in the market that somebody is going to come along with a new product which yet again revolutionises what we define as a mobile phone.The good news for the market is that even though technology and demands are constantly improving and increasing we feel it is worth mentioning that a mobile phone is still an essential device for almost everybody. Nowadays people have a wide selection of devices with which to use the internet, blackberrys, iphones, pcs, macbooks, ipads and tabl ets. Everyone has their own favourite device. Some people have switched from pc to mac. Some people prefer tablets. But everybody needs a phone and its capabilities seem to be consolidating all those of other devices.It can send e-mails, it can browse the web, it has Facebook and Twitter, it has live tv, it can be a music player etc. There is very little you can no longer do on a phone. From a social point of view there is nothing that could threaten the need for mobile phones Environment Environmental issues are becoming more prominent in the mobile phone industry in recent times. The WEEE Directive was introduced in the EU 2005 whereby any waste electrical or electronic equipment can be returned to the retailer free of charge provided that you purchase an item similar to the returning item (Selin & VanDeveer, 2006).This means to help the environment, mobile phone companies are required, by law, to take unwanted mobile phones. It is estimated that two million phones will be replace d this year causing 2,000 tons of waste (Kavanagh Environmental), proving it is anthropogenic what has caused radiation issues. For several years now, many people have speculated about the dangers of radiation from making calls. The main worry is that this could be a cause of cancer. It is reported that the risk of gliomas (brain cancer) has increased by 40% since the introduction of mobile phones (Kovach, 2011).Radiation from mobile phones may have serious consequences to humans as it is causing the population of bees to decline who are essential for crop growth preventing food shortages (Lean & Shawcross, 2007). Legal There is a lot of legislation associated with the mobile phone industry. Patents are currently a big advantage in the mobile phone industry. [pic] Source: The Atlantic, 2012. One can see that the common denominator is Apple. They are the only company which own valuable patents with regards to design and hold a strong market share in the market in which these phones a re sold.According to the Atlantic (2012), Apple are making the lions share of operating profits while Samsung and HTC are the chasing pack. Ownership of these patents is a competitive advantage. Issues arise again and again over patents, which is most notably seen in the Apple versus Samsung court case, which only came to a final decision in recent weeks. According to the US Daily Mail, Samsung had to pay $1. 05 Billion to Apple for copying their iPhone in the manufacturing of the Samsung Galaxy range (Murphy, 2012).A law went into effect in San Francisco early last year which required that all retailers must display how much radiation each phone emits (Kang, 2010). With just under 300 million Americans using mobile phones, this is something which has the potential to hit the industry very hard if any significant study shows a link between phone use and cancer (Kang, 2010). The EU has introduced new legislation in the last few years aimed at significantly reducing the cost of making international calls and roaming. It is now 68% cheaper to make a call while abroad than it was in 2006 and it is 81% cheaper to receive a call.The price of text messages has been reduced by 60% (Europa, 2012). References Economic Intelligence Unit (2012), ‘World Politics: Spreading the m-word’, ABI/ INFORM Global. Available Online at: http://search. proquest. com/abiglobal/docview/926036961/139DAC0C8916F0BFAF4/18? accountid=40346 [Accessed 10th October 2012] Africa Good News (2012), ‘Fast facts and quick stats about Africa’ AfricaGoodNews. com. Available Online at: http://www. africagoodnews. com/africa/facts. html [Accessed 16th October 2012] OECD (pg. 24, 2012) ‘OECD Internet economy outlook’ Available at: http://www. keepeek. om/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/science-and-technology/oecd-internet-economy-outlook-2012/expanding-connectivity-and-measuring-the-internet-economy_9789264086463-3-en [Accessed 4th October 2012] Techwireasia. com (201 2) ‘An in depth ananlysis of China’s mobile phone market’ Techwireasia [Online] Available at: http://www. techwireasia. com/2733/an-in-depth-analysis-of-chinas-mobile-phone-market/ [Accessed 12th October] Carphone Warehouse (2012), Pay as you go smartphones, Carphonewarehouse. ie [Online] Available at; http://www. carphonewarehouse. ie/category/Pay-As-You-Go-Smartphones/1_3 [Accessed 15th October 2012]Europa (2012) ‘Travelling in Europe 2012-2013’ Europa. eu [Online] Available at; http://europa. eu/travel/comm/index_en. htm#phone [Accessed 3rd October 2012] IMF (2012) ‘Principal Global Indicators’ IMF. org [Online] Available at: http://www. principalglobalindicators. org/default. aspx [Accessed 4th October 2012] Trading Economics (2012), GDP growth rates, Available at: http://www. tradingeconomics. com/gdp-growth-rates-list-by-country [Accessed 4th October 2012] The Economist (2012) ‘After decades of slow growth, Africa has a real chance to follow in the footsteps of Asia’ The Economist[Online] Available at: http://www. conomist. com/node/21541015 [Accessed 18th October 2012] Atlantic. com. (2012, August). The State of play in the mobile industry in one venn diagram. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from The Atlantic: http://www. theatlantic. com/technology/archive/2012/08/the-state-of-play-in-the-mobile-phone-industry-in-one-venn-diagram/261712/ Europa. (2012). Travelling in Europe 2012-2013. Retrieved October 16, 2012, from Europa: http://europa. eu/travel/comm/index_en. htm#phone Kang, C. (2010). Cell Phone Indusrty attacks San Francisco's ruling on radiation. The Washington Post Kavanagh Environmental. (n. d. ). Environmental Objectives.Retrieved October 2, 2102, from Kavanagh Environmental: http://www. kavenv. ie/environment. html Kovach, S. (2011, May 31). Cell Phones may Cause Cancer. Retrieved OCTOBER 1, 2012, from Business Insider: http://www. businessinsider. com/cell-phones-cause-cancer-2011-5 Lea n, G. , & Shawcross, H. (2007, April 15). Are Mobile Phones wiping out our Bees? Retrieved October 4, 2012, from The Independent: http://www. independent. co. uk/environment/nature/are-mobile-phones-wiping-out-our-bees-444768. html Murphy, D. (2012, October). Samsung losing Apple Court Case. Retrieved October 16, 2012, from Mobile Marketing: http://www. obilemarketingmagazine. com/content/samsung-loses-apple-court-case Selin, H. , & VanDeveer, S. D. (2006, December). ABI/INFORM Global. Retrieved October 1, 2012, from ProQuest: http://search. proquest. com. ezproxy. wit. ie:2048/abiglobal/docview/224017129/13 99337313516FFA994/1? accountid=40346 Appendices Table 1: Aggregate Traffic Compisition, North America [pic] Source: (OECD, 2012) Table 2: GDP in Asia 2012 Q2 [pic] Source: (TradingEconomics. com) Table 3: GDP in Eastern Europe 2012 Q2 [pic] Source: (TradingEconomics. com) Table 4: GDP in Africa 2012 Q2 [pic] Source: (Tradingeconomics. com)

Gender Bias in the Classroom

Leobardo Alfaro Mr. Lewis English 1301-005 16 July 2012 Gender Bias in the Classrooms In the essay â€Å"Hidden Lessons,† this appears in the textbook From Inquiry to Academic Writing, Mayra and David Sadker stands content that gender bias in classrooms damages female students. They lose their self-esteem, attitude towards teachers can change and their education is compromised. When teachers were being observed in their classroom settings it showed that they tend to gravitate more toward male students than the female students.The male students seem to be getting the better hand in the classroom they would get more of the teacher’s attention, energy, and time. Female students are the majority of our nation’s school children, but are given less teacher interaction. Until this is changed more than half of the children’s education will be shorted and society will be lost on their gifts. â€Å"Dateline chose to show a segregated math group: boys sitting on the teacher’s right side and girls on her left. After giving the math book to a girl to hold open at page of examples, the teacher turned her back to the girls and focused on the boys, teaching them active and directly.Occasionally she turned to girl’s side, but only to read examples in the book†¦ had unwittingly transformed the girls into passive spectators, an audience for the boys. † (Sadker 54) Girls in this classroom are of the examples of how their teacher favors the boys and the girls get the short end of the stick. When these girls get denied their time in the classroom what is their left to do? Maybe in this certain classroom there aren’t as many girls as boys so; the teacher focuses more on the boys. Maybe the teacher feels that the boys in the class need more attention because they are more behind in their education.Either way girls shouldn’t have to have their teacher’s favoritism towards the boys. When the girl’s educati on is compromised that means their future is in jeopardy, when they don’t get the attention and support from their full potential. When they are not pushed and recognized they fall back and lose their self-esteem. When self-esteem is lost in young impressionable girls it is really hard to build it back up. Especially if the let down is coming from someone who is such a big influence in the girl’s life, and where she is suppose to be learning from not to be ignored or let down.As this becomes more and more of a problem to girls they become more and more invisible to their teachers in the classroom. As their self-esteem is lowered they do less and less to become known and noticed in the classroom environment. â€Å"Two second graders are kneeling beside a large box†¦ so absorbed are these two small children examining and sorting the materials, they are visibly startled by the teacher’s impatient voice as she hovers over them. ‘Ann! Julia! Get your cott onpickin’ hands out of the math box. Move over so the boys can get in there and do their work. † (Sedker 53) The girls in this excerpt of the essay seem to have not been doing anything wrong or out of the ordinary yet, the teacher seemed to have overreacted for no apparent reason. To the most obvious it seemed that she pointed out the girls because they were girls and they boys needed things more than them. When girls are over looked like that they tend to have different attitudes toward their teachers. Girls have a very strong mind-set at any age so, when they have their mind set on a certain attitude it’s extremely hard to change it back. Award winning author Susan Faludi discovered that backlash ‘is most powerful when it goes private, when it lodges a woman’s mind and turns her vision inward†¦ Psychological backlash internalized by adult women is a frightening concept, but what is even more terrifying is a curriculum of sexist school lessons becoming secret mind games played against female children, our daughters, and tomorrow’s women. † (Sedker 53) In these circumstances it is easy to see why the girls have grown to have harsh attitudes toward their teachers. Sedker and Sedker make a claim of value when they suggest that a ‘majority of our nations schoolchildren’ have become ‘second-class educational citizens’ and point that the consequences of treating girls differently from boys in school has resulted in a ‘loss of self-esteem, decline in achievement, and elimination of career options’ for girls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Sedker 56) Their research and statements seem to have reached the conclusion that girls are for some reason treated differently than boys in the classroom.They are lowered than the boys but by the instinct from the teacher. Maybe because of favoritism or because the teacher has less sympathy for girls. Work Citied Sadker, Myra and David. â€Å"Hidden Lessons. † From Inquiry to Academic Writing. Ed. Stuart Greene and April Lidinsky. 2nd edition. Bedford: Boston, 2012. 52-55. Print.

MBA Corporate Governance And Responsibility Essay

Why did it take 10 years to bring Harshad Mehta to justice? What weaknesses in the financial markets allowed such abuse to succeed? Harshad Mehta’s scam was one which involved huge magnitudes, which is why it probably came into light in the first place.[1] Scams of smaller magnitude are happening almost everyday at the Bombay Stock Exchange but not coming to light. There are many reasons for this. Some of the major reasons are briefly discussed below. The Indian businesses have traditionally being family owned. Owing to concentration of money in a few hands, most people have concentrated on survival and security due to which the risking loving entrepreneurial skill has not developed much. Being family owned businesses, a lot of insider and sensitive information is often available to the owners and their relatives even though the company is technically a separate legal entity. Given this insider information and the relatively weak legal machinery, it is easy for the insiders to manipulate prices of stocks by large buying or selling. The reason outlined above also gives rise to the herd mentality i.e. if bulk activity is seen on a stock on a particular day in a particular reaction; people seem to trust it quickly believing that some one with insider and reliable information is acting upon it. This is what helped Harshad Mehta in pulling off the scam. Further, there are hardly any checks and balances on the end use of loans given by banks and other financial institutions. They seem to be satisfied by the reputation of the borrower and once they are convinced that he can return the money, the end use of the same whether for speculation or any other activity is hardly looked into. It took as long as ten years to bring Harshad Mehta to justice due to the combination of many systemic failures and procedural lacuna. Firstly, it is difficult to pin point in such a huge market as to where the first default or breach of law took place. Further, there are many procedural approvals that must be taken before the regulator can take any concrete action. The country’s civil procedure process is quite slow too, with many appeals available before an offender is finally convicted. Therefore, even high profile cases such as these often take several years before finally being disposed off. How can ethics in the boardroom be monitored and controlled? Ethics, in the first place, is a rather complicated and complex issue. There is no straightjacket formula as different situations would demand different measures. In the boardroom, where money is at stake, and everyone has their own business to mind, it is probably even more difficult. This has been a subject of considerable debate, and there are certain measures which companies should generally apply, with specific variations in accordance with the particular situation at hand. Some of these general principles are briefly discussed below.[2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Firstly, there has to be strict avoidance of concentration of important powers and functions in a few hands. As can be seen from the Maxwell Affair of 1991, too many responsibilities in different areas of management are likely to be fatal to the company. Further, the delegation of power must not be absolute. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There should be checks and balances right upto the top level. At the top most level, where it is difficult to have checks and balances in a vertical hierarchy, the same should be had using a horizontal structure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strong ethical base and principles must come in from the top and trickle down to the bottom. It is important that these principles are insisted upon, no matter how bad a situation a company is in. They should be introduced as non-negotiable to every new employee who joins, so that when he climbs the ranks in the corporate ladder, he is equally insistent about such principles. Gradually, a strong ethical culture is built. Is there a discernible difference between Enron’s fraud and Madoff’s appeal to elite investors? There is quite a discernible difference between Enron’s fraud and Madoff’s appeal to elite investors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enron’s fraud was a clear case of lack of watchful auditing and poor accounting practices. The profits were terribly overstated and the accounts were shown to pose a rosy picture of the state of affairs of the company. The true state of affairs was not revealed to the shareholders and other stakeholders in the company. The auditors were cleverly deceived, and they too didn’t do any follow up action.[3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Madoff’s case is a much more complex one than Enron. Madoff’s case has largely been seen as one which could never be expected, and therefore no laws are in place to remedy such a situation. Unlike Enron’s case, which can be foreseen, Madoff’s case was completely unique and innovative. Enron’s case has been foreseen by the law makers, due to which many laws are in place to keep in check of the same. Firstly, there are accounting standards and conventions which must be adhered to by all companies. Second, all companies are statutorily required to get their accounts audited so as to doubly ensure that they reflect a true and fair view of the affairs of the company. Although it has been said in a landmark decision, that an auditor is a watchdog and not a bloodhound, it can be said that the auditors failed to do an upto-the mark job in Enron and hence the scandal.[4]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, in complete contrast, Madoff’s case is so unexpected that there are no laws which effectively deal with such a situation. He used his reputation of being an expert at the Wall Street and a continued promise to offer secured and steady returns to swindle many high net worth individuals of millions of dollars. Such an exercise of personal confidence is difficult for the law to stop. Now, in retrospect, of course there are laws which mandate certain disclosures in case of any broker or person dealing on another’s behalf in the stock market. Further, there are investor awareness and know-your-rights campaigns by the regulator.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, another importance difference between the two scandals which essentially flows from the main difference is the solutions that they demand are very different from each other. What steps would you take as an independent director on the board of a company where you had reason to believe that fraudulent or unethical activities were being carried out by the high-profile company leader? First of all, being an independent director, there is a great amount of responsibility on my shoulder to ensure that such policies are pushed for, which make it near to impossible for fraudulent or unethical activities to be carried out by any individual in the company. However, if this was to happen, there would be a series of measures I would attempt to take. Firstly, it would be important to get the whole Board of Directors, or as far as it may be practicable, into confidence so as to ensure that the top level management is not divided on such an important issue. Once this is done, it is important to have an internal conference with the suspected offender about his objectionable activities. It is important at this stage to consider all possible solutions to the problem, as open action against such a person should be the last resort, given that such information is particularly sensitive, and it would adversely affect the reputation of the company, if it were to get leaked. Therefore, it is also important that only so many people are made aware of such a situation as are required. It is essential that the matter not be lingered, and damage control be the top most priority.   Again, every possible option should be explored including plea bargaining and settlement through mediation or negotiation.[5] The suspected offender should also be taken into confidence that full disclosure would be in his best interests too. No threat or action should be immediately taken against him, as then he might attempt to conceal the substance of the matter, which would be eventually then take a long time to be fathomed. Any severe action contemplated should be taken only once the issue has been fully resolved. Finally, once the issue has been resolved, there should be a fall back to see why such an event happened, and what can the company do in future to prevent it. The offender should not be let off lightly, as this may go on to set a bad example. At the same time, the best interests of the company in the long run must be kept in mind. REFERENCES Anonymous, â€Å"Harshad Mehta: A Scandal to Remember† f. www.casestudy.co.in (Last Visited 25 July, 2010). Anonymous, â€Å"Key Biscayne Connection in Madoff Scandal†, Key Biscayne Times, 23 July, 2010. Cathy Thomas, â€Å"Behind the Enron Scandal†, TIME Magazine, June 2002. Kevin MacDonald, â€Å"Is the Madoff Scandal Problematic?†, Occidental Quarterly Online, July 2010. Stephanie Maier, â€Å"How global is good corporate governance?†, EIRIS Report, Aug 2005. [1] Anonymous, â€Å"Harshad Mehta: A Scandal to Remember† c.f. www.casestudy.co.in (Last Visited 25 July, 2010). [2] Stephanie Maier, â€Å"How global is good corporate governance?†, EIRIS Report, Aug 2005. [3] Cathy Thomas, â€Å"Behind the Enron Scandal†, TIME Magazine, June 2002. [4] Kevin MacDonald, â€Å"Is the Madoff Scandal Problematic?†, Occidental Quarterly Online, July 2010. [5] Anonymous, â€Å"Key Biscayne Connection in Madoff Scandal†, Key Biscayne Times, 23 July, 2010.

Evolution of Ireland Education System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evolution of Ireland Education System - Essay Example The first steps towards inclusion and excellence in education had been taken. Ireland was looking towards its future - the children. Traditionally much of the Public school system in Ireland was reflective of the culture of the nation. The separation by religious affiliation was widely accepted, not just within the school system but within every day life. "State-funded and administered national school system was established in Ireland in 1831. This provided universal access to primary education. By the Ministers and Secretaries Act, 1924, the administration and business of primary education were entrusted to a Department of Education, the head of which was the Minister for Education" (UNESCO, 2000, 1). Although public ally funded these schools, they were run by individual church denominations and exclusion of other faiths was the norm. Prior to the 1980's schools were traditionally Catholic or Protestant schools. Although historically some schools had been considered integrated prior to the 1980's, in fact, the term was loosely used to denote a once catholic affiliated school had become a protestant affiliated sc hool. The cultural differences precluded multi faith attendance by students within the state run school system. The 1980's through the 1990's saw the most sweeping changes in the Irish educational system. The main focus centered on inclusion of all citizens' educational opportunities: from primary education, to post primary, to advanced degree programs, to adult education and training, and to attract back youth who were no longer attending school. The emphasis on expanding the role both of government and other agencies to provided the best possible education to each person became the target of the Department of Education. The former restrictions of limited opportunities because of religion, gender, and economically and socially disadvantages became an imperative. The Department of Education began restructuring itself to meet the demands of its new philosophy. "The Irish educational system operates in a complex and changing environment, which features many different partners - parents, students, teachers, patrons, managerial authorities, the Department of Education and Science, and other speci al interest groups, such as employers and community organisations. All of these partners have played a part in the major developments in Irish education within the last decade" (UNESCO, 2000, 1) During these formulative years the Department of Education has established specific divisions within the department to focus on specific areas including: curriculum development, Vocational and Technical training, Information Technology, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB). YOUTHREACH, and Gender Equality Unit to cite a few. The transition from exclusion to inclusion, although not complete, has been a remarkable accomplishment brought about by a unified effort of government, the public and community groups to improve the overall life of Irish citizens. The most important piece of legislature to affect the educational system

Sex, Violence and Transgression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sex, Violence and Transgression - Essay Example On August 12, 2005, Jack Thompson, an American activist, filed a case in the Alabama court against Sony. Thompson claimed video games are promoting violence and it was due to such a video game which Moore had played endlessly which has compelled him to shoot the policemen. Devin Moore pleaded guilty saying that it the game ‘Grand Theft Auto (GTA)’ that caused him to kill those police officers and he was under the influence of that game. Grand Theft Auto is a video game wherein the player acts as a street mugger who steals cars. He attempts to overrun any pedestrian who comes in his way, liberates a criminal from the police station and runs off by shooting the policemen. The families of the victims argued that Moore replayed all that he had experienced as a player in the violent video game. Devin Moore was only 16 years old. At the time of his arrest, Moore is reported to have said: â€Å"Everybody has got to die.† This statement was later changed in 2004 in a court session to â€Å"Life is a video game. You’ve got to die sometimes.† What leads him to utter these words? More importantly, what made him change his statement? One of the reasons could be that he wanted everyone to believe that it was indeed the video game which was to be blamed and not him. Or maybe he was so mentally disturbed that he could fathom the consequences of changing his statement. As per Moore’s father, Moore had been a disturbed child right from childhood and had a record of taking drugs and being involved in crime. While Devin Moore said that he was under the trance of the game that he had completely lost the ability to differentiate between reality and the game. Also, his lawyer claimed that he was suffering from a dissociative order (Chalk, The Escapist, 2007). Moore appealed not guilty as he had developed a psychological defect by playing the game  for long hours and this deprived him of the sense to evaluate his own actions.

Technological and Environmental Pest Analysis of Las Vegas Research Paper

Technological and Environmental Pest Analysis of Las Vegas - Research Paper Example Today there are many large hotels operating in the valley of Las Vegas (Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide-a, 2011). These growing hotels assisted the city to improve its infrastructure condition. Tourism and conventional industries are the main source of income. There are some high tech companies operating in Las Vegas. Considering the infrastructure of the city, it can be considered as the ‘mirage capital’ of America (CSN, 2011). The city has a well developed transportation were more than 965 cabs services and approximately 325 limousines are available. Citizens Area Transit (CAT), a well known public transportation company offers service over 31 routes throughout the city of Las Vegas (Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide-b, 2011). In 2008, Director of Department of Public Works explained that the infrastructure future outlook of Las Vegas is quite bright as more than $900 million has been invested for improvement of the streets. This division has also planned for i ntroducing clean water coalition system, control of water pollution and installation of traffic system. The government is also taking the responsibility of developing parks for the public use (City of Las Vegas Department of Public Works, 2008). ... Demand for motor oxygenated gasoline increases mainly in the winter months (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2011). As compared to the other parts of US, the rate of electricity consumption is quite high in Las Vegas. On an average each resident in the city consumes approximately 20,000kWh of electricity per year. Such high rate of electricity consumption results in production of 160,000,000 tonnes of CO2. On the other hand, an average American consumes almost 10,660 kWh in a year (The Fun Times Guide to Living Green, 2011). As per the information published by Forbs, the casino in Las Vegas consumes more that 20 percent of the total energy demand by Nevada. The power consumption by the casinos is equivalent to 5 Giga-Watt. In 2007, the energy demand by the city in a summer day was as high as 5,600 megawatts and it was projected that by 2015 the demand will reach to 8,000 megawatts per day. In spite of all the development in improving energy production, it will be difficult to minimise prevailing energy deficiency (Helman, 2007). University Research: University of Nevada is quite active in capturing, preserving and sharing the intellectual research conducted by the faculty, staff, students and other collaborated stakeholders. The university library possesses a huge collection of articles, audio presentation, video presentation and monographs, research work as well as technical paper, reports, theses, data sets and publicity funded research (UNLV, 2011). This research based university receives huge funds for development and extension. Innovation: The city is more focused to represent itself as an innovative and creative destination. The desire for innovation and creativity is visible in the building structure and the creative lights used to make the city look

To what degree were the roaring 20s a time of optimism in canada Essay - 1

To what degree were the roaring 20s a time of optimism in canada - Essay Example In the 1920s, the media improved significantly as they focused more on heroes, majorly in sports and movie stars. Cities during this time grew to a greater extent, especially construction of massive stadia and cinemas. During this era, in most countries, women won their voting rights and started voting (Schumpeter, 3). In this context, countries which allowed women to vote included Britain and Canada. Actually, Canada is a country that was greatly affected by the Roaring 20s. There were major changes in the way of life of the Canadians. This paper will discuss  on  how the Roaring 20s was  a time of optimism in Canada. In forming the conclusion,  statistical analysis was conducted in respect to the topic of discussion. After the First World War,  most people  were  ready to start  a new life. Though jobs were readily available, most of the soldiers returning from the battlefields created a surplus of workers. During the early 1920s, there was a 15% unemployment rate in Canada (Schumpeter, 5). However, in the mid-twenties, things changed. There were a tremendous rise and increase in the foreign demand for Canadian raw materials. Moreover, the United States demand for traditional resources in Canada increased. Foreign demands included the demand for timber, base metals, pulp and wheat. Moreover, the market for local raw materials increased (Smith, 16). The market boom created hope and optimism for many Canadians. The increase in demand would automatically lead to a corresponding increase in supply. As a result, the improved demand and supply of goods led to a situation where most individuals were absorbed as workers in industries. Prairie farmers whose market had earlier on collapsed saw an improvement in their markets. Technically, the Canadian economy was booming, and there was hope for a better future (Moore, 10). Specifically,

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teenage Pregnancy - Essay Example 1-2). a) Threat to life of the person with mortality rate four times higher for those between 15 to 19 years old than those women aged 25 to 29. While pregnancy of teens from 10 to 14 years old is more life threatening and if the fetus is born, it will have serious health conditions or may soon die. e) Seeking support from social welfare institution. With majority of them unmarried, 75 percent ask for financial support within the next five years after childbirth. Research has shown that some teenagers prefer getting pregnant in order to get support from the father, a survival approach in poverty-ridden areas. f) Children of teenage mothers suffer retardation in psychological and social developments, as well as malnutrition effect upon the mind and body. Teenage mothers do not possess parenting skills, do not know the needs of the child, and do not understand the importance of touch, smile and communication in the development of the child. g) Socially unacceptable behavior of children. The result of lack of parenting skills and unpleasant environment can cause the child to grow up with anti-social behaviors. The rate is three times higher for boys to become a criminal offender and land in prison than the common criminals. Girls, on the other hand, have the tendency to become pregnant at a tender age (Agarwal par. 2-9). h) Delay in prenatal care. Of the 1 million teenage pregnancy in the US, 7.2 percent received no prenatal care while the rest received delayed prenatal care (Sams par. 1). Prenatal care is necessary to maintain the health of the teenager and her unborn child. i) Mix emotions such as excitement, confusion, fear, anger and frustration. While a motherly instinct of protecting the unborn child is developing, it is coupled by confusion and fear of how to handle the unplanned pregnancy (Causes and Effects pars. 8-9). The primary cause of teenage pregnancy is the absence of

Discuss the history, human rigths and Ethics of the Individual Mandate Essay

Discuss the history, human rigths and Ethics of the Individual Mandate of the Affordable Care Act- Obamacare - Essay Example al intestinal disease, whereby the first outbreak was experienced on October 1831-1833, and the disease caused deaths of twenty-two thousand people (McVeigh, 1). After the revolution in 1848, there was legislation concerning the public health issue from the government, and there were laws passed and implemented for due to the purpose of protecting people from the epidemic disease (TRIPOD, 1). During the twentieth century, the public health was attributed to decreased rates to tuberculosis cases, and the central-line related to the infections of the bloodstream. Moreover, there was earlier diagnosis of diseases such as HIV/AIDS through screening of blood in order to prevent potential transmission though transfusions (Chan, 1). There was a decrease in the number of hospitalization and death from diseases that could be prevented through vaccination, and the influence of pneumococcal conjugate, while the rotavirus vaccines became outstanding. There was smoke-free law, whereby the taxes on cigarettes were increased while FDA commenced to apply the regulatory authority over products like tobacco, thereby banning flavored cigarettes (McMichael, 101). In addition, there were restrictions on the accessibility of the youth to drugs, and there were proposals of graphic warnings on cigarette packets. The Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148), which is also known as ACA, and it was signed on 23 March 2010, through the federal health reforms. There were provisions entailed in the ACA aimed at expanding the accessibility to insurance, increasing consumer protections, emphasizing on prevention, improving the quality and system performance, expansion of the health workforce and curbing health care expenses (Pound, 1). It also focuses on expanding the health insurance to insuring approximately thirty two million in private and public sector. The ACA focuses on addressing the workforce problems through provision, which entail reforms in the graduate medical education training in

Market Research Report on printing industry Essay

Market Research Report on printing industry - Essay Example Print is used in business to create logo and advertisements to stand out in the market place. Companies often prefer their stationeries, be it business letters, pamphlets or catalogues to be customized and according to their requirements. This strategy of brand building is applied by all the companies. This is where the print industry enters the world of business related print products. In general market where print products are sold as leisure products, print industry has a strong hold. Products like Cards, customized stationeries, and craft products have given print industry a very distinct market to focus on. The print industry is also accredited for the production of lot of educational material. The print industry market is divided basically into three distinct market segments – Corporate sector, Gifts and Entertainment sector and educational sector. The print industry has witnessed gradual and steady growth, the demand for print products have increased considerably in the market. A lot of speculation had surrounded the print industry during the electronic media revolution. ... Identification of a Small and Medium Sized Enterprise The European market alone has 132,000 functioning business houses involved in printing industry. This comprises of 85% of SMEs. These SMEs have less than twenty employees each yet they are able to rake 105 billion EUR as annual turnover. The global printing market is dominated by the European printing companies. Most of the printing companies depending on their size are involved in export. Globally the printing market is very much static and not very dynamic in its growth. Most of these companies operating in printing industry are Small and Medium enterprises run by Entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have creative bent and open a medium size businesses. However they do lack the expertise in operating the business aspect of the industry. Most of these companies have issues like resource sharing, creative differences and networking as major barriers towards growth. The SMEs also have to face fierce competition from players who are b etter established and are conglomerate in their operations. Finance becomes a huge criterion for these SMEs as expanding in new market especially in other countries requires a substantial capital. Internet and electronic media although has not been able to completely take over the print sector but does have some influence on the print industry. Thus, economy of scale and the fad of new media have made an impact on the growth of SMEs in print industry (Batgraphs, 2011, p.6) One of the most important aspects for the small and medium enterprises in the printing industry is the incorporation of recent technology in their operations. The introduction of advanced and improved tools in the area of printing has been very rapid.

Political Science Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Science - Research Proposal Example In the abstract, the text will mention the main findings of the research that have been obtained from consulting various sources related to the topic of study. This will be summarized in about one page in the beginning of the paper after the project title. In this section of the paper, the historic development of human rights laws will be discussed in reference to each of these two countries to what is in application to date. The specific policies and other human rights interventions will be discussed in identifying the pros and cons of these two nations in enforcing equity in law among its people. The information that would have been gathered about the human rights positions of these two nations will then be examined in this analysis section. The merits and demerits that would have been established in enforcing human rights will be compared so that a recommendation can be justified from the information.

Designing a Biosphere Essay Example for Free

Designing a Biosphere Essay To start with the biosphere will be pumped with oxygen from oxygen canisters, plants will be introduced as well as simple life forms that use oxygen to respire. Hopefully the delicate balance of oxygen and carbondioxide will cycle around through plant and life form, from the processes of respiration and photosynthesis. Where the plant will use CO2 to make energy needed and will respire oxygen which will be useful for the life forms. I suggest simple life forms like bacterium or plankton to start with. A constant flow of air from a chamber of plants and organisms could be established to create a respiratory circuit. Maximise production of food: To begin the plants grown will be edible, and to maximise their growth they would be fed constant light and heat. The biosphere is an excellent insulator of heat so if kept at the right temperature the crops should thrive. I suggest constant light, so UV light supplements during night time hours to maximise growth efficiency. I also intend to use GM plants to make use of the benefits they could bring like certain health benefits to help lessen the chance of disease. Water : Introducing small irrigation systems through the biosphere from small ponds set up in a biosphere. It will be filtered with constant recycle so a pumping station will be on hand at all times. This should also help minimise human waste. Water will be introduced it will be brought at first from earth but will hopefully cycle around itself. The technology will be taken from an example of the biosphere in Cornwall. Poultry and Pork: After a time animals like pigs and chickens will be introduced, these animals are good for meat and eggs. Pigs are useful for also tackling waste as they eat almost anything and all body parts are edible. Chickens provide eggs and meat. Thermal: To provide heat I would use solar energy to power heaters in the biosphere at night all activity would have to cease to keep power storage from being drained. Waste problems: No packaging would be used in the biosphere all cuttings and peelings are recycled into compost as well as dead animals and plants. Anything that can be given to the pigs will be. Any rubbish will be burned at a quiet area. Sustainability: To make it sustainable I would use recycled everything, plants and meat are reared in the dome and heat is sourced renewably. Water, oxygen and CO2 are recycled over and over, waste is limited. Problems encounted: The hardest problem in making the idea work would be getting to mars in the first place and getting all the plants organisms and buildings on the surface. The hardest problem faced then if it works is a growing population of humans, plants and other organisms. My Design A simple look at the outside. Several small domes connected up to a large central hub where I would imagine the humans live.   The inside would look alot more like this. Plants grown in rows maximise space.   Irrigation systems watering the plants.   Composted soil giving nutrients.   Solar heat source 24 hours a day. O2 CO2 recycling through fans.

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society Since becoming a prominent part of modern human society, the media has always been a source of controversy. In particular, the media has often been accused as playing a significant part in the so called dumbing-down of society. The term dumbing-down is used to describe the lack of a clear distinction between high culture and popular Pop culture in society today. While high culture were activities, usually relating to the classical arts, that were held in the highest regard by society in the past, and usually practiced by the rich upper-class, it has evolved to appeal to the masses now. Similarly, popular culture which are considered ephemeral and commercial, thus inferior to high culture have gone on to invade parts of our upper-class societies today. In this essay, I am going to investigate the blurring line between the differences in high and popular culture and use this as a pivot to critically assess the medias role in this phenomenon and ultimately determine if the media is inde ed responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Dumbing-down is believed to be present in many spheres of contemporary society, from the arts to even the quality of education that our generation are getting today. This is based on the premise that the Arts such as Theatre Productions and classical music have become more and more commercialised and overly-simplified in order to appeal to larger audiences. Similarly, the study of certain university courses ranging from Sociology to Media Studies and Animal Management have been labelled as inferior to the more traditional courses such as Law, Medicine and Politics. These so called Mickey Mouse degrees (which coincidentally were first made public by the media tabloids), coined by the then UK education minister Margaret Hodge were deemed to be less rigorous and thus unworthy of an actual University degree. Modern media itself is often criticised for putting ratings and audience popularity ahead of quality. Media institutions are run as businesses and are therefore more focused in creating productions that attract widespread interest and thereby maximise the chances of the sell rather than actual high quality productions. This can be seen through a number of examples, notably through news circulating productions such as Newspapers and News Broadcasting. The 1980s saw a sharp rise in the popularity of Tabloid Newspapers. Tabloids are based on the newspaper format seen in traditional Broadsheet Newspapers, but are smaller in size and feature exaggerated and often sensationalised stories. They often include much less hard news such as politics and global affairs to their Broadsheet counterparts, instead focusing on human interests and entertaining news stories (i.e. Celebrity Gossips, Scandals). There are also much fewer words and more pictures in a Tabloid than a Broadsheet. This form of junk food news is best described by researcher and writer Professor Bob Franklin in his book Newszak and News Media as being More bitesize McNugget journalism, which is small, tasty, bright coloured and easy to digest (Marr in Franklin, 1997: 5). Frankin came up with the term Newszak and asserted that there was a growing compulsion within British journalism to retreat from the publishing of hard news in favour of light hearted softer news. The popularity of tabloids has resulted in many broadsheet newspapers adopting numerous characteristics of tabloids. This is evident in UK newspapers such as The Independent, The Times and The Guardian who have switched to the more compact Berliner format used by most tabloid newspapers. Reasons given to this change include that it allows people who commute to easily hold and read it on public transports, and that smaller-sized newspapers would allow for easier reads for other readers as well. These changes have however been criticised by loyal broadsheet readers who have argued that the loss of the traditional broadsheet format have led to a loss in quality of the publishing of news. They reiterated that with Broadsheets adopting tabloid-like characteristics, there is slowly becoming less and less differences between the 2 types of Newspapers. In a 2007 interview with then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Blair commentated about the ongoing struggle in which Broadsheets and Tablo id face to gain readership by becoming more similar to one another. In his words Broadsheets today face the same pressures as tabloids; broadcasters increasingly the same pressures as broadsheets. The audience needs to be arrested, held and their emotions engaged. Something that is interesting is less powerful than something that makes you angry or shocked. (BBC News, 12 June 2007) While the tabloid-like changes that many broadsheets have undergone is a controversial topic even today, Tabloids have also evolved and have become even more tabloidized in recent years. In their study of the Tabloidization of British Tabloids, Rodrigo Uribe and Barrie Gunter discovered that the emergence of tabloids can be attributed to a dominance of soft and home stories. By analysing issues of The Sun and The Mirror that were published between the years 1991 and 2001, Uribe and Gunter learnt that tabloids themselves had become even more simplistic in recent years. They wrote that the amount of column space allocated for text had decreased substantially, whilst the size of space allocated for visuals and pictures had instead increased. (Uribe and Gunter, 2004: 399) Looking back at what I have learnt so far, I believe that when considering whether the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing-down of society, one has to look at the problem from two different perspectives. Yes, the media, owned by giant conglomerates aim to increase financial gain and therefore create products that are popular and sellable to their target audiences. However, one must also note that the reason broadsheets started adopting tabloid-like characteristics in the first place were partly due to the rising popularity of tabloids. In a highly competitive economic market as we have today, the media was simply responding to the ever growing demand for a particular product, in this case, tabloids; and therefore evolved its production of broadsheets to satisfy audience demand. It is therefore unfair to lay the blame solely on the Media when in this particular case; I believe that society is responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Broadcast media is another area within the media that is nowadays criticised as playing a role in the dumbing-down of society. News Broadcasting is often accused as being no longer truly informative and lacking the journalistic quality that was present in the past. With Broadcast Media prioritising audience and consumer ratings today, News Broadcastings are becoming more entertainment orientated, in that part of the appeal of watching the news nowadays is the entertainment value one gains from it rather than the traditional hard news journalistic approach seen in the past. This form of Infotainment, a term used to describe media programmes that combine information with entertainment is seen in numerous News Broadcasting Productions. Many have expressed concerns that the emergence of infotainment has led to an over exposure of soft news, news that often lack importance but are entertaining to audiences at an expense of actual important serious hard news. A clear example of this can be seen on a February 2004 edition of CNN News where the lead story was a feature of the Super Bowl XXXVIII incident in which Janet Jacksons breasts were exposed onstage. The story was then followed by the news of a chemical attack on a member of the US Senate. (Anderson B, 2004: 33) The basis of Infotainment is the assumption that viewers are no longer concern about the informative quality of such programmes but are rather driven to watch and consume something due to superficial reasons such as the entertainment that the programme provides or even by how visually attractive the product looks. The aesthetics of modern News programmes also serves as a means of entertaining viewers. News broadcastings nowadays contain expensive visuals, flashy animations and often elaborate filming sets. The use of such technology in modern news broadcasting allows for more contemporary looking visual presentations and thus attracts audience appeal. In a vastly competitive industry in which different Media Networks vie for control over audience viewership, the quality of presentation often plays an important part of the process. Networks which benefit from higher production values often score higher in viewership numbers and audience share. This would explain why the Big 4 televisi on networks in the US consisting of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX have a significant edge over other smaller networks such as The CW Television Network. In terms of actual substance and quality, there is little difference between one News Channel to another; rather the difference in popularity is often determined by insignificant reasons. An excellent example that clearly illustrates the importance of infotainment in todays Media is the ongoing ratings/ popularity war between two of the most popular News Networks in the US, FOX News and CNN. Though the CNN News Network has had a longer and more illustrious history (est. 1980) compared to the FOX News Network (est. 1996), ratings for CNN has fallen in recent years whilst FOX has seen a steadily increase in audience viewership. In 2009, FOX News officially supplanted CNN to become the No 1 News Network in the US. FOXs ratings increase has been attributed to the fact that it provides opinion and personality-driven programming. FOX slanted views to favour the republican (conservative) party in the US is no secret. It is however ironic that a network that bills itself as Fair Balance, whose slogan happens to be We Report. You Decide does not provide impartial and balanced news reporting. The appeal of FOX News lies in the entertainment it provides for its audience. The ne ws that it broadcast is often colourful, and interesting to audiences. Unlike CNN that features a more global perspective on news stories, reminiscent to the more traditional broadsheet news format, FOX has been known to employ tabloid-like tactics to gain audience receptions and stir controversies. Whilst CNN is in no way a haven of quality and unbiased news reporting, there is a fine line between biased information presented in a fair and proper manner and that of a piece of pure synthesized propaganda (DuBach J 2005, Fox V. CNN: An Observational Comparison). An example in which FOX has deliberately created news-stirring controversy to further its political agenda can be seen in several news reports during the Obama Presidential Campaign in 2008, in which FOX News provided highly bias opinions against Obama and his campaign team, even going as far as to compare him to Joseph Stalin. News Reporters and Journalists are no longer detached personalities from the audience but are instead groomed to become popular and celebrity-like. Rather than employing real hard-line journalists and political analysts (McChesney R), News networks are more interested in hiring celebrity pontificators to provide news commentary as a cost cutting solution that also ensures maximum audience appeal. This is evident by the growing number of so called special guest experts that regularly provide their views on the news at hand. News Commentators such as Bill OReilly, Gleen Beck and Jerry Springer have gone from being news readers to become well respected and popular television personalities that hosts their own talk shows and are regularly watched by a loyal viewership. As a matter of fact, OReillys political commentary program titled The OReilly Factor that airs on FOX News was the most watched cable show between 2007 and 2008. Despite the level of media saturation and the wealth of info rmation we have at our disposal, it is still in the hands of each individual to decide whether consuming a particular media text is indeed beneficial. However, with audiences seemingly enjoying such a skewed and biased view on everyday news reporting, its no wonder that some people believe that the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing down of society. The belief that the media is responsible for the dumbing down of society is rooted in the fear that the audience lack the perception to tell what is right and what is wrong when consuming a media text, thus believing whatever the media projects. It is therefore important to understand the concept of Audience Reception in order to determine how media viewers interpret a particular media text differently from one another. The basis of Audience reception is the understanding that there are two different kinds of audiences; active and passive audience. Active Audiences are people who are not drawn to whatever the media tells them, who constantly filter out what they see in the media and possess the strength of mind to decide whether what they see in the media is true or not. In contrast, Passive Audiences are people who are vulnerable to the words of the media and are seemingly accepting of whatever the media tells them. The belief that the media has the ability to alter audience percept ion and in a way control the way we make decisions and live our lives is one that has existed for decades. The Hypodermic Needle Model, conceived in the 1940s was perhaps the earliest form in our attempts to understand audience reception. The model was based around the assumption that mass media (e.g. the radio and television) had a direct and often profound effect on its viewers. It was believed that the media was able to send messages directly to the viewer thus gaining some measure of control on the viewer. Today, the model is almost unanimously considered obsolete as it perceives all media consumers as passive audiences, and thus believes that the media has the same effect on all people. It perceives on the assumption that people were uniformly controlled by their biologically based instincts and that they react more or less uniformly to whatever stimuli came along (Lowery DefFleur, 1995: 400). More to the point, the hypodermic needle theory is an outdated Audience Reception model that however flawed, reflected the social situation during that time. In an era of political upheaval an d social unrest, fuelled by the World Wars, propaganda emerged as a form of communication utilized by nations to persuade the general public to unite behind the actions of their countries and allies alike. The power of propaganda was regarded as a powerful tool by many, with countries using propaganda to achieve many different aims, from enlisting more men to become soldiers to even attempting to promote public outrage. A more efficient audience reception model which does take both passive and active audiences into account is the Uses and Gratifications Model. Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Model that interpreted its findings based on what the media did to people, the Uses and Gratifications model took a different perspective by placing focus on the viewers instead of the media and basing its findings on what did people do with the Media. The Model was conceived in the 1970s by critical theorists Blumber and Katz, who originally used it to investigate the social and psychological needs of people. The model was based around a more consumer/ audience centred approach whereby it was believed that people consumed media as a form of satisfying their own individual needs. Rather than basing its study that all media viewers were passive audiences who are unable to resists the words of the media (as the hypodermic needle theory had suggested), the theory was based on the belief that the audience did in fact p lay an active part in choosing the type of media text that they were consuming based on their individual needs. The needs of individuals were varied and included but not limited to things such as gaining entertainment (diversion) from the text t or perhaps even gaining more of an insight into themselves (personal identity). Despite the consensus that the Uses and Gratification model is a far better representation of audience reception, compared to the Hypodermic Needle Theory, it has also been criticised by many who state that viewers nowadays do not have any means of control over what the media produces. In my opinion, I would actually argue with that statement, as I believe that the audience make educated choices on the type of media they consume. I believe that the types of medium that are produced today are developed specifically to satisfy the needs of people. Due to the different trends and genres that go in and out of fashion today, media companies create productions that the y know would attract a sizable audience market. Similar to how many Broadsheet Newspapers are adopting the more popular Tabloid-like format and the use of Infotainment in todays News Broadcasting Programmes, the media is simply responding to the audience preferences. In conclusion, I believe that although the media does play a part in the Dumbing down of society, it is not directly responsible for this, and is often conveniently made a scapegoat of the problem due to people take comfort in having someone or something to blame, in this case the media itself. Rather, I think that the media acts as a catalyst for the true culprit behind the degradation of society humans. The dumbing down of society is caused by us; modern people have grown lazy, becoming interested in trivial things and finding quality activities and productions a chore to do and consume. We prefer the simplifying of things as it makes it easier for us to understand and

The Role Of Gawad Kalinga As A Promotional Tourism Essay

The Role Of Gawad Kalinga As A Promotional Tourism Essay Besides the 7,107 beautiful islands, Philippines has so much to offer, from its pristine white sand beaches, splendid views, abundant greens,diverse populations of flora and fauna, unique natural resources and vibrant culture. To add to it is the warm Filipino hospitality, affordable vacation rates that they provide to tourists, enabling them to travel cheap and enjoy the tourism experience even more. Ironic as it may seem, this natural beauty is masked by the ugly face of poverty and despair. A majority of the Filipinos have been living in sub-human conditions in constant struggle to battle deprivation and loss of dignity. Non-Government Organizations such as Gawad Kalinga provide alternative solutions to the barefaced problem of poverty and despair in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga (GK) has a vision of a slum-free, squatter-free nation a country where Filipinos are at peace and are given the dignity that they deserve. Together with its partners, the process of nation building and Filipino empowerment has transformed over 900 communities all over the Philippines. The Filipino people have the innate culture of giving and sharing, exemplified by the age-old concept of bayanihan. This unique Filipino spirit of being a hero to one another can be the desired push for voluntourism in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga has, in its history of service, contributed to the domestic tourism scene. With community building and community development programs manifested mainly through its infrastructure and community empowerment activities across the nation, and an extensive number of communities which continue to increase, the organization encourages more volunteers to be involved in their efforts. This potentially relates to an increased movement of people across the country which may be associated with an increase in awareness of the destinations to which they are deployed, a potential increase in travel spending, and a prospective ensuring increase in tourism spending. II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE DOMESTIC TOURISM Many countries have a rich tradition of domestic travel and holiday which not only predates but exceeds mass international travel. This is particularly the case in Asia where recent economic prosperity and trends in globalization have not merely spurred, but continue to shape traditions in domestic tourism (Singh, 2009).  Tourism in the world is dominantly domestic not international (Cooper, Gilbert, Fletcher Wanhill, 1993). Travel is usually done within ones own country before one ventures out into travelling to destinations other than the country of residence. Domestic tourism involves residents of a country travelling only within that country but outside their usual environment. The main purpose of visit or travel is predominantly for leisure, business or other purposes (Cruz, 2000). TOURISM PROMOTION IN THE PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, the major agencies involved with tourism marketing and promotions are the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board (former Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation). Through the years, tourism agencies have used various slogans to sell the Philippines as a destination. To name a few, in the 1970s Where Asia wears a smile and An island to remember; in the 1980s Fiesta Islands, Theres a Fiesta for Everyone and Fiesta never ends in the Philippines; in the 1990s Islands Philippines, Our Islands Have It, Jeepney Islands (in Europe), and Musical Islands Philippines; in 1999 Rediscovery Philippines; and more recently, in the 2000s WOW Philippines (Cruz, 2000). The countrys new tourism campaign slogan is Pilipinas Kay Ganda under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III. The slogan aims to reinvigorate our countrys tourism campaign and double tourist arrivals within the next three years, said a Malacanang press statement reads. Promoting tourist destinations to potential vacationers is a difficult proposition. Most products and services use advertising to entice buyers and compete for the limited time and attention of the media-harried consumers. Likewise, current tourism advertising lacks the resources needed to prolong destination exposure in order to capture awareness and sustain the interest of potential consumers. In the domestic tourism scene, the local government units are tasked to promote their own destinations. These LGUs are given the liberty to formulate their own promotional strategies, according to the market niche that they are targeting realizing that different markets have different needs or motivations for travel. At present, the new administration is allocating budget for new media promotions, which includes launching a new website. This is due to the increasing trend of gathering information thru the World Wide Web. MOTIVATION FOR TRAVEL Throughout history, there have been different reasons why travellers set out on journeys or trips. The chief motivations noted in history were travel for escape, cultural curiosity, spirituality, education, and social status. People go on tours or trips to satisfy a range of needs from excitement and arousal to self-development and personal growth. The work of Stanley Plog, which is often critically accepted as the major approach to tourist motivation, stressed that travellers could be categorized on psychocentric (nonadventurous, inward-looking) to allocentric (adventurous, outward-looking) scale. In a more recent version of the approach, a second dimension, energy versus lethargy, was added to the psychocentric -allocentric dimension, thus developing a four-part categorization scheme. Nevertheless, the approach is still limited because of its North American bias, and it does not consider the issues of multimotive behaviour, nor does it provide measurement details or consider the dynamic nature of motives in the travellers life span (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). Iso-Ahola (1988), in his work Toward a Social Psychological Theory of Tourism Motivation: A Rejoinder, argues that tourist and leisure behaviour takes place within a framework of optimal arousal and incongruity. That is, while individuals seek different levels of stimulation, they share the need to avoid either overstimulation (mental and physical exhaustion) or boredom (too little stimulation) (quoted by Goeldner Ritchie, 2006, p.262). The travel-needs model articulated by Pearce (1988) and co-workers is more explicitly concerned with tourists and their motives and argues that people have a career in their travel behaviour that reflects a hierarchy of their travel motives. People may start at different levels and are likely to change their levels during their life cycle. They may also be inhibited in their travel by money, health, and other people (quoted by Goeldner Ritchie, 2006, p. 263). The grades or levels on the Pearces Travel-needs or Career model were likened to a ladder and was built on Maslows hierarchy of needs. The earliest version of the travel-needs ladder retained Maslows ideas that lower levels on the ladder have to be satisfied before the individual moves to a higher level. Recent and ongoing revisions of this model place less emphasis on the strict hierarchy of needs and more on the changing patterns of motives. More importantly, the travel-needs ladder approach emphasizes that people have a range of motives for seeking out holiday experiences (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). In the travel-needs model, destinations are seen as settings where vastly different holiday experiences are possible. Thus, travellers motives influence what they seek from a destination, and destinations will vary in their capacity to provide a range of holiday experiences (Goeldner Ritchie, 2006). Richards and Wilson proposes that the search for new travel experiences is primarily argued to reflect peoples increasing recognition and reaction to the homogenous nature of traditional tourism products as well as their increasing desire for altruism, self-change and an ability to confirm their identities and provide coherence within an uncertain and fragmented post-modern life (quoted by McIntosh Zahra, 2007, p. 542). VOLUNTOURISM (VOLUNTEER TOURISM) Volunteer tourism, or voluntourism, is an alternative type of tourism which applies to tourists who, for various reasons, volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment (Wearing, 2001). Voluntourism is seen as utilizing ones discretionary time and income to go out of the regular sphere of activity to assist others in need (McGehee Santos, 2005). Voluntourism, is an alternative type of tourism which applies to tourists who volunteer in an organized way to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment. Munt suggests that volunteer tourism should be seen as an expression of what is recognized as the other dimension of postmodern tourism (quoted by Uriely, Reichel Ron, 2003, p. 58). It is, by default, mass tourism in its early pre-tourism development stage and can be viewed as a development strategy leading to sustainable development and centering to the convergence of natural resource qualities, locals and the visitor that all benefit from the tourism activity (Wearing, 2001). Voluntourism activities [volunteer vacations] involve participants paying to join organized projects (Broad, 2003). It is also described as donating ones time and manpower while on vacation, even if it is just part of their trips (Brown Morrison, 2003). Mead and Metraux describe volunteer vacations as giving time and energy for a good cause and paying for the privilege. It can be taken around the corner in ones home country, or around the world in a far off land. It may involve travel expenses only, or they may cost more than traditional trips (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 73). Callanan and Thomas states that volunteer tourism fosters a reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationship between the host and the guest and is seen as offering an opportunity for sustainable alternative travel that is more rewarding and meaningful than other holidays. It focuses on the altruistic and self-development experiences that participants can gain and the assistance that can be delivered to communities in terms of community development, scientific research or ecological/heritage restoration (quoted by McIntosh Zahra, 2007, p. 543). With voluntourism, there is an intense rather than a superficial social interaction that occurs. The accounts between hosts and guests that is created are more engaging, genuine, creative and mutually beneficial. The nature of the experiences gained by tourists is more authentic, genuine, and reflexive, of contemporary cultural content and a meaningful impersonal experience (McIntosh Zahra, 2007). Cohen, Mittelberg, Uriely and Reichel all agree that with respect to tourism studies, the term working holidays was attached to individuals who combine volunteer activity with leisure/tourism pursuits while traveling (quoted by Limjoco Magtoto, 2006, p. 12). In certain aspects, the concept of a working holiday may be considered as a dubious form of relaxation because initially, tourists expect a vacation to be as effortless as possible. Nonetheless, comprising practically of altruistic aims, its palatable appeal gives it an edge in the tourist market. VOLUNTOURISM ACTIVITIES Voluntourism can take place in varied locations such as rainforests and cloudforests, biological reserves and conservation areas. Activities can vary across many areas, such as scientific research (wildlife, land and water), conservation projects, medical assistance, economic and social development (including agriculture, construction and education) and cultural restoration (Wearing, 2001). It may also include opportunities for teaching [conversational English], nurturing at-risk infants and children, renovating and painting community buildings, assisting with health care, and natural resource projects (Brown Morrison, 2003). In his book Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, Bill McMillon categorizes potential volunteer activities into the following groups: accompaniment and amnesty work; agricultural and farm work; archaeology; community development; environmental protection; environmental research; executive and technical assistance; historical restoration; marine research; medical and dental; museums; outdoor and recreation; public health; railroads; religious organizations; scientific research; social action; state and national parks and forests; trail building and management; and work camps (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 77). VOLUNTOURISTS Gazley deems that volunteer vacationers appear to have the same motivations as long-term volunteers but the relative value of various factors is different with self-actualization being very important for short-term volunteers. He further suggests that it may lead volunteers to look for opportunities not only for service but for learning and growth in volunteering which may be increasingly focused on education (quoted by Ellis, 2003, p. 46). The only essential skill required by volunteer organizations is the desire to help others (Brown Morrison, 2003). There is usually, however, the opportunity for volunteers to take part in local activities and interact further with the community. Hence, the volunteer tourist contribution is bilateral, in that the most important development that may occur in the volunteer tourist experience is that of a personal nature, that of a greater awareness of self. Volunteer tourists will almost always pay in some way to participate in these activities. Furthermore, the amount is usually more than an average tourist would expect to pay on a normal holiday to a similar location (Wearing, 2001). Bud Philbrook, president and CEO of Global Volunteers, sums up the excitement of doing volunteer work on a vacation, when someone adds a volunteer dimension to their vacation, they gain a unique perspective of the community theyre re-visiting. They have the opportunity to learn from and about the local people and make genuine friendships in the process. It is an exceptional experience and very often the highlight of any tripà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 75). VOLUNTOURISM MOTIVATION Wearing states that in a global society that increasingly finds dogma and marketing used to instill values and exploit social relations, volunteer tourism represents both an opportunity and a means of value-adding in an industry that seems to represent consumer capitalism at its worse (quoted by Brown Morrison, 2003, p. 75). Resource mobilization theory argues that the networks an activist establishes, both within and outside of a particular movement, are vital to its success. Social psychological theories purport that, among other things, a consciousness-raising experience is a necessary precursor to social movement participation (McGehee Santos, 2005). The motives afforded by voluntourism would provide an outlet for those seeking unconventional travel experiences to pursue their own benevolent agendas. Furthermore, it can prove to be a far more satisfying experience than those offered by conventional tourism. Volunteer tourism would be a perfect venue wherein the travelers could satisfy their desires for a more in-depth understanding of the people within the tourist destination. It not only would have an impact on the tourists, but also on the locals themselves. Many travelers seek a chance to become immersed in a community or assist with projects when they travel rather than just passing through (Proceedings of Travel with a Purpose Symposium, 2000). MOTIVATIONS TO CONTINUE VOLUNTEERING Sherr (2003) classified the reasons that volunteers maintain their service through time into five factors. First, good communication within the organization is a very important factor to maintain the volunteers work in the long run. Good communication is a flow of quality information from the organization to its volunteers. Information flow consists of, for example, general news within the organization, the organizations 32 expectations of its volunteers, rules and regulations, recognition, and feedback given to the volunteers. There are a variety of forms of communication, such as face-to-face interactions, newsletters, bulletin boards, and more complicated forms such as public displays of recognition. It is reported that face-to-face conversation is the most effective factor to serve the satisfaction of the volunteers and increase their level of commitment. Providing informal recognition and appreciation early in the volunteer experience can affect the volunteers tenure of service at an organization (Stevens, 1991). If the volunteers are satisfied with the quality of the communication, they are likely to stay longer. Second, scheduling, work assignment, and work allocation are crucial factors to maintain the volunteers efforts. Volunteers tend to be satisfied with work if they can schedule their own volunteer hours and days, especially if the schedule is flexible. In addition, they are apt to continue volunteering if they are assigned to work on tasks that allow them to utilize their personal talent or specific skills. Next, if the volunteers can see that the outcome of their volunteering efforts really benefit somebody, they have a propensity to remain in the service. This factor will be reinforced if there is a connection, particularly direct contact, between the volunteers and the people benefiting from their services. In other words, if the volunteers feel that their efforts are worthwhile and important, they will be motivated to continue volunteering. On the contrary, if they feel useless or incapable, they tend to terminate their volunteer work sooner (Wharton, 1991). Fourth, volunteers expect good support from the organization they work for, such as training support and emotional support. Volunteers who participate in training report 33 higher levels of satisfaction than those who do not (Galindo-Kuhn Guzely, 2001). Organizations offering longer training sessions and a variety of training topics are also likely to have a larger number of volunteers who are satisfied and committed (Cyr Dowrick, 1991; Paradis Usui, 1989). Volunteers need emotional support not only from the organizations paid staff, but also among the volunteers themselves. Volunteers have a propensity to continue their service when they perceive that they are a part of the team and each member is willing to collaborate in problem solving, cooperate on projects, and encourage the volunteer initiative and activity (Cyr Dowrick, 1991). On the contrary, if they feel like they are being treated without respect, such as being told what to do and what not to do, they will lose their i nterest and motive for participating in that volunteer effort. Lastly, a strong sense of group integration is another important factor that keeps the volunteer in service. Group integration refers to the bonds that tie volunteers affectively to one another and the organization. Such relationships are independent of the work; instead, they provide a social aspect of the volunteer experience that is associated with satisfaction and commitment. The study by Field and Johnson (1993) indicated that volunteers are more satisfied when they have contact with other volunteers, not only in the work, but also at social events or casual socializing outside of the workplace, such as having an informal dinner with the paid staff and other volunteers, or being invited to join holiday parties (Sherr, 2008). VOLUNTOURISM AND SOCIAL AWARENESS Volunteer tourism presents a unique opportunity for exposure to social inequalities, as well as environmental and political issues, subsequently increasing social awareness, sympathy and/or support (McGehee Santos, 2005). McGehee and Santos explored how an increased social awareness through voluntourism can influence subsequent social activism. A voluntourism experience may provide an indirect or informal channel for an exchange of ideas regarding the issues and inequalities that exist. Though the observation of these social issues and inequalities and the exchange of ideas occur in the local community, it can be deemed apparent that the same occurs elsewhere. It has been proposed that volunteer tourism experiences have the potential to change voluntourists perceptions about society (at a global as well as local level). In the study conducted by McGehee and Santos, consciousness-raising occurred prior to, during, and after the volunteer tourism experiences. It has been found out that many volunteer tourism expeditions improve what is called as global citizenship. One of the many interesting topics in the field of tourism research is that of tourisms potential contribution to global peace and understanding. There are examples from around the globe, of tours that are seeking conflict resolution, greater understanding and even movements for global social justice. However, it remains a matter of some dispute among tourism analysts as to whether tourism can help foster peace and secure a more harmonious world (Higgins-Desbiolles, F., 2003). VOLUNTOURISM AND CULTURAL TOURISM It is unlikely that [other] cultural tourists will gain the same depth of interaction and experience as a volunteer tourist (McIntosh Zahra, 2007). Admittedly though, this conclusion still requires further empirical validation. In their paper, McIntosh and Zahra examined the nature of the volunteer experience in the search for alternative and sustainable experiences through cultural tourism, in the case of Australian visitors to a Maori community. The findings of the study showed that the main motivation for undertaking the volunteer project was not primarily related to sightseeing but to volunteering, to work; not just to be tourists, to give and to experience a service project. It was examined how open and responsive the host community were initially, and throughout the volunteering project, and what impact the volunteers left on the community. It was found out that the nature of the volunteer tourism experience was mutually beneficial to both the host and the voluntourist. The nature of the experiences gained by the voluntourists were seemingly different from those gained by cultural tourists experiencing the traditional cultural products, as the latters experience border on commodified cultural products. VOLUNTOURISM AND ECOTOURISM Wearing impresses that volunteering on nature conservation projects has become increasingly popular in the last two decades (quoted by Halpenny Caissie, 2003, p. 25). Non-government organizations and government agencies charged with managing biologically significant and recreation-oriented areas are expanding the use of volunteers in their programs designed to conserve biodiversity, foster healthy environments, and operate recreation and conservation programs. In a paper by Halpenny and Caissie, they explored the attitudes and values regarding nature, and the perceptions of nature by the volunteers who participated in the Volunteer for Nature program, a Canadian-based conservation volunteer project. A majority of the volunteers stressed the importance of nature and the environment as a context for self-centered activities such as recreation and therapeutic interaction. The importance of natures existence value, the satisfaction of knowing that nature exists and is being protected was also apparent. Many of the participants expressed concern and empathy for the wildlife and threatened environments. Wearing describes volunteer ecotourism as a bright alternative that promotes host self-determination, local control, sustainability, environmental stewardship and the privileging of local culture and values (quoted by Gray Campbell, 2007, p. 466). III. GAWAD KALINGA THE POWER OF AUDACIOUS GOALS 1. GK777 Meloto knows the importance of coming up with a compelling vision to inspire people. Thus, he came up with GK777. Launched in 2003, GK777 goal to construct 700,000 homes in 7,000 communities in seven years. The objective of the project is to help the poorest of the poor, regain their trust, build their confidence, make them think and act as a community and to share the joy of a country rising from poverty. 2. GK2024 A logical extension of GK777 is GK2024, which seeks to uplift five million Filipinos.The first phase of the journey (from the year 2003 to 2010) aims to achieve Social Justice, and is captured in GK777. The goal has been restated as: raising 700,000 home lots and starting up 7,000 communities by the end of 2010. The second phase (from 2011 to 2017) is the stewardship phase called Social Artistry, and aims to empower GK communities for self-governance, self-reliance, and self sufficiency through community-based programs for health, education, environment, and productivity. It also aims to build a village culture that honours Filipino values and heritage. The final phase (from 2018 to 2024) is envisioned as a time of Social Progress, and seeks to achieve scale and sustainability by developing the grassroots economy and expanding the reach and influence of GK to five million families with support from key sectors of society in the Philippines and partners abroad (Gawad Kalinga, 2009). During this phase, the Filipino will lift himself from poverty by unleashing his potential for productivity and hard work in the right environment. According to the Gawad Kalinga web site, the 21-year journey of Gawad Kalinga represents one generation of Filipinos who will journey from poverty to prosperity, fromneglect to same to honour, from third- world to first world, from second-class to first-class citizen of the world. 1. Companies (private sector) Gawad Kalinga has successfully propagated the idea that the participation of big business in GK is more than just exercising their corporate social responsibility (CSR). They are also involved in a bigger project that is nation-building. Because of GKs novel approach of actively engaging their corporate donors in implementing GK programs and activities on the ground (rather than simply raising funds), the partnership takes on some special meaning for the. 2. Government (public sector) In 2002, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo challenged GK to build 1,000 homes with P30 million from her presidential fund. In spite of its lack of experience in building at such a scale back then, GK succeeded in building the houses in 70 sites throughout the country within a year. President Arroyos highly-publicized initiative served as a major boost for GK, which began to attract leaders from both sides of the political fence, including opposition leader Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who provided P40 million from his Countryside Development Fund for schools, livelihood centers, sewage and path walks. Support also came from other senators. Hundreds of governors and mayors have since joined the bandwagon. SERVICE EXPANSION MODEL For several government agencies, partnership with Gawad Kalinga allows them to fulfill their public-service mandates more effectively. Worth noting are the partnerships of GK with the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Tourism (DOT). The partnership between GK and DA took the form of Bayan-Anihan, the food-sufficiency program of Gawad Kalinga. Bayan-Anihan aims to eradicate hunger by empowering families in GK communities to produce their own food. Under this program, GK families would each be given a 10-square meter lot where they could start a vegetable garden with okra, tomatoes, eggplants, and kangkong for their daily consumption. Launched in 2009, the program seeks to launch 2,500 farms in the next three years to feed at least 500,000 people for life. Another innovative program is GK Mabuhay, which promotes GK sites as tourist destinations. This is a result of the collaboration between GK and DOT. GK villages have become a cultural attraction in themselves, owing to the fact that they were built with the people working together as members of the community. Under this program, GK villagers welcome visitors with warmth and hospitality brought about by their renewed sense of hope. Both GK and the DOT call this campaign the new face of community tourism. Taking center stage are the Mabuhay Ladies, a group of women residents who were chosen to be tour guides in the GK communities that were opened as travel destinations. The DOT conducted workshops for the Mabuhay Ladies, giving them practical guiding tips and techniques on how to be effective tourist hosts and good communicators. The concept of community tourism, according to DOT Secretary Ace Durano, is fairly new. This has been a sought-after activity among the more adventurous travelers, who choose not just to travel but to take part in community concerns. This travel-for-a-cause stance has been supported by the DOT through its other partnerships with socio-civic groups, Durano said BUiLDING THE GK BRAND Contributing to the rapid growth of Gawad Kalinga is the reputation it has built over the years. Gawad Kalinga has succeeded in creating an image that appeals to donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders. For example, GK is fashioned as a nation-building movement. It seeks to build a nation empowered by people with faith and patriotism and one that is made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity (GKBI, 2009). Since it was founded in 1995, Gawad Kalinga has managed to put a unique spin to its programs and activities. Because of this, GK has always looked fresh and dynamic to interested observers. For example, GK was originally known for building faith communities because of its values formation programs, and because of its association with the Couples for Christ. When it made inroads in building homes in war-torn Mindanao, GK communities were dubbed as peace zones where Muslims and Christians work together to address poverty. Recently, GK communities have become eco-friendly villages as well because they have begun to integrate environmentally-sound practices in their way of living. GK villages have likewise been transformed into tourist spots that showcase the inherent charm and uniqueness of each place. Aside from the colorful houses and beautifully landscaped surroundings, each GK community offers the warmth, hospitality, and inspiring stories of its residents, who represent the triumph of the Filipino people against poverty and oppression. IV. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework is presented by Figures 1 and 2, which are the Concept Map and Concept Table respectively. Figure 1. Concept Map of the Study GK cm3 Premise: Tourism promotions play a large role in encouraging people to engage in tourism ventures. The natural beauty or landscape of the destinations, the facilities and services of the tourism supplier, and the organizations government mandated and non-government mandated, stimulate tourism response. Domestic tourism is an amalgam of internal and inbound tourism. At present, traditional or conventional tourists dominate the domestic tourism markets

Phenomenology of the Spirit Essay example -- Philosophy Philosophical

Phenomenology of the Spirit ABSTRACT: The idea of spirit in its highest form takes a gathering character, where all is attracted by what Hegel called the world idea, an absolute spirit, and by what modern science understands as human psychological and social (consciousness) recognition. Included in this are unusual abilities like extrasensory perception, clairvoyance, telepathy, etc. The sensibility of the pointed problems can be more fruitfully realized within a new phenomenology of the spirit. This is distinguished from Hegel by the fact that spirit is considered as non-destroyed attribute or matter’s property (quality). If Hegel considered the absolute idea as the outcoming principle or substantial base of being, then a new phenomenology of spirit must be abstracted from the question stated of the primary and secondary character of the material and ideal in a global plan. But this conception of the materialistic philosophy should be over comprehended, where spiritual is considered as the secondary phe nomenon, so as the secondary in comparison with the material side of being. This new phenomenology of the spirit is based on the Hegelian and Marxist traditions’ overcomprehension in a quality of the main idea which takes up the subjective content and spiritual material base — its material-ideal nature. Both a society and an individual possess such qualities and properties that cannot be understood only through the conventional ideology of objective, material being. There exist spiritual phenomena as well, understood here as everything linked to consciousness, psychology, feelings, perception etc. These are mostly connected with human beings and human society. At the same time the science actively discuss subjects not connec... ...been understood as secondary phenomenon, Thus having lesser importance in comparison with the material aspect of existence. The new phenomenology of spirit, based upon reconsideration of Hegel / Marx tradition, can have as its main idea the subjective contents and material basis of spiritual, in other words — its material-ideal nature. It seems that in the nearest future such interpretation of the nature of spiritual will become more definite. Nowadays the new data is collected, new ideas are put forward, sometimes lying rather far from a single equivocal appraisal. The intellectual situation of the border of two centuries and two millennia is sometimes thought of as critical, even deadlock. However, the tendency of developing knowledge is such that the current processes will serve the basis for new paradigms of cognition, for the ultimate qualitative breakthrough.