Max Hamburger Essay Example for Free

Max Hamburger Essay History- Established in 1968, Max was the first burger fast food chain in Sweden. Their founders Curt Bergfors and Britta Anderson opened their first restaurant in Gallivare, high up in the northern part of Sweden. Max is a second generation family owned company run by the sons of founder Curt Bergfors. The name Max stems from founder’s nickname. The founder, Curt Bergfors is still active in the company as Chairman of Board, and family still owns 1000 percent of the company. Richard Bergfors is the company’s President and Christoffer Bergfors is the Vice President. Market Analysis 2007 was the year when Max took a good hard look at themselves, in terms of climate change. After hearing the reports of how global warming is affecting their planet, Max started thinking on how to make a change? Max realized that they were part of problem but they also want to be part of solution. Max conducted a climate inventory that also included their suppliers. In assistance with the Natural Step and UW, Max analyzed the entire production chain. The direct climate impacts were analyzed using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which also forms the basis for international ISO standards, 14. 065. The analysis included energy consumption in buildings, transports, packaging, and the climate impacts from each respective ingredient. In food production the main contributors to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. They soon realized that that in their business, the meat in their hamburgers was the greatest source of the emissions.

Aims of Education Essay Example for Free

Aims of Education Essay Education has been conceived so variously in human history, especially in term of its aims. Chopra (2005) defines the term ‘Aims’ as: â€Å"Long-term ambitions which may or may not be achieved, but which provide personal motivation and direction† (p.16). Perhaps more than other aspects of human existence, it is education which lends a direction to human efforts through a certain underlying ‘philosophy’: â€Å"a set of ideas about the nature of reality and about the meaning of life† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 130). However, aims of education depend on the philosophy that prevails at the time of determining the aims of education. Different philosophies hold different views about the aims of education: â€Å"Certain philosophies have created narrow patriots. Others have produced cultured individuals. Some others are responsible for bringing up spiritual men and women† (Shahid, 2001, p. 110). In fact, a philosophy or an ideology serves as a back-bone in determining the objectives or end results of an education system. 2.Western Philosophy and Aims of Education If we sift the history of education in the West right from the time of Greeks to the present contemporary era we would come across the following major schools of thought influencing the aims of Education: 2.1. Idealism: Idealism is considered the oldest philosophy of Western culture, dating back to ancient Greece. Socrates (469-399 B.C.), one of the most honored philosophers and the earliest exponents of the idealistic school of thought looked upon the aim of education as not verbal instructions but to enable the individual, by developing in him the power of thought to acquire knowledge by himself, i.e. by self-realization. For this purpose, he presented the Dialectic Method/Socratic Method which is also called Question/Discussion Method. 2.2 Realism: Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), a student of Plato and great Greek philosopher, was the leading figure of this school of thought. He believed in â€Å"dualism − the tendency to view reality as composed of two constituent elements †¦ form and of matter† (Kneller, 1964, p. 37). Following are the main aims of education in Realism: Equipping students with knowledge and skill needed to understand and master their physical environment. Enabling students to adjust themselves with adult approved behaviour. (Shahid, 2001, p. 141) 2.3 Existentialism: Soren Kierkegaad (1813-1855) is considered the originator of Existentialism. Existentialists believe that the physical world has no inherent meaning apart from human experience. Existentialists believe that the main aim of education is to: â€Å"Develop authentic individuals who exercise freedom of choice and take responsibility of their action† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.4 Marxism: The leading proponent of this school of thought was Karl Marx, an immensely influential German philosopher, political economist, and socialist revolutionary. He was famous for his analysis of history in terms of class struggles. The aims of education, according to Marxists, are: â€Å"Shape people and institutions; change material conditions of society, producing classless society† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.5 Behaviorism: B. F. Skinner, is called the father of Behaviorism. According to this school of thought, the aim of education is to: â€Å"engineer environments that efficiently maximize learning† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.6 Cognitivism: Cognition means the process of thinking and knowing. The aim of education, in cognitivists’ view, is to â€Å"develop thinking skills for lifelong self-directed learning† (McNergney Herbert, 1998, p. 139). 2.7 Naturalism: â€Å"Naturalism is based on the assumption that nature is the whole of reality†(Kneller 68). Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778 ) was the exponent figure of this school of thought. Rousseau stressed that what is natural is good. According to Naturalists, following are the aims of education: (1) Self-expression; (2) Autonomous development individuality; (3) Improvement  of racial gains; (4) Preparation for the struggle for existence. (Shahid 125) 2.8 Pragmatism: According to the Pragmatists, â€Å"truth [is] a tentative assertion derived from human experience (Kneller 82). The leading figure of the pragmatic educational philosophy was John Dewey (1859-1952), an American educationist. He believed that the aim of education is to â€Å"Develop and apply practical knowledge and skills for life in a progressive democratic society† (McNergney Herbert 139). 2.9 Perennialism: Perennialists believe that education, like human nature, is a constant. The leading proponents of this philosophy were Hutchins and Adler. Accorging to McNergney Herbert, â€Å"the perennialists argue people are basically the same, regardless of where they live and who they are, thus all people need the same basic education† and that â€Å"education should consist of a fundamental grounding in history, language, mathematics, science, literature, and humanities†(147). 2.10 Essentinlism: Essentialism asserts that ‘Essence’ is prior to ‘Existence’ and that â€Å"education †¦ involves the learning of the basic skills, arts, and sciences that have been useful in the past and are likely to remain useful in the future† (Kneller 256). The exponent figure of this school was William C. Bagley. The aim of education, as the Essentialists hold, is the â€Å"Acquisition of culture; cultural literacy for personal benefit† (McNergney Herbert 139). 2.11 Social Reconstructionism: A key word to learn when trying to understand postmodern education is constructivism. The leading figures of this educational movement was George Counts. The reconstruction theory seeks to rebuild the society afresh. Its supporters believe that the role of education is to create a new social order that will fulfill the basic values of our culture and at the same time harmonize with the underlying social and economic forces of the modern world. According to them, the aim of education is to â€Å"Solve social problems and create a better world† (McNergney Herbert 139). 3. Islam and Aims of Education Like Western philosophies of education, Islam also holds a view on the aims of education. However, it presents an independent, unique and much broader framework of reality, knowledge, existence and values to which the aims of education have got a logical connection. As a revealed religion, there is an objective quality of the goals of education in Islam. 3.1 Philosophy in Islam: Philosophy gets its roots from the ancient Greece. It emphasizes on the search of truth with the help of human reason. It is known as ‘falsafa’ in Arabic. On the other hand, Islam is founded on the Word of Allah or the revealed knowledge. The way Islam came into contact with philosophy is explained by Fakhry (1997) in the following words: The rapid expansion of Muslim Arab civilization in the 100 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad [SAW] brought the faith into close contact with Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Syrian and Indian cultures and certain elements of those cultures incorporated (sometimes on adapted form) into Islamic thought. However, ‘Islamic Philosophy’ takes its roots from the Holy Qur’an. 3.2Education in Islam: The term ‘education’, as finds its meaning in Western philosophy, does not correspond very closely to any one exclusive term in Arabic. In fact, there are three words which are normally translated as ‘education’_ one emphasizing knowledge; one growth to maturity and one the development of good manners. However, all these concepts aim at producing good Muslims with an understanding of the Islamic rules of behaviour and a strong knowledge of and commitment to the faith. Ashraf defines Islamic education as: an education which trains the sensibilities of pupils in such a manner that in their†¦approach to all kinds of knowledge they are governed by the deeply felt ethical values of Islam. They are trained and mentally so disciplined that they want to acquire knowledge not merely to satisfy an intellectual curiosity or just for material worldly benefit but to grow up as rational, righteous beings and to bring about the spiritual, moral and physical welfare of their families, their people and mankind. Their attitude derives from a deep faith in God and a wholehearted acceptance of a God-given moral  code. (Hussain Ashraf 1) 3.3 Aims of Education: Complete Submission to His Will: Islam means complete submission to the Supreme Being of Allah (SWT) and His Shariah. The sole purpose of mans creation as described in the Holy Quran is to worship Allah (SWT): ÙˆÙŽÙ…ÙŽØ § Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã˜ ªÃ™  Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ ¬Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½ ÙˆÙŽØ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ³Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ § Ù„Ù Ã™Å Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€™Ã˜ ¨Ã™ Ã˜ ¯Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™ Ã¢â‚¬  And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. (al-Zariyaat 51: 56) So, according to Islam, the purpose of the creation of humanity should also be the sole purpose, aim and objective of philosophy of Islamic education i.e. the complete, unconditional submission to the Supreme Will of Allah (SWT), the Almighty. As Rizavi puts it: Thus in Islamic creed, the idea of omnipresence of God permeates life in its totality †¦ God is everywhere and hence prayers can be said anywhere †¦ A Muslim is supposed to be in communion with God throughout his life — sitting on the prayer-rug, labouring in the field, defending his coun ­trys borders, in short, while doing anything and everything. (113) 3.4 ‘Taqwa’ (piety) and ‘Adl’ (justice) as the Cornerstones of Islamic Teachings: ‘Taqwa’ occupies a pivotal position in the aims of Islamic teachings. The Holy Qur’an considers it a requisite for getting Divine Guidance (‘Hidaya’): Ø °Ã™ °Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã™Æ'ÙŽ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ãš ªÃ™ Ã˜ ªÃ™ °Ã˜ ¨Ã™  Ù„ÙŽØ § Ø ±Ã™Å½Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã˜ ¨Ã™Å½ Û›Ûš Ûâ€" Ù Ã™ Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã™â€¡Ã™  Û›Ûš Ù‡Ù Ã˜ ¯Ã™â€¹Ã™â€° لّÙ Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã˜ ªÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™ Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½Ã›â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  † â€Å"This is a perfect Book; there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the righteous† (al-Baqara 2: 2) Regarding â€Å"the sacrifices offered by the Muslims at the time of ‘Hajj’ or ‘Id al-Adha, the Quran clearly says that the flesh of animals sacrificed does not reach Allah; what reaches Him is the piety or ‘taqwa’ operated behind these teachings†(Rizavi 115). The Quran also gives us a clue to the achievement of ‘taqwa’ or excellence of character: Ø §Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€™Ã˜ ¯Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã˜ § Ù‡Ù Ã™Ë†Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¨Ã™  Ù„Ù Ã™â€žÃ˜ ªÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã™Ë†Ã™ °Ã™â€°Ã¢â‚¬Å'Ûâ€" â€Å"Be just: that is Next to piety† (al-Maidah 5: 8). In fact, â€Å"With respect to man †¦ justice means basically a condition and situation whereby he is in his right and proper place† (al-Attas 26). Thus, Islam aims at preparing such persons who are pious and just. 3.5Justice implies knowledge: Islam has made it obligatory on all believers to acquire knowledge. In the very first verses of the Quran, the prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) was instructed to read: Ø §Ã™â€šÃ™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€™ Ø ¨Ã™ Ã˜ §Ã˜ ³Ã™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™  Ø ±Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¨Ã™â€˜Ã™ Ã™Æ'ÙŽ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ °Ã™ Ã™â€°Ã™â€™ Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™Å½ â€Å"Convey thou in the name of thy Lord Who created Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€šÃ™Å½ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ³Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ù…Ù Ã™â€ Ã™â€™ Ø ¹Ã™Å½Ã™â€žÃ™Å½Ã™â€š Created man from a clot of blood. (al- ‘Alaq 96: 1-5) The best Islamic education must encompass the two traditional categories of knowledge, and the hierarchical relationship between them; revealed knowledge, attained through the religious sciences; and acquired knowledge, attained through the rational, intellectual and philosophical sciences. In Islam, both types of knowledge, the revealed and the acquired, contribute to the strengthening of faith, the former through the careful study of the revealed word of Allah SWT and the latter through the systematic study of the world of man and the universe. The Qur’an appeals constantly to reason and experiment which is a blessing indispensable to arrive at proper judgement. It invites directs the humans to study the reality. 3.6 Taqwa and Faith: The basic features of the Islamic constitution as embodied in the Quran Sunnah are the creed or doctrine (Aqeedah) or faith (trust and belief founded on authority) _ as belief in Allah SWT, faith in the prophet SAW and the basic attitude that all human activity should follow in the complete submission to Allah SWT. Islamic education has to inculcate these beliefs and attitudes in Muslim youth. The more comprehensive equivalent of ‘faith’ in the Arabic language is Iman derived from the root-word Amn which means freedom from fear, security, peace, satisfaction, trust, affirmation, acceptance of correctness and submission or resignation to truth. According  to the Holy Quran a Believer i.e. a Momin must have faith in (1) Allah, (2) The Hereafter, (3) The Unseen Clestial powers called Malaika (roughly translated as Angels), (4) The Book and (5) The holy prophets. (Haq 242) 3.7 ‘Ijtehad’: Side by side with the inculcation and strengthening of these basic values, Islamic education must create in the minds of Muslim youth an adaptability and a mechanism for adjustment to worldly matters. The Arabs were the first people to demonstrate such an adaptability during the prime of Islamic intellectual pre ­eminence. They acquired Greek learning, subjected it to investigation, experimentation and expansion in such diverse fields as algebra, geometry, astronomy, navigation, chemistry medicine and evolved the scientific principles of empiricism. This attitude extended into Europe in the fifteenth the sixteenth centuries as part of the Renaissance. The Islamic education system must now adopt the same scientific empiricism in worldly matters which the Muslims themselves invented but have forgotten during the past five centuries. The value of adaptability, experimentation and tolerance (as opposed to dogma) must be embodied in the new system. This will, in all probability, requi re the institution of ijtehad or interpretation of the Islamic law. An Islamic educational system is an integrating force and it prepares men for ijtehad where it is due. In the words of Iqbal: The teachings of the Quran that life is a process of progressive creation necessitates that each generation, guided but unhampered by the work of its predecessors, should be permitted to solve its own problems. (1989) 3.8 Action as Complementary to Faith: In Islam good actions are a requisite to faith. The Holy Qur’an says: † ÙˆÙŽØ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ ¹Ã™Å½Ã˜ µÃ™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã›â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"By the fleeting Time, Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã˜ §Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ³Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ù„ÙŽÙ Ã™ Ã™â€°Ã™â€™ Ø ®Ã™ Ã˜ ³Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã›â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  Surely, man is in a state of loss, Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ § Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ °Ã™ Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™ °Ã™â€¦Ã™Å½Ã™â€ Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã˜ § ÙˆÙŽ Ø ¹Ã™Å½Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã˜ § Ø §Ã™â€žÃ˜ µÃ™â€˜Ã™ °Ã™â€žÃ™ Ã˜ ­Ã™ °Ã˜ ªÃ™  † Except those who believe and do good works† (al-‘Asr 103: 1-3) 3.9 Enjoining Right and Forbidding Wrong: According to Haq, â€Å"It [Islam] is not only a ‘religion’ of the Muslims, in the usual sense of the word; it is their whole life. It encompasses all aspects of human life: social, cultural, economic, educational, spiritual, material, political, in fact, all. A cult of universal brotherhood must, of necessity, be highly organized. (244) What Islam aims to produce are sentient and committed individuals who work for the promotion of all that is good and the renunciation of all that is bad for the ultimate success of all human-beings. The Holy Qur’an says: ÙÆ'Ù Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã˜ ªÃ™ Ã™â€¦Ã™â€™ Ø ®Ã™Å½Ã™Å Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™Å½ Ø §Ã™ Ã™â€¦Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ ©Ã™  Ø §Ã™ Ã˜ ®Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã˜ ¬Ã™Å½Ã˜ ªÃ™â€™ Ù„Ù Ã™â€žÃ™â€ Ã™â€˜Ã™Å½Ã˜ §Ã˜ ³Ã™  Ø ªÃ™Å½Ã˜ §Ã™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø ¨Ã™ Ã˜ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™Å½Ã˜ ¹Ã™â€™Ã˜ ±Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™ Ã™  ÙˆÙŽØ ªÃ™Å½Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã™â€¡Ã™Å½Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø ¹Ã™Å½Ã™â€ Ã™  Ø §Ã™â€žÃ™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™â€™Ã™Æ'ÙŽØ ±Ã™  ÙˆÙŽØ ªÃ™ Ã˜ ¤Ã™â€™Ã™â€¦Ã™ Ã™â€ Ã™ Ã™Ë†Ã™â€™Ã™â€ Ã™Å½ Ø ¨Ã™ Ã˜ §Ã™â€žÃ™â€žÃ™â€˜Ã™ °Ã™â€¡Ã™ Ã¢â‚¬Å' â€Å"You are the best people raised for the good of mankind; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in Allah† (Al-i-‘Imran 3:110) 3.10 Sincerity of Motive (‘niyyah’): According to Rizavi, â€Å"Islam gives due consideration to human weaknesses, and, therefore, accepts from a person whatever he may achieve, with the sincerity of motive† (117); and that â€Å"Motive (niyyah) is a serious factor in the acquisition of education. In fact, Islam judges all conduct according to its motives† (116). 4. Conclusion:  The aims of education stem from the kind of philosophy directing them. Western philosophy, in general, is this world-oriented, and divorced from revelation, its aims of education have been changing and varying from one approach to another; it ignores the true self of man (both physical and spiritual); its chief sources of knowledge are senses, reason and intuition which are deceivable and temporary; it neglects the final purpose of man; therefore, it fails to provide one single approach and thus leaves man into chaos and confusion. On the other hand, Islam, having a divine base, aiming to bring man closer to God and seek His plea sure as his ultimate aim, is characterized by clarity, realism, sublimity and singleness of direction; thus, offering a solution to all of man’s problems and giving him a right direction in this world. References The Holy Quran. al-Attas. ed. Aims and Objectives of Islamic Education. Jeddah: Hodder and Stoughton, 1979. Azam, Ikram. A Futuristic Paradigm of Education. Islamabad: ABC Enterprises, 2003. Chopra, Rakesh, ed. Academic Dictionary of Education. Delhi: Isha Books, 2005. Fakhry. Islamic philosophy, theology and mysticism. Oxford: Oneworld, 1997. Haq, Mazhar A. Educational Philosophy of the Holy Qur’an. Lahore: Institute of Islamic Culture, 1990. Hussain, S.S. Ashraf, S. A. Crisis in Muslim education. London: Hodder Stoughton, 1979. Iqbal, A.M. The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Lahore: Iqbal Academy, 1989. Kneller, George F. Introduction to the Philosophy of Education. Los Angeles: University Of California, 1964. McNergney Robert F. Joanne M.. Herbert. Foundations of Education. London: Allyn Bacon, 1998. Rizavi, Sayyid S. Islamic Philosophy of Education. Lahore: Institute of Islamic Culture, 1986. Shahid, S.M. ed. Philosophy of Education. Lahore: Majeed Book Depot, 2001.

Advantages Or Disadvantages To Popular Tourist Areas

Advantages Or Disadvantages To Popular Tourist Areas There is no doubt that modern tourism has become one of the biggest popular industries in the world nowadays. It is an activity in which people can recreate and relax themselves. Furthermore, it seems that tourism not only can improve the transportation and most public facilities of a country, but also it can improve local services such as entertainment, accommodation, catering and hospital for tourists and local people. For another thing, tourism stimulates the growth of local economy. Even more, large numbers of organizations and governments invest much money in this industry at present. However, this essay will elaborate advantages and disadvantages of the way in which modern tourism affects the popular tourist areas in relations to the local services, local economy and environment and the local people. For one thing, one major advantage of tourism is the fact that developing travel industry can stimulate the popular tourist areas consumption ability and economy. According to the OVTA, there are 12 million visitors who travel to Ottawa and consume 128million dollars each year. Moreover, the development of tourism leads to generating 45 million dollars income for the local government per year (Chase, 2011). In addition, China National Tourism Administration showed that there is a 15 percent increase of the price level of products which selling in the Middle East and Europe during the New Year holidays, compared to their daily price. However, these increases give some impacts on ecnomy and it is reported that in 2010, 52 million Chinese people travelled abroad (Lixia, 2011). For another thing, tourism industry either can increase peoples income and the rate of employment. As David Cameron says in Barnett (2010), if the UK tourism industry can attract 0.5% more international tourists, this could generate 50,000 new jobs for local citizens. Thus, it is obvious that tourism directly increase the employment rate because those industries like accommodation, tour, travel operations and factories manufacturing can provide large numbers of employment opportunities for the local people (Nworisara, 2011). These business operations invisibly generate large revenue to the government. Therefore, most countries or investors make huge investments in the tourism industry because of its potential of boosting economic growth. Thus, developing tourism industry is the main contributor of the stimulation of the local economy. Furthermore, tourism plays an important role on improving the living standards of the local people by improving communitys facilities and services. It can be seen that Hong Kong has become a famous and popular attraction, whether for mainland people or international people nowadays. What is more, it is reported that the Tourism Commission invested HK$50 million to improve the tourism infrastructural. For example, it would improve the scenic square, the public facilities at Lantau Ngong Ping 360, the pedestrian bridge at the east of Tsim Sha Tsui, and upgrade some tourism signboards for tourists. Besides that, Hong Kong would improve the services of online ticket-selling, which make more convenient for tourists (Mercier, 2009). There is no doubt that these kinds of infrastructures and facilities will considerably benefit for the local people and improve their living standards. Besides that, the transportation and public services have an impact on the tourism industry, which also influ ence the local peoples living standards and the tourism industry itself. Take Beijing as an example: in order to welcome the Olympics Games, the government of China made regulations to improve environment and repair the tourism resources, public services and facilities. During the period of Olympics Games, ten million tourists visited Beijing and there was no complaint or dissatisfaction with the hotels, public services and attractions (Alcantara, 2010). If facilities or services are not improved and cause tourists lots of inconvenient, this will easily push them to give up or change their travel plans. Finally, it seems that it is a good opportunity to protect the culture and heritage when developing modern tourism. The WTO estimates that there would be an increase of 15% in the areas of cultural tourism each year (Nworisara, 2011). Most tourists are willing to spend money to learn and understand different cultures and customs of different countries. Taking the European tourism industry as an example, a growing number of people prefer to visit Europe, especially Italy, France, Spain and so on. The main reason is that the governments of those countries understand the importance of the heritage and history of a country. It is a character or symbol of that country. Thus, the government is willing to spend money remodeling and restoring the heritage. For instance, the Indian government regarded Jammu and Kashmir as a heritage attraction for visitors. Thus, it foucused on it and started to protect it to attract tourists (Naseem, 2009). It is well know that protecting a countrys culture and heritage is a big challenge, but it is very important because they represent the identity of the country. Moreover, visitors can understand deeply the local culture only by visiting it. Thus, in order to attract more tourists to popular tourist areas, both the government and the tourism industry have a responsibility to preserve the local heritage and culture. However, firstly, it must be admitted that tourism brings many disadvantages. Without doubt the most obvious disadvantage is that tourism has negative effects on the local environment and the eco-system. For instance, it is well known that the Hawaiian eco-system is the most diverse in the world. Nevertheless, due to the development of tourism industry, a large number of infrastructures such as hotels and restaurants were built, leading to the local environments deterioration. Besides that, it is reported that 60% of animal and plant species are dying out in Hawaii (Darowski, Strilchuk, Sorochuk Provost, 2006). Bali is another example: it has been found that six tourist beaches, which include Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Tanjung Benoa and Canggue are contaminated. This is because the waste from hotels, restaurants and other hospitality and tourist-related businesses cannot be dealt with effectively (Kencana A., 2010). It is obvious that a lot of businessmen do not care if the e nvironment becomes bad, they just consider whether they can earn money or not. In addition, a number of tourists have the bad habit of throwing waste everywhere. Thus, the local environment becomes worse and influences the eco-systems. Secondly, tourism has a bad impact on the society and culture of the popular tourist areas. For example, it is well known that Indonesia is a special country which has a special cultural history. However, in order to attract more tourists and meet their needs, some original customs have changed, such as dances performed only in every 60 years while nowadays they are performed weekly. Besides that, original temples used to be quiet places while today they are always overcrowded with tourists. In addition, masks, costumes and jewelry which were used for religious rituals, have a special and unique meaning. In order to earn money, companies produce these productions largely and sell them in antique shops. Even more, most arts forms such as paintings and sculptures have been adjusted according to the taste of the current market. Furthermore, it seems that these cultural and social changes not only influence the local people, but also it may lead people to forget the original culture due to the commercial influences. For instance, in order to earn more money, investors have driven local communities out of their lands and even beaches, which influence the temples and local people of Bali. The resorts also would threaten the temples cosmological primacy (Wijaya, 2008). Thirdly, although the development of tourism has lots of advantages, however, it often do some unethical behaviors from local people and industry. For instance, when they lack employees in the peak season, some hotels and restaurants recruit low skilled people or people who are under 18 years old. Even more, lots of illegal migrants are working in tourism and hospitality industry. It is reported that there are around 12 million illegal immigrant people in the United States, and the American Tourism and Hospitality industry employed them because they would pay them a lower wage. In fact, it is argued that these illegal immigrants are substitutes for low-skilled workers (Fedeli, 2010). It seems that recruiting employees who are low-skilled and unprofessional is only benefit to the companies because they get low salaries. Actually, this is not good for the tourists because it easily causes troubles as these employees cannot deal with at urgent situations. Thus, it gives unsafe feeling t o the tourists and that leads to hinder the development of tourism industry and also gives a bad imagine to this popular tourist areas. In conclusion, it is clear that there could be great benefits to develop the tourist industry if governments and companies take the local environment into consideration. Furthermore, if all tourists obeyed the local rules and culture, the beautiful attractions will not be contaminated. What is more, if each person is aware of the importance of protecting our history and culture, the tourism industry can develop better and more and more people can have the opportunity to explore the history of the popular tourist areas. There is no doubt that developing tourism industry is essential and one of the reasons for this is that people can learn more about this world. Therefore, each person has a responsibility to protect the popular tourist areas. Word count: 1526

Burton Snowboards Business Analysis Essay -- Business Marketing Analyz

Burton Snowboards Business Analysis Burton Snowboards takes surfing to the mountains, with premium snowboards and equipment. Jake Burton, the world’s first snowboard maker, founded the company in 1977 in Londonberry, Vermont. Despite it being small and privately owned, Burton is the industry leader in snowboards and equipment controlling 40% total market share in the winter sports industry. Burton is a global business with its main headquarters in Vermont, Japan and Austria and worldwide distribution capabilities in over 35 countries. Burton Snowboards operates three factory outlet stores in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Austria. To create buzz marketing, Burton encourages newbie’s to experience the slopes with its Learn To Ride (LTR) line of equipment and programs at ski resorts nationally. In the past few years, Burton has started independent companies, which have their own individual identities and products. Burton has also created one of the most extensive online shopping experiences for its clientele. (www.burton.com) Strengths   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Burton attributed to the development of the sport of snowboarding, as it was the first and oldest manufacturer. The company has a loyal customer base and an established retail distribution channel. Burton provides customers with an interactive online website. In order to provide help to mountain resorts to attract and retain snowboarders, Burton’s primary customer base, they have created integral relationships with resorts by providin...

Julius Caesar: The Peoples Dictator Essay example -- Ancient Rome, Th

Julius Caesar has always been an important, well-known figure in history. His name still lives on, two thousand years after his death. Even the terms "Kaiser" and "Tsar" are renditions of "Caesar." To this day, the name "Caesar" conjures images of ancient Rome, conspiracies, intrigue, and murder. Thanks to William Shakespeare, most people know that he was betrayed and killed by his friends. But what made Caesar so fascinating that Shakespeare would choose to write about Caesar over fifteen hundred years after his death? Why do we remember Caesar? He was a great military leader, and a master politician. He was murdered. But there have been others in history like Caesar, yet we do not remember their names. We remember Caesar because the common Romans adored him. Caesar was able to empathize with them, and they loved him, even to the point of elevating him to the status of a god. It is because of the people that he led that we remember Caesar's name. Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100 B.C. to Aurelia and Julius Caesar, in the neighborhood of Subura, just a short distance from the heart of Rome. Although the Caesars were patrician nobility, much of the family's money had run out by the time that Caesar was born. It was for this reason that Aurelia and Julius lived in the less prosperous Subura area. Because he was raised in this area, the young Caesar had a unique perspective. He was "A patrician descendant of kings who knew intimately the lives and sorrows of common Romans" (Freeman 19). Therefore, when he became an adult, he was able to identify with the less-affluent plebeian class better than most Romans in politics at the time. As with most Roman families, the elder Caesar was often away from ... ...ed? True, he was a great military leader, and a great leader of men. Yet that is only a part of why he has been remembered. There have been other great leaders that have not been as remembered throughout history as Caesar has. We remember him because the people whom he governed immortalized him throughout history. The commoners of Rome adored Caesar, and they made sure that his name would endure. Works Cited Canfora, Luciano. Julius Caesar: The Life and times of the People's Dictator. Trans. Marian Hill and Kevin Windle. Berkeley: University of California, 2007. Print. Freeman, Philip. Julius Caesar. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. Print. Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar. New Haven: Yale UP, 2006. Print. Suetonius. The Twelve Caesars: The Lives of the Roman Emperors. Trans. John Carew Rolfe. St. Petersburg, FL: Red and Black Pub., 2008. Print.

Niche Theory and the Human Consciousness :: Psychology Essays

Niche Theory and the Human Consciousness Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again. -Lewis Carroll How do we create something new in this world? In an age where the issues of increasingly diminishing natural resources are available and the amount of consumption is growing, this question is becoming increasingly important. The niche theory gives us a partial answer. Mayr, in his book What Evolution Is tells us that a niche is a "constellation of properties of the environment that make it suitable for occupation by a species". Niches for organisms can not only be found on the topological surface of the earth (which in itself is a niche in the universe) but also inside already existing organisms, given the right conditions of adaptability. Examples of this would be to look at some viruses that inhabit living organisms and in some cases, are limited to specific species. The human consciousness seems to me to fit many of the characteristics of a niche, barring the obvious fact that it in itself is not an independent organism. Niches in my opinion can not only be limited to being filled by living organisms, but also by its bi-products. We define our consciousness as the fundamental characteristic that makes us human. Early philosophers defined out consciousness as "reason": our consciousness in fact gives reason and meaning for our existence and transcends the purely biological needs of the species. It is the motivation that propels us to seek knowledge and to "fill" ourselves. Our consciousness creates a second world – one in which humans are capable of examining and having a deep understanding of ourselves. We create a new place for ourselves to inhabit inside ourselves. The reason as to why or how it came about that humans developed a consciousness is still unknown. Why is it that humans (and potentially one or two other species) evolved to the point of being able to create this new inner world, new niche to inhabit while other species did not?

Joe Christmas Essay

In the pursuit of an excellent account of racial and gender discrimination, William Faulkner and Jean Toomer both have significantly incorporated the strength of female characters that persist to have a depth in the soul of every story they created. William Faulkner’s Light in August is a novel of intense reflection on the issues of hatred for racial and gender identity in the South and the restricting beliefs of a Calvinistic religion. Considered as one of his best novels, the story depicts the orphan life of Joe Christmas, who thinks of himself as having a part-black blood because of a confusing historical descent. This vague past takes him into a rebellious and self-destructive journey towards self-discovery, eventually leading in his defeat caused by a devastating affair with a spinster named Joanna Burden. Joanna Burden portrays an in-depth character in the life of Joe Christmas and in the story as a whole. To begin with, Joanna is a middle-aged civil rights activist and spinster from the North who is known to have lived alone for time immemorial. A stranger to her fellow town folks, she continues to struggle for a better condition of the Negroes in the town of Jefferson since her father and grandfather were dedicated individuals to liberating the Negroes. People then accuse her as a lover of black men. This idea of social responsibility is passed on to Joanna until her growing up years. Initially described as pro-Negroes, the character of Joanna presents some surprising twists when she finds herself in a two-year relationship with Joe. Already tortured about his past, Joe is disappointed as he realizes that Joanna fails to accept him for his confusing black-white descent. Joanna’s indifference toward Joe’s ancestry seems to have contradicted her image as an advocate of Negro rights. During her fulfilling experience of sex with Joe, she particularly cries out his black race, obviously making such distinction in Joe’s bloodline: â€Å"Negro! Negro! Negro! † (Faulkner 260). Along the way when Joanna is finally feeling tired of this sexual experience with Joe, her voice depicted as â€Å"still, monotonous, sexless† (Faulkner 281), knowing that she is passed the phase of sexuality. Her confusion starts to overcome her whole being. She begins demanding for him to change his lifestyle. She asks him to get a job, pursue his educated, and most of all, to pray. Suddenly, Joe, too, feels disappointed on the turn-out of the relationship: â€Å"It was as though he had fallen into a sewer†¦ the sewer ran only by night† (Faulkner 256). But Joe refuses to pray, and Joanna decides to kill him: Over her nightdress she wore a shawl drawn down across her breast†¦ he saw her arms unfold and her right hand come forth from beneath the shawl. It held an old style†¦ revolver almost as long and heavier than a small rifle. But the shadow of it and of her arm and hand on the wall did not waver at all, the dow of both monstrous, the cocked hammer monstrous, back-hooked and viciously poised like the arched head of a snake†¦ (Faulkner 282). The climax of her plan only fails when the gun did not fire at him. Joanna is a definite example of two opposing ideas, of an irony that kills a society during that time. She is a living witness to two races that refuse to be linked to one another. She is an advocator and at the same time, a destroyer of the black race that her family has gone to love and stand up for. Much like the old Doc Hines, Joanna’s attempt to bring down Joe is perhaps more dangerous since hers is an attempt to erase Joe’s individuality and roots. On the other hand, Jean Toomer’s Fern, from the book collection of Cane, is in the beginning a representation of a beautiful and misunderstood black woman named Fernie May Rosen. However, the profound depiction of Fern is not only woman in such case, rather a lost identity of a nation and its people. In Toomer’s story, note how the narrator stresses on Fern’s Jewish descent: â€Å"Her nose was aquiline, Semitic. If you have heard a Jewish cantor sing, (14)†¦But at first sight of her I felt as if I heard a Jewish cantor sing. As if his singing rose above the unheard chorus of a folk-song†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (15). Fern is the ultimate epitome of the all-American race, and so is the salvation of humankind. She is the racial heritage that Toomer seeks to identify with in his pursuit for artistic expression. Also, some critics say that the story is more than a description of an inner spiritual experience of Fern with the narrator in the context of rural South. Instead, they both witness an experience in which the unreal border of self and the other subside. In the story, Fern is at first described as an easy woman whom black men find no happiness being with. Fern is described as being ignored by the white men in her society, just like Toomer’s personal experience of artistic and cultural dissatisfaction in a white community. And because of this, Toomer is fascinated by Fern’s character and the idea of it. Yet, a change of fate takes them in a mysterious longing for her beauty, especially the white male narrator of the story. The case is not with the blacks as victims of racial isolation, but instead the whites who are suffering from not having been a part of Fern. The narrator states that, â€Å"She did not deny them, yet the fact was that they were denied. A sort of superstition crept into their consciousness of her being somehow†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Toomer 14). Fern is the image of a sorrowful soul of the browbeaten minority, yet simply unattainable. She exemplifies the beautiful cultural identity that is difficult to maintain in a contemporary setting, the ancestral lineage that becomes vague with multi-cultural interactions and birthing lost in the passing of time. The ending of the story describes Fern as all the more mystified with the failing of any kind of understanding and hope for the world around her, her voice that nobody can understand until she faints. The readers are given a view of Fern to display a beauty as hers exists, but that is all. Both Faulkner and Toomer are obviously immersed on the issues of racial and gender discrimination as clearly symbolic in their female characters. In their roles, they pose as grave threats to the unending search of men to find personal identity in a discriminating society. They also present them as crazy and misunderstood women condemned by male-dominated culture. However, they eventually become icons of beauty for men to behold, which is vividly illustrated in Fern’s story: â€Å"Men are apt to idolize†¦ that which they cannot understand, especially if it be a woman† (Toomer 16). Another thing as a common ground for Faulkner and Toomer is how they showcase the theme of mankind’s inability to complement the soul, mind, and body through the eyes of a female character. Women, in their pursuit to find happiness and be accepting of its society, fail miserably in the arms of their so-called lovers. Despite the disparity of ways in interpreting these critical writings, the readers would delve inside the stories of its characters and come to a point of realization that both Faulkner and Toomer’s female characters are embodiment of the neglected and exhausted beauty of the dying black community, constantly struggling to find its way to achieving peace and harmony in an ever-changing world that is too complex to live in and understand. Or, simply say that these writings are lucid representations of the inescapable truth that lies in any man’s shared and sad destiny. Works Cited Faulkner, William. Light in August. Vintage Books: New York, 1959. Toomer, J. â€Å"Fern†. Cane. Liveright Publishing: New York, 1993. 14-17