How to write a good essay (technology related) Essay

What are the long term effects of living in a technological world? Are these negative or positive? Are the children now under 12 growing up in a different world than their older college age siblings? How is it different and what does that mean for them? What is the most important new technology for solving world problems? How has social media helped solve and create problems in countries outside the U.S.? Will governments like China continue to be able to control access to the Internet and social media among their citizens? How does social media, texting, cell phones and the Internet make the world bigger? Smaller? What are the implications of ever increasing globalization through technology to our global economy? Technology is moving so quickly that we are frequently using computers, software programs and other technologies that have frustrating glitches and problems. Is there a solution? How does our experience of social interactions with other humans influence the way we interact with machines? When does it become morally wrong to genetically engineer your child? What are new ways people can use digital tools to change the world? How is digital learning going to change schools and education? Does the Internet need controls or censorship? What kind? Do digital tools make us more or less productive at work? To what extent is the development of new technologies having a negative effect on us? How will technology developments change our lives in 20 years? Should people get an identity chip implanted under their skin? Should people in all countries have equal access to technological developments? Can video gaming really help solve world problems? (see video) How our our brains different than a computer? (see video) Is Organic food really better for you than genetically modified foods? What are genetically modified food technologies able to do? How does this compare with traditional plant breeding methods? Should genetically modified food technologies be used to solve hunger and nutritional issues in poorer nations? Since it is now possible to sequence human genes to find out information about possible future heath risks, is that something everyone should have done? What are the advantages or disadvantages? If people have genetic testing, who has the right to that information? Should health care companies and employers have access to that information. If parents have genetic information about their children, when and how should they share it with the child? What sort of genetic information should parents seek to get about their children and how might this influence raising that child? Would having cars that drive themselves be a good or bad idea? How might travel in the future be different? Should information technologies and Internet availability make work from home the norm?

Milk and Time Period Essay

â€Å"BIOTECHNOLOGY EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK† STATION 1 : Time Period = B.C. 1. Would you consider the Ancient Egyptians to be Biotechnologists? Why? Why not? 2. How do you think yeast causes bread to rise? 3. What do you think the Latin root â€Å"bio† means? Define the word â€Å"technology†. STATION 2: Time Period = 1 A.D.-1900 A.D. 1. List one characteristic or desirable trait that may have been â€Å"bred† for in the following: Bananas Mangoes Chicken 2. If you were a plant/animal breeder, what steps are you going to perform to ensure that the desirable trait will be observed in succeeding generations? STATION 3: Time Period = 1900-1970 1. If you could mix any two plants to form a hybrid, what two plants would you mix and why these two? What name would you give your hybrid? 2. What food(s) have you eaten that may be considered to be (a) hybrid(s)? STATION 4: Time Period = 1970-1996 1. Do you have any worries or concerns about drinking milk that has come from cows injected with recombinant BST (cow growth hormone)? What are your concerns? 2. Some dairy farmers refuse to use recombinant BST. Can you think of any reason why? STATION 5 : Time Period = The Future 1. List one of your most favorite unprocessed food. 2. What new trait would make this food even better? 3. List one of your least favorite unprocessed food. 4. What new trait would make his food better? 5. Do you feel that changing foods to exhibit more desirable traits is OK? Explain why or why not. FINAL QUESTION: All the foods at the stations were produced using some type or form of biotechnology. In your own words, define biotechnology.

Learning Styles Essay

Abstract How may the students learn is always a concern for teachers in order to deliver a practical approach to learning a subject. Similarly, how teachers â€Å"become† inside their classroom while teaching is a reflection of students’ performance as students prefer a teacher who has a variety of ways in teaching. With 489 male and 591 female students from the eight selected private and eight public secondary schools of Congressional District II of Nueva Ecija, this research was conducted to determine the students’ learning styles and their preferred teaching styles in Technology and Livelihood Education in both private and public schools. Subsequently this study was conducted to examine the effect of students’ learning styles and their preferred teaching styles in Technology and Livelihood Education in their performance in TLE. Results of the study revealed most of the student respondents favored collaborative and participative learning styles and they prefer teachers who are expert and facilitator. Moreover, it was found out that all the learning styles are significantly correlated with the average grade in TLE of the student respondents. The result of the t-test also revealed a highly significant difference in independent, avoidant, competitive and participative learning styles which were evident among the two types of school. Finally, the test revealed that facilitator and delegator teachings styles had significant difference in private and public high school student respondents. Introduction Former US President Theodore Roosevelt once said that, â€Å"Far away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing†. It seems very clear that Roosevelt’s statement points out to teaching. Being a teacher has always been one of the most rewarding but challenging professions since a teacher has the biggest opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people. To be an effective teacher, one has to combine his best of human relations, intuition, sound judgment, knowledge of subject matter, and knowledge of how people learn- all in one act simultaneously. This translates into an extreme task. Moreover, each teacher must be willing to take part in their students’ lives as the second parent and be committed to mold the students’ intellect and the best of their abilities. They have to know the learning style of their students to help improve their academic performance. Aside from learning styles, students also have preferred teaching style from their teachers. To be able to learn effectively, learning style of students should be in congruence with their teacher’s teaching styles. Teacher should take into consideration that their students have different learning styles and they learn more easily through their strengths than through their weaknesses. Most of the time, better teaching performance can be equated with the suited teaching styles employed by the teacher. Teaching style is defined as the way teachers teach and their distinctive mannerisms complemented by their choices of teaching behaviors and strategies. (Kelloug and Robert, 1991). It is viewed as a broad dimension or personality type that encompasses teacher, pattern of behavior, mode of performance, and attitude towards self and others. It is an expressive aspect of teaching characterizes by the emotional relationship between students and teachers and as an instrumental aspect on how teachers carry out the task of instruction, organize learning and set classroom standards (Ornstein, 1992). It has been observed that high school students have poor academic performance, which is the major problem educational institutions are facing today. The education sector is continuously tracking down the possible solution to remedy this serious problem (Velasquez 2007). This study, therefore, was designed to determine the learning style and preferred teaching styles of the private and public high school senior students in TLE in Congressional District II of Nueva Ecija. It also investigated the relationships between the learning styles and the preferred teaching styles of the students in their TLE subject. Also, it was designed to analyze the difference in the learning styles of students and teaching styles of TLE teachers in public and private high schools. Subsequently, this study was conducted to examine the effect of the student’s learning styles and their preferred teaching styles in Technology and Livelihood Education. Method Participants A total of 1,080 senior students of S.Y. 2010-2011 consisting of 489 male and 591 female students from the eight selected private and eight public secondary schools of Congressional District II of Nueva Ecija were the participants of the study. Measures Sources of data for this study are from student’s permanent record, student’s responses to Grasha-Reichmann Learning and Teaching Style Inventory, and from teacher’s responses to Grasha-Reichmann Teaching Style Inventory. Data were treated using descriptive statistics, Pearson (r), Pearson Chi Square and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).

Forms of Business Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Forms of Business Organisations - Essay Example This means that the business owner will be personally liable for all the business debs and risks and as their personal belongings will be confiscated to settle the claims of the creditors. Operating sole proprietorship form of business puts both the business as well as personal assets at risk owing to the fact that this form of business have unlimited liability(Cody, Hopkins & Perlman 202). Control: the business is owned and controlled by the owner. This means that the owner without consultation handles all the critical decisions of the business single handedly and as such, he/she has full authority to delegate tasks at will. Income taxes: Sole proprietorship income is taxed on the owner’s personal income. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats income from sole proprietorship as personal income and thus taxes are charged on the owner’s income (Cody, Hopkins & Perlman 202). Continuity of the business: Sole proprietorship business is not a separate legal entity from it s owners and as such, it does not enjoy perpetual existence as the death, or bankruptcy of the owner will lead to the end of business. Profit retention: The sole proprietor enjoys all the profits by himself and therefore he is the one to decide the amount to give up for plough back into the business. Location: Sole proprietorship is one of the easiest businesses to operate taking into consideration that it is not affected by change of location as most states operate similar laws and regulations relating to sole proprietorship. Advantages It is easily and less expensive to form compared to other forms of business organizations such as C-corporations and LLC. This form of business organization requires less capital to start as well as few legal formalities. Avoids double taxation as in the case of C corporations The sole proprietor enjoys all the profits alone taking into consideration that this form of a business is one-man show. Quick decision making as no one is consulted in case a decision has to be made like in the case of general partnership (Cody, Hopkins & Perlman 9). Disadvantages Sole proprietorship has unlimited liability and as poses a risk of loss to personal as well as business assets in case of credit default. Sole proprietors have limited capital owing to lack of a wide range of avenues of raising capital as in the case of C corporations. Lack of perpetual existence owing to the fact that illness, bankruptcy or death of the owner lead to termination of the business. General Partnership General partnership is an unincorporated for of business which involves two or more individuals (maximum of 20) coming together to form a business in order to make profits. Unlike in the case of sole proprietorship, partners in the partnership business share into the ownership, management, profits, loses and critical decisions affecting day-to-day operations of the business. Characteristics Liability: The General partnership does not enjoy limited liability as in t he case LLC, C corp., or S corp. This means that all the partners are personally liable for all the debts and liabilities of the business. In fact, the partners risk losing, not only their investments in the business but also their personal property in case the business fails to honor its credit obligations (Cody, Hopkins & Perlman 9). Income tax: Income of the general partnership business does not attract taxes considering that partners will be taxed on the income

Answering Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Answering Questions - Research Paper Example Funs get to know the names of the scorers, who helped in different goals, how the team performed in every move, and what it can do to better future games. Kofi Anan uses this analogy of competition to depict a different world and drive his points home. Annan suggests that if countries would come out and compete for respect of human rights, child survival rates, and enrolment in secondary education, then the world would be a better place. Like many who come out to make suggestions and analyse football, Annan argues that the same energy should be used to debate on critical issues like HIV and AIDS affecting countries. In addition, world cup happens on a level ground where each country has an equal chance of participating. In the same manner, other global issues need to be levelled to allow growth and development in all countries of the world. Tim Bowling is a hockey sport lover. He especially remembers some crazy things he has done out of love for this sport. NHL is his main spectator entertainment of this sport. Although he had to give up so much to watch hockey, Tim now realises that this is just a sport. He uses this analogy to pass a message to fanatics of hockey. Apparently, to my shock, some fanatics will go ahead and shed blood just to see their teams reach their intended levels. In reality, too much love for something results in some idolizing it and one will even shed blood to defend it. Besides that, hockey being a major sport that Canada is known for all over the world gives citizens pride associating with this nation. People derive nationhood from association with a country that does so well in a particular sport. In addition, there is a strong connection between hockey and Canadian citizens because it is a shared story. I agree with some politics about sports in that every citizen is entitled to talk about i t and take pride in it. However, hockey sport has considerably changed over time

Market Analysis for Children's Parties Services in the UK Essay

Market Analysis for Children's Parties Services in the UK - Essay Example Daisy enter aments is music based association of services which integrates organizing, recording and creation, publishing music and record label. A family business works with creating children parties making it stress free for her parents. At these parties, everything that the client feel is necessary is provided. These include party suppliers, cakes, children’s costumes, and entertainers. Daisy entertainments market is wide and deals with all kinds of organization ad communities dealing with children. Whether it is a large corporate or community with special needs, daisy entertainment crew is capable of adapting its services to suit the clients needs of he children. The team, which forms Daisy Entertainers, is energetic, in-house talented fun loving, loves children hence reliable and enthusiastic. Daisys entertainment has a unique and simple party planning known as party in a box. Party in a box includes everything the client requires for their child’s party as suggest ed by Daisy entertainments (2005). These include filed party bags, napkins, invitations, table covers foil, cups, plates, banners, party hats and latex balloons. However, all these facilities depend on customer’s choice and are delivered to the door anywhere in the UK. There are also various children themes from which entertainment programs are chosen. They include Disney princess, Hannah Montana, Spiderman, and the night Garden. Daisy’s entertainers provide wide scope of entertainment activities such as puppets, face painting, balloon modeling, magic, plate spinning among other. This organization can over variety of things ranging from fun and lively children entertainers to catering services, birthday cakes, decorations, themed goody bags and set up services. The party is usually planned within the client’s requirements and budget. Daisy entertainment market size is large with wide range of facilities: Children character entertainer; all types of children char acter entertainers are available at daisys entertainment and it is upon the client to make choice. They include games, magic, music, and puppets. The charges for character entertainers are ?195 fro every two hours of fun. Venue setup, decorations, and design: daisys entertainments will set up the venue and design it for only ?200 with decorations included. Catering services: their caterers can deliver fresh party food or the children and present it on party platters. All these are provided for ? 10 per child. They an also provide menu for adults guests at only ?7 per person according to Harbpor, Benton (n.d). Cup cake and other cakes: fabulous cakes for ? 115 only, are provided together with cup cakes, which match your party for only ?2. Bespoke extras: daisy entertainments provide guidance for unique but stressful children party planning and this can be done by conducing them through their contacts. Themed decorations, pinata, tableware, and party bags: all these are available at d aisy entertainments at an affordable amount. Daisy entertainments website provides everything that their customers need in order to make the children parties extremely special. At their website, the customers can also find extras, which make their children’s party more memorable such as, consumes and accessories according to ages.Due to the increasing demand for entertainment in children parties, there has been raising number of entertainment organizations. As a result, daisy entertainme

Forecasting business needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Forecasting business needs - Essay Example Historically, at Blues Inc., changes in sales are closely reflected in changes in the advertising budget. Based on the $2.4 million figure, we forecast an advertising budget of $162 million. We have also forecast the overall market size based on its recent performance. Currently, the market size is approximately $39 billion. To eliminate the effects of temporary changes in market conditions, we used a two-year weighted moving average, with the most recent year has greater significance. This gives us an indication of the trend and helps to even out any spikes or sudden changes. You have also requested a production schedule, by quarter, for the next year. We have based the overall production level based on our 6 percent market share of a $39 billion industry. This is approximately 777 million units. Accounting for the industry growth rate, for Blue inc, this will mean 50 million units for the year. Because there has been a considerable fluctuation in sales during the fourth quarter of previous years, we used a centered moving average to arrive at our results to compensate for the seasonal changes. We utilized the past 6 years of data. This gave us sufficient information to arrive at an answer, without using data that is outdated and may skew the results. Arriving at the results of this forecast has required my team to consider past results to predict our future performance. When deciding which method to use, it was important to review the existing data to see which method would yield the best results.

Does sexual equality exists in our society In answering this question Research Paper - 1

Does sexual equality exists in our society In answering this question. Consider whether or not cultural equality exists, whether social equality exists, and whether biological equality exists - Research Paper Example The paper is aimed to discuss different issues related to sexual equality specifically the presence or absence of it. The different factors affecting the concept of sexual equality will be presented and discussed. One example is the exploration of the root causes of gender inequality. Ultimately, the study is aimed to determine the existence of social equality in the society. The study explores the presence or absence of sexual equality. It is a notion that in reality, sexual equality is merely an objective and a concept aimed for since sexual inequality prevails. In addition, the premises found in real societies can only allow for the existence of sexual inequality. There are different views that express the origins and reasons for sexual inequality such as functionalist and conflict theories. The functionalist theory is a way of viewing social inequality to be necessary on the basis of the functions of the different members and components of the society. For example, the role of men is different from the role of women, thus, they need not be compared. Instead these two groups that comprise the society should be view in terms of their complementary roles and functions (Tischer, 2010, p.254). On the basis of this view then, functions designated to every component of the society dictates the dynamics within that social unit. This trend is very evident throughout the history of the human civilization. Even in the earliest societies, men hunt while women attend to the children and the house. Sexual inequality then can be considered as the way of life of the people. What changed then since the said period is the view of the women regarding their role in the society. Due to the long history of having roles attached to the household, the female population became recognized and perceived to be better suited to stay at home while the male population works for a living. It then became increasingly natural to just assume that

Psychiatric Hospitals in Ireland Research Paper

Psychiatric Hospitals in Ireland - Research Paper Example The call for uniformity of care for psychiatric illnesses has been fostered by several legislations across countries, and the current trend is to foster care increasingly in the community in collaboration with the family [2]. Despite that, there are certain conditions where there is a need to detain the patient in the mental health hospitals with forceful and involuntary admission, where coercion plays an important role. Admission against the will of the patient is an ethically unsound area of practice; and therefore law directs the process. Within the legal framework, the mental health professionals thus exercise their power to detain or incarcerate the patients with an adequate indication permitted by law. The problems or debates arise when there is observed diversity in psychiatric practice, and the heterogeneity of sociocultural environment and differences in professional attitudes towards mentally ill people, all may influence a decision regarding involuntary admission [3]. This has been contributed to by lack of reliable markers of psychiatric diagnoses and management plan for them. The admission to a psychiatric healthcare facility in Ireland may be involuntary, although till now, the vast majority of such admissions are voluntary. Involuntary admission means the patient does not freely agree for the treatment or admission to an inpatient psychiatric unit. The other part of such admission may be that even though the patient agrees for a voluntary admission, there may be detention of these patients into the units in that they are not completely free to leave psychiatric care on their free will. Thus this leads to a detention beyond volition, and detailed rules, regulations, and laws guide such principles. The Irish mental health policies regarding involuntary admission or detention are governed by the Irish Mental Health Act of 2001 and have been in full implementation since November 2006 and all psychiatric facilities including public and private are under its regulations. According to this act, the psychiatric hospitals and units need to be registered as appr oved psychiatric centres, and those hospitals and inpatient units which were providing care to people with psychiatric illnesses at the time of implementation of this law will be considered approved by November 2009. The mental health act 2001 sets out the criteria for involuntary admission to these approved centres for persons suffering from mental disorders. This act also creates provision for independent review of the involuntary admissions of such persons [4]. In a short summary, this act recommends involuntary admissions and detention in an approved psychiatric centre due to psychiatric disorder. The main scenarios or conditions that may cause involuntary admission are personality disorder, social deviance, drug addiction, and intoxication. Although psychiatric patients have their own rights, this act implies that involuntary admission is for the patients' own interests in care and treatment through appropriate examination findings of the psychiatrists, where all information will be revealed to the patients, and in case of incoherence, the tribunal may review such decisions where sometimes the court of law may interfere if appeals are made. These principles are also

How can the strategic human resource business partner(SHRBP) add value Essay

How can the strategic human resource business partner(SHRBP) add value to the IT department - Essay Example Current paper aims to present the way in which the Strategic Human Resource Business Partner (SHRBP) can add value to the IT department and under which terms such task would be performed. Appropriate theories and models are used for justifying the role of SHRBP in the increase of value of IT department. The role of strategic human resource business partner (SHRBP) in the increase of value of IT department Strategic HR management can intervene in organizational activities at all levels of organizational hierarchy – reference is made to the organization as a unit, not just to the HR functions and sub-functions (Deb 2006). Of course, the role of HR within the organizations needs to be respected (Raj, 2007). In accordance with Morton (1999) when acting as a business partner, HR is expected to perform a series of roles: ‘strategic partner, change agent, administrative expert and employee champion’ (Morton 1999, in Armstrong, 2000, p.141). Moreover, Robinson et al. (2005) noted that HR can respond to the needs of its traditional role (deciding on the employees’ positions and tasks) as also to the needs of its strategic role (meaning the development of initiatives for the increase of organizational profits through the improvement of employee performance). As for the strategic HR management, this can intervene drastically in all organizational strategies identifying organizational failures and suggesting appropriate measures; in case that SHR manager acts as a business partner, then his ability to intervene in organizational strategies – at all organizational levels – is significantly increased. The involvement of SHRBP in the organization’s IT department would have a series of effects in the department’s structure, activities and performance. More specifically, the role of SHRBP in IT department would refer to the following activities: a) development and improvement of relationships of employees in order to improve communication and cooperation across the department; in this way, the performance of employees of the specific department would be also increased, b) improvement of information sharing; IT department is strongly depended on the management of informati

Major Role Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Major Role Analysis - Essay Example Right at that point, fate unfolds itself drastically in a manner that calls for Robbins to characterize the act of managing to control oneself from the verge of losing sanity. At this stage, there emerges requirement to convey the theme of injustice as Robbins acts to satisfy the expectation toward mixed feelings of contempt, helplessness, fits of rage, and frustration. Apparently, â€Å"The Shawshank Redemption† film exhibits two dimensions of reality between which is caught a poignant moment of transition for Dufresne and Robbins faces the challenge to express how it is like to be held responsible for a grave crime committed by someone else. The actor comes across the demand of realizing a character that must eventually decide on life’s worth, whether for Dufresne to defend his innocence or let nature take its course and dissolve all hopes on prison walls. To Robbins, Dufresne’s acknowledgment of the turning point in life must be excruciating just to imagine th e fact that the man who has humbly lived a life of success and prominence is now in Shawshank State Penitentiary where incarcerated individuals are bound to perceive every form of dread to psychological and emotional states of well-being. Robbins must have subjected himself to thorough contemplation of the major role to be able to align Dufresne’s words with actions that reflect extreme despair and total lack of self-esteem behind the anguished calm of the face. His portrayal of wretchedness in the case of a modest banker turned prisoner in service of an undeserved sentence appears complex because the film’s thematic approach is supposed to lead the viewers to an empathic sentiment, believing in the blamelessness of the convicted. In the process, Robbins moderates his acting to demonstrate the protagonist’s capacity to relate with fellow inmates, trusting especially Ellis Boyd â€Å"Red† Redding as portrayed by Morgan Freeman. To this extent, Dufresneâ₠¬â„¢s consequences may be anticipated to engage the audience into the gradual resolution of the conflict when the man is seen acquiring the potential to adapt to his rather harsh environment. Since â€Å"The Shawshank Redemption† falls within the crime and gangster genre, the audience may reasonably expect of a progress in which the principal character is directed to develop sharp malevolent traits and the following events could have shown physically violent encounters where the subject in the mode of revenge schemes to triumph by physical means. Nevertheless, Robbins is demanded of a function that embodies maintenance of principles and he needs to convince the audience of a consistent illustration of Dufresne who occurs to be meek and defenseless to officers and inmates alike, from the point of entry to the prison until after nearly two decades. For this aim to concretize, instead of visible execution of thoughts, the implicit heart of the matter must be sensed and this serv es as a challenge for Robbins to maximize the use of facial gestures through the look in his eyes and movement of head or lips with less external effort to deliver a fragile type of character whose weakness can be predicted with ease. Upon completion of watching the film, viewers are normally inclined to assess judgment on the story and how the primary figures have altogether made it run

The Fall of Classical Greece Essay Example for Free

The Fall of Classical Greece Essay The war between Athens and Sparta in the fifth century BCE was a major turning point in western history. It marked both the end of Athens as a Mediterranean superpower, and the end of the Greek Golden Age. The war lasted nearly thirty years, left hundreds of thousands dead, disrupted trade, bankrupted both societies, altered the course of warfare, and rattled the platform of democracy. Though Sparta emerged victorious and Athens brutally subjugated, neither city state was able to recoup their former prosperity and power and both yielded to another Greek superpower after less than a century of tenuous peace. Nothing would be the same after the Peloponnesian War. In Classical Greece most states allied with either Sparta or Athens, the two most opposite states in the Greek world1. The Spartans focused on creating the perfect warrior; they were a militaristic oligarchic state dependent on slaves2. They viewed the democratic Athenians with suspicion and increasing resentment, especially after the Persian wars when Athens was becoming the authoritative economic and cultural centre of Greece. With its commanding navy Athens was able to accumulate many tribute-bearing allies and to devote itself to spreading democracy. According to Thucydides, the leading source of the events during the Peloponnesian War, the prime reason for the war was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta3. By 431 BCE both sides were prepared to go to war, and both believed victory would be quick. The war lasted twenty-seven years. It began with Spartan raids on Atticas countryside in the summer of 431 BCE. Soldiers attempted to burn olive trees and grape vines, the mainstay of Athens economy4. They hoped the ruined crops would force Athens to sue for peace or face the deadly Spartan hoplites in battle. Spartan soldiers were fabled; the rest of Greece knew that they would lose any land battles against Sparta5. But Athens refused to bow to Sparta. Pericles, a powerful Athenian statesman, believed he had a winning plan. He moved everyone from the hinterland into Athens city walls so that Spartan raids on the countryside would have little effect6. He also kept up military pressure along the coast by sending superior fleets to harass the Peloponnesus. This move into the city was disastrous. With pressure on food, housing, and sanitation a plague broke out within Athens, one so deadly that Spartan soldiers refused to advance to the Long Walls. Thucydides, a survivor of the plague, states that the disease, first settling in the head, went on to affect every part of the body in turn, and even when people escaped its worst effects, it still left its traces on them by fastening upon the extremities of the body7. This was a time of complete and utter chaos. There was nowhere to bury the dead, and no way to treat the infected or even reduce their suffering. When people became affected they often resorted to unprecedented lawlessness8. Many lost their entire family and died alone in the streets. The exact numbers are debatable but Attica likely lost one-quarter to one-third of its population9. The plague, in only the second year of a twenty-seven-year long war, is what ultimately drove the Athenian defeat. It caused more deaths than all the battles the city fought against the Peloponnesian League. Thucydides states that nothing did more damage to Athenian power than the plague10 because it changed the entire course of the war. The state lost about one third of its hoplite troops and cavalry forces, and between forty and fifty thousand women, children and slaves, as well as the level-headed Pericles11. So few eligible sailors and rowers remained that slaves were given these positions in exchange for freedom12. It left Athens profoundly demoralized The plague was followed by a series of poor decisions by both sides. For the most part the two states never directly faced off, this was largely because of their opposing strengths; Spartas hoplite army could defeat any land-based enemy and Athens had the most powerful navy in the Aegean13. Athens did not want to fight Sparta on land, and Sparta did not want to fight Athens at sea. In 424 BCE Athens attacked Boetia, a Spartan ally just north of Attica that allowed Spartan raiders easy access into the Athenian countryside. This was supposed to be an equal-sided pitched battle14. Hoplite battles were normally fought on even ground at a set time and with roughly an equal number of troops. There were generally no surprises and winning was determined on the individual strength and resolve of the men. Battles were usually over in a matter of minutes15. But at the Battle of Delium the Boetians charged downhill towards the Athenian army and eliminated it. The Athenians lost nearly 15 per cent of their hoplite army16. The Athenians received another severe blow when they tried to regain Amphipolis, an important ally that had recently surrendered to Sparta. Thucydides was sent to save the city but arrived too late. He spent the next 20 years in exile. The Peloponnesian War marked the end of formalized warfare in Greece. Whole cities were destroyed and their inhabitants murdered or enslaved. After a decade of fighting the Peace of Nicias sought to ally Sparta and Athens. The terms stated that peace between the Peloponnesian League and the Delian League was to last for 50 years, and both sides were to return what land they had gained from the enemy17. This uneasy peace18 did not last long. By 418 BCE the truce was officially over; Athenian coastal attacks of the Peloponnesus had not ceased, and King Agis of Sparta attacked Mantinea and Argos19. In 415 BCE the Athenians embarked on their most controversial and disastrous military expedition to date. They resolved to sail again against Sicilyand, if possible, to conquer it.they did not realize that they were taking on a war of almost the same magnitude as their war against the Peloponnesians20. The Athenians believed that if they could conquer the large, fertile island they could cease grain imports into the Peloponnesus as well as increase imported grain for themselves21. They underestimated the size and strength of Sicily. The expedition was also poorly led22. The Athenian Assembly sent three commanders: Nicias, Lamachus, and the traitorous Alcibiades who jumped ship in southern Italy and fled to Sparta. After arriving at Syracuse the Athenian fleet waited several months before attacking thus enabling the Syracusans to prepare. When they finally attacked they won a hoplite battle but were unable to breach the reinforced city walls. They began constructing a siege wall, Syracusans built counter-walls but could not keep pace and victory looked certain for Athens. Then the Spartan fleet, having been informed by Alcibiades of the Athenians plan, landed on the island and attacked the Athenians from the rear. Athenian naval reinforcements were sent but modified Spartan and Corinthian ships smashed through the Athenian triremes and 25000 sailors and nearly all the Athenian ships were destroyed23. A night attack on Syracuse also ended disastrously. When the Syracusans began fighting back Athenian soldiers panicked, and in the dark began killing their own men. Some 40,000 Athenian soldiers attempted to retreat to Catana, a city in northern Sicily that was Athenian friendly. More Athenians died while fleeing than in all other Sicilian battles; 9000 hoplites and countless foot-soldiers perished. This wasthe greatest action that we know of in Hellenic historyto the vanquished the most calamitous of defeatstheir losses were, as they say, total; army, navy, everything was destroyed24. This failed conquest of Sicily was the second major factor in Athens fall from preeminence. While the Athenians flailed in Sicily, Spartan troops urged by Alcibiades, set up base in Decelea, which gave them control of rural Attica and prevented food supplies from reaching Athens. The Athenians were forced to break into the Iron Reserve, a secret stash of 1000 talents to construct a new fleet. In order to construct a fleet of their own, Sparta made a deal with King Darius of Persia: the Persians would provide gold for a fleet if Sparta surrendered Ionia25. The Spartans agreed and the Peloponnesian War moved to the sea. The Battle of Arginusae in 406 BCE was the biggest naval battle in Greek history and Athens greatest naval victory. The Athenians destroyed two thirds of Spartas fleet26. Sparta, exhausted and defeated, offered peace but the Athenians refused, arrogantly assuming their rivals could never recover from such devastating losses. This was the third massive blunder of the Athenians. Backed by Persian gold Sparta quickly rebuilt her fleet. The final battle of the Peloponnesian War was at Aegospotami, a harbour in the Hellespont. For days the Athenians tried to lure the Spartan admiral Lysander into battle. He waited until many Athenian sailors were off searching for food and water then, in a surprise attack, destroyed 171 Athenian triremes and killed 3000 soldiers27. With this defeat Athens was forced to join the Spartan alliance, destroy the Long Walls, surrender all but twelve ships, and abandon democracy28. Athens was finished. In three decades the once paramount polis of Athens had lost a third of its population to war, disease, and famine; she was bankrupt and was no longer a player in Mediterranean trade. She was now ruled by the oligarchic Spartans, and a tyrannical group of thirty Lysander loyalists who slaughtered more than five per cent of her remaining population29. The events of the last twenty-seven years, the plague, loss of tribute-bearing states, the violence wrought upon its allies, the financial burden of having to rebuild several fleets, bankruptcy, the humiliation of an enemy-occupied homeland, the Sicilian disaster, the broken down class barriers, political turmoil, and the monumental losses at sea had changed the city of Athens30. She was defeated and demoralized but was not destroyed. Population soon rebounded, arts and philosophy were restored, and trade and agriculture grew productive again. Athens had been brought to its knees by the plague and a few massive blunders, not because of superior Spartan strategic tactics and military ingenuity31. Athens was able to throw off the Spartan yoke in little over a year and reinstate democratic rule. An oligarchic Sparta was incapable of running an empire, even with Persian support. Classical Athens demonstrates a remarkable example of the resiliency of democracy. But, if Athens had not been so determined to spread democracy and to extend their empire throughout the Aegean, the thirty year long battle and its irreparable damage to classical Greek civilization may have been avoided entirely. Lessons to be learned from the Athenian empire are glaringly apparent in todays world of superpowers run by corporations where present-day governments, in a quest for secure oil reserves, again wage war under the guise of spreading democracy. The economic and political costs of the war in Iraq have been devastating to America and her allies. America finds herself increasingly weakened and isolated from the rest of the world. Any claims the United States may have had to moral superiority have been destroyed. Tens of thousands of civilians are being slaughtered in the chaos that the war has created. Iraqs infrastructure has been destroyed and the economy devastated. Much of the population has been reduced to poverty. It is imperative that democracy consider human rights before the interests of the state. The deplorable impact upon the populace by Athens attempts to spread democracy throughout ancient Greece are being echoed today in Americas attempts to impose democracy in the Middle East. The war is undermining and making unpalatable democracy itself. And, like ancient Athens, America risks finding its seemingly infinite power and prosperity irrevocably damaged. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.32 References Bagnall, Nigel 2004 The Peloponnesian War: Athens, Sparta, and the Struggle for Greece. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. Detailed book on the Peloponnesian War, although rather dry. It did however provide a great description of the events leading up to the war and what events may have perpetrated it. It also had good maps, a list of the main players in the war, and a historical survey, which listed all the city-states involved and how they contributed to the outcome of the war. Hanson, Victor Davis 2005 A War Like No Other. New York: Random House A very entertaining and accurate book on the Peloponnesian War. Hanson does not write like an historian, he writes as thought he is telling a story. This made the book enjoyable to read, but I did find it lacked continuity. He explained major themes of the war but had to jump around between events to do so. I often got confused as to which part of the war I was reading about. Hornblower, Simon 2002 The Greek World 479-323 BCE. London: Routledge. This book covers Greek history from the Persian invasion to Alexander the Great, essentially Classical Greece. There is a small discussion on the Peloponnesian War, but the majority of the text focuses on the before and after; that is how much the war changed Greece. It was an interesting read, although at parts rather technical and dry, but nonetheless informative on the causes and effects of the Peloponnesian War. Kagan, Donald 2003 The Peloponnesian War. London: Viking. A mammoth book on nothing but the Peloponnesian War. Kagan discusses every event in the war, taken from the writings of Thucydides and Xenophen. This makes his book very long and descriptive, but like Hanson he writes like a story-teller so his text is very engaging. Some parts (particularly the battle tactics drawn from Thucydides) are less entertaining. Nonetheless, a very clear and complete book. Morris, Ian Barry B. Powell 2006 The Greeks: History, Culture and Society. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Survey textbook for my Classical Studies course. Just gives a chapter-long overview of the war, but is very complete in its description. The text lacks analysis, but it helped clarify certain events that some other authors went into far too much detail about. Overall, the book is very good; it discusses every aspect of ancient Greek life. Santayana, George 1906 The Life of Reason. New York: Prometheus Books. I only used his book for the quote. It demonstrates how something written one hundred years ago is still applicable in todays society and justifies the importance of understanding and learning from history. Thucydides 1972 History of the Peloponnesian War, trans. Rex Warner. London: Penguin Books. Thucydides, being our only primary source on the Peloponnesian War (up until 407 BCE at least), writes on the war from the militaristic standpoint. His analysis varies from being dry (when he is describing the military tactics in detail) to being extremely interesting (pretty much everything else). However, there is the problem of reliability when it comes to his discussion: he was not present at many of the events and speeches he writes about. Some of what he says must be taken with a grain of salt, but nothing he wrote about has been archaeologically disproved. His history is as accurate as we can ever hope to get. Notes 1 Kagan, 2003:3 2 Morris Powell, 2006:193 3 Thucydides I.23 4 Hanson, 2005: 37 5 Hornblower, 2002:118 6 Bagnall, 2004:139 7 Thucydides, II.49 8 Thucydides, II.53 9 Hanson, 2005:79 10 Thucydides, III.87 11 Hanson, 2005:79 12 Hanson, 2005:264 13 Kagan, 2003: 4, 8 14 Hanson, 2005: 144 15 Hornblower, 2002:192 16 Hanson, 2005:145 17 Hornblower, 2002:160 18 Thucydides, V.26 19 Hornblower, 2002:161 20 Thucydides, VI.1 21 Hanson, 2005:203 22 Hanson, 2005: 206 23 Morris Powell, 2006: 351 24 Thucydides, VII.87 25 Morris Powell, 2006:354 26 Morris Powell, 2006:358 27 Morris Powell, 2006:358 28 Kagan, 2003:481 29 Hanson, 2005:290 30 Hanson, 2005: 293 31 Hanson, 2005:309 32 Santayana, 1906:248.

Comparing societies with reference to social organisation

Comparing societies with reference to social organisation Discuss the similarities and differences between any TWO societies. In your answer, make reference to the role of cultures, norms, values and inequality in social organisation. The twentieth century is packed full of History. The revolution that hit Russia in 1917 is arguably one of the most economic interpretations of History in the twentieth century. This led to one of the first and definitely the biggest Communist state the world has ever seen. Spanning over Seventy years the Russian revolution had a huge impact on world affairs. This essay will look in to the similarities and differences in the norms, values and inequalities of social stratification, between Communist Russia and modern day Capitalist Britain. Everyone in Communist Russia was required to have jobs. Children, retired and disabled were the only exceptions. If you did not have a job in Communist Russia you would then be considered a parasite on the proletariat (Jary,D.Jary,J.1995) and could end up in jail for such an offence. Income was not the same: However, your salary was determined by the nomenklatura government. If you were a factory worker you would be able to achieve a bonus, this was only if you did not question and were a great worker. With your salary you were unable to buy land. The land was and maybe still is owned by the state. (Oxley,P.2001) In modern day Capitalist Britain we have cultural diversity, and perceive things in an ethnocentric way. Not everyone in modern day Capitalist Britain is required to work. We have a very beneficial welfare state (Jary,D.Jary,D.1995) which looks after every member of society not just the people who cannot work. Also if Britons wanted to buy land they could do such a thing. Saunders (1990) sees the old class divisions based on work becoming less and less relevant. For Saunders, what you do with your money is more significant than how you get it. (Saunders, P.1990 cited in Moore, S.2001) In Modern day Capitalist Britain over the past few years, people from all types of heritage have had greater access to higher education through a meritocratic society. Because of this, wealth distribution is altering and social mobility is occurring. The British class system is still very much in tact although in a more subconscious way. The British believe the playing field has levelled, but British still pigeon hole people dependent on class. (www.kwintessential.co.uk). In Communist Russia, despite Marxist-Leninist notions of a classless society, there were a Capitalist ruling class, the nomenklatura, which consisted of party officials and key personnel in the government and other important sectors such as heavy industry. This class enjoyed privileges such as roomy apartments, country dachas, and access to special stores, schools, medical facilities, and recreational sites. The social status of members of the nomenklatura increased as they were promoted to higher positions in the party. (http://www.country-data.com ) Many people in modern day Capitalist Britain believe in the idea of equal educational opportunity. They believe that everybody within the society should attain an equal chance and their educational qualifications should be based on merit, on their ability and effort. If a person is clever and works hard they should do well no matter what his/her social class or background may be. (Haralambos,M.1996) People knew little about the educational system in Communist Russia. After the coup that brought down the Soviet Empire, Russia released many of its secrets including those involving its education. Communist Russia did not let non-Communist teachers teach. They had a huge mission to ensure Communism was drilled in to them at a very early age. (Corin,C.2002 and Fiehn,T.2002) After 1917, Russia based its entire school system on the teachings of German philosopher Karl Marx (1818 1883). Marxism states that one should achieve freedom through giving up the self to benefit the state. This Marxist theory created an unpopular form of government from a democratic point of view; however, it made Communism an efficient educator. (http://www.milford.k12.il.us) Marxists argue that the working class rarely challenge Capitalism. This is because the people who have the control on economy also control the family, education, media and religion in fact all the cultural institutions that are responsible for socialising individuals. Neo Marxist Althusser (1971) argued that the function of those cultural institutions is to maintain and legitimate class inequality. (Althusser,L.1971 cited in Moore,S etal 2001). This is very similar to modern day Capitalist Britain The social structure of Communist Russia was characterized by self-perpetuation and limited mobility. Access to higher education, a prerequisite to social advancement, was steadily constrained in the post-war decades. Moreover, the sluggish economy of that period reduced opportunities for social mobility, thus accentuating differences among social groups and further widening the gap between the nomenklatura and the rest of society. (http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-11420.html 20/10/2010) In modern day Capitalist Britain Social class is an umbrella category. Being of a different class may involve differences in culture, economic circumstances, educational status, dietary preferences, housing conditions, property Ownership and power. There will always be fuzzy edges with people who could be counted in more than one category and people who have encountered social mobility. (http://www.ucel.ac.uk) There are many differences in norms, values and the social structure in Communist Russia and modern day Capitalist Britain. Looking at the impact the nomenklatura government has had on Russia and how that stopped any sort of meritocracy, and in turn they had a sort of ascribed status. If the people of Communist Russia did not work they could have faced a prison sentence. Also it looks at how Karl Marx had a huge impact on Communist Russia. How much affect did it have, as there was no room for non Communist teachers? This was there secondary socialisation and it moulded how the youth of Communist Russia were to think. However it can be seen that social mobility is occurring in modern day Capitalist Britain. The British believe that there is a level playing field however; subconsciously, Britons are still classed individuals. Modern day Britons also believe everyone has a right to equal education opportunities. Evidently, social mobility in modern day Capitalist Britain is occurring. Posing the question, ultimately is there a difference between Communism and Capitalism?

Impact of Ecotourism on the Local Population of Cameroon

Impact of Ecotourism on the Local Population of Cameroon EXPLORING THE SOCIO-CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ECOTOURISM ON THE LOCAL POPULATION OF CAMEROON. ABSTRACT The ecotouristic sector in Cameroon is a growing but relatively minor industry. Cameroons wildlife draws both safari-goers and big-game hunters, as Cameroon is home to many of Africas iconic animals: cheetahs, chimpanzees, elephants, giraffes, gorillas, hippopotami, and rhinoceroses. Impediments to further growth of the eco-touristic sector include poor transport infrastructure and corrupt officials who may harass visitors for bribes. Ecotourism can and is however making a substantial contribution to development, and in combating poverty even though not without its own problems. Many studies report on the general impacts of the sector in developing countries, whether social, cultural, economic, or environmental. However, the sector can sometimes be discredited as being less pro poor. Corrupt officials often embezzle most of the funds that flow into the sector. As a consequence of the above, the paper will explore some of the consequences of ecotourism on the socio-cultural and environment. As an Anthropologists, I will not fall into the trap of judging the sector but what is worth noting here is the fact that for the sector to be successful there need to be some kind of social amenities and attraction parks. INTRODUCTION Research on tourism in developing countries has mostly focused on the general economic, environmental and socio-cultural consequences of the sector. This sector has many potentially beneficial impacts to locals, but in practice these have been frequently outweighed by the negative consequences for local people of many African countries especially Cameroon due to poor management systems and corrupt officials. There are several forms of tourism and reasons of tourism. They vary across cultures and depend on the particular individual or groups involved with tourist activities. For the purpose of time, this paper is going to focus more on ecotourism. Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the wellbeing of local people. â€Å"Travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strive to be low impact and (usually) small scale. It helps educate the traveler, provides funds for conservation, directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities, and foster respect for different cultures and for human rights† (Honey 1995:25) This form of tourism is usually intended to protect the environment, have revenues to protect the environment and finally to support local communities. There are some criticisms that surround this form of tourism as to whether it is actually sustainable and if locals a re actually the beneficiaries. There are various definitions of ecotourism that have been provided by many scholars but this paper will briefly provide a few that are very vital to the analysis of the paper. Tikell (1994), defines ecotourism as travel to enjoy the worlds amazing diversity of natural life and human culture without causing damage either. Ecotourism is tourism and recreation that is both nature-based and sustainable.(Lindberg and McKercher, 1997) What is worth noting from the above definitions and other scholarly definitions is the fact that ecotourism is nature based and the idea of sustainability features in most of the definitions as well. This goes a long way to stress on the importance of nature to human beings and also the fact that it needs to be preserved for future generations. Ecotourism is also considered one of the worlds fastest growing tourism sub-market. This growth has been promoted by Europeans and north Americans to almost all parts of the world either for leisure or for the purpose of studies. Cameroon is a potential tourist destination owing to its rich touristic potentials such as the natural bright sandy beaches of Kribi in the South and Limbe in the South West provinces of Cameroon, equally its natural priority of hosting several animal species like the, red tail monkeys, giraffes, lions and giant elephants which roam the savannah. The bongo antelopes and massive western lowland gorillas, chimpanzees survive in this primeval woodlands with monkeys, baboons, elephants, hippopotamus and forest buffalos that are almost extinct in certain parts of the world, it harbors different bird species. Cameroon is blessed with abundant, diverse forest and wildlife on the continent of Africa, Nature reserve cover almost 15 percent of Cameroon 475,442km2,an eventual national goal of 20% has been set by law; These include seven National parks, three world Biosphere reserves and one United Nation world Heritage site but the most unfortunately thing is that they are not adequately protected some have seriously deteriorated due to lack of funds and mismanagement, poaching and official corruption. Forest have been sold off to foreign interest for ecologically unsustainable logging with no benefit to the local people while plundering of rare animals through sales of bush meat has grown and the crime rate has soared, the situation may change with increasing awareness of economic benefits of ecotourism dependent on healthy parks and reserves. The Ministry of Forest and Wildlife in Cameroon has been struggling to put on a legislation to kind of regulate the activities of local communities liv ing around national parks and game reserves. The conservation scheme empowering the Baaka pygmies of the East and South of Cameroon thus is a seldom success story. The nation which has a large number of potential tourist destinations due to its rich nature has been plagued by a poor political will for closed to two and a half decades now. The rainforest reserve however escape some of these disruption by the political power that be and is turning into one of the Cameroons main and few tourist destination. Not leaving out the too many ‘romantic things Africa has to offer such as pre-historic paintings, the African night sky, a unique rhythm of life all these experiences abound in Cameroon and that is the reason why Cameroon is referred to as Africa miniature because it has a little bit of what exist in the whole of Africa ADVANTAGES OF ECOTOURISM TO THE LOCAL PEOPLE The value of plants used for medicinal purposes by local communities can be calculated on the basis of their possible future value on the global market. Ecological economics, a field that addresses the relationship between ecological and economic systems focusing on environmental policy and sustainable development (Constanza 1989) Intrinsic value is a much more subjective matter, while most people take the intrinsic value of humans for granted the view that Nature is very often personalized in the sense that it has inherent rights and is as such subject to the same moral, ethical and legal protection is more controversial (Nash 1989) The world Ecotour 97 the first world congress and exhibition on Ecotourism was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 15 to 18 December 1997 it was organized by the Brazilian Society for the environment(BIOSFERA).The conference was attended by approximately 2000 people from throughout the world. They shared ecotourism theories, policies, plans, developments and management models. The key outcome of the conference was the realization that ecotourism is not a passing fad but has well and truly arrived, bearing the promise of environmental conservation, community wellbeing and economic benefits. Around Cameroons Lobeke National Park, trophy hunting in community hunting area is now generating some US$50,000 each year. This money is managed by local wildlife management committees. It is invested in education, through the construction of schools to provide shelter for children, who used to study under horrible conditions, provision of portable water through improvement of water sources and the construction of wells â€Å"The upshot is greater involvement of local communities in wildlife protection† WWF sources. Most natural areas are located in the rural locales; the development of tourism in such areas can have considerable impact on the local people (Lindberg and Enriquez 1994) Sensitive use policies that cause minimum negative social impact, but allow high levels of local involvement are required. Jobs for local people are a high priority, but are often difficult to provide in a sophisticated knowledge industry, such as ecotourism or adventure tourism. The development of tourism policy sensitive to local concerns is essential for obtaining community support (Lindberg and Enriquez1994).Local economic and social benefits cause an increase in support for ecological conservation. Travelers seek out businesses that emphasize the character of the locale in terms of architecture, heritage, cuisine aesthetics, ecology, etc. Tourism revenues give added value to those assets. A value that the locals may not have previously acknowledged. Travelers not only learn about the destination, they learn how to help sustain its character while deepening their own travel experiences. Residents learn that the ordinary and familiar may be of interest and value to outsiders. Ecotourism should essentially make good long-term business that should seek to employ and train local people, buy local supplies, and use local services. The more the locals benefit from the operation the more they will support the activities, and the better they will conserve the assets. Foreign visitors who learn about and observe local etiquette (including using at least a few courtesy words in the local language) feel a greater empathy with the experience. Local residents in turn who learn how to deal with foreign expectations that may differ from their own also appreciate the additional knowledge. Satisfied, excited visitors take new knowledge home and send friends off to experience the same and/or similar things they enjoyed which provide continuing business for the destination. The long term benefits of the resource of ecotourism to the local community, and to the operation must be enshrined, benefits may be economic, scientific, social, cultural, ethical or biological. DISADVANTAGES OF ECOTOURISM TO THE LOCAL PEOPLE The Ministry of Forest and Wildlife in Cameroon has been struggling to put on a legislation to kind of regulate the activities of local communities living around national parks and game reserves as these guidelines are being executed the rural communities face negative impact as they actually rely on the forest for a livelihood or survival. Huge sums or amounts of money is being spent and human resources continue to be used for ecotourism campaigns but this has not succeeded 100%.There had been stiff resistance in this relationship because ecotourism often will cause conflict and changes in land use rights, fails to deliver promises of community level benefits, damages environment and has plenty of other social impacts. In a real world situation focus should be made towards educating tourists of the environment and social effects of their travels. At the local level ecotourism has become a source of conflict over the control of land, resources and tourism profits, there are many problems abound with ecotourism with the case of Cameroon, the environmental effect on the local population and conflict over profit redistribution are only a few of those negative effects of ecotourism. The laws and regulations stands as a hindrance for the potential investors in the sector of ecotourism. There must be the prohibition of the promotion of unsustainable ecotourism projects and materials which project the false images of destinations, and equally demeaning local and indigenous cultures and natural resources. Ethnic groups are increasingly being seen as a backdrop to the scenery and wildlife, hence they do not participate fully in the development of ecotourism. The indigenous people struggle for cultural survival and freedom of cultural expression while being observed by the tourist. There are always resentments from the local people for they do not want this change that is being imposed on them. Tourism has been allowed to develop without any control. Lodges have been built, too much firewood is being used and no limit are placed on tourism vehicles, they drive off track and frequently harass the wildlife, their vehicles crisscross the zones and inevitably the bush or forest become eroded and degraded all these at the detriment of the locals. The regulations for environmental protection may be vaguely defined, very closely to implement, hard to enforce and uncertain ineffectiveness very often than not there are frequent confrontation between the indigenous population and the eco-guards, forest guards or the police and the gendarmes who are charged with the implementation of wildlife laws in Cameroon. The government of Cameroon regulates, administers and enforces environmental protection the lack of the commitment or capacity to manage ecotourism sites effectively. Government spends budget on politically beneficial but unproductive projects which has nothing to benefit either the locals or even the tourists. The government is vested in the benefits not the ecotourism industry which they are supposed to regulate causing restrictive environment regulations and enforcement to become more lenient. The constructions of an eco-touristic edifice may take precedence over more pressing environmental concerns like acquiring habitat, protecting endemic species and removing invasive ones. Ecotourism most often will be that which preserves and enhances local cultures but in this light it is clearly evident that with the creation of protected areas or zones local people are forced to illegally lose their homes most often without compensation as is the case in most developing countries Sometimes the local people are pushed to marginal lands with harsh climates, poor soils, lack of water and disease infested livestock since no veterinary care is taken of their livestock. This increases the dead toll of their livestock be it cattle, poultry or piggery. Some of the time the marginal lands do not assure for enough food for their livestock and for their own subsistence. Most often than not taxes are levied on their hard earned livestock this greatly embitters them. The creation of parks does nothing but establishes a permanent harsh survival reality and deprives the people of their traditional use of land sometimes this parks are created on their ancestral shrines which goes a long way to disturb the quietness of their gods, this greatly affects the tradition of the people in question, in some cases may even lead to violent confrontations between the authorities and the local villagers who see it as kind of sell out and thereby depriving them of their indigenous values. Hunting which is a passion of these indigenous people is banned and killing of an animal is illegal and punishable, these animals are their main source of protein and income, but they are prohibited to do poaching or hunting around the reserves, National Parks for example the small villages around Korup National Park in Ndian division of the South West Province of the Republic of Cameroon, this forest is completely out of bound to the local people who live and look at this forest for their livelihood same applies to the Menvelle wildlife (Gorilla sanctuary).The Mount Kupe Forest Project, Kejum keku reserve, the Waza National Park, the Limbe Wildlife Reserve, Kilum Mountain Project just to name a few. Most often than not populations are mostly displaced to create parks without even taking into account their resettlement schemes. CONSEQUENCES OF HUNTING ON ECOTOURISM All human actions in natural areas cause some impact. This can be positive or negative and can vary in scale. How much impact is acceptable? The determination of impact, the assessment of the acceptability of the impact, the management of the impact and the monitoring of the impact must be done. (Stankey, et al 1985,Prosser 1986). The hunting of nonhuman primates is biologically an old practice that human beings share with their closest cousins the chimpanzee, hunting methods or techniques and patterns however have changed substantially in recent times. It has been noted in the twentieth century that due to the use of firearms the efficiency and frequency of hunting has increased. Tourism, hunting and butchering on nonhuman primates has been linked to the emergence of some infectious diseases, for instance hunting red colobus (procolobus badius oustaleti)has been implicated in a localized epidemic of monkeypox that has continued for four generations of nonhuman to human contacts, this implying that even the tourist who visit these areas are at risks. Hunting behavior generally tends to focus around villages or new human settlements in logging camps or along roads sides and studies have shown that hunting in a village in the Dja Reserve in the south of Cameroon have demonstrated that both the levels and impact of hunting decreases as a function of distance from the village. The results have importance for both wildlife conservation as well as for assessing the emergence of risks associated with hunting, .(Muchaal and Ngandjui 1999) Both subsistence and commercial hunting with wire snares and firearms are widespread activities throughout the forests of Cameroon . In addition road networks and increasing opportunities for transporting hunted games have led to an increase in sales and rates of hunting. Some of the parts of rural hunting villages in Cameroon have also been linked to hunting and butchering apes especially those of the south. For means of sustaining livelihood the local villagers around the reserves in the rural areas tend to do illegal hunting in the protected zones Hunting increases in these regions in direct proportion to logging activities. When the logging companies open up new areas, snare and firearm hunters follow in their track. Logging camps in the region provide a cash market for fresh bush meat and their trucks are often used as a means of transportation of smoked bush meat to the urban markets of Yaoundà © and Douala where demand is high. The densities of large primates(gorillas and chimpanzees)in the East Province are among the highest in all of Africa. Hunting of these ape species likely results in a higher risk of exposure than the hunting of the other species. Driving the bush meat trade in Cameroon is the large growing urban demand in conjunction with the opening up of logging concessions in the east province. The market among households for sauce preparation in Yaoundà © alone is estimated at approximately $4million annually(IITA unpublished data) There were differences in the form of bush meat consumed with the poor more likely to purchase smoked bush meat rather than the more expensive fresh product. The conclusion here is that even though of its illegality smoked bush meat is an important source of protein for both the rural and the urban poor. Urban demand makes hunting a source of income for rural households. Some in the ecotourism industry have refused to take Cameroon seriously as a tourist destination until the government begins to take tougher stands against the countrys thriving bush meat trade. The killing of rare wildlife species for food and cultural artifacts was once believed to be an activity exclusively of the native pygmies. Today most observers recognize that the bush meat trade has become a part of mainstream of the forest or the rural villages of Cameroon, meat from forest elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas and other native animals are a popular and often preferable substitute to beef, poultry, or pork, a traditional pygmy will often include chimpanzee or gorilla instead of a chicken on a Christmas dish, of course killing and selling rare animals is illegal but laws go mainly unenforced because of a combination of corruption, lack of resources for law enforcement and a kind of apathy to the problem, in addition to logging concessions that the governments hands out to dealers who have little or no idea on conservation. The exposure to non human primates has led to the emergence of important diseases, including Ebola hemorrhagic fever, and adult T-cell leukemia. To determine the extent of exposure to nonhuman primates, persons were examined in 17 rural hunting remote rural villages in Cameroon that represented three habitats (savannah, gallery, forest and lowland forest. The convention on international trade in Endangered species found that the increasing commercialization of trade has led to some 68species in Cameroon being threatened by poaching. SOME SETBACKS OF ECOTOURISM TO THE ECOTOURISTS Nonhuman primate ecotourism for example gorilla watching has been associated with the possible transmission from nonhuman primates to humans of diseases that includes scabies for example sarcoptes scabies, intestinal parasites and measles, equally laboratory handling of tissues or fluids of nonhuman primates has led to the transmission of a variety of infections to humans .including Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) and SV40. Additionally the keeping of nonhuman primate pets has been linked to the transmission of variety of microorganisms. A range of activities involves direct contact between humans and non human primates and allows for the transmission of micro organisms such behaviors can facilitate transmission of microorganisms from nonhuman primates to humans with consequences for human health, as well as from humans to non human primates, this equally has great consequences on wildlife conservation. Care for captive nonhuman primates has led to the transmission of a range of infections, including Simian foamy virus, herpes virus B. (HBV) primate malaria and tuberculosis. A widespread problem in ecotourism is the assurance of information accuracy of quality interpretation of levels of safety of operational integrity and of adherence to impact rules. Consumers look for such assurances and any deficiency in these areas can seriously inhibit use. Visitors satisfaction surveys are becoming a more important part of park and ecotourism management, they are common in developed countries but rare in Africa (Friesen1995) WAY FORWARD FOR ECOTOURISM IN CAMEROON The local communities must be given status as equal partners in the venture and their share of the revenue must be contractually guaranteed over and above the creation of jobs and by so doing the local communities should receive priority in terms of jobs. Local communities should be clearly identified, their legal access to the resource, through their legal tenure should be recognized and acknowledged. The distribution of revenues to the local people should be fair, transparent and accountable. Capacity building for local people should be part of the scheme, to the extent that there should be maximum involvement of the local people or communities in the planning and development of ecotourism with benefits accruing from it to the local people not leaving out minority and disadvantaged groups. Ecotourism operations should and in most cases must be an imperative involvement of big business concessions coming from the west( partners from abroad) in the form of people and investment for development, but it must also involve local communities and individual entrepreneurs. It is worthy of note that Ecotourism should be planned in an environmentally sensitive manner so that its natural and cultural resources are conserved, ecotourism development does not generate serious adverse environmental or sociological impacts, the overall quality of the environment is maintained or improved, the benefits of ecotourism are widely spread in the society and ecotourism satisfaction levels are maintained. Ecotourists should be environmentally aware they should favor businesses that have active programs to minimize pollution, waste, energy consumption, water usage, the use of landscaping chemicals, and unnecessary night time lighting. Stakeholders who can recognize that development pressures can deplete resources, and apply limits and management techniques to prevent this to happen can gain respect. Thus businesses that co-operate to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, scenic appeal, local culture etc, are perceived generally as good businesses that are environmentally sensitive. This therefore calls for good plannification and implementation techniques which must be considered throughout the planning process, this planning should not leave out contemporary and creative concepts of development. Communities need to measure Ecotourism success not by the many numbers of visitors, but by the length of stay, money spent, and quality of experience. Many visitors may not be necessarily better since we acknowledge that every site has a maximum carrying capacity, which must not be exceeded or over utilized, this kind of over utilization may lead to some kind of abuses hence if the capacity is exceeded it could lead to the resources becoming depleted or overexploited or exhausted as the case may be. Participation by the Ecotourists should be encouraged at all levels and in all sectors since they form part of the whole network their exclusion will mean that the industry will fail to exist they must be part and parcel of the whole scheme. Their participation at all levels is very primordial, since decisions to be taken equally involves them. All resources should be respected and every effort must be made to use them sparingly and judiciously to avoid eventual depletion of the resources in question. Value adding by all the stakeholders at all levels will be very essential for success to be recorded. Education and training of all parties that are involved, the local communities, the Ecotourists, government and those operating in the ecotourism industry this will be a key asset leading to success. Ethical and moral attitudes, and responsibility towards the natural and cultural environment, should be promoted by all concerned with the operation that is from the part of the government, the locals and why not the visitors since all of them have a stake in the venture. Partnerships between all parties involved in the venture should be promoted. For Ecotourism to succeed there must be a high level of co-operation between the local, regional, national and international communities, so that everyone should benefit to the maximum. This co-operation must also extend into the field of marketing and promotion of the said tourist destination. At the end of the day it is the initiative and responsibility shown by the community that will determine the success or failure of an Ecotourism venture. There are no guarantees. All parties involved have to risk failure and all parties must know this risk of possible failure at the very beginning. Ecotourism is integrated as a system in itself, and the Ecotourism sector is integrated into the overall development policies and plans of the area and local plans are integrated into the national and regional Ecotourism policies and future plans if there are any. It is sometimes appropriate, to do strategic planning which focuses more on identification and resolution of immediate issues or problems. All levels of the Ecotourism industry are vital, and the quality of training and the resulting services that are offered must be of the highest quality or standards. These standards must also be maintained and improved over time and space, this will require putting in place monitoring and evaluation programs. CONCLUSION It should be noted that at the start of any ecotourism ventures, these should be backed by both the Social and environmental impact assessments. These in a bid to ensure sustainability both economically and ecologically. Research into these societies in themselves and the local politics can help identify and discard negative attitudes that may discourage the indigenes and even potential ecotourists. These procedures should not be too cumbersome and time consuming but should be in proportion to the size of the proposed development as the case may be limited finances have to carry the project through this information gathering period. The amount of environmental and social impact allowed is a management decision. This decision should or must take into account the legal and environment policy of the protected areas. Ecotourism is seen as a kind of exploitation and depletion in the case of the rural villages of Cameroon, it should be given more orientation to serve as a useful tool to lo cal communities and equally to become sustainable. In Cameroon there had been little or no awareness as far as the tourist industry is concerned, there has been low impact educational, ecological and cultural sensitive awareness. All these issues must be addressed by the stakeholders in the tourist industry for it to be sustainable until when all these will be met with, then will it be a success story. In many parts of Cameroon, the involvement of local people is crucial in creating a memorable ecotouristic experience. Even though local people strongly support ecotourism development, they are involved little with the planning and management of ecotourism in the region. Therefore, for the sustainability of ecotourism development, future planning should consider the inclusion of local people. Mechanisms should be created to strengthen the coordination between different Stakeholders, especially the locals who most often constitute farmers etc. The development of policies concerning ecotourism planning can be very important, provided that this process is conducted in an open and participative manner to ensure that the growth of the tourism sector in Cameroon is sustainable. In addition to offering adequate services and goods to tourists, the local government and companies in the ecotourism sector must also cater to the needs of the local community. Most inhabitants in Cameroon are unable to use the same services or purchase the same goods that may seem inexpensive to a foreign tourist. The economic growth brought about by international tourism is not perceived as entirely positive by everyone in the village. Some goods and services have become more expensive to local people. This then gives them the impression that Tourism in general is not for everyone since the life of the population and the local workers most often does not change much. Bibliography Bandy, J. (1996). Managing the Other of Nature: Sustainability, Spectacle and Global Regimes of Capital in Ecotourism. Public Culture, 8(3), 539-566. World Tourism Organization. 2000. WTO Tourism Highlights 2000, 2nd Ed. (August 2000). WTO, Madrid Fernnell, D. A. (2008) Ecotourism and the Myth of Indigenous Stewardship, in Journal of Sustainable Tourism Vol. 16, No. 2. Friesen, Bram. (1995). Safari Tourism to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. Unpublished Masters Thesis, Catholic University of Nijmegen, Netherlands. Stronza, A. (2001). Anthropology of Tourism: Forging New Ground for Ecotourism and Other Alternatives. Annual Review of Anthropology, 30, 261-283. Constanza et al, (1989) Valuation and management of wetland ecosystems. Ecological economics Ceballos-Lascurain, H. (1996). Tourism, ecotourism, and protected areas. Gland: IUCN Lindberg, K., McKercher, B. (1997). Ecotourism: A critical overview. Pacific Tourism Review. Lindberg Enriquez(1994) In: analysis of Ecotourisms contribution to Conservation and Development in Belize vol.2World Wildlife Fund Washington The Journal Of Ecotourism Studies vol.10N °2 Dec 1999 Honey, M. (1999) Ecotour

Martin Luther King Jr. :: essays research papers

Martin Luther King Jr. The reformation began within the Catholic Church . On Oct. 31, 1517 , Martin Luther a professor and a monk of theology, posted his 95 Theses on the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany . This theses were series that attacked the sale of indulgences . Luther criticized what he considered other abuses in the church . Luther taught that God justifies human beings . What Luther meant was that God makes them righteous through His kindness to the people . In Jan. 1521, Pope leo X excommunicated Luther and declared him a heretic . Emperor Charles V and the members of the imperial diet ordered Luther to appear before the diet in the Worms, Germany .In May 1521 , the emperor signed the Edict of the Worms , a document which declared Luther to be an outlaw whom anyone could kill without protest . Frederick the Wise protected Luther. Luther continued to the Protestant movement until his death in 1546. Reformation Reformation was a religious movement of the 1500's that led to Protestantism . This movement had an impact on social, political, and economic life . Before the reformation , Europe had been held together by the universalism of the Catholic Church and the claim of the Holy Roman emperor . After the reformation Europe had several large Prostant churches and smaller Protestant religious groups . From the result of the Reformation ,Europe was divided btwn the Catholic counties of the south and the Protestant countries of the north. This diversity of religious life created a mood of religious toleration and the respect for the importance of individual conscience . The Reformation also stimulated many reforms within the Catholic Church . Martin Luther believed that he can change something that he believed in .

Microsoft Versus the Department of Justice Essays -- Computers Microso

Microsoft Versus the Department of Justice In today’s high-tech ultra-fast paced world, there can be no debate as to the importance of personal computers. Personal Computers control virtually every aspect of our daily lives. Businesses, regardless of their size, have local area networks, company Intranets and high-speed wide area networks. Billing, inventory and invoicing would be impossible without help from our Personal Computers. Stocks, bonds and commodities are traded in the markets around the world entirely by computer. The Banking industry relies enormously on Personal Computers for every transaction. Communicating without email, fax transmissions and other forms of computer aided information transfers would be unimaginable. The media would be unable to produce news and information for the masses in the timely manner we know today. Law enforcement agencies, from local police, to field agents of the F.B.I. depend on computer databases for crucial information. Air traffic controllers rely on their computer s to safely land and route thousands of planes into airports around the world everyday. Even the military depends on computers to defend our very own borders and interests. With the important role that Personal Computers serve in society today, is it really a good idea to have one company exclusively control the technology running virtually every aspect of our lives? Ninety percent of all computers sold worldwide are IBM or IBM compatible clones. Microsoft's infamous operating system licensing agreements required all personal computer makers to pay Microsoft a royalty on every computer they manufactured, even when no Microsoft product was loaded on the machine.(Kaphing 1) This forced the Personal Computer makers into only using the Microsoft operating system. They could not choose a different Operating System even if they so desired, because at that time all of the Personal Computer clone manufacturers were small start up companies, having very limited capital. They couldn't afford to pay both Microsoft and another company for a different operating system. In 1994 The United States Justice Department barred Microsoft from engaging in this sort of extortion, but it was already too late, the Operating System monopoly had been realized. After the 1994 decision, Microsoft resorted to a new anti-competitive tactic. Yet another ... ... and largely as a result of that barrier, Microsoft’s customers lack a commercially viable alternative to Windows. Microsoft possesses a dominant, persistent, and increasing share of the world-wide market PC operating systems. Every year for the last decade, Microsoft’s share of the market for Intel-compatible PC operating systems has stood above ninety percent. For the last couple of years the figure has been at least ninety-five percent, and analysts project that the share will climb even higher over the next few years. Even if Apple’s Mac Operating System were included in the relevant market, Microsoft’s share would still stand well above eighty percent. It was proven in court that many of the tactics that Microsoft has employed have also harmed consumers indirectly by unjustifiably distorting competition. The actions that Microsoft took against Navigator hobbled a form of innovation that had shown the potential to depress the applications barrier to entry sufficiently to enable other firms to compete effectively against Microsoft in the market for PC operating systems. That competition would have conduced to consumer choice and nurtured innovation.

Parent - Teenager Relationships :: essays research papers

Parents are fragile things. There is a very fine line between approval and disapproval with most parents. No teenager I know ever seems to do anything right by their mum or dad. My mother always nags me to do things like clean my teeth, tidy my room, do my homework blah blah†¦. It's probably the same with many other teenagers out there. When asked why parents nag they often say "it's for your own good" or something equally insane. These comments rate right up there with "because I said so" and "because I'm your father or because I'm your mother" It is, in fact, very easy to judge if a particular child is or isn't nagged. If I were to take my friend Doug for example, I could very easily say that his mother didn't nag him much at all. This is because he simply does what he likes. I mean, who does the right thing when nobody cares if you don't? Now take myself, I have had more than my fare share of nagging in my time. How do you know? Well, everything I am was shaped by my mother. She is an epitome of understanding, a wealth of knowledge and of course I have inherited the other traits like beauty and genetic perfection. I know I certainly hate being nagged. If my mum gets on my nerves I'd say just about anything to shut her up sometimes. Have a look at Josephine in the novel "Looking for Alibrandi" and compare her to her mother. Jose may absolutely hate her mother sometimes but at others be unable to live without her presence. I don't think that Jose could ever imagine her mother being in the same position as her. What I don't understand is if our parents have been through this themselves, then why do they have such a hard time understanding why their children often hate them for the same reasons? My main point is that if our parents have resented their parents for the way

The story focuses on Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story focuses on Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale calls her by her maiden name, Minnie Foster. Mrs. Wright is considered as the primary suspect in the murder of her husband, John Wright. Although she barely spoke a word in the story, the actions and thoughts of the other characters were focused on Mrs.Wright and on her actions leading up to the murder. The story analyzes Mrs. Wright’s character and her possible involvement in the death of her husband. Everything the other characters do is meant to determine whether Mrs. Wright is guilty. Despite her absence from the scene, the story completely revolves around Mrs. Wright’s character.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are two distinct women. The only thing that they share is a conclusion regarding the guilty party in the murder of John Wright. Other than that, they are very different characters. For instance, Mrs. Hale is a farmer’s wife while Mrs. Peters is a sheriff’s wife.M rs. Hale knew Minnie Foster all her life while Mrs. Peters only saw her on the day that the murder was discovered. Furthermore, Mrs. Peters demonstrates more objectivity in her thinking. Mrs. Hale feels guilty for her failure to visit Minnie Foster and her failure to know that her neighbor was unhappy. It takes Mrs. Peters to convince her that she was not to blame for Minnie Foster’s actions. Mrs. Peters’ logical and objective thinking makes her a stronger character than Mrs. Hale.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two women did not voice out their conclusions simply because they wanted to protect Mrs. Wright. They did not want to implicate Mrs. Wright any further. Also, both women were uncertain whether they reached the correct conclusions. Glaspell showed both women knew who the murderer was through their actions.Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters were shown to share glances that showed that they were both thinking the same thing regarding the identity of the murderer. Furthermore, M rs. Hale attempted to hide the dead canary and Mrs. Peters did not do anything to stop her. This shows that they both knew who the murderer was and they wanted to hide possible evidence that will implicate the person any further.

BTEC BUSINESS LEVEL 2 UNIT 11 P1-P5 Essay

Businesses that be well cutn for providing superb client inspection and repair get hold of some(prenominal)(prenominal) characteristics in commonthey understand what node dish come on really government agencythey understand their nodes and get hold of to fulfil their necessitate in any way every single some dust in the organisation wants to achieve this aim. guest table service is the customers eff experience, from the second they enter a argument or view a website, to the after-sales service, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as sp ar parts or repairs. Superb customer service means providing service that customers did non even know they wanted, but argon delighted to dress are provided.Identifying Customer Needs trenchant customer service involves satisfying customer needs, so the first step is to break out what these are. All customers contact a stage business because they want something. Businesses use several methods to identify the needs of their customers quick ly. E.g. restaurants, supermarkets, Argos, Thomas garblehow do you think Chelsea FC identify the needs of their customers?Common customer needs cook a purchaseOrder a product or service pay back informationAsk for adviceEnquire round an orderChange an order newspaper a enigmaAsk for avail or helpReturn or exchange superbsComplain show SkillsWhat do other people see when you nuzzle them? Someone who looks spite and professional, or soul who looks like they fell out of furrow 10 minutes ago? Presentation skills have nothing to do with good looks, but everything to do with a have smile, appropriate clothes and a smart appearance.Personal presentation uniforms, guides on hairstyles, jewellery, dissimilitude Body language posture, facial expressions, gestures on the job(p) environment tidy work area, cooperation and tact towards staffInterpersonal SkillsThese relate to your lieu and behaviour towards other people.Attitude Be cocksure, conduct problems behindBehaviour Court eous, respectful, honesty, profoundFirst impressions and greetings Nice reception areas, egg and polite greetings Interpersonal skills Listening carefully, lower taking, asking questions,positiveresponses, courtesy, concern, confidence, interest, thoughtfulness, respect, tact, efficiency Responding to customer behaviour Watch customer body language, listen for their mood, choose words and quantify carefully, see the whole picture confabulation SkillsYou need to verbalize to your customers and how you do this is important. You essential take into considerationTone of interpreter The way in which you say something, expressing yourself when you say Pitch The sound that you make when you speak, elevated/low,loud/quiet Language character appropriate language, avoid slang and slangPace The speed at which you speak, speak slowly and clearly Listening skills combat-ready listening (concentrating on the speaker, notice their feelings), ruminative listening (restating what yo u hear at points during the communication to check your understanding)Scope of job position Staff should know what they can and cannot do as part of their job and the subject of issues they must refer to a supervisor. This should not stop them using their own opening night to resolve a straightforward problem quickly, providing they do not make arrangements or promises that are outside their authority familiarity of Products/ Services You can only guard customers accurate information and advise them virtually the best options to suit their needs if you have a good knowledge of the products and/ or services available. Because you cannot always memorise these, you also need to know where to find the information, such as in a catalogue, brochure or database.Type and Quality of products/servicesBusinesses monitor and evaluatetheircustomer service so that they can remedy problems and make improvements. This can be done in various ways. The methods used usually work out upon t he size and type of business.Informal customer feedback easy and cheap an example is a waiter asking you how your meal is when you are eating Customer questionnaires/comment cards issued by some businesses e.g restaurants these give the business an idea of how effective their customer service is.Question) What do you think a mischief of this form of monitoring might be? Staff feedbackthis is invaluable, and not just because it is unacquainted(p) many staff receive or overhear customer comments, both positive and negative. In addition, if staffs are unhappy and leave to work elsewhere, it is sensible to find out why. Mystery customers employed to visit stores to pass judgment staff. They may also check rivalrys stores to compare service levels.(Question) What things do you think a mystery shopper leave be looking out for? Complaints and panegyric letters encouraged by many organisations as a form of feedback If several similar complaints are received, there is seeminglya pr oblem that needs speedy attention. This is why organisations record the complaints they receive and thus check to see if there are any common factors.