Deforestation Cause and Effects

â€Å"Scientist fear that 20 percent of the trees will be lost over the next two decades† (From â€Å"Last of the Amazon† by Scott Wallace). Deforestation can be caused by many things, natural or unnatural. The number one cause can be said to be illegal logging or erosion, but we all know that is not it. Deforestation in the world is caused by man and the effects are devastating to the environment and can also effect global warming. Man can cause deforestation because of his greediness to want everything.For example, loggers in the Amazon are illegally cutting down trees to either make space for crops and cattle, or to get the wood and sell it. Man can also show his greediness when it comes to money, well, to be exact gold. Back in the 1850’s when the gold rush started in California; people began to chop down redwood trees in order to build their homes and towns. Eventually, by the 1900’s most of the original old redwood forest was gone.As a result of man, the effects, such as deforestation, are devastating to the environment. In addition to all the illegal logging being done, erosion can affect the surrounding areas. Erosion washes away the soil that other trees or plants in the area need adding on to future deforestation. Furthermore, the mass logging being done can also disrupt the water cycle. By cutting down a large amount of trees, the rainfall in that area can decrease because the moisture released by the trees also decreased.As a matter of fact, this can then cause a drought and make things even worse. Global warming can also be elicited by deforestation. The cutting down of a large amount of trees can increase the amount of greenhouse gasses that can be released to the atmosphere. To illustrate, if trees are cut down, the amount of carbon dioxide that is taken by them decreases. As a result, the carbon dioxide that was not taken by the trees goes up to the atmosphere, trapping heat and creating global warming.Furthermore, tr ees are 50 percent carbon, meaning that when they have fallen or burned, the CO2 they store escapes back into the air. In summary, global warming and the devastation being done to the environment are all caused by deforestation taking place because man. In the end, the effects of man’s greediness have almost caused the extinction of the redwood tree and it is now affecting the whole world with global warming. In my opinion, there should be a law that makes loggers plant a new smaller tree after they cut down the big old one.

Is Domestic Violence a Breach of Human Rights? Essay

The problem brought forth by the unequal distribution of power in intimate relationships in developing countries has caused not only oppression but also violence against women. Criminal acts such as rape, hitting, verbal abuse and other related violent behaviors are being experienced by a significant number of women all over the world. As such, this research seeks to establish the link between domestic violence and human rights. Not until recently that the United Nations (UN) has decided to include the issue of Violence against Women (VAW) on the mainstream of the human rights paradigm. As such this research will be looking on the anatomy of DV and the laws related to its implementation. More specifically, the research has the following objectives: 1. To properly define Domestic Violence (DV) and other concepts related on the notion of DV. 2. To identify the incidences on DV that could be significantly related on the issue of Human Rights Violation. 3. To identify the laws set forth by the United Nations that verifies the link of DV to the issue of human rights violations and specifically cite provisions that further explains the rights of women and the degree of protection that is due to them. 4. To identify the campaigns this aims to further protect the rights of women. 5. To know why it took so long for DV to be recognized as a Human Rights Issue. Background of the Problem Domestic violence is a form of violence against women. Violence Against Women (VAW) as defined by the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) is â€Å"any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or metal harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life† . This definition then emphasizes that any act that forces women to do certain things that result to any type of harm is considered as an act of DV. More importantly, the scope of DV has been made broad as it encompasses not only DV in terms of the household, but also certain oppression against women that might happen in the latter’s course of relating towards people. Violence against women includes the â€Å"physical, sexual and psychological violence that happens in the family or the community which includes battering, sexual abuse of children, dowry related violence, rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women, forced prostitution, and violence perpetrated or condoned by the state† More specifically, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that the violence against women does not only poses human rights issue but also contains other problems such as health and social concerns. This definition then provided by WHO further elaborates the definition provided by VAW. More importantly, the threats upon the health of women that came into effect because of the abuses that were brought forth unto them are also a growing health concern accor ding to WHO. Domestic Violence is also labeled as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) by the Center for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) has four major types which are: physical, sexual, psychological abuse and stalking . The World Health Organization perceived IPV not only as a human rights issue but also a growing health concern. The population based study of WHO found out that 10-69% of women admitted that they have been physically assaulted by a male partner at some point within their lives. In a larger scale, the range is between 10-34%. IPV incidents are perceived to be not regularly reported to the police, hence the inability to picture the entire magnitude of the problem. CDC also reported that majority of IPV incidents reported (i. e. 50%) are stalking, 25% physical assaults and 20% rape or sexual assaults. The CDC said that the consequences of domestic violence are perceived to be more damaging on the part of the victim and more costly in terms of treatment. Physical consequences include injuries that were left as a result on the victimization such as scratches, bruises and welts. Other more damaging effects are central nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, gynecological disorders, pregnancy difficulties and the likes. Psychological violence which stemmed out from emotional or psychological assault makes the victims develop problematic behaviors such as being anti social, develops suicidal tendencies, depressions and anxiety. Social implications of domestic violence also create a web of problem for the victims in terms of relating with other people and performing well in their workplace. More often than not, a difficult relationship is perceived in terms of the victims’ employers, peers and/ or colleagues . The health implications that resulted from domestic violence are primarily characterized by a very risky sexual behavior such as unprotected sex or even sexual trade. In addition, the use of addictive substances such as drugs or alcohols is also perceived. Corollary with this, the abuse of various medicines or pills for in order to lose weight is also paramount; while in some cases, overeating was the documented consequence . The economic implications of domestic violence are also very alarming. On 2003, the perceived costs of IPV is roughly $4. 1 billion which primarily comprises of $460 for rape cases, $6. 2 billion for physical assault, $461 billion for stalking and $1. 2 billion for the value of cost lives . Domestic Violence and Human Rights Attempts to link VAW on the issue of human rights were first established through the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights wherein such asserts that all humans must have equal rights and opportunities regardless of any difference . However it could be noted that the UDHR did not directly addressed the issues of DV and directly perceived it as a Human Rights issue. As such it is the underlying notion that all humans must be treated as equal has become the basic argument against DV and paved the way for the creation of certain laws that directly cater to it. In relation with this, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on 1979 and the United Nation’s 1993 Declaration to Eliminate Violence against Women , also has similar goals. Due to the attempts to link VAW and human rights, such paved the way to transnational women’s movements and other mobilizations worldwide. Non government organization (NGO) and state governments have made their own efforts in order to eradicate this sort of oppression against women . The Private Nature of DV More importantly, the perception of Domestic Violence (DV) against the framework of human rights paved the way for the idea of applying international laws in order to solve DV all over the world. DV has been perceived as having a private nature due to the reason that its occurrence primarily stemmed out of the family wherein more often are opted to be kept in silence and addressed and/or resolved personally by family members . Most of the time, victims of DV within families opt to keep the issue within the jurisdiction of their own homes. Women opt to discuss the issue among their husbands or partners rather than reporting such incidences to the police. In relation with this, it could also be significantly noted that once such incidences are reported to the police, the latter’s way of resolving the issue also result to having both parties reconcile within themselves. In effect of this, women who know such a process opted to no longer result to lawful actions, rather only try their best to work it among their partners. The private nature of DV is due to the fact that it is often committed by men that are close in their lives . In effect of this, it has always been the case that it becomes invisible. It is less likely for the violence to be reported, unlike those type of violence that happened in public and was done by people who are unknown to women. In addition with this, since there are no witnesses to private violence, it becomes very hard for the law to take proper action. It could be significantly argued as well that the attitude of the police in terms of attending on the crimes of DV has been very distant. Most of them don’t want to take sides among couples even if it is evident that one of them is at fault. As such it is said: â€Å"You just try to calm them down. To a policy of arrest rather than meditation, the official approach is not necessarily reflected in practice in part because intervening police officers are at a very high rik in incidences of private violence. † It has been very hard for people to identify violence that happened between couples. Albeit, the reality is that there is a huge number of violence that happens in intimate relationships rather than those that happened in public. It is more dangerous fro women and the injuries that they have are more severe. In relation with this, it could be significantly noted that the study of Pourezza et al also reveals that women in Iran seem to be more aware of the reasons of violence rather than the evidence of violence. Such according to Pourezza et al is primarily due to the private nature of DV in Iran and the failure of the victims and her family to report such incidents to the police. Physical violence is perceived to be a private phenomenon and is expected to be resolved within the realm of the family. The risk factors that are associated with DV in Iran are: poverty, addiction, discrimination in work place and social life and lack of personal securities . In the United States however DV although initially perceived to be of a private nature has been attempted to be made on the mainstream of the human rights paradigm in order for it to be properly addressed. Annual conventions and campaigns are launched by the United Nations such as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, The Sixteen Days of Activism of Center for Women’s Global Leadership’s (CWGL) and Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign Banner all work together not only to help eliminate domestic violence but other gender-related violence as well. These campaigns together with various laws will able to make women aware of their rights not only as an individual but also as a woman. 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights however did not directly link the issue of DV to the notion of human rights. What the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights claimed is that all people have inherent dignity and of equal and inalienable rights; hence implying that women have the disposition that is similar to men, and such disposition implies the former’s right to experience the same degree of protection, privilege and other factors that are vital in living a quality life. Such attempts on the end of the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights that became the cornerstone in the development of other international laws could be seen on the following provisions. The Article 1 of the Declaration claims that â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood†. The very basic philosophical foundation of the relevance of human life against any other form of life is man’s capacity for reason which is clearly presented in this provision as a characteristic of all human beings. Hence women possess a capacity for reason that is exactly similar to that of man, and by such, the former must be given the same amount of freedom and dignity. The second Article of the Declaration further strengthens this claim by stating that â€Å"Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty†. This provision clearly states the relevance of the upholding of human rights despite of gender. Such is clear evidence that all sexes are equal on the eyes of the law. Article 7 further makes it clear that all individuals must not be discriminated against the law. Consequently, Article 8 states the necessity of the establishment of national tribunals wherein conflicts and other criminal cases could be addressed. The Declaration as reflected in Article 16, clearly establishes that women have the right to enter a marriage in their own free will. Hence such means that dowry and other types of fixed marriages although perceived to be a part of custom and culture in some countries is also a violation of women’s rights. This provision then implies the general notion relevant to the argument that women’s domestic affairs are subjected to the jurisdiction of the human rights realm. The provision stating that women should only marry in accordance with their own decision implies that marriages that are fixed that often times result to violent treatment among men is something that is of utmost concern in terms of protecting the human rights of women and therefore protecting them against domestic violence. It could be noted that some countries in Asia such as in India, requires women to give dowries to their soon to be husbands. Albeit, whenever the woman gives a dowry that is relatively lower than what is expected on the male’s family, what usually happens is that the woman is often abused or is viewed as someone who is a burden to the man’s family. Article 21 on the other hand emphasizes that all people should have equal access to public service in her country and Article 26 emphasizes the equal rights of all people to education. As such, these provisions clearly focus on the right of women to education and also protection for all forms of abuses. The perception that women’s education is unnecessary because the latter is perceived to be locked in doing house hold chores is a clear violation. The study of Bates et al. among the women of Bangladesh could be significantly noted. Such revealed that among the 1,200 women who participated on the study, 67% of them claimed that they have experienced domestic violence, and a significant number of 35% admitted that they have experienced it in the past year (i. e. 1998). More importantly, the study focused on the notion that a woman’s education has a direct effect in terms of lowering the tendencies of DV. The study of Bates et al revealed that women in Bangladesh have a minute or small access with education. In relation with this the author also claimed that the more a woman ages, the more that it will be difficult for her to get married. In addition, the age of the woman is also equated to the high cost of her dowry. In relation with this is the right of every person to have a free choice of the type of work that she wants to do as stated on Article 23. As such, this provision leans towards the growing concern of the feminization of poverty most especially in developing countries. One of the risk factors of domestic abuse according to CDC is with regard to the notion that women who do not enter the workforce must be submissive to her husband . Women who are primarily left in the household to do chores and take care of the children are perceived to have a minute contribution within the family; as such the perceived head of the family which in this case is the male bread winner possesses all the power in the relationship. Article 25 clearly caters on the upholding on the rights of women as it emphasizes that all people has the right to a way of life that is adequate not only for him or her but also to his or her entire family. Motherhood and childhood should be supported by the government by assuring that they have special care and assistance. More specifically, those children who were born out of marriage should be given the privileges and protection of the government. This provision protects not only women but also their children against DV. The claim that this concern must be under the jurisdiction of the government is an indication that women must be protected against all kinds of abuses including to that of within their own households. Women who do not have any capabilities to help themselves most especially if they are having children must also be sheltered by the government. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted on 1979 by the UN General Assembly. The United Nation’s division for the advancement of women describes CEDAW as the â€Å"international bill of rights for women†. As such CEDAW not only addressed directly the issues of DV but also relates it directly on the realm of human rights. The CEDAW although could be said as the most highly ratified international human rights convention could still be seen as primarily focusing on the argument for human rights. Although it could be said that the convention reflects certain normative standards that are applicable to women’s human rights, it could be said that it still does not directly address DV. The CEDAW is made up of a preamble and 30 articles which lay out the parameters of women discrimination and the creation of an agenda in order to eliminate such prejudice. This convention although still focusing on human rights is very unique of its kind because of focusing on the role of culture and tradition as very vital factor in shaping the roles of men and women and other relations within the family. In addition, CEDAW also acknowledges the reproductive rights of women. Articles 10, 11 and 13 emphasize women’s rights to equal opportunity to education, employment and social activities. Such a provision paved the way for more opportunities for women to leave the household and not to be subjected to the abuses set forth by some men who give immense value on one’s work and the monetary benefits that could be hoisted out from it. The United Nations also noted that these demands are of more benefit to women who live in the rural areas. The equal access to job opportunities will pave the way for a more fair economic distribution. In relation with this, Article 15 claims that women should also have a fair access in various civil and business matters. More importantly, Article 16 emphasizes women’s equal disposition as those of men in terms of the choice of spouse, parenthood, personal rights and decision over personal properties. Another more important concern that this Convention focuses at is the attention that it gives on the value of reproductive rights. In certain cases, the role of women as a child bearer has caused numerous amounts of discrimination, more specifically in the workplace. Article 5 emphasizes that child rearing must be a social function that men and women and the society are both and equally responsible of. The women must not be viewed as someone who has the full task and burden of raising a child because people around her must also play their part. In relation with this is the Article 4 of the convention which affirms women’s right to reproductive choice. The notion that family planning advices from the government should be made available to all women will allow the latter to be aware more of her options and more specially in taking control in matters of sex and child bearing. This provision in the convention would imply that woman’s right in reproductive choice explicitly affirms women’s ownership of her own body, hence forced intercourse even within marriages is totally a clear violation of her rights. The use of contraceptives and other methods of family planning will also allow women to take control of her life and to plan for other things that will not limit her entirely to the household. The third major area of concern that the Convention focused on is the role of a country’s culture and norms in terms in hindering women in enjoying their fundamental rights. Article 5 makes it clear that states are obliged to alter their social and cultural patterns of individual conduct which clearly harbors inequality between sexes and unequal distribution of power. One of the most important implications of such is the mandatory revision of textbooks, school programmes and teaching methods in order to eliminate stereotypes and inculcate to the youth at such an early age the equal status of men and women in all aspects of life. United Nation’s 1993 Declaration to Eliminate Violence against Women Sullivan claimed that it is only in its 49th session that the Commission on Human Right (CHR) anticipated that women’s rights should be included in the mainstream of human rights programs. The declaration emphasizes that violence against women hinders not only the achievement of equality but also of development and peace. In addition, such affirms that such violence towards women is a violation of the rights and freedom of the latter. More importantly, the perpetuation of the violation against women’s rights is a manifestation of the oppressive dualism on the distribution of power between sexes. On such a relationship, the status of women has been clearly devalued hence hindering their total and absolute development . Article 3 of the Declaration to Eliminate Violence against Women emphasizes on the equal protection of human rights and freedoms of women in all fields. More specifically, article 3 emphasizes women’s right to life and equality . The Vienna Declaration and the Program of action specifically focuses on the â€Å"promotion and protection† of human rights. The declaration recognizes that such an issue is of international scope and is a way in which the international human rights systems could be studied and reevaluated so that it could represent various perceptions of countries on the issue of women’s rights violations. One of the incidences that the Declaration focused on is the incidence of rape on an international scope . The awareness of that was brought forth by the media on the rape cases that happened on the former Yugoslavia has made the issue of violence against women as directly related to a human rights concern. The recognition that such an act is not only an effect of armed conflict but of the subordinate status of women in the society paved the way to a more focused and detailed legislation in order to protect the rights of women. More specifically, the recognition that violence against women also happens in the private life or on the domestic level is also sought to be eliminated. On the Program of Actions, details of sexual slavery that was paramount during armed conflict was also taken into a clear focus. For instance, the comfort women from Korea and the Philippines who were forced into sex slavery by Japan during the Second World War are clear violation of women’s human rights. The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, Action for Equality, Development and Peace, Beijing, China – September 1995 The UN’s Action for Equality Development and Peace that was held on Beijing China on 1995 rest on the basic foundation that equality between men and women is not only human rights and social issue; but also a necessary factor for equality, development and peace. The said Conference was primarily anchored on the Vienna Declaration Program of Action wherein the emphasis on the necessity of having violence against women on the mainstream of the human rights paradigm. The Conference focuses primarily on the implementation of the â€Å"Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and at removing all the obstacles to women’s active participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. † The conference has formulated a global framework that would allow the conference to address all the relevant and related details addressed on the World Summit for Children, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the World Conference on Human Rights, the International Conference on Population and Development and the World Summit for Social Development. The global framework emphasizes on the empowerment of all women on all aspects of life. The role of various economic factors has also been perceived as one of the risk factors in perpetuating women’s cycle of violence. Critical Areas of concern was also discussed. The development of women and the achievement of the equal status of men and women are a matter of human rights concern and should not be treated as different from other women’s issues. The exercise and the application of women’s rights are the main factors that are vital in political, social, economic, cultural and environmental secu rity. Campaigns against Domestic Violence Various Non-Government and Government Organizations are made in order to entice public awareness on the status of women in the society, more specifically on the status of domestic violence. More specifically, the campaigns against DV are being directly related on the issue of human rights. The Sixteen Days of Activism, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women of the United Nations and Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women Campaign Banner are three of the campaigns that this essay will look into and relate its importance in terms of DV and Human Rights. Center for Women’s Global Leadership’s (CWGL) Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign The Center for Women’s Global Leadership on 1991 has established on June 1991 a 16-day of activism campaign against gender violence. The campaign is marked to start on every 25th of November and is perceived to end at every 10th of December. The campaign is framed to include four significant international human rights commemorations which are: International Day Against Violence Against Women which happens every November 25, World Aids Day which is every 1st of December, Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre which falls on December 6 and Human Rights Day which happens every 10th of December . On 2000, the Campaign has already celebrated its tenth annual commemoration which was marked by local, national, regional and international activities. Various campaign mediums were used such as â€Å"radio, television, video programming, press conferences, film screenings; workshops, seminars, panels and other meetings; demonstrations, protests, marches and vigils; photo, poster, art and book exhibitions; lectures, debates, testimonies and talks; petition drives; public education campaigns; concerts, plays and other theatre performances; street dramas and other community programmes; distribution of posters, stickers, leaflets, information kits and other publications;† The 16 Days of Activism has done a huge effect in terms of creating awareness and change in both in the national and international levels that as of 2000, there are already 800 organization in over 90 countries which participated in such a campaign. The campaign has been celebrated annually in local towns, states and regions and has been an avenue to create solidarity amongst women advocates and members of violence. The campaign has also done a great job by hav ing such an activity a way for the victims of violence to be protected . The methods of organizing the campaign have widely varied through out the years. In 2000, the organizing strategies of the campaign has involved linking various events all over the world which include the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in South Africa. In addition with this, the CWGL also encourages activists around the world to be an instrument in helping to increase awareness on the violations against women through tribunals, workshops, festivals and other related activities . International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women The 54th session of the General Assembly on 19 October 1999 which marks that 17th meeting of the Third Committee submitted a draft resolution which designates the 25th of November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The said draft was sponsored by 79 states which aimed to increase the knowledge and understanding of the world with regard to the problem of VAW. The draft contained the details of the reasons why such a type of oppression has been hindering women to achieve their legal, social, political and economic equality within the society. Although initially, the commemoration of the necessity of eliminating of violence against women was made in Latin America and a number of countries all over the world, the observance has no standard title and was only referred as â€Å"No Violence Against Women Day† and the â€Å"Day to End Violence Against Women†. Such a day was first declared by feminists in Bogota Columbia in commemoration of the Mirabal Sisters of Dominican Republic who have been perceived as the foundation of modern feminism. The Mirabal Sisters, also known as the â€Å"Inolvidables Mariposas† or the â€Å"Unforgettable Butterflies† signifies the oppression against women. The amount of dedication and passion that they have given in order to attain women liberation and respect has been a source of dignity and inspiration to women around the world. Stop Violence Against Women Campaign On March 5, 2004, Amnesty International has established an international campaign in order to stop the violence that is made against women. Amnesty International has perceived violence against women as a widespread international problem that caused huge number of women lives. One notable activity of Amnesty is the opening of the first safe house in Kenya which keeps girls who are susceptible to female genital mutilation. The Campaign has also broadened the interpretation of VAW that is presented in the UN Declaration by focusing on the acts of neglect or deprivation against women. VAW is perceived by the campaign as those violence occurring in the family, in the community and other gender based violence. In relation with this, violence is perceived in different forms: physical, psychological and sexual. Amnesty has presented three major reasons of gender based violence in developing countries. According to the campaign, social and political institutions through time developed institutionalized patterns of values and standards that are obviously against for the development of women. For instance, the cultural value in some countries in Asia that a woman who opt to stay at home and take care of her children and husband is considered virtuous. In addition, a number of cultural practices and traditions focusing on the idea of purity and chastity of women has also been a commonly used excuse to justify such violence. Such forms of oppression against women are perceived by the author as more severe and damaging in its very nature because it inculcates oppression and violence against women as a standard way of life- a sort of reality that one has to accept regardless of anything. Examples of such cultural practices are the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa, Honor Killing in the Middle East, and in some remote places in China- Foot binding. All of these cultural practices are due to the basic premise that women should be remain chaste and pure until marriage; and it is only through the exercise of such methods that a woman’s purity could be attained. More significantly, the exercise of FGM has been rooted on the idea that during sexual intercourse, women are not supposed to feel any type of pleasure, hence the mutilation of their genitalia, more particularly, the clitoris. Poverty and marginalization are also perceived by Amnesty International as both causes and consequences of the violence against women. Abusive situ

Analyze Henrik Ibsen's(1879) and Susan Glaspell's(1916) treatment of Essay

Analyze Henrik Ibsen's(1879) and Susan Glaspell's(1916) treatment of relationships and roles in the time period plays were written - Essay Example When the play "A Doll's House" was performed for the first time in Copenhagen in 1879, it revoked severe criticism from the society as it was against the society's values and attacked men's dominance over women (Templeton 142). Similarly, the play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell was written, at the time when, like other educated women at this time, Glaspell "grew restless with the numerous restrictions on women and became inspired by the avant-garde social, political, and cultural movements happening in the United States and Europe" (McMichael, et al. 1108). At the time when "A Doll's House" was written by Henrick Ibsen, the role of women was limited to bringing up children, supporting their husbands and keeping their house clean and comfortable. Society disliked women who wanted to step out for their authority and freedom. Politics, decision making and work was left for men and they had authority over women because women had little role in business, politics or social activities. In this setup; freedom, liberty and equality of women were regarded as a bad thing which the society frowned upon. Ibsen's portrayal of the society emphasizes how middle-class life is limiting, brutal, and unforgiving. He cleverly exposed these hypocritical norms and faults of society and suggested the outcomes of this suppression of womenfolk which compelled Nora to secede from the society's values and decided to leave her husband and children just to live a life of her own: "There is another task I must undertake first. I must try and educate myself--you are not the man to help me in that. I must do that for myself. And that is why I am going to leave you now (Act III). This clearly indicates the relationship between husband and wife. In this play, the relationship and role of characters are characterized by the desire of dominance and authority. In the first act, we see Torvald trying to dominate over Nora by dictating her not to be extravagant and spendthrift. Then we come across ill fate of Nora when her husband is nearly on death bed and needs to be taken to Italy for treatment. Nora's compulsion is exploited by Nils Krogstad who extracts a bond from her, which later in the play, he uses for threatening her and ultimately ruins her whole life. The role of Nils Krogstad demonstrates hypostatical values of society and a lust for power with mala fide intention. His relationship with Nora exposes faults of society and the law which have nothing to do with humanistic aspect of Nora's sufferings and to save her husband's life. The best presentation of the relationships and roles is given by Henrick in the last act of "A Doll's House" when we find Nora in dejected situation with Torvald. Nora tells her husband that h er husband and father were alike in that both of them used her to amuse and play with her and never thought of herself in context of her own imaginations and desires. In "Trifles" we find women struggling for their identification being unduly treated by their husbands. Minnie is sick of her husband and comes up to the point to strangle him just because he had strangled the Canary. This story begins with Martha leaving her home and accompanying Mrs. Peters to the Wright farm. There they find Minnie strangled her husband. The sympathetic women tried to discover the reason

Learning For Students in Clinical Practice Essay

Learning For Students in Clinical Practice - Essay Example The NMC contends that the stage 2 mentor can only achieve maximum individual potential amongst his or her students by facilitating the selection of appropriate learning strategies to integrate learning from practice and academic experience and supporting student in critically reflecting upon their experiences in future learning (Clay and Wade, 2001, p. 213). The following essay breaks down and discusses these two responsibilities critically in a clinical practice context. How Mentors Can Effectively Facilitate Learning For Students In Clinical Practice First, a stage 2 mentor should facilitate a relationship that is conducive to nursing with his or her students (Clauson, Wejr, Frost, Mcrae, and Straight, 2011, p. 315). Research findings on the impacts of the clinical setting for education have concentrated on human interactions instead of physical situations. The same findings indicate that clinical surroundings influence learning. For instance, students of clinical practice who had a place for carrying out their meetings and storing their possessions felt like the learning setting was welcoming and respectful. This frame of mind extended to the clinical personnel at the clinical practice setting. Consequently, a student who feels welcomed and respected by clinical personnel will reflect the same attitudes towards his or her classmates and patients. In addition, the feeling of being a crucial participant of a group raises inspiration to learn. These feelings and attitudes are achievable through the effective facilitation of student learning by mentors.

Chinese Aid in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Chinese Aid in Africa - Essay Example If nothing else, it is noteworthy that the two Asian giants are not so badly affected by the global economic downturn, unlike America which is still struggling to recover the 8 million jobs lost during the recession and undergoing a weak economic recovery. Without China and India, the world might have fared worse when the usual export markets of the United States and Europe are weak and cannot sustain demand for the worlds manufactured exports. Their domestic markets saved the day. Because of this increased role in the global economic arena, China and India have been under increased scrutiny from economists and politicians alike. There is increased discussion on how to harness these two giant economies to further global economic expansion despite its various differences in culture, strategic objectives, language and political environment. In the case of China, its history and culture are so vastly different from the West it has developed its own way of dealing with the new role and responsibility of suddenly being an economic and also military superpower. Although China and India are somewhat different from each other, it can be said their economic growth paths are not entirely unique (Kaplinsky & Messner 1). The impact of the two countries on the global political economy is largely due to their sheer size, both in terms of the economic output and population size. China alone accounts for nearly 20% portion of the entire human race while India accounts for 17%, as of the year 2004. It is quite interesting to see which country achieves first an economic miracle in terms of actual reduction in poverty levels. India had largely been self-sufficient as it was self-contained and started later than China in introducing free market and capitalist reforms (1992) while China had shed its socialist economic policies earlier (1979).  

Air Transport Economic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Air Transport Economic - Coursework Example There are certain factors influencing and perhaps hindering the continued growth of this air transport company. These factors include negligence of the procedural strategies in operating the daily functions. They are flexible factors that can easily be changed to turn the dwindling situation into a benefit. It can be worked out and through critical analysis of the entire organization. If the further studies discover that the expenditure is more than the income, the resultant effect is operational losses. The losses resulting from the summary of the present events at the Airlongways Bahrain could have to be closely associated with inadequate management, which could have led to poor decision-making and of course failure to achieve the strategic objectives. The major target of this research is to formulate more flexible and sustainable methods of ensuring that Airlongways Bahrain earns profits every year. Of course, every profit making organization aims at the achievement of high levels of profitability in whatever business they are engaged in and to maintain the standard of profit making. We therefore undertake to do an assessment of the challenges, which Airlongways Bahrain as a firm is facing and attempt to develop better methods of ensuring that we defeat the challenges in such a way that we facilitate the growth of this firm towards profit making. The way we conclude and recommend the operational methods of the financial attributes of the company from this study should catalyze the processes of Airlongways Bahrain daily operation through which it makes profits. This is when Airlongways Bahrain can remain relevant in the market and maintain the operation of its present routes, apart from adding ones that are more new. Objectives of the study The objectives of the study of Airlongways Bahrain financials are as listed below: a) To conduct an analysis of the current position of Airlongways Bahrain in terms of profitability and cash flow. b) To transform the opera tional model and implement changes that will raise the profitability of Airlongways Bahrain. c) To weigh options of routes and decide on the most profitable destinations and the number of trips per route d) To provide a cost cutting strategy for Airlongways Bahrain through reduced operational expenses. e) To formulate possible advisory recommendations this can facilitate the financial stability of Airlongways Bahrain. Potential Challenges Company The possible causes of failures of Airlongways Bahrain to attain its desired levels of profitability and cash flow is attributed too much commitment to serve a large number of routes, over commitment of capital, poor flexibility in the decision making as a result of bureaucratic processes and wrong combination of leadership. Another critical reason is the failure to get a sustainable and long-term competitive advantage over the air transport companies that compete with Airlongways Bahrain, as well as the inability of the management to impro ve the levels of revenue growth from diversified sources of income (Silke, 2009). Thirdly, Airlongways Bahrain is not consistent in its operation of certain routes, which remain unavailable or unused for long periods (Ramon, 2009). This reduces its reliability as a potential air transport com

A critical commentary on 'The Village Schoolmaster' by O. Goldsmith Essay

A critical commentary on 'The Village Schoolmaster' by O. Goldsmith - Essay Example While poetry, like literature, can be used for a variety of purposes, poetry such as that created by Oliver Goldsmith in his poem â€Å"The Village Schoolmaster† concentrates on illustrating a specific emotion. This is made explicitly apparent when one takes the work within its original context as a portion of a much longer work entitled â€Å"The Deserted Village.† According to an article posted by the University of Buckingham (â€Å"The Village Schoolteacher†, 2007), this longer work painted a picture of what is believed to be an amalgamation of a variety of small villages Goldsmith remembered, presenting a single image of a deserted town left behind as the result of privatization and loss of their lands. This longer work illustrates the importance of the fence mentioned in the first line of â€Å"The Village Schoolmaster† as newly privatized land was ‘enclosed’ in the name of progress: â€Å"what Goldsmith thought was going on is clear fro m what he says elsewhere in the poem: ‘Those fenceless fields the sons of wealth divide’ (307)† (â€Å"The Village Schoolmaster†, 2007). Regardless of whether one is familiar with the longer work from which this poem is taken, Goldsmith’s poem â€Å"The Village Schoolmaster† evokes the same sense of sad nostalgia for something lost forever within itself through Goldsmith’s mastery of imagery, meter, rhyme, lexicon and implied meaning. Goldsmith employs imagery within the very first lines of his poem to help set up the scene he wishes to invoke: â€Å"Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way / With Blossom’d furze unprofitably gay† (1-2). The fence is further ahead, indicating a division between the land upon which the speaker is standing and the land upon which the deserted village still stands. That it is deserted is indicated by the overwhelming blossoming furze which is unprofitable because no one is left to enjoy it. However, it continues to

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications Research Paper

Strategic Planning For Digital Marketing Communications - Research Paper Example Based on the outcome of this analysis, the management of the organization gets a clear perspective of the possible ways in which it might utilize the opportunities and deal with the threats successfully. Although this analysis is similar to the analysis made for any other for-profit organization, there are certain key differences. Oxfam NGO also faces some of these problems. Managers in a non-governmental organization (NGO) need to consider the impact of factors such as volunteer staff, fundraising, volunteer staff and long-term goodwill. Since these organizations do not depend on profit for their survival, the above-mentioned factors play a major role in achieving success in the long run (Turkishweekly, 2013). From the analysis (see SWOT table in appendix), it has been found that in the NGO industry, organizations face several challenges in conducting marketing communication activities. Some of the noteworthy challenges are briefly discussed below. General issues Challenge Absence o f strategic planning Many organizations in the NGO sector do not run as proper business enterprises, they face the lack of strategic planning. However, this lack of planning often creates indecisiveness or barriers in the path of marketing. Oxfam faces this problem of strategic planning at the marketing level (Ngoconnect, 2009). ...NGO industry issues Challenge Lack of funds Fundraising remains one of the major concerns for non-profit organizations. 80% of Oxfam’s activities depend on the financial assistance provided by its members, associates, and private partners while the government provides 20% of assistance (Oxfam, 2013a). Finding private donors is a challenging task. Depending on the status of the economy, the financial conditions of the donors fluctuate. Poor networking Some NGOs are not very successful in establishing strong networks with clients and other NGOs.

Discussion Week 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Week 1 - Assignment Example It implies that, in regards to the earning status of the numerator at the same time as the earnings status in the numerator also when depressing the terms of shareholders equity status in the denominator can be boosted when calculating the return on equity ratio artificially. The cash return on an actual equity is actually the consequential figure (Condon, 1999). The accounts analyst relies on guidance from companies to outline their forecasts which guides to a lower number. The price of missing quarter can go up sharply from an exceptional interplay, among the stocks which are highly priced. Fox (1997) further state that, if you don’t have an extra penny to keep Wall Street happy, as a result your company will be at stake since it will send your stock to reduce, saving the those earnings for next quarter is better than missing a dime or two. This concept is of significance to the companies. As the companies play the earning game they are able to anticipate whether the revenue will fail. Conversely, in case of any prospects that are on a quarter of a particular stated stock, best businesses will ultimately see the mainly equity value approval. Mutually, companies should not much care about the earnings of a given quarter, since profit from the markets behaviors to both earnings drop and hits is what they seek every day. Further, companies in play, when the stock price immensely goes down compared to its basic value, there are chances of going out or private. Thus a company deserves to be valued accordingly based on its own future financial cash flow (Nelson, 2011). Condon, B. (1999).Creative Accounting. Retrieved on 19th Aug 2014 from: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:iE18IruxKaIJ:www.oocities.org/wallstreet/district/9390/links3.htm+&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=firefox-a Fox, J. (1997). Learn to play the earnings game (and Wall Street will love you) the pressure to report smooth, ever higher earnings

Active Sports on Holidays Essay Example for Free

Active Sports on Holidays Essay The best-known from of this sport holiday is undoubtedly the skiing holiday. Skiing can pursued at different levels (beginner, experienced, simply for pleasure, or in pursuit of high performance and excellence ), by different age groups, and in different settings- at a ski school, a ski coursxe, a ski clup, or privately. Skiing is the classic example of sport tourism and the most populer of all winter sports activities. Every year it introduces 40-50 million visitors to the Europen Alps, with 40,000 ski runs and around 12,000 cable ways and lifs to support this popular holiday industry (Mader, 1998). From Britain alone it is estimated that around 653,000 people took ski holidays worth some US$321 million in 1991-92(Mintel international Group, 1992).0 the ski market is now said to account for around 20 percent of the total European holiday market. In the last 25 years the holiday market for winter sports has expanded to the extent that there are now holiday packages to suit many tastes and financial means. Skiing is no longer the preserve of high-altitude dwellers,nor is it limited to the rich and famous. Increasingly, with the provision of self-catering chalets and camp sites to complement hotels and clubs,millions of people throughout the has developed world can enjoy touristic experience of mountain beauty at the same time as learning to ski on all five continents of the world. Cross-country skiing,sometimes known as Nordic skiing or langlauf, has also become very popular. Because this sporth activity is easy learned and the equipment is less expensive than required for downhill skiing, it is practiced by many sportists. The fact that beginners can,from day one,enjoy langlauf in a circuit of loipe(i.e., twin-grooved tracksz) integrated in the countryside and free of the use of ski lifts are but two strong point of this sport(Clough, 1989). Snowshoes are the hottest new trend in winter recreation. Accourding to Schwiesow(1995), snowshoeing is the second fastest-growing winter sport behind snowboarding as outdoor enthusiasts for simpler, more convenient ways toget outside during the winter. Some other new trends are dogs sledding and ice fishing. Many of the best known winter sport resorts in the United States and Canada have at least one dog sled tour company from which to choose. Alaska is provably the best known place for dog sledding, the state’s official sport ( Sloan, 1995). Ice fishing is popular in Minnesota ;there are plenty of companies that will rent huts by the day, week or mount (Sloan, 1995 ). The model of the skiing holiday (that is,a holiday with a single sport as the primary intetion-offered an different levels to different age groups and under different organization forms ) has recently been adopted by varios other forms of sport. Holiday concerns, holiday organizations, (cultural ) societes, and private sport schools now provide holiday courses in sailing, gliding, riding, golf, driving, cycling, mountaineering, surfing and so forth. Cycling tours often follow the ski-holiday model. Nowdays there are hundreds of cycling holidays on offer, of all lengths, levels, and degrees of comfort. Some are organized by well-known cyclist, but very often people decide to organize their cycling holiday themselves. Cycle-friendly countries are growing in number. The world’s most cycle-friendly country is probably the Netherlands due to its low, flat physical characteristics. Bike paths are provided all over the Netherlands from the smallest village to the biggest town. Cycle weekends are also offered by youth organizations, communities, tourist boards, hotels, and so forth. Hotels especially are trying to reach the cycle tourists by offering half or full board, bike hire, and route maps, this is called a single-center or fixed point holiday because the tourists is based at one hotel orcampsite and takes day rides out from there to explore the surroundings. Some hotel chains offer hotel-to-hotel tours with accommodations each night in a different hotel; the luggage is transported by the hotel manager. More sophisticated are those bicycle tours that include not only a guide, but also a bicyle technician, a medical doctor, and support vehicle ( Cample, 1995 ). It is possible to take a cycling tour almost anywhere in the world. Reputable companies throughout North America and Europe operate bycling tours China, Africa, Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bali, and Thailand, an deven high-altitude regions such as the Atlas Mountains and Tibet. Since the mid-1960s, the bicyle has divided into subspecies of racers, mountain bikes, toures, and hybrids. All-terrain bycling has become one of the fastest growing segments of the recreation industry. Sales of all-terrain bicycles in North America skyrocket from 300,000 bicycles in 1984 to over 2 million in 1986 ( Crandall, 1987 ). At the January 1998 London International Boat Show, the assembled boat builders acknowledged that their industry is facing worldwide problem, a declining interesting in boating:46 percent of sailorsand 35 percent of motor boaters are now over 55 years of age, and boating magazine subscriptions are down by 20 percent in six years. The problem is not limited to Great Britain-the downward trend is acute in the United States, home of the world’s biggest boat industry. In the last decade, turnover in the United States has fallen from $10 million to $8 million, an deven trough â€Å"recreational spending has grown by more than 50 percent in seven years,†¦ boating’s share has shrunk from 3.7 percent to 2.1 percent† ( Groom, 1998, p. 1 ). In 1984, owning a boat was sixth on a wish list of American consumer preferences, but by 1996 it became the 15th. Nevertheless, the link between water sports and holidays is increasing with sailing becoming a very popular holiday activity. The use of smaller and more easily transportable craft, such as dinghy car-toppers, jet skis, and windsurfes, has increased and together with multihulled and chartered cruisers these crafts provide for a wide range of interests. While the Caribbean and the Mediterranean are the most popular seas, it is now possible to charter yachts in the South Pacific, the Seychelles, Australia, Alaska, Brazil, Thailand, and the Galapagos Islands ( Robinson, 1984 ). Martin and Mason’s survey ( 1990 ) indicates that between 1.5 and 2 million people take part in water sports while on holiday in Britain. Britain has been described as a mecca for boating holidays on the country’s two thousand miles of inland waterways each year ; about 87 percent are U.K. residents and 13 percent are inbound tourists principally from Europe ( Hhoseason, 1990 ). A 1986 survey (veal, 1986 ) found that over half of those who take part in sailing do so only when on holiday. Also worth mentioning here are the old, great clipper ships thar a century or mre ago sailed around the world. The Mediterranean and the Caribbean are popular ports for such ships as the Star Clipper, the Star Flyer, the Windstar, and Clup Med’s two play boats. On some, visiting â€Å"crews† learn to navigate and handle the sails. Valef Yachts, a Greek company, advertises â€Å" a vacation fit for a million-aire,† offering its Christina I for around US$100,000 per week for 12 people, none of whom need to have previous yachting experience. With a crew of nine, it has acruising range of 9,500 kilometers of Mediterranean water and includes its own private speedboat for water skiing, a small sailboat,and aWindsurfer for exploiring the Greek islands ( Richins, 1992 ) New sports are constantly developing and tourist are continuously in search of new thrills and experiences. One of these is body-boarding, broadly practiced in Australia, NEW Zealand, and the U.S states of Hawaii and California. The Atlantic coast in France is visited by an increasing amount of tourist who want to body-board and surf.

A Business Plan of Medical Services Marketing Essay

A Business Plan of Medical Services Marketing Essay The medical tourism industry is in a rapid state of growth, both in Singapore and globally. Growth in consumer demand for health services delivered by foreign medical professionals continues to grow for a variety of reasons, including insufficient regional health care systems and the growing expense of performing domestic procedures in their countries of origin. Sometimes, booking a medical tourism package is simply an excuse to visit a foreign land whilst also to consolidate their travel interests and save costs. This growth in medical tourism provides enormous opportunities for launching Singapore MedTours and ensuring it can grow and be sustained. Medical Services Tourism is not without many business risks, including high levels of competition from intermediary companies designed to help consumers plan itineraries for medical services. There are also risks to the client that must be considered, including ensuring that they fully understand their own health risks so as to secure liability factors for the business itself. In terms of strategic objectives, a comprehensive risk management system must be developed. However, outside of these risks, profit potential is quite considerable due to the large customer demand that exists in many different foreign countries. Singapore was chosen as the country to launch the new Medical Services Tourism Company because of its award-winning infrastructure, the ability to raise new capital through a variety of means and even for the education system that can provide quality employment for the business by skilled professionals. Singapore is ideal for Medical Services Tourism and this business plan provides a comprehensive plan for the launch of the company. 2.0 Business description Medical tourism involves availing medical procedure in a foreign country. Westerners form a large segment of medical tourists who are attracted to quality healthcare and large savings as compared to the medical costs in their own countries. The patients then can take a vacation in the host country after receiving their medical treatments. Often patients can cover their surgery expense, flight and hotel accommodation charges for quarter of the operation cost they would have paid in their country (Puah, 2008). The Company would be named Singapore MedTours and it will be a Private Limited Company (See Appendix 1). The firm will act as an agent that facilitates tourism of international citizens looking for quality and affordable health care that they might not be able to achieve in their home country. It will be a start-up company with an onsite facility for receipt of travellers and to satisfy their inquiries on medical tourism. The agency will make profit by charging commission on these transfers and any additional profitability received from supplementary, non-medical tourism that might be booked through the agents or its online website. Mission Our mission  is to provide Safe, Affordable and Quality health care options to our customers through world class health care system of Singapore. Source: Author 2.2 Industry background The medical tourism market has nearly doubled in recent years, and is currently valued at over $20 billion every year (Gaddum, 2010). This makes medical tourism ideal as a profit-generating business with huge growth potential. Medical tourism fills a valuable niche that is desperately needed in countries with bureaucratically flawed or unaffordable healthcare (discovermedicaltourism.com, 2008, p.2). One of the reasons that make foreign travel so appealing to a variety of international tourists is in areas of cost. For example, in the United States, it might cost approximately $30,000 for a knee replacement surgery, where in Singapore these costs will be much less at only $18,000 (placidway.com, 2010). It is largely this cost difference, for the same medical expertise, that is making medical tourism such a booming business not just in Singapore. Some of the major countries that are offering Medical Tourism in the world are: Countries Medical Inbound Tourists 2002 2004 2005 2006 Thailand 390,000 520,000 Malaysia 210,000 320,000 374,000 410,000 Singapore 117,000 179,000 India 100,000 150,000 Source: http://www.ihf-fih.org/pdf/25-28.pdf Singapore is among the most attractive destinations for health care travelling. The country has been awarded as the Best Medical/Wellness Tourism Destinationin 2007 and will be the Leading Destination for Health Care Service in Southeast Asia (MedTourismReview, n.d). 2.3 Goals and Potential of the Business According to Singapores minister of trade and industry; Singapore is a good place to raise funds, both equity and loans, including venture capital. (Satapathy, 2003, p.1745). Singapore was chosen as the start up location because of the ease of access for funds related to the launch as well as securing future loans or capital for improvement and expansion of the business. Because of the quality availability to investment funds and other loan-generating entities in Singapore, the business has several goals for short term gain: Source: Author A long term goal of Singapore MedTours is to create an internationally-recognised name in medical tourism that outperforms competition. There is massive potential for creating a strong marketing presence internationally based not only on growing consumer demand, but because of the systems already in place in Singapore to assist in developing a sound advertising programme with higher global exposure. 2.4 Uniqueness of service Singapore MedTours will have several unique features designed to make it outperform competitive entities in this industry. Singapore MedTours would offer a low-risk guarantee to enable the customers in moving forward with their medical tour with strong faith. In any case if after arriving at the destination, the conditions of treatment seem unacceptable to the client, we will give the liberty to cancel the surgery. The only charge the client will be responsible of is the air fare and accommodation. To our knowledge, were the only medical tourism company  that  offers this type of protection in Singapore. Also MedTours would be unique in supplementary services related to medical tourism that will improve profitability and improve the word of mouth reputation for the business. Offers the founder of Scotland-based Company Globe Health Tours; This is a huge word of mouth business (Crawford, 2006, p.1). Therefore, Singapore MedTours will be equipped with high quality service dimensions that please the travelling tourist and also improve customer relationships using advanced CRM systems (Customer Relationship Management software). 3.0 Marketing Marketing will be crucial to the success of this new business launch because of the importance of word of mouth to the company. With high levels of competition in this industry, an improved and superior marketing presence must be available and the funds needed to make this a reality will be allocated to this effort. 3.1 Target market identified There is no one, singular market available to this business because of the ability to capture the attention of many different consumers hailing from many international locations. No two patients are the same, either in their needs or the type of journey they either want or require (newsweekshowcase.com, 2010, p.1). This means that it would be quite difficult for the business to isolate a single target market strategy that would fit the needs of the majority of travellers who look toward our services. However, despite these unique consumer needs, medical tourism industry is dominated by patients from United States. In 2008 alone estimates put that more than 1.3 Americans travelled abroad for the exclusive purpose of seeking medical care (Health-Tourism.com, 2008). The marketing strategy should take into consideration the high volume of customers that will come from this region and use communications strategies that fit the needs of this high profit-generating customer client. Other international customers will be measured using software and database tools to determine which international location brings the highest volume of customers, and ongoing, future research methods will be used to determine their needs as they arise. Market Survey Research Objectives To analyze the growth potential for the business. To analyze the consumer needs according to their relative priority. To analyze the level of favourable consumer expenditure. Customer Profiling and Characteristics Customer profiling is important as it aids in identifying and catering to customers in every possible way (Anderson, 1997, pg 71). Based on the market survey conducted, most of the respondents show favourable response for medical tourism. A majority of respondents with negative response towards medical tourism shifted to need more information aspect when medical tourism benefits were mentioned. However the two main factors motivating respondents to be favourable to medical tourism are cost savings and high quality healthcare from internationally accredited hospitals. The most preferred service attribute is high standards of service with considerable savings indicating that not all consumers bargain hunters. It also indicates that respondents are not willing to compromise on quality for cost reduction. Determining the critical factors for success majority of respondents preferred English speaking population and highly accredited hospitals. The most influential means of promotion is word of mouth followed by hospital referrals and company website. In addition, with the various competitors positioning and competitive comparisons, most consumers decisions are influenced by Brand equity and awareness play an important role. Target market Based on the Market Survey conducted, Singapore MedTours will focus on target markets which are of high growth potential. The market is divided into the following segments which in turn will provide the company with clear focus to direct its marketing strategies Geographic segmentation: North American Citizens. Demographic segmentation: Age: 45-65 Income: U.S $24000- $70000 Psychographic segmentation: Customers keen on quality of service and interested in good savings while not in favour to comprise on safety. US Medical Tourism Market According to the Market indicators United States medical tourism has got good prospects in coming decade and beyond. In the United States, medical surgeries are very expensive, and every year millions of Americans default to pay for the health care expenses they require they are either uninsured, uninsurable or underinsured. According to a study in 2007 50% of personal bankruptcies are related to medical crises (Star Health Vacations, 2010). 3.2 Market size and trends In 2006, Singapore drew 410,000 international customers that received medical services primarily in form of Liver Transplants, Cardiac Surgery, and Joint Replacement (Hadi, 2009). And this number of inbound patients will exceed 1 million by 2012, with forecasted value of 3 Billion USD (The Internet Journal of healthcare Administration, 2010). Scotland-based Globe Health Tours experienced a 600 percent increase in business only after six months of operations (Crawford, 2006). In all, Singapore Medical Tourism is aiming to become a leading health care destination in all Asia and it witnessed a steady growth of 11.9% per year from 2004 to 2008 (prlog.org, 2009). 3.3 Competition Intensive competition exists in medical tourism, both internationally and in Singapore itself. Therefore, the company must create strong marketing presence and advertising know-how to make the business outperform competition step by step or service by service. Within the country, there are currently 29 hospitals that already provide health services to foreign travellers, with services being performed by over 7,000 physicians and 15,000 registered nurses (health-tourism.com, 2010). Because these hospitals already have contracts and/or relationships with other health tourism agents, there is a great deal of marketing work that needs to be performed by the business to make it stand out and be the preferred agency for these profitable customer groups. This well-developed network of physicians and agencies can be quite risky to the business model and require competitive focus to ensure improved customer preferences for the company. U.S agencies operating in Singapore: There are several U.S based medical tourism agencies, like Health Base Medical Tourism Agency, Planet Hospital, which are providing health tourism services in Singapore to patients of America. The companies are similar to each other only differing in the fact that they are tied up with different hospitals in different locations. U.S Agencies operating in other medical tourism countries: These agencies are tied up with budding medical tourism countries such as India, Thailand, etc. Key players include World Med Assist, Indus health, Quest Tourism, Med Journeys, Med Retreat SWOT Analysis of Singapore MedTours Strength Well trained staff with heavy focus on building customer relationship before and after their stay in Singapore. Creating an easy to use Website and employing advance Customer Relationship Software to attract and retain clients interested in Medical Tourism. Singapore is ranked 6th in world for the quality of health care provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). Medical tourists should not be able to witness chaotic events during their stay in comparison to the other Asian countries as Singapore is urbanized and clean country. JCI-certified hospitals and healthcare facilities are found in abundance throughout Singapore. English is one of Singapores official dialects. Though the cost of healthcare in Singapore is not as low as India or Thailand but they are still lower in comparison to Western Europe and the USA. Weakness The cost expenses in medical processes and treatments in Singapore are relatively high when compared to other Asian medical tourism countries like Thailand, Malaysia and India. The geographical location of Singapore is such that the climate is rather hot and humid which maybe a hindrance to the westerners especially during the post procedure and recovery stages. Accommodation, transportation and the cost of goods in Singapore is more expensive as compared to other Asian countries The travel times to Singapore are considerably very lengthy for the US medical patients. Opportunities World-class tourism service industry present in Singapore can help in recruiting best talent for the Medical Tourism. High market Growth Healthcare services from countries with aging population increasingly seek medical tourism. U.S. workforce is seen to be increasing more in context to globalization Low-cost global air travel had made Singapore all the more accessible for inbound patients. Employers and health plans targeting commercial populations have become accepting of the various benefit of medical tourism. Threats There is seen to be fierce competition posed by other Asian medical tourism countries like Malaysia, India and Thailand. Popularity of Medical Tourism may encourage more competition to open business in Singapore. New technological breakthroughs can make previously very expensive healthcare affordable in the clients home country. Global endemic outbreaks like H1N1, SARS, and Bird-flu etc in western countries can inhibit travel of foreign travellers to Singapore as government may impose restrictions. Source: Author 3.4 Estimated Market Share In order to estimate the market share few of the assumptions has been taken into account: That the rate of people seeking foreign medical services continues to grow at the same pace, with 1 million people entering Singapore in 2012 for this purpose. Very High volume of competition present in the country. Based on the above two considerations the firm is taking the minimum target of just 0.1% Market share, i.e., 1000 customers for the 1st year which it plans to grow to 1,500 in 2nd year and by 2013 the target is to reach 2,000 customers. The firm believes that this extremely low market share can be easily achievable by utilizing good marketing and promotion strategy and following best practices in the business. 3.5 Market strategy Positioning MedTours intends to work on a clear positioning statement of Quality, You can be Assured off which encourages customers to have complete faith in the company. The company will position itself as a reliable and friendly agency with utmost importance given to customer safety. The point of difference which separates the company from its competitors is the Quality Guarantee what the company provides and the idea of personalization of medical tours. This will help the company stay competitive while being positioned as a differentiated medical tourism agency. To be able to live up to the positioning the company will tie up with best in class hospitals and service providers with highest priority given to details of service dimensions. The company will purchase advanced CRM systems to improve overall delivery of customer services. The business will use, as one, marketing strategy, advanced training for its employees related to customer service to make the short encounter with the company one that is remembered and would help in creating good word-of-mouth publicity. Product Singapore MedTours will offer best of the medical services present in the Singapore by getting tie-ups with world-class hospitals of Singapore. Specific focus will be made on JCI-Accredited (Joint Commission International) hospitals like Alexandra Hospital, Changi General Hospital, Raffles Hospital, Parkway Group etc; so that inbound patients from US and other countries are assured that they are getting best quality service in a very safe environment. Services Offered By Singapore MedTours The following are the exact nature of services being offered by Singapore MedTours. Personal  preferences of patients would be given priority to select best hospitals and doctors. Source: Author Place Singapore MedTours will have a dedicated well-furnished office from where its entire staff can operate. Also in this office the customers would be received first and will be given initial briefing about the Medical Services they would be going through as well as general information about Singapore, its culture, famous tourist attraction etc. The main purpose of the office would be to make sure customers have one single easily identifiable and approachable location from where they could satisfy all their queries and solve their problems during their stay in Singapore. Promotion Approximately 78 percent of all medical travellers use the World Wide Web as their first choice for booking medical tourism (medicaltourism.com, 2010). Because of this high volume, market strategy will include a strong Internet presence that will require the expertise of information technology specialists to give the business a colourful, interactive and engaging online booking experience. The majority of the business will likely come from Internet exploration, therefore the budget must be allocated to a web design that outperforms competition and has the necessary information to make Singapore MedTours their first choice in booking their travel needs. The first publication of choice to improve visibility and awareness in customer groups will be the Medical Tourism Magazine, a bi-monthly publication that is distributed in a variety of international countries. Costs for these ads are $4000 for a full page ad and $2000 for a half page ad (medicaltourismassociation.com, 2010). This is a respected and well established advertising publication that will give Singapore MedTours better marketing presence. The company will purchase half page ads several times yearly to update its literature based on consumer research and success with other marketing formats. Additionally, web-based advertising will be part of the ad strategy that includes links to visit our business website on partnership or contract agreements with different hospitals, travel agencies, and physician websites. The goal of this rather inexpensive advertising method is to simply give the company more ad presence and ensure budget needs are met. Since most customers will not visit the business location prior to making their travel needs, web presence is vital to building higher profit and consumer demand. 3.6 Pricing Cost of Medical Treatment in Singapore If the procedure would cost $6000 in the U.S. financial savings might not be realized by the patients even if the same surgery costs $1500 in other country. By the time the airfare, accommodation and stay charges are covered patients may only realize a break-even scenario (Med Retreat, 2010). Hence with careful consideration the following procedures would be offered by Singapore MedTours. Comparison of cost between Medical procedures in USA and Singapore Source: http://www.health-tourism.com/singapore-medical-tourism/ Although the industry standard is 15% (See Appendix X) for each referral to the hospital by an agency but the firm would initially keep the commission fee at minimum 12% in order to gain competitive edge while start-up. This also aligns with our market survey where cost saving has been attributed as most important consideration for the customers. People Since this is highly service-oriented industry and the mission of Singapore MedTours is to have best customer experience as possible, so Singapore MedTours will make sure that it will hire competitive employees. Furthermore sufficient training would be given so as and when needed in order to cope up with market demands and competition. Lastly special packages and policies will be design to reward and retain the best employees of the firm. Process Process is extremely important part of any Service-oriented industry. Hence Singapore MedTours will make sure that its process is as efficient and as customer-friendly possible. Quality Control would be done regularly to identify and improve any bottlenecks and promote the best practices. Reviewing and Approving Online Membership Forms: Once an application is filled, detailed information based on the customer requirement will be provided allowing customers to make an informed decision. Assignment of an U.S Consultant to the patient: The consultant would cater to patients medical needs by designing a health tour plan. Informing the Medical Doctor: By sending digital copies of clients medical transcripts to the affiliated doctors for their approval to receive patient. Arranging for a Facilitating interaction between the Client and Surgeon: The process will be coordinated via email, teleconference etc. in this stage. Collection of Expectations Form and Desired `Travel Dates: To plan for exact tour plan. Checking Hotel Reservation at desired dates: The information will be obtained in this stage in order to be able to provide price quotations to the clients. Submitting the final price quotation for the health tour to the client: This is to avoid any further confusion and also to provide relevant information to the client. Deposit of necessary funds for health tour by client into Singapore MedTours bank account. These next few processes occur simultaneously: Finalize Clients medical consultation and surgery dates with the preferred doctor and hospital. Assisting clients in acquisition Passport/Visa Book clients Air Travel Itinerary which best suits their preferences. Reservation of accommodation for client Sending the booked travel and hospital information back to client: Now the client will make the trip from his or her own country to host country (Singapore). Assigning Destination Program Manager (DPM) to the client: Upon arrival of client in Singapore a DPM will be assigned permanently to client and the person will be their Personal assistant throughout the visit. This person will accompany the client to all their doctors appointments and medical treatments. Arranging for Pre-Surgery consultation with the surgeon: This process would be completed within 24 hours of clients arrival. The surgeon would review medical transcripts and tests to ensure that procedure can be performed on the specified dates. Assistance to client during surgical procedure and post surgery recuperation: After the client would be discharged from the hospital they would be accommodated in resort or hotel to begin recuperation process. Arranging for Post treatment vacation: After obtaining an authorization letter from surgeon, an enjoying vacation would be arranged for in Singapore. Assisting for Safe Return home of the clients: At the end of the tour the client will be send back to home country and the assigned US consultant would assist in any post-medical needs. 4.0 Operations Operational aspects of how the business is managed and structured will be key to its success. 4.1 Identify location The main requirements of indentifying the location for our business are: Low cost per square feet, large pedestrian volume and easy access to transportation (Abrams Kleiner 2003, pp67-68). Thus, after searching on the internet and checking the reality of the information with the agent, following address can be an alternative to the location of our business. Source:http://www.singaporeexpats.com/housing-in-singapore/singapore-property/code4349017-commercial-industrial-buy-FRONTIER.htm This location, compared with other places, satisfies the above requirements. The charge for buying this office is expected at around 570,000 SGD, and by using the yellow line MRT routine, the dense population of UBI become bigger and bigger. Also two MRT stations (Tai Seng and Macpherson) are very near to the location (gothere.com). The business prefers to buy the office instead of renting because in 3-4 years time the amount of rent paid would be equal to the total value of the office and since Singapore MedTours is looking for long term viability of the business hence it is buying the office. Source: http://www.gothere.sg/maps#q:52%20ubi%20avenue%203 4.3 Zoning Various Districts of Singapore: Source: http://www.propertyhub.com.sg/images/M_images/singapore_district_map.jpg The Zoning of the office was carefully selected while keeping the following considerations: The office should have as low as possible per square feet cost. It should be present in or near the heart of the city. Also the office should be near the Changi International Airport. The current identified location of the office is in district 14 which is quite near the Central Districts 6 12 of the Singapore. Simultaneously the location is near the District 17 in which the Changi Airport is located. It is very important for the office to be near airport as majority of its firms clients would be international medical tourists who would be arriving via air-travel. 4.4 Taxes The low tax rates and positive and encouraging business policies give Singapore a reputation of attracting FDI. The taxes in Singapore are much lower than most others developed countries and regions (Asia Biz). Whats more, the tax rates have continued to decline significantly over the years (Appendix 2). Therefore, from the tax perspective, Singapore is an attractive nation to do the business. Overall, to our service business, the following kinds of taxes are needed to be considered before starting the business: Income Tax: The amount of Income Tax is based on the income of our companies, and according to Appendix 1, the income tax rate is 17% and as a new start business, some partial tax exemption will be applicable to us. Goods Services Tax GST, also known as VAT, is a broad-based consumption tax levied on the  import of goods, as well as nearly all supplies of goods and services in Singapore. And the rate of GST is 7% (IRAS 2008). Only the sales and leases of properties and financial services need not to pay GST. Therefore, our company needs to pay 7% GST. Stamp Duties Stamp duty is a tax on executed documents relating to properties or interest in properties and shares or interest in shares. Documents such as a lease, sale and purchase, or mortgage of property need to pay stamp duties (Appendix 3). Thus, our company needs to pay this kind of tax. 4.5 Proximity to supplies There will be little concern over supply chain issues because of the quality distribution system that exists in Singapore. But also, the business will only need access to marketing literature and internal office/software support systems that can be easily procured with its renowned infrastructure for these tools. If the need arises for additional supplies, there are 3,000 logistics and supply chain companies operating in Singapore to assist with these needs at no risk to the business (worldcustomsjournal.org, 2007). All supplies needs can be easily satisfied. 4.6 Access of transportation Singapore has a well developed transportation network consisting of Metro Rail Transport (MRT) systems, Bus systems and Taxi Services that are all air conditioned. As it can be found in the location map, the location of our company near to two MRT stations, which provides convenience to our customers to reach our company. The mass rapid transit system in place is comprehensive and connects to almost all parts of the country (Lim, 2008). It is also considered among the best in the world (app.www.sg, 2009). Also with one of the world best airports, Changi International, the access of transportation to other nations is unobstructed (Changi). Transport is no risk to the business and can sustain all traveller needs. 5.0 Management 5.1 Management Team and Key Personnel Singapore MedTours being a private business therefore Management team would initially be comprises of the primary investors of the organization. The following will be the structure of the Management Team: Source: Author Deep Kamal Agarwal (CEO / Financial Director): Deep Kamal Agarwal is successful Information Engineer from an Internationally Accredited College in India. His both parents are respected doctor with over 25 years of experience and hence he has natural affinity and knowledge about the Medical Service Industry. He posses 2 years industry experience as an operational manager in Sunrise Naturopathy Health Resort in India. His forte lies in encountering any business problem and working out prompt solution for it. He believes in holistic business approach and is critical person for the firm to provide vision

Drink Up - Drunk Driving Should Be Legalized :: Argument, DUI, Alcohol

Drink Up - Drunk Driving Should be Legalized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drunk driving should be legalized in the United States to help improve our standard of living. The legalization of driving while intoxicated would severely reduce the numbers of crimes that are committed on the roads. The number of illegal actions occurring on the roads would be reduced by the number of people that used to break the law by driving while drunk. Allowing people to drive drunk would also reduce the number of accidents occurring on the road systems. For example, only twenty percent of all auto accidents involve a person who has been drinking, where as almost all accidents involve someone who has not been drinking. Removing the restrictions against drinking would remove most of the eighty percent of the accidents that do not involve alcohol. Also, the accidents that would still be occurring would not have as many injuries. Out of the accidents that involve alcohol the person who has been drinking is usually the one who survives the accident, often with out a scratch. Allowing people who have been drinking to drive would also improve the quality of life for those who choose not to drink. Currently people who have been drinking are legally required to use some form of transportation other than them operating a motor vehicle. This requires them to hang around where they are and get a ride with someone else or wait or some public transportation. With the legalization of driving while drunk the non-drinking population would not need to be bothered by drunk people that do not have rides. Finally, this would help stimulate the economy which may be in dire trouble. For example, with the removal of restrictions on alcohol, many more alcoholic beverages would be sold because a Drink Up - Drunk Driving Should Be Legalized :: Argument, DUI, Alcohol Drink Up - Drunk Driving Should be Legalized   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drunk driving should be legalized in the United States to help improve our standard of living. The legalization of driving while intoxicated would severely reduce the numbers of crimes that are committed on the roads. The number of illegal actions occurring on the roads would be reduced by the number of people that used to break the law by driving while drunk. Allowing people to drive drunk would also reduce the number of accidents occurring on the road systems. For example, only twenty percent of all auto accidents involve a person who has been drinking, where as almost all accidents involve someone who has not been drinking. Removing the restrictions against drinking would remove most of the eighty percent of the accidents that do not involve alcohol. Also, the accidents that would still be occurring would not have as many injuries. Out of the accidents that involve alcohol the person who has been drinking is usually the one who survives the accident, often with out a scratch. Allowing people who have been drinking to drive would also improve the quality of life for those who choose not to drink. Currently people who have been drinking are legally required to use some form of transportation other than them operating a motor vehicle. This requires them to hang around where they are and get a ride with someone else or wait or some public transportation. With the legalization of driving while drunk the non-drinking population would not need to be bothered by drunk people that do not have rides. Finally, this would help stimulate the economy which may be in dire trouble. For example, with the removal of restrictions on alcohol, many more alcoholic beverages would be sold because a

Aneroxia Nervosa :: essays research papers

Aneroxia Nervosa SHOT BY SHOT ANALYSIS SHOT ONE CINEMATOGRAPHY: The points made where that the shot will start off as a birds eye view and zero in to a wide shot of a typical home. The point in this is to create a typical family home scene, in an ordinary neighbourhood so to emphasize that Craig is simply a bad egg and evoke emotion (in particular sympathy) from audience. A police car will enter the shot and similtaniously the sounds will stop, the scene will be cut shortly after SOUND: I have not chosen music in this scene because I felt it imperative to continue with the ‘stereotypical noises of traffic, kids playing etc, for the same reasons as above. MISE-EN-SCENE Setting: A normal family home, again for the reasons above. Lighting: Dark clouds are beginning to form so to show that trouble is brewing in the story. EDITING: The shot will be cut as the police car parks and the noise of plying traffic etc. stops. SHOT TWO CINEMATOGRAPHY: The shot will be in real time and will be a wide shot so to include all the family doing normal â€Å"stereotypical activities† SOUND: Diagetic family noises will be present; Chopping vegies T.V noise Chatting etc. Toward the end of the scene a doorbell will ring over all this and mum will go to answer it. MISE-EN-SCENE: Setting: a typical family shot will be the setting to continue to create the scene intended and to evoke the sympathy when Craig will be arrested. Costume: All are dressed in middle-upper class clothing except Craig who wears FUBU and baggy jeans, this is to ensure he is singled out from his family and made to look the bad egg Figure Behaviour: Mum leaves to answer the door, all else continue with their activities (Dad chopping vegies, sister watching TV and Craig reading newspaper). Editing: The will end as mum disappears through the doorway. SHOT THREE CINEMATOGRAPHY: A close up is used here to show that Craig is aware of what is about to happen, audiences are invited to think this as he is obviously distressed. SOUND: Still the diagenic sounds of the family. MIS-EN-SCENE: Lighting: craigs face is slighty shadowed to show that he is a dark horse, hes introuble. Figure behaviour: Craig obviously distressed, sweat appears as he is anticipating what is about to happen. EDITING: As we hear the first sign of footsteps the shot is cut SHOT FOUR CINEMATOGRAPHY: The shot(s) are still all in real time. I have used what perhaps could be considered halway between a subjective shot and a long shot to include all the family’s reactions as the police appear, but to still create the tension of a face off between the policeman and Craig.

Roaring Camp Essay -- essays research papers

The Regeneration of Roaring Camp "And so the work of regeneration began is Roaring Camp"(9). The regeneration referred to takes place in a California mining camp in 1850 after the birth of Tommy Luck, son of Cherokee Sal, the camp’s prostitute, who died giving birth. Sometimes one doesn’t realize how much he needs to change until he gets a subtle push from fate. Just a little addition to the world can cause a regeneration of a lifetime. Bret Harte demonstrates this idea in the story "The Luck of Roaring Camp." In this story, Bret Harte shows that even the roughest men can regenerate into kind, gentle, wholesome people, with the love of a child. "The term "roughs" applied to them was a distinction rather than a definition(3). The men of Roaring Camp live the way they please. They have no rules or regulations, nobody to impress, and nobody to tell them what to do or how to act. "The assemblage numbered about one hundred men. One or two of these were actual fugitives from justice, some were criminal, and all were reckless"(2). The men of Roaring Camp were unruly and all it takes is the love of an infant to change the rude into responsible. Roaring Camp will go through a regeneration of a lifetime. All of the men at the mining camp will strive to make Roaring Camp a suitable place for a baby to live. The very first signs that the men are in the process of change...

Differing Perceptions Effecting Communication

How have differing perceptions affected your communication with others? What steps might you take to avoid misunderstandings created by perceptual differences? I believe that differing perceptions between people is the greatest cause of misunderstanding in communication. Our text defines perception as â€Å"awareness of the elements of the environment made possible through our senses† (Walker, R. , 2011, pp. 22). The perceptual process is very much like the use of mental models that determine not only how we make sense of the world, but how we take action.It can significantly influence our overall approach in how we communicate with another person. Although there are many different steps one can take to avoid misunderstandings created by perceptual differences, there are two that I believe have the greatest impact. The first step is through expanding your intrapersonal intelligence. Our text defines intrapersonal intelligence as â€Å"the ability to form an accurate model of oneself and to use this model effectively† (Walker, R. , 2011, pp. 26). Intrapersonal intelligence is developed through the process of reflexivity.Our text defines reflexivity as â€Å"reflecting on our thoughts and actions to understand what motivates those thoughts and actions† (Walker, R. , 2011, pp. 26). Slowing down to better understand what is motivating our thoughts and actions allows us to make adjustments in our perceptions prior to communicating. This helps in avoiding perceptual inferences such as negative stereotypes and attribution. The second step is through expanding your interpersonal intelligence. Our text defines interpersonal intelligence as â€Å"the ability to understand other people: what motivates them, how they work, and how to work cooperatively with them† (Walker, R. 2011, pp. 26). Utilizing the skill of inquiry will aid in growing your interpersonal intelligence and ultimately reduce the impact the perceptual process may have. The more educated you are about another person’s position the better prepared you will be understand them and communicate with them. The power really comes in combining both of these steps while communicating. I’ve been using the skills of reflection and inquiry since learning about them last semester. I use them successfully at home with my wife and children and on the job with co-workers.Although I believe I have developed greater intrapersonal intelligence, I believe the increase in interpersonal intelligence has helped me even more while communicating with these people. In the past I didn’t take the time to understand what their motives and positions were while communicating. Now I make sure I better understand their position, including the perceptions supporting them. This allows me to see the situation from more angles before developing a response. Reference Walker, R. (2011). Strategic Management Communication for Leaders (2nd Edition. ) Mason, Ohio: South-Western , Cengage Learning.