To What Extent Would It Be Fair to Say That Mass Media Had No Choice but to Report What the Government Wanted It to Report During the Falklands War?

Page 103 To what extent would it be fair to say that mass media had no choice but to report what the government wanted it to report during the Falklands war? Using evidence from sources 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d, it can be seen that there is indication which shows that the government did in fact control what was reported in the Falklands war. It can be seen that the government did make it difficult to report events from the war, which is presented in the fact that there was no photos in the first 55 days.com/government-regulation-on-media-in-america/">Government Regulation on Media in AmericaThis long delay in media involvement was controlled by the government, clearly expressing the influence they had. This idea is further backed up in source 3c, which compared the Falklands war (1982) to the ‘Crimean War’ (1853) while concerning the topic of media involvement. However, even though it is clear to say the government controlled the media involving the Falklands war, did it result in the mass media only reporting what the government wanted it to, or not?There is clear evidence which suggests that mass media had no choice but to report what the government wanted it to, but to what extent was this? As can be seen in source 3d, the government clearly, and to a heavy extent wanted to control what was reported in the media involving the Falklands war, this can be seen in ‘the remoteness of this war†¦ facilitated media management’. This suggests that the location enabled the government to easily control what was being portrayed in the media.This idea in source 3d is backed up through my own knowledge which proposes that the location made it difficult to report events of the war, as the geographical location and technological collimations disadvantaged reporters. It strongly suggests that the media had no choice but to report what the government wanted it to in the concluding sentence, which states ‘the British government†¦ practised de ception and media manipulation’. Also, it must be accounted that source 3d contains strong credibility. Written in 2009, it allows the writers to have a clear overview of the whole war.Also, being established historians, the writer would possess objectiveness, which results in a more reliable judgement. Using source 3c in conjunction with source 3d brings a strong extent to the idea mass media was controlled by the government. This is because source 3c, written by Julian Barnes explicitly suggests that the government hid the truth from the public, meaning they controlled what was seen in the media, this idea is seen frequently in source 3c. The live reporting of ITV, of the deportation of the British navy was ‘the last sunny, honest, unspun images’ seen in the public eye.Also, as seen in source 3c, information was frequently leaked from the government- whether good or bad. This can be supported by my own knowledge, which showed that the information of the reposit ion of south Georgia wasn’t received by the British audience suggests that both good and bad news was hidden from the public, or leaked via the government, still showing their involvement. However, it must be remembered, that the source was written in 2002, the 20th anniversary of the Falklands war, in The Guardian.The guardian is a left wing newspaper, meaning they will support the labour government. Seeing as Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister in office during the Falklands War was conservative, it would seem that he would be subjective towards the labour government, and be critical of the conservative role. Using source 3b along with 3d and 3c brings significant strength to the idea, that the government controlled the media. This can be seen in the idea only 16 reporters were taken on the Taskforce vessel to make it easier for the government to manipulate their reporting.However, the reporters are also described as ‘gung ho’ in source 3b, this would suggest they were involved in the spirit of war, and were reporting the war through a patriotic view, which wasn’t inflicted by the government, suggesting maybe the media wasn’t wholly controlled by the government. There is evidence which does in fact suggest that the Media could report what it wanted to during the Falklands war presented in the sources. In source 3a there is a slight disagreement to the fact that media could report what it wanted to.It can be seen that even though the original headlines of, ‘gotcha’ seem to show chauvinistic views, towards Argentine death, the headlines were then quickly changed to ‘Did 1200 Argies drown’? From my own knowledge I can add that the use of tabloid language, such as ‘Argies’ would have dehumanised the War, which would have been welcomed by the government, but not inflicted by them. This suggests that the Media did have a choice in what to report, but may have reported certain things to plea se the government.The idea that the Sun soon changed the original cover implies that the media was able to self-censor its own exuberance, contrasting the suggested governmental influence regarding the report of the War. Source 3b also suggests that the media could report what it wanted. This is shown in the way Patrick Bishop, a newspaper reporter from the Falklands War suggests how they weren’t influenced by any ‘stimulus from the military’. This implies that the reporters could infact report what they want.However, it does suggest in the source, that if a reporter wasn’t feeling ‘patriotic or positive’, the military would have to ‘lean on them’. I can add with my own knowledge that all media representatives were controlled by the armed forces that censored reports, and were keen for no negative broadcasting. This idea suggests that maybe there were some pressures faced by the reporters to report patriotic and celebrative views from the war. It must be remembered that the source has high credibility, as it was published in 1982 it has the positive of hindsight and can weight up information from the whole of the war.Also, being from the journalist Patrick Bishop, who was there at the time, he is more likely to be representative of the whole truth. In conclusion, to question how extensive the government was in regulating the reporting of the Falklwands war, it can be seen, by using the sources that the government had a high controllability involving the mass media coverage. This idea is commonly presented in the sources. However, it must be remembered, that in some circumstances the government had a limited control on what the mass media published about the Falklands War and what was reported from there.

Ode to Autumn

ODE TO AUTUMN John Keats This poem, an ode, is the last of Keats’ odes. In it, the poet exhibits a rich mood of serenity by describing autumn as a season of mellow fruitfulness – a season of ripeness and fulfillment. This ode is known for its remarkable sensuous beauty that is crafted by employment of several visual, tactile and auditory imageries together with the personification of autumn as a woman engaged in various autumnal activities. In the first stanza, the poet has described the bounty of autumn. It is the season of mists and the ripening of fruit. Autumn and the sun work together for the ripening of all kinds of fruits.The vines running round the edges of the thatch and apple trees growing in the cottage garden are weighed down with fruits. Their fruits are ripening during autumn. Besides the gourds are becoming larger and the hazel nuts are being filled with sweet kernels. For the bees, it appears as if there is no end to their happy days – summer â₠¬â€œ as there are some later flowers still blooming in autumn, providing honey to them, even if their sticky combs are over-brimmed. The beautiful word pictures and various visual and tactile imageries make the stanza a well-crafted one.In the second stanza, the poet moves from the country cottage to the outside field and describes various activities associated with autumn. He does it by employing personification that one almost visualizes these activities. It is the season of harvest and since most of the harvest works are performed by women, autumn is described as a woman. First, it is seen as a woman doing the work of winnowing. Secondly, one may see it as a reaper, asleep in the half-finished furrow of crops. Thirdly, it may be seen as a gleaner, keeping her corn-burdened head steady as she crosses a brook.Finally, autumn may be seen as a woman standing patiently beside a cider-press for the last drops of apple juice. Unlike the first stanza where autumn was bustling with activi ties, Autumn is found static in suspended activity or arrested motion in the second stanza and the readers are invited to move from one scene to another in search of Autumn. In the final stanza, the poet appears to be overwhelmed by a pessimistic idea and asks about the sweet music of spring which is absent in autumn. However, he immediately rectifies himself and says there is nothing to worry about the songs of spring as autumn too has its own music.He then lists the various sounds of autumn which are generally heard in the evening time. The mourning of the gnats, the loud bleating of the full-grown lambs, the singing of the hedge-crickets, the whistling of the red-breast and the twittering of the swallows are the prominent sounds that the poem deals with. Thus, the third stanza is about the music of autumn and the imagery is auditory. If in the first stanza, the positive side of autumn as the handmaid of summer is stressed, here the season is hailed as the prelude to winter.The th eme of the poem is a delighted, sensuous enjoyment of the rich and mature beauty of autumn season. The poet’s imaginative response to the beauty of autumn appears in a series of pictorial personifications of the season. The course of autumn traced in the poem is not restricted to autumn. The movement of the poem from fruition to harvest, from satisfaction to ending epitomizes the very process of life. Even sadness is seen in its true perspective as inseparable from and part and parcel of the complete process. The poem is an acceptance of the beauty and the pain in life, and an affirmation of its dignity. Thou hast thy music too’, is a relevant reminder that each one has his own talent and should attain contentment in life. Extracts: a) Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun Conspiring with him how to load and bless. i) Why does the poet address ‘autumn’ as the ‘season of mists and mellow fruit-fullness? Ans. T he poet addresses ‘autumn’ as the season of mists as during this season, we can see mists on the open fields and on the other wet places in the mornings and evenings. He calls it a season of mellow fruitfulness because it’s during autumn that the fruits are in the process of ripening. i) How is ‘autumn’ a close bosom-friend of the maturing sun? Ans. Autumn is a close friend of the maturing sun as both of them together help the fruits to ripen to the core. iii) What do the close friends conspire? Ans. The two close friends, autumn and the sun conspire to load and bless the vines and apple trees with fruits, to swell the gourds, to plump the hazel shells with sweet kernels and to help bloom some more flowers. b) And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease. i) What does the poet mean by the ‘later flowers’? Ans.By the ‘later flowers’, the poet means to convey that flowering does not s top immediately after summer; in fact it continues though the number gets reduced. These are known as later flowers. ii) What makes the bees feel that warm days will never cease? Ans. The presence of later flowers and availability of honey for the bees makes them feel that the warm days shall never cease. iii) Describe the bee hives. Ans. The bees have collected a lot of honey during summer, yet the presence of the later flowers makes them collect more and add it to their collection which is now over-filled in their sticky cells. ) Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; i) Who or what is being talked of here? Ans. ‘Autumn’ is being talked of here. ii) What is the poetic device employed here and what is its effect? Ans. The poetic device employed here is personification as ‘autumn’ is being described as a woman engaged in various harvest related activities. iii) Why is she seen sitting carelessly on the granary floor? What activity was she involved in? Ans. She can be seen sitting carelessly on the granary floor as she was engaged in winnowing work, i. e. eparating the chaff from the corn and she is sitting carelessly because she is not worried as the harvest has been very good. It is picture of fulfillment or contentment. iv) Mention at least two more places she can be seen. Also mention in what condition she can be seen at these places. Ans. She can be seen in a sleeping posture, as she had been induced to sleep by the intoxicating smell of the poppies growing in the field along with the corn, in a half-reaped furrow while her sickle spares the next swath. She can also be seen as a gleaner, crossing a brook and keeping her head steady.She can be seen sitting patiently at a cider-press and watching for the last drops of apple juice trickling down from the press. d) Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, — i) Who is being addressed here? Ans. Autumn is being addressed here. ii) This line is the answer to a question asked by the poet. What is the question? Ans. The question is: ‘Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they? iii) What is being referred to as ‘them’ here and why should the addressee not think of them? Ans. ‘The songs of spring’ is being referred to as ‘them’ here and the addressee, i. . autumn should not think of them as it is useless to think of the past. It’s rather wise to live in the present. Besides, autumn has its own music too. iv) Name a few sources of music associated with the addressee. Ans. The mourning of the gnats, the loud bleats of the full-grown lambs, the songs of the hedge-crickets, the whistles of the red-breast and the twittering of the swallows are the prominent sounds associated with the addressee, autumn. e) ‘Where are the songs of the Spring! Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue†¦ ’ i) Name the poet and the poem. Ans. The poet is ‘John Keats’ and the poem is ‘Ode to Autumn’. ii) Who is being referred to as ‘thou’? Ans. Autumn is being referred to as ‘thou’. iii) What does the poet mean when he says ‘songs of spring’? Ans. By the songs of spring the poet refers to the joy and exuberance of spring season. iv) What image is conjured up with ‘stubble plains’? Ans. The grain has been harvested and only the short, dry stalks remain like the stubble of hair on the face.

Book Review “Prejudice and Pride” by Krishna Kumar Essay

The piece of work which is being reviewed is authored by an eminent educationist Krishna Kumar. The title of the book is Prejudice and Pride which has been published by Penguin Books India Limited,Viking in the year 2001. The subtitle of the book ‘School Histories of the Freedom Struggle in India and Pakistan’ reflects major concern as well as the prime area of investigation in this book by the author. It is a comparative study between the school history textbooks of the neighboring countries India and Pakistan. The impetus to take up this path of exploration by Krishna Kumar can also be seen somewhere as his response to the several decades of hostility between India and Pakistan. The writer takes this despair further and observes the general gloom prevailing in the education system of both the countries. However, according to him this becomes clearer by looking on the situation of children’s education in both India and Pakistan, which can be seen as a recipient o f a certain degree of despondency giving it a low priority. Moving on to history teaching more specifically we can see that this problem aggravates as the focus of teaching history only arises political concern without translating it as a concern for the children who are at the receiving end. Therefore with the study of school history textbooks of both the countries Krishna Kumar seems to be tracing different trajectories of ideological presentation of a shared past. This can be seen as also adding up to the hostile attitude of both the countries towards each other. This study is thus based on a comparative study of the school history textbooks of India and Pakistan. Out of this comparison the author brings forth a number of concepts and ideas where both countries who share a common historical background have different takes on its account and staging. However the basic question which the author enquires into is the perception of the past that Indian and Pakistani children encounter at school. Following this research question the major objectives of the author while writing this book can be stated as follows. The one is to examine the rival ideologies of nationalism into which schools attempt to socialize the young. While another is to probe the politics of history writing as a means to understand the contribution that schooling makes to the Indo-Pak conflict. However the author is focusing only the master narratives available in the textbooks for the period of freedom struggle. The relevance of taking textbooks as the centre of observation to achieve these objectives  can be seen in the very nature of textbooks. This can be further explained as interrelation between economy, state and culture can be better understood through the textbooks. They are the clearest embodiments of these relations. Textbooks are simultaneously economic goods (they are often sold to students, parents, and schools), political objects (they are subject to state control and regulation and hence a re the result of political and ideological tensions and compromises), and cultural representations (what is included and not included, and how such knowledge is organized, is a form of cultural politics). Thus the textbooks can be seen as a real epitome of a nation’s ideological, cultural and social background. The central theme of this book thus revolves around the idea that history textbooks are also a recipient of certain kind of representation which is in accordance with the national ideology. This is further elaborated by the author during the course of study where he finds that how the knowledge about the past is selected, reconstructed and represented in the textbooks. This he assumes that holds a great significance for this type of study which intends to probe how a common past acquires distinct versions under two systems of education. He further adds to this argument that why history has taken such a symbolic form. He says that this is because education in India and Pakistan is conceived in both learning and committing to memory, sets of facts that encapsulate, rather than explicate and interpret meaning. This is evident in the examination system where a student is required to learn certain things and just reflect the same in the paper. This he makes clear by using a concept of memory posters which makes a child to remember the reconstructed past without giving much space for reasoned analysis. Thus the history textbook are also conceived as a storehouse of knowledge about the past, about the ‘great men’ of those times and their vision, which children have to learn, imbibe, as it were-never mind that this vision was seldom unified or synchronic in the manner that textbooks would have us believe. Therefore through this the author portrays how the formulation of history textbooks on these premises serves the abovementioned idea that they are primarily composed of nationalistic ideology. The central idea which is propagated through this book is explained very explicitly through various explanations and concepts. The book is divided into three parts excluding the introduction. The part one primarily consists of three chapters where he  focuses on the basic ideas of how the children are made familiar to past, the popular perception about the shared past in both the countries and how a certain ideology is propagated through textbooks. The chapter one possess the title Children and the Past. This chapter examines the psycho-social characteristics of children’s response to the past. Here he talks about the tacit knowledge which is imparted in a child during the course of early socialization in his home. This type of knowledge does not provide any room for rational enquiry. This further leads a child to build up a notion of self as a member of a society and also at the same time to build up a notion of ‘other’ for whom they have a fixed image whose me mory stocks are different to theirs. Thus we can see how the seed of otherness for the one having different historical picture is sowed in the primary socialization of a child. Later the child enters the realm of education in school. Here he explains the need to understand history as a subject with a capacity to enter into a time frame and perspective without being submerged in it. But to attain this he says becomes a hard task as the teaching of history faces challenges against the knowledge of past by children in the form of beliefs and attitude. His next chapter then comes toward the general conceptions of different popular perceptions of past in both India and Pakistan. The idea of freedom and partition is explained very differently in both the countries. The use of the images of Jinnah and Gandhi in Pakistan and India respectively can be seen as a means to portray the image of a reminder of the unfinished business of the freedom movement in both the countries. The chapter after this tends to focus on the relationship between ideology and textbooks. He uses the concept of ‘prescribed’ texts to define the nature of books used in the post colonial countries where teaching of history is highly related to larger socio-political milieu. He uses the concept given by Ayesha Jalal to reflect upon the argument that in both India and Pakistan textbooks represent the grammar of ‘national ideology’. Moving towards the second part of the book which is coined as Rival Histories has six chapters in it. The part initiates with a chapter on how freedom struggle is presented as a narrative in both the countries. The effort to consolidate the nation state is very much explicit in the history teaching. He uses the idea from Anderson that how ‘deep shaping of imagination’ among children is required to have faith in national community. This is the  chapter where he introduces the very important concepts which were used to compare the master narratives of both the countries. The first refers to how history textbooks in both countries choose or do not choose to represent events. Facts are chosen to illustrate the distinctive turn of the narrative that each nation favours at crucial moments in the freedom plot. The second concept is that of pacing. Pacing or the rhythm to which the historical tale is set in the textbooks of both countries is problematic. The tale in both instances is a fast paced one and children are expected to read on and on continuously. They actually slip upon several decades of historical account and focus mainly upon the great personalities and their constructed role. The third concept which he mentions is about the way they end the history writing. The history ends on a different note for both the countries master narratives. It is precisely due to the way they perceive the time of partition. For India the moment of freedom was a time of partial happiness and a sense of loss are reflected in the narration of partition. However for Pakistan it appears as a great triumph to be finally freed from the clutches of highly dominating Hindu country. It does not end only on this note but it also expresses how entering into the new era of self rule of will be exciting and what should be the goals to be attained. This is evident in the Pakistani books as an extension of historical account is visible there in comparison to India where the post partition problems and the activities related to it are also discussed. On the basis of these measures we can see how Krishna Kumar in further chapters investigates into the history from 1857 to 1947. In these chapters he proceeds with a very keen analysis of comparisons of the accounts on all events and their different interpretation. Moreover he also points that how some episodes are omitted and how some are given over emphasis. He takes up the accounts of 1857 and brings up the differences between the presentations. The major differences can be explained in context of portraying the causes of uprising. In India though the writers desist from using the term national but they do say that revolt made the Indian people more politically conscious than before. But what politics might mean in a mid-nineteenth century context is not explained. While in Pakistan a completely different picture is projected where emphasis is mostly on the role of Muslims. Moreover it goes beyond and this is seen as the dilemmas in history writing in Pakistan. This is because  the narrative should not only describe how colonial rule ended but also explain how Pakistan came into being. Thus to justify the happening of Pakistan it must also have a long national movement seeds of which can be seen in the revolt of 1857.Thus Krishna Kumar says that with the help of highly compressed story which does not allow the listener to ask for details therefore the aim of Pakistani textbooks can be seen in the indoctrination rather than explanation. In later chapters writer presents the difference in periodization. Pakistani textbooks put an emphasis on the period from 1907 to 1927 by contrast Indian textbooks generally select the year 1919 as marker of historical times which shaped the course of freedom struggle until the mid 1930s. He further brings above the motive behind focusing on different years as it makes way for the portrayal of Gandhi and Jinnah as heroes and their actions as the ultimate deeds. One more thing he points out is the vise-versa attempt on the portraying Gandhi as a Hindu leader and Jinnah as a Muslim leader in Pakistan and India respectively. Similarly in the book we can see several events which have been a shared experience for both India and Pakistan has been selected and depicted in very different manner. Both the nations form a different take on all the instances and personality. By using the three concepts which has been mentioned earlier i.e. politics of mention, pacing and concept of ending he thus brings forth different angles of the history textbooks in India and Pakistan. He points to how each of these time segments is recorded in the textbooks and reads both omissions and inclusions as symptomatic of larger national anxieties. Importantly, the choice or omission of an event che ats the child of an opportunity to know a situation in all its complexity. In fact, this is a recurring theme in the book the manner in which history textbooks conceives of and interpellates the intended child reader. Thus children are not made aware of the complex arguments in regard to certain historical events. Krishna Kumar ends this book on a very interesting note where he asks children from both the countries to write on the topic ‘The division of India and Pakistan’. He thus brings above a varying picture of opinions. In India he sees a dominant picture of Pakistan coming over where the children perceive it as a synonym for Muslims. This is evident in the idea of a Hindu India with a stereotype of Muslims which is based on hatred and distrust as writer points out. Moving to ideas of the Pakistani students  we can see whole range of historical periods mentioned where the aim is to show how Muslims suffered at the hands of Hindus and thus partition actually gave them the space of first class citizens. In both sides we can find a common bone of contention between India and Pakistan is Kashmir. Thus in this exercise also there is a reflection of the ideas which are propagated through textbooks. In the last chapter he brings forth the relationship between history and peace. The major argument which he traces in the whole book is that both India and Pakistan differ on the grounds of depicting freedom movement. In India which is defined in terms of tensions between communal and secular forces it actually reflects India’s national identity which also makes Pakistan come under suspicion. On the other hand the freedom movement in Pakistan attains the picture of an age long movement for the freedom of Muslims from a Hindu country. This is evident in the idea that an Indian historian focuses on as to why the partition took place whereas in Pakistan the new birth is celebrated by focusing on how the partition took place. This can be precisely the answer to the question he posed to enquire in the starting of the book. However in the different parts of book he tends to achieve the objectives of his study. The comparative study of history textbooks from both the countries thus helped him to probe into the reflection of the conflict between India and Pakistan in the history textbooks through which the ideologies of young minds are framed . This thus preserves the hostility between the two countries. However he ends on a very positive note where he sees role of education as vital one which can lead to overcome the unsettling effects of their interlocked frames of perceptions. This books thus in comparison to his earlier works can be on one hand as an extension of his focus on school and curriculum and their flaws. While in his book ‘What is worth teaching’ he focuses on fractured, contradictory and divisive nature of curriculum and school knowledge in our country and its insidious disempowerment of the teacher. His very important work the Political Agenda of Education also revolves around the concept of political ideologies involved in the education system. However this book in comparison to his other works comes up with a very different objective and method of investigation. While looking on for other books from other writers which have ventured into similar type of analysis cannot be found yet. Moving from the achievements of the writer we also come across certain gaps  visible in the work. It is known that he is building up a picture of investigation around the period of freedom struggle but he confines himself to a very limited events and personalities of that period. His projection that part of history comes up as if it is only in relevance to Pakistan. He also tends to omit the other popular beliefs of the time which was visible in the form of questions raised by Dalit leaders and also the division of India on the basis of language leading to a discontent in South India Thus the book can be seen as a very different creation with experiment of a new type. The central idea that national ideologies shape the history writing of school textbooks is very cogently presented in the books. The role of history teaching and its impact on the socialisation of the young minds and leading to their formulation of the notion of ‘other’ is also very much clear in this book. But this book also suffers loops and holes in course of omitting other aspects of freedom struggle like low caste and tribal resistances. Book Review Prejudice and Pride: School Histories of the Freedom Struggle in India and Pakitan

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Instructional Planning and Strategies - Essay Example This type of strategy helps the students to learn more effectively by communicating with each other and do their work with a little fun with their friends. In group assignments students take active participation in the tasks that has been assigned to them. This strategy also encourages the students to teach other students of their group who are little weaker in their studies. (Goleman, D. 1998) Another type of strategy that is been commonly practiced is Collaborative Strategy. This is a type of strategy which is used for broader groups or large groups. This strategy is used for the interactions of larger groups to communicate with each other. In classroom environment this type of strategy is not suitable because in classes the group formation is smaller. This strategy is useful for making school communities, discussion group of faculty and students of school and other broader groups which have much complicated issues to discuss with each other. (Goleman, D. 1998) The Strategy that I have chosen to implement in the classroom is Co-Operative Instructional Strategy. The reason why I chosen the Co-operative strategy rather than collaborative strategy is that it encourages the student to achieve their tasks more efficiently and effectively because this strategy helps the students to achieve the common goals that have been given by the instructor. ... Students in groups also know that there success depends upon team work and every one has to try his/her best to achieve the desired result. It also provides students to learn with more well defined frame work from which they learn from each other in a group. (Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. 1998) The importance of Co-operative Strategy is becoming very fruitful now days. Many teachers are applying this strategy in classrooms to make students feel comfortable and enjoy their studies. Implementing this strategy also improve the self-esteem of students; students who have disabilities for learning also accept this type of learning style and their attitude towards the school eventually becomes good. (Johnson, D. & Johnson, R. 1998) CIRCUMSTANCES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY There are certain conditions that have to be followed for successive results while implementing Co-Operative Strategy. When applying this strategy the teachers must do careful planning and well preparation before going in classrooms. They have to brainstorm their minds that how they will implement the strategy and what would be alternatives regarding this approach if the implementation goes wrong. They should plan and prepare that how they will interact with their students in class and how will they make the environment of classroom more interactive Another condition is the proper formation of groups because if groups are not formed properly then the results of the strategy will not be appropriate. The instructor has to form groups in such a way that every one in the group feels good about their group members and every group has one or two members that are more intelligent then others so that they can teach the group members as well.

Astra Planeta Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Astra Planeta - Assignment Example Twinkle 5 is a suitable name for this company because the first thing that comes to the mind of most Europeans and Americans when they hear the word â€Å"Twinkle† is â€Å"star†. Since the name has to be connected to â€Å"Five Stars†, â€Å"Twinkle 5† is a name that shares the theme as well as number. Twinkle 5 is also suitable because it will be the first bicycle and e-scooter company in Europe and America that will be called Twinkle 5, so the name lends the company a unique identity. A very important aspect of Twinkle 5 is that it carries the themes of tidiness, neatness, cleanliness, and perfection. Sparkle is the word used for shining and twinkling. It is commonly used in the toothpaste ads. Sparkle shares the theme of shining and twinkling with the â€Å"Five Stars.† Sparkle is a very simple yet sophisticated name that never goes out of trend. Besides, there is no bicycle and e-scooter company named Sparkle in Europe or America. To hear the name Sparkle, a bicycle or e-scooter is not the first thing that comes to mind; but then all this company is about is innovation, creativity, and drama. Even if not technically, the name does lend a feeling of cleanliness and tidiness that is the embodiment of this work. The name Tri-Prism is the short form of Triangular Prism. â€Å"Tri-Prism† is a suitable name for this company because a triangular prism has five faces through which light passes and refracts or reflects. This has quite a lot in common with â€Å"Five Stars† both in terms of number and in terms of function. Stars also serve as a source of light. Tri-Prism is a fancy name unheard of in the bicycle and e-scooter industry as the name of a shop before in Europe or America. It is easy to pronounce and yet, its uniqueness leaves a trace on the mind of the listener. â€Å"Shine at Prime† is a very different name and has a theme to share with â€Å"Five Stars.† Prime is also connected to the word â€Å"primary† which in academic terms is translated as â€Å"five†. Shining is a function of stars. So joined together, shine at prime not only relates to â€Å"Five Stars† but also generates a beautiful message to the customers.

THE CURRENT MACROECONOMICS SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES Essay

THE CURRENT MACROECONOMICS SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES - Essay Example Continuous increase in the prices of food, shelter and gasoline lead to an increase of 0.2% in August, 2011, same as the previous month. Apparel and shelter are the biggest contributors whereas the prices of health care, personal care, medical care, household operations and furnishing have also seen to be increased significantly. Since April, the Unemployment rate has detained between narrow ranges of 9.0% to 9.2%. Currently, the unemployment rate is 9.1%. The number of long-term unemployed people is 6.2 million, as recorded in September, 2011. These individuals accounted for 44.6% of the total unemployed people in U.S. GDP growth rate is an important indicator to measure the strength of an economy. GDP growth rate is said to be positive when the economy develops. Annualized Growth of real GDP has been recorded far below than 5.4% than the normal recoveries of previous business cycles. Credit rating of U.S is also at risk. Credit rating agencies have downgraded the credit rating of U.S from AAA to AA. Many economists now believe that America’s economy has gone fragile. They recommend that it would not be to cut down the consumption and increase tax rates at this point of time. The dysfunctions in U.S have immense pressure from increasing population, globalization and technological advancements. The U.S requires smart and effective policies in every area. It needs to spend in areas like retirement funds and health care whereas it is encouraged to invest in the fields of research and development, education and infrastructure in order to grow. U.S is at that point of budgetary limits where money should to be used wisely and only on effective projects. But in every other area, government policies are suboptimal. The world used to look at the U.S with awe as Americans had built highway systems for interstate, created best standard for education in the world, invested heavily in the frontiers of knowledge. But this is not now how the world perceives America

Community health nursing(strategies for community health promotion) Essay

Community health nursing(strategies for community health promotion) - Essay Example There are four phases identified in the program outline. Nutritional aspects are identified as the means to improve the health of the community as a whole. The roles of the community health personnel in the program are discussed. The stress is on the role of the community nurse, as the community nurse is required to play several roles, each of which is vital to the successful outcome of the program. In this manner the various aspects that go into the development of a program for improving the health of communities, as a part of efficient public health are discussed in the formulation of the program outline. The objective is to develop a program outline for promoting health in an economically disadvantaged community. In the process goals and objectives to encourage better health in the economically disadvantaged community would be identified. In addition two frameworks or models that influence community change towards the identified goals and objectives would be evaluated. Finally the role of the community health service worker in facilitating the program goals and objectives of health promotion in the economically disadvantaged community would be evaluated. 2. Relevance: Promotion of health in disadvantaged communities is becoming more relevant, as disadvantaged communities around the world are on the increase, and found to have very poor health parameters in comparison to their more prosperous counterparts (Heath & Haines, 2000). Therefore, for two reasons it becomes important that efforts be directed at disadvantaged communities to increase health awareness, and better health parameters. The first reason is that societal equality norms demand that these communities not be left out in the advantages that developments of science and technology have given humankind in the understanding of the nature of diseases and

(RESEARCH PROPOSAL) EVALUATING QUALITY OF SERVICE DELIVERY IN Essay

(RESEARCH PROPOSAL) EVALUATING QUALITY OF SERVICE DELIVERY IN MARKETING OF BANKING SERVICES IN NIGERIACASE STUDY OF BANK PHB PLC (NIGERIA) - Essay Example Specific emphasis will be given to Bank PHB which is one of the most influential and successful banks in this country. (Obafunmilayo, 2007) All banks in any part of the world are expected to provide efficient payment systems, conduct financial mediation and serve as platforms for implementation of monetary policies. Consequently, countries whose banks are able to perform these functions efficiently can boost their respective economies by sufficiently channeling and saving funds that can prove to be very useful for those who are planning on setting up their own businesses or carrying out a specific project. In any country with banking institutions, there are always certain conflicting needs between banks and governments. Banks usually want to operate under liberal market forces yet the Government needs to ensure that the former reflect the fundamentals of the economy. This is actually the reason why the banking sector is one of the most regulated sectors in most world economies and the same applies to Nigeria. This matter is further compounded by the fact that certain actions taken banks are done secretly or in private. Consequently, most of them tend to hide their agenda from the public. (Elumelu, 2005) The Nigerian banking indust... It should be noted that in Nigeria, universal banks take up the largest share; others such as community banks usually restrict their consumer base to certain communities. On the other hand, universal banks operate in the entire nation and may sometimes extend their services to other parts of the world. The Nigerian banking industry has been recording considerable growth over the past few years. This is indicated by the following; Total deposits Total assets Total advances Total loans Over the past five years, these numbers have been increasing. Consequently, one can assert that there will be potential growth in the sector. Competition within the Nigerian banking industry can be classified as oligopolistic. This industry is very saturated but only a small number of banks dominate it. In this case, ten of them are responsible for driving the industry. The dominance of these ten banks is reflected by their market share, loans and advances and their total deposits. As of 2003, it had been established that fifty one percent of the Nigerian banking industry was driven by these companies. (Obafunmilayo, 2007) There are a number of reasons why the latter industry is oligopolistic. First of all, these banks have established consumer loyalty due to the fact that they are old generation banks. Additionally, some historical facts in the previous decades contributed to this outcome. In the nineteen eighties, there was an emergence of commercial banks that saw the dilution of these old generation banks. However, in the next decade, there were a series of distressed banks that had to be liquidated thus causing the earlier concentration that had characterized the nineteen eighties

Alan Firmin Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Alan Firmin Ltd - Essay Example Another form of strategy may involve availability of large warehouses to take goods closer to customers. This assists in cutting down the cost of operation and subsequently increasing profits. Alan Firmin Ltd explains what mission, vision, goals, objectives, and core competencies are. In most companies, it is difficult to distinguish between missions and visions. However, the two have a difference if one does a proper analysis. While the mission focus on what the business intends to do currently, vision focus on future achievements. For instance. Alan Firmin Ltd has a main mission of delivery goods and services to the customers at the right time while mitigating environmental pollution. Its vision has been to ‘become a global transport and logistics company.’ however; vision is an extension of the main mission of the company. In most cases, companies may have missions but no vision (Fahey 1999, p.87). To achieve the mission of the company, objectives and goals become imp erative. Objectives objective ways or strategies, which the business must use to reach the mission of the business. Objectives are related to goals with only exception being that the latter are more refined and specific to the mission of the company. ... Question 2 Strategic planning is a long process involved in focusing on the overall assessment of the company. The main questions are ‘what needs to be done, why, to whom and when?’ the aim is to make the company more effective and competitive in the market. It is the process where rational objectives are highlighted to assist in achieving the mission and vision of the company. Question 3 The SWOT analysis and PESTEL are the most suitable planning techniques or tools used to achieve the strategies. In the first category, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the business are analyzed. Under this, the competitor analysis for instance can provide a company with strategies needed to make the business more competent. PESTEL involves the analysis of political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors, which may affect a business. Question 4 The economic downturn has contributed to many challenges within the world of business. For th e 2007/2008 economic depression prompted many companies to downsize in order to reduce the cost of operation. On the other hand, companies had to reduce the scope of their businesses due to reduced revenue. However, companies should go beyond their normal business activities and include others that are closely related (Lorenzen 2006, p.56). The selected business activities however must reduce the cost of operation and increase the business revenue. For the purpose of this company, two main activities ought to be included within the strategic structure. Outsourcing and construction of large warehouses are the two main activities proposed. The two play an important role of providing the business with a competitive edge over its main competitors. The

People aspects of capital investment decision making Essay

People aspects of capital investment decision making - Essay Example Though these techniques have successfully gained popularity as deciding tool, however, influence from the human element on decision making still maintains its dominance (paper). Managers of the firm themselves receive impact from their traits leading to influenced preferences in making decision. Among many reasons that advocate the acceptance of human element weight in investment decision, it is also for the fact that capital budgeting techniques has some unanswered queries. For instance, subjectivity of the discount rate used to discount the cash flows. It further states that the outcome of decisions based on capital budgeting techniques does not facilitate learning function as each situation is considered different. Successes or failure of decision from the usage of these techniques are also attributed to manager; and it is a manager who receives promotion (demotion) on success (failure) of project and not the techniques. Also these techniques are not easy to employee and are consi dered as complex procedures. Hence, mentioned ones and many other reasons lead to advocacy to systematically include human element factor in decision making criteria (Simon (1955, 1959), Margolis (1958), and Cyert and March (1963). This report provides the critical evaluation of capital budgeting technique with application on hypothetical project of construction and discusses the impact of various factors mainly managerial implication in results. In the second part, human impact of managerial attitude towards risk is discussed in detail. THE ALTERNATIVE ‘OBJECTIVE PROCESSES’ EVALUATION The alternative objective processes evaluation has been conducted with developing hypothetical example from construction sector. Example is a construction project of three storey building. Project has an initial cost of UK ?. 75, 192 and has been financed by 60% debt and 40% equity. Table 1 provides cash flow details with application of capital budgeting techniques. Details of estimated i nitial cost, revenues, expenses, and loan are provided in appendix. Result of each technique application is discussed under heading titled to technique. TABLE 1: Cash Flow       No. Of Years 0 1 2 3 4 5 Working Capital ? 7,049 ? 7,593 ? 8,181 ? 8,814 ? 9,497 ? - Change in working -? 7,049 -? 545 -? 587 -? 633 -? 683 ? 9,497 Initial investment -? 75,193                Cash flow from Investing -? 75,193 ? 7,049 ? 7,593 ? 8,181 ? 8,814 ? 9,497                      Revenues ? - ? 64,721 ? 69,879 ? 75,449 ? 81,464 ? 87,959 Less: Total Expenses ? - ? 35,283 ? 37,609 ? 41,305 ? 44,888 ? 49,372 Cash From Operating ? - ? 29,438 ? 32,270 ? 34,144 ? 36,576 ? 38,587                      Cash Flow -? 75,193 ? 36,487 ? 39,864 ? 42,325 ? 45,390 ? 48,084 Interest Expense    ? 1,805 ? 1,471 ? 1,125 ? 765 ? 390 EBT    ? 34,682 ? 38,392 ? 41,200 ? 44,626 ? 47,694 Tax(0) ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? -                      Total Cash Flows(after Tax) -? 75,193 ? 34,682 ? 38,392 ? 41,200 ? 44,626 ? 47,694 R    ? 0.05 ? 0.05 ? 0.05 ? 0.05 ? 0.05 DCF -? 75,193 ? 33,031 ? 34,823 ? 35,590 ? 36,714 ? 37,370 PAYBACK PERIOD    -? 42,162 -? 7,339 ? 28,251       Based on the positive NPV, the project is suggested to be feasible to undertake. Moreover, evaluation of NPV and other

World Civilizations Essay Example for Free

World Civilizations Essay Alexander the Great. What types of qualities come to mind when you hear that name? An idealistic king? A brutal ant agonizer? Whichever trait you choose to describe Alexander the Great, one thing is for sure: he is one of the most perplexing great figure in out time. Alexander III of Macedon, more commonly referred to as Alexander the Great, was born in Pella, in July 356 B.C.E. At the age of 20 he became the king of Macedonia when his father, Phillip II of Macedon, was assassinated in 336 B. C. Among inheriting a strong kingdom and experienced army from his father, he was also awarded the generalship of Greece. But what was really important to Alexander was pursuing his fathers dream; the invasion of the Persian Empire. In 334 B.C.E., outfitted with an army of 37,000 men, he invaded the Persian-ruled Asia Minor, thus beginning a series of campaigns lasting ten years. Although Alexanders first confrontation with the Persians almost cost him his life, he pulled out with a victory and by the following spring, the entire western half of the Asia Minor was in his control. By breaking down the power of Persia into a series of crucial battles such as the battles of Gaugamela and Issus, he then overthrew the Persian King Darius III and eventually conquered the rest of the Persian Empire. While founding the first of many cities, such as Alexandria, remaining Egypt’s and the Mediterranean world’s most important city, he was also named pharaoh of Egypt itself. With his army demanding to turn back while marching east to conquer India, Alexander reluctantly turns around, leads them across southern Persia, only to have thousands of men succumb to death from the heat and dehydration. After arriving in Babylon with his remaining troops, Alexander continued planning more campaigns but exhausted from his wounds, fever and possibly excessive alcohol consumption died in 323 B.C.E. Alexander was made legendary as a classical hero in the mold of Achilles and is prominently in the history and myth of Greek and non-Greek cultures. REFERENCES: â€Å"Alexander the Great† (356-323 B.C.), Wikipedia

Will The Internet Drown The Travel Agents Tourism Essay

Will The Internet Drown The Travel Agents Tourism Essay November 2009, Budget travel the largest tour operator in Ireland ceased trading and closed the remaining 17 of total 31 retail shops. The company was established in May 1975 and had a 30% share of the market. The internet is a tidal waveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. It will wash over the computer industry and many others, drowning those who dont learn to swim in its waves. (Bill Gates, 1995) Travel agents used to be the purchase channel between the travellers and the suppliers; now travellers can bypass the travel agents and purchase directly from the suppliers by using the internet. Will the internet drown the travel agents, like Bill Gates predicted, or will they learn to swim in its waves? A lot of research in this area has focused on how travellers and suppliers use the internet to eliminate the middle man, this research examines how travel agents are evolving and surviving this disintermediation. This dissertation is important to the middle men (the travel agents) and will examine what future, if any, they have and what form that future will take. Also this is important to future researchers, due to the lack of recent research literatures on this topic. Background to Study Currently travellers demand more and higher quality travel services, products, information and value for their money. The internet serves as a new form of communication and distribution channel for the traveller and travel service suppliers. It enables tourism suppliers to improve their competitiveness and performance, by cutting out the middle man, bringing more profit to the tourism suppliers and allowing suppliers to provide lower fare to the travellers. Before the internet, travellers had to book though travel agents. These bookings typically consisted of a large range of bundled products; each of the products within the booking was presented to the traveller in a sequential fashion. For example, the start of the trip would almost certainly consist of a flight product; at the destination airport the traveller would possibly collect their hire car and they would then go on to their pre-booked hotel. The industry relies on linking various products from various sources at specific times and locations to create a coherent package or product for the traveller. As Longhi (2008) stated, the value chain of the travel and tourism industry could traditionally be split into five main types of actors or participants (Figure 1): Figure 1 The Travel and Tourism Industry Supplier Chain Suppliers GDS Tour operators Travel agents Traveller Suppliers and service providers. Global Distribution Systems (GDS), such as Galileo, Sabre and Amadeus, used for reservations, information search, client management and reporting. Tour operators, who bundle the tourism products from suppliers. Travel agencies, which distribute the different products from services providers and tour operators to the consumer. Travellers, the actual customers. In contrast to the traditional model above, the internet provides a way for tourism suppliers to sell their products globally to potential travellers. For these suppliers, this model represents lower distribution costs, access to a much larger market and therefore higher potential revenues. For travellers, it represents an ability to communicate directly with tourism suppliers and to purchase what they wish when they wish to; with no recourse to a middleman. To some researchers, online booking sites significantly reduce the importance of travel agencies, a trend that could ultimately result in the permanent removal of travel agents from the supplier chain (Barnett and Standing, 2001). However, Palmer and McCole (1999) argue that travel agencies provide personal information and advice to traveller and that this is their key strength. There has been a significant amount of research on how the internet has changed the way travellers purchase products, but very little has been conducted on how the internet impacts the intermediaries travel agents. With the trend towards disintermediation, the elimination of the middle men between the suppliers and the consumers, travel agents would seem to be facing extinction. Bennett(1992) claims that changes to information technology in the travel industry over the past few years have worked primarily in favour of the suppliers and at the expense of the travel agents. Caywood, Loverseed and Murray (1999) support this view and suggest that these changes are aimed at encouraging travellers to bypass travel agents altogether. It is certainly undeniable that the internet is providing the means for suppliers and consumers to communicate directly. Figures available from the Irish Central Statistic Office indicate that over the past 4 years, the number of travellers booking online has increased dramatically and, by the same token, the number booking through travel agents has substantially decreased. Number of Trips by Irish Residents (Thousand) Travel Agent Internet 2006 1729 5510 2009 1046 7496 Despite these statistics, travel agents still exist within the marketplace. The fact that they are still here means that they are somehow managing to compete with the internet. A number of arguments have been put forward to suggest why travel agents are still surviving and also what they need to do to continue to compete and flourish. Lowerngart and Reichal (1998) claim that there are opportunities available to travel agents provided they focus on specific markets and specialise their activities. Waksberg (1997) argued that travel agents should move from a focus on transaction processing to the provision of consultative services. Lovelock (1992) claims that travel agents will need to expand their advisory function and concentrate on the provision of information and details that are not available to the traveller through the internet. Beirne (1999) suggests that travel agents should become consumer advocates, finding the best deals for the traveller. The Research Questions The primary research objective is to recognize how the internet is changing the travel industry and what strategies or techniques travel agents are adopting to evolve and sustain their positions. The key research question maybe posed as How does the internet impact travel agents? From the key question than expand to sub questions as following: How has the internet changed the business of travel agents? What threats does the internet present for travel agents? How are travel agents using the internet to run and improve their businesses? In what ways are travel agents competing with online travel providers? How will travel agents utilize the internet in the future to enhance their business operations and increase their profits? Timeframe of the Study The study was conducted over a nine months period from December 2010 to August 2010. The initial proposal was established during December to February, when the research topic was decided. The main body of work commenced in March 2010. Roadmap of Chapters The dissertation is split in to five major chapters followed by reference, bibliography and appendices. A summary of the subsequent chapters is outlined below: Chapter 2 contains a brief history of travel reservation system, as well as a discussion on existing research in the area and predictions concerning the future of travel agents. Chapter 3 discusses what methodological approach has been taken, the methods used to design and develop the research instruments, detailing the rationale for selection of the focus group, interview and online survey questions. Chapter 4 contains analysis on the primary secondary data and the findings. Chapter 5 presents the conclusion of the research and future work needed in this area. Chapter 2 literature review 2.1 Introduction November 2009, Budget travel the largest tour operator in Ireland ceased trading and closed the remaining 17 of total 31 retail shops. The company was established in May 1975 and had a 30% share of the market. This chapter sets out to examine how travel agents operated before the widespread use of the internet. It contrasts this historic, or traditional, mode of operation with the way that they operate today; placing particular emphasis on how the internet has directly impacted travel agents in the modern marketplace. There is a lack of recent and current research on this very specific topic, as a result most articles cited within this chapter are quite old. However, the lack of pertinent articles is also indicative of the importance of this research. This chapter draws on selected research identified during the literature review. It outlines the relationship between the internet and travel agents and it is from this literature review that the research questions for this dissitation emerged. 2.2 Exploratory Research A list of relevant articles and other sources were initially established through searches in selected computer science, communications and social sciences databases. Additional articles were found by following references from the initial list to their sources. The following databases were searched for the keywords Travel agents, Internet vs. Travel agents, Reservation system, Distribution channel, Tourism and travel, Information system, survival of the middle man and travel agency. Electronic journals http://atoz.ebsco.com IEEE Online Journal Index http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/periodicals.jsp Stella catalogue http://stella.catalogue.tcd.ie/iii/encore/home?lang=eng Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com Emerald http://www.emeraldinsight.com.elib.tcd.ie/ SAGE Journals Online http://online.sagepub.com.elib.tcd.ie ISI Web of knowledge http://apps.isiknowledge.com.elib.tcd.ie Google Scholar http://scholar.google.com Fig 2 Selected database table 2.3 History Any discussion on the history of the travel industry is necessarily complicated by large scale conflicts or wars. These are events which profoundly restrict any and all international travel, effectively shutting down the travel industry. For this reason, this document will consider the history of travel industry from the late 1940s onwards. Events prior to this are outside of the scope of this research. During the period under discussion, the late 1940s, travellers were few and fares were tightly regulated. The customer would telephone the travel agent, giving them details of the required travel arrangements. The agents would then call or telex the suppliers, on receiving these details the supplier would store them on a reservation card and then file that card. The number of air travellers steadily increased during the late 1940s and 1950s, in response to this; the airline schedules grew more complex. The existing simplistic system of booking travel products had to evolve to meet the increased size and complexity of the travel marketplace. In 1959, IBM developed a Computer Reservation System (CRS, also known as a Global Distribution System (GDS)) called Semi-Automatic Business Research Environment (SABRE). Initially developed for American Airlines, it was an answer to the problem of how to scale the reservation process to match the increased demand for travel. By 1964 it was the largest civil data processing system in the world (DUNCAN G.1995). Other airlines followed suit and introduced their own CRS or GDS systems. To book an air itinerary, travel agents had to call a reservation agent within the specific airline; the airline reservation agent would then make the flight reservation though a GDS terminal. The travel agent would then book any other additional travel products, such as hotel accommodation or a rental car, again using the telephone. This process created constrain on the travel agents, so they began pushing for a system that could automate their side of the process. In 1976 all airlines start grant travel agents access to their reservation system, allow agents to book ticket through their systems directly. At the same time in the UK , British Airways, British Caledonian and CCL launched Travicom, the worlds first multi-access reservation system, it has 49 airlines subscribing to it, it enable the travel agents and airlines communicate via a common distribution language and networks. From its success Travicom start implement similar system in different country, later when British Airline chose to participate in the development of the Galileo system ; Travicom changed its trading name to Galileo UK and a migration process was put in place to move agencies from Travicom to Galileo (B. Schmid, 1994). By the end of the 1990s there are nine major GDS of which 6 are still been used today. The GDS allow travel agent to a ccess its data using a terminal window through the network. Now travel agents can book flights directly with the GDS, they quickly realised that the computer terminals they are using everyday could be a convenient tool for booking other services as well. The GDS soon realised to fulfil the travel agents requirements; they need to add booking capabilities for rent cars, accommodations and other travel products (HSMAI Marketing Review, 1996). Finally travel agents can now book itinerary though one source within a network. When the internet becomes more and more popular, airlines and travel agents like other corporations start to use internet to improve their business. All GDSs can now be accessed through internet, travel agents can simply log on to the GDSs website to make search and reservation, most of the communications are done by email, the internet allows the travel agents operate more efficient. It also enables airlines to discard paper tickets, allow travellers to check in online, and travel agents will no longer has to worry about if the paper ticket will not reach the traveller on time. At the same time the internet also enable the traveller to book trips bypass the travel agents (Jo Cheyne et. Al, 2005). 2.3 Existing research of internet and travel agents Examining the key findings of some of the major studies on the relationship between the internet and travel agents. 2.3.1 The advent of the internet and disintermediation in the travel industry The internet has changed the traditional distribution channels; various studies have shown how well the internet is suited to the travel and tourism industry (Buhalis and Licate, 2002; Chirstian, 2001). With advent of the internet, suppliers can provide information on their products online, timely, up to date, to the travellers to assist their decision making. This , in turn, necessitates the balancing of perishable tourism products and changeable tourist demand, furthermore, the tourism industry is diversified, with a plethora of different suppliers that operate independently, even as tourists expect travelling to be complete experience. The resolve this mismatch, the internet offers an effective means for developing a single and sustainable electronic infrastructure for information gathering and business transactions for both travellers and suppliers. A natural outcome of this is that the suppliers can carry out one-to one marketing and mass customization. In other words, travel su pplier an now understand each customers needs, and therefore target each customer individually and deliver tailor-made products. More importantly, travel suppliers can understand how to deliver information and sell their products and services to customers directly through their website (Law, 2002). Travel services and product suppliers see the internet as an opportunity to save money on distribution costs. Inkpen (1998) stated that the internet allows the suppliers to sell their product directly to the travellers, bring them a significant cost savings. As Law (2000) contends that the internet allows the tourism suppliers to control and update their service remotely with electric speed, reaching global travellers anywhere, anytime. The benefits of an online website bring lower distribution cost, higher profit, and larger share of the market to the tourism suppliers. For the travellers, the internet allows them to bypass the travel agents, book directly with the chosen suppliers anytime, anywhere (Olmeda and Sheldon, 2001). The suppliers can reach the travellers directly, which allow suppliers reduce cost on distribution channel, hence cheaper price are offered to the travellers, this seems like a Win-Win situation for the travellers and the suppliers, which bring uncertainty to the future of the travel agents. 2.3.2 Advantage of the internet for travellers Jo Cheyne et al (2006) attested that travel agents are the key intermediary between travel suppliers and travellers; with the advent of the internet travellers and suppliers could interact directly, internet offer more information then travel agents and often provide cheaper price. Long (2000) summaries it in 4 points: The internet provide convenient and instant access for availability enquiries and bookings at times when consumers want o research and purchase travel Ability to access easily information that is detailed and also up to date, helping decision making. A cost advantage in purchasing travel online as results of the market becoming more competitive, as well as the ability for consumers to take advantage of substantial online discounts that cannot be obtained via any other traditional distribution channels and possible cost advantages for consumers as result of decreased distribution cost Avoid travel agent fees and charges. 2.3.3 Disadvantage of the internet for consumers Lang (2000) also identified the disadvantages that stop customers purchase online: Difficulty in finding the website and information they require Time consuming Online security issues Information overload Lack of trust in the technology Lack of human interaction Standing and Vasudanvan (1999) indicated that some researchers are mainly focusing on the impact of internet and threats of disintermediation, there are very littler work carried out on the strategies travel agents has adopted and the internet marketing models they are using. A large survey of Australian travel agencies website has been carried out, the findings shows that the major of agencies use internet as a yellow pages or online holiday brochure, a small percentage of websites allow the travellers to make booking, around half of the website capture the data on the travellers, but only few captured the traveller email address. The paper also suggested that travel agents should use internet as a marketing tool. 2.3.2 Implications of the internet for travel agents The internet has changed the traditional distribution channels; customers can buy products directly from the suppliers anytime anywhere. Travel services and product suppliers see the internet as an opportunity to save money on distribution costs. Inkpen (1998) stated that the internet allows the suppliers to sell their product directly to the travellers, bring them a significant cost savings. As Law (2000) contends that the internet allows the tourism suppliers to control and update their service remotely with electric speed, reaching global travellers anywhere, anytime. The benefits of an online website bring lower distribution cost, higher profit, and larger share of the market to the tourism suppliers. For the travellers, the internet allows them to bypass the travel agents, book directly with the chosen suppliers anytime, anywhere (Olmeda and Sheldon, 2001). The suppliers can reach the travellers directly, which allow suppliers reduce cost on distribution channel, hence cheaper p rice are offered to the travellers, this seems like a Win-Win situation for the travellers and the suppliers, which bring uncertainty to the future of the travel agents. Lawton and Weaver (2009) did in-depth interviews with 19 owners of successful US-based travel agencies, the paper did SWOT analysis over the 19 travel agencies, and identified that the negative public perceptions of travel agencies is the main external threat. 2.3.2 Demands for travel agents One of the most recent study on this topic, tried to identify the tourist perceptions of the potential for the elimination of travel agencies in the presence of the internet. Law et al (2004) conducted a questionnaire on selected experienced travellers, who had visited at least one travel Web site were asked to participate. The answers of 413 travellers on preference on book through internet-based or traditional distribution channels were analysed. The results show that travellers still ask travel agents for advice and their professional services. The paper proposed that from the findings both online and travel agents can coexist in the future. This is probably the most cited recent piece of research on the relationship between travel agents and internet, although some of its findings have subsequently been contested, it must still be regarded as one of the seminal works in the area. Jo Cheyne et al (2006) attested that travel agents are the key intermediary between travel suppliers and travellers; with the advent of the internet travellers and suppliers could interact directly. Main finding was the factors that influence travellers choices on using a travel agent or the internet when booking an over sea holiday, the factors are: services reliability, managing complex itinerary, guarantee, attractive deal and payment security. 2.3.2 The changing roles of travel agents Lowerngart and Reichal (1998) claim that there are opportunities available to travel agents provided they focus on specific markets and specialise their activities. Waksberg (1997) argued that travel agents should move from a focus on transaction processing to the provision of consultative services. Lovelock (1992) claims that travel agents will need to expand their advisory function and concentrate on the provision of information and details that are not available to the traveller through the internet. Beirne (1999) suggests that travel agents should become consumer advocates, finding the best deals for the traveller. Michael Bloch and Arie Segev (1997) has contend travel agents should adopt the IKEA concept, the Swedish furniture giant transformed from a traditional store to a family destinations, with restaurant, kids play ground ,etc. Travel agents can do the same, with each area set to different destinations, or type of travel products. Each area has an information point, that t ravel agents could provide information on the particular destinations, supported by video clips of the main attractions. The experience of shopping might be the only thing that internet could not replicate. 2.3.5 Importance of internet technology for travel agents Barnett and Standing (2000) have identified two major threats that the internet has on the traditional travel agents; they are disintermediation of retail agencies by the product suppliers, and the emergence of new online intermediaries. It argues that the traditional travel agents are not aligned with the demand of new travel economy, travel agents has to establish web present. Standing and Vasudanvan (1999) indicated that some researchers are mainly focusing on the impact of internet and threats of disintermediation, there are very littler work carried out on the strategies travel agents has adopted and the internet marketing models they are using. A large survey of Australian travel agencies website has been carried out, the findings shows that the major of agencies use internet as a yellow pages or online holiday brochure, a small percentage of websites allow the travellers to make booking, around half of the website capture the data on the travellers, but only few captured the traveller email address. The paper also suggested that travel agents should use internet as a marketing tool. 2.5 Research questions and objectives

carnegie hall :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Sunday afternoon November 21, 1999, at 2:00 p.m.at 419th Concert Worldwide, 330th in New York, 218th in Carnegie Hall I attended a MidAmerica production that presented the New England Symphonic Ensemble. This concert contained several different compositions by large groups of musicians, including an orchestra band, and chorus. This concert was divided into three different parts. First there was the Vivaldi which was divided into 12 sections. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse was the music director, Raymond Sprague was the conductor, Judith Von Housers Voice was the soprano, Mary Nessinger voice was the Mezzo soprano, and Elizabeth Hastings was the portative. There was a reprise in the first section Gloria which opened up the symphony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the first intermission the musicians performed Magnificant by Mohaycn, Ave Maria op 12 by Brahms, Magnificant by Vaughan Williams, and Canticle of Mary by Larson. Nancy Menk was the conductor, Judith Von Houser's voice was the soprano and Mary Nessinger the Mezzo-soprano. The first three sections were settings of the magnificant text all for women's of tremble voices and orchestra. This recital was more dramatic due to the addition of the precussion that added a yelling sound in the end of the last section Canticle of Mary which portrayed Mary's free spirit. Also they played a solovin oboe Manificant by Williams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the second intermission the musicians performed the Puccini which was divided into six sections. Solveig Holmquist was the conductor, Thomas C. Laine was the tenor and James Demler voice was the baritone. The chorus carries the major burden of their music. Thomas C. Laine presented the tenor in Credo, and James Demler presented the baritone in Agnas Dei. This piece also contained fugue and a chorale. Also all the instruments were blended together to produce harmony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first part of this recital the vivaldi, contained a string Quartet. After the first intermission, I looked down at the podium and noticed that the precussions were added which included the timpani, bass drum, tylophone, and cymbals. In this recital Nancy Menk was the conductor, Judith Von Houser was the soprano which played a high note, and Mary Nessinger was the Mezzo-soprano which played a slight softer note. This part of the concert was divided into four pieces. First there was the Magnificant by M. Haydn (the orchestra accompaniment was edited from the composer's manuscript by Mark Nabholz). This piece consisted of strings without violas, two french horns, and an organ. carnegie hall :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On Sunday afternoon November 21, 1999, at 2:00 p.m.at 419th Concert Worldwide, 330th in New York, 218th in Carnegie Hall I attended a MidAmerica production that presented the New England Symphonic Ensemble. This concert contained several different compositions by large groups of musicians, including an orchestra band, and chorus. This concert was divided into three different parts. First there was the Vivaldi which was divided into 12 sections. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse was the music director, Raymond Sprague was the conductor, Judith Von Housers Voice was the soprano, Mary Nessinger voice was the Mezzo soprano, and Elizabeth Hastings was the portative. There was a reprise in the first section Gloria which opened up the symphony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the first intermission the musicians performed Magnificant by Mohaycn, Ave Maria op 12 by Brahms, Magnificant by Vaughan Williams, and Canticle of Mary by Larson. Nancy Menk was the conductor, Judith Von Houser's voice was the soprano and Mary Nessinger the Mezzo-soprano. The first three sections were settings of the magnificant text all for women's of tremble voices and orchestra. This recital was more dramatic due to the addition of the precussion that added a yelling sound in the end of the last section Canticle of Mary which portrayed Mary's free spirit. Also they played a solovin oboe Manificant by Williams.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the second intermission the musicians performed the Puccini which was divided into six sections. Solveig Holmquist was the conductor, Thomas C. Laine was the tenor and James Demler voice was the baritone. The chorus carries the major burden of their music. Thomas C. Laine presented the tenor in Credo, and James Demler presented the baritone in Agnas Dei. This piece also contained fugue and a chorale. Also all the instruments were blended together to produce harmony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first part of this recital the vivaldi, contained a string Quartet. After the first intermission, I looked down at the podium and noticed that the precussions were added which included the timpani, bass drum, tylophone, and cymbals. In this recital Nancy Menk was the conductor, Judith Von Houser was the soprano which played a high note, and Mary Nessinger was the Mezzo-soprano which played a slight softer note. This part of the concert was divided into four pieces. First there was the Magnificant by M. Haydn (the orchestra accompaniment was edited from the composer's manuscript by Mark Nabholz). This piece consisted of strings without violas, two french horns, and an organ.

What Is The Bible? Essay -- Religion Bible

The Bible is the most significant book in the history of civilization. In the context of Jewish history, the Bible’s impact on politics, history, and religion is without comparison. Along with establishing the covenant-based legitimacy of the Jewish people and their history, the Bible’s political impact is exemplified through prophetic politics, the power of kings, and the effects of political authority. Biblical archeology has discovered biblical structures which supports the historical validity of the Bible. The Bible’s effect on history, politics, and religion has shaped the world we live in today. In order to comprehend the level of significance the Bible represents, one must systematically break down the structure of the Bible. Religious writings of both Judaism and Christianity compose the Bible and are dependant on the religious traditions of a specific denomination. In the context of Judaism, Tanakh is the Hebrew name of the Bible composed by the three parts of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim. The Torah includes the â€Å"Five Books† of Moses which establishes God’s covenant with the Jews. The Nevi’im discusses the division of the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, and acknowledges different prophets. The Ketuvim is composed of poetry, writings, and the stories of Jewish prophets. The books written after the Hebrew Bible, referred to as The New Testament by Christians, contain the accounts of Jesus and his disciples. The New Testament plays a central role in Christianity just as the Hebrew Bible, or commonly referred to as the Old Testament, provides the foundation for Judaism. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, sets the framework in which Judaism is rooted. Genesis is vital to the religio... ...ness of the Jewish People in accordance to their covenant with God. The Bible also legitimizes the Holy Land belonging to the Children of Israel while establishing Judaism as a Mosaic religion. The Bible provides the basis for Halakha, a corner stone in Judaism. Along with the Old Testament, the Bible plays a prominent role in the development of Christianity. The Gospels of the New Testament assert Christian ideologies and values which clearly be seen influencing the Western world today. Not only did the Bible affirm Judaism and Christianity, it gave a glimpse into the earliest form of politics in the ancient world. Archeology has advantageously legitimized the historical accuracy of the Bible by producing evidence that coincides with the Bible’s narratives. The Bible will continue to play an important role in society as it will continue to shape civilization.

Essay --

Airlines all around the world have to look into different types of aircrafts that best fit their needs for their passengers and the distance between destinations. Boeing and Airbus, two of the world’s biggest commercial airplane manufactures in the world have been competing to get airlines attention on when they are looking to expand their airplane fleet. This competition has been characterized as a duopoly in the large airliner market since the early nineties has when a series of mergers in the aerospace manufacture industry merged or ceased operation. Today we have to look at both competitors to see who has best airplanes in the jet airliner market. Both Airbus and Boeing have a wide product spectrum ranging between wide and narrow body aircrafts covering many combinations of capacity and range. These two companies compete head to head with similar airplanes and styles. With the upcoming generation of young pilots coming into the aviation industry, the market needs high tech airplanes for airlines to buy to help this new generation move in to place. When airlines are looking at new planes to buy, they need to look at all the different types of planes that covers range and capacity. Airlines have to make a decision on what best fits their needs when deciding between a Boeing aircraft and an Airbus aircraft. Boeing is a company that dates back almost a century ago in Seattle Washington by William Boeing. Back in 1916 when Boeing was founded, they manufactured sea planes right out of the Seattle bay. Twenty years later, Boeing’s revolutionary plane was introduced. The Boeing 247 was created and is considered to be the first modern airliner to fly around the world. Boeing operated the planes for commercial purposes. Boeing started u... ...Geo) Again, the Boeing 747-8 wins for better price at $300 million when the Airbus A380 is priced at $318 million. For when it comes to the best at this category, Airbus offers the best wide range double decker aircraft in the market (Warwick, 2012) (aviatorjoe.net) (WILLIAMSON, 2013) (Frankfurt, Haria 2013) (James, 2013). In the last 10 years (2003–2012), Airbus has received 7,714 orders while delivering 4,503, and Boeing has received 7,312 orders while delivering 4,091 (Aircraft Compare 2013). Even though competition is intense, each company regularly accuses the other of receiving unfair state aid from their respective governments. But what really matters is what fits the airline’s needs. For longer ranges, Airbus builds perfect aircrafts for that sector. It’s a tossup for the midrange sector, but then it comes to shorter ranges, Boeing seems to have best fit.

Art & History Essay

Confucianism and Daoism were the dominant moral, religious and political doctrines in China for many centuries. As in the case with Catholicism and Orthodox Church, which significantly influenced the development of arts, Confucianism and Daoism formed many of Chinese artistic currents. Confucianism and Daoism influenced Chinese art in various ways. First of all, their impact on visual arts refers to the usage of moral and philosophical themes in Chinese paintings. The Confucian moral themes, which were often included into such paintings, include the relations between members of family (respect for wife and parents etc. ), obedience to authorities. This is particularly true of the paintings by Gu Kaizhi, such as Admonitions of the Instructress to the Palace Ladies and Wise and Benevolent Women, which portray different social situations and proper ways of social behavior. The latter is a primary trait of Confucian moral philosophy. Taoist moral and philosophical insights are evident in the paintings of Huang Gongwang, who was a Taoist priest. For instance, his painting named Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains created in 1350 uses traditional Taoist art form of landscape painting, which best transmits the spiritual character of Taoism and its preoccupation with harmony of people and nature. Using black ink, Huang Gongwang tried to portray the presence of Tao spirit in everything and its power represented in mountains. Moreover, it should be noted that Huang Gongwang, following Taoist and partially Confucian tradition, does not limit himself to painting of bare mountains, but portrays ‘dwelling’ as the symbolic Taoist practice of cognition and ethical behavior (Cooper and Cooper 87-90). Confucianism had strong influence not only on Chinese fine arts, but architecture as well. For instance, famous Forbidden City is a perfect realization of Confucian principles of hierarchy in society and family. Forbidden City is a 720000 square meters imperial court complex with nearly 10000 rooms. The Emperor’s private and official area was situated at the front of the City and the large halls for ceremonial and official purposes were constructed on the high platforms, which stretched from south to north. The whole official construction, hence, was located in the center of Forbidden City, manifesting the respect for and magnificence of imperial power (Ho 43-46). The rest of the buildings, including emperor’s wives houses, were located outside of the central axis. 2. Tea ceremony (cha no yu), which was important cultural phenomenon in Japan since its inception, significantly influenced the development of Japanese visual arts through the wabi-sabi aesthetics, which is characterized by simplicity of forms, asymmetry and naturalism. The development of visual arts was particularly influenced by Takeno Joo, who elaborated the doctrine of ichi-go ichi-e, which pays attention to the unique nature of every tea meeting and every thing in general. This concept was essentially based on the notions of harmony and purity. Wabi-Sabi aesthetics is particularly evident in the interior of Taian teahouse in Myokian Temple near Kyoto, created by famous master Sen no Rikyu during Momoyama period (1573-1615). One of the basic points of Sen no Rikyu philosophy, which also was essentially influenced by Zen-Buddhism, was the perception of ordinary objects’ spiritual value and simplicity of beauty. Taian teahouse is very small (only 1. 8 meters) with tatami mats, where host and guests sat. Closed and narrow space was designed to make the process of tea ceremony more concentrated and intense in order to maintain its solemn and spiritual character. The interior’s space is fixed with a small door, called nijiri-guchi, designed to make the tearoom look bigger. The tearoom also has a niche called Tokonama with a hanging scroll with minor and simple decorations, making emphasis on purity and austerity of a tea ceremony (Pitelka 165). The traditional tea ceremony tools such as teabowls, flower containers, lid rests were also modernized by Sen no Rikyu, who designed them in correspondence with the demands of wabi-sabi aesthetics. Another notable example of tea ceremony’s influence on Japanese arts is Katsura Imperial Villa, built during 1624 and 1645 years, and considered to be an extraordinary combination of imperial court style and wabi-sabi canons. Stroll gardens, which were designed in the Villa, represent clear destination of the path, were accurately graveled, embellished by stones and bridges and garden buildings located along the paths. It is noteworthy that water was always to a viewer’s right, which created an effect of division between different spheres of nature and postulated their divine and unique character. Gardens of the Villa represented the idealized vision of natural lakes and rocks, trees and even various buildings and teahouses were developed in a way emphasizing nature’s power and simplicity. 3. The duality as opposed to monism or syncretism was among the basic characteristics of religious worldviews of many civilizations, including Aztec civilization. First of all, the concept of duality was applied to different spheres of universe – the earthly life was contrasted with heavenly life, the power of emperor was contrasted with the power of gods etc. There is no denying the importance of the fact, that the theme of duality played important role in Aztec architecture and Aztec Great Temple (Temple Mayor) is a vivid example of this. Built during Postclassical period of Mesoamerica (the construction began in the beginning of 14-th century) in Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, it represents some basic themes, peculiar to dualism. First of all, the theme of duality is represented in Temple’s conceptual purposes. It was dedicated to two Aztec gods – Tlaloc, a god of rain and farming, and Huitzilolochtli, a god of war. To realize this twofold dedication, two separate shrines for each of the gods were constructed at the top of the temple and separate staircases were designed. The temple is constructed in the traditional form of Aztec pyramid. As Kowalski notes, â€Å"From the Templo Mayor the four quarters of the universe and the cardinal points were partitioned. In its architectural form was expressed the concept of duality, and the mass of its basal platform subdivided into terraces incorporated the concept of different levels of ascent† (Kowalski 210). Apart from two-sided architectural structure of the Temple, it should be noted that it contained symbolical representation of duality between life and death. It was associated with the transition point for those who died naturally from earthly to the underground world called Mictlan. Hence, the Great Temple was a point, where cosmic levels united and provided access to the underworld. To sum it up, the themes of duality were realized in the Great Temple both in architectural and symbolic levels of Aztec culture. 4. Gender relations in Oceania societies found their full realization in the products of Oceania people’s culture. The majority of Oceania societies, including Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia tribes still have patriarchal societies and matriarchy is rare. Gender relations are symbolically embedded in various products of Oceania arts, which in their turn have strong functional connection with Oceania religious, spiritual and social rituals. For instance, Melanesian masks, which are one of the most complex forms of Melanesian art, play important ritual and gender role. As far as their design in concerned, these masks have much in common. The majority of them are covered with the bark cloth, which forms a certain background for painted symbols. The structure of masks is strengthened by coconut fronds or light woods. The masks are usually worn with various leaves, which are to conceal the nudity of the mask’s wearer. Those, who wear masks (called in Lakalai tribe valuku or tubuan) often engage in various performances of ritual and spiritual character. Masks play gender function as well, because only men in Melanesian societies are allowed to wear masks. Moreover, not every man is consecrated into the masks’ art, but only those that possess the biggest privileges and social power, that is tribe elders and initiated. Women and children play the role of spectators and victims in tribal mask performances. One of such rites include mapakuo (‘the head’) chasing women and children around Melanesian village and those whom he catches may be unlucky to be beaten with palm branches, sticks or punished in other ways. This rite, as we see, represents both gender and social power of men over their inferiors (Valentine 29-31). The spiritual role of masks in Melanesian societies is also very important. As Valentine notes, ‘Lakalai masking is a prime ceremonial expression of the traditional magico-religious system. It is intimately associated not only with sacred traditions of the past but also with present-day contacts between men and the spirit world’ (Valentine 48). The mystic element of mask art is also evident, because it keeps men’s identity in secrete and provides them with possibility to transform it in coherence with the laws of dramatic performance or ritual. It should be mentioned that Melanesian masks have strong ties with traditional crafts and Lakalai graphic arts. Another element of Oceania arts, which reveals gender roles and statuses, is the art of fetish objects, which exclusively belong to men and are designed to represent their masculine strength and control over women. Usually they are phallic symbols, which are presented in the form of trumpets, flutes or bullroarers. Bullroarers play crucial frightening role, which helps control the inferior members of community. As Gregor and Tuzin note with this respect, ‘They produce sounds, usually in deep registers, that are inherently dramatic and haunting. In being heard but not seen, these objects are perhaps ideal for conveying mystery and instilling fear in the naive listener’ (Gregor and Tuzin 317). These artistic and ritual symbols, hence, represent men’s power and hegemony and this is also proved by the fact that the ‘the most brutal punishments of all, rape and death, are meted out to women who see the flutes and bullroarers, and why the men often equate the act of women seeing the flutes with chaos and the destruction of society† (Gregor and Tuzin 318). 5. African art was for a long time interwoven with religion, which resulted in direct impact of ritual forms and traditions on African works of art. African art reflects religious content, and hence, may be conceptualized as ritualistic art. In its turn it results in specific type of relation between ritual, art and its objects. Ritual or mythological symbols may be embedded in art to amplify their divine meaning and vice versa – art meaning may be used to increase the appeal of rituals. For instance, Yoruba people (of West Africa) have their distinct art techniques of human body representation in sculptures and other variants of plastic art, which are deeply tied with their rituals and mythology. The majority of Yoruba’s sculptures of human body have disproportionate size of torso and head: Yoruba masters make sculptures’ head bigger, than normal human heads. It is explained by the fact, that Ori (‘head’) is the symbol of inner head, which unites Yoruba with a deity. Yoruba culture, therefore, considers head to be the most important part of human body (Lawal 499). For instance, female twin figure (ere ibeji), created in the first half of the 20-th century is totally disproportionate from traditional point of view. The head is significantly bigger than the other parts of the body, while the latter deviate from natural proportions. This is not the lack of art techniques, but conscious design to meet the demands of ritual procedures, which should follow the main canons of Yoruba religion. Another interesting cohesion between art and ritual in Yoruba culture is decoration of worship sites and sanctuaries of goddesses and gods. Various emblems, doors ornaments and sculptures form such ritual complex in Osun groove. Osun, which is the goddess of the River Osun, has her own symbols, including various pots (oru), beads and brass (ide). This cultural and ritual site is located in the forest, which traditionally was regarded as the home of spirits. Another example of African ritual art includes Jomooni (men) and Jonyeleni (women) figures, produced by Bamana culture of Mali. The figures bear both ritual and decorative function. The decorative function is represented by jewelry and the ritual one by their usage during rituals of Jo society (Colleyn and Laurie 19). The rituals include initiations, following living in the bush during a week. The ritual includes dances and performances, ritual baths, during which the presents are given to initiates by spectators. Works Cited Colleyn, Jean-Paul, and Laurie Ann Farrell. â€Å"Bamana: The Art of Existence in Mali. † African Arts 34. 4 (2001): 16-27. Cooper, Rhonda and Cooper, Jeffrey. Masterpieces of Chinese Art. Todtri Productions, 1997. Gregor, Thomas A. , and Donald Tuzin, eds. Gender in Amazonia and Melanesia: An Exploration of the Comparative Method. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001. Ho, Bronson. Splendors of China’s Forbidden City. London, Merrell Publishers, 2004. Kowalski, Jeff Karl, ed. Mesoamerican Architecture as a Cultural Symbol. New York, Oxford University Press, 1999. Lawal, Babatunde. â€Å"Aworan: Representing the Self and Its Metaphysical Other in Yoruba Art. † The Art Bulletin 83. 3 (2001): 498-516. Pitelka, Morgan, ed. Japanese Tea Culture: Art, History, and Practice. London, Routledge Curzon, 2003. Valentine, C. A. Masks and Men in a Melanesian Society: The Valuku or Tubuan of the Lakalai of New Britain. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, 1961.