American healthcare system Essay Example

American healthcare system Essay Example American healthcare system Paper American healthcare system Paper American healthcare system is the most expensive in the world. Sad, but true. Average expenditures for health care is about $5,540 per capita – much more than in other countries. Two different groups of Americans has different attitude to these money: sick persons want pay less and health care providers want earn more. A recent WHO survey ranked the United States as th 37th in overall health system performance. USA has honorous place between Costa Rica and Slovenia. Why? Everebody knows that the United States spends more on health care (13.7% of GDP) than any another nation. But Americans are the most dissatisfied with the quality of health care. Only 40% of Americans think that their national health care system is good. 80% Americans say the health care system needs major changes or a complete rebuilding. At the beginning of the new millenium there were more than 38 million uninsured adult Americans. In addition to the lack of health insurance among nearly 15% of the population of the United States, there are major economic and racial and ethnic disparities among uncovered persons. Nearly two thirds of the uninsured come from low-income families, and nearly three quarters of these individuals are from families with at least one full-time worker. The worse situation we have with accessibilty of health care for Hispanics. Official commentary from White House: â€Å"Many Americans enjoy access to good choices in employer-sponsored health care plans, but many others do not have good coverage options or are in danger of losing them.† President team proposed some approaches to the reform: â€Å"patient-centered health care through coverage thet you choose†, â€Å"improving the health care system by creating an environmnet thet encourages and rewards quality† and â€Å"effective support to strengthen the health care safety net and increase biomedical research†. Commentary â€Å"from the streets† (David Baron’s homepage): â€Å"I consider our current health care system to be a restricted market. By this I mean that the insurance industry is a group of profit-seeking firms, but consumers do not have free choice to switch between the market alternatives. Many of the people who defend the current system claim that a free market is best. However our current system is not a free market. Many of the problems in our current health care system are a result of the restrictions in this market. Consumers cannot register their discontent with their insurance plans because it is difficult to switch plans. Because of this difficulty, plans can fail to provide quick resolution of claims, good information, or consistent policy because customers are tied in to their current plans through their employers and through the difficulty of switching plans. Considering our current system of a restricted market, one of the simplest solutions to this problem would be to have a free market for health insurance, so that people could â€Å"vote with their feet.† Citation from Insurance Journal â€Å"The poll found that 84 percent of likely Illinois voters characterize the current state of Illinois medical liability system as a crisis or major problem, and more than three-quarters (77 percent) think the system needs major changes or a complete overhaul. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of those surveyed rate dealing with the impact of high medical liability insurance rates on health care as an extremely important issue for the Governor and state legislature to address. And 62 percent reportedly say they would be more likely to support their state legislator in this falls elections if their lawmaker voted for comprehensive reform†. So the problems on the federal and state level are the same. There are several problems in the medical insurance, inluding increase of the number of uninsured people, aging of population which will put enormous stresses on the pension and Medicare system. American insurance system need to evolve into a more sensible strategy over time†. Americans are very inpatient nation. Were very keen on new technology and procedures, and we dont have to want to wait for them or have to travel long distances. Probably, we will always spend substantially more relative to our Gross National Product than other countries. We have inequality in access to health care. There is the different attitude toward government that exists around the country. Some of the lower middle class probably are at the most risk. They may not have insurance or their insurance may not be as complete and theyre not easily eligible for assistance. Thats probably the biggest problem, the lower-middle income working uninsured population or maybe even underinsured population. An administrator of Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services, Thomas A. Scully used more strong words: â€Å"We spend billions of dollars, and we have no idea where its going. We make multi-billion-dollar mistakes.† He says â€Å"I had three goals coming into the job. One was to shake up HCFA for the better and make it much more transparent and more consumer-responsive. Secondly, I want to make the program more understandable and responsive to seniors. I think the whole health care system is much more responsive when beneficiaries know what theyre getting and they have information about quality.Third, I really want to get Medicare reform done, and Id also like to do something about the uninsured†. In his article published in the American Journal of Public Health (2003) Dr. Mohammad Akhter wrote   about advocacy of the development of universal health care system. Their approach is based on a single-payer mechanism. But Akhter considers â€Å"that a good alternative to the single-payer system that is based on incremental extension of existing coverage mechanisms, accompanied by fundamental reform of the health care delivery system. This approach is in keeping with the traditional methods of policy development in the United States, and I urge APHA to assume leadership in advocating it.† Another professional, professor Dennis G. Shea speak about three different approah in health care reform. The first one â€Å"would advocate using resources to develop systems, both public and private, for coordinating and organizing care†. Its goal to avoid errors that compromise the quality of care, duplication of efforts and espenditures, to increase responsiveness. Another approach â€Å"puts patients more at the center of their care, making them partners, as much as patients†. It means that people should be personally responsible for their health. The third approach â€Å"emphasizes that a basic commitment to care for all should be the primary value in our health system†. â€Å"This would require a redistribution of funds from those who are well-off to others to accomplish the goal. The increased governmental involvement could actually increase costs, create shortages and waiting lists, and reduce quality†. The President of National Coalition on Health Care, Henry Simmons, a physician, said: The main point I want to leave with you is that the crisis we face cannot be resolved by our present strategies or with the patchwork efforts of the past. Neither can it be resolved by dealing with only one or several of the problems we face. Resolution will require comprehensive health system reform. Health providers consider Medicaid and Medicare to be the most efficient health plans today. And they tell that the private sector insurance BIG BUSINESSES are inefficient, and charge outrageous premiums to their customers while decreasing benefits and reimbursements. CIGNA, United Healthcare, BC/BS, Medcost, Aetna and other companies are the major cause for our health care crisis. They should be eliminated and replaced with one universal plan. How was that perception shaped by the purchasers of health care? Customer hopes for better. They see that Americans who cant afford to pay huge medical bills usually get treatment anyway, through a mixture of private and public charity. But this happens only after treatments are delayed, families are driven into bankruptcy and insurers spend billions trying not to provide care. People think that we need an universal health paln for all Americans. Health coverage should be a right, not a privilege. References: http://dbaron.org/views/health.html http://forum.johnkerry.com/lofiversion/index.php/t43005.html ajph.org/cgi/content/full/93/1/99 insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2004/07/23/44355.htm whitehouse.gov/infocus/medicare/health-care/

Woody Guthrie, Influential Songwriter and Folk Singer

Woody Guthrie, Influential Songwriter and Folk Singer Woody Guthrie was an American songwriter and folk singer whose songs about troubles and triumphs of American life, coupled with his raw performing style, had enormous influence on popular music and culture. An eccentric character often viewed as something of a hobo poet, Guthrie created a template for songwriters which, carried along by admirers including Bob Dylan, helped infuse popular songs with poetic and often political messages. His most famous song, This Land Is Your Land has become an official national anthem, sung at countless school assemblies and public gatherings. Though his career was cut short by an incapacitating illness, Guthries songs have continued to inspire successive generations of musicians and listeners. Fast Facts: Woody Guthrie Full Name: Woodrow Wilson GuthrieKnown For: Songwriter and folk singer who portrayed the troubles and triumphs of Depression era Americans and had enormous influence on popular music.Born: July 14, 1912 in Okemah, OklahomaDied: October 3, 1967 in New York, New YorkParents: Charles Edward Guthrie and Nora Belle ShermanSpouses: Mary Jennings (m. 1933-1940), Marjorie Mazia (m. 1945-1953 ), and Anneke Van Kirk (m. 1953-1956)Children: Gwen, Sue, and Bill Guthrie (with Jennings); Cathy, Arlo, Joady, and Nora Guthrie (with Mazia); and Lorina (with Van Kirk) Early Life Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Oklahoma. He was the third of five children, and both his parents were interested in music. The town of Okemah was only about ten years old, recently settled by transplants who brought musical traditions and instruments with them. As a child Guthrie heard church music, songs from the Appalachian mountain tradition, and fiddle music. It seems music was a bright spot in his life, which was marked by tragic incidents. When Guthrie was 7 years old his mother’s mental condition began to deteriorate. She was suffering from undiagnosed Huntington’s chorea, the same disease that would, decades later, afflict Woody. His sister perished in a kitchen fire, and following that tragedy, his mother was committed to an asylum. When Guthrie was 15 the family moved to Pampa, Texas, to stay near relatives. Guthrie began to play the guitar. With his natural musical aptitude he soon mastered it and began performing with an aunt and uncle in a small band. He also learned to play mandolin, fiddle, and harmonica, and was known to perform in talent shows and plays at his high school. Woody Guthrie portrait. Bettmann  /  Getty Images After finishing high school, Guthrie took off to travel about the South, essentially choosing to live as a hobo. He kept singing and playing guitar wherever he went, picking up various songs and beginning to write some of his own. He eventually returned to Pampa, and at the age of 21 he married a friend’s 16-year-old sister, Mary Jennings. The couple would have three children. Pampa is located in the Texas panhandle, and when the Dust Bowl conditions struck, Guthrie was an eyewitness. He felt great empathy for the farmers whose lives were upended by the severe weather conditions, and began to write the songs that would comprise a body of work about those affected by the Dust Bowl. In 1937 Guthrie was restless to get out of Texas, and managed to hitch rides to California. In Los Angeles he performed, got noticed, and landed a job singing on a local radio station. He was able to send for his wife and children and the family settled in Los Angeles for a time. Guthrie became friends with the actor Will Geer, who was very active in radical political circles. He enlisted Guthrie to sing some of his songs at rallies, and Guthrie became associated with communist sympathizers. In 1940 Geer, who was staying in New York City, convinced Guthrie to cross the country and join him. Guthrie and his family headed to New York. Burst of Creativity His arrival in the big city in February 1940 sparked a burst of creativity. Staying at the Hanover House, a small hotel near Times Square, he wrote down, on February 23, 1940, the lyrics for what would become his most famous song, This Land Is Your Land. The song had been in his head as hed traveled across the country. The song God Bless America by Irving Berlin had become a huge hit in the late 1930s, and Guthrie was irritated that Kate Smiths rendition of it was endlessly played on the radio. In response to it, he wrote a song which declared, in simple yet poetic terms, that America belonged to its people. c. 1940, New York, New York City, Almanac Singers, L-R: Woody Gurthrie, Millard Lampell, Bess Lomax Hawes, Pete Seeger, Arthur Stern, Sis Cunningham. Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images In a span of a few months in New York, Guthrie met new friends including Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, and Cisco Houston. The folk song scholar Alan Lomax recorded Guthrie and also arranged for him to appear on a CBS radio network program. Dust Bowl Ballads In the spring of 1940, while based in New York, Guthrie traveled to the Victor Records studio in Camden, New Jersey. He recorded a collection of songs he had written about the Dust Bowl and the Okies of the Great Depression who had left the devastated farmlands of the Midwest for a grueling trip to California. The resulting album (folios of 78-rpm discs) titled Dust Bowl Ballads was released in the summer of 1940 and was notable enough to receive a very positive review in the New York Times on August 4, 1940. The newspaper praised Guthries writing and said of his songs: They make you think; they may even make you uncomfortable, though not as uncomfortable as the Okie on his miserable journey. But they are an excellent thing to have on record. Dust Bowl Ballads, which is now in print in a compact disc version, contains some of Guthries best-known songs, including Talkin Dust Bowl Blues, I Aint Got No Home In This World Anymore, and Do Re Mi, a mordantly funny song about the troubles of migrants arriving penniless in California. The song collection also contained Tom Joad, Guthries rewrite of the story of John Steinbecks classic Dust Bowl novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck did not mind. American folk singer Woody Guthrie performs on a stoop for an audience of predominantly children, New York, New York, 1943. Eric Schaal / Getty Images Back West Despite his success, Guthrie was restless in New York City. In a new car hed been able to purchase, he drove his family back to Los Angeles, where he discovered work was scarce. He took a job for the federal government, for a New Deal agency in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration. Guthrie was paid $266 to interview workers on a dam project and write a series of songs promoting the benefits of hydroelectric power. Guthrie took to the project enthusiastically, writing 26 songs in a month (often borrowing tunes, as was common in the folk tradition). Some have endured, including Grand Coulee Dam, Pastures of Plenty, and Roll On, Columbia, his ode to the mighty Columbia River. The odd assignment prompted him to write songs packed with his trademark wordplay, humor, and empathy for working people. Following his time in the Pacific Northwest he returned to New York City. His wife and children didnt come along to New York but moved to Texas, intent on finding a permanent home where the children could attend school. That separation would mark the end of Guthries first marriage. New York and War Based in New York as the city began to mobilize for war following the Pearl Harbor attack, Guthrie began writing songs supporting the American war effort and denouncing fascism. Photographs of him taken during this period often show him playing a guitar with the sign on it: This Machine Kills Fascists. American folk singer Woody Guthrie (1912 - 1967) plays his guitar, which has a handwritten sticker that says, This Machine Kills Fascists, New York, New York, 1943. Eric Schaal / Getty Images During the war years he wrote a memoir, Bound For Glory, an account of his travels around the country. Guthrie joined the U.S. Merchant Marine and made several sea voyages, delivering supplies as part of the war effort. Near the end of the war he was drafted and spent a year in the U.S. Army. When the war ended he was discharged and after some traveling about the country he settled in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. In the late 1940s, Guthrie recorded more songs and continued writing. Many lyrics he never got around to setting to music, including Deportees, a song about migrant workers killed in a plane crash in California while being deported to Mexico. He had been inspired by a newspaper article that didnt provide the names of the victims. As Guthrie put it in his lyrics, The newspaper said they were just deportees. Guthries words were later put to music by others, and the song has been performed by Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and many others. Illness and Legacy Guthrie remarried and had more children. But his life took a dark turn when he began to be afflicted with the onset of Huntingtons chorea, the hereditary disease which had killed his mother. As the disease attacks brain cells, the effects are profound. Guthrie slowly lost his ability to control his muscles, and had to be hospitalized. As a new generation of folk song enthusiasts discovered his work in the late 1950s his reputation grew. Robert Zimmerman, a student at the University of Minnesota who had recently started calling himself Bob Dylan, became fascinated with Guthrie to the extent of hitching a ride to the East Coast so he could visit him at a state hospital in New Jersey. Inspired by Guthrie, Dylan began writing his own songs. Guthries own son, Arlo, eventually began performing in public, becoming a successful singer and songwriter. And countless other young people, hearing Guthries old records, were energized and inspired. After more than a decade of hospitalization, Woody Guthrie died on October 3, 1967, at the age of 55. His obituary in the New York Times noted that he had written as many as 1,000 songs. Many recordings of Woody Guthrie are still available (today on the popular streaming services) and his archives are housed at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sources: Guthrie, Woody. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by Laura B. Tyle, vol. 5, UXL, 2003, pp. 838-841. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Guthrie, Woody. Great Depression and the New Deal Reference Library, edited by Allison McNeill, et al., vol. 2: Biographies, UXL, 2003, pp. 88-94. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Guthrie, Woody 1912–1967. Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, edited by Mary Ruby, vol. 256, Gale, 2014, pp. 170-174. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

MGMT3010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGMT3010 - Essay Example The last tier makes sure that the policies which are in practice are kept in such a manner that these benefit the organization in entirety. The four tiers within the functional experts are significant at gaining an understanding of the organization and the different roles that come about in the wake of changes and amendment happening from time to time. The benefits of the functional experts would in terms of providing value to the investors, customers and employees in essence. As far as the strategic partner is concerned, this helps in facilitating and coordinating strategies which benefit the employees and indeed the organization in the long run. It makes the tasks of all people easier without a doubt. The management reaps the dividends under such quarters because the processes play their significant role at benefiting the people at large. The strategic partner tries to integrate the different sectors within the business domains to make sure that there is a smooth operational regime in place. The strategic partner links up with the tasks with the resources which are available at their disposal and make sure that all the anomalies are taken care of without any hindrances. The strategic partner has always been an important element of any organization as its role is undoubted and there seem to be no issues which engulf their respective selves.

Network Security Opening to the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Network Security Opening to the World - Essay Example Internet based conferencing eliminates the need of a physical meeting place. One can meet people, exchange information and data, and can share files and notes using electronic means. It also saves cost and increase efficiency of the system as a whole. Cisco recently saved more than $1 million on ISO-compliance training by using video-on-demand instead of in-person sessions (Jackson 2004). All the internet conferencing products are inherently dependent upon the bandwidth, networking components and desktop hardware supporting them (McKenzie 2005). If the hardware and network lack necessary support features, internet based conferencing could be an effort in turmoil, and may cause loss of time, productivity, and revenue. An electronic document or file is more vulnerable to unauthorized access. However, the latest software packages that provide internet conferencing facilities have features to provide assurance about the privacy and confidentiality of data. One low cost, and feature rich product is GoToMeeting by Citrix. In addition to the usual features for conferencing, the product offers high security and privacy to the potential customers. The users are provided capability to share only a specific application rather than entire desktop. It helps to make users more confident that they control the software, and not the other way around. Hence, it is similar to a face to face meeting where one can share specific information with other party without having to show the entire knowledgebase to others. Confidentiality and Availability To protect against tapping and data security breaches during transmission, GoToMeeting offers 128 bit encryption of all meeting data, and enforce strong end user authentication procedures. There are software, like Elluminates's server based software, which can detect dropout in audio due to a network glitch and can re-send the missing audio, speeding up the feed slightly until it catches up to the real-time feed. This allows minimal loss of information. Reliability and Flow Control For the purpose of internet based conferencing, the delivery and convertibility of data packets reaching to destination is very important and critical aspect of a good performance versus a failed session. This is the exact problem the Cisco was facing with regard to video streaming over IP to ensure end-to-end delivery of the video traffic. If each desktop isn't properly configured for video, there are no guarantees that a video feed will be delivered. The company solved this glitch by pushing out standard configurations to all sites that made it easier to handshake among varying protocols. References Jackson, K. 2004. Video IP Project Boosts Network's Profile: A Look at Cisco Media Network. Network Computing.com. Online. Available from Internet, http://www.networkcomputing.com/showitem.jhtmldocid=1508centerfold, accessed 12 March 2007. McKenzie, M. Five Web Conferencing Packages: Not Just Conference Calls Anymore. Network Computing.com. Online. Available from Internet, http://www.networkcomputing.com/showArticle.jhtmlarticleID=174403432, accessed 12 March

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 63

Reflection - Essay Example Some of the similarities shared between the three religions are the fact that they all worship the same God. This is based on the evidence that the three religions are all monotheistic as they believe in one supreme God (Reed, 2013). Despite the similarity, religion is believed to be amongst the major cause of conflict in the Middle East. This is as the three religions are believed to have emerged from this region. These religions also have their holy centers located in this region. The overlap in the bounders of the different religious groups fuels the conflict. This is as each group claims different territories in which the bounders are seen to overlap in many cases hence the groups resulting to war (Ozdag, 2003). This is the case in the fight over the Gaza strip. The other religious factor that is a contributor to the current state of warfare in the Middle East is the relationship between the Muslims and the Jewish. These two groups have many differences that are seen be geopolitical, religious and ethnic differences. The Jews believe that they are the initial inhabitants of the lands in Middle East. They believe that the lands they currently live in and those that other groups live in were given to them by Jehovah hence the need to recover them. The Arabs, on the other hand, are always unwilling to share the lands they currently hold with the Jews (Ozdag, 2003). In addition to this, the perception held by the Jews that pits the Arabs as second class hence below them leads to strained relations. Historical events like the expulsion of the Jews from Medina by Prophet Mohammed further strain the relation. This is as the expulsion saw the massacre and deportation of the Jews from Saudi Arabia. Anti-Semitic statements contained in the Koran are also a major source of conflict and war in the Middle East. Relations between the Christians and the Muslims in the Middle East are a contributor to the current state in

A Report On Travel And Tourism Environment Tourism Essay

A Report On Travel And Tourism Environment Tourism Essay The purpose of this report is to survey the current state of the UK tourism market. This report examines the historical evolution of the travel and tourism industry in the UK, from ancient time to present in case of importance of being informed about, the history will lead us to understand the situation better and clearer and also it tries to clarify the current structure of the travel and tourism industry in the UK. Since we are facing many effects that economic policies have on different industries, the report also investigates the influence of both local and international agencies as well as global and national economic policy on tourism industry. The other section which has been explained in the current report is the effects of supply and demand on travel and tourism industry; its important to be discussed because of the clear vision itll give us in planning for the industry. Finally it should be noticed that all industries have some pros and cons and knowing them gives planners and managers to avoid making repetitive wrong decisions therefore I will describe what the positive and negative impacts are on local and the globe by tourism industry. History and structure of the travel and tourism industry History Since Persian king Darius the Great has made the first generation of roads and accommodation facilities for commuting, thousands of years has been past, its easy to find the footsteps of Egyptians and Romans as ancient travellers, Wikipedia (July 2010) comments that Wealthy people have always travelled to distant parts of the world, to see great buildings, works of art, learn new languages, experience new cultures and to taste different cuisines. Long ago, at the time of the Roman Republic, places such as Baiae were popular coastal resorts for the rich. However, we have different concept of travelling and tourism today. The word tourism was used by 1811 and tourist by 1780 also the word tour was used by 14th century (Merriam-Websters 11th collegiate dictionary). Nowadays based on UNWTO 1993, tourism is defined as: The activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. The UK was always one of the pathfinders in history of tourism industry, since many of new travelling system has founded or developed by the UK such as The Elizabethan traveller in the renaissance or the first-ever excursions by Thomas cook, Cox kings company. The industry revolution and economic growth formed todays tourism, as a result of social changes and massive demands for having leisure and recreation in the new born industrial societies. Wikipedia (July 2010) claims that: Leisure travel was associated with the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom the first European country to promote leisure time to the increasing industrial population. Initially, this applied to the owners of the machinery of production, the economic oligarchy, the factory owners and the traders. These comprised the new middle class. The need for services led the companies to be founded, 2008 marked the 250th anniversary of the foundation of Cox Kings, the longest established travel company in the world. Cox Kings (2010) In the other words, we were facing Democratization of Tourism which has been described by John Urry. How has it occurred? Sharply (2006) noted that: an historical analysis of tourism development identifies three main periods within which specific forms of tourism can be identified: 1600-1800: a period which witnessed the rise and fall of the Grand Tour, as well as the popularity of spas as the first example of resort-based tourism e.g. tourism in the Lake District which dates back to 1698, when many visitors travelled to the Lake District for the education and the pleasure of the journey. 1800-1900: during this period, seaside resorts emerged and grew rapidly. The latter half of the 19th century also saw the birth and development of the package tour, with Thomas Cook being widely considered as the originator of the concept. 1900 onwards: a period initially defined by increasing domestic tourism but, since the 1960s, by the rapid growth of international mass tourism. The world has experienced a noticeable fluctuation on almost every thing while World War II, the tourism wasnt apart and had major shifts; Industries have increasingly become global in the Post-World War II period. Infrastructures and transportation have faced fundamental changes, some of them are: Using motor couches Increase in car ownership Increase in leisure time More disposable income and paid holiday Jet aircrafts developed Computerized reservation systems Introduction of holiday camps Low cost airlines Long haul destinations Package holidays Social changes Political changes Nowadays tourism is affected mostly by new social attitude of government and people toward terrorism after 9/11, financial recession in 2009 and growth of the internet and Medias. Structure Travel and tourism industry is really complicated and usually is considered as umbrella industry, since its dependence on a lot of factors and sectors which are working together, therefore every section should work correctly in order to be successful. This industry encompasses transportation system, accommodations, tour operators, travel agencies, cruise lines, adventure companies, receptive operators, convention bureaus and so on. According to Rowe et al (2002), Travel and tourism is able to be discussed in several categories, but we basically classify it in these three types that are presented by Diagram1: Travel and Tourism Domestic Tourism Inbound Tourism Outbound Tourism Figure 1 Domestic tourism is when people from a country take holidays, short breaks and day trip in their own homeland. Like a couple who take a two days break to visit their relatives in their own country. Inbound tourism is when some people enter to another country form their home country. Like a business group which enter England in order to attend a conference. Outbound tourism this terms is used when the people travel form their own country to visit the other part of the world for leisure or baseness. Like an Iranian family who goes to The U.S just for leisure. In the chart below the number of both inbound and outbound tourism in the UK have been compared since 2008: National Statistic Online (2010) Figure2 Source: National Statistic Online There is also another model suggested by Leiper in 1990, according to Cooper et al, (2008) there are three basic elements of Leipers model: Tourists Tourists are different in what their goals are and what they are traveling for but they are the first ring of this chain. Geographical elements Traveler-generating region Tourist destination region Tourist route region The tourism sector Figure 3 Some of the tourism sector includes: International or national tourism organizations e.g.: UNWTO, Visitbritainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Transportation system e.g. airlines, rail system, ocean liners, rental cars, buses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Accommodations e.g. hotels, BBs, time share complex, campingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Tour operators, wholesalers, travel agencies, adventure companies, receptive operators, convention bureaus Visitors attractions e.g. museums, ancient monuments, landscapes Lets put Leipers model in practice with an example, a British young couple is traveling to Brazil in order to spend their honeymoon in Rio; Rio is famous for its great beaches. They fly by British Air Line, and booked a five star hotel at the beach through the internet. This package was designed by Travel to Heaven which is a wholesaler but they have bought it from a travel agency near their home in Sheffield. They are going to take the train to London since the flight is form Heathrow air port. A young couple is tourist. Geographical elements. Sheffield (England) is tourist generating region. Rio (Brazil) is tourist destination region. Taking the train from Sheffield and flying form Heathrow forms transit route region. Tourism elements are particularly Travel to Heaven, a small travel agency, a five star hotel, catering, national and international organizations, and so on. Tourism and travel Industry sometimes get impact of Integrations in companies which are an important occurrence; firstly we have to know that there are two kinds of integration, Horizontal and Vertical. According to Travel and Tourism Publishing (2010): Vertical integration in the travel industry is when a company has control over other companies that are at different levels in the chain of distribution or in different sectors for instance, TUI Travel UK owns Thomson and First Choice tour operating businesses, and the Thomson and First Choice travel agency chains. Thomas Cook AG (a German group) owns the Thomas Cook and MyTravel tour operating companies (including Airtours), plus the Thomas Cook and Going Places chains of travel agencies. Horizontal integration is when a company owns or has control over a number of companies at the same level in the distribution chain or the same industry sector for instance, many tour operating businesses that are now part of the big two were originally independent companies, e.g. Neilson and Club 18-30 (now part of the Thomas Cook Group), and Something Special and the Holiday Cottages Group (now merged with Thomson). These examples have made significant fluctuations in this industry both locally and globally. The influence of local and national governments and international agencies on the travel and tourism industry The nature of tourism industry as one of the worlds largest industries, employing approximately 235 million people and generating over 9.2 per cent of world GDP, due to its complex structure and its involvement in hundreds of different unit, cause it to be affected by the local and national governments as well as tourism organizations and agencies both domestically and globally. Figure 1 from Charles et al (2006) shows, all of these functions must be carried out with a high degree of cooperative interaction between the public and private sectors. Figure 4 Source: Tourism principle, practice and philosophies Organizations which lead tourism and travel industry are classified in four levels; some of these organizations are briefly described below, in addition it should be mentioned that Iran and Turkey have been selected as samples about national organizations. International organizations and agencies UNWTO: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) is a specialized agency of the united à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½nations and the leading international organization in the field of tourism. It serves as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ UNWTO (September 2010). WTTC: The World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) is the forum for business leaders in the Travel Tourism industry. With Chief Executives of some one hundred of the worlds leading Travel Tourism companies as its Members, WTTC has a unique mandate and overview on all matters related to Travel Tourism. WTTC (September 2010). IATA: It is an international trade body, created over 60 years ago by a group of airlines. Today, IATA represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled  international air traffic. The organization also represents leads and serves the airline industry in general.  IATA (September 2010)   Other organizations which have direct or indirect roles in tourism such as; WHO, IFC, IBRD, ICAO, UNESCO, OECD and so on Regional organizations PATA: The Pacific Asia Travel Association is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to building responsible travel to, from and within the Pacific Asia Region. PATA (September 2010) ETC: The European Travel Commission (ETC) is an association of National Tourism Organizations (NTOs). It was created in 1948 to promote Europe as a destination to long-haul tourism markets. Visiteurope (September 2010) National organizations ICHTO: Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization is responsible for culture heritage, handy crafts and tourism. Museums, hospitality sectors, catering services. Managing private sectors encircle organization duties. KULTUR: Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism is a national organization which is in charge of tourism in Turkey. Local organizations GCHTO: Guilan Culture Heritage and Tourism Organization is a local organization that acts in Guilan province located in north of Iran. THA: Tehran Hotels Association, this association works to develop hotels and manage hospitality issues in Tehran the capital of Iran. Every province has its own association. These organizations are in charge of leading, managing, developing and making polices for expanding sustainable tourism criteria. Interrelate between these organizations is very crucial, since they are managing a massive industry. For example UNWTO is well-known for its unique statistics and surveys, also Charles et al (2006) declare that UNWTO has a central and decisive role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism, with the aim of contributing to economic development, international understanding, peace, prosperity, and universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In pursuing this aim, WTO pays particular attention to the interests of the developing countries in the field of tourism. Its not only this organization involve in different regional projects, for instance the project of Silk road an ancient 12,000 Km form Asia to Europe. UNWTO is working on poverty soothing and omission through sustainable tourism, protecting children from sexual exploitation in tourism, crisis management, ecotourism, and safety and security. A good example for cooperation between all these organizations in different levels can be Rural Heritage Museum of Guilan this museum has been founded in 2005 with approximately four million dollars investment, its now in seventh phase. Its the first eco-museum in Iran. UNESCO, ICOM (international council of museum), university of Tehran, ICHTO, GCHTO, Financial sponsors and local communities involved in founding this museum as an unique experience in Iran. Here in this part of the report we are going to investigate what are the influences of these sectors on tourism; in addition the condition of these organizations and their effects will be examined in Iran. Naturally role of the government in totalitarian systems and communist regimes is more than the other sectors, because in these kinds of systems almost everything in all levels is controlled by the government. In addition finding suitable information based on reliable statistic is a troublesome action indeed. There are lots of outcomes can be identified in Iran during last few decades, for instance since Islamic revolution, Iran has faced fundamental fluctuations in politics, ideology, international relationship, economy and so on. All of these elements obviously influenced tourism industry, for example after the revolution many western countries werent interested to visit Iran mainly, because of the black face that the totalitarian regime of Iran had and also because of eight years war among Iran and Iraq which made the region unsafe, also partly because of limitation in social freedom for example in clothing or drinking. Political Issues and policies Sanctions after sanctions is what shows how bitter is the situation of Irans policy in international community; however in tourism destinations and attractions in the world ranking, Iran is in top twenties but in multi billion dollar tourism business its just near the finish line. Its hard to approve that you are not a terrorist as an ordinary citizen of Iran when you are preparing to travel to other countries; the process for getting visa is a pain due to political policy which Iran has and the feedback of the international community. Traveling to Iran form some countries is hard and sometimes impossible, for instance Israel and the United States. Political stability was threatened by 2009 presidential race and deception in the result which ends with Green Movement protests. This has decreased all domestic, outbound and inbound tourism, thus the investment in privet sector has declined. Economic Issues and policies The effect of economic issues is mostly touchable in domestic and outbound tourism not inbounds. Cutting taxes is an encouraging policy offered by government in order to increase privet sector role in tourism. Investing in tourism industry due to interest rate, inflation and economic stability ties with high risk, the interest rate in Iran is about 15% 25% and the inflation is usually more than 12% and mostly about 20%. Inbound tourism is benefiting with cheaper expenses thanks to the currency power, one $ US is about 10,000 IRR. Traveling by personal cars has been dramatically fall as a result of the policy of using Intelligent Fuel Cards that has been done by the government to reduce the petrol consumption in Iran. Other issues and policies Getting justification in order to run a business for private sector in Iran is a complicated and inexplicable process. A person who wants to invest in tourism fields should pass many filters and tests which arent necessarily relevant to the travel and tourism industry. There was a gradual rise in government employees travel by offering Expedition Cards from the government sector. People can use it to decrease their expenses while traveling. Educating and encouraging people to travel by advertising through the public Medias has made a fluctuation. Producing statistics and information is forgotten by authorities, and practically there isnt any reliable information about tourism industry. The new policy of government is to invest in health tourism thanks to Irans great infrastructure and substructure in this case. Investigate the effects of supply and demand on the travel and tourism industry Planning for enormous industries such tourism is much more vital today, so there should be a wise vision of what we have as facts and what is forecasted for the future. In addition analyzing supply and demand is a consequential procedure in a flourishing industry. As its been mentioned in the first task there are some models which illustrate structure of tourism, but it also can be defined with this two components; Cooper et al (2008) Demand-side definitions Supply-side definitions Since demand-side has an immense influence on supply-side, even we can say that supply is a function of demand, demand as a key factor of tourism industry will be discussed in this task. Indeed definition of demand is varying in the different subjects for example the explanation of demand in Economy may is differ with the definition in Psychology or Geography. But lets clarify according to Page (2007) tourism demand has been defined in numerous ways, including: The total number of persons who travel, or wish to travel, to use tourist facilities and services at places away from their places of work and residence; The relationship between individuals motivation [to travel] and their ability to do so; The schedule of the amount of any product or service which people are willing and able to buy at each specific price in a set of possible prices during a specified period of time. Each of these definitions in tourism has some elements according to cooper et al (2008) there are three elements in tourism demand: Demand elements Actual demand Suppressed demand No demand Figure 5 Effective or actual demand is the number of people participating in tourism, commonly expressed as the number of travelers. For instance thousands of people went to see World Cup in South Africa. Suppressed demand, which consists of the proportion of the population who are unable to travel because of, circumstances e.g. lack of purchasing power or lack of holidays. There were some people that liked to go and involve in World Cup but due to some circumstances like lack of money they couldnt make it. No demand includes those members of the population who have no desire to travel and those who are unable to travel due to family commitments or illness or they choose to spend their income on the other things rather than tourism. About the World Cup my brother is not interested in football at all so he should be in no demand category. Or may be some people are banded to enter South Africa so they are potentially categorized in no demand. As you can see all three elements can be explained in both geographical regions discussed by Leipers model. This may be an interesting question that: Why do people go on holiday? So lets see what motivations are, and what forms demand to travel. Knowing this is absolutely significant as a result of the importance of demand role in enhancement of tourism. Tourism demand determinants are different and a lot but most of the experts, despite of new determinants like globalization and environmentalism, believe that Uysel 1998 has explained these factors wisely. Figure 6 is his model in demand determinants. For better understanding lets have some examples, through these samples some of these determinants will be discussed, imagine an archeologist wants to visit Ancient Iran Museum to see Cyrus the great cylinder which is the first human right declaration that had kept in British museum beforehand. She wasnt able to go to Britain because it was not affordable for her for many reasons like: her disposable income wasnt enough, tourism price is high and exchange rate is dramatically upward but now she can easily see it (Economical determinants). Also if even she was able to pay for this travel she wasnt able to leave Iran, due to social and psychological reasons for example her father doesnt let her daughter leave Iran before she gets married, also she didnt have enough time for spending, and she is afraid of flying and so on (Social psychological determinants). Or think about an adventurous group interested in mount climbing and intend to go to Himalaya mountain range. Both Afghanistan and Nepal are good but due to war, terrorism, level of development in infrastructure and superstructure Nepals chance is more than Afghanistan (Exogenous determinants). Figure 6 Source: Reproduce form Tourism management managing for change Increasing tourism demand is led by two types of factors, Internal and External; external factors are those related to surrounding of person such as income and social condition. Internal factors are base on individual needs like health education and personal interests. In addition demand changes under many other circumstances through consumer behavior and decision process, cooper et al (2008) claim that decision making process as a system made up of four basic elements: Energizers of demand. These are the forces and influences that collectively create the motivation to travel or go on holiday. Effectors of demand. The information process and subsequent purchase decisions are influenced by the tourists knowledge and perceptions of particular places, destinations or experiences. These are the pull factors which lead the tourist to making particular travel choices. Roles and the decision-making process. Here, the important role is that of the family member who normally involved in the different stage of purchase process and the final resolution of decisions about when, where ad how the group will consume the tourism product. Determinants of demand. A variety of economic, social and psychological factors determine particular choices or filter out inappropriate products. These include tangible or descriptive demand factors, such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mobility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employment and income à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Paid holiday entitlement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Education levels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Demographic variables: age, gender, race, stage in the family life cycle. In the other hand studying demand can clarify vital data which are main requirements for contriving future plans including: Number of visitors arrived Means of transportation Length of staying Type of accommodation Money expenditure and so on These data and lots of other details can be deriving by analyzing the demand statistics and information. Now that there is a very good perception of demand in tourism we have to see what direct and indirect influences it has on supply, or in the other word how supply changes to meet demand. Some examples will clarify how the system is. Globalization has changed the globe in many ways Medias, internet and satellites are playing a massive role in forming tourism demand these days and of course supply side used this as an opportunity. Internet booking, international ads, online packages and virtual tours are all important for demand side and tourists. Thanks to these changes, now there are lots of online sites which serve consumers before making a decision. These web sites and TV ads are very important to conceptualize tourists mind beforehand. Its significant since it influences consumer behavior based on determinants that we discussed in advance. The number of visitors during a year is different, for example during summer only a few people wants to visit Sahara desert or in the winter many people intend to go ski in Europe. Low season and High season are tow different concept which supply side should be aware of, the policies for these two occasions should be different, for example offering lower price services to attract people in low season may is one of the strategies. Also in the high season setting new flights can be helpful in order to cover all visitors. Environmentalism as a new issue has changed the world view of point about many things, for example hotels try to be greener in order to pull more customers toward. Or tour packages to North Pole have been established as a result of increasing pattern of demand to visit ice melting phenomenon and being informed of what is going on in reality. Tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon and has become one of the largest industries in the world. The impact of tourism is extremely varied. On one hand, it plays an important and certainly positive role in the socio-economic and political development in destination countries by, for instance, offering new employment opportunities. Also, in certain instances, it may contribute to a broader cultural understanding by creating awareness, respecting the diversity of cultures and ways of life. On the other hand, as a tool to create jobs, it has not fulfilled its expectations. At the same time, complaints from tourist destinations concerning massive negative impacts upon environment, culture and residents ways of life have given rise to a demand for a more sustainable development in tourism. Different parties will have to be involved in the process of developing sustainable tourism. This section focuses on what the tourism industry itself can do in order to increase its sustainability, defines three major problems, and suggests possible tourism initiatives to help solve these problems. Other problems should also be included in the discussion for it to become exhaustive. Wikipedia (July 2010) (Merriam-Websters 11th collegiate dictionary) Word Tourism Organization 1993. Sharply (2006) Rowe et al (2002), National Statistic Online (2010) [online] http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=352[Accessed: 20 July 2010] Cooper et al, 2008 Cox Kings (2010) Centuries of Experience [online]http://www.coxandkings.co.uk/aboutus-history.aspx, [Accessed: 20 July 2010] Travel and Tourism Publishing (2010) [online] www.tandtpublishing.co.uk/acatalog/pdf/unit12ppt.ppt [[Accessed: 27 July 2010] unwto (september2010) wttc (September 2010) IATA (September 2010)   PATA (September 2010) http://www.visiteurope.com/Footer/About-us Charles et al (2006) Task 5 Impact of tourism, UN PDF

Control In Lord Of The Flies :: essays papers

Control In Lord Of The Flies Throughout William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies there is an ever-present conflict between two characters. Ralph's character combines common sense with a strong desire for civilized life. Jack, however, is an antagonist with savage instincts, which he cannot control. Ralph's goals to achieve a team unit with organization are destroyed by Jack's actions and words that are openly displayed to the boys. The two leaders try to convince the boys that their way of survival is correct. They continue this desire for control while turning down each other's decisions and ideas. The back and forth conflicts of opinion are what makes life chaos on the island. These conflicts are illustrated in two fashions; the dialog between the boys, and the authors narration. Assuming that the boys are philistines, their language is therefore not very articulate. They are trying to appear important and popular with the group. The boys have a feeling of wanting to belong, which is the basis of all philistines' actions. The author's narration makes up for this. The narrator has a more realistic view of what is happening on the island, and says to the reader what the boy's language fails to do. The boys are drawn away from a civilized way of living. Comments made by Ralph and Jack show the boys that Jack is resorting to savagery. Ralph and Jack both agree in the beginning while they are reasoning in a civil manner. Throughout the novel the two leaders stray from one another because of differences in motivation. Jack told the boys "We've got to decide about being rescued" (Golding 20). This statement illustrates Jack's civilized concern for the whole group. Jack seems to put the group before him. This unselfish concern soon dissolves as the internal beast prevails over the civil Jack. "I ought to be chief because I'm chapter chorister and I can sing C sharp" (Golding, 21), displays Jacks own arrogance. However, the narrator has more insight into this power struggle, "This toy of voting was almost as pleasing as the conch" (Golding 21). The narrator sees this act of voting through the boy's eyes. The narrator implies the boy's failure to understand the importance of a leader. After the boys accept Ralph as chief, Ralph gives power over the choir boys to Jack.