Arts of the contact zone free essay sample

Pratt gets the point across that cultures should recognize the contact zone. By giving examples like Pomps writing and a homework assignment that her son had, Pratt defines the contact zone as the meeting of cultures with asymmetric power. (p 487) The word cultures refers to every type of group in my eyes, groups such as sports teams and even classrooms. A classroom can be defined as a contact zone because the Teacher and the students are the two cultures, while the power is tilted toward the teachers favor.Pratt shows one of her ones assignments where he answered the teachers questions in the same sequence that they were asked, resulting in little to no freedom to students. I could relate to this because assignments my teachers have given to me are very similar. As school progressed and classes started getting harder, the classroom setting shifted from a contact zone to a community. We will write a custom essay sample on Arts of the contact zone or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This allows students like me to have more freedom and creativity in there assignments. Throughout the text I would define culture as any group of people. Before rereading the story I was able to apply culture to most arts of my life.After rereading the story with a different perspective of culture, I make it out as a more global term. Rather than thinking of individuals lives, I thought more about civilizations. I found that along with the change of perspective comes a whole new output of the text. This is why It Is Important to reread the text because without doing so it would be challenging to find the meanings of all the words used. If we changed any of the meanings or views of them, It dramatically changes the points the story Is trying to get across and the way the story flows.

How to Write a Great Argumentative Essay

How to Write a Great Argumentative Essay Politics, social movements, laws, and religion- these topics, among others, are often approached through argumentative discourse, among individuals with diverse experiences and perspectives. While potentially tense, arguments are a great way to learn about the world around you, as well as the perspective of others in it.Debate is a necessary skill for anyone in law or education careers, and it is a useful one in just about every profession imaginable. Being able to learn from (and negotiate with) others through clear, well-researched, concise discussion is important for leaders, especially since this type of skill is often needed on a day-to-day basis in leadership positions.So what is an argumentative essay?You should think of an argumentative essay as essentially the written form of a well-thought-out debate. Just as would be the case in spoken arguments, its important to start with solid evidence without the need to fabricate anything to support your claims. When your statistics a nd data are fabricated, anyone who looks up those facts for themselves will immediately dismiss your opinion. On the other hand, when youve done your research and have credible data as evidence, your argument (or argumentative essay) has a much greater chance of winning.What topic should I choose?If youre writing an argumentative essay on a topic youre passionate about, consider yourself lucky. Those are the easiest type of argumentative essay assignments to write, because we tend to have a lot of background knowledge on the topic through past reading, experiences, or conversations. So the answer in this case would be to pick a topic thats important to you, whether thats conservation of the planet, politics, race problems, etc.If you have been given a topic to write about- or worse, discover the topic for the first time for an undergraduate or graduate entrance exam- knowing the right outline to use to create a great argumentative essay is going to be a life saver. Even if youre not passionate about (and therefore, have little background knowledge of) the given topic, youll at least have a road map for navigating through the process.What needs to happen before I start writing?The key to writing an exceptional argumentative essay is research. A lot of it. And this isnt limited to researching studies done by those who side with you on the issue- you also have to research a few of the most prevalent arguments opposing yours. You need to know the significant evidence they use, and consider their point of view. It is essentially planning ahead, like in a game of Chess, to determine where the other side is likely to move and the strategy they are likely to take.Planning ahead and playing smart is what makes a great argumentative essay.Now research, then research some moreThomas Paine, an English-American philosopher and political theorist, wrote some of the most influential political pieces of the American Revolution. In his series of pamphlets entitled The American Crisis, he wrote: To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead†¦The point here is that you should focus on two things as you research:Evidence that supports or disproves your side of the issueEvidence that supports or disproves the other sideThis is approaching an argument from a logical, grounded perspective, which is crucial for writing a great argumentative essay. The research you do before writing even begins will make or break your argument.Your goal is to win the debate - ethicallyOne of the best ways to win an argument is to know the most significant facts and recent data published on the issue, and how to direct your reader to it. Logic- presented correctly- will win almost every time, unless your audience isnt logical themselves. Despite this, when writing an argumentative essay, you need to approach the process with logic as your guidin g principle. You should also be extremely careful to avoid including any fabricated data, since this is both unethical and a sure way to lose credibility when your audience discovers you did it.Research all of the facts to win the debate.Dig for dataHow do you build logic into your essay? Simple. Know what the experts have said- on both (or all) sides of the debate. Find data that has been published in reputable journals by experts in their chosen field. Look at statistics gathered from trustworthy sources, or, if they are unavailable, conduct your own survey to gather them. If you take the latter approach, keep in mind that fabricated data is a big risk and could result in failed classes or being denied entrance into a university. Your teachers are likely able to spot the difference- especially when its statistics related to the field they know so well.Research is done – now what?After conducting thorough research, youre ready to start outlining. If you were able to conduct research beforehand, it should allow you to quickly complete the outline and start writing. Even if you are taking an entrance exam and are under significant time constraints, an outline will speed up the process of writing and keep your logic on the right track. You shouldnt spend more than five minutes or so in doing this if there is time pressure, but it will more than make up for your lack of research and background knowledge on the issue.You should create an outline before writing an argumentative essay.IntroductionStep 1 - Find a hookAs with any genre of writing, the hook you choose to open the first paragraph needs to grab the readers attention. It needs to convince them to continue reading because youve opened the discussion with a startling statistic or brutally honest question. Most readers cant resist either one.Examples:11 adolescents die every day from the number-one killer of American teenagers: texting while driving.When was the last time you used your phone while dr iving?Step 2 - Summarize background of the topicIf youve researched your topic thoroughly, it should be all downhill from here. Following your hook, you need a summary of the topic as a whole. Why is it important? Why is it worthy of further scrutiny and debate? Who are some of the well-known people, in the present or in history, who have focused on it? This is how you provide a background and give readers a concise summary of the topic.Step 3 - Include your ThesisAt the end of this summary is where your thesis will most naturally fit, as you state (in one sentence, preferably) the position you choose to take on the subject. This thesis sentence will be one of the most important sentences of the essay if logic is your aim (which it should be!). Your readers need a solid, easily understood thesis to form a foundation for any kind of logical discourse.BodyHere is where the real fun starts, especially if you enjoy debating and expressing your opinion often. The body of a five-paragra ph essay generally consists of three paragraphs exploring three points you want to make that back up your thesis. The same holds true for a five-paragraph argumentative essay. In the first paragraph of the body (the second paragraph in a five-paragraph essay), you should begin by stating the first point youd like to make to back your thesis. Following that statement, you need to include solid, credible evidence that supports your claim.Now, remember at the beginning, when I said that your level of research can make or break your argument? Heres why. If you are stating claims about an important topic, you need to have a reason for those claims. No one should just take your opinion as truth- your readers need to know that you have solid evidence to back up your opinion.This evidence most often comes in the form of statistics and data gathered from credible sources. Such sources could include data published on .gov websites, information printed in peer-reviewed professional journals, a nd reports released by nonprofit organizations that specialize in providing services and resources related to the topic.Keep in mind that for this section of the argumentative essay, its best to present one claim per paragraph. In a five-paragraph essay, you could most easily express two claims, followed by evidence supporting them. These would make up paragraphs two and three in a five-paragraph essay. In a longer essay, several claims could be made, as well as more than one paragraph dedicated to each of them.The final step for writing the body of an argumentative essay is acknowledging opposing arguments. Remember: your goal here is to briefly introduce these opposing opinions to provide context. In addition to acknowledging opposing arguments, you will need to explain briefly the evidence that is typically used to support that side.This is another place where thorough research is important- a necessity, even. If you have researched your topic in depth, you will know both sides o f it, and can therefore summarize both sides of it. This section is meant to provide your reader with a birds-eye view of the topic, in addition to your individual perspective on it.While the primary goal of an argumentative essay is certainly to argue your point (thesis), without presenting the opposing view youre not providing a logical argument for your reader. Youre also approaching unethical territory in your writing. Your audience deserves to know that there are others out there who feel differently than you do, why they feel that way, and (potentially) significant research or data that supports their side.ConclusionNow that youve reached the end, dont make the mistake of thinking that an essays conclusion is simply restating the introduction. Sure, you might have been taught this in middle school, but its also middle-school level writing.The conclusion is the end result of all of the work you have done in the process of researching and writing the essay. Its also the paragrap h that will make the most significant impression on your reader, partially due to the fact that it will be the last words of the essay (and, therefore, will resonate in the mind of the reader for minutes, hours, even days afterwards). So here is where you have the best chance of winning over others to your side of the argument, or making a great grade on the argumentative essay assignment. A simple re-wording of the introduction- in this light- comes across as lazy and a missed opportunity to hit a home run.Rather than restating your introduction using different words, use your conclusion to synthesize your thesis and the evidence you have provided that supports it. Revisit only the strongest evidence that supports your claims, and refute the opposing side respectfully, without fabricated data or statistics. Restate your thesis but restate it in a way that will stick in the mind of the reader- a more powerful expression of the original- and make them think†¦ wow, I never though t of it that way!

Short questions about western civilization Assignment

Short questions about western civilization - Assignment Example There came inflation due to scarcity of workers hence no production. 4. i) The war resulted due to dynasty disagreements. William, duke of England despised King of France by not paying homage. The Kingdom of France, and England fort for control of French throne (Bonomi 2003). 5. Fro m military purposes, renaissance era began after dark period elapsed. This gave way to research and discovery in naval ships, new trade routes, and navigation techniques. Press printing assisted a lot. 7. The council aimed at ending the Papal schism in Avignon Papacy. It ended Three-Pope controversy by accepting the resignation of Papal claimants and elected Pope Martin V. It voiced the killing of Jun Hus and ruled out on security matters, and the freedom of pagans (Bonomi 2003). 8. Marsilius of Pauda turned down the godly beginning of papal body. John Wycliffe led a kind of rebellious sect, which preached for biblically centered reforms. He was the morning star of Reformation in influencing secular power. Jan Hus, a Czech reformer, is the initiator of church reformation ahead of Luther and Calvin and a key predecessor to protestant movement in 16th C (Bonomi 2003). 9. The themes included philosophy, literature, and science. Philosophy and literature defined the way of life from logic, to natural, moral, and metaphysics a structure for university education. Science explored the numerous invention milestones, fro machines, geography, chemistry, and mathematics. 16. It came through dialogue among the Protestants and Catholics, and consolidating their own religious identity. The uprising of renaissance again helped to quell the conflicts since drifted to self-actualization (Bonomi

American History Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History Questions - Coursework Example The case occurred as a result of appointment of William as Justice of peace in Columbia. The new president (Jefferson) failed to recognize the appointment a declared it as unconstitutional. The matter was moved to Supreme Court. This case was a significant in the United States judicial system because it gave Supreme Court power to declare laws made by congress as unconstitutional (History.Com, paras.2-4) The four major innovations which advanced American ingenuity/transportation include emergence of electric vehicles. Secondly, was the emergence of satellites that control air traffic, as well as innovation of Maglev trains and smart roads (Waugh and John, p.45)? The two positive actions that Andrew Jackson’s did were voting a bill that helped to re-chartered banks such as National bank. Secondly, he successfully overcomes Carolina from nullifying tariffs law. The negative actions that Andrew Jackson executed is attacking and taking Florida by force. He signed the Indian removal act of 1830 that led to displacement and massive killing of the Indian population (Waugh and John, p.92). Among the three major battles of the Mexican American war include; the first battle of Palo Alto that took place in 08/05/1846 and was led by Alta who fighting Texas. The second war was the battle of Resaca de La Palma which took place on 09/05/1946. This battle was aimed at retreating for Monterrey. The third war-involved Monterrey which took place on September 1846 between date 21 and 24.In this battle Taylor defeated the Mexican (Waugh and John, p.84). The founders of Women rights movement and abolition include; Elizabeth Candy and antis lave movement may be compared in the sense that they both inspired women to fight against slavery. In addition, women anti-slave movements were mostly led by women provided a source of unity among women and a platform where women could

Commercial Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Commercial Law - Essay Example and acceptance can be reconciled with the implied notion that contracts reflect the actual intention of the contractual parties, particularly in commercial contracts and contemporary contracting methods1. This issue has often arisen in misrepresentation claims and breach of contract claims disputing pre-contractual negotiations, which are often viewed as by commercial parties as evidence of contractual intention2. However, the intention indicated in pre-contractual negotiations can pose problems if not accounted for in the body of the signed contract itself. The problem of intention is further compounded by the general judicial presumption of the sanctity of contract particularly in commercial contract cases3. The focus of this paper is to critically evaluate whether the doctrine of offer and acceptance can truly reflect the intention of contracting parties particularly in commercial contracts. This is particularly evident with regard to the contemporary methods of communication and the evolution of business transactions in the 19th century however required the reshaping of existing offer and acceptance rules to ensure a reasonable degree of precision and certainty in contractual negotiations4. This led to the introduction of the postal rule, which in general terms stipulates that contractual acceptance becomes effective once posted rather than when it is received by the offeror5. The overriding purpose of the rule was to create certainty in contractual transactions, however the current methods of communication such as internet, fax and telephone has rendered the postal rule a difficult model to apply in practice. However, the reality of commercial contracting has led commentators to question whether the entrenched rule of acceptance and the postal rule can validly represent contractual intention, particularly with the increasing use of email in contractual negotiations6. For example, Capps suggests that â€Å"given the advances in communication systems since

Impact of the Olympic Games on Tourism

Impact of the Olympic Games on Tourism The potential contribution of the 2012 Olympic Games to tourism Abstract With budgets for the hosting of the Olympic Games often requiring significant upward revision before final costs are calculated there has been an increasing level of concern about the areas of benefits that these events bring to the host cities and nations. Much of this concern is focused upon the tourism benefits. Using three previous Olympic events together with the staging of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester as case studies, this research seeks to ascertain whether the predicted tourism benefit from hosting the 2012 Olympic Games can realistically be achieved or if they are simply estimates raised in an effort to justify the huge capital investment required to stage the games. The results of the case study into the three Olympic events show mixed results in terms of reality matching expectations. In particular, the area of concern in all of these events has been the failure of the cities to see a continuation of improvement to employment. However, the Manchester case study produced a positive result on all counts of tourism benefits, including employment. What makes this event different from the others is that the organisers in this case concentrated a considerable amount of effort on developing a sustainable legacy programme. The committee responsible for this programme have treated it as a separate project and this has enabled the focus of achieving benefits to be maintained. It is considered that if the LOCOG incorporates the positive aspects of this research into their Olympic planning it will be able to achieve the estimated expectations. 1.  Introduction In March 2005, four months before bid for the 2012 Olympic Games was won by London, the UK government extended the budget for this event from  £2.4 billion to  £9.35 billion, a nearly fourfold increase (BBC News 2005). In justifying this enormous increase in costs and echoing the comments of other Olympic cities in the past, the UK government and 2012 Olympic organisers have said there will be ongoing economic benefits resulting from the event being held in London. It has been suggested that many of these benefits will accrue to the tourism and hospitality sector. In support of this comment the organisers, LOCOG[1] (2007) and ODA[2], point to the fact that it is increasing hotel accommodation in the London area and, in addition, providing a number of new sporting and cultural facilities that will be available for use in the future, attracting continual leisure and tourism activities. Furthermore, it is stated the increase in tourists during the event will have the effect of increasing subsequent tourist visits to London and the UK as a whole as well as their impact during the event itself. These moves are also expected to have a positive long term impact upon tourism businesses and employment in the area. However, reports into the results of tourism benefits achieved from previous events of this nature show a different view (Madden 2002) and suggest that the claims being made by the LOCOG and other stakeholders might be optimistic. It is the resolution of this dichotomy of opinions that forms the focus for this paper. The aim of this research is to assess whether the pre-event claims being made by the 2012 Olympic organisers, which are supported by research conducted by independent researchers (Blake 2005 and Oxford Economics 2007) will bring tourism benefits to London and the UK. These will be measured against three factors, these being tourism numbers and financial benefit, hotel occupancy, and tourism and hospitality employment levels. 1.1. Aims and objectives In order to address the issues focused upon within this study, the following research question being resolved is: Whether the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games in London will provide the City and the UK tourism industry with potential benefits both during and post the event. To provide a framework and direction aimed at addressing this question, two main objectives have also been set. London 2012 Olympic Games legacy There will be a detailed and critical analysis of the intended legacy of the Games which will also examine the supporting evidence. Previous event results For comparison purposes post event reports on three significant previous events of a similar nature will be presented and evaluated. 1.2. Overview Following this introduction, section two provides an overview of the data collection method used. In section three the findings will be presented and discussed before the study is brought to a conclusion in section four, where appropriate recommendations will be made. 2.  Methodology Due to the limitations in terms of time, cost and geographical location, it has been decided that the appropriate research method to be used for this research will rely upon the collection of data from secondary sources. These will include information collected from the official 2012 Olympic websites of the LOCOG (2007) and other related stakeholders as well as independent research conducted by academics and other tourism stakeholders. Other resources have also been used, including publications available from bookshops and libraries and journal articles. Similar resource locations have been relied upon for the collection of data relating to the comparative events. Although it is sometimes perceived that there are limitations to the secondary data collection approach in this case it was considered that the depth of previous and immediate research is sufficiently robust to add value to the findings of this study. For example, sufficient academic and practical research material is available to be able to provide a direct comparison between the intentions of the 2012 Olympic Games legacy expectations and the actual results that have been achieved from previous events, including those held within the UK and in other international locations. 3.  Discussion of research findings In all events apart from the London 2012 the research conducted for this study has included the examination of the legacy claimed to result from hosting special events by the organisers and the findings from subsequent research and reviews conducted by various academic and tourism stakeholders. For ease of reference this section of the research has been divided into relevant segments. The findings of the research are presented within the first three segments and these are followed by a discussion, analysis and evaluation of these findings that will provide a conclusion to the research question. 3.1.  London 2012 Olympic Games legacy In their official legacy for the games, the London 2012 Olympic organisers have highlighted several benefits that they expect to result from hosting the games. In relation to the tourism sector, these can be identified in the following six key areas according to the LOCOG (2007), all of which are considered to have longer term benefits that will accrue to the hospitality and tourism sectors. Accommodation Included within the infrastructure costs of the games is the construction of an additional 15,000 hotel rooms, increasing current accommodation in the London area by around 15%. Employment It is anticipated that the event will require a significant increase in the numbers of persons employed within the tourism sector. This increase is expected to occur across a range of areas including hotels, restaurants and bars and other destination and attraction facilities. Numbers of tourists With 9 million tickets being printed for the games, added to the participating teams, their support staff and the international media attendance, it is expected that in excess of 10 million tourists will be attracted to London during the course of the event. Sporting facilities Of the sporting facilities being built for the games five of these will be made available for tourism, sporting and leisure use post the games themselves. Infrastructure Improvements are being made to transportation links and a regeneration programme for areas of London will be taking place, thus making these places more attractive to tourists. Destinations and attractions The creation of a new Olympic Park, which in addition to recreational facilities will have areas dedicated to the creation of natural wildlife habitats, is designed to add to the attraction of London as a tourist destination. 3.2.  Findings of anticipated tourism benefits of the 2012 Olympic Games Several studies have been commissioned and conducted in an attempt to evaluate and predict the economic benefit that will result from London’s hosting of the Olympic Games. Having considered these studies, it has been decided that those most appropriate to this study are the study conducted by Oxford Economics (2007) and Blake (2005). In both cases the central determinates of expectations have been used. The findings of the Oxford Economics (2007) study were based upon a comparison of the results studied from fifteen previous events of the same nature. The results suggested that the net tourism gain in financial terms during the years from 2007- 2017 will be  £2.09 billion, of which  £1.47 (70.33%) will be directly attributable to London. In analysing this result, the following can be drawn from these figures when compared between the pre-games; event and post event periods (figure 1). Figure 1 Tourism financial benefits Benefit Pre-Games Games Post games London Percentage 17% 35% 48% UK Percentage 15% 31% 54% London Fiscal  £249.9 million  £514.5 million  £ 705.6 million RUK Fiscal  £ 63.6 million  £133.4 million  £ 423.0 million UK fiscal  £313.5 million  £647.9 million  £1128.6 million Data source: Oxford Economics (2007) These results are largely supported by the research conducted by Adam Blake (2005) who, by using a combination of prediction methods, also agrees that although there is a small rise in pre-games spending the major benefits are attributable to the year of the event and the subsequent period. However, in addition to the financial statistics Blake’s research also provides statistical information in respect of the three main issues being studied within this paper. For example, in terms of the increase in tourist numbers because of the event it is anticipated within this research that the following changes in percentage terms would be achieved (figure 2) over and above the anticipated growth in this area. With regard to the increased numbers of full time employment position created, Blake (2005) also anticipates that this will increase because of the games, particularly within the following areas (see figure 3). Figure 3 increase in FTE Sector 2005-2011 Pre-Games 2012 Games 2013-2016 Post games Sports Facilities -302 4,361 708 Hotels 2,554 1,686 2,972 Bars 2,094 952 2,359 Land Transport 292 3,057 -701 Air Transport 661 191 745 Visitor attractions -11 1,062 -40 Therefore, it is concluded by both of the studies examined that the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games by London will produce positive and lasting tourism benefits for both the city itself and the country as a whole. 3.3  Findings from previous similar events For comparison purposes, four previous events have been used within this research. These include three prior Olympic Games held in Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) and the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester in 2002. To provide a detailed analysis of the tourism benefits in the case of the four the research has been concentrated upon analysing the statistical returns for the six years prior to the event, the year of the event and the four subsequent years. In terms of timescale this therefore will relate to the 12 year period being used for estimations by the researchers into the tourism benefits of the London Olympic Games event (Blake 2005) and therefore is anticipated to produce a reasonable set of comparatives. Atlanta 1996 The 1996 Olympic Games, hosted by Atlanta, also saw its financial cost rise from a budgeted $1.7 to over $2 billion, which equated to a 30% increase (Humphreys and Plummer 2003), much of which increase (70%) had to be funded from the public purse. Tourism numbers and their spending in Georgia during the year of the Atlanta Olympic Games increased by approximately $1.5 billion, achieving a record $14.7 billion in 1996, which was a considerable increase upon the previous seven years results. However, this revenue fell back in the following three years and only exceeded the 1996 record in 2000 when revenues reached $15.5 billion. Tourism numbers for the state of Georgia also increased during 1996 and 1997 as a direct result of the games. In the subsequent years however, as Engle (1999) research indicated, this did not resolve itself into longer term benefits, due partly to the fact that the city of Atlanta lost a considerable amount of business convention tourism. This has affected hotel occupancy post the games event, which has remained static at 64% throughout the twelve year period. In terms of the tourism benefit for employment, the result in this case was that in the 77,000 additional jobs anticipated were created as estimated by the year of the games. However, a considerable percentage of these were short-term positions and less than half that number remained long-term (Engle 1999). Nevertheless, this does show a positive benefit to the community. Sydney 2000 In real terms the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 cost twice as much as its predecessor, with even the estimated budget of $4 billion (Madden 2002, p.9) being exceeded when the actual costs were computed. The tourism benefits relating to the numbers of tourists and their spending in this instance can only be identified for Australia as a whole[3]. These show that the numbers of tourists grew from just under 5.8 million in 1994 to 8.672 million in the year 2000, an increase of 47.33% during the period, nearly a quarter of which was achieved in the year of the games being staged. In the four years subsequent to this time there has been a further increase in tourism of 14.24%. All of the increase was achieved in 2004 following three years that showed a total drop of 2.39%. However, in terms of revenue impact, the statistics show that tourism spends has fallen in the twelve year period by around 2%. These results have been reflected in the rate of growth of hotel occupancy, which has seen a similar pattern of growth during the period under review (Arthur Andersen 2000). However, one are of concern relative to potential tourism benefits from the Sydney games is the poor performance of employment. Despite a rapid growth in this area in the years leading up to the games, post the event there has been a sharp reversal of this trend (figure 4), with the New South Wales showing the sharpest fall. Two other issues that have detracted from the tourism benefits of the Sydney 2000 games include the fact that the city has still not managed to make some of the facilities pay for themselves, which has left the authorities with a bill of around $46 million per annum (Owen 2005). Secondly, although during the year of the games tourism spend increased in the areas and for the businesses located close to the facilities, those not within the immediate vicinity suffered a loss in revenues during 2000 (Owen 2005). These costs are seldom accounted for by bid organisers and promoters but they do have an impact of the profitability levels for the tourism and hospitality sectors. These results show that the legacy of the Sydney games has been mixed in terms of the subsequent tourism benefits that it has brought to the city and the country. Athens 2004 The cost of the Athens Olympic Games again doubled against the previous games (Associated Press 2004). However, in this case there was a mitigating circumstances as these were the first games to be held post the 9/11 event, which led to additional security costs totalling $1.5 billion, a factor that is becoming increasingly important at events of this nature ((Baade and Matheson. 2002a, p.5). Athens has seen mixed results in terms of the tourism benefits culminating from the games. In terms of the tourism numbers in the year subsequent to the games this showed a rise of 10%. (Hubbard 2005). However, other subsequent reports reveal that the facilities constructed for the games have not been made full use of in the past four years (Hersh 2008), leaving the country’s tourism sector in a position where it has not capitalised upon the impact of the event. Nevertheless, in terms of the revenue received from tourism in Greece, in the four years from 2000 to 2004, this rose from $17.7 billion to $29.6 billion, an increase of over 67% for the period. This has resulted in an increase in hotel occupancy during the same period. However, like other of the case study cities, there has not been a marked improvement in the levels of employment in the tourism industry experienced since 2000. Therefore, it would appear that some of the tourism benefits from the Athens Olympics have centred solely on the year of the event whilst others have had an extended lifespan. Manchester 2002 The last major international sporting event to be held in the UK was the Commonwealth games in Manchester in 2002. In regards to cost the budget and eventual cost of this event was insignificant when compared with the Olympic Games but, at around  £80 million it is still an investment that is expected to produce a positive return in relation to tourism benefits for the area. The Manchester Commonwealth Games legacy programme anticipated that the games would produce the following benefits for tourism in the area (Ecotec 2007): 300,000 new visitors a year spending  £18 million in the local economy Increase in mid-range hotel accommodation 6,400 new jobs According to recent reports (Ottewell 2006) tourism in Manchester has seen a significant growth in the past eight years, which reflects the benefit that hosting the Commonwealth Games has brought to the area. Visitor numbers have risen from 79 million to 94 million between 2000 and 2005 and tourism spend has seen a growth to a level of  £3.92 billion ( £3.05 billion in 2000). Furthermore, in terms of tourism related employment, this figure has also risen to 59,046 in 2005 (51,704 in 2000), an increase of 7,342. When these figures are compared with the estimates that were produced as part of the original bid calculations it is apparent that in all areas the expectations have been exceeded. This shows that the city has certainly benefitted from the legacy programme that used a considerable element of the capital budget set aside for the games has had the desired effect and produced the required returns (Eurotec 2007). The positive result achieved in this instance is further evidenced by a statement given by one of the games organisers in 2007. â€Å"We estimated that  £22m in business benefits across the northwest derived from the Games at the time,† says Rosin. â€Å"There was  £2.7m added value for every  £1m invested. There has been investment in the financial sectors, in the city centre and in particular in east Manchester. Associated retail development and the creation of employment for local people in this area can be directly attributed to the Commonwealth Games† (Editorial (2007). These results have occurred despite the fact that in other areas of the economy, including the GDP, Manchester has seen less of an improvement (Ecotec 2007). 3.4.  Discussion Perhaps the most important aspect of the findings to note is that, from the time of the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, the cost of hosting this four year event has escalated at an ever increasing rate. In fact, as the following graph shows (figure 4) the capital investment has doubled on every occasion, including the latest event in Bejjing in 2008. Despite the fact that in most cases a proportion of the costs can be defrayed as a result of sales of media coverage and sponsorship, valued at in excess of $1 billion per event (CBS 1988), this cost escalation does mean that the expectation in regards to the return achieved on this investment has also risen. In other words the benefits, including those enjoyed by the tourism sector, need to have shown significant improvements. However, if the cost of the London Olympic Games in 2012 does not escalate from its current costs of around  £9 billion, it will not only be the first time the games cost have reduced since 1996 but also its return expectations will be lower. Nevertheless, when the expectations of the LOCOG (2007) and other researchers (Blake 2005) are considered against the actual results that have attached to the three previous Olympic Games events being used as comparisons, it is apparent that there are concerns that the London organisers need to consider. In particular, two issues seem to be a recurring problem during the years following the games. The first of these is the use and capitalisation of the sporting venues. In the cases of both Sydney and Athens these have proved difficult to make economically viable post the event. The second issue is tourism employment. In all three Olympic Games case studies, this area of benefits does not seem to have continued to any great extent post the games. However, the result of the Manchester experience has shown that there can be tourism benefits in all of the major areas that have formed the focus of this study. In this city tourism numbers, tourist spend, hotel occupancy and employment have all seen continued growth both at the time of the Commonwealth Games and during the subsequent three years. One of the major differences between this case and the others is that a considerable amount of the investment raised for the games was directed into a definitive legacy programme, which was treated as a separate project and aimed to be an ongoing process rather than culminating in 2002. 3.5.  Summary and evaluation One of the difficulties of evaluating a research issue of this nature is that it is impossible to perform an exact comparison as each event takes place during a different chronological period. For example, an issue that can be said to significant alter the results would be the economic position of the country and other countries during the timescale being evaluated. Furthermore, the detailed statistics in each case is kept in a differing format which adds to the analytical difficulties. However, by accessing and comparing the information relating to each case study from a range of previous researches it is considered that the information and findings presented have been able to be appropriately verified and can therefore be considered reliable. Therefore, although studies by other researchers (Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002) and Gratton and Henry (2001)) have indicated that the Games have not impacted upon following years GDP as a whole, it is considered that this has been due to other economic factors and not relevant to the benefits or otherwise of tourism. 4.  Conclusion and recommendations The research question set at the commencement of this research sought to determine: Whether the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games in London will provide the City and the UK tourism industry with potential benefits both during and post the event. Despite the limitations of the research conducted for this paper, this being restricted to five sporting events that have occurred within the past twelve years, it is considered that, with certain provisions, the response to this question is that the hosting of the 2012 Olympic games can produce potential tourism benefits for London and UK both during and in the years following the event. Whilst the comment of Baade and Matheson (2002, p.98) that the evidence suggests that the economic impact of the Olympics is transitory, onetime changes rather than a steady-state change, is concurred with to a certain extent, it must be tempered with the fact that in certain areas of tourism benefits have been achieved. The poor results they refer to is more due to lack of planning and management by the organisers rather than any external forces or influences. In this respect therefore, it is important to provide the following recommendations to the organisers of the London Olympic Games that should be considered if they wish to achieve a successful and sustainable outcome for the tourism industry. 4.1.  Recommendations In essence recommendations being made can be determined within two main areas, these being related to the planning and execution stages. Planning An essential element of the planning for Olympic Games events is to take notice of the research that has been conducted For example, in this instance the research conducted into the three games that have been used as case studies within this research have all identified areas where improvements might have been made, both at the planning stage and subsequently. Furthermore, research into the Manchester sporting event has shown the benefit of have an identifiable and robust legacy programme which, to a certain extent, should operate independently of the event itself and continue into following years. This position has provided dividends for the Manchester tourism industry that have surpassed the expectations. Execution Secondly, the execution of the legacy strategy is important. All aspects of the post event period have to be meticulously planned and implemented within the required timescale, which as the Greek tourism minister indicated, includes the immediate six or seven months post the games (Hersh 2008), as this is a critical time to build foundations for future success. 4.2.  Summary If the London organisers learn from the lessons of past events and particularly take on board the successes that have been achieved in Manchester, there is no reason why the games should not produce a series of lasting benefits for the London and UK tourism sectors. References Arthur Andersen (2000) â€Å"The Sydney Olympic Performance Survey: The Sydney Olympic Games on the Australian Hotel Industry,† Mimeograph, November 2000, pp.1-7. Associated Press (2004). Games cost Athens over $8.5 Billion. Available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5761646/ (Accessed 23 December 2008) Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002). Bidding for the Olympics: Fools Gold? In Transatlantic Sport, edited by Barros, Ibrahim, and Szymanski. Edward Elgar Publishing. New York, US. Baade, Robert A. Victor Matheson. (2002a). Mega-Sporting Events in Dveloping Nations: Playing the Way to Prosperity. Available from: http://www.williams.edu/Economics/wp/mathesonprosperity.pdf (Accessed 23 December 2008) BBC News (2005). London plan at a glance. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/london_2012/4025027.stm (Accessed 22 December 2008) Blake, A (2005). The Economic Impact of the London 2012 Olympics. Nottingham University Business School, Nottingham, UK CBS (1998). Television, sponsorship revenue could top $800 million. CBS Sportsline wire reports. Available from: http://cbs.sportsline.com/u/olympics/nagano98/news/feb98/revenue2398.htm (Accessed 24 December 2008) Ecotec (2007) An Evaluation of the Commonwealth Games Legacy Programme. Available from: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/Evaluation_of_Commonwealth_Games_Legacy_programme.pdf (Accessed 23 December 2008) Engle. S.M (1999). The Olympic Legacy in Atlanta. University of New South Wales Law Journal. Vol. 38 Fizel, John., Gustafson, Elizabeth and Hadley, Lawrence (1999). Sports Economics: Current Research. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Fort, Rodney D and Fizel, John (2004). International Sports Economics. Praeger Publishers. Westport, US. Hersh, P (2008). Athens post-Olympic Legacy: Empty spaces, unsightly venues, uncertain tomorrow. Chicargo Tribune, Chicago, US Hubbard, A (2005). Olympic Games: Athens’ legacy bigger than the pounds 7 billion bill. The Independent, London, UK Gratton, Chris and Henry, Ian (2001) Sport in the City: The Role of Sport in Economic and Social Regeneration. Routledge. London, UK Humphreys, Jeffrey L and Plummer, Michael K (2003). The economic impact of hosting the 1996 summer Olympics. Available from: http://www.selig.uga.edu/forecast/olympics/OLYMTEXT.HTM (Accessed 22 December 2008) Humphreys, Jeffrey M. and Michael K. Plummer (1995). The Economic Impact of Hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics. Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Atlanta, US. LOCOG (2007). UK Olympics: Our plans. London 2012. Available from: http://www.london2012.com/plans/index.php (Accessed 28 December 2008) Madden, John R

To What Extent Does Mildred Taylor Portray T.J. as a Victim of the Times? :: English Literature

To What Extent Does Mildred Taylor Portray T.J. as a Victim of the Times? The novel 'Roll of Thunder' is based around racism and discrimination, during the 1930's. Mildred Taylor has chosen to set her novel in a time where black people were discriminated against. The context in which the story is set is a conscious choice of the writer to emphasise the extent of racism. T.J. is used by Mildred Taylor to represent the injustices the Black community were subjected to in these times. Although T.J. is not portrayed as a victim throughout the novel, he is certainly seen as a victim during the concluding chapters of the book. The narrative is by a young girl of ten years, Cassie. Cassie is a very opinionated, strong willed character who tends to judge people at face value, without taking other factors into consideration. This could be seen as a hindrance in such a novel, a novel that is being used to exploit racism and could benefit from a more open-viewed narrator. In this book however, the character is purposefully made to be single-minded by Mildred Taylor because it encourages the reader to think in more depth about the story. The author uses this narrow perspective of T.J. to encourage the reader to realise that he is a victim of the times. This realisation is encouraged not through Cassie's opinion but because she cannot see this fact until nearing the end of the story. Cassie's view of T.J. is blunt, 'I didn't like T.J. very much,' and during the beginning of the book the reader is persuaded that T.J. is not a nice person as there is no evidence otherwise. As the book proceeds however, the reader can show more insight into details that Cassie overlooks. This is as the writer intends, it helps to include the reader more in the book and is a similar idea to dramatic irony used on the stage. Mildred Taylor has used Cassie's simplistic views of T.J. to persuade the reader to think more deeply. She has used this simple point of view to show that the effect of racism is not always obvious and as the reader comes to realise that T.J. is a victim, Taylor's central theme is portrayed. To help the reader understand that T.J. is a victim of the times, Mildred Taylor uses other characters to show a more balanced opinion of him. Stacey is often used in this way; he is one of the few characters that show sympathy towards T.J. Stacey demonstrates a certain level of understanding about T.J.'s position and why he is how he is.

A Problem in the American Education System Essay

This problem will have dire effects on those dropouts as well as other aspects such as financial and health problems. Many factors ultimately push the students off their path to a bachelor’s degree and end their dreams of ever becoming a doctor or maybe even a businessman. Along with those causes, there are serious consequences for those college dropouts. One effect that happens when a college student drops out of school would be that a huge debt must be paid back and since they dropped out it turn to be a wasted investment. Students looking to go to college, hen dropout have no answer to pay the money back which they were hoping to find a career with a college degree they wanted. Students often put a lot of money into college, thus putting them into debt. When the payments are finally too high for them they cannot afford to stay in school and all the money they put in is for naught. The students are under so much debt after dropping out and have nothing to show for it. That college degree they were hoping to receive at their graduation in non-existent which they were hoping to use as a tool in order to become successful. Who knows hat career a degree could have got them into, maybe a well-paying Job that would keep them from going broke from paying all the loans they used to go to school. All the money that could have been used in order to gain knowledge will be down the drain and the student now would have a harder time paying back those loans and supporting themselves. This also affects the schools and the taxpayers. All the money they are putting into paying and helping students with their schooling has nothing to showing for it. The millions of dollars that are being put into paving the way for the tudents financially do not pay off and instead money is lost. This slows down the whole country as there are less available new young workers to fill the positions of new work. Without a college degree, students earning potential are much lower than those of graduates. In order to pay off debts from loans to go to school and bills, students have to find a source of income and without a degree, finding a Job is much harder. Dropouts have a harder time finding a Job than those already with a degree. With a bachelor’s degree, it is easier to find Jobs as many opportunities are now open. A cause of college students dropping out is the amount they have to pay for just one semester. As many students do not even have a Job it is difficult for them to support themselves after paying for tuition and also pay for supplies they would later need for classes such as textbooks. A report from the Public Agenda for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation shows the students from the ages of 22 to 30 years old shows state that their main reason for leaving school is their problems with financial stability. From my experience as of today even now I have a problem having to pay for school at CSULB. Luckily I have financial aid because without it I would it I don’t think that I could have survived the first semester of college. Family problems such as having kids during school, or taking care of a sick family member could cause someone to leave college. Having to spend a large amount of time away from thing such as studying for an upcoming test really hurts the students in the long run. This hurts them because it keeps them preoccupied with things that they need to accomplish which is their dream of finding a career in their major and pursue it. Stress develops which may be from the numerous personal problems. Rising uition make students actually have to think about what they buy next. Most students already have to Juggle work and school at the same time Oohnson). I know for a fact that going to college is a hard task even now as a freshman, there is more homework and students have to pay for everything themselves. I understand why most students drop out because they cannot handle the pressure. Another cause for college dropouts is their scores on exams. Of course doing bad on a test will make students fail your class as this is already obvious. Lots of factors also cause students to do poorly on their exams such as stress and financial roblems One final cause for students leaving college early is their lack of motivation and preparation. As most students say their high schools did a poor Job in preparing them for their next step in life stated from a survey by Public Agenda (Crosseley). In college students have to manage their time socially and their time for school. Prioritizing this time is now critical of the all the times spent in school. Being bored really will not help you succeed in receiving a bachelor’s degree in your hand. For the many college students that attend today that go to college it may be a hard task. Still, college dropouts remain a problem in the American education system.

Free Essays on How The Harlem Renaissance Writer Zora Neale Hurston Influenced America

U.S women’s History Topic: How the Harlem Renaissance Writer Zora Neale Hurston influenced America Harlem, the â€Å"Mecca† of the urban north. A place where blacks could mingle with whites and not worry about the â€Å"Jim Crow† laws of the south. Harlem in the 1920’s was a hustling and bustling metropolis of the humanities. You had good music, art, and literature. You had blacks making advances in politics, and other social aspects of life. This caused blacks to make a mad exodus from the south to the urban centers of Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Detroit, and other major northern cities. Blacks were weary of the agrarian south and its oppressive political structure and wanted the freedom allowed to their northern neighbors. With factory jobs abundant, a black man in the north had a much better standard of living than his counterpart in Alabama. However, just because we partied together did not mean that blacks and whites were equal. Blacks still suffered staunch racism, but just in a different climate. Blacks were allowed to make headway in the arts, however most of those that were making it did so as â€Å"sambo†, or as a person making fun of the lower class. Just as southerners divided blacks by using their skin tones, northern whites divided blacks by economic class. If you were poor, and undereducated you were looked down upon by the new middle class of blacks as being â€Å"niggerish†. You were thought be slowing down the advancement of other blacks because of your lack of culture. The lower classes thought that the middle classes were trying to become white. This made for tension not only with whites, but also among blacks in their own communities. Although many left the â€Å"deep south† to avoid the poor agrarian lifestyle of their ancestors, the truth was that the blacks that moved n orth were not finding all of the great jobs they heard of. In fact, most blacks that did find good paying jobs wer... Free Essays on How The Harlem Renaissance Writer Zora Neale Hurston Influenced America Free Essays on How The Harlem Renaissance Writer Zora Neale Hurston Influenced America U.S women’s History Topic: How the Harlem Renaissance Writer Zora Neale Hurston influenced America Harlem, the â€Å"Mecca† of the urban north. A place where blacks could mingle with whites and not worry about the â€Å"Jim Crow† laws of the south. Harlem in the 1920’s was a hustling and bustling metropolis of the humanities. You had good music, art, and literature. You had blacks making advances in politics, and other social aspects of life. This caused blacks to make a mad exodus from the south to the urban centers of Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Detroit, and other major northern cities. Blacks were weary of the agrarian south and its oppressive political structure and wanted the freedom allowed to their northern neighbors. With factory jobs abundant, a black man in the north had a much better standard of living than his counterpart in Alabama. However, just because we partied together did not mean that blacks and whites were equal. Blacks still suffered staunch racism, but just in a different climate. Blacks were allowed to make headway in the arts, however most of those that were making it did so as â€Å"sambo†, or as a person making fun of the lower class. Just as southerners divided blacks by using their skin tones, northern whites divided blacks by economic class. If you were poor, and undereducated you were looked down upon by the new middle class of blacks as being â€Å"niggerish†. You were thought be slowing down the advancement of other blacks because of your lack of culture. The lower classes thought that the middle classes were trying to become white. This made for tension not only with whites, but also among blacks in their own communities. Although many left the â€Å"deep south† to avoid the poor agrarian lifestyle of their ancestors, the truth was that the blacks that moved n orth were not finding all of the great jobs they heard of. In fact, most blacks that did find good paying jobs wer...

Rumba essays

Rumba essays I have always enjoyed music and dance and have been interested in its history. As a result of this class, I have a much greater appreciation for the sound, rhthym, dance, spirit and cultural significance of the Rumba. Now, when I think of Rumba, I hear the beat of the drums and my feet begin to move to the echo of the clave in my head. The musical tradition of Rumba dates back to Bantu tribes in Africa. Words like Tumba, Macumba, and Tambo are African words that have been used to describe dances similar dances to Rumba that imitated barnyard animal movements. Carried to Cuba in the 1800s by African slaves, the musical style of todays Rumba evolved out of the slums of Cuba after slavery was abolished in 1886. The word, rumba derives from the Spanish verb, rumbiar which means to dance. In her book, Rumba, Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba, Yvonne Daniel tells us that Cuban musicologists who have studied music and dance agree that the precise meaning of rumba is difficult to determine....but points to those words of African origin that mean a collective party, unrelated to religious ritual.(17) Other scholars think that the Rumba has its roots in Spain. In any case, the Rumba became very popular in Cuba in the late 19th century. Some authorities feel that Rumba implies a festive occasion as much as a specific dance and music style. Since Rumba originated from the barrios of Cuba, there were no elaborate congo drums or wooden claves. Fearing rebellion and uprisings, the colonists outlawed the use of drums. To get around these regulations, the performers (called rumberos) used empty wooden crates, upside down drawers, and the sides of wardrobes as drums, and two spoons held together or frying pans to keep the beat. These percussion instruments were accompanied by clapping, and singing as well as dancing. Rumba parties (rumbones) were com ...

Crumbs from the table of joy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Crumbs from the table of joy - Essay Example Godfrey with his puritan strictures, forces the family to the belief of the living messiah. He even scribbles question, which he believes will arise when he eventually meet the Father for one-on-one, a situation that does not materialize at all. A new them is brought forth when Lily is introduced; the theme of communism. There is a turn of events when Lily, the sister-in-law to Godfrey enters. The play describes her as a juke-joint maven (a term used to describe joint places of the blacks, associated with disorderliness) who has been brought in to take care of Ernestine and Ermina and also to provide guidance to the two. She begins to set up unwelcome residence. They fall apart with Godfrey, who detests her flirting habit and lavish lifestyle, and more so, her communist ideologies, which Ernestine takes as the sole truth. One can tell that Lily has planned to rekindles the history that they had with Godfrey, and to be more than just a surrogate to the girls. She intends to get intimate with Godfrey, a situation that forces Godfrey to move out of the house and gets into unprompted marriage with the Gerte, a white German. Refinement is definitely not the maxim for this play. Though the play was initially commissioned as part of the plans targeting the teens, which was never a surprise, nonetheless it never came as a bad thing. Through the presentation of invigorating topics that surround a family portrayed with diverse character, Nottage successfully manages to soften what one would refer to as educational pummeling. Equally, the manner in which Nottage has structured the scenes around Ernestine narrative references to house, clearly, one is reminded of the these events resonates with the with the interpretation of events by teenagers, at a time when the shades of age was hard to come by. At this end, the theme of injustice is brought about. As Ernestine

Financial managment project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial managment project - Essay Example TAQA is operating in a multi-billion-dollar global market oil and energy market. As a result of this, the financial performance of TAQA is determined by the trend in the global market. Lately, the price of oil has been erratic, and this has also affected the economic standing of many oil companies worldwide, TAQA inclusive. Some of the major competitors of TAQA are Shell, Chevron, British Petroleum, and Exxon Mobil. These financial analyses will unravel the suitability of TAQA for investment as it reveals the level of profitability, durability and the benefits any future investors could gain by putting their hand-earned money on the company. (I) Level of Profitability: From the fiscal year 2007 to 2009, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company demonstrates a healthy level of profitability. This observation can be supported with the following data: In 2007, TAQA’s average profit margin was 0.12, and its returns on equity was approximately 0.12. These are encouraging figures because 2007 was a terrible year in the energy market. It was the period the oil price shot up to the sky and made energy business almost seemed unprofitable. However, TAQA was able to have an appreciable return on assets that worth 0.015. The following year (in 2008), TAQA’s profit margin increased considerably to 0.19, and its returns on equity did a lot better coming to 0.2, while the returns on asset surprisingly came to 0.02. These results indicate the fact that the profitability of TAQA increases every year. Although, the year 2009 is different because the financial crisis that began in the United States also affected TAQA, bringing its profit margin down to 0.01, its returns on equity plummeted to 0.014 and its returns on assets shrank to 0.001. However, there is every possibility that once the financial crisis is over, TAQA will be abl e to rebound to its profitability level. (ii) Degree of Solvency: The analyses