Saturday, August 31, 2019

Storm Born Chapter Eight

The keep was like a cross between Sleeping Beauty's castle and a gothic church. Towers jauntily sprang up to impossible heights, creating black patches across the evening sky. We'd lost our light now, but I could still see that a lot of the windows looked as though they contained stained glass. I imagined they'd be beautiful in full sunlight. And framing everything, of course, were those brilliant, yellow-orange trees. Volusian had told me that the kingdoms' seasons were dependent on their rulers' whims and could last for extremely long times. This was beautiful, but I couldn't imagine living in a place that was perpetually autumn. I knew some claimed Arizona was perpetually summer, but, then, the people who said that didn't actually live there. The seasons were subtle, but they were there. I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't in some kind of wacky movie as Rurik and his gang led us through twisted hallways lit with torches. People passed, giving us curious looks as they went about whatever one did in a medieval castle. Churning butter. Flogging peasants. I really didn't know, and I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of there. â€Å"Wait here,† Rurik told us when we reached a large set of double oak doors. â€Å"I will speak to the king before you're shown into the throne room.† Wow. An honest-to-goodness throne room. He disappeared behind the doors, and a couple guards watched us but kept their distance. â€Å"Volusian,† I said softly, â€Å"did you purposely lead us here?† â€Å"My only purpose, mistress, is to keep you alive. Being here will increase your chances.† â€Å"You didn't answer the question.† â€Å"You will also increase your chances,† he continued, â€Å"if you are nice to King Dorian.† â€Å"Nice? They just assaulted me and threatened to rape me.† He gave me an exasperated look. â€Å"The king will see you now,† said Rurik dramatically, returning from inside the room. He held the door open for us. Trumpets wouldn't have surprised me. The throne room was not what I expected. Sure, there was a dais with a chair on it, just like in the movies, but the rest of the room was in a state of disarray. A large space ran through the middle, for dancing or processions, perhaps, but the rest had an almost lounge sort of look. Small couches, chaises, and chairs were arranged around low tables set with goblets and platters of fruit. Men and women, again dressed in sort of a goth-Renaissance style, draped themselves on the furniture and on each other, picking idly at the fruit as they watched me. I was put in mind of the way Romans used to dine. More than gentry lounged around, however. Spirits and sprites and trowes and wraiths were also in attendance, along with an assortment of Otherworld creatures. The monsters of human imagining, side by side with magical refugees who had immigrated to this world. I wondered then if any other shaman had been this far into gentry society. I remembered Roland's warning, that I could be taken right into the heart of their world. If only our kind had some sort of scholarly journal. The Journal of Shamanic Assassination and Otherworldly Encounters. I could have used this â€Å"research† to write a compelling article to share with my fellow professionals. Conversation dropped to a low hum as the gentry leaned over and whispered to each other, eyes on me. Smirks and scowls alike lit their faces, and I put on the blank expression I would wear going to meet a new client. Meanwhile, my pulse raced into overdrive and breathing became a bit difficult. Volusian trailed near me on one side while Rurik walked on the other. Wil and the others moved behind us. â€Å"Why all these people?† I murmured to Volusian. â€Å"Is he having a party?† â€Å"Dorian is a social king. He likes keeping people around, most likely so he can mock them. He keeps a full court and regularly invites his nobles to dine here.† We came to a stop. On the throne sat a man, Dorian, I presumed. He looked bored. He leaned into the arm of his chair, one elbow propped on it so he could rest his chin in his hand. It sort of made him view us at an angle. Long auburn hair, reminiscent of the trees outside, hung around him, highlighted with every shade of red and gold conceivable. He could have been autumn incarnate. He had the most perfect skin I'd ever seen in such a vivid redhead: smooth and ivory, with no freckles or rosy color. A cloak of forest-green velvet covered unremarkable dark pants and a loose, white button-up shirt. He had well-shaped cheekbones and delicate features. â€Å"Kneel before the king,† ordered Rurik, â€Å"and get used to being on your knees.† I gave him a withering glance. He smiled. â€Å"I'll be happy to make you,† he warned. â€Å"Bah, enough. Leave her in peace,† intoned Dorian laconically. He didn't change posture. Only his eyes portrayed any sort of interest in these goings-on. â€Å"If she's been with you for the last hour, she deserves a break. Go sit down.† Rurik's smugness flashed to embarrassment, but he bowed before the throne and backed off. That left Dorian and me staring at each other. He grinned. â€Å"Well, come here. If you won't kneel, I at least want to get a good look at the ‘terrible monster' they've brought to me. They all seem quite afraid of you. I confess, I didn't really believe it was you when they told me. I thought Rurik had been into the mushrooms again.† â€Å"Do you know how many of our people she has killed and forcibly banished, sire?† exclaimed Shaya from somewhere behind me. â€Å"She took out three in under a minute just now.† â€Å"Yes, yes. She's quite terrifying. I can see that.† Dorian looked at me expectantly. I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not moving until you offer us hospitality.† This made him sit up. He kept smiling. â€Å"She's clever too, though, admittedly, asking for hospitality before you crossed our humble threshold would have been more clever still since any of my subjects could have attacked you just now.† He shrugged. â€Å"But we've made it this far. So, tell me, Eugenie, why – er, wait. Do you prefer Eugenie or Miss Markham?† I considered. â€Å"I prefer Odile.† That smile twitched. â€Å"Ah. We're still clinging to that, are we? Very well, then, Odile, tell me what brings the shining ones' most feared enemy to my door, asking for hospitality. As you might imagine, this is without precedence.† I glanced around at all the watching, listening people. Ignore them, ignore them, an inner voice whispered. Focus on Dorian for now. â€Å"I don't really want to talk about it in front of the peanut gallery. I'd rather meet with you in private.† â€Å"Oh.† He pitched his voice for the crowd. â€Å"Well, well. Odile wants to meet with me in private.† I blushed, hating myself for doing it. Nervous laughter ran around the room, soon growing stronger and more confident as the king's did. Interesting, I thought. I remembered Volusian's comments about Dorian, and his soldiers' hesitation about his wrath. These gathered people were sheep, obviously, ready to dance or laugh at Dorian's command, but suddenly I wondered if they were sheep who also feared the whims of their capricious shepherd. I wondered if I should be afraid too. I kept my silence, not acknowledging his joke. He leaned forward, putting both elbows on his knees, letting his chin rest in both hands now. â€Å"If I offer you hospitality, you must reciprocate in kind. I'll see that no one harms you in my household, but in return, you can harm no one under my roof.† I glanced back at Volusian. â€Å"You didn't mention that.† â€Å"Oh, for God's sake,† he hissed, displaying a rare loss of patience. â€Å"What did you expect? Take it before your imminent death becomes more imminent and robs me of my chance to kill you myself.† I turned back to Dorian. I didn't like this turn of events. I didn't like being in a nest of gentry, nor did I want to be at one's mercy. Why was I here again? In my head, I summoned an image of little Jasmine Delaney, imagining her being tormented in a similar way over at Aeson's court. Only she would be subject to more than just mockery. â€Å"I accept,† I said. Dorian regarded me in silence and then nodded. â€Å"As do I.† He looked up at the crowd. â€Å"Odile Dark Swan is now under the protection of my hospitality. Anyone who so much as lays a finger on her will get his own fingers chopped off and fed back to him.† He issued the threat with as much cheer as Volusian might have. A buzz spread through the crowd, not entirely pleased. â€Å"What's to keep her from breaking her oath?† I heard someone mutter. Another said loudly, â€Å"She could slay us all!† Dorian's eyes flicked back to me. â€Å"Did you have any idea what a creature of nightmare you are around here? Mothers tell their children Odile Dark Swan will come for them if they're bad.† â€Å"Hey, I don't seek them out. I only come for them if they come for me first.† â€Å"Interesting,† he said, arching an eyebrow. â€Å"But if that's how you like it, so be it. I always admire women who know what they want in the bedroom.† â€Å"Hey, that's not what I – † I hadn't realized the extent to which our slang had permeated the gentry world. Theirs was a reflection of my own; things seeped through. He cut me off with a gesture. â€Å"I gave you hospitality, now come up here. I want to see the terror that haunts the darkness.† I hesitated, both from distrust and defiance to his taunting. Volusian's voice whispered in my ear. â€Å"He will not harm you now that he's given his word.† â€Å"I don't know if I can really believe that.† â€Å"I do.† My minion's voice was calmly serious. â€Å"You know I can't lie to you.† Turning back to Dorian, I took the steps until I stood at the same level as his chair. I met his gaze evenly. â€Å"Look at those eyes,† he sighed happily. â€Å"Like violets in the snow. You smell like them too.† Beyond us, I heard another rise of murmurs in the crowd. â€Å"What's got them all worked up now?† They couldn't hear our discourse. His own eyes danced. They were golden-brown, the color of autumn leaves falling from the trees. â€Å"You've broken protocol. They expected you to stop one step lower. Instead, you've put yourself at the same level as me. The fact that I'm not chastising you means I'm treating you as an equal, like royalty. You should be flattered.† I crossed my arms. â€Å"I'll be more flattered when we have the private talk.† He tsked me. â€Å"So impatient. So human. You've asked for my hospitality. You can't expect me to not give it now.† He made a gesture with his hands, and spirit servants appeared, bearing serving platters of food. For some reason, I suddenly started thinking of the song â€Å"Hotel California.† â€Å"We were about to eat when you so kindly dropped in. Dine with us, and then we'll have as many ‘private encounters' as you like.† â€Å"I'm not stupid. I won't eat anything in the Otherworld. You have to know that.† He shrugged, still sprawled out on his throne like a comfortable cat. â€Å"Your loss. You can sit and watch, then.† He rose gracefully and offered me his hand. I stared at it blankly. Shaking his head with mirth, he simply walked with me down the steps, not touching. â€Å"Where's the rest of my group?† â€Å"Your servants and human friend are safe, I assure you. We've given them their own accommodations since they don't have a guest-of-honor seat at my table, that's all.† He beckoned toward a low, polished table, a bit larger than the others in the room. Like the rest, it was surrounded by sumptuous-looking chairs and sofas, patterned in bright brocades and velvets. Dorian settled down onto a small loveseat and patted the spot beside him. â€Å"Keep me company?† I didn't dignify that with an answer, instead sitting down in the chair next to his sofa. It was a single seat. No one could sit with me. We were soon joined by about a dozen others, including Rurik and Shaya. She reported to Dorian that the people I'd injured had been healed and were recovering. True to my word, I didn't eat any of the food set out before us, but I confess, it looked pretty good. Stuffed Cornish game hens. Fresh bread with steam still rising from it. Desserts I would have committed murder for. But I didn't give in. One of the first rules of the game was to never eat outside your own world. Stories and myths abounded about those foolish enough to ignore that precaution. The other diners tried hard to pretend I didn't exist, but Dorian was fascinated by me. Worse, he flirted with me. At least he wasn't as crass as every other gentry I seemed to encounter, but I didn't rise to any of it – even if it was charming at times. I took it all in with a stoic face, which seemed to delight him that much more. The other women at the table were less resistant. Any look, any word, and they practically melted with lust. In fact, many other people in the room also seemed to melt with lust. Very explicitly so. During and after dinner, I watched as people – couples usually, but sometimes more – touched each other brazenly. It was like being in junior high again. Some of it was just kissing. Some of it was heavy groping – a hand fondling the breast or sliding up the thigh. And some of it was†¦more. Across the room, I saw one woman climb on top of a man and straddle him, moving up and down. I was pretty sure they had nothing on beneath the voluminous folds of her skirt. At a table nearby, one woman was on her knees in front of a man, and she was – I hastily averted my eyes, turning back to my own table. I found Dorian's gaze on me and knew he scrutinized my every reaction. Through some unspoken command, a blond slip of a woman slid into the empty seat beside him, the one I had refused. She draped a leg over his lap and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck. He moved one hand up her leg, pushing up the skirt to reveal smooth flesh, but he otherwise seemed oblivious to her as he regarded me and the other guests. Aside from the free love and utterly medieval setting, there was almost something, well, normal about this place. The gentry I'd run into were always causing trouble in my world. Luring humans. Using magic indiscriminately. But this was like any other social occasion or party. People knew each other and regarded their friends with warmth. They discussed love and children and politics. True, they were still foreign and other to me, but I could also almost see them as human. Almost. Needing to do more than sit there and stare, I reached into my coat and pulled out one of the two Milky Way bars I'd brought along. It was also a utilitarian move, seeing as how I was so hungry from watching all the feasting around me. Dorian immediately became intrigued. â€Å"What is that?† I held it up. â€Å"It's a Milky Way. It's†¦candy.† I didn't really know what else to say about it. I wasn't even sure what was in it. Nougat? I had no idea what the hell that foamy stuff was, save that it was delicious. He eyed it curiously, and I broke off a piece, tossing it over to him. He caught it deftly. â€Å"Your majesty,† exclaimed one of the men, â€Å"don't eat it. It's not safe.† â€Å"It won't hurt me here,† rebuked Dorian in annoyance. â€Å"And don't even start in about poison or I'll let Bertha the cook have her way with you again.† The man promptly shut up. Dorian popped the piece into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Watching the expressions his face went through was almost hilarious. It took him awhile to work through all that gooey scrumptiousness, and I fostered a compelling image of him with saltwater taffy. â€Å"Entertaining,† he declared when he'd finished. â€Å"What's in it?† â€Å"I don't know. Some chocolate and caramel. A bunch of stuff sort of fused into other stuff.† One woman, her hair curly and brown, fixed me with a combative look. â€Å"That's so typical of them. They twist nature and the elements for the sake of their perverted creations until they no longer know what it is they do. They are an offense to the divine, bringing forth monstrosities and abominations they cannot control.† A snappy retort rose to my lips, but I bit it off. Volusian had warned me to be nice. In light of their relatively civilized behavior at dinner, I could do no less, so my voice stayed calm. â€Å"Our monstrosities do great things. We can fix injuries you can't. We have plumbing and electricity. We have transportation that makes your horses look like dinosaurs.† â€Å"Like what?† asked one of the men. â€Å"Bad analogy,† I replied. Shaya shook her head. â€Å"We can achieve many of the same results with magic.† â€Å"Magic couldn't do much against my gun earlier.† â€Å"Our people survived. Only a human would brag about her ability to wield death.† â€Å"And you in particular would have good reason to,† pointed out Rurik. â€Å"No other human in memory has killed as many of our kind – spirits or shining ones – as you. You would have killed me last week if you'd had the strength. You would have killed our people in the woods today if you could have.† â€Å"I don't always kill. I even avoid it if I can. But sometimes I have to, and when I do†¦well, then, that's the way it goes.† Glowers regarded me all around the table. Only Dorian's face stayed politely curious. â€Å"Rumor has it you've killed your own kind too,† he noted. â€Å"Doesn't it keep you up at night to have so much blood on your hands?† I leaned back in my chair, as always trying to keep my emotions off my face. It did bother me sometimes, but I didn't want them to know. I hadn't killed many humans – only a handful, really – and most of it had been self-defense. They'd been humans working with gentry or other creatures to do harm in my world. That had justified the kills in some ways, but I could never ignore that I was taking a life. A human life. A life like my own. The first time I'd seen the light fade out of someone's eyes – wrought by my hand – I'd had nightmares for weeks. I'd never told Roland about that, and I certainly wasn't going to tell this group. â€Å"Actually, Dorian, I sleep very well, thank you.† â€Å"It's King Dorian,† hissed a plump man across from me. â€Å"Show respect.† Dorian smiled. The others glared further. â€Å"The gods will punish a murderer like you,† warned one of the women. â€Å"I doubt it. I don't murder anyone. I defend. Everyone I've killed was doing damage to my world or – in the case of those humans – helping your kind cause harm. Those who merely trespass, I don't kill. I just send them back. It's not your world, so I protect my own. That's not a crime.† Dorian sent the blonde away with a quick motion of his hand and leaned over the couch so he could speak closer to me. â€Å"But you know it was once our world too.† â€Å"Yes. And your ancestors left it.† Shaya eyed me, cheeks flushing. â€Å"We were driven out.† Dorian ignored the outburst. â€Å"You gave us no choice. Once we were all one people. Then your ancestors turned away from the power within and sought it without. They built. They subdued nature. They created things with their hands and the elements that we had only thought magic capable of. Some even surpassed what magic could do.† â€Å"So what's wrong with that?† â€Å"You tell me, Odile. Has it been worth it? You can't have it both ways. The ability to force ‘magic' from the world killed the magic within. Your lives shortened as a result compared to ours. Your sense of wonder disappeared, short of anything that can be proven by numbers and facts. Your people will soon have no gods but their machines.† â€Å"And despite all this,† observed Shaya bitterly, â€Å"humans continue to flourish. Why haven't they been cursed? Why do they spawn like cats and dogs while our numbers suffer? They are the abominations, not us.† â€Å"Their short lives, their burning need to create before they die, drive that. Their bodies can't help but produce life so readily. We do not feel that urgency.† Dorian grinned. â€Å"Well, physically we do, but subconsciously†¦our souls know we have time.† â€Å"That's another wonder of modern medicine. We can help the infertile.† Dorian frowned, again more curious than angry. â€Å"Enlighten us.† I hesitated, suddenly regretting my comment. In as brief a way as I could, I explained artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. Even Dorian had trouble stomaching that one. â€Å"This is how your numbers grow?† asked a woman near Shaya. Her voice was an awed whisper. â€Å"Only for some,† I told her. â€Å"Most don't need it. If anything, I think we have too many babies.† Seeing their shocked faces, I felt a little bad about upsetting them with all this. After all, I was a big advocate of respecting cultural diversity. Yet that core belief of mine wavered around these people. Maybe that was unfair, but I had spent my life being taught that they were not human. They might seem so now, but I didn't think one dinner could truly alter my ingrained views. Shaya shook her head, face pale. â€Å"This, then, is what has displaced us from our homeland. These are the things that forced us from the place we came from and into the world of spirits and lost souls. We lost to twisted creatures who breed easily, who rape and pillage the earth in homage to their metal gods.† â€Å"Look, I'm sorry it upsets you all so much, but that's how it is. You guys lost. You have to deal. You did an okay job fighting, I guess. You still show up in a lot of fairy tales and myths. But you still lost. History's like that. There are wars, and unfortunately, in the end, who wins and who loses is more important than who's right or wrong.† â€Å"Are you saying your people were wrong, then?† asked Dorian quietly. â€Å"No,† I said with certainty. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"You're very loyal to your own kind.† â€Å"Of course I am. I'm human. There's no choice there – especially when your people do nothing but cause trouble for mine when they cross over.† â€Å"Look around this room. Of those gathered†¦I would say only less than twenty have ever visited your world. And of those, only a small amount 'caused trouble.' You have degenerates in your world too. Yet, you wouldn't use them to define your entire race as bad.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"But I'd still punish them. Look, maybe I'm overly jaded toward your kind, but then, the only ones I've ever met have been the deviants. It's hard not to judge.† Dorian stared at me for a long time, and I couldn't read him. Everyone else looked like they would have killed me on the spot, if not for the hospitality prohibition. I wondered if I'd made Dorian mad enough to regret giving his oath. His thoughtful face changed to its typical expression, the perpetually amused and lazy one. He rose from his couch, sweeping the cloak behind him. Everyone else hastily followed suit. I took my time getting up. â€Å"I thank you all for a lovely evening, but I must take my leave now.† He spoke loudly, so that his words carried to more than just our table. Conversation in the room dropped. â€Å"I daresay my guest is growing restless and eager for some privacy, and I do so hate to disappoint.† The toadies laughed appreciatively, and I steeled myself not to blush again. Dorian glanced at me as we slowly walked out of the hall. â€Å"If I offered my hand again, I don't suppose you'd take it?† â€Å"Not a chance. I don't want to give them any ideas.† â€Å"Oh. Well. I'm afraid it's too late for that, once they see where we're going.† I cut him a warning look. â€Å"Where are we going?† â€Å"Why, to the most private of places. My bedroom, of course.†

Friday, August 30, 2019

Relationships at all levels involve complex powerplay

Present this task in the form of a discussion between two personalities. Base your response on your prescribed text and at least three other related texts of your own choosing. Introduction music to ‘Oprah' plays. Oprah Winfrey walks onstage, waving to the audience. Oprah: My my my, how are you today ladies and gentlemen? Well don't I have a special show for you today! An uninterrupted special of Oprah, that's right no advertisements, no newsbreaks, we have a delightful guest and I'm just so, so pleased that she could join us! Now as you know, I'm an open minded person and I just love talking to people, sorry, make that personalities, from all walks of life. This lovely girl has an amazing personality, and faced with a crisis, she remained dignified. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Clover! Clover trots onstage to a hearty round of applause. Oprah: Clover, how are you girlfriend? Clover: I'm great Oprah! Just glad to be away from Animal Farm. Whoops! I still call it that after all these years! Manor Farm it is now. Oprah: Well just to update our audience, Clover has been one busy babe. After leaving Manor Farm, Clover has gained her doctorate in psychology! You go girl! Interrupted by round of applause from audience And today she's hear to talk to us about powerplay. Clover: That's right Oprah. Back at Animal Farm, I guess I was a little slow to learn but they underestimated me. Since I found who I really am, it's just so refreshing! And studying psychology, I became very interested in power and how people gain power. Oprah: So do you have a hero, or heroine? Someone who you look at, as the epitome of power? Clover: Well not so much a hero. But I think Shakespeare was amazing, the way he portrayed power play. I mean, look at Othello. Iago is basically a slimy worm, but he gains so much power because he's so intelligent and confident in himself. He plays Othello and as Othello weakens, his strength just grows. It's fascinating. And Julius Caesar. Oprah: Tell us more about Caesar. Clover: Well Julius Caesar happens to be a personal favourite of mine actually. Caesar himself was a powerful man. He'd proved himself in battle, sucked up to the leaders of the time, even helped Pompey at one stage to gain power. By getting his foot in the political door early, he was paving his way into power. And oh, was he arrogant! But it was arrogance bred of power. The man spoke of himself in third person â€Å"†¦Caesar commands thy to speak!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So forceful! He instantly commands power and elevates himself to others by speaking of himself in third person. Oprah: So you like a dominant man? Clover: Oh much more than that. I mean, even the very first act, I laugh every time! Marullus is like the majority of the Roman upper class, he sees the mob as a pack of sheep. The bastard even refers to them as â€Å"†¦you blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!† His metaphor, alluding to ‘dumb' stones is funny in itself. He thinks the crowd is brainless and nothing more than rocks and stones! But when you think about it, the whole city is built on stones and blocks- the important buildings, the roads and streets. The crowd, the mob, is the foundation of the city on which those in power must sit. So the crowd really does posses a lot of power! They just aren't aware of how to use it. Oprah: Hmmm, so you're saying the mob could make or break a guy in power? Clover: Well yes. When Murellus and Flavious encounter a couple of tradesmen in the first scene, the tradesman mocks them and hence gains power through their discomfort. There's Murellus and Flavious, speaking at the workmen â€Å"†¦what trade art thou? Answer me directly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and calling them â€Å"†¦knave†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , so the cobbler tells him he's a â€Å"†¦mender of bad soles†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Quiet laughter in the audience. But Cassius is more than just a commoner, he has ambition, therefore the powerplay that Cassius and Caesar engage in yields much bitterness from Cassius. I mean, Caesar at the beginning is absolute ruler â€Å"†¦He doth bestride the narrow world; Like a Colossus, and we petty men; Walk under his huge legs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Dramatic, emphatic language is used even by Cassius here†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦doth bestride†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"†¦Colossus†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , emphasising his power and strength in the society. Whereas Caesar strides, the rest of the â€Å"†¦petty men†¦Ã¢â‚¬  only walk. However Cassius can identify that Caesar is powerful only because the rest of Rome has allowed themselves to be â€Å"†¦underlings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Like the Chinese Communist Party, Cassius believes those who have proven themselves within the political class should be in power. Oprah: So the cobbler gets power over the senators by, well ripping them off? Wow, there you have it ladies and gentlemen, those smart remarks you've been saying in your head, let 'em rip! Clover: Well, you have to remember that these commoners were pretty darn clever. They gained power by punning their words. But then, Murellus pulled some back soon after. He throws rhetorical questions at the â€Å"†¦naughty knaves†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It's pretty well done on Murellus' part, he fires seven questions at them like â€Å"†¦wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  before anyone else can get a single word in! Oprah: So he has power cause he's the one speaking? Well, lord I must have a hell of a lot of power! Clover: Pretty much. He's asserting himself again. A lot of stuff can be said through the spoken word. There's this commentator in Australia, Alan Jones. He's a very powerful man down there. I saw a documentary about him. Through his speeches and comments, he gains so much power. His medium is radio, and there are definitely people who call into the show to voice their opinions, but for a large part of the time, Alan Jones speaks uninterrupted. He himself is a gifted orator- he was the speech writer for an Australian Prime Minister even! Oprah: So what about at Manor Farm? Or Animal Farm? Who won in the talking steaks there?! Groan from audience. Clover: Well actually, that's a very interesting question. The pig who dreamed up the Rebellion, old Major, he drew an audience and we all used to listen- his word was law instantly. It was his quiet way, the regal way he â€Å"†¦sat ensconced on his bed of hay†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . But later, Napoleon of course was the public speaker. And he enforced it- with his damn dogs. They had us all scared half to death! His was a physical powerplay, intimidation. And because he used the crowd so to speak, he knew that we would all follow him, he wasn't questioned. But Squealer, well he operated differently. He was a suck up, that's for sure. But we believed him, listened to him, he â€Å"†¦could turn black into white†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Squealer was like an advertisement, a living, breathing propaganda machine. Propaganda in itself is powerplay though. The Times magazine ran an article about the Chinese Communist Party, demonstrating how it uses a great deal of propaganda. Back to Squealer though, he managed to make everything sound very convincing, he exploited our naivety. One particularly vivid, emotional moment for me was when Boxer was injured. Squealer appeared to be â€Å"†¦full of sympathy and concern†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and he said all these nice things. He told us that Boxer's last wish was to see the â€Å"†¦windmill finished†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . That his last words were â€Å"†¦Forward comrades!†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He used every chance he could to turn the situation around through his clever words to be in favour of ‘Comrade Napoleon'. He used us. We weren't the most educated animals, I mean, I admit it. Like Stalin led the uneducated , we never doubted the system because we couldn't fathom any other way. Oprah: Sounds like a nasty piece of work, doesn't he ladies and gentlemen? Kind of like those men who whisper sweet nothings and then drop you like a hot potato! Clover: Someone who did use the spoken word well though was Mark Antony. And he knew how to run the crowd as well. Unlike the senators, he didn't abuse his power over the crowd, well not in an insulting manner anyway. Antony respected the crowd and the power they held, but in his own way, he still played them. â€Å"†¦Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gets their attention and draws them all together. By getting the crowd on his side, he has power behind him. And oh, he does play Brutus too! â€Å"†¦Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: Well doesn't that just drip with sarcasm! Clover: It sure does Oprah. And Antony dishonours Brutus, ridding him of his power because he has dishonoured him in the eyes of the crowd- where the real power lies. I mean, politicians need the crowd, they are only in power when they have the power of the people supporting them. Alan Jones, he had the admiration and loyalty of his students and his team and â€Å"†¦it was a hypnotic power of a charismatic man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . As much as I hate to admit it, Napoleon had us under his command, through intimidation. And trickery too I might add. The Chinese Communist Party has an uncanny likeness to Napoleon and his way of running things. They play the crowd through intimidation and their hold over the Army, well let's say guns make sure that hold remains firm. Sorry Oprah, I've digressed again! Antony has something the crowd wants. Well he doesn't really, but he knows the crowd will be pleased with gifts and such- through Caesar's will. He leads the crowd to think what he wants them to think by teasing them, with the promise of reading the will. It's a subtle exploitation and goes to show how much power comes with knowledge! He ensures that the plebeians remain loyal to Caesar â€Å"†¦they were traitors!..† the crowd cries. And then â€Å"†¦The will! The testament!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and so Antony tells them what they want to hear. And he did a good job of it too. Alan Jones, in his early days as a teacher gained his power through his crowd, but unlike Antony, Jones was able to choose his crowd to some degree. He valued â€Å"†¦more highly those who were prepared to follow an established game plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This in itself is very demanding and forceful. He gains power through establishing a clear set of rules- his own rules. Jones went through a tough time, he was in trouble because it was alleged he accepted endorsements. However, he remained as powerful as ever. It was said in the documentary that if Jones â€Å"†¦didn't lose his audience, he didn't lose his power†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This acknowledges to an even greater extent just how important the crowd is in giving power. The powerful know how to work the crowd in their play for power. And particularly in Julius Caesar, we can see that power often corrupts. Powerplays are about power transferring from one party to another. When this balance of power inevitably becomes unequal, corruption and evilness often creep into the equation. Even Antony, after gaining the crowd's support with Caesar's will, manipulated them to his own advantage, calling Lepidus an â€Å"†¦ass†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and likening him to a horse. Although I myself believe that this is a great compliment! Actually, in Rome at this time it seems that likening one to an animal inflicted a great deal of insult. In Brutus and Antony's exchange animal imagery shows just how fundamental power plays are- within nature and within human nature â€Å"†¦you showed your teeth like apes and fawned like hounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Yes even those who posses great power can stoop to childish name calling! Oprah: They seem to be very strong, very forceful. Clover: Jones in particular was. He â€Å"†¦didn't accept fence sitters†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were either on his side, or against him. By defining those clear boundaries, Jones is commanding power from those who are with him, because they support his opinion and their loyalty lies with him, and from those against him, because they are still playing by his rules, he forces them to make a decision and lets them know that he's not afraid of it. However, in Julius Caesar, Cassius isn't so forceful with Brutus. He is quite gentle, very subtle and strokes Brutus' ego to win him over. â€Å"†¦no man here; But honours you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  says Cassius to Brutus. Cassius does actually recognise that the power in politics lies with the people, as does Cinna â€Å"†¦O Cassius, if you could; But win the noble Brutus to our party†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . He knows that Brutus' reputation precedes him and basically, wants a piece of it. If Brutus is on his side, then Cassius is going to look a wh ole lot more reputable. Brutus' honour will garner the crowd. Oprah: well it sounds to me like the people in power get all the perks! But if there's so much power in the crowd, then how come it's the leaders that get all the glory? Clover: Cause they've won the war. Won the powerplay, the struggle. In reality, the power of the crowd disseminates to support the ruling class, ruling party. The most powerful. Like I said before, the Chinese Communist Party are alike Napoleon and his pigs. Napoleon stopped the Sunday meetings, he wouldn't let us in on anything, wouldn't let us have a say anymore. The Chinese Communist Party are insiders, â€Å"†¦picked, then rotated through a series of jobs to test their loyalty. They use secrecy as a weapon, â€Å"†¦part of an old fashioned weapon of rule†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . If no one knows anything, then they have the advantage of the element of surprise, if it is others trying to discover their secrets, then the power is shifted to the Communist Party- power lies with knowledge. At the farm, Moses was asleep in the barn when Major first told us of the Rebellion. He didn't approve because he didn't have in. Like the church when communism was introduced- they missed the boat and hence the communists had the power. Oprah: So what if two big names clash? Like the Sunday night movie and you're trying to figure out whether to watch Mel Gibson or Tom Cruise? What happens then? Clover: Well personally I prefer Mr Ed†¦ Oprah: Hey, whatever floats your boat hun! Clover: But the answer to your question is simply, one of them has to go. Just like Stalin ousted Trotskey, Napoleon got rid of Snowball when he became too much. Napoleon was smart, he knew the windmill would be a great idea. He knew that this would make us look at Snowball more favourably, and Napoleon couldn't afford to lose the support of the crowd! We all â€Å"†¦came to look at Snowballs drawings at least once†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . â€Å"†¦Only Napoleon held aloof†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . It even came to the point where half of us where in full support of Snowball- we wanted him in power. â€Å"†¦Vote for Snowball and the three day week!†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . So he got rid of him- powerplay using force. Snowball was a better orator than Napoleon â€Å"†¦in a moment Snowballs eloquence carried [us] away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . And it was then Napoleon knew he was in trouble, so out came the dogs. It was terrifying we were terrified and â€Å"†¦scared†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Napoleon's answer to any threat to his power was simple- force. Like the Communist Party. The magazine article left no question as to the forceful nature of the group: â€Å"†¦Whatever the leadership lineup that parades before the cameras this week, the message will be the same: leave the driving to us†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: Do all people who gain power tend to have this group mentality? You know, strength in numbers? Clover: Well Caesar didn't need anyone but himself! But neither does Allan Jones really. I mean, they all use other people to gain power. But it has been said of Jones that he was able to â€Å"†¦polarise people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , that he was very much a â€Å"†¦solo performer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: All this talk about all these men! What about our sistas hun, there has to be some powerful girlfriends in this men's club! Clover: Brutus' wife Portia, she's a woman and a half. Now, I don't know about you Oprah, but I'd do nearly anything to get the truth outta my hubby. I'd willingly kick him in the leg, you know, throw a feed bin at him, that kind of thing. She doesn't think much of her sex â€Å"†¦I grant I am a woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Oprah: Wow those hunnies really needed someone like me around, right ladies?! Cheer from the audience Clover: But instead, she gave herself â€Å"†¦a voluntary wound†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: Hell, now wouldn't that make the hubby shake in his boots! Clover: Yes, it did! But it worked, Portia gained power in Brutus' entrusting her with his men's secrets by this act of, well I like to call it insanity but some would say determination. Oprah: Well if that's that kind of guy Brutus is, I don't think I'd want to know his secrets! Clover: Brutus is a very complex man. His was of having power is by being unemotional†¦he holds his passion at bay and tries to rely on reputation and form and nobility rather than feelings. He is â€Å"†¦vexed†¦with passions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Although Brutus tries to regain some power in his exchange with Cassius â€Å"†¦Would not; Be any further moved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  by detaching himself from his emotions, Cassius appeals to Brutus' sense of personal worth â€Å"†¦Men at some time are masters of their fates; The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars; But in ourselves, that we are underlings†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . However, the guy is only human, and Cassius knows that he can seduce Brutus into complying, he can flatter his way into gaining power over Brutus â€Å"†¦Who is so firm that cannot be seduc'd†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Oprah: It's fair to say Clover hun, that you've had some well, quite negative encounters with leaders and power in your lifetime. What are your views on it all now? Clover: It's human nature Oprah. And animal nature too I guess. I mean, out in the wild it's survival of the fittest, but in this day and age it's survival of the fittest, smartest, best talker, the one who can get into the head of the crowd. We need leaders. Hell, even a farm of animals need a leader! I mean, under Jones, we were miserable. He was someone in a position of power who exploited us. We weren't as educated as he, hence less powerful and his routine made the farm like a well oiled machine- at our expense. On our own, it would have been fine, except Napoleon became corrupted also, by power again exploiting us. The Chinese Communist Party, they are a self perpetuating group who breed their own leaders- sacrifices made by the party for the party. Alan Jones tended to apply favouritism to his students, selecting the strong and talented and dedicated. There are flaws in all these powerful people, even Caesar's arrogance and Antony, his manipulation of the crowd. But powerplays are exchanges I guess, and power is gained by exploitation of the opposition's weaknesses. By reducing the power of one, your own is strengthened. That's just the way it is I guess. Old Major, he wanted a perfect place, his own version of ‘Sugarcandy Mountain' I guess. â€Å"†¦Above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . All that said, I'll repeat- it's human nature. At the conclusion of Julius Caesar, we can know as an audience that this scenario will repeat itself. More people will suffer, sacrifice, die for power, it is the nature of humanity. Oprah: Well Clover, that's about all we have time for. It's just been an amazing story you've had to tell, you've certainly opened my eyes. I'd like to thank you for coming on the show today†¦ Clover: It's my pleasure Oprah. Thankyou for having me! Oprah: You're welcome, you're welcome darling, now ladies and gentlemen let's thank Clover! Round of applause from audience Music plays and credits roll.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Century medical history

An important person was Edward , who discovered a smallpox vaccination. He did not actually invent it, because it had already existed. She ran an experiment on an eight year old boy to test the smallpox vaccine. He did this by giving him first which served as a immunization. Joseph Priestley was an important figure in the century. He discovered the now called element oxygen. Before his discovery, people did not understand what air or what it was made of. He also was a researcher, Philosopher and a Chemist.Benjamin Franklin Invented the bifocals, although he was greatly known for his work In electrical theory. He established laws on how electricity operates, how to store and use It. He Is also famous for his experiment with the kite and key. Rune Invented the Stethoscope. With this he Investigated sounds made by the heart and lungs, and compared It to his diagnosis he got from autopsies. He also wrote the first descriptions of and cirrhosis and also classified lung conditions Like pneumonia, pleurisy and emphysema.Lastly, John Hunter was a surgeon of the century and Is now known as founder of scientific surgery. He made many advances In surgical procedures, while teaching anatomy and surgery. He also first documented reports on tube feeding. By immunization. Joseph Priestley was an important figure in the century. He Philosopher and a Chemist. Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocals, although he was greatly known for his work in electrical theory.He established laws on how electricity operates, how to store and use it. He is also famous for his experiment with the kite and key. Rune invented the Stethoscope. With this he investigated sounds made by the heart and lungs, and compared it to his diagnosis he got from also classified lung conditions like pneumonia, pleurisy and emphysema.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Fashion is never still, it constantly changes and evolves Essay

Fashion is never still, it constantly changes and evolves - Essay Example The essay "Fashion is never still, it constantly changes and evolves" investigates the notion of fashion. Fashion can be applied to many fields of human activity, for example, art, music, theatre, politics, economy, architecture –and it is not the complete list. In the past the term fashion when used in terms of clothes implied the generic style for everyone who wanted to be fashionable. Nowadays the things have changed completely – clothes are no longer the manifestation of equality with others. Choosing one’s style in fashion is the way to express oneself, to express the mood or in most cases to distinguish oneself. So, today, to be fashionable means to have your own creative fashion but not to stick to the trend of the season. People all over the world may choose from the variety of styles: to be a got or to wear romantic clothes, to have a business style or extravagant – everything is fashionable nowadays. However, fashion originates somewhere and seve ral great minds decide upon the trends of the coming season. These decisions come from the Fashion Weeks where the prominent fashion designers demonstrate their vision of seasonal trends. The most popular collections dictate fashion to the rest of the world. However, fashion can spread and in another way - via celebrities. Seeing a famous person in unusual clothes or with extravagant hairdo or make up, thousands of fans start copying him/her. Fashion varies tremendously not only in time, but also in class, income, nationalities ad world views.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Discussion - Assignment Example This strategy shows that the company is socially responsible. Another demographic group that the firm warns should not smoke its product is pregnant women. Once again the label of the cigarette box states that cigarette smoking is dangerous for women that are pregnant. These two packaging warnings are examples of how Phillip Morris has adapted to the social cultural environmental force. The demographic target market of Phillip Morris is smokers between the ages of 18-35 years of age. The creation of the Marlboro Man is an example of character that was created by the company to adapt to the social cultural force by creating a character the common person could relate too. These smokers are more receptive to changes of brand. Older smokers tend to purchase the same brand of cigarettes every day. It is important for cigarette companies such as Phillip Morris to achieve customer retention due to the fact a daily smoker that stays with your company and purchases a daily box at $6 generates $2,190 in retail sales yearly. Older smokers are important as well and the firm should show appreciation for their business. In the future the company may make further cultural adaptations to comply with the needs of different cultures

Monday, August 26, 2019

Statistics and Data Interpretation Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

And Data Interpretation - Statistics Project Example It will show: systolic BP and diastolic BP taken from the same set of subjects either while supine or standing. 2). Using Excel, calculate three new columns, giving for each subject their MABP supine and standing and their increase in MABP when standing rather than lying supine. From the new columns, again using Excel, calculate, for the whole class, and for males and females separately, the mean, SD and SEM for MABP for supine and standing positions and for the increase in MABP. You do not need to print your columns of raw data. Present all these summaries, including the numbers of subjects and units of measurement, in a single table. It should also include a title and a legend which states briefly how the experimental data were obtained (i.e. summarises what was done in the practical). Round the values up to an appropriate number of decimal places. 3). Complement the numerical statistics with a graphical display: From the MABP increase values, construct a grouped frequency table for the whole class, showing the frequency and percentage frequency at 5 mmHg intervals. Remember that % values should add up to 100. Draw by hand the histogram. It is normal in biosciences for these to be plotted as percentage frequency, NOT % freq density. Remember to label the axes and intervals and include a title or legend so that the graph is readily understandable. [4 marks] 4). Perform a t-test to compare the two positions for the whole class with respect to mean arterial blood pressure. Are the differences significant? Marks will be deducted for not explaining your choice of test or your conclusions, for not showing your working or for serious errors in calculation. The data will be provided separately as an Excel spreadsheet entitled ‘renal data’ on the 4BBY1060 module website ‘Coursework’ tab. It will show: average urine flow rate over 120 min, and average urine osmolality over

Critically Analysing Texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critically Analysing Texts - Essay Example For instance The Times positioned a large photograph of the suspect below its caption reminding the audience of the parents’ source of relief. The suspect’s picture looks more like a mug shot, a sublime indication that the suspect is guilty as charged. The Sun positions a photograph of the girlfriend with the murder suspect in happier times. The picture itself is suggestive of an ordinary man and certainly not a portrait of a killer. A picture of the victim however is placed in the article, but smaller, yet provides contrast. The victim’s picture is plain and reveals very little about the kind of person she might have been. Most of all, the picture could easily be a routine snapshot taken for identification documents as it does not create an impression. Interestingly a suggestive ad for sex therapy sits alongside the victim’s picture. In any case, the rather bland picture of the victim and the continuous informal use of her name throughout the article come s across as an intention to present an average, somewhat unsympathetic individual. The term â€Å"average Jo† invariably comes to mind and could either create sympathies or create detachment. A picture of the suspect’s mother and brother also appear on the last page of the article, but with far less ambiguity than the picture of the victim. The image captures drawn and saddened faces, under which the caption reads: â€Å"Angry†¦mum Sonja and brother Marcel.† The article in The Times is more cohesive in its layout in that it tells a story that is easy to follow. The connection begins with a caption that clearly directs attention to the content of the article. The caption reads: Yeates Parents Tell of â€Å"Enormous Relief† at Murder Charge. Thereafter, the article reads like a narrative with facts integrated to ensure that the reader knows why the Yeates parents relieved. For instance, upon informing the audience that the parents of the murder victim are relieved, the writer immediately names the suspect, and identifies him as a neighbour of the victim and reveals that he was arrested and will be formally charged with their daughter’s murder. The article appearing in The Sun however, is not as cohesive and as such it is more difficult to follow. The caption itself is confusing and reads: Girlfriend: I Stand by Jo Accused. Unlike The Times, the language in The Sun’s caption is informal and does not read like a complete sentence. The reader’s curiosity is therefore aroused immediately, although the opening lines to the article dispels that curiosity by informing who Jo is. The caption is misleading however, as once the reader completes The Sun’s article it becomes clear that the murder suspect’s girlfriend did not directly state that she was standing by her boyfriend. This message was conveyed through the murder suspect’s family. Like its caption, the language in The Sun is also informal a t times. This register however, is indicative of the kind of audience that The Sun intends to reach. For instance law enforcement are referred to as cops at least twice and in one instance, the term is used in the context of investigators’ decision to make an arrest. This tends to suggest that the decision to make an arrest was made lightly. At another point, a public relations professional is referred to as â€Å"PR man†. This use of colloquialism is clearly intended to reach a

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Development of the Entire Individual and the Establishment of Essay

The Development of the Entire Individual and the Establishment of Children - Essay Example Child soldiers often experience and are exposed to unthinkable brutality. Publicised experiences of children in war involve witnessing, or even, participating in brutal killings, maiming, and torturing; being coerced to take part in sexual acts; being severely mutilated or beaten; having to raid and raze down houses; and losing loved ones (Honwana, 2011). The personal experiences of child soldiers are determined by the nature of their participation in armed conflict. Most children are coerced to become soldiers, whilst others join with different objectives. For instance, child soldiers from Sierra Leone have admitted that they enjoy the stimulation of combat and experiencing the unique camaraderie and unity that emerge within the group. Others, who had even become leaders at a very young age, admitted that they get pleasure from leading, using skills in war, and being admired and revered by their comrades (Honwana, 2011). In Sierra Leone, countless youngsters sought membership in RUF because it offered education, instruction, and guidance that the government had failed to provide (Wessells, 2006). Current studies show that the roles of child soldiers differ in relation to circumstances and gender. In Sierra Leone, girls are usually recruited or forced to become the sex slaves of rebel forces. Failure or refusal to satisfy the needs for sex can result in inhumane punishment, and, at times, death. But in certain instances, some women have been given leadership positions (Gates & Reich, 2010).

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Great Leader assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Great Leader assignment - Essay Example Lincoln was idealistic yet practical. Abraham Lincoln’s great skills in leadership showed in all his endeavors even as a member of the House of Representatives. As a great leader, Abraham Lincoln showed pure resolve when he decided that America should free all the slaves and save the Union. In the same way that America’s Founding Fathers did almost a hundred years before his time, Lincoln made a decision to free the people once more. In 1837, even before becoming president, Lincoln had already made it clear that he was against slavery. In 1856, he even expressed opposition towards former President Franklin Pierce when the latter allowed Nebraska and Kansas to choose for themselves whether or not to adopt slavery. His led the opposition to slavery even when he was still a member of the House of Representatives. Moreover, despite his strong involvement in the slavery issue, Lincoln helped to pass bills that modernized the economy in the Pre-Civil War era, with bills that promoted the constructions of canals, banks and railroads, and those that regulated tariffs (â€Å"Abraham Lincoln,† Biography.com, 2014). Although Lincoln was fighting against slavery when he was still a Congressman, he knew he would be more useful if he applied himself to practical aspects of the economy such as infrastructure. As a leader, Lincoln had the resolve and determination. When he became President, Lincoln’s skills in leadership were put to a great test and one which he passed with the victory of the Union during the Civil War. Even at the expense of around 24,000 American soldiers, Lincoln’s leadership showed in his great moral resolve to free the slaves at any cost. The election of Jefferson Davis to the newly founded Confederacy was the blatant response of the South to Lincoln’s election to the presidency. Thus, in order not only to free the slaves but to save the Union and the integrity of

Friday, August 23, 2019

MCH Frameworks Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MCH Frameworks - Research Paper Example The effective being the operative terms that are not enforceable (Battin, Francis, & Smith, 2009).This paper describes children communicable diseases with respect to Life Course Theory, Maternal and Child Health Pyramid of Health Sciences and Health Impact Pyramid. Communicable diseases, especially those that are mostly contagious, take on social significance because their ability to spread often depends on social interactions. Their ethical significance is, therefore, intimately related to the extent, quality, care, and nature with which there is a need to attend to those social interactions among the children. Mostly, children who fell sick always can create challenges and many problems in setting of groups. These setting up of groups can be done in schools. Therefore, children always are demanding a lot of attention from the teachers or nannies who take care of them and those who cannot fully participate in educational activities as well as group. The worst is that children with a communicable disease can spread the illness to other kids. As a result, it is important to the day care providers and educators to control the spreading of communicable diseases by effective, safe, and practical efforts. This is because those who are affected most are school going children since they interact indiscriminately. Control of communicable diseases in day care and school settings is of utmost significance. Provision of safe, healthy environment and comfortable enhance the process of education, facilitates social development and enable kids to acquire healthy attitudes toward organized settings (Pies, Parthasarathy& Kotelchuck, 2009). The Health Impact Pyramid is a graph representation of tiers of influence that might have resulted from public health interventions. Working down the pyramid from its top, the first level of the pyramid includes counseling and education

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Total Quality Management Essay Example for Free

Total Quality Management Essay Concept of Leadership Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Though there is no universal definition of leadership and indeed many books have been devoted to the topic of leadership, Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. James Mac Gregor Burns describes a leader as one who instills purposes, not one who controls by brute force. A leader strengthens and inspires the followers to accomplish shared goals. So leadership requires an intuitive understanding of human nature- the basic needs, wants, and abilities of people. It helps leaders direct them on the right track. So leadership should be based on the following concepts: 1) People, paradoxically, need security and independence at the same time. 2) People are sensitive to external rewards and punishments and yet are also strongly self-motivated. 3) People like to hear a kind word of praise. Catch people doing something right. 4) People can process only a few facts at a time, thus, a leader needs to keep things simple. 5) People trust their gut reaction more than statistical data. 6) They distrust the leader’s rhetoric if the words are inconsistent with the leader’s actions. Characteristics of Quality Leaders There are 12 behaviors or characteristics that successful quality leaders demonstrate: 1) They give priority attention to external and internal customers and their needs. Leaders place themselves into the customers’ shoes and service their needs from that perspective. They continually evaluate the customers’ changing requirements. 2) They empower, rather than control, their subordinates. Leaders have trust and confidence in the performance of their subordinates. They provide the resources, training and work environment to help subordinates do their jobs. However, the decision to accept responsibility lies with the individual. 3) They emphasize improvement rather than maintenance. Leaders use the phrase â€Å"If it isn’t perfect, improve it† rather than â€Å"If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.† There is always room for improvement, even if the improvement is small. Major breakthroughs happen but it’s the little ones that keep the continuous process improvement on a positive track. 4) They emphasize prevention; â€Å"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure† is certainly true. It is also true that perfection can be the enemy of creativity. We can’t always wait until we have created the perfect product. There must be a balance between preventing problems and developing better but not the perfect one. 5) They encourage collaboration rather than competition. When functional areas, departments or work groups are in competition, they may find subtle ways of working against each other or withholding information. Instead, there must be collaboration among and within units. 6) They train and coach rather than direct and supervise. Leaders know that the development of the human resource is a necessity. As coaches, they help their subordinates learn to do a better job. 7) They learn from problems. When a problem exists, it is treated as an opportunity rather than something to be minimized or covered up. â€Å"What caused it?† and â€Å"How can we prevent it in future?† are the questions quality leaders ask. 8) They continually try to improve communications. Leaders continually disseminate information about the TQM effort. They make sure that TQM is not just a slogan. Communication is two way- ideas will be generated by people when leaders encourage them and act upon them. 9) They continually demonstrate their commitment to quality, that is; they just do what they have committed to do. They walk their talk- their actions, rather than their words. They let the quality statements be their decision making guide. 10) They choose the suppliers on the basis of quality, not price. Suppliers are encouraged to participate on project teams and become involved. Leaders know that quality begins with quality materials and the true measure is the life cycle cost. 11) They establish organizational systems to support the quality effort. At the senior level, a quality council is provided, and at the first-line level, work groups and project teams are organized to improve the process. 12) They encourage and reorganize team effort. They encourage, provide recognition and reward individuals and teams. Leaders know that people like to hear that their contributions are appreciated and important. This action is one of the leader’s most powerful tools. The Seven Habits of highly effective people: Habit is an intersection of knowledge, skill and desire. Knowledge is what to do and the why; skill is the how to do; and desire is the motivation or want to do. In order for something to become a habit one must have all the three. Stephen R. Covey introduced â€Å"The Seven Habits†- a highly integrated approach that moves from dependency (you take care of me) to independence (I take care of myself) to interdependence (we can so something better together). The first three habits deal with independence- the essence of character growth. Habit 4, 5 and 6 deal with interdependence- teamwork, cooperation, and communication. Habit 7 is the habit of renewal. That’s why, these habits are necessary for leaders to be effective. Habit 1: Be Proactive Being proactive means taking responsibility for your life- the ability to choose the response to a situation. Proactive behavior is a product of conscious choice based of values, rather than reactive behavior, which is based on feelings. Reactive people let circumstances tell them how to respond. On the other hand, proactive people let carefully thought-about, selected and internalized values tell them how to respond. It’s not what not what happens to us but our response that differentiates the two behaviors. No one can make you miserable unless you choose to let them. The language we use is a real indicator of our behavior. Comparisons are given in the table below: Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind The most fundamental application of this habit is to begin each day with an image, picture or paradigm of the end of life as the leader’s frame of reference. All things are created twice- there’s a mental or first creation and a physical or second creation all things. To build a house we first create a blueprint and then construct the actual house. If we want to have a successful organization, we begin with a plan that will produce the appropriate end; thus leadership is the first creation and management is the second. Leadership is doing the right thing and management is doing things right. In order to begin with the end in mind, leader should develop a personal philosophy like:- * Never compromise with honesty * Maintain a positive attitude * Exercise daily * Do not fear mistakes * Read a leadership book daily By centering our lives on correct principles, we create a solid foundation for a the development of the life supporting factors of security, guidance, wisdom and power. Principles are the fundamental truths. They are tightly interwoven threads running with exactness, consistency and strength through the fabric of life.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The impact of the first world war on international relations in the decade after 1918 Essay Example for Free

The impact of the first world war on international relations in the decade after 1918 Essay In the fall of 1918, the allied forces won victorious on all fronts. An Armistice ended the fighting on November 11th 1918.During the four years of war between 1914 and 1918; there were immeasurable devastations, which left no aspect of civilization untouched. It was described by German General Erich Ludendorff as totalitarian war1 with human casualties, social consequences and economic consequences. These consequences made Allied leaders to meet in Paris from January through June 1919to draft peace terms; so that such wars should not happen in future. 2In order to achieve this, they agreed in creation of new world order to replace the four great Empires and satisfy expectations that this could be a worldwide settlement and would be permanent. Because of the devastations this war inflicted on humanity, nations were eager to form relations to avoid the future world war. This essay therefore attempts to look at factors that contributed to international relations, as seen by the new world order which was central to the fear of Bolshevism and autocratic government and the leadership during the mid 1920s. One of the agendas at the Peace Conference was the creation of International order to replace the four great empires. These were; the German, Russian, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman, that had previously structured Central Europe, the Balkans and the principle of self determination so as to liberate the wrongly supposed aspirations of nationality groups, whose struggles for independence was a cause also to war.3 Some new states which were created are; Estonia, Latria, Lithuania, and new Poland. After assuring their own stability in the summer of 1919, these nations were to act according to General Rudiger Vonder Goltz as the fluid borderlands of Eastern Europe. Apart from gaining their own independence, these nations were to help remove border conflicts that would have emerged between German and Russia. This is true when one examines Lenins reasons for accepting the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which was for the benefit of Bolsheviks. He wanted the Bolsheviks to gain peace so that there could have been a time to organize and strengthen itself within Russia.4Frankly speaking, the Russians were not happy with it and it was very likely that they would reclaim their land as seen by Stalins aims of recouping most of the Rest Russias 1917 losses in the summer of 1940.5 Apart from states that were created between the borders of Germany and Russia, there were also other states created from Austria, Hungary and Ottoman Empire. These states are Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Croatia and Yugoslavia. One of the aims of Paris Conference was to remove secret diplomacy and give way to free and open discussions to international issues. In this way, the beneficent influence of the public opinion would be taken advantage of, and secretive intrigues of Imperialistically inclined national leaders would have their rows minimized.6 Although there was this advantage, some states created by the Peace Settlements made little economic sense. For example; the new countries of Austria and Hungary, which were small ad weak and unable to support themselves. They had most of their population, resources and markets. Austrias largely German population had wanted to unite with Germany, but the Peace treaties forbid that Union.7This was because the peacemakers did not want German to gain territory after the war. On the broader view, these problems cemented the relationship between powerful states (like Britain and France) with these smaller states in that there was dependability between these states. For example in the case of France whose major eastern ally since 1892, Russia materially weak and politically hostile, Frenchs security needs would be doubly served against Germany and against Bolsheviks.8 The other reason for new international order was that all internal political institutions of Europe would be democratized so as to remove autocratic constraints on public opinion that had permitted the ruling elites of the central powers to wage their war of aggression. For example, the Reichstag (German Parliament) was to be elected by universal suffrage and proportional, and the government was made responsible to it. The President was to be directly elected by the people in U.S.A and he was given wide emergency powers. The first elected President was Albert.9 In Constantinople where the allied military administered until the treaty of Sevres, which guaranteed the Greeks to stay in Turkey for fie years until it was democratized.10 Although the Sultan was ready to accept the treaty term, Turkish nationalities werenot. This is what led to nationalism led by veteran General Mustafa Kemal backed allied assistance to demand the retention by Turkey, of all territory inhabited by an Ottoman Moslem majority and to capitulate. General Mustafas main aim was to transform Turkey from Asiatic into a European country. By Europeanizing, it meant that Turkey was to democratize its all institutions in accordance to Britain or France. Because of these ideas of modernizing Turkey, she stood on a good relationship with her neighbors (Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia) who formed a common front to combat fascist threat as it was increasing.11From this it can be said the new international implemented by the League, of free and independent nations empowered to solve disputes by negotiation and compromise in the process maintaining international relations and peace. Another factor that made the nations to come together after the First World War was the fear of Bolshevism. By 1917,protracted war was producing revolutionary strains on all the belligerent countries. For example, in Russia, they could no longer contain the pressures of war weariness, social conflict and national separitism. These were the reasons, which made Lenin to organize the Bolsheviks who overthrew the provisional government in what is commonly known as the October revolution of 1917.12 In the years that followed, there was a civil war from 1918 to 1920.In this civil war; the Allied forces actively supported the Mensheviks, though they never took direct combat roles in this war. The unsuccessfulness of the Mensheviks was because they were disorganized and that workers who believed that the allied forces were helping the Mensheviks so that they should maintain that old system of landlords and tenants did not support them. Because of their disorganization and little support they received from workers, the Bolsheviks used this weakness, successfully won, and established themselves. The triumph of the Bolsheviks created a second European center of attraction and aspiration. There was fear of Bolshevisms and this made premier Clemenceau to understand that a harsh peace with Germany would spread Bolshevism into Germany. 13 Even though the relationship between Germany and the Allied nations was not good during this period of time, there were also some Germans who were asked by Allied nations to volunteer themselves under Rudiger Vonder Goltz to remain in the borderlands of Eastern European 1919.These acted as de facto allies of the western powers against Bolsheviks.14From this, it can be deduced that the fear of the Bolsheviks was bringing nations together. According to historians, the first five years after the war were years of hostility between Allied nations and Germany. Because of these Bolsheviks, Germany even volunteered herself to work hand in hand with Allied nations to avoid spread of Communism. This shows that despite the hostility that was there, they all had a common enemy to fight against and this eventually brought them close to the Allied nations. The change in leadership helped to ease international tensions which were there before 1924.The period between1918 and 1924 can be described as a period of tensions which would have disturbed the relationship among nations in the aftermath of world war One. There were problems that arose from the Paris Peace settlements and the League of Nations struggled to sort out the problems. For example, Turkey and Italy were dissatisfied with their treatment. The Turkish people were prepaid to defy the settlement because of huge territorial losses. The Italians who later came under the rule of Mussolini in1922, showed their resentment by seizing Fiume, which was previously given to Yugoslavia. 15 The problems in questions can be attributed to leaders who shaped the Peace Conferences in work as a national and self-interest of principal victors. Premier GeorgesClemenceau, in particular represented France with keen awareness that his people had withstood the worst of the Allied war effort and must withstand the worst of enforcing the peace terms on the continent of Europe. He was determined that the peace terms should favor the French.16To prove that the peace conference was for their self-interest (victorious nations), the defeated powers were not invited during the drafting of the peace terms, for there was a role that called merely for signing of the completed documents. Because some nations were not consulted but were forced to sign, some commentators have described it as a dictated, not negotiated peace. Furthermore, when Germany raised the question of Moratorium after experiencing greater inflation of the currency, just after the first payment, a partial of it was granted. When she attempted to make her revised payments, the mark again sank and she requested a moratorium on all cash payments until January 1925.Because the then leaders were not ready to help each other, the reparations problem for a time ceased to be merely a question between Allied forces and Germany and resolved itself into a diplomatic conflict between the British and French government.The problems arise because Britain wanted Germany to regain her prosperity and with it, her ability to purchase British commodity and improve her economy. While France wanted immediate reparations to resolve the region which was devastated by the war, she believed that Germanys fiscal difficulties were chiefly caused by its bad administration of finance and by bad faith of her nationals who were deliberately evading taxation and sending millions of dollars in gold and security out of the country. Because of these differences and their uncompromising attitude, a conference was called and it was held at Genoa in April 1922to discuss world economic problems and to try to get the Soviet Union to repay tsarist debts to Allied nations.( ) Because of Frances attitude towards Germany at the Conference, it helped to push the two main outsider nations; Weimer Germany and Soviet Russia into each others arms, hence Rapallo treaty between Russia and Germany. Come the second half of 1920s, there was a general improvement in the International atmosphere caused partly by a change in political leadership. In France, Edouard Herriot and Foreign Minister Aristide Briand, in Britain, Ramsy Mac Donald, and in Germany, Gustar Streetman came to power and all were keen to improve their relations. The result of this was Dawes plan. It was formed in London in 1924 and it was an attempt to break the dreadlock. Because leaders were eager to reconcile, they agreed that Germany should pay annually only what she could reasonably afford until she became more prosperous. Apart from the European leaders mentioned above, who were eager to reconcile, U.S.A. was also willing to help and it was in fact America, which granted loan of 800,000,000 (eight hundred million) gold marks to Germany.( )In1925, came the most important one in which Germany, France and Belgium promised to respect that joint frontiers. Thus, if one of the three broke the agreement, Britain and Italy would assist the state that was being attacked. This agreement was greeted with wild enthusiasm all over Europe and the reconciliation between France and Germany was referred to as the Locarno honeymoon( )The most significant feature of the Locarno agreements was the spirit of hope they had awakened in Europe. In heady mood, the major European State, U.S and Japan (with other countries totaling 65), included with the Kellogg-Briand Pact on August 27th, 1928.The signatories promised to renounce war as an instrument of national policy, ( )although no means of enforcing this promise were included in the pact.It is also sufficed to note that the dying out of tensions in Europe not only encouraged international relations, but also economic boom in these European states. Long at last, European states returned to normal. This essay has assessed the impact of world war one on international relations. Among other things, international relations were disturbed by the Peace settlements. Some nations were not happy with the terms of the Versailles treaty. However, despite this, other factors helped to cement the relations. These were: the new world order, fear of Bolsheviks and change of leadership during the second half of 1920s.Governments continued to deal with each other in secret and the interest of the states (as perceived by each, of course) continued to be the driving force of international relations. The First World War had nevertheless profoundly and permanently altered foreign relations. The tensions relaxed and a period of calm and prosperity followed in the late 1920s. END NOTES 1.World Book Encyclopedia (1994) (W-X-Y-Z) Vol 21, PG 469 2. Paxton. R. Europe in the Twentieth Century 4th Ed (London: Harcourt college publishers) pg 157 3. Ibid pg 158 4. Curtis, M. Western European Integration (New York: Harpers and Row) pg 1 5. Roberts J.M. Europe 1888-1945 (London: Longman, 1967) PG 164 6.Ibid PG 165 7.Paxton, R. O. Europe in the Twentieth Century. Pg 461 8.MR. Jawali. Class Lecturer. October 2004 9.World Book Encyclopedia. Pg 468 10. Paxton.R.D. Europe in the Twentieth Century 11Cornwell R.D. World History In the Twentieth Century (Harlow: Longman) 1983 12.Ibid pg 42 13.Benns .F.L. Europe since 1914 (London: Murry Publishers) 1967, pg 407-410 14.Curtis M.Western European Integration pg 126 15. Paxton R.O. Europe in the Twentieth Century. Pg163 16.Ibid 164 17. Mr. Jawali Class Lecturer 18.Paxton R.O.Europe in the Twentieth Century pg 187 19.Benns.F.L. Europe since 1914 pg 163 20.Lowe N. Mastering Modern World History (London: Macmillan Press LTD.) Pg 45 21.Ibid pp56-58 22.Paxton R.O. Europe In the Twentieth Century. Pg 190 23.Lowe N. Mastering Modern World History. Pg 45 Bibliography Benns, F Lee (1967). EUROPE SINCE 1914. London: Murry Bowle, J (1958) THE CONCISE ENYCLOPEADIA OF WORLD HISTORY Cornwell R.D. (1983) WORLD HISTORY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. Harlow: Longman Curtis M, (1965) WESTERN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION (New York: Harpers and Row LTD) Lowe, N. (1997) MASTERINNG MORDEN WORLD HISTORY (London: Macmillan press) PAXTON, R.O. (2002) EUROPE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.(London: Harcourt college) World BookEncyclopeadia (W-X-Y-Z) 1981 (New York: scottfetzer co.)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Importance Of Urban Tourism

Importance Of Urban Tourism Man has been travelling around the length and breadth of the earth with various motives. The reason could be anything business, leisure or education it all falls under a broad categorisation of tourism. The technological developments and transformation of the world into a global community has resulted in extensive growth of tourism around the world in recent years. Tourism has been the prime reason for the enhanced levels of intercultural contact. A look into touristic countries shows that their sociocultural structures have had great influence as a result of tourism. The changes be it positive or negative, differs from country to country. Changes result in reactions which could range from resistance to a complete adoption. This piece of work would look into the social and cultural impacts of tourism with a case study on Bournemouth. Chapter 2: Urban Tourism Tourism plays a very strong part in the citys local economy. Tourism not only supports the economy of a city but also is responsible for socio-culture impact on the people. Where tourism tries to build some employment opportunities, it also affects the social and cultural relations between people from different parts of the world. Travelling to different parts of the world has always been an interest for everybody. This not only gives them an opportunity to explore new place but also a break from the usual day to day life. For some, travelling is for a business issue but for some it is for leisure. This evolved a new concept of tourism as an industry in the market. Though till 1980s tourism was not considered to be a healthy part of the economy. But, in the last few decades, it gained importance. The people realize the potential of this market. Thus, the larger or the smaller cities were looked with a new perspective of promoting tourism. The redevelopment in the cities took place slowly and gradually and they became a part of the wide tourism industry. As Edwards et al.,2008 D. Edwards, T. Griffin and B. Hayllar, Urban tourism research: developing an agenda, Annals of Tourism Research 35 (4) (2008), pp. 1032-1052. Article | PDF (143 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (0)Edwards et al. (2008: 1038) state, tourism is one among many social and economic forces in the urban environment. It encompasses an industry that manages and markets a variety of products and experiences to people who have a wide range of motivations, preferences and cultural perspectives and are involved in a dialectic engagement with the host community. The outcome of this engagement is a set of consequences for the tourist, the host community and the industry. (Ashworth Page, 2010) McIntyre et al (2000) argue that humans perceive and react differently to natural versus urban settings. Scenes of natural environments have a more positive influence on human emotional states and stress levels than do urban scenes. Consequently they theorize that perceptions are integral to peoples motivations and actions; therefore using a perceptually based definition of urban can provide a link between the cultural, political, physical, perceptual and economic aspects that must be integrated into urban tourism. (Edwards, Griffin, Hayllar, 2008) Importance of Urban Tourism Urban tourism is cosmopolitan in nature. But still it has received very small attention for its definition and a proper demarcation in the economy. . (Ashworth Page, 2010, p. 40) Because of tourists, various cities get acknowledged for their immense potential of absorbing the people from other parts of the world. . (Ashworth Page, 2010, p. 40) A tourist wants to explore the urban utilities of other places. But, the tourist visiting places have a very small portion of the urban facilities to entertain them with. (Ashworth Page, 2010, p. 40) Urban tourism bears an entirely different geographical pattern from the city in order to attract the tourist and this change in geography is one of the attention seeking factors. (Page Hall, 2003) The primary and secondary elements that are further discussed below support employment and provide jobs. Urbanisation and Globalisation Globally, 46% of the worlds population constitute urban people and it is estimated that by 2030 this percentage will increase to 61. Thus, it is very important for the urban people to understand that their place will be shared by the tourist. The world is getting small with globalization and thus the space needs to share with other people. Though, globalization emphasizes on two main factors: Globalization gives employment opportunities Globalization supports import and export that further increases the income opportunities. Because of globalization, it is now evident that urban tourism and tourists from different part of the world enjoys the leisure experience that is specially built for them. (Page Hall, 2003, pp. 29-30) Urban Tourism as a business Strategy By the 1970s the cities were losing a lot of economy and they were wondering as how to recover the loss and regenerate income from this sector and create some jobs. This was the main reason for inculcating new activities that could increase the regeneration process. Where the cities were witnessing this economic shift, tourism was one sector that was flourishing. This gave them a new approach of income generation. On the grounds of travel and leisure it was concluded that tourism industry was to grow and be a part of the economy. Tourism as an industry was taken optimistically by the urban crowd and was considered as a solution for a big financial crunch. The tourism industry demands investment to attract visitors. Furthermore, marketing and selling of a picture of a city that would love to see and buy. To market the city, it is important to make some changes in the city. The refurbishment of the districts would bring the local residents more compact in the city. The larger cities like London, New York etc. have always been a centre of attraction. People always desire to go for a tourist destination like this. But it is very hard to understand the psychology behind this. Generally, these elements can be broadly classified into two ways: Primary elements like theatres, monuments, historical buildings, sports, games, casinos, and the social and cultural life. Secondary elements like markets, shopping etc. These two elements were discovered by Jansen-Verbeke in 1988 These two elements strike the mind of the visitor. At times, the visitor is only visiting the same place because of one interesting element or a mix of two or more. (Law, 1993, pp. 27-30) Cultural Impact of Urban Tourism Bournemouth witnesses millions of tourist every year from different parts of the world. Because of this high volume of tourist response from different cultures, the culture has a major impact on the local residents. It has both advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage of culture tourism is the exchange of culture with different cultures of the world. It becomes a matter of pride for the local residents to exchange their culture with other people. They feel more strongly bounded to their originality. The locals take cultural tourism in two positive ways: Giving the host the opportunity to come in contact with other different cultures which further results in understanding others and rise in tolerance levels. When the localities present their culture and tell about their culture in their own point of view, they feel more strongly bounded to their ethnic origin and their grounds from where they originally belong to. Culture tourism affects the locals positively as well as in a negative way. Too much of anything is very bad. The same goes for the culture tourism. Just to attract tourist and to expose them to the hosts culture, they try to over develop the city, over construct the primary elements. Also, with this reconstruction, the originality of the culture becomes diluted. (Besculides, Lee, McCormick, 2002) Social impact of urban tourism The rail network started in Bournemouth in the late 19th century. This was the main reason for increasing the population of the city and to increase the visitors at a phenomenal rate. With the travelling network in Bournemouth, the tourism industry started flourishing. Bournemouth was already famous for its primary elements and the history related to the same. Each and every element had a historical moment attached to it. The economy was coming in and was tangible enough to understand that Bournemouth has the potential to attract tourists. But, there was also a hidden side of the same point i.e. the social impacts. Where over development of the city has led to more of construction, heavy duty, increase taxes, etc on the one hand, it has also given them an opportunity to mingle up with other cultures. Where the travelling to the core of the city has become convenient for the countryside residents, it has also given them an employment opportunity in the same. (Haley, Snaith, Miller, 2 005) Socio-Cultural Impact of urban Tourism According to Fox(1977), cited in Mathieson and Wall(1982:133), The social and cultural impacts of tourism are the ways in which tourism is contributing to changes in value systems, individual behaviour, family relationships, collective lifestyles, safety levels, moral conduct, creative expressions, traditional ceremonies and community organisations, which they identify as people impacts, due to tourists on host communities and the interaction between these two groups. (Page Hall, 2003, p. 213) So, from the above definition it is clear that the social cultural impacts of tourism depends on three main factors, namely Tourist that demands for the services from the host city Host that adjusts with the demands of the tourist and tries to leave an impression of their culture on the tourist and A mutual understanding between the two so that both of them are comfortable with each other (Page Hall, 2003, p. 213) Economical impact of Urban tourism For understanding the economical impact of urban tourism, it is very important to consider the following points The flow of tourist in a particular city The local economic development of the city The type of economy that city persists like public, private or mix economy The income spent on tourist leisure activities and not import of goods It is said that tourist flow is seasonal. So, the impact of this and still trying to maintain the constant flow of tourist all year round. The secondary elements that a city dwells to attract the other people from the world. The above mentioned factors play a very important role in understanding the economical impact of urban tourism. To start with, the positive side it includes: Income generation for the city economy New jobs and employment opportunities Fair balance between the economic activities and the city Increasing business options But, it also carries a negative side. It includes, If the tourist attracts to one form of element only, the economy starts paying attention to that element and dependency on that element drastically increases. Inflation To make a tourist comfortable and make their stay pleasurable, they start importing goods from others parts and their dependence and importance of their locally produced goods decreases. Tourism is seasonal (Page Hall, 2003, pp. 197-198) Employment Opportunities due to tourism As the reconstruction always take place in a city, it is very obvious that the jobs are created. However, at a deeper level and in a more detailed way it is often difficult to assess the impact of tourism on a city. Firstly, it is often difficult to measure the flow of tourists, even when a definition has been agreed. Comprehensive surveys are expensive and short cut methods are often unreliable and may, if repeated, come up with conflicting evidence. Secondly, the flow of income through the economy is difficult to trace, and it is difficult to calculate the number of jobs created. Tourisms impact is very diffuse and so not very visible, which is a problem for those campaigning for further support. Thirdly, the objectives of tourism development are also diffused and often interlinked with other objectives, so that it is difficult to isolate the impact. (Law, 1993, p. 169) Chapter 3: Bournemouth a Tourist Destination Bournemouth is one of the classical examples of urban tourism. It exhibits both the primary and the secondary elements that attracts the tourists and compels them to come over and over again. From theatres to shopping to site seeing, Bournemouth is a place to visit. About Bournemouth Area Size 17.83 sq miles (46.15 sq km) 21 Conservation Area designations 7 miles of curved sandy beaches with three European Blue Flags and six Seaside Awards Average of 7.7 hours a day of summer sunshine 842 hectares (2,080 acres) of parks and gardens with nine gardens holding the Green Flag Award (recognising environmental protection, community use and safety cleanliness) Population from Census 2001 is 163,444, the 2008 mid-year estimate is 163,900 and the population is projected to reach almost 168,000 by 2026 68,800 employees in Bournemouth work in the service sector (ABI, NOMIS, 2007) Median gross weekly earnings for 2009 for the Bournemouth residents was  £371.60 representing 93% of the England and Wales figure (ASHE, ONS) Over 14,600 students attended Bournemouth University in 2007/08 (65.4% over 21 years of age) Just over 1,000 overseas students attending Bournemouth University in 2007/08 A total of 38 schools with 20,187 pupils (Schools Census, October 2009) 1,344 (gross) and 1,218 (net) new dwellings constructed 2008/09 Bournemouth Airport: almost 1 million passengers (in 2007/08) to more than 50 destinations including USA, Europe and Channel Islands and over 11,000 tonnes of freight Just over 2.27 million rail passenger journeys in 2003/2004 Just over 57 kilometres of Principal Type roads within the Borough Average house price for February 2010 was  £170,179 (Land Registry) Just over 57 kilometres of Principal Type roads within the Borough 95 minutes rail journey to London Waterloo Fast Ferry from Poole to France (Cherbourg) or Channel Islands Civic Trust Awards (2001): Bournemouth was awarded two awards, for the conversion of The Square from a roundabout to a Civic space and for transforming Knyveton Gardens to a sensory garden for those with disabilities. (www.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2010) Prominent Bournemouth attractions Bournemouth Beach Bournemouths beach has won awards consistently the quality, safety and cleanliness of its seven miles long beach. The beach offers a range water sports and also provides the visitors the option of hiring beach. It is one of the safest beaches with the availability of RNLI lifeguards all along the seven mile stretch of beach. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery Museum Termed as one of the most fascinating and unique museums in the world. It comprises of the famous paintings and gems collected by the Russell-cotes family and housed in one of the last Victorian Villas in Bournemouth, East Cliff Hall. (russell-cotes.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2008) Bournemouth Aviation Museumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ The Bournemouth Aviation Museum a perfect day out for the family has exhibits covering 50 years of aviation with a display of Piston aircraft, military jets, a Biz-Jet, military trainer, helicopter and a nose section of the famous Vulcan bomber. (www.aviation-museum.co.uk, 2009) The Red House Museum Gardens Built as a Georgian workhouse in 1764, the building now houses a number of objects reflecting the social and natural history of the area, its geology and archaeology. (www.information-britain.co.uk, 2005) Bournemouth Pier The original pier consisting of a short wooden jetty was opened in the year 1856. But the present day pier has come a long way and is much longer than that. It has its own historical importance and has been refurbished over time due to corrosion and even destruction due to invasions. Since 1871 it has been associated with pleasure steamers. Local boats operate from the pier offering many day trips and excursions. (www.theheritagetrail.co.uk, 2008) Bournemouths parks and countryside Bournemouth has a varied variety of ornamental gardens and countryside many of which have various protective designations. The councils parks and countryside staff manage 10 local natural reserves around the borough. In 2009 Bournemouth achieved nine Green Flags national award for its parks, these parks also offer guided walks giving information some fascinating trees to be found there. (www.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2009) Bournemouth Oceanarium The Oceanarium is a fully interactive experience with touch screen games, feeding demonstrations and talks, plasma screen documentaries, with a walk-through underwater tunnel and exhibits. (bournemouth attractions, 2009) Availability of accommodation in Bournemouth Development of a city as a tourists destination means there will be an influx of visitors and tourists coming to the city, these visitors require a temporary place to stay during their visit. This results in the development of different types of accommodations focussing on different category of tourists. The creation of these accommodations also helps evolve new markets for products like souvenirs and memorabilia. Since it lands up increasing the demand for food and such facilities, working on the demand and supply principle it attracts establishment of more businesses. The positive impact of these developments results in creation of jobs. Bournemouth tourism promotes the establishments of these accommodations either under Bournemouth Quality Standards Scheme or the quality assed either by AA or Quality in tourism. The following table gives an insight into the available accommodations in Bournemouth as in 2004 Type Bedspaces (unless marked otherwise) Hotels 12,836 Guesthouses 4,493 BB 747 Self Catering 402 Units Touring Caravans/Tents 33 PITCHES Second Homes 1,586 (www.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2010) Tourists expenditure associated with their trip Tourists visits in a city means tourists spending in the city. Tourists usually take the opportunity of being away on a break to spend generously on themselves. The tourists spending is generally categorised as On accommodation On shopping On food and drink Attractions and entertainment Travel. The local businesses over a period of time get an understanding of the spending pattern of the visiting tourists and hence try to base their inventories around it. The tourists visiting bournmouth can be categorised into the following 3 categories: UK tourists Overseas tourists Day toursist The following table gives and insight into the breakdown of the tourists expenditure associated with trips to Bournemouth. Accommodation ( £) Shopping ( £) Food Drink ( £) Attractions/ Entertainment ( £) Travel ( £) UK Tourists 47,884,000 14,977,000 28,797,000 12,509,000 23,252,000 Overseas Tourists 20,095,000 20,634,000 11,789,000 11,297,000 5,091,000 Day Visitors 0 51,292,000 59,080,000 14,296,000 19,988,000 Source: South West Tourism using the Cambridge model www.swtourism.org.uk (www.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2010) The above figures clearly show that tourist inflow enhances the citys coffers and makes available the finances that the city would need for growth and development. Brand Bournemouth is being developed by the council keeping in view of its ability to attract more tourists. The different sectors that have been identified as constituent parts of the Bournemouth brand are as follows: Accommodation Conference/business International Education Leisure and attractions Night Time Economy Town Centre Transport This is the most visual positive socio-cultural impact of tourism in Bournemouth. The gift of the Tourism industry in the form of jobs Tourism brings in business is a known fact, these businesses are run by individuals and hence jobs are created. Jobs mean growth of the society as a whole. The transformation of a city into a tourists destination attracts not only tourists but also businesses of all kinds. Jobs that are created can be segregated into the following three general categories: Direct jobs Indirect jobs Induced jobs The creation of these jobs becomes a source of livelihood for the locals. It also attracts workforce from neighbouring towns and cities. This increases the revenues of the connecting transport systems. The depth of integrated revenues is immense and hidden in a very complex matrix. The following table gives the estimated actual number of jobs created related to tourism spending in 2007. Staying Tourists Day Visitors Total Direct Jobs 4,423 2,796 7,219 Indirect Jobs 1,075 489 1,563 Induced Jobs 456 64 520 Total 5,953 3,349 9,302 Source: South West Tourism using the Cambridge Model www.swtourism.org.uk (www.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2010) Holiday types, reasons for visit and activities involvement. Tourists have various reasons to visit Bournemouth. There was a time when tourists were all categorised as travellers, but now times have changed and they can be categorised using various concepts and ideas. One of the ways to categorise them is based them the type of holiday they take. They can be categorised as follows. Main holiday Additional holiday Short break The above categorise are the parameters that decide their length of stay. The following tables give an insight into the tourists that come to Bournemouth based on the above categorisation. It also gives an idea of the reasons why they come and the activities they engage themselves in when they are holidaying in Bournemouth. Statistics for Bournemouth, 2005 Holiday Type Total (%) Main Holiday 33 Additional Holiday 43 Short Break 20 Length of Stay 7.88 nights Average expenditure per person per day  £44.22 Reasons for Visiting Total (%) Shopping 56 Seaside, beaches, coast 86 Peace and quiet 36 Easy to get to 57 Activities Total (%) Coastal Walk 77 Gardens 63 Shopping 72 Wildlife 47 Source: Dorset New Forest Tourism Data Project, The Market Research Group, 2005/06 (www.bournemouth.gov.uk, 2009) The above statistics tell us that the reasons why the tourists come is varied and they also overlap each other, in economic terms that leaves scope for business. Even the activities that they get involved in are varied and hence these statistics can be used to decide the spending of the local governing bodies in developing the tourism according to tourists preferences. Negative socio- cultural impact of tourism in Bournemouth It is evident that urban tourism has a lot of visible benefits for the economy and the locals. Where it promotes exchange of culture, it also supports the local economy of the city. But, there is a negative aspect of urban tourism as well. For example, during the peak season when the tourists influx is at its maximum, the prices of fresh foods and vegetables start rising. It even destroys the peace of the locality. The tourists bring their vices to the city in the form of gambling, late night clubs, prostitution and drinking. Though tourism has a lot of positive impact on the local economy, culture and over all development of the society, the negative impact cannot be ignored. If the negative impact is kept on a regular vigilant check it can be overshadowed by the positives. The development of the urban city of Bournemouth into a tourists destination faces a lot of challenges from such negative impacts. No doubt tourism brings a lot to the city in terms of jobs and development. It has also resulted in the increase of taxes be it residential or business. Some of the negative socio-cultural impact of tourism can be summarised as follows. Prostitution- the development of Bournemouth as a tourists destination has resulted in vices such as prostitution. According to Dorset Police the alarming rate of rise of brothels in Bournemouth has been a real matter of concern for the city. The intelligence works reported the presence of 60 brothels in the city. (www.telegraph.co.uk, 2005) Drug trafficking- the vice of prostitution is known to drag with it the drug culture. Over the years Bournemouth has attracted party goes due to its numerous pubs and clubs along the beach, this has resulted in increase in the number of drug consumers in Bournemouth. These vices are passed on the growing population of Bournemouth, having serious affects on the way of life of their friends and families. Increased levels of noise pollution- the growing number of clubs and pubs result in enhancing the night life experience of the tourists, but also increase the levels of noise pollution, which can be detrimental to the health of the old and senior residents of Bournemouth. Rising house prices- increasing jobs and growing businesses attracts attention from neighbouring cities, resulting in growth in population. This results increasing the demand of residential housing, which could be out of reach for the local population. Rising taxes- Increased businesses results in more government spending in infrastructural development and also towards the tourists interests. This results in the increased levels of taxes by the government, to finance these projects. Traffic jams- increased levels of traffic jams are one of the main cause of the grievance of the locals of Bournemouth, which even the local governments are struggling to solve. Road casualties- due to increase in levels of population and car users the increasing number of road casualties have been worrying the Bournemouth authorities and locals. Loss of individuality due to over marketing of destinations key selling point- The development of Bournemouth as a tourists friendly city has resulted in extensive development. Be it businesses or attractions for the tourists, the concern is that it is losing its ethnic originality and identity. It is losing the unique selling point and is transforming into another beach city, this is a matter of concern that has been voiced by the local authorities. Chapter 4: Conclusion Socio- cultural impact of tourisms cannot be ignored. Tourism is at times used as a reason for the growth and development of the society, the focus of growth is always positive, but the negative side is also prevalent. Man is full of vices, since tourism revolves around mans needs, requirements, perceptions, assumptions and wants, it is very difficult to curtail the negative influence. Bournemouth tourism should focus on development tailored on its specific needs, heritage, history and means with the socio-cultural impacts in sight. This would enable the urban city to have a balanced growth limiting the vices and attracting the healthy tourists which contribute majorly into the growth of the city into positive spheres of development.