Friday, August 9, 2019
Case Study - Mental Dysfunction Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
- Mental Dysfunction - Case Study Example This incident also changed him from being a happy boy into an angry fellow. In addition, it has made him to experience sleepless nights and loose the hope of looking a better future as indicated by his inaction in seeking for a job since that the incident. The sexual harassment incident has also made Isaac to be paranoid, aggressive and agitated. Freeman and Garety (2004) state that paranoia is characterized by excessive suspicion of the actions of other people around a person and hostility towards them and these can be noted in Isaac. He is distrustful and feels very insecure for example, he feels his mother has evil intentions towards him in her actions and accuses her of vague conspiracies. He thinks people in town see him as a gay. Evidence that Isaac is suffering from aggression can be seen in his actions like threatened his mother with a knife, causing problems in the streets and shouting around. He has also turned into behaviours like heavy smoking of marijuana to make him for get about all his bad lucks. These characters contrast his pre-harassment behaviours of being well mannered and trouble free. Isaac’s case presents the need for a good safety plan for him, the nurse in attendance and other local emergency department staff. It is evident that Isaac is suffering from depression. ... It will eliminate the possibilities of him chasing around the staff. A restoration of the confidence to interact with friends is important because it will make Isaac to cooperate willingly with the departmental staff instead of seeing them as enemies and incite him to fight them. Goldberg (1998) advices that Isaac should be handled with love to reduce his symptoms of aggression which are a sign of inner bitterness and anger. It will also stop him from becoming suspicious of the intentions of the actions of staff towards him hence he will not react negatively. However, Isaac’s hands should remain tied until he shows signs of improvement and a good level of relaxation. As soon as he becomes calm, Isaac should be given restricted freedom within the facility. This should be accompanied by activities that encourage restoration of self-efficacy like personal hygiene. In order to restore a good interpersonal relationship at this stage, he will be allowed to interact with his friends, neighbours, and mother under close supervision to gauge his level of risk once released to go home. The time periods will then be increased for every visit. He should also undergo behaviour therapy to reduce his paranoia state. Isaac’s Mental State Examination Appearance (dress, hygiene, grooming, posture, gait, eye contact) On his admission, Isaac was poorly dressed and very dirty. His hair was unkempt and had lice. Isaac was not able to maintain a stable posture and a straight eye contact for long. He paces back and forth too frequently and quickly turns to look away from the people around him. He is too slim for his age. Behaviour (manner, friendliness,
Thursday, August 8, 2019
The benefit Consuming organic and whole foods Essay
The benefit Consuming organic and whole foods - Essay Example This leads to the food being less healthy. During processing, there is the addition of preservatives, and artificial coloring, which might affect an individual’s health negatively. There is no processing of whole foods and they do not have any unhealthy additives. Whole foods as well do not have added salt or sugar, which might contribute to high blood pressure or obesity. The human body only handles the natural salts or sugars in food (Gussow 4). It is healthier to eat organic food than inorganic food. This is because they lack chemicals and pesticides. Some types of organic foods have high levels of vitamins, as well as, proteins compared to inorganic food. Animals that feed on organic food are as well more healthier compared to animals that feed on inorganic food (Edward 26). Consumption of organic and whole food is not only important for individuals’ health, but also important as far as the environment is concerned. For example, they do not lead to fertilizers or pesticide run-off, which go to the streams or rivers. Such chemicals contaminate water and results in the destruction of habitats. Some pesticides contain toxins, which contribute to health problems like cancer (Benbrook
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Woman in Black theatre review Essay Example for Free
Woman in Black theatre review Essay In June 2012 I had the pleasure of watching The Woman In Black in the Fortune Theatre. A spine-chilling adaptation of the 1983 novel by Susan Hill. The story explores a tale of a ‘woman in black’ who is said to haunt the living, when a young solicitor enters a town where the villagers are reluctant to speak anything of this ghostly character he ultimately discovers why. The play was first performed in 1987 in the Saint Joseph Theatre in Scarborough as a ‘Christmas play’ only to attract profits however it attracted more attention than was expected. Critics raved about the play and it went onto become a success, eventually upgrading to its present location at the Fortune Theatre in Drury Lane. The most remarkable thing about this play is the minimalism of it; there are just two actors throughout the whole of the play and a very minimalistic set, just a trunk, and a chair which the actors themselves have to maneuver in order to create different settings. The audience are initially introduced to the main characters; Arthur Kipps, assisted by a young actor to help him communicate the terrifying events that he faced when on a job in the small town of Crythin Gifford. This play uses the technique of a play within a play to relive Arthur Kipps’ memories. The young actor plays young Arthur Kipps whereas the old Arthur Kipps plays every other character he was faced with. The older actor was tremendous in carrying out his role and would have had to been; playing so many characters and displaying their dialect, body language etc perfectly was outstanding. What really stood out for me was the exceptional use of such simple effects. In each scene the simplistic setting would not be able to portray a realistic one so a simple use of layering and only lighting what you want the audience to see, with the added accompaniment of sound effects would give the intended audience reaction the director (Robin Herford) wants. Sound is one of the fundamental elements of this play. To create a sense of location such as a train station there are recorded voice-overs. However when portraying the scary and shocking moments of the play, unexpected, ear piercing volumes of screams retrieved the audiences most petrified responses.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Tuckman’s model and team work Essay Example for Free
Tuckman’s model and team work Essay Introduction            People live and work within the framework of some kind of organization, a context that provides written and unwritten, formal and informal rules and guidelines about how its members should conduct themselves. Individuals belong to different families and each family has distinct religious beliefs that differ from another family.  This paper is anchored on the theoretical viewpoint of Bruce Tuckman referring to how groups are formed whether these groups can be seen in formal or informal organizations and set-ups of all kinds. This is especially applied on the teamwork and/or teambuilding. Discussion Description of the model            Tuckman introduced his theory of how groups emerge and better known by the concepts that he ascribed to the stages. His theory arose out of years of scientific observations and research in various types of groups (Tuckman, p.1).            The forming stage is described as consisting of orientation, testing, and dependence that are usually present in almost all of the groups studied. The second phase or stage is more seen by the type of characteristic behaviors or attitudes manifested by the people or individuals of a particular group where concepts such as conflict and polarization arise which in the process characterize more the resistance that is being experience by the group’s immediate scope of influence. This second stage is called the storming stage (Tuckman, p.2)            The third phase is known as norming when eventually most of the conflicts and/or resistance has been resolved giving way to an â€Å"in-group feeling†or â€Å"group cohesiveness. More often at this stage, individual members are more open, expressing themselves more and have shed their guardedness (Tuckman, p.2).            The fourth phase is called the performing stage which is more known by the characteristic traits manifested by individual members where they become more yielding to the roles and they become more cooperative to the functions whatever they may be. In addition they also are able to let their energies be directed to the tasks that are supposed to be responded to in the first place (Tuckman, p.2).            The last stage is an addendum or an additional stage to the four stages mentioned, which is adjourning and is described as the implied achievement or attainment of goals (usually) where dependency is at a minimum, where the tasks were already completed and the roles are no longer necessary and functional hence the group most likely must be dissolved (Tuckman, p.2). Application to Teamwork and Teambuilding            Understandably, before teamwork is effectively put in place and in operation, the first three stages or phases should have taken place. People adjust to new things and new situations and as Tuckman describes it, it is inherent in the process that progression from non-cohesiveness to more cohesiveness; which also implies that people cooperate less and then if the norming is achieved, will exhibit cooperativeness among themselves. This is also the process of teambuilding.            Sadly, many organizations have not manifested teamwork or have not acgieved the performing stage where tasks become important to everybody but not only that, all contributions from all members are crucial and necessary. What are the salient factors within the first two to three stages that need to be addressed? ~Team Conflicts            Disagreements with how one sees life situations are just a few of the reasons that conflicts happen so ordinarily. Just as conflicts are also integral parts of daily existence so does negotiating through them (Amason, 1996; Amason, Thompson, Hochwarter, Harrison, 1995). Studies reveal that there is â€Å"no one size fits all†when it comes to navigating the disagreements and weather through storms where conflicts are concerned. However, there are principles that are observed when successful conflict management has taken place. Managers, group leaders or any person who handles a team must have the abilities to handle people problem before this proceeds or develops into a team problem or before this affects performance. Conflicts therefore must be confronted and understood at the individual level where a person experiences inner personal struggles at varying degrees. However, this short study tackles in detail a much larger picture as it attempts to provide a succinct look at conflict resolution strategies in the area of team dynamics by examining, describing and explaining various concepts as to the understanding of these significant concepts.            Individual personal conflicts are inevitable occurrences that are usually taken for granted because of its â€Å"ordinariness.†Unless people undertakes a formal study on conflict management, he/she goes through life hitting and missing (at most) at ways of resolving issues and inner conflicts and in all probabilities, somehow manages to escape conflicts. The following important features in team dynamics are specifically indicated and described because these are crucial points in developing effective management of conflicts and developing efficient team dynamics.            Defining conflict, it is the state of disharmony brought about by differences of impulses, desires, or tendencies (Rayeski Bryant, 1994, p. 217). There are benefits as to the presence of conflicts but definitely when these are worked out. Benefits of working teams in relationship to conflict resolution strategies            Working teams in relationship to conflict resolution strategies provide benefits including personal and team growth as team members acquire insights with relationships and how these relationships are utilized to better reach worthwhile goals. In addition, working teams have optional choices rather than solitary attempts at confronting conflicts, such as higher possibility arriving at the solutions of the problems, promoting cohesiveness among the team, and increasing the involvement or participation of members. Types of Conflict            Based on the study presented by Johnson (2005), few researches actually â€Å"describe how to identify conflict.†There are seven types of conflicts depending on â€Å"who is in conflict with whom†(Fisher et al, 1995; in Johnson, 2005). These are:            ~an individual with inner conflicts totally unrelated to the team but whose best performance for the team is not achieved due to the personal problem, thus influencing the whole team            ~two distinct members are in direct conflict with each other            ~one against all members            ~all against one member            ~a lot of members against a lot of others as well            ~one whole team as against another team            ~all of the team as against one person not a part of the team.            Another type of conflict focuses on two kinds of conflict existing in a team: task (Jennsen et al., 1999) and affect (Amason et al., 1995) types of conflict. The first type is usually beneficial as it relates to objectives and goals that are to be achieved essentially in a group. The second involves relationships which entails personal preferences and the like. Most conflicts boil down to the level of affect type and more difficult to deal with especially when people really do not want to cooperate. This can also occur at the same time. Managing Conflict            Since conflict and disagreements are integral to the growth and performance of teams, it is therefore necessary that individual members and as a group, go through an education process to understand the nuances of conflict. They necessitate the learning to distinguish what healthy debates are, brainstorming and normal exchange of ideas which are important to team achieving corporate goals (Johnson, 2005). Studies by Tjosvold and colleagues (1999) show that when disagreements are brought into the open and talked about, conflicts are minimized and feelings of frustration, anger and doubts or suspicions are abated. How to prepare or prevent conflict            The presence of a team facilitator can help prepare people in conflict in confronting their fundamental disagreements and/or prevent conflicts to escalate at alarming levels. A good or excellent team facilitator can be the team leader, supervisor or an outside who knows very well the dynamics of conducting team resolutions. He/she aids everyone involved into the process and assists them to air out their grievances in a careful, non-violent manner much like in a healthy debate (Bens, 1997). Team agreements            Team agreements start off with ground rules to be able to achieve or attain at something. Coordination in any given work must take into careful account that everyone starts at somewhere and concur at a particular set of guidelines to direct the group to definite goals. Uncoordinated teams will still definitely go somewhere but perhaps not where they or someone in charge of them would want them to be. What are involved then in team agreements? Team agreements develop, protect and help preserve unity and the aspects this specifically takes on are the responsibilities and expectations, communication, participation, decision making and problem solving, managing those disagreements, conduct of participants or â€Å"cooperators†during and between meetings and consequences. The baseline agreements like these are different when management of conflict is the issue. Research reveals that whenever teams utilize this strategy, difficulties and even conflicts are reduced to a minimum (Davison, 2003). Solutions to conflict            Preparation to any eventuality tops the list when it comes to coming up with a solution to conflict. This means that understanding of the whole gamut of team dynamics including potential destructive behavior is important and essential to preventing and providing solutions to conflict. Skills by any member towards conflict resolutions, facilities to allow participants to express or ventilate themselves without threat or fear of censure are also vital. Of course, per advices by experts, those techniques and approaches that increase enhance task-related conflict and reduce affect-related conflict help reduce the presence of conflict and even remove its threat from the group. Effective planning is also a good strategy as it minimizes the conflict from escalating to a point that it becomes hard to manage already. Employing a conflict checklist can be an excellent ingredient as well in resolving and minimizing the incidence of conflict. ~Team Communication Organizations in whatever form or state thrive fundamentally on communication. Inherent in the understanding of progress, development and growth of any institution is the reality that in order to be ahead, its members should be able to know what its goals are and are united towards accomplishing those goals. As expected, team communication is a must for this to occur. It is very important that communication is always flowing and open to everyone involved. Without effective communication, an organization as teamwork, like a human body, will experience atrophy at some point and eventual deterioration of the whole system if the problem is not addressed early on. However, overdoing the system of communication or doing little for crucial areas can also become detrimental for the overall organizational health (Guffey, 2003). It is then important to consider the (1) Nature and timing of communication, (2) the Methods or technology necessary for implementation and effectiveness, and (3) the Various functions or placements of individuals and team members within that communication network (Kimball at http://www.groupjazz.com/pdf/matrix,accessed Feb.15, 2007). Many more can be added on the list except that these three are the most important when it comes to building a strategic structure on team communication. It is precisely through this rationale that a team is able to survive or flourish in the context of a bigger organization. When its individual members have highly developed communication skills then the whole team will enjoy the benefits of its resources which include the achievement of its goals. Nature or Timing of Communication            This means firstly, that the team leader knows what he needs to communicate. It is to establish a clear goal or inspiring purpose statement that can jumpstart as well as sustain all team members in the process of achieving the team’s overarching objectives. Bear in mind also that constant change is the only thing that anybody can expect in this technology – oriented society. The team must be constantly updated and able to cope and compete in such a milieu. Because of this a sensitivity to change is a must for a leader and for the rest of the team to be on the cutting edge and never waning in the process of time. Again, what is crucial here is the identification of who will be involved, what are at stake, what limitations should be imposed so as to provide focus and measurable steps for the team (Kimball at http://www.groupjazz.com/pdf/matrix,accessed Feb.15, 2007). Methods and/or Technology            To develop a communication strategy, the determination of different kinds of work need to be dealt with at the outset and constantly reinforced so as to align and create an effective network of team players. This portion precisely gears toward the understanding of the nitty gritty of the whole system. Details of the job become easier to comprehend and implement when every member is placed strategically based on their known skills, abilities and interests. There is of course, a need for apparatuses or tools other than the human resource that are provided to enhance and speed up the process. Also important is the classification of what is routine, what are the usual problems encountered on a regular basis, and also whether there are new patterns that come into view and perhaps need to be addressed in the soonest possible time (Kimball at http://www.groupjazz.com/pdf/matrix,accessed Feb.15, 2007). Various functions or placements of individuals or team members within that communication network.            In a sports game like basketball, the positioning of players is critical to the winnability of the team. It is not to be taken for granted. The accurate placement of the players’ capability and ability ascertains, to a large extent, the possibility of the team’s becoming the champion in the duration of the game. The coach does not leave to chance their aim to win the game; rather, he sees to it that his team is positioned to such a degree that winning is not only a probability but a surety. On the other hand, imagine that the players are all misplaced. A supposed â€Å"guard†has been placed to the center role, and the center player plays as a â€Å"forward†, the latter then plays as a â€Å"guard.†Obviously, this kind of team is a total mess. Being in that position guarantees the team a loss and not a victory. The human resource is unpredictable and complex. Effective communication strategies between and among team players on their specific functioning on how they perform and relate should be made and reinforced constantly. According to Lisa Kimball, â€Å"The nature of communications among the team about different parts of the work – including the frequency, the volume, and the degree of interactivity is different depending on where that work falls in the matrix†(Kimball at http://www.groupjazz.com/pdf/matrix,accessed Feb.15, 2007). As stated above, to avoid information overload, there should always be only a right measure of communication because to overdo it will diminish the interest of team members either to listen or to communicate. Conclusion            Vital to the life and continuity of a team or organization is the proper dissemination of information. This includes enough knowledge of those things and people that are involved in the whole set-up. When team communication is prioritized, teamwork is enhanced and the achievement of goals is within reach. There are many more qualities that can enhance team communication; nevertheless, this paper limits its approach to only three strategies. However, the smallness of amount of strategies in this thesis does not mean lack of comprehensiveness in dealing with the need for effective communication. The points herein discussed are generic and therefore applicable to any given situation and can be expanded to cover other details necessary to secure good communication in a team. Reference: Amason, A. C. (1996). Distinguishing the effects of functional and dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision making: Resolving a paradox for top management teams. Academy of Management Journal, 39(1), 123-148. Amason, A. C., Thompson, K. R., Hochwarter, W. A., Harrison, A. W. (1995). Conflict: An important dimension in successful management teams. Organizational Dynamics, 24(2), 20-35. Bens, I. (1997). Facilitating conflict. In M. Goldman (Ed.), Facilitating with ease! (pp. 83-108). Sarasota, FL: Participative Dynamics. Davison, Sue Canney. 2003. Creating Working Normas and Agreements. Accessed April 26, 2008 www.genderdiversity.cgiar.org/CreatingWorkingAgreementsDavison3.doc Kimball, Lisa. Developing the Team’s Communication Strategy accessed Feb.15, 2007 at http://www.groupjazz.com/pdf/matrix. Guffey, Mary Ellen. 2003. Business Communication. Thomson learning, Mason Ohio, Ch.1, p.3. Fisher, K., Rayner, S., Belgard, W. (1995). Tips for teams: A ready reference for solving common team problems. NY, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Jennsen, O., Van De Vliert, E., Veenstra, C. (1999). How task and person conflict shape the role of positive interdependence in management teams. Journal of Management, 25(2), 117-141. Johnson, Debbi-Wagner. 2005. Managing Work-Team Conflict: Assessment and Preventatve Strategies. Center for Collaborative Organizations, University of North Texas. All rights reserved. Rayeski, E., Bryant, J. D. (1994). Team resolution process: A guideline for teams to manage conflict, performance, and discipline. In M. Beyerlein M. Bullock Tjosvold, D., Morshima, M., Belsheim, J. A. (1999). Complaint handling on the shop floor: Cooperative relationships and open-minded strategies. International Journal of Conflict Management, 10(1), 45-68. Tuckman, Bruce. â€Å"Forming, storming norming and performing in groups.†file:///C:/DOCUME~1/ew_tuckman-forming,storming,normingandperformingingroups.htm
Monday, August 5, 2019
Importance of Authenticity in Tourism
Importance of Authenticity in Tourism How important is authenticity in tourism? Introduction The purpose of this study record is to explore the theme of authenticity as expounded by different authors. The record will provide an overview of my reading during the course of the year, and will present an examination of the different approaches to the topic by the selected authors, and present these approaches in the wider context of writing on the importance of authenticity in tourism. Daniel Boorstin (1964, 1985) The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. 2nd ed. New York: Athenaeum Boorstin writes about the demise of the traveller who seeks authentic experiences and the rise of mass tourism. For Boorstin, real travel belonged to a golden age that was now lost where whatever the traveller saw â€Å"was apt to be what really went on there†. Whereas contemporary travel was a pseudo-event made up of â€Å"specimens collected and embalmed especially for him, or attractions specifically staged for him†(1961:102). Boorstin was adamant that the tourist no longer wanted authenticity, even going so far as to argue that a French singer singing in accented English was more appealing to the Anglophone tourist than the singer singing in her native language. Similarly, says Boorstin (1961: 106), the American visiting Japan is not looking for authentic Japanese culture but rather â€Å"what is Japenesey†. These contrived experiences had four characteristics, said Boorstin, they are not spontaneous or natural, they are designed to be reproduced, the relationship between the event and reality is ambiguous, and the contrived event becomes normal over time as it becomes perceived as being authentic. The theme in Boorstin’s book is that mass tourism is an impediment to experiencing other cultures and that the masses do not want to experience authentic culture anyway, preferring the contrived to the authentic. In reading Boorstin, his scepticism comes through very clearly but also you are left with a lingering sense of the author’s arrogance. True authentic experiences could only be encountered in the golden age when none but the truly wealthy could afford to travel. For Boorstin, the opening of the leisure market to a wider range of social classes ruined the authenticity of the experience for the privileged and the educated and gave access to travel to people who couldn’t possibly understand the experience except at the most base and contrived level. Boorstin’s approach was taken forward by MacCannell who disputed that tourists wanted pseudo-events and it is McCannell’s work we shall consider next. Dean MacCannell (1989) A new theory of the leisure class. 2nd ed. University of California Press. This book was first published in 1976 and appears to be cited widely in books and articles on authenticity in tourism. MacCannell writes from the perspective that progressiveness has failed people and people use tourism to give their lives greater sense and meaning, and in seeking sense and meaning in other cultures people are highlighting that they feel isolated and alienated in their own culture. Tourists’ disillusionment with the nature of work in industrial society drives them to travel and to travel further, as they try to penetrate the ‘back’ of life where truth and authenticity can be found. This notion of life having a ‘front’, ‘back’ and ‘outside’came out of the work of Goffman (1959) who used the metaphor of the stage to examine the perceptions of the individual to the performance. The front stage is the official perspective, while the backstage is presented as being more honest as the individual has an awareness of the disputes and difficulties that are occurring. The outside represents segregation where the individual is unable to gain access to what is going on on stage. Authenticity in tourism, says MacCannell, comes from an awareness of what is going on behind the scenes where all is not sanitised for public consumption. MacCannell highlights the falseness of the distinction between mass tourist, researcher, travel writer and authentic traveller and puts forward the view that the mass tourist is as much in search of authenticity as the researcher or travel writer. MacCannell notes â€Å"longstanding touristic attitude, a pronounced dislike, bordering on hatred, for other tourists, in a they are the tourists I am not equation†(1989: 602). MacCannell’s perspective particularly resonated with me as when travelling I have noticed people, including myself, wanting to distinguish themselves as separate from the masses, somehow being more distinguished or more credible as independent travellers rather than mass tourists. As well as noting the views of those who think that tourism will ultimately destroy itself[1], I’m also starting to recognise the irony of my travelling to seek an authentic travel experience while at the same time willingly participating in the growth of tourism. Howe ver, while MacCannell’s perspective does resonate, I would suggest that MacCannell’s position is on one sense just as polarised as Boorstin’s. From Boorstin (1985), we get the perspective that all that tourists want is a superficial and contrived experience, whilst MacCannell proposes that all tourists are in pursuit of the real ‘back’ and authentic experience but are denied this by being presented with inauthenticity. In reality, it seems likely that the truth would be some where in between. Erik Cohen (1995) Contemporary Tourism-Trends and Challenges: Sustainable Authenticity or Contrived Post-Modernity?, in Change in Tourism: People, Places, Processes, edited by Richard Butler and Douglas Pearce. London: Routledge. Cohen has written extensively on authenticity in tourism across several decades and as well as challenging existing ideas, it is clear that he has enjoyed conducting fieldwork and written a substantial amount on tourism development in developing countries. Cohen notes that while tourism has hugely benefited the country in terms of economic development there are significant downsides including the growth of Thailand’s sex trade and related criminal activities. Cohen breaks Thailand’s tourism development down into four areas of change. The first is what he terms the massification of the industry which denotes the huge rise in the numbers of tourists entering the country. The second is the dispersion of tourism, from Bangkok and its environs across the country from Phuket in the south to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Tourism is continuing to spread in Thailand, with tourists venturing into the Golden Triangle in the north and into areas such as Krabi in the south. The t hird change identified by Cohen in that of heterogenisation, which is the process in which the nationalities of the tourists and the variety of attractions and amenities become more similar. Finally, says Cohen, there is regionalization at work. This can be seen by Thailand’s positioning of itself at the heart of an emerging regional tourism industry in Southeast Asia which includes Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. As the tourism industry in Thailand develops, the Thai government is trying to encourage international tourism – due to its greater revenue generating potential – but is also trying to encourage domestic tourism. The reason for this is that domestic tourism minimizes foreign exchange leakage from the economy. The growth in tourism leads to continuing expansion into new areas and the further diversification of tourist activities, including the development of both natural and ‘contrived’ activities. How these activities will balance out depends on dependent the Thai tourist economy depends on Europe, as Cohen notes that European tourists generally prefer contrived attractions such as shopping, theme parks and entertainment facilities. There will also be an increasing discrepancy between the tourist image of an idyllic location and the increasing pollution and urban development of Thailand’s beach towns. The increasing development of Thailand has led so me to argue that there should be a greater focus on authentic tourism and ecotourism is particularly promoted by some writers (Bottrill and Pearce, 1995; Honey, 1998). Cohen, however, argues that ecotourism principles are applicable to any type of tourism and that stringent or exclusive definitions of ecotourism are unnecessarily restrictive. From Cohen’s perspective, most tourists engage in mass tourist activities as well as alternative activities. The desire for authenticity can be measured by the tourist’s willingness to forgo comforts such as comfort itself, familiarity and convenience in order to achieve what they perceive is a more authentic experience. Mass tourism and authentic tourism are not alternatives but a spectrum or continuum where the search for authenticity can be observed and measured. The importance of Cohen’s work is in how it has continued to challenge and develop our understanding of authenticity. As we saw earlier, McCannell’s (1976) scholarship focused on the concepts of alienation and authenticity but Cohen took this further. Cohen broadened McCannell’s conceptions and applied them to tourists’ perceptions of authenticity. Cohen has also developed the work of Boorstin[2]. As has been noted, Boorstin was very pessimistic about authenticity and his approach remained that of a sceptic. For Cohen, however, the idea of a universal authenticity was questioned and challenged. Cohen comes to the conclusion that authenticity means different things to different people and therefore what appears authentic to one tourist (or host) will not appear authentic to another. Building on this, we can see that the importance of authenticity can also be determined to be socially constructed, and its importance variable depending on the perceptions of the person considering the issue. This appears similar to the theoretical perspectives of the social constructivists where meaning is seen to emerge and is constantly changing. This view appears to have gained some following in tourism research with writers including Dearden and Mitchell (1997) and Sharpley and Sharpley (1997) sharing this perspective. Auliana Poon (1993) Tourism, Technology and Competitive Strategies. Oxford: CAB International. Poon writes about alternative tourism and puts forward the view that alternative tourism is more exclusive than mass tourism and is diametrically opposed to mass tourism in terms of consumers, production, technology and management. Poon argues that mass tourism comprises rigidly packaged and inflexible holidays when deviation from the package is rejected because of the cost implications that deviation would incur. There is also a mass replication of identical rooms or apartments to allow the operators to reap the benefits of economies of scale, and there is mass (undifferentiated) marketing again with hotel and holiday branding for reasons of economies of scale. Finally, according to Poon, mass tourism features mass consumption with little regard for the cultures of the tourist destinations. The alternative, according to Poon is a form of tourism that embraces flexibility and specialisation which provides a more personalised form of tourism. The alternative scenario also gives greater consideration to the tourist destination and actively considers culture and environment. The sustainability of alternative tourist destinations are therefore paramount under alternative tourism and attempts are made to pursue development in a culturally and environmentally sensitive and considered way. The motivation for tour companies to pursue alternative tourism can be seen in the potential it provides to differentiate itself in the marketplace. Mass tourism has saturated the market and to stand out to the consumer the travel companies must offer something different and authenticity is this difference. Having considered the work of Boorstin and MacCannell, and also Cohen, it becomes more difficult to accept a further attempt to present authenticity as a pure and exclusive form. It is easy to see that the concept of authenticity is useful in an academic sense, as a key component in a model, or a concept in which to frame a debate, but more difficult to see its existence in a pure form. In addition to considering authenticity as the polar opposite of mass tourism, there is another perspective: that mass tourism has merely reinvented itself into a more socially acceptable form. Fernandes (1994: 4) points out, â€Å"the mainstream tourism industry has merely tried to invent a new legitimation for itself, the ‘sustainable’ use of the environment including the preservation of nature as an amenity for the already advantaged†. John Urry (1990) The Tourist Gaze.London: Sage Urry notes the rapid development of tourism and uses a metaphor of an omnivorous creature to highlight what he sees as tourists devouring the planet in their ‘consuming’ of destinations. Urry (1990:1) states that when we travel â€Å"we gaze†and â€Å"the gaze is socially constructed†. The gaze is not a single gaze regardless of nationality or social class, but emerges from who we are and goes on to shape us and well as that gazed upon. Urry charts the development of the tourist industry in the UK and looks at the rise of mass tourism in Victorian Britain the development of the British coastal resorts, the mass tourism provided by holiday camps, and the introduction of a new flexibility from the 1960s onwards as people travelled to European destinations. Mass marketing provided representative images which gave tourists an understanding of the destinations available and these are duplicated in the destinations themselves and in place promotion. Urry urges the development of the post-mass marketing tourist or what he calls that post-tourist who seeks to find authenticity and shirk the artificial and staged events offered by the tourism operators. This builds on Cohen’s work which argued that the local culture becomes a contrived commodity and, without people’s consent, operators take local culture and renders it meaningless. Urry’s work has come under criticism with some arguing that he has over-stated the decline of mass tourism. Indeed, package holidays to Orlando and Phuket appear to have a great deal in common in terms of fun and pleasure seeking as the mass tourism in Blackpool of earlier generations. Urry’s ‘gaze’ has been criticised as being inadequate; Prentice (2001) puts forward the need to look at the subjective mental state felt by individuals while Ooi (2002) argues that the subjective nature of experience means that as well as being multi-faceted, â€Å"experiences are embodies in people†and can â€Å"only be expressed to and not felt by other people†. Ning Wang (2000) Tourism and Modernity: A Sociological Analysis. Tourism Social Science Series. Oxford: Pergamon. Having read perspectives from the objectivists Boorstin and MacCannell, and the social constructivist perspectives, it was interesting to see how Wang appeared to bring these perspectives together with a postmodernist perspective, based on the work of Baudrillard and others. Wang argues that authenticity should be broken down into authenticity of object and authenticity of experience. Authenticity of object refers to the authenticity of what is being observed, and this is further broken down into objective, constructive and post modern forms with the post modern form rejecting authenticity completely, while authenticity of experience refers to a person’s own personal experiences. Wang puts forward the view that authenticity is not inherent and identified characteristics that can be attributed to the constructivist conceptions of authenticity, namely that there is no fixed origin of authenticity, that what we consider original and authentic can be contested, notions of authenticity are pluralistic, and that authenticity is often declared when something conforms to tourist expectations. Wang also put forward the idea that inauthentic experiences can become authentic over time. This process, which Wang terms ‘emergent authenticity’ was also put forward by Cohen and promotes the primacy of the tourist perception of the experience and, as Picard and Robinson remind us, â€Å"all events were once created†and that ranking authenticity is â€Å"highly questionable†(2006: 134). Wang’s focus on a person’s own experiences is interesting as so much of the debate on the importance of authenticity has been about the authenticity of the objects being seen. Wang notes that tourists are â€Å"in search of their authentic selves with the aid of activities or toured objects†(2000:360). This search for our authentic selves can be liberating, a desire for experiences that are outside of our daily lives, but can also be restricted by itineraries and other constraints. The importance of authenticity in tourism is, for Wang, a feeling or perceiving of authenticity rather than its fixed existence in cultural objects. Conclusions From this study record we can see that many writers have highlighted the importance of authenticity but there is inconsistency about what authenticity entails. For Boorstin, mass tourism ruined any chance of experiencing authenticity and authenticity that not something that the masses sought even if it were attainable. MacCannell considered that authenticity could be equally sought by the mass tourist or researcher but held that the tourism industry was denying the people an authentic experience. Cohen offered a perspective on authenticity that incorporated both the tourist and the host but offered the possibility that one party might consider an experience authentic while the other did not; Poon considered authenticity and mass tourism to be diametrically opposed, while Urry built on Cohen’s work and presented the view that culture had become such a contrived commodity that it had been rendered meaningless. Finally, Wang presented what is almost a capstone perspective, bringi ng in the earlier objective and constructivist perspectives to present a broader representation of the importance of authenticity as an existential experience. References Boorstin, DJ (1985) The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. 2nd ed. New York: Atheneum Bottrill, C and D Pearce (1995) Ecotourism: towards a key elements approach to operationalising the concept. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 3, 1, 45-54. Cohen, E (1995) Contemporary Tourism-Trends and Challenges: Sustainable Authenticity or Contrived Post-Modernity?, in Change in Tourism: People, Places, Processes, ed. Richard Butler and Douglas Pearce. London: Routledge. Dearden, P and B Mitchell (1997) Environmental Change and Challenge. Oxford University Press. Fernandes, D (1994) The shaky ground of sustainable tourism. Quarterly Environmental Journal, 2, 4, October-December, 4-38. Goffman, E (1959) Presentation of self in everyday life. Penguin Books. Honey, M (1998) Where’s the eco in ecotourism? Connection to the Americas, 15, 2, March, 1-7. MacCannell, D. (1999) The Tourist: A New Theory of the Leisure Class. University of California Press McKercher, B (1993) The unrecognized threat to tourism: can tourism survive sustainability. Tourism Management, 14, 4, 131-136. Ooi, C-S (2002) Cultural Tourism and Tourism Cultures: The Business of Mediating Experiences in Copenhagen and Singapore. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press. Picard, D and M Robinson (2006) Festivals, Tourism and Social Change. Channel View Publications. Poon, A (1993) Tourism, technology and competitive strategies. Oxford: CAB International. Prentice, R (2001) Experiential Cultural Tourism. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Queen Margaret College Sharpley, R and J Sharpley (1997) Sustainability and Consumption of Tourism, in MJ Stabler (ed) Tourism and Sustainability. Oxford: CAB International, 231-244. Urry, J. (1990) The Tourist Gaze, London: Sage. Wang, N (1999) Rethinking Authenticity in Tourism Experience. Annals of Tourism Research, 26, 2, 349-70. Wang, N (2000) Tourism and Modernity: A Sociological Analysis. Tourism Social Science Series. Oxford: Pergamon. Footnotes [1] See McKercher (1993) [2] 1961 reprinted 1985
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Broadband In New Zealand :: essays research papers
"Research shows that we have high internet fees for the developed world." - Mr. Harbies (research scientist) The broadband growth index ranks 35 countries from around the world and puts New Zealand's broadband growth rate at 40%. New Zealand is ranked third lowest just ahead of the Czech Republic and Latvia. At the end of 2002, only 1.74 New Zealanders per 100 are users of broadband services. New Zealand has one of the lowest growth rates and one of the lowest levels of broadband penetration in the world. I had put up a poll on forums.pcworld.co.nz and the results were: 4.88% people said that broadband in New Zealand is cheap and 95.12% said it was expensive. Obviously, the majority of people who did the poll said that broadband in New Zealand is expensive. Personally, I think the prices for the speed are ok but the data caps are pathetic - IT IS RUINING THE MARKET. For people who do not know what a data cap is, it is the limit of how much data you are allowed to use each month. The reasons why people use broadband is because it is faster than dial-up and is cheaper than getting two phone lines. Heavy broadband users are usually gamers or heavy downloader's. Almost all heavy broadband users download games, music and/or videos. I'm not a heavy downloader or serious gamer therefore I am not in desperate need of broadband. I will still prefer broadband because some overseas pages take s o l o n g t o l o a d. I found out the reason why most people are still on dial-up internet are because most people think broadband is too expensive or they do not require broadband. Some people say they do not have broadband because Telecom will not upgrade their phone lines. I am still using dial-up internet because I thing the broadband rates are too high. Most users say that broadband in other countries are better than New Zealand's. Someone posted a message on the forums that 'ADSL (broadband) in New Zealand is very expensive†¦ The speed of the 3GB plan is just not right. I could have it as 6mp/s and maybe get a PS2 as well too with that package in Hong Kong.' A research scientist also said 'Jetstream is expensive and this is not an opinion, it is a fact. Research shows that we have high internet fees for the
Characterization in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goo
   This essay will demonstrate the types of characters present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,†whether static or dynamic, whether flat or round, and whether protrayed through showing or telling.  R. W. B. Lewis in â€Å"The Return into Rime: Hawthorne†states: â€Å"†¦ there is always more to the world in which Hawthorne’s characters move than any one of them can see at a glance†(77). This is especially true with such flat or two-dimensional characters as are generally found in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.†These type characters are built on a â€Å"single idea or quality†and are presented without much â€Å"individualizing detail†(Abrams 33). Faith, of course, represents or symbolizes the theological virtue of faith; Goody Cloyse, as a catechism teacher, represents â€Å"goodness†; the unnamed fellow-traveller in the woods is symbolic of â€Å"evil.†Q. D. Leavis explains this symbolic use of characters: â€Å"The first batch of works I specified [including ‘Young Goodman Brown’] is essentially dramatic, its use of language is poetic, and it is symbolic, and richly so, as is the dramatic poet’ s. . . Where the â€Å"symbol†is the thing itself, with no separable paraphrasable meaning as in an allegory: the language is directly evocative (27).  The flat character Faith is not developed like her husband; her dialogue is restricted to the opening few paragraphs. She speaks only four sentences in the entire story:  "Dearest heart," whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to his ear, "pr'ythee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed tonight. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husb... ...ng Goodman Brown.†1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html  Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.†In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.  Leavis, Q.D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.†In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.  Lewis, R. W. B. â€Å"The Return into Time: Hawthorne.†In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.  Swisher, Clarice. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.†In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.  Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.
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