Monday, September 30, 2019

Case Study: Online Bookings

The day is not vey far when the Indian travellers can criss-cross the globe with just a few clicks. Taking e-commerce and information technology services a step further, the Indian trevel industry is composing itself to usher in the era of e-ticketing. On-line booking involves pursuing of available information on travel websites and then making a rservation. However , if you are not the kind who prefers a particular airline, then you can check out travel sites, which collate flights details of all airlines, and are the apt place to book or bid for air tickets. Travel portals, such as , travelguru. com,arzoo. com,yatra. om,indiatimes. com,rediff. com,makemytrip. com,and cleartrip. com, would provide you all details of flights along with their fares in an ascending order, i. e the lowest priced ticket is featured first,on web page. The number of consumers who book travel tickets online is growig,but a switch from offline environment to online environment creates cetain doubts in the mi nds of consumers. Such doubts have been termed as perceived risks in literature. Also, the internet revolution has brought about significant changes in market transparency, defined as the availability and accessibility of information to market participants.For example , air travellers can use online travel agencies to browse through hundreds of travel offers to their destination, compared to typically few offers from a traditional travel agent or airline prior to the internet era. Genarally, market transperency seems to benefit consumers because they are able to better discern the product that best fits their needs at a better price. However, there still is a large percentage of population who get teir tickets booked through the traditional queing system. The advent of e-ticket booking over the past couple of years has led to the mushrooming of online travel agencies. hese online service providers have in fact come up with a wide variety of sevices for faster and more convenient mod e of ticket booking.They offer a host of services starting from booking something as mundane as a train or flight ticket to something as exotic as a holiday. They offer various packages which have the entire itenery for the proposed holiday. They even offer a convenient pick-up and drop services. With such a range of services being offered at your fingertips, expectations are that more and more number of travellers would start using such easy, fast and

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Business Studies – Investigating three shops

The following assignment investigates people and work at three different stores. The first is Sainsbury's Savacentre, a hypermarket located in Beckton. Very wide ranges of items are sold here, not just groceries but clothes and technology too. I have also chosen two specialist shops, each selling a product available in the hypermarket. I have selected ‘The Card Shop' as one of my specialist shops. This is a store, local to my area, specialising in the sale of greetings cards, one of the products made available by the hypermarket. In addition to this, I have chosen Kashmir Store as a specialist shop. This small family run business specialises in the selling of halal meat and certain Asian foods. The Savacentre hypermarket has recently begun to sell some of these products in-store. The aim of this report is to address certain key ideas related to work and industry. This assignment hopes to demonstrate the key ideas in a work environment. The principal key ideas tackled in this project are listed below. 1) There is an important relationship between the level of technology and the nature of work. 2) Workers in different industries are interdependent and modern industry is characterised by specialisation. 3) The way in which industry is organised has an important effect on job satisfaction. Key idea number one suggests that certain types of work require higher levels of technology than other types of work. For example, I would expect office workers to use more technology in the way of photocopiers and computers than builders who use less technology such as cement mixers. Key idea number two suggests that workers from different industries are interdependent. That is to say, the computer manufacturing industry is dependent on the retail industry to sell its product. One cannot survive without the other. Furthermore, the key idea states that modern industry is characterised by specialisation. This means that industry today is specialised and specific or fills a niche. Overall, this key idea implies that because industries are very specific, they may be limited and therefore need to be interdependent. This is analogous to a newspaper and a newsagent. The production of a newspaper is a specialised industry as is the newsagent. Both however are interdependent as the paper cannot be sold without the newsagent and the newsagent will suffer financially without the newspaper. Finally, the third key idea suggests that job satisfaction is influenced by the way in which industry is organised. Job satisfaction is a term to describe how much a person enjoys their job and finds it fulfilling. Industry organisation can lead to poor or very good job satisfaction. This can affect workers quite drastically. For example, poor job satisfaction may lead to inefficient work and high employee turnover, which is not good for the company or industry. In order to find out if these hypotheses are true for the retail industry and more importantly, for the shops that I have chosen, I will carry out two methods of investigation, a questionnaire and general observation. By collecting data using a questionnaire, a large sample can be targeted and answers compared amongst respondents. Due to time restrictions and work place limitations, a structured interview will not be employed. Instead, a questionnaire will be used so that staff can respond in their own time. However, questionnaires are rather limited in the types of data they generate. Boredom in filling out the forms can also lead to falsified results. To combat this, I will directly observe workers. This technique allows for study of behaviour in the ‘natural setting'. The interaction between workers can be studied, as can the behaviour and attitude of individuals. In an ideal situation, I would use participant observation instead but as it is unrealistic to take up employment in order to join the workers, I will just observe as a customer. I will carry out direct observation by visiting the stores and making notes on employee behaviour. I will then obtain questionnaire information by ringing the stores in question for permission to carry out my research. Once this has been established, I will visit the shops and then distribute questionnaires amongst the staff. The research will be carried out in this order to prevent staff from changing their behaviour after filling in their questionnaires.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Accounting Theory And History Accounting Essay

Accounting Theory And History Accounting Essay Accounting has evolved since it was first developed and has continued to evolve. The aim of this essay is to explore and discuss why accounting, both financial and management has changed over the last millennium. In order to achieve this aim an in-depth approach will be taken into the origins of accounting, its purpose and need. This will mean examining history papers which are evidence-based but are intertwined with value judgement. Many alternative theoretical and practical explanations are offered in literature for the development of accounting over time. These course literatures will be evaluated and there theories will subsequently be accepted or rejected. In order to explore the question and because the definitions provided by accounting bodies are themselves are subject to change, it is crucial to first define accounting and its purpose. The purpose of accounting is to provide information based on relevant data that aids users in making economic decisions. Financial accountin g is designed mainly to produce financial reports which provide information regarding the firm’s performance to external users such as Tax authorities, Investors, Customers and Creditors. Financial Accounting is highly regulated in order to ensure they have certain characteristics. These characteristics enhance the usefulness of the financial reports to users. These characteristics are relevance, comparability, timeliness, fairness and objectivity. Management accounting is used to prepare accounts and reports that provide accurate and up to date information that allows management to make decisions. Accounting developed as people needed a method of recording their assets and property. If property was recorded and accounted for, it would be easy to prove legal ownership. Accountancy has been around for thousands of years. Professor L. Plunkett of the College of Charleston calls accounting the â€Å"oldest profession† In this millennium there have been countless changes a nd developments in accounting. From more primitive methods of simple accounting for property and assets, in order to record for evidence of legal ownership to a complex regulated form. Management Accounting â€Å"British Entrepreneurs and Pre-Industrial Revolution Evidence of Cost Management† a paper by Richard K. Fleischman and Lee D. Parker examines the use and developments of cost accounting in 1760 to 1850. The four main areas looked at in cost management will be: cost control techniques, accounting for overhead, costing for routine and special decision making, and standard costing. These firms used cost data to control raw material input materials. The iron firms broke down costs using raw material controls, whilst taking into account the differential costs of mining and smelting. Textile firms were concerned about the profitable raw mixtures and the cost of raw materials input. Marshall textile firm employ the practise of using performance cards, which is an effective m ethod and is still used by firms today. Performance cards are used daily to monitor and control expenses.. These management accounting practises benefited the business greatly. It allowed marshal to be cost effective and efficient by minimising costs. Gregs was another textile firm which kept wage and expense books to calculate control costs. This helps to identify trends, weaknesses and areas for improvement. For example they experienced losses in 1829 and where able to identify and attribute these to heightened production costs and outdated machinery.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Will U.S. Be Overtaken by China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Will U.S. Be Overtaken by China - Research Paper Example The assumption and expectation that China would one day become the world’s richest country is not a new one. The country has enjoyed massive economic growth and expansion of its global presence which have made it to economically surpass tens of countries within the last 20 years to sit at the second place. The current and future economic growth of China is as fast as it is diverse, while the US is facing a lot of financial challenges2. The fact that China’s economic and socio-political performance is only expected to be better while that of the US remains shaky makes China more likely than not to overtake the US in the next few years. Important Indicators for China’s Growing Superiority For the last thirty years, China has reported impressive economic growth3. The country has in fact been the fastest growing economy in that period of time. Economists have put the economic growth of China to be 17 times what it was in 1980. An interesting fact is that China was ra pidly growing while most of the rest of the world was not doing that well financially. About ten years ago, the United States’ economy was 10 times bigger than that of China. Today, China’s economic superiority cannot be refuted and its place as a world economic power was sealed after overtaking world’s number two spot from Japan. After a long time of what seemed to have been economic slumber, China finally woke up to its potential in the eighties. Other countries including the United States started to adopt and implement neo-modern policy changes. This included opening up to unrestricted capital flows and external trade. The countries also developed policies that enabled their central banks to be increasingly independent. They also adopted tighter cyclical monetary and fiscal policies and abandoned many of the development strategies that had previously been highly successful. China on the other hand, did not adopt these policies, many of which were promoted by world financial bodies such as the IMF, World Trade Organization and the World Bank whose decisions were heavily influenced by decision makers and economic planners based in Washington. China was not a member of the WTO up until 2002. Although China’s economic acceleration involved the expansion of foreign investment and trade, its financial decisions and management were carried differently from the rest of the world4. The most outstanding difference was that China’s economy was largely controlled by the state, unlike in the US where it was liberalized. State control was meant to ensure that trade and investment decisions were in line with the development goals of the government. One of these goals was to develop and make products intended for the external or international market. China’s policies also promoted the use of enhanced technology. The aim was to transfer high level technological competence from foreign investors to the local economy. The government w as also keen on hiring Chinese for jobs at the managerial and technical levels. This meant that foreign enterprises could not compete at the same level with many domestic businesses. The economy of China is still largely controlled by the government. The state controls a huge percentage of the exchange rate and other financial systems. A substantial amount of industrial assets are also under the control of the government. When other countries were struggling under the pressure of the recent worldwide recession, China’s economy was not affected. The state-led economic system can be and should be credited for this. The country enjoyed an enviable 9.8% GDP growth though this was a fall of 3.7% mainly due to the poor performance of the international mar

Thursday, September 26, 2019

CASE PROBLEM 2 OFFICE EQIPMENT , INC Speech or Presentation

CASE PROBLEM 2 OFFICE EQIPMENT , INC - Speech or Presentation Example In view of the waiting line model, OEI can predict the customer waiting time by adding the total time that is expected to be spent on each client including travelling time and service time. Basically, if it takes one hour for the technician to travel to a customer and one and half hours to fix a problem, then it would mean that he would need another hour to travel to the next customer assuming that they are within a similar distance according to the waiting line model. So on average it is two and half hours with the first customer then another hour to travel to the next customer. Customers should expect to wait for one hour, if by chance he is the first in line or between 3 and 4 hours on average considering that the technician would move from point A to B in one hour and would need about one and half hours to fix a problem before proceeding to the next customer. Generally 4 hours is the maximum waiting time for each client assuming that the technician would need to attend to first c ustomers in line. OEI is satisfied that one technician can service the 10 customers without much hassles. The probability that no customer is in the system can be derived from adding the total number of hours that would be spent on each customer. Given that on average he spends 3 hours per customer, and a customer calls at least once in 50 hours of operation, then it would mean that after the technician has worked for 30 hours, there no longer would be any customer in the system given that he would have attended to all of them within one specified 50 hour time frame. The average number of customers waiting can be derived by subtracting the number of customers that would already have been attended to from the total number of customers which is 10 within a specified time range of 50 hours considering that each client calls once during that particular time. Another method may be to subtract the total number of hours already worked by the

Human Bioscience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Bioscience - Essay Example bases with a breathing rate of 40 beats/min and the skin is flushed. Electrocardiograph (ECG) demonstrates tachycardia (fast heart rate). The child remains semi-conscious.   John and Linda put on gloves and initiate supportive care and treatment for this child. They proceed with the following treatment:   Airway – insertion of a nasopharyngeal airway   Breathing – application of a non-rebreather oxygen mask   Circulation – location and cannulation of an accessible vein for fluid hydration and drug administration.   The treatment is completed and the paramedics carry the child down to their stretcher and out to their vehicle. John goes into the back of the ambulance with the child and Linda climbs behind the steering wheel and drives to the hospital. At the hospital the paramedics perform a handover to the medical staff providing the history and the results of their examination.   The medical officer, Dr. George, makes enquires of the mother confirming the initially supplied patient history. Dr. George notes that the mother is periodically coughing and asks her about her own health. The mother replies that she had been ill last week and she thought it might have been flu as her joints were achy but that she did not see the doctor as she was too busy at work. She self-medicated throughout with cold and flu tablets from the local chemist. She now feels much better but still is periodically coughing. The mother is 22 years old. Dr. George has admitted to the hospital several very unwell patients with flu like symptoms and a cough in the past few days aged between 8 and 20 years, one of whom is currently semi-conscious and in intensive care.   The nursing staff, Sue and James, repeat the observations for body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, breathing rate and level of consciousness whilst also transferring the child from the ambulance equipment to the hospital’s breathing support equipment and ECG monitor. James puts on gloves and checks that the cannula placement and drip line have remained patent during the transfer. Dr. George checks the child for neck rigidity and reactions to bright light. He then takes a blood sample and orders a full blood count and antibody markers as well as a chest X-ray and spinal tap for a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample. He also writes a request for the fluid hydration to be continued and prescribes an antipyretic to lower the child’s temperature. Dr. George is looking to differentiate between influenza and meningitis. Dr. George considers prescribing antibiotics as a precautionary measure for meningitis whilst awaiting the results of the diagnostic tests.   Dr. George then proceeds to take a more detailed history of where the child has spent the last couple of weeks and who he and the mother have been in contact with.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Economics - Essay Example Some of the other factors as determinants of demand have been introduced in the theory of demand recently. The traditional theory of demand starts with the examination of the behaviour of the consumer since the market demand is assumed to be the summation of the demands of the individual consumers. Thus, the demand for a given commodity is the horizontal summation of the demands of the individual consumers. In other words the quantity demanded in the market at each price is the sum of the individual demands of all consumers at that price. The responsiveness of the demand in relation to the price or income of the consumer is referred as the elasticity of demand. There are as many elasticities of demand as its determinants. The most important of these elasticities are (a) the price Elasticity, (b) the income elasticity, and (c) the cross elasticity. The concept of elasticity of demand is important in that it s being used by the economists to explain the consumer behaviour in different market conditions. With this background this paper illustrates the importance of different kinds of elasticities of demand and the ways in which they are helpful to the economists to report on the consumer behaivour... The laws of demand and supply are an important part of in the study of economics. They help the economists to measure the relative changes in the demand due to changes in prices with the concept of elasticity of demand. (Pink Monkey) The price elasticity is a measure of the responsiveness of demand to changes in the commodity’s own price. Depending on the magnitude of the changes in demand it can be termed as either point elasticity or arc elasticity of demand. If the changes in the prices are very small, the point elasticity of demand is used as the measure of responsiveness of demand. If the changes in the prices are large then arc elasticity of demand is used as the relevant measure of responsiveness. The laws of demand and supply form the basic

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Experiencing Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Experiencing Work - Research Paper Example Dedication to his career is one of his most admirable characteristics. He does not mind spending long hours in school. He values each minute spent tutoring students who are having a hard time understanding their lessons. He does not only teach them math, he is also considered by most students as their best friend. Most students come to him to ask for advice with regards to their other subjects or even about their personal problems. When asked why he chose the teaching profession, when it is a job which is not financially rewarding, he smiles and answers, â€Å"Money is not the most important thing in this world. What is more rewarding is being able to help other people.† He adds, â€Å"My reward is not in this world. Mine is in heaven.† He said that he was once offered by a large company to be part of its training department. It offered a very lucrative salary with several fringe benefits to go with it. He refused the job because he knew that he will not be happy working for that firm. He said that he will not find fulfillment in a job with a high salary if he does not enjoy doing it. While other employees hate waking up each morning because they will be doing the same boring job again, he always thanks God for another day where he can share his talents and skills with other people. He said that he is one of the lucky persons who have found his true vocation. It has brought meaning to his life. At night, when he feels so tired from a days’ work, he just thinks of the number of children whom he has taught that day and all the tired muscles seem to go away. The satisfaction that he gets from teaching is more than enough to relax him at night. He also said that another reason why he enjoys his profession is that he always feels young and energetic being with young people every day. His pupils serve as his inspiration

Monday, September 23, 2019

On Intersuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On Intersuality - Essay Example But this contradiction is addressed by taking the position that â€Å"social power in delineating difference need not be the power of domination; it can instead be the source of social empowerment and reconstruction† (Crenshaw, 1991, p.1242). The major problem of identity politics is identified by the author (Crenshaw, 1991) as its tendency to ignore â€Å"intragroup differences† (p.1242). Violence against women is cited as an example for this and it is pointed out that â€Å"violence that many women experience is often shaped by other dimensions of their identities, such as race and class† (Crenshaw, 1991, p.1242). One major lapse in feminist and race politics have been revealed here. It is shown that both these discourses happen in mutually exclusive realms whereas the social manifestations of both these identities in reality often overlap. With this preamble, the author (Crenshaw, 1991) has theoretically validated the identity of a new section, the colored wom en, which can be called an intersectional identity (p.1243).

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Impact of Western Culture in Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Impact of Western Culture in Bangladesh Essay The following research report deals with the Impact of western culture in our society includes people’s thought according their age level, how the Bengali culture is becoming a westernized and which factors are related with that. We took only Dhaka city for our research survey. Acknowledgement First of all we would like to thank our Almighty God, because of His blessings were always with us so that we were able to complete this report.We are grateful to many people for providing us encouragement and support during our learning and working while making this report and we want to show our gratefulness to these people. We are very much grateful to Prof.Toufiqul Islam, our teacher of Research Methodology course, who provided us opportunity to do this report. It was not possible for us to perform this report without his sincere permission, constant support and inspiration. We express our gratefulness to him.Our pleasant thanks to all of our respondents who gave us all kinds of support and important information related to our report. We would also like to thank our friends and peers for their encouragement, support, and suggestions which helped us to make this report an effective one. 1. Introduction Bangladesh is a melting pot of races. She, therefore, has a mixed culture. However, her deep rooted heritage is amply reflected in her architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting and also in people’s lifestyle. She has own Language Bengali which boasts a rich literary heritage. Now if we speak about Western culture, it is a wide range of culture that performed by the whole world. Now-a-days this culture is highly spreading in our country and people are paying their interest into western culture by the help of globalization.Mostly the young generations and highly aristocratic families are very much influenced by western culture which holds negative impact on our own culture. So, we have to make clear consciousness to the community for making strong cultural bond and better society. From that sense, it is necessary to take a research about the impact of Western culture in our society. And, we believe that the following research report will help to find out the conclusion with valuable recommendation. 1.1 Basic of the study Bangladeshi culture is influenced by three great religions- Hinduism, Buddhism band Islam in successive order, with Islam having the most pervading and lasting impact. Like a colorful montage, the cultural tradition of the country is a happy blending of many variants, unique in diversity but in essence greatly symmetrical. On the other hand, Western culture began in Ancient Greece. Today, Western culture has at least some presence in nearly all nations of the world. It does not currently exist, however, anywhere in a perfect and complete form. Western culture currently dominates in many Western and Central European nations and several nations settled by Europeans and their descendants. Western culture also significantly exists in many Asian nations, such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, and it is increasingly influential in India and China. Western culture currently has little meaningful presence also in Bangladesh. [4] In this research report we choose Dhaka city as for many reason like shortage of time, also we live in this city so it is quite easy for our study, besides as Dhaka city is the capital of Bangladesh and most aristocratic family live in this city. So it is also easy to know about people’s thought on our topic. 1.2 Background of the study From the historical perspective, Bangladeshi culture has rich literary heritage. The riverside landscape and the monsoon climate are closely related to the cultural practices of this country. It focuses the lifestyles and culture value of the indigenous people. From the earlier age, people give value and maintain social customs which are in our culture. However, people are now following some of the western cultures beside their own one. Mostly, the young generation is very much interested on English movies, western music, dresses, foods and other things rather than Bengali culture. Now, young generation and even also middle age people are not that much conscious about Bengali culture because of the globalization. In this way, Bengali culture is now no more originated by own culture, even it is losing her own value. In this research, we collect opinions about the impact of western culture from people by field survey. 1.3 Importance of the topic For our research, we choose ‘The Impact of Western culture In Our Society’ as our topic for its importance on the effect of cultural globalization (which means the commercialization of culture). Now a day’s the production and consumption of cultural goods and services has become commodities, along with the essentials of social life (marriage and family life, religion work and leisure). What once was an element of the way of life becomes a product, rather than something unique men had made to suit their own needs and circumstances. In urban Bangladesh, technology of multi- channels TV began in 1991 and hence satellite broadcasting has been delivering lots of channels to viewers. Cultural domination by electronic media within the society thus has eventually become a major concern of sociological inquiry. The present study is one of such effort to look at how the urban people, mostly youth has accepted and responded to their access to Western culture. [3] 1.4 Literature Review In this part we found some of the information which is discussed in different articles and reports relevant to our topic. Even though many book focused about the impact of western culture and how people are taking it besides their own one without any hesitation. After reviewing different sources, we just focus on ‘The Impact of Western Culture in Our Society’ from three different angles. These are: †¢ Impact of cultural Globalization. †¢ Positive impact of westernization. †¢ Negative impact of westernization. Impact of socio cultural Globalization Now a day’s every country in this world is treated as village, you can imagine whatever you can. That’s the way people are communicate easily to each other make things differences. Globalization has only one overarching feature–integration. It is all about collectiveness and ever increasing interconnectedness. It in effect influences everything, whether it is a company or a country. But here is a fact, is globalization all the way keeps help to connect to each other or build a strong communication in â€Å"borderless world†? If it is a question, then how it impacts in our society as well as in our culture? The Cable television has made different attraction in around the world as well as in Bangladeshi household. Foreign movies have come and have reflected their culture in it. This has made a huge impact on the minds of the Bangladeshi people. Not to mention the easy availability of Internet whose reach even extends till rural areas? The internet has opened up opportunities for people to learn more about foreign cultures and places. It has made Bangladeshi more acceptable and open-minded towards change. Globalization has broken all borders. As a result, the new generation of Bangladeshi is more knowledgeable, more aware and more interested in the world around them. In our society, women who were once the exploited and ignored part of the population, now assert their rights of being a woman. Women now have more access to education and know more about their rights and their identity as a woman. Nowadays, you find women in the society who work alongside men. Men-dominated fields see the coming up of the woman. Men and women are slowly being treated equally. However, this does not mean that all Bangladeshi women are fully free. In many places, exploitation still continues. [5] Positive impact of westernization Due to globalization, westernization is spreading out all over the world. Westernization has been placed in different countries because of globalization and needless to say, it has had an impact on the Bangladesh way of life. It has out-rooted the traditional Bengali culture and the rate at which westernization is happening to Bangladesh is surprising. Regional languages are on the process of redefined. In many ways instating of regional language people have been used to English especially in urban areas youngsters. It had started get fixing with western clothing, western languages, western mannerisms and everything else westernized. Beside, the festival of Pohela Baishak, people is now celebrating like other western cultural festivals especially in young groupsuch as- †¢ Valentine’s Day, †¢ Friendship Day, †¢ Mother’s day, †¢ Father’s day. †¢ And other international celebrations. Now a day people are concern about how we think about globally, what the other country are doing in their cultural issue, just we observe and absorbing them. There is lot of issues that we automatically know about it; even he/she has a little knowledge about westernization. But, people are moving with it in all the way. Negative impact of westernization At the side of the positive, Bangladeshi people are involving day by day with negative activities which our own culture because of following western culture. However no matter have occurred by this way, what people are doing in our society. With Globalization and westernization of our culture, Bangladesh now has access to things like adult movies, pornographic material, sex toys and other sexual content from all around the world especially in young group of people. Bangladeshi’s population has been corrupted thanks by easy access which has been brought about by westernization. In fact, this has gone to such limits that now pornographic material is even made in Bangladesh also. These perverted habits have raised a population who sometimes are so full of hunger for that they choice to rape. It is a fact that rape cases have risen since the spread of globalization. So that, western dress is another factor that creates an imbalance in our society especially for woman group (whenever girls wear a shirt, t-shirt, and pant in our society, due to feel or sensation of comfortable) which does not permit within our culture as majority of Muslim nationality. For wearing that kind of dresses men are mostly thinking in negative sense. In a view of culture, how and from which cases we are thinking that Bengali culture becomes westernized, for that we assume several other questions which are listed below, †¢ Why we think about westernization? †¢ Is westernization needed to fulfill our Bengali culture? †¢ To identify what kind of differentiations within peoples thought about westernization from different age level? †¢ What are the options available for Bangladesh? The previous findings have reported results on the western culture effect on urban youth generation in our society. However, according to above mentioned circumstances, the present study takes the initiative to conduct an empirical investigation based on the impact of western culture in our society includes people’s thought according their age level, how the Bengali culture is becoming a westernized and which factors are related with that. The findings from this study will work as a valuable guideline to give respect our own culture and to be a wholesome Bangladeshi. 1.5 Objectives of the study The main objective of this study is to focus on the impact of western culture based on different age level and build up the awareness about the negative sides among Bangladeshi people. According to our objectives we have decided that we will give our full attention and also we will be very active and patience to survey our research. In this way, we can fulfill our research successfully with a bunch of information. 2. Research Method For conducting our research, we implement research methods that directly related to our topic which indicates the core information about a research and explains how that information is correlated. In our research method we include study material, data collection method and data analysis method which help to go our research result and discussion section. For this part we will fulfill some specific requirements,  ¬ Describe procedure as completely as possible so that someone can’t duplicate it completely  ¬ Define sample and characteristics, which is consistent throughout the test.  ¬ List the variables used these are what change, or manipulate, throughout the test.  ¬ Try to precise criticism which might arise from readers mind. 2.1. Study Materials In this part, we consider study materials from people thought. That’s why, we define sample into three categorized way and taking out specific data from different age class people. Three age class: Age 18-30 (class 1); Age 31-45(class 2) and Age 45+ (class 3) For doing this part effectively we collect data from different age level and clarify about the variation of their thoughts about western culture beside Bangladeshi culture. Class 1: Most of the Class 1 people are student and some of them are service holder. It is very much easy to clarify their thoughts into short period of time. Class 2: In our class 2, most of the people are service holder and they are in middle age. Class 3: Finally last group is class 3 and people are no more in their job or involved in other social activities, basically people are staying with their family, but still we found that some them are even also involved with their job. 2.2. Methods of Collection Data Data collection process is crucial process in research report, if the process is biased or incomplete then it’s very difficult to analyze the data and it decreases quality of report. For our research purpose we get information from both two type of data collection source one is primary data and another one is secondary data. Primary data: Primary data indicates the core information about the topic and data collected from field survey work. There are different types of survey like, We make a structured questionnaire, which has been attached in the Appendix- 1 of this paper. This questionnaire is for three age level people and we give it to them like who is mostly able to read and understand what we are really wants. In this survey types, responder give their opinion about our topic in written and multiple choice form. For this part we take total sixty samples (each class 20 samples) as our core requirement. 2.3. Methods of Analyzing Data In this part we analyze the collected data from our survey- questionnaire. Here, we represent those data by graph, chart and table which is called frequency counting data. However, in case of qualitative data we take observation method. We collect our samples and put it them into a quantitative form so that we represents it as a percentage form. 3. Result, Discussion Findings To complete this part we consider several item to measure our determine information. All we know that cultural issue is very diverse concept which contains many ideas that indicates different type of individual characteristics. So that here we show some of those issue that indicate cultural aspect directly and by conducting a questionnaire survey we found some answer of specific data that might indicate and fulfill our main objectives. Due to presenting our result and discussion, we work with three different age scale of people which was define in earlier part and want to indicate the variation of preference between each class. Here, we identify our final result in percentage form and firstly we collect appearance from responders, add responder’s number (total sample 60) and make it as percentage form indicates what percentage people are positively responses our questions. After that add up all the heads percentage make it as average percentage point out how many people are positive about western culture. Firstly we want to know from responders’ western culture in general way. By asking those responders give their individual opinion about general requirements. In the first part of questionnaire following heads are included. Table1: Western Culture in responders mind in general Depending on above information we assume that by a simple calculation (average) of those data and show as it a percentage form. So that Bengali people now think about western culture from basic perspective approximately 39%. It means that they are positively given their opinion regarding western culture in our culture. And other way 61% responders gave non- positive responses which indicate might they prefer positive as Bengali culture. In different region different kind of cultural views and life style are followed. It seems to if one country’s positive thought is appreciate it might the negative for another country. So that we collect sample in a way that really Bengali people are absorbing WC day by day. Table2: Views and lifestyle preference in responders mind Sources: A survey conducted for this research in July, 2010 This table indicates four different view of western culture in our people. We select this heads to find out how many people intentionally or unintentionally belief WC views and lifestyle. Firstly in class1 60%, class2 30% and class3 25%, and also in total sample 38% people prefer nuclear family rather extended family, where most of WS has nuclear family. Another most important in our marriage system which one we prefer, from our cultural view mostly prefer arrange marriage. But in our survey class1 60%, class2 70% and class3 20%, and also in total sample 50% people are appearance with love or affair marriage. Similarly class1 80%, class2 90% and class3 90%, and also in total sample 87% people support with husband and wife have to live together. And also class1 55%, class2 35% and class3 10%, and also in total sample 34% people usually celebrate western festival beside their own one. Graph.B: Views and lifestyle preference in responders mind Now here we represent a chart indicate 52% people are support western culture values and fixing up in their mind. People are no more in our traditional culture by origin; day by day it changes and will changes in next generation. And other way 48% responders gave non- positive responses which indicate might their belief in Bengali traditional value. Bangladeshi people are now a day’s changing their behavior and habit in food, dress and other activities also. Easily converted to western ideas some cases it makes a question mark in our ethical perspective also. We referred those western materials by like fast food is needed to minimize time consumption and also it’s comfortable for shot meal. Another thing, people like to wear western dress for fashion and for comfortable. Similarly now people are conscious about their health so that mostly younger are goes to gym even middle aged people also. Sources: A survey conducted for this research in July, 2010 Here in this table represents to how many people are preferred with western tests and habit. We indentify people’s individual test, preference and habit in their regular life. Representing four head define how many people positively response our concerns. Firstly in class1 30%, class2 0% and class3 0%, and also in total sample 10% people prefer fast food in their regular meal. Another thing is in class1 55%, class2 45% and class3 10%, and also in total sample 37% people prefer western dress in their dress code. In class1 50%, class2 60% and class3 85%, and also in total sample 65% people regularly maintain their religious activities. And last one is in class1 75%, class2 25% and class3 15%, and also in total sample 38% people now people now think about going to gymnasium for physical fitness exercise. Individual classes graph and chart are enclosed in appendix part. Graph.C: Personal tastes, preferences and habits of the respondents This chart indicates people’s day to day life that how many of them support western test and habit. Here we found there are 36% people are positively responds our specific questions and give their real interest on western culture by survey. And other way 64% responders gave non- positive responses which indicate might they prefer Bengali test and habit. From very beginning Bengali people might in some case restricted. Like people were not that much free or friendly with their parents. Another thing is mentally depends on parents and also relatives. But at present we see some positive idea which is really effective for us like easy relationship with parents, self dependency etc. Sources: A survey conducted for this research in July, 2010 This table shows that, in class1 70%, class2 65% and class3 50%, and also in total sample 62% people think very easy relationship with parents. Another thing is in class1 10%, class2 30% and class3 65%, and also in total sample 35% people prefer self dependency due to mentally support. And in class1 55%, class2 30% and class3 10%, and also in total sample 32% people like to enjoy any occasion with friends. Graph.D: Relationships with parents, siblings and peer groups of the respondents Above graph shows responders relationship status between family, friends or siblings. Here we found 43% responders support of very easy relationship, self dependency and celebrate occasion with friends. And other hand 57% responders non- positively responds, meaning to say they prefer other status for their relationship, like not so easy relationship with parents, mentally depends on parents and also family belongingness. Finally we found that, people as responders now consider western culture. Approximately half of our total responders support with it. From the positive point of view day by day people absorbing western cultural values, sometimes its brings a good for our society. But on the other hand it diminishing our own cultural vale which nobody wants, so that we have to concern our cultural issues as much as possible and which one is good we have to must take it and also avoid bad thing that brings imbalance in our culture. †¢ Observation For this research we need to take observation method for getting more information. By our observation, we found that, in case of Muslim family, an older woman embarrassed over and is desperately trying to avoid eye contact in TV screen, blazing loud music on the popular music video channel, MTV. The inadequately dressed presenter introduces her ‘top song’ for the week. A star celebrity dressed in so very little and exposed herself as much as possible. The old woman’s son is captive by what he sees. He pays no attention to his mother, young wife or even his own little son also. In this way, Children are involving some bad works which derived from western culture particularly from cable connection at their home. In some cases, young generation forget to respect their elder one. In our field survey, we observe that, boys and girls are very much interested on going to DJ party at different night club. And, sometimes they want to live together before marriage which is extremely prohibited by our culture. Boys are using Tattoos on their body also. The present scenario of Bangladeshi culture like as in this diagram we show that, western stuffs like shirt, pant, music and festivals are now mixing with Bengali’s traditional stuffs. 4. Limitation of study To conduct this research we had some limitations, first of all it should be mentioned that we are beginning level of researcher and the topic was controversial as it holds both positive and negative impact in our society according to people’s perception. As there was time limitation, we cannot collect sufficient data and samples relating to our topic which is very difficult stuff to fulfill the analyzing of samples. While working for this report we found there was not available data related with our topic to get assistance from the internet, books, articles, research papers to make a well furnished literature review and secondary sources. As a result, it took a lot of time to gather information from other sources. 5. Conclusion and Recommendation Eventually, it can be concluded that, this research has found a lot of significant issues that is Western culture is not a curse to our society but it can bring a lot of negative effects. We must understand that the young generations are the future image of our country. So, it is necessary to enlighten them about our own cultural values which will make our nation proud. In Bangladesh perspective, since it is the one of very few and one way concentration on the impact of western culture. I hope that this thesis contains the groundwork of further research, which may find useful tools considering the probable findings in the long run. No study has been done at before. However, for doing this research we used our best analysis and tried to make the research as full proof but due to short sample, we cannot recommend it as full proof. That’s why, we want to recommend for further modification as we believe that research is a never ending process.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Tourism In Nepal Tourism Essay

The Tourism In Nepal Tourism Essay Situated between China and India lies the small land-locked country of Nepal. Slightly larger than the state of Arkansas, Nepal contains eight of the worlds ten highest mountain peaks making it a popular destination for adventurous tourists. Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world. The countrys population reached more than 21 million in 1994 yet the per capita income is one of the worlds lowest at $160 a year. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over ninety percent of the population. Nepal is also a producer of cannabis for both the domestic and international markets as well as the transit point for heroin into the West. With the growing number of tourists, however, the Nepalese Government is trying to exploit this resource as well. One Nepalese ecologist says There are now three religions in Nepal Hinduism, Buddhism, and tourism. The influx of tourists has had dramatic effects on the environment and on the local commu nities who come into contact with the tourists. It is no longer uncommon to find discarded rubbish along the trekking trails. Just as common is the soil erosion during the monsoons as a result of severe deforestation, also caused by tourism. Tourism is not only the goose that lays golden eggsit also fouls its own nest, says a Nepalese scientist. The Nepalese portion of the Himalayas was long remote from the main pathways of international tourism. The first Americans and Europeans did not enter the region until 1950. Up until 1964 only mountaineering expeditions were permitted to visit the area. In 1971, scarcely one thousand visitors came to visit. A decade later five times that number visited, and by the end of the 1980s tourists numbered more than 8,000 annually. In 1993, the figure was closer to 300,000. The Nepalese Government hopes to attract a million people within the next ten years. More than ninety percent of these tourists are trekkers, coming mostly from the United States and Western Europe, but also from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. With the steady stream of visitors, at least $60 million in foreign currency has been generated each year. One person who is fearful of what this may do to the local cultures and to the environment is Sir Edmund Hillary, now 75. Hillary believes that explorers have an obligation to protect the very things which they come to marvel. He was a driving force behind the creation of the Sagarmatha National Park and has established a trust which builds schools, hospitals, clinics, bridges and water systems for the Sherpas, whose culture is threatened the most. Most tourists come to Nepal to trek through the mountains. Trekking may be arranged by a service and done in a group or on ones own. Group treks are typically prearranged and paid for abroad or in the capital city of Kathmandu. The other alternative is to trek individually without the services of a trekking company. Individuals instead rely on the villages along the way for food and lodging. About one-half of the trekkers who come to Nepal, come with commercial groups. These treks generally last between twenty-two and twenty-five days. A trek for twelve clients will contain a support staff of approximately fifty members. Because these groups pay to make arrangements, little money goes to the local communities. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that only 20 cents of every $3 spent by an average trekker each day reaches village economies. The rest goes for goods imported from outside, notably the West. Individual trekkers, however, rely upon local guides and families. This means that more money is dispersed to the local communities. Regardless of how one travels, the environment and local communities are affected. Mountain trekking is part of a new type of tourism called adventure tourism. Adventure tourism attracts people who desire to see exotic and unknown places, primarily in the developing world. Adventure tourists, the name given to tourists who seek this type of tourism, are searching for authenticity. This means that the mountain treks are slow journeys which pass through the landscape, allowing time to explore both nature and village life. The core problem is that the environment and communities begin to change as a result of their newfound popularity. The local cultures become influenced by the presence of the trekkers and become modernized in their own way. Hence, they are no longer considered authentic and new ever more remote locations must be found. The idea behind adventure tourism is that the more remote a location is, the more it is desirable. This means that unless precautions are taken, degradation will inevitably occur. Perhaps the most visible impact of trekkers on the Himalaya is the growing amount of rubbish left behind. Galen Rowell wrote of the Himalayas, The solitary splendor is dazzling until I glance down at my feet. There, frozen into the ice cap of Tharpu Chuli, lies a miniature garbage dump; discarded candy wrappers, film cartons, plastic bags, wads of tissue, and half-empty food cans, all of it left by foreign climbing groups. It is a familiar and sickening sight to old Himalaya hands the growing pollution of a priceless heritage. It is estimated that over the past forty years, eighteen tons of garbage, from tin cans and beer bottles to oxygen tanks(this does not include such items as abandoned helicopters) have been dumped on Mount Everest alone. (The helicopters are a new form of tourism, called Sky Treks, for those who do not desire to hike up the mountains. Tourists instead ride helicopters to the top of the mountains, take their pictures, and then return to the bottom again.) Other estimates place the accumulated rubbish at fifty tones which will cost approximately $500,000 to clean up. A second, and perhaps greater problem than all of the rubbish, is deforestation. Many visitors come to Nepal expecting to see massive forests along the slopes of the Khumba. They do not come expecting to find Western amenities. Often the reverse is true. Western amenities assault the visitors in the teahouses and guest lodges they find along the trails while the forests are all but gone. Over the years, the influx of tourists has encouraged changes in the use of forests for fuel wood and construction materials. The forests have typically been used by the Nepali for fuel wood. However, the consumption rates between Nepalis and tourists greatly differs and this is where the problem lies. The demand for fuelwood from tourists has always been a concern for the park planners, administrators, and managers. They consider fuel-wood use by mountaineering and trekking groups to be one of the main environmental threats to the parks. It has been estimated that four times as much fuel wood is needed to cook a meal for a Western tourist than for a Nepali due largely to differences in diet. Add to that the fuel wood needed for the daily hot showers and for the bonfires to keep them warm and the impact on the forests is devastating. One trekker alone consumes five to ten times more fuel-wood than one Nepali. In addition to the trekkers who are consuming gross amounts of fuel wood, there are also the estimated 150,000 guides, porters, cooks, and other support staff who are traveling with the trekkers and who need fuel wood as well. Massive amounts of fuel wood are needed by the teahouses and guest lodges as well. More and more people are staying in the lodges and the number of lodges has quadrupled since 1976. The lodges and teahouses may use up to four times as much fuel wood a day as does a locals household. Others have estimated the amount of fuel wood used by one trekker per day to be more firewood than the average Nepali uses in an entire week. By 1979, the park authorities of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park were beginning to see how extensive the deforestation, as a result of tourism, was becoming. As a result, they banned the use of wood for cooking and bonfires. All expedition and trekking groups now must use kerosene stoves to cook. However, there have been no restrictions on the fuel-wood used by loges and teahouses. This must surely change if the country wants to preserve the forests it still has remaining. In the Annapurna Conservation Area, a program was created to link conservation and development benefits, through tourism and involving the local people. The program helped the local lodge owners see the benefits of halting deforestation. While the trees did provided needed fuel wood, their elimination would destroy the beauty that many of the visitors came to see. The program organized lodge owners and all agreed to honor a requirement that trekking expeditions had to bring in their own kerosene. As a result of the burgeoning influx of tourists, the Nepalese Government began to establish wildlife reserves, national parks, conservation areas, and hunting reserves in 1976. The first three of these protected areas are recognized by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) now the World Conservation Union. One of the most famous conservation areas is the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) created in 1986. ACAP was designed to minimize the negative impact from tourism and promote conservation and the socioeconomic development of the region. ACAP is unique in that it calls for the participation and management by the local people. The project is based on the belief that properly managed tourism can bring benefits both to the land and to the people. Tourists are regarded as partners in fulfilling the goals of biodiversity conservation, cultural revitalisation and sustainable economic development. ACAP managers and developers believe that mountain trekking is a form of education which can be used to benefit the Annapurna region. In addition, the trekkers provide much needed revenue that can be used for further conservation and development programs. Most tourists come to Nepal either during the cool, clear days of October and November or during the secondary peak season that extends from March through early May. Tourism has contributed in depletion of forest resources in Nepal. It was estimated in one report that per capita fuel wood consumption per individual tourist and group tourist was 5.5 kg and 18.5 kg respectively. Economic Data Industry output was $60 million may be as high as 75% concentration in some areas. Tourism provides the single largest source of foreign exchange for the countrys development plans and the largest source of employment besides agriculture for Nepali nationals. Tourism is also the major source of employment for many residents. Employment from tourism is seasonal as a result of the weather. Most people employed by the tourism industry work only four or five months a year. It also varies from community to community depending on the popularity and location of the village. For most family members, the income is earned through trekking as guides, leaders, cooks, porters, and kitchen crews. During the expeditions the Nepalis hired to assist trekkers are fed, lodged, and provided with equipment so they return home with all of their earnings. Employment in trekking has been predominate for men but the number of women earning income from trekking is on the rise. There has also been an increase in the employment and income generated from the establishment of tea houses along the trekking route. An increasing number of tourists carry light day packs and eat and sleep in the lodges for just a few dollars a day. A frequent complaint among the tourists is the lack of sanitary facilities. Sagarmatha National Park, the park which encompasses Mt. Everest, is getting a bad reputation as a result of all the trash. It is ironic that it is the tourists who are causing these problems, yet they believe that it is up to the park authorities to alleviate them. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that if present rates of deforestation continue, Nepals forests will be gone by the year 2000. This is troublesome not only because of the soil erosion and habitat loss which result, but also because 86 percent of Nepals energy comes from its forests. CULTURAL IMPACTS The influx of tourists have had a significant effect on the local communities, especially the Sherpas (a Nepali ethnic group) who live around the trekking routes. The culture of the Sherpas has been changed as well as the structure of the local economies. When the first trekkers came to Nepal, the Sherpa paid little attention to them. Now that the numbers have increased and the Sherpas services are in demand (Sherpas have historically acted as guides, leaders, cooks, porters, etc.), trekking has encouraged a get-rich-quick mentality. The result has been a decrease in agricultural production, since it generates less income, and a decrease in school attendance, children dream of becoming guides and drop out of school the moment they get the chance to join an expedition. The Sherpa see money now when they see a white face. Villages are also becoming more dependent on cash rather than the traditional means of barter and reciprocal labor. This has meant that villages are changing from being self-reliant into beingdependent on tourist dollars and outside resources to meet their daily needs. More and more agricultural fields are left fallow as more men are leaving to seek wealth from tourism. This means that more food must come from outside and that there is less of it, causing higher prices. The higher prices are a hardship on those families who do not have income from tourism. Other traditions are disappearing such as the custom of drinking Tibetan salt-and butter tea. The price of butter makes this drink nearly unaffordable and the supply of tea is uncertain since trade has also been disrupted by the beckoning wealth of tourism employment. The Sherpas have not saved or invested any of their income generated from tourism. Rather, they have spent it on Western items, further degrading their traditional culture. Trekking Sherpas, as they have come to be known as, have discarded their traditional dress for imported hiking boots, colorful wool sweaters, and down parkas. The division of the village into trekking Sherpa and non-trekking Sherpa has resulted in the creation of a new type of class. Whereas there were always class divisions in the past, all of the people dressed and lived in a relatively similar manner. Today donning the Western wear, the trekking Sherpa and his wealth is easy to distinguish from a farmer. Another affect of tourism is that local crafts are dying out. These crafts can not generated the same amount of income as tourism and the supplies needed are harder to obtain. The Sherpa now have access to cash, hence they are now able to purchase manufactured items rather than make their own. Wool is one item which has become scarce, hence layers of cotton must be bought and worn to keep warm. Trekking is one of the highest paying employments in Nepal today. The wealth available from this job draws many youngsters out of school and into tourism. Teaching and government jobs, once considered very prestigious, are no longer desirable since they do not provide the same income as trekking. It is ironic that many youngsters are leaving school since one of the qualifications needed today in trekking is knowledge of spoken and written Nepali and English. The youngsters may be even more valuable if they would continue their education rather than leave after a few years. It is also ironic that the Sherpa do not enjoy the trekking. To them, climbing is simply a high-paying job. The trekking Sherpa are also forced to reflect the image projected upon them by the Western visitors. The Sherpa wear masks, having a public side for the world to see and a private side which is true to themselves. It is hard for the Sherpa, who work twenty-four hours a day, to maintain the public mask. Some Sherpa see themselves partly as actors and entertainers. It is only when the trek has ended that they may unveil themselves and engage in drinking binges and general hell-raising that may go on for days. Finally, there is the disruption to the family life. The men are often away from the home ten months of the year. Many of the trekking Sherpa who are married, keep another woman in the cities where they stay in-between treks. Other Sherpa are enticed by the forward gestures of Western women, who often initiate the affair. A number of Sherpa women have lost their husbands or fiancà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡s to foreign women. Perhaps a far greater concern is the loss of life. The decreasing number of young men has meant that many women are burdened with raising the children and with the responsibility of the farm-work. The young unmarried women are also disadvantaged since there are fewer young men. One must begin to wonder if it is justifiable to endanger the lives of the Sherpas so that others may enjoy themselves.

A Character Analysis of Elizabeth Bennet Essay -- essays papers

A Character Analysis of Elizabeth Bennet Throughout Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice , there are many references to the unusual character of Elizabeth Bennet ; she is seen to be an atypical female during those times. Wit , bravery , independence , and feminist views all describe a most extraordinary model for women. Pride and Prejudice is a humorous novel about the trials of marrying well in the early eighteenth century. It focuses mainly on the actions of two couples – Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy and Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth Bennet is a vibrant, headstrong young woman who is not too keen on the idea of marriage , whereas Mr. Darcy is an egotistical and proud man who improves on closer acquaintance. Mr. Bingley is Mr. Darcy’s closest confidante and is a very good man who is easily persuaded. Jane Bennet is the eldest of the Bennet daughters who is closest to Elizabeth and is also a very good-natured person. All of these characteristics play off of one another throughout the course of events to create many interesting situations. Jane Austen was the daughter of a minister in a small English town. Her observations about irony and hypocrisy in English society drove her to write many stories of such things especially marriage as that was a prime example of such traits. She herself never married. Elizabeth Bennet’s wit is both humorous and intelligent. There are repeated instances within the story in which she proves her cleverness and liveliness. Joel Weinsheimer believes th... ...64. Butler , Marilyn . Jane Austen and the War of Ideas. Oxford : Clarendon Press , 1975. Chandler , Alice. Jane Austen : Modern Critical Views. New York : Chelsea House Publishers , 1986. Halperin , John , ed. Jane Austen : Bicentenary Essays. Cambridge UP , 1975. Heilman , Robert. â€Å"E Pluribus Unum : Parts and Whole in Pride and Prejudice† . Jane Austen : Bicentenary Essays. Cambridge UP , 1975. Rubinstein , E. , ed. Pride and Prejudice : A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc. , 1969. Sherry , Norman. Jane Austen. New York : Arco Publishing Co. , 1969. Watt , Ian , ed. Jane Austen : A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs : Prentice- Hall Inc. , 1964. Weinsheimer , Joel . Jane Austen : Modern Critical Views. New York : Chelsea House Publishers , 1986.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Inevitability of Suffering in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Essays

The Inevitability of Suffering in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues Everyone likes to feel safe. We try to protect ourselves and those we love, to make them feel safe as well. The idea conveyed about safety in James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" is that there is no such thing. The narrator of this story had thought that his brother Sonny was safe. Or at least, that was what he had made himself believe. "I told myself that Sonny was wild, but he wasn't crazy. And he'd always been a good boy, he hadn't ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful, the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem. I didn't want to believe that I'd ever see my brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out, in the condition I'd already seen so many others" (48). But Sonny hadn't been safe from drugs, or the streets, or any of the things his brother had been sure he was immune to. He had been arrested for using and peddling heroin. Sonny's friend, the boy we meet later, had thought the same thing as Sonny's brother had. " 'I thought Sonny was a smart boy...too smart to get hung'" (49). But they were both wrong. It had been Sonny's brother's responsibility to look out for Sonny from the time Sonny was born. "When he started to walk, he walked from our mother straight to me. I caught him just before he fell when he took the first steps he ever took in this world" (52). The narrator of the story is Sonny's big brother, so he feels responsible for him. This responsibility is confirmed by their mother on page 55, and the older brother reassures her, "I won't let nothing happen to Sonny" (57). But he fails at this, Sonny leaves and gets into trouble. Perhaps the narrator felt that if he couldn't keep his brother safe,... ...fe. But he couldn't. And indeed, suffering, lack of safety, is unavoidable, and also necessary for some things. "When I was downstairs before, on my way here, listening to that woman sing, it struck me all of a sudden how much suffering she must have had to go through. It's repulsive to think you have to suffer that much" (65). But we do. Everyone does. In fact, "There's no way not to suffer" (65). We are never safe from it. Total safety is not attainable. Not only in Harlem, but everywhere, there are things that are simply not under our control. Try as we might to block out unpleasant things for those around us, we cannot. This is the feeling that Baldwin creates through the story of Sonny and his brother. List of Work Cited Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues." The Norton introduction to Fiction. 6th ed. Ed. Jerome Beaty. New York: Norton, 1996. 47-70.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Charles Manson Essay -- essays research papers fc

"Mr. Scott, Ms. Maddox? Here's your baby boy!" These were the first words that Kathleen Maddox heard when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, to whom she would later give her maiden name. Charles Milles Manson, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 11, 1934 (FAQ's 1), seemed to be a normal child, when, in fact, he was trouble from the start. The two had not planned to have a child, and certainly did not expect him to end up being the most notorious killer of the 20th century. In the summer of 1969, Manson made the residents of California afraid to leave their homes (Fillmer 2). Charlie Manson committed grotesque crimes, controlled his trials, and now resides in the California State Prison (FAQ's 1). Manson had a rocky childhood and family life. Some experts say that he was a bad seed because of the fact that he did not know his father (Bugliosi 28). Kathleen Maddox was considered by some to be a teenage whore. About his mother, Manson says, "For Mom, life was filled with a never-ending list of denials†¦In her search for acceptance she may have fallen in love too easily and too often, but a whore at that time? No!†¦In later years, because of some hard knocks and tough times, she may have sold her body some†¦" Charlie lived with his mother until the age of 5, when she was arrested for armed robbery (FAQ's 1). She was released from prison in 1942. Manson, after living with various relatives, such as a religious aunt and a sadistic uncle who called him a sissy and made him wear girl's clothes on the first day of school ("Charles"), moved back in with his mother for five more years. At that time, she placed him at the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana. After escaping from the School, he committed several burglaries and was placed into the famous Boys Town in Nebraska (FAQ's 1). After being arrested several more times, one of which he was caught in a stolen car at a roadblock (Fillmer 2), he was married to Rosalie Willis in 1955. Lamb 2 Charles' marriage was only the beginning of his "family." Charlie tended to lure in young women, by saying he could "make them feel like they were on top of the world, like they were floating (Fillmer 3)." Manson used sleep deprivation, sex, food control, and drugs to gain complete control of his followers ("Charles"). The Family tended to ... ...ne, when asked what he would do if he ever got out of jail, he said, "I'm already out" (FAQ's 2). WORKS CITED Bardsley, Marilyn. "Charles Manson." http://www.crimelibrary.com/manson.htm (24 Jan. 2000). Bugliosi, Vincent, and C. Gentry. Helter Skelter. 16th ed. New York: Bantam Books, 1974. "Charles Milles Manson." <http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/5321/manson.html> (13 Feb. 2000). "Charlie." <http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dreamworld/1681/charles.htm> (13 Feb. 2000). Fillmer, Deborah K. "Forensic Science and the Charles Manson Murders." < http://www.cris.com/ ~dfillmer/manson.htm > (20 Jan. 2000). "Frequently Asked Questions about Charles Manson." < http://www.atwa.com/faq.htm > (20 Jan. 2000). Gilmore, John, and Ron Kenner. The Garbage People. Los Angeles: Omega Press, 1971. Klinghoffer, David. "True Crime." National Review 5 April 1999: 56-57. Nelson, Bill. Manson Behind the Scenes. California: Pen Power Publications, 1997. Sanders, Edwin. The Family. 1st ed. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, and Company, 1971. Terry, Marcus. The Ultimate Evil. 2nd ed. New York: Bantam Books, 1989.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Edgar Allan Poe and James Russell Lowell Essay

James Russell Lowell and John Greenleaf Whittier were poets during the Romantic era. In that time, poets often wrote about humans’ relationship with nature. Romantics considered contact with nature as almost a religious experience. Lowell’s â€Å"The First Snowfall† and Whittier’s â€Å"Snowbound† can be explored through theme, tone, and figurative language. â€Å"The First Snowfall† and â€Å"Snowbound† share the obvious, similar theme, snow. Lowell writes, â€Å"The snow had begun in the gloaming† (Line 1). This is the beginning of the poem where he’s introducing the subject of snow and describing the simple experience of the first snowfall. Whittier writes, â€Å"The coming of the snowstorm told† (14). He also writes about snow, but describes a frightful, winter snowstorm, rather than a simple snowfall. Lowell’s and Whittier’s poems differ in tones. James Russell Lowell has an optimistic point of view toward the natural event, but the tone he uses is gloomy. â€Å"Again I looked at the snowfall and thought of the leaden sky† (25-26). Lowell is comparing the falling of snow to the mourning process of his daughter. Whittier is more depressed by the storm. He describes the snow as, â€Å"A hard, dull bitterness of cold† (11). Later, Whittier learns to accept the storm and writes about sitting and laughing by the fireplace with his family. Both poets use a variety of figurative language in their poems. Lowell uses a simile to describe the birds he sees outside his window flying through the snowfall. â€Å"And the sudden flurries of snow-birds, like brown leaves whirling by† (15-16). Whittier also uses a simile to describe what he observes outside his window. â€Å"And through the glass the clothesline posts looked in like tall and sheeted ghosts† (39-40). As shown, these two poems can be compared and contrasted through theme, tone, and figurative language. In the way the poets write, we can see their reactions to the snow. Even though they both wrote about snow, they didn’t approach the topic in the same way. Lowell and Whittier both lived in the Romantic era but lived different lifestyles, which affected how they saw events and formed the style of their poetry.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Are traditions worth preserving? Essay

In this era of humanity, people have come a long way in establishing human rights, liberty, justice and dignity. However not every individual country have upheld these momentum in a dignified way. Take the Jamaica for, example, due to Jamaica’s colonial history; there are some traditions that are not worth preserving at all. In Jamaica and other countries, parents are expected to beat their children as a way of ‘punishing them’. They may do this with various objects, such as a belt, broomstick, ruler, or anything that can subject pain to the human flesh. If parents believe their child is â€Å"misbehaving†. There is no proof that imposing physical pain on youngsters help to discipline them, to become better persons, and to become productive citizens of their countries in the future. There is no logical reasoning or perception that is implied to arrive at a solution to the indiscipline that Caribbean parents may think some of their children have. Instead Caribbean parents do the first thing that comes to their mind; and that is, imposing physical harm on their youngsters. If not, imposing physical harm on children, the next in line would be milder corporal punishments, such as, telling them to kneel on the floor, whether in corners of classrooms or near balconies to face the sun. Also, holding their hand up horizontally for long periods, or holding their hands aside vertically with heavy books in each palm. Any other imaginative means of pursuing corporal punishment. It is reasonable to state that for the Caribbean parents that punish their children corporally; it leaves the intended effect, but only temporarily. That is, the youngster would refrain from the supposedly disapproving activity, but only temporarily. Instead the real effect would be psychological abuse of their state of mind. That is the youngster may be scarred for life, whether he or she is aware of it or not. And so; criminal elements in a society of deteriorated cultural elements are inevitable. If the average Caribbean parent that beat their children knew exactly what child abuse was, while still committing acts of corporal punishments on their youngsters, (beating will be used as the subject in this rhetorical question) wouldn’t it be difficult to generally access what type of beating  is child abuse and what isn’t? Every parent’s assessment of child abuse would be based on personal perception and judgments and not on a general and well established one. The uplifting of children rights is lacking in Jamaica, due to unconsciousness of it. The culture of the average Jamaican adult is, the elder is always correct when in comparison to the perception of a youngster. This ignores the possibility of an adult’s perception being right to a certain extent, that their can be mistakes in perception of an adult, overlooks in perception, and misconceptions, or downright dissipation. Youngsters in this culture are forced to accept that adults are always â€Å"right†. Youngsters in this culture are also forced to accept that adults should be â€Å"respected†, ignoring respect in vice-versa. For â€Å"respect† in Jamaican society, could be that completely different from a dictionary, simply a word with a culture underneath, that is not worth preserving. Another tradition not worth preserving is ‘religious education’ and ‘religious assembles’ in public schools. This is an effect of the colonial past of Jamaica. Youngsters should practice their own beliefs and way of life outside of school. Schools should be receded for learning and studying work, and/or the introduction of people who have been successful in careers, to provide motivational talks, therefore acting as a positive influence on youths. This will help them to obtain a suitable occupation in any time of adult life. Supposed religious education in schools gives students no freedom of thought, spiritual confinement, and may allow them to not stay focused on their schoolwork. Due to the colonial past of the country, the preservation of indigenous African beliefs that came with the millions of blacks that were detained from the African continent, are overshadowed by these European origin beliefs which are currently indoctrinated in public schools. This will corrupt the souls of the younger generation leaving them in ambivalence or racial and ethnical unconsciousness. Traditions are not worth preserving unless it poses a positive effect on people. And has people we should strive to make the world a better place to live, even if it means abandoning traditions.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Innovative Practices in Education Essay

Introduction The word ‘innovation’ is derived from Latin word ‘innovare’, which means â€Å"to change something to new†. In other words, we may say that ‘innovation’ means changing the regular way of doing things and involves doing the regular things in a novel way. The role of a teacher in present context has remarkably changed because of the various factors such as social, cultural, economic and technology developments across the globe. â€Å"Teachers in today’s era must be innovative, imaginative, and resourceful and have thorough knowledge of the subject and adopt new techniques to teach innovatively.† J. Krishnamurthy1 Teaching, in the KRISHNAMURTHI FOUNDATION INDIA (KFI) schools as opposed to other regular schools was said to be â€Å"different† and hence the researcher picked up these schools to study what and how â€Å"innovatively† the students are taught. KFI schools come under the genre of â€Å"alternative schools.† â€Å"An alternative school is an educational setting designed to accommodate educational, behavioral, and/or medical needs of children and adolescents that cannot be adequately addressed in a traditional school environment.†2 Its unique features are as follows: †¢Alternative schools have a small number of students, maximum 200 in the entire school . †¢Not more than 15-25 kids in a class †¢Children are allowed to learn the basic skills of reading and writing at their own pace. †¢There is little or no internal hierarchy in alternative schools. †¢Excellent teacher pupil relationship . †¢Family atmosphere †¢There is an inherent spirit of cooperation with self discipline. †¢Uniqueness of each child is nurtured. †¢The ambience is essentially fluid and informal. †¢There is no uniform. â€Å"KFI schools are not just about transference of ideas or facts in books, but is also about feeling the earth, watching the sunset, listening to the birds, seeing the colours of the leaves change in the different seasons and observing nature in its many colours, forms and shapes, in reality and this has shaped the entire structure of the school based on the ideology of Jiddu Krishnamurthy.†3 Methodology of the Study †¢Normative survey along with participant observation was used in the present research as it was a qualitative research . †¢Qualitative research seeks out the ‘why’, not the ‘how’ of the topic.3( Yang.W.E, 1997) Data Collection Tools Actual visit to the school and interaction with the teacher, students and principals through interview and questionnaire techniques and actual participation in school activities. The tools used were: †¢Interview †¢Participant Observation †¢Document analysis Learning the KFI way†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ a few insights Classes are not only about completing the content but also about understanding the content; with this core understanding every teacher at the school determines to use innovative teaching practices in classroom teaching. The term â€Å"innovative† is used to describe the combination of the three teaching practices in these schools †¢Student centered pedagogy †¢ Taking the learning beyond the classroom †¢Giving importance to personal relationships apart from the academic subject matter. These learning environments strive to cultivate a sense of community and belonging, and qualities of safety, respect, caring, and even love amongst the students .The term â€Å"innovative† in the context of this research describes combining these practices with technology i.e use of ICT( information communication technology ) in class room teaching. Student-centered pedagogy includes practices of teaching and learning that are project-based, collaborative, foster knowledge-building, require self-regulation and assessment, and are both personalized (allowing for student choice and relevance to the individual student) as well as individualized (allowing students to work at their own pace) and according to their particular learning needs. Each of these elements has a strong base of prior research, linking them to positive outcomes in terms of developing skills among students.4 Hence these a re techniques in which they learn to think for themselves, and develop the ability to make clear logical arguments, and deal with complex ethical issues.Students enjoy total intellectual freedom, and unfettered interaction with other students and adults. 1. Autonomous learning is a unique innovative technique which is actively implemented in the academic transaction process. It implies gradual switch from traditional teacher-centered studies to a self-learning process, when students are placed in such conditions where they are to employ their critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication skills in addition to the problem-solving skills that will make them experts on a subject studied through project- work, group work etc. For Example- A project on garbage disposal in class V was given to make them learn about environment and sustainability. 2. Cooperative learning directed towards focusing on students’ team work while doing their project assignments. 3. Task-based approach to learning, which requires using learning situations and tasks that do not make students merely reproduce the knowledge acquired, but also stimulate their creativity in order to find new original answers to unconventional tasks. For example- growing flowers in the school compound to teach students of class VII, about seasonal flowers, types of soil and usage of organic fertilisers. Another e.g- Selling organic compost and making money running a small business annually for class X th students to teach them about selling and profit in economics. 4. Moving outside the class – This teaching practice refers to learning activities that include learning in nature and beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom, and also by providing opportunities for 24/7 learning (for example, research outside the classroom), fostering cross-subject connections, and promoting global awareness and cultural understanding. For example – seeing the actual working of a venus-fly trap plant grown in the campus to teach about carnivorous plants. 5. Story- based learning – This method, called ‘story-based learning,’ aims to encourage students to study various core subjects and be curious enough to find the answers by themselves. ‘One reason behind this learning design is to help students to comprehend the variety and interconnectedness of real life and equip them with the right mindset and solutions.’ 5 For example- The high-school students learnt a story about spices and ships, which would bring students into studying the history, agriculture, business, politics, culture and international trade of the East India Company in class VIII. 6. Workshops including interactive lectures, presentations, individual assignments, puppet making, independent and self-learning activities during practical classes and seminars, role plays and simulations, case-studies, individual and team projects, holding master-classes and workshops. 7. Extensive use of tape recorder, e-book, graphics, pictures, charts in daily 8. Blogs : A Classroom outside the classroom! Blog is derived from weblog. It is a diary or regular opinion columns posted on the internet. In blog, the writer posts diary entry which others can read and comments on it. Web-blogging is used in two main ways in teaching. Firstly, students are encouraged to write and post their blogs. If students are learning to write journals or engaged in other form of extensive writing in the classroom, is the right place to check their ability of writing. Secondly, the teacher writes the main blog entries, which students can then comment on. They send assignments or projects to students on the taught topics, by which students can complete the work and send it back to teachers. So the blog encourages teaching outside the classroom. 8. Role playing- For example, while teaching accounts the role of accountant can be explained by role playing technique. Invoice and bills can be given to students and asked them to assume the role of accountant. Here the real entries pertaining to transactions are made by the student and this is more practical approach to teaching where theory is supplemented by proper practical knowledge. 9.Wiki- A wiki is a web based platform for collaborative writing. It is used within a private domain as well as public domain for writing together. The important feature of wikis is particularly used for language learning which is record of all drafts. Students and teachers work on it collaboratively. An example of a private wiki used for language learning was used in KFI school-based project to produce a school newsletter for parents within the public domain. Students can be asked to be collaborative as class to produce a Wikipedia entry because such projects help to promote team-spirit and increase motivation, empower students to construct knowledge, and enable them to learn new things in an interesting, stress-free way. To keep up with the educational expectations of today’s youth, we’re called on to use innovative teaching techniques. Where resources and training programs aren’t available to keep pace with our growing technological expansion, methods must be developed and used that involve active learning without depending on high technology. Simulations, games, and role playing are viable alternatives for learning about and experiencing real-life situations. 10. Innovative evaluation- the 360 0 approach- Teacher’s report- Students’ progress is assessed systematically and continuously. Evaluation is comprehensive, non-comparative and points to possibilities for growth are given to each and every student. Parents receive reports twice a year. Parent’s report- However, in the month of September parents send a report to school on their children based on the observation made at home. How he/she behaves at home, his/her eating habits, behaviour with siblings etc †¦anything extra that the parent wants to tell is also welcomed. This report facilitates a joint awareness and understanding of the child by the school and home. Students take formal examinations from class VIII onwards and all the teachers seem to support it completely because they feel students have to take the public examinations at the end of Tenth and Twelfth standard. 11. Meditation & assemblies- Every morning there are separate assemblies for the Junior and Senior sections, apart from this every school has â€Å"me time† in which the children and the staff sit all by themselves being â€Å"in silence† and think about the day ahead. It is easier said than done to sit in silence for 15 minutes because as Krishnamurthi says, â€Å"Only a mind in silence and stability is a mind that can learn anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.or even teach anything† 4 Hence this meditation time is important for both the kids and the teachers and there is no fixed way of meditation. The only requirement is that one should sit in silence. Sometimes in the evenings guided meditations are also held for the senior students who want to come. It is a voluntary thing and no one is forced to do so. It is an important innovative technique in teaching â€Å"self- inquiry† and introspection to the students. There is no punishment system, only talking, counselling and understanding that takes place if someone makes a mistake. Conclusions †¢This holistic education is usually characterized by several core qualities. First, it encourages experiential learning. †¢Secondly there is more discussion, questioning, experimentation, and active engagement in a holistic learning environment. †¢Thirdly, personal relationships are considered to be as important as academic subject matter. These learning environments strive to cultivate a sense of community and belonging, and qualities of safety, respect, caring, and even love. †¢These innovative techniques are practiced in diverse ways in alternative schools like KFI that provide a carefully designed, multiage â€Å"prepared environment† that encourages children to explore ,experiment and learn according to their own pace and interests. †¢It is possible, however, that these certain universal features of the KFI schools can easily be shared with, and developed by, other schools like the non-formal working environment and child-based, student-centric project aided learning which doesn’t require too much training or infrastructure , just a willingness to experiment and innovate on the part of the teacher. †¢ In many respects it is like a traditional school; children take board exams, have a curriculum and timetable etc. But what makes them special and effective are the teachers and their passion for teaching, their innovative methods of teaching, the fearless and joyful interaction among teachers and students. †¢The board results of such schools were better than the regular schools in their area but the stress experienced by the students, teachers and parents was comparatively much less, as what came out from the interviews and observation of the students and data analysis. Recommendations From the insights gained in innovative teaching and its impact on the teaching learning process, the researcher would like to make certain recommendations for other schools as well. a.Schools therefore need to emphasize on those aspects of learning which would help children to self-observe and reflect; find ways to search for knowledge instead of memorizing only. b.The project approach in teaching is inter-disciplinary, integrates arts, music, dance, yoga, meditation in the curriculum and leads to collateral learning. c.This is accomplished through evolutionary syllabi that emerge out of the needs of students and can be easily made by the subject teacher and head of the institution. d.The students are independent, responsible and confident of their learning. e.In line with J.Krishnamurthy’s philosophy, teachers lay emphasis on collaborative learning and team work. f.The teacher’s role is that of a facilitator, a generalist. g.The teaching style is informal, participativ e, democratic and illuminative. h.The teacher is a learner too. i.Meditation and yoga has definite positive outcomes on the behavior of students and also their ability to learn. Hence it should be encouraged by all schools. j.This holistic and innovative education in KFI schools is usually characterized by experiential learning. k.Secondly there is more discussion, questioning, experimentation, and active engagement in a holistic learning environment leading to overall personality development. l.Thirdly, personal relationships are considered to be as important as academic subject matter. These learning environments strive to cultivate a sense of community and belonging, and qualities of safety, respect, caring, and even love amongst students and teachers. References : 1. Bax,S.(2003). The end of old age teaching: A New Approach to Education and Laerning. ELT journal, 57, 278-287. 2. Alternative School, http://www.healthofchildren.com/A/Alternative-School.html#ixzz2BQfZSoIf 3. Martin, Donald W. (1975) â€Å"An Analysis of Selected Works of Jiddu Krishnamurti: Implications for Higher Education† University of Cincinnati, Ohio (U.S.A.), research paper. 4. Gefter, A., â€Å"Living online: This is your space,† New Scientist 2569 (2006): 46-48. 5. Gupta Deepti, 2005. ELT in India: A Brief and Current overview, Asian EFL Journal Volume 7. Issue 1, Article 12. Bibliography 1. Nunan David (1991) Communicative tasks and the language curriculum. TESOL, Quarterly 25(2), 279-295. 2. O’Grady, William, Michael Dabrovolsky, and Mark Aronoff. 1993. Contemporary linguistics: An Introduction. New York: St.Martin’s Press. 3. Pahuja N.P. Teaching of English, Anmol Publications Pvt.Ltd, New Delhi 1995. 4. Prensky, M., â€Å" Digital nayives, digital immigrants,† On the Horizon 9.5 (2001). 5. Thelwall, M., â€Å"MySpace, Facebook, Bebo: Social networking students,† Association of Learning Technology Online Newsletter 11 (2008). 6. Vyas A. Manish and Patel L. yogesh â€Å"Teaching innovatively – A new Pedagogy for a New Century.† PHI Learning Pvt Ltd. New Delhi (200

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Goal Setting and Time Management Essay

Learning to manage one’s time effectively and to set appropriate and reachable goals is important for becoming a successful student. Setting goals will help you to become more effective in your academic life and career, and balancing your goals every day will help ease stress. Each of us is motivated by something, whether it is the desire to excel academically, find a better paying job, or simply learn. This motivation is what helps gear us every day to do the sometimes difficult tasks we face on the road to success. By understanding our motivations, we can stay motivated to reach our goals even when we feel stressed or rushed. But how do we go about this? First, evaluate your motivation. What do you want to achieve by attending school? Why is achieving this important? Think on a larger scale and get more specific. For example, if your motivation is to start a new career, begin examining why this change is important to you. Do you want to make more money? Maybe it’s to provide a better lifestyle for your family. Do you want to work in a particular field? Why? Begin making a list of goals and personal motivations. Secondly, once you’ve evaluated why you want to achieve your goals, think about what the needs are to achieve them. Think in terms of a large, medium, and small scale. In addition, these goals might be set for the short-, mid-, or long-term. You must prioritize your goals by importance; larger goals can be divided into smaller goals. This will help keep your goals in focus and manage them so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Using the acronym SMART is a great way to keep your goals in focus. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. The goals you set for yourself, no matter how big or small, should be specific. Avoid making vague statements like â€Å"I’d like to do well in school.† Instead, define what well means and specify what that would look like. A specific goal would be â€Å"I’d like to maintain a 3.8 grade point average.† In addition, your goals must be measurable. As mentioned above, your goal must be specific so you know exactly what the manifestation of your goal will look like. You must also consider how you will measure if you’ve reached your goal. Using specific numbers or deadlines can help you measure your goals. Remember that your goals must be attainable. Setting goals that are impossible to achieve or have an unreasonable deadline will only be discouraging. Creating small, manageable tasks that lead up to a larger goal is the best way to stay motivated and achieve your goals. Setting goals that are not relevant to your larger goals or do not provide any sense of accomplishment is also counterproductive. If you have many small goals that relate to your home life, when all your larger goals pertain to your career, you may end up feeling discouraged and may not accomplish all you’d like to. Try to tie your goals to a timeline. If you do not accomplish a task in full by the end of your timeline, you can always continue with a new timeline, but providing a deadline for yourself will help keep you motivated and accountable. Once the goal is reached, use small motivators that are important to you to keep spirits high and moving toward your major goals. The small motivators can be something as simple as an ice cream sundae after a major project, or a nice dinner after completing a course. Whatever the motivator, make sure that it motivates you to keep at the task at hand. Remind yourself often of the goals you have set for yourself and the rewards you have set up along the way to keep it at the forefront of your thought process. Once you have your SMART goals, there are many ways you can note and keep track of your goals. Staying organized will help you reduce stress and track more easily. If you are organized and prioritize important tasks first, you can avoid the stress of having to constantly address issues and last-minute problems. Being organized can also help you avoid missing details or important information in a task, which could result in having to repeat the task or spend more time fixing an error. Use all tools available, including technology where appropriate, to help organize these goals. Today’s smartphones are a great way to organize your goals and keep track of the timelines set to accomplish them. They are with you all the time and allow you to make changes and updates quickly. More traditional day planners are another way you can stay organized with your goals. Whatever method works for you, stay diligent and you will find it beneficial to the success of your SMART goals. Spend quality time on a task and you will be less likely to have to fix it later on. Don’t spend your time making lists of daily tasks like brushing your teeth; instead, focus on tasks or goals you’d like to achieve. This can be daily, short-, mid-, and long-term goals. Break down your time into intervals, with time set aside for specific tasks. Leave time at the end of your day to address tasks that may have come up that are not in your schedule or to address tasks that had to be moved to accommodate an urgent matter. When determining what time to spend on what task or goal, it is important that you understand when you do your best work. If you are a morning person, consider scheduling more difficult tasks and goals around this time, rather than in the evening when you are tired. Maybe you do great work in the afternoons. Try to arrange your schedule so you can complete tasks around this time. Not only will your work quality be better, you will be more efficient in completing it. Some people choose to do a daily journal, noting their progress on each of their goals. Others might make to-do lists, which they can check off with each completed goal. In addition, you might find a calendar system helpful. Try out a variety of methods to see which works best for you. Sometimes a combination of methods might end up being best. There is no right way to track and manage your goals, but finding a method that works for you is important for success.