Financial Institutions Lending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Monetary Institutions Lending - Essay Example It is determined by separating absolute obligations by all out resources. An obligation proportion of more prominent than1 demonstrates that an organization has more obligation than resources - an obligation proportion of under 1 shows thata organization has a greater number of advantages than obligation. Utilized related to different proportions of monetary wellbeing, the obligation proportion can assist speculators with deciding an organization's degree of hazard. A loaning hazard appraisal proportion that budgetary organizations and others banks inspect before affirming a mortgage.Typically,assessments with high LTV proportions are for the most part observed as higher hazard and, in this manner, if themortgage is accepted,the loanwill by and large cost the borrower more to acquire or the person in question should buy contract protection. An obligation administration measure that money related loan specialists use asa rule of thumbtogivea preliminaryassessment about whether a potentialborrower is as of now in too muchdebt.Receiving aratio ofless than30%means that the likely borrowerhas an adequate degree of obligation. A general termdescribinga financialratio that thinks about some type of proprietor's value (or cash-flow) to obtained reserves. Outfitting is a proportion of money related influence, showing how much an association's exercises are supported by proprietor's assets versus lender's assets. The higher a company'sdegree of influence, the more thecompany is viewed as hazardous. With respect to most proportions, a worthy levelis controlled by its comparisonto proportions ofcompanies in the equivalent industry.The most popular instances of outfitting proportions incorporate the obligation to-value proportion (all out obligation/absolute value), times premium earned (EBIT/complete premium), value proportion (value/resources), and obligation proportion (all out obligation/all out resources). 5. Dissolvability Ratio One of numerous proportions utilized tomeasure an organization's capacity to meet long haul commitments. The dissolvability proportion measuresthe size ofa organization's after-charge salary, barring non-money devaluation costs, when contrasted with the association's all out obligation commitments. It gives an estimation of how likely an organization will be to keep meeting its obligation commitments. In this way, credit quality can best be assessed by examining the likelihood of an organization coming up short on both money and benefits at some random second. To assess the chance of an organization coming up short on money, loan specialists for the most part take a gander at a money financial plan for the firm. They assess different situations and attempt to decide how likely the closure money parity will be negative, suggesting a requirement for outside assets that may not be imminent if the organization isn't productive. The degree of the credit misfortunes that at that point emerge if a firm comes up short on money is an element of the guarantee or rank status of every obligation, just as the estimation of the all out resources of the organization in liquidation. Basically, credit examination can be just directed by looking at the organization's normal Times Interest Earned (TIE) proportion in the course of recent years to that of the cross-sectional normal TIE of gatherings of firms with a similar open FICO score, for example, a similar Moody's or S&P letter rating for which open information are accessible. At that point set the organization's beginning FICO score equivalent to that which most intently coordinates the TIE of the organizations with a given letter FICO assessment. Next, the pattern in

Military Abbreviations Found on US Grave Markers

Military Abbreviations Found on US Grave Markers Numerous military graves are engraved with shortened forms that mean the unit of administration, positions, awards, or other data on the military veteran. Others may likewise be set apart with bronze or stone plaques gave by the U.S. Veterans Administration. This rundown incorporates the absolute most basic military shortened forms that might be seen on tombstones and grave markers in American ​cemeteries, both in the United States and abroad. Military Rank BBG - Brevet Brigadier GeneralBGEN - Brigadier GeneralBMG - Brevet Major GeneralCOL - ColonelCPL - CorporalCPT - CaptainCSGT - Commissary SergeantGEN - GeneralLGEN - Lieutenant GeneralLT - Lieutenant1 LT - First Lieutenant (2 LT second Lieutenant, thus on)LTC - Lieutenant ColonelMAJ - MajorMGEN - Major GeneralNCO - Noncommissioned OfficerOSGT - Ordinance SergeantPVT - PrivatePVT 1CL - Private First ClassQM - QuartermasterQMSGT - Quartermaster SergeantSGM - Sergeant MajorSGT - SergeantWO - Warrant Officer Military Unit Branch of Service Craftsmanship - ArtilleryAC or USA - Army Corps; United States ArmyBRIG - BrigadeBTRY - BatteryCAV - CavalryCSA - Confederate States of AmericaCT - Colored Troops; may go before the branch, for example, CTART for Colored Troops ArtilleryCO or COM - CompanyENG or EM - Engineer; Engineers/MinersFA - Field ArtilleryHA or HART - Heavy ArtilleryINF - InfantryLA or LART - Light ArtilleryMC - Medical CorpsMAR or USMC - Marines; United States Marine CorpsMIL - MilitiaNAVY or USN - Navy; United States NavyREG - RegimentSS - Sharpshooters (or now and again Silver Star, see below)SC-Signal CorpsTR - TroopUSAF - United States Air ForceVOL or USV - Volunteers; United States VolunteersVRC - Veteran Reserve Military Service Medals Awards AAM - Army Achievement MedalACM - Army Commendation MedalAFAM -Air Force Achievement MedalAFC -Air Force CrossAM -Air MedalAMNM -Airmans MedalARCOM - Army Commendation MedalBM - Brevet MedalBS or BSM - Bronze Star or Bronze Star MedalCGAM -Coast Guard Achievement MedalCGCM - Coast Guard Commendation MedalCGM -Coast Guard MedalCR -Commendation RibbonCSC - Conspicuous Service Cross (New York)DDSM -Defense Distinguished Service MedalDFC - Distinguished Flying CrossDMSM -Defense Meritorious Service MedalDSC -Distinguished Service CrossDSM -Distinguished Service MedalDSSM -Defense Superior Service MedalGS -Gold Starâ (generally shows up related to another award)JSCM -Joint Service Commendation MedalLM or LOM - Legion of MeritMH or MOH - Medal of HonorMMDSM -Merchant Marine Distinguished Service MedalMMMM -Merchant Marine Mariners MedalMMMSM -Merchant Marine Meritorious Service MedalMSM -Meritorious Service MedalNMCM -Navy Marine Corps MedalNAM -N avy Achievement Medal NC -Navy CrossNCM -Navy Commendation MedalOLC - Oak Leaf Cluster (for the most part shows up related to another award)PH - Purple HeartPOWM -Prisoner of War MedalSM -Soldiers MedalSS or SSM - Silver Star or Silver Star Medal These shortenings by and large follow another honor to demonstrate prevalent accomplishment or various honors: A - AchievementV - ValorOLC - Oak Leaf Cluster (by and large follows another honor to demonstrate different honors) Military Groups Veterans Organizations DAR - Daughters of the American RevolutionGAR - Grand Army of the RepublicSAR - Sons of the American RevolutionSCV - Sons of Confederate VeteransSSAWV - Sons of Spanish American War VeteransUDC - United Daughters of the ConfederacyUSD 1812 - Daughters of the War of 1812USWV - United Spanish War VeteransVFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars

Genre Kryptonite Ladies Whod Make a Sailor Blush

Genre Kryptonite Ladies Whod Make a Sailor Blush There’s nothing like a perfectly dropped f*bomb from a ladies lips. I mean to this day one of my all time favorite movie quotes is Kit De Luca saying Cinder-fuckin-rellaâ€"I like to believe it’s what Vivian remembered while standing out on the fire escape that lead her to rescue Edward right back. via GIPHY Now you can like “vulgarities” or not, it’s a personal taste/preference after all, but women are told to leave it to the fellas and behave like ladies instead. Say what? Even at a young age I was very aware of gender double standards: Why couldn’t I pee behind a bush if I suddenly couldn’t hold it? Why did I have to wear a shirt if my chest looked no different then the boys? How come there were types of humor only funny if it came out of a boy’s mouth? I might have known squat about the world back then but I knew something was rotten in the state of Girlville and I was determined to figure out who was behind it so I could yell at them and change itâ€"or tell their mother on them. That obviously never happened and the older I got the more I realized if girls cursed or talked about periods, boobs, bodily functions, sex… they were labeled a certain type of girl, and it wasn’t a good label. It was a bad, bad labelâ€"like being diagnosed with the cooties. Naturally, I wanted to find all the girls riddled with cooties and hear what they had to say. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties when I read Chelsea Lately Handler’s My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands that I’d finally read a woman being completely open in a hilarious wayâ€"I still laugh thinking about her in an MM costume stuck in a window. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying every woman should adopt this personality. Nor that everyone needs to be a fan. But I’d like all the ladies in the world who’ve been told they’d make a sailor blush to be able to stand proud and write a memoir or collection of essays because I will immediately buy it. And then read it in one sitting and wish I hadn’t read it so fast because now the joy is over and the laughter-tears have dried. Not only have I read all of Handler’s books I’ve also managed to find more potty-mouthed funny ladies who refuses to shy away from “unladylike” topics. And I love them all, individually and collectively, for so many different reasonsâ€"starting with they are each unique. I don’t have to agree with everything they do or say, and I can cringe at some of the stories thinking I would have pretended not to know her if I was standing next to her at that moment, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love or appreciate them. More importantly, and I say this with zero stalker tendency, I want to be friends with each of these ladies. Aisha Tyler’s Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation reads as if Tyler is animatedly (and long-windedly) telling you these stories while sitting across from you in a bar. As the title implies she recalls moments in her life where the only person she can play the blame game with is herselfâ€"basically she runs full speed into the unknown and asks questions later, which doesn’t always end well for her but makes for great stories and lessons learned (sometimes). Funny, oozing heart, and intelligentâ€"even if she did once discover she could not hold her pee in all the way home. Rating: Mild sailor blushing. In On My Knees: A Memoir, Periel Aschenbrand hilariously tells stories of squatting in her dead grandmother’s apartment, heartbreak, conversations with her girlfriend, a trip to Israel, her sex-life… Periel certainly has NO filters and will openly talk about ANYTHINGâ€"something her poor mother constantly has to deal with. Rating: The sailor has left the building! A queen of vulgarities and making a name for herself in the male comedy world Sarah Silverman applied her no-joke-is-off-limits philosophy and wrote about her childhood, battle with depression, battling TV censors, and life as a comedian in The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee. Rating: Full double-cheek blush for the writers room chapter alone. In Has Anyone Seen My Pants? Sarah Colonna manages to be insanely funny and introspective while easily moving from humorous to heartfelt stories. And while I love her potty-mouth, sense of humor, and honesty what made me fall even deeper in love with this book, and her, was her awesome female friendships. Rating: HBO level blushing. 14+ years later Margaret Cho’s Im The One That I Want is still 100 percent relevant and important: from her stories of childhood bullies, self-hate/destruction (self-realization), and Hollywood’s DISGUSTING treatment of women and “others. Rating: Rated R blushing. And across the pond Caitlin Moran uses the dirtiest f-word ever (feminism) in How to Be a Woman. No lady subject is off-limits nor spared Moran’s wit, opinion, or wisdomand she boldly goes into conversations rarely talked about, let alone publicly. Rating: The sailor needs new cheeks! Do you have a favorite potty mouthed lady writer? Any essay/memoir recs? Ill happily risk shelf collapse under the weight of too many books in this genre. Save

The Common Sense By Thomas Paine - 951 Words

On Common Sense In the tumultuous early months of 1776 a Colonial political theorist named Thomas Paine began anonymously publishing a treasonous pamphlet urging colonists to seek independence from the Crown. The concise volume titled Common Sense advocated a revolution in emphatic yet simple language intended for all levels of Colonial society. Paine was highly successful in appealing to the every man, and Common Sense spread quickly across the country. It was so influential and widely read that it is commonly credited by modern historians as being one of the single most powerful catalysts of the American Revolution, a publication so incendiary that John Adams remarked â€Å"without the pen of the author of Common Sense the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.† Paine effectively used low language and vivid imagery to create what amounts to the most successful propaganda tool in history. He made a point in demonizing King George as a â€Å"brute† and painting Great Brita in as a â€Å"parasitic† overseer, sucking profit from its American Colonies while returning nothing but oppression. His use of plain rhetoric; however was his most powerful weapon, the very title of the work implied that what Paine presented was simple logic, that it could be grasped by anyone. He plainly appealed to the already embattled colonists that â€Å"the period for debate is closed† on the issue of the Revolution, that the Crown had â€Å"made the choice to pursue bloodshed† and that there was only oneShow MoreRelatedCommon Sense by Thomas Paine859 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Common Sense† Common Sense is a pamphlet made in 1775-76 by Thomas Paine. This pamphlet inspired the thirteen colonies to declare war and fight for independence against Great Britain. It was straight forward and told Great Britain exactly the advantages of being independent from them. On January 10, 1776 during the American Revolution, the pamphlet was published and became a huge topic in the community. It was the biggest talk of the colonies. In proportion to the population, the book was the biggestRead MoreCommon Sense by Thomas Paine1396 Words   |  6 PagesCommon Sense was written by Thomas Paine and published in 1776. Paine wrote it as a plea for the American people to break away from Britain and to declare independence from the king. He was asking his audience to take a step back and see that just because something is tradition, does not mean it is necessarily right. Paine wanted to show his readers that government and society is not the same thing, which is how most people viewed it. Society was something that people should want to have, whileRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine957 Words   |  4 Pagespolitical pamphlet known as Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine in 1776. This pamphlet contributed in promoting the independence of America. In the pamphlet Thomas Paine challenged the American colonists to separate from England and create a democratic and independent society. Along with challenging the American colonists, he hinted at his own opinions about a democratic government that America should plan towards if they seek to separate from England. Thomas Paine also bluntly proposed thatRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine1574 Words   |  7 PagesCommon Sense was written by an Englishman, Thomas Paine, who came to the American Colonies in 1774. He had strong opinions about the British Monarchy – and monarchy in general – including the fact that by nothing more than an accident of birth one man had rule over so many other humans. He v iewed this elevation to monarch unnatural as all men are created equal. Additionally, Paine notes that â€Å"there is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of Monarchy; it first excludes a man fromRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine1036 Words   |  5 PagesCommon Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain. It was actually first published anonymously. Thomas Paine’s basic theme throughout Common Sense is that government is a â€Å"necessary evil†. His argument begins with more general reflections about government and religion, then progresses onto the specifics. There is a quote from the first page of Common Sense that lays out Paine s general conceptionRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine1244 Words   |  5 PagesIndependance, Why They Should Thomas Paine, an English political philosopher and writer made his way to the colonies when his good friend, Benjamin Franklin convinced him to do so. He worked as an editor for the Pennsylvania Magazine. Although, published anonymously in 1776, Paine was the man behind Common Sense, a political pamphlet that was distributed between all the colonies and challenged the British government by suggesting American Independency. Paine wrote the Common Sense because in his mind heRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine992 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica what it is today. Common Sense by Thomas Paine was inspiring to many American colonists as it was persuasive in showing how the colonists should have their own independence. Paine appealed the average citizen’s rationale, hence the title Common Sense. Paine’s pamphlet illustrates the importance of independence, and argues that colonial life under British rule was detrimental to America’s potential to become prosperous. In a fairly lengthy, but readable style, Paine discusses the differencesRead MoreThomas Paine And Common Sense1579 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Paine and Common Sense In colonial America, Britain’s colonies were subjected to many Parliamentary acts that were considered to be, by many of the colonists, oppressive. The Declaratory Act, the Coercive Acts, and numerous other tax-based acts were just a few of the many examples of the controlling behavior displayed by the British Parliament toward their North American colonies. This seemingly oppressive behavior by the British Parliament had not gone unnoticed by those outside ofRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine1438 Words   |  6 PagesKayla Boucher Doctor Hockin AMH 2010 22 January 2015 Common Sense The book Common Sense by Thomas Paine was an American pamphlet written during the American Revolution, which was around the time when America was trying to gain independence from Britain. Paine discusses government, religion, and colonial issues. In the first chapter Paine differentiates between the society and the government. He described the society as being positive and constructive and he described the government beingRead MoreCommon Sense By Thomas Paine770 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Paine first published Common Sense anonymously in 1776 and immediately became popular. I choose to read Common Sense by Thomas Paine, in order to know America and hopefully to understand the philosophy behind the founding of the country and how its government system was set up to function. In my opinion, one of the main reasons Thomas Paine’s pamphlet became favoured was because Paine used a lot of common sense opinions that most people could understand. In his pamphlet Common Sense, Thomas

Gendered Inequality And Violence Throughout The Arabic...

Savanah Rachelle Willis Dr. Nancy Wonders CCJ460, Section 1 November 23, 2014 Gendered Inequality and Violence in the Arabic Speaking World The Arab-speaking world spans across the continent of Africa, and relies heavily on not only the Arabic language, but cultural and religious practices as well. However, with the adoption of Arabian cultures comes the ever-present issue of women’s equality in relation to such beliefs. The gender inequalities in the Arab-speaking world spans from the denial of basic freedoms of women to the sexual terrorism and even femicide because of the heavily emphasized dehumanization of women in such countries. Whether brought about by sociopolitical or religious means, women are viewed to be the lesser of†¦show more content†¦As mentioned by Nagwa Megahed, â€Å"Arab countries†¦ are in urgent need of gender-oriented educational reform in order to achieve gender parity,† (Megahed 2011:400). The stunning need for education reform in Arab-speaking countries is rooted in the fact that women are deprived of education in its entirety because they’re viewed as in ferior. They’re often confined to household labor, leaving little time for education, which is a divisive labor divide rendering women as only useful the domestic realm while men rule the job market and conform to a â€Å"breadwinner† masculinity (True 2012:35-52). In addition to the deprivation of an education and a lucrative job, women are also subjected to brutal violence when they’re considered to have stepped out of line. As outlined in the short film Women’s Rights, forced marriage and domestic violence are a very real and present danger to women living in patriarchal, developing societies – with no education and no freedom of choice, women are merely items to be traded and used as a domestic tool (Films Media Group 2010). The political economy of violence against women in Arab-speaking countries falls heavily on the shoulders of sex crimes. Not only do women these countries face forced marriages, genital mutilation, and acid

Example of Cause and Effect Essay Free Essays

VERTIGO Vertigo is a feeling of dizziness. Person with vertigo often feel that their body or the things around them are moving or spinning when they are standing. It can be caused by a problem with the balance mechanisms of the inner ear, a problem with the nerves that connect the brain to the middle ear, or a problem with brain cause a head injury. We will write a custom essay sample on Example of Cause and Effect Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now The most frequent cause of vertigo is there is a problem with the balance mechanisms of the inner ear. When the virus or bacterical infected the inflammation of the labyrinth (a system of canals and cavities within the inner ear which gives us our sense of balance), such as common cold or flu virus that spread to the labyrinth, or when the crystal of vestibular labyrinth, inside the ear, become dislodged and move in to the one of semicircular canal, it will make the patient suddenly get the feeling of vertigo. A problem with the nerves that connect the brain to the middle ear is also the cause of vertigo. When a person gets vestibular neuritis (inflammation of the vestibular – the nerve running to the vestibule), it will destroy the collaboration between the semicircular canals and the brain work to control the body balance and he will get the feeling of vertigo. The other cause of vertigo is there is a problem with brain caused a head injury. Some people who get a head injury, because of an accident or a strong earth quake, most of them suddenly feel that all the things around them moving or spinning. The sudden sensation can occur many times a day. It occurs because the head injury destroys the balance nerve in their brain. Many things can cause vertigo (a dizziness feeling that makes people feel that their body or their surrounding are moving or spinning). But the three most frequent causes of vertigo are a problem with the balance mechanisms of the inner ear, a problem with the nerves that connect the brain to the middle ear, or a problem with brain cause a head injury. How to cite Example of Cause and Effect Essay, Essays

Eliminating All Pollution Is Worse Than Bad free essay sample

Pollution has only become a global problem, or been recognised as a global problem in the last few years. The question at hand, of eliminating all pollution can be worse than bad, warrants validity as it would severely decrease the standard of living (and many other technological advances that make our life pleasurable) along with the goods and services provided by the polluters. It is not feasible to eliminate all pollution, nor is pollution purely a problem of industrial societies. The issue for economists is how to reach the optimal level of pollution as there is distortion interfering with the working of what is known as the ‘invisible hand’ (markets automatically channeling self-interest toward socially desirable ends). What must be discussed is the importance of government intervention and the notion of externalities caused by pollution. External costs produce one type of market failure and that market failure leads to inefficiency in the allocation of resources. We will write a custom essay sample on Eliminating All Pollution Is Worse Than Bad or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Society has to pollute at a reasonable level. We should not pollute past the assimilative capacity of the resources unless we find a technology that will clean up the pollutants. This can be extremely expensive; therefore, society must pollute at a quantity at which its total benefits exceed its total costs by the greatest amount possible. This occurs at a level where the marginal benefit of an additional unit of pollution equals its marginal cost. Marginal benefit refers to what people are willing to give up in order to obtain one more unit of a good, while marginal cost refers to the value of what is given up in order to produce that additional unit. Additional units of a good should be produced as long as marginal benefit exceeds marginal cost. In the above graph, we can see that where the marginal social benefit (MSB) is equal to the marginal social cost (MSC) of environmental quality, we have an efficient level of pollution, Q*. This is the point after which the cost of an additional unit of pollution prevention exceeds the benefits to society derived from that additional unit of pollution prevention. For all units of pollution prevention from zero to Q*, the benefits derived from a one-unit increase in environmental quality exceed the costs. When companies (and individuals) who pollute do not bear the full costs of their pollution, their marginal private cost (cost of one more unit of environmental quality) is lower than that of society. As the level of pollution prevented goes up (move right in diagram), the marginal cost increases. This is because eliminating small to medium amounts of pollution may be relatively easy, but total elimination of pollution would cost considerably more. The marginal benefits curve also decreases at an increasing rate (moving to the right) showing that a small pollution reduction will be felt less if the environment is good, rather than if the environment is poor. When a company pollutes, it produces what economists call a negative externality. This means that society has been negatively affected by the polluter (e. g. health risks or sore throats etc). This means that due to the externality, the social cost of producing the good exceeds the private cost. The socially desirable quantity of the good Qoptimum is therefore smaller than the equilibrium quantity Qmarket. Without some type of regulation, companies will not take all marginal social costs into account and will produce at a level that is damaging to the environment. The difference between these two curves reflects the cost of pollution emitted. This can be demonstrated in the diagram below. To achieve maximum economic efficiency, government intervention must exist. In an unregulated market, producers dont bear the cost of the pollution which means they have no incentive to prevent it and the costs are passed on to society. This means producers have lower marginal costs than they would otherwise have and the supply curve is effectively shifted down (to the right). This results in both an inefficiently high level of production and an inefficiently low level of pollution control. A solution to this inefficiency is direct regulation whereby the government tells the company how much it is allowed to pollute. This is known as a pollution permit – the Government give out the legal right to admit carbon to the atmosphere. Another solution is known as the command and control strategy – whereby detailed regulation of technology leaves polluters little choice in how to achieve the environmental goals. One other policy which is seen to be the most efficient, is imposing emission fees known by economists as a Pigovian tax. Under a system of Pigovian taxes, the government charges for the damage done by polluting. By doing so it converts the external cost into an internal cost (internalizes the externality). According to the article â€Å"Equilibrium Pollution and Economic Development in China† there is one such levy system in place whereby it formally requires that a fee be paid by any enterprise whose effluent charge exceeds the legal standard. This has been proven in the article to be an effective way of regulating pollution. This implementation of the tax can be shown in the diagram below. If we consider this supply and demand diagram prior to Government intervention (red line), the market leads to equilibrium price and quantity (P1, Q1) determined at the intersection of the supply (or MPC) and demand curve. Implementing such a tax causes a deadweight loss – the reduction in total surplus (d+g). However, the avoided externality is equal to d+e+g, which means the benefit of the environmental regulation is apparent and the deadweight loss is internalised. So in other words, the tax causes supply to rise as a result the quantity consumed tends to decrease as the costs are higher for the purchaser. But the price received by the producer is lower than it was before, as the tax is paid to the government. The environmental cost is then shared between the producer and the consumer of the good. The opinion of an Economist from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research should be duly noted when discussing a Government policy in relation to the environmental outcomes of pollution; â€Å"To many, the key issue of concern in the climate change debate is that of securing a workable global environmental agreement, rather than specific concerns over design of a carbon tax.. † (Harry Clarke, 2011). As a consequence of companies producing their product, pollution is emitted into the atmosphere which has become a global problem. Pigovian taxes seek to address the global costs associated with carbon emissions. They have significant effects on markets for goods which utilise carbon-intensive inputs and on markets for these inputs themselves, as well as for substitute and complementary inputs. As long as externalities exist and are not internalized via Pigovian taxes, the result is inefficient. The inefficiency is eliminated by charging the polluter equal to the damage done by his pollution. In some real world cases it may be difficult to measure the amount of the damage, but, provided that that problem can be solved, using Pigovian taxes to internalize externalities produces the efficient outcome necessary for all involved. Eliminating all pollution would cause a severe loss in the standard of living and be extremely costly if it were possible. Society needs to find the correct balance of polluting in order to have the marginal social cost equal the marginal social benefit to achieve maximum economic efficiency.

The Effects of Social Networking free essay sample

Professional alliances, finding employment, business to business marketing and even groups sharing information the topics and interest are varied and rich as the story of the universe. When it comes to online social networking, websites are commonly used. Social networking websites function like an online community on the user’s interest. The friends that you can make are just one of the benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity because interest gives individuals from all around the world access to social networks. This means that although you are in state, you could develop an online friendship with someone around the world. Not only will make new friends, but you just learn about cultures or new languages and learning is always take place. You learn from these services and these lead you into a better individual if you used this in a proper way. Statement of the Problem Generally, this study will determine the effect of social networking in the performance of English major in first semesters 2012-2013 Specifically; it will answer the following question. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of Social Networking or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 1. What is the profile of the respondent in terms of: . 1 Age 2. 2 Sex 2. 3 (GPA) 2. What is the performance of the respondents in English? 3. To what extent do the respondents use the following networking sites? a) www. facebook. com b) www. google. com c) www. yahoo. com d) www. twitter. com e) www. skype. com f) www. multiply. com g) www. youtube. com h) www. imesh. com i) www. chikka. com 4. How do the respondents assess information from the social networking sites? 5. Is there a significant relationship between extent usage of social networking and the grades of the English major? Significance of the Study This study aims to explain the importance of proper usage of social networking services. It aims to point out particularly adverse effect it possesses to people daily lives. These services evidently have a lot of positive effect, but there are also have their negative impact. This study would like to give enlightenment to the said problem. Researchers would like to provide a research about the certain problem that hopefully leads to realization of their own standing terms of social networking services addition. Researchers also would like to give a certain form of guidance to those who are involved in situation for mentioned. Lastly the researchers would like to provide research that would support the controlling proper usage of social networking sites. Scope and Delimitation of the Study This study will be conducted at the Cagayan State University Sanchez Mira Campus on January to February 2013. This study will focus on the extent of social networks usage of the college student and its influence on their academic performance during the first Semester. It likewise determined the relationship on the extent of social networks and the profile of the respondents. The respondents will be the 3rd year English major students of the College of Teacher Education, of the Cagayan State University Sanchez Mira Cagayan. Chapter 2 Review of Related literature Academic Performance According to Li- Yang (2003) department of management information systems, national cheng- Chi University, Taipei Taiwan. In their research on effects of social networking on student’s performance: A web-based forum study in Taiwan, The reason behind the study of online social networking is that social networking is in its infancy and as much as this paradigm matures, more sophisticated applications an websites are expected to emerge. It is unpredicted that social networking sites are eventually become so popular for both personal and commercial online interactions. Then the most popular social network sites are presented, the reason behind the growth in their popularity and the range of uses interactions they allow are inducted. Additionally, this chapter compares the most important features of popular social networking sites in order to understand their structure and properties as necessary steps to identify the causes of popularity growth, finally the advantages and disadvantages of social networking sites. According to Hijazi (2006), the student performance of depends on different socio economics, psychological, environmental factors. The student performance is affected by different factors such as learning abilities because new paradigm about learning assumes that all students can and should learn at higher levels bit it should not be considered as constraint because there are other factors like race, gender, sex that can affect students’ performance. Noble,et. al. 2006) state in their study that for both African American and Caucasian American students, academic achievement in high school had a strong, positive, and direct effect on test score. Both the academic accomplishment and activities and positive attribution factors had moderate indirect effects on test score thought academic achievement. The effects of family income, parent’s level of education, number of negative situations in the home, and coping strategies on test score were weaker, and were manifested only indirectly through academic accomplishment and activities, academic achievements in high school, and coping strategies. Similarly, accomplishment and activities and positive attribution had moderate, positive, and direct on academic achievement. Family income, parent’s level of education, and number of negative situations in the home had smaller direct effects on academic achievement. Social networking Harvard-U. C. L. A. researchers are investigating a concept, first put forth by the pioneering German sociologist Georg Simmel, known as triadic closure. One’s friends are also friends of one another. If this seems trivial, consider that a study in 2004 in The American Journal of Public Health suggested that adolescent girls who are socially isolated and whose friends are not friends with one another experienced more suicidal thoughts. According to research presented at the  American Educational  Research Associations2009annual conference in San Diego, California, U. S. college students who use Internet social networking sites such as Facebook study less and have lower grades. Students are using social-networking sites more than many school officials may realize. Despite the fact that most schools block access to such sites via school computers, 9- to 17-year-olds spends as much time using the Internet for social activities spend watching television. Definition of Terms Academic Performance. The grades of the student during the 1st semester. Social networking. The websites that usually visited by the college and high school students. Profile. Contains basic information of the students Age. The age of the students existing. Sex . Classification of the respondent whether male or female Grade. A mark given to the students during 1st semester. Students. The respondent of this study. Extent usage . The length of time consume by the user engaging social networks. Chapter 3 Research and Methodology This chapter presents the method that will be used in the conduct of the study. It includes the research design, locale of the study, the description of respondents, research instruments, data gathering procedure and statistical tools used in analyzing data. Research Design This study will employ the descriptive correlation method with the questionnaire as the primary tool. The method will determine the performance of the third year English major. Other techniques like interview will be also use to gather additional data concerning the study. Locale of the Study This Research will be conducted at Cagayan State University, Sanchez Mira Campus. The school is located at Barangay C-2, Sanchez Mira Cagayan. Respondents and Sampling Procedure The respondents of this study will be the students of CTE third year English major for this school year 2012-2013. Out of 35 CTE 3rd year students majoring in English 22 of them are the respondents. Data Gathering Procedure Out of 22 selected students 2 or 9. 09% are 16 years of age, 2 or 9. 09% are 17amp;18 years of age, 12 or 54. 54% are 19 years of age. 3 or 13. 63% are 20 years of age, 1 or 4. 54% are 22 year of age, 1 or 4. 54% are 24 year of age, and 1 or 4. 54% are 21 year of age respectively. The mean age of the respondent is 19. 63 which imply that the respondents are at the right age for college level. Mean age= 19. 63 Out of 22 selected students, 20 or 90. 90% of them are female while the remaining 2 or 9. 10% are male as shown in figure 1. This implies that there are more female English major in the 3rd year class. Figure3 shows that majority of the respondents consumed 2 hours daily in browsing social networks they composed of 63. 63% of the total respondent. 1 hour consuming is about 22. 72%, while 3 hours composed of 9. 09% and 4 hours composed of 4. 55% total of the respondents. Researchers also gathered information from interviewing method on which many of them have their personal computer and depends their consuming hour on the wifi connection. Figure3. Extent Browsing Social Networks hour/s per Day Figure3. Extent Browsing Social Networks hour/s per Day Purposes of Browsing Social Networks of the Respondents The researchers identified 3 purposes of the respondent in browsing the different social networks. First is for gathering information related for their studies and the second one is for socialization wherein they can socialize to the other person even in a long distance with access to internet. And the third to the identified reason and purposes of the respondents in browsing the social networks is for past time and for them to update if what is the current or trends happenings in the global community. Figure4. Purposes of the Respondents in Browsing the Social Networks Table1 provides evidences that will support the figure 4. From the data given by the respondents, there are 6 different websites with services offer, either gives information, allow user to communicate, and for entertainment. The researchers identified ranked according to the number of respondents that visit it. www. google. com with 15 respondents this websites gives the information that the respondents needs in their studies. www. facebook. com 15 respondents’ this gives a large used for communication and other social activities. www. yahoo. com these sites are mainly similar with the Google source for information. ww. youtube. com with 7 respondents these websites used by the respondents in watching online movies and downloading music, movies etc. www. skype. com with 1 respondent these site allow the respondent for entertainment example of this is video calling. www. msn. com with 1 respondent allow respondent for entertainment. Table1. Websites Visited by the Respondents. website| Frequency| Rank| Purposes| www. google. com| 15| 1| For information| www. facebook. com| 15| 1| For communication/socialization| www. yahoo. com| 10| 2| For socialization| www. youtube. com| 7| 3| For socialization/communication| www. kype. com| 1| 4| For communication| www. msn. com| 1| 4| For information| Engaging Social Networks in their Studies All of the respondents answered yes with the question engaging in Social Networks contribute in their studies. They say that social networking help them to gather information, research for their assignments, projects and serves also as their basis and guide in enhancing their communication skills how to communicate properly. And for communication purposes they can talk with their family, friends and others even they are in a miles away from them. Students Assess Social Networks The Students assess Social Networks that sometimes the information that they get from these are sometimes not reliable but there are also information that is reliable and cater the needs of the respondents’. On these researchers included the advantages and disadvantages of using Social Networks in relation to the Studies of the Respondents. The respondents included addiction as one of the disadvantages of using Social Networks wherein they are being addicted with the services that the sites given to them. And for that they can relies on the information that they get they did not checked well if that information are good or erroneous. Because they are confused and dependent on what these sites provides to them. The respondents told that social networks can promote resourceful and it will derive a lot of information from their research and other more benefits. It gives them idea in a certain topic, entertain, information displayed was updated, communication is unlimited and it sharpen their minds and gain knowledge to apply in the right way to make it useful. This study also determined the relationship between the social networking usage and the grades of the English major students. The research made used of the main instrument which is the questionnaire, this instrument was utilized to determine the effect of social networking on the performance of the English major students who served as the respondents. The data that was gathered were analyzed using the statistical tools. Frequency was used to determine the effects of social networking on the performance on the English major students. Findings The study came out with the following findings; The students of College of Teacher Education Bachelor of Secondary three major in English students is female dominated, with mean age of 19. 63. Most of the students visit social networks for 2 hours daily. Some for 1 hour but there are also those students browse for 3 hours, there are also who can spend 4 hours daily. Some of the respondents have their personal computer. Student can have 3 purposes in browsing the internet their main purpose is usually to gather information for their studies followed by the reason for socialization to other person even in a long distance with access internet. Some of the respondents browsing social networks for past time and for them to update if what is the trends happenings in the global community. The researchers have identified 6 websites the respondent visit every time they browse the social networking. The www. google. com and www. facebook. com are the most visited website by the respondent. These two sites are mainly for information seeking and socialization. After that www. yahoo. com is the next most visited website which is use to socialize to other people. It has been find out that the social network have a great factor in the grades of the students. . Conclusion Based on the findings of this Study, the following conclusions were drawn; Researchers concluded that base on the result of this study truly social networking services have a great contribution in the teaching and learning process of every learner. Recommendation Based on the findings and conclusion of this study the following recommendations are offered; * The University should be continued to provide functional computer laboratories to have a wide connection to internet for the students. * The faculty members and students should go with the current trends using social networking in improving socialization skills and for communication.

On Behalf Of vs. In Behalf Of

On Behalf Of vs. In Behalf Of On Behalf Of vs. In Behalf Of On Behalf Of vs. In Behalf Of By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Is there a difference in the use of these two prepositional phrases? I get mixed up a lot of times. I’d appreciate your clarifying this in one of your posts. â€Å"On behalf of† means, â€Å"as representing,† and â€Å"in behalf of† means â€Å"for the advantage of.† People or agencies who act as representatives of others, act â€Å"on behalf of†: The ACLU brought suit against the city on behalf of three residents.    People whose intention is merely to be helpful act â€Å"in behalf of†: The residents along the border collected food in behalf of the migrants. Merriam-Webster does not draw a distinction between the phrases, but includes both in its entry for behalf: â€Å"in behalf of or on behalf of preposition: in the interest of,  as the representative of,  for the benefit of. Ex. â€Å"This letter is written in behalf of my client.† The OED, on the other hand, deplores such a merger of meaning: In recent use we often find on behalf in the sense of in behalf, to the loss of an important distinction. According to the OED, on behalf of means, â€Å"on the part of (another),† with the notion of official agency; in behalf of means, â€Å"in the interest of, as a friend or defender of, for the benefit of.† The connotation is the notion of interposition. The Chicago Manual of Style supports the distinction for American speakers in its â€Å"Good Usage versus common usage† section: In behalf of means â€Å"in the interest or for the benefit of.† Ex. â€Å"The decision is in behalf of the patient.† On behalf of means â€Å"acting as agent or representative of.† Ex. â€Å"On behalf of Mr. Scott, I would like to express heartfelt thanks.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs Enquire20 Pairs of One-Word and Two-Word FormsWhile vs. Whilst

Good Citizenship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Good Citizenship - Research Paper Example Organizations such as Nike Inc. continue to demonstrate how corporations are the classics of the good citizenship test in their pursuit of financial gain. Since 1971, the organization has developed from a US-based distributor of footwear to the globe’s most preeminent marketer of athletic apparel, equipment, and footwear. This has come with massive financial gains, for instance, in the 2007 financial year, Nike earned $16.3 billion, which was an increase of $1.3 billion from 2006. Some prominent components instrumental in this growth include the company’s strategy to outsource manufacture to low-cost countries such as China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Nike does not own any factory which produces its items. The second factor of Nike’s success is its extensive public relations strategy, which entails sponsoring renowned athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Michel Jordan. However, Nike has been surrounded by controversy with anti-globalization activists ac cusing it of exploiting sweatshop conditions as well as child labor in factories that manufacture its products in order to enhance its financial gain (Carty, 2002). Sweatshops are essentially workplaces, which violate laws and where workers are subjected to poor working conditions, extreme exploitation, arbitrary discipline, and fear.The issue of sweatshops raises controversies, for instance: Should organizations manufacture its products in sweatshops because of the benefit of lower labor costs, which enhance financial gain?... in the organization to deter the principal-agent problem, also focuses on the effect of corporate governance systems on economic efficiency, laying strong emphasis on the welfare of shareholders (Goodwin, 2000). There has been new interest in the practices of corporate governance by modern corporations since 2001, especially following high-profile collapses of massive US firms such as WorldCom and Enron Corporation. As a consequence, the US federal government established the Sarbanes-Oxley Act aimed at restoring public confidence in the area of corporate governance. Organizations such as Nike Inc. continue to demonstrate how corporations are the classics of the good citizenship test in their pursuit of financial gain. Since 1971, the organization has developed from a US-based distributor of footwear to the globe’s most preeminent marketer of athletic apparel, equipment and footwear (Sytse & Schreuder, 2013). This has come with massive financial gains, for instance, in the 2007 financial year, Nike earned $16.3 billion, which was an increase of $1.3 billion from 2006. Some prominent components instrumental in this growth include the company’s strategy to outsource manufacture to low cost countries such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Nike does not own any factory which produces its items. The second factor of Nike’s success is its extensive public relations strategy, which entails sponsoring renowned athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and Michel Jordan. However, Nike has been surrounded by controversy with anti-globalization activists accusing it of exploiting sweatshop conditions as well as child labor in factories that manufacture its products in order to enhance its financial gain (Carty, 2002). Sweatshops are essentially workplaces, which violate

Counterterrorism and Public Perception Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Counterterrorism and Public Perception - Essay Example Since the September 11 tragedy, the federal government of the U.S. has been on the watch out for any suspicious activities that may be a security threat to the state and the general public at large. This process of ensuring public and national security is sometimes made even harder in cases where the information is leaked or made available to the public. Presently, information sharing is handled by multiple sharing environments that are intended at serving a handful of agencies: defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, law enforcement and homeland security (Homeland Security Council, 2007). The role of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in the Federal Government is to analyze all information and intelligence related to terror activities and to provide support to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This includes other agencies in the same field to fulfill their tasks to disseminate information that is related to terrorism (Homeland Security Council, 2007). Through a secure network, NCTC Online, the information is shared by NCTC and the whole federal community by producing comprehensive analytical products that are federally coordinated; thus the information reaches numerous users in the whole Federal Counterterrorism community. The Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group formed within NCTC is aimed at facilitating the production of information related to terrorism that is federally coordinated with intention to disseminate it to the State, local, tribal and the private sector (Magumi, Wood, Mileti, and Bourque, 2008). In order to stop or warn about an impending terror attack, information has to be available about the action. According to Homeland Security Policy (2009), this type of information is usually gathered by the State, local and tribal government officials during their normal law enforcement duties. These governments perform their counterterrorism duties within a broader context

Faculty Of Hospitality Management Tourism Essay

Faculty Of Hospitality Management Tourism Essay Based on the problem statement and research questions, questionnaires will be distributed to respondents of 100 local tourists and 100 international tourists participating in the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme using non probability, convenience sampling method. Results that will be obtained based on local and international tourists satisfaction participating on the marketing mix of the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme will be determined. Homestay programme was first introduced back in 1970s in Kampung Cherating Lama, Pahang. The founder of such accommodation was famously known as Mak Long. Types of basic accommodation Mak Long has provided for the guests during those days consist both breakfast and dinner and served at home (Amran, 2008). It is believed that in the late 1980s, the homestay programme then has been transformed into Japanese youth stay where they learned the rural way of life of the locals (Ibrahim and Razzaq,n.d. ) . (Kalsom and Ashikin, 2006) homestay programme in Malaysia was introduced in 1988 by the formerly known as Ministy of Culture, Arts and Tourism Malaysia later known as Ministry Tourism of Malaysia. Today, homestay programme in Malaysian context is defined as the rural-cultural- community based tourism product (The Star, 2009) and is seen to have potential in providing income and employment for the rural community as a whole. Thus, as stated under the Ninth Malaysian Plan, an amount of RM 40 million allocated to the Ministry of Tourism to upgrade infrastructures needed in the rural areas (Ibrahim and Razzaq,n.d.). (Ninth Malaysian Plan, 2006-2010) the governments priority is on development of rural communities and two strategies undertaken include minimizing the obvious gap in income between the rural and urban areas. As stated by the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia (2010) Until May 2010, a total of 227 villages and 2984 participants registered under Ministry of Tourism Malaysia. 1 1.1) Background of study: Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme It was believed that Santubong was once famous for its trade and this information is backed up by the remnants of English, Hindu and Chinese influence here. Based on the claim made by the local community of Santubong, Santubong was originally known as Kampung Teluk Pasir Putih (White Sandy Bay Village) as given by the Chinese settlers trading at the time. The most unique feature of the legendary mount Santubong is the womanly figure lying on her side (Sarawak Museum). Santubong is considered as the largest archaeological site in Malaysia compared to Lembah Bujang in Peninsular Malaysia due to thousands of ceramic together with 40,000 tonnes of iron were found in 1947 by curator, Tom Harrison (1947-1966) . This place was believed to be important area for merchants and iron mining from eleventh to thirteen century. Santubong Village, a Malay fishing village strategically located at the river mouth of the Sarawak with the legendary mount Santubong as the backdrop makes this village a unique one. About 40 minutes drive from the Kuching city centre to reach Santubong Village, this Santubong village is rich with famous landmarks that can be found around the village. Popular list among tourists are the mysterious Sultan Tengah Tomb (First and the last Sarawak Sultan), the Legendary Mount Santubong surrounded by myths. Other historic landmarks that exist until today are the James Brooke Bungalow. The very famous history marked here as well where Wallace the famous scientist penned his theory on speciation and biography here, Batu Buaya (Curse crocodile stone), Teluk Sepang (Raden Merpati landed in Santubong), Bongkisam (An old iron mine), Batu Gambar (Pictorial Rock) and Pulau Kera (Monkey Island). (Source: Sarawak Museum,n.d.). 2 1.2) Problem statement There have been several researches done previously on the benefits and positive contribution through the homestay programme. However, this study will focus on determining the effectiveness of each components of marketing mix such as product, price, place and promotion by Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme against tourist satisfaction. 1.3) Research objectives The objective of the study is to determine the effectiveness of each components of marketing mix such as product, price, place and promotion against tourist satisfaction are as follows:- To determine tourist satisfaction against product in Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. To determine tourist satisfaction against price offered by Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. To determine tourist satisfaction against promotional strategy offered by Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. To determine tourist satisfaction against the place in which Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme is located. 3 1.4) Research Questions How effective are the components of marketing mix used by Kampung Santubong homestay programme against tourist satisfaction. The traditional components of marketing mix in are as follows:- How to determine tourist satisfaction against product in Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme? How to determine tourist satisfaction against price offered against promotional strategy offered by Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme? How to determine tourist satisfaction against the promotional strategy offered by Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme? How to determine tourist satisfaction against the place in which Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme located? 1.5) Scope of Study This research is undertaken to determine the effectiveness of each components of marketing mix such as product, price, place and promotion by the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme against tourist satisfaction. This research of study will mainly focus at the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme located at Santubong, Kuching Sarawak. 4 1.6) Limitation of Research 1.6.1)Insufficient resources Insufficient resources due to lack of relevant previous researches done through online scholarly journals. Most online journals are on payment basis and only few free articles or journals available online. 1.6.2) Time constraint Limited time to conduct research since distribution of questionnaires in targeted area falls during the month of Ramadhan, the fasting month for the Muslims and also on the festive month, Hari Raya. Some of the local community participated in the Santubong Homestay Programme may not have time to entertain guests. 1.6.3) Tourist Tourists participation response to the questionnaires distributed may vary. Some tourists may be willing to participate in this research and some may not. 1.6.4) Seasonal factor Due to the nature of product of homestay programme, during low season, number of tourists participating in the homestay programme may be affected. 5 1.7) Significance of Study This study help in contributing valuable information to all homestay operators in Kuching on the influence of tourist satisfaction against the marketing mix adopted by homestay programmes in order to enhance homestay programmes in the future. In fact, using tourists satisfaction as a tool to determine on the elements of the marketing mix such as the product, price, promotion and place can benefit homestay operators on providing the best homestay product/ service by differentiating themselves from each other, hence, the sense of uniqueness to attract more tourists in participating in the homestay programme especially in throughout Kuching. 6 Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1) Definition of terms 2.1.1) Homestay Programme The term homestay programmes are varied in different parts of the world thus, according to Barke (2004) In defining the term homestay programme, there is no single accepted definition in the International studies. Lane (1994) stated homestay as a rural community based tourism product, hence falls under rural tourism category. 2.1.2) Tourist satisfaction Tourist satisfaction is defined as (Klaus,1985,pg 21) the accumulated experience of a customers purchase and experiences 2.1.3) Marketing mix (Perreault, Jr.and McCarthy, 2004, pg38) marketing variables are separated into product, price, promotion and price leads to an easy formulation of marketing strategy. 7 2.2) Homestay Programme (Akbar, Bael, Hassan Baguley, 2003) homestay programme in Australia is the type of accommodation for international students to reside in and is believed to help them with culture adaptation. Homestay is comparable to bed and breakfasts and more affordable compared to rental type accommodation (Akbar, Bael, Hassan, Baguley, 2003). In Malaysia context of homestay programme natural setting, Both (Kalsom, 2009; and Tourism Government, 2008) mentioned homestay programme takes place in a kampung or village setting where guests have the opportunity to live together in the same house with their adopted families and learn the traditional way of lives of the host family. (Kalsom, 2009) added Malaysia homestay programme differed from other type of homestay programme where host-tourists participation is emphasized through involvement in local activities. (Tourism Government, 2008) homestay programme in Malaysia is owned by homestay operators that are granted with a license to participate in the homestay programme. Meaning to say, not all home owners have the privilege to take part in this homestay unless they abide to a list of criteria established by the Ministry of Tourism for all participating homestay operators. The list of criterions pertaining to hygiene, criminal record, clean toilet, adequate number of accommodation in terms of separate bedrooms, accessibility to main road and no communicable disease are highly regarded. Generally, homestay development policy in Malaysia is aimed to fully utilized natural resources at kampung level, conservation of the socio cultural and artistic customs of the village as well as its uniqueness. However, there are several evidence clearly shows that there are similarities in some elements of the homestay programme. For example, the homestay programmes in countries like Australia, Malaysia, and Kwam Emakana community in South Africa stated that the culture exchange between the host and the guests does exist through accommodation provided by the host family. 8 This cultural exchange is emphasizing through host-guest participation on local activities, local food and customs. Similar to the Malaysian context of homestay, the Kwam Emakana community also takes part in the community based tourism homestay where it takes place in a rural / village setting. However, not all homestay accommodation of the Kwam Emakana exists in the rural setting since they also provide township accommodation with private homes (Kwam Emakana Community Based Homestay Initiative in South Africa, 2010; pg 152). According to the World Tourism Organization projections cites in (African Business, 2010), homestay programme gains its popularity may drive by the need to find cheaper accommodation and involving holidays from the travellers part. In order to have a direct experience of the host culture, guests expected the homestay accommodation including the food and local activities as it is. (Solomon Mburu, African Business, 2010). 2.3) Tourist satisfaction In tourism, satisfaction is evaluated based on the characteristics of tourism offers and respondents are typically evaluated through satisfaction scale (Kozak, 2001). (Fuchs Weiermair (2003) destination attributes are correlated to a variable measuring total customer (tourists) satisfaction resulting in more valid managerial implications. According to (Zeithaml et al . . .) cited by (Pawitra and Tan, 2003) tourism in nature is different from other area of services, thus there is a need for tourism industry to used SERVQUAL to measure tourist satisfaction for a destination. 9 (Kozak and Rimmington, 2000) tourist satisfaction are greatly affected by the tourist motivation to purchasing, consumption and services related to tourism offers. In addition, tourist satisfaction considered as an effective tool in homestay tourism and helped marketers in tourism product positioning (Seubsamarn and Cho, 2009).There was research being done on the relationship between quality, satisfaction, previous experience and loyalty (Baker and Crompton, 2000; Bignee et al., 2001;Pritchard, 2003. Petrick, 2004b; Yoon and Uysal, 2005; Um et al., 2006). Perceived quality leads to consumer satisfaction, thus enhance promotion of the destination through word of mouth and repeat purchase (Brady and Robertson, 2001). This statement agreed also by (Bignee et al. (2001) destinations image is a major key related to quality, satisfaction, and tourists motivation repeat purchase. (Yoon and Uysal, 2005) shows the difference tourists motivation that needs to be applied in multiple dimensions via integrated approaches and the complex nature of satisfaction as well as the theories of measuring satisfaction. 2.4) Elements of the Marketing Mix (4Ps) The traditional definition of marketing mix which consists of 4Ps was proposed by E. Jerome McCarthy (1960). Its elements namely; the product, price, promotion and place have been used extensively by marketers all over the world (Wikipedia.org, 2012). Kannan and Srinivasan (2009) implied the marketing mix for any service industry usually comprises of 8ps, where four adopted from the traditional marketing mix and the later are process, physical evidence, people, and productivity. The first element of marketing mix is the product. In a homestay programme context, what drives tourists to flock to any destination as stated by Maimunah and Abdul Rahim (2009) cited in (Ibrahim and Razzaq,n.d. ) The motivation factor of the tourists to visit a particular destination is mainly for the product or attractions. 10 The products mentioned referred to the supplementary attractions such as the natural resources like nature and habitat of the village setting has to offer, vernacular architecture, traditional delicacies and beverages, arts and crafts, music and cultural activities, historical significance, agricultural activities and special phenomena. Hence, tourism product / service usually have direct impact on tourist satisfaction. In a service context, a need satisfying only emerged gradually for the customer throughout the consumption process. Meaning to say, a service is seen as a process that leads to an outcome during partly simultaneous production and consumption processes (Gronroos, 2001). In the context of tourism product which usually related with the service, Ferrell (2005) product is the core of the marketing mix strategy and thus, stockholders involved in the making and production of the tourism product can easily manipulate those products and come up with more unique features in the effort to distinguish themselves from competitors. Same goes to the homestay programme packages offered by stockholders involved such homestay operators of Kampung Santubong with the help of tour operators that bringing in the tourists to the village and active promotion and grants by the Malaysia Tourism Ministry (Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, 2011). In contrary, this has not always been the case. According to Seaton and Bennett (1996) and Butler and Hall (1998), one of the main issues that are faced by most tourism destinations is the difficulty to distinguish themselves from each other. Technically, most of the tourism product / services offered by these tourism destination operators are similar which by all means they might have lost their sense of uniqueness especially in the eyes of the tourists, their target market (Garrod,Wornell,Youell,Garrod et al. , 2006). 11 Referring back to the product, since tourism product / service are categorized as services marketing, there is a need to differentiate tourism marketing when compared to other services (Lovelock). In this sense, The differences between tourism marketing and other type of services include: the nature of the tourism product itself where it emphasizes on providing recreational experience and hospitality to tourists, tourists must travel in order to consume the tourism product/ service thus making the elements of time and money spent to travel affect tourists travel decisions (Kannan and Srinivasan, 2009). This similar approach also agreed by Seaton and Bennett (1996) whereby tourism product does not permitted the target market which is the tourist to try the tourism product / service before purchasing. In addition to the issue pertaining to the nature of tourism product / service, as implied by Parasuraman et al. (1985); and Schiffman and Kanuk (2000), the nature of tourism product als o may influence the perspective of the consumer,the tourists on the service quality. Promotion is defined as all the methods of communications used by the marketer in order to transfer information about certain product or a service. The methods are sales promotion, advertising, personal selling and public relations (Wikipedia.org, 2012). These methods of promotion are relatively different from each other. Advertising is different compared to public relations because an individual or an institution need to pay for their stories to be advertised is it in the internet, newspaper or television. Public relations are commonly used as a medium for promotional strategy. Such example of PR was the launching of Misompuru Homestay Packages with MASWings by the Federal Tourism Minister, Dato Eng Yen Yen (Daily Express, 2012). It is up to the stakeholders involved on how to promote the destination image in which the homestay programme setting lies. Tourism Malaysia (2010b) is continuously promoting the homestay programme various local activities happening in different homestay pr ogramme operators throughout Malaysia (Jamaludin, Othman and Awang, 2010). 12 According to Ministry of Tourism Malaysia (2011), Homestay Programme is an experience where tourists stay with selected families, interact and experience, the daily life of these families as well as experiencing Malaysian culture.Thus, potential tourists that are keen to participate in the Malaysian version of a homestay programme can easily browse through the official Malaysia Homestay Website: www.go2homestay.com . Information on sales promotion of homestay packages is available there as well (Ministry of Tourism Malaysia, 2011). Other example of the latest promotion effort by the Tourism Malaysia with is the Homestay Rail, as stated by the director of the agency from Singapore, Zalizam Zakaria (News Straight Times, 2012). This Homestay Rail will attract mainly students and senior citizens from Singapore to participate in the homestays located along the journey between Johor Bharu and the east coast (News Straight Times, 2012). When it comes to promoting the tourism product such as homestay programme, the destination image plays an important role in promoting the tourism product / services in this case, the homestay programme. The definition of destination image are agreed by both Buhalis (2000) ; Baloglu and McCleary (1999) in which perceptions of any destination held in the minds of tourists. According to Chon (1992) ; Baloglou and Bringmerg (1997) cited in Buhalis (2000) Before people go to a destination they develop the image and a set of expectations based on previous experience, word of mouth, press reports, advertising and common beliefs (JobTrust Incorporated, 2007-2012). However, this will not always seem to be the case, Weirmair and Fuchs (1999) mentioned Destinations could change their advertising strategies. Advertisement could either emphasise the service process characteristics of its tourism and related cultures by focussing on tourists experiences within the destination (Munar, n.d.). 13 Price refers to the amount a customer is willing to pay for the product or service in relation to tourism services context. The price offered for the product / service must complements other elements of marketing mix in order since it will determine whether the profits are favourable which is important for the business survival (Wikipedia.org, 2012). According to Ministry Tourism of Malaysia (2011), the basic cost of spending on homestay packages range from Ringgit Malaysia 150 250 inclusive of meals, accommodation, and activities, depending on the activities offered in various homestay programme operators throughout Malaysia. In addition, all cost related information to homestay packages offered from various homestay operators are accessible through the official Malaysian Homestay website, www.go2homestay.com. Place is where the product / service is provided by individual or institution to the customer and the place must be accessible and convenient to the customers. Place is also commonly referred to distribution (Wikipedia.org, 2012). According to Uysal, Chen and Williams (2000) to build a positive destination image in the minds of tourists was not an easy job and served as marketing challenges for stockholders involved. 14 2.5) Theoretical Framework Tourists Satisfaction Marketing mix (4Ps) Product Price Promotion Place 15 CHAPTER 3: Research Design and Methodology 3.1) Definition of research design (Micheal. S.Carriger, 2000) stated research design can be seen as as common sense and clear thinking for the management of research to come up with effective strategy in conducting a reaserch. 3.2) Sampling Research sample is a group of people chosen from the sampling frame by representing the whole population of study (goodresearch.eu, 2012). According to Uma Sekaran (2000), a sample size is a subset of a population being studied and only some elements of the population are treated as the sample. 3.2.1) Population According to Uma Sekaran (2000), Population is defined as the entire group of people, events, or things of interest that the researcher wishes to investigate. As also stated by Joan Joseph Castillo (2009) Research population is generally a large collection of individuals or objects that is the main focus of a scientific query. The target population for this research is local and international tourists visiting Kuching, Sarawak. 3.2.2) Sample frame A sample frame is referred to the list consisting of the units of the population (MBA Official, 2010). Also stated in (Wikipedia.org, 2012) sample frame may include the individuals, households or institutions which related the population. The sample frame of research is of local and international tourists who are participating in the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. 16 3.2.3) Sampling design Non probability, convenience sampling method will be used for this research. Convenience sampling involved collecting information from members of the population who are conveniently available provide to it (Sekaran, 2000). Thus, both the local and international tourists who are most available or most conveniently selected will be asked through questionnaires. 3.2.4) Sample size A sample size of 200 respondents of both local and international tourists from a convenience sampling method is to be selected on the basis of this research. 3.3) Instrument for the research These questionnaires are divided into three sections: Section A : List of personal data questions on demographic of tourist will be asked as closed ended questions with using ordinal scale. Section B: Pertaining to the marketing mix of Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme against tourist satisfaction. Using Likert scale closed ended questions consists of Strongly disagree, neutral (either agree or disagree), agree, strongly agree. Section C: Open-ended questions mainly on recommendations or improvements of the Kampung Santubong Homestay marketing mix will be asked. 17 3.4) Data Collection Method Questionnaire as referred to Wikipedia.org (2012) a research instrument represents by sets of questions for the purpose of gathering the data relevant to the study of research. Questionnaires are to be distributed in a form of survey form to local and international tourists who participating in the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme, According to BusinessDictionary.com ( ) questionnaires are a list of a research or survey questions asked to respondents and designed to extract specific information. Questionnaires are to be distributed to the local and international tourists who are participating and had participated in the Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme and local community of Kampung Santubong Both primary and secondary data are used in conducting this study. Primary data as mentioned by Karuna (2012) are referred to raw and original materials collected by the investigator which relatively expensive and time consuming as compared to secondary data. Karuna (2012) stated secondary data on the other hand lacks of originality (Preserve articles.com, 2012). Primary data is data collected by the researcher to collect quantitative methods while secondary data referred to as data obtained from sources which are already available such as literature, industry surveys, compilations . . . (socialscience.stow.ac.uk, 2000). Analysis of Data 3.5.1) Spss The first version of SPSS (Statistical Package For Social Science) was released in 1968 and was developed by (Norman H, Nie and C. Hadlai Hull (Wikipedia.org, 2012). It is used by every organisation such as government, marketing establishements. 18 3.5.2) Pilot test Pilot study will be conducted earlier to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaires. According to Julie Stachowiak (2008) pilot study is defined as a smaller version of a large study that is conducted to prepare for that study. It is also used as a tool to test an idea or hypothesis. 3.5.3) Reliability test Reliability of a measure indicates the extent to which the measure is without bias and offers consistent measurement across time and other items related in the intruement.(Sekaran, 2001) 3.5.4) Hypothesis statement H1: Tourists are satisfied with the product of Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. H2: Tourists are satisfied with the price of Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. H3: Tourists are satisfied with the promotion of Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. H4: Tourists are satisfied with the place of Kampung Santubong Homestay Programme. 19

Effects of world war 2 on american society Essay

World War 2 brought many new ideas and changes to American life. Even though World War 2 brought â€Å"no physical destruction to the United States mainland†, it did affect American society in numerous ways. (Roark). World War 2’s effects on American society include a change in the workplace with an increase in industry and an robust economy, a look at America’s own prejudices, and shortages in everyday life. With the war overseas, American companies stopped producing the goods of American life and created goods needed to fight a war. The increase in production helped to rebuild the nation after the Great Depression. This economy also decreased unemployment, achieving what the programs of the New Deal had intended to do. With many men off to war, women were brought into the workplace and a new trend began in the American industrial society. Women took up jobs in industry that had once been reserved for men. They worked in the factories as riveters, welders, and heavy machine operators. â€Å"By 1945, women made up 36% of the nation’s total workforce.† (http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures /lecture21.html) With a war overseas Americans were forced to look at their own prejudices on the home front. While Hitler and Nazism supported the elimination of the non-Arian German, African Americans and other cultures of the United States fought to gain the respect of the United States. While whites and American males fought in the wars of the past numerous other cultures saw World War 2 as a war to show their worth. Cultures such as African Americans, Native Americans, and Chinese Americans fought side by side to fight for America. Another effect of World War 2 was that of price controls and the shortage of supplies. Price controls were put in place to control a lower price on items in short supply. One item that was in short supply was that of gas. This was due to a combination of the need for its use overseas and the sinking of oil tankers in the Atlantic. Other items such as rubber were also in short supply, thus Americans were forced to do less driving and traveling during the time of the war. In order to provide food for soldiers overseas as well as for the rest of the American people, the government began a campaign to supply fruits and vegetables to all. This campaign became known as Victory  Gardens, and contributed 40% of the vegetables grown in the country during the war. The United States changed for the better with World War II. First the manufacturing of goods for American allies and then American forces helped to rebuild the national economy after the Great Depression. Secondly the United State’s policy of isolation was abandoned with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Americans realized that Europe was only a pond away. Also after a buildup of the military the United States become a leading military power. With the war fought over in Europe, the United States was also spared with the physical destruction faced by Europe; in this the US economy was able to dominate the world. This ultimately led to the status that the United States has today, as being a worldly power.

Hume and his contemporaries Essay

Live art performances, marked by an overture of spirituality, consciousness, physical introductions to pain, drawn further on to include specific rituals, symbolisms, varied states of emotions brought by self-inflicted hurt and eventually, culminating in a wild display of frenzy and shocking images, are less likely to please the uninitiated audience than it will provoke a sense of awe and wonderment among performance art critics. In a similar situation, Marina Abramovic’s attempts to upend the static discourses of physicality, mental states of mind and art that pervade current Western hegemony, understandably, can only be regarded in the extremes by people steeped firmly into formal traditions. Either her method of performance will elevate its spectators to a heightened degree of appreciation, therefore merit a thunderous welcome to a novel brand, sui generis, of art of our time at the end of each scene; or her gruesome didactics on the body’s threshold for pain, simply fails to pass muster. Her performance practice, a risk more than anything else, certainly inspire debates on whether or not to set moral, perhaps even social limits to art in order to determine, in precise and concrete terms, at which point creativity and imaginative art themes and performances become either delightful to the senses or noxious to the sensitivities of the general public. The idea of drawing the line along and between different shades of extremes, although already evinced clearly in the works of Marina Abramovic, seems to fit the consensus on the idea of censuring the bold and burlesque, stripping it off its material enunciation and expression to mitigate the horror and revulsion inherent in the exposition, or in the worst case, totally ignore it until the novel yet misunderstood facade fades from inattention. However, thanks mainly to Marina Abramovic’s unwavering desire to reach her audience, despite the sometimes hostile reception during her performances itself, in ways that continually push the envelope of spectator tolerance, did she carry her work from the esoteric art circles to mainstream. To wit, in one of her collaborative performances with Ulay, entitled Incision (1978), while purposively eliciting reaction, probably direct participation, from their audience, one of the spectators primed the climactic resonance of the work by jumping into the stage to kick Marina Abramovic as she was lying prostate right in the middle of the act. In her biographical work, she writes that although she expected the attack to happen any moment during the performance, she did not realize the immediacy and steeled resolution of that man who assailed her (Abramovic, 1998). Photographs of the show caught the man with a leg lifted, jumping into the air. â€Å"The next photograph shows Abramovic lying on the floor, and the man seems to be landing from a kicking action [†¦] the audience’s interrogation manifested in a spontaneous physical attack (Tang, 2005). Ethical and moral questions, as well as aesthetic controversies have been discussed quite animatedly as early as the 18th century. Philosophers, like David Hume, have started to addressed the tough issues about morality, art and taste—the chief concerns that pervaded his era. Cynthia Freeland, introducing the notions of Taste and Beauty, in a book about defining the slippery strands of art, writes that Hume and his contemporaries â€Å"would not have approved of blasphemy, immorality, sex, or the use of body fluids as appropriate in art† (Freeland 2001). As a caveat to this general statement, it must be understood that even though 18th century consciousness all the way up to the present have not been too open in giving cognizance to art that smack of Marina Abramovic’s own brand of carnal art expressions, there are already extant cultural and social systems which places importance into shamanistic and ritualistic gestures. Among art critics and historians, some pursue a theory of art as ritual: â€Å"ordinary objects or acts acquire symbolic significance through incorporation into a shared belief system† (Freeland, 2001). In the same vein, Freeland further digs deep in history to provide evidence in varied cultural rituals that depict blood and physical pain. She avers that â€Å"when a Mayan king shed blood before the multitude in Palenque by piercing his own penis and drawing a thin reed through it three times, he exhibited his shamanistic ability to contact the land of the undead† (2001). Other modern artists try to recreate a similar sense of art as ritual, just as much as Marina Abramovic has had for the last three decades. Diamanda Galas, for instance, â€Å"fuses operatic wizardry, light shows and glistening blood in her Plague Mass† (2001), supposedly to exorcise pain in the era of Aids. Herman Nitsch, Viennese founder of the Orgies Mystery Theater, promises â€Å"catharsis through a combination of music, painting, wine-pressing, and ceremonial pouring of animal blood and entrails† (Nitsch, n. d. in Freeland, 2001). As it turns out, these very rituals are ingrained in Western traditions. Illuminating examples of which are the amount of blood depicted in European’s, and verily much of the cultures in the modern world today, two main belief discourses: that of the Judeo-Christian and the Greco-Roman. By taking a cursory review of religious and classical texts of Western traditions, we are able to immediately uncover a plenitude of blood representations and ritualistic sacrifices. In the Old Testament, Yahweh is seen to require â€Å"sacrifices as parts of His covenant with the Hebrews† (Freeland, 2001). Similarly, Agamemnon â€Å"faced a divine command to slit the throat of his own child [†¦] the blood of Jesus is so sacred that it is symbolically drunk to this day by believing Christians as promising redemption and eternal life† (2001). Such myths and religious stories are rather germane to Western art. We read of Homeric heroes wining the favors of their gods and goddesses by sacrificing animals. Likewise, the tragedies of Lucan and Seneca â€Å"piled up more body parts than Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Sreet† (2001). Not surprisingly, likewise, Renaissance paintings are never without a hint of blood draped at the canvassed in hard red-acrylic paint whilst Shakespeare’s tragedies typically concluded with swordplay and stabbings. The preceding examples of ritualistic performances which involves blood and sacrifices, death and disease, murder and trials, are very instructive with regards to our penchant for the macabre and the dreadful. It is in these premises that Marina Abramovic draws much of her inspiration to create an art, pro forma, that bespeak of our capacity to endure scenes of gore and violence—if only on a less exacerbated state. Her performance, for the most part, certainly places importance on the symbolic values of ceremonies, gestures and artifacts. Albeit appearing random and spontaneous, her methods establish a logical connection between her consciousness while performing and her body’s means of coping with the strength of self-infliction. In the nascent days of her art, she has performed controversial after controversial explorations into the limitations of the mind and the body. Rhythm 10, in 1973, was the first in a series of abject surrender to the inevitability of suffering. Alone in the stage, she prepared a set of knives to be used as piercing objects in a risky game of Russian hand roulette. Without signs of hesitation, she proceeded to stab the spaces between her fingers in a rough yet determined fashion. Each time she made the mistake of cutting her flesh; she dropped the knife and took out another one to repeat the process all over again until she made use of all ten knives (Abramovic, 1998). The following year, in the performance entitled Rhythm 5, she sought to re-evoke the energy of extreme body pain by constructing a huge star soused with combustible petroleum liquid. At the onset, the structure as lit to flames, and while she was standing right outside the contraption, she religiously clipped her fingernails, cut her hair and them inside the burning star. The denouement of the program was when she danced around and then flew across the flames into the center of the burning star. Serious and life-threatening complications ensued when the smoke that engulfed her from inside asphyxiated her to the point that she no longer had control of her actions. The medical team and the audience, who were all there to watch, started to suspect that something was terribly amiss. Fortunately, the quick responses from the stand-by technicians saved her from an untimely death caused by severe smoke inhalation (Abramovic, 1998). In the same year and the years that followed, Marina Abramovic designed similar art experiments that were meant to test the limits of herself and her body, and later the audience and their tolerance for vicarious agony through her body. Rhythm 2 and Rhythm 0, were performed with the hopes of proving that the consciousness can go beyond the rubric of psychological triggers in mind. The sole aim of both was to uproot the inherited tendencies of the mind to reel from stark images and provocative gestures. She sought to cultivate in the audience a sense of indifference in order that one may reach a virtual catharsis what with all the sharp and strong representations between the body and suffering. For artists like Marina Abramovic, it is clear to them that what they are performing, and while in the act of performing, there is a higher purpose that they wish to achieve regardless of the methods by which these are made possible. They have a firm understanding and appreciation for every act and gesture that they make. None of such are done without rhyme and reason. For artists like Marina Abramovic, everything that happens during any performance, in spite of the harsh opinions of critic that meet them right afterwards, makes a lot of sense. However, audiences who see and react to these artists do not enter, much less share the beliefs and values, or with prior knowledge of what will transpire, with that of the artist. When asked about the origins of her creativity and ideas for her art performance, Marina Abramovic happily recalls her childhood memories with her parents. As if to show indeed that her style was a result of previous life experiences that may be susceptible to a psychoanalytical reading, she narrates: â€Å"A long time ago I made a piece called Art Must Be Beautiful, Artist Must Be Beautiful. At that time, I thought that art should be disturbing rather than beautiful. [†¦]My life is full of such contradictions. [†¦] My father and mother are divorced. As an adult, I recently wanted to go back to help them because of the war. With the embargo, there is nothing in the stores. [†¦] I called my father to ask him what he needs, and he dictates a long list – antibiotics, bandages, penicillin, toilet paper, coffee, sugar, powdered milk, all these basic things for survival. Then I call my mother and ask what she needs. She says, â€Å"I need Chanel lipstick, Absolute Red, Number 345, and hair spray. † I am between these two. † (Abramovic, 2005) Most modern art, in this case, within the context of theatre, videos and live performances, fail to provide ample background reinforcement against the dominant traditions and systems of belief. What invariably happens is that the audiences will remain ignorant to, consequently, unappreciative of the complexities and undertones of the supposedly artful, meaningful and profound gestures. The audience, instead of sharing that same degree of catharsis, sacrifice and initiation, will shy away. They themselves are alienated from the performance so much that they are brought far afield the community, forcing them to abandon the art because of pure shock and horror, largely as a result of their ineligibility to feel as the artists do (Freeland, 2001). Damien Hirst, the ‘Britpack’ artist who sparked controversy in the 1990s with his motley display of macabre high-tech exhibits of â€Å"dead sharks, sliced cows, or lambs in glasses of formaldehyde, [†¦] has parlayed his notoriety into success with his popular Pharmacy restaurant in London† (Freeland, 2001). By no means, therefore, are the works that revolve around symbolisms, spirituality, humanity and fatalism seldom reflects the nature of most of our ritualistic traditions. Symbols of pain and suffering that are central to many religions, cultural systems, political and social units, may come off to the lay person as undesirable and may even cause the same panic as had the man in Marina Abramovic’s performance. Art performance that utilizes imageries that hint at violence, torture and distress, when it is performed in the public who has no inkling of its context, meaning and history are in danger of misconstruing art for capricious display of filth and tripe. As with all in theatre, the performer must work â€Å"against mutual projection between audience and performer†, the identification in which â€Å"[we] believe so readily in the other as the keeper of our treasure and our disease† (Tang, 2004). Valie Export, a similarly omnipresent and provocative figure in the world of art performance, shares the same problems of audience interaction, although not as much as Marina Abramovic. Beside art performance, her repertoire includes film, text, painting and photography to name a few. These avenues of artistic expression gravitate towards her criticisms for feminism and gender. A staunch activist and a progressive performer, she has oftentimes been called a woman living an anachronistic life. This is due to her revolutionary ways to present her ideas that even her colleagues, who without proper notice of her intentions to perform, usually end up dismissing her as too fanciful and idealistic. Her works on ‘Asemie or the Inability of Expressing Oneself Through Facial Expressions’ (1973) and ‘Touch Cinema’ (1968) garnered both fame and distress. Chief of the reasons that contributed to an admixture of reception from the critics and audience is the fact that her ideas do not create strong meaningful associations that the people can readily identify with. Humor and parody may be part and parcel of her work as a performer, but these effects are not what she contemplated to be so. Indeed, while she wanted to catch the attention of her spectators, her ultimate goal is to instruct them of the subtle messages regarding feminism, modernism and ritual art. Export, along with the controversial artists at the turn of the 21st century, became (in-)famous in the recent decades because of her startling presentations of objects and her body (Mueller, 2004). Of her earlier works, ‘Aktionshose: Genitalpanik’ or ‘Action Pants: Genitals in Panic’ (1968), Export engaged the audience, piquing their imagination and belief, with a series of photographs, simultaneously permitting them to engage her as the tangible representations of the images presented in the collage. In an art theater in Munich, dressed to the nines, with the crotch cut out of her pants, Valie Export threaded each row person-to-person, showed her outfit thereby giving the film-viewing public with a palpably visual representation with a real female body. In doing so Export tackled the pornographic reduction of women in static representations just when ideas of feminism and gender were starting to develop during that time. Her message is commensurate to a direct, unapologetic, political affront to the abstract objectification of the female body as a fetish. She moved an aesthetic gesture beyond the representational context of the safe boundaries of art into an actual encounter with a public. Export effectively brought to the fore the various dimension of simple, albeit arresting, bodily gestures â€Å"both to produce and to represent action [. . . ] by stressing the moment and the process of its own production† (Stiles, n. d. ). Export repudiated the representational static sign and discharged an interventionist act by revealing her yonic-self to the public vis-a-vis the photos on the display. Art performance, in the recent decades since its entrance in the mainstream, has, and is continuing to encompass a wide field of human proclivities which spans across a whole, comprehensive range of emotions, symbols and design. Although traditional views on aesthetics and taste still influence much of the productions in the art, more and more innovative, socially-informed, stunningly beautiful works of art performance are being (re-)invented and (re-)discovered every time. It doesn’t matter whether these newly created art forms subscribe to tradition or to the taste of the general public. What matters most is the never-ending quest to plumb the full extent of our humanity as individuals and as a community. Art performance is yet to supplant, at least equal the popularity of video-films, cinema, photography and painting in terms of the instances that these are demanded by the public. But with the works of Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Damien Hirst, Valie Export et al and their boundless passion to break the mold and stun the public to enlightenment, art performance can be considered as a significant cornucopia of art studies and of artistic expression. A number of critics do give favorable comments to Marina Abramovic’s performances and ingenuity, Valie Export’s live photography sessions, Hirst’s â€Å"gleaming vitrines with suspended animals inside† (Freeland, 2001). However, it must be noted that even if the critics find them beautiful and artful still its startling content warrants full attention; nothing short of shallow and pedantic in all respects of praise and criticism. Freeland writes, perhaps disinterestedness has some small and specific role in approaching difficult art by enabling us to try harder to look at and understand something that seems very repugnant to the senses (2001). The work’s content and the artist performing are just as crucial as the theories that surround art performance. It is not so much as merely an arbitrary act done through the caprice of a strange art performer. It is instead, a manifestation of our natural tendencies, our history, our sense of taste and what is beautiful, our entire spirituality and lastly, our consciousness set against the body as a tool to perceive reality. Art performance as practiced by these artists is a celebration of the body and of our community. An excellent performance and performer do more than take the audience to elevated heights, but also give them a sense of being truly and undeniably alive. And such, makes all the difference. References Abramovic, M. (2005). Marina Abramovic: the biography of biographies. New York & London: Charta Publishers. Abramovic, M. (1998). Artist body: performances 1969-1998. New York & London: Charta Publishers. Freeland, C. (2001). But is it art? : blood and beauty. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. Mueller, R. (1994). Valie Export: fragments of imagination. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Stiles, C. (n. d. ). Aktionshose: genitalpanik (action pants: genital in panic). Retrieved January 15 2008, The Galleries at Moore database. Tang, A. (2005). Gazing at horror: body performance in the wake of mass social trauma. (Masters of Arts program, Rhodes University 2005). .