Muke analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Muke analysis - Essay Example The two of them therefore head west with no money and desperate to make ends meet. Out of anxiety on how to survive, James engages himself with drugs. The book goes on to explain the ins and outs in the drug world and the effects of greed on the main character, James. James showed a great deal of greed among all the characters in the novel. He clearly wanted a lot of things which lead him into making bad decisions. First of all, he involved himself with drugs when things went south for him and Kate. He chose the wrong path of drug dealing since it seemed to him that it could be of much worth than any other job out there that was availed to him. He could not care about endangering himself. In addition to this, James proved his greediness in how he supplied the marijuana to his customers (D’Souza 18). As much as what he did was all for his coming baby, he still did it with self-indulgence and always made sure he could get more than enough. Another evidence of greed is revealed to us when James and Mason fronted Russell around two pounds when they sold him the drugs. Russell did not say a word about it probably due to his rather long time friendship to them (D’Souza 97). Also, James always agreed to help out greedy people for example, Darren, whose business collapsed in Thailand. Darren Rudd was in a major mess, that he even went to jail and this made him loose a lot of his assets like his cars, his farm and much more. It is clear that greed drove James into making bad decisions that totally changed his life. He was now in an illegal world that didn’t make anyone close to him feel safe, especially Kate and their

Heritage Tourism On Archaeological Sites In Egypt Tourism Essay

Heritage Tourism On Archaeological Sites In Egypt Tourism Essay Egypt is located in the North- Eastern corner of Africa and South-Western Asia and is commonly known as The Motherland of the World Land of Civilizations and The Greatest Power in Human History being reputable for its 7,000-year-old record of civilization and immense wealth of knowledge (SIS, 2011). Amongst all civilizations and nations, Egypt is known to be one of the worlds oldest tourist destinations, possessing one third of the worlds ancient monuments within its country. Besides its other archaeological and cultural monuments, the discovery of the Pharaonic antiquities long time ago has added a special appeal to Egypt, therefore boosting Egypts tourism industry. However, with the booming increase in Egypts tourism, conflicts and issues starts to surface concerning the management and conservation of the ancient Egyptian archaeological sites and treasures. What defines Egypt is its massive number of archaeological sites that can be found all over the country and of course, its extraordinary architectural and heritage attractions such as the legendary Pyramids of Giza, the world-famous Valley of the Kings and the temple at Abu Simbel. These well-known and remarkable sites are the lifeblood of the countrys tourism industry where it attracts over 2 million visitors annually to Egypt (Boniface and Cooper, 2001). Despite being one of the most highly industrialized country in the Arab region, Egypts petroleum and economy is not sufficient to provide adequate amount of jobs to its population of 73 million (e.g.: Boniface and Cooper, 2001; MINTEL, 2004). It is also mentioned by Weeks and Hetherington (2006) that tourism has been a key factor in Egypts economy for about the last two centuries and over the last generation. It has become a crucial component of the economy and is now the source of 45 percent of the countrys annual foreign currency earnings. Therefore tourism in Egypt plays a critical role of support for its economy where it benefits both the government and to all levels of the society. One of the main components of the tourism industry in Egypt is heritage tourism. Heritage itself as a concept has entered on to a global stage and penetrated into the local, regional and national arena (Burnett, 2001). The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) states that heritage and culture have become an important element in almost 40 per cent of all international trips taken (Timothy and Boyd, 2003) and despite of recession, heritage tourism still continued to grow (Hanna, 1993, cited in Timothy and Boyd, 2003). Throughout the world, ancient venues and archaeological monuments have become major tourism attractions (Laws, 2011) and one such destination is Egypt where the impacts of flourishing heritage tourism on ancient archaeological sites are apparent through out the country. However, in spite of the thriving tourism industry in Egypt, conflicts and issues starts to arise that contradicts Egypts own tourism interest. In order to maximize revenue from the tourism industry, Egypt implemented the approach of opening more sites to visitors and promoting visits through advertising and high profile overseas tours of antiquities (Weeks and Hetherington, 2006). Ironically, the benefits of expanding Egypts tourism are being out weigh by the negative aspects. Lambert (2011) states that a bustling tourist industry is sadly known to be a double-edged sword. She added that, as most archaeological sites are very fragile and ancient, they were not meant to accommodate thousands of visitors on a daily basis. The overcrowding of tourists visiting, touching and stepping onto these sites, are destroying many archaeological attractions. One such incident happened in February of 1988. A chunk of limestone fell from the Egyptian Sphinx, the half lion, half man relic built by the ancient Egyptians over 4,000 years ago. Recently on January 2011, Egypts Supreme Council of Antiquities had announced plans to close the tomb of Tutankhamen to tourists by the end of the year. The tomb, which was discovered some 89 years ago, was damaged as a result of the overwhelming visits of tourist, particularly over the past three decades (http://www.redorbit.com). The mass tourism in Egypt has also impacted the Valley of the Kings, altering the physical and natural aspects of the environment. According to Gaetano Palumbo, the program director for North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia for the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered historical sites around the world: One could say that, the heritage sites in Egypt are victims of their own success. In the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, visitor numbers have almost doubled in the past 10 years, from 1.5 million to close to 3 million, with peaks of 10,000 visitors a day. This creates massive problems in visitor management. Drastic decisions may have to be taken in order to regulate visitor numbers, including temporary or permanent closures of ancient sites.   Due to poor tourism and cultural heritage management, Bindlegas (1997) states that the decay of some of the worlds most fabulous ancient relics has been happening at a shocking rate. These major archaeological and cultural heritage sites represent the origins of human civilization and provide the best evidences of the historical and cultural development of humanity (Global Heritage Fund, 2010). If measures are not taken to start preserving and conserving the ancient monuments, it will be completely destroyed within centuries. However, increasing the tourism receipts into Egypt and on the other hand, conserving these heritage sites is not as simple as it seems. Leask (2006) described that balancing the development of tourism opportunities and heritage conservation activities has been a continuous struggle for countries with tourism and cultural heritage management. The different parties involved are unable to decide on the same agreement, resulting in the lack of proper management that can benefit both the tourism and conservation of the ancient Egyptian archaeological sites and treasures. Therefore this paper aims to identify the variables that constitute and associate to the impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt. AIM To assess the impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt OBJECTIVES To review secondary literature about the environmental impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt. To study the conflict between heritage and tourism in Egypt. To assess the management and conservation of archaeological sites in Egypt. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINING TOURISM According to the Advance Release of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer, international tourism showed a strong recovery of almost 7% to 935 million in 2010, from the 4% decline during the global economic crisis in 2009. Through the decades, tourism is now known as one of the largest industry in the world, experiencing dynamic improvements and intense diversification, leading it to become one of the worlds fastest growing economic sector (e.g.: Youell, 1998; World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2011)). Therefore, prior to assessing the impacts of heritage tourism on archaeological sites in Egypt, it is first essential to define and understand the term tourism. Even in early researches, the term tourism had yielded, as many definitions as there were many studies of phenomenon (Cohen, 1974, cited in Wall and Mathieson, 2006). Guyer-Feuler who concentrated on the economical and statistical aspects of tourism, conceived the first definition of tourism in 1905, where it defined tourism as: A phenomenon unique to modern time which is dependent on the peoples increasing need for a change and relaxing, the wish of recognizing the beauties of nature and art and the belief that nature gives happiness to human beings and which helps nations and communities approaching to each other thanks to the developments in commerce and industry and the communication and transportation tools becoming excellent. (Bahar, 2005: 2, as cited in Esen and Uyar, 2010) The origin of the term tourism goes back to the 17th century where the root word tour is derived from the Hebrew word torah which means learning and examining. People who were sent on a voyage to explore distant areas to learn the social activities of the population living in those places are known by the Hebrews as tourist and the behaviour as touring. (Bahar, 2005) Some other few pioneers who attempted to define tourism were Professor Hunzikar and Krapf (1941, cited in Holloway, 1994:1) of Berne University who states that it is: The sum of phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non-resident, in so far as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected to any earning activity. Holloway (1994) then continues that tourism, besides being associated as a form of recreation or leisure; it might be where individuals or a group of individuals travel away from home. However, Holloway (1994) also questioned the specificity of the statement on whether tourism is defined by its purpose or the distance travelled. Indeed, it is a common perception and a popular understanding amongst people that the central aspects of tourism evolves around holidays, leisure and tours, engaging in different kinds of activities to have a good time and as long as being in a foreign land, it is considered to be tourism regardless of the distance travelled. However, tourism is more than just a cursory explanation of leisure, recreation and being in a foreign land. In 1993, after much reviews, researches and further analysis on existing works of tourism definitions, the UNWTO (1993, cited in Youell, 1998:9), with co-operations from many international organizations, finally announced the officially accepted definition as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. Therefore with the multitude of tourism definitions given by researchers and studies, which of these, can academics, organizations and professionals use as an accurate guideline in the tourism industry? In spite of the existence of many variations of tourism definitions and the popularity of tourism studies in recent decades, it has been discussed and acknowledged by academic researchers, organizations and industry professionals that there has been no specific means in defining the principal concept of the term tourism due to its large complex nature of subject, involving diverse combinations of disciplines and industry sectors (e.g.: Morley, 1990; Youell, 1998; Goeldner, Ritchie and McIntosh, 2000; Dredge and Jenkins, 2007). Moreover, regardless of the complications of specifying definitions for tourism, tourism is nothing without the tourists. The main factor that drives tourism is the tourists who are travelling and therefore any effort to understand tourism as a concept has to first understand the motivations behind the tourists decision to travel. Also, the definition of tourism is dependent on an individuals perspectives and perception of tourism and also how it will fit into a particular purpose or situation (Dredge and Jenkins, 2007). In addition, the changes of the different definitions since the early 1900s till the present day demonstrates that tourism can no longer be associated to merely economics and geography (Arlt, 2010). As time passes with the continuous growth of the industry, researches into the concepts of tourism will persist to expand, eventually resulting in the creation of more definitions of tourism. IMPACTS OF TOURISM Tourism is an integration of close interactions involving the dynamic relationships of different variables or elements in the tourism travel process and thus, it can never be a standalone unit. Hence, any changes or effects to a variable will create a ripple effect within the whole tourism structure. With this, contributions made by the growth of the tourism industry will therefore lead to an increased economic activity within the country. Countries are increasingly becoming dependent on tourism, as it is one of the most rational and sustainable development choices that have the capability of creating employment to the communities and also acting as a main provision of foreign earnings to the economy. (UNWTO, 2010 Tourism and the Millennium Development Goals) While it is often the economic impacts of tourism that businesses and public organizations that are usually interested in (Stynes, 1999), the late twentieth century saw the emergence of environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism being controversial and critical issues discussed in tourism study (Youell, 1998). As the main objective of this paper aims to concentrate on the impacts of heritage tourism on the archaeological sites in Egypt, this section will therefore provide an overview of the positive and negative influences that tourism, in general, have on the economic, environment and socio-culture around the world. Economic Impacts It is predicted that by 2020, revenues earned from the tourism industry will be $1.5 trillion (Kumar and Prasad, n.d). Tourism being declared as one of the worlds largest industry is similar to any other businesses and industries; affecting the economy by generating income for the countrys economy, stimulating job opportunities for the people from the international level down to the local levels. Increasing competiveness amongst countries has also pushed the business capacity of the tourism industry to the level of, or, sometimes even exceeding trade commodities such as oil and food exports (UNWTO, 2011). Tourism being a major player in the service sector is naturally dependent on labor therefore stimulating a great deal of employment opportunities both in developed and developing countries. The fact that tourism is an intergration of many various individual elements in a tourism travel process, the economic impacts from tourism will therefore affect industries in the construction sector, agriculture sector, commercial services sector such as retail and customer services and also the health and finance sector (e.g.: Wall and Mathieson, 2006; ÃÆ'-nder and Durgu, 2007). Tourist expenditures contributing to the balance of payments through foreign exchange earnings, and revenue generated from tourism developments can represent a crucial source of income for a nations economy (Balaguer Cantavella-Jorda, 2002, cited in Seetanah, 2010). However on a negative note, seasonal tourism also known as induced employment, being influenced by the increase in the demand and supply of tourism causes the increase of low-paying jobs and often creating unemployment during off-peak seasons (Kreag, 2001). Peak periods of tourism can benefit the economy of a country, however on the expense of the locals, who might have to pay for the higher prices of goods and services in the community, thus increasing their cost of living. However, contributions of tourism to a countrys economic benefits is relative to factors such as the availability of facilities and resources, the countrys social and political stability, the host communities behavior towards tourist and the amount of investment injected by the government into tourism projects and development (Youell, 1998). Environmental Impacts The relationship between tourism and the physical environment, natural or man-made, is firmly interlinked and complicated. Controversial debates of tourism and the environment have been going on in determining whether they are friends or foes. The physical environment is an important aspect of tourism; it ensures the sustainability of attracting tourism in the long run. In fact, it is impossible to define the different types of tourism without the inclusion of the environment (Safakli, n.d). A tourists decision to travel and the duration of stay depends on the physical environment of the destination. According to Olali (2000), the estimation given by academics states that in the next 100 years, the environment will be the only option that will determine the demand of tourism. The environmental impacts of tourism can be categorised into two categories which are postive and negative impacts, and finding a balanced relationship with the environment is uncommon, if not, there is hardly a balanced relationship (Holden, 2000). The negative impacts of tourism on the environment caused by the increased in tourist visitations are visible through the changes, damages and depletion of natural resources, causing the destruction of wildlife habitat, improper waste disposal, air and water pollutions, and also erosion of the natural landscape such as the mountains and historical sites (e.g.: Youell, 1998; Holden, 2000; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2001; Wall and Mathieson, 2006). The lack of facilities and space to accommodate the increase in tourist visitations results in the overcrowding and the over usage of an environment, therefore also increasing improper waste disposal, loss of significant attractions and unethical behaviors due to the lack of supervision over the large number of visitors. The detrimental state of the environment will then lose its beauty and attractiveness to these tourists therefore causing a decline in tourist visitations. Despite of the attention on the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, there are still positive impacts of tourism that benefits the environment. Contradictory to the cause of degradation of these natural resources, the motivating factor behind a tourists decision to travel to these places are based on the sentimental attachment they have with the environments (Kreag, 2001). And because these environments are what attracted tourists visits in the first place, preservation efforts are heighened to keep them well managed, and protected from further deterioration. The positive environmental impacts of tourism are sometimes associated to the economic value of tourism earned revenue (Holden, 2000). The increase of tourism travel to a destination also increases the tourism funds flowing into the countrys economy. This additional funds allows governments to use the added revenue from its tourist industry to implement measures into proper management and invest in the restoration of the environment such as construction of new roads to accommodate overcrowding of vehicles, building and upgrading facilities to attract or accommodate the influx of visitors and installing modern technologies into the conservation and preservation of sensitive areas (e.g.: UNEP, 2001; Kreag, 2001). And as tourism travel increases, the impacts on the environment are also increasing. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for government agencies and tourism organizations to focus on the preservation and conservation of the environment. When the environment is restored to its original state or even better, the flow of visitors into the destination will resume once again. However if there is a lack of proper management or close facilitation of the situation, the environment will eventually return back to its damaged state. The attempt to balance the positive and negative aspects of the impacts of tourism on the environment tends go round a vicious cycle. This is where the importance of strategic planning intervenes and it is a crucial part of sustainable tourism of a destination. Socio-cultural Impacts The inclusion of social impact studies is an essential criterion for any tourism industry and tourism government agencies planning for a sustainable tourism industry as it provides an insight of the support for tourism development within host communities (e.g.: Nyaupane and Thapa, 2006; Zhang et al., 2006; Tovar and Lockwood, 2008; Deery, Jago and Fredline, 2011). Social cultural impacts on a destinations society such as traditions, identity, lifestyle, values and customs, are the results of the direct and indirect interactions between the host communities, the tourists and the tourism industry. These impacts of tourism development on the local society are identified through the evaluation of residents perceptions and behaviors towards tourism (Tovar and Lockwood, 2008). Regardless of the magnitude of the fluctuations of tourism demand, the impact on the host community will not only be dependent on the number of tourist arrivals but the type of tourist (Holloway, 2002). Of which, the se impacts can either have a positive or negative influence on the society. Firstly, improvements of infrastructures resulted from tourism development such as clean water and stable telecommunications, improved transportation and banking services, and new business investments are positive impacts that contributes in enriching the local communities way of life (http://www.gawler.sa.gov.au). Tourism also helps in boosting the quality of life in the society and provides opportunities for locals to experience cultural exchange and interactions with the rest of the world. The accumulative experience gained from engaging in the cultural exchange with visitors enhances the host communities ability to interact comfortably and confidently with future potential visitors in the long run. Having an influx of tourist arrivals to a destination can also encourage the preservation and conservation of cultural values and traditional customs which are in danger of losing its identity. The increased interest of tourists into the culture and traditions of the local society also helps to push the demand for historical and cultural education and local tourism agencies will be pressured to step up on preservation and conservation of possible endangered ancient sites, monuments or artifacts (Kreag, 2001). Despite of the positive and inspiring socio-cultural impacts of tourism on a host environment, the negative impacts of tourism, on the other hand, can equally cause a prominent damage on a culture. Ironically, instead of riviving a lost culture, the continuous development of tourism driven by the influx of tourist demand can very well cause the same cultural identity and value of the host communities to change and this issue has raised concerns amongst tourism organizations. This normally happens when local communites conformed to the needs, wants and desires of tourists expectations in the bid to respond to their growing demands. As such, this conformity leads to the commercialization of local culture into a commodity and the modification of traditional art and craft forms, resulting it to become reconstructed ethnicity which might end up causing the eradication of cultural goods (www.coastlearn.org). One of the negative aspect on the social status of a culture is the social differences between the host and the tourists. According to Mathieson and Wall (2006), more often than not, social tensions between host communities and tourists happens in developing countries whereby the tourist market are from a country with higher foreign currency rate than the host communities and thus unintentionally highlighting the disparity of wealth. They also mentioned that since the nature of tourism involves the movement of people around geographical locations, social conflicts occur as a result of differences in cultures, values, lifestyles and languages. TOURISM AND HERITAGE Defining Heritage in Tourism With the growth of the tourism sector, the types of tourist are also diversified and the collection of individual experiences of these tourists influence the different types of tourism offered today, thus the formation of the different types of tourism (Timothy and Boyd, 2003). Heritage tourism has been one of the oldest forms of tourism offered since the early ages, however in recent years, it has grown to popularity in the industry. It is the inheritance of the unrepeatable products of life from the past that is worth preserving for the benefits admiration and education of the current and future generations (e.g.: Nurick, 2000; Timothy and Boyd, 2003; Sethi, 2005; National Trust, 2011). Heritage could be anything that is tangible or intangible left behind by the past such as archaeological or historical sites that have been preserved, natural landscapes which are of a destinations significance, artifacts and documents, culture, values and sometimes even the people of the past such as the indigenous people. However over the years, heritage has been modified and commercialized to suit tourists demand and expectations, allowing it to be more accessible, attractive, educational and entertaining (Fyall and Rakic, 2006). Heritage itself as a concept has entered on to a global stage and penetrated into the local, regional and national arena (Burnett, 2001). The World Tourism Organization (WTO) states that heritage and culture have become an important element in almost 40 per cent of all international trips taken and despite of recession, heritage tourism still continued to grow (Hanna, 1993, cited in Timothy and Boyd, 2003). The different types of heritage attractions offered now are varse and wide, examples includes natural history attractions, religious attractions, sociocultural attractions, art galaries, ancestral dwellings, and genocide monuments. Fyall and Rakic (2006) adds that the demand for heritage based tourism has been on the rise because Lowenthal (1979) states that peoples sentimental reminensce of the past is deeply affected by the parallel ongoing eradication of historical antiquities while on the other hand, Hannabuss (1999) also claims that heritage enthusiasts are immersing themsevles in heritage for the purpose of finding a rational explanation for their post-modern lives. With the controversial issues happening in everyday life, it is no wonder that heritage behaves as a touchstone in reminding people the primary essence of life. Hence, an attempt to understand the demand of heritage tourism could best be determined by initiating a study on visitor psychographic characteristics as these visitors are the primary factors pushing the demand for heritage tourism. Determining the visitor demographics can also aid in better planning and management of visitor capacity control in relation to preservation and conservati on of the heritage sites which will be discussed further in the next section. According to Hall and McArthur (1993a, as cited in Timothy and Boyd, 2003), the significance of heritage can be categorised into four different areas in relation to its economic, social, political and scientific significance. The economic significance of heritage refers to the value of the heritage to visitors, in terms of the amount of revenue earned from visitations to the sites. The social significance refers to the personal identification that individuals have to associate themselves with their heritage. In terms of its political significance, the representations of heritage can behave as an aid in managing political issues due to its political nature behind its existance. Finally, heritage educates visitors on its history, culture and the population of a destination. It also acts as a benchmark for ecological studies on the environments and ecosystems, therefore presenting itself as a scientific significance to the people (ibid.). Impacts of Tourism on Heritage Through the globalization and increasing competiveness of the tourism industry, governments, tourism organizations and agencies are continuously pushed into the whirlpool of sustainable tourism development. Bramwell and Lane (1993) states that sustainable tourism development can be implemented if the balance of the economic, environmental and social aspects of the development is realised. It is certain that every country in the world will definitely have a heritage background attached to them, however, what makes heritage tourism in a country unique is the exclusiveness of the actual heritage product itself. The characteristics and uniqueness of that particular heritage product dictates the different types of visitors and the demand of heritage tourism in the destination. With tourism, comes impacts. As mentioned in earlier sections, tourism impacts the economy, environment and the socialcultural aspects of a destination. Likewise, heritage tourism being categorised into the four different aspects of significance, will therefore impact the economy, evironment and socialcultural aspects of a destination. An influx of tourist visitations can positively or negatively affect the destination in many aspects. Prosperity of the economy, job creations, improved quality of life are some of the positive impacts whilst seasonal unemployment, social tensions, pollution of the environment are some of the negative impacts. However when it comes to heritage, tourism is known to be impacting the environmental and sociocultural aspect of the destination more often than the economical aspect, unless otherwise, the countrys tourism economy is highly dependent on heritage tourism. Tourism is known to have an intitmate relationship with the matters of heritage conservatio n and preservation; a significant element in deciding the survival of a countrys heritage Hence, the impacts caused by tourism on heritage sites are in ways similar to that of a natural environment (pollution, lost of habitat, lost of attractiveness), however, the results and repercussions are amplified due to the uniqueness of the heritage enviroment that can never have an exact replica elsewhere in the world. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Heritage Sites in Egypt Demand of Tourism in Egypt IMPACTS OF TOURISM ON HERITAGE IN EGYPT Politcal Issues in Egypt CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS GROWTH OF TOURISM IN EGYPT Tourism and Heritage in Egypt The term history can be best epitomized by the ancient Egyptian civilization than to any other ancient culture (Grimal, 1994). Egypt is probably the worlds oldest civilization from the  Nile Valley  since the 3,100 BC and is reputable for its extensive collection of historical record on civilization and the immense wealth of knowledge (SIS, 2011). Five thousand years ago, a glimpse start of Egyptss tourism began with the start of cruising (Goeldner, Ritchie and McIntosh, 2000). Queen Hatshepsuts first cruise journey is recorded on the walls of the Temple of Deit El Bahari in Luxor, where it states that the purpose of cruising at that era was for peace and tourism (ibid.). However the genesis of heritage tourism in Egypt could mainly be attributed by the smart and innovative grandeur infrastructure of the Pharaonic burial tombs such as the Sphinx and the other ancient Egyptian pyramids, which saw the first early arrivals of tourists. The start of tourism playing as a core role in the economy of Egypt came with the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 and after being announced by Khedive (Viceroy) Ismail that Egypt was to be part of Europe (www.thelonelyplanet.com). The Nile, Luxor, the ancient Pyramids of Giza and temples are what defines Egypt as a heritage destination. Egypts ancient civilization is an evidence of the evolution of mankind from the prehistoric days till the present. The rich history of Egypt acts as a connection to the distant past of humanity, which reveals mankinds greatest glories and achievements. Current Status of Egypts Tourism Industry Tourism in Egypt is a huge lucrative business that has flourish and become a major component in the economic development. Millions of tourists are travelling to Egypt each year, for the purpose of appreciating the abundance of the natural and historical phenomenon within the country (www.greenstarhotel.net). In 1995, international vis

the aztecs Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztecs were an American Indian people who ruled a mighty empire in Mexico from the 1400's to the 1500's. The Aztecs had one of the most advanced civilizations in the Americas and built cities as large as any in Europe at that time. They also practiced a remarkable religion that affected every part of their lives and featured human sacrifice. The Aztecs built towering temples, created huge sculptures, and held impressive ceremonies all for the purpose of worshipping their gods. The Spaniards destroyed their magnificent empire in the year 1521, but the Aztecs left a lasting mark on Mexican life and culture .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The majority of the Aztecs lived in what is now called the Valley of Mexico. Located at an elevation of over 7,000 feet, the large valley has housed many great cities. From the massive pyramids of Tenochtitlan, to the inhabitants of the vast hub of modern Mexico City, the great valley has been the heartland of many empires . The mighty Aztecs were the last indigenous group of people to enter the Valley of Mexico. Like many other pre-Columbian cultures, the Aztecs developed their own political system, religion, social structure, agricultural techniques, lifestyle and worldview . The Aztecs were truly unique.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The early Aztecs were semi-nomadic hunters and farmers. According to legend, in about 1000 AD the Aztecs left their mythic, island homeland of Aztlan in the desert frontiers of northern Mexico to begin their 100-year migration south to the Valley of Mexico. Led by their powerful patron god, Huiziloposhtli, they continued their migration southward, stopping along the way to plant crops, to build temples for their gods, and to offer human sacrifices in their honor . From groups they encountered as they traveled, the Aztecs adopted new customs and traditions. The Aztecs were becoming a very religious people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Aztecs reached the Valley of Mexico in about 1193, this fertile inland basin was already heavily populated and little land was left for them to colonize. The Aztecs appeared rude and uncivilized to the members of the older city-states that clustered around the basin . For about another 100 years they continued to look for a permanent home. As they continued their search they served as mercenary soldiers and servants... ...s have found the site of the Great Temple in downtown Mexico City where Tenochtitlan was once located. Archaeologists have uncovered all four sides of the building and recovered about 6,000 objects, including jewelry, pottery, statues, wall carving, and remains of human and animal sacrifices. They have also restored some other Aztec buildings. After the Spanish arrival, Aztec culture came to an abrupt end. Art, literature, customs, religious figures, and almost every trace of the Aztecs were destroyed. However, some Aztec heritage still survives in the midst of modern day Mexico. They are the largest aboriginal group in Mexico and retain their ancient Aztec language. Their religion is also a combination of Roman Catholicism and Aztec tribal religion. Thousands of people in Mexico have Aztec ancestors, and many of them speak a modern form of the language of ancient Tenochtitlan, Nahuatl. Many Mexican place names come from Nahuatl. Foods that come from the Aztec include chili, chocolate, and tacos. They have become popular in many countries. Descendants of the Aztec live many places including the United States. The Aztec civilization may be gone, but it will never be forgotten.

Quality Control

More and more companies are finding it necessary to to achieve high quality, ND consider it a major strategy objective. This essay aims to explain how companies control their organizations to produce high quality products through cases in two completely different sectors, separately service and manufacturing industries. It compares distinct method to improve quality in two company Toyota and American airline. Literature Review Quality Is an often-used concept but yet such a complex term. Many academic researches have been conducted to help us understand what Is quality.From marketing's perspective, it is about how to satisfy customer expectations to the greet extent ( Crooning 1994). Other economics and industrial organization researchers view quality in terms of vertical product differentiation between design and implementation. ( Mayer,C 1 971 ), whereas management researchers study quality in terms of organizational processes such as quality circles and total quality management (P owell,T 1995). Those definitions give a comprehensive understanding of this concept. To attempt to reach high quality, companies monitor the process of production. These actively can be defined as quality control (SQ).As Mayer (1971) said, the term control add the meaning of attempts to Insure that the design was implemented according to the plan. In other words, it is a systematic process through which the targets and standards are set and then actions are taken to correct deviations from actual performance. There are four steps in the control process according to R. Daft (1991) ,namely establish standards, measure actual performance, compare performance to standards and take corrective action. Firstly, establishing standards precisely provides a guide to workers and managers so that they can determine whether the product or service Is on target.Secondly, companies develop various quality agreements which can be observed In a period,for monthly. Thirdly, comparing performance to st andards means relating collected data and reports from actual activities to the target. When performance Is Inconsistent with the standards, inquiring approach should be taken and causes of the problem chancing work activities in order to bring them back to acceptable performance standards. When implementing the four steps above, quality control can focus on events before, during,or after the production process. Quality Control More and more companies are finding it necessary to to achieve high quality, ND consider it a major strategy objective. This essay aims to explain how companies control their organizations to produce high quality products through cases in two completely different sectors, separately service and manufacturing industries. It compares distinct method to improve quality in two company Toyota and American airline. Literature Review Quality Is an often-used concept but yet such a complex term. Many academic researches have been conducted to help us understand what Is quality.From marketing's perspective, it is about how to satisfy customer expectations to the greet extent ( Crooning 1994). Other economics and industrial organization researchers view quality in terms of vertical product differentiation between design and implementation. ( Mayer,C 1 971 ), whereas management researchers study quality in terms of organizational processes such as quality circles and total quality management (P owell,T 1995). Those definitions give a comprehensive understanding of this concept. To attempt to reach high quality, companies monitor the process of production. These actively can be defined as quality control (SQ).As Mayer (1971) said, the term control add the meaning of attempts to Insure that the design was implemented according to the plan. In other words, it is a systematic process through which the targets and standards are set and then actions are taken to correct deviations from actual performance. There are four steps in the control process according to R. Daft (1991) ,namely establish standards, measure actual performance, compare performance to standards and take corrective action. Firstly, establishing standards precisely provides a guide to workers and managers so that they can determine whether the product or service Is on target.Secondly, companies develop various quality agreements which can be observed In a period,for monthly. Thirdly, comparing performance to st andards means relating collected data and reports from actual activities to the target. When performance Is Inconsistent with the standards, inquiring approach should be taken and causes of the problem chancing work activities in order to bring them back to acceptable performance standards. When implementing the four steps above, quality control can focus on events before, during,or after the production process.

How Relevant is Reith’s Idea of Public Service Broadcasting in Relation to Contemporary Television? Essay

The beginning of the 20th century saw the dawn of a new form of power. A means to communicate with thousands, and eventually millions of people simultaneously, to convey your ideas across a whole nation in a matter of seconds. This power was broadcasting. Broadcasting at the time was seen as a public utility, and as the wave spectrum was limited, the government got involved in its distribution. It decided the best way to fund broadcasting was a license fee. A British Broadcasting Company (which in 1927 would become the British Broadcasting Corporation) was formed, and on November 14th 1922, after over a million ten-shilling licenses were sold, it started transmissions. The first managing director of this company was John Reith, a Scotsman with a background in engineering. When he signed up for the job he did not even know what broadcasting meant, and yet he would very soon shape the future of broadcasting in Britain for the next 80 years. In 1925, for the Crawford report, Reith was asked for his opinion on broadcasting. He came up with several ideas about it, ideas that are still in use to this very day. He also came up with this phrase: Public Service Broadcasting. Reith believed that broadcasting should be a public service. It was overseen by the government, controlled by the General Post Office, and paid for by the people who used it. As a public service, public service broadcasting (PSB) should have an ethos, and Reith put forth some ideas that would stay in the PSB charter (and in the BBC’s mission statement) for years to come. One of the utmost concerns of Reith was that PSB had to educate as well as inform. Not only did the BBC have to relate events as they happened but also to educate the masses with science, nature or history programming. We must not forget that in the 1920’s most of the BBC’s listeners would not have had any real education past the age of 14. Another of Reith’s priorities was that all that possessed a wireless anywhere in Great Britain, be it in the center of London or the far end of the Hebrides, could access the BBC’s services. This universality of access would ensure that wherever you lived, you would have the same opportunities to be informed and educated by the BBC, thus putting the whole population on equal terms. Important to Reith as well was the public sector status that the BBC should have. That way it was not run for some anonymous shareholders who would only be interested in higher dividends, but in fact financed by the people who actually listened to it and later watched it. This would ensure that the quality of the programs was rewarded, rather than fulfilling the agenda of a handful of bankers. The BBC also had to lead popular taste rather than follow it. As Richard Hooper, chair of the radio authority said, the BBC had to offer â€Å"the Reithian ‘what audiences need’ not just ‘what audiences want'†. The corporation’s task was to innovate and give the public new areas of thought to explore. However in doing so, the BBC had to remain popular, as it was still the people paying for the programmes productions. The BBC also had to promote social and national unity, making programmes that catered for minority groups, and as the same time, sending out an image of national identity that all these groups could relate to together, thus creating national unity, a difficult task in the United Kingdom which has an â€Å"immensely varied national identity† (John Birt, director general of the BBC 1998) The promotion of democracy was also a major issue, and this was put to the test during the 1926 general strikes. The result was seen as inconclusive by some as Reith only allowed the prime minister to have his say and not the opposing parties. His arguments were that the BBC is the people’s service and the government was the people’s choice, so the BBC backed the government. But above all, Reith wanted the BBC programming to be of exceptionally high standards, and this at every level. The engineering had to be of very high quality, as did the programs. The information contained in them had to be accurate and up to date. â€Å"Our responsibility is to carry into the greatest number of homes everything that is best in every department of human knowledge, endeavour and achievement.†(Lord Reith). Reith also wanted a high moral tone to be respected at all times. Dress codes had to be respected when broadcasting, even if the BBC only produced radio programs at the time. Reith stopped a divorcee violinist playing on the BBC, as divorce was not in accordance with the moral tone of the BBC. Reith had very precise ideas about how he thought public service broadcasting should be run. These ideas were turned into the mission statement of the BBC. However this ethos was thought up nearly 80 years ago. Those 80 years have seen a lot of changes; changes in society that makes our contemporary lifestyle very different from life in the 1920’s. Are Reith’s ideas of public service broadcasting relevant to contemporary television? Can we apply the same ideas we did 80 years ago to media today, or are we forced to modify them? Or even change them completely? Some of Reith’s ideas are actually still applicable to contemporary public service broadcasting, and are still a part of PSB’s ethos. However with the arrival of satellite TV, speciality channels, otherwise known as narrowcasting, some of his ideas seem more difficult to apply to contemporary television. We know have in England four analogue public service broadcasting channels: BBC1, BBC2, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Even though the two latter ones do carry advertising, they are still public service broadcasting channels, in comparison to ITV, which is privately owned. There are some PSB digital channels being rolled out by the BBC, like BBC choice (soon to be replaced by BBC3), Cbeebies, a children’s channel, BBC4 and a learning zone channel). However these are not yet widely available, as not many households possess digital receivers yet. Let us look at the â€Å"terrestrial† channels, and how they measure up to Reith’s ideas. Firstly Reith wanted to inform and educate. BBC1 carries the BBC’s news bulletins as well as documentaries and educational programs. BBC2 carries a lot of educational programs for children in the mornings, many factual programs during peak time in the evening, and learning zone at night. Channel4 also has educational and factual programs but only one news program albeit of high quality. Channel 5 has short news bulletins on the hour every hour and â€Å"super serves for the pre-school age group† (C5 corporate web site).However, these do not make up the most of these channels’ programming grid. The majority of it is filled with dramas, soaps, gameshows and films. The BBC, as do channel 4 and channel 5 now set out to educate, inform and entertain and not necessarily in that order. However a technique known as hammocking which consists of putting a â€Å"low rating† show in between two â€Å"high rating† ones does try and educate us: having finished wa tching one show and waiting for the other, we can learn about the life of wild flies in Africa for instance. Unfortunately, in the days of cable and satellite, when people have scores of channels to chose from, research shows that viewers tend to change over to other channels rather than watching these shows. The competition between the PSB channels and cable or satellite TV is forcing PSB to include more entertainment. Reith wanted PSB to be accessible all over Great Britain. The BBC and C4 have met these requirements. However C5 has not. The reception of this channel is very irregular: good in some areas (depending on the weather), bad in some others, and non-existent in a few areas. Channel 5 is trying to remedy this by being carried by many different technologies: cable, satellite and digital, but not everyone has this diversity of receivers. Public sector status was also one of Reith’s priorities, as it meant independence. The BBC has the same status as it did when it was launched, however it has been forced to start selling its shows abroad to make profits. Channel 4 and channel 5 have both public sector status. Even though they carry advertising, they do not have to report to a board of shareholders. Public service broadcasting had to lead popular taste. The BBC, true to its nature still does, with a wider variety of innovating shows. Channel 4 prides itself as being an innovative and experimental channel, and it does offer us some shows that make us think, even at the cost of risking heavy criticism. This happened in 2001 when a spoof news show â€Å"Brass eye† offended many viewers while trying to make a serious point. Channel 5’s programming however resembles more the private commercial channels’, using lowest common denominator programming. Reith wanted PSB to promote national and social unity, to cater for minority groups, and also to establish a sense of identity. The BBC still caters for many minority groups, showing a wide variety of different genres, from opera ( a typically low rating program) to The Simpsons. Channel 4 carries a very wide spectrum of shows catering for many different minorities: a few years ago it shocked the nation by showing the first totally gay drama â€Å"queer as folk†, but it shows more the different communities in Britain rather than establishing a national unity. The promotion of democracy was also among Reith’s ideas. This is done by the BBC with party political broadcasts, or news shows and satirical takes on the British politics. However occasionally the BBC, especially in times coming up to it’s licence renewal, has been said to favour the government in place at the time, to be sure it’s licence would be renewed as it would like it to be. Channel 4 promotes democracy in the form of documentaries and current affairs programs. One of the most important aspect of Reith’s vision of public service broadcasting was high standards and a high moral tone throughout. High standards for the BBC and channel 4 are usually met. The quality not only of programming but also of the production is one of the highest in Europe. Channel 5’s programming however could not be called high standard. Reith demanded high moral tone. The director general of the BBC John Birt told this anecdote about the BBC under Reith in a speech he made in 1998 to celebrate the 75 years of the corporation: When the most popular comedians of their day, Clapham and Dwyer, had cracked a seaside-postcard joke (which does not quite – I warn you – stand the test of time) ‘What’s the difference between a baby and a champagne cork? One’s got the maker’s name on its bottom’ – they were banned from radio and an apology was broadcast on the Nine O’clock News for their grave lapse of taste. This shows that moral tone has changed in 80 years, and that if PSB were to observe the same moral code as in the 1930’s, TV would not be credible. This kind of tone can only be found in comedy shows like â€Å"Harry Enfield and chums† where we see two characters observing this code. Nowadays, if PSB is to cater for all minorities, the moral code has to change: if any of the public service channels banned a violinist as Reith did because she was a divorcee, they would be fined by regulations authorities. Our society has become much more tolerant, and public service broadcasting reflects this on all channels. Most of Reith’s ideas about PSB are relevant to contemporary PSB channels. However commercial channels do not abide by these ethics. Graham Murdock said that â€Å"audiences are addressed by PSB as citizens, not consumers† as they are by commercial channels. The aim of these channels it to make as much money as they can through advertising, and to achieve this they need ratings. This compromises on quality and does not allow them to do things that PSB can and must: address audiences that advertisers are not interested in, thus catering for everyone. The future is bringing a new challenge: digital channels. These will be able to target much more precise audiences: catering for minorities or better aimed advertising? Only time will tell, but if PSB has managed to survive 80 years, with changes as radical as the introduction of TV, there is no reason to think it will not survive in the digital age. Auntie is here to stay. BIBLIOGRAPHY Articles: A.C. Grayling The man who made the BBC (Financial times 8.10.93) Paul Valley Lost in a moral maze (Independent 26.03.96) Great Scots: lord Reith (Sunday herald 19.12.99) Books: Branston and Stafford (2001) Media student’s book second edition Internet: BBCi http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/743171.stm http://www.bbc.co.uk/thenandnow/history/1920s-1.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/news/news245.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/news/ieelecture.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/thenandnow/educate_home.shtml Channel 4 http://www.channel4.com/about_c4/promises_2001/promises_intro2.html Cultsock http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/media/peacock.html Radio authority http://www.radioauthority.org.uk/newsroom/speeches/archive/A%20Sound%20View%20of%20Public%20Service%20Broadcasting%20-%2029.1.htm