Explain how Hill and Golding present death in I’m the King of the Castle and Lord of the Flies respectively? Essay

Hill and Golding both utilise the techniques of symbolism, varied settings and physical death of the character to present death. Overall I think that Hill generally presents death more effectively than Golding, because she generally provides more development throughout her novel, which ultimately leads to the death of Kingshaw. Hill and Golding both use the techniques of symbolism dead stating that â€Å"the inside of its mouth was scarlet† with the adjective â€Å"scarlet† interesting as it has connotations of death and of blood. I think this description of the crow is also a subtle form of prolepsis as the crow is initially portrayed as a normal crow, but as Hill describes the crow further; it is evidently a symbol of death, much like Warings. What is interesting to note about the crow is that it is also described as having â€Å"ragged black wings†- the word ragged could symbolise the aftermath of violence, much like Kingshaw’s exposure to violence later on in the novel and the adjective black is a symbol of death. Another aspect of symbolism regarding the crow is when the crow â€Å"circles over Kingshaw†, symbolically death looms over Kingshaw. This is comparable to the symbolism of death in Lord of the Flies where â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† also symbolises death: one example of this is when the Lord of the Flies states â€Å"we’re going to have fun†- it is a statement, rather than a question, an imperative. The â€Å"fun† that is described refers to evil, ultimately the death of Simon. Another description of the Lord of the Flies describes that is particularly important is when Simon looks at the Lord of the Flies and sees â€Å"blackness† within, a â€Å"blackness that spread†. Perhaps this symbolises not only death, but death spreading throughout the island as other characters are killed. I feel this description also has significance because both Hill and Golding use â€Å"colours† to symbolise death, the colour black. The authors also differ as Hills descriptions are far more graphical, for example the crow, whereas Golding is far more subtle in his description of The Lord of the Flies. I believe that Hills graphic description is more effective at portraying death, her descriptions are far more explicit but some readers may argue this to be a disadvantage as her symbols are too clichà ©d. I think Golding is not as effective because his descriptions are a little more implicit, and hence loses some of the value that his symbol provides in portraying death. Another way in which Hill shows death is through the use of settings. Warings is described as â€Å"being in full night† with â€Å"the yew branches [†¦] overhanging the windows†. Hills typical gothic description to a modern reader is a clear signal of death, especially the Yew branches which also symbolise death. The â€Å"moonlight† suggests a sense of coldness in Warings, like a dead person for example. Warings is also described as â€Å"dark† and â€Å"damp† which emphasises Hills initial description of Warings. This is comparable to Golding’s description â€Å"of the unfriendly side of the island†- a â€Å"place of terror†. This is an explicit meaning, terror and death are linked. Arguably, Castle Rock is the heart of the â€Å"unfriendly side of the island†, Castle Rock is described as being â€Å"the end of the island†, literally the furthest away from the island once compared to paradise. The word â€Å"end† echoes the end of life- supported by the statement â€Å"we shan’t dream to much hear† , perhaps Golding implicitly stating that no one dreams in Castle Rock because death is the end of dreams. Once again I feel that Hill has been more successful at portraying death. Whilst her terms are clichà ©d, she adds a greater degree of subtlety in her descriptions as well, for example the â€Å"moonlight†, the implicit means have greater depth to them, unlike Golding’s explicit descriptions. Finally Hill also presents death in a physical manner as well as through description, through the death of Kingshaw. When Kingshaw dies, it shows death on a physical level, but it may also have a deeper meaning. It was evident from the start of the book, that Kingshaw’s death loomed, however the death signifies the death of the protagonist and victory for the antagonist. This is arguably the death of â€Å"innocence†. This is comparable to Golding’s portrayal of Piggy’s death, describing Piggy’s moments before his death: â€Å"he heard it before he saw it†- the verb heard suggests once again Piggy’s death always loomed, rather like Kingshaw’s. Unlike the death of Kingshaw however, Piggy’s death signals the death of rational, not innocence. I think that Hill has been more effective at portraying death because her description of Kingshaw creates far more emotion rather than the death of Piggy, Golding’s descriptions are too dull. In summary both authors portray death through the use symbolism, settings and physical death. I think that portrayal of death is very effective, especially Hills description. Hill develops her characters throughout her novel, and when Kingshaw dies it is a genuine shock to the reader. Because of Golding’s lack of development, Piggy’s death is not as emotional as Kingshaw’s.

Describe why schools have policies and procedures Essay

Identify the main types of state and independent schools and describe the characteristics of different types of schools in relation to educational stages and school governance. The majority of state funded schools are maintained by local authorities and follow the national curriculum, national pay and conditions, they are overseen by local authority. The differences over state schools are who their staff, who owns the land and buildings and who controls admissions for example. Community schools are run by local authority and the local authorities employs the staff, owns the land and buildings and decide the admission policy. However, foundation and trust schools are run by the governing body but are maintained by local authority. They employ their own staff and decide their own admissions policy and the land and building are usually owned by the governing body or charity and is non-profitable. Both examples follow the national curriculum and the educational key stages. Key stage 1: 3-5 yrs Key stage 2: 5-7 yrs Key stage 3&4: 11-16 yrs Key stage 5: 16-18yrs Every state school has a governing body, the type and size of the school will decide the size of the governing body. The responsibilities vary for example community schools governing body consists of a specific number of governors for various categories, the following categories are parent governor, staff governor, authority governor and community governor. Foundation and trust schools usually decide their own governing body. Both have the role of monitoring schools process and setting targets. So basically they are both state school, but local authority runs community and foundation and run by governing body but maintained my LEA. Independent schools are not maintained by local authority or central government, they do not have to follow national curriculum but most choose to do so. The head and the governors decide on admission policies and staffing and the framework and structure of the school, they are obliged to register with the DfE so they can be monitored by ISI. They are profit  running schools and some have charitable status so they can apply for tax relief. Most independent schools educational stages are as follows: Prep school: 4-11yrs Senior school: 11-16yrs Sixth form: 16-18yrs The different types of independent schools are based on where the schools funding comes from for example. Parochial schools are mostly funded by religious groups and managed by the religious institution to which they belong. The schools are usually governed by interim executive board of governors where they have foundation governors which are appointed by the religion they are associated with. One of the main missions would be to teach the religion the school is associated with. Whereas proprietary or private career schools they are profit based schools and the schools directors are not ruled by the governing body if they choose to have a governing body. The main mission for these schools would be occupationally related education and market related. Whereas if proprietary school choose to have a governing body it is a limited system of governance, they are chosen by the governing body there and the proprietor with the proprietor having the final say in all matters.

International Insurance Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

International Insurance Law - Assignment Example The fundamentals of insurance law make it applicable to various streams of operations. In the English laws, varied applications of insurance law are considered under the Insurance Act 2015. Section 14(1) of this Act defines insurance law in terms that â€Å"Any rule of law permitting a party to a contract of insurance to avoid the contract on the ground that the utmost good faith has not been observed by the other party is abolished†. Considerably, in this context, it is worth mentioning that the insurance law applicable under the mentioned Act has evolved with time and has been changed as deemed appropriate to the current legislative contexts, having an impact on insurance contracts. In its recent changes, the law commission has been concerned with the applicability of the Act, which now ranges to a more diversified platform of insurance and reinsurance contracts. These reforms have been most visible in relation to the ‘test of materiality of non-disclosure and misrepre sentation’, ‘the way of performance of the duty of good faith’, and ‘the remedies assured in compensation to the breach of the duty of good faith’. These changes have further been speculated to impose significant impacts on the industry operations, ranging to various sectors. Besides imposing effects on the common law approaches, the changes and reforms made in Insurance Act 2015 are also asserted to deliver special focus on Marine Insurance Act (MIA 1906) norms with regard to the stated dimensions.

Research Article Analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article Analysis - Research Paper Example The research realizes a need to draw comparative judgment between various European jurisdictions in order to identify the differences in juvenile criminal procedure and reforms which exist specially after the devolution within the UK. Design The design of the research is mostly analytical with comparisons drawn between the differing localities and the legislations between them. Since the United Kingdom engulfs several legal entities within it such as Ireland, Wales, and England, comparisons are quickly drawn between the ways the same law is adjudicated within these countries. It utilizes the constitution as a source while considering the conventions of the United Nations as well as the devolved legislations as supplementary sources. The research does comprise statistical figures but mainly draws from scholarly articles and official documents that contain the requisite legal information, such as the Constitution and the Home Office documents. The emphasis is on the effect of such laws on juvenile delinquency and hence, incorporates statistical figures of young criminals between the four primary United Kingdom territories of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales. Operational Definition of Juvenile The youth is distinguished from juveniles with respect to legal terminology and as such, juveniles are those children to whom criminal sanctions may be awarded as appropriated by the law of the respective country in which the crime is committed. In criminal terms, juveniles in England are considered to be children between the ages of 12 and 18 where as in Scotland, they fall between the age of 10 and 16. Inductive logic The devolution of the National Assemblies to Ireland and Wales has resulted in separate punitive measures with regards to criminal justice such that each country in the United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland) has its own set of policies governing the youth justice system as well as their welfare. The differences exist as a result of the aim within jurisdictions to strike a balance between â€Å"rights compliance, cost-effectiveness, prevention, early intervention, diversion, social inclusion, treatments or punishment† (Muncie) keeping local perspectives in mind. Thus, it is concluded that there can be no concrete measure to establish a uniform legal order with regards to the youth justice system across the United Kingdom. Deductive logic The research also states the impact of having a separate legislature within a devolved regime. Since Scotland has its own parliament and is therefore independent of the parliament of England and Wales, it enacts its own laws that pertain to juvenile justice. It abolished juvenile courts and promoted youth correction by a process known as hearing, which essentially involved laymen as judges accompanied by officials that promoted child welfare and criminal correction. However, while this process has been credited as pioneering, Scotland is still trying the highest number of young criminals aged between 16 and 18 in the United Kingdom, that too in adult courts subject to adult criminal sanctions. Thus, the research concludes that a separate parliament/legislature does not equate to better juvenile justice structure or a safer discourse for children. Nature of study: Quantitative or Qualitative The study conducts a qualitative analysis of scholarly resources as well as official documents in order to draw comparisons between the juvenile justice systems of

Social Inequality and the Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Inequality and the Law - Case Study Example (ii) There is another matter that, both of them are black murder cases. The judgment and the subsequent actions are said to be based on the fact that the victims were blacks. It is another similarity with the two cases that no offender was found even after a very pinpoint search. As in accordance with the changes in British law that came as an effect of the case of Stephen Lawrence James' father would have aremedy. David Blunkett who was a Home Secretary of Bratain introduced that, the Parliament of Britain forfited the provision against double jeopardy that was previously a strict prohibition. If there is a new and compelling evidence, retrials are now allowed. This is a positive aspect of James father.After the passing of The Race Relations (Amendment) Act (RRAA) 2000,it is more easy for the father of James to go to the Court and get a remedy from the Government. Whether the poor people, women and those from Black and minority ethnic classes are often barred from accessing to justice that is totally dependent on the practice of a state and the people live there. By proven information it can be stated that there is a relation between the race people and the police regarding the combating against racism. Because of institutional racism, or by mixing with other people from other ethnic communities through social events, some of the institutions supply an environment where users can change themselves into basic stream of the society by entering the offices from which they have enjoyed less access. Social justice and Social inclusion is necessary to guarantee full citizenship. Shifting conditions and formative culture are the suggestion of removing entire impartiality. Privilege of every proceeds, fortification and other obligatory requirements; recompense and life likelihood for all; and falling or diminishing excessive inequalities are the keys to take the behind people ahead. The major conference summit of the equalities program has been to protect strict groups from grievance, domination or exploitation, and agonize. There have been groups with natural behavior to struggle against femininity, disability and sexual course. In this situation there is a problem to broaden the religious relationship, social source, tongue and political thinking and opinions - and to focus on celebrating diversity and understanding how inequality arises and how they can be discussed. Service, goods and services in restricted access, under-representation in political, economic and community decis ion making; grass root level people in society; separation, i.e., through restricted employment opportunities; express unfairness; as well as pestering, threats and aggression are aspects of variation in rights. Almost every people in white groups can not take help from full citizenship - they are socially disqualified. Discrimination is of the processes that deny people from full nationality. Social justice can be best acquired through considering the dissimilar wishes of white classes. The requirements of women using public convey, given private security concerns, may vary to the

Discussion Board - JIT Just In Time Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Board - JIT Just In Time - Assignment Example ion in small quantities, production based on the Masters schedule of production and orders, reduced wastage, improvement of production flow continuously, as well as improvement of quality of production and many more. This paper will narrow on Production in accordance with the Masters schedule of production and order as the key principle. This will be examined in relation to Pizza Pizzeria as a company that has adopted the principle. Production in accordance with the Masters schedule of production and orders is a principle that only makes production based on the orders received from the customers. The goal of this production is to ensure that the goods and services that are produced are all consumed by the customers and there is no wastage at all. This is the principle that Pizza Pizzeria has adopted in its production. The company only produces based on the orders that it receives from the clients. Though this mode of operation was originally meant for Pizza production, the company has extended this mode of production to the entire foodstuff it sells. This production has ensured that Pizza Pizzeria does not inquire any losses as a matter of wastage. The principle works positively to the company since even the customers are aware that they would have to wait for their food to be processed. Customers now make it their habit to use their premise as a meeting place where they can meet as they wait for their food to be ready. Beckford, C. L., & Campbell, D. R. (2013). Domestic food production and food security in the Caribbean building capacity and strengthening local food production systems. New York, NY: Palgrave

Petrarchs letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Petrarchs letter - Essay Example Some people are only interested in the type and age of the rocks on such mountains, and the type of plant and animal life in such places. Yet some see these rocks and cliff edges as another challenge they need to conquer. But there are those who speak of beyond just knowledge and conquest. Such works by Petrarch have made him to be considered as the father of renaissance and one of the earliest humanists (Clarion Journey par 1-2). Being someone that toured Europe for fun, even earning the name â€Å"the First Tourist†, he set to climb Mount Ventoux. Going against every warning not to reach the peak of the mountain and armed with a novel by St. Augustine that is believed to have fallen open on the ground exposing certain parts that led to engage in deep reflection Petrarch went ahead with his excursion. The warnings he received and the words of St. Augustine’s novel opened his mind and led him to turn to his inner soul rather than the outer world as evidenced by his words â€Å"I was completely satisfied with what I had seen of the mountain and turned my inner eye toward myself. From this hour nobody heard me say a word until we arrived at the bottom.† (Hà ¶rnqvist par. 17). This moment of awareness as he went down Mount Ventoux is considered as the beginning of renaissance. Being the father of humanism and the father of renaissance, he was the first to link Christian philosophy with classic culture. He suggested that humans were given a variety of intellectual and creative potential that can be used as preferred. These humanist philosophical ideas gave rise to the renaissance. His journey on Mount Ventoux was more for luxury rather than a necessity. His journey to the mountain is what led him to write the letter to his friend and also his confessor Dionigi Di Borgo San Sepolcro. In the letter, he states that he had been inspired by the climbing of Mount Haemus by Philip V of Macedon as

Three pieces of legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Three pieces of legislation - Essay Example The safety here does not only include physical safety but it also includes protection and fortification against hostility and mistreatment. This act sets up certain responsibilities for the management (employers) as well as workers. The management is responsible for producing and executing a harassment and violence policy, for providing proper guidance and training opportunities to the workers, for recruiting people of proper age group, for making availability of emergency products and programs. Moreover the management should also have the health and safety program in black and white. The workers on the other hand are also assigned with certain responsibilities which are; they should take appropriate care of themselves and they should be careful that behavior and attitude should not affect others workers in a negative way, they are bound to pursue the protection measures in the organization, they should take part in the training and guidance programs, they should be very precautious and careful while using the machines they should also put on all the safety measures that are required, they should collaborate with the management and health committee in order to solve health and safety problems.

Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt Essay Example for Free

Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt Essay Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a socio-religious practice that is very prevalent in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It entails the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia for cultural or any other non-therapeutic purpose. As of 1999, at least 130 million girls and women were believed to have undergone FGM. In the same year, it was estimated that about 2 million girls are at risk of being subjected to some form of the procedure every year (WHO 3). FGM is criticized mainly for its detrimental effects on a woman’s physical and psychological health. Girls and women who had been subjected to FGM may die of hemorrhage, shock, urinary tract infections or tetanus (WHO 21). They may likewise experience psychological disorders such as severe depression, anxiety and psychosomatic illnesses (Markle, Fisher and Smego 79). Advocates of FGM, however, claim that Islam requires the practice in order to preserve a woman’s chastity (WHO 6). The actual origins of FGM are very obscure – ethnologists and historians have come up with different theories regarding the existence of the practice. While FGM is commonly associated with Islam, historical evidence shows that the former has predated the latter by at least 1,200 years. The procedure was believed to have been first discussed by the Greek historian Herodotus (484 – 425 BC) (Bullough and Bullough 205). According to his writings, the Ethiopians, the Hittites and the Phoenicians during the 5th century BC were already practicing FGM (UNFPA n. pag. ). The early Romans, the Egyptians and the Arabs likewise performed FGM – there are historical accounts of Egyptian mummies exhibited signs of having undergone the procedure (UNFPA n. pag. ). For the ancient Egyptians, FGM was regarded as a sign of distinction among the aristocracy (Momoh 5). In Western Europe and the United States, FGM was known as clitoridectomy. Until the 1950s, doctors in these regions used clitoridectomy to treat â€Å"ailments† in women such as hysteria, mental disorders, nymphomania, masturbation and lesbianism (UNFPA n. pag. ). FGM is usually done on girls between 8 to 10 years old. Reproductive health experts, however, point out that the procedure is already being carried out on younger girls – there have been cases wherein infant girls were subjected to FGM just a few days after their birth (WHO 147). FGM is classified into four general types: a. Type I – Excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or the entire clitoris. b. Type II – Excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora. c. Type III – Excision of part or the entire external genitalia and the stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation) (Momoh 6). d. Type IV – Pricking, piercing or incising of the clitoris and or the labia; scraping of tissue surrounding the vaginal orifice; cutting of the vagina and or the introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina to induce bleeding or to tighten the opening (UNFPA n. pag. ). FGM is usually performed by traditional midwifes or village barbers. They use unsterilized instruments such as razor blades, knives, broken glass, scissors or sharpened stones. Furthermore, they conduct procedures without anesthetic in unhygienic settings (WHO, 148). A new phenomenon, however, has emerged in the recent years – the â€Å"medicalization† of FGM. Despite laws banning the practice of FGM, hospitals in Egypt, Kenya and Sudan now clandestinely perform the procedure. Under the pretext of an illness, female teenagers in these countries are circumcised in the hospital either early in the morning or late at night. The procedure is done during these hours in order to evade detection and arrest. The punishment for performing FGM is relatively stiff – a $625 fine or incarceration for up to a year. But doctors willingly look the other way for the money – medical practitioners in Kenya, for instance, are paid between $37 and $125 for every procedure they perform. Traditional practitioners, in sharp contrast, could charge only as much as $25 (Nzwili n. pag. ). Egypt’s current problem with FGM can be traced back to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. The ICPD was held in Cairo – supposedly a turning point in the understanding of health, development and women’s rights in the Islamic world. Critics, however, pointed out that the Cairo Program of Action merely â€Å"forwarded a holistic vision of the connections between sexual ad reproductive health and women’s economic autonomy, social and political equality, access to education and freedom from violence† (Chavkin and Chesler 35). The issues regarding the right of women to control their sexuality and the relevance of this right to achieving health and social justice were inadequately discussed (Chavkin and Chesler 35). Despite this shortcoming, the ICPD managed to transform the issue of FGM from a relatively low-profile subject into matter of national debate. Conservative religious leaders who participated in the conference and their allies in the Egyptian press expressed their approval of FGM by claiming that it is an important part of national and religious identity. Progressive women’s groups, on the other hand, argued that the practice perpetuated the inferior status of women in Egyptian society. In the process, this dispute on FGM showed that the topic of women’s rights is simply a means for Egyptian politicians to attain popularity among the electorate (Chavkin and Chesler 35). Eager to make a good impression on all the foreign delegates of the ICPD, particularly on those from the West, the Egyptian minister of health stated that FGM was already a dying practice in Egypt. But on the very next day, CNN reported about the circumcision of a young girl that took place somewhere in Cairo (Chavkin and Chesler 35). The minister, in an act of political face-saving, declared that the Egyptian government was determined to confront and put an end to the practice. In order to appease Egypt’s conservative sector, meanwhile, he signed an ambivalent decree which allowed only public medical facilities to perform FGM. The law even included provisions which set standard fees and special days when families could book appointments (Chavkin and Chesler 36). The aforementioned aftermath of the ICPD showed the greatest obstacle towards fully implementing anti-FGM policies and programs not just in Egypt but in all other countries that practice FGM – the reconciliation of universal imperatives of human rights with the values of local cultures. The same dilemma also hounded other FGM-related fatalities, particularly the death of four-year-old Egyptian girl Amira Hassan. She died in 1996 due to anesthesia-related complications while undergoing FGM. Instead of pressing charges against the doctor, Ezzat Shehat, Hassan’s parents simply dismissed her demise as â€Å"a will of God† (HURINet n. pag. ). They believed that subjecting their daughter to FGM was their duty as good Muslims (HURINet n. pag. ). Most Egyptians continue to believe in the said relationship between FGM and Islam. A 2005 UNICEF report on the practice revealed that about 97% of women between 15 and 49 years old were subjected to circumcision (Reuters-AlertNet n. pag. ). Despite a 2008 law which renders FGM punishable by three months to two years in prison and a fine of LE 1,000 to LE 5,000, the practice continues to be secretly carried out in Egypt. According to the country’s conservative and religious groups, FGM is necessary to maintain a woman’s chastity (Samaan n. pag. ). Indeed, cultural and religious beliefs are also major factors behind the issue of FGM in Egypt. The practice has already existed long before the advent of Islam. And for a good reason – patriarchy was already in existence even before the emergence of religion. For a patriarchal society to survive, female sexuality must be limited and controlled (Turshen 146). FGM is regarded as one of the most effective means of controlling a woman’s sexuality. The clitoris, the labia minora and the labia majora – the organs removed in FGM – enable a woman to enjoy sexual intercourse. In a patriarchal society, women are not supposed to experience the pleasures of sex. They are supposed to be sexless beings, faithfully serving their respective families and engaging in sex only for the purpose of procreation. Women who do otherwise are considered promiscuous (Turshen 146). It is therefore believed that circumcised women are less likely to be unchaste and commit adultery. In addition, FGM is viewed as a means of emphasizing femininity. When a woman is circumcised, the parts of her body that are metaphorically seen as male, such as the pubic hair and the clitoris, are removed. During ancient times, it was believed that the clitoris â€Å"would grow and protrude like the (penis)† (Turshen 150). Men, on the other hand, undergo circumcision in order to enhance their sexuality. Male circumcision entails the cutting of the foreskin of the penis. A circumcised penis is believed to be more responsive to sexual arousal than an uncircumcised one; thus the ancient belief that circumcision is necessary for virility. Furthermore, a circumcised penis is easier to keep clean. Circumcision eliminates the formation of smegma, a combination of oil, moisture and dead skin cells which serves as a lubricant during sexual intercourse (Turshen 146). Islam does not directly state that all Muslims must be circumcised regardless of gender. However, much of the existing Islamic literature today emphasizes a special link between Islam and FGM (Turshen 151). The most well-known hadith (oral traditions that record the Prophet Muhammad’s speech and actions) about FGM tells of a debate between Muhammad and Um Atiyyah, a woman who used to circumcise female slaves. Muhammad was said to have asked Um Atiyyah if she continued to practice her profession (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). She said she did, adding that she would not stop doing so â€Å"unless it is forbidden and you order me to stop doing it† (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). He then replied, â€Å"Yes, it is allowed. Come closer so I can teach you: if you cut, do not overdo it (la tanhiki), because it brings more radiance to the face (ashraq) and it is more pleasant (ahza) for the husband† (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). Since the first centuries of Islam, however, Muslim scholars have been scrutinizing the authenticity of the hadiths. They believe that majority of the hadiths were â€Å"contradictory and (contained) affirmations that gave a bad impression of the Islamic religion† (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). In lieu of the hadiths, Muslim scholars came up with their own explanations behind the association of FGM with Islam. The first theory was that FGM was a means of saving women from the degradation that they experienced in the pre-Islamic era. For the Muslims, the pre-Islamic era was the â€Å"Age of Ignorance† – a period of corruption, bloodshed, moral turpitude and social chaos (Akhtar 23). Women in the pre-Islamic era had few rights. The practice of burying infant females in the sand was very rampant. Those who managed to live to adulthood, meanwhile, had no other means of survival except through prostitution (Akhtar 23). It has been mentioned earlier that the organs removed in FGM – the clitoris, the labia minora and the labia majora – enable a woman to enjoy sexual intercourse. By removing these organs, therefore, it was expected that women would no longer take pleasure in sexual intercourse and abandon prostitution in the process. The second theory is that some Islamic societies might have acquired the practice of FGM from other cultures or religions. During Muhammad’s time, the Jews were considered as the elite of Arab society. Consequently, it became inevitable that Islam was influenced by Jewish doctrines and practices such as circumcision (Denniston, Hodges and Milos 148). But this begs the question of how come even Muslim females are circumcised – the Jews circumcise only males. The answer is that Islam might have tailored certain Jewish doctrines and practices to suit its own objectives. One of the objectives of Islam was to uplift the status of women (Akhtar 23). In order to achieve this goal, Islam put its own flavor to the Jewish practice of circumcision. As a result, even Muslim women were required to undergo circumcision. Despite varying explanations regarding the origins and purposes of FGM, one thing is certain – it is not without detrimental physical and psychological effects. The most immediate negative effects of FGM are severe pain and hemorrhage, which, in turn, can result in hypovolaemic shock and death. Other direct effects include abscesses, wound contamination and local infections – obvious results of performing the procedure in unhygienic surroundings using unsterilized tools (WHO 149). FGM also has substantial long-term risks. The practice usually obstructs the drainage of urine, vaginal secretions and menstrual blood. This occurrence, in turn, results in chronic pelvic infections, menstrual dysfunction and menstrual pain. Urinary retention, meanwhile, leads to chronic urinary tract infection and renal damage. When menstrual blood is unable to flow out of the body, abdominal pain and swelling ensue (WHO 149). The abdominal distention that circumcised women experience due to the lack of menstrual flow has been misinterpreted as a pregnancy. As a result, some circumcised but unmarried women have been subjected to honor killings – killed by their male relatives in order to preserve the honor of their clan. FGM also exposes a woman to the risk of contracting HIV. Unsterilized instruments may transmit HIV-infected blood into an HIV-negative patient (WHO 149). Women who underwent FGM may also experience difficulties in sexual intercourse after the procedure. Penetration may either be painful or impossible due to a narrow introitus. Prolonged postcoital bleeding and anorgasmia may likewise take place. In some cases, surgery was necessary to open up the vagina for penetration (WHO 150). FGM may render a woman infertile. Chronic pelvic infections often lead to the obstruction of the fallopian tubes. The latter is one of the most common causes of ectopic pregnancy, which can lead to the death of both the mother and the baby. Narrowing of the introitus, meanwhile, may force a couple to use the anus or the urethra for sexual intercourse. Fluctuating hormones during pregnancy put circumcised women at more risk for genital and urinary tract infections than their uncircumcised counterparts (WHO 150). The most common psychological disorders among circumcised women are depression and anxiety – they have to conform to parental and societal expectations while dealing with pain, complicated recovery and other long-term health effects. Painful sexual intercourse may result in them having immensely traumatic memories of their wedding night. Circumcised women also have to live each day in fear – they constantly view each cyst that grows in them as a possible symptom of cancer or other serious ailment (WHO 152). When the physical pain becomes too much for them to endure, they might resort to suicide. Female genital mutilation is one of the worst forms of violence that can be inflicted on a woman. In an effort to tie her to the home, she is horribly mutilated and made to live in constant pain for the rest of her life. A circumcised woman is also made to live in fear. She is constantly warned by society that to avoid circumcision is to face ostracism and even condemnation. Much still has to be done before FGM will finally be abolished. But the first step remains to be education. Societies must be made aware of the importance of educating girls. Numerous studies have already proven that girls who have attained basic education are healthier and are less likely to die in childbirth than those who did not. When the members of a particular society – both male and female – are healthy, this society becomes productive. Works Cited Akhtar, Shabbir. The Quran and the Secular Mind: A Philosophy of Islam. New York: Routledge, 2007. Bullough, Vern L. , and Bonnie Bullough. Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia. New York: Taylor and Francis, 1994. Chavkin, Wendy, and Ellen Chesler. Where Human Rights Begin: Health, Sexuality and Women in the New Millennium. Chapel Hill: Rutgers University Press, 2005. Denniston, George C. , Frederick Mansfield Hodges and Marilyn Fayre Milos. Male and Female Circumcision: Medical, Legal and Ethical Considerations in Pediatric Practice. New York: Springer, 1999. â€Å"Egyptians Stand by Female Circumcision. † 10 December 1996. The Human Rights Information Network (HURINet). 27 February 2009 http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/32/018. html. â€Å"Egypt Mufti Says Female Circumcision Forbidden. † 24 June 2007. Reuters-AlertNet. 27 February 2009 http://www. alertnet. org/thenews/newsdesk/L24694871. htm. Markle, William H. , Melanie A. Fisher and Raymond A. Smego. Understanding Global Health. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2007. Momoh, Comfort. Female Genital Mutilation. Abingdon: Radcliffe Publishing, 2005. Nzwili, Fredrick. â€Å"In Africa, FGM Checks into Hospitals. † 5 December 2004. Women’s ENews. 27 February 2009 http://www. womensenews. org/article. cfm/dyn/aid/2097/. â€Å"Promoting Gender Equality: Frequently Asked Questions on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. † n. d. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 27 February 2009 http://www. unfpa. org/gender/practices2. htm. Samaan, Magdy. â€Å"Shoura Council Passes Child Law, Criminalizes FGM. † 12 May 2008. Daily News Egypt. 27 February 2009 http://www. dailystaregypt. com/article. aspx? ArticleID=13659. Turshen, Meredeth. African Women’s Health. Trenton: Africa Word Press, 2000. World Health Organization (WHO). 1999. Female Genital Mutilation Programmes to Date: What Works and What Doesn’t. Geneva, Switzerland: Department of Women’s Health – Health Systems and Community Health. World Health Organization (WHO). Mental Health Aspects of Womens Reproductive Health: A Global Review of the Literature. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2008.

Hammond Organ and the Leslie Speaker Essay Example for Free

Hammond Organ and the Leslie Speaker Essay Behind the Hammond organ is a man known as Laurens Hammond after whom the musical instrument is named. The Hammond organ is an electric organ that was invented in 1934. It was the work of Hammond Organ Company. The company originally made the instrument and sold it to churches. It was used as an alternative to the pipe organ used at that time in churches. The pipe organ was wind-driven. The new alternative was cost-effective. In the period between 1960 and 1970, the Hammond Organ became a standard keyboard and was popular in the playing of jazz, rock music, blues as well as gospel music (Laurens Hammond). Lauren Hammond, the man behind the Hammond Organ filed U. S. rights to manufacture a new kind of electrical musical instrument. His idea of an instrument could recreate the sound of a pipe organ. In the month of April 1935, his first invention was exposed to the public. Model A was also availed in June of the same year. Milt Herth used the instrument for playing his popular music live on WIND (AM) immediately upon its release. During World War II, the instrument was used by the military chapels in the US as well as the post theatres. It is therefore possible that the familiarity of the military with the organ could have contributed in making it popular in the period after the war (Laurens Hammond; Hammond organ history). For Hammond, creation of the organ was aimed at replacing the pipe organs with an affordable substitute in middle class residences. He also intended it as a gadget for radio broadcasting. The organ however began to be used by jazz musicians in the 1950s. Such musicians include Jimmy Smith. Its popularity in pop music led to its use in the British Radio 360 station. In that country, the organ was associated with ice rinks and elevator music. Later on, it became the organ popular with rock musicians Steve Winwood, Jon Lord and Keith Emerson in the 1960s and 1970s (Hammond organ history). The first Hammond organ that was made by Hammond Organ Company was operating on additive synthesis of waveforms that were got from harmonic series. The harmonic series were in turn made by mechanical tonewheels that rotate in front of electromagnet pickups. On the two keyboards are mounted some drawbars. The drawbars are slid in order to mix the element waveform ratios. Different models of the Hammond organ were produced but the Hammond B-3 organ model was and still is the most popular. The B-3 organ was for instance used towards the end of the 1960s and in the beginning of the 1970s for its overdriven sound. It was popular in progressive rock bands as well as blues rock. These earlier version has been used for a long time. This is despite the fact that the last electromechanical Hammond Organ came off the assembly in the middle of 1970 (Hammond organ history). After the electromagnetic organ, the musicians of the 1980s and 1990s started using other electronic and digital appliances to reproduce the sound which was produced by the Hammond Organ. This was solely because the classic Hammond Organ is relatively heavy and difficult to move from one place to another. This imitation was made easier by the digital signal processing and sampling technology in the years after 1990 and musicians could now copy the original Hammond sound (Edward). Most of the existing traditional organ fanatics prefer the Hammond tonewheels. Some of the popular models of this organ have tube amplifiers. In addition some of the most recent of the Hammond organ have a combination of tonewheel and solid amplifiers. The Hammond Organ Company is now the property of the Suzuki Company. Now Hammond Suzuki, the company manufactures digital organs which reproduce the sound of the tonewheel organ (Laurent Hammond). The Leslie Speaker On the other hand, the man behind the idea of the Leslie speaker is also the person after whom the instrument is named. His name is Donald Leslie. The Leslie Speaker is a special creation. It is an amplifier or loudspeaker that is often associated with Laurent Hammond’s Hammond organ. It is used by musicians to create special audio effects that make use of the Doppler effect. Together with the Hammond organ, the two are a popular ubiquitous component in most of the existing varieties of music. Like the Hammond Organ, the Leslie speaker’s production has also been taken over by the Suzuki Musical Instruments (Henricksen). At the beginning, the Hammond Organ Company refused to hire Don Leslie. Nevertheless, the man worked under a contract with the Hammond Company for some time. Don Leslie did some work for the local electric company replacing the old fifty cycle rotor tone generators. Instead of these, they put in place the sixty cycle units in the homes of customers. When it was first invented, the Leslie speaker was called the Vibratone. This was in 1941 about six years after the invention of the Hammond Organ. Vibratone was later adopted by the Fender Guitar Company when they manufactured a speaker system and effects unit which included a Leslie rotating speaker. Soon after Leslie sold the company under which he manufactured the Leslie speaker, Fender Company also adopted the name Leslie in 1965. At this time, even Fender had been bought by CBS and it was under CBS that Leslie’s company as well as Fender now operated. The name was therefore used, to be precise, by the CBS Company (Henricksen). The Leslie speaker was not advertised. Don Leslie demonstrated a prototype with Bob Mitchell near the Los Angeles city. The prototype was a rotating baffle put in a hole in a small closet that had a big speaker. It was in the closet near Don Leslie’s organ at home. Bob Mitchell was an organ player at the radio station KFI near Los Angeles. After the demonstration was made, Don Leslie was contracted to put in another similar prototype in the studios at the radio station where Bob worked. Only Bob Mitchell would be permitted to use this new installation. This awed Mitchell so much that he made attempts to copyright that speaker. This he did not succeed in though. After this, Mitchell was employed by the Mutual Broadcasting System as an organist. During his shows, Mitchell played the Hammond organ together with the Leslie speaker. From this, the exposure of the two inventions to the public was quick and guaranteed. From then, most of the organ players regardless of whether they were professional or part-time yearned for the sound created by these organs. In the jazz community for example, Jimmy Smith, the jazz organ player assisted in popularization of the sound among the artists of rock-roll in the years between 1950 and 1960 and even at the beginning of the 60s. At this time, the Leslie speaker had a height of more than sixty inches. It was referred to as the 30A. Don Leslie was inspired by this to manufacture more of the series founded by this 30A. He called the series Tall Boys or the 31 series. Later in the 50s, Don Leslie also made the 21H. These were meant for use in homes, smaller radio sound stages and venues for concerts. The first units were produced in 1941. From this time, the Leslie speaker was known under several different names. Such names as might be used to refer to the same speaker include Brittain Speakers, Hollywood Speakers and Crawford Speakers. In 1946 though, the speaker went back to its old known, the Leslie Vibratone. After seventeen years of rejection, the man behind the invention of the speaker offered the company for sale to Hammond. Don Leslie had waited for seventeen years to sell the company and after declaring hi interest in selling it again to Hammond, he waited thirty days. After this period, he still had not heard from Hammond. He retracted his offer (The Hammond organ history; Edward). In 1980, the Leslie name and the Electro Music were bought by the Hammond Corporation from their present owners, the CBS Company. It is now the property of Hammond under the company name Hammond Suzuki in USA (Edward). The Leslie speaker is used even to the present day and is actually very popular. In the present day, the Leslie parts can be got from various sources besides the fact that there are websites that offer plans which could help individual to construct the speaker. The sites have even posted photographic examples to guide one through the process. The modern Leslie speaker now has more enhanced speakers as well as electronics. Henricksen writes that the web even has a 500 W high performance model. In addition, the classic Leslie speaker has continued to be made and availed in the market. Similar effects can nevertheless be obtained through analogue electronic gadgets and digital imitation. The sound produced by the Leslie Speaker can be imitated by phase and chorus shifter instruments. In spite of this, nothing has the ability to copy the sound of the Leslie speaker that is heard in person. The imitation of the sound by some digital gadgets can however make distinction difficult (Henricksen). Conclusion The Hammond Company had also designed a set of speakers to work with the Hammond organ. However, most of the organ players have a preference for playing the Hammond via a rotating speaker cabinet. This speaker cabinet is what is known as the Leslie speaker after its inventor Donald Leslie and after many changes of names. (Donald Leslie lived between 1913 and 2004). This speaker system is an integrated combination of amplifiers where sound is produced after rotating a horn over a treble driver that is not moving. This is in addition to a rotating baffle as mentioned earlier which is placed under a non-moving bass woofer. The resulting characteristic sound is due to the pitch shifts that are in constant alteration made from the Doppler effect produced in turn by the moving sound sources. The original idea was to imitate the complicated tones and constantly altering sound sources originating from the big group of ranks in a pipe organ. From this initial organ, the effects were different depending on the rotor speed. The speed can be fastened between fast and slow by use of a console. The most characteristic effect is heard either when the speaker starts or stops rotating. Paul Di Matteo is known for the modifications he made to the Leslie cabinets. He replaced the original transducers with what is now a woofer of about 18 inches that has dual high frequency drivers well-liked for the high power stage applications. Reference: Edward, Peterson. â€Å"The rich history of the electric organ. † â€Å"Hammond Organ History. † http://thehammondorganstory. com/chapterxv. asp (30 April 2009). Henricksen, C. A. , â€Å"Unearthing the mysteries of the Leslie cabinet. † Recording Engineer/Producer magazine, April 1981. http://theatreorgans. com/hammond/faq/mystery/mystery. html (30 April 2009). â€Å"Laurens Hammond. Electrical Musical Instrument. U. S. Pat. No. 1956350. † http://www. google. com/patents? id=NUlkAAAAEBAJ (30 April 2009).

Defining Rural Tourism And Farm Tourism Tourism Essay

Defining Rural Tourism And Farm Tourism Tourism Essay India is sitting on the blitzkrieg of becoming a super power and it is the Indian rural sector that is going to drive that super growth. The Government of India has made rural economic development in general, and rural infrastructure development in particular, is a key priority. India has launched the Bharat Nirman (Building India) program, which entails investing over US $ 40 Billion, equivalent to 5 per cent of FY2005 GDP, in six critical areas of rural infrastructure over four years starting from 2005. A part of this project aims at improving the tourism and recreation in these areas. Jafari and Ritchie (1981) defined tourism as an interdisciplinary study which integrates a variety of subjects, disciplines and focuses and can be seen from numerous points of views and approaches. The tourism as a central study can be studied from many focuses and created into a new form tourism development model as pictured below. (3) A consequential element resulted from the two preceding elements which is concerned with effects on the economic, physical and social subsystems. Some external variables such as rising earnings, mobility increase, level of education increase, and desire to escape from pressure of day-to-day urban living generate effective demands on tourism which stimulate the rise of various forms of tourisms such as recreational tourism, cultural tourism, health tourism, conference tourism, historical tourism, eco tourism, etcetera (Wall and Mathieson, 1982). Defining rural: Definitions of rural vary both in scale and philosophy. They tend to express cultural differences between and functional requirements within, regions and countries, the varying parameters of which supranational overviews have attempted to grapple. While national governments use specific criteria to define rural often based on the population density of settlements there is no universal agreement on the critical population threshold which distinguishes between urban and rural populations (Boedewes, 1981). OECD defines rural area as At a local level a population density of 150 persons per square kilometre is the preferred criterion. At the regional level, geographic units are grouped by the share of their population that is rural into the following three types: predominantly rural (50%), significantly rural (15-50%) and urbanized rural (15%) (OECD, 1994). According to National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) rural areas in India are defined as those areas which have a population density Defining rural tourism and farm tourism: A variety of terms are employed to describe tourism activity in rural areas: agritourism, farm tourism, rural tourism, soft tourism and several others which have often been used interchangeably. The term agri/farm tourism often used to describe all tourism activities in rural areas more frequently related to tourism products which are directly connected with the agrarian environment, agrarian products or agrarian stays: staying on a farm or near the fields, educational visits, meals, recreational activities and such ( Sharpley and Sharpley, 1997). Agrotourism is businesses conducted by farmers whose working agricultural operations for the enjoyment and education of visitors. In extensions meaning, agrotourism presents the potential generating farm revenues and increasing profitability. Additionally, visitors of agrotourism contact directly with farmers and support the increase of agriculture products indirectly (Jolly and Reynolds, 2005). Farm tourism is largely considered as a subset of rural tourism and is quite often based on an active working farm and farmer (Nilsson, 2002). Clarke (1996) elaborates that in farm tourism, the core essence of farming, its scenic beauty, accommodation and activities such as farming, riding a tractor, picking produce are preserved and involves tremendous experience in its activities. Activities on farm offer experience and opportunities to learn about the rural life and agriculture technique of the country, to understand and experience the preserved tradition, calmness, peace, clean fresh environment, contact with animals and traditional farm meals (Nilsson, 2002 and Fleischer and Tchetchik, 2005). Key elements of pure farm tourism (Lane 1994): Located in rural areas Functionally rural: built upon rural worlds special features of small scale enterprise, open space, contact with nature and the natural world, heritage, traditional societies and traditional practices Provides personalized contact Rural in scale-both in terms of buildings and settlements and therefore usually small scale Traditional in character, growing slowly and organically and connected with local families. It will often to be largely controlled and developed for the long term good of the area Of many different kinds, representing the complex patterns of rural environment, economy, history and location. A high percentage of tourism revenue benefiting the rural community. Tourism versus Farm Tourism: According to Shaw and Williams (2004), there have been various definitional issues regarding what tourism is. They indicate that a broad outlook of tourism allows for the identification of tourism between countries and also tourism within a country. Vanhove (2005) sees tourism is seen as any activity related to momentary movement of people to a place outside their normal places of residence and employment, and the activities they engage in during the stay. Farm tourism began in earnest after World War II, although its beginning is rooted in the concept of social tourism that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s (Pearce, 1990). Farm tourism as used by Roberts and Hall (2001) refers to stays in rural homesteads where farming is practiced either full-time or part-time. Farm tourism is often used interchangeably with agritourism (Oppermann, 1997). Farm tourism is a sub-division of agritourism. It involves activities carried out on working farms where the working environment forms part of the product from the perception of the consumer (Roberts and Hall, 2001). Farm tourism involves engaging the farm more than the primary production of food, fibre and raw materials. It may sometimes involve activities off the farm in addition to accommodation on the farm (Roberts and Hall, 2001). A number of studies on farm tourism consider it as an economic alternative for farmers who are facing decreased profits and difficulties generated by the agricultural crisis and restructuring. The opportunity to engage in activities that are negatively correlated with farming and the prospect of increasing farm income by spreading costs is probably the greatest advantage of incorporating tourism into the farm business. Because of the problems in agriculture, diversification has been viewed as a means of survival for farm business, with tourism thought to be an attractive and feasible option open to farmers (Glenn et al. 1997). There has been a discussion on the livelihood assets of farm households in the context of human (i.e. skills and knowledge), economic (i.e. land, capital and labour), environmental (i.e. landscape features, clean air and water), social (i.e. networks and social interaction), cultural (i.e. include history, tradition, folklore and cultural heritage) and political (i.e. decision making power and influence on policies) that are available for and that can be exploited in the diversification process. In essence, when farmers utilize the potential opportunity for farm tourism and diversify, they shield themselves against the constraints of the cost-price squeeze and income decline (Barlett, 1993). Significance of farm tourism: Various estimates suggest that tourism in rural areas make up 10-20% of all tourism activity. Lane (1994) survey pointed out that there is absence of any systematic source of data on rural tourism, since neither the World Tourism Organization(WTO) nor the Organization for economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has appropriate measures. Several constraints on accurate and comparatively meaningful data relating to rural tourism and recreation therefore persist: Differences in national definition and enumeration: one country may include only farm and nature tourism, while another will consider many economic activities outside of urban areas to be a part of rural tourism; Many rural tourists and recreationalists are excursionists (day visitors) rather than those who make overnight stays (the extend of whom can to be some extent be measured in terms of bed-nights) Rural tourisms very diversity and fragmentation whereby tens of thousands of enterprises and public initiatives are active across the world. Rural environments have a long history of being managed for recreation purposes and this symbiotic relationship has had important impacts on both environment and activity. Farm tourism is one area under rural tourism, which is a sub-division of rural tourism that can help generate income and employment (Novelli and Robinson, 2005 and Sharpley and Sharpley, 1997). Hence, farm tourism is becoming widely seen as a means to tackle the socio economic problem of rural and agricultural sector (Sharpley and Vas, 2005). As farm tourism has the potential to offer experiential service to tourist, understanding this experience proves beneficial to improve service (McIntosh and Bonnemann, 2006), also as farm tourism takes places in rural setting offering traditional service; understanding tourist motivation seems important. Range of tourism and recreation activities in rural areas ( Thibal 1988) modified Touring Hiking Cycling Nature parks Bird watching Rural heritage studies Local industrial, agricultural or craft enterprises Courses in crafts Artistic expression workshops Folk groups Cultural, gastronomic and other routes Water related activities Fishing Swimming Boating Hallmark events Rural sporting events (eg, Jallikatu sport in Tamil nadu) Agricultural shows Business related Small scale conventions Incentive tourism short brakes Passive activities Relaxing holidays in a rural milieu Nature study in outdoor settings Photography Landscape appreciation Embacher (1994) identifies the contributions of farm tourism to the farming sector. The first recognition is that farm tourism provides more economic income for farmers, thus the farmers are able to cope and remain self employed in times of negative changes in the prices of agricultural produce/commodities. The second is that farm tourism provides an avenue for the direct sale of produce from farm. The third is that farm tourism contributes to the economic survival of farmers experiencing the effects of stiff competition, and changes in agricultural and trade policies. Impacts of farm tourism: Although tourism continues to be viewed by some as a panacea for the economic and social ills of the countryside it: Is essentially an economic tool Needs to be part of a portfolio of strategies contributing to successful rural development Is not appropriate in all rural areas, but opportunity costs and factors for its comparative advantage will vary considerably from one type of rural area to another. Economic factors reducing tourisms effectiveness as a rural development tool include income leakages, volatility, a declining multiplier, low pay, and imported labour, the limited number of entrepreneurs in rural areas and the conservatism of investors. Rural tourism is better suited to act as a complement to an existing thriving and diverse rural economy (Butler and Clark 1992). Tourism plays an increasingly important and diversified role in local development, especially in revitalizing and reorganizing local economies, and improving the quality of life. Tourist flows can be generators of at least supplementary income in farming, craft and service sectors. Rendering the possibility to realize the economic value of specific, quality based production of food stuff as well as of unused and abandoned buildings, unique scenery, space and culture. Despite often being characterized by host-guest differences, rural tourism can open up the possibility of new social contacts, especially in breaking down the isolation of more remote areas and social groups. Opportunities to revaluate heritage and its symbols the environment and the identity of rural places is also promoted by rural tourism. Rural tourism development strategies should assist policies of environmental and social sustainability (Cavaco, 1995). Farm tourism generates a significant contribution to the rural development process in rural areas and does indeed do so in many cases (Busby and Rendle, 2000). The contributions could be in the forms of income increase and job opportunities, exchange between rural and urban areas, multiplier effects particularly for small-scale direct investments, strengthening local or regional structures by creating networks and the like, stimulating physical infrastructure developments, increasing the diversity of economic activities, raising awareness of the value of an area, such as its landscape, nature and culture, and the economic potencies, as well as improving the infrastructure which enable to provide opportunities for other economic developments. The negative impacts of agrotourism development will occur when the development ignores the development principles and ethics. The potential negative impacts which may occur such as degradation of environment and local culture qualities, and economics gaps among the regions (Henegan, 2002) Concept of Farm Diversification Fundamental processes of restructuring, the decline in farm income and a dwindling farm population have characterized the agricultural sector of industrial society. Tapping into opportunities such as farm tourism can have significant potential for farmers. The identification and promotion of farms as a result of their location, natural attraction and tourist-oriented facilities is essential in the process of diversification. The key feature of diversification is that it seeks to encourage investment in sectors that are usually different from those in which recent hardships have befallen (Lobao, L. and Meyer, 2001). There are three common means of farm diversification (The Centre for Rural Research (2003). The first is agricultural diversification which is the use of farm resources to produce new sources of income (e.g. crop products, animal products, and farm woodland). The second is structural or business diversification. In this case, farm households have a variety of income from business activities (e.g. tourism, and value added activities) that are run on the farm or are partly dependent on the farm based land and capital assets. The third is passive diversification which includes leasing of agricultural land and buildings. Factors that Determine Diversification into Farm Tourism Shaw and Williams (2004) shed light on the factors that influence the decision of farm households regarding diversification and what types of alternative enterprise to diversify into. These factors according to Wheelen and Hunger (2004) are the external and internal stimuli. The external stimuli stems from the external environment. They refer to the opportunities and threats that the farm household is exposed to (e.g. external capital sources, legal frameworks, market trends, change in technology, and sociocultural trends). The internal stimuli refer to strengths and weaknesses that are likely to determine if the enterprise will be able to take advantage of opportunities. These internal stimuli include profitability, availability of time, and family life course. More apparent farm tourism activities include accommodation, (e.g. bed breakfast, farm accommodation, ranch) and recreational activities (e.g. wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, and horseback riding) (Clarke, 1996). Others include educational activities (e.g. garden or nursery tours, historical agricultural display tours, and agricultural technical tours), direct farm product sales (e.g. on the farm sales of farm produce, pick your own operations, and sale of agricultural related crafts), entertainment activities (e.g. barn dances, harvest festivals and hunting) (Matthews, 2004). Motivation : Tourists opting for rural tourism such as farm tourism do so in order to satisfy their needs, wants and are likely to chose destinations that are not just rural in physical features but also stimulate them psychologically through the image it portrays (Frochot, 2005 and Bramwell and Lane 1994). Sharpley (1996) stresses that tourist opting for tourism in rural areas are in fact trying to seek peace tranquillity, space, authenticity, tradition, simplicity all of which would help urban dwellers relieve stress. According to study conducted by Hopkins (1998) revealed that the motivational factors for tourist to respond to rural tourism advertisements was because it satiated the desire to escape to different environment in order to enjoy experience of different quality and authenticity. Another study conducted by Huang and Tsai (2003) reports that the prospects of socializing and interacting, participating and experiencing novel situations, escape from stressed life were some underlying mo tives for travel to rural destinations. These motives could also be applicable for farm tourists. Hence, it can be assumed that evidently urban dwellers are motivated to opt for farm tourism to escape from the stressful, mundane life. In order to understand tourist travel behaviour Crompton(1979) mentions that identifying motivation is the key factor. Motivation surfaces the reason behind travel and participation in travel activities (Jang, Bai, Hu, Wu, 2009). The literature constantly mention that motivation is the driving force that make individuals take actions( Park and Yoon, 2009). Hence, it is crucial that study be conducted on tourist motivation as it would aid point out elements that could be promoted inorder to entice tourist to particular destination that match their motivation to travel(Kozak, 2001). Motivation is the key to create attitude for opting a destination and also generating expectation which when fulfilled, all ultimately forms the bases that influences the image of a destination (Rodriguez del Bosque, San Martin, Collado and Garcia de los Salmones,2009). Though motivation reveals the key question why people travel, it also helps understanding the psychological factors ( Gnoth, 1997, Goossens , 2000). Moutinho (2000) mentions motivation as the dominant component that influences human behaviour. It also serves as a driving force to satiate individuals physiological and psychological needs ( Berkman, Lindquist and Sirgy, 1997). According to Cohen (1974) studies undertaken to understand the motives behind travel help realize the social and psychological facts of tourism. Thus motivational reasons can be seen as a psychological need that cause disequilibrium and is satiated through travel experience( Crompton, 1979 ; Kim, Crompton and Botha, 2000). In other words, the motivation to travel arises when individuals desire to fullfill their need deficiency ( Mill and Morrison, 2002). Maslows theory of needs seems to be widely adapted in literature, however researcher also point out the theory weakness and mention that motivation to fullfill ones needs, need not start from bottom to up but multiple needs could arise in random order in Maslows hierarchy( Goebel and Brown, 1981). Criticism of Maslows hierarchy of needs theory also includes that the concepts are generalized and posses a barrier to be tested, as precise measuring to understand the flow of needs is not possible( Schniffman and Kanuk, 1997). The earliest study on identifying motives behind travel were put forth by Lundberg(1971), by identifying assumed 18 motivation factors. Later on bases on indepth interview Crompton(1979) based on this study put forth 9 motives that influence people to travel and were based on sociopsychological and cultural motives or push and pull motives. Sociopsychological needs or push factor are internal and influence individuals to travel and pull factor are external that influeces individual to travel to a particular destination because of its influencing attraction on the pull factor(Oh, Uysal and Weaver, 1995). For example the desire to escape for a stress life could be considered as the push factor and with farm tourism capable to offer scenic calm uncrowned environment could be considered a pull factor that might satiate an individuals need to escape. Understanding motivation has also interested studies related to decision making, market segmentation and destination choice(Jang, Bai, HU an d Wu, 2009). These factors were then generalized by Goeldner and Ritchie(2003) under the typology such as (a) physical (b) cultural (c) interpersonal (d) prestige. Authors commonly accept Cromptons model when it comes to the study of tourist motivation as it helps understand tourists intangible intrinsic motive behind choice of destination ( Kozak, 2001 and Bansal and Eiselt, 2004). Several studies have gone about adapting Cromptons theory to find motivational factors of nationalities, senior citizens, influence of motivation on satisfaction, motives to select particular destination ( Yuan, McDonald, 1990; Zhang and Lim 1999; Yoon and Uysal, 2005; Jang and Wu, 2006). Though studies on motivations have been carried out extensively, few studies have been undertaken to understand motivation in rural settings (Park and Yoon, 2009). For this research, which will be undertaken in India, the researcher would adapt Cromptons theory to understand motives of tourist in farm tourism. From the literature, it suggests that quite evidently the motives by Crompton seem to form the backbone to understand motives of tourist to opt farm tourism. Experience: Rural tourism is know for its diversity and versatility and is commonly used as a subsititute to farm tourism, ecotourism , nature tourism or wildlife tourism; however in reality the above terms are specific to tourism with distinct activities, however with a common underlyning factor that all these forms of tourism take place in a rural setting( Sharpley, 1996). Previous researches have concentrated heavily on service delivery and service performance, however now there is growing need to have an understanding of experience derived from service industry such as tourism( Schmitt, 1999 and Pine and Gilmore, 1999). This suggests that academia lacks the study on experience derived by customers. In todays world of service industry, the importance for understanding experience has gained momentum (Miranda, 2009). Experience can be defined as events that engage individuals in a personal way ( Bigne and Andreu, 2004,p692) or the subjective mental state felt by participants during a service encounter ( Otto and Ritchie, 1996, p 166). Tourist perceive their own experience based on personal motivation and underlying reason they wish to fullfill whilst participating in activities( MacIntosh and Prentice 1999). Experience involves intermingling of various elements that fuses and influence tourist senses (Shaw and Ivens, 2002).Experience occurs when conscious state of mind is stimulated through thoughts and feeling. ODell ( 2005) mentions experiencescape as a space where individuals have the control and freedom to interact with the environment and enjoy feeling of pleasure and entertainment. Such a feeling could also be derived when engaging in farm tourism. Experience can be studied either from a marketing approach or social science approach(Mosseberg, 2007). For the study of farm tourism the researcher finds social science approapriate for farm tourism. Since from the social science perspective tourist are keen to derive experience that is different from the normal daily experiences and wish to participate is new and different activities ( Quan and Wang, 2004). This seems similar to tourist opting farm tourism as they would wish to derive a completely different feeling. The experience derived by customers from services can be generalized however experience depends on the level of participation of tourist into experiential activities offeredPine and Gilmore(1999). It is likely that tourist though would be motivated to enjoy different experience would rather not be through active participation but by passive unplanned activities (Ryan, Hughes and Chirgwin, 2000). This suggests that it is likely for tourists wanting to consume the experience of the activities in the farm, to participate either actively or passively. Service industry offering such experiential service need to concentrate and put in efforts to understand the experience perceived by consumer participating in such activities ( Schmitt, 2003). In order to do so Schmitt(2003) divided experience under sense experience that aids consumer satiate the need for scenic and tranquillity. The need for fun and pleasure as experience to feel, the desire to acquire knowledge and understand novelty as t hink-experience, Act-experience that would enhance ones lifestyle, and lastly the relate- experience that enhances ones connection and relation with others providing a feeling of importance and belonging. Xu and Chan(2010) in their discussion on experience in tourism acknowledge the dimensions of experience put forth by Otto and Ritchie, 1996 has been proved to be of value and valid for the study of experience. Hence the dimensions of experience can also be applied to understand the experience derived from the experiential services offered in farm tourism Tourists whilst consuming the experience from activites or services, could be influence with the environment the physical feature that surround the activity and this has an impact on perception of experience (Bitner, 1992). Business sectors are now focusing on studying and understanding experience and are trying to constantly create the environment in business that would provide better unique experience that would help attract more consumers. Consumers now are in the look out of activities which can be self controlled and also provide unique valued experience( Mossberg, 2007) Tourist business are putting in efforts to create such services and circumstances that could provide experience that customers are looking for and are also trying to develop strategies to attract tourist(Gilmore and Pine 2002). However, farm tourism is undoubtedly full of natural experiential activities that have the potential to offer consumers with unique experience and by understanding the experience that tou rist go through whilst indulging in farm activities, which is also the focus of this research would help in promotion that is more effective and attract more tourists. As tourism in rural settings such as farm tourism has tremendous opportunity to offer varied experience, this would positively attract to the market and could also serve as a motive for tourist to opt for such tourism (Getz and Page, 1997). When tourist consume experience, it could also be in tangible form such as the purchase of artifacts, which serves as a reminder and rejuvenation of the experience derived( Onderwater, Richards and Stam, 2000). Hedonic consumption, related to desires to undergo varied experience and when certain products are able to provide such desired experience it appeals and attracts consumers and could be considered to be a motivational factor fulfilling the desire ( Mowen and Minor, 1998). Hence, the study might help understand the experience that tourists undergo on farms and if this has been an influence on motivational factor. Bansal and Eiselt (2004) mention that experience or hedonic components of an activity are incorporated in the motive for travel. Which is also supported by Foster(1999) as he considers experience as a critical part in tourist motivation. The satisfaction of experience also directly relates to realization of motives to travel (Ross and Iso-Ahola, 1991). Thus if experien ce offered by activities in farm tourism and experience that tourist wish to seek are know it would also help satisfy the motives and in turn attract more market wishing to seek similar satisfaction. Studies examining the experiences provided at attraction to tourist is increasing( McIntosh and Siggs, 2005 ; Schanzel and McIntosh, 2000). Thus offering knowledge on the important relation tourism encounters have on visitor and their impact on providing unique benefits and satisfaction. Hence Pearce 1990 recognises the fact that tourist opting for destinations such as farm tourism have more mature motives and also expect for personal and meaningful experience above all. This suggests that apart from understanding the motives to travel to farm it is also vital to understand experience offered by farm activities.

Text And Traditions: Work Requirement One Historical Reconstruction :: essays research papers fc

Text and Traditions: Work Requirement One Historical Reconstruction Major events in Jewish history to the first century AD 1250 BC Fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. 931 BC Divided Kingdoms. 721 BC Fall of Samaria. 587 BC Fall of Jerusalem, Babylonian captivity. 333 BC Jews under Hellenistic rule. 63 BC Jews under Roman rule. 70 AD Fall of Jerusalem to the Romans. Major events between 50 BC - 100 AD 63 BC - 40 BC Hyrcanus2 rules, but is subject to Rome. 41 BC - 30 BC Antony Caesar Roman Emperor. 40 BC - 37 BC Parathions conquer Jerusalem. 38 BC - 4 BC Herod rules as king. Subject to Rome. 37 BC Jerusalem besieged for 6 months. 32 BC Herod Defeated. 31 BC - 14 AD Caesar Augustus Roman Emperor. 19 BC Herod's Temple begun. 16 BC Herod visits Agrppa. 4 BC Herod dies; Archelaus succeeds. 37 AD - 41 AD Caliguta Roman Emperor. 41 AD - 54 AD Claudius Roman Emperor. 54 AD - 68 AD Nero Roman Emperor. The first persecutor of Christians. 66 AD Jews in Palestine tried to revolt. Were crushed by Titus. 69 AD - 79 AD Vespasia Roman Emperor. He continued the persecution. 70 AD Jewish temple destroyed. Small part of the wall left standing. 79 AD Titus Roman Emperor. Detailed analysis of major Jewish groups of the time Pharisees The Pharisees were a group of Jews, that believed strongly against the adoption of Greek ways. They wanted to uphold and protect their fragile Jewish culture, from the Greek influence that was flooding into Israel at the time. They developed as haters of the tradition Greek ways, because of their customs were related to idolatry and immorality. They joined up with a group know as the Hasmoneans and proceeded to conduct a rebellion against the Greek. After gaining religious freedom, they then separated from their new partners, and formed the breakaway party, known today as the Pharisees (meaning ‘the separated'). They had extreme power in the synagogue, and eventually turned it into the center of the Jewish faith. This didn't last forever, as it was finally replaced by the temple, erected by David. Saducees The Sadducees (Sons of Zadok) seemed to be a group of aristocratic priestly families, that were powerful within the High Priesthood. They held a monopoly over all the High Priesthood positions and were also powerful in the Sanhedrin. They came across as being a very selfish group that retained their rights and traditions, and also trying to stay on the good side of the Roman Empire. Unlike the Pharisees, they were rigid and closed in sect, and not open to change. When the Romans destroyed the temple, they disappeared and were never

Essay --

WHAT IS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR? Consumer behavior is the study or the art of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It refers to the actions and all the decision process of people who purchase goods and services for personal consumption. Consumption can be in any form and anywhere. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Production Concept (consumers buy what is available than what they really want) Product Concept (consumers will buy a product of highest quality, best performance and most features) Selling Concept (consumers mostly buy the product when they are actively and aggressively persuaded) Marketing Concept (marketer must make what sells rather than sell what it makes) Circle of Consumption- VARIOUS OBSERVATIONS AT THE SHOPPING MALL- We in a group had seen a number of things at the Shopping Mall. There were many different types of customs and rituals also and different ways of how people act. On the observation day, there were many people in groups of three or more. Majority of the people walking in the mall are that of the youth and the children who just like to spend their time in any form of entertainment. People are unique in many ways such as different cultures, views, and perceptions. For people to adapt to a new culture, people must learn to understand signs, norms, and social control. These three factors are important and touch almost every aspect of social life and are used in every day to day life. A sign is â€Å"a symbol that stands for or conveys an ideaâ€Å". Signs could be price tag, a slow down sign etc. As signs convey information and are the most common and they make everyone’s life easier. Gesture is an example of signs and linked with body movements. The signs are present almost ever ywhere, it’... ...f use, possession, and maintenance. One caution about customer value: greater customer value does not necessarily equal greater customer satisfaction. Customer value is defined as the difference (or surplus) between benefits and costs; it is a level of return for customer costs. From a cognitive perspective, according to expectation theory, satisfaction is the result of a comparison between what actually occurs and what is expected. Hence the customers' buying satisfaction depends on both their perceived value of the purchase and their knowledge of what a fair level of buying value should be. In short, customers will feel satisfied to the extent that the perceived value of their buying exceeds the standard they hold. From this point of view, exceeding value is the key for customer satisfaction, not customer value per se (a surplus value).

BP and the Deepwater Horizon disaster Essay

Title: The Analysis of BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010 Due Date: 5/5/13 Word Allocation: 2193 excluding executive summary, headings, tables, references and appendices Executive Summary This report provides an examination into British Petroleum (BP) and the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. It looks specifically at the functional area of organizing from POLC and the framework from how communication and communication networks effected the decision making process on the oilrig. The analysis starts by providing a history of BP and what major decisions throughout time contributed to the organizational structure when the disaster occurred. Findings show that the asset federation model adopted in 1995 took away responsibility from BP’s regional operations and subsequently rewarded each individual site for its performance. This meant the managerial decision making process for each site was geared to time and cost efficiencies rather than that of safety. The establishing of a wheel communication network on Deepwater meant that any proposals put for from line staff, with safety as a priority, were being overwritten by the senior team leader as they were passed on. After the disaster occurred, BP established a Safety and Risk division and instilled staff members on each of its rigs to ensure that the safety message was reinforced on its sites. Table of Contents 1. Introduction Managers are responsible for arranging and structuring work to assist in achieving organizational goals (Robins et al. 2012, p. 14). It is determining what tasks are to be completed, who is responsible for them, how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom and at which level decisions are to be decided (Robins et al. 2012, p. 14). This report analyzes the area of communication and communication networks, from that of the organizing function in POLC (Robins et al. 2012, p. 13), within British Petroleum (BP) and specifically the Deepwater Horizon disaster. It looks at the communication on safety procedures from senior BP officials down to BP sites, the type of communication on key decisions that ultimately led to the sinking of the oilrig and what control measures were put in place to ensure the sustainability of the company. 2. History of BP and the Deepwater Horizon In 2010, BP was one of the United Kingdoms largest corporations and a world leader in the production of energy (Andrew 2010, p. 7). They supplied consumers with fuel for heat, light, transport, petrochemical production and much more (Andrew 2010, p. 7). However in its early years, success and profitability proved quite difficult to obtain (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). The company that would eventually turn into BP was established in 1909 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) after William Knox Darcy found oil in Iran after an elongated search (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). Then in 1914, the British Government felt they needed a dedicated oil supply and purchased 51% stake in the borderline bankrupt corporation (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). They held  onto the 51% share until the Thatcher government period of prioritization occurred between 1980 and 1990 and this led to the final stake being sold in 1987 (Andrew 2010, p. 7). At this point, performance was still declining and in 1992, after a loss of $811 million, the company decided to take severe cost saving measures (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). Focusing on a streamlined workforce and portfolio of activities, BP’s status started to change significantly in the mid-1990’s (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). 1998 bought the merger with Amoco and in 2000, the acquisition of Arco (Atlantic Richfield CO.) and Burmah Castrol plc highlighted an aggressive growth strategy (Andrew 2010, p. 9). With the renewed focus on growth, BP also began repositioning itself as a more environmentally friendly company and this lead to a new tagline â€Å"Beyond Petroleum† and an official name change to â€Å"BP† (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). This lead to the launch of an Alternative Energy division and between 2005 and 2009, BP invested $4 billion into this area with a total company investment of $982 billion (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). In May 2007, Tony Hayward was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his focus was to stem the company growth and reduce production targets (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). Between 2006 and 2009, BP’s workforce fell from 97,000 to 80,300 and four levels of management were cut as Hayward felt too many people were making too many decisions leading to extreme cautiousness (Ingersoll 2012, p. 3). However, BP has had a colorful history when it comes to safety within its structures (Andrew 2010, p. 14). In 2005, 15 people were killed and another 180 injured when the BP Texas City refinery exploded (Andrew 2010, p. 14). Then in 2006-2007, BP had to shut down its operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska due to over a million liters of oil spilling into the North Slopes via corroded pipelines (Andrew 2010, p. 14). Alaskan state regulators had been warning BP since 2001 that management protocol was out of sync with state regulations and that critical equipment needed to be better sustained (Andrew 2010, p. 15). On the 20th April 2010, a floating semi-submersible Drilling Unit named the Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sunk off the Gulf of Mexico killing 11 people and injuring another 17 (Andrew 2010, p. 16-17). BP had leased the Deepwater Horizon rig from Transocean, an oil based industry support company that specialized in deep water drilling (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). The rig was hired to complete work on the Macondo well, which BP owned the rights too (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). Of the 126 on board, 79 were from Transocean, seven from BP and the rest from other firms (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). As of 2010, the Deepwater Horizon disaster was the biggest marine oil spill to transpire in United States waters with nearly five million barrels of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico (Ingersoll 2012, p. 2). Decisions made on the type of well casing, the number of centralizers used and the decision to not perform a cement bond log may have contributed to the well blowing out (Ingersoll 2012, p. 1). However, regardless of the ultimate causes, it is worth examining the communication networks within to obtain exactly where the caution over cost message broke down. 3. Managers and Communication Networks Theory Effective internal and external communication is seen as a requirement for organizational success (Ruck & Welsh 2012, p. 1). Organizations need to constantly assess and enhance communication especially in increasingly difficult economic times (Ruck & Welsh 2012, p. 1). Communication can be broken down into two different areas; formal or informal (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). Formal communication follows a chain of command that typically takes place within the organizational work arrangements (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). Informal communication does not take place within the organization hierarchy and typically allows employees to satisfy their social interaction needs along with creating an alternative channel to communicate (Robins et al. 2012, p. 405). However this information can flow in a number of different ways. Communication within an organization can move by the following means; downward, upward, lateral and diagonal (Robins et al. 2012, p. 406-07). Table 1 explains how each type and its definition; Table 1: Types of information flow (Adapted from: Robins et al. 2012, p. 406-07) Reinforcement of information flow encourages employees to speak out and adopt a participative approach (Ahmed 2010, p. 122). Mutual dialogue within an organization contributes to the foundations of shared value and trust (Ahmed 2010, p. 122). Both the vertical and horizontal communication flows within an organization can be combined into a number of different patterns labeled communication networks (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). Researchers have recognized that basic networks of communication can be classified into different types of interaction (Eunson 2012, p. 116) like those shown in table 2 and 3 below Figure 1: Eunson – Types of Communication Networks (Source: Eunson 2012, p. 117) Figure 2: Robins – Three Common Organizational Communication Networks (Source: Robins et al. 2012, p. 407) When examining the theory listed within this paper compared to the types of communication, flow and communication network structures within BP, we can greater understand exactly what lead to the sinking of the Deepwater vessel. 4. Analysis of Communication Networks between BP and Deepwater BP Senior Management In the late 1980s, BP had several layers of management that fell within a matrix structure that made it problematic for anyone wanting to make a decision quickly (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). As business and overall performance at BP was floundering, Robert Horton decided to cut $750 million form BP’s  annual expenses (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Horton, who was appointed BP’s CEO in 1989, removed several managerial layers with the intent of speeding up the decision making process and the pace of business (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The business was transformed into smaller, more flexible teams with the vision of maintaining open streams of communication (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Horton transferred decision-making authority to the upstream and downstream business divisions and employees at all levels were encouraged to take responsibility and exercise business initiative (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). During the 1990s, John Browne was heading up BP’s Exploration and Production division, BPX (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). He wanted to create a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst his employees and extended the decision-making responsibilities to further levels within the organization (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Decision making authority and responsibility was no longer held with BP’s regional operating companies and was now completed by the site managers (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The model was known as Asset Federation and was applied company wide when Browne took over as BP CEO in 1995(Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). The asset federation model compensated employees for the performance of their individual site so there was little incentive to share best practices on risk management amongst various other BP exploration sites (Ingersoll 2012, p. 4). Deepwater Communication The benefits of an all channel network or matrix structure are that the leaderless group has constant information flow between all members within the work team (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). The potential for brainstorming and exchange of information is great within this type of model (Eunson 2012, p. 118). However information overload and irreconcilable differences due to no emergence of a leader can be a downside (Eunson 2012, p. 118) Figure 3: Deepwater Chain of Command (Source: Ingersoll 2012, p. 20) However, when looking at the chain of command on the Deepwater Horizon (see table 4), it could be seen to form a wheel network rather than that of a  matrix structure (see table 3). Typically, wheel communication flows form an identifiable leader at the top of the wheel (Eunson 2012, p. 117). The leader serves as the hub and the flow of information is typically one way but can be two way, dependent on the leaders willingness to accept information (Eunson 2012, p. 117). This can cause the satisfaction of team members to be low compared to that of chain, circle and channel networks (Robins et al. 2012, p. 407). Wheel networks have the disadvantage of being prone to message distortion (Eunson 2012, p. 118). As the message gets passed from one individual to another, or from one level to the next, the message is edited or mangled by the sender in each interaction (Eunson 2012, p. 118). The distortion in the wheel network is visible when looking at the decision making process for the type of well casing and number of centralizers. Decisions in these two areas were relayed by the engineering team leader, Greg Walz (Ingersoll 2012, pp. 10-11). Greg received input from the engineers in the operations unit on what they thought were best safety practices, however final decisions on the projects were ultimately made due to the cost and time savings (Ingersoll 2012, pp. 10-11). The decision makers on the Deepwater had only been in their positions for a minimal amount of time (Ingersoll 2012, p. 9) and this meant that the lessons learned at Texas City and Prudhoe Bay had not reached the Gulf of Mexico site (Reed & Fitzgerald 2010, p. 156). It could be seen that the safety communication message had flowed downward from senior managers to line manager and staff however line managers felt a greater influence to reward cost and time savings. Control Measures On July 27, 2010, BP announced that Bob Dudley would succeed Tony Haward as BP’s Group Chief Executive on October 1, 2010 (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). In light of the Deepwater disaster and to ensure sustainability of the company, BP leadership announced plans to create a new safety division to oversee and audit the organizations operations worldwide on September 29, 2010 (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). The Safety and Risk function has the authority to intervene in all technical aspects of BP activities to ensure that operations are carried out to that of stated common standards (EHS Today  2010, p. 17). Staff will be imbedded in all of BP’s operating units and will report directly to Mark Bly, head of safety and operations (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). Mark reports directly to the CEO, Bob Dudley to ensure the safety message from senior BP officials filters down into each site (EHS Today 2010, p. 17). 5. Conclusion Communication is continually attributed to a vital variable in determining organizational success (Hargie & Tourish 2009, p. 419). Many business issues stem from poor communication procedures and early action and intervention in this area can avert a disaster at a later date (Hargie & Tourish 2009, p. 3). By conducting analysis into the communication and communication networks at BP, we can ascertain that a number of different factors may have contributed to the BP disaster. The asset federation model took away responsibility from BP’s regional operations and subsequently the company’s safety message. The rewarding of each site and its managers for its individual performance further contributed to the dilution of importance on safety. A wheel network with key decision makers who had not been in their roles for very long, meant that lessons learned from past incidents weren’t filtered into the Deepwater Horizon and decisions were made with the view of saving money and time compared to safety. The establishment of the Safety and Risk division immediately after the disaster ensured that the safety message from senior management would be heard within each site and limit the opportunity for a disaster of this magnitude to occur in the future. 6. Reference List Ahmed, Z 2010, ‘Managerial Communication: The Link Between Frontline Leadership And Organizational Performance’, Journal Of Organizational Culture, Communications & Conflict, 14, 1, Health Business Elite, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 May 2013, p. 122 EHS Today 2010, ‘BP Creates New Safety and Risk Division’, 3, 11, Health Business Elite, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 May 2013, p. 17 Eunson, B 2012, Communication in the Workplace, e-book, accessed 05 May 2013, p. 116-118 . Hargie, O & Tourish, D 2009, Auditing Organizational Communication : A Handbook of Research, Theory and Practice, e-book, accessed 05 May 2013, pp. 3, 419. . Ingersoll, C, Locke, RM & Reavis, C 2012, â€Å"BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010†, MIT Sloan Management, pp. 1-4, 9-11, 20 Reed, S & Fitzgerald, A 2010, In Too Deep : BP and the Drilling Race That Took it Down, e-book, accessed 26 April 2013, p. 156 . Robins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2012, Management, 6th edn, Pearson Australia, Australia, pp. 13-14, 405-07 Ruck, K & Welch, M 2012, Public Relations Review: Valuing internal communication; management and employee perspectives, Volume 38, Issue 2, June 2012, p. 1 7. List of Figures Figure 1: Eunson – Types of Communication Networks Figure 2: Robins – Three Common Organizational Communication Networks Figure 3: Deepwater Chain of Command 8. List of Tables Table 1: Types of information flow