Quantitative research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantitative research - Assignment Example The sample represents the teenage population in one village in the Capricorn district of the Limpopo province (Babbie & Mouton, 2009). This indicates that the study was only considering the pregnant teenagers in that geographic sector. The sample therefore represents the part of population that has the highest number of individuals. Eligibility criteria and delimitations are not clearly shown in the research article. This is because the sample that aided in the research did not require formalities such as education background and financial issues. In addition, the study was based on facts in the area of operation and not assumptions. According to the issue in the area of study, the study sample was adequate because generation of reliable information was possible from the sample. This facilitates the concept of relevance in a study. The instruments were reliable and valid since they were straight to the main objective of the study (Babbie & Mouton, 2009). In addition, the translation into the local language created a greater understanding and establishment was prior to the study. The rise in the number of teenage pregnancies is resulting to a great concern and being more critical. The situation requires urgent and appropriate action to prevent family disintegration (Babbie & Mouton,

Management Accounting - bereaucracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Accounting - bereaucracy - Essay Example The same history acknowledges the fact that many businesses and organisation had been in bad postures in the early years of the 1970's. This, according to many business analysts, was mainly owing to improper performance analysis techniques which would reflect real business situation. Importantly, stakeholders, especially shareholders, were putting incessant pressure on management team to reach good end of year figures. If some theorists agree that this was mainly due to principle emphasis on external financial reporting and management accountant neglected the need for internal accounting and financial monitoring in management accounting basic functions; others argue that this effect was attributable to other contextual factors. Management accounting has always been seen as a vital activity which reflects the health of the business, and the efficient use of resources. This performance measuring technique is an important internally-based financial monitoring tool, which could guide corrective measures to be taken on many emerging departmental or process deviations. If many businesses have been part of the drastic changes involved in business process reengineering aiming at streamlining business processes at varied levels, the analysis and creation of management accounting data has also greatly evolved. The evolution of technology in the early years of the 1960's as well as changes in the mode of production have changed mindset to production-oriented management owing to the event of mass production. It has increasingly been recognised as from the second distinctive evolutionary stage of management accounting that, the need to appropriately use resources could influence the overall cost or production cost in many manufacturing companies, especially where machineries are concerned and that their fixed costs could influence greatly margins at year end. In this context, there have been drastic changes to scrutinise costs associated to each activity or process which is referred to as Activity-Based Costing. The main aim was to decrease the overall seemingly inaccurate overhead allocation based on standard American costing, especially cost of running machineries in period where large scale production and customisation was becoming popular as strategy. Management accounting at this particular stage inherently focus on data to facilitate control which was a vitally important function in conventional management approach. Line management laying emphasis on production had as main objective s to satisfy orders and the critical data required was to better control and monitor processes both in machineries and labour. The focus was to establish strategy mixes that support organisational objectives, and develop and maintain the organisational capabilities necessary for strategy realisation. Furthermore, enormous consideration on

Advertising In Our Life Essay Example for Free

Advertising In Our Life Essay When I was browsing the internet, an advertisement caught my attention. It was a Nike skateboarding advertisement. The clip has a nice soundtrack, technical tricks, good pace and nice scenery. When you see that advertisement, it will help to change your mood for the day. The video focuses on the Nike shoes line known as SB dunk. Nike, by understanding its audience, has created an effective advertisement through the internet. This advertisement runs for 2 minutes. It shows people from various nations skateboarding and everywhere wearing SB dunk. On the sidewalks in Los Angeles, the skateboarders use the grinding rails to slide with skateboards. In New York, they use benches to do tricks and slide. In Italy, the skaters play in the park near a beautiful river, and lastly the d shows skateboarders skating down the slopes in the San Francisco area. Most of the places contain graffiti art in their surroundings. This gives us the atmosphere of a street culture. The video also shows an event that took place in USA where there were lots of professional and famous skateboarders wearing SB dunk taking autographs. The end of the advertisement shows the Nike SB logo. Back in its earliest days, Nikes product still carried the classic Nike logo without the SB at the right bottom. However, in 2005, Nike has started changing the logo by adding SB at the bottom of the logo, which stands for skateboarding. This could make the people distinguish its skateboarding line from another Nike product such as tennis, soccer and even basketball. In an advertisement, the model are wearing the Nike logo with SB on it. The Nike SB logo that appears in this clip is white on a black background. I think that this color is very unique and simple. Both of these colors are good for advertising. They are used to signify power and create a sense that the company is professionalThe video also uses language to appeal to consumers. There are three quotes that appear in the advertisement. The first quote is Master Technician. I think that this quote is trying to tell us that when you wear these shoes, you will master the techniques in skateboarding. The second quote isSerious Commitment. For most people who purchase these shoes, they believe that wearing the shoes will get them to commit seriously to skateboarding. The last quote is, Limited Edition. Most of the people in  that advertisement are wearing limited edition shoes. One of them is called the Heineken SB dunk shoes, which are very limited and the price is very high, starting from 500 dollars. The color provided and the pattern of the shoes is designed by artists in Holland. Until now there are only 65 types of shoes, but not all of them are limited. The other limited shoes that attract my eyes in the advertisement are the denim shoes. The denim shoes, more limited than Heineken shoes and the price are more than one thousand dollars. This great advertisement will attracts attention of the youngsters to buy the Nike SB product and it could be the envy on 6h3e streets among skaters. Skateboarders are individuals who desire to stand out among the people. Therefore, they p robably love the fact that there arent many others who are wearing the same shoes. This advertisement is targeting teenagers who are skaters. This idea is apparently trying to target male group and not the female. By showing various countries, and the autograph session by professional skaters, it is trying to depict that the shoes worn by famous skaters who are also celebrities around the world. If skaters see this advertisement, they will believe they could be like one of the professionals when they are wearing the shoes. They also show fabulous skateboarding trick. Skaters will assume that by wearing the Nike SB, they could perform like the professional in the advertisement. The shoes are worn by Tony Hawk, Mark Appleyard, Pj Ladd and other famous skaters. Although most of the music in the advertisement features Rock and Hip Hop, which are associated with teenagers and skateboarding, Nike SB promotes its products in advertisement differently. Instead of Rock or Hip Hop music for the skateboarding advertisement, Nike uses a classical, soft and comfortable music for us to enjoy while watching the advertisement. In this commercial, the beautiful scenery in different countries shows that the shoes are appropriate and comfortable to wear in every location. Nikes top of the line skateboarding product is mainly shoes. Nike launched this line in 2002 to enter rapidly growing skateboarding market. I think by making this advertisement, the company could increase more attraction for  the people especially the skateboarders. Skateboarding still are a relatively small community, not enough to attract serious interests from major shoe makers while they were battling out in the precious basketball territory. I think that this advertisement gives Nike a chance to gain ground in the skateboarding market. To attract and establish itself as a major force in the market, Nike, has successfully made this advertisement for skaters. Work CitedNike SB advertisement. The name of the website is sole redemption. Date posted was 4 February 2006 07:14p.m. Date I looked at the advertisement was 2 March 2006 (http://www.soleredemption.com)

Generic Concept Of Authenticity In Pop Music Music Essay

Generic Concept Of Authenticity In Pop Music Music Essay This thesis and its associated research had its origins in my own fascination with the generic concept of authenticity, as it exists within life generally, and specifically within popular music. The dualities of good/bad, genuine/false, honest/fraudulent, and creative/derivative have always been present within the ranks of musicians and their performances. This thesis is intended to reconcile and explain the distinctions within these dualities, and to develop a model for evaluating authenticity within popular music. An Hypothesis on Authenticity in Popular Music As a foundation for the research and development in this thesis, I will explain my own stance on the key issue of authenticity. There are six key tenets within this proposition: Authenticity functions as a marker of quality Authenticity can be evaluated. Authenticity is not a finite concept. An Hermeneutic approach is essential in measuring authenticity Authenticity judgement requires a prior-researched description of genre Authenticity may only be assigned to a single piece of musicking. Here are some details of each one: 1.1.1. Authenticity functions as marker for Quality Whilst there are some ingredients of Authenticity that are more easily measurable, there are other criteria which are more subjective, and where evaluation of them is an activity more determined by expert consensus, or personal taste and background. Judgements made using these criteria are largely unquantifiable, and often in the form of personal assessments. Some of these judgements may be socially and culturally constructed, and are shared between groups of people, notably in the case of fans, critics, or enthusiasts of a specific type of music, or a particular performer. Students and researchers of popular music would normally adopt a more balanced and catholic judgement, so that an equally fair evaluation would be made on a piece of country-rock music, as would be made on a piece of punk music. Authenticity is a description of the provenance and integrity of a recorded, or live performance, as well as a definition of musical skill, tunefulness, and of a listeners personal gratifi cation. The judgement, or evaluation, of some aspects of authenticity of a piece of musicking may use less scientific criteria than others, wherein the measurement is inevitably affected by the tastes of the judge or evaluator. I have drawn extensively on Christopher Small (1998:2-3) and his eleven activities within musicking, in developing my own nineteen criteria for evaluating Authenticity, which operate as a hermeneutic circle, and of which the first fourteen relate to recorded songs, with an additional five criteria for evaluating live performances of songs. Here is a brief description of my nineteen criteria: The Notation This element is less important in popular music than in classical music, since the main method of transmission has not been through stave notation, but through recording, and performance. (Moore, A.F 2001:34) However, where it originally exists, or where subsequent notation has taken place on existing works, there is still value in its inclusion as a criterion, particularly where patterns of notation may be compared within several songs, or where consistent notational motifs may be identified Lyrics Whilst I contend that it is Performance and Reception that are central to the true meaning of a song, the lyrics have a strong bearing on this. It is also possible to identify common patterns in lyrics (Wall, T 2003:129) as well as everyday language in the context of performance, and collective responses and aspirations (Frith, S 1988:121) The words of the song should usually be grammatically correct and recognisable, and the overall content should be rational. Biography This element should also be twinned with autobiography as it refers to the use and influence of personal history, upbringing, nurture and culture on singer/songwriters and their eventual compositions and performances. It is an essential element to consider as far as authenticity is concerned, and in my view has been vastly under-analysed, and has been allocated insufficient importance. Recognised Influences There are undoubted connections here with my Biography element (No. 3), in that childhood and developmental influences are nearly always lasting, especially where they have been received in an emotional context (e.g. happy, sad, or painful). But in addition consideration is needed on more contemporary influences, both of musical, and of other types. Song Structure An important element in the primary text is the actual shape of the song, in terms of its musical texture, its use of instruments and voices, its rhythmic organisation and its relationship to lyrics. This is often a key factor in the determination of a genre. It is important that there is a pleasing shape to the song, with sufficient changes (verses and choruses), a comprehensible story line, and an appropriate length. There should also be a balance between familiarity and variety, and the song must have sufficient familiarity to provide comfortable reception, whilst, on the other hand, offering something new and challenging. Melody This is a pattern of pitches and rhythm that creates a tune or song, and as such, underpins the whole content of a song. It is the melody that, to a large extent, is the basis for the Emotion (No.13) element of the song. In popular music, the melody usually comprises verses and chorus, but with variety in the phrasing and lyrics. Meaning and Intellectuality The meaning of a musical piece may be interpreted in an abstract or a universal manner, and Composition may be viewed as having a subtle difference in meaning from some Performances. Such differences may also affect the meaning from the position of Reception, but it is easier to see musical works anchored to specific time, place, and cultural situations. This aspect is probably the most difficult to analyse scientifically, since the central question is whether the lyrics and/or the music stimulate some intellectual curiosity, with ultimate satisfaction. Context This broad topic is important not just for the more obvious analysis of Performance, and Reception, but also for the historical and biographical context in which a song was composed. Again there will be some interconnection with aspects of Biography and especially factors such as class, culture, gender, and politics. Instrumental The traditional rock line-up of a band is two or three guitars and drums, but in the case of country-rock and its convoluted development phase, many other instruments were involved. The exploration of the use of these instruments, and the ways in which they have contributed to the Performance and Reception of music is essential. Much has been written on the appropriate use of specific instruments and their relationship to the true membership of a genre, as well as whether there are acceptable levels of musical proficiency demonstrated in the execution of the song by the instrumentalists. Vocal Most popular music involves one or more voices, and this element is concerned with how these voices are used, singly or harmoniously, and the ways in which communication is established between singer and listener (Moore, A.F 2001: 44/5) It is arguable that, in many cases, it is the voice that is the final arbiter in establishing whether a piece of music is authentic or not. It is important that acceptable levels of musical proficiency are demonstrated in the execution of the song by the vocalist/s. Production This mainly Performance related element deals with the technical, and technological systems used to aid and enhance performance, as well as the choices made about instrumentation, vocals and, in some cases, stagecraft. There is a natural interlinking with other hermeneutical elements. The technical production of the recording should meet standard conventions of the genre, in regard to the mixing, the balance, and the volume as well as any additional enhancements. Cohesion and Balance (including Sonic Balance) This element is concerned with the extent to which the band is playing as a team with appropriate use of instruments and vocals, and to which the various instrumental and vocal elements within the performance/recording are balanced, so that a smooth and cohesive overall sound is achieved. Connectivity and Emotivity It is important that the listener/receiver, acknowledges a personal relationship with the song, lyrically and/or musically with the song exciting some form of emotion upon reception, and in which the listener/receiver is sufficiently stimulated and curious to have a desire to hear the song again. The Leader Within a band, the style of performance may be dictated or at least highly influenced by the leader who is often, although not always the singer. This inevitably affects the Reception of the music. However, the Composition of the music also needs to be considered in the light of the leader, for even if it is not he/she that is the main author, the style of the piece could be shaped by his/her approach. Repertoire This is what Christopher Small terms The Drama of Relationships (Small, C 1998:158) Each musical performance has, or should have, a recognisable narrative, or a set-list and this is most significant in the analysis of Reception. The psychology inherent within constructing a performance including many songs is important in the development of Audience Rapport, or even individual fan admiration. Stagecraft Middleton (1990:168) recognises false music and true music, where false means corrupt, manipulated, over-complex, and mechanical, and true means natural, spontaneous, and traditional. In these senses, the interpretation of drama, and a sense of theatre in the performance and reception of popular music are always important. It is inevitably connected to Repertoire, but is far more than this single item. Again, only in a live performance, the image presented by the performers through body movement, gestures, stance, and cohesion should augment the reception of the song. Planning and Organisation This thoroughly contemporary affair as Christopher Small puts it (Small, C 1998:30) includes the organisation of performances, the role of publicity and advertising, and the ways in which the audience is prepared for the Reception. Whilst they are not directly a composite part of a piece of music or its actual performance, the intricacies of the arrangements undoubtedly sway perceptions of a musical show or concert. Venue This, of course is solely a Performance/Reception element but, like Planning and Organisation, is extremely powerful, since the size, shape, location, construction, lighting and acoustics will exert major pressures on the ultimate performance. Audience Rapport This element is concerned with the intimacy, community, bonding and sharing of an audience and the ways in which they are able to persuade each other. It is also concerned with individual and group participation in the Performance and its effect on the perceptions of authenticity. In a live performance, there must be a general and universal approval demonstrated towards the song as demonstrated through facial and bodily expression during the performance and applause at the end. Having described all nineteen elements used in the assessment of Authenticity, it should be stressed that whilst Authenticity is a term that provides for a description of the integrity of a piece of musicking, this integrity is not always synonymous with attractiveness, as recognised by huge swathes of the worlds population. As I show in this dissertation there are plenty of examples of music that are authentic, according to measurement of many of the criteria, but which are not necessarily well received. Conversely there are many instances of well-received musicking that are not of a high level of authenticity as related to the other criteria. In other words, Authenticity is not finite. 1.1.2. Authenticity is not a finite concept. Authenticity has so many different components (I have identified at least nineteen) as well as many mediators, so that relative judgements on each of the items would almost certainly mean that a final decision as to whether the song was authentic, could never result in a simple yes or no, but would be a relative assessment. The more appropriate question that should be posed by the judge, or evaluator, would be: to what extent has this song/performance been deemed to be authentic? A piece of musicking may, for example, have some authentic attributes, such as a truly original instrumental performance, and the vocal qualities may be genuine, whereas its lyrical content may be mundane, and derivative, thus rendering the song only partially authentic. This particular principle relegates the rockism argument, described in other parts of this thesis, to a peripheral position, since it accommodates varying degrees of authenticity, rather than insisting on one broad form of music being superior to another, simply based on its provenance. Rockists are people who consider that there were, and occasionally still are, golden periods of Rock, illuminated by artists and performances which contain an honesty, authenticity, and value of which the mainstream of performers in pop music are both incapable and unconcerned. The differences that show themselves when evaluating Authenticity, particularly in the contrasts between the more objective criteria and those that embody the expression of values generated and constructed by the critical and fan community, mean that an evaluation of authenticity cannot remain in perpetuity, and that it has a clear temporal characteristic, wherein evaluation may change over time. Therefore, despite the fact that judgements on the Authenticity of pieces of musicking may be made, they are essentially of a relative nature. 1.1.3. Authenticity can be evaluated There are many different hypotheses on the topic of musical authenticity, many of which have been reviewed and assessed within this thesis, all of which, without exception, explain the concept in notional terms, whilst avoiding any attempt to develop, or impose, a quantitative measurement of judgement. The decision on the authenticity of a piece of musicking, has been derived from a qualitative evaluation, left to the complex devices supposedly inherent within the intellectual abilities of a few senior musicologists and experts, or socially and culturally constructed values. I propose that, with the application of a list of authenticity criteria, built into a hermeneutic framework, there are a number of activities that can move the efficacy of the judgement towards a more accurate qualitative assessment, albeit still with strong elements of discrimination within it. 1.1.4. A hermeneutic approach is essential in evaluating authenticity Since each evaluation criterion has influences upon, and from, each of the other criterion, the idea of a circle is used so that ones understanding of a piece of musicking, as a whole, is established by reference to the individual criteria and ones understanding of each individual criterion by reference to the whole. Neither the whole piece nor any individual criterion can be understood without reference to one another, and hence, it is a circular process. Strictly speaking, hermeneutics was originally conceived as means of cultivating the ability to understand things from someone elses point of view, and to set aside ones own predelictions and tastes. So the whole evaluation exercise must be considered in full awareness of the evaluation conclusions which may have been reached by the relevant community practice, before and during the judgement process. Using the tools and procedures that I have developed to make an ultimate judgement on both authenticity, ensures that the decision will be as informed, researched, and analytical as is possible. 1.1.5. Authenticity judgement requires a researched description of genre Whilst I have described in some detail the general nature of a range of criteria that I have allocated to Authenticity [including Quality], it is important that the Authenticity criteria are enhanced and made more explicit. This should be done through a close examination, and subsequent description, of the genre that one is analysing (in this thesis, my exemplar is country-rock music). There have been major academic debates on the nature of genre, and in particular whether genre is a stable item rather than a temporal one. My position is based on the assumption that genre may be fixed and stationary, if one is, firstly, prepared to accept the existence of a continuum of a multitude of popular music styles, within which many different genres and sub-genres reside. Secondly, and perhaps paradoxically, it is important to acknowledge that the detailed description of any single genre, or sub-genre, is not universally acknowledged and is, therefore never canonically explicit. The nature of both of these conditions will be influenced by the beliefs and convictions of individual researchers. This means that genre definitions will inevitably vary, albeit within boundaries. Nevertheless, it is essential to generate a broad genre template through which authenticity may be evaluated. It is important to note that authenticity may be a validity descriptor of a piece of musicking, both in general terms, in the sense that the song has been composed, performed, and received in an authentic manner, but also in genre specific terms; so that a song may be classed as being authentic blues or authentic country-rock. The significance of this lies in the need to define genre-parameters when attempting to evaluate authenticity within a genre; hence the statement: Authenticity Judgement Requires A Researched Description Of Genre. 1.1.6. Authenticity may only be assigned to a single piece of musicking Within Popular Music, I propose that the evaluation of authenticity may only be made as far as a recorded or performed song is concerned. Authenticity comprises a number of attributes of composition, performance and reception, but is largely concerned with sound, rather than the characteristics of a human being. Therefore, authenticity cannot be assigned to an artist, other than in a general sense, through a judgement of his/her individual performance of a song. It may be seductive to contemplate the authenticity of an artist, as has been done frequently over the history of popular music, and as argued forcibly by the Rockists. Indeed, many rock artists have been accorded that epithet, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Leonard Cohen, and Lou Reed. However, human authenticity is a complex and hugely debatable concept. For example, it is arguable that even these notable performers could only be described as authentic, if they were to have totally eschewed commercial gain, desire for glory, or other forms of psychological reward during their long and successful lives. This has patently not been the case. Of course, it is arguable that human authenticity could be assessed on the basis that it is not a finite concept (as I have professed is the case for musicking). However, the study of authenticity of individual human beings, would be a multi-faceted, and almost impossible task, since there are so many variables and criteria, which would need to be taken into account, such that even a relative evaluation would involve an extremely complex decision-making process. It is most certainly not within the remits of my research within this thesis. It is also important to stress that the epithet of authenticity cannot be assigned to a body of work, rather than a single song or piece of music, but is only related to individual performances/recordings of songs. It would be possible, however, to make assessments of a number of individual songs performed by one artist or even an assembled group of artists, wherein it might then be possible to offer an overall measurement of the degree of authenticity of that particular set of songs but it would be an average, or mean, of the total assessment. On the same basis, it would be technically possible, albeit extremely arduous and time-consuming, to carry out such an exercise on the entire output of a particular artist. It should be stressed that even so, the eventual conclusion would still be an evaluation of the performance of the music, rather than the person. At this point I should also restate that my position holds that the evaluation of Authenticity of a live performance of a song may be made, even though this will inevitably differ from the recorded version of the same song. All of the criteria used in the evaluation of a recorded song will apply to a live performance of a song, but there will also be a few additional elements that should be applied. These are listed under an earlier principle (Authenticity functions as a marker for Quality)

Standing In The Light :: essays research papers

1. The theme of this book was in search of ones self. I chose this theme because Catharine was in search of her self throughout the whole story. Her and her brother were taken captive by the Lenape Indian tribe and she had to search to find her self throughout her time in captivity. In the beginning when she was captured, it was awkward and confusing. This was because she was a Quaker and she didn’t know if she was now an Indian or still a Quaker, because the Lenape weren’t going to return her to her family. She had to search her own self, and eventually she became used to the way of Indian life. She never forgot her family, but she had come to love her new family. She had also become accustomed to her new way of life. After about a year of living with the Lenape, white men came and took Catharine and her brother away. This really made her confused because she had just found herself with the Lenape and now she has to find herself with her own family again. She never quite found herself with her people, but she would always know where she truly belonged. 2 The main character of this book was Catharine. She was strong-willed and adjusting. She was strong-willed when she had the strength to adjust to her new ways of life. She was pulled from her old life, to her new life, back to her old life. It was very difficult for her because both the Quakers and the Lenape were two very different cultures. She found herself having mixed feelings and a lot of confusion, but she had the will to deal with it. Catharine was also adjusting. She was adjusting when she had to adjust to life with the Lenape. She had to learn new ways of life; she had to learn how to survive off the land. She also made her own clothes and gathered food. She also had to adjust to new customs. The Lenape religion and the Quaker religion are very distinct from eachother. Catharine adjusted to the Lenape religion very well. 3. The Author wrote this book for a couple of reasons. First, she wrote it for entertainment. A lot of people like to read books about the past. Also, I have never read a book about Indians capturing a girl and her brother.

Isolationism, Intervention, and Imperialism: Assignment Essay

Monroe Doctrine: statement issued by President James Monroe stating that the Western Hemisphere was off limits to further European intervention Intervention: involvement by a foreign power in the affairs of another nation, typically to achieve the stronger power’s aims Sphere of Influence: an area or region over which a country has significant cultural, economic, military, or political influence Isolationism: policy of refraining from involvement in global affairs Expansionism: policy of growing a nation’s physical territory or political influence Imperialism: policy of creating colonies in weaker nations in order to generate raw materials and have access to new markets Turner’s Thesis. – An idea advanced by historian Frederick Jackson Turner that argued that Americans should seek a new frontier, one in foreign lands; because this would help Americans maintain their inventive and energetic spirits Big Stick Policy: foreign policy under Theodore Roosevelt that used U.S. power to police foreign nations, particularly those in Latin America Roosevelt Corollary: policy put forth by Roosevelt stating the United States would intervene in Latin America on behalf of foreign powers if Latin American nations did not meet their agreements Dollar diplomacy: foreign policy under William Howard Taft that used U.S. economic power to try to shape international affairs Natural resources: materials such as oil, natural gas, lumber, gold, copper, waterways, and fertile soil that are native to a given place and can be used for economic benefits Markets: places where manufactured goods can be bought and sold Notes: Alaska Secretary of State William H. Seward signed the treaty to purchase Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867. Many Americans thought buying Alaska was a mistake. Alaska was barren and covered with ice. They called it names such as â€Å"Seward’s Folly† and the â€Å"Polar Garden.† The Russians agreed. They had decided to sell Alaska because they did not think it was profitable. But the purchase grew the nation by about 600,000 square miles—about twice the size of Texas—for only about two cents an acre. Despite low expectations, Alaska was rich with natural resources such as lumber, gold, copper, and other metals. Oil and natural gas were discovered in Alaska, which continues to fuel battles between conservationists and energy and mining interests. The discovery of gold in Alaska in the 1890s led to a gold rush. It also encouraged the development of Seattle as a major port. Pacific Islands – Midway, Samoa, Guam After the Civil War, U.S. expansionism into the Pacific began. Merchant ships sought places to refuel. Missionaries wished to spread Christianity around the globe. The United States began expanding in the Pacific with the occupation of the Midway Islands, located about 3,000 miles west of California. Just as merchants needed ports to refuel their trading ships, the U.S. Navy needed safe harbors abroad. The United States began working to gain control of strategic ports in the Pacific in order to meet this need. Small islands that had been mostly ignored by imperial powers thus became more valuable. Before long, the United States had established rights in Pacific island nations including the Marshall Islands and Guam. U.S. traders and missionaries stopped in Samoa en route to Australia. Rivalries among the United States, Britain, and Germany became heated in 1878 after Samoa gave the United States permission to build a military base in Pago Pago. To settle this dispute—but witho ut consulting the Samoans—the United States and Germany divided up the islands. Britain agreed to withdraw in return for the rights to other Pacific islands. In 1899, this division was complete. The United States annexed its portion of Samoa. Hawaii Missionaries and whalers were the first Americans to stop on the Hawaiian Islands. Some eventually settled there. American settlers also began growing sugar and selling it to the United States. Sugar became Hawaii’s most important export. Former Americans came to dominate both Hawaii’s economy and its government. In 1875, the United States and Hawaii agreed to give the United States favored-nation status. This allowed Hawaiian sugar to be imported to the United States without tariffs. In 1887, the United States pressured the Hawaiian government to allow the United States to establish a naval base at Pearl Harbor in exchange for renewing this agreement. This agreement ended when Congress passed the McKinley Tariff of 1890. Under pressure from U.S. sugar growers, Congress revoked Hawaii’s special privilege and forced Hawaiian sugar growers to compete with U.S. and Cuban  sugar producers. As a result, Hawaii faced a severe economic depression. To get around this tariff, planters in Hawaii plotted to make Hawaii a territory of the United States. Political turmoil followed as American Hawaiians clashed with the native government under Queen Liliuokalani. Over the next decade, sugar growers and other U.S. interests pushed to have the Hawaiian Islands annexed by the United States. Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1900. Japan Americans wanted to begin trading with Japan to grow their profitable Pacific trade. Japan also offered a place for fisherman in the commercial whaling industry to refuel. But for two centuries, Japan had isolated itself from the rest of the world. It limited outside influence by restricting trade with all but a few Dutch and Chinese traders. Japan also prohibited foreigners from entering the country. This changed on March 31, 1854, when U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry landed in Japan. Aware that it would be unable to defend itself and perhaps fearing war, Japan agreed to a treaty of friendship. China In the mid-1800s, China opened its ports to trade with the United States and Europe. However, China’s leaders were unable to keep foreign powers from taking over its territory. In 1895, Japan attacked China, taking over a large Chinese peninsula. China was severely weakened, and the European powers took advantage. In the late 1890s, European powers carved out spheres of influence in China. These gave European nations favorable-trade status. Many U.S. business and government leaders worried that they were not given equal access, so the United States proposed an Open Door Policy with China. This policy allowed all nations to trade freely in China. But European governments realized that the policy would greatly benefit the United States and take away the power that European nations had accumulated. Thus, they were reluctant to accept this policy. In 1899, a group of Chinese martial artists led the Boxer Rebellion. This violent uprising against foreign influence in China was put d own two months later. By then, however, more than 200 foreigners had been killed. Not wanting another bloody rebellion, European powers then accepted the Open Door Policy. The policy respected China’s borders and vowed to maintain its independence. Venezuela Venezuela and Great Britain had long disputed the boundary separating Venezuela and British Guiana. After a 509-ounce gold nugget was found in the disputed territory, tensions rose. Both countries claimed the gold was discovered in their territory. Eager to enforce the Monroe Doctrine and to keep Britain from gaining more land in the Western Hemisphere, President Grover Cleveland attempted to intervene. Eventually a neutral arbitrator settled the dispute. But the message to the world that the United States would enforce the Monroe Doctrine was clear. Virgin Islands When the Europeans began colonizing the Americas, many countries targeted the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Dutch claimed the islands, divided them into plantations, and began to grow sugarcane there. The Virgin Islands were an important stop on the Triangular Trade routes that passed from Europe to Africa and the Americas. After slavery was abolished on the islands and the sugarcane plantations began to fail, the United States set its sights on the territory in the late 1800s. By 1917, the United States had bought the Islands from the Dutch. At the beginning of U.S. occupation of the islands, the U.S. Navy controlled the territory. Alaska purchased from Russia acquire land and resources Samoa agreed to split rights with Germany acquire ports in the Pacific China instituted Open Door Policy gain trading rights in China Cuba refused to support revolution maintain isolationist ideals Dominican Republic sent financial adviser Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine Hawaii refused to, but eventually did annex maintain isolationist ideals; gain valuable resources Japan opened trading gain trading partner Venezuela and British Guiana tried to intervene in dispute gained Monroe Doctrine Virgin Islands purchased from Denmark acquire land, military ports, and resources

Tourism’s Potential to Fly South Africa, Clipped by Greed

Upon arrival in the St Lucia-Hluhluwe area (a prime tourism district) for research, I was certain that the beauty of the area had to be shared with family. I started mapping up the possibility of a future family trip back into this area; the accommodation, the feeding arrangements, and other activities offered by the tourist district. Just the basics added up to scaring figures, too big for my working class pocket – and certainly a fortune not any other working class and ordinary South African. I was saddened to realize that tourism (as an intangible consumption) will for a long time remain a luxury, for which, the common man and woman is deliberately priced out (sounds like a conspiracy? ) – for greed and I am not sure what else. Firstly, are the exorbitant prices called for by the operators in the tourist district really called for? Is this the best way to run and grow the tourism industry? All the talk about the tourism industry being an economic sector that could spearhead rural development and reduce poverty in under-privileged communities will remain just that – a talk, until such a time when the pricing issue is resolved. As it stands, South Africa's tourism industry has it all wrong, suffocating its own potential for growth through the greed of a few operators. The pricing regimes of the prime tourism district are obviously meant for the international tourist coming from countries that enjoy a higher currency exchange rate. The logic is to make a killer out of these visitors. In due course, local tourism is highly inhibited and discouraged. It is also very likely that the lower earners from the targeted countries are also denied entry into these high price zones. By so doing, the tourist district creates a muzzle on its potential to grow. It is like clipping a bird's wings for it to fly faster. It is a pity that this kind of logic holds the tourist industry hostage to the whims of a few profiteering individuals and agencies. There is power in numbers. The thousands if not millions of potential tourists who will not visit would calculate to much more profit, more jobs created, and even initiate the growth, vertically and horizontally of other sectors of the economies of the tourist district. At the moment, as a result of restrained demand – the potential for huge demand that necessitates local industrialization and a construction boom as well as expanding the service industry is limited. There are very few visitors, and more so, the numbers fluctuate seasonally. All talks about developing a culture of touring among local people will remain but a pipe dream if the attitude of operators does not change. One operator tried to explain the logic to me; â€Å"lets face it, it is better to deal with smaller groups of people who pay good money and act in a civilized manner than groups of low paying, over-excited bunches who end up fighting and breaking property. As racist as it may sound, my experience with local black visitors – especially those coming in groups have been very rough. When they go – a lot of things must be prepared. † I sympathise but obviously I am not convinced, as this behaviour might be a way of resistance. Probably it is too much to expect that the operators will regulate themselves and reform – the intervention of relevant authorities is therefore called for. The Consumer Council might need to investigate these issues. Besides the denied access to the tourist district, the poor workers and traders trying to earn a living in these areas suffer daily from these chronically high prices. It is actually a blight – that should be remedied, otherwise these ridiculous pricing regimes hold the economy at ransom. Any item from a tooth pick, to whatever is sold gets infected with high prices when it enters this area. Poor people who earn very little to shield the profit margins of operators have to suffer financial erosion from this cancerous pricing regime. The alternative for the poor people trying make a living in this district is to take taxi rides to close towns such as Mtubatuba and Richards Bay, themselves not the cheapest around. More money and time is spent on traveling to buy what one could buy in their own backyard. These people will never taste the cuisines that harass their nose and the children of these people will only but gaze at the children of the privileged riding in cycle tracks, enjoying boat rides and so forth. They are treated to the air, sound and environmental pollution from these activities. There is not need to restrain myself from pointing out that the riding children are white, and those pumping in the dirty dust are black kids. It is a pity that the Black Economic Empowerment train is eluding many black people in the communities in these areas. Black people's involvement is still in the very margins of the industry, even the high sounding Protected Areas Act and Biodiversity Act, as well as the Integrated Management Plan recently promulgated to balance conservation and poverty reduction, will remain a pipe dream if black communities are not put in the mainstream. The so-called community involvement in the sector is in the areas of cultural or ethnic tourism, as well as trekking. Really, the money in the tourism business is not in performing Zulu dancing and story telling. Where the money is in the cottage or accommodation provision, safari tourism, wildlife tourism, of this sector, I did not see any convincing community or individual black entrepreneur's involvement.