Origins of Music, Philosophy, art, and Literature Middle Age essays

Origins of Music, Philosophy, art, and Literature Middle Age essays The western tradition of music has its origins in the chant tradition of the early Christian era. The monophonic music of chant dominated the middle ages, and included the composition of sequences and tropes. In the high Middle Ages, organum emerged, thus introducing polyphonic textures into liturgical music. By the thirteenth century, the motet became a seminal polyphonic composition and included liturgical and secular texts as well as a chant cantus firmus. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, secular music was composed polyphonically, and resulted in elaborate contrapuntal devices and notational practices. In the fifteenth century the early Renaissance polyphony showed evidence of a new style influenced on fauxbourdon and based on previously improvised traditions. At this time textures grew from a reliance on lower voices to treble-dominated textures. Renaissance motets and madrigals have their origins in the music of the Netherlands composers. With the late Renaissance, mo re national and secular music emerged, as found with the English madrigal and the French chanson. The late sixteenth-century music included attempts to return to Greek drama. The latter resulted in the formulation of monody for declaiming music, which was at the core of early opera and became a vehicle for composers like Monteverdii to take forward the nascent genre of opera. Italian opera soon dominated the early baroque style of the seventeenth century, which extended to the composition of oratorios on sacred subjects. In France opera soon took root, and a national style evolved starting with Lully. In the seventeenth century instrumental music developed on its own, treble dominated texture of vocal music was supported by the basso continuo tradition of accompaniment. Works for instruments included keyboard suites and sonatas, organ music, including various partitas and fugues, and trio sonatas for various combinations of instruments. Music for orchest...

5 Erroneously Constructed Not Only . . . But Also Sentences

5 Erroneously Constructed Not Only . . . But Also Sentences 5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences 5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences By Mark Nichol Writers often have difficulty determining the word order in sentences in which the phrase â€Å"not only† appears followed by an example and then, subsequent to â€Å"but also,† another example. Here are fixes to five such sentences. 1. â€Å"Digital cameras are not only changing photography, but our lives.† The key to correct syntax in â€Å"not only . . . but also† constructions is, when sharing a verb between the two examples, placing â€Å"not only† after the verb: â€Å"Digital cameras are changing not only photography but also our lives.† 2. â€Å"He wasn’t only listening to tone, but also to the rhythms and patterns he would need to understand and communicate.† This sentences partially conceals the problem because not is part of a contraction. To solve it, spell out the contracted phrase, and follow the rule stated in the explanation of the example above: â€Å"He was listening not only to tone but also to the rhythms and patterns he would need to understand and communicate.† 3. â€Å"Many people prefer the squatter neighborhoods not only because they provide affordable housing but freedom from government control and a sense of community spirit.† This sentence is improved by the basic strategy of placing the verb before â€Å"not only,† but a further fix is recommended. Because the element following â€Å"but also† is a two-part phrase, freedom may be (at least initially) misconstrued as applying to both â€Å"government control† and â€Å"a sense of community spirit,† so distance the second phrase from the first: â€Å"Many people prefer the squatter neighborhoods because they provide not only affordable housing but also freedom from government control, as well as a sense of community spirit.† 4. â€Å"We house them in the nicest neighborhoods we can afford, the ones that are not only comfortable in themselves, but that mask direct evidence of the world’s unfairness.† In this example, each corresponding phrase has its own verb. When this is the case, simply place â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also† immediately preceding the respective verbs: â€Å"We house them in the nicest neighborhoods we can afford, the ones that not only are comfortable in themselves but also mask direct evidence of the world’s unfairness.† 5. â€Å"Eventually, I began to notice that dreams are not only inspirations for creative life and interesting puzzles to be solved, but that they provided access to a world of meaning that was even greater than the tactics of nonviolent social change.† More complex sentences pose a challenge, but as in the other examples, simply break the sentence elements down. The two points of this sentence are â€Å"dreams are inspirations . . .† and â€Å"they provide access . . . .† To achieve parallel structure, precede the first phrase with â€Å"not only that† and the second one with â€Å"but also that†: â€Å"Eventually, I began to notice not only that dreams are inspirations for creative life and interesting puzzles to be solved but also that they provide access to a world of meaning that was even greater than the tactics of nonviolent social change.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)Cannot or Can Not?When to Spell Out Numbers

Leadership for change in a turbulent market place Dissertation

Leadership for change in a turbulent market place - Dissertation Example ... A Leader's successful application of directive organizational psychology by modifying specific leadership behaviours towards the group will yield an Organizational culture that is in essence "inspired" and successful in the pursuit of its goals and objectives. The purpose of this piece of research is to test the academic theory of leadership in a market place that has seen a high degree of turbulence through acquisition; consolidation and globalization as the landscape of the UK construction industry and its supply chain have altered to meet the challenges. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people for assisting me during the preparation of this research project. My project supervisor, Jon Stephens, University College of Northampton. The following senior executives from the construction industry supply chain who gave up their valuable time to assist me in with the exploration of Leadership as a concept. Chris Hayward, Managing Director of the NMBS. Andrew Weiss , Managing Director of Isaac Lord Ltd. David French, Chief Executive of BHETA. Chris Pateman, Managing Director of the BMF. Paul Hetherington, Managing Director of Pendock Alumasc Ltd. Steve Labord who assisted me in the background research of this project. Finally, my wife Lesley Joanne Durning who has assisted and supported me through this demanding period. CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1.1 Background The UK's construction industry is a major sector of the country's economy which has been enjoying a period of substantial growth recently. In 2005, the output of the construction industry in Great Britain was 107.01bn, a rise of 4.5% as compared with 2004 (UK Construction Industry Market Review,

Poverty Rates in New Mexico Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Poverty Rates in New Mexico - Research Paper Example In some situation, the trends in poverty have taken the concerned groups back to in order to understand factors that account situation. Some have argued that poverty and societies may be inseparable. On the other hand, the liberals have attributed poverty to various factors, especially crime. Thus, according to them, a solution to crime rates should begin with addressing poverty issues. To lend an opinion to the subject, as far as the New Mexico is concerned, there is a clear relationship between poverty, crime rates, and other societal social misfits. To begin with, New Mexico is faced by two major problems. This includes crime and poverty. In 1998 statistics showed that close to 20.4 percent of the natives were living below the poverty index. As such children were pointed out as the most affected group in the society. The study further revealed that in every more than one in every four children was living way below the poverty line citing the problems of malnutrition, hunger , poor education, pressure on public utilities as well as the inefficiency of the justice system as key causes. At that, time figures released by the government pointed out that the Country was ranked among the most violent nations. This was attributed to the fact that, over 961 crimes were recorded in every 100 000 residents. In 2000, analysis in the country’s educations system pointed out that it was an issue of major concern since then debate has been raging over the enactment of the proposed legislations that would have foreseen parents cater for their children in private institutions. However the opponents of such legislations have always been at locker heads with the proponents. Indeed, they hold a different view concerning an overhaul in the education system. As such, they believe that public institutions should be given a priority as opposed to directing students in other private institutions. Such disagreements led to greater deterioration of the education system. it shoul d be noted that New Mexico has been ranked number one in aspect of poverty and crime. In addition, the its ranking as the poorest in education system proved to be a major challenge for the country. Basing on the data from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey; New Mexico is rated as the second-worst poverty stricken county in the nation (Gaurav and Ravallion, 1992). According to the 2011 data, the percentage of families that live below poverty line within the Land of Enchantment is 16.60%, with specific rates of individual that leave below poverty levels sitting at 21.50%. These data shows that Mississippi has the worst rates in the two categories that is 17.4 percent and 22.6 percent respectively. Alaska and New Hampshire are noted to be the best terms of poverty rates in the United States. In this regard, the rates for the whole county in the year 2011 were 11.7% for families and 15.9% for all persons. There are a number of ways poverty can be measured (Gaurav, and Ravallion, 1992). The two most commonly indicators lead to similar results, New Hampshire having the best and Mississippi with the worst. In this case, the first indicator shows the percentage of families living below the poverty level as stipulated by the federal poverty level. More often than not the threshold tends to fluctuate depending on the number of individuals living in a given threshold. In the context of the New Mexico, it poverty rates is slightly better than another state called Louisiana, and somewhat worse than Kentucky. However, considering that the levels of poverty in the New Mexico are relatively high, this is not as such a good thing. There exist only one county, in which the rate of poverty approaches a critical value, which is at least above 50 percent of

Cold War Essay Example for Free

Cold War Essay How important was the Sovietisation of Eastern Europe as a cause of the Cold War? The Sovietisation of Eastern Europe, though a significant factor for the cause of the Cold War, was still not the most important impetus of all. Even though the imperialist intent of the Sovietisation of Eastern Europe prompted the USA to come up with the Containment Policy that led to the conflicts, it was still the misunderstanding and mistrust from both superpowers which aggravated the progress and tensions of the Cold War. The Sovietisation of Eastern Europe was viewed by USA as expansionistic and hence, is one of the causes of the Cold War. The Soviet Union used the strategy what we have, we hold, creating satellite states while occupying previously held German areas, intimidating other parties away and allowing communist parties into power, creating the phenomenon Slicing of the Salami. One example was Poland, where Polish Stalinist leader Boleslaw Bierut who removed much opposition by ordering the arrest of Poles who opposed the new Communist government. The Sovietisation of Eastern Europe is a notable factor as it increased USSRs political, economic and military power by uniting other Eastern European states into a political and economic bloc against USA, mainly to spread Communism to Europe. The USA assumed it as purely Communist Imperialism, and that USSR was highly sensitive to the logic of force and perceived itself to be perpetually at war with democracy. The USA had failed to note that another reason of the Sovietisation of Eastern Europe was a form of security buffer against USA for Russia. This led to mistrust, suspicion and hostility. Hence this resulted in mounting tensions between both superpowers, and is a factor to the Cold War. The Marshall Plan was also one of the main reasons to the cause of the Cold War. It was an economic plan by the USA to provide Europe, including Russia, with the means to overcome economic adversities after the war, with the intent to prevent poor, devastated countries from turning to Communism and hence, keeping Communist influence in check. For example, up till 1953, US$12,721 million was sent to Europe in cash and kind, and France and Britain received the most. The Marshall Plan, though USA insisted that was directed purely on post war hunger, poverty and chaos, was interpreted by the USSR as a form of exploitation and an attempt to buy allies with money. Thus this worsened relations between USA and USSR, contributing to the development of the Cold War as it triggered a response from the USSR, which was the COMECON. The COMECON was the Soviets response to USAs Marshall Plan and also a contributor to the Cold War. By COMECON, the Soviet Union formed a political and economic bloc in which member states ignored the market economy and exchange rates in favour of barter trade, creating some measure of trade stability within the region. For example, oil and natural gas were traded among member states at below-market equivalent prices, partially to support the fragile economies of satellite states and also as a reward for compliance with Moscow. The COMECON was seen by the USA as an backward-looking attempt to spread Communism influence in Eastern Europe and garner support to counter the USAs market economy. Therefore this increased hostility between USA and USSR as economic and ideological rivals, and thus leading to the progress of the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade was a direct aggression of USSR against USA due to the conflict of currency reform in Germany, which heightened tensions between both superpowers and was the climax of the Cold War. The Soviets cut off key freight links to West Berlin, and later all traffic and essential supplies, to show that they would not tolerate USAs attempt to create economic stability using a new currency, the Deutsche Mark. The Berlin Blockade was an important cause of the Cold War as the goal of the Soviets was to starve West Berlin, an Allied country, into submission to Communism, and was seen by the USA as a direct threat to their own survival. Hence the aggressive nature of the blockade prompted a response from the USA, the Berlin Airlift, which was also USAs way of directly challenging USSRs limits of tolerance, which nearly escalated the Cold War into a breakout of a hot war. The Berlin Airlift was an equally agressive response of the USA to USSRs Berlin Blockade. With West Berlin having only one months worth of supplies and the USSR adamant in the blockade of land traffic, the Allies resorted to delivering the supplies using planes. This brought about an advantage of bypassing land traffic. Furthermore the USA was confident that Stalin was not prepared for an open military conflict by shooting down the planes, which was true. The Berlin Airlift had a significant impact on the progress of the Cold War as it was deeply humiliating for the Soviets and was a political and social victory for the USA. Such an outcome made the USSR ever more determined to keep its sector of Germany Communist, which made the initial plan of both superpowers on a unified Germany impossible. On the other hand, the USA became very wary of the USSRs actions and motives, given that the USSR had broken their own agreements on allowing traffic in and out of West Berlin. Hence this deepened both sides mistrust and hostility towards each other and increased each powers determination to hold on to and promote their own ideologies and curb the influence of the other, which helped the progress of the Cold War. In conclusion, even though the Sovietisation of Eastern Europe added to the rising tensions that led to the development of Cold War, it was still the misunderstanding, misperception and the mistrust of both superpowers that led to a spate of events that encouraged further progress into the Cold War. The USA saw USSR expansionism as totally impervious to the logic of reason and in a state of perpetual war against capitalism and democracy. To the USA, the Soviet Union could not understand the possibility for peaceful or non volatile co-existence, and would take advantage of any reduction in conflict to expand forcibly. Hence the USA conducted itself in the belief that they would never be able to cooperate harmoniously with the USSR and thus came up with the Containment Policy. However the Sovietisation of Eastern Europe was actually not purely Imperialist, it was also partly as a security buffer against USA. In reality, having different experiences and ideologies, both superpowers had different visions for the post war world. While Stalin was suffering from the Babarossa Syndrome and became paranoid in relations with USA, the USA held a strong belief in the Long Telegram, thus leading to the progress of the Containment Policy and later the rolling back of Communism, and USSRs counter attacks. This polarised superpower relations and precluded any sort of friendly relations for years. Therefore it was more of the misunderstanding and mistrust of both superpowers than simply the Sovietisation of Eastern Europe that is the most important factor of the Cold War.

An Urge to Write :: Personal Narratives Writing Essays

An Urge to Write Everyone seems to have a reason for liking or disliking writing. It seems to stem from past experiences, or things writing has done for someone or not done for someone. For me, writing is a privilege and I enjoy writing immensely. It’s hard to put my finger on one distinct reason I take pleasure in writing but I think one of the causes for my appreciation of writing stems back to about two years ago. I was a sophomore in high school, and it was basically a tradition that my friend Jess and I would get together sporadically on various Friday nights. She would come to my house in the early evening hours, and we would start our walk. As soon as we would turn the corner of my block I’d light up my cigarette and we’d begin our recollection of the week’s events. On one particular Friday in October we began our walk as we had any other. The air had a cool brisk quality about it but we weren’t really bothered by the sudden chill and just kept walking. We walked throughout town for a few hours just walking and talking, laughing and acting hysterical and crazy over the most minute details of that week’s happenings. We walked till the street lights shown bright on the black streets before us and then we went to our usual stop after our walk. We entered the restaurant just like we had so many times before. We took our seat at the regular booth with the torn vinyl and wooden sides etched with the signatures of the many who had sat in the booth before us. The air reeked of grease and cigarette smoke and was polluted by the sound of senseless chatter from the thirty or so people that crowded this tiny room the size of a large closet. Yet, neither the smell, or the noise or the dà ©cor of dollar bills littering the walls bothered us. This was our tradition as corny and juvenile as it was we knew we would always treasure this special and unusual little place. We sat at our little booth and began our own little chatter fest there.

Claim of Fact Essay Essay

With the biggest GDP, prestigious universities, and a multitude of successful entrepreneurs, the United States has always been considered one of the leading countries in the world. Unfortunately, with other countries outdoing the United States in education, this notion is quickly changing. In recent years, students from other countries have been surpassing the United States academically and have proven that they are the future of the world. Researchers have found many differences in the school systems in foreign countries compared to those in the United States; however, the main reasons America is being trumped by students in other countries are because of the lack of parental support at home and the use of technology in schools. With test scores to prove this change in academic hierarchy, it has become obvious that other countries are outperforming the United States. Each country was compared and ranked based on scores of the 2011 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Multiple countries, such as Hong Kong, Russia, and Finland, scored above the United States in reading, math, and science. The United States is still one of the top thirteen educational systems in the world; however, they are lagging behind and are being consistently outranked (Khazan). One reason for this differentiation in test scores is the ways in which school systems are set up. For example, in Finland, the country with the â€Å"best performing education system,† â€Å"schools assign less homework and engage children in more creative play,† which is the opposite of schools in America (Dillon). At the rate that these countries are exceeding, with student s ahead of American students by one whole school year, those from places such as Hong Kong, China, and Finland will soon be the top entrepreneurs and leaders of the world. One of the main reasons that students in other countries are more successful academically is because of parent involvement. According to the University of Michigan, â€Å"parental involvement is a critical component to a child’s educational experience† and â€Å"it is proven that greater involvement in a child’s education can foster more positive attitudes toward school, can improve homework habits, increase academic success and can reduce dropout  rates† (â€Å"Comparing). Parents in other countries, such as China, ensure that their children understand and complete their homework, while parents in the United States play a more passive role. This is because many parents in the United States are among the working class and not present when their children return from school. Parent involvement helps children succeed in school, leading them to continue on to college. Today, â€Å"the odds that a young person in the U.S. will be in higher education if his or her parents do not have an upper secondary education are just 29%† (LaRock). This proves that parents in other countries are more supportive of higher education and encourage their children to attend even if they did not have the chance. In order to ensure that the United States can redeem itself and once again be a top nation academically, American parents need to be more involved with their children. Another reason that the United States is being surpassed is because of their lack of use of technology in the classroom. As a nation, America should be placing the newest technology in schools in order to ensure that children are keeping up with the technological advances of the world and progressing at the same or higher pace than other students. As Dr. Michael Mills states, â€Å"‘apart from the engagement aspect of using technology, students must master the digital literacy skills necessary to thrive in today’s society and workplace’† (Lawrence). As technology quickly becomes the basis of the world, children need to be familiar with up-to-date versions. This will ensure that they can compete with other nations when entering the workforce. Schools in countries such as China agree with this idea and â€Å"[have] moved far ahead of almost every country in the world on measures of integrating technology into academic curriculum.† Many American parents believe that if their children are going to use advanced technology, they are more likely to use it at home than in school (Lawrence). With these ideas in mind, American parents are allowing their children to fall behind the rest of the nation; thus, they are contributing to the success of students in other countries. Although the United States needs to spend money on placing the latest technology in schools, there are valid reasons as to why they cannot do this. American school systems are based on standardized testing, which is  what they are forced to spend a majority of their budget on (Lawrence). Also, parents in the United States are not able to be home for their children as often because they are busy at work. Many would agree that this high number of working class parents is a key component to America’s success. However, these are not valid reasons as to why children in America should be allowed to slip so far behind those in other countries. As stated by the University of Michigan, â€Å"mothers in eastern Asian countries for example, will actually attend school in order to take notes for their children when they are ill and unable to attend themselves,† so why can’t mothers in the United States make at least half the effort? (â€Å"Comparing). If society continues to act this way, the future of the world will no longer be in the hands of Americans. With the lack of parental support in the United States and advanced technology in the classroom, America is quickly being outshined. Compared to other countries, their academics are suffering. In order to ensure that the United States remains a leading country in the future, these two aspects need to be changed. If nothing is done, the leaders of tomorrow will not be from the United States, but children who now live in countries such as China or Finland. Works Cited â€Å"Comparing U.S. and Chinese Public School Systems.† University of Michigan. Ed. Tara L. Van Schaack. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2013. . Dillon, Sam. â€Å"Many Nations Passing U.S. in Education, Expert Says.† The New York Times. N.p., 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. . Khazan, Olga. â€Å"Here’s why other countries beat the U.S. in reading and math.† The Washington Post. N.p., 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2013. . LaRock, J.D. â€Å"Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2012.† OECD. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. . Lawrence, Julia. â€Å"Chinese Education Technology Efforts May Surpass America’s.†Ã‚  Education News. N.p., 3 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. .

Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Writers of literature, especially those in the genre of stories, used different types of themes and symbolisms to represent an idea and concept that is not directly mentioned by the writer. Most themes especially about life, human nature and society are implied rather than explicitly stated. It’s the writer’s choice if he or she would want to use figures, objects or characters to illustrate an abstract idea to create various realizations on the part of the readers. The aesthetics of literature depends on how the writer seamlessly and creatively associates symbolisms to the themes of the story. In the story Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he used the title as a symbol itself, the characters, and the Biblical allusions as a point of comparison to the consequences of sins happened in the story. The Scarlet letter is used as a significant symbolism of shame that often identify the main protagonist, Hester. The â€Å"letter† word in the story functions as the reminder of her sin. Hester’s adultery receives harsh judgment and retaliation from the self righteous Puritan community. Her sin excludes her in the society or in a pattern known as unity versus exclusion in literature. Hester single mistake in the past made her an outcast who automatically separated her from ordinary social interaction. In the beginning of the story in the episode of the marketplace, the â€Å"scarlet letter† â€Å"was so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of the spell, taking her out in the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself† (Robinson 104). Here, Hawthorne already revealed how the scarlet letter symbolizes Hester’s authenticity as a character and fate. The letter becomes â€Å"the object of severe and universal observation† in the Puritan community (Robinson 114). Moreover, Hester’s presence in the â€Å"crowd had been of such deep social interest† not because of her as a character but because of what the scarlet letter says about her past (Robinson 138). The Scarlet Letter symbolizes the community’s system of judgment and punishment that greatly used symbols and externals to question one’s morality. The scarlet letter in the story is a figurative thing intended to represent sin and a mark of shame. This figurative object went to her after the adultery she committed with Dimmesdale. The setting of the story belonged to a Puritan community who strictly follows the standard of morality. Hester’s adultery from this kind of society received harsh judgment and retaliation from the Puritan community. Despite the painful judgment, Hester chose to stay in the community because running away would be an acknowledgment of society's power over her. Scarlet Letter embodies Hester’s identity that was determined to create her own individuality rather than allowing others to determine it for her. She chose not to conform to the society’s rules and standard. She knows deep inside that she is more than her sins. Her sins were all part of her but the journey of life still continues. Scarlet Letter illustrates Hester’s acceptance of her sins. She admitted though that the letter is a mark of shame but removing the letter or running away would be an acknowledgment of society's power over her. Hester was a symbol for hope, restoration and transformation. The judgmental community unconsciously transformed and challenged her character to be compassionate and capable woman. Her pains made humble. Her innate good nature was fully expressed from her challenging yet sorrowful faith. The scarlet letter as a symbolism is all in connection to the twists and turns of the story as well as to the character. Pearl, Hester’s daughter also noticed that, her mother wear a scarlet letter among all the grown up women in the community. â€Å"Mother†, said the little Pearl, â€Å"the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom†¦ It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet! â€Å"Nor ever will my child, I hope†, said Hester. â€Å"And why not mother? † asked Pearl, stopping short†¦ â€Å"Will it not come of its accord, when I am a grown woman? † (Robinson). In this conversation, it highlights the reality that the scarlet letter is intended to represent sin and Pearl as a child doesn’t fully comprehend her mother’s peculiar situation. Pearl’s innocent and pointed questions create suspense since it makes the characters feel uncomfortable. Moreover her character illustrates perception and honesty that separates her from the corrupt minds of the adulthood. Pearl’s innocent questions motivated those people around her to think and to reflect on the truths that are often overlooked. Pearl herself is the embodiment of the scarlet letter and Hester accordingly clothes her in a â€Å"beautiful dress of scarlet, embroidered with gold thread, just like the scarlet letter upon Hester's bosom† (Robinson). Pearl illegitimacy in the story and as a product of sin mysteriously takes the consequences of her parents’ guilt. The story of the â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† can be compared to some of the stories mentioned in the Old Testament. The plot depicting the extreme portrayal of Puritanism can be compared to the way old people from the Bible regard shame, rules and order. Just like Adam and Eve, Hester and Dimmesdale’s sins particularly adultery separated them from the divine and community (the way Puritan community perceives it). Sins excluded and alienated them in the society. Dimmesdale and Hester’s state of sinfulness led them to personal growth, sympathy and speculation about human nature and larger moral questions. At the end, the inner wisdom that Hester accumulated from the judgmental community greatly benefited her character and sense of individuality. The scarlet letter for Hester according to Nathaniel Hawthorne in one of his interviews after the creation of this wonderful story â€Å"was her passport into regions where other women dared not to tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers—stern and wild ones—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss†. Though the setting happened during Puritan community but the themes are timeless- judgmental society, personal responsibility and unconformity.

Access, amenities, attractions and ancillary services Essays

Access, amenities, attractions and ancillary services Essays Access, amenities, attractions and ancillary services Paper Access, amenities, attractions and ancillary services Paper The four As (access, amenities, attractions and ancillary services) can be used to investigate the provision of tourism at a destination. Using information gathered from panel discussions in week 2 and 3 of the course and from information gathered during the field trip, you are required to critically evaluate the provision of tourism in Cambridge and to identify the ways in which government policy and strategy has affected this provision. It is difficult to decide which one of the Coopers four As is the most important, but considering the reason why people travel the attractions are definitely significant element of leisure tourism to a destination. Attractions are created to bring people to them and to provide them enjoyment and education as well as to fulfil their leisure and recreational necessitates. There are different sorts of attractions, for example favourable climate might be the key attraction for somebody (Mediterranean destinations) whereas for the majority of people there are historic cities (Athens), natural attractions (The Grand Canyon) and entertainment centres (Alton Tower) (Mill and Morrison 1992). Amenities including accommodation are also essential element of tourism industry within destination because it contributes to the countrys economy. The quality and range of that component vary depending on customers needs and expectations. It includes hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfast apartments, cottages, camping sites as well as VFR (Cooper et al). Another very important although expensive aspect of tourism is easy access to the destinations location of access routes, railways and highways, the closeness of airports (Page 2003). Ancillary services provide support to the tourists (promotional information) and to the suppliers of tourism services (access to marketing research, advice about marketing, quality and training, promoting the destination) (Holloway 2002). Cambridge is a historic city with a population of around 105,000. In 1999 4.1 million visitors came to the city. That number has doubled from the middle 1970s to the late 1980s mostly due to a revised classification of day visitors. The total value of tourism to Cambridge is estimated at more than à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½260 million. It provides 5,500 full-time jobs and 2,000 part-time and seasonal jobs. The majority of people visiting Cambridge are day visitors, most of them staying for part of a day, the rest just for one or two nights (Maitland 1996). Most of them come to the city on holiday and sightseeing and 10% for business during the peak season from June to September. 15% of the visitors were staying for longer with half of them coming from out of the country (Cambridge). In the city situated by the River Cam and its surroundings there are many attractions. University of Cambridge with thirty-one Colleges attracts visitors from all over the world. It is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the biggest in the United Kingdom. Kings College was funded in 1411 intended only for 70 people and never meant to raise money for the college. After charging for the entrance as a way to cope with visitor pressure the number of them has fallen from 1 million to 330,000. Charging at the most popular Colleges increases the number of visitors at the less popular. The estimated income from tourists is 470,000 a year that is spent on restoration of the chapel, repairs and provision of information or services for visitors. There is no income from any other sources. Kings College offers audio guides in French, German and Japanese and provides free leaflets in seven major languages. Although there are many people wanting to visit Colleges it makes it more difficult because of the lack of signs with direction where the Colleges are. The reason for that is because there is no cooperation between City Council and Colleges. Kings College does not provide any facilities in the chapel to have a tea, coffee, no Visitor Centre, rehearsal rooms, changing rooms, no even toilets. The explanation for that are visual effects, grade list. There is no planning permission to build these facilities that would collide with the Kings view appearance. Provision of facilities for people with disabilities is also insignificant because it could collide with the character and fabric of these historic buildings (Buxton 2006). Cambridge is easily accessible by road and rail and Stansted airport is just 30 miles away. More than half of visitors come by car and 31% by train. To avoid traffic in the centre of the city there has been introduced high quality parking and bus regular service called Cambridge Park Ride used by more than 1.5 million people a year. Visitors use for free 5000 spaces spread across five sites located on the main routes into the city. Unfortunately it is not possible to park overnight. Caravanetes at two sites do not allow caravans (Cambridge). The main problem with access in that historic city is congestion (caused by cars, coaches and pedestrians) that affects the experience of both residents and tourists as well as the environment through the pollution, noise they make and danger they create for pedestrians and cyclist. Visitors, especially language school students cause also disturbance, obstruction of pavements, unsafe cycling and rubbish (Maitland 1996). More difficulties are causing the following: small and narrow roads, no coach stations and not many bus lanes. Visitors are cramped because of one way system. Cambridge does not want National Express buses to come straight from the airport causing more traffic. Another problem are coaches causing traffic dropping off visitors that usually stay just for one day, very often they have their own food so that they do not spend money and the city does not get any advantages from that sorts of tourists. Cars that are allowed to access centre of the city closed for traffic between 10-4 are these with deliveries to the shops only (Campbell-Bain 2006). Cambridge has less accommodation than majority of other destinations similar to it. It provides 2,200 bed spaces in Cambridge and 1,100 in the outskirts of the city. An occupancy rate is very high of even 90% (Palmer 2006). Its largest hotel is Holiday Inn with 196 rooms. It provides five function rooms fully equipped with multi-media wall, video conferencing facilities and surround sound. Churchill College offers 16 conference rooms able to seat up almost 100 delegates (Chester 1999). Cambridge is important place for conferences. Figures suggest an average 500 conferences a year. In the summer when students go for holiday residence halls are used for conferences what makes source of income. One of the problems associated with provision of accommodation in Cambridge is that there are no campsites (one campsite outside with 120 pitches) and most of the hotels are 4* which means that only certain types of visitors are able to afford that. People wanting to stay in the city centre usually have to use accommodation on the outskirts of the city because of the lack of bed spaces (Heath 2006). There has been no increase in provision of accommodation since the 1990s. A range of accommodation is necessary, serviced and self catering. In order to increase accommodation stock for visitors Cambridge got permission to build new hotels at the Cattle Market with 120 bedrooms and Coldhams Lane with 80 bedrooms (Cambridge Tourism Strategy 2001-2006). Cambridge tries to increase provision for accommodation by converting houses into tourist accommodation (Maitland 1996). The key issue of current Cambridge Tourism Strategy 2001-2006 is to maximise the benefits and minimise the problems of tourism. It guides policies and decisions of the Tourist Information Centre. Maitland1996 suggests that for the success of policy that improves provision of tourism in Cambridge cooperation and partnership of the following bodies is necessary: local (City Council, Destination Cambridge, Planning, City Centre Management), regional (East of England Tourist Board) and national (Visit Britain, Cambridge County Council). Residents contribution is also essential. Cambridge City Council implemented in 1980 tourism policy to manage rather than promote tourism in that historic city. Marketing in Cambridge is selective, the advertisements in the trade press are limited (promoting attractions in the surrounding area) and there are no advertisements in the consumer press. Responsible for marketing are the following bodies: Tourism Information Centre, Visit Britain and Destination Cambridge (provide information about amenities and attractions). Over 25 years the key strategic aims have remained the same- not to attract more tourists, or rather to attract only certain type of visitors. Cambridge City Council tries to attract more business visitors because of their high expenditure. People coming to Cambridge should use the city as a base to explore the region (Palmer 2006). Cambridge Tourism Strategy 2001-2006 identifies the following key issues: more and better quality toilets (programme of improvements), site for Coach Park with facilities for drivers, information and improved access for tourism, especially for people with disabilities (hearing bulbs for deaf, facility for blind to find their way around situated near the market, free of charge electrically powered scooters, wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs, 50% reduction on all single and return fares) as well as the elderly, improved range of attractions, signing to attractions, free welcoming leaflet, central place for meeting/picnic eating and covered seating areas, promotion of museums and attractions. There has been implemented improvement to the quality and efficiency of the Tourism Information Centre (including multilingual information) in order to provide visitors better service including sales of maps and guide books, accommodation, information on public transport, local and national events, places of interest and local services. Tourism Information Centre developed telephone advanced booking scheme which is very useful for visitors who want to plan their trip, especially from overseas who would like to book accommodation before arriving to the destination. Another important point is signing to get to the car parks, services and information at the car parks, signs to the historic centre. In order to improve visitor safety there have been installed more CCTV cameras and better lighting. Promoting walking and cycling and use of bollards help to avoid congestion in the central area of the city (Cambridge Tourism Strategy 2001-2006). The Grand Arcade is being built in the centre of Cambridge and is the most significant retail development for over 30 years. It is scheduled to open in 2008 and without any doubt will bring high number of shoppers. The Grand Arcade will provide visitors 900 car parking spaces, 500 cycle spaces, storage lockers, 50 new shops, two cafes and a new restaurant (The Grand Arcade). Overload of tourists makes Cambridge less attractive. Maitland 1996 explains that to decrease overcrowding and control visits at the Colleges City Council introduced in 1985 the College Pass scheme and the Courtesy Couriers. The Pass scheme allows parties of 10 or more visitors (maximum 20) to pre-book with Tourist Information Centre their visit accompanied by a Blue Badge Guide. Only certain number of groups is allowed for a visit and visitors without a pass are refused admission. The Courtesy Couriers are in the most popular places in the city centre and provide essential information to visitors. Cambridge reduced congestion by introduction of Park Ride with five sites around the city. There are buses going on a regular basis from there to the heart of Cambridge. To help visitors identify buses there are different colours of each of the routes. To attract customer to use Park Ride there are cheaper fares for a standard trip (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.80 return), parking policy links parking charges to Park Ride fares. Park Ride is the cheapest alternative for stays over 2 hours. Park Ride staffed 24 hours a day provide facilities like toilets, baby change rooms, waiting rooms, snack and drink machines, information points, cycling parking. The site is equipped with CCTV cameras in order to provide visitors security and to encourage better use of city facilities and attractions. There is a tourist information point at Trumpington, where visitors have an opportunity to book a hotel room. At all sites there are distributed tourist attraction leaflets and maps. Park Ride website provides maps showing the way how to get to the sites. In some magazines there are discounts on tickets to the attractions. To promote Park Ride it has been placed at the heart of the Christmas access plan, it appears on travel news bulletins and is promoted through joint promotions with retailers (Marks Spencer, John Lewis). Cambridge City Council tries to change parents travel habits through their children and organized in the summer 2005 road show with activities for children (Campbell-Bain 2006). Tourism is very important to the economy of the country. It brings benefits (creates jobs, support services used by residents, supports conservation, spending on services) but at the same time causes problems like overcrowding, increase of public costs of services, disturbance and wear and tear on buildings. Provision of facilities for visitors is on a high level in Cambridge. However more cooperation should be carried on between Colleges which are private institutions and Cambridge City Council in order to provide even better service for tourists. Partnership of different bodies as well as residents is necessary. Many strategies have been already implemented in Cambridge but there is still lots of work to do to improve visitors experience in Cambridge.

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Free Research Papers Free Research Papers Free Research Papers: Paralympics Games! Before you start writing free research paper, you should choose a topic! While you are choosing, you may read about Sports and Games. This theme is very wide and you may discuss for example some definite kind of sport. People all over the world are very fond of sports and games. That is one of the things, which people of every nationality and class are united. Sport not only helps people to become strong and to develop physically but also makes them more organized and better disciplined in their daily activities. It makes for a healthy mind in a healthy body. Sports help people to keep in good health. Free Research Papers: Paralympics Games. Interesting topic to pay attention is about Paralympics games. Not everyone knows what it is. So, this paragraph is devoted to extra-ordinary kind of sport. The Paralympics Games are a major international multi-sport event where physical disability athletes compete. This competition includes ath letes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. In your free research papers you should point out that there are winter and summer Paralympics Games, which are followed Olympic Games. All Paralympics Games are governed by the International Paralympics Committee. For the first time, the Olympic Games for the Deaf people, was hold in Paris in 1924. Disability athletes from injuries of musculoskeletal system have been taking part actively in sports only after the Second World War. The first Paralympics Games were hold in the capital of Italy Rome, in 1960. The competition was attended by 400 athletes from 23 countries. The delegation of athletes in Italy has been the most numerous. Your free research paper should open to the reader such information like:In the beginning of 1976 Paralympics tournament under the guidance of the International disabled people Sports Organization became involved with the amputees, and with very low eyesight.Finally, i n 1992 was created the International Paralympics Committee. Now it includes 162 countries. Paralympics sports include: archery, shooting, athletics, cycling, dressage, fencing, judo, weightlifting, shooting, soccer 7x 7, 5 x 5 football, rowing, swimming, sailing, table tennis, tennis and rugby wheelchair, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, dancing on wheelchair. The participation of these unique people in the Paralympics Games is their feat, and our honor. This sense must be shared in your free research papers. Read this article, may be it will inspire you for writing excellent free research paper.

Research and Writing Handbook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research and Writing Handbook - Essay Example However during the course of this discussion we would be analyzing the killing and the subsequent riots that sparked in the aftermath from the perspective of identity negotiations. However it is important that an idea regarding the understanding of identity negotiations is first acquired. Identity negotiations is referred to as a process through the help and application of which people get an understanding and reach upon an agreement regarding the identity of different people living in their society. It is with the help of this understanding that people actually assume their identities and consequent roles that they need to fulfil in the societal setup they are a part of. (Bakir and David. 2007) On psychological grounds the phenomenon of identity negotiation uncovers a different aspect which is based upon the clash that takes place between the expectations of perceivers with self-views that targets hold. It is under such a condition that people and members of a society engage in a â €Å"battle of wills† and it is in the midst of these conditions that a society gets stratified and once again yearns for an identity. (Swann. 1987) The disastrous events that took place in London after the killing of Mark Duggan provided a comprehensible manifestation of a divided community and society members. This can further be verified from the details that have been disclosed by journalists covering these haunting events. At one end there were people who did condemn the killing of Duggan but were not in favor of the chaos that followed in the aftermath. They encouraged peaceful ways through which they could bring the attention of state policy makers towards this crucial issue, hence it is clear that this particular segment of the society refrained from exercising any violent means of protest. Unfortunately, it was this very segment of the society that had to pay maximum price of their non-violent behavior in the form of human as well as material loss. Their businesses we re burned and they themselves gained injuries while trying to protect it. Quoting David Lawrence, the author of the story â€Å"I know people who have lost everything they ever owned because their homes were burned down over the weekend. I know people who have worked hard to create successful businesses and now have nothing to show for it† (Lawrence. 2011) in an overnight turn of events they lost everything that they once rightfully owned. On the other hand there was also a particular segment that took complete advantage of this situation in creating wreck and havoc in different areas. It has primarily been the activities of these members of London society that have unleashed a violent and brutal picture of a society which was at one point of time referred to as the most civilised society in Europe. The plunder and looting that these people convinced onlookers that the elements of radicalism, extremism and rebellion are present in almost all people; however what is shockingly astounding regarding these riots is the very identity that outlaws disguised as when conducting all these activities. They took on a new form of societal role which was appalling, dangerous and disastrous. Once again quoting Lawrence: â€Å"They just saw it as an opportunity to wreak havoc and seek things for personal gain. Stealing trainers from JD Sports? Taking phones from T-Mobile? Removing the hole in the wall, literally leaving a hole in the wall? All in