Taino Lifestyle Essay Example for Free

Taino Lifestyle Essay The Arawak/Taino society was basically a very gentle culture. It was characterized by happiness, friendliness and a highly organized hierarchical, paternal society, and a lack of guile. Each society was a small kingdom and the leader was called a cacique. The cacique’s function was to keep the welfare of the village by assigning daily work and making sure everyone got an equal share. The relatives of the caciques lived together in large houses in the center of the village. These houses reflect the warmth of the climate and simply used mud, straw and palm leaves. The houses did not contain much furniture. People slept in cotton hammocks or simply on mats of banana leaves. The general population lived in large circular buildings called bohios, constructed with wooden poles, woven straw, and palm leaves. At the time of Columbus there were five different kingdoms on the island of Hispaniola. The Indians practiced polygamy. Most men had 2 or 3 wives, but the caciques had as many as 30. It was a great honor for a woman to be married to a cacique. Not only did she enjoy a materially superior lifestyle, but her children were held in high esteem. HOUSING AND DRESS The Arawak/Taino used two primary architectural styles for their homes. The general population lived in circular buildings with poles providing the primary support and these were covered with woven straw and palm leaves. They were somewhat like North American teepees except rather than being covered with skins they needed to reflect the warmth of the climate and simply used straw and palm leaves. The caciques were singled out for unique housing. Their house were rectangular and even featured a small porch. Despite the difference in shape, and the considerably larger buildings, the same materials were used. When the Africans came beginning in 1507 they introduced mud and wattle as primary building materials. However, there is no record of the Arawak/Tainos having used these materials. The house of the cacique contained only his own family. However, given the number of wives he might have, this constituted a huge family. The round houses of the common people were also large. Each one had about 10-15 men and their whole families. Thus any Arawak/Taino home might house a hundred people. The houses did not contain much furniture. People slept in cotton hammocks or simply on mats of banana leaves. They also made wooden chairs with woven seats, couches and built cradles for their children. In addition to houses the typical Arawak/Taino village contained a flat court in the center of the village which was used for ball games and various festivals, both religious and secular. Houses were around this court. This was a hierarchical society, and while there was only one cacique who was paid a tribute (tax) to oversee the village, there were other levels of sub-caciques, who were not paid, but did hold positions of honor. They were liable for various services to the village and cacique. Stone making was especially developed among the Arawak/Tainos, but they seem not to have used it at all in building houses. It was primarily used for tools and especially religious artifacts. The men were generally naked, but the women sometimes wore short skirts. Men and women alike adorned their bodies with paint and shells and other decorations. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Arawak/Taino diet, like ours, centered around meat or fish as the primary source of protein. There never were many wild animals to hunt on Hispaniola, but there were some small mammals which were hunted and enjoyed. They also ate snakes, various rodents, bats, worms, birds, in general any living things they could find with the exception of humans. They were able to hunt ducks and turtles in the lakes and sea. The costal natives relied heavily on fishing, and tended to eat their fish either raw or only partially cooked. Since they did grow cotton on the island, the natives had fishing nets made of cotton. The natives of the interior relied more on agriculture and de-emphasized meat or fish in their diet. The Taino had a developed system of agriculture which was environmentally friendly and almost maintenance free. They raised their crops in a conuco, a large mound which was devised especially for farming. They packed the conuco with leaves which improved drainage and protected it from soil erosion. One of the primary crops cultivated by the Taino was cassava or yuca, which they ate as a flat bread. They also grew corn, squash, beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, yams, peanuts as well as tobacco. (As an aside I would like to comment that many people in the pre-Columbian Americas had virtually work free agriculture. This system meant that people living in these materially simple social systems had enormous amounts of free time and often developed elaborate religious rites which took a lot of their time, but also had highly developed systems of games and recreation. There are some nice advantages to very simple living and diet!) One of the Arawak/Taino’s primary crops was cassava. This is a root crop from which a poisonous juice must be squeezed. Then it is baked into a bread like slab. The current method of doing this in Haiti produces a flat bread, sort of like a stale burrito or pizza shell. The Arawak/Taino grew corn (maize), squash, beans, peppers, sweet potatoes, yams and peanuts. They not only had cotton, but they raised tobacco and enjoyed smoking very much. It was not only a part of their social life, but was used in religious ceremonies too. TRANSPORTATION The Arawak/Taino had no large animals like horses, oxen or mules to ride or use for work. But they did have river and sea transportation. They used dugout canoes which were cut from a single tree trunk and used with paddles. They could take 70-80 people in a single canoe and even used them for long travels on the sea. These dugouts allowed fishing the few lakes of Hispaniola as well as fishing out a bit off the coast. DEFENSE The Arawak/Taino themselves were quite peaceful people, but they did have to defend themselves from the Caribs who were cannibals. The Caribs of this area were centered at what is today Puerto Rico, but some did live in northeast Hispaniola, an area that today is the Dominican Republic. The Caribs were war-like cannibals. They often raided the more peaceful Arawak/Tainos, killing off the men, stealing and holding the women for breeding, and fattening the children to eat. Thus the Arawak/Taino had some weapons which they used in defense. They used the bow and arrow, and had developed some poisons for their arrow tips. They had cotton ropes for defensive purposes and some spears with fish hooks on the end. Since there were hardwoods on the island, they did have a war club made of macana. This was about 1†³ thick and reminds one very much of the cocomaque stick used in later Haitian days. They did not develop any armor or specifically defensive weapons (shields, etc.). RELIGION AND MYTH The Arawak/Taino were polytheists and their gods were called zemi. The zemi controlled various functions of the universe, very much like Greek gods did, or like later Haitian Voodoo lwa. However, they do not seem to have had particular personalities like the Greek and Haitian gods/spirits do. There were three primary religious practices: Religious worship and obeisance to the zemi themselves Dancing in the village court during special festivals of thanksgiving or petition Medicine men, or priests, consulting the zemi for advice and healing. This was done in public ceremonies with song and dance People had special dress for the ceremonies which included paint and feathers. From their knees on down they would be covered in shells. The shaman (medicine man or priests) presented the carved figures of the zemi. The cacique sat on wooden stool, a place of honor. (There are many surviving stone carvings of the cacique on his stool.) There was a ceremonial beating of drums. People induced vomiting with a swallowing stick. This was to purge the body of impurities, both a literal physical purging and a symbolic spiritual purging. This ceremonial purging and other rites were a symbolic changing before zemi. Women served bread (a communion rite), first to zemi, then to the cacique followed by the other people. The sacred bread was a powerful protector. (The interesting similarities between this ritual and the Christian practice of eucharist is obvious!) Finally came an oral history lesson — the singing of the village epic in honor of the cacique and his ancestors. As the poet recited he was accompanied by a maraca, a piece of hardwood which was beaten with pebbles. There was an afterlife where the good would be rewarded. They would meet up with dead relatives and friends. Since most of the people they would meet in this paradise were women, it is curious to speculate if it was mainly women who were considered good, or if some other reason accounted for this division of the sexes in the afterlife. There are many stone religious artifacts which have been found in Haiti. The zemi take on strange forms like toads, turtles, snakes, alligators and various distorted and hideous human faces. The zemi, as well as dead caciques, have certain powers over the natural world and must be dealt with. Thus these various services are ways of acknowledging their power (worship and thanksgiving) and at the same time seeking their aid. Because of these powers there are many Arawak/Tanio stories which account for the origins of some experienced phenomena in myth and or magic. Several myths had to do with caves. The sun and moon, for example, came out of caves. Another story tells that the people lived in caves and only came out at night. One guard was supposed to watch carefully over people to be sure they were well divided in the land. However, one day he was late in returning and the sun caught him and turned him into a stone pillar. Another Indian became angry at the sun for its various tricks and decided to leave. He convinced all the women to abandon their men and come with him along with their children. But, the children were deserted, and in their hunger they turned into frogs. The women simply disappeared. This left the men without women. But, they did find some sexless creatures roaming around and eventually captured them. (Actually they used people with a disease like mange since they had rough hands and could hold on to these elusive creatures.) However, they tied these creatures up and put woodpeckers on them. The birds, thinking these were trees started pecking on them and carved out the sex organs of women, thus re-establishing the possibility of survival. A different myth simply tells that once there were no women. Man brought woman from an island where there were only women. The origin of the oceans was in a huge flood which occurred when a father murdered his son (who was about to murder the father), and then put his bones in a calabash. The bones turned to fish and then the gourd broke and all the water of the world flowed from the broken gourd. GENOCIDE AGAINST THE ARAWAK/TAINO INDIANS There is a great debate as to just how many Arawak/Taino inhabited Hispaniola when Columbus landed in 1492. Some of the early Spanish historian/observers claimed there were as many as 3,000,000 to 4,000,000. These numbers seem to be based on very little reliable evidence and are thought to be gross exaggerations. However, since nothing like a census was done, the methods for estimating the numbers are extremely shaky, whether by these early historians or later critics. One long technical article on the population comes in the with the low estimate of 100,000. Several other modern scholars seem to lean more forcefully in the area of 300,000 to 400,000. Whatever the number, what happened to them is extremely tragic. They were not immune to European diseases, especially smallpox, and the Spanish worked them unmercifully in the mines and fields. By 1507 the Spanish were settled and able to do a more reliable job of counting the Arawak/Tainos. It is generally agreed that by 1507 their numbers had shrunk to 60,000. By 1531 the number was down to 600. Today there are no easily discerned traces of the Arawak/Tanio at all except for some of the archaeological remains that have been found. Not only on Hispaniola, but also across the Windward Passage in Cuba, complete genocide was practiced on these natives. Disease was a major cause of their demise. However, on Columbus’ 2nd voyage he began to require a tribute from the Arawak/Tainos. They were expected to yield a certain quantity of gold per capita. Failing that each adult of 14 was required to submit 25lbs. of cotton. For those who could not produce the cotton either, there was a service requirement for them to work for the Spanish. This set the stage for a system of assigning the Arawak/Taino to Spanish settlers as effective slave labor. This system contributed significantly to their genocide.

Effect of School and Family Violence on Children

Effect of School and Family Violence on Children Introduction School savagery is the brutality that happens in the school premises. It incorporates distinctive issues, for example, posses, harassing, physical mischief to the school staff and educators, brutality between the school understudies, and so on. It is turning into a continually expanding issue these days, especially in schools wherein the understudies make utilization of firearms and blades. Schools were at first viewed as the most secure spot for the children; however as a result of this school savagery it is no more a sheltered spot. Undoubtedly, such an instance of school roughness is sufficiently uncommon and seen just in specific schools; all things considered, a check is still required for the same. We all realize that youngsters are sent to class to increase better information and for higher studies. Nonetheless, if understudies go to class and get vicious or they are being hassled by alternate understudies, then it is something that needs to be concerned exceedingly and at the top need level. This issue is essentially confronted by all. The administration powers and organization are still not ready to determine this issue of school savagery without the due backing of instructors and in addition folks. Folks, instructors and the understudies can teach themselves about school brutality and approaches to keep it from these sites. They are particularly intended to offer help, backing and direction to the educators and folks. Definition School viciousness is any type of savage action or exercises inside the school premises. It incorporates tormenting, physical misuses, verbal ill-uses, fight, shooting and so forth. Tormenting and physical ill-uses are the most widely recognized types of savagery that is connected with school roughness. However compelling cases, for example, shooting and homicide have additionally been recorded as school brutality. The term family brutality generally envelops abusive behavior at home, youngster ill-use, and elderly misuse. Presenting kids to abusive behavior at home legitimately constitutes criminal tyke misuse in a few states Whether or not a state characterizes a youngsters presentation to abusive behavior at home as kid ill-use, the youngsters who are presented to abusive behavior at home experience that viciousness with their eyes, ears, hearts, psyches and bodies. (Catani, 2008) Objectives Roughness against kids is broad, in distinctive structures. Some of these, to be specific the utilization of physical and mental brutality to train kids, are advocated by folks, educators and youngsters themselves. In spite of the fact that schools ought to assume a vital part in cultivating the insurance of kids from viciousness and misuse, every now and again educators resort to vicious practices as an approach to enhance youngsters execution and to train them. Specifically, instructors dont have particular preparing and ability to handle the showing procedure without utilizing any types of brutality. The Objective Outcomes; (Carrell, 2010) To comprehend the impacts of abusive behavior at home on kids To learn approaches to converse with and hear them out about their experience of abusive behavior at home To see how aggressive behavior at home influences you as a guardian To deal with protected, peaceful associations with your kids dad or mom To learn and hone new critical thinking strategies with youngsters To discover bolster and advising for you and your youngsters, Why this problem is important? Summary 1 Daniel study demonstrates that school savagery is high in young people ØŒStudents dont comprehend the danger they are doing in the activity of brutality, however suits strictly when the occurrence happened. Bears obligation here, educators and the school important, the studies demonstrates additionally Studies demonstrate that African-Americans brutal understudies for reasons, for example, the desire of the white individual and neediness Summary 2 D. Glicken study demonstrates that viciousness in young ladies more for youngsters with the presence of various studies in the USA .Showing that young ladies heaviest and concentrate on savagery completed by young ladies And assume liability for people in top of the line after associates in the school and companions Statistics demonstrate that the unlawful acts did by the young ladies and proportions and years did by these fierce wrongdoings. Summary 3 Says that mothers are occupied with neighbors Craft things, drinking espresso and conversing with their companions Do not see their kids They begin to grumble of them at 15 years old until 18, however essential issue starts when the children from youthful ages Continue developing and show up at the time of pre-adulthood All the studies demonstrate that the primary issues are brought on by the absence of feeling by folks. The arrangements that I discussed is that folks thinks about the youngsters until they grow up. (Catani, 2008) Summary 4 Dosomthing study demonstrates the 11 certainty about the social change on the youngsters the outcomes wont put the rate however i will expound on the savagery that uncovered the understudy on the school understudies were tormented at school, they felt dangerous at or on their approach to class, graders reported being undermined or harmed with a weapon on school property in any event once in the most recent year, the youngster utilization firearm at schools, arent the main ones in peril of school viciousness. Summary 5 The instances of savagery among school understudies , 1-there folks tyke impact with viciousness firstly in the home so they duplicate what they observed on the school in the event that they have issues on the home ,2- what the observed on the TV additionally the films effecting, 3-School brutality just happens among ineffectively instructed youngsters. 4-School roughness influences youngsters over all racial, social, efficient and geological boundaries.5-If you dont need inconvenience, you ought to simply look the other way when you see school savagery. 6-in the event that you overlook brutality in school. Summary 6 Everything understudies need creation abilities to carry on effectively in schools ,understudy to feel great and easily extraordinarily for those kid who manufacture personal5 to 7 years this study said that the home there folks measure of regardless of whether a tyke is prepared to start school. Examination has proposed that we must take a gander at all parts of youngsters lives— their psychological, social, enthusiastic, and engine advancement to get an exact thought of their availability to enter school Summary 7 There is a little however developing group of examination showing that youthful youngsters presented to roughness in the house are left candidly scarred and damaged. Furthermore, introduction to abusive behavior at home has a negative effect on neuro intellectual improvement, prompting lower insight scores in youthful youngsters. There is noteworthy cover between abusive behavior at home and kid ill-use, in families where one type of savagery exists; it is likely that alternate does as well. (Carrell, 2010) Summary 8 Dr. Fantuzzo talked about exploration on the commonness of youngsters presented to abusive behavior at home, opening his presentation with the accompanying inquiry: We see through the glass faintly and is the glass half void or half full? In doing as such, he was alluding to the considerable measure of data ailing in the field, especially in regards to brutality counteractive action and intercession. (Catani, 2008) Previous Studies Study 1 Childrens Coping Abilities One territory which needs to be considered in more detail is the particular adapting capacities of individual more seasoned youngsters. Analysts have started to examine reasons which may represent the level of strength demonstrated by a few youngsters. Taking after from this, a clinical and examination agreement is framing for survey this strength as being affected by more than one component. Found kids adapting capacities could be partitioned into three classifications. These are: dispositional qualities of the kid (for instance, capacity to change in accordance with new circumstances); bolster inside of the family framework (for instance, great association with one guardian); bolster figures outside the family framework (for instance, peers, relatives). There is additional confirmation that youngsters adapting capacities can shift as an element of their formative stage. Research with preschool kids has shown that disturbances in their typical family working are connected with malad aptive practices, both in the home and other social circumstances. (Carrell, 2010) Summary of Study 1 An expansive outline of the impacts on offspring of either seeing, Infants are responsive to their surroundings; when bothered they cry, decline to bolster or withdraw and are especially helpless to passionate hardship. Youngsters adapting capacities could be partitioned into three classifications. These are: dispositional traits of the kid (for instance, capacity to conform to new circumstances); bolster inside of the family framework (for instance, great association with one guardian); bolster figures outside the family framework (for instance, peers, relatives). It is just by building up a more extensive definitional and examination base for kid ill-use and aggressive behavior at home issues, and putting them inside of the structure of family brutality by and large, with comparing sufficient assets, in a manner which will guarantee a superior future for youngsters who live with entomb parental clash. (Catani, 2008) Study Adolescents When kids achieve youth, their subjective aptitudes and assets for adjustment have generally come to a phase of improvement which envelops both their own family flow and outside informal organizations, for example, associate gatherings and school impacts. As such, they are getting to be mindful that there are distinctive methods for considering, feeling and acting on the planet from those to which they have been uncovered. On the other hand, the inquiry is whether the behavioral and social learning procedures of teenagers, who have been presented to aggressive behavior at home, have turn out to be entrenched to the point that they think that it hard to take part in more positive methods for social collaboration. (Carrell, 2010) Summary Study 2 Teenagers see the viciousness as their guardians issue and they frequently view the casualty as being mindful. Continuous clash between folks has a significant impact on pre-adult improvement and future grown-up conduct, and can be the most grounded indicator of rough misconduct. Then again, it must be underscored that, while there is doubtlessly youngsters who either witness and/or are casualties of aggressive behavior at home are all influenced as far as their behavioral, intellectual and enthusiastic conformity, the examination is still not sufficiently definitive to establish that there is a complete situated reaction for sex, age or phase of improvement (Catani, 2008) Final Summary They are amazingly helpless. Babies, why should starting create essential endeavors to relate reasons to passionate expressions, can regularly be seen to have behavioral issues, for example, continuous ailment, serious modesty, low self regard and inconvenience in childcare and also social issues, for example, hitting, gnawing or being factious. Sex contrasts can rise at this stage. By preschool age, youngsters accept that everything rotates around them and is created by them. On the off chance that they witness roughness or ill-use, they accept they have created it. (Carrell, 2010) Conclusion Youngsters reactions to seeing and/or encountering aggressive behavior at home between folks differ impressively. No ordinary responses rise, albeit there is sufficient confirmation that introduction to abusive behavior at home can and frequently does impact youngsters conduct unfavorably. Be that as it may, at different phases of their improvement, kids are differentially ready to comprehend and adapt to what is occurring between their guardians. On the other hand, to completely comprehend the degree of the impacts of abusive behavior at home on kids, there are a few zones which need to be considered for future examination. Initially, all the more needs to be thought about the rate and pervasiveness of youngster witnesses, and about the interrelationship between seeing roughness and encountering different types of kid ill-use and disregard. Bibliography Carrell, S. E. (2010). Externalities in the classroom: How children exposed to domestic violence affect everyones kids. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2(1), 211-228. http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/scarrell/domesticviolence.pdf Catani, C. J. (2008). Family violence, war, and natural disasters: A study of the effect of extreme stress on childrens mental health in Sri Lanka. BMC psychiatry, 8(1), 33. http://www.pubfacts.com/detail/18454851/Family-violence-war-and-natural-disasters:-a-study-of-the-effect-of-extreme-stress-on-childrens-ment

Pop Quiz about God: Religion in the Public School System Essay

One of the fundamental influences on childhood development is the religion the child is raised into. Religion has been engrained into American culture since its inception. However, religion has decayed in modern day America, and this fear of a Godless America has encouraged some people to desire religion be taught in public education. â€Å"For better and for worse, religious convictions play a central role in shaping events in America and throughout the world.† (Haynes, 9) Even though religion teaches morals, the importance of community, and many people credit their religion for their success, the belief of separation of church and state is a valid argument. What is the role of religion in a child’s life when it comes to schooling? Religion cannot be taught in the American public school system. Spirituality has always had a special contribution in every society and in every culture. However, many societies today have an increasing number of atheists. The atheist belief is simply that there is no God of any kind. This conviction frightens people of many different religions because they believe a person without God is a person without religion. In their minds without religion a person does not have morals. This fallacy that a person needs God to be moral is the reason why people fear that America is on a declining spiral. Although, it can be said that many people today are less moral than in past generations, the easy target to attack is the rise in atheism. However, the real culprit is religious ignorance. â€Å"The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released the first nationwide survey of American religious knowledge, based on interviews with 3,412 adults who answered 32 questions on the Bible and the world's religions. Not surprising... ...ls: A Joint Statement of Current Law. Apr. 1995. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. . Sealey, John A. Religion in Schools: A Philosophical Examination. Vol. 9. [Lund]: CWK Gleerup, 1982. Print. Studia Philosophiae Religionis. Simpson, Kevin. "Federal Guidelines for Religious Expression in Public Schools." Religion in Public Schools. 24 Apr. 200. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. . VanderMey, Randall, Verne Meyer, John V. Rys, Patrick Sebranek, William Coyle, and Joe Law. The Glendale College Writer and Research Guide. 3rd ed. Mason: Cengage, 2009. Print. Zhao, Emmeline. "Arizona Proposal To Teach 'Bible' In Public Schools Becomes Law." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. .

Casino Development in Massachusetts Essay -- Casinos Gambling Governme

Casino Development in Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is in trouble. As the Big Dig gets closer to completion and the unemployment rate rises in the state, what are lawmakers doing to help boost the economy and close the deficit? Heading into the fiscal year 2005, Massachusetts is facing a record deficit of close to two billion dollars. Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are scrambling for solutions, but seem to be coming up empty handed. With the elections drawing nearer and nearer, and local state contenders vying for seats in the state congress getting more competitive with one another, what can Massachusetts do about this economic crisis. A number of legislators from Massachusetts seem to have a solution to help Massachusetts out of this rut, and boost the struggling economy and job market. That solution is the introduction of legalized gambling and casinos to the state of Massachusetts. The legalization of casinos in Massachusetts would provide the state huge tax profits, provide thousands of jobs to a strug gling market, help boost the states lagging tourism sector, drive local business upwards through millions of new visitors each year, and provide everyone (tourists & local citizens) with quality entertainment. Throughout the twentieth century, legalized gambling has become an excellent source of entertainment. Proponents of gambling argue that casinos provide an outstanding source for job opportunities, direct revenue to state and local governments through taxes and fees, and increased tourism in the surrounding areas. Opponents of the controversial gambling topic focus on the attraction of an unwanted crowd, increased crime rate, and traffic congestion on state and local roadways. Both United States citizens and foreign tourists who want to experience the glitz and glamour of gambling can travel to remarkable Las Vegas or Atlantic City. For many years, Nevada and New Jersey were the headquarters of gambling in North America. However, the corporate gambling world got a facelift on February 15, 1992, when a new casino opened in the New England area that would change the entire legalized gambling world forever. This casino would become the most â€Å"fantastic† gambling venue in the w orld. A Whole New Ballgame Foxwoods Resort and Casino, developed by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian Nation, has grown from a small casino to the largest casino i... ... Gives information regarding recent votes and recent legislative moves that directly effect the gaming movement. Van Voorhis, Scott (2004). Gambling biz betting change is for better. Boston Herald. http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=46327ain Discusses recent moves by Thomas Finneran (Fmr. Speaker of the House), which has a major effect on the issue at hand. References (cont.) Gambling Magazine Online. (2003) (http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?C=280&A=8441 ) Discusses spending that is happening in Massachusetts to help push casinos to the state. http://www.foxwoods.com Gives General information regarding the casino itself, facilities, and services. Used for a variety of data and information. The Center for Business and Economic Research ,University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2004). Metropolitan Las Vegas Tourism Statistics. http://www.unlv.edu/Research_Centers/cber/tour.html Provides statistical data for tourism in Las Vegas area. http://www.02133.org/issue.cfm?ID=10 Gives good background information regarding the Massachusetts casino movement specifically and also presents good facts and data.

Does emerging energy technology have the potential to provide power for the entire Tanzanian population affordably?

our site – CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING – DISSERTATION EXAMPLES Abstract This study proposes to examine the role of emerging energy technology and policy innovation and how this impacts developing economies. Employing Brazil as an example, this research identifies and assesses opportunities for the expansion of sustainable energy and policy for the nation of Tanzania. The value of this study rests in studying the link between energy innovation, organisational culture and increased capacity. 1 Introduction1.1 BackgroundThe identification and application of emerging energy technology is at the forefront of national economic growth (Timilsina, 2012). Many studies illustrate the contention that innovation and organisational culture awareness can enhance economic prosperity, thereby increasing the adoption of valuable technology, leading to a better standard of living for many populations in emerging nations (Barry et al, 2011). This research rests on the hypothesis that emerging nations that adopt emerging technology and policy opportunities have the potential to increase national use and underlying standards of living. Assessing both the cultural expectations and the energy industry opportunities provided in Brazil, this research determines if performance in Tanzania should be boosted by an industry and leadership that aligns cultural policy with the objectives of the energy market to accomplish national goals.1.2 Aims & ObjectivesThe objective of this study: Determine the viability of emerging technology and energy policy to provide power and a better standard of living for the Tanzanian population. In order to accomplish this objective a case study based on the more developed nation of Brazil will provide real world demonstration of the strengths and detriments of the innovative energy policy approach.1.3 Research QuestionsThe research questions are as follows: What is the relation of emerging energy technology to Organisational Culture How are innovative energy processes facilitated by Organisational Culture How does a culturally innovative energy strategy impact a nation How does Organisational learning and energy innovation enable an industry to respond to Tanzania’s requirements Is innovation necessary to sustain access to emerging market opportunities 2 Literature Review2.1 Energy InnovationEnergy innovation is defined as the introduction of new methods or products into a market or policy setting (Ahlborg et al, 2014). This suggests that new technology can have an impact on an existing energy market such as Tanzania.2.2 Organisational CulturePractices, policies and priorities that are held by a society are directly responsible for the acquisition and application of innovative policy and technology (Hall et al, 2011).With this evidence, there is a clear suggestion of a link between cultural perception and technological adoption.2 .3 Implementation and Assessment of Innovative ImpactOne of the primary drivers of organisational structure is positive production and progress during implementation (Christensen, 2005).Assessing the efforts over time using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as a cultural tool and the STEEPLE instrument to assess industry options provides a well-rounded illustration of impact. 3 Methodology3.1 ApproachBoth deductive and inductive avenues were reviewed; with the decision that the best method for this research will be the Interpretivism or the Qualitative approach (Cresswell, 2011). Secondary research based on a case study of Brazil evaluated using Hofstede’s Cultural dimensions to evaluate societal influences alongside the STEEPLE industry analysis thereby providing the working infrastructure evidence. This strategy will be adopted for this study so that existing data can be effectively accumulated and analysed.3.2 Research StrategyQualitative, Interpretative research methods will be used so that the literature can provide a wider analysis of the subject matter. This form of research will provide a solid foundation for well-balanced study.3.3 Data Collection Instruments and MethodsThe resources that will be used include text books, journal articles, online databases, government reports and applicable websites. 5 References Ahlborg, H. and Hammar, L. (2014). Drivers and barriers to rural electrification in Tanzania and Mozambique–Grid-extension, off-grid, and renewable energy technologies. Renewable Energy, 61, pp.117–124. Barry, M., Steyn, H. and Brent, A. (2011). Selection of renewable energy technologies for Africa: Eight case studies in Rwanda, Tanzania and Malawi. Renewable energy, 36(11), pp.2845–2852. Christensen, C. (2005). The innovator’s dilemma. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins. Friebe, C., von Flotow, P. and T†aube, F. (2014). Exploring technology diffusion in emerging markets–the role of public policy for wind energy. Energy Policy, 70, pp.217–226. Hall, J., Matos, S., Silvestre, B. and Martin, M. (2011). Managing technological and social uncertainties of innovation: the evolution of Brazilian energy and agriculture.Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 78(7), pp.1147–1157. Strauss, S., Rupp, S. and Love, T. (2013). Cultures of energy. 1st ed. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Timilsina, G., Kurdgelashvili, L. and Narbel, P. (2012). Solar energy: Markets, economics and policies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(1), pp.449–465.

Customer feedback Essay

The purpose of this report is help Dave Smith, the General Manager of the Landmark Hotel Auckland to improve the hotel’s current customer satisfaction measurement scheme by comparing a range of survey methods and recommends the most appropriate survey programme for the hotel. The report is broken down to two sections. The first section defines customer satisfaction and articulates the importance of measuring customer satisfaction. Section one also compares the functions of CSQs and TripAdvisor.com and introduces the content analysis method to the Landmark Hotel. The second part of the report defines measures of central tendency and dispersion and presents calculations from the guest survey spreadsheet provided. Based on summary table 1.1, the report briefly describes what the calculations mean to the hotel and produced a short recommendation. The report is produced with several limitations, which need to be addressed and overcome for future research. The recommendation made to Landmark Hotel under the first part, regarding the most appropriate research method was selected based on one of only two options. Further, since there is no standard ways to perform content analysis, the report simply presented what appeared to be the most logical procedure. Finally, the recommendation regarding internal marketing was much generalised due to word limits. PART A Defining Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction has been a topic of great importance in business practices. There is an overwhelming amount of outcome definitions characterising customer satisfaction, many of which have not yet been empirically tested. According to Yi (1993), some academics and practitioners define customer satisfaction from an outcome-based approach. Alternatively, other perceives and defines customer satisfaction as a process. Engel and Blackwell (1982) defined customer satisfaction as â€Å"an evaluation that the chosen alternative is consistent with prior beliefs with respect to the alternative† (p. 501). This definition is comparable with the disconfirmation theory, which proposes that guests are either satisfied or dissatisfied based on their expectations prior and subsequent to the purchase of the actual service experience. In this section, we are particularly concerned with the importance of measuring customer satisfaction. Fortunately, this question can be answered directly using the service-profit chain. The service-profit chain is simply a proposition of a series of linkages between â€Å"profitability, customer loyalty, and employee satisfaction, loyalty, and productivity† (Heskett, Jones, Loveman, Sasser & Schlesinger, 1994, p. 164). Customer satisfaction represents a crucial role in the service-profit chain because satisfaction is essentially a driver of customer loyalty (retention, repeated business and referrals), which directly impacts the profitability of a hospitality firm. Customer satisfaction is extremely important because it produces word-of-mouth, reduces operating overheads and facilitates price premiums (Denove & Power, 2006). Hospitality firms constantly look for more effective ways to measure customer satisfaction. Managers try to achieve greater accuracy in survey outcomes and use them to reliably address the gaps between management’s visions and the customer’s needs. Comparing Data Collection Methods Guest Feedback Forms Guest feedback forms, comment cards or customer satisfaction questionnaires (CSQs) are frequent tools used by most hotels for measuring customer satisfaction. Barsky (1992) stated two major disadvantages of guest comment cards, â€Å"poor construct validity†¦ poor statistical validity† (Barsky, 1992, p. 51). Yesawich (1978) also hypothetically considered CSQs as â€Å"more often than not, unreliable and statically invalid† (p, 72). Barsky (1992) further argues that guest comment cards may indicate customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction and related trends, but generally does not provide sufficient information for decision-making. Poria (2004) outlined several key advantages of using CSQs during guest complaints. Poria claimed that asking the guest to fill in CSQ would allow the staff extra time to resolve the problem and calms the guest. Tripadvisor.com In comparison with CSQs, Tripadvisor.com is an online interaction platform. Unlike the majority of quantitative methods, online customer reviews often articulate psychological changes of the hotel guests. According to Li, Ye and Law (2012), online reviews are more likely to convey guest’s true feelings, which make up for the missing information that was not captured by guest surveys. Tripadvisor.com and other eWOM platforms allow managers to interact with the guests, form one-to-one dialogues and perform qualitative content analysis. Content analysis is a systematic and objective approach to make inference from written data (Downe†Wamboldt, 1992). Like all qualitative research methods, content analysis is concerned with meanings and contextual aspects of a service experience. Content analysis can be described as an intensive exploration of a single customer review and typically, managers look for rich and vivid descriptions in the review, rather than generalised knowledge. However, content analysis and comparable qualitative research methods may lack scientific validity. Thus, it is difficult for managers to make reliable generalisations from a confined sample size. Research Methods and Design The Landmark Hotel needs to go beyond measuring performances and begin to understand perceptions and gain practical and context-dependent knowledge relating to specific guest experiences. I recommend the Landmark Hotel to focus on qualitative content analysis. Content analysis can be performed on online guest reviews as well as guest comment cards. Additionally, I recommend the use of open-ended question in guest comment cards in order to provide greater insights to the guest’s feelings (Lukas, Hair, Bush & Ortinau, 2005). According to Guthrie and Abeysekera (2006), content analysis requires a randomly selected sample, clearly defined criteria of analysis and a systematic data categorisation method, so that statistical analysis of the data can be performed. Downe†Wamboldt (1992) proposed an eight step procedure that the researcher should follow when conducting content analysis. These steps can be briefly described as 1) selecting unit of analysis, 2) defining the categories, 3) defining the categories, 4) testing for reliability and validity, 5) define or revise coding rules, 6) pre-testing the revised category schemes 7) data coding and 8) reassessing reliability and validity. According Marković and Raspor (2010), reliability of content analysis can be improved by developing coders for similar contents. Data coding allow researchers to measure frequency and percentage through tabulations, compute measures of central tendency and dispersion, test for difference, association and interdependence by performing t-tests and chi-square analysis using SPSS applications. Integration After the results have been analysed and interpreted, the researcher can choose to integrate and present the research outcomes within the hotel using an analytical report that is credible and believable. The report clearly defines the research problem/issue and the research methodology, which clearly articulates the objectives of the research, the research design used, descriptions of samples and the sampling methods and the how data are analysed. The results section is the most important section. This section should contain presentations of findings that are relevant to the research problem. The report should also contain a conclusion section, a recommendation and a limitation section which illustrates â€Å"extraneous events that place certain restrictions on the report† (Lukas, et al., 2005, p. 557). PART B Calculations and Definitions of Measurements Considering the guest survey spreadsheet, I have calculated the measures of central tendency and dispersion for each behavioural intention scale. For measures of central tendency, I have computed the mean, median and mode respectively. These measures are used as data reduction, which describes the set of responses through a single value. The mean is â€Å"the arithmetic average of the sample† (Lukas et al., 2005, p. 436). The mean is derived from the sum of all values pertained from the responses and divided by the exact number of valid responses. The median is â€Å"the middle value of a rank-ordered distribution† (Lukas et al., 2005, p. 436). The mode is defined as â€Å"the most common value in the set of responses to a question† (Lukas et al., 2005, p. 436). Standard deviation is a measure of dispersion. It is defined as â€Å"the average distance of the distribution values from the means† (Lukas et al., 2005, p. 438). The Excel function which I have used to compute the standard deviation of the data given was STDEV.S. STDEV.S estimates standard deviation from a sample rather than the entire population. The guest survey spreadsheet provided a number of intention statements aimed to obtain some ideas about guest experiences for certain aspects of the hotel. The management hoped to explore the guest’s intended behaviours as much as possible and the likelihood that guests will demonstrate predictable behaviour towards staying at the hotel in the foreseeable future. Table 1.1 shows that first and second rating scale demonstrated a lower average value in comparison with other rating scales. Evidently, service standard and staff competence to make guests feel accustomed during their stays did not meet the required expectations. Question eight also shows that on average, guests would not recommend the Landmark Hotel to others. Recommendations I postulate that service quality could be a major contributory factor to declines in booking rates. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), there are ten determinants of service quality – competence, courtesy, reliability, responsiveness and understanding are five relatively important determinants directly influenced by staff. Additionally, empathy and assurance are additional components of service quality directly determined by hotel personnel, as proposed in the SERVQUAL scale (Parasuraman et al., 1988). For the purpose of restoring and improving service quality, I recommend an adjustment of focus onto internal marketing activities. According to George and Gronroos (1991), â€Å"internal market of employees is best motivated for service-mindedness and customer-oriented behaviour by a marketing-like approach, where marketing-like activities are used internally† (p. 86). Internal marketing is essentially a process of building a customer-oriented culture through training and achieving internal satisfaction. Internal marketing implies a number of activities besides training utilisation. Take, for example, regularly assessing internal satisfaction, empowerment, and the provision of adequate supervisory support, open communication policies and the development of a sound reward system all forms part of internal marketing activities that seeks to achieving continuous quality improvements. References Barsky, J. D. (1992). Customer satisfaction in the hotel industry meaning and measurement. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 16(1), 51-73. Denove, C. & Power, J. D. (2006). Satisfaction: How every great company listens to the voice of the customer. New York, NY: Portfolio. Downe-Wamboldt, B. (1992). Content analysis: method, applications, and issues. Health care for women international, 13(3), 313-321. Engel, J. F., & Blackwell, R. D. (1982). Consumer behavior. New York, NY: Hole, Rinehard and Winston. George, W. R., & Gronroos, C. (1989). Developing customer-conscious employees at every level: internal marketing. Handbook of services marketing, 29-37. Guthrie, J., & Abeysekera, I. (2006). Content analysis of social, environmental reporting: what is new?. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 10(2), 114-126. Heskett, J. L., & Schlesinger, L. A. (1994). Putting the service-profit chain to work. Harvard business review, 72(2), 164-174. Li, H., Ye, Q., & Law, R. (2012). Determinants of customer satisfaction in the hotel industry: An application of online review analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, (ahead-of-print), 1-19. Lukas, B. A., Hair, J. F., Bush, R. P., Ortinau, D. J. (2005). Marketing research. North Ryde, NSW: McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Limited. Markovic, S., & Raspor, S. (2004). Measuring perceived service quality using SERVQUAL: a case study of the Croatian hotel industry. Management, 5(3), 195-209. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. & Berry, L.L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49, Fall, 41-50. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. & Berry, L.L. (1988). SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, Spring, 12-40. Poria, Y. (2004). Employees’ interference with the distribution of guest satisfaction questionnaires. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 16(5), 321-324. Yesawich, P. C. (1978). Post-opening marketing analysis for hotels. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 19(3), 70-81. Yi, Y. (1993). The antecedents of consumer satisfaction: The moderating role of ambiguity. Advances in Consumer Research, 20, 502–506.

What Are the 6 Defensive Positions in Football and basketball Essay

Football vs. Basketball Introduction             Sports have always been fun and exciting for most people. It is always fun to practice and play with other people. Each and every week, millions of people tune in to watch their favorite sports, but some do not recognize the difference between one sport to another. Usually, each game has its own structure, which make it be given the name it is known for. This paper focuses on the difference between football and basketball as forms of sport.             Basketball is governed by the Federation of International Basket Ball Association (FIBA). The body was created in 1932. FIBA regulates and control all matters concerning the game in the world. In contrast, the body that governs and runs soccer activities in the world was formed in 1904, which is a Federation of International Football Association (FIFA). Moreover, it organizes international soccer matches, including World cup and also approves the facilities and equipments used world wide. It also funds soccer organization for promotion of the game and generate the rules for the management of soccer all over the world.               The field of play of football is a 120 by 100 yards where it is usually marked for positioning, such as the center circle where it is used for awarding a kick off during the start of the game.. It also has a goal line, which is the shorter boundary of the field for awarding a goal kick, corner kick and a goal. It also has a penalty area where penalty kick is awarded. Generally, the field is covered by grass. On the other hand, the basketball has a playing court, which is 28meters in length and 15 meters in width. The field is supposed to be flat, hard, surface free from obstructions. Just like a football it has a center circle, but in basketball it is used for awarding a jump ball during the start of the game.               In football, the duration of play consists of two equal periods of 45minutes whereby after the first period the players are awarded a half times of 15minutes. After the second play period, if there is a tie there are awarded an extra time of two halfs of 30minutes. But the game is usually played in 90minutes. In contrast, basketball game is played in four periods of 10minutes each where the interval of 2minutes between the first and the second period is awarded, which become the first half, and third and fourth period, which form the second half. If there is a tie an extra 5minute is awarded at the end of playing time.               Taking into account the ball that is used to play football, it is supposed to weigh not less than 410-450 grams having a circumference of not more than 70centimenters and not less than 68centimenters and a pressure equal to 0.6 to 1.1atmospheres sea level. In contrast the ball that is used to play basketball should have a circumference not less than 74.9 centimeters and not more than 78 centimeters. The ball should also weigh not less than 567-650 grams, and have enough pressure.               Though both teams has players, they are totally different. In football, a match is played by two teams whereby each team consists not more than 11 players, one of whom is the goalkeeper and three substitutes may be used, which is a maximum in an official competition. Moreover, a football match may not start if either team consists of fewer than 7 players. In basketball, a team should consist of twelve registered players, but only five are supposed to play in the field of play while the others are substitutes. A basketball cannot begin if one of the team is not on the playing court with five players ready to play. Nevertheless, in a basketball match, it is a must for all the players to tuck in their shirts while in a football match, it is not a must for the players to tuck in their shirts. Also, there is no goalkeeper in a basketball match.               In basketball the ball player is required to bounce the ball repeatedly as he/she is moving with hands, this is called â€Å"dribbling†. In football if the ball is fumbled with legs. A fumble is the loss of possession of the ball by the player. In football the ball is not supposed to be touched by hand by the players. The goalkeeper is the only person who is supposed to touch the ball with hands, and within his or her region and guided by several rules. In contrast, basketball involves hands whereby the player uses their hands to score, throw or score a goal. When a goal is scored by a player, the player is awarded either three points, one or two points depending on the position of the scorer. Also, it is considered to be a goal if the ball wholly enters through the ring and passes through the net. However, in football, a goal is considered to be a goal, regardless of the position of the scorer as long as he or she has not committed a foul or violated t he rules of the game and the ball has passed through the goal line between the two goal posts. Nevertheless, if the referee is not able to detect who committed a foul in football the players are awarded a drop ball to continue with the game while in basketball the umpire awards a jump ball.            Football and basketball have both very different play styles. Football involve full-contact sport, with tackles, blocking, and collision in every single play. In football the most common reason a player leaves the game is because of an injury. On the other hand, in basketball contact between players is prohibited. It is a non-contact sport and any contact is considered to be a foul. Football players will get many more hits in the face than basketball players. Football is more associated with brute force, strength, and speed type sport, while basketball is a skill type sport along with strength and speed. Moreover, basketball uniform consists of shirts of the same color, numbered 4-15 in the fronts and the back. In football, they wear shirts or jersey with sleeves and usually labeled on the back.             Though every team has officials who rule over the game, the officials are extremely different. In football, there is the center referee, the assistant referee and the linesmen. These are the officials who overlook the ongoing of the game, rule over and directs the entire game. In basketball, there are one or two umpires who overlook the ongoing game. These people work together with an assistant scorer, a timer, 24 seconds operator who also oversees the progress of the game in the field. It has many officials who watch the ongoing match than in football team, which can be played in the presence of three officials.               Moreover, considering the technical equipment of every team, there are different equipment used during the game. During basketball matches, there must be a foul marker, which consists of 1-5, a 24 second operating device, scoreboard and a game clock. On the other hand, a football match must have a coin used to determine the team that will start the game, which is done by tossing of a coin, a whistle, a scoring card and a pencil.             In conclusion, sports are always different from each other, considering the structure, players, the field and the officials of the game. It is for this reason that we see different games be played differently. The difference between football and basketball is totally different from the starting of the game, players, field, structures and so on. Also, sometimes the supports of the games differ since there are always taste and preference. References Alder, James. â€Å"What Are the 6 Defensive Positions in Football?† About. N.p., N.d. Web. 2012. . â€Å"Basketball Positions.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"National Football League Regular Season.† Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Aug. 2014. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"The Coaching Staff in American Football.† – For Dummies. N.p., N.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"The Differences Between Football and Basketball.† A Sea Of Blue. N.p., N.d. Web. 09 October. 2012. . Source documents  s