Helth and Saftey Childcare Assignment Essay Example for Free

Helth and Saftey Childcare Assignment Essay There are many legislations that influence healthy, safe and secure environment for early years settings. The Heath and Safety (young persons) Regulations 1997 states that ‘’Employers need to complete risk assessments for people under 18 years of age.’’ (Thornes 2008 pg84) It also states that if any hazards are the setting, then give them training that the student, trainee or work experience people may nee to do with that particular hazard. Another legislation is Health and Safety at work Act 1974. This legislation is the one that provides general guidance about all this health and safety and workers must have policies and procedures saying how the health and safety will be ensured and then follow these policies and procedures. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 1994 is also part of the legislation for a healthy, safe and secure environment and states that a risk assessment should be done on hazards and make sure to store appropriate as the COSHH regulations are. Reporting injuries diseases and dangerous occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. E2 Describe the producers which will keep a child safe for each accident, illness or emergency. There are many procedures which keep children safe for each accident, illness or emergency and each childcare setting will have exclusion for illness policy. In my setting the exclusion policy states that all children should be excluded if they have an illness until recovered to prevent any one else in the setting getting infected. Any illness or accident will be recorded in the accident book and they do this in my work placement by writing down all the details of the incident or emergency. The child’s medical records must be checked, and where appropriate acted upon and then parents/guardians will be contacted to pick up their child. If parents/guardians are not reached, the child’s emergency contacts will be call up. In my work placement all staff follow this by carrying it out the correct way. Afterwards the child should be regularly checked to see if any think is more serious. One record copy of the child will be taken to the doctors to make sure staff deal with  any recorded conditions and then the staff at the setting can keep a record of it and keep in contact with parents/guardians. Every childcare setting will keep a record of the child’s symptoms and the actions; regular checks on the child and each time the action was taken. The staffs at my work placement setting always have copies if an incident or accident happens and make regular checks which they keep an up to date record of the child. On discovering a fire or alarm sound, the room leader should then gather the register, visitor book and nursery contact numbers. Nursery stuff will help get the children out the setting by evacuating the building from the nearest fire doors. Once left building all staff and children line up at the assemble point and when lined up the room leader checks register to check all children are present. Afterwards the staff and children must not return to the building until the building has been declared safe by the fire brigade. Once this has been done, the children and staff can return back to the setting safely. An example of an illness would be vomiting or diarrhoea. An example of an accident would be a child bumping his/her head. An example of an emergency would be a fire. E3 Plan the appropriate care of a child aged 1 for a full day in the setting. E4 Plan the appropriate care of a child aged 3 years for a full day in the setting. E5 Describe the issues that affect the planning of a challenging environment for children. There are many issues that affect the planning of a challenging environment for children. The first issue can be identifying children’s needs as this can stop the practitioner from being able to meet their needs in planning the challenging environment for them to be able to learn in, develop and take risks. The second issue can be equipment; is it safe and suitable because this is vital for the children to be able to have in a challenging environment and age staged appropriate equipment. The third issue that affects the planning of a challenging environment may be the size or layout of the area. The Forth issue can be environmental factors such as  temperature, safety, ect It will have an effect on how effective the challenging environment is. The fifth issue can be that is there supervision and enough of it. The sixth issue that affects the planning of a challenging environment maybe type of setting. The seventh issue could be consulting children as is it developmentally appropriate. E6 Describe the initiatives which influence the provision of challenging environments for children. + C1 Evaluate how two initiatives contribute to the provision of an enabling environment for children. A national initiative which influences the provision of challenging environments for children is Swedish school as they apply the Forest education approach. This national initiative influences provisions because children are learning in a different environment which has more outdoor and physical development on the children. They aim to let children explore and understand stuff in the woods and forest such as everyday products from wood. ‘’a unique way of working with young people in a woodland setting, helping them to achieve small practicable tasks, learning about fire safety, woodland management etc. It complements the Early Years curriculum in particular but also supports the 5-16 curriculum. Disaffected children, those with emotional or behavioral difficulties or exhibiting challenging behavior are all seen to benefit and can be turned around by the Forest School experience. Forest School particularly suits the kinaesthetic learner (those that learn by doing) who fails to achieve in a formal school setting. These children are immediately engaged in the tasks set as they suit their way of learning.’’ (http://www.infomat.net/infomat/rd741/rd1/database/Forest_Education/index.asp) A local initiative which influences the provision of challenging environments for children is Montessori such as The Oratory Day Nursery in Burnham. This local initiative influences provisions because children learn independently through tasks to meet their skill for their age without a ‘’long-term disadvantage in their gross motor skills’’ (Thornes 2008 pg250) They aim to make children do many activities which involve the children to use their hands. The Montessori approach is use in my current setting Oratory Day Care Nursery by having set activities for the children to choose from then let children do the activity whilst the practitioners observe and only interacts in the activity to give guidance. This approach also say that ‘’First education of the senses, then education of the intellect.’’ (Thornes 2008 pg250). E7 Explain the importance of helping children to manage risk and challenge in their environment. It is important for children to be helped to learn to assess and manage risk and challenge. It will be necessary for the adult to teach the child the skills he/she will need to learn about assessing and managing risk and challenge. The child can also learn to understand consequences of the challenge and risk themselves. It also teaches them, limits and binderies that they can take with them throughout their everyday life. Most importantly it teaches to progress in their education by developing and doing these challenges and risks with the adults help. In my placement I have seen this happen by practitioners allowing for the children to explore the garden for themselves and one girl was climbing up the little hill for the first time and slipped and fell over. This was a challenge for her because she had to get up to the top and her risk was that she fell but next time she will climb up the hill, she would know the risk and what may happen next time. ‘’All children both need and want to take risk in order to explore limits, venture into new experiences and develop their capacities from a very young age and from their earliest play experiences. Children would never learn to walk, climb stairs or ride a bicycle unless they were strong motivated to respond o challenges involving risk of injuries.’’ (www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk/adventure/manage.htm) E8 show an understanding of diversity and inclusive practice. Diversity and inclusive practise need to be understood and carried out in every childcare setting. Therefore each practitioner should remember to treat every child and their families fairly without discrimination. This can  be done by for example letting all children join in an activity and not saying they can’t play because of their colour, size, shape, disability, ability in activity. They should also not stereotype both the children and families that they work with. By doing this, practitioners can meet each child’s needs as an individual and are allowing for the rights of the children and their families to take place. ‘’Childcare workers are very influential in the promotion of children’s attitude and values. Children will take their cue from adult responses and reactions. Because of their powerful role, it is important that staff take issues of equality seriously and do not ignore them.’’ (Thornes 2008 pg93) In my current setting Oratory Day Nursery, all staff carrying out and understand diversity and inclusive practice by following the equal opportunities policy and enabling that each child gets the chance to develop, learn and play as an individual in the setting with the right to be heard and valued. D1 Explain how legislation can support strategies to establish and maintain healthy, safe and secure environments in early years settings. There are many ways that legislation can support strategies to establish and maintain healthy, safe and secure environment in early years settings. The most important thing that supports a healthy, safe and secure environment is having policies and procedures as this will help everyone in the setting to keep to the same rules. Having CRB checks will also support a healthy, safe and secure environment because they help protect the setting from any vunarble adults. Another thing will be regular body inspections to ensure the setting is following the policies and procedures and working to the right standards but also to see if anything may need improvement into better or is not good practise. Staff ratios can support strategies to establish and maintain healthy, safe and secure environment as without having the right staff the setting shouldn’t open. Training for many different things such as fire procedures will allow you to be able to put your knowledge and practise into your own work to keep everyone safe and secure in the setting. Having the right/appropriate resources is another way to establish and maintain healthy, safe and secure environment. The last thing would be you the practitioner yourself as you are the person who will enforce that all these legislations are done to protect the children, parents, staff and other professionals as well the setting. D2 Explain how establishing a safe environment can support the procedures necessary for accidents, illness and emergencies. Establishing a safe environment, should support the procedures necessary for accidents, illnesses and emergencies. Accidents, illnesses and emergencies cannot be totally predictable or happen through a risk or harm in an event. Many accidents occur in a work place and the main victim is a child. This is due to risks of injury and illness through lack of cleanliness, another sick child in the group, etc Injuries in a group can occur from the children not bringing adequate protection and not using the equipment the correct way. It can also be due to the work place itself because their many be mislabelled equipment, unsafe condition, faulty or broken equipment. However the accidents and illness can be due to the adult because he/she may have failure to follow the procedures, lack of tanning or worker error. Therefore all this needs to be followed the correct way in order to prevent any of this happening. It can be done by making sure everyone in the setting implements and understands the policies such as Health and Safety Work act 1974 or RIDDOR and procedure of the setting, make sure all illnesses and emergency are written, carry out risk assessments regularly, sterilise the equipment, throw away any broken or faulty equipment,, looking after children’s hygiene and insure the children know the rules. This will then creat and establish a safe environment which is safe and less of a risk for everyone in the setting. B1 Consider possible ways to maintain the safety and privacy of children and to respect their wishes. Ensuring a safe environment that allows children to have safety and privacy with respecting their wishes can be done in many possible ways. One example can be going to the toilet as this can make the child feel uncomfortable to go in front of his/her friends and having small toilets with cubicles will make them feel safe and give them privacy. The practitioner however should check to see if there is anything that can put the child at danger when going to the toilet such as chemical produces. When doing all this it allows  the staff in the setting to see over the chid and maintain the safety. In my setting I have seen this happen because when a child goes to the toilet there are small cubicles that adults can see child at any time and keep the safety and privacy that is recurred in any childcare setting. Another example can be when protecting the child such as child’s welfare. This would mean having all practitioners, other professionals, parents and students to be aware that they most not discuss any thing that is not relevant to others and keep any paper work confidential. I have seen practitioners in my setting maintain the safety and privacy of children and respect their wish by listening to them, valuing them as an individual, following the policies on safety, Every Child Matters and the CACHE Statements of Values to best practise. A Discuss the effect on practitioners of meeting the care needs of children. There are many ways of how and why practitioners may be affected when meeting the care needs of children and the support available. Practitioners may feel unhappy to see a child leave after a long time of care for them, grief if child in care dies or is badly injured, feel terrible if they do not get on with a child or the child is not progressing and have a sense of failure. They may also feel anxiety when having to tell a parent bad news or anxiety when a child has to have the social care services involved with them. There can be support given for all these things that a practitioner may be affected by to meet the care needs of children. One way can be by leading the practitioner the right way. Local education authorities can also give support by helping the setting out and working with them to help and develop the child at the best interest to. Another way can be by getting advice from support advisors. The last way they can be supported is by other colleagues and work together to improve the outcome and met the care of the Child’s needs more effectively. This will therefore result in making the child feel happy and enjoy activities or coming to the setting. It will also make child want to work with the practitioner and gain a better relationship. It can not only have an result on the children but also on the practitioner themselves because will feel happy or overwhelmed they are able to work with the child to meet their care needs and then have a better  positive communicating relationship with parents about their child to fit the care needs of that child. In my current placement, I have seen practitioners have an effect when meeting the needs of children and one example of this was the practitioner feeling upset, frustrated because this 4 year old boy who was unable to count his number after having taught him many different ways such as having him sing a song to learn to count as this was some think the boy liked doing. Reference: * Beaver. M, et al (2008) Childcare and education Cache level 3 Cheltenham: Nelson Thorns * www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk/adventure/manage.htm 26th October 2011 * http://www.infomat.net/infomat/rd741/rd1/database/Forest_Education/index.asp 26th October 2011 * http://www.extension.org/pages/25767/preventing-injuries-in-child-care 1st December 2011

Leisure Tourism in Nepal

Leisure Tourism in Nepal Introduction The United Nations World Tourism Organisation, (UNWTO), undoubtedly the most influential international tourism organisation, describes tourists as â€Å"people who travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited†. (Richards Hall, 2000, P 36) Whilst this rather complex interpretation does not do justice to itinerant and obsessive travellers, or to the thousands of young westerners who live for months on the beaches and mountain resorts of alien countries, it effectively narrows down tourism to a short or medium term self funded leisure activity in foreign, unknown, strange or unfamiliar environs. Sharpley’s definition of tourism as a phenomenon of modern society, (1994) whilst being apt with regard to timeline, does not also do justice to this seething and volatile activity, the largest and possibly the most complex organised process in today’s world. Tourism is widely known to be not just the world’s largest business but also its principal employer. It accounts for practically 8 % of global GDP and continues to grow at a clip of 4 %, despite its massive base. (Richards Hall, 2000) Millions of people all over the world, from the largest metropolises to the remotest hamlets, depend upon tourism for their livelihood, opening up their countries and towns to enable people from other countries and cultures to come and gain touristic experiences. Tourism, since the inception of the concept, has primarily been associated with the desires of affluent citizens of advanced nations to go out of their ordinary places of residence for experiential activities that provide emotional and physical satisfaction. (Richards Hall, 2000) Even though tourism has constantly been viewed as a self indulgent activity, its phenomenal increase and adoption by all affluent societies has led to the creation of a multi billion dollar octopus like activity; one with numerous tentacles in different activities and places. (Richards Hall, 2000) Leisure tourism has witnessed a dramatic upsurge in the last few decades, driven by (a) steadily increasing incomes and discretionary spending powers in the advanced and industrialising nations, (b) cheaper air travel, (c) strong western currencies, (d) globalisation, (e) the emergence and consolidation of a unipolar world, and (f) the opening up of numerous tourism destinations and experiences. (Mowforth Munt, 2003) As such, whilst tourism has expanded phenomenally in recent years, the reasons for this phenomenon possibly lie in a number of modern day happenings that have come together for the expression of latent but previously existing desires. The fact that a modern day occurrence, can, in a matter of decades become the world’s largest activity also belies any simple definition or explanation. (Mowforth Munt, 2003) The complexity of tourism can be gauged from the number of activities and businesses it encompasses, including, among other things, different modes of transport, varieties of accommodation, choices of cuisines and eating ambiences, range of activities, and innumerable players. Touristic pursuits are now becoming segmented into different areas like culinary, cultural, historical, health, wildlife, sex, and outdoor adventure activities. (Richards Hall, 2000) Out door adventure pursuits are again further subdivided into a plethora of activities like trekking, mountaineering, mountain and flat land cycling, para-gliding, and white water rafting. (Richards Hall, 2000) Driven by changing lifestyles, these activities are becoming increasingly popular with more and more people wishing to experience more rewarding leisure experiences. (Richards Hall, 2000) Countries with natural resources conducive to outdoor sports have naturally started leveraging their resources to take advantage of this upsurge in interest. Australia and New Zealand, for example, have taken adventure tourism to new levels by building facilities and infrastructure that not only showcase the country’s natural beauty but allow visitors to participate safely in a range of outdoor activities. (Mowforth Munt, 2003) Whilst these countries have been able to exploit their resources successfully, other nations, equally rich in natural beauty, have been unable to fulfil or even come near their potential in attracting leisure or adventure tourism traffic. Nepal, a nation state tucked away in the Himalayas between China and India is a land of unimaginable beauty, grandeur, and ruggedness, and is ideal for leisure and adventure tourism. The country has attracted considerable leisure tourism interest from Europe and the UK and a number of British tourism companies have tried to set up operations in the state, especially in areas relating to white water rafting, mountaineering, and adventure trekking. Whilst disturbed political conditions during the last few years had led to a significant decrease in tourist arrivals, recent developments involving the formation and installation of a democratic government have now resulted in more stable conditions and an upsurge in tourism interest. (Basu Riaz, 2007) This assignment deals with Nepal’s attractiveness as a White Water Rafting and Leisure Tourism destination, its current position as a tourist attraction, and the various initiatives that need to be taken at the private and public level to attract visitors and promote tourism on a sustainable basis. Commentary and Analysis White Water Rafting Rafting is widely accepted by historians to be one of the most primitive modes of water transportation. The activity evolved thousands of years ago when humans started using water currents for transportation by roping wooden logs into platforms for floating downstream. Rafts have changed little over the centuries and even today represent small flat bottomed floating vessels without engines or sails, dependent fully upon water currents and oars for forward propulsion. (Robinson, 2004) Rafts are nowadays made of specially manufactured thick plastic or fabric. (Robinson, 2004) The material is multi layered, adequately waterproofed, and stitched or fused into inflatable multi chambered rubber vessels with flat bottoms and short sides. (Robinson, 2004) Not large in size, modern day rafts are less than 20 feet long, about 6 to 8 feet wide, and can seat a maximum of 12 people. (Robinson, 2004) Being inflatable they can be easily transported over long distances and are economical to buy and maintain. (Robinson, 2004) White water rafting (WWR) originated a couple of decades ago with the use of these rafts by pleasure seekers for rushing down swiftly flowing mountain streams. (Robinson, 2004) The turbulence of mountain streams and rivers, the feel of spray in the face, the froth, the foam, and the association with danger, combine to make rafting a thrilling and enjoyable proposition. (Robinson, 2004) WWR has gained significantly in popularity and is now available across the globe. Involving trips to distant places with the opportunity to participate in intrinsically enjoyable outdoor activity, WWR makes for an ideal group, individual and family pursuit and is open to all reasonably healthy people. (Robinson, 2004) WWR expeditions last from a few hours to days, depending upon the stretch of available water, and often incorporate outdoor camping, tent accommodation, barbecues and spits next to the river at night, and local cultural shows. â€Å"Though river rafting once was thought akin to slaying dragons, the sport has grown dramatically in the last two decades, pursued on more than 145 rivers around the country, according to David Brown, director of America Outdoors, a trade association. But trends in rafting are steering away from expeditions designed for thrill-seekers and toward family-style trips and one-day float outings† (Cooke Haggerty, 1996) Safety is obviously of paramount importance for WWR and rafters use specific gear including helmets and inflatable vests. (Robinson, 2004) Getting thrown off the raft is common during turbulent stretches and rafters are provided with detailed instructions before the commencement of trips. Extremely stormy conditions increase the risk of such occurrences as well as the chances of being swept downstream. Water stretches used for rafting are categorised in accordance with the level of danger involved, levels 1 to 3 being mild stretches ideal for beginners and levels 4 to 6 being rough and meant for experienced rafters. (Robinson, 2004) The significant increase in WWR activity over the last two decades has been attributed by social researchers to a number of factors, which include its widespread availability and manageable costs, the opportunities it provides for group and family bonding, and the growing increase in interest in outdoor activity. It is also associated with the pleasure people obtain out of escaping from urban work and life tensions, the proximity to natural beauty, ruggedness and majesty, and the adrenalin rush that comes from exciting physical activity. Rowlands (2008) feels that the popularity of the activity is due mostly to it being high on adrenalin, medium on fitness, and low on cost. Recent innovations like the designing and fitment of special seats on rafts for people who can not use their lower limbs indicate the spreading popularity of the activity. â€Å"Weve got special seats on rafts adapted for people who dont have use of their lower limbs. The seat helps to stabilise you in the raft, gives extra support and has quick-release straps so you can get out quickly if necessary. People with sight or hearing difficulties also come rafting with us its a really inclusive activity.†(Rowlands, 2008) The low cost of setting up rafting facilities (expenditure comprising largely of investment in reasonably low priced equipment, and trained instructors and guides) is also a major reason for the mushrooming of WWR activity, more so in developing nations where local entrepreneurs and nature enthusiasts are otherwise hindered by lack of capital and resources. (Robinson, 2004) Improvement in communication, greater information availability, and cheaper air travel costs have also contributed enormously to the growing popularity of WWR. Cheaper air travel has enabled tourists to travel to distant destinations even during short holidays and it is now common for Britishers, Americans, and citizens of other affluent countries to engage in intercontinental travel for tourism experiences that could last even lesser than a week. The plethora of information available over the internet has brought information about hitherto exotic and distant locations into the common realm of knowledge and the av ailability of online booking facilities for airline tickets, hotel accommodation and tourism experiences has empowered tourists to act on their own and undertake trips at short notice without the involvement of travel agents. Tourism experts feel that the interest in WWR activity is bound to increase in future, given its many appealing features and possibility of the opening up of numerous fresh locales. (Robinson, 2004) White Water Rafting in Nepal Nepal, a small Himalayan nation state currently undergoing a difficult transition from a monarchy to a democratic republic, has among the most abundant mountaineering and WRR resources in the world. Home to 8 out of the world’s highest 14mountain peaks, the country nestles in majestic mountain country. (Welcome to Nepal, 2008) It is abundantly fed by swiftly flowing rivers, covered with dense forests, and is home to an incredible range of flora and fauna. (Welcome to Nepal, 2008) Connected by air and road the country is not difficult to access and is normally reached after a stopover in a major Indian city. (Welcome to Nepal, 2008) Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is a remarkably tourist friendly city; rich in cosmopolitanism, culinary variety, and culture, and was a major backpacker and mountaineering destination even a few years ago. Local entrepreneurs along with British and European companies have started promoting Nepal as a strong WWR destination and a number of its river s are being used for rafting trips. Appendix 1 provides details about various Nepalese rivers and the duration of WWR trips possible on each of them. Approximately 61 companies service Nepal’s tourism industry, which in turn provides employment to thousands of Nepalese citizens. (Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, 2008) Despite its enormous tourism resources and its friendly people, Nepal has in recent years been beset with large scale peace and order problems caused by agitating Maoists and other anti monarchists. (Basu Riaz, 2007) The installation of an elected government in 2006 has led to a cessation of large scale violence and whilst civil strife and unrest is yet to cease completely the situation is steadily moving towards normalcy. (Basu Riaz, 2007) Various European and North American governments still have negative travel advisories for their citizens wishing to travel to Nepal. The Canadian government, for example, advises its citizens to exercise great caution whilst visiting Nepal. â€Å"You should evaluate carefully the implications for your security and safety before deciding to travel to Nepal.Canadians in Nepal should maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times due to the unpredictable safety situation. Following an intense period of unrest and armed conflict, the political and security situation remains fragile and volatile.† (Travel Report Nepal, 2008) Nepalese WWR providers have however started work on rebuilding awareness in Europe and the UK about facilities available for rafting on Nepalese mountain streams and rivers. The Nepalese Association of Rafting Agents has in fact recently concluded the 7th Himalayan White Water Challenge. (Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, 2008) Held in November 2007 in association with Peak UK, an English White Water and Kayaking Equipment Company, the event was designed as a multi disciplinary one boat competition that combined extreme slalom and river running skills with down river speed and free style action. (Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, 2008) Combining state of the art forms of slalom and head to head racing, the event drew 80 international and 30 local participants and turned out to be a huge success, despite the troubled state of the country and the somewhat inclement weather. (Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, 2008) Whilst the successful holding of the event should help in bring ing back WWR enthusiasts to Nepal in the coming season, much still needs to be done to make WWR and allied tourism activities in the country truly self sustaining and beneficial for the local population. Challenges and Hazards before Nepal’s WWR Tourism Activity Even as a modern and democratic Nepal tries to reengage with the global community after nearly a decade of unrest and isolation, it will need to put in extraordinary efforts to rebuild its inward tourism activity on a sustainable basis if it is to ensure protection of its environment and the passing of tourism benefits to the local population. Tourism has been the subject of endless research and discussion in recent years. Even as hoteliers, airline operators, travel agents, keepers of historical sites, designers and operators of amusement parks and other touristic activities, and the numerous other operators have striven to provide better and differentiated offerings, the industry has been criticised for sharpening income divides, creating low skill employment, causing large scale environmental degradation, generating pockets of work as well as income divides in scarcity ridden areas, and for being one of the chief causes of greenhouse emissions. (Robinson, 2004) Debate has raged over other aspects of tourism especially the impact of modernism and postmodernism on the evolution of the business. Thinkers like MacCannell, Sharpley, Ritzer and Liska have raised a number of issues about existing tourism practices, introduced postmodernist concepts, and stressed the need to bring in far reaching changes in government attitudes and public policy in dealing with the issue. Postmodern views on tourism encompass various perspectives, including the imperative need to make tourism sustainable. A major global initiative in this regard came about in 2002 when representatives of inbound and outbound tour operators, emerging entrepreneurs in the tourism industry, national parks, provincial conservation authorities, all spheres of government, tourism professionals, tourism authorities, NGOs and hotel groups and other tourism stakeholders, from 20 countries in Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia came together in Cape Town to consider the issue of responsible tourism and agreed to a number of actions. (Responsible Tourism in Destinations, 2002) These included adoption of a number of processes that aimed at inculcating responsibility in tourism. Conference members agreed to (a) minimise negative economic, environmental, and social impacts, generate greater economic benefits for local people and enhance the well-being of host communities, (b) improve working conditions and access to the industry, (c) involve local people in decisions that affect their lives and life ch ances, (d) make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, (e) maintain the worlds diversity, (f) provide more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues, (g) provide access for physically challenged people and (h) engender respect between tourists and hosts, and (i) build local pride and confidence. (Responsible Tourism in Destinations, 2002) WWR and associated touristic activities in Nepal have the potential of causing severe damage to the environment through large scale littering of river banks, cutting and burning of forest resource, spillage of diesel and petroleum products in rivers, destruction of local flora and fauna, and spoilage of natural habitat and biodiversity. Tourism authorities in Nepal along with local tourism operators need to ensure that increase in WWR tourism does not harm the environment and is able to bring about real benefits to the local population. Marketing of Nepal as a WWR destination WWR activities, like other touristic pursuits, are mainly concerned with optimal utilisation of leisure time and characterised by â€Å"a sense of separation from the everyday world, feelings of intense pleasure, freedom of choice, spontaneity, timelessness, fantasy, adventure and self-realization.† (Otto and Ritchie, 1996, p 54) Leisure is also associated with six conditions, namely intrinsic satisfaction, perceived freedom, involvement, arousal, mastery and spontaneity, and also characterized by two forms of risk, functional and psychosocial. (Otto and Ritchie, 1996) It contributes to strong feelings of camaraderie and mental bonding, especially when tourists take part in group activities, be they harmless sightseeing tours or riskier mountaineering or white water rafting expeditions. (Otto and Ritchie, 1996) Tourism can also be categorised in two dimensions, existential, representing satisfaction, freedom, involvement, pleasure and reward as well as structural, which deals with physical tasks and an element of external enforcement like, e.g., visits to safari parks or the undertaking of supervised hill climbing expeditions. (Otto and Ritchie, 1996) A number of tourism experiences have greater or lesser elements of risk. (Otto and Ritchie, 1996) As such, tourists subconsciously deal with a number of psychological and social issues while making a tourism choice. (Otto and Ritchie, 1996) As these perspectives are also not readily transferable to managerial activity to prompt suitable decisions, most marketers of tourism tend to focus on discrete service quality factors and tend to ignore the various psychological factors that are closely related to leisure activities. (Otto and Ritchie, 1996) Concentration only on the technical aspects of WWR and ignoring various involved emotions will lead to an inadequate understanding of the true nature of consumer satisfaction and the true extent of satisfaction with a tourism experience. It is evident that proper and holistic marketing of WWR activity for Nepal must address the total needs of the prospective traveller, which comprise not only of objective and physically quantifiable components but also of emotional and subjective parts that do not lend themselves to physical quantification, but are nevertheless important components of a total leisure experience. WWR tourism in Nepal will depend upon a complex amalgam of a number of service industries as well as on the efficiency and ability of primary service providers like Travel Agents, Tour Operators, the Airlines, and the Hotels as also local guides, leisure activity experts, transporters, restaurants and shopping infrastructures at major Nepalese cities. The political stability, the government controlling the affairs of the tourism destination, and the nodal tourism agency play very important roles in the effective marketing of a tourist destination. (Klenosky and Gitelson, 1998) A primary market audit of Nepalese tourism reveals that inward travellers mostly come in from India and whilst the majority of visitors are Indians, the country also attracts adventure tourism aficionados from the western countries and religious tourists from South East Asia. Whilst the country was experiencing increasing tourism arrivals until the late 1990s, recent years have seen a decline due to unstable political conditions. The most popular tourism destinations are Kathmandu and Pokhra, both of which are near WWR starting points. Most of the tourists who come at present are in search of mountain and jungle holidays. Nepal is situated on the Northern border of India, and many visitors nowadays prefer to engage in WWR and allied activities in the neighbouring country. A PEST analysis indicates that the country is on its way to becoming a stable and peaceful democracy. The government is committed to increasing tourism and has a tourist friendly approach. Whilst there is a local Maoist threat, terrorist activity is still absent and the country has not experienced bombings like those that occurred in London, Madrid, Bali or Bombay. Nepal is a developing nation and tourism is its largest service industry. The number of hotel beds is growing and whilst there are numerous travel agents, few are of significance. Katmandu has many WWR and car rental services as well as numerous bars, restaurants and cafes. Nepal has in the past been a Hindu kingdom and is progressing towards becoming a secular democracy. Whilst it is technologically backward it has enormous natural and religious touristic resources. As the birthplace of the Buddha it attracts visitors from all over east and Southeast Asia. A SWOT analysis shows that Nepal has very strong WWR resources. It has an accessible location and is proximal to both India and China. It has magnificent mountains, crystal clear rivers and immensely varied wildlife and forestry resources. The country has a strong tradition of history and culture, friendly people and a reasonably developed tourism industry. It has good air connections, proper roads, comfortable hotels, taxi services, restaurants, cafes, and bars. Prices are far lesser than in major European countries, and holidays in Nepal are economical and provide value for money. The country has a poor railway system and sanitation and drinking water facilities are inadequate. Ecommerce in the tourism industry has not developed in line with that of European countries and online bookings are available only for a few hotels. A perusal of tourism websites indicates that marketing of tourism is weak compared to that of western nations and most visitors are not affluent. Average days spent by tourists in Nepal as well as money spends are low. Most arrivals are during the summer months and there is underutilisation in the lean periods. Language barriers also pose a problem for tourists to access services. The tourism industry has opportunities to increase off-season business and step up the number of arrivals in the cold winter months. There is great scope to increase cultural and historical tourism because of the availability of significant historical resource. Efforts to step up visits of more affluent tourists and arrange for longer visits through introduction of structured tours can also boost tourism earnings significantly. Underdevelopment of infrastructure could encourage tourists to go to other locations. Low-income tourists are very liable to change their mind and move to other locations at short notices and this threat will continue until the income profile of tourists’ changes. Very little information is available on market segmentation and growth has been organic. Recommendations and Conclusion Opportunities to increase tourist arrivals and promote Nepal as a WWR tourist and leisure destination are immense. It is evident from the SWOT analysis and the available data that the country has numerous underdeveloped areas, which if properly addressed can improve the quantity, and quality of tourist flows significantly. Tourism efforts should focus upon positioning Nepal as a WWR destination through a combination of interconnected and complementary set of attractions that provide tourists with an interesting and enjoyable value proposition; in this case a mix of WWR, interesting culture, novel cuisine, historic sites, lovely climate, gorgeous mountains, extravagant jungles, and a range of mountain and hill oriented outdoor activity. Marketing efforts will need to be provided through a mix of various suppliers who combine together to offer the tourism experience, i.e., the local tourism body, tour operators, airlines, hotels, taxi operators, WWR services, restaurants, cafes and guides. The tourism body needs to co-ordinate with all service providers to ensure improvement in services as well as adoption of a common marketing approach. The co coordinating body needs to develop value propositions that will appeal to various market segments, e.g. the low budget tourist, the affluent visitor, people desirous of WWR or mountaineering holidays, historical and cultural experiences or a mix of both. These value propositions need further development to form visitor activity packages that will satisfy the subjective and objective demands of tourists. A complex branding exercise for the complete tourism experience as well as its components like WWR needs development and implementation. The country has various touristic experiences on offer that have their unique appeal and need distinguishing and highlighting. Brand development is a complex exercise and must encompass the physical aspects of Nepalese holidays, cultural components, historical sites and the fun aspect of the total tourism package on offer. The country has extremely inadequate infrastructural facilities like train services, competent local tour operators, drinking water availability, waste disposal systems, and availability of guides with knowledge of foreign languages. The Nepalese authorities need to encourage and catalyse various initiatives, private, public and private-public partnerships that aim to improve the quality of infrastructure. In addition to improvement of basic tourism infrastructure WWR activity will be well served by improvement in the quality of guides and operators, introduction of mandatory safety requirements, and dissemination of information about the different WWR options. The tendency of tourists to avoid tour operators wherever possible and organise their tourism experiences on their own is increasing constantly, especially in the USA and Europe. It is essential that the parties involved in marketing WWR in Nepal should arrange for strong on line presence, including payment options. E Commerce gives rise to enormous possibilities to increase the value proposition of the tourism experience through different tourism sectors like WWR operators joining restaurants and cafes to offer discounts, free meals, entry and other benefits. Apart from setting up these initiatives the introduction of a practical monitoring system to assess progress in various areas will also help enormously in effectively marketing Nepal as a major tourism and WWR destination. Appendix 1 Rivers Suitable for WWR in Nepal (Nepal Association of Rafting Agents, 2008) Serial Name of River Duration of Rafting Trips in days 1 Trishuli 1 to 3 2 Seti 2 3 Bhote Koshi 2 4 Kali Gandki 3 5 Marshvangdi 4 6 Sun Koshi 7 to 9 7 Arun Up to 9 8 Karnali Up to 10 9 Tamur Up to 11 Word Count: 4428 Bibliography Ansoff, I, 2005, Strategic Choice, Management Centre, Retrieved December 17, 2006 from www.managementcentre.co.uk/knowledgebase/pdf/Ansoff%20-%20July%2005.pdf Basu, S and Riaz, A, 2007, Paradise Lost, Lexington Books. Beckman, T. N., Davidson, W. R, 1967 Marketing, New York: Ronald Press Co. Bloodgood, J. M., Bauerschmidt, A. (2002), Competitive Analysis: Do Managers Accurately Compare Their Firms to Competitors?. Journal of Managerial Issues, 14(4), 418+ Bright, A. D, 2000, The Role of Social Marketing in Leisure and Recreation Management. Journal of Leisure Research, 32(1), 12 Brown, T. L, 1996, The Challenge to Democracy in Nepal: A Political History. London: Routledge Cooke, A. Z., Haggerty, S, 1996, July 1, The Original White Water: During the Last 20 Years, River Rafting Has Evolved from a Sport for Thrill Seekers to Family Fun. Insight on the News, 12, 40+ Houston, P. D, 1998, November, Navigating Dangerous White Water Together. School Administrator, 55, 69 Klenosky, D and Gitelson, R, 1998, Travel agents destination recommendations, Annals of tourism research, Vol. 25, No. 3, Pgs 661-674 Lazer, W, 1971, Marketing Management: A Systems Perspective, New York: Joh

How is Sprawl Related to Landscape Change in Cities? Essay -- Urbaniza

How is Sprawl Related to Landscape Change in Cities? Over the past 20 years the 100 largest US urbanized areas have sprawled an additional 14,545 square miles according to the US Bureau of Census on Urbanized Areas. That was more than 9 million acres of natural habitats, farmland and other rural space that were covered over by asphalt, buildings and housing of suburbia. A major controversy in the efforts to halt the rural land loss is whether land-use and consumption decisions are the primary engines of urban sprawl, or whether it is the nation’s growing population boom that is providing the driving expansion. A good example of this rapid sprawl is the city of Chicago. It has had astonishing growth in the past years bringing about many new issues such as traffic congestion, surging housing markets, air pollution, loss of rural land and overcrowded schools. Through the redevelopment of existing cities like Chicago using methods like smart planning we can create livable areas, meet the needs of citizens and thus reduce the need fo r sprawl at the outer edge of existing cities. The main issues that will be covered are housing and human and social implications. The first issue is to define what sprawl is. There are many definitions of sprawl but the central component of most definitions seems to be this: Sprawl is the spreading out of a city and its suburbs over more and more rural land at the periphery of an urban area. This involves the conversion of open space (rural land) into built up, developed land over time. Organizations whose chief concerns involve urban planning goals may tend to emphasize qualitative attributes of sprawl, such as attractiveness, pedestrian-friendliness and compactness. But those who are ... ...y on the Sierra club sitehttp://www.crp.cornell.edu/faculty/pendall.htm taken from the Sierra Club site in the 1998 Chicago report. National Trust for Historic Preservation http://www.nationaltrust.org/ Weighing Sprawl Factors in large US Cities, http://www.sprawlcity.org/studyUSA/USAexecutivesummary.pdf Chicago Metro Case Study, http://www.sprawlcity.org/studyUSA/USAexecutivesummary.pdf Brownfield article, www.pollutionengineering.com/arcives/ Environmental Law and Policy Center, http://www.elpc.org/trans/visions/visions.htm William Cronon, Natures Metropolis, Copyright 1991, W.W. Norton and Company Inc., NY, NY. Planned Manufacturing article www.ncbg.org/tifhandbook/pmd.pdf Tax Increment Financing articles www.ci.chi.il.us/PlanAndDevelop/Programs/TaxIncrementFinancing.html www.ci.chi.il.us/PlanAndDevelop/Programs/TIF/Report.pdf

Internet Essay -- essays research papers

How to use Internet as a management resource? Introduction: Internet is a global network, connecting thousands of host servers worldwide. The United States Department of Defense established it in the beginning of the 1960 ¡Ã‚ ¯s. Today, there are now 10 to 20 million people using an Internet comprised of more than 30,000 networks spread out over 78 nations all over the world. Now the Internet has become a great electronic gateway that provides instant access to global news and information. The databases, documents, files, and programs that are  ¡Ã‚ °sitting ¡Ã‚ ± on Internet computers contain a tremendous amount of information. You can search for and find up-to-the-minute stock market activity, weather reports, music, recipe; you can make free long distance call; you can purchase goods; you can chat and see your friends. It seems you can do any thing you want. In order to cope with increasing competition, the managers have always effort to gain a competitive advantage throughout the implementation of Internet. So the fundamental purpose of our report is to outline the effective ways associated with the implementation of Internet that can help managers to improve their performance. Our report would like to discuss the effective ways for managers to use Internet in three aspects. The first is how managers can compete in the business world through searching and monitoring external information by using Internet. The second aspect is how managers can approach specific kno...

An Explication of Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night :: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

Introductory Paragraph Dylan Thomas’s villanelle â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† is addressed to his aged father. The poem is remarkable in a number of ways, most notably in that contrary to most common poetic treatments of the inevitability of death, which argue for serenity or celebrate the peace that death provides, this poem urges resistance and rage in the face of death. It justifies that unusual attitude by describing the rage and resistance to death of four kinds of men, all of whom can summon up the image of a complete and satisfying life that is denied to them by death. First body paragraph   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first tercet of the intricately rhymed villanelle opens with an arresting line. The adjective gentle appears where we would expect the adverb gently. The strange diction suggests that gentle may describe both the going (i.e., gently dying) and the person (i.e., gentleman) who confronts death. Further, the speaker characterizes â€Å"night,† here clearly a figure for death, as â€Å"good.† Yet in the next line, the speaker urge that the aged should violently resist death, characterized as the â€Å"close of day† and â€Å"the dying of the light.† In effect, the first three lines argue that however good death may be, the aged should refuse to die gently, should passionately rave and rage against death.   The second body paragraph describes the second tercet.   The third body paragraph: the â€Å"good men†   The fourth body paragraph: the â€Å"wild men†   The fifth body paragraph: the â€Å"grave men† Concluding paragraph   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The speaker then calls upon his aged father to join these men raging against death. Only in this final stanza do we discover that the entire poem is addressed to the speaker’s father and that, despite the generalized statements about old age and the focus upon types of men, the poem is a personal lyric. The edge of death becomes a â€Å"sad height,† the summit of wisdom and experience old age attains includes the sad knowledge of life’s failure to satisfy the vision we all pursue. The depth and complexity of the speaker’s sadness is startlingly given the second line when he calls upon his father to both curse nd bless him. These opposites richly suggest several related possibilities.

Death Be Not Proud: Simon Birch to The Scarlet Ibis Comparison Essay

It is said that a person can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. Humans have walked on the moon, swam the English Channel, and overcome disabilities to defy nature itself. In the film Simon Birch and the short story â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis†, two boys work to push past their disabilities that limit their lifestyles to the point of eventual death. Both Simon Birch and Doodle (â€Å"The Scarlet Ibis†) prove that strength does not necessarily have to come from the healthiest of humans, but that the ideas of tolerance for all should be a universal practice. Through their similarities and differences, these unlikely characters teach the reader about might and acceptance of those with disabilities. Doodle and Simon Birch are boys born with handicaps that could easily have limited their lifestyle. Doodle’s developmental delay and Simon’s small stature cause both characters to rely on those around them for support and assistance. Luckily, the kindness of Joe Wentworth towards Simon Birch and the consistent attentions of Doodle’s brother, allow both handicapped boys to live lives greater than most of the world could imagine. Swimming, learning to walk, and boxing were a few things that Doodle learned from his persistent brother. Likewise, Simon enjoyed swimming with his friend Joe, and also playing baseball, which was some thing others did not think he could do. Not only did both characters push themselves with the help of their support systems, they also viewed the world around them as a beautiful place, in which they could learn to defy the limitations of their human bodies. The doctors never believed that Simon would amount to anything and he became a handicapped hero by saving a bus full of kids. Doctors said Doodle would never walk and through pain, frustration, and never giving up, he was able to learn to walk by his 6th birthday. The similarities between these characters are uncanny, but one thing that is continuously evident is that their disabilities did not handicap them. While these two boys have many character traits in common, their differences are most evident in the way they were treated by those around them. Shame and embarrassment in having a handicapped brother is what motivates Doodle’s brother to teach Doodle to walk. In contrast, Simon Birch’s best friend, Joe, never treats Simon as handicapped and willingly brings him everywhere he goes. However, Simon’s family and many people around him do not see Simon as a miracle, but rather fear his â€Å"differences† as they do not understand him. He is ignored, rudely made fun of by others his age, and even told by a priest that God doesn’t have a plan for him. Doodle’s situation is completely different as his family is very supportive, caring, and nurturing, even if pride is the cause in the case of his brother. Pride also leads to another contrast between these characters in their inevitable deaths. While Simon Birch dies a triumphant hero’s death, a disappointed brother leaves Doodle behind when he can no longer keep up. Despite Doodle’s warnings, his brother continues on without him only to return to find Doodle bleeding from the mouth and finally overcome by his handicapped limitations. The early deaths of these two boys are yet different as one dies due to love and other out of embarrassment. The important message of tolerance for all differences can be seen in the likenesses and dissimilarities of Doodle and Simon Birch. Both demonstrate an inner strength, greatly due to their support systems, uninhibited by size or development that makes them mighty. Both also show a love for others that causes them to sacrifice their own lives. Each of their sacrifices paints a picture of how the world treated them differently and how one rose to a hero’s challenge and the other died in miserably being pushed beyond his limits. The greatest lessons are sometimes found in the most unlikely places. Anyone can be a hero, but maybe being a hero is more about looking beyond the surface and most importantly, leaving pride behind.

African American Identity in Media

The print ad was about drug abuse and risky teenage behavior. We have to be realistic and see that many of the victims continue to be African American teenagers, especially the ones coming from poorer families.Although any young person would be attracted to an ad like this one, it seems to reach out to African Americans more because it speaks of struggles and pressure, both of which they are most acquainted compared to other people in this country.What shared values or norms are promoted in the media or marketing piece you selected?The print ad highlights the values of identity and freedom. What the ad is saying is that you don’t have to give in to peer-pressure. You can do what your own thing and be your own person without destroying your life. You can be free from drugs and you do not have to fit into the stereotype of a â€Å"teenage junkie†. It’s not worth it. Be your own person. Own yourself.How do these values contribute to the cultural identity of African- Americans?It should bring about feelings of liberation and pride. African Americans have fought so hard in the past to have the same rights, walk the same streets and work in the same jobs as white people. This is what these ads are reminding them of. That they must continue to fight whatever it is that keeps them from being free.They must resist the stereotypes and transcend these daily temptations to join the deteriorating masses. These values create a sense of connection between them because it reminds them that freedom does not come easy but the sweetness of freedom makes it worth fighting for. Today many African Americans are leaders in business, media, sports, entertainment and all other possible fields — all because they transcended the stereotypes.