The Journey of Two American Girls

The Journey of Two American Girls Laura Logan ENG125: Introduction to Literature (AFG1301A) Instructor: Carla  McGill February 4, 2013 How can an African American and a Hispanic girls be treated different when they are the same type of person? I chose the theme of race and ethnicity when I selected the poems â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† by Patricia Smith and â€Å"Child of the Americas† by Aurora Levin Morales. I am a Hispanic person with an African ancestry. I speak fluent Spanish and English and have experience life from both sides of the continent.The poems show how African American and Hispanics American girls lives were affected based on their race and ethnicity. The life of the African American girl life was affected because of her race and racism; while the life of the Hispanic American girl life was (not) affected because of her ethnicity. While both the African American and Hispanic American girls were born on American soil, racism affected the African American girl’s way she lived her life while ethnicity (heritage) played a major role in Hispanic American girl’s life.The poem â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† is about a nine year old African American girl who life was immensely affected by racism and the fact that she was a girl did not help her either. The thing that I notice was missing is where is the girl’s parents during the time she was growing up; maybe it was the author intent not to mention the girl’s parents. Growing up is tough enough as a black girl, you add the absence of parents and throw in racism, this girl does not have a chance to live a successful life. According to the American Heritage College Dictionary, racism has two meanings.First, racism is, â€Å"The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. † Second, racism is, â€Å"Discrimination or prejudice based on race. † The African American girl health was effected by racism, she was conditioned to be ashamed of her skin color, the texture of her hair and ethnicity. In her mind she think the only way the coccasion people will except her is if she look like them. According to Bhui, (2002) Racism is a fundamental cause of disparities in health.Its myriad effects and links to other forms of social stratification lead to it being both obvious and masked. Its boundaries are indistinct because it is internal as well as external, individual as well as ecological, and shunned while being an integral part of dominant culture ideology. Its investigation is important and yet part of the spider’s web that traps the best thinkers of ethnic minorities in contemplation instead of action and this brings us to the final paradox, understanding racism is a prerequisite of beating it (p. 3). I get the feeling that the black girl not only felt that at nine she was not finished, but perhaps she coul d into a different person other than the person she was then. The African American girl definitely had mental heath issues, she wanted white skin and blue eyes, something that was accepting of the culture of that time. According to Smith (1991) â€Å"It’s being 9 years old and feeling like you’re not finished,† writes Smith, â€Å"like your edges are wild, like there’s something, everything, wrong. † (line, 4).According to Smith (1991) the â€Å"black girl† she refers to in her poem is feeling the awkwardness of her newly changing body and the hope of something different and maybe better to come (p 283). Some people would say that the African American girl understands her body, but I would say that she is not ready for her body changes perhaps because of who she is or want to be and that is to look like the other girls in the society in which she lives. The life of the Hispanic girl in the â€Å"Child of the Americas† is so different from that of the black girl in the â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl†.I stated that I have live on both sides of the Americas, and like the Hispanic girl in â€Å"Child of the Americas† by Aurora Levin Morales, According to Dictionary. com ethnicity is ethnic  traits, background, allegiance, or association; relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common; relating to the classification of mankind into groups, especially on the basis of racial characteristics; denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people.I must say that I have experience little to know racism. In the Hispanic society we are free mentally and physically to be want ever we want to be without restrictions being place on us girls. The Hispanic girl understand who she is and where she comes from. The one thing I notice about the two poems is that the author in this poem mention the girl’s m other and grandparents, which indicates that there is a support system in place to deal with life situation. The Hispanic girl unlike the African American girl was proud of her body and her light-skinned mestiza.Morales (1986) states that I am a child of the Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a child of many diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads. I am a U. S. Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of New York I have never known (p. 278). (Morales, 1) shows that this girl knows who she is and accepts that she is different than what she may see everyday. She is proud of her Puerto Rican heritage, proud to be of multi-racial descent, proud to be from the islands.She knows where she comes from and where she has is going. In â€Å"Child of the America’s†, the girl proudly states she is, â€Å"a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean†. (Morales, 2) The girl in this poem lets us know from the beginning that she is a girl of mixed race. She is strong and confident in her abilities. She enjoys life and appears to be well educated and well versed. Her social class could be middle class to wealthy with parents that worked their way out of poverty. â€Å"A product of the ghettos of New York I have never known†. Morales, 5)    â€Å"I speak English with passion: it's the tongue of my consciousness, a flashing knife blade of cristal, my tool, my craft†. (Morales, 7, 8) I remember when my daughter was in elementary school and she took a knife to school for protection and she was the tallest student in the school. Patrica Smith, the author of the poem â€Å"What’s it like to be a Black Girl† discusses the challenges the African American girl has with identifying the changes her body is going through as she is growing up. The African American irl does not appear to know what is going on, or perhap just do not want to face the future because of who she is, the color of her skin, the texture of her hair and the color of her eyes. Smith (1991) states that â€Å"It’s finding a space between your legs, a disturbance at your chest, and not knowing what to do with the whistles, it’s jumping double dutch until your legs pop, it’s sweat and Vaseline and bullets, it’s growing tall and wearing a lot of white, it’s smelling blood in your breakfast. † (p. 278).According to Myers (2002) African American women noted lower satisfaction with professional lives, differential and negative treatment from colleagues, and greater feelings of isolation on campus. Such isolation carries with it important implications: Literature shows that the rate of promotion and tenure among African American women is slower than that of African American men and white women. Isolation and lack of effective mentoring processes are direct influences in these low promotion and tenure rates as well as low retention rates among African American women in academia (Williams- Green and Singh, 1995).The state of mine she was in due to racism and her lack of support from her family especially a father figure, made it very hard for her to be a good judge character when it came to her selecting or being selected by the male persuasion. The Hispanic girls life is total contrary to the African American girl’s life. My young life was very similar to the Hispanic girl. She was very aware of her growing up and her body changes. She had a support around her as she was growing up and she was deeply rooted in her heritage and proud to shake it and speak her mind when needed.It even sounds like the Hispanic girls even like literature as she like the singing of poetry. Morales (1986) indicated that Spanish is my flesh, Ripples from my tongue, lodges in my hips: the language of garlic and mangoes, the singing of poetry, the flying gestures of my hands. I am of Latinoamerica, rooted in the history of my continent: I speak from that body p. 278). The author kind o f implies that the Hispanic girls enjoys having a good time dancing and living the Latinoamerica life style.The poem â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† the girl is continually getting older and bigger and changing her clothing, to wear white clothing trying to look like the society who is showing racism toward her. She want to wear white like a new bride, which symbolize purety. She has seen a lot of racism in her life and based on the fact she want to be Caucasian or at least look like them. She only see African American in a negative way. The mood of the black girl is somber and sad because every phase in her life there is know one for her to talk to or lift her spirits.The Hispanic girl in the poem â€Å"Child of the Americas† is happy about where she came from, like me, she is probably bilingual and loves the fact that she is Puerto Rican and unlike most Hispanics she is Jew. Accoring to Morales (1986) the girl is a U. S. Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of New York I have never known. An immigrant and the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants. I speak English with passion: it’s the tongue of my consciousness (p. 278). The Hispanic girl can relate to more than one culture and have multiple races to identify with; she has many races and loves them all.The African American life will aways be in termoil and does not know how to resist a man when they are not right for her. The first man that reaches out to her, she just gave in to him without any resistance. On the other hand, the Hispanic girl life was all line up for, like most Hispanic women she was determined in life and had the will power to resistance a bad situation and move away from it. The Hispanic girl was very secure about who she was and what she wanted to become and had the support of her family, unlike the black girl who was not sure of who she was and how she was going to get there.The poems were completely opposite when it came to the style as th ey sent different messages to the reader. The style is the mood or attitude reflected in a literary work. The â€Å"What it’s like to be a black girl†, the style is that of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. She doesn’t understand what’s happening to her body or just do not want to except it because of the racism she has face in her life and why she look like the people who are mistreating her because she does not have blonde hair and blue eyes.The style of â€Å"Child of the America’s is that of a proud heritage, love of self, and accepting who you are and proud to be what you are. She loves who she has become and where she comes from. She understand her body and uses it to her advantgage. The biggest difference I see in the two girls is that one had no family support and really know heritage to fall back on and the other had great support and how they saw themselves. in the way they perceive themselves. The black girl did not know that black i s beautiful and to be proud of your heritage and who you are.She is lacking role models that she can live or look up. Unfortunate she lived in an era where racism was allow to thrive, which lead to discrimination because of the color of her skin. The poem â€Å"Child of the Americas† by Aurora Levins Morales is about social diversity. It is about a person like myself coming from Central America. I was born in Panama, where we did not experience racism until I came to the United States. According to Morales (1) I am a child of the Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a child of many diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads.Like the character in the poem I to am the child of the Americas, except my skin in dark brown and I am proud of my Spanish heritage and teach it to my children. I have African in me, but I am not accepted as an African because I speak fluent Spanish and English. African American do not accept me as an African American because I spea k Spanish. Morales (18) also indicates that â€Å"I am new. History made me. My first language was spanglish. I was born at the crossroads and I am whole† (p. 278).Racism is a belief in racial superiority:  the belief that people of different races have different qualities and abilities, and that some races are inherently superior or inferior. Racism affected how minority girls were treated and the lack of a good quality education. It seperates us from our fellow man. Rather than trying to improve our society or our nation we are spend more time aruging with or neighbors who are of a different ethic background. Racism divides us instead of bringing us closer together. We then create cities seperated by race, and prefer to stay in our own city with fellow people of our race.The country becomes further divided, one group of people on one side and another group of people on the otherside. Prejudice is a irrational dislike of somebody:  an unfounded hatred, fear, or mistrust of a person or group, especially one of a particular religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual preference, or social status. People had a preconceived notion about African American people which had a negative affect the girls of that culture. The African American girl experienced prejudice based on the fact of her being a person of color, not because of her actions.The theme in the poem â€Å"What it’s like to be a black girl†, is that of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. The theme of â€Å"Child of the America’s is that of hope, loving your self for who you are.. The poem â€Å"Child of the America’s† did not display any racism or prejudice even though that is not the case for an minority girl in the middle nineteen hundreds in which I experience. The Hispanc girl was just the opposite, there were no boundaries place on her because of her skin color and what ever she dream she wanted to become she could of without prejudice.Her family taught he r to be proud of her Hispanic heritage, to be very prideful of the fact that she is bi-lingual and from the island of Puerto Rico. I was raise to very proud of where I am from and do not forget my family heritage. According to Morales this girl is proud of her Hispanic background and her religious affiliation (1 – 6) I am a child of The Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a child of many diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads. I am a U. S.Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of New York I have never known (p. 278). The girl in the poem â€Å"Child of the America’s† proudly explain that Spanish is in her flesh as Morales (1986) states that In recognition of the Spanish influence and in credit of the land that used to be part of the America from which people of Spanish and American descent have intermingled and shared their culture. Spanish influences such as religion, tradition, and food are treasured by Latin Americans who are v ery proud of their heritage. They are Americans (n. p. Morales also indicated that the girl was proud of the other countries she was a part of to include Africa, Europe. We all know that soon that will be a minority of people from America because of it is a melting pot and their will be no typical American because Americans came from a melting pot of culture. Their multiple cultural heritage, tradition, and influences and there are a combination of people to form the American culture. The African American girl seem to be unaware of the changes her body was going through, perhaps because of her situation she was into.In the poem, â€Å"What’s it like to be a Black Girl†, Smith (8) talks about the things that are happening with the girl’s body, as she is developing. â€Å"It’s finding a space between your legs, a disturbance at your chest, and not knowing what to do with the whistles (p. 283). The Puerto Rican girl was very aware of her body and proud to s how it off and with the African American girl it was the total opposite perhaps because of the way she was treated and not allow to grow up without restriction place on her through racism and prejudice.One might wonder how will that affect her mindset as she get older, if I am mentally free in my mind to do what I want to do, my whole outlook on life will be different. The poem â€Å"What It’s Like to Be a Black Girl† Smith says,† the girl is getting bigger and taller and want to wear white clothing to supplement how she is feeling and while wearing white clothing everyone will accept her. The white clothing represent the good things in her life and black represent everything that is bad in her life.The African American girl, now a women and married at the end of the poem, her life appeared headed for trouble because of the upbringing she had. There seem to to be know one lift up the girl when she was going through the trouble time of her young life and all the o bstacles that was in her way. The disparity between the two girls is very obvious in the way they saw themselves. It was very sad that the African American girl did not have a good role model to tell her that black is beautiful and be happy with who you are. It would of been nice for her to have a big sister she could of looks up.The poem never really identified a support person she could count on even though we know there was someone there for her. Living in the 1950‘s was already rough for all minorities, especially before the Civil Rights Movement. The girl in â€Å"Child of the America’s†, seem to always have a great support net around her at times and you could see it in her attitude and the way she carried herself. The question I will continue to ask myself is who or what is responsible for the way minority girls viewed themselves? One girls seem to have a good support group around her and the other one did not.What cause the struggles of an African America n girl an a girl who is from the territorial of the USA so differently? The racism and prejudice minority had a major affect on how African American and Hispanic girls viewed themselves. The big question is who or what affected the girls the most in their growth from a young girl to a young woman. References: Clugston, R. W. (2010) Journey into Literature. Bridgeport Education: San Diego, CA. http://www. 123helpme. com/view. asp? id=122370 http://mybestessays. com/what-its-like-to-be-a-black/ http://leecustodio. hubpages. om/hub/Child-of-the-Americas-An-analysis-on-a-Poem Difference Between Ethnicity and Race http://www. differencebetween. net/science/nature/difference-between-ethnicity-and-race/ Racism and Mental Health Bhui, K. , (2002) Racism and Mental Health. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Denton, N. A. , & Villarrubia, J. (2007). Residential segregation on the island: the role of race and class in puerto rican neighborhoods. Sociological Forum, 22(1), 51-76 Myer s, L. (2000) Broken Silence: Voices of African American Women in the Academy: Westport, CT: Greenwood PressStyle in poetry involves the method which a poet uses to convey meaning, tone, and emotion in his/her poem. Content, now, gets a little more tricky. Content is idea-based and means: What the artist meant to portray, what the artist actually did portray and how we react, as individuals, to both the intended and actual messages. Additionally, content includes ways in which a work was influenced–by religion, or politics, or society in general, or even the artist's use of hallucinogenic substances–at the time it was created.All of these factors, together, make up the content side of art. Form means: The elements of art, the principles of design and the actual, physical materials that the artist has used. Form, in this context, is concrete and fairly easily described–no matter which piece of art is under scrutiny. What type of prejudices did minority girls went through in the mid nineteen hundreds. Who or what is responsible for the way minority girls viewed themselves? How was the struggles of an African American girl an a girl who is from the territorial of the USA so differently?The racism and prejudice minority had a major affect on how African American and Hispanic girls viewed themselves. The big question is who or what affected the girls the most in their growth from a young girl to a young woman. pointed out or The young African American girl felt as though she had to dye her hair blonde and wear contacts to be excepted by the society of that time. She is growing up trying to live a life as someone else what her to look without truly knowing herself and her heritage.

Particular style and cultural context of the theatre Essay

â€Å"Taking a range of plays studied on the course show how the play texts are affected by the particular style and cultural context of the theatre from which they are drawn. † For this essay I will be looking at The Menaechmi by Plautus, Once upon Four Robbers by Femi Osofisan, Therese Raquin by Emile Zola, Hernani by Victor Hugo, Riders to the Sea by J. M. Synge, Aoi no Uye by Zenchiku Jinobu and East Lynne by Mrs Wood, adapted by T. A. Palmer. I have chosen this selection of plays as I feel it gives an accurate cross section of the plays which have made up the course this year. From delving into the culture surrounding these different plays I will be examining the cultural and political aspects which have affected their creation, and how these plays may reflect or affect reality. Plautus having been born in Italy became a Roman soldier, â€Å"This is probably when he was exposed to the delights of the Greek stage†. After the Macedonian conquest, Greek comedy moved away from â€Å"The daring personal and political satire of Aristophanes†. The Three era’s of Greek Comedy are categorised as Old, Middle and New, and the development of comedy is said to be â€Å"mainly due to the political and social conditions of Athens, it finally held up a mirror to all that was characteristic of Athenian life. † Plautus made adaptations of Plays by the Popular Greek playwright Menander. However the refined work of Menander would hold little interest for a rowdy Roman crowd. So Plautus’ plays are, as the Romans would have loved to watch, full of debauchery and brashness. This can certainly be seen in The Menaechmi, from the very beginning of the play. The Prologue in its entirety encourages the audience to pay attention, with the rhyming language appealing to all classes and making the play very easy to listen to and understand. The character Menaechmus 1 is the epitome of infidelity and licentiousness; he says to his mistress Desiree â€Å"now can you guess what I want to do? † Desiree, your typical subservient sex object, replies â€Å"Yes, I know and what’s more, I’ll do what you want†. The language Plautus uses throughout is loaded with sexual innuendo â€Å"twist in it, won’t you? † and â€Å"Your Tight pants. † Plautus seemed to pander to the wants of his Roman audiences, with great success. Another playwright of the time who took ideas from Menander’s comedies was Terence. However Terence, unlike Plautus â€Å"cared little about public taste, instead he devoted himself to capturing the spirit of the Greek originals which he adapted†. East Lynne, adapted by T. A. Palmer, is another play which is a pure product of the popular culture of its time. One source of information I used in my research on East Lynne said â€Å"The story’s extreme emotionalism made it popular in its time, especially in the U. S. Today it is seen as the epitome of melodramatic excess. † This quotation, I believe, really does sum up the feel of the play. The Victorian Era, from which the play is drawn, was filled with similar performances. The style was known as â€Å"Pictorial Theatre† as it conveyed absolutely no sense of realism, and simple pictures were used to make scenery. Looking at the play itself you can see the ‘stock’ characters very clearly, the insipid female roles, the strong over-bearing and controlling males, and the almost sickening displays of emotion that signify this romanticism. Particular lines that demonstrate this clearly within the text are this from Isabel: â€Å"Love and contentment can make the humblest home happy. † And: â€Å"When he leaves me it seems as though the sunshine had faded from my life†. The playwright makes little attempt to influence the actor’s interpretation of characters, with highly brief stage directions that literally just indicate each characters entrances and exits. Costumes at this time were contemporary clothing, and like every other aspect of this style, suggestively un-realistic – well at least it was consistent! Though this style was very popular at the time, interesting things were happening in Ireland†¦ â€Å"The hundred years between 1840 and 1940 saw Ireland struggle for, achieve, and deal with the consequences of political liberty and new nationhood. † The realism of theatre created by the likes of Synge, Yates, and Wilde eventually carried over to Britain and â€Å"is commonly known as the Irish Renaissance. † Personally I feel that this resurgence was brought on by the political liberty of Ireland and the desire to find a cultural identity. J. M. Synge wrote plays about Irish peasant life and considering the popularity of melodrama in Britain the differences between East Lynne and Riders to the sea is enormous. The most striking thing you notice when looking at Riders to the Sea is the constant interruptions by the playwright, directing the actor and production towards a realistic style. At the beginning of the play there is a stage direction, setting the scene in so much detail as to include that â€Å"Cathleen, a girl of about twenty, finishes kneading cake, and puts it down in the pot oven by the fire; then wipes her hands, and begins to spin†¦ † The majority of the cast are female, with the head of the household being ‘Maurya’ an old woman. This quotation from the plays sums up her reasoning and character â€Å"Bartley will have a fine coffin out of the white boards, and a deep grave surely. What more can we want than that? No man at all can be living for ever, and we must be satisfied. † For sure, J. M. Synge was one of the people who contributed to the naturalism we see in theatre today. In many countries, political theatre can be seen in one form or another. Modern African Drama is a general category of performances that â€Å"in practise and principle propose to stand in opposition to the dominant trends of cultural presentations and representations, productions and social relations†. Femi Osofisan’s play, Once upon Four Robbers, is a heavily loaded political tool. The prologue is highly motivational, with quotations like this: â€Å"Slogans about returning to the land, sermons of bourgeois morality, are empty to a man who is born condemned to poverty. † And: â€Å"I hope this play shocks us into a new awareness†¦ I hope it helps to change our attitude from passive acceptance or sterile indignation into a more dynamic more enraged determination to confront ourselves and our lives. † Within the play itself you can see elements which are almost Brechtian at times, the use of the ‘Song of the storyteller’ for example. Regarding a section of the text in which three characters read off a list of ‘scandals’ there are footnotes relating to this list which read†¦ â€Å"In production, the list should be made to include the most recent public scandals† effectively highlighting that the story of the play really is one that transcends eras of time so long as the political references are kept up to date. This also shows the flexibility of the writer; the flexibility of African theatre as a whole. The ending of the play depends on the result of the audiences opinions. Two separate endings are written. One sees the Robbers set free, and the other sees them put to death. This emphasises further Osofisan’s desire for the audience and for the African people as a whole to start passing judgement on their lives, on their governments and on their oppression. Africa as a continent is one which has always suffered through oppression; this play like many others seems to be trying to counteract this. In the words of Paulo Freire â€Å"What could be a more effective way of making people actors in their own development than to raise their awareness and arouse their energies through cultural activities. † The beginning of the Romantic Movement was supposedly heralded by the French play, Hernani, written by Victor Hugo. In France around 1660 – 1830 there were certain rules attached to the writing of a play. These were known as the Unities. The three Unities were that a play must take place in one day; the duration of the play could not span weeks or months. The second was that there could only be one setting for the entirety of the play. The third unity was that the action could only be on one plot or story line. Hernani breaks all of these rules as it involved characters from medieval history, had lots of scenery changes and does not hold one plot solely. The Romantic features of Hernani include the character Dona Sol, the emotional, bland female and the character of the Duke who barges into the play at the beginning and assumes control. There is also a sense of spiritualization in the play with the ghostly ‘Mask’ character. In fact, when the play was first performed in 1830, Hugo announced that he â€Å"would employ no claque or hired applauders†, a customary practise in French Theatres. It seems that Hernani was certainly affected by the style of theatre in France when it was written; it went against all the conventions that existed at the time. Another French playwright, Emile Zola, produced Therese Raquin in 1873, another play which certainly went against convention; Emile Zola’s novels were â€Å"attacked and even banned for their frankness and sordid detail. † In fact when he published the open letter ‘J’Accuse’ in defence of Alfred Dreyfus, an army officer who had been convicted of treason. Zola was sentenced to prison for libel. Zola was said to have been the â€Å"Leader of the naturalist movement in 19th Century Literature. † His early writing borrowed heavily from the Romantic Movement but as his style developed he was more influenced by science than art, and was said to have been â€Å"inspired by Claude Bernhard’s introduction to experimental medicine (1865)†. The play itself is very realistic, the setting is in one room which complies with one of the unities but takes place over a long stretch of time. The characters Zola creates in Therese Raquin include Camille, an irritating, immature and pompous Man who is seriously cossetted by his mother. His character is epitomised by lines such as â€Å"She hasn’t much brain, poor girl, but she looks after me marvellously when I’m ill. Mama has taught her to make my camomile tea. † Another Character of great importance is the mother Madame Raquin whose typical lines include â€Å"Now, now, Therese, Laurent is not very happy. He lives in a garret and they feed him very poorly at that little cafi of his. † Madame Raquin is a middle class, self righteous, snob who oppresses and patronises Therese. Camille is just as bad as his mother but is just a result of her conceited values. The subject is clearly an attack at the bourgeois, but many people seemed to have been more concerned with attacking Zola’s scientific methods of conveying relationships. Wilde Quipped that Zola was determined to show â€Å"that if he has not got genius, he can at least be dull. † The spirit world and the real world are highly linked in Japanese society and so it would be incredibly strange not to see some existence of this in Japanese Noh Theatre. The play Aoi no Uye by Zenchiku Ujinobu is certainly an example of this, with the witch character â€Å"reciting a mystic formula† which invokes â€Å"The living phantasm of Rokujo†. One of the most important features of the Noh play is the use of the Theatre as a means of enforcing religious morals, in particular the Buddhist doctrine that â€Å"human salvation is achieved through prayer and penance. † Aoi No Uye is an example of a Demon play, one of five of the categories given to all plays in the style of Noh. This particular category usually has a demon or supernatural figure as the protagonist, â€Å"there is a battle between the demon and hero in which the demon is usually subdued† and this is very much the pattern of events in Aoi no Uye. The high status Saint character comes along and drives out the demon Rokujo, who in his final speech exclaims â€Å"The voice of the Hannya Book! I am afraid. Never again will I come as an angry ghost. † Then, in order to drive the point forward even further the Ghost ends the play saying â€Å"When she heard the sound of Scripture the demons raging heart was stilled; shapes of pity and sufferance, the bodhisats v descend. Her soul casts off its bonds, she walks in Buddha’s way. † This theatre form seems to be incredibly moralistic and it is clear that religion exerts a dogmatic hold over the people who view such performances. The play text itself is a prime example of the Noh genre, it complies in every aspect. Out of all the plays I have chosen to cover in this essay it is interesting that despite whether the playwright has chosen to write his or her play in the cultural style of the time or to go against the grain entirely in order to produce a new style of theatre, whether the play itself adheres to the politics of a particular society or if it attempts to evoke a political stance in the audience, all are affected by their cultural, social and political circumstances. All these plays have affected the cultures from which they are drawn to a greater or lesser extent. The degree to which they have reflected their theatrical, political or cultural situation is variable and especially remarkable. Bibliography: Alice, B, 1935, Minute history of the drama, Grosset and Dunlap. Bates, Alfred, 1906, The Drama: Its history, literature and influence on civilisation, London Historical Publishing Company. Crowe, Stanley, 2003, Furman University site. Didaskalia, 1999, Ancient theatre today, UC Berkeley Freire, Paulo, 1972, pedagogy of the oppressed, Penguin. Guardian Unlimited, 2003, Guardian Newspapers LTD. The New Penguin Dictionary of the Theatre, 2001, The Penguin Group.

Nursing Research: Patients View

A national survey of GP and nurse attitudes and beliefs towards depression after myocardial infarction  Joanne Haws, Janet Ramjeet and Richard Gray 2011 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Journal of Clinical Nursing, 20, 3215–3223 Aim— to investigate attitudes to depression after myocardial iunfraction Background. Depression after myocardial infarction affects almost half of all patients and has a considerable negative effect on recovery.Despite the increased prevalence of depression in this population, it is often not recognised or treated. Results—Diagnosing depression was perceived as complex by both groups but significantly more so by nurses. We observed that training seems to have a significant effect on reported practice. Practitioners who reported that they had recent training in the management of depression were significantly more accurate in their estimate of how common depressionwas in this population.Depression may be underdiagnosed in this population be cause primary care practitioners, especially nurses, are not aware of how common the disorder is and lack competence in diagnosis. There is merit in developing and testing a brief training intervention to ensure competence in depression screening and treatment in post-myocardial infarction patients. Relevance to clinical practice. Diagnosing depression in post-myocardial infarction patients is perceived by nurses as complex but training in the management of depression is seen as helping practice.SupportLack of supportive recourses can have serious implications for patient care and treatment. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..stated that nurses did not feel supported by management and the ward environment was not appropriate for psychiatric patients.A similar study by Happell et al (2009) discovered that nurses need the support of management and colleagues. Nurses in this study felt unsafe on the unit because of lack of facilities and institutional resources to address client needs and staff safety fa ctors. A study by Bjongarrd et al (2007) highlights an additional problem in meeting all patients’ needs and  demands by asserting many patients with severe mental illness can also be recourse-draining.Promoting mental health care in a rural paediatric unit  through participatory action research  Brenda Happell,1,2 Lorna Moxham,1,2 Kerry Reid-Searl,1–3 Trudy Dwyer,1,2 Julie Kahl,4 Jodie Morris2 and Narelle Wheatland 3  Aust. J. Rural Health (2009) 17, 155–16A study designed by Happell et al 2009, provides a different view with the aim of promoting mental health care in a rural paediatric unit. The study desgin involved a participatory action research approach proving 24 nurses with the opportunity to become actively involved. This study involved paediatric nurses however results yielded similar to studies on general nurses attitudes in relation to mental illness. This study indirectly implies that mental health is considered a specialist discipline area by many other nursing disciplines and indeed the general public.A lack of understanding of general nurses’ role in the management of young people admitted to the paediatric unit with an acute mental illness, meant participants’confidence in caring for such patients’ was affected: I just never feel like I’m doing the right thing when Ilook after them. [FG1] Participants felt as though they were constantly seeking support and all expressed a strong desire for professional education, training and workshops.Patients viewWorld health organisation 2013People with mental disorders around the world are exposed to a wide range of human rights violations. The stigma they face means they are often ostracized from society and fail to receive the care they require—or in management.People with mental disorders may also face discrimination on a daily basis including in the fields of education, employment and housing.Patients view Johan Ha °kon Bjà ¸rngaard Ã⠀  Torleif Ruud Æ Svein Friis The impact of mental illness on patient satisfaction with the therapeutic relationship.  A multilevel analysis Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol (2007) 42:803–809 Background The relationship between patients and their clinicians is an essential factor in psychiatric treatment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of psychopathology on patient satisfaction with the therapeutic relationship. Method involved collection of data from 969 patients.Patient’s satisfaction with therapeutic relationship was assessed with a six-item scale: sufficient time for contact/dialogue, clinicians’ ability to listen and understand, follow-up of planned interventions, respect for patients’ views/opinions, cooperation among clinicians, and patients’ influence on treatment. Mental illness was assessed using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. Diagnoses were established using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems—10th revision (ICD-10). Treatment outcomes were clinically assessed retrospectively by rating changes from start of treatment on seven items. Multilevel regression analysis was used for a simultaneous analysis of the contribution of patient and team variables. ConclusionsPatients’ perceptions of the therapeutic relationship may be influenced by psychopathology. Teams comprising many patients with severe mental illness may constrain the therapeutic relationship. Hence, resources and organizational measures should be carefully considered in such care units.Because response rates in surveys of patient satisfaction with psychiatric services are usually low, results cannot be unequivocally claimed to be representative of all patients [12, 28]. Although it seems that patients with more severe mental illnessare less likely to participate in patient satisfaction surveys [12] , the possible consequences of low response rates are not fully understood. The following study attempts to overcome the previous limitations of research reported in the literature by analyzing the influence of psychopathology on patient satisfaction with the therapeutic relationship.Data was collected from 8 community mental health centres  which operate operate as local psychiatric hospitals, offering outpatient, day treatment, ambulatory care and limited inpatient services, such as short-term crisis intervention units and longer-term rehabilitation units. All patients receiving treatment during the census period were asked to complete a questionnaire. Clinician-rated information was collected on all patients and could be linked to the patient questionnaire if patients had given their consent to the linkage. Of the 3,040 patients, 1,194 (39%) returned the questionnaire.We were able to link 969 of the 1,194 to the clinical data, as some patients had not given consent to such link age. This study showed that patient satisfaction with the therapeutic relationship was related to clinical assessment of mental illness, both due to each patient’s psychopathology as well as to the composition of mental illness severity in each team.A study by Johan et al (2007) takes a different perspective by analysing the influence of psychopathology on patient satisfaction with the therapeutic relationship. Data was collected from 3,040 patients and only 1,194 (39%) returned the questionnaire. Patient’s satisfaction was assessed using a six-item scale and the patient’s level of mental illness was then assessed using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale.For instance, it is likely that the patients’ mood would be affected by the severity of their illness; hence, to some extent, experiences could be coloured by the mental illness itself. The results of this study indicate that patient’s d egree of mental illness has an effect on their satisfaction of the therapeutic relationship. These results were to be expected as patient’s moods are likely to be affected by the severity of their illness. The results of this study however are limited because of low response rates (only 39% of mental health patients responded) (Johan et al 2007). Low response rates have long been indicated as a common problem in mental health user surveys (Ruggeri 1996).

Against school- by gatto, what's the purpose o education- form of Essay

Against school- by gatto, what's the purpose o education- form of letter - Essay Example Gatto refer to the American schooling system as a childish program where children are forced to go to school. He believes that he would introduce an education system where children would be given the chance to take risks and make decisions on going to schools. Gatto identifies with your situation in that; he believes that schooling can be boredom. The author believes that schooling can be a problem and a bog question to most children who are unhappy in schools. His pamphlet poses the question, â€Å"Do we really need Schooling?† To clarify his argument, Gatto affirms that having education is not the same to schooling. The author believes that a student can acquire knowledge at the comfort of his zone without having to go to school. Gatto considers schooling as a daily routine, which he refers to as childishness. He further asserts that schooling makes children not to grow up in their mindset. Gatto supports his arguments by enumerating prominent Americans who did not attend schooling but turned out to be successful and productive in the American society. A perfect example of such people is Abraham Lincoln who did not attend the schooling system. Gatto defines education as the process to equip children with knowledge and not to be schooled. As far as the author is concerned, the schooling system benefits the economy as parents are obliged to pay some amount. Gatto believes that the schooling system adds interests to the political, economic, and social economy. Nevertheless, children continue to be fed with u nnecessary and necessary information and this deprive them from thinking by themselves. After schooling, these children end up being consumers and employees and as a result, their capacities to be what they want to be are limited. Further, Gatto expresses how teachers and students are bored with the school system. In most

Medtronic Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Medtronic Case Study - Assignment Example All these factors accounted for overall failure of the company and eventually reduced dynamic growth of the company to zero. On the contrary, the newly appointed CEO of the firm, Omar Ishrak witnessed major challenges in terms of retrieving the position of the company in the market place. During the first 18 months, the new CEO was able to plan for company’s future growth prospect through R&D investment in order to develop innovative medical therapies. To facilitate short term prospect of the company, Omar Ishrak had always favored business model innovations and creative product development. However the major focus of the newly appointed CEO was to overcome all possible adoption barriers prevalent in emerging economies. The CEO even restructured his organization so that all the team members are aligned with the innovative goals and objectives of the firm. There was proper restructuring done of the entire executive team as well as their respective responsibilities. The heads of global operating regions of Medtronic now directly reported to the CEO instead of head of International. Many non-Americans were even appointed for executive committee. The company’s one of the biggest achievement was acquisition of a Chinese orthopedic company. However this case study reveals that Omar Ishrak is in a dilemma as to whether the steps taken to transform Medtronic into a global firm is sufficient or it requires more innovative strategies for sustaining growth. The objective of the case study is to put across different dimensions of international business. It has been observed that in international expansion strategy organizations need to adopt innovative business models. In this study strategic dimensions will be aligned with the success or failure of international business. The entire study will be conducted from a consultant’s perspective so as to evaluate the expansion strategies undertaken by the firm. There would be even suggestions

Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Communication - Essay Example Adolf Hitler, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama are these leaders. Their speeches inspired people, moved people and united their nations, both for good and bad reasons. This paper will examine the speech styles of the three leaders as they accept their wins in their respective national elections. Adolf Hitler is a very passionate man, and it is evident in his speeches. His acceptance speech is quite moving, and as a non-German speaker, I even find myself nodding to his speech. Although we know how Hitler was tyrannical, listening to his speech is totally a different experience. His speech is very inspiring and hopeful. It gives the audience a sense of power and strength when they hear Hitler’s acceptance speech. They can identify with him because of the passion that’s evident in the manner of Hitler’s delivery. Hitler’s speech, as some people put it, comes straight from the heart and people sense this sincerity. This makes them believe his words. Hitler’s stance may be very aggressive and antagonistic but his speech inspires a sense of triumph on their part because of the strength that he gives the words he speaks. Hitler discredits his enemies too and gives quite logical explanations for his actions, making people believe that he is doing something that’s actually going to make Germany power to be reckoned with. Another leader that’s quite famous for his speech is Ronald Reagan. He is one of the most endeared Republicans, and it is not a secret that even hard core Democrats voted for him. His speech is largely to be credited for that. Unlike Hitler, Reagan’s speech style is more docile, but like Hitler’s, it is hopeful and antagonistic. The antagonistic part can be later seen in his later speeches (take note of the famous Reagan-words like â€Å"evil empire†) but then this facet of him as a speaker is also attributed to his honesty. He is named as

Discussion board 2 - Research Design Class Essay

Discussion board 2 - Research Design Class - Essay Example Such studies are also significant since they present near real life situations as opposed to case studies and experimental studies which may are always done under controlled conditions. An example of business-related research that might be better handled by longitudinal approaches are the buying patterns for grocery products among families in a specific town. This is because, such data will indicate changes in the in the buying patterns and behavior of those families and households over time. Another example of a longitudinal study is a research conducted to determine the suitability of a product in for a market over its lifetime in a market (product market research). This method of study in both cases is suitable since in the first case, measurement of data over time to determine trend is applicable. In the second example, the method is applicable it involves the establishment of temporal order. Posting 1 is correct in stating that longitudinal studies normally gather information on a population at a single point in time. The posting is however wrong to state that quantitative research can be performed more quickly than experimental and longitudinal design. This is because the later two designs are subsets of quantitative research. The US census is a longitudinal study in which case the posting is correct as it involves repetition in collection of the same (or similar) data over time. The example of changing product packaging as an experiment is correctly stated as two groups may be applied (views regarding the first packaging and the second packaging). An experimental study however would not provide answers as to why consumers would like one type of packaging and not the other as stated by the posting. In stating that â€Å"both methods are typically more expensive and time-consuming for a company than performing cross-sectional research†, posting 1 is wrong. This i s so since

China-Iran Economic and Security Relationships and Its Impact on the Essay

China-Iran Economic and Security Relationships and Its Impact on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - Essay Example has more than a quarter of the total world oil reserves, Iran has the fourth largest oil reserves and Iraq has huge oil deposits and is second to Saudi Arabia in terms of quantity. (10) On the other hand, DAB and Kuwait are also abundant in oil (9) and are considered as two of the leading oil producing countries in the world. What is more important around this region is that the cost of production of oil is usually low compared to the cost of production other oil producing countries. Several states in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq, employs cheap labour thereby effectively reducing the cost of production even more. Since the cost of producing oil is much lower in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, these countries earn more income from their operations than most other oil producing countries. Furthermore, with low oil production cost, countries around the Gulf like Iraq and Saudi Arabia have more flexibility in the events where prices of oil in the world market dive. The instability of prices of oil in the world market makes it difficult for other oil producers to keep up with the fluctuations of prices. However, since oil is the primary source of energy all over the world and it is difficult to find alternative sources of fuel, consumers have to go through the ups and downs of prices. Every time there are disturbances in the Middle East and production of oil is affected, the prices will shoot up. For instance, if a crisis in Middle East causes a net deficit of four million barrels of oil a day – this estimate could double in just a short time.(6) This gap in the production and the consumption of oil could cause a huge imbalance in the supply and demand for oil. This means that when disturbances happen in the Gulf area, a series of economic events will be triggered as oil production in the area slow down. The United States understands the role that the oil producing countries are playing in the Gulf. It also sees the grave consequences of a slowdown in the

Quality of Software in Project Management Research Paper

Quality of Software in Project Management - Research Paper Example At the present, our lives are governed by complex and large size systems with more and more complicated software, as a result the safety, security, and consistency of these systems has turned out to be a main concern. Additionally, as the size and complexity of software in current systems grow, it has more imperfection, which harmfully affects the safety, security, and consistency of the systems. Normally, software is divided into two elements: These elements can be internal and external quality features. External quality features are those parts of a product that face its users, where internal quality features are those that do not interact with the users. However, the quality is conformance to product requirements and should be free. In this scenario, the job of software quality assurance is to ensure that the standards, processes, and procedures are correct for the project as well as are appropriately implemented. In fact, SQA and SQC are processes defined within CMMI, and come un der the support process area. However, in CMMI SQA/SQC is defined as process and product quality assurance (SQA, 2011; Sangeetha, SenthilKumar, Arumugam, & Akila, 2010). Basically, the quality assurance is a confusing subject. In fact, software quality cannot be defined for the reason that there is no single absolute and complete definition of its lexicon. However, research shows two methods to accomplish quality software systems.

An Interview with a Local Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

An Interview with a Local Entrepreneur - Essay Example Owing to ethical reasons, animosity has been maintained about the person, and hence his real name has not been used here and is replaced by Jimmy Ferris. But his story of coming into the business and being successful is worth telling. The story shares the difficulty that a person faces in his life, yet moves on to fulfill his dreams. It was truly a beautiful experience to have a chat with him and know about his journey through the business. This may also inspire new ideas, which are waiting to get explored. In today’s world, new and budding entrepreneurs are coming up with vibrant new ideas which are worth noting and considering. This is, however just one story among many. Hackensack is a city in New Jersey in the United States having a population of around forty-five thousand. There are several small businesses in this city which covers different industries, including marketing, agriculture, healthcare, housing, insurance, information technology, manufacturing, and other publ ic sectors. Each business has its own story behind it about the role that an entrepreneur plays, and thus each has a different success story. The story narrated here is that of Mr. Jimmy Ferris (name changed) who was born in London in June 1976 in a family that had histories of business starters. His father was involved in an import-export business and made huge money at one point of time. Jimmy, from his very childhood, was very interested in medicines and so wanted to take up a career in that industry. He also completed his medical studies from a known medical college in New Jersey. Being a very good student, he successfully completed his course and joined a medical college as a junior doctor. When he talked about how he started up his own pharmacy, a story that Jimmy shared was quite challenging. By the time Jimmy was doing well in the medical college where he was serving as a junior doctor, his father’s business started deteriorating with respect to the market conditions and other dealership problems. The markets were becoming vulnerable and his business started failing, which led to severe losses to his company. Ultimately, the business had to be terminated. This affected their lives heavily as the family’s expenses were mainly covered by the income from the business. Jimmy, too, had just started his career, the income from which was not sufficient enough to support his family entirely. All this together had created a situational crisis for the entire family. Jimmy’s father could not take up the shock of loss and failure in his business and suffered a massive heart attack, which led him to bed rest for a long period of time, and according to the doctors, he was not supposed to involve in any kind of stress taking job, if he had to stay well. So, it was clear for their entire family that the man was no more in a position to conceptualize any new business which might hurt his health. Around the end of year 2009, Jimmy started thinking o f starting something of his own. He had to support his family. His father was ill, and his mother was trying to support the family by taking up a small job in a fashion garment store. Thus, it was a huge responsibility on Jimmy to take up the lead for the welfare of his family. Jimmy shared his reasons why he chose to start up a pharmacy store or a business in this industry and not anything else. From his childhood, Jimmy always loved to serve ill and sick people. This was also the reason

Hypercoagulable State Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hypercoagulable State - Assignment Example This medication is Dalteparin Sodium 5000 IU o.d. The reason I chose this medication and not others is because this medication minimizes the time that patients are not therapeutically anticoagulated, thus reduces the risk of thromboembolism (Leizorovicz et al., 2004). Moreover, a fixed low dose rate of LWMH has proved to be reliable as compared to the other classes of medication. This is because it diminishes the chances of thrombotic complications (Erkens & Prins, 2010). Adverse drug reactions include bleeding at any site, pain and reactions at the injection site, hair loss, haematoma, and type 1 thrombocytopenia. These side effects can be managed by alerting any medical attendant so that they give the correct management guidelines. However, these side effects go away on their own after some time (Bick, 2002). Worst case scenarios include bleeding from the injection site, allergic reaction signs (swelling of the lips, face, tongue, rash, difficulty in breathing), nose bleeding, bloody stools, increased menstrual bleeding, and signs of stroke. If the mentioned worst case scenarios happen, then the patient must stop taking the medication immediately medical attention immediately. Several drugs have been known to interact with Dalteparin i.e. platelet inhibitors, oral anticoagulants, and thrombolytics. The combination of Dalteparin with these drugs has shown that the risk outweighs the benefit. I.e. severe bleeding may be seen when the drug is combined with other blood thinning agents and anticoagulants, Dalteparin has been known to increase potassium levels when combined with ACE inhibitors. Combinations have to avoid with Dalteparin unless under special circumstances. An applicable measure for this patient is not combining Dalteparin with any other medication (Burton, 2005). I prescribed a generic name. No, there is no available generic version for this medication. The brand name for the medication

European Political Change Essay Example for Free

European Political Change Essay The 15th century was beginning of Renaissance giving rise to many changes in the political and economic scene of Europe. Mattero Palmeiri wrote in 1430s, â€Å"now indeed may every thoughtful spirit thank god that it has been permitted to him to be born in a new age†. The Renaissance was inspired by study of Greek and Latin text and the admiration of Roman and Greek era. The classical examples of this age can be seen in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. On political scene ambition was the driving force of the age; which can be clearly observed in Machiavellis political writing The Prince. The influence of Protestants was growing due to the corruption of Church giving rise to many powerful kings and princes in Europe. Some of the famous political figures of the time include King Henry VIII. One of the important developments in the early 17th century was the pan-European sentiment. Emeric Cruce in 1623 proposed the idea of European council to end wars and create lasting peace. All European countries except Ottoman and Russian Empire did not agree to it. Both of them were considered outsiders in Europe; however the idea of unity remained shattered for many centuries to come. The next centuries (15th to 17th) saw many wars among European powers coupled with extensive conquest of colonies in Asia and Africa. Portugal led the way for colonial expansion followed by Spain and France to have colonies in Africa and Asia. The Britain took control of whole of Australia, New Zealand, India and parts of Africa and North America; while China was lost. Europe during this time was going through internal crisis and conflicts. Germany in the early 16th century was divided into small kingdoms and states under the framework of the Holy Roman Empire. Thus we can say at this time the whole of Europe was divided into small states and kingdoms. By late 18th century France was in disarray due to the lavish expenditure of the Royal House. The situation was worsened when people of Paris revolted and in the late 18 century (1792) monarchy was abolished in France. Reference: V. H. H. Green; Edward Arnold, Renaissance and Reformation: A Survey of European History between 1450 and 1660. London: 1952. Lectures on Early Modern European History.† The History Guide. 11 Dec 2006 http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/earlymod.html. Oscar Halecki, A History of East Central Europe. 11 Dec 2006 http://historicaltextarchive.com/books.php?op=viewbookbookid=1.

Analysing The Hotel Industry Of Singapore Tourism Essay

Analysing The Hotel Industry Of Singapore Tourism Essay Introduction: the hotel industry of Singapore is suitable and adoptable for kind of customers having right from the minimum budget to star rated. The challenges exists in the Sing htl ind is purely based on the price, location and convenience because all the facilities are mostly provided by all the hotels so it is very difficult for the customers to differentiate the service provided by the hotels. Since it is tough to differentiate the service rendered by the hotels, many hotels are involved in creating a niche market, like providing unique facilities to the customers for example honeymoon packages, specialists holidays, etc. The Singapore hotel industry experiences a very high growth rate in luxury travel market, high -end travelers market and family travel market in the past months. The recent economy reveals the restaurant sector has market Growth rate of sixteen percentage because of the increase in the consumer spending on sit down meals. The eating out habit has become a life style for the youth and even for the middle aged married couples with their children and these aspects stresses on the importance of healthy food. Nowadays, the consumers are expecting different styles of food and drink from the various parts of the world and all these shows if the hotel provides a variety and healthy food and drink, it will be able to attract more customers in the future. The Singapore travel and tourism market shows a high growth by having the occupancy rate of 90% in the past one year. The Singapore governments effort in providing low cost service airlines and its efforts to triple the tourists to Singapore in the coming up years. The 30% increase in the trade conferences and exhibitions conducted in Singapore has also revealed that the hotel industry in Singapore has very good business opportunities in the coming up years and if proper, good development strategies are adopted by the hotels, they will be able to earn a large market share in turn more profit. Backgrounds: . The MHCCH is located in three acres of prestigious land in Singapore. The hotel is very near to the tourist attractions like a theme park, a museum, etc. The management has made many changes in the infrastructure facilities of the hotel by adding luxury bedrooms, a bistro; a beauty salon .The hotel has also purchased a land near to that for expansion and modernized the hotel for creating new business opportunities. In order to give a luxurious appearance for the hotel, the management has created a new spacious foyer and the hotel has also started a beauty salon to offer beauty treatments to its customers. Problem of the case: By analyzing the scenario of hotel industry, i undertake SWOT analysis of the hotel MHCCH and help the newly joined partner of MHCCH to select the best strategy out of the below mentioned strategies namely sell the cash cow, undertake no serious steps or undergo diversification in business so that he will be in a position to convince the other partners of MHCCH. In this case , the challenges in the external and internal environment industry and the analysis regarding the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the MHCCH is to be done. In the second part of the study, with the help of utilizing Ansoff matrix and Porters Grid, how the management can improve the profit in the next two years and for that what strategic decisions it has to take are discussed. Challenges in the micro and macro environment: Business environment is classified into three environments namely Internal environment, Market environment and External environment.Many variables which are existing in the internal and external environment affects the company (MHCCH) either positively or negatively. So before taking strategic decisions, it is important to analyze these environments to find out the factor which highly influences the customers of the hotel industry. The following table focuses on the key factors of the three environments. Micro Environment Market Environment Macro Environment Vision, Mission, Objectives of the Hotel Climate Assets Capability of the management Consumers Suppliers Competitors Intermediaries Social Technological Legal Political Economic Physical The main challenges which need to be assessed in the internal and external environment are that hotel has to concentrate on different type customers like corporate guests and other kind of guests like nature lovers, family oriented and managing the hotel to delight these customers becomes a challenging work in the field of marketing. So in order to delight these consumers, the hotel should monitor the changing expectations of these customers and should try to delight them. The employees of a hotel play a major role in attracting the customers. The hotel should try to recruit skilled persons because the quality of service rendered by the employees acts as an important factor in delighting the customers. So getting skilled and qualified employees is another challenge in the hotel business environment. The hotel should try to have good suppliers (Electricity, soft drinks carbonated water, Perfumes, cosmetics other toilet preparations, different kinds of liquors, Soap and detergents, etc) who provide products/ services with good quality and good intermediaries who are in direct contact with the customers before they enter into the hotel. Apart from these challenges, the hotel should also focus on the socio- cultural changes (changes in the preferences of the customers), political changes (changes in the law), and technological changes (providing variety food, appearance of the hotel, introducing packages, etc,). SWOT Analysis: Before selecting a strategic option for the marketing plan of MHCCH, the hotel should do SWOT analysis to find out its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strength deals with the hotels core competencies and the weaknesses of the hotel deals with the present drawback which has to be rectified in order to capture the customers in the future. Strengths and Weaknesses mainly focus on the factors which are fully under the control of management but the opportunities and threats focuses on the business environment. Opportunity deals with the market which yields more profit to the hotel that is the area to be covered by the hotel to earn more customers in turn more profit. Threat deals with the factors which are to be considered seriously before taking any business decision. SWOT analysis of MHCCH is discussed below. Strengths of MHCCH: The employees of the hotel are having good experience in customer care in order to provide quality service; the MHCCH has invested a lot in changing the appearance of the hotel and in providing different styles of food and also already the MHCCH is having satisfied customers ( revealed in the table non-business guests occupancy rate). The hotel is situated very close to other entertainment locations. The credit worthiness of the hotel is high that we can take the fund from bank in order to do the successful performance of the hotel. Weaknesses of MHCCH: Corporate and family non business guests occupancy rate is low and so the company has to invest a lot in adding facilities to the hotel. Opportunities of MHCCH: Nowadays consumers like to eat outside in restaurants rather than before and they dont hesitate in spending more money tasting different varieties of food. Eating out style of the youngsters and middle aged married people has become very common. Singapore governments decision to triple the investment in the tourism industry shows that there are large opportunities for MHCCH to capture more customers and in turn to improve profit. Threats of MHCCH: Competitors are the major threat of MHCCH. Due to the lack of differentiation in the hotel industry, the competition is fully based on the price, location and convenience. The hotel has to face competition from the hotels of same infrastructure and also from motels. The hotels which are dealing with niche markets will also acts as a good competitor for MHCCH. In order to attract the customers of different age group, the hotel has to focus on changing the appearance of the hotel, providing food of different countries, etc costs more but still the hotel has to invest and at the same time the hotel cannot fix a high price for its services because the competition mainly focuses on the price. The hotel has to focus on the packages too because the small hotels may capture the market by providing specialized facilities in one area alone like for example honeymoon packages alone. Conclusion: Thus the challenges in the micro, market, macro environments of hotel industry are discussed. The SWOT analysis revealed that the MHCCH has more strengths and opportunities when compared to weaknesses and threats. Since the opportunities are high, revealed by increase in the market growth rate and the capacity of the MHCCH to raise fund from the banks and the availability of space for further expansion activities to be carried out by the MHCCH is good and with this strength, the MHCCH has more power to capture the market share. The MHCCH need not worry about the threats posed by the competitors if MHCCH have an eye on competitors price and variety of services provided by them. So with the help of its strengths, the MHCCH can move forward to attract more customers. b) Ansoffs Matrix: The Ansoff matrix is a technique that aids people in the business field to take decisions regarding product development and market growth strategy. Ansoff matrix focuses on the new products and the product already in the market in order to increase the profit of the business. The Ansoffs 3* 3 box grid or matrix: Markets Market Development Partial Diversification Diversification Market Expansion Limited Diversification Partial Diversification Market Penetration Product Expansion Product Development Products The major four boxes are Market Development, Market Penetration, Product Development and Diversification. Market Penetration: It suggests the business people to focus on existing customers and on their own products what they are producing currently. If the business person adopts this strategy then his major objectives will be Improve the market share of current products by fixing lower prices when compared to the competitors, advertising and sales promotion, etc. There are many advantages in introducing low prices , they are capturing more market and the low profit earned by the existing players makes the new entrants to have fear in starting the business in that sector. The MHCCH can go for introducing lower prices for the services but it should not incur any loss. The price reduction strategy to be adopted by MHCCH will not yield any benefit because already the hotel is having good occupancy rate in the case non business guests. And also the hotel is planning to invest a lot in the improvement of the hotel, so all these costs will be reflected in the price of the services rendered by the MHCCH. Even though the price war exists among the players of the hotel industry, for MHCCH, since it is having loyal customers, it is better to go for introducing new packages for the customers, rather than reducing the price. Market Development: It suggests the business people to focus on new customers and the existing products. Finding out new customers for the product. The MHCCH can also go for identifying the new customers like honey moon packages, etc. Product Development: It suggests the business people to focus on the existing customers and new innovative products. (MHCCH) can focus on this aspect. it can select the last option specified in the case, expand the business by investing in buying an external property that means the expansion of a bar or restaurant to capture the customers. By providing healthier, tasty and variety food style and drinks to the different country people, the MHCCH will be able to capture more customers (corporate guests) from different countries .And also the table revealed that the corporate guests occupancy rate is very low and so by implementing the above mentioned facilities, it will be able to capture more corporate guests and if they are satisfied ,the corporate guests will come and stay with their family, profit will be improved. Diversification: It suggests the business person to focus on the new customers and the new products that is entering into an entirely different field. Business people will take up this strategy when they want to diversify the risk of loss in the existing business. This case revealed that the competition is more and there are more prospects to earn a very high profit. Selling a cash cow and entering into diversification is not good because this hotel business itself has lot of prospects which is revealed by the Singapore governments decision to spend more than $4 billion in order to attract more and more number of tourists to singapore. So its good for the MHCCH to be in the business rather than diversification. Porters Grid: Threats of New Entrants: More number of business conferences and meetings are being held in Singapore. the occupancy of hotel room rate being as high as in the past few months, Government of Singapore effort to improve the tourism industry attracts more players into this field. Infrastructure facilities, scale of economies and differentiation of product may act as entry barriers and so the MHCCH has to focus on these aspects. Bargaining Power of Buyers: Presence of more competitors in the Singapore hotel industry makes the consumers to demand more from the hotels regarding price, quality and innovative (variety of food, other facilities, etc) products. From the case, it is revealed that a tough competition occurs in the Singapore hotel industry, price plays a major role and its root cause is the customers expectation regarding quality and price and this strengthens the buyers power. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The hotel industry is having a very high relationship with the other industries and so the supplier bargaining power is high in the hotel sector but if the competition is more in the other industries too then the supplier bargaining power can be reduced in the hotel industry and it is essential to study still more regarding the prevalence of competition in the suppliers industries. Threat of substitutes products / services: The economic hotels and motels may be the threat for the product of the substitute to MHCCH but concentrating on factors like fast food establishments which includes the surrounding environment, services provided by the catering department at the affordable price. Conclusion: Since the corporate guests occupancy rate is very low, the MHCCH can focus on the area of amenities and services provided in order to capture more customers and in turn to improve profit. The MHCCH can go for providing different styles of food in order to attract the customers from foreign countries. According to my views , I suggest the MHCCH to select the last option expand by investing in external property and after getting some returns it can slowly move on to the third option -expand by investing in the site. The MHCCH can carry out the survey in order to search new facilities expected by the customers and also what the MHCCH s competitors are doing to attract the customers and based on the results the MHCCH can decide the strategy to be adopted by the hotel in future. Since there are a lot opportunities in the hotel industry, the MHCCH can go for making investments in order to earn profit in future. The MHCCH can convince the other partners by explaining the payback period of the investments to be made by it.

The Topic Of Sustainable Tourism

The Topic Of Sustainable Tourism This mini report aims at providing valuable information on the chosen research topic of sustainable tourism. The report aims at looking deep in to the topic by drafting the core literature of the topic followed by methodology and some finding and conclusion. This report reassess the growth of the term, commencing with a debate of the confusion arising from the vague and contradictory definitions of the concept, and the need to differentiate between sustainable tourism and the development of tourism on the main beliefs of sustainable development. The paper then re-examine the green focus of consultation of sustainable tourism and disagree for the need to ensure that the impression incorporates and is functional to the human environment as well as the physical environment. Concentration then moves to effort of haulage capacity, organize of tourism development, and the implication of the term to mass or conservative tourism. Last but not the least, the mini report concludes with a discussion of the prospect way of sustainable tourism and the probability of expansion moving in this direction. Tourism in the current millennium, correctly managed, has the latent to partake in, revolutionize and recuperate the societal, political, cultural, as well as the ecological magnitude of peoples potential lifestyle. In this new era, one of the maximum purposes of this policies and philosophies of tourism will be to cross-examine the cultural, economical, political as well as environmental reimbursement of tourism for the people, destinations and countries in order to prolong a healthy lifestyle (Edgell, 2006) Moreover, sustainable tourism can certainly become a major vehicle for realization of mankinds uppermost ambition in the mission to attain affluence while maintaining social, ecological and environmental veracity (Edgell, 2006). As such there is no particular definition of sustainable tourism. Complementing this, (Swarbrooke, 1999) mentions that sustainable tourism can be defined as the type of tourism which is ecologically practical but does not destroy the resources on which future tourism depends remarkably on the bodily environment as well as the social structure of the multitude community. Aims and Objective To review the topic of sustainable tourism Measuring the growth of sustainable tourism and answering the research question of is sustainable tourism consistent. Literature Review The tourism Industry The tourism industry today has reached a considerable level in terms of profits, number of tourists at varied destinations etc. In addition, the tourism sector has grown tremendously in the last decade providing visitors with a ur plus of destinations to visit. There have also been different types of tourism that have been developing namely, sports tourism, animal tourism, destination tourism, etc. Moreover, the type of tourism in the current lime light has been sustainable tourism as this is now playing a vital role in environmental issues (Edgell, 2006). Furthermore, details about sustainable tourism have been mentioned in the report further. Sustainable Tourism itself One of the main problems with the idea of sustainable growth is the method in which the solitary word sustainable has been useful to a diversity of performance pedestal on the supposition that it takes with it the ideological and theoretical inference of the thought (Harrison 1996). In the case of tourism, the effect has been the exterior and prevalent espousal of the term sustainable tourism, repeatedly devoid of any shot to define it (Hunter and Green 1995). In the situation of tourism, an apposite classification of sustainable tourism is tourism in a form which can continue its practicality in a vicinity for an indistinct period of time states (Butler 1993). Tourism at places such as Niagara Falls, London, Paris or Rome, is extremely sustainable. It has been winning in that place for years and depicts no cipher of declining. With such a definition, the importance is on the preservation of tourism, but in most issues, tourism is rival for capital and may not be the top or wisest use of possessions in these locations in the future.. The above mentioned definition, though, is not what is usually unspoken by the term sustainable tourism. Somewhat, relying on the present literature, what is in general meant by that term is as follows: tourism which is developed and maintained in an area in such a mode and at such a extent that it leftovers practical over an unlimited epoch and does not mortify or adjust the environment in which it survives to such a level that it proscribes the triumphant expansion and well being of performance and processes. (Butler 1993) The dissimilarity between these definitions is not just a theme of semantics. The meaning of sustainable tourism above mentions very modest about something except the future of tourism. Wall (1996) has noted, a single sectoral approach, a little that is at odds with the thought of sustainable growth, which by its extremely environment is holistic and multispectral. Thus sustainable tourism is not unconsciously identical as tourism urbanized in line with the philosophy of sustainable advance. As long as it is this way, then haziness and uncertainty will go on. Therefore the need to label the type of tourism being intentional or developed beyond the catch-all of sustainable is therefore critical, if information about the sustainability of tourism is to be long-drawn-out. Major issues in Sustainable Tourism The key term in this concept is the one of restrictions. However much proponents of growth may disregard the detail, implied in the impression of sustainable progress is the thought of confines. In the case of tourism, this is usually articulated in terms of numbers of tourists; though implied in this is the linked infrastructure development and scenery modifications. While accepted wisdom on carrying capability has been tailored really since the 1960s, researchers were looking for the magic number of guests who could be put up at a specific spot, the distress of volume still remains (Butler 1996). though it is by and large traditional that numbers unaided are not an fully pleasing measure of the belongings of tourism, there is hesitation that, in approximately all tourism contexts, there is a utmost figure of tourists who can be productively house. The detail remains, but, that in approximately every imaginable context, there will be an higher limit in provisos of the information of tourists and the quantity of advance associated with sightseeing that the target can withstand mentions (Shipp 1993). Once these echelons are surpassed, by and large in undesirable form. The environment of tourism itself modifys, the natural world of the purpose changes, the attractively and therefore the feasibility of the purpose declines, and tourism becomes no longer sustainable in its original form. If overeat and overdevelopment continue unabated, then any form of tourism may become indefensible in that location (Butler 1991; Cooper 1996; Zanetto Soriani 1996). An input part of scenery aim for sustainable tourism is the establishment of the tourism carrying faculty of a destination area (1996). In fact little, development suggestions classify or advise such restrictions. If sustainable increase ethics are incorporated in expansion plans in everything more than name barely, they are as a rule understood in indistinguishable terms which are long on sentiment and short on details. This is describes, in part, by the detail that researchers and policy makers in tourism have never grabbed the agitate of haulage capacity or confines and have never fashioned measures that could be used in such contexts (Butler 1996). The burning necessitate to take such steps at the local altitude as well as at new superior levels of government has been harassed more strongly just (Coccossis C Parpairis 1996; Johnson and Thomas 1996). Methodology The research methodology enables the researcher to collect the significant and relevant data for a particular research. In order to understand the recent developments in sustainable tourism, a secondary research has been conducted. Data in this research has been analyzed using graphs and charts. Some of the data is also presented in the discussion format to get the deeper knowledge. Moreover, secondary data included google books, academic articles as well as research journals in order to find accurate and precise data. Industry professional interviews were also considered. Findings and Conclusion In trying to identify where the state of the art of current research on tourism in the context of sustainable development stands is rather difficult. There is now a sizeable body of literature on this subject, which is growing rapidly. The topic has even resulted in the appearance of a journal {Journal of Sustainable Tourism) devoted to this field. A great deal more research by geographers and others has been conducted and is just reaching the publication stage (Pigram c Wahab 1997; Hall C Lew 1998; C. Becker, University of Trier, personal communication). Thus one cannot conclude simply that there is little written and that much remains to be done, nor can one argue that the key questions have been resolved. Although a great deal has been written, particularly in the last 5 years, I feel that much research does still remain to be undertaken. The key problem, in my mind, is the current inability to define to the satisfaction of all, or even most, of the stakeholders in tourism, exactl y what is meant by sustainable tourism. As noted above, this remains a major problem and, because ambiguity exists, almost any form of tourism can, and often is, termed sustainable. Related to this fundamental issue is the question of how sustainability might be monitored and measured if and when a satisfactory definition of sustainable tourism is established and accepted. It is clear that current research in all disciplines involved with tourism has not really tackled the problem of monitoring the effects of tourism in any context. Despite the real need to benchmark and monitor, first called for many years ago (Mathieson 8>C Wall 1982), such efforts have, by and large, been at best sporadic and non-systematic. Given the hype that exists in industry and political circles to persuade people that much is being done to achieve sustainable tourism, there is implicit, if not overt, opposition to research that might show that very little new or existing tourism development is sustainable, or at best that a decision on its sustainability cannot be made for many years to come. Also, many proponents of the idea of sustainable tourism seem unwilling to accept that, because an operation calls itself sustainable, it may not be so in reality. To assess the real impacts of tourism and the level of sustainability achieved requires in-depth longitudinal research and environmental, economic and social auditing. This requires stable funding and a willing- ness on the part of researchers to commit to a research programme for a considerable period of time. There is very little evidence that this sort of commitment currently exists and good long-term research on sustainable development in tourism or any other field is extremely scarce (Wall 1996). One can argue, therefore, that the greatest research need is to develop measures of sustainability and to apply these to existing and new forms of tourism development to help determine what affects sustainability and how it can be achieved; in other words, to operationalize the concept and evaluate it in operation. This is far more complex than it sounds because, as discussed above, a multi-sectoral approach is essential, and this requires much more than simply estimating the direct effects of tourism on the physical and human environments of destination areas. Even when the elements and processes of sustainability are identified and understood, there is still no guarantee that it will be practised in destination areas. It will be necessary, if sustainability is to be achieved, to ensure that all stakeholders are willing participants in the process. If the industry, at all scales, cannot be persuaded that it is in its own direct interest to commit to some principles of sustainability, then efforts ofother stakeholders will have little effect. If the public sector is not willing to educate and, if necessary, enforce sustainable policies and actions, then few are unlikely to follow them. Simply listing appropriate actions and strategies and calling for their adoption (Table 2), as some governments have done (Tourism Canada 1990), is but a first step specific action and enforcement are necessary as well. If local residents cannot see the short-term as well as long-term benefits to themselves of sustainable policies, they will subvert or ignor e them. Finally, if the tourists themselves do not enjoy or anticipate satisfaction from sustainable forms of tourism, they will not participate and not visit destinations geared to offer this type of tourism. One of the other tasks facing researchers, if they wish to ensure the application as well as the understanding of sustainable development of tourism, is to find ways to ensure the necessary policies and actions are acceptable to all stakeholders in tourism. Simply saying that all is well and that sustainable tourism is the way of the future because there is a growing interest in the concept will not ensure its adoption or success. At present, there is a disturbing tendency, in the desire to promote sustainable tourism, to claim that any small-scale, environmentally or culturally focused form of tourism is sustainable, particularly where it is developed by or for local residents. In the absence of accurate and reliable indicators and monitoring, one cannot comment on the sustai nability of any enterprise until many years after its establishment, and only then, after comparing its operation and effects, to the state of the environment at the time of its establishment. Given that the term sustainable development did not enter the lexicon until 1987, it is still too soon to say if anything created since then is truly sustainable or not.

Somali Piracy Culture Essay example -- Somalia Pirates

Somalia is one of the poorest nations in the world whose economy depends largely on their fishing industry. However, powerful nations have ruined the country’s fishing industry by using huge offshore fishing vessels and by illegally dumping waste material into the Somali coastline. The UN Security Council, the European Union, and NATO largely supported these acts through resolutions. Being confronted by these powerful institutions, a powerless nation, such as Somalia, does not have an array of resources to battle this exploitation. To make their voice be heard, a Somali Pirate culture developed in the past twenty years. It consists of hijacking vessels and demanding a ransom. While their actions did not attract much attention in the beginning, publicity and awareness of this issue has steadily increased. The purpose of this paper is to show that the Somali pirate culture has reached a point, where they successfully influence the global economy, which has consequences in countr ies around the world. By controlling international trade routes, Somali pirates uphold this power. These efforts by the Somali pirates exhibit their disparity and signify that they will not allow the piracy of their own resources without retaliation. To draw attention to their dire situation, the Somali pirate culture developed over two decades ago, raiding fishing and commercial boats and ships in order to demand ransom from other countries. Though their methods may not be of the most legit methods, their efforts have been effective. Somalia’s coastline extends to just under two thousand miles, allowing control to most of where the Gulf of Aden empties out into the Indian Ocean, and creates a choke point. â€Å"Equipped with small skiffs, firearms, grapnels and ... ... very reason this culture has been initiated, they continue to fight the war against the Somali pirates. Works Cited Agence France Presse. (2009, April 15). Inquirer.net. Retrieved January 12, 2011, from Inquirer.net: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20090415-199432/Facts-and-figures-Somalia-piracy Reuters. (2009, April 15). Reuters. Retrieved January 12, 2011, from Reuters.com: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE53E2JR20090415?pageNumber=2 Thakurta, S. (2008, October 10). Somalia piracy: The world can't afford to ignore . Retrieved January 12, 2011, from Merinews: http://www.merinews.com/article/somalia-piracy-the-world-cant-afford-to-ignore/144093.shtml Wright, R. (2011, January 16). Financial Times. Retrieved January 17, 2011, from FT.com: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/658138a6-219b-11e0-9e3b-00144feab49a.html#axzz1BKVMULD0

Edwin S. Porter :: essays research papers

Edwin S. Porter was both a film pioneer and director. He was a film pioneer because he made people come back to the theaters and start watching movies. His movies also were good because they told a story by editing the move. Being a director he made some of the greatest films in 1902 and 1903. In 1902 he directed The Life of an American Fireman and in 1903 The Great Train Robbery. With these two skills he was able to direct great films and use special camera shots not know of at that present time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Porter was born on April 21st 1870 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. There was not really any information on his parents but they did his parents first named him Edward. Since he was pudgy people use to call him Betty. There was really no information on why they called him Betty but I am sure it meant something. In 1893 he joined United States Navy and changed his name. He changed his name to Edwin Stanton instead of Edward Stanton. He changed it after Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton before he went into the Navy. They did not go into any detail on why he did it but my guess is he did not like his name and changed it. In the resources that I found I could not find much information about the rest of his family. I could not even find any information on what he did in his early years. The earliest I could find was starting in 1893.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1895 he started to work for the Vitascope Marketing Company. He would use his talent of electrical engineering with the company. With Vitascope he was in the project of the first projected movie that was shown in New York. That date was April 23rd 1896. He used his skills in engineering at Edison’s Manufacturing Company’s Laboratory. He let Edison for a while and went to Eden Musee Theatre in New York where he an operator. He was in charge of getting the films and projecting them onto the screen. His duties also were kind of illegal because he took a lot of films and edited them together to make fifteen-minute films. He would also take some of Melies films and put them into the show, since he like some of Melies work. The films would range from historical Wars and news films.

Primary Reasons of Poverty of the Philippines

Official poverty statistics in the Philippines are part of the System of Designated Statistics instituted and implemented by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) pursuant to Executive Order No. 352 signed on 01 July 1996. Based on policies approved by the NSCB, official poverty statistics consist of the food and poverty thresholds, the subsistence and poverty incidence, the income gap, the poverty gap, and the severity of poverty index. The estimates of subsistence and poverty incidence are expressed in terms of proportion of families and of the population.Prior to 2000, the income gap, poverty gap and the severity of poverty index as well as the annual food and poverty thresholds were not part of the official poverty statistics. Under NSCB Board Resolution No. 9 Series of 2000, these statistics were added to the official poverty statistics designated to the NSCB under E. O. 352. Moreover, prior to 2003, the official poverty statistics were being generated only at the n ational and regional levels with urban-rural disaggregation. In response to user need for provincial disaggregation of poverty statistics, NSCB Resolution No.  1 Series of 2003 was passed on 15 January 2003, approving a methodology for the compilation of official poverty statistics.This methodology underwent a series of discussions thru workshops, interagency meetings and users’ fora before it was approved by the NSCB. The initial efforts of the NSCB for the development of the methodology were undertaken in 1999 as part of the NSCB involvement in the â€Å"Development of an Integrated Poverty Monitoring and Indicator System Project†, a module of the UNDP-assisted project â€Å"Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms for the Convergence of Poverty Alleviation Efforts, Phase I†, which was implemented by NEDA.Except for the food and poverty thresholds that are estimated annually, the other official poverty statistics are estimated every three years after the resul ts of the Family Income and Expenditures Survey (FIES) of the National Statistics Office (NSO) have become available. The FIES is a nationwide survey of households undertaken to gather data on the income and expenditures of Filipino families.