Filipino Americans In America Essay Example for Free

Filipino Americans In America Essay Filipino Americans have retained their racial and cultural pride and outlook even as they are fast becoming assimilated and adopting American values and cultural norms in the United States as an adopted country. This is a preliminary paper which featured six respondents to a fundamentally open ended but structured questionnaire, intending to elicit their inner sentiments on their nationality as immigrants to the United States. Qualifying criteria: Filipino ancestry, and residency in in the United States for the last 5- 15 years. Must have spent at least 10 to 15 years in the Philippines prior to immigration to the United States. Structure of Questionnaire: This is a fundamentally controlled emic questionnaire, initially, intended to have open-ended response that will give the inner sentiments of the respondents. Six respondents were given a free-wheeling right to answer the following questions (1) how they feel being Filipino Americans (2) the comfort level they have in being called Filipino Americans (3) their attitude to the previous citizenship (4) their general feeling about being Filipino or simply, Americans. (5) the values that differentiate them as a group (6) the beliefs that are common among them (7) their loyalty to their mother country (8) their religious faith/s (9) their attitude towards the US elections and the candidates (10) their celebrations and joys (11) The problems they perceive about their home country (12) The problems they meet in the United States. Emic-Etic Research 3 Interview results: 1. Four of six said they were proud Filipinos â€Å" just living or working in America. † Two said they are Filipino Americans, but that the United States is their country. 2. Four of six said they are not comfortable being referred to as Americans. Two were comfortable, but explain that they have Filipino roots. 3. All six said they were proud of their racial roots. Four of six said they identified with the United States as a friendly second country. 4. All said they would have preferred to stay in the Philippines because of the character of the people there (friendly and hospitable, and â€Å"wonderful†) but they would like to look for higher paying jobs in the US . 5. Five of six said their Catholic religion bind them together, four said they are proud of the heroes of their race, all five of six said they are proud of the racial industriousness and resourcefulness of their fellow Filipinos, and that their friendly nature distinguish them as a group. 6. All six said belief in God is a national faith. Among the values that they share as a group are: being good to foreigners, kindness to neighbors, cleanliness in their bodies, living harmoniously with neighbors. Some of the vices of their race include: gambling, gossip, and crabbing or stealing dreams. 8. Four of the six said they are non-practicing Catholics One was Protestant. One did not answer. 9. Three would vote for Obama , one for McCain. Two are not inclined to join the electoral discussions as irrelevant to them. Four said a McCain victory would be bad for Emic-Etic Research 4 Filipino immigrants. The same number said Obama would be good to immigrants. (Two answered twice) 10. All six said they enjoy Christmas as the most awaited holiday of the year. They enjoy singing publicly or in groups. They also all eagerly await the religious month of the Lenten season. They also enjoy family reunions, attending funeral wakes, group drinking, and teasing beautiful women, passing hours for their siesta, engaging in small talk, talking about their politicians, listening to movie gossip, either Filipino local or Hollywood. 11. The following came out as their negative list of events and/or descriptions in their country of origin: low value of the peso (5 of interviewees ) , high unemployment (4 of respondents) , air and water pollution ( 3 of respondents ) , and corruption in government (2 of 6 respondents). . 12. All six said they have experienced and can easily discern racial bigotry and discrimination in America. ANALYSIS The results of the tally suggest a pattern of national consciousness, an awareness of nationhood and national pride. The limited number of respondents at = six (6) is without any other controlling variables like total population and distribution profile and therefore cannot be a basis for any claim of being representative of the population of Filipino US immigrants. Emic-Etic Research 5 The present practical inquiry however can serve as a basis for future etic questionnaire that will define the answers to the above from a truly representative sampling, and allow an etic database that will provide objective percentages to the initial summary of findings above. As important as what the respondents above are saying are those that they have left unsaid. For example in Item 2, four of six respondents were unwilling to be called Filipino Americans –a fact that clearly displayed national loyalty and preference for their citizenship branding as Filipinos. The two who acknowledged their American citizenship were nevertheless fully cognizant and proud of their Filipino roots. In item 12, the stark figure of all six respondents saying they have experienced and could discern racial bigotry and discrimination in the United States speaks volumes about the social environment they operate, and describes their inner sensitivity to indications of racial discrimination. This is wide field of further inquiry that can further establish objective etic ( or objective, verifiable) information of concrete cases of discrimination that respondents have experienced in the United States.

Young Goodman Brown | Analysis

Young Goodman Brown | Analysis The conflicts between the everyday battles and forces of good and evil are portrayed the story, Young Goodman Brown. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many symbolic elements, from the characters names in the story and throughout until its delusional ending. They show us that sin is a part of human nature and that no man is perfect beyond any means. The presence of evil appears as Brown begins on his journey. He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind it. Forests are used to symbolize wickedness, evil and danger. The road that is to be travelled is very dark and small, and it is enveloping him as it closes swiftly behind him, displaying the abandonment of his faith. What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow! This symbolizes that he is, in fact, walking along side the devil on this dreary road into the forest. Moments later a companion appears, Young tells him, Faith kept me back awhile, which explains that he had been faithful to his beliefs for some time, and then decided to cross over to the evil world. This said; it could be that this companion is in fact the devil himself, when his staff is noticed, bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be s een to twist and wriggle itself, like a living serpent. The staff being referred to as a serpent, can be compared to the serpent in the story of Adam and Eve. This is an excellent reference to how certain things in life can be deceitful, and the knowing of what is right and wrong. There comes a point in the story where Goodman Brown states, Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith, and go after her? This is when he begins to question his journey on the road between good and evil. It is then suggested by his companion, Sit here and rest yourself awhile; and when you feel like moving again, there is my staff to help you along. The devil is now leaving behind the sole key and the permission for Brown to join him in the world of evil and corruption, and then he walks away. This plays out in life as it is known today. As Browns journey into the forest continues, he hears voices and decides to hide. It vexed him the more, because he could have sworn, were such a thing possible, that he recognized the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin, jogging along quietly, as they were wont to do, when bound to some ordination or ecclesiastical council. This is a symbolization of betrayal. With the Minister and Deacon out in the forest in the middle of the night, and the previous symbols involving the devil, Goodman Brown might have a feeling of being betrayed by his faith and feel alone. While he still gazed upward, into the deep arch of the firmament, and had lifted his hands to pray, a cloud, though no wind was stirring, hurried across the zenith, and hid the brightening stars. The thought of being abandoned overcomes him and he begins to pray to the heavens but is surrounded by the forest and its evils. The cloud symbolizes the dangers of allowing your surroundings, family and friends to become a blind fold and shield ones eyes from their beliefs. Eventually young Goodman Brown reaches the circle of the wicked, their voices joined in song. This dreadful anthem was joining the sounds of the nature and wilderness around him. Fire is represented here, which could also symbolize the anger and the passion for the fight of good and evil. The devil now begins his sermon, Depending on one anothers hearts, ye had still hoped, that virtue were not all a dream. Now are ye undeceived! Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome again my children, to the communion of your race! Even from the beginning of the story, it is foreshadowed that this whole story is in fact a dream. Hawthorne states in the beginning A lone woman is troubled with such dreams, gives an indication that this is a dream. Also, the reference to evil being a nature of mankind and of it being your only happiness is extremely wicked and satanic. The ending of the story does in the end rest the mind that this was in fact a dream. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man, did be become, from the night of that fearful dream. It appears that the realization of disbelief in his faith, Brown woke up and lived the rest of his life as a bitter and untrusting man. And this states that the devil got the best of him. Nathaniel Hawthorne does an excellent job utilizing symbolism in this story to depict a real life battle that many of the human race struggle with everyday. The dark forest that Brown traveled, was not just a setting in the story, but an illustration of the journey though everyday life. And Young Goodman Brown shows us that it is easier to get side tracked on the right paths and travel on the wrong side.

Research Methodology in Education Research

Research Methodology in Education Research Introduction This chapter explains the methodological underpinnings of the study. I provide justifications for the investigative and analytical paths adopted. I discuss the aim of the Critical Theory paradigm and its philosophical positions on epistemology, ontology and methodology in a research enterprise. Also addressed are the people involved, research instruments, data collection procedure, and data analysis. Figure designed by the researcher Figure 1 Conceptualisation of Research Design Philosophical Underpinnings of Critical Theory The study centres on issues of power, class, privilege and the consequent social relationships. Being aligned with the anti-colonial framework described in Chapter Two, the study is situated within the tradition of Critical Theory. Creswell (2014) puts Critical Theory under the umbrella of a transformative worldview. ToFay (1987), issues of empowerment, irrespective of gender, class, and race, are central to Critical Theory. Lincoln, Lynham, and Guba (2011) state that the research aim of Critical Theory is to critique, seek change and liberate. Per the theoretical framework, the study advocates for Ghanaian H.E to acknowledge and respect African worldviews and perspectives. The study argues that the dominant Western paradigms that shape Ghanas higher education do not adequately empower the Ghanaian student. This consciousness is necessary to make Ghanaian students a subject of the education experience to help reorient higher education and make it emancipatory. Table 1 summarises the ontological, epistemological, and methodological beliefs shaped by Critical Theory. Table adapted from a book source Item Critical Theory Ontology Historical realism reality shaped by social, political, cultural, economic, ethnic, and gender values; crystallised over time Epistemology Transactional/subjectivist; value-mediated finding Methodology Dialogic/dialectical Table 1 Basic Beliefs of Critical Theory (Lincoln, Lynham, and Guba, 2011) Research Approach Qualitative A qualitative approach was most appropriate for this research because it offers a better opportunity to provide in-depth understanding of the subject matter. It provided the best avenue to investigate the research questions. Design Critical Studies In line with the philosophical outlook of critical theory, I employ   McMillan and Schumachers (2010) critical studies framework because my research seeks to find out how privilege, class, and power acquired through Ghanas H.E can be translated to serve societal good. According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010), critical studies design emphasizes ideas like dignity, dominance, oppressed, authority, empowerment, inequality, and social justice (p. 347). Researchers employing a critical study design must advocate for and stimulate change. Methods of Data Collection Employed McMillan and Schumacher (2010) note that observation and interviews are common methods employed in critical studies (p. 347). Denzin and Lincoln (2011a) also mention that qualitative research is inherently multimethod (p. 5), albeit there is an imperative to provide sound rationale. Accordingly, I employed autobiography to illustrate my locatedness, a literature review, and face-to-face interviews as methods for this study. Action Plan Table designed by the researcher Research Questions Data Needed Methods Analysis Purpose 1. What does it mean to be educated in Ghana? Lived experience Autobiography The education environment, teaching, and learning How an educated person is recognised in Ghana 2. What are the main features of the historical development of H.E in Ghana? Secondary data Literature Review Historical analysis of the conceptions in traditional African and Western perspectives To present the different notions and purposes of H.E traditionally (African), during colonialism and contemporarily. 3. How elitist is H.E in Ghana? Primary data Fieldwork. Interviews through semi-structured interview guide Manually by presenting the themes in the responses To explore ways to mitigate the asymmetrical power relationships in H.E 4. What are the alternative means of funding H.E in Ghana? Primary data Fieldwork. Interviews through semi-structured interview guide Manually by presenting the themes in the responses Borders on access and de-commercialisation of H.E 5. What are the possible futures of H.E in Ghana? Primary data Fieldwork. Interviews through semi-structured interview guide Manually by presenting the themes in the responses Relevance of H.E Table 2 Summary of How Research Questions were Answered Question 1 What does it mean to be educated in Ghana? To answer this, I employed my experiences throughout school to illustrate the process of education and consequent characteristics that identify the highly schooled. Autobiography is a reflection on events of the past and a careful presentation of such accounts. Pictures and other artefacts help to illustrate the accounts presented in narratives (see Ellis, Adams Bochner, 2011). While this method locates me in the study (McMillan Schumacher, 2010) and offers insights into the broader outlook of H.E in Ghana, it comes with its shortfalls. Autobiography is criticised as being too artful and not scientific, or too scientific and not sufficiently artful and self-centred (Ellis et al., 2011, p. 283). Delamont in Ellis et al. (2011) accuses autobiography (as part of autoethnography) as lacking extensive fieldwork. Anderson, in Ellis et al. (2011), contends that the use of personal experience makes autobiography biased. I acknowledge these inadequacies and the shortcomings of human memory, hence my concentration on events during my university education. Furthermore, for my experience not to appear isolated, I engaged with other autobiographical accounts and literature to support my accounts to provide rigour. As Ellis et al. (2011) suggest, the credibility of the writer offers reliability in autobiography and the realistic nature of the account is the scale to measure validity. The strengths of autobiography are its ability to reduce prejudice on a phenomenon, and encourage personal responsibility and agency (Ellis et al., 2011, p. 280). Question 2 What are the main features of the historical development of H.E in Ghana? I employed secondary data (literature) in this regard. According to Neuman (2006), an extended literature review as a method gives the opportunity to explore the vast materials on a study. Literature provides a worthy source of information due to the dynamism and diversities in humanity. It is the basis of building and enhancing knowledge, skills and attitudes the foundation of education.   A literature review grants credibility to the study as a good review increases a readers confidence in the researchers professional confidence, ability and background. To Neuman, an extended literature review locates the study in a framework and demonstrates its relevance by making connections to a body of knowledge (p. 111). Further, a good review points out areas where prior studies agree, where they disagree, and where major questions remain. In addition, it identifies blind alleys and suggests hypotheses for replication (Neuman, 2006, p. 111). As part of my extensive literature review, I employ the works and speeches of prominent African Presidents and scholars to make a case for the type of higher education that would be meaningful in Ghana. Similarly, I employ academic literature and views of a former Ghanaian President and other political leaders to argue how colonial relations continue to survive in Ghana. Furthermore, I employ proverbs an embodiment of African oral traditions and culture as an example of an African knowledge base that can shape H.E. I utilise selected proverbs to argue that H.E in African perspectives promotes the public purpose. Fieldwork Questions 3, 4, and 5 Fieldwork is integral to many forms of research qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. It helps to comprehend and appreciate many social phenomena. Indeed, many academic disciplines are both fields of theory and practice and fieldwork is also integral. Peake and Trotz (1999) acknowledge the significance of fieldwork: it can strengthen our commitment to conduct good research based on building relations of mutual respect and recognition. It does, however, entail abandoning the search for objectivity in favour of critical provisional analysis based on plurality of (temporally and spatially) situated voices and silences (p. 37). Research Instrument I used a semi-structured interview guide as instrument to conduct the interviews. This was important to help elicit detailed information on the subject. Interviews are useful to elicit thick descriptions (Geertz, 1973) of knowledge and insight into realities. Denzin (2001) describes thick description as deep, dense, detailed accounts (p. 98), which provide alternative perspectives to that of the researcher. McMillan and Schumacher (2010) also note that critical studies are multi-method and say, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦observation and interviewing are used most often. The key is to gather the right form of information that will support the advocacy desired (p. 347-348). People Involved (Respondents) The respondents for this study were people who work or had worked within Ghanas public universities. I had a proxy who helped identify and made initial contact with prospective respondents. I interviewed a retired Professor who is the Chairman of a university council. He has been advocating over the decades for education in Ghana to reflect African culture and worldview. I accepted the recommendation from my proxy to interview him. He is vastly knowledgeable but inclined toward African worldviews. It was important to get such an individual at the apex of university decision-making to offer some insight on the inner dealings of universities. Another respondent was a former Pro-Vice Chancellor of a public university who is on a post-retirement contract. His past role in the university equips him to offer reason why the status quo remains and the difficulties that come with transformation. It is difficult to tell his biases but he does not seem entrenched on specific worldviews. A former Registrar of a public university who happens to hold a Ph.D was also interviewed because Registrars in Ghanaian universities are in charge of the day-to-day administration of the university, and hence have rich knowledge on the administrative setup of public universities. His strengths lie in administration. There was a traditional ruler (paramount Chief) who happens to be a Professor in a public university. He is predisposed to favour African worldviews and share light on how difficult or easy it is to fuse African worldviews in the university structure. His knowledge and promotion of ancient African history and African American studies indicates his inclinations. The next respondent was a Christian Reverend Minister who is also a Senior Lecturer. His specialization is in Performing Arts and how theatre can be used to develop societies. His works indicate immense African cultural advocacy despite being a Christian priest. I interviewed a former director of an Institute in a public university (position equal to a Dean). He is a Senior Lecturer in the field of Education and his inclinations are quite difficult to tell. The next respondent is a playwright and Lecturer who prior to his academic life held a top position in an international development agency. He was selected due to his knowledge of Ghanaian developmental issues and his deep insight into African cultural worldviews. Furthermore, I interviewed a respondent with expertise in Development Studies. He is a senior research fellow at the social division of an institute in a public university. Lastly, there was also a linguist and who is interested in African liberation and consciousness. His works and views are very political against the West. He is very knowledgeable in African culture and ancient African history. Cumulatively, the respondents have accrued over 200 years of experience working in universities. Data Collection/Procedure I had a proxy in Ghana who agreed to help identify and make initial contact with potential respondents. Though he once held a high position in a public university, he had no power or control over the respondents. After the respondents agree to participate, I liaised with the proxy to arrange a meeting and scheduled the interviews. Prior to the interview, I sent the interview guide to the respondents via e-mail so they could form their thoughts on the issues therein. The respondents expressed interest in the study and offered lots of encouragement. Even though I desired to interview females, the proxy found it difficult to locate them they were either busy or out of the country. I scheduled the interviews for an hour but most of them offered more than an hour two hours in some cases and they were willing for follow-up communication. Some offered references and suggested books that would contribute to the research. It was daunting and quite intimidating going to interview such high profile personalities. Voices like, Are the questions going to make sense to them, and do I know enough to engage an intellectual discussion with these people? kept echoing in my mind. Despite these butterflies, I was assured that the questions were shaped by concerns and gaps in literature. I also had it in mind that I was on a mission to learn. Nevertheless, the process came with obstacles. There were several instances where we rescheduled meetings because the respondents were unavailable. In some instances, they had impromptu engagements so they sacrificed our scheduled meeting. The classic experience was driving for about 150km from Accra to another region only to find the respondent chairing a function that closed late. He informed me of his schedule but we both thought the programme would finish early. At the end, he was visibly exhausted and had to drive about 80km home (in another region). He asked me to sleep over and make the 80km to his house the next day for the interview. I made the journey but did not get to see him immediately as there were many people waiting to see him. Eventually, when I had the opportunity to meet him, my lack of traditional knowledge was severely exposed. His elders and members of his council would not entertain English/Western protocols, so I had to fall on the limited Palace protocols I know to navigate that space. He nevertheless was extremely helpful and introduced me to many other scholars. From a Western perspective, these issues border on power but the African in me acknowledged that these delays were not intentional, though frustrating and expensive. It was obvious they were busy; besides, I saw their acceptance to participate as a favour as there were no payments or incentives.   There is an African proverb that With patience, one can dissect the ant and see its intestines. Data Analysis To quote Patton (2002), qualitative analysis transforms data into findings. No formula exists for that transformation. Guidance, yes. But no recipe. Direction can and will be offered, but the final destination remains unique for each inquirer, known only when and if arrived at (p. 432). My data analysis began with the growth of the thesis. In the course of writing the theoretical perspectives and the literature review, some thematic areas began to emerge. The major themes bordered on notions of elitism in Ghanaian/African H.E, a lack of community-oriented values in Ghanaian/African H.E, and the African renaissance and pride. I employed these as pre-determined themes on which I formulated research questions. Therefore the responses were to answer questions that came out of these themes. I analysed the field data manually by adopting an inductive approach of qualitative data analysis. I transcribed the interviews into text and separated [it] into workable units (McMillan Schumacher, 2010, p. 369). I organised the responses and grouped them under the various research questions and read the transcripts thoroughly to identify comments pertinent to answer the research questions. I highlighted these comments and looked out for new observations and insights that could offer other understandings to the study. I examined the field transcripts to identify emerging themes and patterns, made interpretations out of the themes, and considered them in regard to the literature and theoretical framework. I subsequently present the findings and discussions in anecdotes (McMillan Schumacher, 2010). Credibility Credibility in qualitative studies refers to the extent to which findings and analyses of the study are realistic (McMillan Schumacher, 2010). To ensure this, I designed the interview guide based on issues raised in literature. In addition, I endeavoured to interview different people with different expertise within the university structure. Though I could not get any respondent from government institutions, the respondents offered worthy responses as some have occupied different positions in government institutions. A technique I employed to enhance credibility of the study was to send the transcribed interview to the respondents via e-mail for them to confirm the transcription appropriately captured their thoughts. I consequently provide detailed narratives from the respondents. Giving that the respondents did not object to the transcripts, the quotations offered in the analysis chapter of this study reflect the data collected. Reflexivity Chilisa (2012) argues that the closeness between the researcher and respondents may affect the truth value of research as it becomes difficult to distinguish between their experiences. In this study, I acknowledge my biases, and clearly illustrate and justify them both in my theoretical and methodological perspectives. The nature of Critical Theory and critical studies makes the issue of reflexivity quite tricky as the research is shaped and designed by biases that must be checked. Being conscious of my biases, I left the selection of respondents in the hands of a third party. Besides, the respondents are established academics who I could barely influence especially regarding what to say. I also devoted significant space to the voices of the respondents in the analysis chapter to clearly illustrate their thoughts and maintain the truth value of the study. Though triangulation helps in addressing trustworthiness of qualitative studies, the nature and status of my respondents made triangulation quite impossible. I could not use independent auditors, as suggested by Lincoln and Guba (1985), due to ethical restrictions. However, by sending the transcribed interviews to the respondents to validate, I was able to enhance the credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability of this study, ensuring trustworthy findings that a reader could transfer and generalise in a similar space. Conclusion In this chapter, I have outlined the research design used in the research. I have argued that adopting a qualitative approach is appropriate to answer the research questions. Employing a critical studies framework justifies the aim of helping transform social relations between the schooled and unschooled in Ghana. It offers empowerment to students of Ghanas H.E by offering alternative perspectives to help emancipate the schooled from dominant Western perspectives. Through my proxy, I was able to interview knowledgeable people in Ghanaian universities who offered rich information on how H.E can serve a public purpose. I used the inductive method of qualitative data analysis by highlighting responses that answer the research questions. The emerging themes from responses were synthesised and presented as anecdotes. In the next chapter, I will describe, using my lived experiences, how the educated individual is constructed in Ghana. My autobiographical approach will indicate how the process of schooling divides society and confers notions of superiority and difference to the highly schooled a phenomenon the study conceptualise as colonial.

Educational Philosophy :: essays research papers

My Educational Philosophy Education is the foundation of human interaction. School is where students take in knowledge that will determine what they do with the rest of their lives. Students are offered great opportunities through education. Many times these opportunities are largely affected by how the material is presented to them. As an educator one is given the opportunity to facilitate the learning of these students and affect their lives in hopes that they use this information to progress forward into the future. My goal as a teacher is to educate the future generations of America. I want to be a teacher because teaching is a unique occupation that will provide me with intrinsic rewards. I have found that the students have a large impact on how much I appreciate the art of teaching. I feel that teachers that have stable and healthy relationships with their students are the most successful. Throughout my student teaching experiences I have genuinely strived to be respectful towards all my students and each of their differing learning behaviors. All students learn at different paces, and work better with some learning styles rather than others. This does not mean that students should be left behind because an educator prefers certain learning styles over one another. A good teacher attempts to you all types of learning styles in order to reach out to all types of learners. One can do this by touching on all aspects of Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory when creating lessons. I believe that assessment in the classroom should be constant. Student should have the chance to be graded beyond the simple tests and quizzes. Presentations, class discussions and other ways that students can prove that they are comprehending the presented knowledge is important and should be noted. I am quite passionate about my content area, teaching allows me to communicate and share that knowledge with my students. Social studies cover so many areas: history, political science and the social sciences. I find each of these areas to be quite fascinating as well as lessons and skills that the students learn in these classes that they will use in the rest of their lives. The challenge and reward that comes from understanding the cognitive level of adolescent students is what makes me prefer working on the secondary level. A teacher is more that just a facilitator of knowledge. A great teacher is one that fulfills all of the following roles: educator, mentor, role model, authority figure, planner, assessor, counselor, as well as a peer.

Primary Behavior Changes of MDMA :: Illegal Drugs Ecstasy Medical Essays

Primary Behavior Changes of MDMA As an attempt to define the primary versus secondary (or side effect) behavior changes, I will first discuss the differences between the two. One way to separate the two will be to refer to the primary behaviors as those that occur during the use of the drug. This time span will include the behaviors that occur from the point of ingestion through the time when the effects of the drug wear off (approximately 4-6 hours after ingestion). At this point I will go on to discuss the secondary effects on behavior and how they are a result of the primary effects. With this distinction made, it will make the comparison easier to follow and understand. One of the first, and most commonly reported, behavior changes is that of a created sense of, or feeling of, empathy towards all individuals. In many this feeling is a dominating force that enables communication in an outwardly expressive manner, much different than is normally expressed if the participant were to be in a sober state. As a result, MDMA was slated for use in the medical field by psychologists and psychiatrists who were interested in these qualities as an aid in therapy. With lowered inhibitions and a willingness to express one's inner thoughts and feelings, many therapists were convinced that the drug would have very important therapeutic advantages. These advantages would be clearly expressed in cases where months of therapy had little effect on creating an inviting space where patients could feel comfortable with sharing in the presence of a therapist. Under close supervision, the therapeutic consequences could be priceless to the individual who potentially would be able to overcome a traumatic experience. With this being only one of the primary behavior changes associated with the use of MDMA, it's easy to see how the complexity of such a drug can be easily underestimated. When viewed from an outside perspective, someone in such a euphoric state would appear to be very outgoing and accepting of many types of people. It's this sense of compassion towards all people that has created a phenomenon that expresses itself in the form of large dance parties, called raves. People get together to enjoy music, dance, drugs, and most of all each other. In a heightened state of awareness, participants are

Nintendo Company Ltd Essay

â€Å"Nintendo Company Ltd .was founded in 1889 as a producer of Japanese playing cards, but by the 1980’s the corporation had turned its attention towards the production of video game hardware and software†. â€Å"Since then, Nintendo has gone on to become the third most valuable company in Japan selling more than 470 million home game consoles and handhelds as of 2009†. Nintendo was founded by Fusejiro Yamauchi the great grandfather of the current president of Nintendo.† Nintendo’s products arose in the mid-1980s from the relative obscurity of the amusement arcade to change the concept of home entertainment in both Japan and the United States†. Strengths: Nintendo â€Å"strongly established brands†, â€Å"robust revenue growth†, â€Å"strong cash flow from operations, and â€Å"Nintendo derived most of its revenue from the video game business, Nintendo was in the lead in video console† (pg.C269). Weakness: Nintendo weakness is â€Å"Inventory shortages†.†Nintendo was unable to meet demand during 2007 and also struggled throughout 2008†.†In an interview on the website Game Theory, Perrin Kaplin, Nintendo vice president of marketing and corporate affairs, suggested that shortages were expected some time†. â€Å"We are at absolute maximum production and doing everything we can†¦but demand continues to be really high† (pg.C273). Also Opportunities: â€Å"Rising demand for company’s products and related software†, â€Å"growing US games software market†, and â€Å"increasing demand for online gaming†. Threats: â€Å"Short products lifecycle†, â€Å"slowdown of the Japanese, the US, and European economies†. â€Å"The five forces may be interdependent i.e. pressures from one direction can trigger off changes in another dynamic process of shifting sources of competition†. â€Å"Industry rivalry here occurs in the strategic alliances i.e. battle to control market†. â€Å"With huge players like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft there is a tuff battle between companies to dominate the market†. â€Å"The threat of entrants into the industry can be negligible with the existence of players like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft etc†. â€Å"There can be no substitute to the video games†. â€Å"The Power of Buyers in the video game industry is low as there are very few successful companies in the video game industry, therefore a small variety of video games available to the buyers†. â€Å"On the other hand, the Power of Suppliers is very high as there are more suppliers available to a handful of companies in the video game industry†. â€Å"Nintendo’s goal was to create games that everyone could play and a system that would appeal to women and people who had never played video games in the past† (pg.c273). Nintendo used the three generic strategies: overall cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Nintendo’s strategy was to attract and target all age groups also to make the Wii easy to use whether the player is skilled or a novice. Nintendo was successful at this strategy because â€Å"According to Nintendo, one of the key differences between the Wii and the competitiors’ systems was the broad audience that the Wii targeted† (pg.c273). â€Å"Many of the Wii games were able to be played by all people of all ages, and they were easier to control than the complicated controllers of the Sony Playstation 3 or Microsoft Xbox 360†. Nintendo’s TV commercials of the Wii showed people of different ages and social classes playing the Wii† (pg.c273). Yes I believe all companies can use the strategy of attracting all age brackets with unique products that are easy, fun to use, and affordable. The Nintendo competitive strategy are that the make their consoles cheaper to manufacture. They can sell the base console at a profit while their competitors have to subsidize the retail price. It also gives Nintendo far more room to maneuver when it comes to using the price mechanism to take on that competition. Nintendo will be able to sustain their competitive advantage if they lack in supply of product with a high demand. What Nintendo need to do is maintain their supply so that it will be able to keep up with their competitors and keep clientele. This is the problem they are having which is a high demand for product with low supply. I believe Nintendo’s strategy has good intentions, if I was in position to advise Nintendo of their strategy is will be to change is their supply and demand. If you have a low supply of product how do you expect to make profit? I would advise them to make sure that there is a high supply of products to keep customers happy because there is a great possibility that the company can lose clientele to other competitors. Some customers go great lengths for entertainment and some will pay any price to have it. Nintendo needs to keep their ratings up along with the other companies that are competing and the only way to do that is to make sure that the products are available and the prices affordable. This was an interesting case to work on and I hope I did a good job. I had no idea Nintendo was founded in 1889, I thought it invented in the 1980’s. After reading this case I know that even the popular companies sometime struggle in certain areas. I have a Nintendo Wii and even though I don’t get to play it often but when I do it’s so much fun. The Nintendo Wii is definitely for all ages like it was mentioned in the case. From reading the case and doing research online helped me learn about how Nintendo was founded and their timeline of products. I learned about their rivalry with Sony, Microsoft, and their struggles with supply and high demand. How However Nintendo Wii price was reasonable compared to the playstation3 and xbox. I believe what attracts customers to the Nintendo Wii is that as far as I can remember Nintendo always included a free game with the console which Sony and Microsoft does not provide. My opinion Nintendo strategy has good intentions but to be the better competitor Nintendo needs all their areas to be strong especially their supply of products. Even if it means to hire more employees or outsource jobs to keep products in stock they should go that extra mile to keep their customers happy.

Dark tourism: mediating between the dead and the living Essay

Dark tourism Introduction            In general, tourism covers several kinds of travel and a very broad destination ranges. One of the niches of tourism is what is known as Dark tourism that covers the visitation of places where tragedies or where ancient deaths in history have taken place and the institutions that deal with the human heritage (Stone, 2012). In the last decades, this type of tourism has received more attention and hence it has become very popular (stone, 2012). As Lennon and Foley (1999) states, tourism that is associated with the death sites and also tragedy places are registering a huge number of visits hence experiencing a rapid growth. Smith (1996), in her research shows that the warfare memoralia along with the allied products are probably forming the largest category of tourist attraction in the globe, in spite of the dissuasive and tragedies that have happened there( Stone, 2012). For instance, the Jailhouse in the United States has formed one of the earliest example of dark t ourism in the break of the 19th century has received a lot of attention due to its novel practices and architectural innovations( Stone, 2012).            In the meantime, visitation of the sites of death and tragedy has developed into a global phenomenon. However, the demand for the spots of dark tourism is becoming very versatile. Besides the death and tourism matters, culture interests or just the desire for entertainment are some of the other reasons why thousands of people are pilmigraging in the dark tourism sites day by day (Stone, 2006). In spite of the ever increasing number of research on this topic, the reasons why people are visiting these dark tourism sites and also identifying themselves with death matters, genocide and disaster is not clear (Foley and Lennon, 2000; sharply and Stone, 2009). Owing to the daily and rapid increase in the dark tourism niche, it is very vital for people to understand the reasons that motivate people to visit the places of genocides and disaster. Dark Tourism definition            As described by Foley and (Lennon, 1999), dark tourism is the type of tourism that encompasses the supply and consumption by the people who are the visitors, of real and commodities of disaster and death sites( Stone, 2012). One example of dark tourism in the in the ancient ages is the gladiatorial games of the area of the Romans or the execution during the medieval age as noted by (Stone, 2009). Boorstin (1964), shows that the first England tour which was organized and carried in the year 1838 was a trip by a train, where people had organized to go and witness the hanging of two murderers.            (Sharply, 2005) denotes that Dark tourism is not only becoming more popular but it also varies very much in their presentation of death. Dark tourism is reaching from the jocular houses of horror in the famous places of the well know individuals to the sites of mass murder especially the Holocaust death camps. (Seaton, 1996), demonstrates a lot of attraction sites which include th Waterloo Battle fields along with the buried city of Pompeii with the latter being cited as the largest and the most famous destination for the thanatoptic travel of the Romantic period (Seaton, 1996)            Mostly, the word Thonatourism is preferred to Dark tourism as it describes the travel to locations that are partially or wholly motivated by the actual or symbolic desire to the death encounters which is particularly and not exclusive to the violent death, to a varying degree that it is activated by the individual’s specific features of the ones that deaths is their focal objects. this shows that the main reasons for the people who visit these places are only active visiting there so as to experience the atmosphere of such places. Stone believes that thanatourism should only be defined by the motives of the consumer and also the motivation of the individuals in this kind of tourism plays a lot of roles. The other definition synched with Dark tourism is â€Å"the black spots† which are the commercial development sites of graves or the places where celebrities or famous people have been met with sudden or violent deaths (Rojek, 1993). Rojek quotes three different examples of these black spot sites; the site of the famous murder of John Kennedy murder in Dallas, Texas, the annual travel to the Californian highway where Dean James met his death in a sudden car crash and the annual candlelight vigil in the memory of the famous Presley Elvis (Stone, 2012).            In this paper, both thanatourism and Dark tourism will be used as they got the same meaning although they are interpreted differently. Dark tourism is based on the attraction and location based while thanatourism basis on the motivational aspect. Black spots are the places associated with Dark tourism in the sense that they are the sudden and violent death sites. Benefits of Dark tourism            Dark tourism creates an exotic experience to the travelers for the tourists who are seeking an unusual experience apart from their everyday lives (J Khang e etal, 2012). In most instances, it creates a dull vacation concept to the people who are more open minded and they usually want to explore the world (J Khang e etal, 2012). It is a general nature of human beings also to want to have a eyewitness of the suffering of others that is formed basically from the curiosity of the mind (J Khang e etal, 2012). Also, Dak tourism is a very interesting aspect of tourism where visiting of the battlefields, cemeteries and concentration camps give one a firsthand information experience of the hardship through their own eye witness. Dark tourism is a muti-dimensional feeling that could have a deep impact in life (Daams, 2007).            (J Khang e etal, 2012) notes, Dark tourism also generates income for the society that has or was affected by the said tragedy or disaster to rebuild itself. The tourist influx helps the local by bringing in money to them. Without these tourists coming in to witness the sites, it could be very hard for the community that is affected to rebuild itself and live to their original standards. For instance the Katrina hit places of Orleans saw the tourist figures drop by 35 percent of what was there before and hence a tourist surge would help this part rebuild itself (Dams, 2007).            Dark tourism also provides emotional benefit not only to the tourists but also to the community where they are situated (J Khang e etal, 2012). Also dark tourism site could be used for educational purposes to educate the young generations on the cause of the tragedy and how to evade such. For instance, the Auschwitz in the country of Poland was listed in the UNESCO world heritage site in the year 1979 and it became mandatory for every school child in German to visit it during their education9Kate N.d). By raising the soberness of the past horrific events it leads cooling of our minds in our endeavors of understanding the world that we live in (Daams, 2007). Also, dark tourism helps us to notice and pay tribute to the ones who fought for the betterment of the country (Kendle, n.d)            Dark tourism gives a positive impact both to the economy and to the emotional wellbeing of the community at hand along with the visiting tourists. It generates income to the economy, provides a new experience to the tourists and also provides emotional wellbeing of the affected residents. So the dark tourism revenues generated should be channeled to the right places so that it can help the affected people to rebuild their lives and also raise their living standards (J Khang e etal, 2012). Examples of Dark tourism sites The Buried village            One of the examples of Dark tourism site is the buried village in New Zealand. This happened when mount Tarawera started to erupt in the early hours of 10th June 1886 and it is termed as one of the greatest natural disasters. It was just after the midnight when Te Wairoa people were woken by a sequence of earthquakes (Chris Ryan and Rahul Kohli, 2006). About a period of two hour after this, a huge earthquake took the center stage which was followed by a big explosion and the for the following four hours, the peaceful village was bombarded by rocks, ashes and mud. This sadistic and unanticipated eruption buried the village of Te Wairoa along with other several neighboring villages in the area with hot mud, ash and mud (Chris Ryan and Rahul Kohli, 2006). The eruption destroyed the white and pink terraces, a silicon- stained natural formation, which formed the largest New Zealand’s tourist attractions changing the landscape dramatically. It led to loss of more than 150 people, and has since been a tourist attraction which is one of the dark tourism sites as coined by Croy and Smith (Chris Ryan and Rahul Kohli, 2006). The Jeju Massacre            The Jeju massacre is one of the forms of the dark tourism site where more than 30, 000 people were executed by the military (J. khang et al, 2012). . A peace park was constructed and every year people go there to commemorate theor loved ones. This is termed as one of the biggest dark tourist sites in the world, for instance the 3rd April peace park case (J. khang et al, 2012). Dark tourism Motivators            In accordance to Smitt(1996), the war sites attract basically people with strong interests in history and also the military strategists. The people who visit these sites are always keen to analyze the past event while they walk around the scene. This is to show that the battlefield visitors are not motivated by any interest on the deaths but by the interest in the history of the battlefields. These same results were also confirmed by Crompton (1979) and also Anderson (1995), who stipulated that Historical and cultural interest could also be a motivator for travel. Crompton (1979) formed this conclusion from interviewing 44 adults that novelty and education are also travel motivators. To sum up the topic on history motivation, it can be noted that history could be the major motivating factor that drives people to visit the battlefield and disaster sites. Owing to the little research that has been carried on the tourist motivation to the disaster sites, it can be con cluded based on the little research that the motive to learn more and more about history could be the main driving factor but not only or single reason why individuals visit these sites. Below are the other reasons why people visit the dark sites. Education            So as to understand the reasons behind battles and deaths and what were their aftermaths, dark tourism could be very helpful in opinion forming. Also, some people needs to know why their relatives and friends had to die. Travel education was introduced into learning in the break of industrialization back in the 17th century, when educational enhancements and also infrastructure increased 9Burkart and medlik 1981). In the year 1982, the first exhibitions on dark tourism with educational components were prompted in the city of New York, USA. Presently, Dark tourism sites are implementing educational aspects ni them so as to promote themselves. The tourists also get a chance of self learning through these educational travels. There are many institutes which are offering educational tours to the war sites and also delivering information sessions, for instance the Smithsonian associates in Washington a D.C educational department which was offering a tour that was tracin g the route of the murderer of president Abraham Lincoln. One of the main reasons for such tours and events is for the people to learn from the past and put mechanisms on how re-occurrence of such events could be prevented. In most of the learning places, like pearl Harbor in USA, people always believe that education could provide a more secure tomorrow. The people who visit such places are thought to know why these tragedies happened and hence they should realize that it should never happen anymore (Ryan, 2007). Remembrance            Lennon nad foley(1993) describe remembrance as an important human activity which connect people between the past and the future. They also declare that how humans remember defines us in the present. These sites are mostly constructed for remembrance and to commemorate the ones who died or the event which led to their deaths. Like for instance, there is a day in Christianity which is meant to remember all the saints that died and it is known as all saints day. It is a common practice where the Christians visit these cemeteries where loved ones were buried. It is meant also for the remembrance of the events that formed the identities of these individuals. Identity            People also visit these sites for indent purposes. Even if people have no direct connection to the people in these sites or event which lead them to it, they visit these sites for identity purposes. For example, people who visit the sites where famous people met their deaths, mostly they have the soul purpose of indentifying themselves with the dead character (Rojek, 1993).            According to a research by Ashworth (2004), many tourist visit the sites of disaster or battlefields because of their curiosity. Other researchers have it that people visit the atrocity sites so as to view the macabre exhibits (Yuill, 2003) and (cooper, 2003) as (Yuill, 2003) states, the tourists or visitors who come to the atrocity sites rarely have no connection to any of the person that fought in these wars or participated in the battlefield. The future of dark Tourism            Owing to the fact that Dark tourism has been increasing day by day, there has been a lot of incites on the future of this kind of tourism (H. Muzaini, 2007). One of the most exploited parts is in the educational part of it. Many Universities have launched courses that are basing their information from the dark tourism. For instance, the University of Central Lancashire launched a program where they will be examining the reasons why people visit these sites, what are their motivations and also offering trips to these sites (Reed Courtney, n.d).            Also, the business minds people are converting these sites into big hotels especially the prisons which were famous dark tourism sites are being converted into hotels and they attract a lot of tourist who want to feel the identified with these places (H. Muzaini, 2007). For instance the Oxford prison has been converted into a luxurious hotel that is attracting a lot of visitors. Most of these sites are being converted into luxurious sites (Reed Courtney, n.d).            In addition, we have the websites that are designed for visitor’s attractions to the museums in most cases employ images and narratives of the life in prison in the ancient times and also the more punitive incarnation elements (Reed Courtney, n.d). You will see some of the writings like, â€Å"Sit in a prison cell, hear the door slam shut and imagine the harsh conditions of Victorian prison regimes. Try on prison uniforms, imagine the horror of being set in the pillory, strapped in a restraint chair or hung in chains. Turn the crank, carry out shot drill or work the treadmill† (H. Muzaini, 2007). References A.V. Seaton (1996) Guided by the dark: From thanatopsis to thanatourism, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 2:4, 234-244, DOI: 10.1080/13527259608722178 Malcolm Foley & J. John Lennon (1996) JFK and dark tourism: A fascination with assassination, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 2:4, 198-211, DOI: Alcatraz and Robben Island. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 30, No. 2, pp. 386–405. Elsevier Science Ltd. Chris Ryan & Rahul Kohli (2006) The Buried village, New Zealand – An example of dark tourism?, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 11:3, 211-226 Walter, T. (2009) Dark tourism: mediating between the dead and the living. In: The Darker Side of Travel: The Theory and Practice of Dark Tourism. Aspects of Tourism . Channel View Publications, Bristol, U. K., pp. 39-55. ISBN 9781845411152 Walter, T. (2009) Dark tourism: mediating between the dead and the living. In: The Darker Side of Travel: The Theory and Practiceof Dark Tourism. Aspects of Tourism . Channel View Publications, Bristol, U. K., pp. 39-55. ISBN 9781845411152 Philip Stone and Richard Sharpley,(2012). CONSUMING DARK TOURISM: A Thanatological Perspective. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 574–595. Elsevier Ltd Daams, Eric (2007) ‘Dark Tourism: Bearing Witness or Crass Spectacle? http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2007/10/10/dark-tourism-more-than-a-spectacle/ [accessed 20 October 2009] Erik H. Cohen (2011) EDUCATIONAL DARK TOURISM AT AN IN POPULO SITE.The Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 193–209. Elsevier Ltd Griffiths, Kate (n.d) ‘Ground Zero & the Phenomena of Dark Tourism’ http://www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/north-america/new-york/ground_zero.php [accessed 20 October 2009] Rasul A. Mowatt and Charles H. Chancellor. (2011) VISITING DEATH AND LIFE. Dark Tourism and Slave Castles. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 1410–1434. Elsevier Ltd Philip R. Stone, (2012)DARK TOURISM AND SIGNIFICANT OTHER DEATH. Towards a Model of Mortality Mediation. Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 1565–1587 Elsevier Ltd. Park, Korea, Eun-Jung Kang, Noel Scott, Timothy Jeonglyeol Lee, Roy Ballantyne, (2012). Tourism Management. Beneï ¬ ts of visiting a ‘dark tourism’ site: The case of the Jeju April 3rd Peace. School of Tourism, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Reed, Courtney (n.d) ‘Shedding Light on Dark Tourism’ http://www.gonomad.com/features/0704/dark-tourism.html [accessed 20 October 2009] Hamzah Muzaini , Peggy Teo & Brenda S. A. Yeoh (2007) Intimations of Postmodernity in Dark Tourism: The Fate of History at Fort Siloso, Singapore, Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 5:1, 28-45, DOI: 10.2167/jtcc082.0 Source document