Topic ( Religion in tower hamlet) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Topic ( Religion in tower hamlet) - Essay Example Now I will move on to how religion affects people’s life and their health. I will investigate the impact of religion on health in the chosen Tower Hamlet. The information gathered in this essay in mainly from books and internet sources. Both health and religion in a way is a manner of coping and re-framing one’s life, bringing into it a sense of meaning and purpose. This is even more powerful when one’s life is threatened by a still uncurable disease such as HIV, in the taken case study in Tower Hamlet. The main body of my essay I will focus on Christian and Muslim modernizations in Tower Hamlet. Later, I will concentrate on religious beliefs and how they can affect health. I will also include some pictures and statistical tables reflecting some of the points that have been made. In conclusion, I will summarize the main issues addressed and provide some suggestions. The followers of a given religion are often united into a community. That is why we need to clarify the meaning of Community in Tower Hamlet. Christianity followers are referred to as Christian communities. There are various definitions of community. For the purpose of this essay I have examined the exact definition: social network of interacting individuals, usually concentrated into a defined territory’ (Stacey, 1969). This definition is most relevant in the way that it displays interest between the individuals and includes them within the same territory. On the other hand, being in the same social network does not necessarily mean that they will share the same opinion. In Christian communities, however, people follow the same religious opinion, as well as the same belief in God. Their particular social network may connect them more powerfully with people in other parts of the world. The Christian community in Tower Hamlets shares the same geographical area, but not all of them have the same

Effect of Globalisation on Communication in Tourism Industry

Effect of Globalisation on Communication in Tourism Industry Globalisation and the Internet have changed every aspect of the tourism and leisure industry – from marketing and communication channels to booking and hospitality services. Many of the previous strategies employed by the industry no longer are effective because of these new market forces. Organisations within the tourist and leisure industry must be attuned to the shift in consumer and business trends related to where they seek information and book their travel in order to maintain or grow their businesses. Companies should also be aware of how various communication channels can be leverage to attract specific regional tourist markets. This paper examines both traditional and innovative communication channels – print, media, Internet, agencies and booking companies, and word-of-mouth – to distinguish between what is effective and non-effective now and in the near future based on specific trends that are currently influencing the industry’s evolution. As t he research found will illustrate, the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of each channel is linked to the travel stage – from planning and booking to the destination experience and journey home. Traditional communication channels within the travel industry have centred on booking agencies an shops, print media and advertising, marketing collateral, and television and radio. When it comes to the destination experience, word-of-mouth, travel kiosks, and tourist centres are other traditional channels that seem to work well.[1] These channels were – and, to a certain extent, still – able to provide brand promotion, nurture customer relationships, and offer a â€Å"value proposition.†[2] In relation to marketing efforts, traditional channels â€Å"follow a passive one-to-many communication model, whereby a company reaches current and potential customers through the broadcasting of the same message.†[3] However, in terms of today’s marketing strategies, there are a number of reasons why this channel is not effective: â€Å"uncustomised message to every consumer, wasted exposures to uninterested audiences, and ‘noise’ distraction fro m competing and conflicting messages.†[4] Additionally, traditional mass media formats of print, television and radio do not offer the new demands for interactivity, flexibility, and accessibility.[5] In terms of booking travel, these channels may still attract a certain demographic of travellers, but they mediums do not reach the potential audience that might be possible if more innovative channels were utilised. This is because of a movement related to consumer preferences from the â€Å"High Street† to the Internet.[6] In addition, these channels could also be considered ineffective based on their inability to maximise monetary resources. These channels can also be ineffective in that they do not build repeat business or encourage long-term relationships with customers because there is an inability to develop specific, customised communications. Print, television and radio tend to be more expensive while booking agencies and shops tend to produce higher overhead costs, making these more expensive than some of the newer methods of communication that rely on technology to reach more people while minimising the cost of using these channels. The traditional methods of commun ication tend to be more fragmented, reducing the level of brand recognition and equity that could be achieved through some of the more innovative channels.[7] One aspect where traditional communication channels may still be effective is with destination guides and services once travel has been booked and the trip has commenced. For example, it is estimated that 60-70 per cent of visitors to the UK will still use travel books and guides while 10-20 per cent will still seek Tourist Information Centres or related â€Å"in person† service to get their information.[8] While 25 per cent may utilise the Internet or a mobile device while others will use a combination of traditional and technology communication channels to find information about their destination while travelling,[9] traditional channels seem to be more effective during this part of the experience. There are signs, however, that indicate that technology may enable these communication channels to become more effective in addressing travellers who are seeking unique destination experiences and on-demand information. While basic information, such as specifics on major attractions, hotels, restaurants, and the like, will still be sought, there may be a need to also supply information on unique places, opening and closing times, special exhibitions, and smaller attractions.[10] As travellers become more technologically savvy, the traditional methods may no longer satisfy demand. As one study noted: For example, growth is being realised in handheld devices that â€Å"combine cell phone voice communication, Internet access and global positioning – enabling visitors ‘en route’ to a destination to access product information and make bookings; to put together itineraries; and to relate their position quickly to nearby services (theatre, restaurants, attractions, events, etc.[11] Those destination service organisations currently focused on traditional communication channels may want to start strategising on how to incorporate new channels into their offering to retain their customer base. More than other industries, tourism is an â€Å"information-intensive† industry that consists of numerous producers that need to work together to serve their clientele.[12] As such, it was one of the first industries to widely adopt[13] some of the emerging communication channels, such as the Internet, which has increased the â€Å"interactivity between consumers and suppliers.†[14] Not only does it provide an inexpensive delivery channel for information, but it also â€Å"empowers the marketing and communication functions of remote, peripheral and insular destinations as well as small and medium sized tourism enterprises which become able to communicate directly with their prospective customers and differentiate their product according to their needs.†[15] Traditional communication channels could not provide the geographic reach that a channel like the Internet has now been able to do in creating an infrastructure that enables information convergence. One niche where the Internet has been particularly effective as a channel for the tourist and leisure industry is marketing communications and advertising by creating a â€Å"narrowcast.†[16] In terms of addressability, those utilising this channel can also provide unique experiences for the consumer. Customisation of information and the ability to create unique sales propositions make newer communication channels, such as the Internet and database management, more effective than its traditional predecessors. The Internet can effectively mirror the benefits of personal selling techniques â€Å"but with much more flexibility, better memory and less cost.†[17] This need for customisation comes from the growing shift in the demographics of today and tomorrow’s traveller. As one research firm noted: â€Å"More attention will need to be given to tailoring propositions to suit the ageing population, those with more time and money to spend on leisure, the childless cou ples seeking quality time, or the emerging traveller nations of China and Central Europe.†[18] Strategies now must address â€Å"multi-generational needs, wants and desires.†[19] The introduction of mobile handsets and high-tech communication channels has helped the industry â€Å"develop and leverage customer relationships and to interact with more customers across more channels than ever before.†[20] The ability to achieve this also creates effective cross-selling opportunities that might not have been possible using traditional channels.[21] Related to these demographic trends, consumer and business demand is also now on an instantaneous cycle. Provide the information that they need or they will move onto the competition. Traditional methods cannot adapt to these lead times[22], making the Internet and real-time answers via web sites a more effective method. Online travel agents are an excellent example of just how effective the Internet is as a communication channel. As one research firm explained, â€Å"The global reach of the worldwide web brings the massive network of suppliers, such as airlines, hotels and tour operators, within the reach of millions of customers.†[23] Unlike a traditional travel agency, online channels provide 24/7 access, real-time updates, and the ability for multiple brands and travel products to be offered simultaneously for the lowest price, reducing the time that the consumer or business has to spend searching for their travel needs.[24] There is also a degree of transparency in pricin g that has never been possible.[25] No traditional communication method can deliver this type of effectiveness. Despite the effectiveness that the Internet and technology have brought to the travel industry, one aspect that illustrates the advantage of traditional methods comes down to personal service. Unfortunately, technology removes the intimacy of face-to-face communication channels. In response, many organisations utilising technology are providing telephone support so that customers still feel that connection.[26] An interesting aspect of business that is becoming a growing part of the tourist industry is environmentally based and involves Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This becomes especially important in new and emerging economies.[27] In looking at other aspects of the travel and leisure industry that utilise communication channels, the use of local community groups, community leaders, and media organisations[28] are two channels that work effectively to help develop a sustainable tourist trade in developing countries, such as those in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia. These channels can help create a tourist trade in less modernised areas through such â€Å"grassroots† tactics as â€Å"training; participatory workshops; community, group, and individual meetings; local radio; school newsletters; and local events.†[29] In these areas, more advanced channels, such as the Internet, may not be effective except for attracting travellers from Westernised cultures that rely o n this technology to find information. If the goal is to attract more foreign tourists, investment in tactics utilising this type of channel might then become an effective mechanism for a sustainable tourist and leisure industry. The Internet could then become an important way â€Å"to put local tourism micro-enterprises into direct contact with the global market of travellers.†[30] The changing levels of effectiveness in the various travel and leisure communication channels have had the greatest negative impact on smaller, niche travel agencies. They cannot compete with larger online entities that have the resources to participate in the newer, more effective channels created through technological advancements and the globalisation efforts of travel and hospitality firms. Other aspects of the travel and leisure industry can look to utilise both traditional and emerging communication channels for effective coverage and interaction with their customers by enhancing their marketing and promotional efforts while expanding the capabilities of their service offering. The tourist and leisure industry will need to continue utilising a multi-pronged approach through the power of multiple communication channels to serve all its customers. WORKS CITED Buhalis, Dimitrios. â€Å"Information Technology as a Strategic Tool for Tourism and Hospitality Management in the New Millennium.† Tourism Review, No. 2, 1996, pp. 34-36). Grenna, Lucia; Hilbruner, Roberta; Santi, Emanuele; Scuppa, Gianmarco; and Vereczi, Gabor. â€Å"Communication and Sustainable Tourism.† USAID, 2006, pp. 1-27. Kyriakidis, Alex. â€Å"Tourism, Hospitality Leisure – Executive Report.† Deloitte Touche UK, 2003, pp. 1-26. Liu, Zhenhua. â€Å"Internet Tourism Marketing: Potential and Constraints.† Hotel Online. 2000. http://www.geocities.com/luke1980nz/intermet_tourism_marketing_full.htm?20071>. Raleigh, Lori. â€Å"Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007.† International Society of Hospitality Consultants. November 2006. http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2006_4th/Nov06_ISHC.html>. Wright, Tom. â€Å"Customer Contact Services.† VisitBritain. October 2004, pp. 1-33. Footnotes [1] Wright, â€Å"Customer Contact Services,† VisitBritain (2004), 6. [2] Kyriakidis, â€Å"Tourism, Hospitality Leisure – Executive Report.† Deloitte Touche UK (2003), 1. [3] Liu, â€Å"Internet Tourism Marketing: Potential and Constraints.† Hotel Online. (2006), 3. [4] Ibid, 3. [5] Ibid, 4-5. [6] Kyriakidis, Deloitte Touche UK, 4. [7] Ibid, 4. [8] Wright, VisitBritain, 3. [9] Ibid, 3. [10] Ibid, 8. [11] Ibid, 8. [12] Liu, Hotel Online, 7. [13] Ibid, 7. [14] Buhalis, â€Å"Information Technology as a Strategic Tool.† Tourism Review. (1996), 35. [15] Ibid, 36. [16] Liu, Hotel Online, 3. [17] Ibid, 4. [18] Kyriakidis, Deloitte Touche UK, 1. [19] Raleigh, â€Å"Top Ten Issues in the Hospitality Industry for 2007.† International Society of Hospitality Consultants. (2006), 6. [20] Kyriakidis, Deloitte Touche UK, 1. [21] Ibid, 5. [22] Ibid, 1. [23] Ibid, 4. [24] Ibid, 4. [25] Ibid, 5. [26] Ibid, 7. [27] Grenna et al. â€Å"Communication and Sustainable Tourism.† USAID (2006), 7. [28] Ibid, 7. [29] Ibid, 7. [30] Ibid, 8.

Can Two Such Different Companies Find Success In Today?s Market? :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Only a few years ago, Cisco Systems was a struggling company who only the technologically educated had heard of. Today, Cisco Systems ranks as the number one or two company in most Internet technology. Anyone using the Internet today, will use one area or another of Cisco Systems. The driving force behind Cisco is their visionary CEO, John Chambers. How does a man who is dyslexic and doesn’t understand much of the technology his company makes become so successful in the Internet age? He believes in empowering his employees and surrounds himself with people who do have the technical knowledge. Chambers believes in acquiring companies at an alarming rate to either acquire new technologies or the teams of people who are developing the new technologies. This saves Cisco money and time allowing it to lead the way in the Internet world instead of playing catch up. Chambers also believes in education as a major player in the future success of not only his company , but for the entire country. His vision of doing it first, before the competition, has built Cisco Systems into the giant of the information technology field it is today. Chambers wants Cisco to be the number one or number two company in any area they compete in. If that is not possible, Cisco will not compete in that area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Chambers took over as CEO of Cisco Systems in 1995. Since his rise to power, Cisco has sustained a growth rate 100% per year. One of the reasons for this growth is the kind of people Chambers keeps himself surrounded with. One example of this is Howard Charney, a senior vice-president at Cisco. Charney could be a CEO at another company if he wanted to be. He was co-inventor of the Ethernet and then founded the first 100 megabit-per-second Etehrnet company. Charney later sold the company to Cisco and stayed on with the company. He says he stays because Chambers treats him as an equal and not as an employee. Chambers asks the advice of his officers instead of dictating to them and that is one reason they stay with the company instead of leaving for the competition. Many of the officers at Cisco have worked for other profitable companies in the information technologies field such as Wang, 3Com, etc. This experience coupled with Chambers’ vision of being t he company in the lead helps Cisco stay in the forefront of technology.

Naked Body and Death in The Unbearable Lightness of Being Essay

This paper will argue that Teresa’s dreams in The Unbearable Lightness of Being foreground the character’s suppressed fear of uniformization and her alternative representation of Tomas, as the Apollonian, reasoning masculine figure par excellence. This argument will be developed alongside the lines of the interpretation of dreams provided by Sigmund Freud and by Carl Gustav Jung. In his Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud argued that dreams are manifestations of the unconscious and that their imagery is a combination of motifs drawn from reality and distortions operated by suppressed feelings like fear and sexuality residing in the subconscious: the strict seclusion or isolation of the dream from real, true life on the one hand, and on the other the continual encroachment of the one on the other, the constant dependence of the one on the other. —The dream is something altogether separate from the reality we experience when awake; one might call it an existence hermetically closed within itself, cut off from real life by an unbridgeable chasm. It frees us from reality, extinguishes our normal recollection of it, and places us in another world and in a quite different life-story, which has fundamentally nothing to do with our real one (Hildebrandt, quoted in Freud, 1976). The notion that dreams bring to the fore an alternative life story is quite significant for our analysis of the presence of dreams in Kundera’s novel. Teresa’s dreams represent a parallel life story in the novel, which compliments and explicates the character’s manifest life. As compared to Tomas, who strives for the obliteration of the differences between spirit and matter, Teresa recognizes the importance of individuality as translated by one’s awareness of the body. However, her relationship with her body is a problematic one because her mother had imposed a wholly different corporeal philosophy on her in her childhood. The exposure of the naked body, devoid of any reticence or libido represents, in the eyes of adult Teresa, the uniformization of the self. It is also a mark of endless anonymous sexual intercourse which is epitomized in the novel by Tomas’ illicit love affairs. In one of her recurrent dreams, which she recounts to Tomas, the fear of corporeal aneantization, which she suppresses while awake, surfaces with a vengeance: I was at a large indoor swimming pool. There were about twenty of us. All women. We were naked and had to march around the pool. There was a basket hanging from the ceiling and a man hanging in the basket. The man wore a broad-brimmed hat shading his face, but I could see it was you. You kept giving us orders. Shouting at us. We had to sing as we marched, sing and do knee bends. If one of us did a bad knee band, you would shoot her and she would fall dead into the pool. Which made everybody laugh and sing even louder. You never took your eyes off us, and the minute we did something wrong, you would shoot. The pool was full of corpses floating just below the surface. And I knew I lacked the strength to do the next knee bend and you would shoot me! (Kundera, 1999, p. 18). Corporeal sameness signifies, as the narrator explains, the anonymity of sexuality and individuality which Teresa fears intensely. As in Freud’s interpretation, the fear of homogenisation translates the fear of death, which Teresa clearly expresses in this dream in contrast to the other women whose laughter and song seem to celebrate the approaching absolute sameness in death. The particular instantiation of Tomas, wearing a hat is highly significant too. According to Jung, â€Å"the hat, as a covering for the head, has the general sense of something that epitomizes the head. [†¦] a stranger’s hat imparts a strange personality† (p. 120). Tomas appears in this dream as a conductor and murderer because, on the one hand, because of his philandering in real life, he forces Teresa into the anonymity of sexual bodies and, on the other hand, his â€Å"strangeness† could signify his equation with absolutism. Teresa’s dream therefore draws a parallel between unrepressed sexuality and death, the bodies’ nakedness ambiguously alluding either to sexuality or to the death camps. These dreams express Teresa’s fear of the obliteration of individuality (and ultimately, her fear of death) through Tomas’ infidelities which undermine her self-image as a wonderful accumulation of contingencies which she values so much. References: Freud, Sigmund. The Interpretation of Dreams. Penguin Books, 1976. Jung, Carl Gustav. Dreams. Routledge, 2001. Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. trans Michael Henry Heim, New York: Harper Collins, 1999. Porter, Laurence M. The Interpretation of Dreams: Freud’s Theories Revisited. Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Christianity- Sexual Ethics

Sexuality is important in the lives of all Christian adherents and it is for this reason that Christianity offers many explicit instructions on sexual intercourse and sexual behaviours, such as when, where and with whom sexual expression is permitted. Guidance for the expression of sexuality is sourced in the Christian sacred texts the New Testament and the Hebrew scriptures and differs throughout the various Christian denominations. Christians are essentially encouraged to enjoy sexual relations within the confines of a loving, adult, heterosexual and married relationship, any other sexual behaviour in considered sinful. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins himself to his wife, they become one body† (Genesis 2:24) The Christian teachings on sexual ethics from Christian sacred texts teach adherents that there is strictly to be no adultery; â€Å"You shall not commit adultery† (Exodus 20:14). Each Christian denomination teaches that divorce is a sin, à ¢â‚¬Å"everyone who divorces his wife makes her commit adultery, whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery† (Mt 5:31-32). Likewise, each denomination is also opposed to remarriage, viewing it as betraying God’s wish; â€Å"whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery† (Mk 10:12).Each Christian denomination teaches that unfaithfulness is not permitted within the Christian Church and is a great sin against God, teaching Christians to ‘love your wife just as Jesus loved the church’ (Ephesians 5:31-2). Adultery in all forms is seen as an immoral sin from all denominations. The Christian teaching on premarital sexuality differs between Christian denominations. The Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches emphasise chastity as essential, stating that there should be no sexual activity outside or before marriage, however the both churches acknowledge human mistake and view chastity as a gradual process.Evangelistic Protestant Churches have a strict no sex before or outside marriage view, whilst mainline Protestant Churches state that marriage is the ideal location for sexual activity, however accept the individual’s own decision as to their sexual whereabouts. Homosexuality is rejected throughout all Christian denominations aside from mainline Protestant Churches, due to Biblical instruction of natural law; men and women were intended for each other in hopes for children; â€Å"Men, leaving natural use of woman, burned in their lust toward one another; men with men† (Romans 1:26-27).Mainline Protestant Churches accept the medical opinion and reasoning for homosexuality, viewing that people cannot help being homosexual, as it is something they are simply born into. Mainline Protestant Churches permit a loving, committed and faithful homosexual relationship. Contraception is another highly controversial matter throughout the Christian Church regarding sexual activity. All Christian denominations permi t contraception as a way of regulating the number of children and space between births, except for the Catholic Church.The Catholic Church has strict teachings that all unnatural forms of contraception are impermissible, based on natural law. Catholics view sex and fertility as a part of nature and view it as wrong to unnaturally prevent the conceiving and life of a new human being, and thus, even within a marriage, unnatural products such as condoms and the pill are not allowed. However, the Catholic Church does permit natural methods of birth control such as rhythm control and allows for unnatural contraception to be used to treat sexual medical conditions only.Each Christian denomination teaches that within a marriage, sexual intercourse should be participated in for a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle for a loving and committed couple; ‘two people become one flesh, so they are no longer two but one’ (Genesis 2:24). The Church teaches that sexual activity should always lead to new life and hopes for children, otherwise it is viewed as selfish; ‘be fruitful and increase in number’ (Genesis 1:28). Inside a marriage is seen by all denominations as the desirable place for sex where children can be raised. God created sexual intercourse to unite an individual with their partner in Holiness.