Movie Buff: Brave heart

When you are looking for a film with brilliance, value and entertainment at the same time, you should watch out for the movie Brave Heart. It is a story of clandestine, freedom, bravery and passionate love despite all of the circumstances. Brave heart is an epic drama of 1995 by Mel Gibson. The story is originally by the novel of Randal Wallace. The story revolves about how the protagonist, William Wallace dares to change the way of how England was being managed by King Edward I also known as Longshanks.William has been the forefront of the First War of Scottish Independence against Longshanks. The movie is indeed a catch. It does not have any dull moments or any flat lines all over the story. To serve as evidence, the movie Brave heart had won five academy awards at the 68th Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. Gibson successfully delivered the movie simple and specific yet very substantial.The scenes are not that complicated, but you can easily understand its meanings and the story. There are no ironic phases where you have to comprehend and study it more. The story might be common and cliche, but it has been delivered fairly with brilliance. The movie is great. It is a story of passion and value. It is a flow where knowledge and entertainment had meet on the middle.

Aim and Objectives of the Study

The UK tourism industry is the fifth largest industry and is worth 85 billion pounds and employs 2.1million people which as about 7.7% of the total workforce. (Visit Britain, press release, 11/Jan/2007)Internet is the major driving force behind this growth, which has seen the development of latest technologies that encourage browsing on personal computers. These days, people can get tourism information easily anywhere in the world if they have access to a computer. Internet usage and popularity has continued to grow at an unprecedented rate ever since its invention. Today according to Internet world state (data), 1.1 billion people are connecting to it.The Internet has generated new communication space, which is called cyberspace (Cyberspace 2 data). People can be in and out ‘virtually’ at any time in this space where a community of users is formed.Recently the Internet has become an essential factor in the cyber market and in people’s life. Because of this the to urism industry needs to invest much of its resources towards establishing a comprehensive Internet marketing system. There are many travel agencies, hotels and airline companies opening their own web homepages and offering tourism information and related services for tourists. This makes it almost impossible today to operate without the Internet, because many organizations are selling their products on-line and covers all aspects of life service.Since the advent of Internet, electronic commerce or E-commerce as popularly known has become an important factor for revenue generation for organizations. According to the Market Report of 2005, the amount of UK e-commerce consumption is expanding annually. (Figure 1)Figure 1: The estimated total UK online market for leisure and entertainment by value (ï ¿ ¡m), 2001-2005Moreover, Internet electronic commerce revenue is predicted to increase by 177.4% between 2005 and 2009 to ï ¿ ¡236.9bn. As seen in the above chart, e-commerce in hotels h as continued to increase over the time. (Keynote Ltd, 2005)However, there would not be enough levels of revenue from hotel products over the Internet, because of unfamiliarity on the Internet. Over the last few years it has had a big impact on modern life, so people would not hesitate to pay for these products online using the electronic facilities available.The Hotel on the Internet uses sophisticated technology in its business relationship-marketing program that helps to generate business-marketing leads and maintain long-term customer relationships. Hotels need to use effective reservation services for easy gathering of customer information, enhancing various services like media advertising, internal marketing programs and customer feedback platforms.Therefore, the marketer and the manager of the hotel need to pursue a systematic and organized management process for their web homepage by regularly updating their website.These study is a research on a hotel organization to see how they utilized their homepage in relations to their own Internet marketing and the most important factors to pay attention to. It also checks out the general performance using the Internet system. Finally, the research will suggest recommendations for future hotel Internet marketing.

Development of the Instrument

The first subspace contains 8 items which captures leader's morally grounded principles at work such as: ‘When I take a managerial decision at work, I consider ethical repercussion of my decision† and â€Å"l take ethical rules seriously when supervise my subordinates in the organization†. Spiritual Depth which is the second subspace contains 8 items which captures leaders deeper self-awareness, deeper self-awareness, self fleeting at work such as â€Å"l believe incorporating spirituality into work makes a leader benevolent † and â€Å"l try to find a deeper sense of meaning in my leadership and work†.Positive Engagement which is the third subspace contains 8 items which captures leaders how leaders develop positive change in the organization through courage and hope such as â€Å"l persuade my team to dream big and think out of the box in the organization† and â€Å"l believe in my teammate's ability to produce positive results in the organi zation†.Community Responsiveness which is the fourth subspace contains items that futures leaders contribution to the society and community service such as â€Å"I actively associate myself in projects related to corporate social responsibility for the benefit of the community' and â€Å"l care about leaving a legacy for future generations†. METHODOLOGY Judgment Sampling is used to gather data for this study. The subject population was managers working in business and nonprofit organizations. First, pilot study was conducted with 30 managers to remove redundancies. The revised re-assessed survey was sent out for data collection.For Confirmatory factor analysis Honking (1995) proposed using a sample size of 200 but Honking (1995) also recommends using a sample of 1 50 for new scale development. For exploratory study, judgment sampling was used to collect the data. I tried to obtain responses from managers who have experience in leading people and who have diverse tenden cies towards benevolence. Judgment Sampling was used as it gives an insight in choosing the respondents, flexibility, convenience. Participants were reached by Professional email groups, Social networking sites, Professional contacts and references.

Bake Me A Cake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bake Me A Cake - Essay Example This has also helped BMAC in adverting about its products because the satisfied customers have resulted in word-of-mouth advertising that have greatly expanded the business’ customer base. Bakery industry in Canada has a number of opportunities and risks that Bourgon need to understand. The industry has experienced massive growth since the recession particularly due to changing preferences of consumers. Consumers increasingly demand healthy and custom-made cakes for their various events. Because of this, the bakery industry revenue is anticipated to grow over the coming years at a strong rate per year. The online markets are able to offer BMAC the ability to attract a wide customer base thus greatly expanding their business in terms of sales volume. BMAC is able to market to a very wider audience for relatively low expense. BMAC can adopt new technology to better meet or satisfy the needs of their customer with new as well as improved products in a timely manner. Incorporation of technology into the business will build a competitive barrier against BMAC’s rivals thus giving it a competitive edge. Fragmented markets of the bakery industry provide a number of opportunities for BMAC to expand as well as increase their market share. Such markets have numerous small rivals that lack cost advantages or bigger companies. BMAC can automate to develop a competitive advantage. The industry has several grocery stores and independent bakeries that operate their own in-house bakeries. BMAC has to deal with this saturated and consolidated market by automating or providing other distinct value to their customers so as to be able to compete with larger bakeries. The consumers are expected to switch to healthful baked offerings that are free of many additives and Trans fats. In future, gluten-free products for individuals with grain sensitivities will be on the rise. BMAC should capitalize on

Assignment 2 ACC 410 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 2 ACC 410 - Term Paper Example Current GASB standards place pension expense as Annual Required Contribution (ARC) that stipulates unfunded liability be amortized over a period not more than 30 years. In addition, the funded status is not recorded in the financial statements, only explained in the footnotes. The disclosures are made under note 11: retirement Plans (p 19-23) under basic financial statements. The university participates in two cost-sharing multiple employer defined benefit pension plans, and two single employer defined contribution plans; both through two systems. Under the Employees Retirement System of Georgia, ERS the contribution rate is stipulated by law at 4% of annual compensation up to $4200 and 6% in Excess of $4200. The University of Georgia contributes in excess of 1.25% for each member in this scheme. A new plan for those hired after July 2009 exist, where members contribute 1.25% of annual compensation. The actuarial valuations for the old and new plan are 10.41%. The other system is the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia, TRS. Normal retirement benefits are equal to 2% of the member’s two highest subsequent years of service multiplied by the number of years of service. The member’s contribution is regulated by law to between 5-6%of his deductable salary. The contribution rate for 2011 is recorded as 5.53%, while the employer contribution for the same period is 10.28%. The monetary contributed for 2011 for the two models by the University for its Employees is $ 123,062 for ERS and 35,124,704 for TRS. 1. The immediate recognition of liability changes as a result of plan amendments and accelerated change in liability as a result of actuarial gains and losses together with the underlying actuarial assumptions mystifies pension expense and pension funding, as the ARC set the standard for funding in the current approach. 2. Furthermore, delinking pension expense and pension funding creates two different sets of

Effect of stigma on people with mental illness in the UK Dissertation

Effect of stigma on people with mental illness in the UK - Dissertation Example The intention of this study is mental illness as one of the major concerns in global disease burden. It has a significant impact in the quality of life of people suffering from mental illness and yet there is the prevalence of low levels of treatment seeking and follow-through among patients. This situation poses a crucial concern since it places patients in higher risks, and at the same time, it curtails the effort of heath care providers, such as nurses, in giving the appropriate care to mentally ill patients. One major identified reason why mentally ill patients do not seek treatment or attend follow up is stigma. Stigma is ‘a social construction that defines people in terms of a distinguishing characteristic or mark and devalues them as a consequence’. The categories create an invisible demarcation separating people with the distinguishing mark from those who do not. However, it is not just attributes but language, labelling, also plays a critical role in fortifying the distinction As such, stigma perpetuates the divide between the person that is labelled as deviant from the person that is deemed normal. In this context, stigma is ‘a collection of negative attitudes, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors that influence the individual, or the general public, to fear, reject, avoid, be prejudiced, and discriminate against people with mental disorders’. Thus, stigma contributes to the continued exclusion and dehumanisation of people who are suffering from mental illness.... In this regard, this study intends to address the question what are the effects of stigma on people with mental illness in the UK? Rationale Stigma is one of the major reasons why people with mental disorders does not seek treatment, are reluctant in attending follow through and are experiencing continued exclusion and dwindling quality of life (Lauber & Satorious 2007; Pinto-Foltz & Logsdon 2008; Ross & Goldner 2009). This condition gives rise to the urgency of the need to attain a better understanding of the effects of stigma to people who are suffering from mental disorders. This is essential in order to authentically address their predicament, and create a platform wherein their voices may be expressed and heard. In addition, this study is vital as it helps in clarifying the possible role of nursing in de-stigmatisation of people with mental illness. Aims and Objectives Recognising the significant influences of stigma in the life of people with mental illness and its implications in the nursing practise, the research aims the following. To identify the effect of stigma to people with mental disorders To determine the approaches being undertaken to address the issue of stigma vis-a-vis mental illness To establish the role of nurses in stigmatisation and de-stigmatisation of patients with mental illness To understand the function of language in the context of stigma To know the extent of the changes in the perception of stigma vis-a-vis people with mental disorders Overview Fig. 1 Overview As stigma is a social construct and phenomenon that afflicts and affects the life of people with mental disorders, it also influences the family, community, health care providers and

Racism in todays High school Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Racism in todays High school - Essay Example Schools in the United States have been accused for propagating racist activities and practicing favoritism against minority tribes. Studies in schools across the country have showed increased racism today as compared to the times of Martin Luther King Junior, the human rights activist. Non-whites have been subjected to unequal treatment in ‘dropout factory’ high schools across the country in which most of them end up not graduating due to the poor learning education and ineffective teachers. Most of these students do not prepare for life after high school as the environment is non-convincing and the teachers do not encourage them to pursue their education beyond high school level. In this paper, racism in today’s high schools in the United States will be discussed, highlighting the challenges that non-white students’ face and how the system has done little to increase educational equality (Resmovits, 2014). Though the approaches used in the 50s to depict the minority as inferior in schools have changed, newer approaches have emerged in schools and these have continued to build racial animosity among students. According to a report released by the United States department of education, racism in high schools has advanced and minority students are finding it hard to graduate in time. Today, discrimination varies from the form punishment used on students, qualification of the teachers assigned to the minority communities and the use of IQ tests as a way of showing capability. The US department of education showed that black students and those from the minority Spanish Americans receive more severe punishment as compared to their white counterparts. This stems from the notion that has depicted the blacks as more prone to violence and with less ability to understand unless punished. Veteran teachers in school have more experience and are best placed to address the challenges

Old Spice verses Axe - Which is More Effective Research Paper

Old Spice verses Axe - Which is More Effective - Research Paper Example Some of the respondents answered that sexuality is natural and therefore it is alright to use axe for these experiences while other respondents felt annoyed that these aspects must not be used for commercial advertising. Axe incorporates much higher tendency of sexuality in its commercials while old spice keeps it moderate. Perhaps due to this reason, the effectiveness and popularity of old spice is way higher than axe till date. Brand Extension is defined as that marketing strategy of a company in which the company uses the same brand name for different products. An example of Dove can be taken in this regard. The company uses the same brand name that is ‘Dove’ for all its products which include bar soap, face wash, hand wash, body wash, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, moisturizers, hair color etc. The original brand name is Dove which is used for the entire product range of the company. Line Extension is that marketing strategy where the company uses the same brand name for launching new variants of the existing products. In this case, the company can introduce new flavors, colors, sizes, forms, packaging, added ingredients etc. An example of ‘Maggi’ can be taken in this case. The company uses the same brand name for all the new variants it launch be it noodles, soups, flavorings anything. Private Brand is those products which are produced, marketed, distributed and controlled by retailers. There is the famous example of Private Brand in U.K. the most popular examples are ASDA, Sainsbury, Tesco which produce, control and market products by their own names. There is a number of products produced and marketed by these famous stores.

Strategic Inconsistencies and America's Democratic Process Essay

Strategic Inconsistencies and America's Democratic Process - Essay Example The executive branch and the military expanding the war into Cambodia with neither the knowledge nor the support of Congress was a clear violation of the democratic process.i Earlier, and in a similar fashion, the entire program to develop the atomic bomb and the decision to use them on two Japanese cities in August 1945 was undertaken in strict secrecy. The secrecy of the program was essential to national security and the decision to use it certainly shortened the war and probably saved the lives of thousands of US combat troops. However, undertaking the development and use of atomic weapons in strict secrecy can hardly be seen as a model of democracy in action. The removal of the Japanese from the Pacific coast during World War Two and their concentration in internment camps was a clear violation of both their human and civil rights. It may well have been necessary, although that is certainly debatable, but, again, it is hardly a model of democracy in action.ii During wartime the United States has clearly abandoned democratic principles in favor of military strategy and efficacy. That said, it would be fair to say that virtually every democracy has made the decision when confronted with the question of military strategy versus democratic ideals in the time of war. Since at least the Civil War there has been a hangover from wartime strategy that has infected the democratic process in the aftermath of war. During Reconstruction, Federal troops were placed on the streets in southern cities to enforce law and order. This egregious violation of the Constitution, once recognized, was deemed so offensive that it led to posse comitatus legislation in 1878. The law states, â€Å"Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws.

Astronomical objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Astronomical objects - Essay Example One of the most impressive achievements of science is the development of a quite detailed understanding of the physical properties of the Universe, even at its earliest stages. Astronomy and Cosmology is a fundamental part of our natural sciences today. Through close interaction with other disciplines, above all with mathematics and physics, it is been expanding, which on one hand triggers from knowledge, and then on the other profits from them. The great majority of astronomical objects are characterized by large masses and enormous energies. These generally cause matter to exist under extreme conditions of temperature and density, which, even today still lie well beyond what can be realized in a physicals laboratory. The various forms of matter that is encountered away from the Earth, at great distances is being studied as an area of interest. In current astrophysical cosmology there is some interesting and more or less generally accepted observational facts. Thus, in any active-ga lactic-nucleus phenomenon massive central objects like black holes, tachyons, neutrinos, WIMPS etc are expected to be common, and they are surrounded in a variety of scales, by gas clouds commonly termed circumnuclear gas, with liner a dimensions of a few ten kilo space. All these and few other astronomical objects and their current position in the study of cosmology is being discussed in this thesis.Neutron Stars: Neutron stars are highly compact stellar objects with masses ~ 1-2 M (where M is the mass of the sun), and radii of order 10km. ... observational data on neutron stars, gathered with a wide variety of detectors from radio to gamma-ray, provides increasingly stringent constraints on theories of their constitution. Precision radio and optical timing measurements show that pulsars have remarkable long-term timing stability, and thus the neutron stars forming them must have reasonably thick rigid crusts anchoring stable magnetic fields. Despite substantial work over the past half century, the nature of matter at the extreme densities in the cores of neutron stars remains uncertain. A better understanding of the possible states of matter in neutron stars interiors can also enable the world of cosmology to infer whether an independent family of denser quark stars, composed essentially of quark matters can exist (Rowan, 1996). Strings: Strings are extended objects with an intrinsic tension (energy per unit l length). Recent years have seen a radically different approach to the problem of quantum gravity this has led to a different idea of the possible structure of the quantum gravity theory. One of the most exciting ideas is that the fundamental entities upon which quantum operations must be performed are not point-like but are one dimensional. Such objects are usually known as strings, or more often super strings. In the last decades string theory has become a promised candidate for the underlying theory of the fundamental interactions of nature. However, even though lots of progress has been done it has not been yet possible to confront it with real physics. One possibility to achieve this is through cosmology by studying the cosmological implications of string theory. On the other hand string theory would

The Namesake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Namesake - Essay Example Inside Bengali belief, Gogol ought to have been the character's nickname inside their home and Nikhil is his official name for his documents. However through a sequence of catastrophes, Gogol is what bonds and this neither Indian-nor-American label comes to put up with his battle with identity, customs together with everything amidst. Just like in the composition of Amy Tan "Mother Tongue", she talk about various matters including language as well as cultural barriers tackled by her and her family members during the time when she was growing up. This is also the same with the encounters of Gogol when he was growing up. Mother Tongue, similar with The Namesake also discusses labels and lack of value being conveyed by their ethnic background also the struggles produced by being Asian inside America. Both narrations talked about communication difficulties between the relatives and the society. And the obstacles faced because of this verbal communication crisis that their family holds with the rest of society. Both realized how much the environment as well as people can transform the way you apply and discover the English language for both the good as well as for the bad. Gogol's remoteness from his parents is not very much an effect aligned with being Indian as it is a comm

`The Next Los..` by Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos, Regina M. Free

`The Next Los..` by Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos, Regina M. Freer, and Peter Dreier Essay Housing and community development advocates in Los Angeles adopted a different approach in the late 1990s. They joined a broad-based coalition in the difficult process of hammering out a multi-issue progressive agenda, and then they worked together to pursue not just housing goals but an array of policy recommendations related to parks and open space, transportation, labor and race relations, and other concerns not typically tackled by people focused on affordable housing. And their approach appeared to work: L.A. subsequently created the nation’s largest municipal affordable housing trust fund and redrew its zoning ordinance to allow multifamily apartments above retail space on the broad boulevards crisscrossing the city. Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos, Regina M. Freer and Peter Dreier chart the growth and impact of this coalition in their enlightening recent book, The Next Los Angeles: The Struggle for a Livable City. The authors, scholar-activists from Occidental College’s Urban and Environmental Policy Institute, were at the center of the largely successful attempt to bring together a disparate array of activists and organizations in a new civic left. At its most lively, this book provides an intelligent insider’s account of the construction of Progressive Los Angeles Network, or PLAN, and the emergence of a powerful labor-Latino bloc that provides progressive L.A. with much of its heart and soul. But the book offers readers more, including details of a grassroots-driven progressive agenda and a revealing social and political history. This history, including the collapse of the old civic elite, the failure of top-down agenda setting during the 1990s and the collapse of heavy industry, set the stage for a progressive revival in the late 1990s. The authors identify several key actors in this drama, notably Jackie Goldberg, a former city council member and current state legislator, who worked tirelessly to pull together â€Å"various (and sometimes conflicting) strands of the progressive community.† But central to the narrative and to the birth of a muscular progressive movement was the overlapping emergence of a newly militant and Latino-led countywide labor movement with the early achievements of a new generation of Latino political leaders. Aided by longtime Los Angeles political journalist Harold Meyerson (a contributor to one chapter), the authors tell this story well, highlighting the growing importance of service unions to the local labor movement; the bold leadership of Miguel Contreras, head of the county labor federation until his death earlier this year; and the entry of left-wing activists, including former labor organizers Gil Cedillo and Antonio Villaraigosa, into electoral politics. The authors don’t shy away from discussing problems and challenges tied to the centrality of the labor-Latino alliance. They discuss, for example, the chasm between older African American leaders (such as Rep. Maxine Waters) and the new progressive movement, and the continuing battles between nationalists and progressives for leadership in the Latino community. But they are optimistic that alliance-oriented progressive politics can triumph over racial or ethnic nationalism in black and Latino politics. Unfortunately, the authors wrote before this year’s mayoral election provided the municipal left with a new set of challenges and opportunities. In a reversal of the 2001 outcome, Villaraigosa defeated James Hahn, a mainstream Democrat, in a runoff election. Villaraigosa, a long-time champion of the disadvantaged, won in part by building bridges to elements of the black leadership and parts of the white community that had opposed him before. The organized progressive coalition, however, split with the county federation of labor and some activists backing Hahn this time around. The incumbent, a mediocre mayor at best, had delivered on key promises to the union movement, and Contreras and his allies returned the favor. They could not, however, deliver the votes, as large numbers of unionists stuck by Villaraigosa. How effectively the progressive alliance regroups will likely have a major impact on what Villaraigosa is able to accomplish as mayor, and it would be useful to be able to consider the authors’ perspective on these recent developments. Instead, Villaraigosa’s original high-profile bid for mayor provides a centerpiece to the book. The 2001 election drew attention to the growing capacity of Los Angeles’s municipal left. Running with the support of the county federation of labor (Contreras engineered the endorsement by the narrowest of margins); the big janitors, healthcare workers and hotel employees unions; and an array of community organizations, the former speaker of the state Assembly helped shift the city’s policy debate to the left and in favor of previously marginalized populations. After Villaraigosa’s defeat, the city’s progressive movement focused on pursuit of its agenda, moving the city to create the trust fund to finance affordable housing development and to tie approval for major development projects – for example, Phase II of the Staples Center project – to concessions on community benefits such as affordable housing, living-wage jobs, parks and other public amenities. They also joined with the mayor and several of his union supporters in leading the campaign against San Fernando Valley and Hollywood secession. Ironically, these very successes would provide the reason for labor and some other members of the coalition to back Hahn in 2005. L.A.’s progressives continued to work together in the wake of defeat because of a networking effort spearheaded by the authors’ Urban and Environmental Policy Institute, a role they downplay here. Acting as a secretariat, the institute helped pull together PLAN, a coalition of labor unions, community groups, environmentalists, clergy, academics and others to meet the challenge of drafting a collective vision for the city’s future. Reflecting on history, the authors write: â€Å"The growth of these movements created a critical mass of activism and support for a new progressive politics in Los Angeles. Missing, however, were the links between the different movements necessary to develop a broader, integrated perspective regarding the policy changes needed to make the region more livable and democratic.† PLAN largely succeeded in crafting a detailed agenda that addresses a range of housing, environmental, transportation and land use, labor, political and economic development issues, and in building a sense of commonality that had been missing in the progressive circles of Los Angeles. PLAN’s institutional future is uncertain, but its impact can still be felt. Last year, for example, many of the groups that were involved in creating PLAN’s agenda worked together to defeat a ballot measure in the overwhelmingly black and Latino L.A. County city of Inglewood that would have exempted a Wal-Mart anchored retail development from established planning and regulatory processes. The Inglewood campaign showed maturing of the progressive coalition in the aftermath of the 2001 election. Most important, it demonstrated the ability of African-American and Latino leaders and activists to bond together on an issue of common concern despite tensions in the recent past. Campaigns such as this suggest that a common agenda and shared vision will, in the end, prove more important to LA’s progressives than short-term electoral differences. Despite the current challenges, Los Angeles offers a strategy for building and institutionalizing a civic left, one that housing advocates and other progressives can learn from, and The Next Los Angeles provides a good starting point for any serious student of forward-looking municipal politics. Los Angeless history is a story of conflicting visions. Most historians, journalists, and filmmakers have focused on L.A. as a bastion of corporate greed, business boosterism, political corruption, cheap labor, exploited immigrants, and unregulated sprawl. The Next Los Angeles tells a different story: that of the reformers and radicals who have struggled for alternative visions of social and economic justice. The authors chronicle efforts of progressive social movements that worked throughout the twentieth century to create a more livable, just, and democratic Los Angeles. These movementswhat the authors call Progressive L.A.have produced a new kind of labor movement, community-oriented environmentalism, and multi-ethnic coalition politics. This book shows how reformers have fought to transform a city characterized by huge economic disparities, concrete-encased rivers, and an endless landscape of subdivisions, freeways, and malls into a progressive model for regions around the country. The Next Los Angeles includes a decade-by-decade historical snapshot of the citys progressive social movements and an in-depth exploration of key trends that are remaking L.A. at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It examines L.A.s changing political landscape, including grassroots initiatives to construct a new agenda for social transformation. At once a history, a policy analysis, and a road map for a progressive future, this book provides an exciting portrayal of a city on the cutting edge of many of the social, economic, and environmental changes sweeping across America. At its most lively, this book provides an intelligent insiders account of the construction of Progressive Los Angeles Network, or PLAN, and the emergence of a powerful labor-Latino bloc that provides progressive L.A. with much of its heart and soul. But the book offers readers more, including details of a grassroots-driving progressive agenda and a revealing social and political history. . . .The authors dont shy away from discussing problems and challenges . . . .A good starting point for any serious student of forward-looking municipal politics.James Goodno, San Francisco Chronicle   Far and away the best single book for understanding the politics of Los Angeles. In light of that citys statewide influence, it is also a must read for those interested in the future of state politics. The books inspiring accounts of grassroots victories is perfect for getting activists in an upbeat mindset for the start of a new year. And that is something we all need.Randy Shaw, Beyondchron.org With this rich account of its community and labor struggles, the city of angelsand apocalypsebecomes the city of hope.Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America   This wonderful book, with its evocations of LAs alternative histories, and its bold templates for social and environmental justice, is proof that the American Left is alive and well, especially in Southern California.Mike Davis, author of Dead Cities   A rare book combining history, analysis, strategy and a platform and it may well be carried out in this decade.Tom Hayden, former State Senator, Los Angeles The authors: Robert Gottlieb is Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College. Mark Vallianatos is Research Coordinator at the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College. Regina M. Freer is Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College. Peter Dreier is E. P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Program at Occidental College. With this rich account of its community and labor struggles, the city of angelsand apocalypsebecomes the city of hope.Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed This wonderful book is proof that the American Left is alive and well, especially in Southern California.Mike Davis, author of Dead Cities An intelligent insiders account of the construction of the Progressive Los Angeles Network, or PLAN, and the emergence of a powerful labor-Latino bloc that provides progressive L.A. with much of its heart and soul. A good starting point for any serious student of forward-looking municipal politics.James Goodno, San Francisco Chronicle Far and away the best single book for understanding the politics of Los Angeles.Randy Shaw, Beyondchron.org While most historians, journalists, and filmmakers have focused on Los Angeles as a bastion of corporate greed, business boosterism, political corruption, cheap labor, exploited immigrants, and unregulated sprawl, The Next Los Angeles tells a different story: that of the reformers and radicals who have struggled for alternative visions of social and economic justice. In a new preface, the authors reflect on the gathering momentum of L.A.s progressive movement, including the 2005 landslide victory of Antonio Villaraigosa as mayor. Robert Gottlieb is Henry R. Luce Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College. Mark Vallianatos is Research Coordinator at the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College. Regina M. Freer is Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College. Peter Dreier is E. P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and Director of the Urban and Environmental Policy Program at Occidental College. Works Cited. `The Next Los Angeles` by Robert Gottlieb, Mark Vallianatos, Regina M. Freer, and Peter Dreier

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Since 1987, the concept of sustainability was mentioned on a coordinated international platform, the movement towards sustainability had been expanded over the globe. The governmental and non-governmental organizations, corporations and consumers those focusing on exist in harmony are increasingly with the surroundings and environmental footprints. The hospitality industry also not exception, therefore the sustainability concept had begun to gain the momentum in this industry. (Ernst and Young, 2008) Alison Sperry (2010) defined that Going Green is making the daily decisions with responsible that benefits to the environment and also can reduce waste and pollution. This concept also encourages a lifestyle of recycling, using chemical-free products, using the alternative energy sources such as the wind and solar, and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels for energy. Hotel businesses developed and operated by the consumption of significant amounts of natural resources which are affected the sustainability of the natural environment. The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) therefore, has grown considerably over the last decade due to an increasing number of companies formally recognising the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy (Jones et.al, 2006). Ernst and Young (2008) defined that green: not a black and white issue. The travellers that concerned about the environment were increasingly and they always make their own determination as to what constitutes greenness in the lodging industry. According to Deloitte Survey (2008) showed that, consumers, employees and individual travellers start to concerned more about the hospitality industrys sustainability. Most of the individuals also start to changes their lifestyles and accepting higher green standards for themselves and also to the companies that they cooperate with. Marriott International has more than twenty-year commitment to start the environmental preservation. The Marriott International is working toward a greener, healthier planet and their operating units are employ methods to protect the surroundings of natural and resources (Marriott, 1996 2010). Every year, the Marriott International and its owners had spent around 10 billion just for buy the products and services for its 3,300 hotels around the world. Marriott International also expanding its green hotels and buildings portfolios. Besides that, approximately 275 of Marriotts hotels have received the ENERGY STAR ® label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Marriott, 1996 2010). Last but not least, Marriott International also was ranked 42nd out of 100 in The Greenest Big Companies on Newsweeks first-ever list. Moreover, Marriott International also gets the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Award for Sustainability in the categories of the Global Tourism Business by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (Marriott, 1996 2010). The Problem Statement The problem of this topic is about how Marriott International. Inc. practices their going green programs in their properties. Marriott International Corporation is a leading worldwide hospitality company (Marriott, 2010). Currently, Marriott has more than 3100 of lodging properties is in the United States and 65 is in other countries and territories through 17 lodging, and vacation resort ownership brands (Marriott, 2009). Marriott Corporation has more than twenty year commitment with environmental preservation (Marriott, 2010). In 2007, Marriott formed a Global Green Council, a cross-functional team of senior executives that collaborated with Conservation International, a global environmental organization, to evaluate its practices, set long-term goals, develop an environmental strategic plan and catalyze its progress (Marriott, 2010). Five-point Environmental Strategy of Marriott International was developed in collaboration with Conservation International which are includes (Marriott, 2009): Reduce Consumption of Water, Waste and Energy Greener Buildings, expansion of LEED-certified hotels Greening Supply Chain Protecting the Rainforest with Carbon Offsets Employee Guest Engagement Over the last decade, for, the Marriott International corporate organized the Going Green programs which involved in energy conservation by changed 450,000 of the light bulbs with fluorescent lighting, installed around 400,000 low-flow of showerheads and toilets and also introduced the linens reuse programs in their hotels worldwide (Marriott, 2009). Besides that, the Marriotts Retro-Commissioning (MRCx) program, planning process and a comprehensive evaluation that helps their properties which conducted more than 30 of their largest properties become as energy efficient as possible (Marriott, 2009). Through the projects to completed over last few years and those which currently under way, Marriott anticipate saving 12 million kilowatts of power (Marriott, 2009). In general, properties find that after it implement all the recommendations that evolved from an MRCx assessment, it energy costs decrease 5 to 25 per cent, they are also achieving on the average and a payback on their invest ment in just 1.4 years (Marriott, 2009). In the Americas, Marriott achieved a 2.2 per cent reduction per available room (Marriott, 2009). In late 2009, through a partnership with a U.S.-based landscaping company, Marriott adopted a climate-specific approach to landscaping, using native plants and restricted colour palettes to reduce irrigation demands and cut the amount of fertilizer required to keep plants healthy (Marriott, 2009). In 2009, Marriotts landfill waste in the USA totalled 726,993 tons which reflects a 17 per cent reduction from 2007(Marriott, 2009). Additionally, its recycling rate also was increased to 69 per cent and all the header quarters waste also was diverted from the landfill to the waste-to-energy plant (Marriott, 2009). Also, Marriott expanding its existing of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle programs that already in place of 90 per cent of hotels which included guest room and meeting rooms (Marriott, 2009). Forty Marriott International hotels are expected to receive the LEED certification from the USGBC (USGBC, 2010). In addition, Marriott internationals global Headquarters in Bethesda was received the LEED-Existing Building Gold status (USGBC, 2010). Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also had awarded Marriott International for three following years with its Sustained Excellence Award and more than 275 of its hotels also placed the ENERGY STAR ® label (Marriott, 2010). Marriott has teamed up with many Corporation or organizations to help them support their efforts to preserve and protect the environment (Marriott, 2009). For instance, Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), Conservation International, ENERGY STAR ®, International Tourism Partnership (ITP), and U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Marriotts protecting the rainforest strategy is help to protect 1.4 million of acres in endangered rainforest for the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve (Marriott, 2009). Research Questions The followings are some key questions addressed by his research: Is the Marriott International had practiced the going green? How the Marriott International practiced the going green in this industry? Why the Marriott international will practiced the going green? What level of going green programs of Marriott International? What differences between Marriott Internationals going green program with other companies? Does the going green program increase the income of Marriott International? Research Objectives To answer the above research questions, this study seek to accomplish the following objectives: To investigate going green practiced among all Marriott Internationals properties. To determine how the Marriott International practiced the going green. To determine the reasons of Marriott International practiced the going green. To examine the level of going green practiced among all Marriott Internationals properties. To compare the level of going green with other companies. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of going green in Marriott International. To defined the relation between hospitality industry and CSR. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework Conceptual Framework Marriott International. Inc. Going Greens Programs The strategies and programs of going green in Marriott International. Inc. Identify the concept and structure of CSR in hospitality industry. The Actions that practices by Marriott International corporate. Theoretical Framework This research mostly searches on the Marriott International Corporate practising the level of going green in most of their properties. The reason why Marriott International become famous in going green program because their organized a lot of events or activities to greening their companies. In the internet or newspaper, we can see that Marriott International corporate organized a lot of activities in greening and get a lot of award internationally in greening program. Besides that, their also is one of the famous go green corporate in the world. Moreover, the going green is not easy to practices in the companies because it need a lot of resources to make it really work. Scope and Limitation This study was carried out among all Marriott International in going green program. The Marriott International, Inc.s operations are grouped into the five business segments which are North American Limited-Service Lodging, North American Full-Service Lodging, Luxury Lodging, International Lodging and Timeshare. This study also for defined the level of go green in Marriott International Corporate by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Significance of the Study The significant of this research proposal is to evaluate the level of going green activities that practices or organized by Marriott International Corporate. According to The New York Times (2009), the Marriott International announced that they would no longer deliver newspapers to every guestroom in the morning. They only will deliver to which guest rooms had requested a newspaper or can pick one up in the lobby. Although that change is arguably as much about saving money more than saving trees. Marriott had assessed that it would reduce the newspaper distribution at its hotels to about 18 million only annually. Furthermore, this research is for acknowledge people around the world to know how important and advantages of going green in hospitality industries now a days. Now, most of the knowledge people are targeting the greening companies to cooperate with than normal companies. This is why more and more companies going to practising greening in their company because followed by the trend of all around the world. CHAPTER TWO Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The literature review will begin with an essential understanding of the key points needed in order to accomplish the aim of the project. The research will be analysed in the literature to help construct an academic structure on the definition and concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The literature will also evaluate the purpose of sustainable development in the hospitality industry and its advantages and limitations. One area which has been particularly analysed is the going green programmes that practice by the hospitality industry as it contains most of the key areas. Furthermore, the literature reviews also analysing the views, theories arguments and perspectives of previous authors for assessment. The literature reviews also will finally perform as a source with which to analyse the differing perspectives on these key points identify gaps for argument and highlight key issues associated with going green programme in hospitality. 2.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Definitions and Concepts The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has grown considerably over the last decade due to an increasing number of companies formally recognising the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy (Jones et.al, 2006). CSR issues are now being combined into all parts of the business operations. CSR is made in the missions, visions and value statements of companies all around the world (Ofori and Hinson, 2007). Definitions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have, however, remained an area of deliberation from the concepts very beginnings. A variety of definitions have been framed. The Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (2001, p.6 ) defines CSR as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a concept whereby companies integrate environmental and social concerns in the business operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Therefore, CSR is not just fulfilling legal responsibilities but may also go beyond compliance to embrace wider social, environmental and economic goals (Brussels, 2001). The concept of CSR is one which has emerged over the last 50 years to occupy a significant role in certain aspects of organisational theory and has only been in wide use since the 1960s (Meehan et al., 2006). CSR was eventually recognised as businesses that are part of society and have the potential to make a positive impact to the social goals (Jones et al., 2006). CSR therefore seems to be synonymous with charitable and voluntary acts by business organisations designed to improve social skills. Conversely, Donaldson and Preston (1995) believe that businesses are not responsible to society but responsible to their stakeholders and view CSR from this perspective. Furthermore, one of most cited definitions of CSR is defined by the World Bank (2003), which defines CSR as the responsibility of businesses to contribute to the sustainable economic development which working with internal stakeholders, the local community, and society to improve the quality of life which is positive for business and development. The similarity among these different definitions of CSR is that companies should engage in CSR behaviour as part of their organisational strategy. Bevan et al. (2004) list nine potential benefits of CSR which include reduced operating costs; improved profitability and financial performance; enhanced capability to innovate; better risk and crisis management; long-term sustainability for companies and the workforce; improved staff commitment and involvement; good relations with government and society; enhanced reputation and brand value; and enhanced customer relationships and increased awareness of customer needs. 2.3 The Sustainability Development of the Hotel Industry International Tourism Partnership (2010) defines the term green in business as initially related to the environmental issues. It also has evolved to include all aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. Sloan et al. (2009) define a sustainable hospitality operation as one which manages its resources in such a way that economic, social and environmental benefits are maximised in order to meet the need of the present generation while protecting and increasing opportunities for future generations. According to Green Hotels Association (2010), Green Hotels have gained a foothold in lodging operators contribution to societys concern for the environment which focuses on programmes which are designed to reduce solid waste, save water and save energy. Programme components such as towel rack hangers and sheet-changing cards have achieved positive responses by hotel management staff as well as guests for over ten years. The UK hotel sector would appear to accept that it does have an impact on the environment (Brown, 1996). This is not only confirmed by exploratory research but also through the formation of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP). The ITP has published an environmental magazine, the Green Hotelier, whose readership cares about environmentally and socially responsible hotel behaviour as focused on positive sustainable travel and tourism development (International Tourism Partnership, 2010). According to research by the Carbon Trust (Green hotelier, 2010), rising energy prices and taxes are the biggest worries facing the British hospitality industry in 2010. This view is supported by Alexander and Kennedy (2002) who find that the most wasteful and costly of resources usage in hotels are commonly in the consumption of over water usage, non-renewable energy and also the overall wastage. 2.4 The state of CSR within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry The state of CSR within hospitality and tourism enterprises may be slightly different from that in other businesses. Since 1992, the trend in the hospitality and tourism industry has been to focus on environmental concerns, use of technology, and efficient use of energy (Henderson, 2001). European hospitality organisations have established two initiatives that improve CSR in the European hospitality sector which are European Federation of Food and Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) and Green Hotels (Holcomb, 2007). In 2004, the EFFAT and the Confederation of National Associations of Hotels, Cafà ©s and Restaurants in Europe drafted the agreement parameters for employers to sign a joint document on CSR, concerning working conditions, pay, equal opportunity, training, health and safety, and restructuring (The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2008). These combined actions would appear to show the hospitality industrys adoption of and commitment to socially respo nsible behaviour as opposed to externally derived governmental compliance directives. 2.5 Green initiatives, incentives and green wash Nunes and Bennett (2010) list two categories of green initiatives that are operational in the marketplace. Firstly, businesses focus on integrating green features into the design or characteristics of individual products, for instance, developing a laundry detergent that is eco-friendly. Secondly, larger proportions of resources have been committed to reductions in the amount of waste generated and energy used, and also to building green and limiting CO2 emissions from production. In a major study, Alexander and Kennedy (2002) propose a Zero Waste Approach that includes energy efficiency, water conservation and solid waste reduction, which can increase efficiency, provide cost savings, reduce the burden of extraction from and waste to nature, and allow more resources to be available. This view is supported by Nunes and Bennett (2010) who suggest that, ideally, green behaviour should go beyond simply creating a recyclable product to a more holistic incorporation of sustainable values into a corporations core principles and values. Bohdanowicz et al. (2005) finds that the availability of facility-specific data and access to information on the relevant best practice are essential for assessing and benchmarking the environmental performance of hotel facilities. Alexander and Kennedy (2002) suggest an option for conserving energy which is implement energy-efficient projects in space heating and cooling systems. For instance, The Hyatt Regency International Hotel in New Zealand developed a project to link energy use with room occupancy which has saved $14,000 of energy annually (Hyatt, 2010). Alexander and Kennedy (2002) suggest that low-flow shower heads and tap aerators are some options for water conservation, which are becoming common among hotel facilities, and the payback period can be three years depending on the extent of the project. For instance, Green Hotels Association (2010) observed water use in the La Quinta Inn, San Antonio that had saved 180,000 gallons of water per year by installing ultra-flow toi lets, low-flow shower heads and aerating taps in each room. In addition, Priesnitz (2008, p.14 ) defines greenwash as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.the acts of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Whellams and MacDonald (2007) label the corporations as greenwashers if they spend more on corporate image advertising that boasts about humanitarian programmes than on the programmes themselves, for instance, charities, donations or contributions. Greenwashing can have fatal effects on a companys trustworthiness. This view is supported by Priesnitz (2008) who points out that not only are a firms customers deceived, but, that greenwashing can also ruin relationships with all stakeholders. 2.6 Case study of Accor and Hilton Based on their total room number and location of their hotels, the two hotel groups selected for case study were Accor Hotel Group (Europe) and Hyatt Corporation (USA), being in 2009 the top 10 hotel groups in UK (Caterersearch, 2010). Marriott International Corporate also is one of the top 10 hotel groups in UK. Company Number of hotels Number of rooms Number of hotels worldwide 1 Whitbread Hotel Company 577+ 40,000+ 580 2 InterContinental Hotels Group 248 34,955 4,200 3 Travelodge (Dubai  International Capital) 372 23,150 380+   4 Accor Hotels 138 19,996 4,000 5 Hilton Hotels Corporation 78 16,566 3,200   6 Best  Western 285 15,305 4,035   7 Wyndham Worldwide 122 12,274 7,000 8   Marriott Hotels 58 12,015 3,200   9 Carlson  Hotels Worldwide   50 9,718 1,030 10   The  Rezidor Hotel Group  Ã‚   42 7.759 380 Table 1: Top 10 Hotel Groups in the UK, 2009 by number of bedrooms. (Caterersearch, 2010) Accor Group Hotels Accor currently manages 4,100 hotels under 13 different brands worldwide (Accor, 2010). The philosophy of Accor Corporation is respect for diverse cultures and incorporating environmental best practices in all its properties operations (Accor, 2010). The goals of their Earth Guest programme, launched in 2006, are to reduce water and energy consumption, promote balanced nutrition and to double, in three years, the number of hotels that offer fair-trade products (Accor, 2010). The programme is divided into two parts which are a social responsibility development area (EGO) and an environmental responsibility development area (ECO) (Accor, 2010). EGO is includes programmes for local development, the protection of children, combating of epidemics and the promotion of healthy eating. Besides that, the ECO is includes the reduction of water and energy usage and the preservation of biodiversity, as well as the upgrading of waste sorting and recycling (Accor, 2008 and 2009). The Hoteliers Environmental Charter is Accors internal benchmarking tool and provides the local hotel managers with guidelines for environmentally sustainable business practices. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (2010), the 88% of 4,000 Accors properties has adopted Hoteliers Environmental Charter. The Charter gives hotel managers and employees clear instructions on how resources can be saved in the areas of energy, water and waste (Accor, 2008). The first and second point of Hoteliers Environmental Charter considers is energy and water (Accor, 2010). Compact fluorescent light bulbs are used in 82% hotels for areas that remain light 24 hours a day (Accor, 2010). Accor also continued to promote the use of renewable energy sources, installing solar-powered hot water systems in 32 hotels in 2009, with a total of 99 hotels now equipped worldwide (Accor, 2009). Accor is actively involved in water conservation measures and water usage per occupied room, total was reduced 4% between 2006 and 2009 (Accor, 2009). Moreover, flow-regulators have now been installed in showers and faucets in 89% of hotels (Accor, 2009). Accor actively promotes waste sorting and recycling as well as eco-designed products for instance, 51% of hotels recover paper, cardboard and glass (Accor, 2008). Accor has improved its performance in waste management by manage with a dedicated waste management module that monitor the amount of waste produced per room, the recovery rate and the cost of waste disposal (Accor, 2009). Waste Traceability mainly concerns the separation of waste, where the company already achieves a high score in France owing to its proactive information policy (Accor, 2008). According to Accor (2010), their hotel prefers eco-labelled suppliers. In 2002, Accor dispatched an environmental purchasing charter to its purchasing organisations as well as to over 2,000 preferred suppliers (Sloan et al., 2009). Hilton Hotels Currently, Hilton Hotels Corporation has more than 3,200 hotels and 525,000 rooms in 77 countries. In 2009, Hilton is new global headquarters in McLean, Virginia which meets the highest environmental standard for his design, operation and construction (Environmental Leader, 2009). Besides that, the sustainability target that aims in coming 2014 by Hilton Hotels was announced. Those include: 20 per cent: Reducing energy consumption from direct operations; 20 per cent: Reducing output of waste; 20 per cent: Reducing CO2 emissions; And 10 per cent: Reducing the water consumption. Furthermore, Hilton had already started to green its properties operations. Hilton says that it was reduced CO2 emissions in Hilton hotels that participating by more than 64,000 tons or 56 per cent of its carbon footprint. Those are from the introduction of carbon-free electricity at its properties in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Moreover, they also said that, it has also reduced around 10 per cent in over the last two years for the water consumption and energy usage. Hilton Hotels also reported that, in May it has delivered more than 10 per cent in last year of energy savings which across more than 80 hotels in the Europe. Summary In 2007, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives had conducted a survey which showed that, only 1/3 of corporate travel policies had promoted the sustainable tourism. Most of the major hotel chains are looking the ways to participate in green concept to their hotels; the water and energy conservation became popular ways to greening. Therefore, Marriott International has set their goal to lowering the GHG emissions around 2.2 million pounds by 2010 which said by Ed Fuller- the president and managing director of Marriott. Besides that, Wolfgang Neuman of Hilton Hotels also looking toward the eco-friendly in solar heating, air-conditioning and heat recovery systems to extract the water waste from another system and use it in other ways in short term period. As well as the 200 of Accors hotels in France will have Solar Panels by 2010. CHAPTER THREE Methodology 3.1 Introduction In this research, in order to obtain the broad of knowledge about environmental operating practise in the hotel industry, a wide range of secondary sources will be reviewed. In addition, research strategy adopted was to conduct multiple case studies in two top hotel and Marriott companies in Europe and the USA. The main data collection techniques used in this research study was documentation analysis and content analysis. This chapter is divided into three sections. First, the interpretive stance in the field of information system is examined; second section is about the construction of the secondary research design which deals with the research design and covers the reasons for selecting resources; third section is describes the research approach followed in case study research. 3.2 Research Design Currently, the secondary literatures have increase rapidly, particularly as new resources which are developed or ready through the internet (Saunders et al., 2009). In this research project, secondary research will allow the research to incorporate suitable and reliable data of green operation initiative in hospitality, so that all the gathered data can respond to the research questions relating to the green activities of hotel in Europe and the USA. Secondary research differs from primary research in the collection of the documentary is not the responsibility of the analyst. Stewart and Kamins (1993) was point out that the analyst enters the picture after the data collection effort is over in secondary research. On the other hand, in primary research, the analyst is responsible for the design of research, the collection of data and the analysis and summary of the information (Stewart and Kamins, 1993). Secondary data although, has lack of direct control of the date, type, and procedure for collecting and recording of the data (Sauder et al, 2009), however, secondary data is more financial and time saving. For instance, secondary data particularly not necessary to wait for or pay to marketing researchers for a research project to collect primary data. By using secondary data, author can has more time and effort in analysing and interpreting the data, as it has already been collected. Secondary research moreover may increase the quality of the research by targeting the real dilemma and mistakes. Consultation on secondary resources increases the efficiency of the research by targeting real gaps and oversights in knowledge. Primary research therefore has not been used in this project due to the wide variety of secondary data has been found. Primary research methods such as, questionnaires or interviews will not provide relevant information for this topic. On this basis, it can be concluded that secondary research is the main source of information provided in this study including information from academic journals, books, corporate reports and internet. Nevertheless, author should analyse cautiously the information gathered to determine its validity and reliability. This is because the research only uses one kind of research models and the argument generated about research topic. 3.3 Sources of Data 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary research data is the key resource of information incorporate in this research proposal. However, the different secondary resources might have different type of information. A guideline for obtain valid and reliable information from different resources therefore, has been designed which can found in Table 2. Type of information Resources that might have that information Established facts and figures Reference books; official publications; government web sites General information on a topic Books of collected articles; text books; web sites of relevant organisations Reviews of the literature on a topic Journal articles; books of collected articles Publications of recent research results Journal articles; proceedings of conferences Professional and academic debates Journal articles; web sites of relevant organisations; newspapers Table 2: The types of resources that provided different information. In order to justify the authors arguments and

Sociological Perspectives On Education Education Essay

Sociological Perspectives On Education Education Essay Education is the key to achieving sustainability. Sustainable education or Education for Sustainable Development encompasses three main areas: the environment, society and the economy (Pace, 2010). ESD is meant to inculcate ideals and values about key sustainable issues such as poverty reduction, environmental protection, human rights, health, gender equality, sustainable livelihoods and so on. The basic concept of ESD entails helping people to develop the right attitude and knowledge to facilitate decision-making and create a better future for themselves and others (UNESCO, 2011). For the last decade, there has been increasing pressure on educators to incorporate concepts and values of Sustainable Development in the curriculum. Consequently, it has become crucial for educators to be knowledgeable and fully committed to making SD an integral part of all curricular activities (Lozano-Garcia al., 2008). Formal educational systems, at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, have considerable social and economic roles vis-Ã  -vis the society. However, the issue of private tutoring has not been subject to much attention until recently. Private tutoring has been found to carry major social and economic implications. Recent years have brought about changes in the forms and impacts of tutoring. Moreover, private tutoring has been given ample consideration and is not merely viewed as an informal activity (Bray, 2009). Private tutoring helps the student to acquire knowledge and later use his know-how to contribute to economic development. On a social front, it allows for interactions between peers. It is also a means of generating incomes for tutors. More basically, private tutoring enables students to better grasp lessons which they did not understand previously. Nevertheless, private tutoring also has some negative implications. For instance, it emphasizes social and economic inequalities and can also limit childrens leisure time which can have undesirable effects on the latters social and psychological well-being, and thus affect the overall academic performance (Bray, 2009). Tutoring can be difficult to measure because it varies across cultures. Tuitions can be given individually, to a whole class or even via the internet. Moreover, some students may receive tutoring in all subjects, while others receive it in only specific ones. According to Silova, private tutoring has become a major enterprise since the 1990s (Bray, 2009). In this regard, private tutoring can become a tool to inculcating a sustainable lifestyle to present and future students. Sustainable Development entails changing peoples behavior to ensure that they adopt a sustainable path for the future. Sustainability is about securing resources and retaining future benefits. Education thus plays an important role in providing lifelong opportunities and in enhancing the quality of the learning process. Education can bring about changes in norms, values and interests which can significantly influence peoples behavior (Wong, 2003). Private tutoring can thus create an improved learning environment for both students and tutors. It can remove the traditional boundaries to create a sustainable way of doing things (Lipscombe et al., 2008). However, this would require genuine effort and commitment from the part of policy planners and educators, in creating a new paradigm which values the need to attain and maintain social, economic and ecological well-being (Sterling, 2008). 1.2 Problem Statement Private tutoring is in itself not a bad alternative. In fact, many students do actually benefit from it. However, out of the 40% of students who fail the CPE exams annually, the issue of private tutoring has yet again resurfaced (Le Mauricien, 2011). According to Kadress Pillay, former minister of education, Right now, private tuition is a jungle (Prayag, 2011). Others go to the lengths of saying that private tuition is a disease in the Mauritian culture. This statement probably stems from the fact that private tuition is a must, irrespective of the level of education. To start with, parents ensure that children have the best private tuition teacher at the beginning of the school year (Varma, 2005). This issue may or may not have been previously discussed with the child. While there are teachers who can manage to have a class of 40 in their garages for private tuitions, some teachers have a limit of 4 to 15 at a time. Some teachers are very committed to their profession and wont charge a cent, however nowadays private tutoring is mostly business (Chady, 2011). But more importantly, we should concern ourselves with students actually acquiring some sort of lifelong knowledge through these private tuition sessions instead of learning restricted to passing exams only. In addition, students have been found to be excellent throughout their academic career, but unable to cope with other spheres of real life, for instance work, socializing, etc. The concept Maurice Ile Durable was introduced in 2008 by Dr. Navin Ramgoolam as a means to ensure Sustainable Development of the country. This new concept will be the key driver to transforming the country into an intelligent nation state (Maurice Ile Durable, 2011). Education for sustainability can sensitize Mauritians mainly through schools. This would however require a review of the current education system in terms of the curriculum and opportunities for the development of the child. The successful integration of this concept would also largely depend on the collaboration of the government and educational institutions in promoting extra-curricular activities like music, sports and arts. Moreover, learning should be geared towards creating awareness of economic, social, political and ecological issues, rather than the focus being solely on academic subjects. 1.3 Aims and Objectives Aims The aim of this study is to evaluate whether private tutoring contributes to Education for Sustainable Development in Mauritius. Objectives The objectives of the study are listed below: To produce a comprehensive Literature Review To assess how private tutoring is carried out in Mauritius To determine the impacts of private tutoring on students To evaluate students views and expectations of private tutoring To determine whether private tutoring actually contributes to sustainable education To evaluate how private tutoring can be improved in this regard 1.4 Research questions: Does private tutoring actually benefit the student? What is being done to inculcate a sustainable lifestyle at school? What are students views on ESD? Are students prepared for a sustainable future? Does the current education system promote ESD? 1.5 Dissertation Flow Chapter 2: Literature Review Chapter 2 basically gives an overview of the practice of private tutoring across countries and its particular contribution to Education for Sustainable Development. Moreover, a thorough explanation will be provided on the concept of Sustainable Development and the importance attributed to education in achieving sustainability. Finally emphasis will be laid on the Mauritian context, more specifically on the introduction of the concept Maurice Ile Durable. Chapter 3: Research Methodology This chapter outlines the methods used to conduct the research and the variables that have been taken into account while designing the questionnaire. It also elaborates on the sampling method, data collection technique and the obstacles encountered while conducting the research. Chapter 4 : Data Analysis The data gathered from the survey has been analyzed and presented in a more practical form in this chapter. This will help to get a clear picture of whether private tutoring actually contributes to Education for Sustainable Development. Chapter 5: Results Discussion This chapter is an extensive discussion of the results obtained through the questionnaire survey in terms of the theory and observations made throughout the research. Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendations This chapter summarizes the findings and results of the study. It also recommends some measures that can be undertaken to improve the current situation. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Sociological perspectives on Education In a more general sense, education is one aspect of the socialization process. It involves learning and acquiring a set of skills. Education also, directly or indirectly, helps to shape a persons belief and moral values (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). Education was hard to define in non-literate societies. However, the young would learn and imitate adult behavior by joining social groups. Such behaviors for instance, entailed boys accompanying their fathers to hunt and girls assisting their mothers for the cooking. Educational institutions slowly developed in pre-industrialized countries with the specialization of the role of the teacher. It was only after industrialization that formal education was provided to the large mass (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). Sociologists and educators have different views on the functions of education. Two main theories debate on these functions : The functionalist theory and the conflict theory. Functionalist perspectives According to Durkheim (1961), the main function of education is to transmit societal norms and values. He argues that the school serves a function that the family or peers cannot provide. The school is a medium where skills and knowledge can be contextually provided. Moreover, the child interacts with others while abiding by some fixed set of rules. This eventually prepares the latter for interactions in society based on societal rules (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). According to Talcott Parsons (1961), the school acts as a bridge between the family and society, thus preparing the child for his future role. The school treats the child in terms of universalistic standards, which are applied to all. It also prepares the child for the transition to adulthood and each pupil should achieve his own status. Status is achieved based on merit, whereby achievement is usually measured by performance in examinations. Parsons saw the educational system as a means to select individuals for their future roles. Thus schools enable pupils to match their talents and skills to the jobs for which they are best suited (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). Conflict perspectives From a conflict perspective, education serves the interests of the powerful at the expense of the less powerful. According to Bowles and Gintis (1976), education benefits the capitalists by providing them with a more productive workforce. They believe that education shapes the future workforce by creating more docile and passive workers. Moreover, school is used as a mechanism of control whereby teachers can monitor students by giving orders (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). More importantly, teachers impose their knowledge, thus students get little satisfaction from studying. This is not surprising that many children do not enjoy schooling, but instead seek satisfaction from external rewards, that is results at the end of their studies. Like in the world of work, according to Bowles and Gintis, the worker enjoys no fulfillment, but instead toils based on the capitalists desire for maximum profit (Haralambos and Holborn, 2007). 2.2 The private tutoring phenomenon Private tutoring is defined as tutoring in academic subjects which is provided for financial gain and which supplements the provisions by mainstream schooling. In England, private tutoring refers to face-to-face tutoring usually in the home of the student (Ireson and Rushforth, 2004). In Egypt, private tutoring refers to the classes that take place in the afternoon during the week-ends, in line with the school syllabus geared towards helping the pupil improve his performance or results (Hartmann, 2008). Private tuitions had a major role to play in learning for many young people. In England, parents started to select tutors more precisely during the 18th century. In the past, private tutoring was basically a hidden market, therefore very little information was gathered on the matter (Tanner et al., 2009). However, during the last decade, private tutoring has reached a whole new dimension and has caught the attention of many analysts. It has evolved in a vast enterprise which involves thousands of people and carries huge economic implications (Bray, 2007). Private tuition is commonly referred to as shadow education. This metaphor, according to Mark Bray (2009) is very appropriate in the sense that private tuition exists because of the already existing mainstream education system. Secondly private tuition changes as the education system changes. Third, more importance is given to the mainstream globally than to the shadow. Finally, the features of the shadow are more or less invisible. The shadow is generally criticized for its dominance over the lives of pupils and their families. But we should note that the world has become a global village and is more knowledge-based. Countries compete for the best workforce, which is determined by high levels of education. Since completing secondary education and even becoming a university graduate provides no guarantee against unemployment, the best a family can do is provide good education to their children at all cost. According to a study in England by Ireson and Rushforth (2005), around one quarter of students received private tuitions firstly in mathematics, followed by English and thirdly science. Students had received tuitions in these prevalent subjects at some point in time during both primary and secondary levels. A student receiving private tuition is heavily dependent on the level of education and working status of the parents. For instance, parents who were university graduates were more likely to employ a tutor for their kid compared to those who received a school education. A much recent survey indicated that a child receiving private tuition was also dependent on the household income. In addition, despite wanting to pay for tuitions for their kids, some parents were unable to afford the high tuition fees (Tanner et al., 2009). In Vietnam, 76% of students are tutored privately. This can be explained by a shift from a centrally-planned economy to a market-driven economy since 1986. This saw the rapid expansion of the private tuition market. Both children and parents aspired for good qualifications to open new paths for higher education, thus better jobs. The curriculum reforms in Vietnam caused the demands on students to be much greater than they were in the past (Dang, 2011). The private tuition industry is difficult to measure because it is rather complex and varies across cultures. Private tuitions also take a variety of organizational forms. These include high profile agencies and low profile teachers who dont necessarily advertise their services. This could also explain why there is no specific requirement for teachers to practice (Tanner et al., 2009). 2.3 Different forms of private tutoring While school prevails as the main form of education, private tuition has reached a whole new dimension globally. However the practice of private tutoring is beyond government control. According to a study by Bray, private tutoring extends to almost every regions of the world, including Asia, America, Australia, and Europe, irrespective of their income levels (Bray, 2009). As mentioned earlier, private tuitions vary across countries and cultures. Bray (2009) identified some important variations of what he called shadow education. Those are: Government-driven tutoring v/s market-driven tutoring Online tutoring v/s face-to-face tutoring Obligatory v/s voluntary tutoring Tutoring provided by professionals v/s untrained students One-on-one v/s large lectures tutoring style On an economic front, private tutoring implies more expenses for parents and additional income for tutors. Socially, it may increase pressures on family members and exacerbate inequalities but on the other hand may bring relief and support to some families (Bray, 2009). In countries like Korea, private tutoring is driven by a competitive environment. However, too much reliance on this system might seem unhealthy. In countries like France, private tutoring is mostly government-driven. Moreover, the government uses a tax system to encourage families to invest in tuitions. These contrasting cases allows for a distinction between private tuition as deeply ingrained in society and on the other hand as a useful tool (Bray, 2009). Private tutoring can also happen via the net. More commonly referred to as online tutoring, this form of tutoring is created by a virtual environment whereby teachers and students communicate via a screen. Compared to face-to-face tutoring, online tutoring is more flexible, in the sense that tuition materials can be pre-recorded, tutors are requested on demand and there are no geographical constraints. Online tutoring however has proved to be more effective for students who were prepared beforehand (Hedrick, 2009). On the other hand, face-to-face tutoring can allow for a correlation between actual syllabus and tuition material. These forms of tutoring might be beneficial for certain groups of people, based on important dimensions like income, gender, ethnicity, etc. While in some countries private tutoring is more of an academic routine, in others it is only a helping hand. In countries like Vietnam for instance, parents and childrens aspiration for a better future, that is finding a place in the competitive job market, has led private tuition to become a must. It is also important to consider that the culture in Vietnam dictates that hard work and good education is the basis of a good life. This would explain the high rate of 76% actually receiving private tuition (Dang, 2011). By contrast, in countries like France as stated above, private tuition is more or less encouraged and is generally viewed as a useful and promising. Since private tutoring, cast as shadow education is difficult to measure, there is no proper control on the matter. In more simple terms, anyone can be a private tutor. There is therefore the risk of encountering unqualified tutors. Parents usually employ a tutor based on word-of-mouth, that is from friends or acquaintances who previously trusted a particular tutor and were satisfied with the overall performance of their children. Private tutoring classes may vary from 1 to 40. While some teachers are perfectly comfortable in squeezing 40 pupils in a class after school hours, others prefer one-on-one sessions whereby the child can receive individual attention. 2.4 The prevalence of private tutoring across the globe, and its implications Private tuition is a worldwide educational phenomenon. It has been practiced for several years now. In fact, it has become part of the educational system to such an extent that nobody really questions its existence. An extreme case in Korea, reported that parents actually spend 150 % the sum that the government invest in education (Bray, 1999). In many countries, having a diploma doesnt weigh much. Moreover, the rapid developments in the labour market fuelled the demand for private tuitions. In addition, many teachers have established these tuitions as a means to generate more income. This to and fro cycle clearly underlies an extreme reliance on private tuitions. Millions of children across the world leave their schools without a break and rush to private supplementary tutoring as the bell rings. Sometimes, the private tutors are the very school teachers the children just had a class with. Many children also receive private tuitions on week-ends and holidays (Bray, 1999). Despite knowing the social and economic implications of these tuitions, not very much is done to try to regulate or change this system. Private tuitions seem to have an upper hand on the lives of many and people do not want to leave their comfort zone, because it would imply too big of a change to handle. Below is a table which indicates the prevalence of private tuitions in selected countries. Country Scale of private tutoring Sources Brazil A study in Rio de Janeiro public schools found that over 50% of students received tutoring and saw it as a way to reduce the likelihood of having to repeat grades Paiva et al., 1997 Cambodia Respondents in 31% of 77 primary schools surveyed in 1997/98 indicated that pupils received tutoring. Bray, 1996a; 1999 Egypt In 1991/92, 54% of 9000 Grade 5 pupils (300 schools) and 74% of 9000 Grade 8 pupils were receiving private tutoring. A 1994 survey of 4729 households found that 65% of urban primary children and 53% of rural ones had received tutoring. Fergany, 1994; Hua, 1996 Guinea A 1995/96 survey of Grade 6 pupils in two urban and four rural schools found 19% receiving private tutoring. Tembon et al, 1997 Hong Kong A 1996 survey of 507 students found 45% of primary, 26% of secondary, 34% of middle secondary, and 41% of upper secondary students receiving tutoring. Lee, 1996; Liu, 1998 Japan A 1993 survey found 24% of elementary pupils and 60 % of secondary pupils attending tuitions. Another 4% receiving tuitions at home. Nearly 70% of all students had received tutoring by the time they had completed middle school. Japan, 1995; Russell, 1997 Korea A 1997 survey indicated that in Seoul, 82% of elementary, 66% of middle and 59% of academic high school students received tutoring. In rural areas, proportions were 54%, 46% and 12%. Paik, 1998; see also Yoon et al., 1997 Malaysia In 1990, 8420 students were surveyed in secondary Forms 3, 5 and 6. Respective proportions receiving tutoring were 59%, 53% and 31%. About 83% of students had received some form of tutoring by the time they reached upper secondary level. Marimuthu et al., 1991 Malta A 1987/88 survey of 2129 pupils found that 52% of primary and 83% of secondary students had received tutoring at some time during their careers. In that year, 42% of Grade 6 and 77% OF Grade 11 pupils were receiving tutoring. Busuttil, 1988 Mauritius A 1991 survey showed 56% of students receiving tutoring in secondary Form 2. Proportions rose to 98% in Forms 3 and 4 and 100% in Form 5 and 6. A 1995 survey of 2919 Grade 6 pupils reported that 78% received extra tuitions. Foondun, 1998; Kulpoo, 1998 Morocco A 1993 survey of 1953 mainstream secondary science teachers indicated that 53% provided after-school tutoring. The lowest proportion (27%) was in the first year of secondary education, but the figure rose to 78% in the most senior grade. Caillods et al., 1998 Myanmar A 1991 survey of 118 Grade 9 and 10 students in Yangon Division found 91% receiving tutoring. Among 131 students in Grades 5-8, 66% received tutoring. Gibson, 1992 Singapore A 1992 survey of 1052 households plus interviews with 1261 students found 49% of primary pupils and 30% of secondary pupils receiving tutoring. Findings matched an earlier study of tutoring in languages among 572 primary and 581 secondary students. Kwan-Terry, 1991; George, 1992; Wong; Wong, 1998 Sri Lanka In 1990, 1873 students were surveyed in Years 6, 11 and 13. Proportions receiving tutoring in Years 6 and 11 were 80% and 75%. In Year 13 the proportions were 62% for arts students, 67% for commerce students and 92% for science students. De Silva et al., 1991; De Silva, 1994a Taiwan Government statistics indicate that in 1996, Taiwan had 4266 tutoring centres with 1,505,491 students. Other centres are unregistered and are illegal. A 1998 survey found 81% of 397 senior secondary students receiving private tutoring. Taiwan, 1997; Tseng, 1998 Tanzania A 1995/96 survey of Grade 6 pupils in three urban and four rural schools in mainland Tanzania found 26% receiving tutoring. In a Dar es Salaam school, 70% of Grade 6 pupils received tutoring in 1998. A 1995 survey of 2286 Grade 6 Zanzibar pupils found 44% receiving extra tuitions, though not all pupils paid for the classes. Peasgood et al., 1997; Nassor; Mohammed, 1998 Zimbabwe A 1995 survey of 2697 Grade 6 pupils in all nine regions reported that 61% received extra lessons. The regional range of proportions was from 36% to 74%. Machingaidze et al., 1998 Source: International Institute for Educational Planning, http://www.unesco,org/iiep Along with the expansion of the private tuition industry, came huge economic implications. For instance in Japan in the mid-90s, tutoring revenues accounted to $ 14,000, in Singapore households reported spending $ 200 million on private tutoring in 1992, in Egypt private tutoring cost accounted for 20% of total household expenditures and in the Republic of Korea $ 25, 000 million have been spent on private tuitions in 1996 (Bray, 1999). In addition to fees, parents had to add books, stationery and travel to the list. Private tutoring also bears an opportunity cost, mainly from the time children had to provide in lessons, preparations and travelling. According to a study by Marimuthu et al. in 1991, 70% of students receiving tutoring had to spend 3 hours per week to and from tutors, and 17% spent more than 6 hours (Bray, 199). Since tutoring is mainly a shadow activity, the government cannot exert any control on the amount of revenue received by tutors. The intensity of private tutoring also varies. Children in high-income countries would be expected to receive more tuitions than those in lower-income countries. In general, the subjects given more attention in private tuitions are those which are the most needed for educational and socio-economic advancement. For instance, demand for english tuitions was low in countries where English is spoken at home (Bray, 1999). The higher demand for tuitions in urban regions is normally due to competitive nature of urban life. Also, parents in urban society have higher educational backgrounds than those in rural societies and are thus better off and can afford tuition fees. Private tutoring, in different forms, is practiced in almost every country. This certainly gives an overview of the importance attributed to tuitions. While the impacts of private tuitions are debatable, we should perhaps reflect on the lasting consequences of such practices on our young brains and future society. 2.5 The good side to private tuitions Private tuitions may be considered as a good thing in that it provides an income to many teachers, who are very often underpaid and also to university students who teach on a part-time basis to cover their fees. For instance, in Sri Lanka, a good private tutor earned up to 130 USD per month in 2007, which is equivalent to one months pay for only 4 days of work (Borodchuk, 2011). Parents invest huge amounts in private tuitions yearly, because its the only option they have in securing their childrens future in terms of the best possible preparation to eventually gain access to prestigious schools or universities, and get the best jobs (Bray, 1999). Through these private tuition sessions, children get the opportunity to better grasp lessons which they previously didnt understand at school due to various reasons. Each pupil has his/her own learning speed, and very often classes are filled with up to 40 students which can render things difficult for the latter in receiving personal attention. Thus private tuition is an outlet for a more interactive class. More positively, it is a mechanism through which current students can extend their knowledge and gain human capital, which eventually benefits the society as well as themselves. This can allow for opportunities to work abroad; i.e. to travel, meet people from different culture, gain experience which is in itself a challenge to ones potential. Private tutoring may also reduce the workload of teachers in a way, since the major teachings are effectuated at school (Bray, 1999). Therefore, the job of private tutors is to supplement the school syllabus. The situation can also be reversed, in the sense that mainstream teachers have less to do, since students rely more on private tuitions, thus pay less attention to school lessons. Mainstream teachers usually benefit from this situation and work for namesake and still receive a salary at the end of the month. According to Ireson and Rushforth (2004), the main reason for students to take tuitions was to pass the examinations. Private tuitions were also very important in case the child missed school. According to their study of the British education system, Ireson and Rushforth also found out that most secondary students took private tuitions to improve their GCSE grades, especially in Mathematics. Tuitions were in this case were helpful in making a successful transmission to higher levels of education. Private tuitions can also be considered as a constructive way of engaging students after school hours. Some parents even report sending their children to tuition because they are not around when the child gets back from school (Borodchuk, 2011). 2.6 The other side of the coin Private tuitions have potential negative implications. In many countries, parents and educators are seriously concerned about the extent to which private tutoring is dominating the lives of pupils and their families (Bray, 2007). Private tuitions do not only affect the social and economic structure of a country but can have considerable impact on the psychological well-being of the child. This can affect the latters academic performance and can impede his/her healthy development. Over-reliance on private tuitions has also affected overall mainstream education. Private tutoring thus affects: the mainstream system Private tutoring also affects the dynamics of teaching and learning in the mainstream curriculum. For instance, mainstream teachers are not required to work hard because every pupil receives tuitions. Moreover, this enlarges the gap in the classroom between quick (generally those taking tuitions) and slow learners. In cases where the mainstream teacher is the private tutor as well, those not receiving tuitions may find themselves lagging behind. This pressurizes parents to invest in tutoring regardless of their financial status or their beliefs (Bray, 2003). According to Yasmeens culture of dependency, most students tend to rely explicitly on private tutors. This includes dependence on homework and even exam tips. Hussein points out that tutoring has caused students to lose interest in mainstream classes. Students have even reached the point of thinking that private tutors are better, since they are paid. So they attend school only when stipulated by school regulations. Hussein also report that the rate of absentees has risen, more particularly two months before the end of the semester, during which the child stays at home in the morning and att