Problems faced by south-east asian in studying tenses and their solutions Essay

0. ABSTRACT: What do you think are the problems faced by the Pakistani learner while learning tenses of English? This paper highlights the problems of grammar teaching. Some teachers have been selected who have taught/have been teaching grammar for several years at school level. On the basis of the feedback given by the teachers, this research report is presented. 1. INTRODUCTION: Language is the chief means by which the human personality expresses itself and fulfills its basic need for social interaction with other persons. It is clear that the term â€Å"grammar† has meant various things at various times and sometimes several things at one time. This plurality of meaning is characteristic of the present time and is the source of confusions in the discussion of grammar as part of the education of children. There have been taking place violent disputes on the subject of teaching grammar at school. The ability to talk about the grammar of a language, to recite its rules, is also very different from ability to speak and understand a language or to read and write it. Those who can use a language are often unable to recite its rules, and those who can recite its rules can be unable to use it. Grammar organizes the vocabulary and as a result we have sense units. There is a system of stereotypes, which organizes words into sentences. 1.1 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: What skill does grammar develop? Does it gives the ability to make up sentences correctly to reproduce text adequately? If does so then how much practice is needed for the development of the practical skill that can enable pupil point the specific grammar structure differences between the mother tongue and the target language. 1.2 HYPOTHESIS Systematic and an organized study of tenses in grammar can solve the communication related issues in learning especially those related to the target language. 1.3 OBJECTIVES: 1. To investigate problems faced by Pakistani learners during English tense-learning. 2. To recognize the hindrances faced by students in learning tenses. 3. To highlight the problems of grammar teaching and suggest the solution for them. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH: It will prove to be useful in obtaining information from students and teachers statistically, and will give an accurate report on how the problems come forth and consequently how to tackle them 2 LITERATURE REVIEW: The component issues are how to enhance the REASEARCH BASED REVIEWS: Author: Middlesmoor My main belief is that modern teaching techniques and their text books can be too dispersive. The principles of the †communicative approach† allied to the presentation of language according to the seemingly self evident concept of the â€Å"functions† of language, when put into the context of the class room, lead to confusing lack of focus. As a result, when pupils have a sense of confusion they become de-motivated. I have a central objection to the theoreticians’ distinction between â€Å"learning† a language and â€Å"acquiring† one when it is applied to school. Schools are not full of infant native speakers trying out the language as was the little English boy who said â€Å"I swimmed in the river.† Huge damage has been done. Schools are artificial places and they need a whole range of techniques of learning. Another objection to the notion of â€Å"acquiring† a language and wanting to imitate that in schools is that it makes us think that memory in school can be viewed as similar to the mechanisms that help us â€Å"acquire† (absorb unconsciously) our mother tongue. The word †acquire† is preferred as a softer word than learn. Learn is considered too Prussian as it were and linked to memorising. However consider how the expression â€Å"learning by heart† is a much less rigid sounding expression than if we used the term â€Å"memorising†. In the distinction; â€Å"learn† versus â€Å"acquire†, the idea is that learning is the wrong mechanism – dull, bookish and forced. Why is it that a term like â€Å"learn†, suddenly, after thousands of years of happy use in the language suddenly smells and we have to invent â€Å"acquire†? I’m suspicious of such distinctions and the undermining of accepted sense. Such theological repositioning is tendentious. It supposes that something is proved by simply using a supposedly self evident term. We can say that children â€Å"learn† that fires burn or they â€Å"learn† that not everything is what it seems to be! We don’t need to say that they â€Å"acquire† the effects of fire or differentiation! Young English children â€Å"learn† that there are some action words (verbs) that are regular when applied to the past (arrived) and others that behave in odd ways (swum). These distinctions come slowly. They â€Å"learn† them, as they do other things, by trial and error. It is true that young children â€Å"pick up† languages with amazing ease, but that is another story and it is certainly not a secret ability easily transferred to schools by thinking that such ease is natural and unthinking as is suggested (not proved) by the use of the term â€Å"acquire†. But this distinction has made text books woolly with false naturalism. When a young 3 year old told me â€Å"Today we swimmed in the river† he was intelligently generalising about a â€Å"learnt† aspect of verbs. By observation and repetition practice he had seen regularity – though yet imperfectly. The mentality – the brain mechanisms of learning your â€Å"mother† tongue are mysterious and specific to certain ages. We should be very careful before thinking that this mystery can be reproduced by means of class room text books in the weirdly unreal setting of a school classroom. No, language learning at school depends on suitable procedures for â€Å"learning† and remembering. Obviously â€Å"learning† is a complex matter. But one shouldn’t tendentiously falsify the word/- concept â€Å"learn† into a daft travesty of â€Å"crouch – over – your – books – and – memorise â€Å", from which we are then rescued by the saintly term â€Å"acquire† which p ossesses the secret of doing everything effortlessly!. Few of us these days exercise our memory. It should be obvious to anyone that language learning requires memorisation. Out of fear of so called rote learning we think everything should proceed â€Å"naturally†, be acquired, i.e. effortlessly. However, we learn our own language with considerable repetitive practice. The so called â€Å"natural† methodology of language teaching is a sham. What we need is artificial procedures that mimic certain repetitive practice situations in the native learner and these procedures should be fun. When we learn our mother tongue we are at full stretch in our attention and will to understand and communicate. This is not so at school. In the grammar book there are countless suggestions for practising and recycling the specimen sentences â€Å"nuggets’ on the grammar pages, and games for learning vocabulary. Who in the â€Å"natural or â€Å"communicative approach† is doing the artificial / unnatural business of teaching vocabulary? In my experience, running a language school for foreign children, they know hardly any words in a really active sense; i.e. Words that are easily recoverable to their memories. Since young people have good memories the grammar units are exemplified with short plays that focus on the one grammar aspect. These plays are to be learnt by heart and acted and preferably filmed within 10 –15 minutes. (may be in competetive pairs doing the same play.) Thus the slower children will be really helped to keep up with the rest of the class  by watching various versions of the same play / grammar area. And then everyone can have further repetition practice by watching the vid eoed performances. These plays are also examples to help pupils make similar plays around grammar islands. To get their imaginations going and give ideas for plays, I have supplied a whole last section called â€Å"Human life charts† Teaching â€Å"Grammar† is often confusing. Instead of focusing attention on the basic grammatical forms of language, the enterprise gets drowned in pedantic â€Å"metalanguage†. Often grammar teaching makes matters worse. I felt at Middlesmoor that I could do it differently. Small children of any nationality are aware of grammar. They build up hypotheses of trial and error. In our example of â€Å"I swimmed a â€Å"rule (†¦ed) has been perceived that has exceptions (â€Å"irregular verbs!) Why do I point this out? Because some experts have been so disapproving of bad teaching of grammar that they reject any teaching of structural consistencies. Children are not just creative. ( they are rather less so than they are famed to be!) What they are is quite sharply rational. They appreciate clarity. I wanted a simple grammar book. There wasn’t one. The reason is that people who write grammar books are writing with a worry about what pedant teachers or experts will say of their definitions. They are not thinking directly of the â€Å"customers† (the students) The result is that there is far too much â€Å"exactitude† and the student has too wade through oceans of â€Å"truth† only to drown in it! I decided that at Middlesmoor we needed to give the visitors security with the very basic language patterns which were at the same time clothed in examples of immediate utility: â€Å"Can I have some water please?† † I haven’t seen her† â€Å"When are we playing football?etc. When we are young we learn without grammar but then as children, play activities are relatively repetitive and restricted. Therefore young children’s speaking is focused on a restricted vocabulary and certain simple grammatical structures. We therefore had to write our own grammar to suit the very uncertain knowledge of our visitors: particularly the Italians. Grammar must be presented in larger areas than is usual and be supported by creative open ended material which is still grammar focused. We made a special linear  grammar to make self access possible to the students. In this way lessons are paradoxically liberated from grammar. There is no sense in splitting up and atomising the grammar for easy digestion. (that is, easy digestion at first view). For example it is only apparently sensible to split into gradual sections, the presentation of the 3 futures or 3 pasts (past perfect and past simple and past continuous) Their use is inter dependent. Teach them together and after the first difficulty of â€Å"too much at once†, progress is quick and lasting.) You don’t have to give to a grammar the gradualised lay out of a course book. The objection that the usual practice of splitting up grammar into small bits, helps the student because it is â€Å"gradual†, is totally mistaken. (Besides, once split up how can he/she go back to study the interconnecting logic of the â€Å"whole† problem or actually find what he wants) The benefit of the â€Å"whole† presentation of islands of grammar is that the student can find his own way to a whole understanding: the grammar gradually comes into focus as it does when we learn our own language. It also means that such larger units of connected grammar are much more easily turned into grammar plays. What is â€Å"grammar† but just that regularity that the 3 year old’s â€Å"I swimmed† was hypothesising? Children in a classroom situation need language that is focused and easily recyclable: that is, we must artificially recreate the simple environment of our previously described child learner of L2 and situate that language in a context that encourages repetition and recreation As a bridge from these grammar areas and phrases I have written grammar plays. At Middlesmoor we use theatre a lot. Children have much readier memories than adults. A pity we don’t exploit this more. Children learn languages quickly in the natural state because communication is desired by them and also because the language they use is so narrow, and it is endlessly recycled, repeated and refashioned. Children work outwards from a tight circle of usefulness. The plays are a way of making up for the fact that class room situations in which children are taught are all more or less artificial and that the ways of â€Å"natural language acquisition† cannot be transferred to text books. My preferred method of teaching would be to base everything on grammar and special dictionaries and to use the blackboard as note pad for collecting information about the children’s real world of experience. Also newspapers contain stories that fascinate children as young as 9 or 10. They just need a simplified sentence structure and vocabulary. A final point. If we don’t make a fetish of grammar and also if we are no longer terrified by the idea that â€Å"grammar is old fashioned† we will be the quicker free of it and able to use the language for interesting tasks, ie. we will use it naturally! A didactic that frankly uses grammar as a central reference point from which to depart ( and only return to in quick visits) will be much freer from it than the victims of the hotch potch muddle of â€Å"functional† text books. Obviously we must avoid the old grammar teaching which was abstruse gobbledy gook that was like a mountain range so tortuous to cross that few survived to reach the actual language! Author: Katy Allen MBE Director, Village Education Project Kilimanjaro An analysis of the obstacles in the way of effective pupil-centred teaching and learning of the English language in Tanzanian government I have 14 years’ experience working in government primary schools through the NGO Village Education Project Kilimanjaro. It is apparent from working in the schools, from visiting the EQUIP programme in August 2007, and from conducting a district seminar and other training and observations that pupil-centred learning is not taking place on any significant scale in the teaching of English. Only an honest evaluation will assist any future development of primary English education In teaching English to young learners it is essential to consider how children learn. There are recognised stages of cognitive development that every child passes through, and teaching material should take account of  this. There is also a very great need for the motivation to learn English for both the pupils and the teachers. teaching ideas. It is not sufficient to leave these teachers with inadequate support. They must now be spoon-fed with lesson plans, detailed ideas for games and activities and material for inter-cultural studies, as well as basic structures, words and phrases for them to conduct classroom routines in English as well as delivery of some specific English tuition. All of this will take account of the age of the pupils and their stage of cognitive development and also of the current level of expertise of the available teachers, the need to motivate both pupil and teacher, and the time available in the classroom for routine activities. Teachers need detailed, supportive materials so that their pupils are motivated, and learn systematically and the teachers themselves are assisted to understand the English being taught and assisted with the methods of teaching. It is important to bear in mind the stages of development of children when assessing or planning a primary language course. For an overview of Piaget and Stages of Cognitive Development see Appendix 1. In addition attention should be paid to how the brain works. Glover and Bruning5 have summarised six major principles of cognitive psychology as they relate to instruction: 1. Pupils are active processors of information 2. Learning is most likely to occur when information is made meaningful to pupils 3. How pupils learn may be more important that what they learn 4. Cognitive processes become automatic with repeated use 5. Metacognitive skills can be developed through instruction 6. The most enduring motivation for learning is internal motivation Teachers with insufficient subject knowledge have very little if any confidence. Teacher training should be concerned with two elements:15 1. Subject Knowledge – ensuring that the future teachers know and understand enough about what they are to teach to be able to teach it effectively 2. Subject Application – ensuring that the future teachers know and understand enough about how to teach what they are to teach to be able to do so effectively. 1.QUALITATIVE Qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. The qualitative method investigates the why and how of decision making, not just what, where, when. Hence, smaller but focused samples are more often needed, rather than large samples.For example, if you are asked to explain in qualitative terms a thermal image displayed in multiple colours, then you would explain the colour differences rather than the heat’s numerical value.The most common is analysis of qualitative data is observer impression.Observers examine the data, interpret it via forming an impression and report their impression in a structured and sometimes quantitative form. First, cases can be selected purposefully, according to whether or not they typify certain characteristics or contextual locations. Secondly, the role or position of the researcher is given greater critical attention. This is because in qualitative research the possibility of the researcher taking a ‘neutral’ or transcendental position is seen as more problematic in practical and/or philosophical terms. Hence qualitative researchers are often exhorted to reflect on their role in the research process and make this clear in the analysis. Thirdly, while qualitative data analysis can take a wide variety of forms it tends to differ from quantitative research in the focus on language, signs and meaning as well as approaches to analysis that are holistic and contextual, rather than reductionist and isolationist. Nevertheless, systematic and transparent approaches to analysis are almost always regarded as essential for rigor. For example, many qualitative methods require researchers to carefully code data and  discern and document themes in a consistent and reliable way. 2.QUANTITATIVE: quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships. Statistical surveys were used to collect quantitative information about items in a population. Surveys of human populations and institutions are common in political polling and government, health, social science and marketing research. The survey focused on opinions or factual information depending on its purpose, and involved administering questions to individuals. When the questions were administered by a researcher, a structured interview or a researcher-administered survey prwsented itself. ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES: 1.QUESTIONNNAIRE: Questionnaire replies Name: yasir arafat School F.G boys secondary school chattar Class: 5 1. A 5. A 2. A 6. A 3. A 7. A 4. A 8. A 9. Ans: the tenses should be taught in such a way that the students must not be asked to memorise the rules but to be able to use them properly. In this way an internal grammar would be generated which would be helpful in communication rather than a hinderance. 10. Ans: In the beginning the teacher should try to gain the attention and interest among the students by explaining the similarities between English language and the native language. Then he should try to teach English tenses in English. Name: Zahid Ali School: F.G school Malpur Ibd. Class: 6 1. C 2. A 3. A 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. A 8. A 9. Ans: 10. Ans: Name: Kamran School: Madina Model College Class: 8 1. B 5. A 2. A 6. A 3. A 7. A 4. A 8. A 9. Ans: The students should first know the basic things of grammar like parts of speech and then sentence structure and then move on to tenses. And the tenses should be in such and order that they should move from easy to difficult. 10. Ans: Tenses teaching should be made interesting and the teacher should first motivate the students in this regard. The students should be asked to make use of every tense they go through. OBSERVATION: To develop one’s speech means to acquire essential patterns of speech and grammar patterns in particular. Children must use these items automatically during speech-practice. The automatic use of grammar items in our speech (oral and written) supposes mastering some particular skills – the skills of using grammar items to express one’s own thoughts, in other words to make up your sentences. We must get so-called reproductive or active grammar skills. A skill is treated as an automatic part of awareness. Automatization of the action is the main feature of a skill. The nature of Automatization is characterized by that psychological structure of the action which adopts to the conditions of performing the action owing frequent experience. The action becomes more frequent, correct and accurate and the number of the operations is shortened while forming the skill the character of awareness of the action is changing, i.e. fullness of understanding is paid to the conditions and quality of performing to the control over it and regulation. To form some skills is necessary to know that the process of the forming skills has some steps: – Only some definite elements of the action are automatic. – The Automatization occurs under more difficult conditions, when the child can’t concentrate his attention on one element of the action. – The whole structure of the action is improved and the automatization of its separate components is completed. What features do the productive grammar skills have? During our speech the reproductive grammar skills are formed together with lexis and intonation, they must express the speaker’s intentions. The actions in the structural setting of the lexis must be learnt. The characteristic feature of the reproductive grammar skills is their flexibility. It doesn’t depend on the level of Automatization, i.e. on perfection of skill here mean the original action: both the structure of sentence, and forms of the words are reproduced by the speaker using different lexical material. If the child reproduces sentences and different words, which have been learnt by him as â€Å"a ready-made thing† he can say that there is no grammar skill. Learning the ready-made forms, word combinations and sentences occurs in the same way as learning lexis. The grammar skill is based on the general conclusion. The grammar action can and must occur only in the definite lexical limits, on the definite lexical material. If the pupil can make up his sentence frequently, accurately and correctly from the grammatical point of view, he has got the grammar skill. Teaching grammar at school using the theoretical knowledge brought some critical and led to confusion. All the grammatical rules were considered to be evil and there were some steps to avoid using them at school. But when we learn grammatical items in models we use substitution and such a type of training gets rid of grammar or â€Å"neutralizes† it. By the way, teaching the skills to make up sentences by analogy is a step on the way of forming grammar skills. It isn’t the lexical approach to grammar and it isn’t neutralization of grammar, but using basic sentences in order to use exercises by analogy and to reduce number of grammar rules when forming the reproductive grammar skills. To form the reproductive grammar skills we must follow such steps: – Selection the model of sentence. – Selection the form of the word and formation of wordforms. – Selection the auxiliary words-preposition, articles, and etc. and their combination with principle words. The main difficulty of the reproductive (active) grammar skills is to correspond the purposes of the statement, communicative approach (a questionan answer and so on), words, meanings, expressed by the grammatical patterns. In that case we use basic sentences, in order to answer the definite situation. The main factor of the forming of the reproductive grammar skill is that pupils need to learn the lexis of the language. They need to learn the meanings of the words and how they are used. We must be sure that our pupils are aware of the vocabulary they need at their level and they can use the words in order to form their own sentence. Each sentence contains a grammar structure. The mastering the grammar skill lets pupils save time and strength, energy, which can give opportunity to create. Learning a number of sentences containing the same grammatical structure and a lot of words containing the same grammatical form isn’t rational. But the generalization of the grammar item can relieve the work of the mental activity and let the teacher speed up the work and the children realize creative activities. The process of creation is connected with the mastering of some speech stereotypes the grammatical substrat is hidden in basic sentences. Grammar is presented as itself. Such a presentation of grammar has its advantage: the grammar patterns of the basic sentences are connected with each other. But this approach gives pupils the opportunity to realize the grammar item better. The teaching must be based on grammar explanations and grammar rules. Grammar rules are to be understood as a special way of expressing  communicative activity. The reproductive grammar skills suppose to master the grammar actions which are necessary for expressing thoughts in oral and written forms. The automatic perception of the text supposes the reader to identify the grammar form according to the formal features of words, word combinations, sentences which must be combined with the definite meaning. One must learn the rules in order to identify different grammatical forms. Pupils should get to know their features, the ways of expressing them in the language. We teach children to read and aud by means of grammar. It reveals the relation between words in the sentence. Grammar is of great important when one teaches reading and auding. The forming of the perceptive grammar and reproductive skills is quite different. The steps of the work is mastering the reproductive skills differ from the steps in mastering the perceptive skills. To master the reproductive grammar skills one should study the basic sentences or models. To master the perceptive grammar skills one should identify and analyze the grammar item. Though training is of great importance to realize the grammar item. 1.3 The Content of Teaching Grammar Before speaking about the selection of grammar material it is necessary to consider the concept â€Å"grammar†, i.e., what it meant by â€Å"grammar†. By grammar one can mean adequate comprehension and correct usage of words in the act of communication, that is, intuitive knowledge of the grammar of the language. It is a set of reflexes enabling a person to communicate with his associates. Such knowledge is acquired by a child in the mother tongue before he goes to schools. This â€Å"grammar† functions without the individual’s awareness of technical nomenclature; in other words, he has no idea of the system of the language, and to use all the word-endings for singular and plural, for tense, and all  the other grammar rules without special grammar lessons only due to the abundance of auding and speaking. His young mind grasps the facts and â€Å"makes simple grammar rules† for arranging the words to express carious thoughts and feelings. This is true because sometimes little children make mistakes by using a common rule for words to which that rule cannot be applied. For example, a little English child might be heard to say Two mans comed instead of Two men come, because the child is using the plural â€Å"s† rule for man to which the rule does not apply, and the past tense ed rule for come which does not obey the ordinary rule for the past tense formation. A little Russian child can say Ð ½Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ¾Ã ² instead of Ð ½Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã µÃ ¹ using the case-ending â€Å"Ð ¾Ã ²Ã¢â‚¬  for Ð ½Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã ¸ to which it does not apply. Such mistakes are corrected as the child grows older and learns more of his language. By â€Å"grammar† we also mean the system of the language, the discovery and description of the nature of language itself. It is not a natural grammar, but a constructed one. There are several constructed grammars: traditional, structural, and transformational grammars. Traditional grammar studies the forms of words (morphology) and how they are put together in sentences (syntax); structural grammar studies structures of various levels of the language (morpheme level) and syntactic level; transformational grammar studies basic structures and transformation rules. What we need is simplest and shortest grammar that meets the requirements of the school syllabus in foreign languages. This grammar must be simple enough to be grasped and held by any pupil. We cannot say that this problem has been solved. Since graduates are expected to acquire language proficiency in aural comprehension, speaking and reading grammar material should be selected for the purpose. There exist principles of selecting grammar material both for teaching speaking knowledge (active minimum) and for teaching reading knowledge (passive minimum), the main one is the principle of frequency, i.e., how frequently this or that grammar item occurs. For example, the Present Simple (Indefinite) is frequently used both in conversation and in various texts. Therefore it should be included in the grammar minimum. For selecting grammar material for reading the principle of polysemia, for instance, is of great importance. Pupils should be taught to distinguish such grammar items which serve to express different meanings. For example, -s (es) The selection of grammar material involves choosing the appropriate kind of linguistic description, i.e., the grammar which constitutes the best base for developing speech habits. Thus the school syllabus reflect a traditional approach to determining grammar material for foreign language teaching, pupils are given sentences patterns or structures, and through these structures they assimilate the English language, acquire grammar mechanisms of speech The content of grammar teaching is disputable among teachers and methodologists, and there are various approaches to the problem, pupils should, whatever the content of the course, assimilate the ways of fitting words together to form sentences and be able to easily recognize grammar forms and structures while hearing and reading, to reproduce phrases and sentences stored up in their memory and say or write sentences of their own, using grammar items appropriate to the situation. The direct method assumed that learning a foreign language is the same as learning the mother tongue, that is, that exposing the student directly to the foreign language impresses it perfectly upon his mind. This is true only up to a point, since the psychology of learning a second language differs from that of learning the first. The child is forced to learn the first language because he has no other effective way to express his wants. In learning a second language this compulsion is largely missing, since the student knows that he can communicate through his native language when necessary. The basic premise of Direct Method was that second language learning should be more like first language learning: lots of active oral interaction, spontaneous use of the language, no translation between first and second languages, and little or no analysis of grammatical rules. We can summarize the principles of the Direct Method: – Classroom instruction was conducted exclusively in the target language. – Only everyday vocabulary and sentences were taught. – Oral communication skills were built up in a carefully graded progression organized around question-and-answer exchanges between teachers and student in small, intensive classes. – Grammar was taught inductively, i.e. the learner may discover the rules of grammar for himself after he has become acquainted with many examples. – New teaching points were introduced orally. – Concrete vocabulary was taught through demonstration, objects, and pictures; abstract vocabulary was taught by association of ideas. – Both speech and listening comprehension were taught. – Correct pronunciation and grammar were emphasized

American vs. Chinese Culture

Psychological anthropology is the study of individuals and their personalities and identities, within particular cultural contexts (Miller, 2007). Although American and Chinese people are raised in different cultures, their cultures are somewhat similar. Even though individuals are raised thousands of miles apart, is it possible to possess some of the same personality traits? In the American culture, baby showers are held to celebrate the impending birth of a baby. Family and friends bring many necessities needed for the new baby, such as, clothes, money, bottles, stroller, car seat, and or diapers. Once the baby is born it is the American culture to separate babies by gender. It is customary for boys to be dressed in blue and girls to be dressed in pink. As they grow, boys are encouraged to play with trucks, action figures and guns to promote strength and power. Whereas, girls are encouraged to play with dolls, cook with toy stoves, and play house to promote nurturing. As the child grows into adolescence, this is reinforced in the chores delegated to them. Boys are expected to cut the grass, take out the trash, and help out with any other â€Å"handyman† jobs. Girls are expected to wash dishes, do the laundry, sweep and mop floors. Hence, the stereotyping begins. This stereotyping is evident in adulthood. Men are labeled as providers, protectors, and head of the household. Men are expected to work to support their families. Men are often pressured to assert their masculinity and strength within there jobs and at home. Today, men are beginning to take on more responsibilities within the home. Women are labeled as mothers, housekeepers, and nursemaids, to name a few. Many years ago, women were not respected in the workforce. Their job selection was very slim, mainly secretaries. However, during World War II women took the place of men in the workforce showing they could perform the jobs just as well as the men. Today, women are highly accepted in the workforce and hold high powered positions within companies and even own their own businesses. Once men and women reach their senior years, they have achieved their social status. They are afforded the opportunity to retire from the workforce. In doing so, they are able to travel or just enjoy life at their leisure. They no longer have to pay taxes and receive their social security benefits as their compensation for working. Unlike the American culture where there is no animosity over the gender of babies, Chinese culture is different. Boys are considered treasured, so much so that years ago infant girls were killed. In doing this China has created an imbalance in the male to female ratio. In the Chinese culture, a baby’s birth is not celebrated until the infant is one month old. The family holds a â€Å"red egg and ginger† party. This is the time when the parents introduce their baby to friends and family, who bring gifts for the baby: boys receive â€Å"lucky† money and girls receive expensive jewelry. Parents present each guest with a dyed red egg to symbolize happiness and the renewal of life. Traditionally, gender roles in China are similar to the ones in the United States. The man goes to work, the woman is a housewife. This is changing, especially with the ‘one child policy’ in China. Women are not needed at home as much to take care of children since families are only allowed to have one child. In some cases, a family is allowed to have two children. For example, if the first born is a daughter, they may be permitted to have another child. There is a lot less social distance among Chinese people compared to Americans. It is a collectivist culture – people depend on each other and take care of each other. Chinese people spend a lot less time alone than Americans do. One example of this is the family unit is very close in Chinese culture. It is very common for three or more generations to live together because a lot of people still live with their parents when they have established their own families. Chinese people are more reserved when it comes to physical contact or showing public display of affection, especially in romantic relationships. Chinese people initiate physical contact very gradually compared to Americans. Premarital sex is a lot less common in China than in the United States. Both cultures show traits of openness by allowing individuals to explore their curiosity of the world and show their emotions. They also allow for individuals to be conscientious of their actions, to be self-disciplined, and to be cooperative towards others. Although two cultures are different it is possible for individuals to share the same traits. ? REFERENCES Chinese Culture. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from English in Taiwan. com: http://www. englishintaiwan. com/foreigners/chinese_culture. php Gender: Gender Roles and Stereotypes. (2010). Retrieved February 3, 2010, from Marriage and Family Encyclopedia: http://family. jrank. org/pages/686/Gender-Gender-Roles- Stereotypes. tml Miller, B. D. (2007). Cultural Anthropology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Olsen, A. (2009, April 10). China's Population Laws Threaten Baby Girls, Favor Boys. Retrieved February 3, 2010, from The Huffington Post: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2009/04/10/chinas-population-laws-th_n_185626. html Therese Hesketh, P. , Li Lu, M. , & and Zhu Wei Xing, M. (2005, September 15). The Effect of China's One-Child Family Policy after 25 Years. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from The New England Journal of Medicine: http://content. nejm. org/cgi/content/full/353/11/1171

Frankish-Muslim Relations during the Crusades Essay

Frankish-Muslim Relations during the Crusades - Essay Example Inter-Religious wars manifest in the nature of arguments between Muslims and Christians and their mode of reference to each other. For example, the Franks are enemies to the Muslims and at the same time their property owners. The essence of the crusade period is the inferior consideration that each member of the two distinct religions gave to each other. Apparently, the arguments about the episodes of the interactions between Muslims and Christians are judgmental because the two authors Ibn Jubayr and Ibn Manqidh were both Muslims. They majorly present the Christian Franks as the dominant group, inflicting suffering and misconduct against the Muslim community. It very rarely mentions the incidents where Muslims did injustice and unfairness. From the two accounts, the only exceptional case of Christian virtue demonstrated by the Frankish community was where a knight defended a Muslim Merchant from a crowd that was planning vengeance on him (Munqidh 38). This was after another knight w oman alleged that the Muslim had murdered her brother. 2. Research Questions The research is based on two major questions: 2.1. Question 1: How were the Muslims and the Frankish Community relating and how was their interaction? 2.2. Question 2: Was the Crusade Period a war or one community was dominating the other? 3. Discussion To answer the questions, the interaction between the two communities was full of interreligious isolation. The Christian Franks showed many discriminative alignments against the Muslims as is evident in the boundaries between the two religious groups. A good example is the â€Å"The Tree Measure†. Further discussion will reveal more details to validity the responses to the study questions. 3.1. Segregation or Interaction Interreligious separation as discussed by the two authors present the Franks and Muslims as two different communities, living in total separation. In fact, not even a meal can bring them together except where one party compromises his or her faith. In this regard, there were farms belonging to the Muslim Community, such as Tibnin. The rightful ownership the Farms were controlled by the Frankish community (the property owners). However, Ibn Jubayr acknowledges that in that settlement, the Muslims and Christian Franks were living peacefully. This is ironical since at the same time, he claims that Muslims had to surrender part of their harvests to the Franks as poll tax. The perpetrators of racial and religious injustices were majorly the Franks, who forced the Muslims to observe the conventional laws developed by their own government (the Franks). This robbed the Muslims of their freedom and rights. The Franks, as Ibn Jubayr claims, robbed the Muslim habitats and spared the Frankish side (Jubair 52). In Syria, there is a very clear example of religious discrimination and isolation, where the Frankish merchants grabbed mosques and turned them into Churches, much to the disappointment of the Muslims. They turned the areas previously used by Muslims for worshipping, into abomination by erecting Christian crosses, slaughtering pigs and defiling them with excrement. In all this, Ibn Jubayr claims that Muslims could only weep with their eyes full of tears of pain. 3.2. Points of Interaction The points of interaction between Muslims and Christians were the trading points such as Acre in Syria. This was the unloading point for ships. The Muslims and Christian Franks from all regions gathered in this place and interacted but of course, with

How does the theme loneliness between the main characters differ in Essay

How does the theme loneliness between the main characters differ in the power and the glory and the quiet american by Graham Greene - Essay Example In the sorrowful and bleak context of â€Å"the Quiet American† and â€Å"the Power and the Glory† the theme of loneliness is handled to expose the bare nature of life. Fowler in his fifties is a drug addicted middle aged British correspondence in Vietnam. He is in love with a beautiful young Vietnamese girl Phuong who eludes with Pyle, a young American. Indeed amid this triangle love grows to alleviate the pain of loneliness. Fowler is detached from his wife for some years and his life is sagged with the burdens of blood, death and the destructions of the war. Here love plays the role of a soothing factor of loneliness. Fowler’s loneliness appears to crave for love of the orphan as a soothing bypass of his inner suffering. Even then the bleakness of the novel facilitates to the dawning of the question whether mercy of God for his creature man as religion asserts is believable enough or if life is meaningful enough to live or even all the institutions and systems concerned with human life are worthy enough to obey, when man thrown amid the crunch and crisis of this world has to struggle to find the way-out himself by his own laws. Incontrovertibly the two novels â€Å"The Power and the Glory† and â€Å"The Quiet American† deal with the interactions among politics, religion and common life of human beings, but in the two novels Graham Greene’s treatment of ‘loneliness’ sets their tone of these interactions on the premise that man is too lonely in his lonely path of life to receive any sympathy from others for his pain and agony. Man himself is to take care of his own wound and agony. Greene is always aware of the fact that Man’s pain and suffering are further stimulated by his loneliness and vice-versa. Greene’s characters are apparently modern; they suffer from the crunches between their belief and disbelief in God, duty and desires, individual and ideals, and sometimes between individual and the society. These crunches are

Globalization of South Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Globalization of South Africa - Essay Example In early days of 17th century, South Africa was sparsely populated. Major trade and commerce developed only after the first European settlement that took place in southern part of Africa in 1652. The objective was then to establish a supply base at the site currently known as Cape Town. South African history made major upheavals in the year 1867 when mines of diamonds were discovered near and around Kimberley and Cape Town. Economic activities got further intensified when worlds largest deposit of gold was discovered in the year 1886. South Africas first integration to global economy was seen through its exports of diamonds and gold. At the same time, the country imported variety of agricultural products. Mining industry continued to expand with increasing gold and diamond exports from the shore of South Africa. The wealth so generated was used to import consumer goods from Europe. This can be seen as South Africas first integration to global economy that continued until at least Wor ld War I (South Africa, 1996)) After 1920, the government started imposing tariffs to safeguard local manufacturers. By 1930s, most of the manufacturing activities came under the fold of state-owned enterprises keeping blacks outside the main economy. World War II saw new growth in manufacturing activities with the government increasing its control on industries. With the onset of great depression in 1930s, South Africa also suffered heavily due to economic down cycle. The government had already started its efforts in 1920s to consolidate state-owned enterprises with the objective to provide impetus to import-substitution industries. The Electricity Supply Commission (Eskom) and the South African Iron and Steel Corporation (Iscor) were founded in 1920s to spearhead domestic industries. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) came into operation in 1940. The IDC became instrumental to promote other

Advertising as Social Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertising as Social Communication - Essay Example Nowadays there are different communities are there in the society and some of the most important communities are the Homosexual communities or transsexual communities, lesbians etc. and most of the advertisers are targeting the erotic effects in their advertising for the lingering effects in the viewers mind. This particular paper would take an attempt to specify the effects of socials classes in the advertising models. There are many factors are involved in a technical advertising. Whether it is below the line advertising strategy or the above the line strategy, the feminism, envy, beautifications and gender specifications are very much important for an effective advertising. The feminism has a great impact over the advertising. Many people think feminism in advertising are basically the technique to attract opposite gender. Most of the advertisers have tried to use the feminism as one of the basic target for the society. The advertisers have tried to harness the ideological currency of the feminism in the advertisements (Goldman 108). There are many advertisements where female are used as the attractive options for the lingering effects. Advertising images towards the gender specifications have changed a lot. The bold advertisings are the main attraction in the advertising industry. One of the main criteria of a good advertisement is the lingering effect of the advertisements. And as the social s tructures have changed a lot so the advertising industry also has changed a lot. Nowadays advertisers don’t think more before putting an ad which is gender specific and erotic in nature. For a example the ad of ford fusion has a lingering effect on feminism where the groom is looking at another female instead of his bride in the marriage ceremony. This advertisement is having a lingering effect of fun and feminism in a greater extent. (genderads.com). it is very ironical to hear but, sex has become a great tinkling effect in the advertising industry.

How Can E-learning Play a Strategic Role in Fast-Growing Global Essay

How Can E-learning Play a Strategic Role in Fast-Growing Global Companies - Essay Example The researcher tates that most parts of the world are connected to the Internet and both children and adults have easy access to it. Also both the educated and the illiterate brows the Internet all over the world for one information, business or the other. Through these means college courses, long distance teaching, workshops and seminars have been conducted to different audiences from one part of the world to another with great successes. Today, things have become a lot better through the introduction of the Internet technology. Things have been made a lot easier with several training organizations – colleges, universities, firms, training and human resource consultancy organizations now having their own web sites; through their web sites the services they provide to individuals can be easily downloaded and accessed. From investigation, organizations locally here make use of e-learning method. Because of the importance of the courses to the organizations, the staffs are alway s intended take active part in the causes. Some of the reasons given for the active participation in the courses, seminars and workshops include the following: fear of losing their jobs if they did not, the courses did not have any cost implication on the individual employee, it adds to their knowledge and skills and many else presented in the essay. Based on the study conducted, the researcher suggests that the success of any organization using e-learning strategy will depend on the type or category of employees they have in their stable.

Research Methods in Social Work Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Methods in Social Work - Research Paper Example This means that the better part of the active population of the society was captured. The sample size randomly selected from the different age groupings was 300 students. These students were taken through an oral interview on the amount of time that should be put on entertainment and this was the findings; 17yrs to 29yrs preferred 5 days a week, 30yrs to 38yrs opted for 3 days a week and the upper end of the age group proposed twice a week. This was a representative sample to the population at more than 30% and the findings give a true reflection of the general behavior across the social life of different age brackets in the world (Proquest, 2012). A survey undertaken by Gallup in December 2008 with a sample of 1500 people established that 44% of the Pakistani feels that Taliban has a negative influence In the social, economic and political aspect of their nation (Gallup world, 2009). This was not a sufficient representative sample to the population of about 177 (World Bank, 2011) million people but aspiring political leaders to formulate winning strategies could still use this. The political survey needs to capture regional dispersions and social stratification. A survey was conducted by the Princeton Survey Research Associates for The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press asking the question ‘Women get fewer opportunities than men for good jobs (Pew Research Center, 2012)? The survey only interviewed 3008 people from a total American population of 311,591,917 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011) to publish the results and deem them accurate. This survey can be used by NGOs and different organizations championing women rights to further their propaganda against employers.

Police use of force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police use of force - Essay Example Justification of the level of force used is dependant on the situation at hand and the interaction with the citizenry. From a philosophical standpoint it could be argued that as regular citizens we have a social contract with the police and our legal system insofar as we have designated that in exchange for a certain level of sovereignty to these authority figures in exchange for maintaining social order and the rule of law. From this perspective we could postulate that a use of force could be designed on a sliding scale from a stern warning from a police office for minor violations on the one side of the spectrum, right through to the use of deadly force for the most sever violations. However that is not to say that police do not act in a manner that goes outside of the boundaries of what is considered sensible in circumstances and to say that there are different viewpoints as to what would be considered adequate. Obviously from one perspective, a person who is being subjected to a degree of force from a police officer is probably going to believe that the use of force that he or she is being subje cted to is excessive whereas a non partisan observer might have a completely different objective. As it stands a number of specific mandates are given to police officers at different levels as to what level of force is appropriate in what circumstances. For example it may be the case that the moment a weapon becomes visible the police then have authorization to automatically use less than lethal weapons (Tazers, pepper spray, batons etc.). From a legal perspective according to US Legal definition (2010) police brutality represents a violation of civil rights when an officer acts with more force than what is required, yet there is no precise definition. In the American context, as a generality, force should only be used to

Customer Retention in BizTech Company Coursework

Customer Retention in BizTech Company - Coursework Example Along with measuring your business traffic and conversion, success also relies on customer retention to complete the big picture. You may be getting attention and turning visitors into paying customers, but are you able to keep them around month after month? Or are they leaving after one experience or one transaction? If you want to build a sustainable and scalable business, you need to cut down on churn, the rate at which people are discarding your products and services. To do so, calculating your customer retention is the first step in this process. First, retention refers to a certain point in the customer lifecycle and it can be measured monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the business. Know this time period because it is an important factor in your calculations. Second, there are two different ways to calculate retention: 1. Customer Retention Rate (CRR) 2. Dollar Retention Rate (DRR)

Different Marriage or Wedding Practices in Countries Essay Example for Free

Different Marriage or Wedding Practices in Countries Essay I. Africa: 1. In some African tribes, the bride and groom have their wrists tied together with cloth or braided grass to represent their marriage. 2. To honor their ancestors, some Africans pour Holy water, or alcohol, onto the ground as prayers are recited to the ancestral spirits. 3. The bride wears a veil made of plaited hair which represents reserve. 4. The people present wear traditional regional costumes. 5. The couple jumps above a brush covered with flowers, which symbolizes the starting of domestic life. 6. The Kola nut is most often used for medicinal purposes in Africa. It is also essential in most African weddings. The Kola nut symbolizes the couples willingness to always help heal each other. In Nigeria, the ceremony is not complete until a kola nut is shared between the couple and their parents. II. Arabia: 1. Traditionally, marriage was between paternal first cousins or other patrilineally related kin. 2. It was customary for potential spouses not to meet before the wedding night, and marriages had to be arranged by fathers, mothers, and other relatives. These practices are changing slowly and unevenly, but the tendency is toward fewer close-cousin marriages and for the couple to communicate with each other before the wedding. 3. The bride wears an elaborate veil and gets her hands and feet decorated with a drawing made with alhea (henna). 4. During the reception, men and women stay separated. 5. Men are allowed to have four wives at a time as long as they can treat them equally, but polygyny is uncommon in most of the population. Marriage is considered a necessary part of life, and almost all adults marry III. Caribe and Burmuda: 1. The bride and groom show off their finest clothes for the entire village. 2. There’s no need for a best man at an Island wedding. 3. A typical wedding feast features curried goat and spicy chicken jerky 4. The traditional wedding cake is a â€Å"Black Cake† with the recipe handed down from mother to daughter for many generations. The cake is traditionally served with a Hard Rum Sauce and all of the dried fruits are soaked in rum in a crock pot for anywhere from two weeks to one year. 5. Calypso music is played. 6. In the Bermudas people plant a tree for prosperity. IV. China: 1. Auspicious days are subject to interpretation by fortune tellers that perform the analysis based on one’s birth date (day and hour) after consultation with the Chinese almanac. It is said to be the oldest continuous publication known. 2. In the Chinese community it is considered bad form if an individual consults the almanac and performs a self analysis. That is why a fortune teller or Fung Suey [Feng Shui] expert is consulted. 3. The 15 day period from the middle to the end of the seventh lunar month is considered inauspicious because that is time of the Hungry Ghost Festival when the gates of Hell are opened and the lost spirits are allowed to wander the earth. They should not be invited to the wedding! 4. Decorations and gift wrappings are red as this color (and gold too) symbolizes happiness and wealth. 5. There are always rockets acting as protection against bad spirits. 6. The bride changes her dress three times during the wedding ceremony. V. England: 1. The familiar tradition of a flower girl throwing rose petals as she passes down the aisle before the bride is a reminder of days gone by when the bride walked to the church with her maids in waiting. Leading the procession was always a young girl throwing flower petals along the lane, so the brides path through life would be happy and laden with flowers. 2. The couple walks toward the church with their wedding procession over a path of orange blossoms. 3. Something Old Something New Something Borrowed Something BlueAnd a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe! This good-luck saying that originated many years ago in the Victorian era. 4. Most of the brides wear a horseshoe on one of their arms decorated with lace as an amulet. 5. The fruit cake is covered with marzipan. The upper section (baptism tart) is kept until the first child is born. VI. France: 1. A traditional French custom for the groom to call on his future bride at her home on the morning of their wedding. 2. In a church filled with incense and flowers, the couple stands beneath a silk canopy. A predecessor of the veil, a square of silk fabric, carre' is held over the head of the bride and groom as the couple received the priests final blessing. They were designed to protect the couple from descending malice. The same veil is used for the baptism of their new born child. 3. The bridal portion is put in the nuptial wardrobe, hand engraved with symbols of health and prosperity. 4. The couple drinks from the traditional wedding cup. 5. All decorations are white, and laurel leaves are spread out of the church when the nuptial couple departs. 6. On the wedding night, pots and pans are drummed to disturb the couple. The groom invites jokers in and some refreshments are offered. VII. Germany: 1. During the engagement period both the bride and groom wear a ring on their left hand. After the wedding they wear the wedding ring on their right hand. Usually the rings are gold with no diamonds. 2. Germany brides wear either very short trains or usually none at all attached to their wedding dress. If veils are worn they are of fingertip length and typically never worn over the face 3. The groom usually wears a black suit or a smoking jacket (dinner jacket) 4. Some weeks before the wedding the groom and his male friends go to a Kneipe (pub) to drink and have fun for his last time as a single man. 5. Before a church wedding the bride and groom will have been married in the Standesamt (Registry Office) by a registrar which is most often in the Rathaus (town hall). A witness is needed for the bride and also for the groom. 6. At a party on the evening before the wedding plates and dishes are smashed to scare off evil spirits. Only china can be used. Anything else would bring bad luck. The bride and groom have to clean up everything. This is to indicate that they can work together. 7. Together, the bride and groom will enter the church and walk down the aisle. Because it is not legal to have only a church ceremony, the couple will have already been legally married by a Standesbeamte. 8. As the couple walks to the wedding car, fir boughs are laid along the path to pave their first newlywed steps with fresh greenery to symbolize hope, luck and fertility. 9. On the day of the wedding, the guests go to couples house. VIII. Greece: 1. Before the wedding, tradition in Greece is to have your â€Å"Bed† made before groom actually sleep in it with the new spouse. During this ceremony, the bed is â€Å"made† with hand-knit linens and then adorned with Koufetta – almond candies, rose petals and, of course, money from friends and family for good luck. 2. When attending a Greek wedding, guests might wear a small â€Å"Eye† to ward off evil and keep the Bride and Groom protected from bad luck. 3. Greek Brides often put a lump of sugar in their glove for a â€Å"sweet† marriage. 4. Nowadays, after the wedding ceremony, guests are offered bombonieres. These delightful gifts of sugar-coated almonds are wrapped in net and attached to a small memento of your wedding. 5. Another hallmark of modern weddings is the wild and deafening loud concerto of automobile horns before and after a wedding ceremony. 6. In the reception a dance with handkerchiefs (Kaslamantiano) is enjoyed by all while stuf fed grape leaves, lamb skewers, and wine are served. 7. During the ceremony the groom is asked to honor the bride and she slightly touches him to put emphasis. IX. Italy: 1. A traditional Italian proposal begins with a romantic serenade. 2. Brides to be and their families gathered a dote or dowry of household goods and clothing in hope or marriage chests. This was often augmented with money or property. 3. In southern Italy, wild bachelor parties are uncommon as are raucous gatherings for the ladies. 4. Italian bride wears a white gown and veil. The white dress symbolizes purity while the veil, sometimes torn for luck, prevents the groom from clearly seeing the face of his intended before the ceremony, and thereby bringing bad luck upon the couple. 5. Almonds covered with caramel symbolize the joys and sadness of marriage. Sometimes the couple is pelted with sugared almonds. 6. In the reception, everyone enjoys the traditional dance called the Tarantella. X. Japan: 1. Sake Ceremony known as one of the oldest traditional Japanese wedding customs, san-san-kudo, or sharing of sake is still performed today. 2. In Japan, brides may wear a colorful silk kimono or a shiromuku, a formal gown passed down over the ages and still used today as traditional bridal dresses. Some Japanese brides choose to wear a modern wedding gown. 3. The bride wears an elaborate white silk dress, various adornments, and a special wig. 4. In the reception theres a dedication and some speeches, and the honored guests tell stories about the couple. 5. Kiogashi (colored sweets with flower shape), indicate that this is also a party. 6. Red is the funny and lucky color. XI. Korea: 1. In Korea, the marriage between a man and woman represents the joining of two families, rather than the joining of two individuals. 2. Before a Korean bride may be married, she must take part in the traditional Introduction ceremony, where she is accepted into the grooms family. In a private ceremony, the grooms family welcomes the bride. 3. The grooms father may throw red dates at his daughter-in-law to bring her luck in fertility. 4. On the eve of the wedding (hum), the groom, bride, and her friends gather at the bride’s house. The groom’s friends arrive later, shouting and carrying lanterns to light the way and the bride’s things/dowry. Before entering they demand to be paid. When the payment of food and song is agreed upon, they enter and join with the others to celebrate. 5. Traditionally, a chest of gifts for the bride’s family was brought by the groom’s family. 6. The bride wears a multicolored silk dress with white sleeves and a black silk crown and she is made up with red points on her cheeks to scare away bad spirits. XII. Scotland: 1. Usually about a week before the ceremony the mother of the bride will hold a â€Å"show of presents† for her daughter. This corresponds to the bridal shower in other cultures. A slightly more raunchy tradition is the groom’s stag party. 2. The modern Scottish bride will wear a traditional or contemporary white wedding gown, while the groom dresses in traditional Highland kilt, kilt jacket and sporran. 3. The couple is either bag piped down the isle or traditional Gaelic hymns are played as they walk to the altar. The Highland Wedding is played at virtually all Scottish weddings. 4. Once at the altar the couple may choose to recite their vows in ancient Gaelic or to recite them in modern English. Following the vows the groom often pins a strip of his clan’s tartan colors to the bride’s wedding dress to signify that she is now a member of his clan. 5. Following the ceremony the bride and groom and all their honored guests head to a private home or to a restaurant for a lavish reception feast. At the typical Scottish reception you can count on the bride and groom being â€Å"piped† to the table of honor, where the bride will cut the first slice of wedding cake using a dirk (a long-bladed knife) that is provided to her by the piper. As the bride slices the first piece of wedding cake, custom dictates that her hand is guided by the hand of her new husband. 6. The wedding reception is filled with music, signing, much drinking and toasting to the health and happiness of the new couple. The celebrations can go on into the wee hours of the morning. 7. One custom that hasn’t changed for more than 700 years is the custom of the groom carrying his new bride over the threshold of their new home together. XIII. The Netherlands: 1. Dutch people are free to choose their spouses. The common basis for marriage is most often love. This does not mean that people marry independently of the constraints of class, ethnicity, and religion. 2. The choice of a partner is often class-based. Monogamy is the only marriage form allowed. 3. Many Dutch couples live in a consensual arrangement. Same-sex couples can marry and have the same rights as heterosexual couples. 4. A civil wedding ceremony, usually conducted in the town hall, is required in Holland to give marriage legality; so many couples have both a religious and civil ceremony on the same day. 5. The wedding ceremony is usually followed by a series of celebrations consisting of a reception, a formal dinner and a party, and it is common practice for family and friends to be invited to either all or just part of the celebrations, depending on their closeness to the couple. XIV. Russia: 1. The betrothal is a ceremony performed with the rites of the Eastern Church, and takes place eight days before the marriage. 2. During the interval between betrothal and marriage the brides girl friends endeavor to amuse her and keep up her spirits (for she is supposed to be in a state of lamentation and grief) by singing to her, and their songs tell of the happiness of married life. 3. On the day before the wedding they conduct her to the bath, where much time is spent in dressing her hair, while she listens to their songs. 4. Both bride and bridegroom receive a solemn blessing from their parents before leaving their houses, and even the wedding garments are blessed by the priest. 5. After the dedication, cups are thrown to the floor. Their breaking means happiness. 6. The bride and groom usually tie a doll to the wedding car or carriage if they wish their first child to be a girl, and a teddy bear if they want a boy. XV. Hawaiian: 1. The bride wears a long, white formal version of the muumuu called a ‘holoku. 2. Instead of a veil, a woven garland of island flowers, ‘haku lei’ is worn around her head. 3. The bride’s bouquet may consist of white orchid sprays. 4. The groom wears a long sleeve white shirt and white pants. A long red or colored sash is worn wrapped about his waist. A lei of maile and ilima flowers adorn his neck. 5. Hawaiian wedding bands bearing the couple’s name in Hawaiian are often exchanged. The name ‘kuuipo’ meaning sweetheart, is favorite choice for the bride. XVI. Philippines: 1. During the reception couples practice the Filipino wedding custom of releasing a pair of doves to symbolize a loving and harmonious marriage. 2. During the reception the wedding cake is sliced. 3. Throwing rice confetti at the newlyweds will bring them prosperity all their life. 4. The groom must arrive before the bride at the church to avoid bad luck. 5. Dropping the wedding ring, the veil or the arrhae during the ceremony spells unhappiness for the couple. 6. Bride should not try on her wedding dress before the wedding, maybe it will push through. XVII. Native American: 1. From Apache to Cheyenne and Hopi to Sioux, Native American wedding customs are beautiful and vary according to tribe. One custom in particular requires the bride and groom to wash their hands to cleanse away evil and previous lovers. 2. Ceremonies can be held in chapels, historical landmarks, Indian monuments, or reservations. Pow Wow drums provide lively music for the wedding reception festivities. 3. The Blanket Ceremony This ritual entails using two blue blankets to represent the couple’s past lives. The couple are wrapped in blue blankets and led to a sacred circle of fire. The officiating person or spiritual leader blesses the union and the couple shed the blue blankets and enveloped by relatives in a single white blanket which represents their new life. Under the white blanket, it’s customary that the couples embrace and kiss. The white blanket is usually kept and displayed in the couple’s home. 4. The Native American bride may wear a white dress or a beautiful long leather dress with beading and traditional colors woven into the fabric. The traditional colors of Native Americans include White for east, Blue for south, Yellow for west, and Black for north. 5. The wedding feast consists of ceremonial foods such as white and yellow corn prepared in a delicious corn mush. The white represents the groom and the yellow represents the bride. The two types of corn are mixed to represent the new union.

Physical Education Essays School Sports

Physical Education Essays School Sports Introduction Physical education has been a central component of the national education system since its first implementation in public schools in the late 19th century. Incorporation of physical activity into schools is believed to offer a range of physical, psychological and social benefits and the National Curriculumcontains policy, based on research by the British Heart Foundation and independent education researchers, for physical education and sport promotion amongst the nations youth. This policy has generally been effective in helping students increase their physical activity levels and meet national guidelines. However, this policy is lacking in some ways and metrics for evaluating the success of the regions physical education programme are somewhat limited. The purpose of this essay is to review existing evidence regarding physical education in schools. The benefits of physical activity for children will first be considered, followed by a review of the National Curriculums policy on physical education. The efficacy of this policy will then be discussed, highlighting any evidence evaluating this relationship. Limitations to existing policy will then be presented, and recommendations for future research and practice will be provided. This essay concludes with a brief summary and outline of key points. Benefits of Physical Activity for Children The UK public education system had upheld a tradition of physical activity promotion within its schools, as well as recognised the multiple benefits of regular exercise on educational outcomes. These beliefs are based on empirical research, of which the benefits of physical activity for health and well-being have been widely documented (see Hills et al., 2011). These benefits appear to impact three broad dimensions of well-being in youth, including physical, psychological and social dimensions (Metcalf, Henley Wilkin, 2012). These three dimensions combine to determine an individuals Quality of Life (QoL), or an individuals subjective standard of happiness and general life satisfaction (Hills, Andersen Byrne, 2011). QoL has become an increasingly targeted outcome variable in public health and medical interventions due to its strong correlation with physical health (Hills et al., 2011). Numerous empirical studies (e.g., Marmot et al., 2012; Metcalf et al., 2012) have demonstrated that improved QoL is associated with reduced disease and illness, as well as reduced healthcare costs associated with treating such conditions. Including physical education in schools has, therefore, been recognised as a productive means of promoting exercise and healthy lifestyle habits from a young age (Hills et al., 2011). A recent review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness for school-aged youth demonstrated that even moderate amounts of daily exercise led to numerous positive outcomes amongst youth population members (Janssen Le Blanc, 2010). Based on a review of 86 papers yielding 113 intervention outcomes, this study demonstrated that physical activity was associated with moderate-to-strong positive effects on blood cholesterol, blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, obesity, bone density, psychological depression and physical injury (Janssen Le Blanc, 2010). Furthermore, physical activity was associated with a dose-response effect, whereby children who received more exercise experienced greater benefit (Janssen Le Blanc, 2010). Finally, this study demonstrated that exercise of vigorous intensities yielded greater benefits, while aerobic activities were associated with the strongest effect on bone density. Based on these findings, it was recommended that children aged 5 to 17 years old accumulate at least 60 minutes daily of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (Janssen LeBlanc, 2010). Furthermore, Level 2 students are believed to benefit from even higher exercise intensities, while all children in this age group should continue to include weight-bearing and resistance training activities that promote bone and muscular strength (Janssen Le Blanc, 2010). An increasing body of research has demonstrated the positive effects of more vigorous exercise intensities, and health professionals and sports scientists alike are incorporating high-intensity interval training into their program designs (Janssen Le Blanc, 2010). These findings confirm several previous studies (e.g., Craggs et al., 2011; Metcalf et al., 2012) regarding the positive physical effects of physical activity for physical outcomes, and Janssen and LeBlancs (2010) physical activity recommendations provide more rigorous guidelines than those of the National Health Service NHS (2013). Physical activity is also associated with social benefits that can improve QoL in children (Hills et al., 2011). From an early age, physical activity plays a key role in the socialisation process of young students, who engage in play activities as a means of understanding social dynamics such as observation, modelling, sharing, social reciprocity, social exchange, gender roles and more (Brockman et al., 2011). As children reach later stages of their academic careers, involvement in sports and non-competitive activities serve as a key social outlet for children to continue to understand social processes and develop social skills needed to function in both the academic and professional environment (Hills et al., 2011). Continuing to encourage the play aspect of physical activity appears to be an important means by whichto ensure continued participation and prevent the natural decline in physical activity that typically occurs around the ages of 10 to 11 (Brockman et al., 2011). Finally, physical activity offers psychological benefits, both with respect to general affect and cognitive capacity (Craggs et al., 2011). A recent review of physical activity interventions for American children (i.e., Tomporowski, Lamnbourne Okumura, 2011) demonstrated that consistent exercise of moderate-to-vigorous intensities was effective for promoting emotional and intellectual development. Exercise is particularly effective for enhancing executive functioning (Tomporowski et al., 2011). Biddle and Asare (2011) performed a similar review of physical activity studies with British children, demonstrating that physical activity had strong positive effects on reducing depression, with a small effect shown for reducing anxiety. However, interventions conducted specifically with children from the UK remain somewhat limited, with authors finding just nine interventions that met inclusion criteria (Biddle Asare, 2011). Findings related to improved cognition within these children as a result of physical activity are somewhat inconsistent, although there is some evidence (e.g., Craggs et al., 2011) of improved cognitive performance and academic achievement resulting from physical activity of various modalities. Although the physiological route by which these benefits take place is not fully understood, the effects of exercise on cognitive functioning may result from the release of neurochemicals, such as serotonin and dopamine, that regulate mood and clarify cognitive processes (Craggs et al., 2011). These activities may also enhance self-efficacy for physical activity, an affective state that may transfer to cognitive activities as well (Best, 2010). As technology develops, research is expected to match physical activity designs with benefits (Craggs et al., 2011). National Curriculums Policy on Physical Education Due to the extensive documentation of the benefits of physical activity, the National Curriculum has implemented policy on physical education for more than one century (Bouchard, Blair Haskell, 2012. A new National Curriculum is currently being designed for UK schools that will allow for more flexibility in programme design and offers a slimmer framework (Association for Physical Education, 2014). However, concepts from the former policy will still be incorporated into the new framework, including basic outlines for educational principles at key stages of learning and development. The policy currently segregates physical activity needs for students in Key Stages 1 and 2 versus those in Key Stages 3 and 4 (Gov.UK, 2013). However, the policy recognises that high-quality physical education is needed to promote full psychological, social and physical development, and the National Curriculum encourages engagement in sports and physical activities throughout all stages (Gov.UK, 2013). Furthermore, the curriculum assesses competency in physical activities, rather than just participation, in order to ensure that students know and apply skills learned within physical education courses and incorporates physical activity into their daily lives (Bouchard et al., 2012). At Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum recommends that students develop fundamental movement skills, become increasing competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance, and coordination, individually and with others (Gov.UK, 2013 p. 1). During this stage, pupils are encouraged to engage in both competition and non-competitive activities and become involved in increasingly challenging activities (Gov.UK, 2013). Finally, pupils within this stage are encouraged to learn basic movement skills that promote coordination and development of general motor programs, participate in team games, and perform activities that require simpler movement patterns (Gov.UK, 2013). At Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum recommends that students continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement (Gov.UK, 2013, p. 1). The National Curriculum encourages students to participate in activities that promote communication, collaboration, and the development of self-monitoring and self-evaluation of skills (Gov.UK, 2013). Additionally, students at this stage are encouraged to increasingly participate in competitive activities, develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance and perform activities with more complex movement patterns (Gov.UK, 2013). Comparing performance against peers and national standards is also recommended at this stage (Gov.UK, 2013). Swimming and water safety skills are introduced at Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 3, the National Curriculum recommends that students build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in Key stages 1 and 2, become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities (Gov.UK, 2013, p. 1). During this stage, students are encouraged to use a range of different techniques and methods to compete against opponents, continue to improve performance based on peers and national standards, take part in increasingly difficult and novel situations, and engage in non-school sport activities (Gov.UK, 2013). Additionally, educators are encouraged to continue to foster confidence through personal mastery of tasks and improvements in comparison with individual and national standards (Gov.UK, 2013). In Key Stage 4, the National Curriculum recommends that students tackle complex and demanding physical activities (Gov.UK, 2013, p. 1). At this stage, students have generally learned to become more independent and have ideally developed self-monitoring skills to continue to direct their own sport and interest physical activity participation (Gov.UK, 2013). During Key Stage 4, students are taught to develop multiple tactics and strategies to use in competitive situations, continue to master techniques of chosen sports or activities, take part in adventurous activities that require complex decision-making, and take part in both school and non-school-related physical activities (Gov.UK, 2013). This curriculum has guided physical education pedagogy for several years, although recent reform has led to some structural changes that are discussed in more detail below. Efficacy of National Curriculum Policy The National Curriculums policy on physical education draws from contemporary development research and is believed to offer an efficacious guideline for individual schools to follow in their programme designs (Standage et al., 2012). As the 2013 policy has been submitted for revision, the 2014 framework is being implemented to provide even greater freedom and flexibility for schools in their physical education delivery and curriculum model designs (Haerens et al., 2011). According to the Association for Physical Education (2014), this increased flexibility will be even more evident in primary schools, and places a higher level of responsibilityon teachers to be experts in their subject matter and pedagogical approach toward physical education (Association for Physical Education, 2014). Such a policy is hoped to place more power in the hands of educators and schools to include programmes they believe will be beneficial for their student populous. Though the National Curriculum is believed to be an efficacious and thorough policy that allows for individuality and creativityon the part of teachers to understand their own students needs, the effects of this policy remain to be seen. The former policy had previously been criticised for its limited evaluative efforts and sometimes ambiguous effects on key learning outcomes (Evans, 2004). According to a report by Evans (2004), the UKs former policy on physical education contained antiquated concepts regarding the development of physical abilities, and argued that the policy promoted exclusive practices for students less apt toward exercise in some respects. In a 2005 study related to the former UK physical education policy, Fairclough and Stratton (2005) found that physical education for students aged 11 to 14 was effective for increasing physical activity in students who were of high academic ability, while students of low- to moderate- academic ability did not increase their physical activity levels in response to physical education programmes. Thorburn, Jess and Atencio (2011) challenged the common conception that physical education programmes contribute to the well-being of students. Based on a review of Scottish physical education programmes, these authors concluded that individual curriculums often produced contrasting effects in student such as those found in Fairclough and Strattons (2005) research. While high-achieving students appear to benefit from this curriculum, such policy may promote exclusiveness in students of differing academic abilities (Thorburn et al., 2011). As a result, physical education may actually detract from the well-being of marginalised student groups. While studies (e.g., Janssen LeBlanc, 2010; Standage et al., 2012) have demonstrated that increased physical activity has been associated with reduced obesity and increased educational outcomes, the precise relationship between physical education policy and these benefits is less clear. Geyer (2012) criticised former education policy for its strong centralist nature and auditing approach toward education improvements. Therefore, allowing for greater flexibility amongst individual schools to assess needs and design a curriculum that most effectively meets those needs is believed to be a significant improvement over former policy (Geyer, 2012). Additional, more stringent evaluative strategies amongst individual schools may allow for less of an auditing approach toward improving physical education outcomes and more of a proactive approach that anticipates changing needs amongst diverse student groups (Geyer, 2012). Limitations to Existing Policy Though the National Curriculum for physical education is based on evidence and has recognised the widespread benefits of physical activity for UK student population members, some limitations exist that have warranted changes within the new policy. In addition to the lack of evidence regarding its efficacy, as well as the centralised and auditory approach toward addressing improvements in the system, the curriculum has been criticised for a lack of clarity and a lack of awareness by parents and teachers as to how to properly implement existing policy (Haerens et al., 2011). For example, Haerens et al. (2011) showed that many teachers lack a clear understanding of the specific goals and outcomes of the National Curriculum at each Key Stage, or suggest that these outcomes do not match the needs of their particular institution. This limitation will ideally be addressed by decentralising the new curriculum and placing more power of design into the hands of teachers within the UK education system (Geyer, 2012). Additionally, parents have been shown to generally lack awareness about key outcomes associated with each stage of development in UK educational pedagogy (Kirk, 2014). This is unfortunate, as parents play a pivotal role in regulating the extracurricular activities of children, and their involvement in promoting physical activity is crucial to capitalising on the inclusion of physical education in schools (Kirk, 2014). Implementation challenges have plagued previous UK physical education policy, and parents may help overcome this barrier (Zhu, Ennis Chen, 2011).There have been contextual constraints among schools limiting fitness science learning in the academic environment, as well as discrepancies in personal values toward physical education as a key component to a science-based educational program (Zhu et al., 2011). Greater efforts are needed to raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity to parents in order to gain support for its inclusion and continued participation in schools (Zhu et al., 2011). Recommendations The benefits of physical activity for children are clear, and there are obvious societal advantages to promoting regular exercise from an early age (Standage et al., 2012). As the academic environment represents the most optimal setting in which to promote health and physical activity, a National Curriculum that includes physical education is crucial to a healthy and productive society (Kirk, 2014). However, improvements must be made in the individualisation of curricula based on need, as well as efforts to monitor the efficacy of existing policy (Bohn-Gettler Pellegrini, 2014). Finally, greater efforts to improve awareness of policy and the benefits of physical activity, particularly amongst parents, are needed in order to ensure national physical activity guidelines are met (Geyer, 2012). De-centralising the National Curriculum design and providing more flexibility for individual schools to target specific needs is recommended to promote the most effective physical educationprogramme for UK students (Geyer, 2012). Individual schools differ in their physical education needs, and their curriculum designs should reflect this need. Additionally, engaging parents in the design process as well as seeking their support at the school level may be beneficial in ensuring physical activity behaviours are encouraged in the home environment (Kirk, 2014). Finally, more research is needed that tracks key metrics related to the efficacy of new National Curriculum policy (Bohn-Gettler Pellegrini, 2014). For example, the relationship between physical education implementation and academic outcomes, obesity and QoL would all be beneficial in evaluating the efficacy of physical education policy (Hills et al., 2011). Such efforts may also help reduce the auditory approach taken in previous policy and encourage a more proactive physical education curriculum. Conclusion The purpose of this paper was to discuss contemporary issues regarding physical education policy within the National Curriculum. The benefits of physical activity for children were first explored, including psychological, social and physical outcomes. A review of the National Curriculum policy on physical education was then presented, including former policy and new changes within the 2014 revisions. The efficacy of this policy was then considered, as well as the limitations. Finally, recommendations for improving existing policy and increasing physical activity rates were discussed. Based on the evidence presented within this paper, physical activity appears to offer substantial benefits to students and the inclusion of physical education in the National Curriculum has the potential to offer long-term benefits to society. However, some issues regarding assessment, monitoring, decentralisation of design, incorporating parent involvement, and taking a more proactive approach toward improvements will all contribute to improved policy in the future. Implementing more rigorous research and intervention designs will ideally alleviate existing limitations in research surrounding this topic. References Association for Physical Education (2014). National curriculum 2014. [online] Available at: http://www.afpe.org.uk/advice-on-new-national-curriculum. Accessed 14 Oct. 2014. Best, J. R. (2010). Effects of physical activity on children’s executive function: contributions of experimental research on aerobic exercise. Developmental Review, 30(4), pp. 331-351. Biddle, S. J. and Asare, M. (2011). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45. Abstract only. Available at: http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/11/886.abstract. Accessed 14 Oct. 2014. Bohn-Gettler, C. M. and Pellegrini, A. D. (2014). Justice, conflict and wellbeing. New York: Springer. Bouchard, C., Blair, S. N. and Haskell, W. (2012). Physical activity and health 2nd edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Brockman, R., Fox, K. R. and Jago, R. (2011). What is the meaning and nature of active play for today’s children in the UK. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 8, p. 15. Craggs, C., Corder, K., van Sluijs, E. M. and Griffin, S. J. (2011). Determinants of change in physical activity in children and adolescents: a systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 40(6), pp. 645-658 Evans, J. (2004). Making a difference? Education and ability in physical education. European Physical Education Review, 10(1), pp. 95-108. Fairclough, S. and Stratton, G. (2005). ‘Physical education makes you fit and healthy’. Physical educations contribution to young peoples physical activity levels. Health Education Research, 20(1), pp. 14-23. Geyer, R. (2012). Can complexity move UK policy beyond ‘Evidence†Based Policy Making’ and the ‘Audit Culture’? Applying a ‘Complexity Cascade’ to education and health policy. Political Studies, 60(1), pp. 20-43. Gov.UK (2013). National curriculum in England: physical education programmes of study. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study. Accessed 14 Oct. 2014. Haerens, L., Kirk, D., Cardon, G. and De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2011). Toward the development of a pedagogical model for health-based physical education. Quest, 63(3), pp. 321-338. Hills, A. P., Andersen, L. B. and Byrne, N. M. (2011). Physical activity and obesity in children. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45 (11), pp. 866-870. Janssen, I. and LeBlanc, A. G. (2010). Review Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7(40), pp. 1-16. Kirk, D. (2014). Physical education and curriculum study (Routledge Revivals): a critical introduction. London: Routledge. Marmot, M., Allen, J., Bell, R., Bloomer, E. and Goldblatt, P. (2012). WHO European review of social determinants of health and the health divide. The Lancet, 380(9846), pp. 1011-1029. Metcalf, B., Henley, W. and Wilkin, T. (2012). Effectiveness of intervention on physical activity of children: systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials with objectively measured outcomes (EarlyBird 54). BMJ: British Medical Journal, 345. [online] Available at: http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5888. Accessed 14 Oct. 2014. National Health Service (2013). Physical activity guidelines for children and young people. [online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-young-people.aspx#close. Accessed 14 Oct. 2014. Standage, M., Gillison, F. B., Ntoumanis, N. and Treasure, D. C. (2012). Predicting students’ physical activity and health-related well-being: a prospective cross-domain investigation of motivation across school physical education and exercise settings. 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Adopted By The Odeon Cinemas For Better Business Marketing Essay

Adopted By The Odeon Cinemas For Better Business Marketing Essay ABSTRACT In the present report the concept of E- Business and the importance of the E-Business in the present day Business operations has been discussed and analysed. The E-Business strategies adopted by the Odeon Cinemas for better business prospects and also the features included in the website for online customer relationships are analysed carefully. Online transactional facilities given by the Odeon cinemas are studied and also the networking sites used by the Odeon cinemas for promotions and advertisements are analysed. Details of page views of the website are included for better understanding of usage of website. After understanding the various E-Business strategies of the Odeon Cinemas few recommendations are made for better and more user friendly website. Introduction to E-Business: Electronic Business is defined as All electronically mediated information exchanges, both within an organization and with external stakeholders supporting the range of business processes (E-Business and E-commerce management, Dave Chaffey, 2009). It is also known as the process used to describe the information systems and applications for effective business operations. Companies across the globe are competing in serving the customers with varied interests and ideas. It is used for enhancing the competitiveness of an organisation by implementing the innovative technologies and advanced communication mediums in internal and external processes of the organisation (Dave Chaffey, 2009). E- Business has become the platform for the organizations and customers for better sharing of relationships. E-Business strategies help the company to reach the customers of various segments in an efficient way. The idea of E-Business takes the companies much closer to the customers and business partners a nd also it enhances the overall business performance by linking processes within the organization and outside the organization. Advantages of E-Business: Worldwide Presence Cost Effective Marketing and Promotions Developing a Competitive Strategy: Better Customer Service COMPANY INFORMATION: Odeon is one of the largest cinema chains with more than 100 cinemas spread across the country. It is also ranked among the best entertaining cinemas in the market, and it is also known for its eighty years of experience in entertaining the people of United Kingdom. The website of Odeon cinemas has all prerequisites required by the movie lovers; it also consists of many features which makes the loyal customers feel more satisfied. Majorly the content of home page of the website has been designed very user friendly so that the customers get almost every option by just viewing the home page. Odeon being a well known entertaining company in United Kingdom has been consistently working on the website for better look and user friendliness so that it can retain the esteemed customers in the long run. Odeon cinemas website has all options like Login/sign up option which is used for updating the customers with new offers and promotions regularly. It also has easier way of getting premiere club membership which helps in maintaining the good customer relations. Odeon cinemas are always been in first position in serving its premiere club loyal customers by best offers and promotions. It has made considerable progress during the last decade in terms serving the customers and revenue generation. Odeon has introduced point system for every visit of this site for its premiere club members so that the optimized use of the website can be done. Movie lovers will also get the updates like now booking, new releases and coming soon movies where in the customers can pre plan the visit the cinemas. The website facilitates high definition trailers on websites with movie ratings which gives the overview of the movie to the movie lovers and the loyal customers. The following graph gives daily traffic rank trend of the Odeon.co.uk for last six months, the gradual growth can be observed in the graph which is positive sign for the website and also gives monthly traffic rank. ODEON CINEMAS -BRANDING: Odeon cinemas Fanatical about Film is well known for its brand and existence in the UK entertainment market since decades. Its brand is key factor which makes the Odeon cinemas ahead when compared to its counter parts in United Kingdom. ODEON evolved as a market leader in United Kingdom in 1998 as a result of an extensive re-branding campaign and also it introduced Fanatical About Film to the UK cinema-goer. The re-branding and refurbishment campaign has enhanced the brand value of the company. Odeon- Brand Icon: The company has tremendous reach to the customers over seven decades with 100 cinemas across the United Kingdom. It is always been ahead in serving the customers by various promotional activities; the websites of Odeon cinemas is well segmented and has elements for every age of customers. Nevertheless the company has to concentrate on loyal customers as these customers promote brand indirectly. After acquiring the Odeon cinemas in 2004, the United Cinemas international as changed its name to Odeon cinemas in United Kingdom, which is much more familiar to the people in the United Kingdom. Odeon is looking ahead for exiting period of development, which makes Odeon cinemas unique in serving the loyal and esteemed customers. Challenges for Brand: Today the entertainment market has turned highly competitive and the companies have to be more customers centric for successful business operations. In this global arena it is challenging to the companies to maintain the brand value recognition in the market. It is very important aspect of having keen look on the customers tastes and preferences which are changing rapidly with the time. Particularly companies like entertaining are facing many challenges to keep their customers satisfied. Here in the present case the challenging aspect to the Odeon cinemas is to competition from other counter parts like Cine world Cinemas and VUE Cinemas which operates 68 cinemas in different parts of United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Brand popularity: In the present day scenario the popularity and the Brand value of the company plays a vital role in making the business successful. Odeon needs to adopt few marketing strategies like advertising on other popular websites which generates more business. Online branding is an important aspect of marketing strategies which gives both the identity and helps in maintaining the reputation and it leads to competitive edge over other cinemas in United Kingdom. Comparisons with other key market players in United Kingdom: Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of Odeon cinemas in all years The above clearly shows that the average worldwide traffic range of the Odeon cinemas website is in second position just after the one of its counter parts. Odeon cinemas also has 50:50 joint venture on cinema advertising with Cineworld group PLC (Interactive Investor Jun 10 2008). ODEON CINEMAS SEGMENTATION: According to the recent survey by the FAME (Film Audience Measurement Evaluation), it is been found that approximately eighty seven percent of the people said that the cinema is their most enjoyed activity. In the recent days the rate of cinema goers is increased considerably when compared to the previous years. The number screens across the UK continuous to increase leading the increased revenues. It is found that 28% cinema-goers would like to visit multiplex cinemas and 10% prefer independent/arthouse cinemas and the 62% are open to the suggestion. The 20% of respondents consider cinema tickets to be too expensive. Keeping the findings in to consideration the Odeon cinemas has to concentrate on various sectors of the audiences. Segmentation plays significant role in the concept of Online Business. Segmentation is the process of understanding the grouping of customers in target market in order to understand the needs of the customers treating as potential revenue for developing the strategies to satisfy the customers (Dave Chaffey, 2009). Properly designed website with all the prerequisites required by the customers of various interests and tastes. Identifying the key target audiences is an important aspect and adopting the best ways of communicating with them yields good results in enhancing the brand image and also for business generation. Here in the present case the target group would be the movie lovers for the Odeon cinemas and majorly the segmentation can be carried on sex and age groups of the people. The other segments and potential online targeting market are new contacts, existing customers, social group, geographic location, responsiveness to different offers, responsiveness to campaigns (Dave Chaffey, 2009). Cinemas should concentrate on each individual segment by allotting the screens to specific movies. Cinemas should come up with different promotional activities like gift vouchers and lucky draws in order to grab the attention. In the present case the Odeon cinemas has premiere club membership option to target the loyal customers and retain them for long term relationships. New customers can be targeted by effective promotional activities like mobile marketing strategies, group tickets, student discounts, children films, unlimited access cards. Different premiere club membership options like quarterly and half yearly also grabs the attention of the customers. ONE ELEMENT OF E-MARKETING MIX: The concept of E-marketing mix is a bit different from when compared to the traditional marketing mix, traditional marketing mix involves product, price, promotion and place strategies are developed for traditional counter business. Due to the rapid technology growth the internet has brought considerable change in the way we sell our products and services. Today the consumers make use of internet to get the required information before they service or product and also people prefer to buy products or services online in order to avoid walking in to the counters. The companies have to be quick in serving the customers in an easier way with less cost. Today many international organizations implementing for better business operations internally and externally. Particularly the entertainment companies have scope for optimizing their business operations by going on internet. Cinema sector has significant role in satisfying the customers by implementing the advanced internet services and com munication revolution (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). The digital media advancement has affected every aspect of business processes, marketing and marketing mix strategies (Dave Chaffey, 2009). Marketing mix is a concept of varying the mix elements like price, promotion, place and product to serve the customers in best possible way. Today the entertainment companies need online strategies for attracting and retaining the customers in long run. The concept of E marketing mix considers the following elements of presenting the marketing mix online. E-product strategies E-Price strategies E-Place strategies E-Promotion strategies In the present case the E- promotion strategy has been chosen for Odeon cinemas. Promotion: Being an entertainment company Odeon has seven decades of experience in entertaining the people of United Kingdom. But today promoting business traditionally cannot reach the movie lovers with varied interests and tastes. It is also a challenging task of promoting the business online which involves many issues with practical importance. An Odeon cinema has a recognisable domain name which is prerequisite for e-promotion (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). Banner promotions: Most organisations make use of webpage for advertising and also placing a banner on other frequently used websites is a common form of e-promotion.the potential customers are traced by placing the Banner advertisements on the sites which people browse most often (Principles of Marketing by Frances Brassington). The e-marketing mix must have to be efficient and effective in coordinating with individual elements for successful online marketing strategy. Key elements in Promotion: Sales Promotion. Odeon has come up with the sales promotion activities like cash price and cinema tickets every day for who earns more points by visiting the cinemas. This promotional activity generates the business and also enhances the brand value. The promotional activities like free soft drink also helps in making customer satisfied and it leads in making the customer prefer to visit Odeon cinemas frequently. Web Public Relations The scope for bringing the customer in is a bit high for this method of promotion. Odeon places the News worthy stories like Golden globe awards on the webpage. This creates an interest in audience to watch the films. The other way of is to send WPR articles to review sites for consumers to read by which the probability of business generation increases (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). Public Relations are defined as the deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its publics (Institute of Public Relations). Good public relations are very important for any organization in long run for successful business operations and enhanced brand image. Odeon cinemas has premiere club membership option which helps for retaining the loyal customers and also it helps in serving the esteemed customer by special offers. Direct Mail: In the present day scenario as a result digital media communication revolution and rapid growth of internet services made drastic changes in advertising methods and also in customer relation management methods. The concept of direct mail is an efficient method for targeting customer group with the available database which is developed by login/ sign up option. The promotions and offers ate mailed to the potential customers. It helps in retaining the loyal customers. It also helps for monitoring the responses of customers which gives scope for further development of website and serving methods (Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler). Advertising: Though the term advertising sounds quite familiar in traditional marketing strategies, it also plays a vital role in online business operations. Today the companies are very much concentrated on Internet advertising along with traditional marketing approaches as online advertisement gives wider coverage and reaches to more number of people in an easier way. Online advertisement has gained a prominent position because of the technological revolution across the globe. It is also a cheaper and efficient way of taking product or services to the customer front. SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES: Social networks gained considerable popularity during last five years because many people think that these are online communities where people share the ideas and interests with each other. Odeon being an entertainment company has sharing with various social networking sites like Digg, Delicious, Reddit, face book, Stumble upon, which are most viewed social networking sites across the globe. Social media networks like My space and Beebo are also falls in most frequently browsed websites. The viral nature of these social online networks helps for better business profits. Today companies from different sectors make use of this networking sites for better reach to the customers, especially for entertainment companies these websites gives better business prospects(E-Business and E-commerce management, Dave Chaffey, 2009). Social networks play an important role in influencing the perceptions about brands, products and suppliers (Dee et al, 2007). The research proves that the age and gender differences are large on the types of products discussed in the sites. The recommendations are mostly on restaurants, computers, movies and vehicles among all categories. Odeon has to advertise its offers and promotions on other frequently used sites apart from the social networking sites because upper age class audiences are still not much familiar with the social networking sites. These are the following opportunities created by social media networking Odeon Cinemas can add a human element to the business by promoting on various social networking sites. Can join the customers while they are online and it is an easy way to take the promotions offers to customer notice. It also increases the traffic to the website and enhances the brand image results in increased trust and loyalty. TRANSACTIONAL FACILITIES: An online transactional facility helps the companies for providing efficient and effective service to its loyal customers. Companies should encourage online transactions as the cost and the time involved are less when compared to the traditional transactions. In the case of Odeon cinemas the website has rich online transaction facilities like simple way of booking tickets online, readily available movie ratings, present UK top ten movie list, online premiere club card activation, online booking for conference venues. This makes the movie lovers more comfortable for transactions with Odeon cinemas. RECOMMENDATIONS: From the analysis made on the Odeon cinemas website it is found that it has many prerequisites which are required for its loyal customers. Based on the results of analysis carried on the E-Business strategies of Odeon Cinemas there are few recommendations are suggested for further business development and increase the brand value. It is well designed with most of the information on home page which increases the user friendliness and clarity of the website. Movie lovers of any age group can easily browse through the site and get the required information. Weekly newsletters with show time and announcement can be sent to potential customers by making use of advanced digital media communication. Better business generation by sending the text-based Showtime listings to mobile devices. By monitoring the UK market segment wise, each segment can be targeted with the different promotional activities which satisfy the customers. Customers can also be targeted by following the latest trends across the cinema screens and also by targeting the potential customers before the other market players target. E-business strategies also help in business generation if a proper Odeon cinema comes with offers and promotions according to the distinctive attitudes of the potential customers. CONCLUSIONS: Here in the present report the e-business strategies of the Odeon cinemas have been studied and found that the website has many prerequisites which are useful for the customers. Odeon cinemas also has good brand image and segmentation of the market has been done based on the various factors like distinctive attitudes of the customers, responsiveness for offers and promotions and responsiveness to the campaigns. The website has well connected to the social networking sites to take the offers and promotions to the large number of people in simpler way, which yields good business prospects. It also has online relationship marketing like premiere club membership and Login/sign up option which helps the Odeon cinemas in maintaining the long term relationships and also in retaining the potential customers. Based on the findings of the study few recommendations are suggested for better business opportunities with increased revenues and brand value.