The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 22 FLIGHT

DEMETRI LEFT US IN THE CHEERFULLY OPULENT RECEPTION area, where the woman Gianna was still at her post behind the polished counter. Bright, harmless music tinkled from hidden speakers. â€Å"Do not leave until dark,† he warned us. Edward nodded, and Demetri hurried away. Gianna did not seem at all surprised by the exchange, though she did eye Edward's borrowed cloak with shrewd speculation. â€Å"Are you all right?† Edward asked under his breath, to low for the human woman to hear. His voice was roughif velvet can be roughwith anxiety. Still stressed by our situation, I imagined. â€Å"You'd better make her sit before she falls,† Alice said. â€Å"She's going to pieces.† It was only then that I realize I was shaking, shaking hard, my entire frame vibrating until my teeth chattered and the room around me seemed to wobble and blur in my eyes. For one wild second, I wondered if this was how Jacob felt just before exploding into a werewolf. I heard a sound that didn't make sense, a strange, ripping counterpart to the otherwise cheery background music. Distracted by the shaking, I couldn't tell where it was coming from. â€Å"Shh, Bella, shh,† Edward said as he pulled me to the sofa farthest away from the curious human at the desk. â€Å"I think she's having hysterics. Maybe you should slap her,† Alice suggested. Edward threw a frantic glance at her. Then I understood. Oh. The noise was me. The ripping sound was the sobs coming from my chest. That's what was shaking me. â€Å"It's all right, you're safe, it's all right,† he chanted again and again. He pulled ne onto his lap and tucked the thick wool cloak around me, protecting me from his cold skin. I knew it was stupid to react like this. Who knew how much time I had to look at his race? He was saved, and I was saved, and he could leave me as soon as we were free. To have my eyes so filled with tears that I could not see his features clearly was wastefulinsanity. But, behind my eyes where the tears could not wash the image away, I could still see the panicked face of the tiny woman with the rosary. â€Å"All those people,† I sobbed. â€Å"I know,† he whispered. â€Å"It's so horrible.† â€Å"Yes, it is. I wish you hadn't had to see that.† I rested my head against his cold chest, using the thick cloak to wipe my eyes. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself. â€Å"Is there anything I can get you?† a voice asked politely. It was Gianna, leaning over Edward's shoulder with a look that was both concerned and yet still professional and detached at the same time. It didn't seem to bother her that her face was inches from a hostile vampire. She was either totally oblivious, or very good at her job. â€Å"No,† Edward answered coldly. She nodded, smiled at me, and then disappeared. I waited until she was out of hearing range. â€Å"Does she know what's going on here?† I demanded, my voice low and hoarse. I was getting control of myself, my breathing evening out. â€Å"Yes. She knows everything,† Edward told me. â€Å"Does she know they're going to kill her someday?† â€Å"She's knows it's a possibility,† he said. That surprised me. Edward's face was hard to read. â€Å"She's hoping they'll decide to keep her.† I felt the blood leave my face. â€Å"She wants to be one of them?† He nodded once, his eyes sharp on my face, watching my reaction. I shuddered. â€Å"How can she want that?† I whispered, more to myself than really looking for an answer. â€Å"How can she watch those people file through to that hideous room and want to be a part of that?† Edward didn't answer. His expression twisted in response to something I'd said. As I stared at his too beautiful face, trying to understand the change, it suddenly struck me that I was really here, in Edward's arms, however fleetingly, and that we were notat this exact momentabout to be killed. â€Å"Oh, Edward,† I cried, and I was sobbing again. It was such a stupid reaction. The tears were too thick for me to see his face again, and that was inexcusable. I only had until sunset for sure. Like a fairy tale again, with deadlines that ended the magic. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked, still anxious, rubbing my back with gentle pats. I wrapped my arms around his neckwhat was the worst he could do? Just push me awayand hugged myself closer to him. â€Å"Is it really sick for me to be happy right now?† I asked. My voice broke twice. He didn't push me away. He pulled me tight against his ice-hard chest, so tight it was hard to breathe, even with my lungs securely intact. â€Å"I know exactly what you mean,† he whispered. â€Å"But we have lots of reasons to be happy. For one, we're alive.† â€Å"Yes,† I agreed. â€Å"That's a good one.† â€Å"And together,† he breathed. His breath was so sweet it made my head swim. I just nodded, sure that he did not place the same weight on that consideration as I did. â€Å"And, with any luck, we'll still be alive tomorrow.† â€Å"Hopefully,† I said uneasily. â€Å"The outlook is quite good,† Alice assured me. She'd been so quiet, I'd almost forgotten her presence. â€Å"I'll see Jasper in less than twenty-four hours,† she added in a satisfied tone. Lucky Alice. She could trust her future. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Edward's face for long. I stared at him, wishing more than anything that the future would never happen. That this moment would last forever, or, if it couldn't, that I would stop existing when it did. Edward stared right back at me, his dark eyes soft, and it was easy to pretend that he felt the same way. So that's what I did. I pretended, to make the moment sweeter. His fingertips traced the circles under my eyes. â€Å"You look so tired.† â€Å"And you look thirsty,† I whispered back, studying the purple bruises under his black irises. He shrugged. â€Å"It's nothing.† â€Å"Are you sure? I could sit with Alice,† I offered, unwilling; I'd rather he killed me now than move one inch from where I was. â€Å"Don't be ridiculous.† He sighed; his sweet breath caressed my face. â€Å"I've never been in better control of that side of my nature than right now.† I had a million questions for him. One of them bubbled to my lips now, but I held my tongue. I didn't want to ruin the moment, as imperfect as it was, here in this room that made me sick, under the eyes of the would-be monster. Here in his arms, it was so easy to fantasize that he wanted me. I didn't want to think about his motivations nowabout whether he acted this way to keep me calm while we were still in danger, or if he just felt guilty for where we were and relieved that he wasn't responsible for my death. Maybe the time apart had been enough that I didn't bore him for the moment. But it didn't matter. I was so much happier pretending. I lay quiet in his arms, re-memorizing his face, pretending He stared at my face like he was doing the same, while he and Alice discussed how to get home. Their voices were so quick and low that I knew Gianna couldn't understand. I missed half of it myself. It sounded like more theft would be involved, though. I wondered idly if the yellow Porsche had made it back to its owner yet. â€Å"What was all that talk about singers?† Alice asked at one point. â€Å"La tua cantante,† Edward said. His voice made the words into music. â€Å"Yes, that,† Alice said, and I concentrated for a moment. I'd wondered about that, too, at the time. I felt Edward shrug around me. â€Å"They have a name for someone who smells the way Bella does to me. They call her my singerbecause her blood sings for me.† Alice laughed. I was tired enough to sleep, but I fought against the weariness. I wasn't going to miss a second of the time I had with him. Now and then, as he talked with Alice, he would lean down suddenly and kiss mehis glass-smooth lips brushing against my hair, my forehead, the tip of my nose. Each time it was like an electric shock to my long dormant heart. The sound of its beating seemed to fill the entire room. It was heavenright smack in the middle of hell. I lost track of the time completely. So when Edward's arms tightened around me, and both he and Alice looked to the back of the room with wary eyes, I panicked. I cringed into Edward's chest as Alechis eyes now a vivid ruby, but still spotless in his light gray suit despite the afternoon mealwalked through the double doors. It was good news. â€Å"You're free to leave now,† Alec told us, his tone so warm you'd think we were all lifelong friends. â€Å"We ask that you don't linger in the city.† Edward made no answering pretence; his voice was ice cold. â€Å"That won't be a problem.† Alec smiled, nodded, and disappeared again. â€Å"Follow the right hallway around the corner to the first set of elevators,† Gianna told us as Edward helped me to my feet. â€Å"The lobby is two floors down, and exits to the street. Goodbye, now,† she added pleasantly. I wondered if her competence would be enough to save her. Alice shot her a dark look. I was relieved there was another way out; I wasn't sure if I could handle another tour through the underground. We left through a tastefully luxurious lobby. I was the only one who glanced back at the medieval castle that housed the elaborate business facade I couldn't see the turret from here, for which I was grateful. The party was still in full swing in the streets. The street lamps were just coming on as we walked swiftly through the narrow, cobbled lanes. The sky was a dull, fading gray overhead, but the buildings crowded the streets so closely that it felt darker. The party was darker, too. Edward's long, trailing cloak did not stand out in the way it might have on a normal evening in Volterra. There were others in black satin cloaks now, and the plastic fangs I'd seen on the child in the square today seemed to be very popular with the adults. â€Å"Ridiculous,† Edward muttered once. I didn't notice when Alice disappeared from beside me. I looked over to ask her a question, and she was gone. â€Å"Where's Alice?† I whispered in a panic. â€Å"She went to retrieve your bags from where she stashed them this morning.† I'd forgotten that I had access to a toothbrush. It brightened my outlook considerably. â€Å"She's stealing a car, too, isn't she?† I guessed. He grinned. â€Å"Not till we're outside.† It seemed like a very long way to the entryway. Edward could see that I was spent; he wound his arm around my waist and supported most of my weight as we walked. I shuddered as he pulled me through the dark stone archway. The huge, ancient portcullis above was like a cage door, threatening to drop on us, to lock us in. He led me toward a dark car, waiting in a pool of shadow to the right of the gate with the engine running. To my surprise, he slid into the backseat with me, instead of insisting on driving. Alice was apologetic. â€Å"I'm sorry.† She gestured vaguely toward the dashboard. â€Å"There wasn't much to choose from.† â€Å"It's fine, Alice.† He grinned. â€Å"They can't all be 911 Turbos.† She sighed. â€Å"I may have to acquire one of those legally. It was fabulous.† â€Å"I'll get you one for Christmas,† Edward promised. Alice turned to beam at him, which worried me, as she was already speeding down the dark and curvy hillside at the same time. â€Å"Yellow,† she told him. Edward kept me tight in his arms. Inside the gray cloak, I was warm and comfortable. More than comfortable. â€Å"You can sleep now, Bella,† he murmured. â€Å"It's over.† I knew he meant the danger, the nightmare in the ancient city, but I still had to swallow hard before I could answer. â€Å"I don't want to sleep. I'm not tired.† Just the second part was a lie. I wasn't about to close my eyes. The car was only dimly lit by the dashboard controls, but it was enough that I could see his face. He pressed his lips to the hollow under my ear. â€Å"Try,† he encouraged. I shook my head. He sighed. â€Å"You're still just as stubborn.† I was stubborn; I fought with my heavy lids, and I won. The dark road was the hardest part; the bright lights at the airport in Florence made it easier, as did the chance to brush my teeth and change into clean clothes; Alice bought Edward new clothes, too, and he left the dark cloak on a pile of trash in an alley. The plane trip to Rome was so short that there wasn't really a chance for the fatigue to drag me under. I knew the flight from Rome to Atlanta would be another matter entirely, so I asked the flight attendant if she could bring me a Coke. â€Å"Bella,† Edward said disapprovingly. He knew my low tolerance for caffeine. Alice was behind us. I could hear her murmuring to Jasper on the phone. â€Å"I don't want to sleep,† I reminded him. I gave him an excuse that was believable because it was true. â€Å"If I close my eyes now, I'll see things I don't want to see. I'll have nightmares.† He didn't argue with me after that. It would have been a very good time to talk, to get the answers I neededneeded but not really wanted; I was already despairing at the thought of what I might hear. We had an uninterrupted block of tirre ahead of us, and he couldn't escape me on an airplanewell, not easily, at least. No one would hear us except Alice; it was late, and most of the passengers were turning off lights and asking for pillows in muted voices. Talk would help me fight off the exhaustion. But, perversely, I bit my tongue against the flood of questions. My reasoning was probably flawed by exhaustion, but I hoped that by postponing the discussion, I could buy a few more hours with him at some later timespin this out for another night, Scheherazade-style. So I kept drinking soda, and resisting even the urge to blink. Edward seemed perfectly content to hold me in his arms, his fingers tracing my face again and again. I touched his face, too. I couldn't stop myself, though I was afraid it would hurt me later, when I was alone again. He continued to kiss my hair, my forehead, my wrists but never my lips, and that was good. After all, how many ways can one heart be mangled and still be expected to keep beating? I'd lived through a lot that should have finished me in the last few days, but it didn't make me feel strong. Instead, I felt horribly fragile, like one word could shatter me. Edward didn't speak. Maybe he was hoping I would sleep. Maybe he had nothing to say. I won the fight against my heavy lids. I was awake when we reached the airport in Atlanta, and I even watched the sun beginning to rise over Seattle's cloud cover before Edward slid the window shut. I was proud of myself. I hadn't missed one minute. Neither Alice nor Edward was surprised by the reception that waited for us at Sea-Tac airport, but it caught me off guard. Jasper was the first one I sawhe didn't seem to see me at all. His eyes were only for Alice. She went quickly to his side; they didn't embrace like other couples meeting there. They only stared into each other's faces, yet, somehow, the moment was so private that I still felt the need to look away. Carlisle and Esme waited in a quiet corner far from the line for the metal detectors, in the shadow of a wide pillar. Esme reached for me, hugging me fiercely, yet awkwardly, because Edward kept his arms around me, too. â€Å"Thank you so much,† she said in my ear. Then she threw her arms around Edward, and she looked like she would be crying if that were possible. â€Å"Youwill never put me through :hat again,† she nearly growled. Edward grinned, repentant. â€Å"Sorry, Mom.† â€Å"Thank you, Bella,† Carlisle said. â€Å"We owe you.† â€Å"Hardly,† I mumbled. The sleepless night was suddenly overpowering. My head felt disconnected from my body. â€Å"She's dead on her feet,† Esme scolded Edward. â€Å"Let's get her home.† Not sure if home was what I wanted at this point, I stumbled, half-blind, through the airport, Edward dragging me on one side and Esme on the other. I didn't know if Alice and Jasper were behind us or not, and I was too exhausted to look. I think I was mostly asleep, though I was still walking, when we reached their car. The surprise of seeing Emmett and Rosalie leaning against the black sedan under the dim lights of the parking garage revived me some. Edward stiffened. â€Å"Don't,† Esme whispered. â€Å"She feels awful.† â€Å"She should,† Edward said, making no attempt to keep his voice down. â€Å"It's not her fault,† I said, my words garbled with exhaustion. â€Å"Let her make amends,† Esme pleaded. â€Å"We'll ride with Alice and Jasper.† Edward glowered at the absurdly lovely blond vampire waiting for us. â€Å"Please, Edward,† I said. I didn't want to ride with Rosalie any more than he seemed to, but I'd caused more than enough discord in his family. He sighed, and towed me toward the car. Emmett and Rosalie got in the front seat without speaking, while Edward pulled me in the back again. I knew I wasn't going to be able to fight my eyelids anymore, and I laid my head against his chest in defeat, letting them close. I felt the car purr to life. â€Å"Edward,† Rosalie began. â€Å"I know.† Edward's brusque tone was not generous. â€Å"Bella?† Rosalie asked softly. My eyelids fluttered open in shock. It was the first time she'd ever spoken directly to me. â€Å"Yes, Rosalie?† I asked, hesitant. â€Å"I'm so very sorry, Bella. I feel wretched about every part of this, and so grateful that you were brave enough to go save my brother after what I did. Please say you'll forgive me.† The words were awkward, stilted because of her embarrassment, but they seemed sincere. â€Å"Of course, Rosalie,† I mumbled, grasping at any chance to make her hate me a little less. â€Å"It's not your fault at all. I'm the one who jumped off the damn cliff. Of course I forgive you.† The words came out like mush. â€Å"It doesn't count until she's conscious, Rose,† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"I'm conscious,† I said; it just sounded like a garbled sigh. â€Å"Let her sleep,† Edward insisted, but his voice was a little warmer. It was quiet then, except for the gentle thrum of the engine. I must have fallen asleep, because it seemed like seconds later when the door opened and Edward was carrying me from the car. My eyes wouldn't open. At first I thought we were still at the airport. And then I heard Charlie. â€Å"Bella!† he shouted from some distance. â€Å"Charlie,† I mumbled, trying to shake off the stupor. â€Å"Shh,† Edward whispered. â€Å"It's okay; you're home and safe. Just sleep.† â€Å"I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face here.† Charlie bellowed at Edward, his voice much closer now. â€Å"Stop it, Dad,† I groaned. He didn't hear me. â€Å"What's wrong with her?† Charlie demanded. â€Å"She's just very tired, Charlie,† Edward assured him quietly. â€Å"Please let her rest.† â€Å"Don't tell me what to do!† Charlie yelled. â€Å"Give her to me. Get your hands off her!† Edward tried to pass me to Charlie, but I clung to him with locked, tenacious fingers. I could feel my dad yanking on my arm. â€Å"Cut it out, Dad,† I said with more volume. I managed to drag my lids back to stare at Charlie with bleary eyes. â€Å"Be mad at me.† We were in front of my house. The front door was standing open. The cloud cover overhead was too thick to guess at a time of day. â€Å"You bet I will be,† Charlie promised. â€Å"Get inside.† i'†Kay. Let me down,† I sighed. Edward set me on my feet. I could see that I was upright, but I couldn't feel my legs. I trudged forward anyway, until the sidewalk swirled up toward my face. Edward's arms caught me before I hit the concrete. â€Å"Just let me get her upstairs,† Edward said. â€Å"Then I'll leave.† â€Å"No,† I cried, panicking. I hadn't got my answers yet. He had to stay for at least that much, didn't he? â€Å"I won't be far,† Edward promised, whispering so low in my ear that Charlie didn't have a hope of hearing. I didn't hear Charlie answer, but Edward headed into the house. My open eyes only made it till the stairs. The last thing I felt was Edward's cool hands prying my fingers loose from his shirt.

Child Marriage: Reasons and Consequences Essay

Acknowledgement I am highly indebted to my Professor who gave me such an interesting project and who helped me in every way possible to complete the project. I owe my deepest sense of gratitude to my parents who influenced me and helped me to complete this project. I would also like to thank the library staff who helped me finding the reference texts. Introduction Child marriage in India, according to Indian law, is a marriage where either the woman is below age 18 or the man is below age 21. Most child marriages involve underage women, many of whom are in poor socio-economic conditions. Child marriages are prevalent in India. Estimates vary widely between sources as to the extent and scale of child marriages. The International Centre for Research on Women-UNICEF publications have estimated India’s child marriage rate to be 47% from small sample surveys of 1998, while the United Nations reports it to be 30% in 2005. The Census of India has counted and reported married women by age, with proportion of females in child marriage falling in each 10 year census period since 1981. In its 2001 census report, India stated zero married girls below age 10, 1.4 million married girls out of 59.2 million girls in the age 10-14, and 11.3 million married girls out of 46.3 million girls in the age 15-19 (which includes 18-19 age groups). Since 2001, child marriage rates in India have fallen another 46%, reaching an overall nationwide average 7% child marriage rates by 2009. Jharkhand is the state with highest child marriage rates in  India (14.1%), while Kerala is the only state where child marriage rates have increased in recent years, particularly in its Muslim community. Rural rates of child marriages were three times higher than urban India rates in 2009. Child marriage was outlawed in 1929, under Indian law. However, in the British colonial times, the legal minimum age of marriage was set at 15 for girls and 18 for boys. Under protests from Muslim organizations in the undivided British India, a personal law Shariat Act was passed in 1937 that allowed child marriages with consent from girl’s guardian. After independence and adoption of Indian constitution in 1950, the child marriage act has undergone several revisions. The minimum legal age for marriage, since 1978, has been 18 for women and 21 for men. The child marriage prevention laws have been challenged in Indian courts, with some Muslim Indian organizations seeking no minimum age and that the age matter is left to their personal law. Child marriage is an active political subject as well as a subject of continuing cases under review in the highest courts of India. The children are forced into the institution of marriage without knowing about its significance in the long run. Though parents are of the opinion that they involve their children in such rituals because it is an age old custom and it will also secure the future of their children but the reality is not so. Though in some cases parents believe in such superstitions and dogmas in other cases greed is the most significant factor. How can a girl’s future become secured if she gets married to a man who is 60 years of age while the girl herself is barely 14 or 15? Only their parent’s future will be secured with the amount of money the man and his family pay in return of the girl. This heinous crime cannot be termed as marriage it is simply selling of the girl child. The man will molest her at a tender age and at the same time he will kiss death pretty soon. The girl will end up being so horrified with the custom of marriage that she will dare not enter the institution again. A whole future filled with frustration and anger will result thereby. The sad news is that the institution of child marriage is still present in India in a number of villages and districts. Though the government has taken strict actions and child marriage has been declared as a big crime, still this practise is prevalent till today. Definition of child marriage India The definition of child marriage was last updated by India with its The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006, which applies only (a) to Hindus, Christians, Jains, Buddhists and those who are non-Muslims of India, and (b) outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir. For Muslims of India, child marriage definition and regulations based on Sharia and Nikah has been claimed as a personal law subject. For all others, The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 defines â€Å"child marriage† means a marriage, or a marriage about to be solemnized, to which either of the contracting parties is a child; and child for purposes of marriage is defined based on gender of the person – if a male, it is 21 years of age, and if a female, 18 years of age. World UNICEF defines child marriage as a formal marriage or informal union before 18 years of age. UN Women has proposed that child marriage be defined as a forced marriage because they believe children under age 18 are incapable of giving a legally valid consent. Statistics The small sample surveys have different methods of estimating overall child marriages in India, some using multi-year basis data. For example, NFHS-3 data for 2005 mentioned in above table, used a survey of women aged 20–24, where they were asked if they were married before they were 18. The NFHS-3 also surveyed older women, up to the age of 49, asking the same question. The survey found that many more 40-49 were married before they turned 18, than 20-24 age women who were interviewed. In 1970s, the minimum legal age of marriage, in India, for women was 15. The states with highest observed marriage rates for under-18 girls in 2009, according to a Registrar General of India report, were Jharkhand (14.1%), West Bengal (13.6%), Bihar (9.3%), Uttar Pradesh (8.9%) and Assam (8.8%). According to this report, despite sharp reductions in child marriage rates since 1991, still 7% of women passing the age of 18 in India were married as of 2009. UNICEF India has played a significant role in highlighting the Indian child marriage rate prevalence data from its 1990s study. According to 2011 nationwide census of India, the average age of marriage for women in India is 21. In the age group 15-19, 69.6% of all women surveyed in India had never been married. WHY DOES CHILD MARRIAGE HAPPEN? (Reasons) Tradition: Child marriage is a traditional practice that in many places happens simply because it has happened for generations – and straying from tradition could mean exclusion from the community. In study sites, pressure to abide by  societal norms was also cited as a reason for the persistence of early marriage. While these norms were clearly internalized by parents, neighbours and others in the community also exerted overt pressure on parents to get their daughters married at a young age. Such pressure included enquiring from parents why they were not getting their daughters married, passing unpleasant comments about the unmarried girl and her parents or bringing them proposals for marriage. But as Graà §a Machel, widow of Nelson Mandela, says, traditions are made by people – we can change them. Institution of patriarchy In many communities where child marriage is practised, girls are not valued as much as boys – they are seen as a burden. The challenge will be to change parents’ attitudes and emphasise that girls who avoid early marriage and stay in school will likely be able to make a greater contribution to their family and their community in the long term. It is important to view the phenomenon of child marriage within the context of patriarchy. â€Å"Patriarchy has a strong hold on Indian Society. It operates at all levels on the basis of sex, age and caste and contributes in lowering the status of women in every possible manner. Stratification and differentiation on the basis of gender are integral features of Patriarchy in India† Gender differences are reflected in the sexual division of labour between the productive and reproductive activities. The collective effect of patriarchy reinforces the subordination of women in the name of care, protection and welfare and makes them dependent on men throughout their lives. Child marriages for women, comparative seniority of husbands, and patrilocal residence upon marriage are thus the attributes of the patriarchal institution. Poverty (Dowry & economic determinants) Where poverty is acute, giving a daughter in marriage allows parents to reduce family expenses by ensuring they have one less person to feed, clothe and educate. In communities where a dowry or ‘bride price’ is paid, it is often welcome income for poor families; in those where the bride’s family pay the groom a dowry, they often have to pay less money if the bride is young and uneducated. Apart from religious considerations, the other reason for child marriages among the higher caste is dowry. Traditionally, dowry  was not prevalent among lower castes, most of whom followed the opposite custom of bride price. Most Brahmans also did not practice dowry, but in recent years this custom has extended itself among both higher and some lower castes. Even non-Hindu communities have not escaped from its evil influence. â€Å"It has been found that quantum of dowry increases with the age and educational level of the perspective brides. Some upper castes parents prefer to keep their daughters uneducated and marry them off young to avoid heavy dowry demand† Parents who are poor and have more than one daughter often arrange the marriage of all their daughters collectively, in one ceremony, to reduce marriage costs. To avoid more expenditure by marrying her at a later age, parents prefer to marry her off at an earlier age. Therefore, the system of dowry perpetuates child marriages. Security: Many parents marry off their daughters young because they feel it is in her best interest, often to ensure her safety in areas where girls are at high risk of physical or sexual assault. Parents of a child entering into a child marriage are often poor and use the marriage as a way to make her future better, especially in areas with little economic opportunities. Dowry is a practice in India where the bride’s family transfers wealth to the groom; in many cases, it is a demand and condition of marriage from the groom’s family. Dowry is found among all religious faiths in India, and the amount of dowry demanded and given by the bride’s family has been correlated to the age of girl. Nagi, in 1993, suggested that the practice of dowry creates a fear and pressure to avoid late marriages, and encourages early marriage. Poverty in India has been cited as a cause of early marriages. Child marriages of girls are a way out of desperate economic conditions, and way to reduce the expenses of a poor family. In some parts of India, the existence of personal laws for Muslims is a cause of child marriages. For example, in Kerala, 3400 girls of 13-18 ages were married in 2012 in the district of Malappuram. Of these, 2800 were Muslim (82%). Efforts to stop this practice with law enforcement have been protested and challenged in courts by Indian Union Muslim League and other Islamic organizations, with the petition that setting a minimum age for marriage of Muslim girls challenges their religious rights. What is the impact of Child Marriage? (Consequences) Child marriage has lasting consequences on girls, which last well beyond adolescence. Women married in their teens or earlier, struggle with the health effects of getting pregnant too young and too often. Early marriages followed by teen pregnancy also significantly increase birth complications and social isolation. In poor countries, early pregnancy limits or eliminates their education options. This affects their economic independence. Girls in child marriages are more likely to suffer from domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and marital rape. EDUCATION Child marriage often means the end of education for girls. It is closely linked to girls dropping out of school, denying children their right to the education they need for their personal development, their preparation for adulthood, and their ability to contribute to their family and community. Out of school and in marriage, child brides are denied the ability to learn the skills that could help them earn an income and lift them and their children out of poverty. Married girls who would like to continue schooling may be both practically and legally excluded from doing so. Child marriage is a major barrier to progress on girls’ education. Over sixty per cent of child brides in developing countries have had no formal education. Many girls aren’t in education because schools are inaccessible or expensive, because of the traditional role girls are expected to play in the household, or simply because parents don’t see the value of education for their daughters. Child marriage and a lack of education for girls are both underpinned by girls’ low status. Little or no schooling strongly correlates with being married at a young age. Conversely, attending school and having higher levels of education protect girls from the possibility of early marriage. In many countries, educating girls often is less of a priority than educating boys. When a woman’s most important role is considered to be that of a wife, mother and homemaker, schooling girls and preparing them for the jobs may be given short shrift. And even when poor families want to send their daughters to school, they often lack access to nearby, quality schools and the ability to pay school fees. It is usually safer and economically more rewarding to spend limited resources on educating sons than daughters.  This boxes families into early marriage as the only viable option for girls. HEALTH Child marriage can have devastating consequences for a girl’s health. It encourages the initiation of sexual activity at an age when girls’ bodies are still developing and when they know little about their sexual and reproductive health. Neither physically or emotionally ready to give birth, child brides face higher risk of death in childbirth and are particularly vulnerable to pregnancy-related injuries such as obstetric fistula. It is extremely difficult for child brides to assert their wishes and needs to their usually older husbands, particularly when it comes to negotiating safe sexual practices and the use of family planning methods. Child brides often face intense social pressure to prove their fertility. When a girl marries as a child, the health of her children suffers too. The children of child brides are at substantially greater risk of perinatal infant mortality and morbidity, and stillbirths and new-born deaths are 50% higher in mothers younger than 20 years than in women who give birth later. There is little doubt that reducing child marriage will help to ensure more children survive into adulthood. POVERTY Poverty is one of the main drivers of child marriage. Child brides are more likely to be poor and to remain poor. Where poverty is acute, giving a daughter in marriage allows parents to reduce family expenses by ensuring they have one less person to feed, clothe and educate. In communities where economic transactions are integral to the marriage process, a dowry or ‘bride price’ is often welcome income for poor families. Child marriage traps girls and their families in a cycle of poverty. Girls who marry young do not receive the educational and economic opportunities that help lift them and their families out of poverty and their children are more likely to undergo the same fate. Domestic violence Married teenage girls with low levels of education suffer greater risk of social isolation, domestic violence and sexual violence from their spouses, than more educated women who marry as adults. Domestic and sexual violence from their husbands has lifelong, devastating mental health consequences for  young girls because they are at a formative stage of psychological development. Child brides, particularly in situations such as vani, also face social isolation, emotional abuse and discrimination in the homes of their husbands and in-laws. Women’s rights Child marriages impact a range of women’s rights such as access to education, freedom of movement, freedom from violence, reproductive rights, and the right to consensual marriage. The consequence of these violations impacts not only the woman, but her children and broader society. Trafficking and sale of girls Child marriage also results in the trafficking of children for various purposes, including prostitution, labour and exploitation. Young girls are lured/forced into marriage for the purpose of selling them to other states. Rajib Haldar, Secretary, Prayas, says: ‘Trafficking of married girls’ is rampant in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and even Kerala.†. Also, a survey of victims of trafficking revealed that 71.8 per cent of the respondents were married when they were children (i.e., when they were less than 18 years of age). This suggests that child marriage is among the key factors that make women and children vulnerable to trafficking Laws against child marriage The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 The Child Marriage Restraint Act, also called the Sarda Act, was a law to restrict the practice of child marriage. It was enacted on 1 April 1930, extended across the whole nation, with the exceptions of the states of Jammu and Kashmir, and applied to every Indian citizen. Its goal was to eliminate the dangers placed on young girls who could not handle the stress of married life and avoid early deaths. This Act defined a male child as 21 years or younger, a female child as 18 years or younger, and a minor as a child of either sex 18 years or younger. The punishment for a male between 18 and 21 years marrying a child became imprisonment of up to 15 days, a fine of 1,000 rupees, or both. The punishment for a male above 21 years of age became imprisonment of up to three months and a possible fine. The punishment for anyone who performed or directed a child marriage ceremony became  imprisonment of up to three months and a possible fine, unless he could prove the marriage he performed was not a child marriage. The punishment for a parent or guardian of a child taking place in the marriage became imprisonment of up to three months or a possible fine. It was amended in 1940 and 1978 to continue rising the ages of male and female children. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 In response to the plea (Writ Petition (C) 212/2003) of the Forum for Fact-finding Documentation and Advocacy at the Supreme Court, the Government of India brought the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) in 2006, and it came into effect on 1 November 2007 to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act. The change in name was meant to reflect the prevention and prohibition of child marriage, rather than restraining it. The previous Act also made it difficult and time consuming to act against child marriages and did not focus on authorities as possible figures for preventing the marriages. This Act kept the ages of adult males and females the same but made some significant changes to further protect the children. Boys and girls forced into child marriages as minors have the option of voiding their marriage up to two years after reaching adulthood, and in certain circumstances, marriages of minors can be null and void before they reach adulthood. All valuables, money, and gifts must be returned if the marriage is nullified, and the girl must be provided with a place of residency until she marries or becomes an adult. Children born from child marriages are considered legitimate, and the courts are expected to give parental custody with the children’s best interests in mind. Any male over 18 years of age who enters into a marriage with a minor or anyone who directs or conducts a child marriage ceremony can be punished with up to two years of imprisonment or a fine. Applicability Muslim organizations of India have long argued that Indian laws, passed by its parliament, such as the 2006 child marriage law do not apply to Muslims, because marriage is a personal law subject. The Delhi High Court, as well as other state high courts of India, have disagreed. The Delhi Court, for example, ruled that Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 overrides all personal laws and governs each and every citizen of India. The ruling stated  that an under-age marriage, where either the man or woman is over 16 years old, would not be a void marriage but voidable one, which would become valid if no steps are taken by such court has option to order otherwise. In case either of the parties is less than 16 years old, the marriage is void, given the age of consent is 16 in India, sex with minors under the age of 16 is a statutory crime under Section 376 of Indian Penal Code. Legal Action on Legal Confusion There is a standing legal confusion as to Marital Rape within prohibited Child Marriages in India. Marital rape per se is not a crime in India; but the position with regard to children is confusing. While the exception under the criminal law (section 375, Indian Penal Code, 1860) applicable to adults puts an exception and allows marital rape of a girl child between the age of 15–18 years by her husband; another new and progressive legislation Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 disallows any such sexual relationships and puts such crimes with marriages as an aggravated offense. A Public Interest Litigation filled by Independent Thought – www.ithought.in an organization working on child rights law, is being heard in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for declaring the exception allowing marital rape within prohibited child marriages as unconstitutional; Independent Thought vs. Union of India [W.P(civil) 382 of 2013]. CEDAW The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, commonly known as CEDAW, is an international bill attempting to end discrimination against women. Article 16, Marriage and Family Life, states that all women, as well as men, have the right to choose their spouse, to have the same responsibilities, and to decide on how many children and the spacing between them. This convention states that child marriage should not have a legal effect, all action must be taken to enforce a minimum age, and that all marriages must be put into an official registry. India signed the convention on 30 July 1980 but made the declaration that, because of the nation’s size and amount of people, it’s impractical to have a registration of marriages. Conclusion Child marriage is an age old practice that is still prevalent in India, especially in the state of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana till today. The development and modernization of India and with the implementation of the strict rules of marriageable age to be 18 for girls and 21 for boys has resulted in a considerable downfall in the number of child marriages. Still there is a lack of awareness in small villages where the illegal practice of Child marriage is prevalent. The legal age for marriage in India is 18 years for girls and 21 for boys. Any marriage of a person younger than this is banned under the Child Marriage Prevention Act, 1929. It is an incontrovertible fact that a large number of child marriages are performed in violation of the existing provisions of the law, particularly on ‘Akha Teej’ or ‘Akshaya Tritiya’. When child marriage takes place, the children are too young to understand what marriage means. It is true that the re is a large body of social opinion and customary practice that sanctions early marriage. It is a religious tradition in many places in India and therefore difficult to change. The dire consequences that follow child marriage, particularly for girls are – the child’s education is sacrificed, girls become more vulnerable to domestic violence and due to early pregnancies their health gets much worse. The babies born to girls under 16 are more likely to die during their first year of life. UNICEF describes child marriage as a â€Å"gross violation of all categories of child rights.† It is a social evil that has degraded the status of girl child in our society. Child marriage is against the law but the marriage itself is valid once performed, even if the child was as young as 5 years at the time. Police cannot make arrests without applying for a Magistrate’s order. The present provision for simple imprisonment for 3 months and a fine has proved totally inadequate. To stop this menace, the law must make registration of all marriages mandatory. Stringency of punishment is the next important element in the strategy to tackle this menace. The appointment of anti-child marriage officers in every State, and making it a law that anyone who attends a child marriage has to report it, would help in checking child marriage What is required on the part of the citizens and the government in general is to join hands and raise a movement so wide that every parent could only visualize themselves locked up in jails even if they think of committing such a crime. It is essential on the part of the citizens to  remain active. People who witness child marriages should be determined enough to launch a police complaint against the parents of both the bride and groom. It is essential on the part of the government to award the people who inform about the conduction of child marriages and also to enforce harder laws to discourage this practice. Thus by helping two children from entering into such a horrendous affair, you are assuring a brighter future not only for these children but for India as a whole. Bibliography 1) Jaya Sagade, â€Å"Child Marriage in India† Oxford University Press, New Delhi. 2) http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/india/&gws_rd=cr&ei=cBktVaSCGI6QuASvsIDwBQ 3) http://www.csrindia.org/child-marriage-in-india 4) http://middleeast.about.com/od/humanrightsdemocracy/a/child-brides.htm

Outline the current legislation covering home based childcare and the role of regulatory bodies Essay

?Legislation regulating home based child carer’s and the role of Ofsted the regulatory body All people working with children are governed by legislation that is in place to protect your children and the child care provider. In this document I have listed four important legislations that are of particular importance to home based child care providers and noted how I aim to incorporate them into my practice. Child care practitioners also have a regulatory body; in England it is Ofsted. This document gives you a brief description of their supervisory role in child care settings. However, the list of legislation is not comprehensive and nor is the short description of Ofsted’s Role, if you would like more information or would like to discuss anything written in this leaflet, please ask and I would be happy to provide you as a parent with more details. Children’s Act 1989 & 2004 The first time Children’s rights were recognised under UK Law was in the Children’s Act 1989, which summarised, means ‘the needs of the child are paramount’ (Riddall-Leech 2010 p18). Later, in 2004, the Every Child Matters agenda was born. This is the primary legislative Act that all childcare practitioners must observe. It outlines five conclusions that all children should meet. These are – Be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. My childcare practice is committed to achieving all the outcomes of the every child matters charter by: – Be healthy By serving homemade healthy balanced meals and snacks. Providing daily opportunities for physical activity both indoors and outside. Ensuring a smoke free environment. Stay safe Everyone who frequently visits the setting including myself and my assistant have enhanced disclosures. There is a zero tolerance of bullying and all children are helped to understand their behaviour if they cause upset or bullying to another child. Enjoy and achieve By providing ample opportunities to experience new environments and activities. Tailoring activities to your child’s likes, needs and working in collaboration with you the parents and any other child care provider you may have. By being supportive, encouraging and positively feeding back to both your child and you. Make a positive contribution By building a trusting positive relationship built on mutual respect. Giving your child the time and attention and to listen to them so they gain confidence feel a part of our community within the setting. Achieve economic well being Although this is a difficult task to achieve for a child care provider in early years I believe we help to set up the foundations of this by teaching the basics of money, the importance of education and by igniting the ambition for knowledge and learning. Childcare Act 2006 When this act was introduced in 2006 it brought about huge changes to home based child care. It requires all child care provider’s to register with Ofsted, the regulating body and that all children up to the age of 5 in child care learn and develop well using the Statutory Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. By using carefully planned monthly topics and activity schemes it will ensure that all adult led and some of the child led play meets the various learning and development goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Through observation, both planned and spontaneous, the monthly planned schemes will be tailored to your child’s individual needs and ensure that they are developing to the best of their potential. The learning plans are always available for you to view and you will be able to view your child’s achievements in their ‘Unique Story’ book which will include all observations, examples and photos of their work and anything else your child would like to put in there for you to see. There will also be space for you to write and comment. This act has replaced all previous dicrimation laws and combined them into one Act to protect people from discrimation. Discrimation can come in many forms including religion, beliefs or the lack of either, age, race, disability, nationality and the list goes on. This law proctects people from prejudice and allows legal action to be taken against any person or company who is proven to have unfairly treated any of the protected groups covered by this Act. Everyone is welcome at my childcare service and we strive to ensure that the children learn about the importance of inclusion and the acceptance of others. I try to explain that in many cases it can just be fear of not knowing or understanding but this makes for a fantasic learning experience to discuss and learn about other peoples religions, cultures and so forth and that differences are good. In our play room there are many books, puzzles, pictures and other toys that promote the inclusion and acceptance of all groups of people including disabled, black and other ethnicities and the elderly but to name a few. You may also like to read the equal opportunites policy. The Data Protection Act 1998 The 7th Data Protection principle states ‘The Data Protection Act 1998 requires all organisations to have appropriate security to protect personal information against unlawful or unauthorised use or disclosure, and accidental loss, destruction or damage’ (ICO, 2012. P10). It referes to information that is kept on file whether it be electronically stored, i. e. on a hard drive, a flash drive or paper copies. The Act also gives individuals the right to request copies of all information a business may hold on them within 40 days of the request. The security and protection of yours and your child’s personal information is extremely important. Any information held will be password protected on a computer which has a firewall, Anti-virus software, mal-ware and spy-ware protection, all of which are kept up to date at all times. Your information will never be shared with anyone without your explicit consent, unless it is felt that there was a child protection issue. Any paper documentation is shredded if it is no longer required and we are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office who is the Regulatory Authority. The Home Based Child Carers Regulatory Body Here in England, home-based child carers are regulated and controlled by Ofsted who have four main processes. These processes are in place to ensure that the prospective child care practitioner meets and maintains all the requirements of a suitable carer including understanding and providing learning and development as required by the Statutory Framework in the Early Years Foundation Stage document. They also make sure that the welfare of the children can be met and are continuing to be met after registration. It begins with the process of registering with Ofsted who ensure that the potential carer and any other adult living or working with the practitioner have suitable disclosure checks and are healthy enough to care for children. The carer must also complete the prescribed training including First Aid. Once the carer has been registered, Ofsted make regular checks in the form of inspections to ensure that the setting is being maintained to the required standard, that the carer is continuing to sustain the right environment for the children to learn and develop whilst being kept safe and cared for. The inspector will write a report and grade the child-minder based upon his or her observations during the inspection. These reports should then be made available to parents and are published on the Ofsted website. If a complaint or a concern is made, it is Ofsted’s role to investigate the practitioner and their setting to ensure that they are fulfilling all their safeguarding and welfare demands, regardless and in addition to any inspection that has been carried out. If the investigation shows that the setting is failing in their requirements it is down to Ofsted to enforce changes or to take action against the child carer and the setting. Ofsted help parents and guardians by providing them with information about the setting thereby they can make an informed choice when choosing their child carer for their child/ren. ___________________________________________________________________ Thank you for taking the time to read my leaflet. I hope you found it useful. If you require any further information or if you require this document is larger print and/or another language please let me know. For other languages I will use an online translation service which may take some time please allow 14 days. Thank you. Bengali: This / - ? 14 Chinese: / , 14 Polish: Dziekujemy za poswiecenie czasu na przeczytanie mojej ulotce. MAM nadzieje, ze warto. Jezeli wymagane sa dodatkowe informacje lub jesli chcesz, aby ten dokument jest wiekszy drukuj i/lub innego jezyka prosze da mi zna . W innych jezykach bede korzysta on-line tlumaczenia uslugi, ktora moze zajac troche czasu trwa 14 dni. Dziekujemy. Slovak: Dakujeme vam za as, ktory itat moje letaku. Dufam, ze ste nasli uzito ne. Ak mate zaujem o dalsie informacie alebo ak potrebujete tento dokument je va sie vytla it a/alebo inom jazyku dovolte mi vediet. Pre ine jazyky budem pouzivat on-line prekladatelske sluzby, ktore vsak moze trvat nejaky as prosim nechajte 14 dni. Dakujeme vam. Urdu: . . . . 14 . . Bibliography Riddall-Leech, S (2013) Home-based Childcare For childminders and nannies. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Information Commissioner’s Office (2012) Introduction to The Data Protection Act 1998. [Online] Available from: http://www. ico. org. uk/~/media/documents/library/Corporate/Research_and_reports/ico_presentation_EVOC_20120528. ashx [Accessed: 11th October 2013] Government Equalities Office (2013) Equalities Act 2010: Guidance. [Online] Available from: https://www. gov. uk/equality-act-2010-guidance [Accessed: 11th October 2013] Parliament UK (2010) The Role and Performance of Ofsted : Memorandum submitted by National Childminding Association. [Online]

A Restaurants Management of Its Customers Assignment

A Restaurants Management of Its Customers - Assignment Example The first thing I noticed amongst the waiters is that they never said ‘no’ to the customer. In one incident, a customer asked whether the appetizer was sweet; however, the waiter went ahead to give the description of the ingredients that the restaurant’s chefs used to prepare the appetizer. In this case, the waiter did not give a straight answer to the customer, which gave the customer the choice to make an informed decision so as not to complain once they took what they ordered. Once the waiter brought the appetizer, the customer described the appetizer as spicy, which made me understand the reason why the waiter did not give a definite answer. Throughout my visit, waiters continued informing the customers about their inquiries, and I never heard the words ‘no’ and ‘I do not know’ uttered at any one time. Â  The location of the restaurant is close to a tavern that did not prepare any food. As such, patrons from the tavern would come to the restaurant in a drunken stupor after imbibing in alcohol. With some of the clients drunk, the restaurant’s staff required to have impeccable skills to handle such clients. Based on my observation, the waiters handled the drunken clients excellently without denying services to any of the drunken customers. In addition, none of the waiters, regardless of their gender, shied from approaching a client despite the client being sober or drunk. In a way, this handling of the customers was essential to ensure that the restaurant was not subjected to any unnecessary suits resulting from denying services to any customer. It is obvious that the restaurant has devised ways to handle their customers in an extraordinary manner. However, there is slightly one downside in the overall handling of the customers, especially when delivered their orders.

Thinking about Death Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Thinking about Death - Research Paper Example However, as we shall see, this is modulated very differently in all three examples. Section 1: Henry James, loss and self-actualisation. The critical apogee of Henry James’ story, The Beast in the Jungle, comes only moments from the end in which the protagonist comes to understand himself. The self-awareness that John Marcher develops is critically, and inextricably, linked to the death of Mary Bartram. By connecting Mary’s death with Marcher’s epiphanies about his own life, the realisation of loss, ironically, becomes about the discovery of self-knowledge and the truth about life itself. The story of Marcher’s and Bartram’s relationship is defined by Marcher’s belief that he has an unusual fate: to die by some catastrophic event, what he terms ‘the beast in the Jungle’. It is for this reason that he decides that he will attempt to protect others and himself by not falling in love with others, or developing a deep connection with someone. This fate is developed throughout the novella and then finally achieved in the final moments of the work, when Marcher comes to understand his failure to connect to another person. ... ... He saw the Jungle of his life and saw the lurking Beast; then, while he looked, perceived it, as by a stir of the air, rise, huge and hideous, for the leap that was to settle him. His eyes darkened--it was close; and, instinctively turning, in his hallucination, to avoid it, he flung himself, face down, on the tomb.’ (James, The Beast in the Jungle) Instinctively, the reference to throwing himself down on his tomb points out the connection between Mary’s death and his achievement of his fate. Mary’s death is intimately connected to the acquisition of self-knowledge. He comes to understand, and in that moment achieves, his fate. The loss of Mary at this point becomes then the catastrophic event in his life; he realises what he has lost at the last, and is pained by it. Just as he comes to understand his fate, he comes to understand the way in which he and Mary had lived, and his ultimate failure in life. He comes to understand that his life was a solipsistic o ne. Marcher’s life is detached—detached from human connections, from the emotions and the intensity of profound connection that defines Mary’s life. This is expressed in a number of ways. Recall for instance his inability, in the opening scene of section 1, to remember his earlier meetings with Mary. (It is also expressed in the third person perspective of the narrator, for example.) The consequences of this solipsistic, detached life are brought home to him in the final scenes when faced with Mary’s death. She had offered him an escape from his fate: ‘The escape would have been to love her; then, THEN he would have lived. SHE had lived--who could say now with what passion?—since she had loved him for himself; whereas he had never thought of her (ah how

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It depends what you choose for report - Essay Example It is a market where debt securities are issued and traded, the instruments of bond market include govt issued securities (like saving bonds, treasury bills and notes), and corporate debt securities, (like CDs, municipal bonds, preferred stocks, and zero-coupon securities). It is one of mean that move the savings from saver to the issuers or companies who require capital for their ongoing projects or new expansions, this market is presumed to be a market of fixed return, although it appear complex but it is also driven by same risk and return tradeoff as like in stock market, basically bonds market can be divided into three main groupings i.e. issuer, underwriters, and purchaser. (Levitt) The final player in this market include any group or any other type of investor including the individual , further govt often purchase debt from other countries if they have the excess money of that other country’s money as a result of trade between them e.g. japan is a major holder of U S govt debts. Further it is worthwhile to mention that income from bonds is fixed but there are different risk factors that are attached to a bond market, which may include inflation risk, interest rate risk, duration risk, call risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market risk. (INSTRUMENTS) This form of lending and borrowing is common in corporate sector where if a company need finance for its operation or expansion projects it lend one of its asset to a financial institutes in order to finance these projects then in return they get loan, and after completion of concerned objective they get relieved there asset after paying back there loan amount. Normally people obtain such type of loan from state owned institutions, where each mortgage has its criteria depending upon the market situation, normally company acquire loans through mortgages where they pledge there asset with a bank or a financial institute in order to obtain loan for their expenses and in that case company have to

T-Mobile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

T-Mobile - Essay Example For example, as material resources such as buildings, equipment or machinery deteriorate or lose efficiency; or as human resources get older, or as skills and abilities become outdated. Some of this change can be managed through careful planning; for example, regular repairs and maintenance; choice of introducing new technology or methods of work; effective manpower planning to prevent a large number of staff retiring at the same time; management succession planning; training and staff development (Handy, 1993). A senior manager should take into account internal and external factors that influence the company. T-mobile can only perform effectively through interactions with the broader external environment of which it is part. The structure and functioning of T-mobile must reflect, therefore, the nature of the environment in which it is operating. Factors such as uncertain economic conditions, fierce world competition, the level of government intervention, scarcity of natural resources and rapid developments in new technology create an increasingly volatile environment. In order to help ensure its survival and future success T-mobile must be readily adaptable to the external demands placed upon it. External change drivers are caused by innovation rapid technological changes and innovations proposed by competitors within the industry. One of the major changes deals with the specification of goods which may be considered in terms of their design features and performance characteristics (Vonderembse, White, 2003). Together these measurements define what the item is and how it is intended to perform its purpose. Also, the specification of a transport may be expressed in terms of its "design" and performance. In this context design i.e. the nature of the transport, movement may be expressed in terms of the origin, destination and route of movement. Present day situation in T-Mobile USA is marked by two factor - specification, which is to do with the 'design quality' of service, and conformity, which is to do with the 'process' quality which is achieved are of particular importance to customers. Ultimately they are the two factors which determine the quality levels provided by T-Mobile USA to its customers. These two factors however are themselves determined by other factors. Service concepts are based on understanding the unique environment in which T-Mobile USA operate. Service concepts include improvement of communication, and the environment composed of all the individual services used for implementation of the group communication primitives. T-mobile planned organisational change is triggered by the need to respond to new challenges or opportunities presented by the external environment, or in anticipation of the need to cope with potential future problems. Major competitors of T-mobile, Sony and Samsung, recently develop a completely new model of portable mobile phones which goes ahead all models exciting on the market, that is why further technological development is an urgent need for T-mobile. This planned change represents an intentional attempt to improve, in some important way, the operational effectiveness of T-mobile. The basic underlying objectives can be seen in general terms as: modifying the behavioural patterns of members of T-mobile; and improving the ability of T-mobile to cope with changes in its environment. Internal change drivers The increasing need for change in T-mobile Corporation

Abraham Lincoln (Sixteenth president) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abraham Lincoln (Sixteenth president) - Essay Example Even though the great future speaker almost did not attend school he received a good self-taught education (BiographyShelf.com n.p.). During the Black Hawk War, Lincoln served as a captain in the U.S. army and later he tried himself at several political and business ventures (USA Presidents n.p.). Then he served four times in the Illinois State Legislature and was elected to Congress for two times in 1847 and 1849 (USA Presidents n.p.). During this period, Lincoln being a member of the U.S. House of Representatives he opposed the Mexican War (Marian n.p.) During the Presidential election of 1860, Lincoln took the post of the head of the country. Being born to parents who thought the slave trade despicable, the President issued the Emancipation proclamation in 1863 (USA Presidents n.p.). This proclamation excited rebellion in some states, in result of which there were enacted the 13th and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution. Thus, Lincoln established the federal enforcement of civil rights and abolished slavery (USA Presidents n.p.). As a president, Abraham Lincoln was focused on the political and military dimensions of the war, showing tremendous leadership to the Union populace during the war (USA Presidents n.p.). Abraham Lincoln actively participated in the war and closely controlled the war effort (USA Presidents n.p.). Thus, he made the faithful decision to appoint an army commander General Ulysses S. Grant, who had applied his military skills and knowledge to bring about the close of the Civil War (USA Presidents n.p.). During the Civil War, the president held more power than any previous president did; he frequently imprisoned Southern spies without trial and suspended the writ of habeas corpus (USA Presidents n.p.). During Lincoln’s terms in office, he set up the Department of Agriculture and facilitated the setting up of agricultural and mechanical colleges in each state (Marian n.p. and BiographyShelf.com n.p). Also, Lincoln

The Role of Strategic PR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Role of Strategic PR - Essay Example The first priority will be entrenching the image of Unilever UK as a healthy, eco-friendly, and happiness-inducing company. With this foundation should come smaller, internal and external campaigns to spread the firm declaration of these ideas to the Government, trendsetters within the community, investors, Unilever UK employees, and both traditional and social media outlets. Each situation has unique challenges and potential rewards, and thus must have tailored campaigns. In addition, Unilever UK will push into the young boy and girl deodorant market with the introduction of Dove Boy and Dove Girl. This will utilize some of the strategies of Unilever UK as a whole, with the addition of some specific marketing moves. The first step is to analyze the position and necessary response for Unilever UK to achieve its goals in 2011. A combination of anti-corporatism and fiscal restraint by individuals and the government alike has resulted in a new set of problems for Unilever UK. The UK had a .5% decrease in the fourth quarter of 2010, and expected GDP for 2011 was recently reduced to 1.5% (Archer, 2011). Because of this, consumers in the UK will spend less than before the global recession. Thus, marketing techniques and results must be upgraded if Unilever UK is to maintain or expand its current position. Positively, commensurate with the decline in the global economy came a decline in demand for advertisements, making advertising prices in the UK through traditional media fall significantly (Daily Mail Reporter, 2009). But pure economics will not make Unilever UK’s advertising plans successful- it will take a seasonal, trendy, and multi-genre campaign to ensure Unilever UK improves its sales and image as much as possible. Also, Unilever UK needs to maintain positive relations with the government of the UK, which has taken the middle ground on corporate relations, both prosecuting (Murphy, 2011) and permitting (Sweney, 2011) anti-competitive practices. Good re lations with the media, influential individuals, investors, employees and the traditional media will depend on a personal relationship with each, coupled with the enforcement of the companies values across the spectrum of society. Next, it is necessary to determine the aim of Unilever UK for this year. 2011 needs to be a year of enforcing the values of Unilever UK. That is: always working with integrity, positive impact, continuous commitment, setting out our aspirations, and working with others (Unilever). To promote all of these values, Unilever UK should utilize a widespread campaign to garner public support. This should include traditional and nontraditional media. Also, Unilever UK should ensure the support of the government, influential individuals, investors, employees, and the media. Some specific objectives of the campaign should be increasing the positive public opinion of Unilever UK, to be determined through non-invasive surveys and scouring opinions on the Internet. If an instance of a negative public image of Unilever UK comes about, Unilever UK should respond with a reasonable out showing of goodwill, addressing the problem directly, on as personal a level as possible, and positively. Another of Unilever UK’s objectives for 2011 should be to establish a personal relationship and dialogue with as many players in the UK marketplace as possible. This means Unilever UK must establish itself as an available resource on social media, as well as

Stakeholder needs Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder needs Essay Excecutive Summary The department of Electrical/Electronics and Aerospace Engineering, as part of the School of Technology of Springfield College has clear notions regarding first-order stakeholders and their requirements. The position of second-order and other stakeholders may not be entirely clear to the entire team and there may be opportunities for improvements. There are harmonised quality standards in place, which meet stakeholder’s requirements but further improvements should be implemented for the benefit of all stakeholders. Continuous improvement and change are generally promoted within the department but the current culture may not support these to the highest standard possible. Introduction This assignment aims to analyse and discuss the meeting of stakeholder requirements to agreed quality standards and seeking improvements, applied to a chosen organisation, i.e. Springfield College – School of Technology (E/E, Aerospace). The report will attempt to examine three main parts, namely, identifying stakeholders and their requirements, applying and improving quality standards, and promoting continuous improvement and  change. Each of these will be presented as a task with additional sub-headings to meet the assessed learning outcomes, e.g. Task 1 – 1.1, 1.2, etc. The report will be of academic nature rather than attempting to provide a narrative. Therefore the focus will lie on critique, analysis and opinion, supported by academic theory. It will also question the processes, benefits and values of methodology adopted by the chosen organisation, underpinned by relevant theory. In part one, the report will discuss who the stakeholders are and their expectations, how the organisation meets them, how these are communicated internally, and what processes for up to date information are in place. Part two will discuss the meaning of quality in the organisation, what organisational quality policies and procedures are in place, how teams are encouraged to improve quality, and what improvements could be made. Part three, will discuss needs for continuous improvement, assess work activities and identify areas for improvement, and discuss how to teams can contribute ideas for continual improvement. Sources of information will be referenced and citations will be used in the report. Task 1 (Be able to identify stakeholders and their requirements) (1.1 Determine organisational stakeholders and their expectations) There are a number of stakeholders attached to the department of Electrical/Electronics and Aerospace, which could be divided into first-order, second order, and other stakeholders, i.e. learners, employers and the local community plus local industry being first-order stakeholders. Second-order stakeholders include teaching staff, college leadership, middle management, awarding bodies, and quality departments. Other stakeholders may include OFSTED, suppliers, admin and support departments, contractors and others. Appendix 1 (Figure 2) shows a stakeholder map of the department. Boddy (2002) divides stakeholders into levels of interest versus levels of power, which is called the power/interest matrix. This tool of analysis applied to the department discussed would suggest that learners, employers, and the local community/industry form the key players; Awarding bodies, OFSTED and QA departments should be kept satisfied, admin and other internal stakeholder should be kept informed and suppliers, contractors and others would fall into the minimal effort category. This leaves teaching staff in a special category, as they support all stakeholders without necessarily interest or  power for themselves. However, in terms of delivery, they are key players. The expectations of stakeholders vary and first and foremost are learners with the expectation of receiving education and qualifications. Employers expect trained apprentices and access to potential qualified employees with good skills, and as they have a choice of provider, they also have power. Figure 1 shows a stakeholder matrix, applied to the department. 1.2 Discuss methods of meeting stakeholder expectations or requirements The methods of meeting expectations of stakeholder requirements range from planning, preparing and communicating to assuring, supporting, and certifying. There are however external, as well as internal factors that affect the operating environment. This means that some are controllable (internal, e.g. staff training, technology updates) and some are uncontrollable (external, e.g. government, economy, unemployment, etc.). Consequentially, there a different methods of responding to stakeholder’s needs, according to the environments. For example, technology advances rapidly and learners get used to being able to access all aspects of their course online. Therefore, departments need to plan their future technology capacity. This is where an external factor influences the internal environment, and a weakness can be turned into a strenght by investing in technology. Figure 1 Stakeholder Matrix of the Electrical/Aero Department at Springfield College Therefore, conducting a stakeholder analysis should highlight and prioritise the focus needed to satisfy each stakeholder’s needs. Methods of achieving this can include direct supervision, standardizing inputs and outputs, defining hierarchies (e.g. first and second line support), setting of rules and procedures, and establishing harmonized information systems, such as central databases. 1.3 Identify methods of communicating stakeholders’ requirements with team members Regular team meetings, all staff meetings, training events, stakeholder polls and evaluations, newsletters, emails, memorandums, site visits, open forums, internal blogs and information sharing activities can all contribute to  communicating stakeholder’s needs to team members. Effective communication is key for this, as is a conducive culture, e.g. a culture that shares information willingly amongst team members, rather than keep it hidden. 1.4 Explain processes for updating information on stakeholder requirements As described in 1.3, effective communication is key and the list of methods aids the updating process of responding to changing stakeholder needs. For example, a company that has a number of apprentices in training with Springfield requires more training for multi-skilling their staff. In this case regular meeting, email communiques, and standardised channels of communication should ensure that this need be fullfilled effectively and timely. Task 2 (Be able to apply and improve quality standards) 2.1 Discuss the meaning of quality to an organisation Johnson and Scholes (2002) put forward the notion that quality is important in the improvement of profit performance – for Springfield achievements mean profit/funding. The best situation appears to be a combination of high share and high product, or service quality, but even organisations with low market shares demonstrate significantly higher profit performance (or achievement rates) if they have offerings of superior quality. In this sense, quality can be a partial substitute for market share in sustaining advantage. For many organisations in the 1990s TQM (Total Quality Management) became the number one concern in terms of productivity as it often supported team-based structures as opposed to merely work-based structures. Team-based structures attempt to combine both horizontal and vertical co-ordination through cross-functionality. Some teams would develop, design, support customers, and research new knowledge and hence build around business processes. This leads to empow erment and increased feeling of responsibility, putting staff at the centre of producing quality out of self-determination. In theory this would create a TQM culture, which would benefit the entire organisation.

A History Of Indian Tourism

A History Of Indian Tourism There are a number of industries that play a pivotal role in the development of nations. Tourism being one such industry that has emerged as the largest global industry in the 20th century and is projected to grow even faster during the current century. Tourism when taken in its true sense has following characteristics; Resource based industry and consumes resources Creates waste Specific infrastructure needs All the characters are linked to the social fabric of the host community. It has social, cultural and environmental impacts with a possibility of over consumption. The conceptual structure of the project aims to investigate the problems and advantages of home stay tourism in Kerala, from an owners perspective. In this section the researcher attempts to explore the areas such as; History of Indian tourism Background of Kerala Definition of tourism Sustainable tourism Community based tourism Homestay tourism Tourist motivation Tourist satisfaction Relevant research History of Indian Tourism India is a centre of two ancient civilizations of the world called the Indus valley civilization, and the Aryan civilization. Tourism development in India started in the early sixties. By that time most of the other countries have achieved a remarkable progress in this area and has exploited to maximum possible extent. The best way to introduce India as a tourist destination to foreigners is that India is a country of all seasons and all reasons. Indias tourism resources have always been considered immense. The geographical features are diverse, colorful and varied. As such the resource potential is so much that it can cater to all kinds and tastes of tourists. India has an ancient tradition of tourism. It existed as an industry in the informal sector in ancient times and was indulged in by all classes of people. Mark Twain aptly remarked about India on India [National Tourism Policy 2002] that India is one country that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for the lettered and the ignorant, the wise and the fool, the rich and the poor, the bonded and the free one land that all men desire to see and once seen, by even a glimpse, would not give the glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined. The unity of India lies in its diversity people bound together by centuries of common traditions, faith and philosophy [Pran Nath, Sushma 1993]. Indian tourism industry has recorded a phenomenal growth especially from 1990s in terms of both international and domestic tourists arrivals [Honnappa, Ramakrishna 2006]. The ministry of Indian tourism has launched a new programme called Athithi Devo Bhavah which means guest is god. The inspiration behind this expression is to respect because; respect has always been an essential part of Indian soul. Tourism, which is the third largest foreign exchange earner in India, has started gaining prominence to the public agenda only in recent years. Many countries in the world are relying on tourism as one of the fastest growing sectors. In the Chief Ministers conference held on October 2001 [National Tourism Policy 2002] the Prime Minister of India, Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had stated that Tourism is a major phenomenon of economic growth in major parts of the world. Many countries have transformed their economies using the tourism potential the fullestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦tourism has the potential to create different types of employment in various sectors from the most specialized to the unskilled and what India needs is the generation of massive productive employment opportunities . Tourism in India has a strong relevance to economic development and employment generation. It creates huge employment opportunities, provides equitable distribution of wealth, helps to acquire the much needed foreign exchange, brings out a speedy development and improvement of infrastructural facilities. Developing countries have given a special importance for the development of tourism, for it is the main source of earning foreign exchange, thereby the economic status of the country goes up [Honnappa, Ramakrishna 2006]. Tourism is one of the few industries which generates high levels of economic output, with minimum investments and has immense socioeconomic development potential. Indian tourism industry has recorded a phenomenal growth particularly from 1990s [Sathyanarayana, Ramu 2006] in terms of both international and domestic visitor arrivals. A noticeable change in the holidaying trend was reported both the international and domestic tourists showed an inclination towards adventure sports. India is slowly but surely awakening to its tourism potential. The outcome of many studies hat has been done about tourism states that India is best suited for all kinds of tourism rural, cultural, eco-tourism, spiritual, sports and adventure tourism. With small countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are all ready major tourist destinations; India has to struggle to promote itself to the world tourists [Revathy 2008]. Background of Kerala Kerala, one of the smallest states lies in the southern coast of India, is one of the leading proponents of tourism in various sectors. Kerala has a vast and vibrant arena, where drama unfolds in the form of spell bounding heritage cites station, un -spoilt beaches, picturesque hill, roaring water falls, old temple towns, exotic wild life, bustling cities, surrounded with back waters, varied adventure sports and a vibrant way of life. Kerala is one of Indias most advanced societies with nearly full literate people and excellent quality of life. The people of Kerala are more sensitive than people elsewhere because of high literacy rate [Kumar, Sudheer 2007]. On its way to becoming south, Kerala is one of the states that attract a large number of tourists in South India. In order to tap the tourist potential of so much history and such a variety of natural endowments, the Kerala government is taking a number of steps to improve the states infrastructures like air, road and rail links. The state is evolving new strategies, creating dynamic blue prints and ensuring meticulous execution will make sure that the state will emerge on top. Developing world class tourism products needs enhancing infrastructure, stream lining administration, strategic alliance and marketing will ensure that tourism bring sustainable growth and prosperity to Kerala also known as Gods on Country [Honnappa, Ramakrishna 2006]. Kerala provides an ample opportunity for home stay and rural tourism. In this research work, this aspect of Kerala is trying to be explored. In addition to this, the fact that Kerala has remained and still continues to be one of the most favorite sites for tourists will also be highlighted (Thomas, K.W. (1992), pp.651-717). The landscape and the scenic beauty of Kerala are such that the tourists enjoy coming in India and exploring the various parts of Kerala (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). In addition, it was also seen that in the recent times, the sector of rural tourism is also increasing manifold (Thomas, K.W. (1992), pp.651-717). Thus, though this research work, the concept of rural tourism will also be highlighted. This introduction highlights the fact that rural tourism is relevant in developing nations where there is enough of land cape and scenic beauty to give the feel of the rural life (Thomas, K.W. (1992), pp.651-717). Today, for rural tourism, a village ca n prove to be an important site for tourist attraction. Any unbridled and indiscriminate growth of tourism leading to the problems of pollution, environmental and economic hazards and culture degradation will definitely be opposed by the highly sensitive host population of Kerala. The various negative factors of tourism will have far reaching consequences upon the people of Kerala besides making impact upon the tourists visiting the state. Definition of Tourism Tourism has been defined as the activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside of their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes [WTO 1998]. There are different words and meanings for tourism such as Domestic Tourism: that involves residents of the given country travelling only within the country. Inbound Tourism:- involves residents travelling in the given country. Outbound Tourism: means residents travelling in another country. International Tourism:- consists of inbound and outbound tourism [WTO 1998]. Sustainable Tourism There is no widely accepted definition of sustainable tourism. It could, of course, be suggested that sustainable tourism should simply be about applying the Brundtland Report definition of sustainability to tourism. This could lead to a definition such as: Forms of tourism which meet the needs of tourists, the tourism industry, and host communities today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There is another definition of sustainable tourism emphasizes the environmental, social and economic elements of the tourism system. This definition means tourism which is economically viable, but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism will depend, notably the physical environment and the social fabric of the host community [Swarbrooke 1999]. Sustainable tourism is the tourism development that protects important ecological and biological qualities and the process results in increased economic opportunity for local residents and involves them in decision- making, and respects the integrity of cultural norms and traditions. Sustainable tourism development is based on the objective that it meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support system [Ashraf, Fazili 2004]. For the development of tourism, the department has decided to develop policies, strategies and plans for sustainable tourism. The tourism plan or policy is a gambling that will definitely have winners or losers that make the public sector tourism policy a political issue. Tourism has powerful vested interests that will seek to influence the political process such as transport operators and hoteliers. Such kind of groups may also oppose measures to make tourism more sustainable. Rather than giving importance to the merits of tourism view point, the government and local communities are taking the tourism decisions for political reasons [Swarbrooke 1999]. The concept of sustainability clearly embraces the environment, people and economic systems. Therefore sustainable tourism is based on; social progress reflecting the needs for everyone, effective protection of environment, prudent use of natural resources, maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. According to Swarbrooke 1999, there are number of obstacles that will limit the role of the public sector in tourism, planning and development. They are; Tourism is only a low priority for the public sector and there seems to be a lack of political will to develop sustainable tourism. The concept of public sector planning and regulation are out of fashion Many public sector bodies lack the financial resources required to play a major role in tourism planning and development. There is lack of staff expertise in tourism in most public sector organizations around the world. The series of election affects the willingness of politicians to make the kind of long term decisions on which sustainable tourism depends. Public sector is only a minor player in the tourism industry with least control over tourism products. Sustainable tourism is lead by motives like spirit of enquiry, love of beauty, search for knowledge and respect for nature. It aims at quality tourism which creates least damage to the natural, social and cultural environment. The sustainable tourism hinges upon the overall management as a viable method in sustainable tourist activities. The overall quality approach renders the management of products especially of tourist areas, extremely sensitive to the preferences and expectations of consumers. The private and public profitability of a tourist destination will depend on the client sanitation, since they will return more often and stay longer and will transmit a positive image of their holiday experience to others. However, as these preferences and expectations include the demand for unspoilt settings and consumer satisfaction, the profitability of a tourist spot, will call for the development of strategies for sustainable development [Honnappa, Ramakrishna 2006] Community Based Tourism Tourism can bring both benefits and problems to an area. If well planned, developed and managed, tourism generates local jobs and income and provides opportunities for local entrepreneurs to establish tourism enterprises that lead to improve the living standards of residents [WTO 1998]. Community based tourism includes a range of activities, services and amenities provided by the rural people to attract tourist to their area in order to generate extra income. It is often considered ideal and inherently sustainable as it attracts manageable number of visitors, does not need much infrastructural development , does not consume too much of already scarce resources, does not require high amount of skill base, and provides a source of income to locals besides preserving the local culture and its traditions. One of the main attractions of CBT is the highly personal interactions between the host and the guest where both parties can share knowledge, ideas and experience and as a consequence increase the earnings of local community with minimal investments. Events like, a night out with the locals at their homes, participation in the lesser known village religious or cultural events, an opportunity to participate in local activities like agriculture, fishing or even living with locals and sharing their food, their lives and their occupation could provided the much needed fillip for community based tourism [Mello 2008]. Tourism can bring both benefits and problems to the local society and its cultural patterns. Although more difficult to measure than economic or environmental impacts, socio -cultural impacts are major considerations in developing tourism in any place. These impacts can be especially critical in countries that still have strongly traditional economies and societies. Despite the fact that tourism can generate socio -cultural impacts, it is obvious that any kind of new development brings changes. Tourism is one of the important sources that can bring changes in a society. A well planned, developed and managed tourism in a socially responsible manner can bring some kinds of socio -cultural benefits such as Improves the living standards of people and helps pay for improvements to community facilities and services, if the economic benefits of tourism are well distributed. Conserves the cultural heritage of an area which otherwise might be lost as a result of general development taking place. Conservation of archeological and historic sites was referred to under environmental impacts. In some places tourism can be the impetus for revitalizing cultural patterns which might be disappearing. Reinforces or even renews a sense of pride of residents I their culture, when they observe tourists appreciating it. Helps develop and maintain museums, theatres and other cultural facilities supported by tourism but the residents can also enjoy it. Tourism provides an opportunity for cross culture exchange between tourists and residents who learn about, and come to respect one anothers culture. This exchange can be best be achieved through certain forms of tourism educational and other types of special interest tours, village tourism and home visit programmes whereby tourist can arrange to visit local families. Homestay Tourism It was noted that these days, the craze for home stay tourism is increasing. This is because now people have less time an in that less time they want to experience all that they can of the culture of the people. Home stay is one of the most recent opportunities for tourism business owners to lure the customers and at the same time maximize profit (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). In this tourism, the host or the business owner allows the tourist to stay at their own houses or at specially designed huts such that they get first -hand information about the culture, and place they are visiting (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74).3-74). These Homestay businesses are running on a small scale by families allowing tourists to stay with them and to enjoy the food, lodging and other requirements. In lieu to these services, the person will give the household a fixed amount of money that fixed earlier. In this way both the person and the visitor also benefitted (Sunderl and, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). There are cases in Kerala where traditional huts are also constructed so that the tourists and come and stay with the people to have the feel of life in the rural society (Thomas, K.W. (1992), pp.651-717). This led to the evolution of the home stay system as they get a chance to interact with the local people and host and gain first -hand experience about the place (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). Home stay tourism is also a variant of ecotourism and primarily ensures in focusing that the tourists to give an experience of the rural lifestyle (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). However, Kerala faces many social and economic problems in this. The culture of the host and the guest meet and so there are changes of hurting the sentiments of one another (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). In addition, there are sometimes cases when the guest is not satisfied at the service given in that host (Hofstede, G. (2001), pp. 34-45). As the sceneries and sceni c beauty and hospitality of Kerala are great, this has been using as a marketing strategy to explore the prospects of tourism in Kerala (Sunderland, S., Nelson, R. (1995), pp. 53-74). This interest of the people to get mixed with the local culture of the people help in making rural tourism so popular in Kerala (Hofstede, G. (2001), pp. 34-45). These will be described in detail in the research work. Definitions of Homestay Tourism It is comparable to bed and breakfasts, but even less formal. A home stay property is a non commercialized, private residence that accommodates paying guest(s) who enjoy staying in the comfort and security of a family home. These guests often reside in the family home for an extended period of time, usually months rather than days. It is a safe, affordable means of housing popular amongst international students, interns, travelling professionals and adult visitors from other countries, who are looking to experience and learn about local lifestyle and culture [cited on: onecaribbean.org] Homestay is one type of tourism that promotes interaction between host families and tourists [cited on: mekongtourism.org] Homestay tourism refers to one pattern of tourism with emphasis on ecotourism and community based tourism, in which tourists will stay over night with the host in the villages. The hosts have to support visitors like a member of the family and involve them in all kinds of activities and shared experiences. These activities have the objective of learning about locals life style and livelihood of residents in the community [Phonwiset, Yomsatharn, Chusakul 2008 cited on: nubkk.nu.ac].