Heritage Tourism and its Peculiarities

Heritage Tourism and its Peculiarities Introduction Heritage tourism focuses on information and how the management contributes to the promotion of that particular tourism site. To this end, it assesses the strategic locations of the site and the importance of achieving the intended goal, which aims towards the revenue generation and culture preservation.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Heritage Tourism and its Peculiarities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The employed methodology included personal interviews of the site administrators. Mr. Ivan Mercieca, the maintenance manager of three heritage sites in Rabat was the first one to be interviewed. The second interview was directed to Mr. David Cardona, the curator of three heritage sites. Moreover, the study employed different reports and journals to ascertain issues on the management of various heritage sites. St. Paul’s Catacombs (SPC) About Heritage Malta Heritage Malta was established in 2002 under the Cultural Heritage Act. This agency is concerned with the sites preservation and direct management to preserve the Malta people’s culture. The management of this site is focused on four broad categories. These categories are conservation, management, marketing and interpretation. In 2005, after the amendment of the law creating a heritage agency, all the activities related to culture and heritage preservation were given to this organisation (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p. 76). As a result, 64, 000 and 100, 000 tourists were realized in 2008 and 2009 respectively (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.6). About St. Paul’s Catacombs St. Paul Catacombs are found in Rabat, Malta. They a significant part of a large cemetery field that is located in Malta. The cemeteries have graves of different religious backgrounds such as the Pagans, the Jews and even Christians. It was estimated that more than 25 of these people were dug in this site (Goh 2010, p.1). Accor ding to archaeological evidence, St. Paul has diverse religious background, because people from different faiths buried there. Some of the unique features include the circular tables, which are set in a specific manner that seems to show a couch. These are believed to have been used for meals during the old times. Core resources The core resources include catacombs, collection, information panels in the reception area, human/financial resources to offer transport facility/services, media, and small displays. Heritage visitor attraction (HVA) was developed into a museum by constituting information panels in 2004, especially after clearing the debris from the site. The historical value of SPC is evident from the St Paul’s shipwreck. In addition, there are glass paintings of St John.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Under the ERDF 032 framework, two sites wer e to be upgraded and conserved at a cost of 9,151,333 pounds (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.7). These included SPC Malta-catacombs (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.7). The project incorporated the construction of the Tarxien temples, Ggantija Heritage Park and St. Paul’s Catacombs (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.8). The work involved topographical survey, archaeological investigations, mapping, hydrological survey, environmental assessment, and structural survey (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.9). Products Tangible products St Paul’s Catacombs are a big complex with different attractions. There is only one guided tour scheduled for 1 p.m. The guided tour involves several groups. In addition, there are audio guided tours. These are usually six in number. In this regard, Kotler’s diagram/theory can be used in analysing SPC situation, as shown below (Kotler 1997, p.112). Fig1.0: Kotler’s Diagram Product Through improved information t echnology, SPC has provided a means of delivering new and unique products, which are intended to match many other available products. Place SPC can create a new interaction place for their tourists/clients so that the communication between them could be cordial, easy and with maximum efficiency (Kotler 1997, p.114).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Heritage Tourism and its Peculiarities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Price Pricing of products that SPC intends to supply is very significant in determining the overall sales volume. Promotion Carrying out promotion is one of the means through which SPC can create consumer awareness (Kotler 1997, p.113). Augmented products Group visits are arranged to tour St Paul Catacombs, and they are accompanied by a licensed tour guide. There are gift shops selling some products. Moreover, the transport systems at St Paul’s Catacombs have walkways for both the normal people and the physically handicapped. A Heritage trail evening tour involves visits, which are organised under different themes. Under the same concept, the following can also be studied. People In this scenario, tourists are the most important aspect of the marketing mix, an issue that the SPC needs to recognise. For instance, the use of online tourism is capable of changing the dynamics on product/service delivery of the site. Process The issues relating to the process involve the channel through which SPC follows in delivering its products to customers. It also outlines the various ways through which the customer should follow to receive the products (Kotler 1997, p.114). Stakeholders Heritage Malta (HM) Heritage Malta plays important roles such as management, conservation, interpretation and marketing (Garrold, Fyall, Leask Reid 2012, p. 1162). Besides, it maintains the cultural heritage of the sites. Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is a coordinator between itself and the population. It is responsible for conducting meetings regarding the sites’ promotion and to implement the culture preservation activities. They also have informative journals, which add crucial knowledge/ value to the sites (Visit Britain 2010, p.1). To this end, MICE scheme is held after the ERDF is finalised, and then the former is made available in SPC.Advertising Looking for report on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Tour Operators, MICE Section, Language Proper coordination between tourist operators and the Tourism Authority is also important, because it increases the number of visitors expected (Timothy Nyaupane 2009, p. 39).The tourist operators also act as advertisers for the attraction (Visit Scotland 2010, p.1). Visitors St. Paul’s Catacombs are visited by tourists that belong to different countries and cultures. These normally range from local to international visitors. Tourists who visited St Paul’s Catacombs were 71,380 and 71,461 in 2009 and 2008 respectively (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.86). For instance, sometimes school students visit the sites for educational purposes. The number of visitors stood at 1,043,643 and 1,068,420 in 2009 and 2008, respectively (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.86). Local Council and Neighbours The local council and neighbours were consulted to voice their opinions on services such as electricity and drainage. As a result, an a nnual event took place, Rabat Arts Festival. Focusing on the ERDF programme, the local council was meant to issue permits for holding events and work. The ERDF programme would analyse the effects on the community concerned. As part of the ERDF programme’s goal of increasing accessibility systems, St. Agatha School’s environmental censor/football ground would be used to access the catacombs. Media As part of the marketing and advertising programme, Heritage Malta uses its website for sales and promotional campaigns. Social media such as facebook, you tube and twitters are used as links for attracting tourists. These links also facilitate online shopping (Leask Yeomann 1999, p. 63). The website incorporates various information kiosks, panels in the museum, information guides, audio guides, and interactive CD, which are important media for online sales/marketing. Outsourcing Outsourcing is used to make sure that the services are delivered in a prompt and timely manner (K oetler 1997, p. 34). One of the areas where Heritage Malta has engaged outsourcing is cleaning. There is an outsource contract whereby cleaning is done for two and a half hours every day (Garrold et al. 2012, p. 1162). Heritage Malta has also engaged Keeron contractor to deal with security issues. The other advisory bodies are the Maltese Commission for UNESCO and the Scientific Committee for the Megalithic Temples (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.10). Indeed, it is important to increase enough surveillance for the sites (Hall McArthur 1996, p. 103). This implies that the EU funds can be sought under the ERDF programme to finance such project management costs. Key Management issues at SPC Lack of revenue Inadequate revenue is a challenge to the Heritage Malta attraction. Revenue is generated from admission fees, hiring, donations, and interactive CD. The collected revenue is apportioned among the marketing, media, experts, maintenance. Part of this amount is used for financing employee benefit expenses. For instance, 5,271,789 and 6,621,654 pounds for employee benefit expenses were incurred in 2009 and 2008, respectively (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.24). Other expenses include bank interests amounting to â‚ ¬1,715 for 2009 and â‚ ¬6,819 for 2008 (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.25). Moreover, the director’s fees amounted â‚ ¬13,974 for 2009 and â‚ ¬37,645 for 2008 (Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009, p.25). Therefore, it is evident that more revenues are allocated to expenses, thus putting the Heritage Malta in a financial distress. Conservation of Site Even though there are different modes of preservation used by the Malta Heritage, more needs to be done. The site receives a lot of visitors annually. This means that the large number of visitors increases the pressure on the soil and consequently it is deteriorated. Another issue that arises when it comes to conservation is the colliding values of the people who are involv ed. The best illustration of this is the fact that people of different religious backgrounds have been buried on that site; this includes the Christians, the Pagans as well as the Jews. Security Issues Security still remains a challenge, and partly the reason for this is the huge number of tourists that usually visit the place. The first security threat is posed due to the fact that some people normally go downstairs and even beyond the barriers. The next threat is derived from the fact that the wall that seeks to separate the school premises from being accessed by the tourists is not that effective. The security threat is further heightened by the fact that there aren’t any security or surveillance cameras within the attraction (Che Chen 2010, p. 33). This has opened doors to vandalism and other security issues. The number of security personnel mandated to do physical check does not match the perimeters and this makes some areas remain uncovered by these security personnel. Health and Safety The safety of the visitors at St. Paul Catacombs is not fully assured. This challenge is further heightened by the fact that the number of visitors has always been high (Falk Dierking 1992, p. 102). Since the number of visitors is high, it means that tour guides are not enough. Consequently, people have to guide themselves throughout the Catacombs. For first time visitors there is always a challenge of having proper mobility and balance while passing through the St. Paul Catacombs. This has the effect of putting people at risk (Fyall et al. 2008, p. 112). Another challenge is posed by the poor drainage systems that are not properly installed and they pass from surfaces, from the roofs without any proper installation. The delay in fixing the drainage system is caused by more bureaucracies in the government (Leask 2010, p. 54). Traffic Congestion The narrow roads cannot accommodate the large number of visitors. As a result, there is a huge traffic on these roads. T here are also some business premises which contribute to the narrowing of the road. A good example of such premises includes the grocery shops that are located just besides the road. These are normally supplied by vans. When these supply vans are transacting, they block the roads and cause traffic jams. Effective Management Tools Effective management as a process can be split up into three stages: the determining factors, measuring the effectiveness and finally establishing the effective management tools (Leask Rhiova 2010, p. 123). In Heritage Malta some of the determining factors include the ownership category. The type of ownership is inclined towards communal. The people of Malta tend to believe that through the site their culture is preserved. This leads to another determining factor which is the individual nature of the resource. In this case, the community members take an individual approach of ownership and equal levels are put in place to ensure that the culture is actuall y preserved (Leiper 1990, p. 380). In order to ensure proper and efficient management the following tools may be added: The use of Multimedia Technology in communicating with the visitors as well as monitoring the same is one of the core surveillance methods that should be employed (Pearce 2005, p. 76). Employing the use of an interactive Multimedia Technology will be very helpful to the visitors. This is because it will make it easier for them to gain access to some important features such as directions. This is important as it will also reduce the cost of hiring staff (MacCannell 1999, p. 45). Touch screens with info on them are also very attractive and will make many people use it. Guided tours are also important to facilitate the management process (Moore 1994). This is because the tour guides know well the terrain of the site. With their help the safety of the visitors increases. Another element that is helpful when it comes to the use of guided tours is the fact that the visit ors will have a chance to learn much more about the place. This is because the tour guides are fully aware of the history and the heritage of the site. Guided tours are also interactive and can be a very efficient method of collecting feedback from the visitors. Through this method the management can easily learn how to improve on their management as well as their service delivery. Groups with licensed guides from the MTA are also important when it comes to management in St. Pauls Catacombs. Groups help in coordination while with the licensed tour guide; such groups make it easier to maneuver through the site. Printed word storyboards as well as information boards are also an important way to convey messages to the visitors (Smith 2003, p. 88). The importance of this mode of conveying the message is that they are normally placed at very open places and many visitors get the chance to read them (Shackley 1998, p. 134). Apart from that, such printings can be done in a different langu age in order to be read by people from different backgrounds. Pictures and illustrations can be read by different people from different languages. Brochures are only kept on-site. Before brochures were presented on tourist information stands and other HM sites and museums, it was found that they were useless and this resulted in waste of money. Alternatively, such brochures can be availed to the interested customers at a fee. This fee shall be used to cover the cost of production. Gastronomy is important in developing the cultural aspect of the Malta. Websites such as ilovefood.com is dedicated to developing the cuisine of the Maltese people. Other interpretation tools can also be employed to enhance management. These could take the form of video and audio guidance machine. They help in conveying the message easily and efficiently to the visitors. Audio recordings can be used to show historical information. Recommendations for Management Tools Increasing the Number of Visitors There is a need to increase the number of people that visit the St. Pauls Catacombs. The average number of visitors in years 2008 and 2009 was 71420. This comes to an average of two hundred people per day. The capacity of the St. Pauls Catacombs is big enough to handle more people. In order to increase the number of visitors, a joint promotion should be undertaken. The most convenient and productive means to use is a joint promotion between different sectors and stakeholders who are involved. The joint promotion is specifically targeting the Malta Tourism Authority and the attraction train (TRAM) that passes through the streets of Rabat. Such promotion will enlighten the potential visitors and thereby the increase the number of visitors is expected. Use of Leaflets and Brochures to Promote Awareness Another important element in promotion is the use of leaflets to increase awareness of the heritage. This is particularly important as it will offer an informative description of the attracti ons that St. Pauls Catacombs have to offer. In the leaflets, pictures can be added to give the potential visitor a vivid image of what to expect. Proper coordination shall also serve as a very important tip on how to reach to St. Pauls Catacombs. Transport Services Transport and mobility within St. Pauls Catacombs is easy and convenient even to people with disabilities. This derives from the fact that the walkways are made in such a way that allows easy and free mobility for people with disabilities as well as normal people. Transport to the place is also not hard to get as there is a train that passes through. Improvement of Security Measures Improvement of security measures is also significant in order to enhance security within the Catacombs. Installation of surveillance cameras as well as hiring more security personnel is a proper way of improving the security status at St. Pauls Catacombs. The modern technology should also be embraced in enhancing security. Increased Involvemen t of the Local People Another recommendation is the increased involvement of the local people. Since Heritage Malta is concerned with the preservation of culture and heritage, support from the local people is important. This calls for educating the locals about the importance of preserving culture. Once the locals feel that their culture is appreciated and is being preserved, they might become interested in volunteering and investing more efforts in preserving own history and culture. This will result in reducing costs to hire people. Offering Ancillary Services Creating other institutions and premises that will offer ancillary services to the clientele at St. Pauls Catacombs is also recommended. For instance, hotels can be set up to offer accommodation for the visitors who have come from very distant locations. Such services as insurance are also important for the heritage attraction. This increases security and confidence in the stability of the heritage attraction. Conclusions Th e Heritage Malta plays a very important role in the preservation of the culture of the people of Malta. The St. Pauls Catacombs are also important attractions, because they have the historical and religious attachments. The challenges include security matters and the increased number of visitors. Therefore, it is necessary to implement the stated recommendations to enhance the achievement of the site’s intended goals. Effective tools of management are likely to yield fruits if the challenges mentioned in this report are solved. Effective management also includes creating harmonized goals between different stakeholders. This harmonization can be achieved if all the stakeholders communicate with each other and discuss the matters involved. The organization of these meetings and discussion on how to harmonize these goals is normally done by the Malta Tourism Authority. References Che, C Chen, F 2010, ‘Experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioural inten tions for heritage tourists’, Tourism Management Journal, Vol. 31 No. 1, pp.29-35. Falk, JH Dierking, LD 1992, The Museum Experience, Whalesback Books, Washington. Fyall, A, Garold, B Leask, A 2008, Managing Visitor Attractions, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Garrold, B, Fyall, A, Leask, A Reid, E 2012, ‘Residents as Stakeholders of the Visitor Attraction’, Tourism Management Journal, Vol.33 No. 5, pp.1159-1173. Goh, E 2010, ‘Understanding the heritage tourist market segment,’ International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 257-270. Hall, C M McArthur, S 1996, Heritage Management in Australia New Zealand, Oxford University Press, London. Heritage Malta Annual Report 2009. Web. Kotler, P 1997, Marketing Management- analysis, planning. Implementation and control, 9th edn. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey. Leask, A Rihova, I 2010, ‘The role of heritage tourism in the Shetland Islands. International Journal of Culture,†™ Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 118-129. Leask, A Yeoman, I 1999, Heritage Visitor Attractions An Operations Management Perspective, London, Continuum. Leask, A 2010, ‘Progress in Visitor Attraction Research: Towards a more effective Management,’ Journal of Tourism Management, vol. 31 no 2, p 155-166. Leiper, N 1990, ‘Tourist attraction systems,’ Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 17 No. 3, p. 367-384. MacCannell, D 1999, The Tourist: A New Theory Of the Leisure Class, University of California Press, California. Moore, K 1994, Museum Management, Routledge, London. Pearce, PL 2005, Tourist Behaviour, Themes and Conceptual Schemes, Cromwell Press, Great Britain Renaghan, LM 1981, ‘A New Marketing Mix for the Hospitality Industry,’ The Cornel H.R.A Quarterly, vol. 22 no. 2, p 31-35. Shackley, M 1998, Visitor Management Case Studies from World Heritage Sites, Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Smith, M 2003, Issues in Cultural Tourism Studies, Routledge, London. Swabrooke, J 1995, The Development and Management of Visitor Attractions, 2nd Ed., Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Timothy, D Boyd, S 2003, Heritage Tourism, Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow. Timothy, D Nyaupane, G 2009, Cultural Heritage and Tourism in the Developing World: a Regional perspective. Routledge, Abingdon. Visit Britain, 2010, Tourism Insights 2010. Web. Visit Scotland, 2010, Visitor Attractions Monitor, 2010. Web.

Characteristics of Pure Competition

Characteristics of Pure Competition 1.0 Introduction Basic microeconomic theory states that firms should seek to maximize profits and that this is achieved where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost. A number of assumptions underpin this theory, including the assumptions that firms clearly understand the nature of the demand for their products, and why people buy, and that they are willing and able to control production and sales as the model demands. In reality, decision makers do not have perfect knowledge and production and sales are affected by suppliers and distributors. However, this basic theory has resulted in the development of market models and characteristics of these in respect of barriers to entry into the industry, the number of firms in the industry, whether those firms produce a standardized product or try to differentiate their products from those of other firm. At the early 1920’s, only two distinct market models are present in the economic studies which are Pure Competition and Pure Mon opoly. However, economist found out that most firms operate in markets that fall between the extremes of pure competition and pure monopoly. These firms do not face competition from numerous rival producers all selling a homogeneous product at a single price. Instead, most firms in the real commercial world face varying degrees of competition. In some cases, there are competitions offering more or less identical products; in other instances, firms produce and sell differentiated products. In the latter case, a competitor’s product is merely an attractive substitute. In the real commercial world, there may be numerous competitor, or there may be only a few other sellers in a given market. The need of for a more accurate world for markets of this type of this type led to the development of ‘imperfect market’ to refer to such markets. Imperfect competition refers to markets lying in between the two extreme forms of markets, pure competition and pure monopoly. In ord er to bridge the gap of these extreme forms of market structure, two economists, Joan Robinson of Cambridge University of England and Edward Chamberlin of Harvard University in the U.S.A., introduced independently a third market world to explain and illustrate the theory of imperfect competition in the year of 1993. In other words, their model of market organization is what as refer as monopolistic competition. As a result of the variations between the markets present, four distinct market structures are introduced: Pure Competition, Pure Monopoly, Monopolistic competition, and Oligopoly. Pure Competiton Pure Competition is a rarity as such as a theoretical market model. Pure competition involves a very large number of firms producing a standardized, non differentiated product that is exactly identical to that of other firms as perfectly competitive. Pure Competition is a market which firms will only make ‘normal’ profits, the amount required for them to stay in the ind ustry. In Pure Competition market there are no major barriers to entry into the industry so new firms can enter or exit the industry very easily. If a Pure Competition market reaches a situation which supply exceeds demand then the ruling market price is forced down and only the efficient firms survive.

Netflix Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Netflix - Case Study Example Apart from this, there was also a scheme whereby any new subscriber would be allowed access t o its movie library on one month trial basis. After this the subscriber is automatically taken as a subscriber unless he cancels the subscription personally (Thompson 282). 2. Marketing tie ups- Netflix had entered into a deal with a company named Startz Entertainment and made tie ups with entertainment content providers such as Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Indie films etc that gave the subscribers an access to several new movies at the same amount they paid (Thompson 284). This move was taken to increase the popularity of the company. 3. Quick delivery to subscribers- Netflix made it a point to deliver the ordered DVDs to the subscribers within one business day after the order is placed (Thompson 286). For this, the company had formed several regional centers that helped to deliver the DVDs in a very short time. This was a strategy to increase its popularity amongst the customers. 1. The company has a fast mover delivery system on its online subscriptions. This has been done by setting regional bases in several areas. Also, by placing orders online the company made watching movies cheaper (Thompson 286). There are fewer threats from new entry into the market place and Netflix enjoyed a market leader position there. Making movie steaming and renting cheaper involves huge money and this would not be easy for any new company in a short time. (e) Degree of rivalry- the degree of rivalry can be strong as there are fewer companies operating in the market. Rivalry can also arise from other sources such as the cable and satellite companies (Thompson 281). Strengths – the strengths of the company lie on its fast delivery and huge collection of movies. The company had also got has a huge customer satisfaction as it had around 16.3 million subscribers (Thompson 287) and strong brand recognition. Weakness – the company relies on fast delivery of

Technology Sector Privite Equity and a New Speculative Bubble Term Paper

Technology Sector Privite Equity and a New Speculative Bubble - Term Paper Example Goldman intends to resell many of the shares to high net-worth individuals through its wealth management division. This â€Å"special investment vehicle† will exploit a loophole in securities law regarding private company ownership. According to US securities law, a private company is not permitted to have more than 500 individual investors without making its financial information public. Being a private company, Facebook is not required by the SEC to share financial information with investors at this time. Due to these above mentioned conditions surrounding these companies, speculation continues to be a driving force surrounding these investments. In this paper, we will take a look at the history and features of speculative bubbles including the technology bubble of the late nineties (dot com bust) in an attempt to use economic data to analyze today’s environment to detect the presence of a bubble and its potential impacts. The Origins of Speculative Bubbles Speculativ e bubbles have long fascinated and puzzled economists across many time periods. From the original Tulip Mania of the 1630’s to the Dot- Com bubble of the late nineties, these phenomena have kept economists on their toes for centuries, in trying to pin down substantive causative agents that are responsible for the swift increase in the market values of particular assets. Till today, experts have been unable to chalk down exact reasons for the emergence of such bubbles as they can rise up even in the most predictable markets; where the market participants can very accurately calculate the intrinsic value of the assets and where speculation plays no part in the actual valuation process. What is the origin of bubbles? Simply put, speculative bubbles are caused by â€Å"precipitating factors† that have the ability to bring about a change in the public’s perception about the value of an asset and about the future prospects of that asset, which can have an immediate im pact on demand (Shiller , 2000) One of the most famous economists of all time, John Maynard Keynes pointed out in his book â€Å"The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money†, that abrupt and immediate stock price changes have their roots in the â€Å"collective crowd behavior† of the various market agents more than anything else and that in almost all such scenarios, these rises in prices have little to do with the values that can be derived from â€Å"careful analysis of present conditions and future prospects of firms†. This seems to be a certainly accurate description of the conditions which surround the emergence and bursting of the speculative bubbles as seen in the past. Kindleberger in his book â€Å"Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises† (1978), presents a summary of his observations regarding the historical pattern that these bubbles usually follow. He states that the increase in prices typically starts with the emerg ence or birth of opportunity, usually in the shape of new markets or cutting edge technology or some major change in the political landscape of a particular region which can pull in investors looking for excellent returns on their investments. This is followed by rising prices of the particular asset. In this phase, more and more people rush after the overpriced commodity, feeding fuel to the bubble, increasing prices further and feeding the mania, and at the same time causing credit

The Life and Works of Bertolt Brecht Essay -- Theatre Practitioner Dra

The Life and Works of Bertolt Brecht In this essay I will consider the life and works of Bertolt Brecht, the famous theatre practitioner who has had such a dramatic impact on our understanding of the theatre and acting. First of all I will give a biography of Brecht because it is important to know the background of his life in order to understand the motives he had for writing and producing plays in the way he did. We will see a direct correlation between events in his life and the plays and techniques that he propagated. I will then move to explore the methods and techniques that Brecht developed, looking at how they came about and who influenced his work. I will look at Brecht’s theory of Epic theatre, tracing the beginnings of this style and looking at the influences that may have helped to form it. To get a clear view of what Epic theatre is like I will compare it to dramatic theatre, which Brecht did himself, in regard to how the audience reacts to it. I will examine Brecht’s theory of using Montage and the effect that he intended to have on the audience. I will consider the origination of Verfremdungseffekt and how this was not an original idea of Brecht’s but something that he identified with because it supported his ideas. Geste was the technique that Brecht wanted actors to use when portraying a character, I will examine what geste is and what may have influenced Brecht to use it. Music for Brecht was a vital part of theatre and I will look at what interested him about using music and the role of music in his Epic theatre. I will consider Brecht’s ideas of what stage design should be like and how he viewed it as something separate to the text and the music. Brecht was a political writer and after reading the works of Karl Marx he wrote and produced didactic plays that reflected the philosophy of communism. Brecht wanted to involve the audience in the debates that he presented in the text and in this way the audience would learn about the arguments and be able to come to an informed conclusion of what they thought. The plays that did this are called ‘The Lehrstuck’ or ‘Learning Plays’ and I will consider how they were presented in order to involve the audience and get them to respond. Brecht was born in 1898 to a middle class family in the south of Germany. In his teenage years the First World War broke out and ... ... was so against. In the writings of Karl Marx he found a philosophy that mirrored his and he began to write more vigorously to inspire political change. His belief was that the oppressed poor people had to be inspired to fight for political change and thereby relieve their suffering. These plays were written for a music festival and they took place on a very open stage, which allowed more audience involvement. Behind the stage there was a projection screen which displayed the text and invited the audience to join in by singing along. Sometimes there would be actors in the audience to lead the audience response. In this way Brecht hoped to involve the audience in the political debates within the text. Throughout his life Brecht collaborated with other writers, musicians, directors and designers. His work was always an amalgamation of efforts and yet he managed to claim it as his own. By the end of his life he was a leading figure in theatre his productions had changed the way people viewed theatre because of their innovative ideas and detailed acting and design. Through exploring Brecht’s work I have learnt more about the theatre, its origins and its potential.

Ethics †morality Essay

When asking people â€Å"what does ethics mean? † we get many different replies. Some relate ethics to feelings, others relate it to religion, others might relate it to the law, others relate it to society and some just do not know. They are all wrong. Ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong. Feelings, religion and the law may misguide people from what is ethical. The majority of people misunderstand what being ethical means. Some think that being ethical means following the law. The law often incorporates ethical standards to which most citizens subscribe. But laws, like feelings, can deviate from what is ethical. Our own pre-Civil War slavery laws and the old apartheid laws of present-day South Africa are grotesquely obvious examples of laws that deviate from what is ethical. Adela Cortina (March, 2000) said, â€Å"A natural law standpoint which, whether in its traditional or ‘post traditional’ version, ultimately takes only what is just from a certain moral conception as ‘valid law’, is not an acceptable basis for legal legislation in a morally pluralist society. † Nor should one identify ethics with religion. Most religions, of course, advocate high ethical standards. Yet if ethics were confined to religion, then ethics would apply only to religious people. But ethics applies as much to the behavior of the atheist as to that of the devout religious person. Religion can set high ethical standards and can provide intense motivations for ethical behavior. Ethics, however, cannot be confined to religion nor is it the same as religion. Praveen Parboteeah, Martin Hoegl and John B. Cullen (June, 2008) mention â€Å"some studies have found no difference between religious and non religious individuals on unethical behaviors such as dishonesty and cheating. Many people tend to equate ethics with their feelings, but being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one’s feelings. A person following his or her feelings may recoil from doing what is right. Feelings frequently deviate from what is ethical. Just like Ken Bowen (August, 1994) said, â€Å"With a set of rules guilt is all too often a conflict between what is said to be wrong and what one feels to be right and can be devastating to an individuals personality. † What, then, is ethics? Ethics is two things. First, ethics refers to well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Ethics, for example, refers to those standards that impose the reasonable obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, assault, slander, and fraud. Ethical standards also include those that enjoin virtues of honesty, compassion, and loyalty. And, ethical standards include standards relating to rights, such as the right to life, the right to freedom from injury, and the right to privacy. Such standards are adequate standards of ethics because they are supported by consistent and well-founded reasons. Secondly, ethics refers to the study and development of one’s ethical standards. As mentioned above, feelings, laws, and social norms can deviate from what is ethical. So it is necessary to constantly examine one’s standards to ensure that they are reasonable and well-founded. Ethics also means, then, the continuous effort of studying our own moral beliefs and our moral conduct, and striving to ensure that we, and the institutions we help to shape, live up to standards that are reasonable and solidly-based. Most people do not really know what the meaning of ethics is. They all have a different idea of it. They relate it to things like religion, law and feelings. Well these usually deviate us from what is right and wrong. That is not all there is to ethics. Ethics has to do with standards of right and wrong. They may change through time. One must always examine one’s standards.

Essay on Genocide in Germany - 863 Words

Genocide in Germany Beginning in the early 1930s, officials in Germany saw that they could put the blame of their troubles onto the Jews. After the First World War, the German public was extremely angry with the government officials, especially because of the aftermath of the war. The German economy tumbled to a point that children could use blocks of German Marks as building blocks, French from right across the border could get pastries and other goods in Germany for less than an eighth the price of the same goods in France. Added onto that was the fact that Germany owed many war debts to the Allies. Adolf Hitler, a man who fought in World War I, saw that he could use this hatred to his†¦show more content†¦Due to Americas own depression, many Americans felt resentment toward the Jews also. The papers only talked about oppression towards Jews and the beatings, something that was occurring in the U.S. in smaller numbers than in Germany. The information given to the American public wasnt enough to make them care too much, and due to their own problems Americans didnt feel the need to go looking for information that might have been readily available. Many Americans, because of the depression during the early 1930s, had long hated the Jews. In America during the depression, like Germany, many people saw Jews as a people who succeeded in anything and for that they hated them. Jews have been known throughout history as great businessmen. When Americans read that Jews were kicked out of their businesses in Germany, Americans secretly enjoyed hearing news like this; it meant that not only was the depression hurting them, but also Jews who were known for their success during the depression were now in the same boat as the rest of the country. 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