Technical aspects of tourism

Technical aspects of tourism Executive summary: This report deals with the introduction and usage of ICT (Information and communication technology in the field of tourism. This report discusses all the technical aspects of the tourism industry and its impact on consumers. First it discusses various basic factors relate to the ICT and how it has been used by the customer and the tourism sector to interact with each other and also stress on various other benefits arising out of it. It discusses the topic of e-business in detail and explains how it has affected the consumers across the world. The topics like decision making by the tourist and various models by different analysts have also been taken into consideration to assess the topic in depth. Competitive advantage of E- commerce has been brought into light. To analyse the impact of ICT on the tourism industry, we have taken an example of a tourist agency called Thomas Cook. It one of the premier tourism agencies in the word, that has achieved a lot of success through effective implementing the ICT system in their firm. This report has analysed the strategies adopted by Thomas cook for their success in tourism sector. One of the major factors called mySAP consumer relations management has been discussed in detail. This paper also deals with the advantages of the benefits that a consumer has through e-commerce as well as the barriers of e-commerce. Introduction: Information and communication technology (ICT) is the Contemporary style of doing business in an effective manner. This process was being used since the early 1930s but in recent times i.e., the past 15 years this system is been followed extensively in various sectors. Major sectors like retail, banking, telecommunication, governments of various countries, Tourism, etc is using this system effectively. This concept covers vide rang of appliances like internet, wireless, Digital Cameras Wi-Fi, VIOP, GPS, Digital Radio, etc. Every sector is trying to implement this process through one way or the other to improve their business performance. It is been so extensively these days that an article in the Daily Telegraph IT supplement said that, many large organisations would not survive 24 hours without the help of ICT. This attitude change towards ICT was always expected and is of no wonder. This development was inevitable as this made the work easier and faster. This is the main reason why outsourcing of work began. The cost of production was reduced and so was the cost of goods. This technological development has eliminated the national boundaries and helped various businesses to go global, thus integrating markets as well as economies across the world. This rapid growth in the technology has lead to the concept of E-Business and E-Commerce. With e-business there are various advantages due to the presence of global audience, online transaction, etc. This is playing a major role in reshaping the tourism sector across the world. This concept of ICT has brought people much closer to the tourism service providers. Now, customers do most of their holiday or travel plans online. Many tourism companies are adopting this technology. The tourism sector being one of the traditional sectors it was not a smooth ride in taking up this technological advancement. Many small could not afford this kind of investment. They had to terminate a lot of workers as after this advancement there was minimal response to the traditional high street travel agencies. Although physical services are the core products of industry, it is dominated by information systems. (Shankar, 2008) ICT and tourism sector: Tourism is a fast growing and information intensive sector. In traditional tourism sector the customer has to all the way to the travel agency to get the information about the journey or trip. Now, it has become easy for the customers to just sit in their home and browse through various sites and compare different packages provided by different travel agencies. The ICT tools for organising, Marketing, Managing the customer is known. Advertising, promotions, managing sales, use of GIS and GPS to monitor and manage the customer can be considered as some of the ICT tool among many. There are various reasons as to why the tourism industry is adopting this approach: (According to Avison and Fitzgerald, 1995) To expand the industrial boundaries. Reduce expenses. Improve relations with the customers. To deter the new entrants in the market. With the ICT technology been used in various sectors like Airways, Railways, Tour operators, Hotels etc has made is essential for the tourism sector to adopt this system and later an advantage for the sector (Inkpen and Sheldon, 1997). Various kinds of business are using social media to do their business through networking sites and other ways: Web 2.0: It has gained immense popularity in the web world and its users. This is been extensively used by the tourism industry. It has brought a new face to the industry. It has a lot of technological web applications like social networking groups, blogs, podcasting, online video, etc. RSS: RSS (Really Simple Syndicate) is used by the tourism industry to communicate with its customers in person. This simple syndicate enable the customer to receive information on the relevant tourism topic of his choosing. Through this a customer receives the links of different or best travel deals. (Nelson, 2006) Blogging: A person creates a blog and updates it with all the information and text. Then the blogger encourages a discussion on his blog by posting comments. This system of blogging is been used by tourism firms, where they post some information and encourage discussion between customers and keep their customer attracted. Social networking: This is the most accessed or most popular mode of sharing information on internet. As the majority are youngsters this has flourished. The most known social networking sites are Facebook, Hi5, Orkut, Twitter, etc. A person has access to various communities and has a chance to be part of different groups and to enter into discussions online (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). One of the fastest growing travel web sites is WAYN. It helps people to exchange information on their travel experiences and to share their interests online. Online videos and podcasting: When it comes to this mode the most famous site that pops in our mind is YouTube. It is of great help in the tourism as a visual is provided so as to inform/communicate with the customer in an effective manner. A social networking provides called metaverses enable the customers to interact while doing business. Virtual websites are also coming into existence where we can create a personalised avatar and go for a virtual holiday on web. (Hay, 2008) Tagging: This process saves a lot of time for the customer as many travel agencies are tagging different item from different sites so that the customer doesnt have to search in multiple places. Like tourism website may tag the location of the place from Google maps, information taken from encyclopaedia and video from YouTube. (Oconnor et al, 2008) Tourist Decision Making: This is important factor on how a tourist thinks and what are the factors that determine or influence the decision making of the tourist? There were many models which tired to explain the consumer behaviour but failed as they were regarding the tangible goods and did not take into consideration the intangible factors or the feeling part of the customer. (Gilbert, 1991) All the models were criticised that they were just an extension of other models. Let us take into consideration Schmoll (1977) which is based on decision making process in tourism. Motivation, desires/needs, and expectations are said to influence the final destination. There are other factors also which influence the decision making that is, travel stimuli, external and internal variables. (Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999) The process of decision making includes 5 points as proposed by Mathieson and Wall (1982). A desire to travel. The potential of the customer in obtaining information from the respective tourist agency, broachers, advertisements, etc. Other factor like cost of the trip, availability of alternative tours, facilities available in that region, etc. Accommodation type, travel mode and ultimately the final destination. Travel preparations like packing of clothing and equipment and the travel begins. Evaluation of past travel experiences and the result of this will obviously effect future tours. All these models have tried to analyse the behaviour of the tourist and the factors (tangible and intangible) that affect their decision making. Competitive Advantage of E-Business: There are a lot of competitive advantages that arise out of e-business and information technology. The customer can find out about the product, its various uses and compare with other products online sitting at home rather than going all the way to the store. Sometime lot of product comparison may go against the firm so they can adopt the method of product bundling. As various services can be added to the bundle and keep the customer away from individual product comparison. (Schiesel, 2001) Innovation and introduction of niche products which deals with the issues related to product substitutes and new entries into the market. (Sinha, 2000) Consumer centric strategy that is, gathering of information from the customer and developing the packages or products accordingly. (Viehland, 2000) Transfer of skills and sharing of activities and be exploited via extending to related product lines. (Porter, 1980) Price lining and smart pricing: Selling the same product at different price levels to reach people of different standard is price lining. In smart pricing, different price is charged at different market and also according to the value of the product in that region. (Sinha, 2000) Price discrimination must be done to save the profit margins, so that when the competition intensifies then they dont have to lower their prices. Dialogue based marketing must be done in order to explain the customer about the product as well as to obtain a feedback on the packages and upgrade accordingly. (Sealey, 2000) Establishing revenue sharing strategies with other web sites so as to provide customer with subsidiary requirements and fulfilling their needs to the maximum extent. For eg, dell computers is already doing this and has been successful in providing better services. (Hoffman and Novak, 2000) Completely automated delivery system so as to meet the customer desires. About Thomas Cook: It is a leading leisure travel group with 22.1 million customers. It operates around 21 countries across the word. It operates with 31,000 employees all over the world with a fleet 95 aircrafts and 3400 franchised office all over the world. (Thomas Cook Group). It has captured 30% of the UK, Ireland, India and Middle East market, with a fleet of 43 planes and a controlled distribution of 68.6%. Their strategy is to focus on their main business that is, the travel agency and to strengthen it. They also want to invest in travel related sectors and financial sectors through mergers, acquisitions and investing with partners. Ultimately their aim is to become the largest individual travel service provider in the world. They are also planning on becoming independent financial service provider in the world market. To attain this they are with the implementation of highest standard of corporate governance to have an effective decision making mechanism. (Thomas Cook Group Ltd.) Challenges for Tour Operators: All the major tourism companies after 1980 are focused on increasing their profit margins by vertical integration. Although this did not produce anticipated results as the tourism companies expected due to high costs of integration and less returns on their investment or expenditure. Due to rapid growth of travel eMediaries and commission erosion at that time had a negative impact on the travel industry. (Dombey, 2005) Due to this Crisis Thomas cook changed its strategy from an ideal integrated leisure travel group as this model was outdated. In 2006 CEO of Thomas cook announced a new business model where they will be offering optimum flexibility to the customer at the expense of low investment. (Karstadt Quell, 2006) With the vast usage of internet by the consumers and the presence of eMediaries in the market, Thomas Cook had to rethink its strategies. Although not completely abandoning of the traditional integrated vertical system, the advantages of the traditional system were integrated with that of the new dynamic and flexible system that is the system of ICT. This model was also known as hybrid model. (Chaffey, 2004) Changes in organisation as a whole: Thomas cook had to go through a lot changes on the organisational level as they have now opted for a new model of performing their business. The traditional system was more human with minimal technological involvement in the process of customer service. Now, the new model was highly sophisticated and technical so the whole organisation had to go through a change in terms of structure, work culture, workers mind set, technical changes etc. Structural changes: The traditional system followed a hierarchical structure where everything was strictly departmentalised. But as they went for e-business this kind of traditional structure was considered as barrier in performing e-business. So, they went for a system which was more like an informal networking (Shand 2000). For eg the number of directors was reduced to 8 from 40, to ensure that decisions were taken quickly in the organisation. Cultural changes: With adoption of internet and a highly technical based system it changes the whole organisation, how it thinks, how it does things and it completely effects the organisational. When a company is about to adopt e-business then it must take into consideration the two most important factors that is, the organisational culture and technical skills. The high level management was up for the rapid implementations of e-business techniques but the annual report was suggesting that it would take some time to completely adopt. It was found was part of the organisation was running fast and the rest of the organisation jus looked like they were trying to catch up. With e-business they were able to concentrate more on the consumer and their need therefore, by obtaining the loyalty and also deepening the relationship with the customers. (Siegel, 2000) Technical Changes: E-business required knowledge of skills at both the managerial as well as the operational level. Now in this scenario there will more knowledge based jobs available and there is a possibility that the manager could be less competent than his employee as he may be update with all the new technological skill. (Mahesh and Hartman, 2005) It was also observed that some of the junior managers were training or giving suggestions to their superiors. As a result 80% of the recruitments in the e-business section were made outside the organization as they didnt have the ability as they lacked technical knowledge. One of the biggest challenges to Thomas Cook was to make the technological changes that is, updating or installing new softwares, purchasing of high end computers, etc. Thomas Cook has announced a  £64 million replace it s legacy reservation systems to multi channel reservation platform. Thomas Cook and ICT: We have discussed on the information and communication system, its implications in tourism sector and the competitive advantages arising when then system is followed. Now, let us take an example of a tourism agency and analyse how the ICS has benefited them. Thomas Cook has started using the ICS from February 2000. It has made huge investments on the technical development of the firm. After they entered the online system their business was up by 15% and 30% of the customers were using the online services. It has invested a lot in e-business development and training and is now reaping the benefits of it. Thomas cook adopted the strategy of direct marketing which is nothing but an interactive use of the advertising media to stimulate and to modify in such a way that the behaviours can be recorded, tracked, understood, stored for the future use of the information. (Jacobs R. and Stone B., 2001) They first adopted the Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) which was then proposed by the IT project manager in the firm. This is a Formal Language that was used to describe patterns in interaction between concurrent systems. It was a failure because of the following reasons: CSP complicated the process for error search and made it very tedious. It delayed the process of generating the campaigns and market segment reports as, by 2004 its database was full and was unable to accommodate or manage further data/information. In travel world each customer has a different choice and the CSP database was not sophisticated enough to handle these issues as it was an outdated method. The cost of campaign was increased due to the use of CSP as it was outdated and did not serve the purpose of the dynamic future needs. As cost of maintenance was increasing and thus were unable to use the profits for various aspects of their business. They were now looking for a cost effective, and a system which could enable the smooth processing of the information, effective campaign, etc. Their answer to all these problems was one solution an thaw was mySAP CRM. This was a product of SAP global for customer relations management (CRM). What is mySAP CRM? This software unlike other CRM software helps in not only in formulating and achieving the short term imperatives but also in the process of decision making and in reducing the cost of managing or maintenance. It can also help a company in achieving differentiated capabilities to compete in the market. SAP CRM covers various aspect of the tourism industry and helps them in various ways like: (According to SAP Global) Marketing: It helps in achieving the organisational goals. Better understanding of market spending and the returns on them. Visibility and control of operations is increased which accelerates the process of marketing. High value customers can be identified and retained with the help of Customer loyalty programmes. A central marketing platform could be established. Sales: Profits can be increased. Customer interaction and be initiated and their demands could be met more efficiently. The focus on sales is increased Enterprise sales process can be initiated across channels. Personalised experience to the customers can be provided. Service: With the help of in spot information and other resources there shall be an improvement in first contact resolution. Service employees are provided with tools and the information that is requires to retain the customer and to prevent a churn. Easy access to resources and information boosts field utilization. Product based services are provided to the customer to increase the revenue. Issues related to product defects can be handled effectively. A unique and consistent user experience is possible with various interaction channels like voice mails, text messages, e-mails, etc. Contact Centre: The number of relevant calls can be increased. Personalised telemarketing campaigns can be initiated. Customer services can be improved from the first call itself. A proper analysis on contact centre is possible and insight is attained on the current trends. E-Commerce: Improving sales and to extend market with relevant offers. Personalised and targeted e-marketing campaign to attain the customer loyalty. Intuitive self services could be provided to increase customer convenience. The cost of sales can be reduced by following proper and consistent ways of pricing and customer information across channels. Reliable commitments are made using streamline end to end order to cash. Possibilities of analyzing the actions and trends of e-business. IT Services: IT service agents and track and solve the problems easily through streamline service desk. Management of IT financials by the use of native integration of SAP ERP financial solutions. Built in analytics and add on tools enable to get a insight into the IT service desk. Both the customer and the stakeholders are satisfied as there is a transparent process in defining and enforcing agreements on service levels. Web 2.0 supports native integration with SAP solution manager so all the SAP and non SAP related IT support services are managed appropriately. With all these advantages of mySAP CRM in providing effective services in the tourism industry has enabled Thomas cook to attain a superior level in the tourism sector then its counterparts in the same sector. The major competitive advantage that Thomas Cook attained from mySAP CRM are: To integrate campaign between various departments and partners this in turn helped in maintaining the brand consistency. The marketing department have streamlines and standardized the process for creating or approving a particular campaign. Complex segmentations and database operations have become faster with the use of high speed segmentation and also provide new insights into customer behaviour. Thomas Cook was able to provide campaign relevant data for the execution of a campaign due to highly flexible customer structure. It reduced the cost of reaching the targeted customer and now Thomas Cook and reaches more customers without any increase in spending. (Reiner Wegmann, IT Project Manager, Thomas cook, 2006) Thomas Cook was now independent and not relying on any other IT department for third party subscription. Interactive drag and drop phase and graphic visualisation has speeded up the process of market segmentation and listing. The process of decision making was faster due to personalised portals. This also enables the players to take wise and quick decisions as important information is already there in there portals. Thomas cook was able to make long term business propositions as well as to focus on the operational business objectives. (SAP customer success story retail, Thomas cook, 2006) Benefits of E-commerce to Customers: From the above analysis we can say that there are a lot of benefits to the customers: The web provides ample information about every destination and the facilities over there. Through e commerce the tourism agencies are able to provide all the information about the desired destination. The products or packages can be compared and the customer can take a decision accordingly. The customer can use the social networking and discuss the tour experiences or enquire about them or to know about them. It provides flexibility to the customer. The customer no longer has to go all way to the agency to gather information about his desired destiny. E-commerce provides various packages and concessions online which are not available otherwise. E-commerce has user friendly web sites that are designed for the targeted customers. Barriers of E-Commerce: We have discussed all the various factors that influenced the tourism industry to adopt ICT system and e-commerce played an important role. There also some barriers associated with e-commerce that has to be taken into consideration by the tourism industry and to work on them to get better results in the future. It cannot functions without the basic requirements like backup services and required hardware. These can be an expensive investment in the company at the time converting from a traditional system. The trust factor of the e-commerce must be given preference and both the government and the private sector should work together in increasing the safety of e-commerce. Confidentiality should be provided to the customers personal information, safety of credit card details must also be ensured. The existence of regulations and presence of international laws prevents e-commerce from being an effective source. Conclusion: From the above analysis we can conclude that, Information and communication system plays an important role in the development of the tourism industry. Social networking and various other options on web have taken the tourism industry to the next level. The web has provided a huge marketing source for the tourism sector in cost effective manner. (Armstrong and Hagel, 1996; Kozinets, 1999; Wang et al, 2002) It is also evident that the latest upgrade in information systems has clearly given Thomas Cook an edge over the other tourism agencies. Although it has gone through rapid changes in the organisational structure but it has effectively managed its resources and is able provide one of the best services in the world to desired tourists. In the process of adopting new skills and systems, the mindsets and cultures have to develop and resistance at any level of the organisation need to be handled with lot of care. (Jackson and Harris, 2003) Thomas Cook has effectively used mySAP Consume Relation management system to provide quality services to the customer and at the same time limiting their expenditures on publicity or promotion of the product. The process of innovation and implementing new methods in work place has paid off for Thomas Cook. It was a bold step to adopt the ICT system into a traditional tourist sector. Thus, we can conclude by saying that ICT has played an important role in the development of the tourism industry and enable the customers to enjoy better services that they deserve. Although there is this trust issue regarding e-commerce and its uses but more people are using this facility every day. References: Arusha, T. (2000, february). Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Tourism. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.nric.net: http://www.nric.net/tourism/sidebar/ICT.pdf Boyd, D. M. (2007). Journal of computer mediated communications , 210-230. Fitzgerald, A. . (n.d.). INtroduction to information systems in business. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.comp.glam.ac.uk: http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/pages/staff/tdhutchings/chapter1.html Global, S. (n.d.). Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software From SAP. Retrieved may 24, 2010, from www.sap.com: http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/crm/index.epx Group, T. C. (n.d.). www.thomascookgroup.com. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from Business segments and brands: http://www.thomascookgroup.com/segments Jackson, P. (n.d.). Ebusiness and organisational change. Journal of organisational change management , 497-511. Juline E.Mills, R. L. (2005). Handbook of Consumer Behavior, Tourism and the Internet. Haworth press. Kozinets. (1999). Staregic implications of virtual comunities of consumption. European mamagement , 252-264. netstarter. (n.d.). e commerce barriers and opportunities. Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.netstarter.com: http://www.netstarter.com.au/Content_Common/pg-ecommerce-Benefits-Barriers.seo Roberto daniele, A. j. (n.d.). Tour operator in an ebusiness world. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.googlebooks.com: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s9f5_kvYrZoCpg=PA207lpg=PA207dq=thomas+cook+information+and+communication+technologysource=blots=KkiM3J5HGosig=iL2qLClFWLyN8wzC6Dgx3PXScUchl=enei=1vykS5jQFIS80gTFitT1CQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved= SAP customer success story, Reatil-tourism marketing. (n.d.). Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.sap.com: http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/crm/pdf/CS_ThomasCook%20.pdf Seveg, M. B. (1997). The Impact of Electronic Commerce on the Travel Industry. California. Shanker, D. (n.d.). ICT and Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved may 24, 2010, from www.dspace.iimk.ac.in: http://dspace.iimk.ac.in/bitstream/2259/536/1/50-58.pdf Shin, N. (n.d.). STRATEGIES FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN ELECTRONIC COMMERCE. Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.csulb.edu: http://www.csulb.edu/web/journals/jecr/issues/20014/paper4.pdf Sigala, m. (n.d.). Tour operators in an e business world. Retrieved may 23, 2010, from www.books.google.com: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s9f5_kvYrZoCpg=PA207lpg=PA207dq=thomas+cook+information+and+communication+technologysource=blots=KkiM3J5HGosig=iL2qLClFWLyN8wzC6Dgx3PXScUchl=enei=1vykS5jQFIS80gTFitT1CQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved= Thomas, D. (2002, june 27). Holidaymakers take plunge into Internet booking pool. Retrieved may 22, 2010, from www.computerweekly.com: http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2002/06/27/188052/holidaymakers-take-plunge-into-internet-booking-pool.htm

Role of Women During and After the Age of Revolutions Essay -- French

There have been many stereotypical views and misconceptions about the role of women during and after the age of revolutions. Although the role of women did change, it is important to understand their position before the revolutions in order to wager how their role changed and of course, to what extent. It would be unrealistic to assume that all women during this period fell into one category. There are many factors to consider and so it is vital to address how different types of women behaved in their varied working and living environments. In pre industrial Europe the life of a single woman can be regarded as extremely difficult from an economic perspective. Most single women, irrespective of age, belonged to a family, either as a servant or a daughter. In both respects they were regarded as dependent. In a time when female wages were extremely low, the only way for a woman to obtain a degree of economic stability was to marry. The type of work a single woman carried out differed quite greatly from that of a married woman. As with all women their working role began in a similar way, helping within the home, assisting their mothers. Obviously the jobs they carried out varied according to the productive nature of their particular household, for example in agricultural areas daughters would often help with dairying, poultry, or the making of food and cloth. The very first time women began to ban together for the same rights that men have was during the French Revolution. Everything was being questioned in France then, and for the first time, women were doing some of the questioning. Why couldn't women vote? Why couldn't women hold public office? Why were women expected to tend to the kids and the house all day?... ...e of the Enlightenment era, the role of women in society began changing drastically as the lights of the world were now open with this brand new enlightened era. Women began holding jobs, yet still did not receive the same privileges as men. By the time the Industrial Revolution came along in the 19th century many more jobs were opened to a woman in the work force. Reforms began in all areas throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries as women were gaining more and more rights and acceptance into everyday life. By the time the 20th century rolled around and throughout, no longer was it thought that women belonged in the home (although few still feel that way), yet many women began serving professional jobs as doctors, lawyers, and politicians. Now today some of the most successful people in the business world are women, as women have even began their own companies.

Shaka Zulu

Shaka Zulu was the first son of the chieftain Senzangakhona and Nandi, a daughter of Bhebhe, the past chief of the Elangeni tribe, born near present-day Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal Province. He was conceived out of wedlock somewhere between 1781 and 1787. Shaka almost certainly spent his childhood in his mother's settlements. Shaka served as an Mthethwa warrior for perhaps as long as ten years, and distinguished himself with his courage, though he did not, as legend has it, rise to great position. Dingiswayo, having himself been exiled after a failed attempt to oust his father, had, along with a number of other groups in the region (including Mabhudu, Dlamini, Mkhize, Qwabe, and Ndwandwe, many probably responding to slaving pressures from southern Mozambique) helped develop new ideas of military and social organization. On the death of Senzangakhona, Dingiswayo aided Shaka to defeat his brother and assume leadership in 1816. He became the leader of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 through 1828. As Shaka became more respected by his people, he was able to spread his ideas with greater ease. Because of his background as a soldier, Shaka taught the Zulus that the most effective way of becoming powerful quickly was by conquering and controlling other tribes. His teachings greatly influenced the social outlook of the Zulu people. The Zulu tribe soon developed a â€Å"warrior† mind frame, which made it easier for Shaka to build up his armies. Dingane and Mhlangana, Shaka's half-brothers, appear to have made at least two attempts to assassinate Shaka before they succeeded, with perhaps support from Mpondo elements, and some disaffected iziYendane people. While the British colonialists considered his regime to be a future threat, allegations that white traders wished his death are problematic given that Shaka had granted concessions to whites prior to his death, including the right to settle at Port Natal (now Durban). Shaka had made enough enemies among his own people to hasten his demise. It came relatively quickly after the devastation caused by Shaka's erratic behavior after the death of his mother Nandi. According to Donald Morris in this mourning period Shaka ordered that no crops should be planted during the following year, no milk was to be used, and any woman who became pregnant was to be killed along with her husband. At least 7,000 people who were deemed to be insufficiently grief-stricken were executed, though it wasn't restricted to humans, cows were slaughtered so that their calves would know what losing a mother felt like. The Zulu monarch was killed by three assassins sometime in 1828; September is the most often cited date, when almost all available Zulu manpower had been sent on yet another mass sweep to the north. Some older histories have doubted the military and social innovations customarily attributed to Shaka, denying them outright, or attributing them variously to European influences. More modern researchers argue that such explanations fall short, and that the general Zulu culture which included other tribes and clans, contained a number of practices that Shaka could have drawn on to fulfill his objectives—whether in raiding, conquest or hegemony. Shaka is often said to have been dissatisfied with the long throwing â€Å"assegai,† and credited with introducing a new variant of the weapon — the â€Å"iklwa,† a short stabbing spear with a long, sword-like spearhead. Shaka is also supposed to have introduced a larger, heavier shield made of cowhide and to have taught each warrior how to use the shield's left side to hook the enemy's shield to the right, exposing his ribs for a fatal spear stab. The throwing spear was not discarded but used as an initial missile weapon before close contact with the enemy; when the shorter stabbing spear was used in hand to hand combat.

The Effects Of Attending Preschool On Children - 1379 Words

According to Lawrence J. Schweinhart of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation, an access to a quality preschool starting at the age of three years can increase the average graduation rate from high school by up to thirty percent. Why then, are only twenty five percent of three year old children enrolled in preschools, and fewer still in schools that meet government criteria for â€Å"acceptable† school standards? (Karoly) From 2001 to 2011, preschool funding has increased from $3.47 billion to $5.12 billion, but this increase in funding has not matched the growth of the attending population, resulting in a drop in spending per capita of around twenty three percent. (Lu) The effects of attending preschool have been comprehensively studied, with attendance to a quality preschool being linked with reduced crime rates and an increase in median annual income. These benefits affect everyone in a community, but the largest problem arises when it is considered that the demogra phic that is least likely to attend a preschool or have a pre-elementary education is those of low annual income. (Cheng) When children who already come from low income families are unable to attend a quality preschool, their average wage drops by around $5,000 annually, which is a large amount of money by any standards, and is especially lost in low-income areas. (Schweinhart) The main factors that cause the inequality in preschool accessibility are the quality of the instruction received, followed inShow MoreRelatedChildren Who Do Not Attend Preschool1462 Words   |  6 Pages 50% of children in the United States do not attend preschool (Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count, 2012). For many children, the most important and vital schooling comes before they even enter kindergarten. Children who attend preschool before entering kindergarten do not only learn things such as counting and their ABC’s but they are offered a chance to learn social and emotional sk ills, how to interact with other children, and how to network in a structured setting. Children who do notRead MoreEssay on The Benefits of Preschool1430 Words   |  6 PagesBenefits of Preschool Preschool isnt just a place for parents to drop off their children while they are at work for the day. It is in preschool where children learn the necessary skills needed to succeed in school and in life. With high-quality preschools and qualified teachers the possibilities are endless. Its not only the children who reap the benefits of Early Childhood Education; their parents, fellow peers, and even society feel the positive effects of quality preschool programs. ChildrenRead MoreShould the Government Fund Public Preschools?1739 Words   |  7 Pagescountry of ours, education is not a privilege it is a right. All children are given the opportunity to a free education. An education that should allow them to become high school graduates, 21st Century scholars, and prepare them as leaders to sustain this nation. What happens though when this is not the future for all children? The problem at hand is not all children are receiving the same educational opportunities. Not all childre n graduate from high school and not all lead successful careers asRead MoreChildren Benefit More From A High Quality Full Day Pre K Program1466 Words   |  6 PagesThesis Statement: Children benefit more from a high quality full-day pre-k program because their daily attendance rate is better than average and have reduced chronic absences, their social-emotional development is better, and their achievement scores in language and math are higher than their peers who attend a half-day or no pre-k program. 1) Introduction a) Provide some background on academic and social achievements through early childhood education. b) Provide a definition of what a â€Å"high quality†Read MoreThe Popularity of Preschool and Headstart Programs888 Words   |  4 Pagestheir children for preschool and head start programs more than ever. â€Å"About seventy five percent of the nation’s four year old attend a preschool center, as do fifty percent of three year olds.† (Barnett, 2008, page 3). Preschool has long been though to shape a child’s academic life, putting a child ahead of the curve in kindergarten and leading them into a successful school career. The primary reason for attending preschool in past decades was the known benefits of socialization, but preschool hasRead MoreThe Impact of Daycare on Infants Essay690 Words   |  3 Pagesreturn to work by the time their children are one years old -- out of either financial, professional, or personal necessity. In today’s society, there are concerns as to whether attending daycare during infancy produces negative or positive ef fects on the development of children. Many of these concerns are influenced by the fear that separating an infant from its mother may cause emotional harm to the child or disrupt the mother-infant bond. No study finds that children of employed mothers suffer solelyRead MorePre K For All By Mayor De Blasio Essay1657 Words   |  7 Pagesexpand access to free, full day, Pre-K to all 4-year-old New York City children under New York’s Universal Pre-K program. His goal was to increase the number of free full day program seats from the 19,287, in 2013-2014, to 53,604 by 2014-2015. (â€Å"Mayor de Blasio Announces Over 68,500 Students Enrolled in Pre-K for All†, 2015) The program succeeded at reaching ddeBlasio’s goals and by 2014-2015 school year, 65,563 children were enrolled in Pre-K for All programs. (â€Å"Mayor de Blasio Announces OverRead MoreThe Parent Education Class : A Voluntary Program For The Parents853 Words   |  4 Pagesoffered once a week for two hours at either a day or night class. At each meeting there will be one unit the will cover some of the topics of parenting. In all, there will be three units that the parents will need to attend. The parents can start attending after the first trimester of pregnancy. This will allow parents to have the rest of the pregnancy to go to classes that they might have missed due to other appointments. The class will have two times in the day that the parents can attend, middayRead MoreLevels Of Attachment And The Quality Of The Parent Child Relationship Essay1736 Words   |  7 Pagesquality of the parent-child relationship starting at birth and moving up through infancy. These studies have found that the infants involved in the study could be categorized as either having a secure or insecure attachment to their caregivers. Some children grow secure attachments with the caretaker from the daycare and thus have weaker relationships with their parents. Researchers have found that there could be variations on how critical the at tachment is effected based on sex, age, and individualRead MoreThe Benefits And Drawbacks Of Total Immunization1634 Words   |  7 PagesColumbia allow exemptions from the requirements for medical reasons, 19 states allow exemptions based on parents’ personal beliefs. Several recent outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and varicella (chickenpox) have been traced to groups of unvaccinated children in states that allow ‘personal belief’ exceptions and homeschooling exceptions. On February 4, 1991, U.S Congress passed a bill allowing all homeschooled students the opportunity to fill out a form exempting them from any required vaccinations for