Operational Management Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Operational Management Report - Essay Example In the fashion world customers needs have changed and they are looking to get new styles and fashions in the market at frequent rates. The supply chain management in the fast fashion business deals with the movement of goods from the suppliers where the raw material is originated to the end customer who consumes the particular end product. In this fashion world there is a he competition among the companies for coming up with new styles and also in quick time. Thus agility in the whole operation process is a very important factor which helps the company to respond quickly to the changing demand of the customers. In 1975, Inditex a Spanish group which was been owned by Amancio Ortega established Zara as a fashion label and value chain store. In the last two decades Zara has grown in huge numbers and its profit has gone up by three times and has become the third largest fashion retail store in world. The other brands which Inditex has are Uterque, Oysho, Zara Home, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Zara kinds, Stradivarius and Massimo Dutti. Zara has around 300 designers in its headquarters in Spain where approximately 40,000 designs are made from where only 10,000 designs are selected for production. By Dec 2010, Inditex had approximately 5000 stores worldwide becoming the worldwide leader in fast fashion chain network. Zara has a strategy of maintaining a policy of generating a huge variety of products every year. Zara being n the fashion business and being the worldwide leader in 5this business the overall operations process including the supply chain management, design process, production process and procurement is very efficient and also agile. Each of the process included in the overall operations management process is been discussed below one after the other. Zara has a huge number of faculties and a huge infrastructure. The company reaches to its target market and the customers by

Creative Capitalism Essay Example for Free

Creative Capitalism Essay In an essay for TIME Magazine entitled â€Å"Making Capitalism More Creative,† multi-billionaire computer tycoon turned philanthropist Bill Gates (2008) espouses the potential for capitalism to flex and adapt in ways that can help address the needs of the poor or those in the developing Third World by creatively responding to them as markets with their own unique set of challenges, and as opportunities to build corporate brand recognition and prestige. In effect, Gates charges that by reconciling the self-interest of the profit imperative with that of the humanitarian drive, the world can make ‘lasting progress on the big inequities that remain. ’ Gates slyly implies that while governments, non-profit entities and other civic groups have gone to great lengths in these areas, such progress can sufficiently be hastened through the â€Å"[channeling] of market forces† and â€Å"innovation that’s tailored to the needs of the poorest.† One point of note in Gates’ piece is the benefits which accrue to corporations which can find business opportunities in the avenues of philanthropic interest. Gates opines that philanthropic recognition – such as industry report cards – go a long way to building a better brand that could potentially command the kind of consumer loyalty which makes such acts ultimately profitable. Also, Gates reminds readers that one of the reasons why the capitalist enterprise has so frequently overlooked the markets of the poor and the developing Third World is the extent to which their purchasing power is so limited as to remove them from its priorities. However, Gates notes that such a limitation applies only to individual purchasing power yet â€Å"one study found that the poorest two-thirds of the worlds population has some $5 trillion in purchasing power† and that oversight is largely a result of a failure to study their needs. Furthermore, Gates notes that because young people want to feel better about the institutions which employ them – â€Å"[they] want to feel like their company really is a be positive agent for change† – and as such, it becomes ultimately beneficial to engage in these positive acts because it is made up for with employee dedication and commitment. It becomes easier to recruit and retain them when they feel substantially invested in the company’s goals, especially if they mean more than meeting quarterly fiscal targets. It is on this note that it would be wise to consider what the implications are for companies that engage in such philanthrocapitalism with regards to performance appraisals. Not all employees are created equally and dedication to company goals does not necessarily obviate the need to review their performance and the means by which the company is able to successfully motivate them to the best of their ability. The primary consideration however, is the allocation of organizational rewards. Business consultant W. Edwards Deming (2000) defines a company’s obligations to be to all parties involved; not just to its shareholders, but to its employees, customers and the community it operates in. Therefore, any company which attempts to engage in the creative use of capitalism to address under prioritized markets (i.e., the poor and Third World) must also adopt a similar tact towards its employees. This means that organizational rewards should go beyond the conventional use of salary upgrades and promotions, but recognizing that employees will want to become more involved in the goals of the company which they respect – and that hierarchical superiority, compensation benefits or increased responsibilities are a moot point to such desires. This means acknowledging the areas at which they excel that can benefit the company in that regard, particularly innovation and strategic savvy. REFERENCES Gates, B. (2008, July 31). â€Å"Making Capitalism More Creative.† TIME Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2008 from: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1828069,00.html Deming, W. E. (2000) The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education. The MIT Press.

Economic development in Caribbean

Economic development in Caribbean The Caribbean is known for its beautiful islands and breath-taking shores. There are numerous sites in this region of thousands of diverse islands. To list a few reasons as to why its a huge attraction to tourists from all over the world, then the coral reefs, colorful fruits, golf courses, sailboats and the wonderful sunsets at the beach are just the tip of the ice burg. Its the perfect place to relax with the family and a Caribbean holiday is the best place if anyone is seeking for a little adventure. The Caribbean seems to have everything for a great vacation from horse riding to hiking, wildlife tourism and much more. Everything from exploring the beautiful waterfalls, going kayaking upriver and even canoeing gives the Caribbean the top most position in tourism category. The Caribbean has both extinct and live volcanoes. It gives a definite adrenaline rush for tourists seeking it. Its tropical rainforests consists of rare and exotic animal species. It is by all means, absolutely beautiful. The Caribbean region consists of thousands of islands and to name a few that are of great tourists interest and as stated in http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_names_of_the_Caribbean_islands: Anguilla UK, Antigua Barbuda, Aruba ~ Netherlands, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe ~ France, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique ~ France, Montserrat ~ UK, Netherland Antilles, Puerto Rico ~ US, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent Grenadines, Trinidad Tobago, Turks Caicos ~ UK and US Virgin Island. Its not only about the adventures but the Caribbean features cites of its rich heritage and unique architecture. If we were to take a look into the most popular tourist attraction in the Caribbean then this would definitely include the Barbados; a small island also called as little England during the British era. It is called so, because it still contains a part of the thriving British legacy, cricket, Anglo Saxon activity and high tea. We have Antigua Barbuda that has more than 356 beaches (representing one for every year). This too is another popular tourist attraction. Then there is Guyana which is a one of the independent members in the Caribbean. It is also known for its beaches and countless rivers and lakes. The best side to it is that gold deposits and diamonds can be found at the river bottoms and hillsides. This place is popular for yachting and sailing. Another beautiful island is ST Lucida. This island is known for its mountains that are covered with forests and the wildlife in it. Such other marvelous sites in the Caribbeans are St Martin, Trinidad, Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and much more. Situated in the Caribbean Sea is the Roatan Honduras Island that has brought the economy a constant dramatic increase due to the scuba diving fans. This place offers its visitors everything, ranging from marine wildlife to scuba lessons and even certification. It is know for its coral which is very diverse and can be seen easily. Here, tourism is well developed, hotels are well equipped and the resorts are numerous. This place is even called the Caribbeans best kept secret. It is no doubt one of the most beautiful sites and experiences to have. According to Gmelch, George (Behind the Smile: the Working Lives of Caribbean Tourism. Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 2003), the Caribbean governments welcome tourists with warm hearts because they realized that the Caribbean economy is completely dependant on tourism, also being referred to as the engine of their growth. Economic development in the Caribbean has benefited merchants, farmers, fishermen and many more. According to Pattullo, Polly. (Last Resorts: the Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean. London: Cassell, 1996), Tourism is a huge contributor to the economies of all Caribbean countries and the biggest contributor to many of them such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and the Virgin Islands Yolande Wilson MBA 08 In the Caribbean Tourism Fueled by Hotel Development: The Good and the Bad, explains that the success of Caribbean tourism is probably because people have the thoughts of aqua blue waters, warm sand beaches and luxury images on their minds. It is these precise thoughts that play a large role in the tourism business in the Caribbean. This puts all the focus on the tourism companies, services industries and real estate development. Tourism in the Caribbean is as early as 1862 where Jamaica had health spas and cruises that ran to the island but now, the tourism industries in the Caribbean estimates an anticipated contribution of over 18.7 billion dollars by 2011. Another author named C. James Hospedales wrote about the importance of tourism to Caribbean development in (Healthy Tourism in the Caribbean) Saturday, 22nd September 2007. He explained that 25 billion dollars were the gross output in the Caribbean tourism with more than 12 million tourists arriving for stay in the Caribbean and more than 6 million cruise ships. Hotels were completely booked and tourism became very important to the Caribbean economy. Tourism in the Caribbean is even compared to oil in the Middle East. They have also made it a motto Caribbean development through quality tourism which made it clear that the economy will be completely dependant on tourism for the coming years. With the arrival of the internet on 1995 which made it possible to spread the word of all the good and bad news. It was an effective tool in informing the world about this ravishing country. There was also the European tour operators whom made it easy for the tourists to get to the Caribbean from the European countries. However, with the success of increasing arrivals of tourists that helped boost the countrys economy, it also brought in the possibility of diseases being imported from different parts of the world. Yet this did not stop the Caribbean tourism organization from making sure that such issues along with injuries are minimized to its lowest. Their vision was that the Caribbean to be the safest, happiest, and healthiest of comparable destinations in the world Its obvious that tourism has affected the economy of the Caribbean region. These effects are mainly due to the travel and tourism industries. Through Paul McDaniels point of view, an eHow contributing writer in The effects of Tourism in the Caribbean, the economy was affected both positively and negatively. From these effects, wed notice that it includes the Caribbeans utmost and complete reliance on tourism and travel industries. But because, most of these tourism companies are never usually based in a particular Caribbean island, much of the money made does not stay on the Caribbean. This may also appear as a disadvantage for the Caribbean. However, without the competing companies, the economy could also be highly affected. However, David Jessop wrote about Grasping the full economic impact of Caribbean tourism Sunday | September 23, 2007 and questioned if the governments truly understood the importance of tourism, which in his words is the industry that now underwrites the regional economy. He provided reports that were produced over the last 2 years that explained the positive impact tourism had on the economy. These reports were based on the studies produced, supported and encouraged by the Caribbean tourism organization and Caribbean hotel association. It was a clear demonstration to the government that tourism has become the dominant force in the Caribbean. In these reports, the Caribbean tourism is expected to get over 56.1 billion dollars economically with about 15% increase in tourism employment from 2007 to 2017. Basically these earnings are expected to grow over 3 percent per year. Therefore, from these readings its pretty clear that the Caribbean region is economically dependent on the touris m industry. However, if these industries do not remain competitive, then the economic boost could come to an end. The problems that face the Caribbean tourism industry are those of globalization as well as interdependence. Therefore the beauty and nature of the country will not be enough to make the regions case. It requires the government to play a role in supporting it to the fullest. Whether its decreasing the taxes, providing public health education or even changing the policies to fit the countrys increasing economy. In a pacific islands report written by Sir Ronald Sanders in the Benefits of Caribbean tourism must be shared, he wrote about another problem that could affect the tourism industry in the Caribbean which is surprisingly the racial division notion in the island. This existing problem causes constant discomfort among many hotel owners that are expatriates, managers and the citizens yet they dare not deal with it. These problems are being left depressed like the racial division between the ownership on one side and the workers on the other. This problem is expected to worsen in the future if not dealt with now. Given the growing size of tourists coming into the country every year, it would keep requiring a large size of financial investments for the resorts and hotels in the Caribbean. These investments are primarily funded by the white expatriates that own tourism companies and can build or own resorts and any other tourism aspects in the business. This may seem as a problem because th e profits in this case are sent abroad. The country does not benefit and the balance is disturbed. In an abstract written by Harry G. Matthews, 6 May 2009 Radicals and third world tourism: A Caribbean focus, he talks about the metropolitan tourism in third world countries that have brought to question the tourist industries in a more political and social way. He talks about how it could affect the country and in this case, the Caribbean. He believes that tourism is an intrusion which is of metropolitan type, developed by the white people into the world of non-white. He also believes that these are merely fantasies sold to the tourists, causing the rise of cultures in countries like the Caribbean. Therefore the solution lies with the government of these countries where they are trying to bring forth an increase in sophistication. However, it is uncertain of how this action would actually take place. A critique; Tom Womeldorff analyzes the Caribbean tourism in an interesting way in Caribbean tourism: A Critical analysis 10/14/2009. He writes about the western mentality of escaping to tropical islands with exotic animals, plants and warm sunsets. This fantasy is offered by the Caribbean tourism resorts and travel agencies that aim to fulfill the western dream. And recently, the market has included the catering of tourists whom want to experience the exotic island to the fullest. These tourism agencies are expanding to provide whatever desires that could have tourist dollars following it. Therefore these tourist industries carefully construct the hotels and resorts to meet the conceptions and needs of tourists. This perception to perfection however comes with a cost. Although it provides as a source of income to the Caribbean people, it has made them completely commoditized because it requires that they put all their focus in the tourism programme, to make every thing possible. In The state and tourism: a Caribbean perspective by Hilton McDavid, Diaram Ramajeesingh, the abstract mentions an important something to think about and its how the tourism industries are now the center of attention. This is because the country is now tourism dependant. But does the government do what it takes to make sure that the social and environmental needs are taken care off? In this journal, the writers believe that the government have to work harder in order to shape the tourism industries in a way that every sector in the Caribbean benefits. The Stabroek staff| February 5, 2010 inBusiness the Caribbean tourism industry raise an important question Will the 2009 nightmare push regional tourist destinations towards diversification. It is true that the Caribbean got caught up in the economic crisis that took away jobs, homes, savings and much more. The Caribbean people were beginning to wonder if they have to shift towards diversification for their economic incomes. The number of tourists drastically changed and Caribbean development bank activities showed a significant decline. Sharply declining tourist arrivals according to the CDB with other investments, the main transmission channels of the crisis to regional economies. However it appears that the Caribbean has settled down from all the economic problems and found its comfort zone where its reassured that the tourists will keep coming in. the CDG even reports that the growth is expected to return and is likely to become the same by 2011. Although the whole economy of the country, peoples jobs and welfare cannot wait till the crises associated with the whole world is recovered, diversification for a better economy should be considered. In Caribbean tourism looking toward an improvement in 2010 by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar, Jan 28, 2010, after the economic crises that effected the countrys economy due to the decline in tourists rate, the Caribbean tourism industry began improving despite criminal and tax problems in some of the islands. And the earthquake that hit Haiti did not affect the islands economy much. Chastanet said, during and annual event in the Caribbean We will probably end the year 5.6 percent down but were looking for a strong rebound in 2010 And a hotel owner Rene Seepersadsingh The economic situation globally impacted negatively on Tobago. Hotels reported as much as a 40 percent decline in stayover, particularly from the British and the German markets As for Jamaica, it was seeing a 4% increase in arrivals while the other islands were reporting a decline in 2009. This is probably because it was running ads on television across North America, tempting them to join the warm summers. They were very successful with their ads as Barlett who works at the airlines said For this winter season now beginning, we have a record 1 million (airline) seats which is the largest number we ever had. The unusual part is that Jamaica continues to attract tourists even though it is categorized as one of the most violent countries in the world. The murder and crimes rates were 1,680 last year alone. Barlett believes that Its a contradiction. The most iconic attraction in Jamaica is the people. It belies the crime statistics Finally the most spoke about topic in the Caribbean tourism is HARPOONING CARIBBEAN TOURISM: SWALLOWING A DEAD RAT by Sir Ronald Sanders Sunday, March 14, 2010. The new attractions that require full support by the Caribbean governments are the whale watching activities. There was an international meeting held in Martinique from February 18 to 21 on what they call Sustainable Blue tourism in the Caribbean, specifically urging the Caribbean government to not only support this attraction but to protect the marine wildlife and mammal population by providing sustainable jobs to the fishermen. This new attraction is bound too boost the economy situation and the exotic fantasies keep getting better. Thus the Caribbean keeps finding ways to attract tourists and its economy although highly dependant on tourism yet, very rich. References: Gmelch, George. Behind the Smile: the Working Lives of Caribbean Tourism. Bloomington, IN: Indiana UP, 2003. Pattullo, Polly. Last Resorts: the Cost of Tourism in the Caribbean. London: Cassell, 1996 Yolande Wilson MBA 08, Caribbean Tourism Fueled by Hotel Development: The Good and the Bad C. James Hospedales Saturday, 22nd September 2007, Healthy Tourism in the Caribbean The Importance of Tourism to Caribbean Development http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=1433 Paul McDaniel,eHow Contributing Writer, The Effects of Tourism in the Caribbean David Jessop Grasping the full economic impact of Caribbean tourism Sunday | September 23, 2007 http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070923/business/business2.html Sir Ronald Sanders, PACIFICISLANDSREPORT, BENEFITS OF CARIBBEAN TOURISM MUST BE SHARED Tom Womeldorff , 10/14/2009 Caribbean Tourism: A Critical Analysis http://archives.pireport.org/archive/2007/February/02-08-comm1.htm The Stabroek staff| February 5, 2010 inBusiness the Caribbean tourism industry The Caribbean tourism industry: Will the 2009 nightmare push regional tourist destinations towards diversification? LINDA HUTCHINSON-JAFAR | JAN 28, 2010, Caribbean tourism looking toward an improvement in 2010 http://www.eturbonews.com/14106/caribbean-tourism-looking-toward-improvement-2010 Sir Ronald Sanders. Sunday, March 14, 2010 HARPOONING CARIBBEAN TOURISM: SWALLOWING A DEAD RAT http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Sanders-Mar-14 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_names_of_the_Caribbean_islands In The state and tourism: a Caribbean perspective by Hilton McDavid, Diaram Ramajeesingh, Journal:International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

The I-Function And Alzheimers Disease: Where is The Person? Essay

The I-Function And Alzheimer's Disease: Where is The Person? Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a serious form of dementia that involves the destruction of brain cells, and ultimately leads to death (1). What makes AD such a frightening disease, for both the patient and their family members, is the loss of "self" associated with the dementia. Those afflicted with AD can't understand the changes going on within themselves. Family members are upset by the loss of the "person" they once knew. It is common for daughters (for example) to say that a mother in the later stages of AD is not their "mom" because the personality displayed by the patient is so different from the personality they associate with "mom". In order to decide how the sense of "self" of an AD patient is affected by the disease, it is necessary to decide what constitutes personality. In this discussion, the set of behaviors that an individual associates with the self of that individual will be considered as expressions of the personality of the individual. There is strong support for the idea that personality is controlled by the functions of the central nervous system (CNS) (2). The specific area(s) of the CNS that controls the "self" can be labeled the I-function (2). An examination of the sense of "self" of a paraplegic suggests that the I-function may be specifically related to the functions of the brain, however, other areas of the CNS may still be involved with the I-function (2). The study of the effects of Alzheimer's disease on the personality of AD patients suggests that the notion of an I-function within the brain regulating personality is quite reasonable. Alzheimer's disease causes the death of large numbers of brain cells over a period of time; thi... ...heimers.html (2) Grobstein, Paul. Lecture-Neurobiology and Behavior. Bryn Mawr College. January 29, 1998 (3) DEMENTIA (ALZHEIMER'S): AMERICAN DESCRIPTION http://www.mentalhealth.com/p20-grp.html (4) ... http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/forum/AlzheimersDiseaseF/Kash77.htmlA (5) ... http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/forum/AlzheimersDiseaseF/%20didyoufindananswer.html (6) DEMENTIA (ALZHEIMER'S): MENTAL HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY http://www.mentalhealth.com/p20-grp.html (7) Deciphering the Miracles of the Mind , by Robert Lee Hotz of the LA Times http://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/SCIENCE/REPORTS/%20THEBRAIN/brain.htm (8) ... http://neuro-www.mgh.harvard.edu/forum/AlzheimersDiseaseF/MyFeelingsAboutThis.html (9) Memories in the Making, a program of creative art expression for Alzheimer patients http://www.coa.uky.edu/ADReview/memories.htm

Codes of Ethics Comparative Chart Essay

mplete the following tables to compare several organizations and their guidelines about their responsibilities to their clients, their responsibilities to service providers, their attitudes concerning the duty to warn and the duty to protect, and cultural considerations. Responsibility to Client Organization Responsibility to client National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) Human service professionals respect the integrity and welfare of the client at all times. Each client is treated with respect, acceptance and dignity. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Marriage and family therapists advance the welfare of families and individuals. They respect the rights of those persons seeking their assistance, and make reasonable efforts to ensure that their services are used appropriately. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. American Psychological Association (APA) They provide only those services and use only those techniques for which they are qualified by education, training, or experience. American Counseling Association (ACA) The primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients. Responsibility to Provider Organization Responsibility to provider National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) When a conflict arises between fulfilling the responsibility to the employer and the responsibility to the client, human service professionals advise both of the conflict and work conjointly with all involved to manage the conflict. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Marriage and family therapists respect the rights and responsibilities of professional colleagues and participate in activities that advance the goals of the profession. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social workers should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience. American Psychological Association (APA) Psychologists uphold professional standards of conduct, clarify their professional roles and obligations, accept appropriate responsibility for their behavior, and adapt their methods to the needs of different populations American Counseling Association (ACA) Counselors accept employment only for positions for which they are qualified given their education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience. Counselors hire for professional counseling positions only individuals who are qualified and competent for those positions. Attitudes Concerning the Duty to Warn and the Duty to Protect Organization Attitudes concerning the duty to warn and the duty to protect National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) If it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client or to others as a result of a client’s behavior, the human service professional acts in an appropriate and professional manner to protect the safety of those individuals. This may involve seeking consultation, supervision, and/or breaking the confidentiality of the relationship. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Marriage and family therapists comply with applicable laws regarding the reporting of alleged unethical conduct. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social workers should have the best interest if their client at all times, and should report any alleged abuse or unethical behavior for the safety of the client. American Psychological Association (APA) Psychologists take reasonable steps to avoid harming their patients or clients, research participants, students, and others with whom they work, and to minimize harm where it is foreseeable and unavoidable American Counseling Association (ACA) Counselors act to avoid harming their clients, trainees, and research participants and to minimize or to remedy unavoidable or unanticipated harm. Cultural Considerations Organization Cultural considerations National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) Human service professionals are knowledgeable about the cultures and communities within which they practice. They are aware of multiculturalism in society and its impact on the community as well as individuals within the community. They respect individuals and groups, their cultures and beliefs. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Marriage and family therapists provide professional assistance to persons without  discrimination on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, gender, health status, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability. American Psychological Association (APA) Psychologists are aware of cultural, individual, and role differences, including those due to age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status. Psychologists try to eliminate the effect on their work of biases based on those factors, and they do not knowingly participate in or condone unfair discriminatory practices. American Counseling Association (ACA) Counselor educators actively infuse multicultural/diversity competency in their training and supervision practices. They actively train students to gain awareness, knowledge, and skills in the competencies of multicultural practice.

Defining Leisure and Recreation Essay

Leisure is a general term and just like an umbrella, covers the terms, sport, recreation and play. Leisure is the overall term. Below is a diagram to help explain the relationship between leisure, recreation, sport and play: On the continuum between play, recreation and sport, there are a varied level of effort and seriousness. Play is a non-serious form of leisure and sport is very serious. Leisure can be very difficult to define. It is said to be the time spent outside of working commitments and other daily necessities. It can be spent doing anything that an individual would like to do. It is said to be called ‘free choice’. It is our ‘free time’ and is a complete opposite to work. There are many characteristics of leisure including your state of mind. Your state of mind is how you decide to spend your leisure time whether it is shopping or whether it is playing sport. Leisure may not always be relaxing but it has an aftermath of relaxation and a good feeling. Leisure may be active or passive depending on our state of mind. An example of a passive leisure activity is watching television. You are not active as you are only sat down watching television but it is a very popular leisure activity. An example of an active leisure activity is football. You are very active and you are running around. Leisure activities can also be home-based or away from home. An example of a home-based activity can be listening to music in the home and an example of an away from home activity could be going to the pub. Leisure is enjoyable and can be done anywhere. A quote from Collins Advanced Vocational textbook of Leisure and Recreation says, â€Å"Leisure can be defined as the time that an individual sets aside for activities or pastimes outside work or other necessities such as sleeping.† A-Z OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES ARTWORK NATURE SEEKING BIRDWATCHING ORIGAMI CAMPING PUB DANCING QUIZZES EXCURSIONS READING FAMILIES SHOPPING GARDENING TELE HOLIDAYS UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES INTERNET VISITS JOGGING WATERSPORTS KNITTING XYLOPHONE PLAYING LISTENING TO MUSIC YOUTH CLUBS MUSEUMS ZOOS All the above activities are activities that are done in our leisure time. They are taken out when we do not have work, or everyday duties like sleeping and eating. Recreation is also a free choice activity and is often active. It is more structured than leisure and is not usually done at home. Recreation implies enjoyment and the skill level does not matter. Recreation has a flexibility of rules and is very purposeful as it ‘re-creates the individual’ or ‘re-charges the batteries’ ready for work. Hobbies are usually productive with skill levels increasing with more practice. Recreation has a moral element and has a good attitude about it. Examples of recreation are swimming, stamp collecting and gardening. They are all ‘creating’ something, hence the word ‘recreation’. Swimming creates a stronger person, stamp collecting creates a larger stamp collection and gardening creates a nicer garden. Recreation is defined as, â€Å"the type of activities undertaken for enjoyment or relaxation during a person’s leisure time.† There are physical and passive recreational activities. Physical activities are playing sport, playing music instruments and gardening. Passive activities are watching television, listening to music and playing computer games. ‘Home-based’ recreational activities are cheaper, for example, reading library books is free and eating at home is much cheaper than eating out. It is also non-dependent on anyone else whereas going to a restaurant would involve other people. A quote from Kaplan in 1975, says, ‘Activity voluntarily engaged in during leisure and motivated by the personal satisfactions which result from it†¦a tool for mental and physical therapy.’ This is a very good quote to describe the definition ‘recreation’. Play can also be very hard to define as many people have different views on what play is. Although a major football team play football every Saturday, competitive football is actually counted as sport. An example of play is ‘tig’. ‘Tig’ is a game that can be played anywhere and does not have certain rules or boundaries. Play is very spontaneous and can be done on the spare of the moment. It can be played in the garden and is not competitive. It is make-believe and is often done to get away from the real world. There are no age boundaries and adults and children can play. Play is not very important and has a low level of skill. It is not compulsory and is a free choice what an individual decides to play. Playing does not have to be physical. An example of a non-physical game is playing cards. Whilst playing, no certain skills are being taught but people can learn new things whilst playing. Play can be defined as, ‘Activities from which you get immediate pleasure without ulterior motive.’ This quote was taken from There are many skills learnt by children through play such as physical skills like how to pass a ball properly in football. Other skills are cognitive skills, environmental, social and moral skills. An example for a cognitive skill is where you decide on a decision quick enough to react to it, for example, when an opponent comes towards you dribbling the ball, it is a cognitive skill that is used to decide whether you go and tackle them or not. An environmental skill is where you pick up from people what is the best way to care for the environment and the area around you. Social skills are how you learn to react around each other, how you learn to be friendly with one another and learn how to communicate in the appropriate manner, for example, a social skill learnt through play is shaking the opponent’s hand after a game. Moral skills are the way you act to other people and the manners use. For example if someone gives you something, you say ‘thank you’. You know it is morally correct to thank the person. This is an example of a moral skill. Play is the opposite of sport. Sport has many characteristics and can be defined as the most physical of leisure’s field of study’s. It can be very successful and competitive. Sport has a high level of skill and a high level of fitness. There are strict rules on and off the pitch. For example, on the pitch, one rule in football is that you are not allowed to tackle an opponent from behind. A rule off the pitch is that players are not allowed to take drugs. In sport, the outcomes are important as it may be for a league, cup or tournament. There are qualified officials that have an important role in the game. There are many people who play sport as a job, therefore, are professional sports players. In sport there are tangible rewards such as the F.A. Cup in football. Sport is formal as it has organised dates and times when sport is going to take place. There is a lot of effort put into sport and a lot of work is put into practising for the sport. For each sport, there is a National Governing Body just like the Football Association in football and the Sports players do still find it enjoyable as it is rewarding and fun to participate in. The word ‘sport’ stems from the Latin word, ‘disportare’ which means ‘to carry away’. Sport across the world is seen very serious and top sports players even put themselves through pain and emotion to succeed. A definition of sport is, ‘Any physical activity which has the character of play and which takes the form of a struggle with oneself or involves competition with others is a sport.’ This quote was taken from There are many factors that affect the participation of people in leisure and recreation activities. One of the most important factors are our peers. They can have a big influence on whether we do or do not participate. For example, if our friends really enjoy playing sport, you will be more influenced to take part also. But if our friends have the attitude that playing cricket is boring and we would be much better going to the cinema instead, you would be influenced in thinking the same. Other influences can be by your parents. If your parents are behind you in playing sport and buy you equipment and transport you, they will be influencing you into deciding to play sport. If you decide you would like to play football for your local team and need some football boots and your parents will not buy you them, you may decide not to play as you do not possess the equipment to play. A big influence on participation can be the opportunities you have around you. If the school you go to has a very good range of extra-curricular activities and has contacts with clubs in the area, you will be more influenced in taking part. If you have a higher opportunity to participate then there is a higher chance that you will participate. The area in which you live will influence you as well as there may be great facilities in the area or there may be none at all. A big influence in which activity we decide to participate in can be role models, such as Michael Owen in football, Steve Redgrave in rowing and Paula Radcliffe in running. These are all professional and very successful sports players that have a big influence on what sport we participate in. They are all very good at there own activities and our skill level can also influence us in our participation. For example if you know and feel you are good at an activity, you will want to take part in it more often that in an activity that you are not so good at. Some people have a lot of leisure time whereas other people have very little, this can also influence us on our participation as there may not be activities going on at the time you want to participate in. Our culture can also have a big influence on what activity we decide to take part in. For example, if your Granddad, Uncle and Dad all were good footballers, you may decide to take part in football, as it is a ‘family tradition’. Other influences in our participation can be our medical conditions and our disabilities. For example, a person in a wheelchair would not be able to play in the Premiership. A major influence on our participation in leisure activities is our wealth and our disposable income (our money we have left after we have paid for all our necessities), Many leisure activities cost money to participate in so if we do not have much money to append, this may affect our decision in what we do. There are many things that influence our participation such as our sex. Netball is seen as a women’s sport and men do not play. Although women play football, their status is nothing compared to men’s football. There are rules that say men and women cannot play football together from the age of 11. The lack of men’s netball teams and the lack of women’s football teams can influence our participation in certain leisure activities. Our level of fitness can also influence our choices as if we were very tall and very fit, we may decide to play a sport like basketball but if we had very strong arms, we may decide to choose to take part in rowing. Media can have a very big influence in our participation as it has a big influence in our lives. When you read the back pages of tabloid newspapers, you usually find that most of the pages are about football, because there is so much talk about football, you may be influenced in participating, just like if on the news, they say that it is bad to take part in basketball because you can hurt your ankles, you may be influenced in taking part in another sport. The marital status of an individual can also influence participation. If you are married with children, your leisure time will be reduced as you have more daily necessities like picking up the children and caring for them. Car ownership can have a major influence in participation also as if you have a car, it will be easier to access places that you cannot get to by public transport. As shown above, there are a great number of influences in participation, whether it is friends or medical conditions.