My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay Example

My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay After analyzing Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1979; Bronfenbrenner Ceci, 1994), I used it to interpret my development.   At the microscopic level (the child’s genetic characteristics, e.g., genetic sex, and predispositions), a probable predisposition towards being athletic interacted positively with my relationships with peers and involvement in team sports (mesosystem influences).   Another mesosystem influence, responsibilities in caring for my younger brothers and sister, influenced my values about children and career goals. Exosystem influences worked to my advantage since, for example, the mass media has glorified athletic success, and macrosystem influences, the general culture and its subgroups, led to a football scholarship, making it possible to attend college.   These influences led to enrolling in a Master’s program to prepare me for working with children having adjustment difficulties. At the time Bronfenbrenner was developing an ecological theory of development (1979), the social learning theory that development was a function of the environment acting on a passive child was dominant (Bandura, 1977).  Ã‚   Bronfenbrenner recognized that the child actively influenced environmental responses (1979).   As examples, happy babies elicit more responsive behaviors from caretakers than babies with more difficult temperaments (e.g., Keller Scholmerich, 1987) and sociable children receive more positive attention than shy children from their peers (e.g., Adler Adler, 1998).   Also contrary to social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), Bronfenbrenner recognized that while controlled experiments were important, we also needed to study children in their natural contexts, as they actually behaved in their homes, schools, playgrounds, etc., and that parents were only one of the important influences on development (1979).   His theory has been an important influence on curr ent theories, which have â€Å"moved beyond a focus on main effects of parenting to efforts to understand complex interactions between individuals and their environments† (Vandell, 2000, p. 700). We will write a custom essay sample on My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Development as Interpreted by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Bronfenbrenner’s theory (1979) was that development began with the child, prior to environmental influences (the microsystem), then expanded to relationships in the mesosystem, i.e., early environmental influences children experienced directly, typically in their own neighborhoods, e.g., their immediate families, peers, schools.   Development also included indirect influences, the exosystem, e.g., public health services, school policies.   Contrary to Bronfenbrenner’s earlier observations (1970) and also to current research findings (e.g., Werner Smith, 1992), examples of indirect influences also included adults such as neighbors and extended family (1979).   Interactions with adults outside of one’s immediate family (e.g., neighbors, aunts, uncles) have positively influenced the development of children (e.g., Werner Smith, 1992).   The broadest influences, the macrosystem, were both the dominant culture and groups within this culture (e.g., socioeconom ic status, SES). Science is impersonal, and new empirical evidence should result in the modification of existing theory.   As Bandura was influenced by findings inconsistent with social learning theory and developed social-cognitive theory (1989), Bronfenbrenner revised his theory based on findings of behavioral-genetic researchers that there are inherited predispositions for a wide variety of personality characteristics (e.g., depression, Behar, 1980; attitudes, Tesser, 1993; alcoholism, Hill, 1990; shyness, Kagan, Reznick, Snidman, 1988).   In Bronfenbrenner’s revised bioecological theory, the microsystem, the child’s initial state, has been expanded in order to understand the extent to which these predispositions become manifested (i.e., how genotypes become phenotypes) by interacting with the influences in the other systems described above (2005; Bronfenbrenner Ceci, 1994). Influences on my development After my birth, my young mother worked and also returned to high school.   We lived in an urban lower SES environment, with a high crime rate, gangs, and easy access to drugs.   According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), the microsystem (i.e., me) would be interacting with less than favorable influences, beginning with the macrosystem’s (lower SES) influence on the exosystem (e.g., under-funding of schools and community services) and mesosystem (e.g., too little access to parents, too much access to drug-using, gang-member peers).   In an interview (Addison, 1992), Bronfenbrenner remained critical of our society’s failure to establish conditions where work and other settings were designed to incorporate the needs of families:   â€Å"We have to have social policies that enable family life and work to be carried on simultaneously†¦our country is far behind in   making the necessary rearrangements† (p. 17). Based on Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner Ceci, 1994), the genetic predispositions of the child, i.e., the microsystem, interacted with influences from the other levels.   I can make inferences about my own predispositions, based on autobiographical memories of events that occurred after the age of two or three (the ages most of us believe we were at the time of our reported earliest memories, Mullen, 1994).  Ã‚   Since childhood, I remember enjoying and excelling at sports, thus I probably was predisposed to being athletic.   This was a most fortunate predisposition because even in childhood, consistent with research (Adler Adler, 1998), being athletic resulted in high status among my peers, in turn increasing my confidence, and possibly a reason why I was sociable and made friends easily. Untangling predispositions is difficult because, for example, a predisposition for being athletic certainly could have contributed to my becoming sociable, but there also is a genetic predisposition for being sociable (i.e., extroversion,   Owen Sines, 1970), which, in turn, is a reason why children find it easy to make friends (Adler Adler, 1998).   In my case, as in most families, my relatives range from being highly extraverted to being highly introverted, with most being at neither extreme on the introversion-extraversion personality dimension.   Nonetheless, it is likely that a genetic predisposition for being athletic was a reason for being in a favorable position in terms of my mesosystem. Sports also led me to join church-sponsored teams and then middle- and high-school teams.   Despite the TV ads and despite the delusions of some parents, kids from all SES groups are involved, to varying extents, with drugs, especially marijuana (Johnston, O’Malley, Bachman, 1998).   Usage in my neighborhood was lower among team members than among other groups.   In lower SES neighborhoods (the macrosystem) similar to where I grew up, there was status associated with being in a gang.   The gang members were heavy users of drugs such as crack cocaine, cheaper than the cocaine available in higher SES groups, but nonetheless requiring money that could be made by dealing. Since poverty is a good predictor of criminal behavior (Bjerk, 2007), it isn’t surprising that low SES youth are over-represented, relative to middle-class youth, in the juvenile (so-called) justice system.   In my neighborhood, it wasn’t unusual for a preteen boy with a reputation for using crack to experience his first encounter with the long arm of the law, an influence from the macrosystem.   Contrary to exosystem influences on middle-class youth, the legal services available to low SES youth and the greater penalties given to offenses involving the less expensive crack cocaine probably would result in this preteen boy from my neighborhood winding up in a mesosystem consisting of young future criminals, AKA Juvenile Detention.   Many people are fond of theories of between-group genetic differences (not part of Bronfenbrenner’s theory), which often become best-selling junk psychology books (e.g., Herrnstein Murray, 1994).   Thus it is important to note that early (e.g., Dobzhansky Montagu, 1947, cited in Montagu, 1974) and continued consistent evidence (reviewed in Neisser, 1997) has disconfirmed theories of between-group genetic differences, and whatever genetic predispositions the preteen boy I described had were not a result of his low SES. My own involvement and talent in sports resulted in a football scholarship that made it possible for me to go to college.   There have been newspaper debates about what scholarships in high-profile sports imply about our culture’s values, but, for me, the macrosystem’s interaction with other systems was a blessing.   I had some thoughts about professional football, but my football-playing days ended after a knee injury.   Because of experiences with children, described below, I majored in criminal justice, hoping to find a job working with youthful offenders. My mesosystem includes five younger brothers and a younger sister.   My mom needed to work and she counted on me to care for my brothers and sister in her absence. My relationship with my mom has always been positive, and I did not resent having grown-up responsibilities.   In fact, I felt proud that my mom trusted me (a positive contribution to my mesosystem) and I began to learn that our society devalues the worth of caring for children.   I didn’t and don’t believe that the jobs older children in my neighborhood had – delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, etc. – were as rewarding as caring for my younger siblings.   In the world of adult work, daycare-center teachers and aides are among the most poorly paid workers, suggesting a cultural lack of concern (a macrosystem influence) about where we leave our children (influencing their microsystems). My own positive experiences with my siblings influenced my desire to work with children.   However, after I graduated from college, with a major in criminal justice, I wasn’t able to find such a job.   I became certified as an emergency medical technician, and, in this capacity, work as a firefighter, a job that is satisfying, but does not provide the rewards I had hoped to find in my work.   I enjoy being the father of two children, being involved in their lives and the lives of their friends, and I also enjoy coaching little-league football.   These activities, an important part of my mesosystem, are rewarding and have helped in convincing me to return to my earlier goal of working with children.   Thus, as described above, Bronfenbrenner’s levels of influence ultimately led to my enrollment in a Master’s program in General Human Services, a degree that will qualify me for jobs that involve working with children who are having difficulties in adjustin g to traumatic life events, such as child abuse.

Introduction Samples in Arguing Essay Topics

Introduction Samples in Arguing Essay TopicsWhen you are writing an introduction for your essay, you need to find a good introduction samples in arguing essay topics. What you will need to know about these essays is that they are the easiest essays you can write and they do not have to be flawless.The trick to this essay topic is that it is simple to write. You just need to come up with a thesis statement that will link the other parts of the essay. This is so important because it will set the tone of the rest of the essay. So you need to know how to write it correctly.First, you need to establish an individual fact about the people who you are writing about. Who is the author? What was the original topic? These are all part of your essay.Next, you need to pick a theme that ties everything together. Some people use a theme like an underdog, the underdog fights the big boys or even an inspirational quote. Whatever theme you choose, make sure it reflects the personality of the person.T he next step in writing your essay is to actually argue your point, which is what you do in an argumentative essay. Here, you will be more creative and fun as you try to prove your point.Remember, no matter how much you want to write an essay that you like, there is no need to break the rules of grammar and punctuation. If you are going to argue your argument, then break the rules. One good argument will make your argument superior to the others.These introduction samples in arguing essay topics are so helpful because you will be able to come up with a perfect essay. Do not miss out on the opportunity because there are so many good opportunities for you to try.

buy custom Commercial Carrier Business essay

buy custom Commercial Carrier Business essay United States of America is currently experiencing an increase in industrial production with an annual increment of +6.5% in 2011 as seen from a report by U.S. Federal Reserve and ATA. This has a great implication on the truck transport industry since it offers most of the transport services of goods produced from the said production industries. Therefore, this fact acts as an opportunity for Huffman Trucking Company which should be harnessed and to do so the company should diversify in its operational area and establish more facilities in other states rather than the 4 it has current established. Despite the high industrial growth, the U.S. goods export is foreseen to reduce from the current more than $100,000 million dollars to less than the value in the next three years. This implicates that the transport industry will not have much to transport in US ports for export since most of the products are used within the country. In other words in three years to come there will be high demand in transportation of goods within the country. Consequently, Huffman Trucking Company will take a strategic move of focusing in transportation within the country by establishing many facilities in other states not reached. Bureau of Economic Analysis and ATA have established that wages/salaries of employees have rose from $5,100 billions in 2010 to $5,400 billions in 2011. This fact will affect Huffman Trucking Company by causing an increase in the salaries paid to employees thus reducing the companys net profit. To mitigate this emerging threat the company will increase the cost of transportation. The current petroleum fuel crisis and predicted future worse crisis will have a major impact in the truck transporting industry since petroleum fuel is the major source of fuel used by trucks. The company will embrace other sources of fuel like use of biodiesel in its trucks to mitigate the threat. Competition Despite being many players in the commercial carrier business, the field remains highly fagmented with many different companies providing different kinds of trucking services. The major competitors for Huffman Trucking Company are companies with fleet of trucks but are mainly in the food industry. Therefore, they dont pose a major threat to the company since Huffman Trucking Company is in the non edible industrial products. Never the less, there a few truck transportation companies in that field who are considerably increasing in the market. To check on this Huffman Trucking Company will employ just in time strategy by installing and using the new automated loading and offloading machines hence reducing the time spent in loading and offloading. The company will be conducing annual market research to understand the competitors intelligence and make informed strategic decision on that matter. Legal and ethical issues Legal measures have been put in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to regulate trucking industry operations. FMCSA has set limitations in the number of hours a truck driver may drive. Trucks have specific roads and highways that they drive upon and the drivers have a 0.04% definition of blood alcohol concentration which is lower than the regulation for other drivers. In some states trucks have special speed limits and carrying weight limitations. It is evident that this rules and regulations will affect Huffman Trucks Company negatively in that they make it hard to run the business with many restrictions. The company will increase its number of trucks so that it can compensate for losses which might be incurred due to such regulations. Apart from the high drunkenness regulation of truck drivers, there are other ethical regulations set to streamline the industry. These are; Employment background check: This helps in verifying the competence and conduct of the driver. Supplier/vendor screening: Looking at the integrity and capabilities of potential suppliers Driving records: This enables the employer to have drivers with clean and valid driving docuuments and records. Substance abuse testing: Helping in reducing the incidences of accidents caused by drug or alcohol use. Employment physicals: They help in ensuring employees are properly placed with respect to their physical health and enhance their performance. These ethical issues will create a good opportunity for Huffman Trucking Company in getting the best personnel and gaining confidence and credence from its customers Technological Like many industries, computers, internet, fiber optic cables and advanced satellites have posted a great impact in the truck transportation industry. In general internet helps enterprises to discover new opportunities in sales and marketing, despite being 15 times less expensive than paper transactions. Considering the limitation and regulations in weight and size found in this industry, computerized analyzers have been made and used which have proved to be more reliable and efficient. Satellites have been installed on the top of trucks to enhance communication and geo-location of the truck. These satellites enable drivers to input bills of loading to simple texts and send them to their employers or other inspecting agencies. The GPS satellite receiver in the other hand enables one to locate the truck anywhere in the world thus, minimizing the risk of theft. Although there is a weakness in Huffman Trucking Company of outsourcing 100% of its information systems support there is still a need for more use of technology. To mitigate the outsourcing problem the company will employ information and technology experts to install, monitor, repair and maintain information systems used by the trucks and in the offices. This move will reduce the cost of installing and maintaining information sy stems incurred from outsourcing. The ICT experts will help in establishment of a database on the companys operations e.g. on drivers log and fleet maintenance. A network platform will be created connecting all the facilities in the country hence ease in communication and transacting. Buy custom Commercial Carrier Business essay

Rudyard Kiplings Classic Speech on Values in Life

Rudyard Kiplings Classic Speech on Values in Life Both praised and criticized as a popular writer, Rudyard Kipling was a poet, novelist, short-story writer, and notorious imperialist. He is best known today for his novel Kim (1901) and his childrens stories, collected in The Jungle Book (1894), The Second Jungle Book (1895), and the Just So Stories (1902). Values in Life appears in A Book of Words (1928), a volume of Kiplings collected speeches. The address was originally delivered in the fall of 1907 to the students at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. At the end of his talk Kipling says, I have no message to deliver. Consider whether you agree with that observation. Values in Life by Rudyard Kipling 1 According to the ancient and laudable custom of the schools, I, as one of your wandering scholars returned, have been instructed to speak to you. The only penalty youth must pay for its enviable privileges is that of listening to people known, alas, to be older and alleged to be wiser. On such occasions youth feigns an air of polite interest and reverence, while age tries to look virtuous. Which pretences sit uneasily on both of them. 2 On such occasions very little truth is spoken. I will try not to depart from the convention. I will not tell you how the sins of youth are due very largely to its virtues; how its arrogance is very often the result of its innate shyness; how its brutality is the outcome of its natural virginity of spirit. These things are true, but your preceptors might object to such texts without the proper notes and emendations. But I can try to speak to you more or less truthfully on certain matters to which you may give the attention and belief proper to your years. 3 When, to use a detestable phrase, you go out into the battle of life, you will be confronted by an organized conspiracy which will try to make you believe that the world is governed by the idea of wealth for wealths sake, and that all means which lead to the acquisition of that wealth are, if not laudable, at least expedient. Those of you who have fitly imbibed the spirit of our university- and it was not a materialistic university which trained a scholar to take both the Craven and the Ireland in England- will violently resent that thought, but you will live and eat and move and have your being in a world dominated by that thought. Some of you will probably succumb to the poison of it. 4 Now, I do not ask you not to be carried away by the first rush of the great game of life. That is expecting you to be more than human. But I do ask you, after the first heat of the game, that you draw breath and watch your fellows for a while. Sooner or later, you will see some man to whom the idea of wealth as mere wealth does not appeal, whom the methods of amassing that wealth do not interest, and who will not accept money if you offer it to him at a certain price. 5 At first you will be inclined to laugh at this man, and to think that he is not smart in his ideas. I suggest that you watch him closely, for he will presently demonstrate to you that money dominates everybody except the man who does not want money. You may meet that man on your farm, in your village, or in your legislature. But be sure that, whenever or wherever you meet him, as soon as it comes to a direct issue between you, his little finger will be thicker than your loins. You will go in fear of him; he will not go in fear of you. You will do what he wants; he will not do what you want. You will find that you have no weapon in your armory with which you can attack him, no argument with which you can appeal to him. Whatever you gain, he will gain more. 6 I would like you to study that man. I would like you better to be that man, because from the lower point of view it doesnt pay to be obsessed by the desire of wealth for wealths sake. If more wealth is necessary to you, for purposes not your own, use your left hand to acquire it, but keep your right for your proper work in life. If you employ both arms in that game, you will be in danger of stooping, in danger also of losing your soul. But in spite of everything you may succeed, you may be successful, you may acquire enormous wealth. In which case I warn you that you stand in grave danger of being spoken and written of and pointed out as a smart man. And that is one of the most terrible calamities that can overtake a sane, civilized white man in our Empire today. 7 They say youth is the season of hope, ambition, and uplift- that the last word youth needs is an exhortation to be cheerful. Some of you here know- and I remember- that youth can be a season of great depression, despondencies, doubts, and waverings, the worse because they seem to be peculiar to ourselves and incommunicable to our fellows. There is a certain darkness into which the soul of the young man sometimes descends- a horror of desolation, abandonment, and realized worthlessness, which is one of the most real of the hells in which we are compelled to walk. 8 I know of what I speak. This is due to a variety of causes, the chief of which is the egotism of the human animal itself. But I can tell you for your comfort that the chief cure for it is to interest yourself, to lose yourself in some issue not personal to yourself- in another mans trouble or, preferably, another mans joy. But, if the dark hour does not vanish, as sometimes it doesnt, if the black cloud will not lift, as sometimes it will not, let me tell you again for your comfort that there are many liars in the world, but there are no liars like our own sensations. The despair and the horror mean nothing, because there is for you nothing irremediable, nothing ineffaceable, nothing irrecoverable in anything you may have said or thought or done. If, for any reason, you cannot believe or have not been taught to believe in the infinite mercy of Heaven, which has made us all, and will take care we do not go far astray, at least believe that you are not yet sufficiently important to b e taken too seriously by the Powers above us or beneath us. In other words, take anything and everything seriously except yourselves. 9 I regret that I noticed certain signs of irreverent laughter when I alluded to the word smartness. I have no message to deliver, but, if I had a message to deliver to a University which I love, to the young men who have the future of their country to mould, I would say with all the force at my command, Do not be smart. If I were not a doctor of this University with a deep interest in its discipline, and if I did not hold the strongest views on that reprehensible form of amusement known as rushing, I would say that, whenever and wherever you find one of your dear little playmates showing signs of smartness in his work, his talk, or his play, take him tenderly by the hand- by both hands, by the back of the neck if necessary- and lovingly, playfully, but firmly, lead him to a knowledge of higher and more interesting things. Â   Classic Essays About Values Of Truth, by Francis BaconAn Essay on the Noble Science of Self-Justification, by Maria EdgeworthSelf-Reliance, by Ralph Waldo EmersonQuality, by John GalsworthyA Liberal Education, by Thomas Henry HuxleyWhat Life Means to Me, by Jack LondonThe Tyranny of Things, by Edward Sandford MartinOn Virtue and Happiness, by John Stuart MillWho Owns the Mountains? by Henry Van Dyke

What were the main lessons from the Falklands for joint capability, Essay

What were the main lessons from the Falklands for joint capability, and were they successfully incorporated into defence policy during the 1980s - Essay Example Specifically, the superpowers – the Soviet Union and the United States – displayed keen interest and the war and subsequently used the lessons from this experience in order to realign their own military strategy, doctrine, logistics and weapons system. The Falkland War had, in the days after its end, would be fundamental in the reform of the whole spectrum of conventional war during the modern times. There are several schools that posit the importance of the conflict. For military reformers, the Falkland underscored the need for inexpensive and even less expensive ships. On the other hand, the traditionalists argue in favor of an increase funding for more supercarriers – high-technology ships that would strengthen the capability command and control. Out of all the differences in this debate, however, there lies the fact that discourse is already focused on the value of amphibious war capability to gain advantage in armed conflict. Alexander and Bartlett observed: Indeed, the Falklands War seemed to revalidate all components of naval warfare. Even before the Royal Marines stormed ashore near San Carlos, thoughtful observers had begun to reappraise the utility of naval armed suasion.2 This reference to contemporary analysis can be read from the newspaper column of George Will in the Washington Post in April 25, 1982. He expressed the following statement in regard to the then on-going war further south: This is the moment to explode the belief that the use of naval forces for political objectives – gunboat diplomacy is the preferred epithet – is an anachronism. And it is time for renewed appreciation of the role of naval forces in the US – Soviet balance.3 To further illustrate the British victory during the Falkland War, the British military situation prior to the conflict would be outlined. Then, a brief account of the conflict would be provided. After this, an investigation on the impact of the

Culture, Modernity and media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Culture, Modernity and media - Essay Example This is because the idea of a nation state or the concept the every human belongs to one or more nations has been very influential in the course of human history. A nationalistic ideology forms the basis of creation for a nation state which determines its friendly or even hostile relationships with other nations of the world. Being a part of nations entails to some extent a positive belief in the ideology of the nation and upholding certain customs which are part of the national culture (Miztal, 2003). Strangely enough, there sometimes appears to be no basis of creating a nation since in historical terms nations were formed simply because a group had a different accent from another, while at the same time, people from across races, religions, cultural and backgrounds as well as those who speak different languages can call themselves part of one nation (Giddens, 1994). This is particularly the case with western democracies like America or Britain, where the diversity of the nation is celebrated as much as the union (Bhaba, 1989). In fact, celebrations are significant in helping to create a national identity and infusing a sense of belonging to a nation without internal discrimination. The celebratory role of a particular incident in history is often connected with war and struggle. Incidentally, the celebration seldom looks at the atrocities committed by the nations involved in the war but rather at the positive, heroic, self sacrificing and noble acts which ‘deserve’ to be commemorated. For instance, the American celebration of Veteran’s Day is a celebration of all the war heroes who fought for America in the many wars the nation has conducted over its comparatively short history (Gillis, 1994). Of course there is little mention of America being the only nation in the world to have ever used a nuclear attack on another nation. The atrocities which were committed by American soldiers in Vietnam and the crimes of war they

One Of The Latest Buzzwords Tourism Essay

One Of The Latest Buzzwords Tourism Essay One of the latest buzzwords that have come into general usage in the world of tourism is that of Integrated Resorts. Over the last two decades, a number of large tourist integrated resorts have been developed around the world, many of which have become highly popular holiday destinations. The growth in tourism generated by these integrated resorts has brought significant economic and social benefits to their respective countries, including increased foreign exchange earnings, direct and indirect employment. In addition, the resorts development has stimulated local and regional development, encouraging new local industries and international trade. The success of these integrated resorts can be largely attributed to the adoption of an integrated approach to their development, caretirl planning and implementation that took into consideration regional environmental, economic and socio-cultural factors. This kind of approach helps minimise environmental, socio-economic and marketing probl ems often associated with uncontrolled tourism development. The development of integrated resorts has grown rapidly over the last two decades also as a reaction to the proliferation of unplanned beach resorts. On the supply side, many governments have increasingly turned to integrated resort developments in an attempt to improve the well-being of the local population by generating iobs and increasing income, and private investors have seen integrated resorts as a way to maximise their profits, while on the demand side, statistics are not available on the relative proportion of tourist demand for integrated resorts. In the context of globalisation and widening international tourist markets, it is acknowledged that integrated resorts offer great opportunities to visitors for leisure, recreation and sports, but due to the difficulty in assessing the impacts that may result from the construction of an integrated resort, as plans for integrated resorts are developed by consultancy iiirms and private investors that rarely publish or divulge their secrets before resort operation, most research has been conducted only after the construction of integrated resorts. The notion of integrated resorts came into plrominence in Mauritius after the successful approval ofthe environmental impact assessment report and construction of Tamarina Golf, Spa and Beach Club that is the first integrated resort in Mauritius. 1.1 Tourism Industrv in Mauritius Mauritius has considerable natural advantages as a holiday destination such as beautiful coral beaches, warm clear lagoons, colouriixl reefs, picturesque mountains, a subtropical climate, a southern hemisphere location, an atmosphere that is exotically different, yet safe and stable, and people who are friendly and welcoming. These Advantages have been exploited with attractive well run hotels with good amenities, direct and reliable air services, efficient supporting infrastructure and effective marketing as an up-market quality destination. It is therefore hardly surprising that tourist arrivals have been rising by more than 8 percent a year and the tourism industry has become one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy, accounting for 19 per cent of gross export earnings and providing employment directly and indirectly for about 50,000 people. However, there are problems. Average spending per visitor has not been going up as fast as hoped, and there have been some signs of adverse reactions at tourist numbers and behaviour. Infrastructure constraints have developed in the form of congestion at peak times at the airport and inadequate efiluent treatment leading to deterioration in water quality in some of the lagoons_ In the longer term, there will be more general environmental constraints, in the form of limits to the capacity for absorbing ever increasing numbers of visitors in a small densely populated country with a finite length of beaches and a sensitive coastal ecology. It will be necessary in fixture to place a ceiling on the number of tourists in order to protect the environment and, indeed, the fixture of the tourism industry itself Mauritius has been very successful in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the 197Os. However there has been a decline in the growth of FDI since the mid-19S0s, particularly i n the manufacturing sector. However, FDI growth has started to pick up again since 2005, led by the tourism sector, particularly the Integrated Resort Scheme as illustrated below. Foreign Direct Investment by Sector, 2003-2007 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 (USD million) Export Processing Zone 2.7 8.7 3.6 2.8 2.2 Tourism 3.4 4.2 18.2 83.0 144.0 Banking 46.0 10.9 15.4 111.0 70.0 Telecommunications 0 1.3 5 _ 9 1 .4 0. 5 Other 16.8 37.8 52.0 30.7 64.3 Total 68.9 62.9 95.1 228.9 281.0 As illustrated above, tourism has proved to be a credible alternative source of foreign currency earnings. However the country will not be able to cope with a policy of mass tourism which is unsustainable. Also the characteristic of the country, which is a Small Island Developing States (SIDS) facing special disadvantages associated with small size, insularity, remoteness and proneness to natural disasters, limits the prospect of tourism development. Hence since the economy of the country is highly vulnerable and the totnism industry having reached its carrying capacity, therefore sustainable tourism development is very instrumental. Mauritius has therefore resorted to the rejuvenation of its tourism life cycle, as this is nearing or has reached the stagnation stage, through the development of an alternative luxurious product known as Integrated Resort, as illustrated below. This good mix of tourism and real estate development has been high on governmentsagenda and has led to governments intervention in the tourism sector with the twin objective of tourism rejuvenation and FDI increase. 1.2 Aims of study The development of the tourism industry in Mauritius has been considered as an important economic diversification tool for the nation. Realizing the importance of the tourism industry in the economic development of Mauritius, government has initiated the Integrated Resort Scheme. Therefore the aim of this dissertation is primarily to conduct an investigation regarding development and impacts of integrated resort in Mauritius. 1.3 Objectives of study This study purports to investigate the anticipated and current socio-economic and environmental impacts of integrated resorts in the Mauritian context. In particular, this study will aim to achieve the following objectives: To investigate the context of integrated resort development and its aims and objectives in the development of Mauritius tourism. To know the criticisms about the initiation of integrated resort in Mauritius. To determine the positive impact of integrated resort in terms of society, economy and environment of Mauritius. To know the negative impact of integrated resorts in terms of society, economy and environment of Mauritius. To recommend guidelines for sustainable integrated resort development and minimizing negative impacts of integrated resort development. This good mix of tourism and real estate development has been high on governmentsagenda and has led to governments intervention in the tourism sector with the twin objective of tourism rejuvenation and FDI increase. 1.2 Aims of study The development of the tourism industry in Mauritius has been considered as an important economic diversification tool for the nation. Realizing the importance of the tourism industry in the economic development of Mauritius, government has initiated the Integrated Resort Scheme. Therefore the aim of this dissertation is primarily to conduct an investigation regarding development and impacts of integrated resort in Mauritius. 1.3 Objectives of study This study purports to investigate the anticipated and current socio-economic and environmental impacts of integrated resorts in the Mauritian context. In particular, this study will aim to achieve the following objectives: 0 To investigate the context of integrated resort development and its aims and objectives in the development of Mauritius tourism. 0 To know the criticisms about the initiation of integrated resort in Mauritius. 0 To determine the positive impact of integrated resort in terms of society, economy and environment of Mauritius. 0 To know the negative impact of integrated resorts in terms of society, economy and environment of Mauritius. 0 To recommend guidelines for sustainable integrated resort development and minimising negative impacts of integrated resort development. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Tourism Impact Mauritius has built its successful up market tourism sector on a fragile and vulnerable natural resource. The growth of the tourist industry in an unplanned manner has led to the following negative impacts:  » High volume tourism has made an enormous impact on parts of the coast. There are plenty of examples of virtually every imaginable type of tourism impact on the environment, including the destruction of coastal wetlands and other sensitive environments, organic pollution and coastal erosion for example. Flic en Flac. 0 There are problems associated with monitonng and auditing due to institutional weaknesses. Most casual tourists bring their own equipment and are relatively self-contained, thus bringing in minimal cash into the country while making a large impact on the enviromnent for example tourists from Reunion and other islands of the Indian Ocean. y 2.2 Tourism Environmental Impacts The natural environment is under increasing threat hom unmanaged human activities, and in assessing the impacts of tourism, it is essential to adopt a holistic view that recognises both the direct and indirect consequences of tourism activities and their intrinsic link with other sectors (Glenn Kreag 2001). Growth in the tourism sector may generate new impacts on the coastal zone but also raise the intensity of existing impacts by placing additional burdens on resources that are already overextended. For this is a feature of human settlement and not just of tomism. However, where this is exacerbated by a significant increase in the number of visitors and people employed within the industry, the tourism sector must take responsibility for providing solutions to the causes of environmental degradation. The major environmental impacts identified and theiR direct consequences on tourism development as well as impacts associated with activities that support the tourism sector are highligh ted as: * Water Resources and River Ecosystem * Estuaries and Wetlands * Soil Erosion and Sedimentation * Waste Disposal and Pollution * Coastal Erosion * Marine Resources * Recreational Activities 2.3 Tourism Economic Impact In the developing world, economic impacts frequently outweigh other considerations when it comes to tourism development. The need for foreign exchange and the ease by which the industry can be developed relative to other sectors, makes tourism development a national priority (Glenn Kreag 2001), It is therefore important to have a clear understanding of the tourism industr`ys economic impacts, particularly because not all of them are positive. These impacts are the primary impacts, employment opportunities, impacts on the labour force, inflation and the availability of essential resources and over-reliance on tourism. 2.4 Classification of Impact There are several ways of looking at economic impacts. The following classification of impacts reflects the multi-sectoral nature oftourism: Primary Impacts arise from the inflow of foreign cash as a result of visitor expenditure. They are fairly well recorded by banks and businesses such as airlines, hotels and restaurants. They are relatively easy to measure. Secondary Impacts arise when the currency inflows penetrate to other sectors. This happens when the tourism industry passes some of its business on to other businesses, for instance, when an airline company contracts to provide on-board meals. Wages earned by people involved in sport services also fall into this category. Tertiary effects arise when currency flows are not the result of tourist expenditure, but when the practise of tourism led to other opportunities. For instance, a filmmaker on holiday in Mauritius may decide to use that country as the venue for his or her next film. Or a tourist may be so enchanted with the sandy beaches and blue lagoons of Mauritius that he or she buys a bungalow. From the above, it can be seen that the total economic impact of tourism is very hard to calculate indeed, but it would be wise to commission a thorough analysis of the tourism industry results. For instance, the high percentage of foreign workers in the tourism industry results in wages ending up going to their home countries which reduces the net benefit to the host Country. 2.5 Tourism Social and Cultural Impacts The socio-cultural impacts of tourism are basically the consequences of either the development of the tourism industry or the presence of the tourists (and the characteristics of the tourist-host relationship) (Sharpley 1994). The table below contains a comprehensive list of these impacts, following the classification adapted from Pizam Milman (1984), and Burdge (1994). The social and cultural impacts of tourism can be vast, and unfortunately many of them are negative. They include: 0 An intrusion of western culture into the host population. The tendency is often for local people to try to emulate westem consumerism. In new destinations, local populations are often not aware that many tourists work hard most of the year and then take time off for leisure. Instead, the tourists appear to have a lifestyle that is only enviable and the temptation to mimic them in terms of- dress or personal assets such as watches, sunglasses, etc, is great. 0 Value systems may be eroded, particularly in poor areas where tourists can be seen as an opportunity to make a fast buck. This may lead to theft prostitution, and sometimes violent crimes. Local customs are often not respected by tourists who may be unaware or insensitive to them. It is critically important that the government and other role players make tourists aware of such issues; Valuable cultural artefacts are olten bought by tourists, and shipwrecks are regularly plundered. The table below show some of the main impact of tourism on a country IDIPACTS IDF TOUllISlI Positive Negative Impacts on population Population increase (immigration, no emigration) Immigration of seasonal workforce (positive in case of lack of labour negative in case of unemployment) Presence of second home owners (positive if involved in community life negative if not involved) Changes in population distribution (by age, sex, race, ethnicity) Urbanisation of population Changes in labour market New jobs Seasonal jobs New types of jobs in tourism Unskilled jobs Increased value of knowledge, language Lack of labour in traditional sectors skills Economic diversification Increased economic inequality Stimulation of underdeveloped regions I Changes in community structure, characteristics Income from tourism Increase in the number of temporary residents (not very committed) Growing importance of service sector i Conflicts with second home owners Stimulation of social, cultural life Difficulties in acquiring real estate Increase in the value of land Increase in real estate prices s Development of infrastructure Increase in prices, intlation Wider opportunity for shopping Loss tiw Improvement in the destination image Transformation of value systems Increase in residents pride in their Religious conflicts settlement l (with second home owners, with tourists) Decrease of prejudices, disappearance of Overdependence on tourism stereotypes, increase in tolerance Congestion Traiiic problems Transformation of social stratification (owners of totuist resources rise, owners of traditional resources fell) Impacts on individual and family level Increase in social mobility i Disruption of social networks p (especially among the young and women) i Improvement in leisure opportunities Changes in the rhythm of life _ Meeting new people, wider social Loss of importance of liiendship Improvement in the quality of life Increase in perception of danger (due to increased criminality) Language skills Xenophobia Income hom totuism Commercialised hospitality Improvement in attitudes toward work, Deviant behaviours (alcoholism, politeness, manners prostitution, I gambling, drug abuse vandalism) Local language suppressed Increased sexual permissiveness Transformation of family structure Transformation of consumer habits Changes in housing conditions Transformation of behaviour (demonstration effect) Impacts on cultural and natural resources Protection of rare resoufces of Disappearance of local habits, traditions outstanding beauty Revival of local arts, crafts, cultLual Commercialisatknl of culture events Revival of local architectural traditions Littering, pollution 2.6 Conception and Development of Integrated Resort in Mauritius Mauritius has during recent years been facing serious economic problems owing to the need to comply with free trade agreements and globalisation. This has severely affected sugar and textile exports, two major pillars of the natio al economy, and consequently our balance of payment. Despite serious economic problems, Mauritius has succeeded in realising a remarkable economic transformation due to a diversified economy resting on other pillars like financial and business services sector and that of tourism, hospitality and property development. Hence the development of the Integrated Resort Scheme can be seen as an economic strategy. As a national strategy the Mauritian government has come along with the introduction of the IRS under the Investment Promotion Act 2000 through the Investment Promotion (Integrated Resort Scheme) Regulations 2002 in order to boost up foreign direct investment which is a necessary component in the fight to compensate for the decrease in sugar and textile income inflow. This has been a strategic attempt with the twofold objective, firstly to attract more foreign direct investment and secondly to strike a more favourable balance of payment. Hence recently Hospitality and Property Development have emerged, attracting substantial investment fiom both local and foreign investors under Investment Promotion Regulations 2007 which promotes the Real Estate Development Scheme comprising of IRS and RES (Real Estate Scheme) projects which are expected to be implemented in the next few years. The objective of the Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS) is to attract mainly high net-worth non-citizens into Mauritius by allowing them to acquire luxury villas of international standing and at the same time providing high-class amenities and facilities including golf course, marina, individual swimming pool, catering, nautical and other sport facilities and health centre within the boundaries of the integrated resort area. The acquisition of a villa for residential purposes by a foreigner under the Scheme will allow the foreigner his family to reside in Mauritius as long as he holds the property. Whilst the Investment Promotion Act 2000 expresses governments political will to expand the economic sector by creating the Board of Investment, the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 enhances business opportunities towards IRS projects. The Investment Promotion Act 2000 and Investment Promotion Regulations 2007 provide the legal framework for guidelines with regard to the implementation of these projects. The Finance Act 2007 introduced amendme ts to the following Acts of Parliament in order to regulate the promotion, implementation and marketing of IRS projects in Mauritius: 0 Investment Promotion Act 0 Land (Duties and Taxes) Act 0 Morcellement Act 0 Non-Citizens (Property Restriction) Act 0 Registration Duty Act  » Sugar Industry Efiiciency Act 2001 0 Environment Protection Act 2002 Here under is a list of IRS projects currently being implemented: Solares at Flic en Flac, Villas Valriche, Les Villas Telfair, Les Salines, La Balise Marina, Domaine de lHarmonie, Barachois villas and River Club. A few other projects have received their letter of approval recently and upon compliance to conditions laid down they will receive their IRS certificates. In some other cases the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, which analyses the environmental, biophysical and social impact of a proposed development, is being scrutinised in order to ensure that the proposed development is sustainable. The Integrated Resort Scheme provides:  » for the development of luxury residential units of international standing on freehold land of more than 10 hectares to be sold at a price exceeding USD 500,000  » high-class leisure and commercial amenities and facilities intended to enhance the residential units. These may include but not limited to, golf course, marina, nautical and other sport facilities, shopping mall, restaurant and wellness centre. 0 day-to-day management services such as security, maintenance, gardening, solid waste disposal and household services have to be provided to the residents. 0 for a social contribution in terms of social amenities, community development and other facilities for the benefit of the neighbouring community where the IRS project is implemyed/ However the following conditions concerning the eligibility for the acquisition of residential property from an IRS Company have to be complied with: (a) a non-citizen of Mauritius (b) a citizen of Mauritius (c) a company registered as a foreign company under the Companies Act 2001 (d) a company incorporated under the Companies Act 2001 (e) a Socià ©tà ©, where its deed of formation is deposited with the Registrar of Companies (l) a trust, where the trusteeship services are provided by a qualified trustee licensed by the Financial Services Commission It is instrumental to examine the importance and justification of the IRS in Mauritius liom a scientific point of view. Integrated resorts initiatives and development can be primarily viewed from the macro-economic perspective of foreign capital inflow (FDI) where as on the other hand they can be explained from the perspective of the market failure concept which has necessitated the rejuvenation process of the resort cycle in Mauritius. The strong linkages of tourism and IRS with other economic sectors should be the key in realising that tourism and new products are a powerful factor for economic growth and employment. This can clearly be seen by the nature of tourism and permanent residence needs, that is to say, as an industry it calls for goods and services such as: transportation, food, fuel, water and electricity, crafts, tour services, entertainment, communication, etc. These linkages have always had a positive economic impact in Mauritius. Of coLuse tourism and HKS development not only benefit the private sector but contribute significantly to government revenues in the form of sales, business, corporate, personal, departure and of course, import levies. 2.7 The Rationale for Government Intervention in Mauritius Tourism Sector Continuing globalization of competition has given confirmation to the market-oriented view entertained by the Mauritian government which justifies its intervention in the tourism sector by creating the integrated resort scheme to favour our export oriented strategy. It is believed that markets should be given primacy in the production and distribution of goods and services while government should provide the proper institutional infrastructure for markets to function properly. In cases of ket failure government should intervene to correct any imperfection and intervention is also justified because the more important the sector is to the economy, the greater intervention should be in order to ensure socially compatible objectives that foster sustainable development. The public sector can exercise varying degree of influence over the direction of tourism development by acting on both the demand side and supply side (Akehurst et al, 1994). In Mauritius the demand management policies and the management of its supply side must be seen to go in pair with governments macro-stabilization policy in an attempt to reach a state of equilibrium. Micro policies have to be endorsed to make markets function better. Govemmenfs political structure and the functioning of rivate institutions have to go in pair as well, Barriers and rigidities should be removed so that new projects like integrated resort development could function more efficiently. Without appropriate macro-economic policies market-oriented projects in the tourism sector will have to struggle for survival. Thus the role of government in ensuring a better economic climate is of vital importance to improve returns in the lCOl1I`lSII1 Sà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬CfO!` The Mauritian government had taken actions to correct market failure in the economic and tourism sector by rntroducrng the integrated resort development that is the integrated resort scheme Market failure arises from a situation where the riee market does not guarantee environmental protection and community involvement rn development process Since the tourism sector rn Mauritius rs not an integrated