Friday, November 15, 2019
Environmental Impacts and the Hospitality Industry
Environmental Impacts and the Hospitality Industry ABSTRACT: The hospitality sector presents a variety of environmental aspects that, depending on the activity, may have a significant impact on the environment. Its users are consumingà resources such as energy and water on a daily basis and generating a great deal of solid waste and effluents. The hotel industry, banking sector and hospitals are examples of some ofà the sectors that provide us with more information on this issue. This work discusses theà main environmental impacts generated by the hospitality sector and highlights the possibleà environmental strategies that can lead to improvements in environmental management inà this particular activity. INTRODUCTION: Most people are aware that there is a need for all of us to take care of the environment, if we are not to threaten the ability of the earth to support future generation. Some aspects of the environment are very obvious from our day to day lives, such as increasing traffic levels, together with the associated air pollution and loss of green belt. Environmental issues, particularly the relationship between our actions and the environmental impacts in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary effects. ( Kirk 1996). Environmental impacts is a study of all the factors which a land development or construction project would have on the environment in the area, including population, traffic, schools, fire protection, endangered species, archaeological artefacts and community beauty. In another way possible adverse effect caused by a development, industrial, or infrastructural project or by the release of a substance in the environment. This also increases the need of sustainability development. It is a development that meets present needs without endangering the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is contrasted with other modes of development that lead to social and ecological damage, at both the local and global levels (Harris et al 2002). According to Jan Peter Bergkvist, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Scandic xix. There are three prime reasons for putting effort into sustainability: first, it preserves our environment for future generations; s econd, it adds that extra dimension to guest satisfaction, which in turn makes us a more attractive company; and third, it saves costs and improves profitability. AIM: The aim of the position paper is to critically analyse and discuss the environmental impacts and its effects on the hospitality industry. This position paper will also explain the various positive and negative effects of environmental impacts of the hospitality industry and the methods, strategies adopted to control them. MAIN BODY: TOURISM, HOSPITALITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT- To say, an environmental impact is the negative aspect of human activity on the biophysical environment. Increasingly consumer attitudes are favouring environmentally responsible businesses. This has extended to travelling where consumers are considering environmental issues when making travel plans and purchases. A reflection of this is seen in the growth of ecotourism, which has grown by 30% worldwide in recent years compared to 8% for traditional tourism. The Conference Board of Canadas long term forecast shows that the accommodation industry will experience an annual growth of approximately 3% between now and 2015 (Eco efficiency centre). This arises sustainability development in the hospitality industry also. The concept of sustainable development has been expanded to cover seven key aspects. They are futurity, inter-generation equality, participation, the balancing of economic and environmental factors, environmental capacities, emphasis on quality as well as quantity and compa tibility (David kirk). Environmental pressures have affected a much wider range of industries. Initially the concern was related only to the industries which caused direct pollution of the environment. But now it has become a wider issue and relates not only to the outputs but also to the whole operation. The hospitality industry also becomes a core industry to be discussed in this issue of environmental factors, as it exposes many of the conflicts which arise in implementing environmental policies. Many hotels and restaurants are situated in the areas of outstanding natural beauty, in historic cities and in regions with a delicate ecological balance. So there might be a question whether this addition of new facilities will destroy the uniqueness or its habitat which is already suffering from too much of development and tourism. But the hospitality industry is linked with various other industry which cooperates together to bring in a successful business which is mainly focused on pr ofit. The hospitality industry is also a major customer oriented industry. So we must also consider customers, many of whom seek as part of the hospitality experience to be pampered with lashing of hot water, high pressure showers, freshly laundered linen, an ample supply of towels, copious supplies of food and drink, the availability of swimming pools and saunas and the limousine to take them to the airport. Whatever we do to reduce the environmental impact of hotels can only be either with the consent of customers or taking the main consideration as customer satisfaction. Many hospitality organisations are situated on a location were that is suitable for the customer or according to the customer needs. And it is therefore not situated in a place where there will be minimal effects from traffic, cooking smells and the noise of the disco and other adverse outputs. This kind of local pollution is not considered to be a big issue, but it does affect peoples attitudes towards the indus try (David kirk). The hospitality industry does not cause gross environmental pollution nor it consume vast amounts of non-renewable resources and therefore it may not be in the front line of environmental concern. The industry is made of relatively large number of small operations, each of which consumes relatively small amounts of energy, water, food, paper and other resources, and which add only a small amount of pollution to the environment in terms of smoke, smell, noise and chemical pollutants. The industry employs 10% of the population and can have a major impact in developing awareness and good practice (David kirk). According to Goodno the push of legislation and the pull of consumer pressure groups, compounded by the cost savings which can result from reducing waste, many companies are now taking environmental management seriously. The main environmental impacts due to the hospitality industry are CO2 emissions, CFC emissions, noise, smoke, smells, health of staff, waste energy, waste water, waste food, waste disposal, agricultural ecology, purchasing policies, transportation policies, sale of souvenirs made from endangered species, location of hotels in fragile locations. According to the Annual report of the world travel and tourism environmental review there is a recognition that environmental issues will become much more prominent as a factor which influences consumers, regulators, pressure groups and destinations and that the tourism industry will need to show increasing concern for these issues. The WTTC have developed a strategy, known as the GREEN GLOBE, in order to promote environmental management among hotel and travel environment. These vary from waste management to the development of eco-hotels and the classification of hotels on the basis of environmental impact (David kirk). Environmental impacts of the hospitality industries- Positive impacts It sometimes educates the public about the local environment and the importance of protecting the environment, eg the Great Barrier Reef. The tourism and hospitality industries often create employment and business opportunities in an area, contributing to the local economy. Hospitality and tourism buildings and venues are being designed and/or redesigned so that their impact on the environment is reduced and they merge in with the local environment better. Many enterprises are now employing more sustainable practices in order to promote a green image that appeals to consumers, eg using organic products, recycling, using less toxic chemicals and using more energy and water efficient fittings. Negative impacts The presence of buildings and tourists may destroy the local environment and habitat of native animals. The hospitality industry contribute to waste issues, eg food scraps, oil and chemical disposal. Many hospitality venues are noisy. The hospitality and tourism industries consume a lot of energy and water, eg electricity for air conditioning, refrigeration (www.hsc.csu.edu.au). The environmental impact is broadly classified as: ASETHETIC IMPACT CULTURAL IMPACT ECOLOGICAL IMPACT SOCIAL IMPACT POLITICAL IMPACT Aesthetic impact means causing destructive image of a surrounding by various factors such as development etc. The image of a destination possesses importance from a practical marketing perspective for many reasons. Often hospitality industry fails to integrate its structures with the natural features and indigenous architectural of the destination. Large, dominating resorts of different design can look out of place in any natural environment and may clash with the indigenous structural design. A lack of land-use planning and building regulations in many destinations has facilitated sprawling developments along coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. The sprawl includes tourism facilities themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads, employee housing, parking, service areas, and waste disposal (www.gdrc.org). Examples include lakes around Rotorua, New Zealand, that have suffered from blue-green algae and, on occasion, have been closed for recreational activities (Journal of sustainable tourism).
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
The Impression of Life on the Western Front in the Blackadder Goes Fort
To what extent does the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' series give an accurate impression of life on the western front? In this essay I will be writing about life on the western front and the trenches in The First World War and how accurately the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' series portrays it. The First World War started on 4th August 1914 because the Archduke of Austro-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand got shot by a Bosnian named Gavrillo Princip. Austro-Hungary declared war on Bosnia and all the allies got involved and it turned into a huge World War which lasted longer than expected. The war then finished in 1918. Blackadder goes Forth was written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton in 1989. Both of them have historical backgrounds. Blackadder is a BBC comedy series set in the trenches of the Western Front in The First World War. It starred Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry. It was filmed in a studio in front of an audience. It was intended for an adult-thinking audience. It was made to entertain and also give the audience some historical knowledge about the trenches. I will be evaluating the last episode ?Goodbyeee? to see how it compares to real life on the western front. On the western front the soldiers had to build trenches to provide defence for the army and hold their position to show their opponents they weren?t going anywhere. The trenches were built in a crocked line next to each other because if the line was straight and a shell landed on it the explosion would kill and injure much more people then if it was straight. They had barbed wire and Sandbags at the top of trench to protect them from enemies coming in and attacking them. The trench had many layers and at the bottom there were dug outs were the sold... ...ries. There was lots of useful information to a historian about recruitment, the tactics and if they were changed the casualty rate could have decreased, and that there was a huge presence of death in the trenches. There was also some information about the weather and the trenches but it didn?t seem too wet and cold in the dug outs, which it would have been because of the awful weather at that time. Some things were imprecise about the trenches like there wouldn?t have been a sink, the dug out was too big and it looked too warm in there. The inaccuracy is because of the filming conditions and they wouldn?t have been able to fit a camera crew and the actors into a smaller dug out and they couldn?t have made it too wet as they were filming in a studio. I would still rely on the episode ?goodbyeee? to tell me what life was like in the trenches and on the western front.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
3RTO Assessment Essay
Learning outcomes: 1. Be able to explain the factors that affect an organisationââ¬â¢s talent planning, recruitment and selection policy. 2. Be able to identify appropriate recruitment and selection methods. 3. Be able to contribute to the recruitment and selection interviewing process for a job role. 4. Understand the importance of effective induction. All activities should be completed Activity 1 Write a short report on Talent Planning in organisations which : identifies and assesses at least 4 factors that affect an organisationââ¬â¢s approach to attracting talent identifies and explains at least 3 organisation benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce describes at least 3 factors that affect an organisationââ¬â¢s approach to recruitment and selection describes the benefits of at least 3 different recruitment methods and 3 different selection methods explains at least 3 purposes of induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations. includes an induction plan that identifies areas to be covered, timelines and those involved in the process. Activity 2 Carry out the main stages of recruitment and selection activity for an identified role. Brief: You are a member of the Head Office human resources team for a national retail group and have been asked by one of your larger store managers to recruit a Human Resources Officer for his store to work 3 days per week. Their duties will include all staffing and training duties associated with the running of the store for 150 store staff. You should use this brief to inform your work in carrying out the following tasks: produce a job description and person specification for the role draft a written advertisement or a brief to your Recruitment Agency to attract talented individuals to apply develop selection criteria and shortlist from a minimum of 3 applicants who have applied for the role (application form attached) as a panel, interview 1 applicant for the role and decide if they should be offered the post identify which records you would retain with a short explanation of the legal requirements Draft an example of a letter to an appointee and one example of a letter written to a non -appointee. You will be observed and assessed by your tutor using the attached observation record. Activity Resources Application Form (3 pages) Observation Record (1 page) Assessment Criteria Evidence to be produced Activity 1 Report of approximately 1200 words Activity 2 Observation record for each member of the group. The following documents to be produced by each group: Job Description and Person Specification Agency Recruitment Brief or advertisement Selection criteria Completed short listing record List of interview questions used in the Panel Interview Interview assessment form List of records from process which will be retained with an explanation of the legal requirements Letter to both successful and unsuccessful applicants To be completed by assessor(s): Unit Code Learning outcomes Assessment criteria Assessor comments Provide rationale for judgements against each assessment criterion and identify areas for development 3RTO 1. Be able to explain the factors that affect an organisationââ¬â¢s talent planning, recruitment and selection policy. 1.1 Identify and explain at least 3 organisation benefits of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce 1.2 Identify and assesses at least 4 factors that affect an organisationââ¬â¢s approach to attracting talent 1.3 Describe at least 3 factors that affect an organisationââ¬â¢s approach to recruitment and selection 2. Be able to identify appropriate recruitment and selection methods. 2.1 Describe the benefits of at least 3 different recruitment methods 1.3 Describe the benefits of at least 3 different selection methods. 3. Be able to contribute to the recruitment and selection interviewing process for a job role. 3.1 Produce a job description and person specification for the Part time Human Resources Officer role. 3.2 Draft a written advertisement or a brief to your Recruitment Agency to attract talented individuals to apply. 3.3 Develop selection criteria and shortlist from a minimum of 3 applicants who have applied for the role. 3.4 As a panel interview 1 applicant for the role and decide if they should be offered the post. 3.5 Identify which records you would retain with a short explanation of the legal requirements. Draft an example of a letter to an appointee and one example of a letter written to a non appointee. 4. Understand the importance of effective induction. 4.1 Explain at least three of the purposes of induction and explain how they benefit individuals and organisations. 4.2 Include an induction plan that identifies areas to be covered, timelines and those involved in the process. Identify and assess 4 factors that affect an organisations approach to attracting talent and retaining a diverse workforce. Award Winning Training programmes on offer In the company that I work for when we are trying to attract talent into our business we promote our award winning training programmes as we want to attract people who want to move forward within the business and have the drive to do that. We offer training programmes for all levels from associate through to pub manager and area manager if thatââ¬â¢s where our staff wishes to go. Benefits We promote our work life balance offering employees a healthy balance of each. Potential for employees to move all over the country, if they want to. We have students working in one pub in the term time and during summer and winter breaks they can transfer to a pub closer to home without losing any benefits. We offer many bonuses to working for our organisation when your particular pub does well in regards to mystery customer depending on the score your pub receives means that you could potentially earn up to 5% of your monthly salary. We also offer in house style competitions where we get the staff to compete between themselves to up sell products which not only benefits us but also the staff as at the end of the quarter there is a prize for the winner. Brand We are a very stable, company to work for and during the last 30 years we have grown to have more than a 900 pubs all over the UK and Ireland. We are investing in people who seek talent and can help us grow the business we give them opportunities to suggest ideas and how we could improve the business. Being such a well-known brand also helps us attract the right talent and to be able to retain them due to the vast opportunities that weà are able to give them. Diversity We want people from all backgrounds as without them we would not be able to move forward as a business as we need diversity to create more ideas and challenge us in our everyday lives. We also offer everybody the opportunity to be able to take up the training programmes which can only benefits the organisation diversity. Identify and explain at least 3 organisational benefits of attracting a diverse workforce. Having a diverse work force can help with productivity as they may challenge other team members to have healthy competition to come up with ideas on how to improve the business by thinking outside the box. Also having diversity can help any business and we have such a diverse community wherever you are it can only help to have that in your business as we would be able to understand the needs of our community better. Also having a workforce that is diverse can help the organisation to grow and succeed by encouraging creativity. Also within any business we need our workforce to have different skills as they can bring different ideas to the table it also helps build confidence in the team as each member would feel that they would be able to contribute to the business. Describe 3 factors that affect an organisations approach to recruitment and selection. Within each organisation has to take into consideration when recruiting is the current economic climate during the last recession company growth has slowed down so the need to recruit began to slow down as people were less likely to leave as they need the security of a well-established company that was secure in the current climate. Within every organisation whether large or small there they would have a recruitment and selection policy, there are factors that affect the way in which they recruit and select. Firstly we have to ensure that there is a genuine vacancy when we have established thisà we can then put in place the recruitment and selection process. We need the authority to be able to place a job advert and dependant on the type of job we are recruiting for would depend on where we would advertise. If it is a highly skilled job we need to advertise in the right places whether that would be a website, publication dedicated to that particular profession. We also look within our business to see whether we have staff that could potential fill the role that has become vacant. We have to ensure that we when we advertise we are not discriminating against age, race, social or educational background. Also when we are advertising a vacancy there are laws that affect the way we attract talent as we need to ensure when we word an advert, application forms to job descriptions that the words are not discriminative and not showing favourable treatment with regards to age, gender or disability. Recruitment Benefits Job advert via recruitment agencies We can depending on our budget place adverts in various publications that can be dedicated to the type of person we are wanting to attract it can also help us which a wide audience. We can also use recruitment agencies as they potentially may have people who are looking for a job within our business on their files. On line with a website dedicated to certain profession Advertising on line can be very cost effective and can reach all over the country and all over the world especially if we are looking for a type of skilled person to join our organisation. National campaign If a company is expanding especially like the organisation that I work for we place adverts in all our pubs Selection Benefits Application form When we advertise a vacancy on-line we can ask the potential employee to fill out our application form as on that form we would be able to get them toà answer questions which are specific to the criteria that we are looking for in a potential employee Telephone interview Telephone interviews is a cost effective way of screening candidates for a vacancy and through this method we can short list candidates and at the same time prepare them for interview Interview Interviews are a great benefit as itââ¬â¢s gives the employer a chance to meet face to face. Interviews can be done with a panel to ensure that there is fair practice and ensure that no discrimination has taken place. Explain 3 purposes of induction and how they benefit individuals and organisations. Inductions are hugely beneficial to both the new starters and organisations as at the inductions is where we can introduce the new starters to the culture of the company, the history of the organisation, health and safety and also introduce them to certain policies and procedures of the organisation which need to be explained to them before they start. For the new starter it can mean that they can hit the floor running as they have an understanding of the culture of the company making them feel at ease and also benefits us as we are safe in the knowledge that we have given them the best possible start to help them do the job that we employed them to do. Day Time Topic Who Tuesday 8am-830am House keeping Welcome to the company Line manager Company history 830-845am Message from the managing director Managing director video message. 845-9am Ice breaker Line manager 9-930am Company culture Expectations required from company employees. Line manager 930-10am Breaks 10-11am Company policies and procedures. Health and safety policy Fire and bomb procedures and what we do in the event of either. Food hygiene basic understanding of food safety. Line manager 11-1130am Team task asking the group to list ideas that they feel are potential hazards in the business and what we would need to look for and how to prevent accidents in the work place. Line manager Group activity 1130-midday Q&A Tour of the company Line manager 12-1215pm Training plans to be given employees Line manager 1215-1245pm Any other business Welcome package Contracts handed out Line manager Reference used in TMA Introduction to Human resource management Charles Leatherbarrow, Janet Fletcher and Donald Currie Home learning College VLC Resourcing Talent ecompanion
Friday, November 8, 2019
Free Essays on Report
Samuel Johnson, following in the footsteps of other great English critics, was a great poet. Johnsonââ¬â¢s poetry was different from any other writer in the late eighteenth century. He used poetry as a tool for an escape from the reality of life. Johnson would also use poetry as a tool for expression of emotion and praise for accomplishment. When Johnson wrote a poem of praise or to express emotion he would still convey his message beyond reality. He would emphasize an event so immensely that it would seem unrealistic. If being real, or reality, is something sensable, then The Vanity of Human Wishes is the poem in which Johnson best displayââ¬â¢s these tools of writing for the purpose of escape. With all of his undertakings, from politics to writing critiques, Johnson used writing poetry as his release from reality and the hardships in his life. In 1780 Samuel Johnson wrote ââ¬Å"A Short Song of Congratulation.â⬠It is a poem of praise to the actions of the nephew of a fr iend of Johnson. In the poem Johnson depicts the the young man defying the authority of his wealthy family and squandering a substantial inheritance. He is writing about more than the escape of a friendââ¬â¢s nephew, he is writing about his escape from a less than flawless childhood. In the poem Johnson relays to his subject, ââ¬Å"If the guardian or the mother / Tell the woes of willful waste, / Scorn their counsel and their pother, / You can hang or drown at lastâ⬠(25-28). Johnson is using the life and actions of another to relay the struggles he went through as a child to become successful. Johnsonââ¬â¢s subject had to separate himself from his prominent family in order to be his own man, or ââ¬Å"hang or drown at last,â⬠which symbolizes a freedom to live of die as he wishes. When Johnson uses the word ââ¬Å"guardianâ⬠in line 25 he is referring to his own childhood but not to his parents. He groups his hardships, such as his nerve disease and appearance from a different disease, ... Free Essays on Report Free Essays on Report Samuel Johnson, following in the footsteps of other great English critics, was a great poet. Johnsonââ¬â¢s poetry was different from any other writer in the late eighteenth century. He used poetry as a tool for an escape from the reality of life. Johnson would also use poetry as a tool for expression of emotion and praise for accomplishment. When Johnson wrote a poem of praise or to express emotion he would still convey his message beyond reality. He would emphasize an event so immensely that it would seem unrealistic. If being real, or reality, is something sensable, then The Vanity of Human Wishes is the poem in which Johnson best displayââ¬â¢s these tools of writing for the purpose of escape. With all of his undertakings, from politics to writing critiques, Johnson used writing poetry as his release from reality and the hardships in his life. In 1780 Samuel Johnson wrote ââ¬Å"A Short Song of Congratulation.â⬠It is a poem of praise to the actions of the nephew of a fr iend of Johnson. In the poem Johnson depicts the the young man defying the authority of his wealthy family and squandering a substantial inheritance. He is writing about more than the escape of a friendââ¬â¢s nephew, he is writing about his escape from a less than flawless childhood. In the poem Johnson relays to his subject, ââ¬Å"If the guardian or the mother / Tell the woes of willful waste, / Scorn their counsel and their pother, / You can hang or drown at lastâ⬠(25-28). Johnson is using the life and actions of another to relay the struggles he went through as a child to become successful. Johnsonââ¬â¢s subject had to separate himself from his prominent family in order to be his own man, or ââ¬Å"hang or drown at last,â⬠which symbolizes a freedom to live of die as he wishes. When Johnson uses the word ââ¬Å"guardianâ⬠in line 25 he is referring to his own childhood but not to his parents. He groups his hardships, such as his nerve disease and appearance from a different disease, ...
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
rattlebone essays
rattlebone essays A novel or a collection of short stories? may be a question that a critic asks about Rattlebone. Maxine Clair portrays both arguments with her energetic writing style. A blend of random comments and many unique phrases intermix with the intense plot. Writing like this gives the reader a more relaxed state and the book seems more alive and real. In answer to the critique question, Maxine Clair is writing a novel because of an abundant supply of foreshadowing, a collection of narrators, a recurrence of characters, and a process commonly known to man as aging. Suggesting that Rattlebone is in fact a novel, foreshadowing occurred in several places during the book. Clair uses this writing method by mentioning the name October Brown, partly because Brown is involved at the beginning and towards the end of the book. Ms. Brown became an important part of Irenes life, not only by being one of the main reasons for her parents divorce, but also by helping Irene accomplish one of her goals. The time that occurred between these two events in the book connects Rattlebone and is a very good use of foreshadowing. Another example of Clairs use of this writing method is the experience of the divorce between Irenes parents. This long-term process displayed Irenes parents as being unforgiving. At first his wife forgives James Wilson for the affair that he enjoyed with October Brown, but after a period of time, Pearl also had her share of the fall in their relationship. At this time, neither one of Irenes parents would forgive the other nor make up with the other. This example again shows the use of foreshadowing by Clair by evolving the event over several chapters with different narrators. Irene, the narrator in several different stages of the divorce between her parents, speaks her feelings of disgust and always tries to keep her parents relationship together. Another side of the sto...
Monday, November 4, 2019
With reference to ONE country, discuss the ways that particular Essay
With reference to ONE country, discuss the ways that particular landscapes can come to symbolise national identity - Essay Example to its present view depending upon the predominance of particular nations and communities which were considered ââ¬Ëliterateââ¬â¢ and had the means and material to document their comprehension. The dominance of religion, race and its assertion on the human populations are still having far reaching consequences despite all the scientific progress. Ancient civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, Inca, China and India have their own peculiarities associated with the geographical features of their particular regions. However the most visible effect on the world has been that of European dominance, particularly the English colonial era and its impact in influencing the mindset of the people who were subject to colonial rule. The Earth without its living mass is a very cruel and inhospitable territory. It is just a small speck in the vast magnanimity of the limitless universe. Visualized from a perspective of an alien, one cannot but wonder how life has evolved on this planet. There is a continuous struggle for existence between the forces of nature and the living things, be it plant or animal. Man being the supposedly most intelligent living form on this planet has modified nature in a manner suitable for the sustenance of its own species. Plants, animals, water and land have been tamed and manipulated by mankind to serve its own survival. However as a corollary the Earth has also imparted its own colour on mankind depending upon locale, resources and material and given rise to particular and distinct communities. The cultural identity thus owes much to mother earth. Mankind has further elaborated itself into the form of countries or nations which have come to symbolize the manner, in which people live, behave and work. This has lead to our present perspective of the world wherein we can clearly demarcate the national identities of people and come to expect particular behaviour patterns from people belonging to a nation. The longitude and latitude, water and mineral
Friday, November 1, 2019
Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Aristotle - Essay Example In a comparative assessment of political systems, Aristotleââ¬â¢s remarks on the perversions of democracy have proved to be a prominent tenet of political discussion and questioning. As a staunch realist, the Greek philosopher propagated the assumption that the idea of a government, which in essence is perfect, complete or best is one which is unattainable and utopian. Sidgwick (1892) argues that Aristotleââ¬â¢s categorization of the kinds of governments is not his own, but it is in fact the result of a pursuit to represent the ideas of his predecessor and teacher, Plato by stating the formerââ¬â¢s concepts with an augmented degree of even greater disagreements for the various types of political systems to possibly avoid allegations of unoriginality or literary theft (Sidgwick 141-144). Aristotleââ¬â¢s primary premise is based upon his definition of the constitution which he describes as an association of positions that are reliant upon the degree of authority or power po ssessed by various social classes in their division amongst the citizens. In the philosopherââ¬â¢s categorization of the ultimate political system in comparison with one which is perverted, the underlying variable is the quantity of rulers in each scenario or governmental setup. Aristotle establishes that in the case of ââ¬Ërule by manyââ¬â¢ as opposed to ââ¬Ërule by oneââ¬â¢, democracy is a term linked with a perverted depiction of an otherwise positive concept of polity, which leads to the incidence of corruption, unequal distribution of wealth, anarchy and a consequent obliteration of the state. It should however be noted at no point does Aristotle completely discredit democracy as a hollow shell by presenting alternating scenarios where the degree of its perversion is decreased. The main criticism that Aristotle places on the system of democracy is how demagogues are able to manipulate and eventually direct the perceptions, opinions and emotions of the public such that laws begin to lose meaning and government decrees begin to hold more significance. When such situations prevail, a democratically elected leader is transformed into a monarch or a an implicit dictator who imposes a repressive rule over the people, without the people even being aware of it, as everything happens under the veil of democracy. It is also believed that when power is vested in the hands of poor people, who are illiterate and uninformed, they will not be able to execute effectively the responsibilities that come with holding esteemed positions. In stating so, however, Aristotle does agree that a complete exclusion of the lower class from the affairs of the state is not an appropriate option because taking such an action would increase animosities and discrepancies between the rich and the poor rather than bridging the differences. Capitalist democracies of today have failed to recognize that a mere label of democracy that is apparently working on the basis of equalit y and justice is not enough to claim that the workings of a political system are successful when a vast global population that lives below the poverty line is suffering so greatly. For Aristotle, democracy still stands as a form of government which has a lesser degree of perversion in comparison wit
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