The Wife of Bath Tale in Geoffery Chuacer´s The Canterbury...

As a member of an ever changing society, Geoffrey Chaucer had a sharp perception of the attitudes and opinions that were coming to light and shaping the roles in peoples lives. Scattered throughout these philosophies were ideas and traditions that had dictated women to lead mostly subservient lives. One of Chaucer’s characters in The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath, serves as a contradiction to many of these oppressive norms and in turn, establishes her own overbearing view of the roles and relationships of women in society. While attempting to showcase a distinct female dominance over men, the ultimate effect the Wife of Bath strives for is to bring women and men to a more equal level of power. Through the Wife’s journey to bring men and women to a more comparable level there is no attempt to change society’s mind when it comes to shortcomings of the current social order. It is in these instances where the Wife may come off written as a shrewd and spouting h er dissatisfaction. The Wife; however, says a few intriguing examples of how her own society goes about treating women unfairly. Double standards for men and women, she states, are far too common and too deeply engrained in culture. While examining this issue, she mentions Christ’s teachings say to her, That by the same ensample taughte he me / That I ne sholde wedded be but ones (117, ll. 12-13). She later adheres to the fact that many holy men have had more than one wife, stating, â€Å" I woot wel Abraham was an

The Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane - 1177 Words

Prior to the Civil War, combat on the battlefield was portrayed as glorious and as something that molded heroic figures for the future to praise and behold. Back then, some Americans believed that going into war would instantly make them into heroes and was the best way to pay tribute to your country. However, after the Civil War, the perspective of war was redefined among many Americans. Many stories of warfare show the way some Americans viewed the idea of war. In the following texts: The Red Badge of Courage, Across Five Aprils, Civil War Journal, and the Sullivan Ballou Letter, many Americans had to deal with the pain of war and were faced with the cold reality that changed America forever. The novel, The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, shows the change in the perspective of war through the eyes of a youth named Henry. Henry, who had grown up with a glorified view of war, had always been eager to join the army and fight as a hero for his country. However, all goes downhill when he learns of the true intentions of war and its extreme horrors and troubles. Before an actual battle, he had â€Å"dreamed of battles all his life--of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire† (Crane). After being scarred from the first battle, at the sight of a second battle, â€Å"he ran like a blind man. Two or three times he fell down. Once he knocked his shoulder so heavily against a tree that he went headlong† (Crane). He no longer believed war to be aShow MoreRelatedThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1840 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Stephen Crane was considered one of America’s most influential realist writers. Crane was born on November 1, 1871, in Newark, New Jersey. He was the 14th and last child of Mary Crane, who was a writer/suffragist, and Reverend Jonathan Crane, a Methodist Episcopal minister. Crane spent less than two years as college student, between going to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and then to Syracuse University in upper state New York. After college, Crane moved to Patterson, NewRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane Essay1276 Words   |  6 PagesThe Novel, The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is about a Union Regiment during the civil war that is stationed along a riverbank. Henry Flemming is a newcomer who is bothered about his bravery because there is a rumor the regiment is going to go to battle. The only reason Henry was drawn to enlist was because he wanted to become a war hero. The main conflict is internal. When Henry has to go into battle and risk his life, he realizes that there is no turning back, and he could not runRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane917 Words   |  4 PagesGrowing Up From Boys to Men Symbols and themes play a major role in novels. The symbols and themes can help with getting a better understanding in novels. One novel that has many symbols is The Red Badge Of Courage. The author of this novel is Stephen Crane and the genre is historical fiction. In the novel the main character is Henry Fleming. Henry is also known as The Youth. Henry joins the Union in the Civil War. Henry joined the army to have glory. When Henry first gets on the battle field heRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1840 Words   |  8 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Red Badge of Courage as Satire   Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Crane once said â€Å"Let a thing become a tradition, and it becomes half a lie† (Maggie, A Girl of the Streets 230).   This sentiment proves true in how he describes the tradition of heroism in his novel The Red Badge of Courage.   While Crane writes what is considered to be one of the most important novels about the Civil War, his views on the war and the heroics of those fighting the war are mostly critical.   Like Ernest Hemingway, Crane writes aRead MoreRed Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1820 Words   |  8 Pagesauthors is Stephen Crane, whose The Red Badge of Courage depicted the war from the eyes of a common soldier, Henry. Crane uses Henry and the setting of the Battle of Chancellorsville to accurately depict the Civil War in all its brutality. In Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane shows a unique perspective on the true nature of war, both physically and mentally, by graphically depicting war both through the setting and through the po int of view of Henry and his comrades, thusly making Crane a true historicalRead MoreThe Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane1809 Words   |  7 PagesRED BADGE OF COURAGE BY STEPHEN CRANE â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† written by Stephen THE Crane was a great example of the works that the author penned. Stephen Crane was born in New Jersey on November 1, 1871. Crane was the youngest of fourteen children and attend a few different preparatory schools and colleges before deciding that he wanted to be a journalist and an author. He wrote first of things that had happened in New York City, but once he decided for sure that this was what he wantedRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Red Badge of Courage† is a story written by Stephen Crane. The events of â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† took place in Chancellorsville, Virginia, happening during a course of a couple days in May of 1863. It takes place in the Battle of Chancellorsville on a field of battle during the Civil War on a field of battle. â€Å"The Red Badge of Courage† is a story of a teenager named Henry Fleming, who hopes of fulfilling his dreams of glory. He enlists in the Union army, with lots of fear and doubts. HoweverRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane Essay1176 Words   |  5 Pageswriting. It is through an author’s ability to make a character come to life and seem human that they either succeed or fail in this venture. In the Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, Crane is able to create a character that succeeds at this highly. Despite times in the novel where Crane’s character appears to act without any virtue at all, Crane is able to humanize him and eventually he turns into a role model for readers. The novel opens with Crane’s character, Henry Fleming, sitting in hisRead MoreThe Badge of Red Courage by Stephen Crane653 Words   |  3 PagesThe Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage thirty years after the Civil War had already taken place. I found this book confusing at first with all of the flashbacks, it had throughout the story, but as the book progressed I found it interesting with all of the details he used. I felt like I was in the war myself; he is a descriptive author. If I was going to suggest this book to other readers, I would tell them to be patient because it seems to be very confusing in theRead MoreThe Red Badge Of Courage By Stephen Crane1276 Words   |  6 PagesThe Novel, The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is about a Union Regiment during the civil war that is stationed along a riverbank. Henry Flemming is a newcomer who is bothered about his bravery because there is a rumor the regiment is going to go to battle. The only reason Henry was drawn to enlist was because he wanted to become a war hero. The main conflict is internal. When Henry has to go into battle and risk his life, he rea lizes that there is no turning back, and he could not run

Side effects of SNS free essay sample

Side effects of SNS In 2011, a story of a young man who burned himself to death had provoked a democratic movement in Tunisia called the Jasmine Revolution. It surprised the world that twenty-three years of dictatorship had collapsed in a flash. Social networking services played an important role in the movement of that as soon as the young man killed himself, people were sharing and tweeting how he died. As far as that moment, SNS seemed to have represented political power in a positive way. Indeed, the introduction of social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, My Space, etc. have affected our society. Since then, people can easily collect, process, and disseminate information at anytime and anywhere. Unfortunately, despite the convenience of social networking services, some side effects are causing problems in the current society. The following social problems are about adverse effects of SNS on human relationships in reality, a rising number of privacy issues today, and a severe addiction to SNS. These issues can be seen as insignificant matters for now, but it would be better if the problems could be avoided beforehand. First of all, online-based communities seem to weaken social ties in reality nowadays. According to the research, there are one billion Facebook accounts, five million Twitter users, and eighty-one million Kakao Talk users. Likewise, the world has become much informative that people are not willing to go back to the past when there was no Internet. People are already too adapted to highly developed technologies. There is no doubt that the emergence of social networking sites made the world much smaller. However, an incredible innovation seems to weaken the ocial bonds in the real-world. As an example, people usually make friends easily on Facebook even with someone who has not had any interaction with them before. The problem is that people are steadily degrading their skills to make relationships and maintaining social ties in reality. In other words, people traverse through online connections and click Like on others walls without any hesitation while they are disconnected in face-to-face situations. Moreover, places like a caf © or a bar where people usually meet friends to talk seem to be much quieter than they used to be, ecause people talk without eye contact, busy with staring at their own smart phones, chatting and surfing on the Internet. Problems have not occurred yet since the majority of users are most likely teenagers and young adults, but it could cause some serious social problems when they became more influential in the society. To prevent from the happening, teenagers and young adults should learn old-fashioned ways to interact with others in a proper manner. Secondly, social networking services are very addictive. The first thing smart phone users do when they wake up is check their texts and news feeds on social networks. Contemporary men never let their smart devices away while waiting for a bus, having concentrate on their work or study. It implies that people, especially, young generations are suffering from severe smart device addiction. According to a study conducted by Wilhelm Hofmann (University of Chicago, 2012), social media is more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol. As a result, texting and checking Facebook and Twitter come in Just below sex and sleep as impossible to resist urges. The reasons are, people always shave a desire to check updated comments, reactions and ssessments for what they have posted instantly, and if their desires are fulfilled within a short time, then it weakens willpower and self-control which they are more easily addicted to social media. Many addicted individuals feel relief by checking updates in real time. In a situation when, they do not get to check updates, they feel isolated and unstable. However, when it takes a serious turn, many addicts develop auditory hallucination as if they hear ding-dong sounds for notifications, and finally they will suffer from mental fatigue. In addition, using smart devices to check news eeds in real time will interrupt students or workers focus on what they really have to do. It will affect their Job performance or on their grades in a negative way. In particular, according to the survey of two different countries, a main purpose of using social media for university students in Korea and the United States seems to be different. The problem of addiction is more serious in Korea. Korean students use SNS as a tool for maintaining interpersonal surrounds, which makes them more obsessed with it. Unlike students in Korea, students in the United States tend to use ocial networks more to refresh themselves. Lastly, privacy issues were raised by a rising number of people who use online communities. People often hesitate to give their phone numbers or names to anyone other than public institutions, unlike them being willing to fill out all kinds of information without any blanks on social networking sites. Likewise, to create an account on social networking sites, full names and an e-mail address are the only required data to be a member. However, people usually do not stop there. Virtual communities are interactive to keep users connected so it may ask users to input ore private information. The websites allow individuals to create a public profile within a space boundary system. It is doubtful that many of the Internet users in the world would check every single privacy policy of their host web pages before signing up. Then, they would not be able to practice privacy rights to protect their personal information taken over by others without any notice. In fact, Facebook was severely blasted for its privacy misuse. It was reported to have been not only sharing members personal information with advertisers, but sharing the data without the embers consent or recognition. People should be aware that what they have carelessly posted can be seen by the public and be re-distributed in a brief instant. It can be photos, videos, lists of friends, or locations which have been checked-in to. It is possible that users personal information can be used in a crime. For example, criminals can easily gather up users information based on social networks, fgure out their daily schedules, and it can cause cyber bullying, cyber stalking, or even worse. The following tips can protect social networking users privacy. First, be aware of the rivacy policy of social networking sites. Second, do not accept friend requests from At least, these three precautions will prevent personal information from an invasion of privacy. The primary objective of this thesis has been to discover the dark side of social networking sites and attempt to disseminate several ways to solve remaining problems. The essay emphasized that dependency on virtual relationships could impact negatively on social bonds in reality, a rapidly growing number of young generations are addicted to virtual spaces and cause disorders in different ways, and rivacy is an issue that could cause potential crimes which should be handled properly. Nowadays, half of the population on Earth is involved in social networks, and more people will be involved soon. However, SNS is not always effective and useful; it has both a positive and negative impact on our lives, unlike, its main purpose which is to connect and interact with people in an easier way from day to day living. Like, the quality of a well-made sword depends on the user; the usefulness of social networking service depends on how users use it effectively. Again, this thesis s to remind people that the convenience of social network could take away something more valuable in their lives. Therefore, always be aware of how you use social network services.

Tourism Development in Tunisia Essay Example

Tourism Development in Tunisia Essay Much of the findings are based on my own observations on the impacts of tourism as I travelled around Tunisia. The three principle aspects of sustainability are social, economic and environment impacts which I used as my three elemates for measuring sustainability. Beach tourism has been present in Tunisia since the 1960’s where as saharan tourism although was started during the 1980’s it is still very much developing and aiming to gain its own indepence from beach tourism in Tunisia. Beach tourism is a success for Tunisia in terms of economic benefits, the traditional Tunisian culture has faded in the coastal regions, there is also a strong reliance on the tourism industry making the region very vulnerable and enviromentally the lack of freshwater and wastewater manage do not appear to be something the coastal region is tackling despite how much water is used in this type of tourism. We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Development in Tunisia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Development in Tunisia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Development in Tunisia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Saharan tourism on the other hand does not appear to be receive that much economically from tourism compared to beach tourism, however the social impacts of tourism seem to less the and the environmental issues in Tunisia seems to be something that the interior regions are working towards solving. To conclude this report finds that saharan tourism is neither more sustainable nor less sustainable than beach tourism because both have negative aspects and positive aspects that need to more balance. 2. 1 Objective The purpose of this report is to; I. Explore and discuss the impact of tourism development between the coastal and interior region of Tunisia. II. Identify whether Saharan Tourism is more sustainable than Beach Tourism in Tunisia. 3. 1 Methodology amp; Sources of Data When comparing the impact of tourism development between the coastal region and the interior region of Tunisia an in field study was done. Much of this investigation is based on my observations in the field as a learning diary was conducted giving a detailed day to day description of places visited across Tunisia and my thoughts on the experience. However I along with my group members did conducted a number of activities on the places visited and in some destinations we got the opportunity to carry out various questionnaires on local Tunisians and tourists to find out their thoughts on tourism in Tunisia. In order to conduct a full comparative analysis between the interior and coastal regions the destinations of Hammamet, Sfax Douz and Tozeur which were visited during the trip to Tunisia have been chosen as the regions I intend to focus this investigation on. I. Critique of Methods Used The fact that the research for this investigation was conducted in the field meant that I was able to get a first hand look at the impacts and ultimately gather some primary data. However, the in field study did have many flaws, which made it difficult and unethical to compare the interior region of Tunisia with the coastal region. Firstly, the local participants interviewed were those working directly or indirectly in the tourism industry i. e. local business owners or hoteliers which meant that their feedback could have been biased because they economical benefit from tourism. Similarly, the feedback from the tourists interviewed in Tunisia could have been influenced by the fact that they were wrapped in a tourist bubble therefore failing to acknowledge the negative impacts tourism development many be having. What may have made this study more feasible is if questionnaires were conducted on locals who did not have any involvement in the tourism industry. Another flaw in this investigation is the measuring of sustainability, sustainability is a complex and difficult objective to measure; the challenge in measuring sustainability is how we measure one negative impact against another. For example; tourism in the coastal region of Tunisia maybe more economically beneficial but cause more negative environmental impacts where as tourism in the interior region may receive less economic benefits but have less negative environmental impacts, therefore how would you measure which one is more sustainable. 4. 1 Interpretation amp; Findings I. Sustainability and Alternative Tourism In order to determine whether Saharan Tourism is more sustainable than Beach Tourism in Tunisia it is important to explain the definition of sustainability in tourism and its relationship with alternative tourism development. The term sustainable tourism is defined by WTO as; â€Å"Tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. Rather than being a type of product, it is an ethos that underpins all tourism activities. As such, it is integral to all aspects of tourism development and management rather than being an add-on component The objective of sustainable tourism is to retain the economic and social advantages of tourism development while reducing or mitigating any undesirable impacts on the natural, historic, cultural or social environment. This is achieved by balancing the needs of tourists with those of the destination†. (World Tourism Organisation) The principles of sustainability relate to the economic, social and environmental elements of tourism development, in order for sustainability to be achieved on a long term basis these three aspects need to be balanced. Alternative forms tourism have over the years been increasing as strategies employed by many destinations as a way of eliminating the negative effects associated with mass tourism (characterized by the three‘s’ sun, sand and sea). II. Beach Tourism in Tunisia The presence of tourism in Tunisia dates back to 1960’s when the country received attention from North European tour operators seeking to expand low cost packaged tours to new destinations outside Europe. The development of tourism from this date has been very much focused on package tours to coastal regions such as Hammamet and Sousse. Tourism in these regions has been economically beneficial as main jobs in these regions are tourism related either directly or indirectly. However tourism development has made the country very vulnerable due to a reliance on tour operators and over concentrated focus on beach tourism. III. Saharan Tourism in Tunisia At present the Tunisian government is trying to shake off the destinations reputation as offering coastal resorts and cheap accommodation, one way in which they intend to do this is by diversifying the products on offer to tourists. One of these products being Saharan Tourism, in the late 1980’s the government recognized that in order to compete in the international tourism market then they would need to exploit the wealth of potential for tourism in the Saharan regions of the country. Not only to compete with the European destinations such as Turkey, Spain and Croatia but to provide a solution to the economic troubles of deprived regions in the Sahara and help preserve their cultural and natural heritage. However despite the governments efforts to promote the sector in these regions by offering tax incentives for private operator’s tourist activities in the region has been slow and not yet gained its independence from the coastal trade. IV. A Comparative Analysis of Hammamet, Sfax, Tozeur amp; Douz i. Socio-Cultural I observed when visiting the coastal resort of Hammamet that the region appeared to have lost some of it cultural heritage, this was increasingly vident in the Yasmine Hammamet region which houses a new medina built for tourist consumption instead of being a historic monument built to house locals. Throughout Hammamet it was clear that the presents of tourism over the years has meant that the countries traditional Islamic and Arabic culture has been invaded by western cultural characteristics. While touring the medina’s in Hammamet there were a number of designer western products on sell and the dress code of the locals was much more westernized too. However this did not seem to be a negative or conflicting situation between the locals which was confirmed by one local male participant interviewed, who was asked whether there was a conflict between the young and old generations because of the cultural changes in the region. His response was that there was not a conflict between the different generations and that tourism in the area has not been the only catalysis for cultural change international television and technology in the region has also been a cause. In Sfax local not far off the east coast of Tunisia the issue of modernization and westernization are also evident there however Sfax is much over polluted and industrialized in comparison to Hammamet. Compared to Hammamet and Sfax the interior regions Tozeur and Douz were much more traditional in terms of cultural dress code and infrastructure. What was also different about the interior region was the interactions with local Tunisians, as we travelled out of the tourist zones to different cultural attractions in the interior of Tunisia you get a more authentic feel of the Tunisian culture. One example of this was in Douz where we got to go to a local shisha cafe not far from our hotel, which was filled with local Tunisians mainly men smoking shisha and socializing with other locals and tourists alike. Another socio-cultural difference between the interior and coastal regions is the amount of people that live in these areas. From visiting these four towns in Tunisia it is evident that the rural parts of Tunisia are being slow abandoned for the urban areas. (Figure 1. Showing a staged performance for tourists in Yasmine Hammamet Medina) ii. Economic Economically, is clear that Hammamet is very dependent on tourism which I was informed of by a local medina stall own who we interviewed while visiting Hammamet old medina. When questioning the stall owner he informed us that tourism was very unpredictable particularly during the recent recession because tourism in the area fell, as tourism is the main source of income to the economy in the area this means that the locals are in a very unstable situation. Other evidence of how reliant Hammamet is on tourism was shown by how pushy and aggressive the stall owners and those working in the medinas were to get tourism to purchase from their shops. The stall owner also informed us that although tourism is unstable it has been beneficial for locals by providing jobs particularly as agriculture in this area is declining as I was informed of by the interviewed participant. This was considerably different from Tozeur and particularly Douz as I observed visiting Douz market, the workers and stall owners were not as pushy to get us to buy from their shops and were more adamant on the prices they expect us to pay for their goods. In Tozeur, Douz and the surrounding areas just outside of these towns there was plenty of signs of agricultural activity, for example olive and date production which is why these regions seem less economically reliant on tourism. Although the Tozeur did not seem very depend on tourism the same cannot be said for the mountain oases just outside the Tozeur town where I observed children hustling for us to buy their jewellery which is shown in figure 2. Figure 2. iii. Environment Lack of freshwater and wastewater are the central concerns in throughout Tunisia, in Hammamet and Sfax there were no obvious signs of how the region is tackling these issue. Which is quiet worrying considering that mass tourism has the highest demand for water, due to accommodation and facilities such as golf courses and swimming pools. However when we questioned a local hotel worker on the negative environmental impacts of tourism in this area he seem sure that there were not any. In Tozeur and Douz and other interior regions visited there was evidence that freshwater was something they were tackling this was particularly evident in Kairouran where I got observe the water dam and a well where water is pumped by a camel (shown in Figure 3) and also Tozeur where there has been heavy investment has been in place to tackle groundwater shortages. In Douz I were informed by our tour guide that sand storms were a big issue in the region and that the government was work towards solving the situation, as many locals had to moving from the region because there houses had been completely covered by the sand. Figure 3. Conclusion Based on my findings comparing the interior region with the coastal region, I feel that Saharan tourism neither more sustainable nor less sustainable than beach tourism in Tunisia. Saharan tourism is something that is still very much developing in Tunisia, there is evidence that once it is fully developed it will be more sustainable than beach tourism but present there not enough evidence to suggest that Saharan tourism is benefiting enough economical for it to be deemed a sustainable objective. Although environmentally and socially there is evidence that sustainable objectives are being met these three aspects of sustainability need to be balanced in order for Saharan tourism work as a sustainable development. Appendix Figure 1. showing a staged performance for tourists in Yasmine Hammamet Medina)†¦.. pg 6 Figure 2 ( Showing children hustling in the mountain oases outside Tozeur )†¦.. Pg 7 Figure 3 (Showing a camel pumping a well in Kairouran)†¦. Pg 8 Bibliography Stefano L. , Freshwater and Tourism in the Mediterranean, June 2004, WWF Mediterranean Programme Hosni E. , Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Sahara, 2000, UNESCO Cooper C. , Fletcher J. , Fyall A. , Gilbert D. amp; Wanhill S. , Tourism; Principles and Practice, 4th edition, 2008, Prentice Hill Websites www. unwto. com Tourism Development in Tunisia Essay Example Tourism Development in Tunisia Essay Much of the findings are based on my own observations on the impacts of tourism as I travelled around Tunisia. The three principle aspects of sustainability are social, economic and environment impacts which I used as my three elemates for measuring sustainability. Beach tourism has been present in Tunisia since the 1960’s where as saharan tourism although was started during the 1980’s it is still very much developing and aiming to gain its own indepence from beach tourism in Tunisia. Beach tourism is a success for Tunisia in terms of economic benefits, the traditional Tunisian culture has faded in the coastal regions, there is also a strong reliance on the tourism industry making the region very vulnerable and enviromentally the lack of freshwater and wastewater manage do not appear to be something the coastal region is tackling despite how much water is used in this type of tourism. We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Development in Tunisia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Development in Tunisia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Development in Tunisia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Saharan tourism on the other hand does not appear to be receive that much economically from tourism compared to beach tourism, however the social impacts of tourism seem to less the and the environmental issues in Tunisia seems to be something that the interior regions are working towards solving. To conclude this report finds that saharan tourism is neither more sustainable nor less sustainable than beach tourism because both have negative aspects and positive aspects that need to more balance. 2. 1 Objective The purpose of this report is to; I. Explore and discuss the impact of tourism development between the coastal and interior region of Tunisia. II. Identify whether Saharan Tourism is more sustainable than Beach Tourism in Tunisia. 3. 1 Methodology amp; Sources of Data When comparing the impact of tourism development between the coastal region and the interior region of Tunisia an in field study was done. Much of this investigation is based on my observations in the field as a learning diary was conducted giving a detailed day to day description of places visited across Tunisia and my thoughts on the experience. However I along with my group members did conducted a number of activities on the places visited and in some destinations we got the opportunity to carry out various questionnaires on local Tunisians and tourists to find out their thoughts on tourism in Tunisia. In order to conduct a full comparative analysis between the interior and coastal regions the destinations of Hammamet, Sfax Douz and Tozeur which were visited during the trip to Tunisia have been chosen as the regions I intend to focus this investigation on. I. Critique of Methods Used The fact that the research for this investigation was conducted in the field meant that I was able to get a first hand look at the impacts and ultimately gather some primary data. However, the in field study did have many flaws, which made it difficult and unethical to compare the interior region of Tunisia with the coastal region. Firstly, the local participants interviewed were those working directly or indirectly in the tourism industry i. e. local business owners or hoteliers which meant that their feedback could have been biased because they economical benefit from tourism. Similarly, the feedback from the tourists interviewed in Tunisia could have been influenced by the fact that they were wrapped in a tourist bubble therefore failing to acknowledge the negative impacts tourism development many be having. What may have made this study more feasible is if questionnaires were conducted on locals who did not have any involvement in the tourism industry. Another flaw in this investigation is the measuring of sustainability, sustainability is a complex and difficult objective to measure; the challenge in measuring sustainability is how we measure one negative impact against another. For example; tourism in the coastal region of Tunisia maybe more economically beneficial but cause more negative environmental impacts where as tourism in the interior region may receive less economic benefits but have less negative environmental impacts, therefore how would you measure which one is more sustainable. 4. 1 Interpretation amp; Findings I. Sustainability and Alternative Tourism In order to determine whether Saharan Tourism is more sustainable than Beach Tourism in Tunisia it is important to explain the definition of sustainability in tourism and its relationship with alternative tourism development. The term sustainable tourism is defined by WTO as; â€Å"Tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future. Rather than being a type of product, it is an ethos that underpins all tourism activities. As such, it is integral to all aspects of tourism development and management rather than being an add-on component The objective of sustainable tourism is to retain the economic and social advantages of tourism development while reducing or mitigating any undesirable impacts on the natural, historic, cultural or social environment. This is achieved by balancing the needs of tourists with those of the destination†. (World Tourism Organisation) The principles of sustainability relate to the economic, social and environmental elements of tourism development, in order for sustainability to be achieved on a long term basis these three aspects need to be balanced. Alternative forms tourism have over the years been increasing as strategies employed by many destinations as a way of eliminating the negative effects associated with mass tourism (characterized by the three‘s’ sun, sand and sea). II. Beach Tourism in Tunisia The presence of tourism in Tunisia dates back to 1960’s when the country received attention from North European tour operators seeking to expand low cost packaged tours to new destinations outside Europe. The development of tourism from this date has been very much focused on package tours to coastal regions such as Hammamet and Sousse. Tourism in these regions has been economically beneficial as main jobs in these regions are tourism related either directly or indirectly. However tourism development has made the country very vulnerable due to a reliance on tour operators and over concentrated focus on beach tourism. III. Saharan Tourism in Tunisia At present the Tunisian government is trying to shake off the destinations reputation as offering coastal resorts and cheap accommodation, one way in which they intend to do this is by diversifying the products on offer to tourists. One of these products being Saharan Tourism, in the late 1980’s the government recognized that in order to compete in the international tourism market then they would need to exploit the wealth of potential for tourism in the Saharan regions of the country. Not only to compete with the European destinations such as Turkey, Spain and Croatia but to provide a solution to the economic troubles of deprived regions in the Sahara and help preserve their cultural and natural heritage. However despite the governments efforts to promote the sector in these regions by offering tax incentives for private operator’s tourist activities in the region has been slow and not yet gained its independence from the coastal trade. IV. A Comparative Analysis of Hammamet, Sfax, Tozeur amp; Douz i. Socio-Cultural I observed when visiting the coastal resort of Hammamet that the region appeared to have lost some of it cultural heritage, this was increasingly vident in the Yasmine Hammamet region which houses a new medina built for tourist consumption instead of being a historic monument built to house locals. Throughout Hammamet it was clear that the presents of tourism over the years has meant that the countries traditional Islamic and Arabic culture has been invaded by western cultural characteristics. While touring the medina’s in Hammamet there were a number of designer western products on sell and the dress code of the locals was much more westernized too. However this did not seem to be a negative or conflicting situation between the locals which was confirmed by one local male participant interviewed, who was asked whether there was a conflict between the young and old generations because of the cultural changes in the region. His response was that there was not a conflict between the different generations and that tourism in the area has not been the only catalysis for cultural change international television and technology in the region has also been a cause. In Sfax local not far off the east coast of Tunisia the issue of modernization and westernization are also evident there however Sfax is much over polluted and industrialized in comparison to Hammamet. Compared to Hammamet and Sfax the interior regions Tozeur and Douz were much more traditional in terms of cultural dress code and infrastructure. What was also different about the interior region was the interactions with local Tunisians, as we travelled out of the tourist zones to different cultural attractions in the interior of Tunisia you get a more authentic feel of the Tunisian culture. One example of this was in Douz where we got to go to a local shisha cafe not far from our hotel, which was filled with local Tunisians mainly men smoking shisha and socializing with other locals and tourists alike. Another socio-cultural difference between the interior and coastal regions is the amount of people that live in these areas. From visiting these four towns in Tunisia it is evident that the rural parts of Tunisia are being slow abandoned for the urban areas. (Figure 1. Showing a staged performance for tourists in Yasmine Hammamet Medina) ii. Economic Economically, is clear that Hammamet is very dependent on tourism which I was informed of by a local medina stall own who we interviewed while visiting Hammamet old medina. When questioning the stall owner he informed us that tourism was very unpredictable particularly during the recent recession because tourism in the area fell, as tourism is the main source of income to the economy in the area this means that the locals are in a very unstable situation. Other evidence of how reliant Hammamet is on tourism was shown by how pushy and aggressive the stall owners and those working in the medinas were to get tourism to purchase from their shops. The stall owner also informed us that although tourism is unstable it has been beneficial for locals by providing jobs particularly as agriculture in this area is declining as I was informed of by the interviewed participant. This was considerably different from Tozeur and particularly Douz as I observed visiting Douz market, the workers and stall owners were not as pushy to get us to buy from their shops and were more adamant on the prices they expect us to pay for their goods. In Tozeur, Douz and the surrounding areas just outside of these towns there was plenty of signs of agricultural activity, for example olive and date production which is why these regions seem less economically reliant on tourism. Although the Tozeur did not seem very depend on tourism the same cannot be said for the mountain oases just outside the Tozeur town where I observed children hustling for us to buy their jewellery which is shown in figure 2. Figure 2. iii. Environment Lack of freshwater and wastewater are the central concerns in throughout Tunisia, in Hammamet and Sfax there were no obvious signs of how the region is tackling these issue. Which is quiet worrying considering that mass tourism has the highest demand for water, due to accommodation and facilities such as golf courses and swimming pools. However when we questioned a local hotel worker on the negative environmental impacts of tourism in this area he seem sure that there were not any. In Tozeur and Douz and other interior regions visited there was evidence that freshwater was something they were tackling this was particularly evident in Kairouran where I got observe the water dam and a well where water is pumped by a camel (shown in Figure 3) and also Tozeur where there has been heavy investment has been in place to tackle groundwater shortages. In Douz I were informed by our tour guide that sand storms were a big issue in the region and that the government was work towards solving the situation, as many locals had to moving from the region because there houses had been completely covered by the sand. Figure 3. Conclusion Based on my findings comparing the interior region with the coastal region, I feel that Saharan tourism neither more sustainable nor less sustainable than beach tourism in Tunisia. Saharan tourism is something that is still very much developing in Tunisia, there is evidence that once it is fully developed it will be more sustainable than beach tourism but present there not enough evidence to suggest that Saharan tourism is benefiting enough economical for it to be deemed a sustainable objective. Although environmentally and socially there is evidence that sustainable objectives are being met these three aspects of sustainability need to be balanced in order for Saharan tourism work as a sustainable development. Appendix Figure 1. showing a staged performance for tourists in Yasmine Hammamet Medina)†¦.. pg 6 Figure 2 ( Showing children hustling in the mountain oases outside Tozeur )†¦.. Pg 7 Figure 3 (Showing a camel pumping a well in Kairouran)†¦. Pg 8 Bibliography Stefano L. , Freshwater and Tourism in the Mediterranean, June 2004, WWF Mediterranean Programme Hosni E. , Strategy for Sustainable Tourism Development in the Sahara, 2000, UNESCO Cooper C. , Fletcher J. , Fyall A. , Gilbert D. amp; Wanhill S. , Tourism; Principles and Practice, 4th edition, 2008, Prentice Hill Websites www. unwto. com