expressed in the previous paragraph and disclose the negative effects of tourism on the country's economic wellbeing. This paragraph considers the issues of ownership and control of the industry. ）
The creation of jobs is often claimed to be one of the positive side effects of tourism. However, according Milne (1987, p.134) \fill 53% of the managerial or supervisory positions in the industry. Europeans on the other hand, fill 47% of these positions, despite comprising less than 5% of the country's population\there is clearly an imbalance between local and non-local participation in the economic benefits of tourism in terms of who does what job. This mirrors the imbalance in ownership of operator resources described in the previous paragraph. Another unintended negative effect is that tourism employment is seen as easy money when compared to traditional island occupations like cropping. It attracts labour away from cropping, another important source of income for the economy. So Cook Islanders appear mainly to receive economic benefit via mostly non-managerial wages and at the same time the labour force is drawn away from other important areas of economic activity. （This paragraph continues to critique the point of view that tourism brings substantial benefits to the Cook Islands economy. It considers the claim that the creation of jobs is one of the positive side effects of tourism in the Cook Islands. ）
Turning to the supposed social benefits of tourism, we can also see some discrepancies beneath the surface ideals. To take advantage of any other money the tourists are prepared to spend, Cook Islanders court tourists with their own enterprises. But tourists have their own set of images about the culture before they even set foot in the country, and when they arrive they seek to affirm these images. Tourists usually only want to see what is pleasant and enjoyable whether or not they are experiencing truly authentic features of a society. This explains for example the popularity of the 'traditional' Cook Island tapa cloths and lava lavas which are imported from a factory in New Zealand. The cost in cultural terms is borne out further by another reality lying behind the ideal. Tourism is claimed to draw different cultures together. However, what often results from this cultural mixing of first and third world populations is cultural envy (Milne, 1987, p. 127). With increased exposure to western lifestyles local people start to emulate aspects of western culture such as consumerism and the consumption of alcohol, with the expected negative results. All of these less than ideal realities beneath a positive surface indicate that as far as the Cook Islands are concerned, for the relatively low financial return that tourism offers to the local population, the social costs are too high. （This paragraph is about the claimed social benefits of tourism. ）
It is worth considering what economic benefits might be found in less socially damaging and economically more effective forms of the industry. Tuara (1990) for example contains a detailed discussion of an appropriate model for sustainable tourism development based on the experience of Barbados, and in a recent discussion of the role of ecotourism in the Pacific, Hall concludes: \in opposition to the principles of sustainable development\(1994, p. 154). He cites a study of ecotourism in the Solomon Islands (Rudkin, 1994), where \reinforce the power and wealth of 'big men' at the expense of the wider indigenous community\The Cook Islands could perhaps avoid the reinforcement of similar existing power relations if tourist planning was more under the control of those affected by it. Control of the Cook Islands tourism industry by local people, training of local people and advice from those outsiders working
alongside in a partnership mode could mean that tourism brings many more benefits and fewer costs. （This is the concluding paragraph, providing a summary of the argument and recommendations. ） 1145 words References
Hall, C.M. (1994). Ecotourism in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific: Appropriate tourism or a new form of ecological imperialism? In E. Carter & G.Lowman (Eds.), Ecotourism: A sustainable option? (pp. 137-157). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Mercer, D. (1994). Native peoples and tourism: Conflict and compromise. In W.Theobold (Ed.), Global tourism: The next decade (pp.124-145). Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Milne, S. (1987). The Cook Islands' tourist industry: Ownership and planning. Pacific Viewpoint, 28 (2), 119-138.
Rudkin, B. (1994). Ecotourism: Passage to sustainable development? Unpublished master's thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Tourism Council of the South Pacific. (1991). Cook Islands Visitor Survey 1991: Survey Report No. 13. Suva: Tourism Council of the South Pacific.
Tuara, P.N. (1990). Towards sustainable tourism development in the Cook Islands: Lessons in experience from Barbados. Unpublished master's thesis, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
Sample 12
EDUCATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Education must be considered on several different levels, so that today most Western countries are concerned with provision from nursery to higher education, while developing countries attempt to deliver basic education (e.g. reading and writing) to their people. ?National
development? will be defined in this essay as the development of a country?s economy, since this is most commonly seen as the function of education provided by the state. For example, many European countries began providing primary education for all citizens in the late nineteenth century, in the phase of early industrialisation.
2. This paper attempts to evaluate the importance of these varying levels of educational provision in encouraging economic growth, compared to other factors such as national culture, natural
resources and government. The role of education in fostering development will be examined first, and then other factors affecting growth will be considered.
3. At its simplest, education sets out to teach literacy and numeracy. People who can read and count are capable of being trained for many roles in the industrial or service sectors, as well as learning by themselves. Even in the simplest economies, dependent on agriculture, the education of women has been shown to lead to dramatic improvements in family welfare. In more
developed economies further skills are required, such as languages, engineering and computing. Good education does not merely teach people how to function passively, but provides them with the skills to ask questions and therefore make improvements. At university level, education is closely involved in research which leads to technical and social advances.
4. Yet education does not operate in a vacuum: cultural, religious, legal and other factors all influence the rate of economic growth. Soviet Russia, for example, had an advanced educational system, but many graduates were under-employed due to the restrictions of the political system. Similar situations exist in many countries today because of political restraints on the economy which prevent fast enough expansion to create sufficient jobs. Clearly, development requires efficient and honest government to encourage a dynamic economy.
5. A strong work ethic, as found in the USA or Japan, also aids growth. In such societies children are brought up to believe that both the individual and society will benefit from hard work. Natural resources such as oil are another consideration. Brunei, for instance, previously a poor country reliant on fishing, today has one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. A clear and effective legal system also encourages development.
6. It is difficult to think of a situation where education has been the principal agent in fostering growth. For example, in the world?s first industrial revolution, which occurred in
eighteenth-century Britain, the majority of people were still illiterate (some pioneer industrialists themselves could not read or write). It seems that the availability of capital through the banking system, and a secure political and legal environment were more crucial in this case.
7. However, despite these considerations, education clearly has an important part to play in
developing the skills and abilities of the people. Ultimately, they are the most important resource a country possesses, and their education is a priority for all successful states.
Sample 13
Model Cause, Effect, and Solution Research Essay
Prompt: What are some causes and effects of illiteracy? Title: Understanding and Solving the Problem of Illiteracy
IF we can send a people to the moon, should not every person on earth have the ability
and opportunity to read and write well? Knowing how to read and write, or being literate, is a prerequisite for succeeding in today?s technologically advanced and quickly evolving global society. Every person needs to acquire literacy in his/her early development, because reading and writing are useful skills in so many daily activities, from reading newspapers, medicine bottles, and product warning labels, to writing letters, emails, and reports. Being literate also develops the mind, imagination, and critical thinking skills. However, many people in the world are not literate, and many do not even have the opportunity to become literate in their lifetime. In fact, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the international organization that collects data for the United Nations, estimated in 2004 that 800 million people (nearly 1 in 6 people in the world) are illiterate, and more than 65% of that number are women. This number is increasing as well, due to the high birth rates in illiterate societies. Therefore, in order to understand more about this significant phenomenon, a few of the causes, effects, and solutions to illiteracy will be discussed.
One of the major causes of illiteracy is poverty and the subsequent lack of access to reading and writing materials. Realistically, students who would have gone on to continue their education past the 5th year sometimes quit school in order to work on the farm or in a factory in order to assist with the family income. Also if a family is poor, food and the basic necessities of life take precedence before books can be purchased. Related to this issue is Maslow?s theory on the hierarchy of needs. Maslow, a well-known psychologist, wrote that people deprived of basic needs, such as shelter, food, clothes, and basic safety, are less likely to develop themselves with higher education (University of Tennessee Website, 2004). In other words, economic instability can affect the ability of a population to become literate.
The effects of illiteracy often negatively impact a nation?s ability to develop its human resources. Countries with a high illiteracy rate are more likely to be disadvantaged in the global economy. If a populace is not literate, it cannot be as involved in high tech jobs. New careers in the
sciences, mathematics, and technology are primarily established in countries that have literate populations. Another major effect of illiteracy is not having access to basic information that is distributed via books, newspapers, or the Internet. This type of information could include
practical advice to increase the quality of life, such as how to participate in microfinance projects. In short, illiteracy does not encourage positive social change, personal growth, or the preservation and development of language and culture.
How can illiteracy be overcome? One of the best solutions to solving the stubborn problem of literacy is to teach parents to read, so that they can in turn teach their children. In a document
published by the Departments of Education of Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, and others, Judith Schickendanz explains that “Children learn about written language in a … socially mediated way…. Children also learn about the functions of written language as they observe and help parents make lists, write letter to family members or friends, or read menus in a restaurant”
(1999). If the adult women are educated first, each generation will be able to read and write, since mothers are the first educators of children. The women will teach their children, both male and female, who will in turn teach their children. Once more people in a society are literate, that society tends to develop further capacities, and further value literacy.
In conclusion, illiteracy has many interrelated causes and effects. In many countries literacy rates are increasing, notably in India, due to literacy campaigns (EFA, 2000). Economic development of many of these countries is also increasing in a similar fashion. Thus, one could easily argue that the increase in literacy is directly correlated with positive economic growth. In the past, education was not required, but in this day, universal education is becoming a necessity.
Therefore, innovative solutions should be implemented to take advantage of this unique time in history.
Works Cited
The EFA 2000 Assessment: Country Reports (2000). India. Retrieved August 25, 2006 from the UNESCO Web site: http://www2.unesco.org/wef/countryreports/india/rapport_2_2_1.html
Schickedanz, J. (1999). Myths About Literacy Development. Retrieved August 24, 2006 from the National Association of Early Childhood Specialist in the State Departments of Education Web site: http://naecs.crc.uiuc.edu/newsletter/volume6/number3.html
Simons, J., Irwin D. and Drinnien, B. (1987) Psychology - The Search for Understanding New York: West Publishing Company. Retrieved August 25, 2006 from the Faculty Development at the Honolulu Community College Web
site: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm
UNESCO Education. (2005) Literacy and skills development. Retrieved August 24, 2006 from the EFA Global Monitoring Report Web site:
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-uRL_ID=35964&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html