Assessment 2: Essay
•Topic: Write an essay of 2500 words that addresses the following question:
•How does the destination context influence the implementation of CBT? •
•Within urban or rural areas •Developed or developing country contexts
Remember to: 1.“Unpack” the brief- 2.Identify keywords- themes 3.Define relevant concepts 4.Revisit the themes/issues we have explored in our lectures and in our tutorial readings and discussions. 5.Which ones will you select and why? •
Activity 1
•Spend one minute thinking how you may structure your essay and jot a brief summary
•What are some of the theoretical concepts that we have discussed in class that you may be able to draw on?
Relevant issues you may wish to draw upon
•Cross-cultural issues- host-guest cultural distance, cross-cultural understanding, host-guest tourism exchanges
•Ethical issues- host-guest interactions, travel philanthropy, “ethical” forms of tourism vs mass tourism, corporate social responsibility
•Development issues- destination economic and social development/ dependence on tourism, who controls tourism development?
•Community engagement- community participation/non-participation, gender and community participation- who is the local community? •
You will not be able to cover all of these issues in your essay, so think about what combination of issues you will focus on in and why and state your reasons explicitly in your Introduction
What to include in your essay?
•Introduction (What to include here?)
•What is the purpose of the essay and in what order information will be presented •Your essay should be based on a reflective discussion on the themes of development, cross-cultural and ethical issues associated with different forms of community-based tourism in different destination contexts. •It can draw on examples and practices of CBT in urban/and or rural areas and in developing and/or developed countries’. •Think of the significance of context - how social/ historical and cultural factors may influence CBT development- how different communities may engage with tourists- how different organisations may be involved in CBT management at the local level •Summative conclusions •Summarise key arguments of the essay, provide a clear answer to the brief, and provide recommendations (if appropriate)
Basic Essay Structure
•Introduction –Its purpose is to: •orientate the reader to any needed context •give any definitions essential to a correct understanding of the argument •outline the argument in sequential key points •point ahead to the deep learning insights. •Body – •breaks the topic into smaller, bite sized pieces. •Each main point of argument is addressed paragraph by paragraph. •Conclusion – •the main points of your argument are briefly recapped. •The deep insights and implications are highlighted – it shows how you have answered the original question. •It should not present any new information. •Reference list/bibliography – list of all of the sources referenced within the essay/thesis.
Essay Requirements
•Your essay should be based on secondary research and be supplemented with figures (visitor numbers and/ or statistics) and any contextual information you feel your research can contribute.
•Your essay should be fully referenced using the APA style of referencing and follow an essay format, which means to be written in a continuous prose without headings and subheadings, tables and figures.
•Keep in mind that references do not count towards your word limit and they should be listed at the end of your report in alphabetical order but before the appendices.
•Essays that are submitted late without being granted an extension will be penalised (capped at P1%) if they are submitted within a week of the submission date. If submitted any later than that, your assignment will be marked at F5.
•Please contact Constantia Anastasiadouu prior to the due date if you have valid reasons to request an extension – extensions after the due date will not be granted
Excellent essays will:
•address all aspects of the remit of the assignment;
•show that a systematic approach has been taken to the management of information in the essay with a logical progression of ideas;
•be clearly supported in relation to appropriate theory and examples which can be substantiated;
•use a wide range of sources, cited following the APA convention;
•combine practical information with critical appraisal;
•identify and analyse key issues in an insightful and specific manner, where key arguments are justified with reference to data, theory and in relation to the circumstances of the chosen destinations;
•include substantive conclusions based on analysis within the body of the essay;
•present a clear and logical structure with cross referencing within the essay;
•be presented to a very high standard, acceptable for presentation outside the University.
General Points
•Follow standard essay convention •Write the essay in 3rd person English i.e. no use of ‘I think that’ or ‘You can see that’. Instead you use According to Smith (2009) or Smith (2009) states that or A number of scholars argue that…(see for example: Leask, 2010; Fyall, 2008; Garrod, 2008)
•Use a range of academic literature and use these sources to support your answers •Always support your arguments with clear referencing of the material you use •Your essay should be fully referenced (minimum 10 academic sources including books and journal articles)
•Use author surnames (not initials or first names), add page numbers for direct quotations, be consistent in style, make sure the Reference List is correctly presented and accurate details are shown.
Common Mistakes
•poor referencing style, •poor academic writing style and poor presentation •lack of academic sources-lack of adequate reading around the topic •Inclusion of case study example that isn’t relevant to essay topic or is not adequately integrated in the essay •lack of focus on specific organisation/destination and ethical issues •lack of appropriate essay structure-no headings and subheadings please! •Description rather than analysis and evaluation of the materials that are presented •
Summary
•Great content and great presentation will get you great grades •But •Good Presentation can raise your grade •It gives more of a ‘halo effect’ •It shows you have worked at your essay •and will make you less likely to fail •Make sure you content is not too descriptive but full of discussion and with key theories to support your discussion and analysis. •