A guide through Prague,its rich history and heritage Research Paper

A guide through Prague,its rich history and heritage - Research Paper Example A guide through Prague, its rich history and heritage The scenario of national and international travel and tourism is undergoing rapid change due to the rapid development in transportation and communication facilities. Within this context, travel guides play a vital role because the same provides firsthand experience to those who wish to have deeper understanding of the cultural heritage of world societies. Travel guides are generally considered as the window to the historical and cultural heritage of a society, which is most helpful for international tourists. Within the context of tourism in Czech Republic, Prague has a unique place because Prague is the meeting place of history and cultural heritage. Thesis statement: The travel guide to Prague proves that its rich history and cultural heritage, including historical buildings and significant artifacts, act the role of an innovative medium to exhibit and share its secrets with tourists, especially international tourists (special r eferences to the history of Prague, historical monuments, and significant artifacts). General information: Prague, the capital city of Czech Republic is generally considered as the historical and cultural hub of Central Europe. Besides, Prague is the largest city in Czech Republic, a former communist ally in Europe. ... During the Renaissance era, the cultural context of Prague underwent rapid transformation. Besides, Prague was the renowned capital of the Holy Roman Empire in central Europe. On the other side, Prague was an important city during the reign of Habsburg Monarchy. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was an alliance between Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, provided ample importance to Prague. One can see that the interaction with these empires deeply influenced the cultural context of Prague. During the modern age, especially after the WWI, Prague underwent another change due its position as the capital of Czechoslovakia. On the other side, most of the cities in Europe were destroyed by WWI. But WWI did not hinder cultural change in Prague. Within the context of religion, Protestant Reformation influenced Prague to an extent. For instance, the Protestant believers constructed a number of independent churches in Prague. Besides, the Thirty Years War deeply influenced the politi cal context of Prague. One can see that the Thirty Years War was the end result of the difference in religious belief (Protestants and Roman Catholics) in Europe. Later, this religious conflict in the Central Europe developed into an internal conflict among the major nation states in Central Europe. To be specific, Prague was one of the cities in Central Europe which was influenced by religious and political transformation of Europe. During the time of Communist influence in Europe, Prague accepted the basic elements of Communism. But historical events never hindered the cultural development of Prague. For instance, there are a number of major museums and galleries in Prague, symbolic of the cultural heritage of Central Europe. So, one can

Though cell phones have developed us technologically as a society, Research Paper

Though cell phones have developed us technologically as a society, they have undermined other important social developments - Research Paper Example The cell phones tend to make the person engrossed in it, as a result, the user stays distracted from his surroundings. Cell phones have also in this way harmed social development by reducing face to face social interaction and promoting isolation and aloofness. Introduction The advancement in technology has enabled mankind to leap forward and reach levels that had never been experienced before. Technology has influenced all walks of life ranging from education to business, from medicine to tourism. The area of communication has also been improved exponentially as it has broken all geographical barriers. The whole world has come down to a few clicks’ distance as the people on the other end of the world can be contacted at any time and from any location via communication devices. Cell phones are the most common form of communication devices that are used around the world. One very interesting observation made about cell phones has been that â€Å"the cell phone can simultaneous ly represent freedom from and connectivity to the family† (Cooper 1). This simple statement which refers to the two-faced utility of this gadget points to the advantages and disadvantages that this technology has inherent in it. Cooper has elaborated this concept by drawing attention to the mixed feelings that an empirical study of middle school in a Texas town found among 13-to-14-year old teens towards cell phone which was caused by their â€Å"desire for independence and the reality of parental control through cell phone ownership and use† (1). This conflict has several parallels in our social existence and this paper is an attempt to find out whether cell phones have any negative influences over the society and if so, what changes these influences have brought in. Overview The first hand held cell phone was invented by Dr. Martin Cooper who was a General Manager with Motorola in 1973 (Kassel 211). Initially, the weight and size of the device was not practical enough to make it of common use to common man. Whereas, the evolution of technology has made cell phones convenient, practical and affordable for the masses. The use of cell phones has increased more than ever. It is no longer considered as a luxury, rather taken as a necessity in many parts of the world. The urban individual of today is so dependent on this technology that it makes one wonder how life existed on the planet before this invention. But it has to be kept in mind that even in today’s world, to some extent, cell phone is a rich man’s game. This can be seen from the fact that, â€Å"the fifty-eight countries in the world classed as low-income account for only a little over 98 million cell phone subscribers†¦in comparison, cell connections number over 775 million for fifty-four high-income countries† (Goggin 1). Cell phones have made their presence in a diverse range of areas including personal and professional communication. The functions fulfilled by cell phones include, â€Å"staying in constant contact, text messaging, fashion, identity-construction, music, mundane daily work routines, remote parenting, interacting with television programmes, watching videos, surfing the Internet, meeting new people, dating, flirting, loving, bullying, mobile commerce and locating people† (Goggin 2). The qualities that have been associated with cell phones are mainly, â€Å"