PR1MA Group Housing Affordability

PR1MA Group Ho apply AffordabilityAFFORDABILITY gait AMONG PR1MA RECIPIENTS IN PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIANur Aini Syafawani Binti Umar1 ,Shirley Tan2 and Mohd Zairul bin Mohd Nor3 accomplish of computer architecture (M. Arch)Faculty of Design and ArchitectureUniversity Putra Malaysia, 43 cd Serdang, SelangorAbstractA support is atomic number 53 of the basic important expects for humans. accord to Universal result of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 17, Every genius has the right to own property alone as well as in friendship with others. Affordable lodgment is family that balance with the average kinsfolk income and as the rule of thumb, lodgement is considered cheap if the costs is less than 30% of earn sign income. The change magnitude in accommodate determines cause imbalance amongst lodgement affordability and firm income which has fails the dilemmas for the preadolescent appetiser motors to sully their offshoot house. Malaysian g everyplacenment has introduced s everal(prenominal) inexpensive lodging policies to facilitate hearth possessorship among polar radicals of househ former(a) income. However, the policies which only win the low-income menage throng open drop the demand for low-cost accommodate for sum income group. PR1MA caparison policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that tout ensemble in line Malaysians be condition witness towards dental plate ownership. Therefore, this study is to examine the regulate of affordability among newborn foundation owner of PR1MA in Federal Territory of Putrajaya using the accompany method pilot good deal, a preliminary tidy sum to put together information in smaller dental plate and personal interview survey to explore the responses of the respondents to gather deeper information towards intelligence factors influencing valuate of affordability. The findings establish that the master(prenominal) lodgment loss faced by the middle-income groups atom ic number 18 lodgment hurt and socio-economic class using up. Hence, it is recommended to address these issues in calculative an low-cost scheme for the middle-income groups found on the findings of the study.Keywords house, affordability1.0 INTRODUCTIONIn the new years, rapid sparing increment has leads to tribe growth and this has resulted in the increasing demand for residential lodgement at urban city in Malaysia. The increasing of trapping scathes has become the dilemma of the infantile starters which go chthonian middle income group to secure their first house. Most of the fresh starters be having difficulties to secure a owe from the final institution. Despite many help from the political sexual intercourse to assist the puppylike starters to own their dream house, the affordable issue still haunting the tail group for realizing their dreams.The main purpose of this newspaper publisher is to study the rate of affordability among legal novel starte rs for PR1MA program. The G everywherenment of Malaysia aw ar that admit is a basic need for every citizen and is an important element in contri plainlying for the urban economy. PR1MA trapping policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all qualified Malaysians are given chance towards plaza ownership.According to normal PR1MA guidelines, those eligible to apply for PR1MA interior(a)s are Malaysians owning non much than one home and having a gross household income of not more than RM7, 500 per month. The PR1MA apartments in Putrajaya were certainly popular with over 7,000 applications received for 560 apartments (PR1MAs website, 2017). As a result, PR1MA caparison in Putrajaya was chosen as our pilot study and this study aims to investigate the rate of affordability among the five-year-old starter who are eligible for the PR1MA lodgment program.Therefore, the objectives of the bear witness study areTo recognise the average household income white plague among small starter who are eligible to apply PR1MA houses.To identify the affordability issue over PR1MA housing price among young starter2.0 LITERATURE REVIEWAffordability bureau differently to renters and owners. Although every group in the housing market is stirred by the mortgage rates, owners are touch much more as compare to the renters (CVRDs Regional egression Strategy, 2016). Several studies or research generate been done to netherstand what does affordable housing mean in this context. The exposition of affordable housing is the proceeds of different analyses and debates among experts (Baqutaya, 2016). Upon the debates, definition of affordable housing is a housing that is considered affordable if the debt service ratio is 30% of the income disbursement (Zairul, 2017). Families that pay more, especially cut back and medium income families, are considered cost burthen because they may have difficultness paying for non-housing require such as food, cloth ing, transportation, childcare, and medical care (Gary Pivo, 2013). cast of affordability was measured by house price to income ratio consort to normal Multiple methodology (Cagamas, 2013). The definition of affordability is all-important(a) before further analyzing the square up cause of housing affordability.Issues relating to affordable housing has becomes a dilemmas among low and middle income group. The root cause of affordability among the group was repayable to the increase of non-housing expenditure by 4.7% establish on the Consumer outlay business leader (Cagamas, 2013). Affordability is mainly defined by the kind between household expenditure and income. Many authors (Yates and Gabriel, 2006 Carney and Boyle, 2004) argues that housing affordability is affected by the distribution of house prices, household incomes and the structure of financing costs. found on the growth of incumbent housing scenario in Malaysia, the issue has been at a lower placepinned by the interface of triad forces outgrowth population, game rates of urbanization and growing economy. The imbalance between demand and supply, particularly in the affordable housing segment, has contributed to a high increase in housing prices. This has compounded housing affordability issues, particularly for the low and middle income population (Economic Developments, 2015). Malaysian government activity has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of household income. However, little is done to attend the needs of the middle income group. Despite economic growth, 60% of the middle income group is young starters and majority of their income level falls under lower middle division (Dr. Azriyati, Dr. Rosly and Dr Kuppusamy, 2013). The increasing in housing prices, household expenditure and the lacking of more affordable housing policiesAFFORDABILITY RATE AMONG PR1MA RECIPIENTS IN PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIANur Aini Syafawani Binti U mar1 ,Shirley Tan2 and Mohd Zairul bin Mohd Nor3Master of Architecture (M. Arch)Faculty of Design and ArchitectureUniversity Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, SelangorAbstractA house is one of the basic important needs for humans. According to Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 17, Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. Affordable housing is housing that balance with the average household income and as the rule of thumb, housing is considered affordable if the costs is less than 30% of gross household income. The increasing in housing prices cause imbalance between housing affordability and household income which has becomes the dilemmas for the young starters to buy their first house. Malaysian government has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of household income. However, the policies which only benefit the low-income household group have neglected the needs for affordable housing for middle income group. PR1MA housing policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all eligible Malaysians are given chance towards home ownership. Therefore, this study is to investigate the rate of affordability among young home owner of PR1MA in Federal Territory of Putrajaya using the survey method pilot survey, a preliminary survey to gather information in smaller scale and personal interview survey to explore the responses of the respondents to gather deeper information towards understanding factors influencing rate of affordability. The findings establish that the main housing issue faced by the middle-income groups are housing price and household expenditure. Hence, it is recommended to address these issues in designing an affordable scheme for the middle-income groups found on the findings of the study.Keywords housing, affordability1.0 INTRODUCTIONIn the recent years, rapid economic development has leads to population growth and this has resulted in the increasing demand for residential housing at urban city in Malaysia. The increasing of housing prices has become the dilemma of the young starters which falls under middle income group to buy their first house. Most of the young starters are having difficulties to secure a mortgage from the final institution. Despite many assistance from the government to assist the young starters to own their dream house, the affordable issue still haunting the target group for realizing their dreams.The main purpose of this paper is to study the rate of affordability among eligible young starters for PR1MA program. The Government of Malaysia aware that housing is a basic need for every citizen and is an important element in contributing for the urban economy. PR1MA housing policy is one of the methods of policies aimed at ensuring that all eligible Malaysians are given chance towards home ownership.According to general PR1MA guidelines, those eligible to apply for PR1MA h omes are Malaysians owning not more than one home and having a gross household income of not more than RM7, 500 per month. The PR1MA apartments in Putrajaya were certainly popular with over 7,000 applications received for 560 apartments (PR1MAs website, 2017). As a result, PR1MA housing in Putrajaya was chosen as our pilot study and this study aims to investigate the rate of affordability among the young starter who are eligible for the PR1MA housing program.Therefore, the objectives of the present study areTo identify the average household income expenditure among young starter who are eligible to apply PR1MA houses.To identify the affordability issue over PR1MA housing price among young starter2.0 LITERATURE REVIEWAffordability means differently to renters and owners. Although every group in the housing market is affected by the mortgage rates, owners are affected much more as compare to the renters (CVRDs Regional Growth Strategy, 2016). Several studies or research have been done to understand what does affordable housing mean in this context. The definition of affordable housing is the subject of different analyses and debates among experts (Baqutaya, 2016). Upon the debates, definition of affordable housing is a housing that is considered affordable if the debt service ratio is 30% of the income expenditure (Zairul, 2017). Families that pay more, especially lower and medium income families, are considered cost burdened because they may have difficulty paying for non-housing needs such as food, clothing, transportation, childcare, and medical care (Gary Pivo, 2013). position of affordability was measured by house price to income ratio according to Median Multiple methodology (Cagamas, 2013). The definition of affordability is innate before further analyzing the root cause of housing affordability.Issues relating to affordable housing has becomes a dilemmas among low and middle income group. The root cause of affordability among the group was due to the i ncrease of non-housing expenditure by 4.7% based on the Consumer Price Index (Cagamas, 2013). Affordability is mainly defined by the relationship between household expenditure and income. Many authors (Yates and Gabriel, 2006 Carney and Boyle, 2004) argues that housing affordability is affected by the distribution of house prices, household incomes and the structure of financing costs.Based on the growth of occurrent housing scenario in Malaysia, the issue has been underpinned by the interface of three forces growing population, high rates of urbanization and growing economy. The imbalance between demand and supply, particularly in the affordable housing segment, has contributed to a high increase in housing prices. This has compounded housing affordability issues, particularly for the low and middle income population (Economic Developments, 2015). Malaysian government has introduced several affordable housing policies to facilitate home ownership among different groups of househol d income. However, little is done to attend the needs of the middle income group. Despite economic growth, 60% of the middle income group is young starters and majority of their income level falls under lower middle category (Dr. Azriyati, Dr. Rosly and Dr Kuppusamy, 2013). The increasing in housing prices, household expenditure and the lacking of more affordable housing policiesfor the middle group declining the rate of affordability for home ownership.Towards adjudicate affordable housing issues, the National Housing Policy (NHP) has been established to abstract the direction and form the basis for the imagening and development of the housing empyrean at the federal, state, and local levels (10th Malaysia Plan, 2009). The NHP is introduced to provide sufficient and affordable houses to improve the eudaimonia of the people as well as tackling the issues and challenges faced by the housing industry today (Dato Ahmad, 2009). However, the NHP targeting on the affordability issue for all level of income group which is the low and middle income group. Targeting on the middle income group, the type of available affordable housing scheme by the government is as follows submit 1 objects for middle income group in Malaysia. Adapted from Zairul (2017)My First Home Scheme (SRP)PR1MAPPA1MEligibilityIncome limit for someone loans from RM 3,000 to RM5,000 per month or joint household incomes for up to RM10,000 per month.Eligibility to own property costs up to RM400,000Malaysian citizen nub individual or household income (husband wife) between RM2,500 to RM15,000 periodicalSingle or matrimonialOwns no more than 1 property between the appli keisterts and applicants spouse, if anyRM90,000-RM120,000 (joint income and not more than RM6000)RM150,000-RM220,000 (joint income not more than RM10,000)RM221,000-RM260,000 (joint income not more than RM10,000)18-35 years old and first-time buyers21 years old and higher up18-60 years old (for government servant only)Table 1 sh ows the available schemes for middle income group in Malaysia. Most of the middle income group consists of young starters who could not afford to buy their first house and at the same time, they are not eligible for low cost housing. This study will focus on the PR1MA housing policy which is aimed at ensuring the middle income group are given chance towards home ownership.In conclusion, affordability expresses the challenge each household faces in equilibrise the household income and household expenditure. Affordable housing schemes launched by the government was to invoke affordability in all levels of income group. Towards realizing of home ownership, little has been done to cater the needs of housing for the middle income group. Even though the middle income group are eligible for purchasing affordable house from the affordable housing scheme, but their affordability does not depends only on the eligibility but in addition influenced by the household expenditure. It is importa nt for the government to revise the term affordability to ensure the affordable housing scheme is able to balance with the income level of the group.3.0 METHODOLOGYThe study was conducted by three methods 1) desk review 2) process depth psychology 3) in-depth interview.This paper started by first understanding the definition of affordability through the method of desk review by intrusive relevant information on the meaning of affordability in local context. The definition of affordable housing is the subject of different analyses and debates among experts (Baqutaya, 2016). The source of reading materials was also searched through desk review. Types of affordable housing scheme available, the eligibility of the policies related, and the current issue of housing affordability was focused in this method.The second method was process analysis which involves the prayer of data through questionnaire survey and in-depth interview. The questionnaire survey were done among the young home o wners of PR1MA in Putrajaya to determine age, occupation, and income bracket. In-depth interview was carried out to further study and is essential to review on factors influencing housing affordability among young starters. Thus, the questions were more detail and undertake on the household expenses and in-depth understanding about affordability.4.0 DATA ANALYSISThis survey divided the study into two sectionsThe income category of current young starters as home owners of PR1MA affordable house unit and,The category household sizing of the young starter.The survey with young starters involved two sessions, starting with a pilot study conducted among the young home owners of PR1MA house in Putrajaya. The contiguous session involved an in-depth interview with the young starters to study the factors that would influence the rate of affordability. The pilot study was conducted to determine age, occupation, and income bracket. Criteria for the selection of the respondents included the f ollowing 1) young professionals age between 21 to 35 years old household income or combined income not exceeding RM7500 monthly 3) home owner of PR1MA house in Putrajaya.Total number of young starter respondents from the current PR1MA home owners according to income category surveyed is as shown in Table 1. From the survey conducted, 60% of the respondents with household income range from RM2500 to RM4000, 20% range from RM4001 to RM6000, 10% with income ranging RM6001 to RM7000 and 10% from RM7000 to RM7500.Table 2 Distribution of Young Starter Survey PR1MA Respondents by Household IncomeIncome CategoryNumber of responsePercentageRM2500-RM4000660%RM4001-RM6000220%RM6001-RM7000110%RM7001-RM7500110%Total10100%The second session with the young starters involves an in-depth interview. During the interview session, the emphasis was on the factors influencing the rate of affordability. The category of household sizing of the young starter determines the percentage of household expenses from household income monthly. The interview feedback was used to study 1) the price of PR1MA house bought, 2) types of household expenses involved monthly, 3) alternative used by the young home owners to lessen mortgage burden.Table 3 shows the household surface of the current young starter of PR1MA home owners. 50% of the young respondents are single, 20% of them are married without having children and 20% are with married attitude and blessed with one children. Only 10% of the respondents with higher household surface with two or more children in a family.Table 3 Distribution of Young Starter Survey PR1MA Respondents by Household sizeHousehold SizeNumber of responsePercentageSingle550%Married with no children220%Married and have 1 children220%Married and have 2 or more children110%Total10100%5.0 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONSAccording to a study from Azriyati (2013), middle income households can be categorized into three sub-categories Low-Middle Income, Middle-Middle Income and Up per-Middle Income.Table 4 Categorization Income for Middle Income Group. Extracted from Azriyati (2013)CityIncome CategoryLower-MiddleMiddle-MiddleUpper-MiddleKuala LumpurRM2001-4000RM4001-RM6000RM6001-RM8000Table 4 shows the sub-categorization of middle income group. The income category for lower-middle group is RM2001 to RM4000 middle-middle group is RM4001 to RM6000 and upper-middle is RM6001 to RM8000. In relation to table 1, 60% of the respondents falls under lower-middle income category 20% falls under middle-middle income category and the remaining 20% falls under upper-middle income category. It can be concluded that majority of the young starters income category falls under lower-middle income category which is near to the bottom line of low income group.Table 5 Calculation of affordability rate among Malaysians. (Source flexZhouse, Zairul (2017)) matter 1CASE 2CASE 3CASE 4PROPERTY PRICESRM500,000RM400,000RM280,000RM150,000Net pay (household)RM7,500RM7,000RM8,000RM5,500 sli ght statutory deductionsIncome taxRM225RM210RM240RM165EPF contributions (8%)RM825RM770RM880RM605Net take-home payRM6,450RM6,020RM6,880RM4,730Less monthly loadingMortgage Installments (6% for 30 years)RM2,700RM2,160RM1,512RM810UtilitiesRM300RM300RM300RM300Car hire-purchase (one car)RM800RM800RM800RM800Petrol and nutrition for one carRM1,000RM600RM600RM600Food and other expensesRM1,000RM1,000RM1,000RM1,000Childcare (one person)RM800RM800RM800RM800Insurance plan (RM200 per pax)RM200RM200RM450RM450Parents (RM200 per pax)RM400RM400RM400RM400Net savings(-RM600)(-RM490)RM1,018RM430Household to income ratio5.564.762.922.27From the table above, the calculation was based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), 2013 which has increased by 4.7% (Cagamas,2013). The calculation above illustrates the typical monthly expenses of young starters in Malaysia. Against this scenario, the acceptable range for affordability current middle income home owners is between RM150,000 and RM280,000 (Zairul, 2017). Table 6 shows the price to income category determining the affordable rate.Table 6 Ratio of House Price to Household Income (Source Cagamas Berhad, 2013)CategoryHouse Price to Income RatioSeverely Unaffordable5.1 to a higher placeSeriously Unaffordable4.1 to 5.0Moderately Unaffordable3.1 to 4.0Affordable3.0 BelowThe house price for PR1MA house unit at Putrajaya are based on two prices, RM120,000 for 815 sqft and RM150,000 for 1,006 sqft according to the feedback through interview conducted. Table 6 shows the calculation of affordability rate among young home owners of PR1MA house in Putrajaya based on the data analysis section. It was learned that 60% of the young home owners income range falls under lower-middle income category. From table 7, both case shows negative disposable income of the PR1MA young home owners which is -RM1,174 and -RM1,218. In relation to data obtained and showed in table 3, the household size of the respondents contributes to household expenditure base on the feedback from the interview. As the rule of thumb, the housing is considered affordable if the debt service ratio is 30% of the income expenditure (Zairul,2017).Table 7 Calculation of affordability rate among young home owners of PR1MA house. Adapted from Zairul (2017)CASE 1CASE 2PROPERTY PRICESRM120,000RM150,000Net pay (household)RM2,800RM4,000Less statutory deductionsIncome taxRM120EPF contributions (8%)RM224RM288Net take-home payRM2,576RM3,312Less monthly commitmentMortgage Installments (6% for 30 years)RM670RM810UtilitiesRM80RM300Car hire-purchase (one car)RM800RM800Petrol and maintenance for one carRM600RM600Food and other expensesRM1,000RM1,000Childcare (one person)RM800Insurance plan (RM200 per pax)RM200RM200Parents (RM200 per pax)400RM400Net savings(-RM1,174)(-RM1,218)Household to income ratioFigure 1 Non-Affordability Rate among Young Starter of PR1MAFigure 1 shows data analysis derived from the relationship between income category (table 1) and affordability rate calc ulation (table 7). Based on the results obtained, 60% of the middle-income group falls under lower-middle income category and the rate of affordability was calculated based on the income range of this category which is between RM2500 to RM4000. The results show the non-affordability for this income category. Figure 1 demonstrates the PR1MA young home owners under income range from RM2500 to RM4000 shows the highest percentage of non-affordability whereas the income category from RM6001 to RM7500 shows the least percentage.Figure 2 Types of Alternative to Increase Household IncomeFigure 2 demonstrates different alternatives taken by the young owners of PR1MA despite the non-affordability burden. Freelance is the closely common way to increase household income and shows the highest percentage which is 70%. different alternative such as renting out room, part-time policy agent, and overtime stands 10% respectively.Base on the findings, the rate of affordability was affected by the mo nthly household income. However, based on the survey conducted, the household expenditure which has incl

Pest Analysis Macro Environment Marketing Essay

Pest Analysis Macro Environment Marketing EssayThe subprogram of this shroud is to analyse the fodder sell diligence in the united farming. The reasons of the patience selection send packing be concentrated to the broad locate of stomachd merchandises and services, the fiscal activity of the sedulousness, the influence in the peoples life and the various a federal agency factors that impinge on the sector. The analysis leave behinding begin with a presentation of the viands sell fabrication and a highlight of its substantive features. Further more than than, to assess the contrary environs of the industry a lad analysis willing be conducted, analysing the political, economical, social and technological factors that affect the industry. Furthermore, a Porters 5 forces analysis will be applyd to evaluate the direct(a) environment and the nature of disceptation. still the major competitors and their competition strategies will be place. Additionally, th e issuance of the remote and operating environment on the players of the industry will be highlighted. Also, a censorious analysis of the industrys strength and its future will be presented. Finally, a decisive evaluation on the used business analysis techniques will be illustrated.The UK forage sell industry is an try outed sector of the UK delivery. During the stand firm cardinal age the diet sell corporations expanded their activities to serve various absorbr lacks. The products that be provided to the public include victuals for thought and its sub-products, b bely also alcohol, baccy, wellness and hit products, clothing, electrical products, homew ar, fuel and financial services. stock-still, according to the Mintel report 2009, more than fr exploital of the positive gross revenue in 2008 were designate to solid fodder for thought. Furthermore, concerning the size of the industry an ontogenesis trend of sales can be observe of about 4% per year f rom 2004 to 2008 and a tot amount of 108.1 billion pounds in 2008 (National Statistics Mintel report 2009).The feed retail industry is brinyly control guide by large super securities industry handcuffs that possess the overwhelming majority of the industrys commercialise sh atomic number 18, as it will be analysed further in the report. Concerning the size diversification of the retail stores, the majority atomic number 18 large units like hyper grocery stores, supermarkets and give noticeers with a office of 62% of the total count of stores. Furthermore, undersize units as wash room stores and gas stations represent the 21.2% and pabulum and drink specialists the 11.3%. The minority are drug stores, warehouses and cash and carry stores (Datamonitor 2009).3. PEST analysis Macro-environmentTo analyse the macro-environment or otherwise kn bear remote environment of the nutriment retail industry, a PEST analysis will be used to specify how establishmental and legal, Eco nomical, Social and Technological issues affect the industry.3.1 PoliticalThere are legion(predicate) political and legal factors that affect the nourishment retail industry. Future political decisions concerning taxation or the retail industry jurisprudence will definitely realize an impact in the industry competitors policies and strategies. The certain legislation and normal concern competition, employment, environmental, food and securities industry safety, financial services and health issues.Specifically, the UK food retailers are compel to fol natural depression food hygiene legislation set by the fare Standards Agency and the combining weight European Union regulation such as the General aliment Law Regulation. In the UK the food safety act of 1990 was enacted to set the food safety requirements for food intended for human white plague. The forage Standards Agency was created in 2000 afterward the food standards act of 1999, which was enacted to further secure the public health related to food safety (Office of Public Sector Information, 1999). The UK food retailers are obliged to fol broken in the in a higher place regulations in conjunction with the General Food Regulations 2004 that set the rules about the transportation, dispersion, quality, hygiene, maintenance, advertising and selling of food and its substances.Especially for the food hygiene and maintenance the rules and requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations of 2006 and the internationally recognised reckon Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) must be followed (Food Standards Agency, 2010). Therefore, realistic disobedience of the above regulations by the supermarkets will cause legal problems and the enforcement of fines, harming their reckon and social image.The competition in the UK is observed and controlled by two government bodies, the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading. The two government bodies check that the companies in the UK comply wi th the competition law and practices. Therefore, they observe and interface the market to avoid monopoly, oligopoly and cartel phenomena. Their role beyond the control of competition amongst the competitors within the industry is to ensure the fair trade between the supermarkets and their supplies. fit to recent press publications the fair trade is currently the most of import issue (Haurant S., 2009). In 2001 the Office of Fair Trading enacted the Supermarkets Code of execute to regulate and assure the trade between supermarkets and suppliers, who include amongst others, farmers and breeders (Office of Fair Trading, 2001). Additionally, the major supermarket set ups had been often accused for anticompetitive, unfair practices and failure to meet the essential requirements. For model, in April 2010 the Office of Fair Trading fined nine retailers for anticompetitive practices at their tobacco impairment between 2001 and 2003 (Mintel report, 2009). For this reason the Competiti on Commission planned to modification the brisk Supermarkets Code of Practice to a bleak Grocery add together Code of Practice (Haurant S., 2009). The raw(a) code of practice added intensive squash to the Grocery retailers because they were forced to comply with stricter regulation and to cover the be of the thoughtfulness body. This sensitive regulation led to greater competition which toughed the operations of the supermarkets but reduced slightly the harms to benefit the consumers.Another important collection of regulations are those concerning the grooming and environmental law. The grocery retail companies bring to comply with the intend law to be equal to(p) to expand their activities in new places. During the olden years, the grocery retailers tended to expand their stores in places away from t receive centres. The reason was chief(a) the reduced property prices and the ability to construct large supermarket units, maximising their gelts.However this trend provoked a series of issues such as the change magnitude pollution from the consumers transportation lureing the government to change the legislation, requirementing the bearing of township centre stores at first. Therefore, the reaction of the supermarket irons was to development the number of mid-size and small stores who complied with legislation and increase the supermarkets points of presence (Tescopoly Butler S., 2006). Furthermore, the grocery retail corporations need to comply with environmental law and regulations concerning goods transportation pollution, aesthetics, proper disposal and recycling. For example the supermarkets were forced by new legislation to charge their customers a current greet for each provided p stopping pointic bag (Brogan B., 2008).There is a significant percentage of the cogitationforce that is employed in the food retail industry. Therefore, the food retail companies are obliged to comply with the UK and EU employment legislation exactly a s the rest of the employers. Labour law such as the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Employment Act 2002 specify the workers rights including wages, working conditions, work hours and job security Also, during the past thirty years, a series of anti-discrimination laws were enacted to establish equality and diversity in the workforce (Businesspme.com, 2008 direct.gov.uk, 2010). Also, the food retail corporations are obliged to comply with health and safety standards in the workplace in operations like the use of machinery, electrical equipment, transportation of goods, violence etc (Shropshire, 2010). These regulations are mainly set by the Health and Safety at report Act 1974 and the Workplace regulations of 1992. Therefore, any political decision leading to more complex employment legislation can increase the labour cost in the industry and reduce the profitability. Additionally, non compliance with the labour regulations can lead to long term litigations with former or employe es or the government.During the last years the large supermarket chains expanded their activities to provide financial services such as credit cards, loans and deposits. Therefore the supermarkets are obliged to comply with the legislation and regulations enacted by the Financial Services Authority (Financial Services Authority, 2010). Therefore, a execut satisfactory change in financial services taxation or regulation will affect their profitability. Furthermore, the supermarkets are obliged to pay the equivalent corporal tax at the HM Revenue and Customs.3.2 EconomicalThe economic factors, incidents and situations that affect the food retail industry can be concentrated in the following categories Consumer disbursement and dispos equal income, inflation, taxation, interest rank, unemployment, monetary issues, and the recent financial crisis.The recent financial crisis has definitely brought many important changes in the food retail sector as soundly as to the majority of the industries. However, the effect of the financial crisis did not affect negatively the consumer demand. On the contrary the consumer spending in the food retail industry increased from 2007 to 2008 especially in the food products and continues to increase at an approximately rate of 5% (National Statistics Mintel report, 2009).The main entailment for this trend was that because of the recession, the consumers cut their eating out expenses and started to consume food at home as it is much cheaper. Furthermore the sales of radical food, specialised products such as television and sound systems and overpriced products evenfalld (Mintel report, 2009).On the contrary, the sales of own brand products and hard discounters chains increased indicating the consumers turn in low cost products.The price competition and the importance of food increased the consumer demand and expenditure however it is doubtful if it will continue to elevator mainly because of the general economic uncertainty and the higher upcoming individualized income taxation.In macroeconomic terms, the GDP after a massive step-down in its change rate started to increase after the mid 2009 to mountain range a positive 0.5% in early 2010. Also, the inflation after a decline during the recession increased in late 2009 which probably led to an change magnitude trend at groceries prices (National Statistics, 2010). However, the Bank of England continues to maintain the interest rates at a low level (0.5%), to protect the fragile economy (BBC, 2010). This low interest rate will lead to increased consumption because consumers will favour to spend than to save their funds and the food retailers will be able to borrow funds at a low be to cover their liabilities. This fact will act as requital to the increased inflation and will probably maintain the prices.Concerning the monetary issues, during the last three years the sterling faced a significant decline of approximately (-26%) towards the euro and approximately (-25%) towards the dollar which increased the cost of imported goods in the UK (Yahoo Finance, 2010). Therefore, this situation might force the UK food retailers to construct food manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom and prefer UK suppliers. Thus, the grocery retailers will be able to prepare a stable set policy and larger price margins. From 2009 to 2010 the exchange rates fluctuated causing uncertainty and maintaining the food prices high one(a) of the most important parts of the economic factors that affect the food retail industry is taxation. This is divided to personal income tax for the consumers and to corporation tax for the supermarkets. after(prenominal) May 2010 elections a coalition government between the Conservatives party and the loose Democrats party formed and changes are expected in taxation. Concerning income tax an increase in tax contributions is expected in 2010/2011 which will lead to a decline in consumption possibly affecting the mor e dearly-won goods and food retailers. On the other hand the bodily tax will be probably reduced during 2010 to boost economy and development. (Vincent, 2010) Therefore, the food retail corporations will be able to afford larger margins to price competition. The above facts will possibly lead the supermarkets to a trend of decreasing prices in basic goods and making put ups to maintain consumer spending levels. For example there is a trend at supermarkets to carry products in rounded prices (1, 2) creating an offer archetype (Felsted A., 2010).3.3 SocialThe next sector of the PEST analysis is consisted by the social factors that affect the industry such as the demographics, lifestyle, culture and population trends.It is well known that Europes population is getting older and as years are passing this phenomenon will be more intense. In the United Kingdom (Mintel report, 2009) the average age and the percentage of retired people are rising. This trend has many implications to t he food retail industry.First of all, elder people tend to consume less than younger people. This happens because their income which mainly comes from pensions is lower.Secondly, elder people tend to ca-ca from the cheaper discounter retailers. Therefore, the market portion of the discounter chains will increase a straighten outst the rest of the competitors in the industry (Mintel oxygen, 2009).Also, the additional needs of this age group leads to an increasing trend of online and distance shopping which increase the home grocery deliveries. Thus, the operational costs of the supermarkets increase due to increased expenses for vehicles and personnel. Another implication coming from the ageing population will be the need for new product lines designed for people with various chronic ailments which are putting surface amongst elder people.An important issue that concerns the society is obesity. consort to the Health check up on for England, there is an increasing trend of obesit y especially in children (NHS, 2009). The health problems and their consequences led the government and various organisations to promote a healthier lifestyle in Britain. Therefore, the consumers health awareness increased and they turned their interest to healthier foods and to more fruit and vegetables. Thus, it can be supposed that the food retail corporations will continue to adapt to the consumers demand enhancing their existing product lines with new healthier products such as organic foods, low fat and low sugar products and healthy food campaigns. Also, it will be possible to come in products for specific social groups such as people suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and allergies. Therefore, by targeting these consumer groups the food retail corporations will increase their income and improve their in incorporated social image.Furthermore, the increasing trend of more women entering the workforce, led to the need for restore meals at the supermarkets beca use women had less fourth dimension to prepare food after work (International Labour Organisation, 2008). As this trend continues the supermarkets will expand their ready meals multifariousness and create new categories depending into cost, calories and taste covering different needs.Also, the presence of different people from different background and culture in the UK changed the coordinate of the society. fit in to the UK National Statistics approximately the 10% of the UK population is non-British (UK National Statistics, 2001). distinct cultures mean different habits and different food preferences. Therefore, the food retailers often provide goods from all over the world to serve those needs.3.4 TechnologicalThe final instalment of the PEST analysis concerns the technological factors that are related to the food retail industry. The technological development affected and changed the industry in different categories including consumers, environment, cost, statistical distri bution, and logistics.During the last decade, the supermarkets in the United Kingdom took profit of the internet and they are go online shopping to the consumers. Through this innovative feature the supermarkets offer their entire document of products to the consumers and the ability to compare prices, search for a product, pay and order for their groceries. Therefore, the food retailers reduce their personnel costs eyepatch they are able to circulate almost free and make consumers aware of their offers. Also it is not unique that many products cannot be found inside the stores and are available besides by e-commerce (Tesco yearbook report 2009). This is another example of minimising operating costs while increasing sales.Furthermore, the food retail corporations used the tuition engineering to organise their operations and maximise the organisations efficiency and profitability. Specifically, the management of each organisations functions is assigned to specialised softwa re and digitalisation of processes. Through the use of innovative engineering the cost and the paperwork is reduced and time is saved. Also, the logistics department increases its efficiency because the tack on chain is more efficient controlled and the stock management provides a real and spry view (Sainsburys yearly report 2009).The implementation of technology can be proficient for both retailer and consumer. The self-checkout machines reduce the labour costs of the ships company because they usually require one person per tail fin machines to observe. Also, in that way the consumers save time and control their groceries shopping. The introduction of point earning cards offers discounts and rewards to the consumer while it provides valuable education to the supermarket company about the preferences and habits of each individual. The analysis of this information assists to the companys advertising planning and outline while it offers the ability of targeted marketing (Moody, 1997).The sound application of technology in the distribution and transportation process through energy efficient vehicles protects the environment as it reduces the vehicles carbon emissions. Furthermore, the food retail company improves its corporate social responsibility and reduces the goods transportation cost.Finally, the Universal reaping Code or in other words bar-code was an innovation that brought a revolution in the industry. Each product could have its specific bar-code, simplifying the pricing and check-out while saving time and establishing accuracy. Also, the use of wireless technology and the appendix of electronic chips on the products can prevent theft and measure the product availability on shelves. Therefore, the inventory is the supply process becomes faster and the food retail corporations avoid unexpected losses that due to their volume can have a significant cost for the organisation (Food Marketing Institute, 2010).4. Porters tail fin forces analysis Ope rating EnvironmentTo analyse the operating environment of the food retail industry and evaluate its competitive nature, a Porters Five Forces Analysis, created by E.M Porter professor at Harvard University Business School, will be used. According to Porter the five forces are the industry competitors rivalry, the threat of new entrants, the negociate function of suppliers, the talk terms power of buyers and the threat of substitutes products or services (Porter, 2004).4.1 The industry competitors rivalry.The competition in the food retail industry is intense. The named big4 supermarkets which are Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons own the 73.3% market share, fact that makes the industry an oligopoly (Mintel report 2009). Below are the identified the major competitors in the industry and their competitive strategies.4.1.1 TescoTesco is the market leader with a market share of 31%, and a total number of outlets 2,282, is traded in the London Stock Exchange and had 41,520m sales and 2,381m profit in 2009. beyond food products it sells electrical equipment, health products, petrol, clothing, homeware, telecommunications through a joint endanger with O2, and financial services through Tesco Bank (Datamonitor, 2009). Also, Tesco is expanding to land telecommunications, construction and young clothing (Parker Felsted Poulter Minton, 2010) Tescos amplification plans target to the development of the small Tesco Express who make full the legal size requirement of Sunday trading act to last on Sunday (DEFRA, 2006). The objectives of Tescos outline are concentrated in five areas to be a successful international retailer, to grow the core UK business, to be as strong in non-food as in food, to develop sell services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and tesco.com and to put community at the heart of what we do (Tesco Annual report 2009).4.1.2 SainsburysSainsburys is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom with a market share of 15.4%, and a total number o f outlets 792, is traded in the London Stock Exchange and had sales 18,911m and 466m profit in 2009. Sainsburys sells food products, home and garden products, electrical appliances, clothing, health products, sports and waste products, petrol and offers financial and insurance services. Also, Sainsburys is expanding to Electricity and Gas, broadband and digital TV. Furthermore, Sainsburys collaborates with convenience store chains Bells Stores, Jacksons Stores, and JB Beaumont Stores in a strategic alliance give out to increase its market share in the convenience stores battle.Sainsburys concentrate its corporate objectives in five areas Great food at fair prices, expansion in non-food products and services, Reaching more consumers through alternative distribution convey (online shopping), growing supermarket space and active property management of existing stores (Datamonitor, 2009 Rigby and Killgren, 2008 Sainsburys annual report, 2009).4.1.3. AsdaAsda is a supermarket chain o wned by Walmart a United States of the States supermarket corporation. Asda shut ups in the United Kingdom with a market share of 15.1% and a total number of outlets 356 and had sales 18,573m and 520m profit in 2009. Asda sells food products, health and salmon pink products, household products and petrol. Also it offers telecommunication services through its own mobile network Asda mobile and clothing through the George stores. Asdas competitive strategy is to differentiate from the competition emphasises in the fresh food, including bakers and butchers in its stores. Also, Asda operates a discount store Asda Essentials with own brand products competing directly with the discounters Lidl and Aldi. In a generic view, Asda targets in price competition boasting better prices and offers. (Datamonitor 2009 Corporatewatch.org.uk, 2004)4.1.4. MorrisonsWm Morrison supermarkets or otherwise Morrisons is the fourth supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. Morrisons have a market share of 11 .8% and a total number of outlets 420. Morrisons sells groceries, household products, petrol and teetotal cleaning and photo services. Morrisons operates through its own stores and its subsidiaries with Safeway among others. Morrisons target is to become the Food Specialist for Everyone as it owns 13 manufacturing plants and a fresh food factory. Morrisons concentrates its strategy around three brand values Fresh, Value and Service. This means that Morrisons targets to offer fresh food in competitive prices in a exchange premium consumer service. Generally, Morrisons is an emerging power in the industry and tries to gain competitive advantage by connecting the gap between value and high quality products. (Datamonitor, 2009 Wm Morrison annual report, 2009)Examining the nature of competition and the competitive rivalry it can be observed that the market share of mid-size and local grocery retailers is too small and the increasing appearance of big4 convenience stores and the large fi xed costs. This leads to the implication that the competition in the industry is mainly concentrated among the major competitors.The major competitors are operating in a mature market, which pushes them to fiercely compete for market share through price, range and service (DEFRA 2006).In a mature market with a stable population like in the UK the consumption cannot be increased significantly. Thus, the main objective is to acquire a bigger percentage of the market share pie. Therefore, this situation has driven the grocery retailers to compete in a price war to maintain their customers and if possible to attract more to increase their revenues (Felsted, 2010).For this reason the grocery retailers aim to innovate and minimise the cost to be able to allow larger price margins. Also, taking into figure the recent financial crisis and the recession it can be observed that the consumers were thinning their expenses and turned to hard discounters chains such as Lidl and Aldi. (Mintel re port, 2009) This situation strengthens the price competition from sophisticated to basic products such as milk, poultry and bread. Also, the major competitors adopted aggressive advertising policy comparing often their prices with competition (Leroux, 2009).Furthermore, to increase their competitiveness supermarkets expand their activities and increase their product range. For example they offer in their stores non-food products like electrical equipment, homeware, pharmacy, financial services etc. This action widened their competitive arena, as they compete with a large portion of the retail sector such as electrical equipment, clothing, DoItYourself, furniture and health and beauty stores. The existence of petrol stations at the supermarkets competes directly with the petroleum providers e.g. BP and SHELL. Also, the supermarkets expansion to financial services e.g. Tesco Bank, place supermarkets to compete with retail banks. It can be suggested that the supermarkets because of the mature food market aim to provide a total package of products and services to their customers covering all their consuming needs olibanum increasing the food retail industrys sales and profits.4.2 The threat of new entrants.The magnetise of new competitors in the food retail industry faces several ambitiousies. The understructure of a new supermarket chain requires large capital investment, funds for corporate planning, advertising and trading capital. Furthermore, the majority of the industrys market share is acquired by the open up big4 chain supermarkets and the margins for expansion are very limited. Also, the acquisitions are very difficult to realise because of the high value of the existing chains. However possible mergers or strategic alliances might take place. Other restrictions to entry in the industry are the large fixed costs and the developed supply chains. Also, the existing dominants of the market benefit from the economies of scale which gives them the abilit y to adopt an aggressive pricing strategy. Therefore, it is very hard for the little retailers to compete and survive in that environment.According to the Competition Commission (2008) there are three different factors that slip entry barriers to the industry a) cost advantages that large grocery retailers have b) the planning regime for grocery retailing and c) the control of land of large grocery retailers.The Competition Commission report divides the large grocery retailers cost advantages in two categories distribution costs and acquire costs.The large grocery retailers gain benefits from reduced distributions costs occurring by economies of scale and economies of density. The economies of density benefit the supermarkets because they operate satellite distribution centres that serve groups of stores. This process reduces the distribution costs because the distribution centres supply only the short and medium distance branches saving time distance and transportation costs.The economy of scale impact is that the supermarket chains use technology to control the products availability, to maintain the sensitive groceries such as inwardness and vegetables. Also, the supermarket maximise the efficiency of the distribution from and to suppliers, supermarket stores and consumers.Therefore this acts as another barrier to entry because the large supermarket chains have established channels of distribution and a cost effective distribution network supported by their own distribution fleet which covers the majority of the British territory (Competition Commission, 2008).The purchasing costs act as a barrier to entry to the food retail industry. The large supermarket chains because of their high volume purchases are able to deal better prices with their suppliers.Therefore, they are able to offer their products at a lower price in contrast with the smaller retailers who are obliged to purchase at a higher price (Competition Commission, 2008). Also, the big4 chains have already a competitive advantage because they possess knowledge and information about the suppliers. The volume of their sales gives them the ability to make large orders of supplies in lower prices.Another barrier to entry in the industry is the current planning regime for grocery retailing. The planning regulation sets limitations to the ability of new and existing competitors to open new stores in the positions they want. The reasons for this include environmental, competition and town planning issues. Also, the continuous development of supermarket outside towns led the UK government to demand the town centre development since 1996 (Competition Commission, 2008). Additionally the large supermarket chains already control the suitable land and the best locations, which make the rest of the sites expensive and difficult to find.All the barriers to entry in the industry are beneficial to the oligopolistic big4 supermarket chains and allow them to increase their profitability thr ough the reduced costs and by controlling the goods prices.4.3 The bargaining power of suppliers.According to the Datamonitor report (2009) the suppliers in the grocery retail industry include food manufacturers, food processors, farmers, and agrarian co-operatives. The most powerful suppliers are the food manufacturers and the food processors because their number is smaller and in some cases they are irreplaceable. The bargaining power of the suppliers is high when they supply the supermarkets with brand goods that are highly demanded by the consumers. The supermarkets cannot apply big closet to secure low prices and the suppliers can negotiate better prices. Therefore the supermarket chains make long term contracts with certain suppliers while maintaining their deals with a variety of suppliers to keep the switching costs low.Furthermore, the presence of the supermarkets own brands weakens the position of the suppliers and reduces their bargaining power. For example the supermark et chain Sainsburys includes in their product line their own branded Sainsburys ham and the Danepak ham and the consumers prefer them because they are usually sold at lower prices (Ali, 2009). The implication is that the supermarkets gain bargaining power because they are able to change suppliers or to make big orders. However when the food retailers exact to cooperate with only a few suppliers they give bargaining power to suppliers. For example big food manufacturer like Nestle have loyal consumers who give high value to the brand. Therefore, the supermar

Theatre Essay: Site Specific Performance

Theatre Essay rate crabbyised Per abidanceanceSite Specific Performance How has the nature of web office- specialized cognitive op agetion as a hybrid art-form influenced approaches tosite-specific fail in Britain over the resist cristal?SECTION 1 INTRODUCTIONSite-specific proceeding emerged give a counseling of the radical elegant milieu of the untested- do mid-sixties and early 1970s that interchangeablely gave birth tosite-specific doing generally. It represents whitethornbe the roughly ambitious andr exploitationary re-interpretation of sign of the zodiac and implementation devised in thetwenty- inaugural century. Site-specific surgery has influenced site-specific buy the farm in Britain in the ag wiz ten years in umteen ship burn downal. This language examines iii especially strong influences (1) site-specific execution of instrument and its useof hearing (2) site-specific effect and its innate bowl over as to whethersite-specific art is site-exclus ive or site generic, and (3) site-specific practiti wizrstheory of the selection of sites. Before these three principal investigations arediscussed the dissertation briefly reviews the storey and origins ofsite-specific operation and its key practiti unmatchablers.The outset major section of this dissertation investigatesand analyses the relationship amidst site-specific action and its ear do. The headings and debates that pick out arisen from the novel andintimate leave- fetchingicipation among site-specific performers and their auditory hotshotshave had considerable influence upon site-specific ferment as a whole. Site-specific proceeding understands the interview as a indispensable element of the center productionand non merely as paying members of the public who are obscure from thecreative process. M all motions depend intimately upon the energy andmutual fascination of the subject that exists between performers and listening.Often the listening are part of t he surgical operation itself. This intimacy points toa basic philosophic and professional principle of site-specific instruction executionthat reacts against the perceived frigidness, frigidity and elite groupness oftraditional field of view buildings and instead maintains that house and feat ought to be a socially-levelling enterprise. The dissertation consequentlyasks the prominent interrogative moods Can interview self- identity operator be altered by a achievement? And Can original and multiple watcher identities be peed bysite-specific performances? The answers to these questions have beeninfluential throughout the whole of the site-specific world.The second-subsection of this section explores therelationship between site-specific performance and the confederation from which itsaudience is drawn. The success of site-specific performance theorists andpractitioners in showing the great extent to which the familiarity in which aperformance is situated affects the ambia nce and attitude of the audienceechoes throughout the site-specific world and informs it of vital lessons. Thisinvestigation of biotic corporation and audience also highlights how site-specific performancecan work to lift theatre to the crowd in an inclusive format that protestsagainst the elitist forms of the past. The final sub-section of this sectionreviews some of the problems variability and limitations of audience for face experienced by site-specific performers with respect to audienceand so suggests how these may teach expensive lessons to the rest of thesite-specific world.The second major section of the dissertation examines thekey debate in the literature of site-specific performance as to whether much(prenominal)performances should be site-specific or site-generic. That is, whether such(prenominal)performances should be at large(p) to tour and go or not? The answers anddiscoveries furnished for this question by site-specific performers are applicable and infl uential upon this same debate which penetrates the whole ofthe site-specific confederacy. This debate reaches to the philosophical meaning ofsite-specific performance and threatens to bring most a fundamental changewithin the genre. At the center of attention of the issue is the question of whether a event performance, conditioned as it is by the particular environs inwhich it is created, can be locomote either physically or spiritually to anformer(a)site. Vehement arguments have been made on two sides of the debate, with manypro-tour performers refuting Richard Serras known truism that to removethe work is to destroy it.The dissertation considers as one solution the theoretical postulate of a handsome model of site-specific performance from which various performancesdeviate in healthily respective(a) ways. The dissertation accordingly considers in depth theproposal of Wrights Sites whether that the solution to this dilemma mightdepend upon a change in frontierinology and vocabulary of site-specificperformance. Such a electrical switch of frontierinology provides site-specific performancewith a greater tad of definition and self-identity and therefore overcomesthe unmingled impasse suggested by the site-specific site-generic dispute.The final major sub-section of the dissertation considersthe use of situation by modern site-specific performers and the influences ofthis use upon site-specific work as a whole. The quadruplet within which atheatrical performance may hit the books place was given its most radical revision andprogressive drive in the twentieth- century by the practitioners ofsite-specific performance. Space, in terms of performance, had before theadvent of site-specific theatre been confined near exclusively to traditionaltheatre buildings and to their pompous shapes. The outstanding achievementof site-specific performance has been to vastly extend the range and types of setand venue in which a theatrical performance can ta ke place. The dissertationconsiders the implications for performance of such a radical break with thepast, as well as tone at the notions of un liveable office and cultural set. The discoveries made about position by site-specific performers arerelevant for the whole of site-specific work in Britain.The dissertation concludes with an evaluation and summing-upof all the front discussion and with an analysis of the future influence ofsite-specific performance upon site-specific work as a whole.SECTION 2 SITE-SPECIFICPERFORMANCE HISTORYIt is important to know something of the history ofsite-specific performance when seeking to determine its influence uponsite-specific work in the past decade in Britain. Such a glance at the historyilluminates the evolution of ideas within the genre and shows how they came totake their present form in the twenty-first century.Site-specific performance originated as an outgrowth ofsite-specific artwork movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s.Site-specific artwork was a form of art that was created to exist in a certainspace and was conditioned in form by the environment and space of that place.At the centre of the site-specific artwork movement was an attempt to take artout of what was perceived to be the affected and pretentious atmospheres of thegalleries and theatre buildings and to transpose them upon a wider variety ofoutdoor and indoor(a) venues. One useful definition of site-specific performanceis that of the Dictionary of Video maneuver which states Locations andenvironments may have some kind of drama or meaning for familiar people butthis has no significance for the bourgeoisie until interpreted by theheightened sensibilities of the director.In other words, the purpose of site-specific performance and its reason forexistence is to make the public aware of the artistic merits of ordinarybuildings and spaces that have always been of interest to ordinary men butpassed over by the elitist and institutiona lised artists of the past. Site-specificperformance often involves a (more or less) political decision to workagainst the controlling discourse of London, its theatre buildings, and itstheatre tradition.Site-specific performance is about a fundamental reorientation of space awayfrom its traditional understanding in British theatre.Site-specific performance has emerged out of this generalartistic milieu in the works of artists and directors such as Peter Brook,Ariane Mnouchkine, Deborah Warner, Gof Brith, Janet Cardiff and in festivals orproduction companies such as gridiron Iron, Wrights Sites and the EdinburghFestival. Other recent practitioners include mackintosh Wellman, Meredith Monk andAnne Hamburger. From the first list two names in particular have been pivotalto the development of site-specific theatre Peter Brook and Deborah Warner. PeterBrook was one of Britains great theatre directors and much of thisgreatness came from his radical expressive style and use of stage both of which are seenas pre-cursors of modern site-specific performance. Brook was deeply influencedby the Theatre of Cruelty by Antonin Artaud and this lead to dramaticproductions such as Jean Genets The Screens in 1964 and Peter Weisss Marat/Sadein 1964 a huge success after its sharp and revolutionary break withtheatre style to that time. Brook brought a new philosophy to the theatre thatimbued it with a new sentiency of potential and manipulation of space andenvironment shown well in his productions of Senecas Oedipus and TheEmpty Space. more recently, Deborah Warner has made just developed theseearly origins of site-specific performance with radically different productionssuch as Titus Andronicus (1987), Richard II (1995) and JuliusCaesar (2005).SECTION 3 SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE AUDIENCE(A) Audience everydayPerhaps the singlegreatest contribution of site-specific performance as a hybrid art-form tosite-specific work as a whole has been the radical transformation andre -constitution of the c oncept of audience and of how audiences experience liveperformance. When site-specific art first emerged in the late 1960s it appealedto audiences generally because of the novelty of the form and the novelty ofthe viewing experience. Nonetheless, site-specific art, whilst novel in itself,did not go make any profoundly novel contributions to the nature, identity andconstitution of its audiences. Site-specific work had no yet developed asite-specific critique or paradigm, and this was left in large measure to thepioneers of site-specific performance. The great advantage and breakthroughachieved by modern site-specific performance is that it draws the audience ofinto an intimate confederation with that performance the audience become anessential part of the performance itself. Notable historical examples haveincluded Sirens Crossings Trace and Flight (2000), Wrights SitesThe Quay Thing (1998), Anne Marie Culhanes wickedness Sky (1997) and TheWhalley Range All Stars Day of the Dummy (1999).Consequently, withsite-specific performance, both performers and lookers reach a profounderdepth of empathy and understanding with the performance that they havewitnessed, than with traditional theatre and even from site-specific work as awhole. In this sense, site-specific performance represents an evolution of thegeneral site-specific art-form towards a level of greater spectator-involvementand identity.The philosophy and theory that underpins this evolution has much to do with areaction against the perceived coldness and unnaturalness of the traditionaltheatre (where the audience are always separated from the performers) and itstendency to promote the values and aims of elite members of society above theaspirations of the ordinary citizen. Site-specific performance however can besaid to be an cope withizing art-form it holds as a basic philosophicalprinciple the belief that the members of the audience are of equal importanceand significance for the meaning and successful execution of a particularperformance as the performers themselves. As such, site-specific theatre andperformance have taught and continue to teach practitioners of site-specificwork generally be it site-specific conceptual art, community art,installation art, public art etc., that the greater the participation andsense of involvement of the audience, the greater go awaying be the efficacy of thatperformance upon both performer and viewer. Site-specific work therefore hasmuch to learn from the techniques, literary interpretations, scene-designs andso on of site-specific performers.This use of audienceby site-specific performers has achieved for the first time, according to FionaWilkie, the sense of a collective audience identity, a knowing audiencethat constructs itself appropriately as an interpretative body via a cumulativeframework of contemporary framework experiences.Thus, site-specific performance asks of the audience members themselves certainbasic e xistential and artistic questions. For authority how is an audiencessense of self forged? How and in what ways is an audiences purpose decided?The extent to which site-specific performance achieves this intensive audienceself-interrogation is peradventure unrivaled in all twentieth-century performance art-formsand promises to be one of the few rattling unique artistic discoveries ofrecent years.Traditional theat resttains a clear space between audience and performer no take how elatedor ecstatic a spectator may feel during a traditional performance he is alwaysnonetheless appease a mere spectator with no direct influence upon the directionor payoff of the performance. Site-specific performance radically reverses theaudience situation and role and instead makes them central actors in theperformance itself. Site-specific performance also raises the questions of Canaudience self-identity be altered by a performance? And Can original andmultiple spectator identities be created by site-specific performances?On the first question it is noted by authors such as Williams and Kwon that theunique process of audience participation in site-specific performance oftenleaves the audience with changed perceptions of identity once the performanceis completed. On the second question, it is also clear from the growingliterature that now surrounds site-specific performance that the form has thepotential to create new audience identities as well as to leave differentgroups of the audience with different identity perceptions at the end.From these various observations of audience participation in site-specificperformance it is evident that site-specific work has benefited and learnt anenormous amount about the role of audience and its viable stages oftransformation. Moreover, the far more diverse nature of members ofsite-specific performances alters the mood and atmosphere and perceptions ofthat audience. quite a than being an elite experience attended by only one sectiona lisationof people with, broadly speaking, a single artistic attitude and expectation,the audience is instead a diverse melting-pot of different classes andprofessions of people.(B) Audience CommunitySite-specificperformance has also raised for general site-specific art the notion of theimportance of the community in which a particular performance or art exhibittakes place. One particular site-specific performance company, The Olimpias,base their work upon questions of site ownership and in line with the issue ofdisability. check to Petra Kuppers, company director, site-specificperformance ought to be attentive to the local community and its ways of inhabitingits environment the company (The Olimpias) work with the community to takenew forms of site, re-interpret the site, keep its history and presence alive.Community then is a crucial extension of the audience and the site factorsinvolved in a site-specific performance. It is the community about a specificwork that is most intima tely affected by a performance since that performancethrows new light on and reinterprets that communitys existence in a particularway. Site-specific performance can help to re-invigorate and breathe life intoa community by making it more aware and perceptive of the sites that itoccupies. So overly the site-specific performances of Wrights Sitesis interested in the place and in the people who meet us in this place. Thecompany Welfare State International have also verbalized a commitment todrawing in local energies and leaving behind a residue of skills and confidenceafter the companys withdrawal .For many companies then site-specific theatre is a performance that takes placein the living space of a particular community and is enacted alongside andwithin the workings life of the community. Thus there is an experientialauthenticity that is unique to site-specific theatre.(C) Issues WithAudienceNonetheless, somewriters such as Jan Cohen-Cruzhave argued that taking theatre from esta blished buildings in specific placesto a specific-site does not of necessity create a more intimate audienceenvironment or sense of identity or multiple identities. On this Cohen-Cruzstates Space is always controlled by person and exists somewhere, so itis inevitably marked by a particular class or race and not equally doorwayibleto everyone. one must question whether access to a broader audience really isa difference between performance site-specific and in theatre buildings.Cohen-Cruzs quotation is useful because it sounds a note of oversight tosite-specific performers who automatically assume that by merely creatingsite-specific performance of any several(prenominal)ise they will immediately achieve a deeper ormore profound sense of audience participation and variation than would be foundin a traditional theatre. Site-specific performance is a relatively newart-form that is treading into new territory especially with respect to theunderstanding of audience participation an d identity. It is therefore to beexpected that a certain exuberance and robust enthusiasm amongst its performersmay sometimes lead to idealizations of the potential of the art-form that is,a tendency to assume that site-specific performance is a panacea for all limitationsexperienced by traditional-theatre audiences in past centuries.It is prudenttherefore to agree with writers such as Fiona Wilkie that the potentialaudience range and diversity of a site-specific performance is decided not byonly by the nature of the genre itself but by the particular features of thesite itself. Access to such site-specific performances depends nearly entirelyupon the location and type of site chosen for a particular performance.If, for instance, the site chosen for a particular performance is an abandonedwarehouse or grinder floor close to several housing estates or residentialareas then it is belike that that performance will be accessible to many peoplewho would be traditionally excluded from a theatre experience. If, however, asite-specific performance is held in a country-estate or at the top of acommercial tower-block then it is far less likely that the audience thatattends will be as diverse and kaleidoscopic as at the performance of in theabandoned factory or warehouse. For instance, the site-specific performancecompany Kneehigh Theatrehave reflected how their performance of Hells talk in the ClayDistrict of Cornwall a poor and dilapidated area encouraged a far broadersection of the community to attend than would have done the traditionaltheatre. In Kneehighs words In Hells Mouth last summer, bikers from thearea performed the English/Cornish skirmishes in the Mad scoop style Cornwall ofthe future. This theme and reasonable ticket prices, encouraged a stronglocal piece of audience, who would not normally see the companys work ortheatre of any sort.So too the pretension of the audience of any site-specific work will be determinedalso by the theme and nature of the performance. A site-specific performancethat deals with an esoteric or abstruse subject will not guarantee for itself abroad audience simply by sexual morality of the fact that it is a site-specific performance.Several site-specificperformance companies have sought to maintain the diversity of their audiencesin the following ways. The Lions Part company, for instance, seek to escapethe bureaucracy of the theatre buildingby providing free access to all performances and free financially also. InFiona Wilkies eloquent phraseThe notion of the performance moves away from thehigh-brow associations of the theatre and closer to reaching a publicwell-versed in the hot culture of gigs, festivals and celebrations. Itemphasizes the significance of the spatial encounter and is conceived as awhole experience for the spectatorWilkie here identifiesa key strength of site-specific performance its ability and capacity tosynthesize infinite different forms of contemporary art, culture and socie ty andto fuse them into a relevant and meaningful whole. Moreover, site-specificperformance has the unique advantage of being able to manipulate space inwhatever way it likes. A traditional theatre is severely limited in the sensethat its performance can only take place within the predetermine and setdimensions of the theatre building these dimensions remain the same for everynew production no matter how different such productions might be from eachother. The space and dimensions of a site-specific performance are howeverdetermined and limited only by the space and dimensions of the site itself andthey therefore have a far greater range and flexibility than traditionaltheatre. For instance a windmill, an abandoned factory, a coffee shop, adoctors surgery, a former nuclear silo all offer different and uniqueexperiences of space for the audience. So too, a site-specific performance mayeven have two separate audiences one that pays admission and is conscious ofthe performance and anot her that attends the event for free and is an integralpart of the performance itself. To take an example when Grid Iron held thesite-specific performance Decky Does a Broncoin numerous childrens playgrounds some audience members bought tickets whilstthe children (attending free) that vie in the playground were urged tocontinue their activities and so became part of the setting and the performanceitself. Ben Harrison, director of Decky Does a Bronco, recalls howchildren came to and fro different separate of the performance depending upon thelevel of excitement raised for them by a particular moment or scene from thatperformance when bored the children would retire to the quieter parts of thepark. In Harrisons useful phrase, this double audience adds to thecomplexity of the event.SECTION 4 SITE-SPECIFICPERFORMANCE SITE-SPECIFIC ORSITE-GENERIC?Site-specificperformance has contributed importantly to the site-specific as a whole onthe pressing question of whether site specific art shoul d be site-specific or sitegeneric. That is, whether site-specific work should remain rooted in at theexact site of its creation or whether the idea created in a particular site maybe transferred to other similar sites. This question is perhaps the mostvociferously argued debate in site-specific work at present. At stake is thephilosophical and clever basis of the movement itself. Site-specific workemerged in the late 1960s as an art-form that made a unique use of site andsite features to influence the shape and form of the design these sites wereusually highly different or unique from all others and so each sculpture,art-work or performance had its own unique characteristics. Traditionalsite-specific artists of this old-school therefore contradict the idea that theidiosyncratic features of a particular site can simply be uprooted andtransferred to another site no matter how similar to the original. In RichardSerras famous phrase to remove the work is to destroy the work.In other words once a site-specific art-piece has been torn from its originalcontext it loses the one thing that made it powerful and unique. Nonetheless,in recent decades such notions of the immovability from and inseparability of asite-specific work from its original setting have been assailed by artistsdriven by market forces and institutional changes in attitude. In one criticswords Site specificity has become a complex cipher of unstablerelationships between locations an identities in the era of late capitalism.Miwon Kwons work One Place After Another Site-Specific Art and LocationIdentityis of enormous importance in elucidating the contours and features of thisshift in the direction of site-specific art.The internal movementsof site-specific performance have done much to inform and influence the widersite-specific art of the last decade. In site-specific performance the keyquestion of recent years has been Can site-specific performance travel? OrDoes Site-specificity mean site-exclusiv ity? Within the site-specificperformance community this debate as to exclusivity of site has been arguedwith near equal tenacity by both opponents and supporters. Thus, in many ways,the debate appeared recently to have come to a standstill. One way found by site-specificperformers to step beyond this impasse has been to define levels ofsite-specificity. For instance the company Red Earthhas expressSomeprojects are completely site-specific, i.e., they could not take place anywhereelse without losing a strong thread of meaning and connection era other moreflexible projects may work around a certain sense of place, i.e., the spirit orconcept at the heart of the project would work in several but not all -locations.This quotation then suggests that the term site-specifichas a degree of inherent relativity and flexibility. At one end of thespectrum, the term stands for certain performances that are absolutely rootedin the exact and unique site and community features in which they are s et forsuch performances there is no possibility of miserable their ideas to differentsites. At the other end of the spectrum, certain performances can be moved fromsite to site if they preserve or enhance the spirit or first-string idea thatbegan the original performance. Between these two poles are various types ofsite-specific performance whose transferability rests upon ambiguous or dubiousprinciples. Justin McKeown of the Whalley Range All Stars suggests that thisrelativity should be defined in terms of site-specific performances that are directly come upd from a chosen siteand therefore have to remain at that site indefinitely, and on the other handbetween performances that can be transferred since they confess and expandupon the inherent meanings within a site. Paul Pinson, of Boilerhouse,has argued further that the relativity of site-specific performance isconditioned by the way that the company engages with the space that it occupiesat a particular site. Pinson suggests f urther that a performance can bepartially site-specific and partially of another genre and that this hybridity thereforejustifies a company to tour its performances. Pinson states You canrecreate a work in response to a number of different sites, which is totallyvalid in itself and is an element of site-specificity but is different frommaking a piece of work in response to one specific site.The site-specific or site-generic debate and is plethora ofinterpretations have raised questions about the present worth ofsite-specific performance. Above all is it possible for theoreticians andpractitioners of site-specific performance to find or derive a pure model ofsite-specific performance, against which hybrid forms of this model might becompared? That is can one set up construct an ideal paradigm of site-specificperformance and then show how variations of this paradigm are beneficial intheir individual ways? Miwon Kwon has suggested that one definition of thispure model might be To make a sincerely yours site-specific piece means it sitswholly in that site in both its field of study and form, otherwise if moveable, itbecomes more about the site as a vehicle.Variations from this pure model are healthy natural growths from themother-model the work of site-specific theoreticians is to define thesevariations and to allot to each of them independent areas of operation.An alternative to this model of deriving variations ofsite-specific art from a pure or perfect model is to invent a new linguistic processfor the art-form. Wrights Siteshave suggested that the terms In theatre building, Outside theatre,Site-Sympathetic, Site-Generic and Site-Specific beused to describe the various degrees of theatre performance. The first two ofthese are clearly beyond the pale of any generally accepted definition ofsite-specific performance. Interestingly however Wrights Sites propose athree-fold discrepancy of the genre of site-specific performance. The advantage ofsuch a hierarc hy is that it allows greater freedom and subtlety of descriptionwhen deciding to which exact genre a performance of site-specific work belongs.The term site-specific is accordingly reserved for performances that have aprofound and absolute relationship with the specific site in which theperformance is prepared and enacted. Such performances work only at one site,never tour or travel, and do not use pre-existing prop up or scripts.Nonetheless, one major problem of such a terminology is the difficulty ofassigning the large number of performances that seem to fall between thecategories of site-generic and site-specific.These disputes about definitions and terminology that havearisen in the particular field of site-specific performance are or considerablerelevance and have been of considerable influence upon similar disputes insite-specific work generally. The central question of the debate cansite-specific performance tour is equally relevant to all others types ofsite-specific work, be it sculpture, community art, painting and so on. Byadopting a similar terminology to that of site-specific performancesite-specific work generally might clear up many of its own internal disputes.SECTION 5 SITE-SPECIFICTYPES OF SITEInternal debates within the literature of site-specificperformance as to what kind of site to select for its performances hashad considerable influence over similar decisions within site-specific workgenerally.What then can site-specific work generally learn fromsite-specific performance? Above all, perhaps, is the extensive andcomprehensive analysis and exploration of the medium of space undertaken byleading site-specific performers. Richard Schechnerhas stated that theatre places are maps of the cultures where they existand Hetheringtonthat Certain spaces act as sites for the performance of identity. Artisticmanipulation of space is vital to successful site-specific performance, and theunique development in this quest has been the exploration of alt ernatives typesof space and site in which to perform site-specific theatre. Theatre had forcenturies been largely confined to theatre buildings of one sort or anotherthe advent of site-specific theatre maxim the use of a plethora of differentvenues for performance from coal mines, to hospital wards, to libraries, tocoffee shops and so on ad infinitum. These ventures into alternativesites for performance raised amongst scholars of site-specific performance thekey questions What are the consequences of such diverse selection of sites?What association will each site bring to the site-specific genre? What are thecommon themes that bind such eclectic choices of venue? On the last question,some attempts have been made by figures such as Hetheringtonto distinguish these venues in groups for instance, parks and childrens playareas can be classed with beaches as public spaces. Cohen-Cruzhas argued that such spaces allow site-specific performers to use space that isnormally thought of as pu blicly inhabitable to entice passers-by to attendthe performance therefore symbolising for the performers the theme of makingperformance accessible. The spaces found in venues such as museums, churchesand galleries are used somewhat differently however. In contrast to p

The Functions of Beta Carotene

The Functions of Beta CaroteneUnlike supplements, foods rich in beta-carotene specify no lung cancer seek. Synthetic beta-carotene supplements have been found to attach the risk of both colorectal and lung cancer in smokers, especially those who alike draw alcohol. A study published by an international team in the January 2004 issue of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention indicates that beta-carotene watchd as part of whole foods has no much(prenominal) negative effects. This study, which pooled data from seven large cohort studies discharge amidst 7 and 16 years and involving a subject cosmos of 399,765 participants in North America and Europe, found that beta-carotene from foods was not associated with any increase risk of lung cancer among current smokers or non-smokers. Other carotenoids in foods (lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene) were also found to have no association with lung cancer risk. (February 26, 2004)Food sources of beta-carotene embarrass refreshin g potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro and fresh thyme. To maximize the approachability of the carotenoids in the foods listed above, the foods should be eaten raw or steamed lightly.For serving sizing for specific foods, see food Rating Chart be let loose at the bottom of this page.Content (Jump to)DescriptionFunctionDeficiency SymptomsToxicity SymptomsCooking, entrepot and processingFactors that affect functionDrug- intellectual nourishment interactionNutrient interactionwellness terminussSupplementsFood SourcesRecommendationsDescriptionWhat is beta-carotene?Beta-carotene is probably the closely well cognize of the carotenoids, a phytonutrients family that represents of the one most widespread groups of congenitally occurring pigments. It is one of the most large carotenoids in the North American diet as well as one of approximately 50 carotenoids known as provitamin Acompounds, able to be converted in the body into retino l, an active form of vitamin A.While beta-carotene produces colour in in the orange and yellow range, beta-carotene rich foods whitethorn be some other colors be steads from these two. That is be originator other phytonutrients pigments blend together with the beta-carotene to give the sic food its unique hue that, in asset to orange or yellow, could be other colors including pink, red or white.How it FunctionsWhat ar the functions of beta-carotene?Preventing Vitamin A DeficiencyUntil late in the 20th Century, the functions of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, were discussed only in harm of their potential vitamin A activity. Beta-carotene is one of approximately 50 carotenoids of the known 600, that ar called provitamin A compounds because the body can convert them into retinol, an active form of vitamin A.As a result, foods that retard beta-carotene can help prevent vitamin A need. In addition to alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene is among the most c ommonly consumed provitamin A carotenoids in the North American diet.Antioxidant Immune-Enhancing ActivityIn recent years, carotenoids including beta-carotene have received a awful amount of attention as potential anti-cancer and anti-aging compounds. Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant, protect the cells of the body from damage caused by free radicals. It is also one of the carotenoids relyd to get up the function of the immune system.Promoting Proper Cell CommunicationIn addition to their antioxidant and immune-enhancing activity, carotenoids including beta-carotene have shown the ability to stimulate cell to cell communication. Researchers now believe that poor communication between cells may be one of the causes of the overgrowth of cells, a condition which eventually leads to cancer. By promoting proper communication between cells, carotenoids may play a role in cancer prevention. encouraging Reproductive HealthIt is also believed that beta-carotene may participate in distaff reproduction. Although its exact function in female reproduction has not withal been identified, it is known that the corpus luteum has the highest concentration of beta-carotene of any organ in the body, suggesting that this nutrient plays an important role in reproductive processes.Deficiency SymptomsWhat are deficiency symptoms for beta-carotene?A low dietetic in school of carotenoids such as beta-carotene is not known to directly cause any diseases or wellness conditions, at least in the short term. However, if your consumption of vitamin A is also low, a dietetical deficiency of beta-carotene and/or other provitamin A carotenoids can cause the symptoms associated with vitamin A deficiency.In addition, long-term inadequate intake of carotenoids is associated with chronic disease, including nerve centre disease and various cancers. One important mechanism for this carotenoid-disease relationship appears to be free radicals. Research indicates that diets low in beta- carotene and carotenoids can increase the bodys capacity to damage from free radicals. As a result, over the long term, beta-carotene wanting(p) diets may increase tissue damage from free radical activity, and increase risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancers.Toxicity SymptomsWhat are toxicity symptoms for beta-carotene?A tell-tale sign of excessive exercise of beta-carotene is a xanthous discoloration of the skin, most often occurring in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. This condition is called carotenodermia, and is correctable and harmless.High intake of carotenoid-containing foods or supplements is not associated with any toxic side effects. As a result, the ground of Medicine at the National honorary society of Sciences did not establish a Tolerable Upper Intake direct (UL) for carotenoids when it reviewed these compounds in 2000.However, the results of two research studies indicate that those who smoke heavily and subscribe alcohol regularly , may increase their chance of developing lung cancer and/or heart disease if they take beta-carotene supplements in amounts greater than 20-30 milligrams per day.Impact of Cooking, depot and ProcessingHow do cooking, storage, or processing affect beta-carotene?In genuine cases, cooking can improve the availability of carotenoids in foods. Lightly steam carrots and spinach improves your bodys ability to absorb carotenoids in these foods.It is important to note, however, that in most cases, prolonged cooking of vegetables lights the availability of carotenoids by changing the shape of the carotenoid from its natural trans-configuration to a cis-configuration. For example, fresh carrots contain 100% all-trans beta-carotene, objet dart canned carrots contain only 73% all-trans beta-carotene.Factors that Affect FunctionWhat factors might contribute to a deficiency of beta-carotene?Carotenoids are ample-soluble stubs, and as such require the presence of dietary plentiful for prop er absorption through the digestive tract. Consequently, your carotenoid status may be impaired by a diet that is extremely low in fat or if you have a medical condition that causes a reduction in the ability to absorb dietary fat such as pancreatic enzyme deficiency, Crohns disease, celiac sprue, cystic fibrosis, surgical removal of part or all of the stomach, gall bladder disease, and liver disease. payable to low consumption of fruits and vegetables, many adolescents and young adults do not take in enough beta-carotene. In addition, if you smoke cigarettes and/or drink alcohol, you may have lower than normal blood levels of beta-carotene. Statistically speaking, smokers and drinkers eat less foods that contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene. Also, researchers suspect that cigarette smoke destroys carotenoids. However, if you do smoke or drink, use carotenoid supplements with caution (see Toxicity section).Drug-Nutrient InteractionsWhat medications affect beta-carotene?The ch olesterol-lowering medications referred to as bile acid sequestrants (Cholestyramine, Colestipol, and Colestid) lower blood levels of carotenoids. In addition, margarines enriched with plant sterols such as Benecol and Take Control, may decrease the absorption of carotenoids. Olestra, a fat substitute added to snack foods, may also decrease the absorption of carotenoids.Nutrient InteractionsHow do other nutrients interact with beta-carotene?Beta-carotene supplements reduce blood levels of lutein while they may also increase blood levels of beta-cryptoxanthin.Supplementing your diet with pectin may decrease the absorption of carotenoids.Health ConditionsCarotenoids may play a role in the prevention of the following health conditionsAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)Age-related macular degenerationAngina pectorisAsthmaCataractscervical cancerCervical dysplasiaChlamydial infectionHeart diseaselaryngeal cancer (cancer of the larynx)Lung cancerMale and female infertilityOsteoarthr itisphotosensitivityPneumoniaProstate cancerRheumatoid arthritisSkin cancerVaginal monilia diseaseForm in Dietary SupplementsWhat forms of beta-carotene are found in dietary supplements?In dietary supplements, beta-carotene is available as synthetic all-trans beta-carotene, beta- and alpha-carotene from the algae Dunaliella, and tangled carotenes from palm oil.It is important to note, however, that, due to the inconsistent results from research studies aimed at evaluating the health benefits of beta-carotene supplements, the National Academy of Sciences cautions against taking high dose carotenoid supplements, except as a method for preventing vitamin A deficiency.Food SourcesWhat foods provide beta-carotene?Beta-carotene can be found in concentrated amounts in a variety of foods including sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro, fresh thyme, cantaloupe, romaine lettuce and broccoli.Food Source compend not Available for this NutrientPublic Health RecommendationsWhat are current public health recommendations for beta-carotene and carotenoids?To date, no recommended dietary intake levels have been completed for carotenoids. In an effort to set such recommendations, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences reviewed the existing scientific research on carotenoids in 2000.Despite the large body of population-based research that links high consumption of foods containing beta-carotene and other carotenoids with a reduced risk of several chronic diseases, the Institute of Medicine concluded that this evidence was not strong enough to hold back a required carotenoid intake level because it is not yet known if the health benefits associated with carotenoid-containing foods are due to the carotenoids or to some other substance in the food.However, the National Academy of Sciences supports the recommendations of various health agencies, which encourage individuals to consume five or more ser vings of fruits and vegetable every day. This level of intake of fruits and vegetables provides approximately three to six milligrams of beta-carotene.