Christianity And Islam Essay Example For Students

Christianity And Islam Essay Christianity and Islam are two of the most critical religions since theircreation. Islam implies accommodation in Arabic, and a Muslim is one whosubmits to the desire of God (Islam page 223). Christians were called so becauseof Jesus title Christos, which is Greek for Messiah (Christianity page 198). The two religions are fundamentally the same as with just a portion of the convictions and teachingsbeing extraordinary. They likewise give separate messages to outcasts concerning a big motivator for theirreligions. The two religions are monotheistic with a sacred book and theyboth endeavor to overcome abhorrent. Islam has a lot of rules (5 Pillars of Islam) setforth to arrive at edification while Christians essentially simply sin, atone, andthen are excused for their transgressions. Christianity is an a lot simpler religion tobelong to in light of the fact that it is significantly increasingly tolerant to what you should or shouldn't do as wellas when and where you can do it. Islam is additionally progressively shut entryways on the grounds that the donot truly convey teachers searching for individuals to change over to Islam. ForChristianity, Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah (the blessed one) Godsdeliverer, whose coming the prophets had prognosticated (Christianity page 198). Jes ustaught the great Word of the Lord, just like his obligation as the Son of God. He is alsosaid to have performed marvels, for example, restoring disease and visual impairment as wellwalking on water. Roman and Jewish specialists were troubled by the danger tothe foundation that Jesus and his devotees appeared to offer, and theyconspired effectively to execute him by torturous killing (Christianity page 198). After Jesus was killed for the transgressions all things considered, he was accepted by Christiansto have become alive once again and afterward rose to Heaven. After the passing ofJesus, his life and lessons were composed with numerous fanciful stories (as I liketo call them) about the extraordinary fights and achievements of Christians as wellas examples of overcoming adversity about the devotees of Gods Word. These accounts andsome authentic realities are written in the Bible, which is the blessed content of theChristians. It clarifies how God made the Earth the production of the Earth andman and it instructs how to be exemplary. The organizer of Islam was the ProphetMohammed who was a vagrant from the city of Mecca. Mohammed guaranteed to bevisited by the Angel Gabriel who gave him the reason for this new religion. TheFive Pillars of Islam are the essential laws to be a decent Muslim. Pronouncing thatthere is no God however Allah, asking five times each day confronting Mecca, fast ing duringset times, giving for destitute, and an excursion to Mecca in any event once in yourlifetime. A few Muslims have a 6th column, jihad, which is interpreted intoholy war (Variety page 234). Mohammeds lessons were not composed untilhis passing on the grounds that there was no convincing motivation to put his words down in somedefinite structure. After the unexpected passing of Mohammed in 632, Caliph Abu Bakrordered one of the prophets allies to gather, from oral and writtensources, all of Mohammeds expressions (Quran page 225). They were writtenin the Quran which is fundamentally the Muslim Bible. The Quran is thewritten rendition of the lessons that Mohammed lectured while he was alive. Asecond wellspring of direction for most Muslims is al-Hadith (Tradition), an immense bodyof transmitted accounts of what the Prophet said or did or information disclosed or donein his essence and in this way endorsed by him (Foundations page 225). .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 , .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .postImageUrl , .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .focused content territory { min-tallness: 80px; position: relative; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 , .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:hover , .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:visited , .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:active { border:0!important; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 { show: square; change: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-progress: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; murkiness: 1; change: haziness 250ms; webkit-progress: darkness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:active , .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:hover { obscurity: 1; progress: mistiness 250ms; webkit-change: haziness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .focused content zone { width: 100%; position: relati ve; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .ctaText { fringe base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: striking; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-embellishment: underline; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226 .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; outskirt: none; outskirt range: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; text style weight: intense; line-stature: 26px; moz-outskirt span: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-design: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-tallness: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/straightforward arrow.png)no-rehash; position: supreme; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143 257324a0ad6398226 .focused content { show: table; stature: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .ua0816e3b9ba6143257324a0ad6398226:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: The Background Of Internal Control Systems Accounting EssayChristianity is an engaging religion since it is by all accounts so natural tounderstand and turn into a Christian where as Islam is troublesome. There arefive set times each day in Islam where you need to quit everything and ask facingMecca and Muslims go to chapel on Fridays. Christians are allowed to implore any waythey need whenever they need and go to chapel on Sundays. The Bible isdifferent in that it contains the lessons of Jesus, the immediate Word of God,and numerous strict stories. The Quran contains just the lessons of Mohammedwhich is supposed to be the Word of God verbally expressed through man. The strict stories ofIslam are in discrete sources, for example, the al-Hadith, The Six AuthenticCompilations, and Gardens of the Righteous (Tales page 230). The Bible and theQuran are comparable in the straightforward reality that they were not composed until theprophets of their religion were dead (in spite of the fact that Jesus was restored and went toHeaven). While Jesus and Mohammed were on Earth, their accounts and teachingswere passed on orally, so the need to record them was a bit much. Christianity is where they invite outcasts in to change over them andlove everybody, Christian or not, for they are for the most part the offspring of God. Islamteaches to: Be aware of you obligation to Allah and attempt to advance accord betweenyourselves (8.2). All adherents are siblings; so make harmony between yourbrothers (49.11). Battle the idolators all together, as they battle you alltogether, and realize that Allah is with the honest (9.36)(Nawawi page232). Make harmony between your siblings, intends to make harmony with otherMuslims. In the event that you are not Muslim, you are not one of their siblings. They likewise sayto battle the idolators, which intends to battle against the individuals who are notMuslim. This message to detest he who isn't of a similar religion is the completeopposite from that of Christianitys message. I accept that is the reason Muslimsfeel constrained to bomb different people groups and battle sacred wars. This is another reasonwhy Christianity i s all the more engaging. Both Islam and Christianity offer arewarding interminable dwelling on the off chance that you carry on with an upright life here on earth anddo the obligation of Allah or God. Christians accept that their prize for arighteous life is to go to Heaven. For Muslims, the compensation for following the 5Pillars of Islam is lovely homes in Gardens of Eternity (Nawawi page 232). These are the sole purposes behind having the religions in any case. Thesupreme objective of the two religions is to effectively arrive at a quiet life following death. Asfar as terrible existences in the wake of death go, Christianity has Hell for the individuals who conflict with God andare not excused for their wrongdoings. Hellfire is an unceasing perdition loaded with tortureand languishing. Hellfire is an obstruction from transgression, which makes individuals progressively slanted tolive blessed and equitable lives. As Heaven is a prize for living a righteouslife, Hell is the discipline for carrying on with an existence of transgression. I don't know aboutIslam, in spite of the fact that the book discusses Allah sparing somebody from theFire and Fire being characterized as Hell (Nawawi page 232). I can deduce thismeans that the two of them have a corrective home for the unholy and doubting. BothIslam and Christianity have dietary limitations. Muslims can't eat fromsunrise to d usk during the sacred month of Ramadan. A few Christians quick on GoodFriday just as surrendering their preferred food during the Advent Season. Christians commend the birth, passing, and revival of Jesus while the onlyreligious festivity that Muslims have as far as anyone is concerned is the heavenly month ofRamadan. I don't have a clue why they praise this however I do realize they celebrate theninth month on their lunar schedule and that is the heavenly month of Ramadan. Ipersonally feel that Christianity is an a lot simpler religion to manage beingthat it has pretty much a similar result as Islam does. Christianity additionally has alot less work included. I would state that Christianity is a substantially more convenientreligion. Less time and exertion is placed into supplicating and being noble withChristianity. Also it is considerably more reasonable to me that Jesus was the Son ofGod than it is to accept that Mohammed was visited by a heavenly attendant that advised himwhat to do. They were both progressing nicely despite the fact that the Islamic message isn't quietas pleasant as the Christian one. Cherishing everybo dy as your sibling and

What types of professional development, supporting growth in cultural Assignment

What kinds of expert turn of events, supporting development in social capability, could be offered to educators - Assignment Example Thusly this makes decency in the instruction division (Barrera, 2005). Furthermore, the kind of expert advancement supporting development in social skill that could be offered to educators is RICS improvement model. It represents Respect, Instruction, Collaboration and Supportive. Reflection immerses pondering the difficulties influencing the learning like prejudice. Educators are required to search inside themselves and realign their most profound suppositions and recognition to act naturally cognizant. Guidance helps instructors to learn explicit procedures that will support the assorted variety existing in different societies. They help with raising teacher’s information to understand the elements of learning organization. Educators should adhere to the set guidance to make restorative relationship to maintain a strategic distance from this issue. Cooperation urges instructs to become joined together and fabricate solid community oriented work societies that improve illumination of understudies. It takes into account exchange in the midst of characters, for example, principals, instructors, and guardians for advancement of students. Educators are encouraged to converse with one another and be attentive people. Strong is a perspective that goes about as an establishment where educators use to expand self-adequacy urging them to start powerful learning systems. Advantageous projects, for example, coaching program are noteworthy since they proffer emotionally supportive network. Therefore can work relevantly in a domain portrayed with social

Coping With the Fear of Water

Coping With the Fear of Water Phobias Types Print The Fear of Water or Aquaphobia Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics. Learn about our editorial policy Lisa Fritscher Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on December 01, 2019 Yulia Reznikov/Getty Images More in Phobias Types Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment Aquaphobia, or fear of water, is a fairly common phobia. Like all phobias, it may vary dramatically in severity from person to person. Some people are only afraid of deep water or strong waves, while others fear swimming pools and bathtubs. Some are afraid of entering the water, while others cannot bear to even look at a large body of water. Occasionally, aquaphobia is so pervasive that even being splashed or sprayed with water can cause a phobic reaction. Causes The most common cause of aquaphobia is a previous negative experience. If you have been through a near-drowning, shipwreck, or another scary occurrence in the water, you are more likely to develop a phobia of water. Learning to swim is a rite of passage for many children, and frightening experiences are common. The way that these situations are handled plays a major role in determining whether a phobia will occur. The negative experience need not have happened to you specifically. After the film Jaws was released in 1975, reports of water phobia, as well as shark phobia, increased dramatically. Research shows that if your parents are afraid of water, you are at a higher risk of sharing their fear. Symptoms Like all specific phobias, the symptoms of aquaphobia vary between sufferers. In general, the more severe the phobia, the more severe the symptoms will be. You might shake, freeze in place, or attempt to escape. You may develop anticipatory anxiety in the days or weeks preceding an upcoming encounter with water. You might refuse to enter the water  or begin panicking as soon as you step in. Complications Water is an innate part of human life. Swimming is a common activity at summer camps, on vacation and at parties or social events. Avoiding water altogether may be difficult or awkward. If your fear extends to water splashes and sprays, it can be even more life-limiting. Fountains are a decorating staple at theme parks, resorts, ?and even local malls. Some of these fountains perform elaborately choreographed water routines set to music and timed lighting, which may splash bystanders. Water splashes are also a common effect in haunted houses and carnival rides and games. In some cases, aquaphobia can lead to ablutophobia  or fear of bathing. This relatively rare phobia can have a devastating impact on self-esteem. Modern culture places a heavy emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene, and those who do not take a daily shower or bath may be scorned. There is also an elevated risk of both common and rare diseases in those who allow dirt and bacteria to linger on their skin and hair. Treatment Like most specific phobias, aquaphobia responds quite well to treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is especially popular. You will be taught to replace negative self-talk with more positive messages, and learn new behaviors for coping with your fear. You might be given homework assignments, such as filling the bathtub with a few inches of water and stepping in, or visiting the ocean while remaining safely on the shore. Over time, a series of small successes will increase your confidence, allowing you to gradually add new water-related activities. If your phobia is severe, medications, hypnosis, and other forms of therapy may be used to help you get your fear under control. The goal is for you to become comfortable around water, and there is no “one size fits all” treatment that works for everyone. Nonetheless, with the help of a skilled therapist, aquaphobia can be successfully managed and even overcome. Coping With the Fear of the Ocean How the Movie Jaws Fueled Shark Phobia Jaws  made shark phobia a household name and  preyed on our most primal fears. Animal phobias are one of the four main categories of  specific phobias  in the  DSM-IV  (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Ed.), and sharks are among the most feared of all animals. The film used many of the techniques of suspense that were pioneered by Alfred Hitchcock to create an intense experience that was rated #1 on Bravos list of  100 Scariest Movie Moments  in 2004 and #2 on the American Film Institutes  100 Years…100 Thrills. Jaws  was an unexpected smash hit, breaking box office records to become the most successful film at the time. The films success was in large part due to  skillful  direction and the finely tuned performances of its cast. However, part of its success can be attributed to its subject matter. At the time, public opinion of sharks was  generally  that they were mindless killing machines. Sleek, powerful and easily large enough to see humans as food, the shark has been the subject of primal fear throughout recorded history. While today, advanced research has dispelled many misconceptions about sharks, in the 1970s, the average moviegoer had little reason to disbelieve the way that  ?Jaws  was portrayed. Nonetheless, the average moviegoer did not spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about shark attacks. The beach was a popular vacation destination and while shark attacks were occasionally recorded, they rarely led to widespread hysteria. The film brought the possibility of shark attack to the forefront of peoples minds, and the effect was noticeable. From coast to coast, beach towns reported a downturn in tourism following the release of Jaws. Even today, nervous references to the movie can be overheard at virtually any beach. It is unlikely that  Jaws  would create a new shark phobia in viewers today. The slasher films of the 1980s have largely desensitized us to onscreen violence. Nonetheless, fear of sharks is a deep and primal fear, and it is possible that in those who are sensitive, Jaws could aggravate the fear, potentially resulting in a full-blown phobia. If you are afraid of sharks, you may want to think twice before seeing  Jaws.

The Art of Seduction Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Book review: â€Å"The Art of Seduction† by Robert Greene al Affiliation) Book review: â€Å"The Art of Seduction† by Robert Greene Aim of the book The book â€Å"The art of seduction† by Robert Greene focused on educating the reader on the most effective seduction techniques by presenting examples to explain each of the skills towards success in the socials aspect of seduction. It is apparent from the art of seduction that the author’s aim is to equip an individual with twenty-four sexy seduction techniques towards winning a spouse. This goes along with Greene’s objective of teaching the readers on how well to use the principles of seduction. However, possessing sexy seduction skills does not guarantee success on its own, which the author brings into attention indicating that it takes more than the combination of the seduction skills with the persuasion, manipulation and power aspect to conquer in the world of seduction. Consequently, this leads to another aim of the author, which is giving the reader an outlook of why seduction works for some individuals and fails on others (Greene, 2013). We will write a custom essay sample on The Art of Seduction or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now This is accomplished by the author’s identification of diversified seductive characters in the book. Remarkably, the art of seduction focus on both the victim and the seducer in determine the probability of a successful chase (Greene, 2013). Greene general objective is to help a seducer to choose the factual victim that will bow to the charms and portray the desire of pleasure. Synopsis The book is about the classical human behavior of seduction and the factors behind a successful chase, which eventually result to a stable marriage. The author gives the profiles and detailed exploration of nines types of seducers. On the other hand, he presents eighteen types of targeted victims. Each of the character in the book is presented to have unique seductive skills that contribute towards a successful chase, while others who portrayed ineffective techniques fails. Furthermore, he presents informative examples of historical psychology characters such as Duke Ellington and Cleopatra to explain and support the human mind behind effective seduction. Twenty-four seduction techniques are explained in details that are essential towards perfecting the art of seduction in the society. The forty-eight Laws of Power transpires within the book with Greene indicating that his book is an exploration and of the laws because seduction is al bout power, manipulation and persuasion irrespe ctive of its common notion of romance (Greene, 2013).

President Nicolas Maduros President Hugo Chavez - 1455 Words

they were only in the mid 40% to a high in 1998 with merely 52% voter turnout (IDEA, 2015). Consequently, it is not a completely fair democracy. Current President Nicolas Maduro took office after the passing of President Hugo Chà ¡vez in 2013. With a six year term ahead of him, he will likely have much more competition at the next campaign as opponents who are brave enough will have time to prepare a campaign against him. In fact, according to Rosales (2006), â€Å"in a vast area containing 100 states or provinces in federal countries, several countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Republic Bolivarian de Venezuela, have adopted a federal system with at least two levels of sub-national government† (p.167). Former president Hugo†¦show more content†¦2). The Challenge with Venezuela One of the main challenges with contemplating a new business in Venezuela is the current government scheme and the presidents apparent dislike for America. Nicolas Maduro has visions of creating a socialistic society for Venezuela, which former president Hugo Chà ¡vez fostered all throughout his presidency. Nicolas Maduro has also publicly ridiculed the United States for meddling in its affairs. Nicolas Maduro appears to have a great fear of being ousted by force, accusing the United States of attempting to overthrow him. In fact, Otis (2015) indicated that â€Å"as the U.S. prepares to reopen its embassy in communist Cuba, relations with oil-rich Venezuela are crumbling. President Nicolas Maduro accuses the U.S. of plotting a coup against him, and is expelling most U.S. diplomats from Venezuela† (para. 1). It is curious that he rants negativity, but then does not threaten sanctions against the United States. Consequently, the United States is the largest importer of its oil; thereby making it a vital ally of its dwindling economy. The adage, â€Å"don’t bite the hand that feeds you† comes to mind; the United States just might cut off ties with him if this banter continues. The fact that

How Do Psychologists Research Being in Love Free Essays

How have social psychologists researched ‘being in love’? What is love? According to McClelland (1986) â€Å"the mainstream view of love is that it is a state that arises from people mutually reinforcing each other or providing benefits to each other†. This is just one view and love is not that easy to define in one statement. The meaning of love is vast and there are a number of psychological theories that try to define and establish what this concept is. We will write a custom essay sample on How Do Psychologists Research Being in Love? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Being in love implies sexual desire and excitement, â€Å" the common expression that people use to describe their passionate desires for one another† (Martin, Carlson Buskist, p 758). In order to examine the question as to how have social psychologist researched ‘being in love’, it will be necessary to discuss some of the theories that have been put forward, and look at their interpretation of the concept of ‘love’. The works of Robert Sternberg (1986,), John Lee (1973) Carlos Yela (1996) and Hatfield Walster (1978) will be referred to in exploring the question of being in love Psychologist and Social Scientist Robert Sternberg (1986) proposed his triangular theory which categorised love relationships into three â€Å"orthogonal dimensions† which are intimacy, passion and commitment/decision commitment. Sternberg (1986) argues that without these three dimensions, you don’t have love. â€Å"Each dimension contributes to the quality of love in a relationship. The quality of a relationship is represented by the relative magnitude of each component† (Hassebrauck Buhl, 1996). The first component, intimacy, refers to the feeling of warmth, closeness, of bonding and of connectedness with someone in a loving relationship. Intimacy comes about when information or secrets are shared between two people and no one else. The second element is passion. Passion leads to romance, which is an essential element, according to Sternberg, in a love relationship. Passion involves sexual consummation and physical attraction. The third element, commitment/decision commitment is a choice that is made by an individual to remain committed in a relationship. Although Sternberg theorized that the three elements are necessary to have love, he also went on to show that when one or more elements are missing, many variations of love are derived. Sternberg came up with seven different kinds of love that are liking, nfatuation, empty love, romantic love, compassionate love, fatuous love and consummate love. These seven variations form his triangle. One is able to easily identify the kind of love that is being expressed by looking at the mixture of elements that it is made up of. Carlos Yela (1996) proposed a structural theoretical model of love, which introduces some variations of Sternberg’s Triangular Theory model (1986). This was done to veri fy the usefulness of Sternberg’s theory to try to prove his four components: Erotic Passion, Romantic Passion, Intimacy and Commitment. The dynamic side of the model was tested and the results conclude that Sternberg’s model can be used as an explanation for love. Some weaknesses of Sternberg’s theory (1986) are that outside of the western world, it is invalid, as a different value system exists in non-western societies where the components of love are not emphasized by intimacy, passion and commitment. Thus this theory cannot be applied across cultures. Also, according to Acker and Davis (1992), there were many gaps in his research in that firstly, the population was not widely represented, as these were graduates and under graduates with ages ranging from 18 – 28 years. Also, the time frames on which this theory is based, where Sternberg states that as commitment speeds up, intimacy grows and where intimacy declines over time, is not mentioned. John Lee’s (1973) book ‘The Colors of Love’ used an analogy of colour wheel as a â€Å"conceptual scaffold† to compare his Love Styles. He went on to state that just as there are three primary colours on the wheel, so too there are three primary Love Styles. They are Eros, Ludus and Storge. Also, he went on to say that just as we can combine the primary colours on the colour wheel to produce secondary colours, so too can this be done with Love styles. Many combinations can be derived from this, but focus was placed on the three secondary love styles, which are Mania (Eros + Ludos), Pragma (Ludos+ Storge), and Agape (Eros + Storge). Eros is a passionate, physical love based on physical appearance and beauty. It entails a deep physical attraction, based primarily on sexual pleasure. Ludus love is classes as ‘game-playing’ where love is treated as a contest or sport. There is almost no commitment as when the relationship becomes too boring, they move on to their next conquest. Storge love is an affectionate love that slowly develops and is based on friendship or companionate love, and is considered to be honest, loyal, and mature. Mania is possessive love that is highly emotional where there is jealousy, obsession and conflict. Pragma love is pragmatic or logical love where individuals take a practical or rational approach in selecting their partner with the view that both parties benefit from the relationship and that they are compatible for each other. Agape love is selfless where there is unconditional caring, forgiving, and giving. Sacrifices are made for love and the happiness of the partner is put above their own. Hendrick and Hendrick (1988) stated that within a relationship, men and women use more than one love style and over time, the styles may vary. Hatfield Walster’s (1978) book ‘A New Look at Love’, separates passionate love from companionate love. Hatfield et al (1978) describes passionate love as a state of intense physiological desire/longing to be with the other person, and companionate love as the feeling of affection, mutual understanding and respect for the people in our lives that we have deep feelings for. Hatfield spent a great deal of her professional career investigating passionate love (Livermore, 1993) and what was proposed to explain this were three factors: – physiological arousal, appropriate love object and cultural exposure. Passionate love occurs when physiological arousal is experienced in the presence of someone that the love label has been placed on and we term this as being in love as our culture teaches us this Passionate love is seen to be transitory, only lasting a short time, which then leads on to companionate love or friendship. Hatfield (1978) believed that the existence of both companionate and passionate love at the same time in a relationship to be rare to almost impossible, even though this combination is seen to be the ideal balance where there is security and stability of companionate love with the intensity of passionate love. There is evidence in support of this theory by Dutton Aron (1974) Love on a suspension bridge wherby men were interviewed by an attractive woman whilst standing on a low and high suspension bridge. The results supported the hypothesis that the men on the high suspension bridge would feel more attracted to the woman than those on the low suspension bridge. This was assumed to be the case as because of their height there was an increase in their physiological arousal and as a result they mistook this for sexual attraction in the presence of the attractive woman. In conclusion, we have seen that there is no single definition of love and the each psychological view is different from the other. There is no hard and fast definition of love and what being in love is. We have also see how useful the different interpretations and viewpoints are. The psychological theories of love provide partial explanations for this most intense of human emotion. In summary, after examining the various theories, we can conclude that love is a complex subject of which there will always be new theories evolving as human life progresses and no one answer REFERENCES Acker, M. , Davis, M. H. (1992). Intimacy, passion, and commitment in adult relationship: A test of the Triangular Theory of Love. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 9, 21-50. Dutton, D. G. and Aron, A. P. (1974). Some Evidence for Heightened Sexual Attraction Under Conditions of High Anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30, 510-517. Hatfield, E. , Walster, G. W. (1978). A new look at love. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Hendrick, C. , and Hendrick, S. S. (1988). Lovers wear rose coloured glasses. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, 161-183 Hassebrauck, M. , Buhl, T. (1996). The Journal of Social Psychology, 136, 1, 121-122 Lee, J. (1973). The color wheel model of love. Chicago: Addison. Livermore, B. (1993). Lessons of love. Psychology Today, Mar/Apr 93 Martin, G. N. , Carlson, N. R. and Buskist, W. (2007). Psychology. 3rd edn. Essex: Pearsons Education Ltd. McClelland, D. (1986). Journal of Personality, 54, 2 , 334 – 353, Duke University. Press Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93, 119-135. Yela, C. (1996). Componentes basicos del amor: Algunas matizaciones al modelo de R. J. Sternberg [Basic components of love: some refinements to the model of R. J. Sternberg]. Re-vista de Psicologia Social, 11(2), 185-201. How to cite How Do Psychologists Research Being in Love?, Essays

Literate Practice of a Farmer-.com

Question: Discuss about the Literate Practice of a Farmer. Answer: Agricultural literacy is a phenomenon that can be cultivated in any person at any age with normal experience. Therefore, the Canadian government has understood the major role of agriculture in the daily lives of their people. Therefore, they have started working towards the goal by educating the farmers to reach the goal by being a credible source for the agricultural literacy information (Cohen, Alice and Karen). Agriculture is an important aspect of Canada. Across this country, there is not a single person who has not thought about in their daily routine. Therefore, for the population of Canada food is an integral part (Cohen, Alice and Karen). The future challenge for Agriculture is to find ways to meet the demand that the future growth in population brings, and it is the role of government to be planning to be ready for this well-documented prediction. In the recent years, it has also been observed that the economy of the agriculture of Canada has been declining. The importance of this sector is high for the people of the country but majority of the farmers are unable to use latest techniques and technologies for the cultivation of the food crops (Bryant et al.). Therefore, the essay enumerates the various techniques that are needed for growing the rate of literacy within the farmers. Education might be a big luxury for some families; however, many farmers are unable to get educated due to financial problems. In recent years, government has taken initiatives to literate farmers apart from reading and writing. It is not only passing verbal information from one generation to another(Bryant et al.). With the evolving technology generation, farmers have to keep themselves updated with the agricultural technology. They also need to know about the pressing concerns of unpredictable monsoons, irrigation levels and climate change where traditional knowledge is not enough to prevent crops from failing. They have started opening farmer schools that are helping them to understand the underlying literacy behind farming and agriculture (Dhaka and Chayal). A farmer needs to know that apart from planting dates, harvesting and breeding cycles, he should have a good knowledge of mechanics that is important to keep the machines in proper working conditions and in optimal order. A healthy livestock is also important and a farmer needs to know about the bloodlines and possible crosses that are required to give the best breeding results. A farmer should have understanding and knowledge about the food and fibre system. This would help for the synthesis, analysis and communication about the basic agricultural information that includes important relationship between environment and natural resources, economic impact and production of agricultural resources, marketing and processing of the agricultural products, global significance and its distribution (Kovar, Kristin and Anna Ball). Apart from reading and writing, farmers need to be knowledgeable and gain literacy that entails use of technologically and scientific concepts for using the agricultural technology. This would help farmers to understand and respond to the problems that arise in raising crops, agricultural practices and incorporate agricultural literacy in their farming practices. A farmer should have a basic understanding of the internal science that plays an important role in providing crops which are of the best quality. However, enough education about the genetic backgrounds and genetic hybridization to produce products of extremely high quality always does not bring the best results. All the science behind agriculture only became beneficial when the farmer has a hand on knowledge about the farming procedures. A farmer knowing that a type A when hybridized by type B will give type C but the entire process of growing the crop successfully is important than making several calculations and ultimately failing to make it survive. Often sitting inside a classroom and going through book, providing knowledge on the different processes of agriculture will give only a vast idea. However, such an individual will never be able to conduct the work successfully if he does not take up the instruments in his hand and have a toilsome day at field (Cook-Grumpez). His presen ce in the field will be more beneficial as he will learn from his experiences and will ultimately be able to understand how he should proceed the next day. Therefore, a farmers literacy can never be restricted to books (Dyg, Pernille, and Bent Egberg Mikkelsen). His main literacy would be his own presence in his field among the instruments and the crops where he would regain the main spirit of being a farmer and conduct his job successfully by the skills that he develops over the years of experience. Farmers commonly face the problem of nutritional literacy. Rural farmers do not perceive the health issues caused by the malnutrition. In additional to the knowledge on the Agriculture, the farmers must be literate about the nutritional aspects of different food. Agricultural literacy should not be restricted to knowing about the different types of farming techniques or the scientific or technology based concepts. The farmers should also be literate enough to address the health issues occurring due to poor nutrition (Pitts et al.). Thus, I would like to suggest that the target audience should be educated about good nutrition. They must be educated about the importance of the good nutrition. Having balanced diet or nutrition rich diet prevents lifestyle diseases like obesity or diabetes. In short the nutritional literacy of farmers extends beyond the reading, listening, speaking and the wilting skills. Nutritional knowledge is required by farmers to acquire skills to understand and implement the complex information about food and their different nutrient values. Only if the farmers understand the value of different types of food items, can engage in making informed decisions about diet. It will help change the health belief of the individual. Thus, effective training is required so that the farmers can effectively and efficiently use the limited resources (Walton et al.). This solution will make difference including the primary activities. Malnutrition is just not the problem of food. Instead, it is the major contributor of hunger in many countries. Thus, nutritional improvement objectives should be focused on through development of the policies and the projects (Hassen et al.) References Bryant, Christopher R., et al. "The roles of governments and other actors in adaptation to climate change and variability: The examples of agriculture and coastal communities."AIMS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE3.3 (2016): 326-346. Cohen, Alice, and Karen Bakker. "The eco-scalar fix: Rescaling environmental governance and the politics of ecological boundaries in Alberta, Canada."Environment and Planning D: Society and Space32.1 (2014): 128-146. Cook-Gumperz, Jenny. "The Transition to Literacy."Writing: The nature, development, and teaching of written communication(2013): 89. Dhaka, B. L., and K. Chayal. "Farmers experience with ICTs on transfer of technology in changing agri-rural environment."Indian Research Journal of Extension Education10.3 (2016): 114-118. Dyg, Pernille, and Bent Egberg Mikkelsen. "Cooperation Models, Motivation and Objectives behind Farm--School Collaboration: Case Insights from Denmark."International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture Food23.1 (2016). Hassen, K., Gizaw, G., Belachew, T. (2017). Dual Burden of Malnutrition Among Adolescents of Smallholder Coffee Farming Households of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia.Food and Nutrition Bulletin,38(2), 196-208. Kovar, Kristin A., and Anna L. Ball. "Two Decades of Agricultural Literacy Research: A Synthesis of the Literature."Journal of Agricultural Education54.1 (2013): 167-178. Pitts, Stephanie B. Jilcott, et al. "Farmers market shopping and dietary behaviours among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants."Public health nutrition18.13 (2015): 2407-2414. Walton, C., et al. "Effect of nutrition education and dairy group membership on nutrition knowledge, practices and diet quality for rural Kenyan farm women."African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development17.3 (2017): 12343-12361.

Molson Canada Social Media Marketing free essay sample

Molson Canada has been facing negative reactions their recent social media marketing initiative, Cold Shots Campus Challenge. Parties claimed that this Facebook contest promoted irresponsible drinking behaviours among university students. As a result, Molson pulled the contest one week before the scheduled deadline. Now, Molson must evaluate the use of social media, specifically Facebook, in its marketing strategy. The available alternatives are to revamp the Facebook initiative, to focus on static webpages or to focus on traditional marketing strategies. The recommendation is to revamp the Facebook initiative over a period of three months with ongoing monitors and checkpoints. The projected cost of this recommendation is $75,500 initially, with recurrent annual costs of $36,000 per year. The advantage of this recommendation is that it can be easily expanded to include other types of social media, such as micro blogging, video sharing, photo sharing and online forums if the response to this project is positive. We will write a custom essay sample on Molson Canada Social Media Marketing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 2 I. Key Issues Molson Canada faces four key issues moving forward from November 2007. The first issue is related to brand image. Brand image is the most important and urgent issue (see Chart 1) because of the negative feedback Molson received as a result of the Cold Shot Campus Challenge Facebook initiative. Molson is seen as promoting irresponsible drinking behaviour. In order to rectify the situation, Molson build and increase corporate social responsibility and continue to engage the community in a positive way. Another key issue is customer loyalty. There many negative responses to the Cold Shot Campus Challenge. These responses revolved around the issue of privacy issues of Facebook users. Moreover, because of these unethical practices, customer loyalty to Molson brand may have been negatively affected. Customer loyalty is ranked as an issue of low importance and high urgency because Molson Canada has customer loyalty currently, having been around since 1796. It is ranked as urgent, because new consumers may be affected by the bad press Molson is getting as a result of the Cold Shot Campus Challenge. Thirdly, competition is an important issue for Molson. Molson faces high completion both on the domestic and international level. At the domestic level, Molson’s main competitor is Labatt bear. At the international level, Molson competes against InBev NV, Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller. Molson has a strong market position domestically, so the issue of competition is rated as high importance, but low urgency. If Molson is able to successfully use social media marketing, they may see an increase in market share, domestically and internationally. Competition is ranked as high importance, but low urgency because it is an issue that can be dealt with in the long term. 3 Finally, profitability is ranked as low importance and low urgency in the issues matrix in Chart 3. Molson faces fluctuating costs of input material, such as barley, wheat and aluminium. In 2007 saw the price of barley fluctuate widely (see Graph 1). If Molson is able to successfully market their product online, then they will be able to increase sales, thereby offsetting these fluctuations in profit margins. Chart 1: Ranking of Issues Urgency\ Importance Low Low Profitability High Customer Loyalty High Competition Brand Image II. Analysis SWOT Analysis Strength Strong Market Share Strong Brand Image Strong Revenue Brand Loyalty Opportunities International markets (Asia, SE Asia) Diversifying products/brands Social media marketing still relatively new Weakness Rely on a few product names Cannibalism Threats Strong Competition Fluctuation commodity prices (barley, wheat, aluminium) Molson’s strength is that it has a strong domestic market share, currently at 41% by volume in 2006. They also have strong revenue, generating $3. 61 billion in 2006 (Molson Coors 2006 annual report, 165). Internationally, Molson has 3. 8% market share, the fourth largest. Molson also has a strong brand image because of corporate social responsibility initiatives and community involvement. Community involvement includes the responsible drinking program, charitable initiatives and sports and entertainment sponsorships. Molson has brand loyalty because they have been established in Canada for more than 200 years. A weakness is that 4 Molson has few differentiated products and, therefore, may face cannibalism of their product lines. Currently, Molson’s strongest markets are North America and Europe. An opportunity for Molson is to branch into Asian markets. Another opportunity would be for Molson to diversify their product brand to include beverages other than alcoholic drinks. A marketing opportunity for Molson is to further develop their social media marketing strategy because their competitors have not yet successfully integrated social media into their marketing strategy. Some threats that Molson faces are fluctuating prices of barley, wheat and aluminium. Furthermore, they face high competition in the industry level. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Threat of New Entrants (Low) Bargining Power of Suppliers (Medium) Competitive Rivalry within Industry (High) Bargining Power of Buyers (Medium) Threat of Substitute Products (Medium) Molson Canada faces high competition within the industry. Although they are currently leading with 41% of market share in Canada, Labatt is trailing closely behind. Internationally, Molson ranks in fourth place. The threat of new entrants is low because of high capital costs and the 5 existence of established brands. The threat of substitute products is medium because alcohol is composed of readily available products, competition is high in the industry and there is little differentiation between products. The bargaining power of buyers is medium because of availability of substitute products, buyer information and little differential advantage. Finally, bargaining power of suppliers is medium because of fluctuating input costs. The following graph illustrates the constantly changing price for barley. Graph 1: Barley Monthly Prices, October 2006 to December 2007 210 US dollars/metric ton 200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 Oct-06 Jan-07 Apr-07 Aug-07 Nov-07 Feb-08 (Barley Monthly Prices, 2007) Graph 2: Stock Market Prices of Molson (TAP) in 2007 (NYSE; http://www.wikinvest. com/wiki/TAP) 6 Looking at the share prices from October 2007 to December 2007, we can see that when the Cold Shots Campus Challenge was launched in mid-October, there was an increase in the stock price to the mid-50’s, however, throughout the marketing campaign, the stock prices dropped until it was pulled in end of November. Also 2007 saw fluctuating input costs which may also be a result of the fluctuating stock prices. Facebook is a social media opportunity that Molson should take advantage of. In 2007 Facebook had over 50 million active users (Facebook). Many of these users are part of the demographics that Molson wishes to target (younger generation). III. Alternatives Recommendations Alternative 1: Revamp Facebook initiative In this initiative, Molson would revamp the Facebook initiative by using the Facebook platform, but use Facebook as a medium to connect with and build relationships with customers, not for competitions. The advantage of this alternative is that Molson can build upon the Facebook group that currently exists. Furthermore, they can target the 18-24 year old demographic. Finally, if the relationship is maintained well, this direct contact with their customers can foster brand awareness and brand loyalty. The disadvantages of this alternative would be that consumers might associate the new Facebook initiative with the failed Cold Shot Campus Challenge and react negatively. Another disadvantage is that it is difficult to predict the reaction from different parties. Furthermore, the feedback obtained from the Facebook group must be scrutinized as some people may be pranksters. Finally, it is difficult to quantify results of this initiative. Pros of Alternative 1 Utilize current Facebook groups and website Targets 18-24 year old demographic Cons of Alternative 1 Lingering negative feelings Facebook contests from the Cold Shot Campus Challenge. Unknown customers/future customer response 7 Pros of Alternative 1 Create and maintain relationships with customers and future customers Increase brand awareness Increase brand loyalty Cons of Alternative 1 Unknown outcome Cannot trust the feedback Difficult to quantify results Alternative 2: Use static sites, such as blogs or a static website. Molson has already experimented with blogs and static websites. This advantage of this alternative is that Molson will be able to control the content, and therefore, how they are perceived on the Internet. However, this alternative does not specifically market to their target group of 18-24 year olds. Also, Molson’s competitors will also have websites; therefore it would be hard for Molson to differentiate from the competition. Finally, static websites do not create strong brand loyalty. Pros of Alternative 2 Control content of Internet presence Create an online presence Cons of Alternative 2 Does not build relationship with the client Competition also have websites Does not specifically market to 18-24 year old demographic Does not build brand loyalty Difficult to quantify results Alternative 3: Pull out of social media and focus on traditional marketing methods In this alternative, Molson Canada would stop using social media marketing in their marketing strategy. Instead, Molson will focus on traditional marketing methods. Pros of Alternative 3 Eliminate the risk of social media campaign failure Eliminate ethical issues around the use of social media Eliminate costs associated with maintaining social media sites Cons of Alternative 3 Competitors may gain advantage if they successfully incorporate social media in their marketing strategies Does not take advantage of potential advertising in social media 8 Decision Matrix Criteria Brand Image Competition Customer Loyalty Profitability Total Weight Revamp Facebook 0. 4 3 0. 3 3 0. 2 3 0. 1 3 1. 0 2. 3 Static Web Pages 2 2 1 3 1. 9 No Social Media 1 1 1 1 1. 0 IV. Implementation Action Plan The effectiveness of social media marketing strategies depends on the goals and general direction the company wants to take. The goals of social media marketing strategies tend to revolve around increasing brand awareness, visibility, feedback or promoting a lifestyle. The problem with the Cold Shots Campus Challenge was that the idea it promoted was interpreted as on that was about irresponsible drinking behaviour. Instead, the goal of the new Facebook initiative should be about creating a space where consumers can share their experiences with Molson products. This place will consist of primarily user-generated content (photos, questions, stories, etc), but can be monitored by Molson Canada. It is also a place for Molson Canada to highlight their community involvement activities, new products or other sponsorship initiatives. Also, this Facebook group can direct Facebook users to other social media sites that Molson Canada may have (eg. Youtube channel, Blog content, etc. ). The new Molson Canada Facebook page will be a place where people can share their experiences, opinions and perspectives related to Molson products. The page will be a place of user-generated content, such as photos, anecdotes or links. Furthermore, this Facebook page will be monitored by the Social Media Marketing Specialist. Any requests, complaints or comments should be addressed by the Specialist. Furthermore, this Facebook page will be a way Molson is able to promote other marketing initiatives such as entries on the current Molson blog 9 (blog. molson. com) or the Molson Canada website (molsoncanadian. ca). Using Facebook analytics and Google analytics, Molson will be able to track the growth and popularity of their brand by the number of times they are mentioned in on the Internet. The following is an implementation outline that will be further explained in detail. Part I: Re-launch Facebook Initiative (December 2007- March 2008) a) Creation of Social Media Marketing Specialist Position in the Marketing Operations Department and Social Media Marketing Committee b) Define social media marketing strategy c) Create a new Facebook page d) Launch a contest to promote the new Facebook page a. Cheers to College Caption Contest e) Promote Contest using Facebook Ads Part II: Generating Knowledge from Social Media (ongoing) Part I: Re-launch Facebook Initiative a) Hire a Social Media Marketing Specialist position within the Marketing Operations Department. This individual will report to the director of Marketing Operations and will be responsible for re-launching the Facebook page as well as the Cheers to College Caption Contest. In the future, this position will be the representative of Molson on the Facebook group and will be responsible for responding to Facebook inquiries, generating some content for the Facebook page and for analysing the impact of social media marketing initiatives. This position will also work with the directors of the public relations department, customer relations department, sales and IT department to ensure the Molson brand is consistently represented across all mediums. This working group will be the Social Media Marketing committee and will be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing campaign. In the future, this position would deal with social media marketing, relationship building and maintenance of social media sites (Facebook, blog, Twitter, Youtube, Flickr, etc. ). 10 Define social media marketing strategy The next step is to define a social media strategy. This strategy will be developed by the Social Media Marketing committee and will require approval from the director of Molson Canada. The goal of the strategy is to identify the key values or lifestyle that Molson wishes to achieve through social media marketing. Another part of the strategy is to develop methods in which these goals can be achieved. A goal could be the promotion of responsible drinking habits, specifically target to responsible drinking on college campuses. Another goal could be the creation of an informal online community where opinions or experiences about Molson products can be shared. Furthermore, suggestions or complaints can be heard by and addressed by a Molson representative (the Social Media Marketing Specialist). Molson can also consider asking the members of the Facebook Group what they want to see in Molson’s social media marketing strategy and taking their suggestions into consideration. c) Creation of a new Molson Canada Facebook page After the Social Media Marketing Strategy has been approved, the Specialist can create the new and official Molson Canada Facebook page. The reason a new Facebook page should be created rather than using the old page is because of the negative attitudes that have been attached to the old Facebook page. Having a new page will allow Molson Canada more control in terms how Molson is depicted in the information box. The creation of a new Facebook page will also allow Molson Canada to have administrative controls and to view Facebook analytics capabilities, which is essential for tracking the success of the social media marketing campaign. This Facebook page is to be internally maintained to ensure that the Molson brand is consistently represented across all social media platforms (Molson Blog, Facebook groups, Flickr Groups, 11 etc. ) and to integrate the social media strategy with current traditional marketing strategies (social media, traditional methods such as television advertisements, billboards, magazines, etc. ). d) Launch Cheers to College Caption Contest The next step is to launch the Cheers to College Caption Contest on the Facebook group. The goal is to increase awareness of the new Molson Canada Official Facebook group as well as improve Molson’s brand image. The premise of the contest is to allow Facebook group members to write a caption or a tagline to a photo that illuminates the idea of a positive campus experience in a meaningful and humorous way. This professional advertisement photo will be supplied by the advertisement department of Molson Canada. The winning tagline and photo will be used in Molson’s Responsible Choices program and the winner will receive a monetary prize. This contest will run from January 2008 to March 2008 and the winners will be announced in April 2008. Promote contest using Facebook Ads and other Molson Facebook groups such as Molson Canadian, Coors Light pages. To generate knowledge and participation in the Cheers to College Caption Contest, the Specialist will promote the group and contest using Facebook Ads and by posting messages on other Molson Facebook groups, such as Coors Light Facebook page. Part II: Generating Knowledge by monitoring Facebook group activity using Facebook analytics and Google alerts. The Social Media Marketing Specialist is responsible for monitoring the progress of the Facebook social media program. Some tools that the Specialist can use are as follows: response from Facebook users, number of new Facebook group members, participation rate in regards to 12 the Cheers to College Caption Contest and the use of Facebook Insights, Google analytics and Google Alerts. Quantitative measures can be taken from the web-based tools and qualitative measures can be taken from the response from the online community. Figure 2: Google Analytics (www. google. com/analytics) Figure 3: Google Alerts (www. google. com/alerts) 13 Timeline Item Create Social Media Marketing Specialist Position and Social Media Marketing Committee Define Social Media Marketing Strategy Create New Facebook Page Cheers to College Caption Contest Promote using Facebook Ads Monitor Facebook Page Dec’07 Jan’08 Feb’08 Mar’08 Apr’08 May’08 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Contingency Plan and Measurement of Success One of the disadvantages of using Facebook is the difficulty in anticipating consumer responses. One way to mitigate this issue is to ask for feedback from the members on the Facebook group and to take their suggestions into consideration. Another way is to solicit comments on the Molson Blog. The Molson Blog comments can be filtered so that the responses only show publically if they are approved. That way, each comment can be monitored. Another way to address negative reactions is to address every concern or attempt to address every concern a consumer may post on the Facebook wall. Another issue is the difficulty to measure quantitatively, the success of the program. The various online analytical tools mentioned above help mitigate that issue. Based on these analytical tools, the Committee and the Specialist can decide on whether to continue on with the implementation plan or to readjust the plan based on consumer suggestions. Throughout the process, the Social Media Marketing Committee will meet regularly to evaluate the response of the public and to re-evaluate the direction of the Social Media Marketing Campaign. Social media marketing is a fluid and dynamic process. It requires constant monitoring, yet must also adhere to the Molson Brand and corporate strategy, and not be swayed by popular opinion. 14 Cost Initial Cost Social Media Marketing Specialist Contest (photography, monetary awards, legal fees) Facebook Advertisements Recurring Cost Social Media Marketing Specialist Conclusion In conclusion, Molson Canada has an opportunity to take advantage of the new social media marketing on Facebook to gain a competitive advantage and to build brand loyalty. Although the Cold Shots Campus Challenge had to be ended early, this new initiative will succeed because it is internally managed, possesses various checkpoints to ensure its success and, finally, it takes into account consumer insights and viewpoints. Furthermore, this plan has room for growth because of the built in structure of the plan (creation of a new position). Molson Canada is also equipped to adopt other social media sites (such as video sharing sites, photo sharing sites, micro blogging and forums) if they wish to expand their online presence and brand image. These applications are also wide-reaching, meaning that they can also reach international customers and can be translated into numerous languages. This has positive implications on Molson’s international profitability as well as domestic profitability. However, those plans are beyond the scope of this recommendation.

Problems in Sub-Saharan Africa essays

Problems in Sub-Saharan Africa essays Over the last twenty years, Madagascar, Nigeria, Malawi as well as many other countries across sub-Saharan Africa have all undergone major political changes in order to attempt converting to and a democratic form of government as more and more countries all over the world try to make the change to democracy. Although the change has been made in many of these countries, maintaining a democratic form of government for many of these countries has been a daunting task, for more reason than one. Although there are many reasons that democracy has been difficult to maintain in these counties, one stands out above all others. Political corruption seems to be a significant reason for the difficulty presented when trying to maintain a stable democratic government. In Madagascar and Nigeria, corrupt officials from the new government and in some instances have played a role in "dilemmas and contradictions that plague the current democratic dispensation." In 1993 Albert Zafy was elected president of Madagascar. Since the election it appears as though there has been a sudden rise in democracy; regular elections, exercising free speech and assembly, freedom of religion and press all seem to be signs that democracy is flourishing and being established. Despite these changes, however, the democracy taking shape is one that appears to be deviating from what democracy is all about. Two of its elected presidents, Zafy and Didier Ratsiraka had used and manipulated the political system for their advantage. Likewise, in Nigeria, the new democracy is plagued by the 15 years of abusive military rule that preceded i t. In many cases, the president has become synonymous with many of the problems in the system today. Much of this is stemming out of the presidential cabinet. It is comprised primarily of political bosses and functionaries from previous corrupt and discredited governments despite the enactment of a major anti-corruption law. However,...

University Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

University Personal Statement - Essay Example One of my uncles studied from USA and, according to him, studying in USA was the right choice for me as students get highly professional teachers and scholars who help them excel in their fields. People have always been globe-trotting for good education and the hot education destination is always USA. I also wanted to avail excellent quality of education and training which is recognized worldwide. Also because there are a wide variety of courses offered in USA, I preferred to apply in some university which offered me my desired courses. Why I chose the University of New Haven, Boston Post Road West Haven, is because it offered me the major in fire science which I wanted to avail and start my career in. The university is a private, top-tier institution and offers globally recognized experiential education. It offers highly qualified teachers. It helps the students in various means like in getting a tutor, scholarships, free-ships, stipends, internships, and etcetera. Special training courses are also held which enable the students to apply the knowledge practically. This university has also been nominated as North America’s Best Colleges in the US News and World Report Magazine. These factors made me choose this university for my higher studies.

Conservation and Wild Lands Management (and Alternative Medicines) Research Paper

Conservation and Wild Lands Management (and Alternative Medicines) - Research Paper Example As a matter of fact, there are numerous conservation associations present that are dedicated to a wide range of conservation objectives. These institutes and organization are readily available to help the endangered and threatened species, therefore individuals who are willing to help the conservation can donate. There are simple things one can begin doing immediately to assist such as buying merchandisethat contribute part of the proceeds to conservation programs.Donors can adjust their consumption behaviors to profit the threatened species. Potential well-wishers can join a conservation associationwith their mission by participating or getting involved in other ways.This essay discusses the conservation process by different organizationsand their efforts to restore wetlands, endangered species and indigenous plants(Klappenbach, 1). The Nature Conservancy plays a major role of environmental conservation with the help of local societies, businesses, and people to secure over 100 million acres of land around the world. The Nature Conservancy conservesall animals,societies and the valuablespeciesrange that resides, thoseenvironments (Klappenbach, 1). It is anall-inclusivemethodology, one that I feel is important to safeguardthe planet earth. Other than that, the Nature Conservancys advanced conservation methodologiesare the debt-for-nature swaps. This kind ofdealingguaranteesthe biodiversity conservation in trade for debt owed by anevolving country. This sort of debt-for-nature initiative has been operational in different countries such as Panama, Peru, and Guatamala.The Nature Conservancy came together with other government forces, nonprofitinstitutions, local sponsors, nativesocieties, businessassociates, and transnationalgroups to find resolutions to conservation tasks. The Nature Conservancy preservationmethodsinvolvesafeguarding of reserved lands, the formation of preservation-minded public strategies

Introduction Of Ghana Culture And Social Situation Politics Essay

Introduction Of Ghana Culture And Social Situation Politics Essay This section wills analysis the changes of culture and social aspects in Ghana under globalization process. First of all, as mentioned above, introduce the background of Ghana in both sides. And then focus on the cultural globalization. After introduce the definition, the importance and the relationship between culture and cultural globalization, begin discuss a crucial question Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization. In social area, it will make a concrete analysis of each specific question, using employment situation, education and mortality rate as examples. General discussion about culture and cultural globalization Globalization offers an opportunity to the spread of language and culture from foreign country. The Cola-Cola, McDonalds and Subway can be founded in majority cities throughout the world. It is essential to discuss the definition of culture in order to understanding the cultural globalization. According to a Ghanaian, their cultural policy documents already offer a unambiguous response to any doubts about the definition: culture is a invisible thing which distinguish Ghanaian from other people (Audrey Gadzekpo 2005) Beside this, as German nonpositivist sociologist Georg Simmel ()points out the culture referred to the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history. In addition, culture is an essential part of a nation, no matter it rich or poor. For the Ajay Bhatt, there are three points to support his views (Bhatt 2010). (1) The group solidarity depends on the foundation of culture, it remain the integrity of socia l relationship; (2) Culture has offer the new ideas to the people especially the younger generation; (3) Culture produces new ideas. By summarizing above, the significance of culture could hardly be overlooked, it is crucial to the whole country. Along with the world culture development fusion, a new phenomenon appeared-cultural globalization. It usually defined as the rapid movement of ideas, attitudes, and values across national borders (Sofree 2003-2012). Cultural globalization has the same characteristics with culture and can easily be found anywhere in the daily life. Introduction of Ghana culture and social situation Ghana was the first African country on the continent to achieve independence from the British colonial rule .And it used to be called Gold Coast until 1957. It is an ethnically diverse country that is deeply influenced by ancient Kingdoms of the Akan. The Ghanaian culture is a mixture of six ethnic groups. Among these groups, the Akan occupies the leading position (Miss West Africa Ghana). However, there have been many changes in social and culture aspects in Ghana in the preceding decades. For instance, the building of European architectural styles can be found everywhere in the country. In social area, the media of Ghana is one of the most free in Africa and has been described as one of the most unfettered ¼Ã‹â€ BBC News 2012 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. The large numbers of films and music from western society flow into Ghana could benefit from this. The background culture situation in Ghana A case study is Ghana, for instance, one of the most popular movie in Ghana is called American Boy, this film directed by Ghanaians (Nairaland Forum 2012). Even more remarkably, the latest film in the blockbuster movie series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows remained the No.1 movie and rakes in over $50.3 million over Thanksgiving weekend in 2010, according to Ghana Business News (2010). Beside this, the famous singer Lady Gaga always generated a lively discussion in every major forum and portal in Ghana, such as Omgghana and Hitbanger. Interestingly, other aspects expect for entertainment area in Ghana have the same condition. According to the Africa guide, Ghanaians composed of six ethnic groups, including the Akan (Ashanti and Fanti), the Gurma , the Ga-Adangbe, the Guan ,the Mole-Dagbani ,and the Ewe. In the past year of Ghana, a stranger always identified by his ethic origin or home town, for example that Ashanti man or the Ewe carpentry-master (Foster 1965). However, as the International Organization for Migration points out Ghana already become the principal destination to the refugee population in the West Africa sub-region. And in the context of globalization, Ghanaian migration has becoming increasing popular. It means people from various countries are pouring into Ghana and ethnic lines are no longer distinct. The globalization changes peoples way of thinking. In fact, compared to other black African nations, Ghana was more promising and prosperous and it more suitable for globalization (Manuh,T 2005). Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization? Through the introduction of background in Ghana, the changes really exist in cultural aspects. However, increasing scholarly attention is now devoted to a question: Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization? In fact, some scholars like David Rothkopf, the managing director of Kissinger Associates and an adjunct professor of international affairs at Columbia University, concerned about the question for a long time (The Statesman 2007). As Rothkopf argues, the America is trying to control the world with language, the common telecommunication and the food safety standards. The developed countries will use their own ideas, products and brands to replace the traditional way in poorer countries. Others like S.K. Boafo, suggested that the external culture such as films, music and language from America may have a significant threat to the traditional culture in Ghana (The Statesman 2007). As the minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, he point out that there are some negative impacts of foreign influences on Ghanaian culture in the last fifty years. For example, people in Ghana especially the younger generation more easily accept the western pop than the traditional folk song. Indeed the UNESCO als o supports their views, a meeting called protection and promotion hold by UNESCO in October 2005 (The Statesman 2007). The meeting was concern the cultural diversity and drafter worried the gap between developing and developed countries. Another supporter is Audrey Gadzekpo, she argues the culture as a useful linkages between the past and present, but under the globalization background, this type of link become more and more tenuous for the past five decades. The media violence in Ghana is a specific example. The researchers draw conclusions from more than 1000 studies that there is a positive association between violence entertainment and aggressive behavior. In other worlds, the violence and pornographic in the media contributes to the development of instability of the society and affects children and young people in Ghana. In fact, the media violence is a reality for the whole world However, it is the truth of the cultural globalization in Ghana? As we all know, the cultural invasion is very common in modern time. But as Kwame Anthony Appiah says the so-called cultural invasion can sometimes lead to innovation, various cultures and new ideas. Cultural Globalization focuses on the influence and infiltration between different regions, countries and nations, which reflects the generality of the development. A powerful example of this point is Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana. Kwame Anthony Appiah always realized it, he says what can you tell about peoples souls from the fact that they drink Coca-Cola? (Divestiture Implementation Committee 2004) Indeed, these companies like Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana (TCCBCG) contribute a lot of culture changes. TCCBCG has donated much money to built hospital, it not only offers more job opportunities to poor people but also promote the development of medical health. In Ghana as the Cultural Minister suggests people must correctly deal with cultural globalization and the most effective way to Western culture is keep the good thing in it. To sum up, as he says But as aspects of our old cultures change, adapt, maybe disappear, we have the opportunity to create something new drawing on the heterogeneous, cosmopolitan nature of modern Ghana and the modern world to create something that is a unique mixture of both (The Statesman 2007). To conclude, the answer about the question mentioned above is depending on Ghana as a active recipient or only a passive recipient. General discussion about Social globalization We cannot ignore the fact that world is so deeply interconnected and influence each other. For Akhila Kolisetty, majority of people have not realized what the social change is and how it affects both individuals and whole country. As a current student of London School of Economics, she suggested the first thing is defined the social globalization. Globalization can be classified according to the different functions into three categories: economic, political, social and culture.(Ali Datko).All of them are interdependent, but always influence each other. As Datko define the social globalization, it talk about the human interaction within cultural communities, and consist of topics like family, religion, work and education. But besides that, there is another definition about social and cultural globalization A process in which the constrains of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede and in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding(Robertson, 1992:7). In Ghana, the effect of globalization is all-pervasive. For instance, Ghana has experienced a continuous growth at their high-technology sector including the telecommunication and information technology at the early of 21st century (Edward Opoku-Dapaah, 2002). However, Opoku-Dapaah was pessimistic about social globalization. According to him, these advanced technology which comes from western countries maintain and extended the gap between rich and poor. To the contrary, other member such as international community and Ghanaian elite were optimistic about it. As Opoku-Dapaah points out, the key word is weather they mastered the technology. The labor market The globalization can offer a number of benefits for social situation in Ghana. The strongest evidence is labor market. As we all know, the situation of employment is urgent nowadays not only for graduates but also for normal people. Employment becomes one of the major social issues in every country. More and more people pay great attention to it. However, in this situation, Ghana experienced a dramatically decrease in their unemployment rate (Graph 1 from: indexmundi ).The graph gives information about historical data for Ghana unemployment rate from 1997 to 2000. It is clearly see that the percentage dropped from approximately 20% in 1997 to about 11% in 2000.Though it only for a portion of time, but it still very representative of the total situation. In 2005 the unemployment rate in Ghana is 12.9%. Additionally, the percentage averaged 12.05% from 2001 to 2005, then reaches the peak at 12.90% in December of 2005 and touches the bottom at 11.20% in December of 2001. In addition, the changes like this can have a positive impact not only to individuals but also to society. Like Joblistghana, one of the website which is using for job-hunting, they provide beyond 500 job opportunities to candidates. For example, if a father find a place to do the work, he can offer the better learning environment to children and development the familys living standard. In addition, the structure of labor market has been changed in a globalised world. Industry in Ghana occupies approximately 25.3% of total GDP. Without doubt, it offers more job opportunities to Ghanaians. The last point about labor market change is the spirit of innovation, as we all know the creative ability is the soul of an enterprise. Education The adult literacy rate in Ghana was 75% in 2007, with males at 87.2% and females at 67.1% (Education: about Ghana). However, during the colonial rule the figure was only 11%. Emefa Amoako explores the relevance with education in developing countries such as Ghana. As a result, he found the globalization have significant influence to the national education policy processes. In fact, the globalization not only a unique challenges but also an opportunity to the whole society. The fast development of globalization means some professionals who engage in education area flow into Ghana, and they always have professionally trained (Richard Joseph 2005).For the large number of outflow from other countries in Africa, it easier to find a satisfying job if they pass local certification examination such as university educators and doctors. All of them make significant contribution to the development of Ghanas education undertaking. It is one of the reason why adult literacy rate in Ghana growing and changing so quickly. Medical and Mortality rate As mentioned above, the social globalization means doctors, nurses and other health care professionals flow into Ghana. Like all the other nations in Africa, Child-mortality is a very serious social problem during these years. At the same time, it is the most comprehensive and complex indicators of social development. The definition of child mortality is the probability of dying between the exact ages of one and five. As the graph below shows the mortality rate deceases from 79.40% in 1988 to 28% in 2008, and the same situation occur in male child. As the research from Bloom Projects International, there are no evidences to show the relationship between infant mortality rate decrease and country size, economic growth and location except medical conditions (Bloom Projects International From 2012). In fact, better treatments in Ghana rely on the high-technology and medical expert to a great degree. At this point, Ghana as a beneficiary rather than a victim in social globalization proce sses. Graph 1 Unemployment rate in Ghana(%) (http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=ghv=74) Graph2 Ghana mortality rate(per 1,000 female children age one) (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/ghana/mortality-rate)

Is Online Social Networking Building Social Capital Essay

This is an argumentative research paper that examines Robert Putnam’s definition of Social Networking and provides arguments that Social Networking Sites are building Social Capital as Putnam intended its definition. First, this paper will explore Putnam’s definition of Social Capital as well as its alternate definitions. Second, it will explore the definition of Social Networking according to Putnam as well as other comparable definitions. Third, it will distinguish certain distinctions in the concept of Social Networking, Social Networks, and Social Capital. Fourth, it will examine Putnam’s thesis that Social Capital has been declining due to the growing popularity of electronic appliances, computers, and henceforth, Social Network Sites. Fifth, it will examine alternate arguments that other researchers have made in contrast to Putnam’s key arguments. Sixth, this paper will evaluate all of Putnam’s key arguments compared to arguments directly in contrast with Putnam’s thesis. This paper will likewise provide personal insights and assessments that existing body of knowledge in this area has not yet covered. Finally, seventh, this paper will conclude that contrary to Putnam’s thesis that Social Capital has been declining due to the growing popularity of Social Network Sites, Social Capital has in fact been growing at a very rapid pace. Introduction Robert Putnam’s most influential work Bowling Alone, which appeared in 1995, signaled the major changes that the Internet Age has brought about in the daily lives of Americans. Since then, the virtual community has grown in leaps and bounds as rapid technological advances and innovations radically changed American life. Putnam laid the groundwork for his arguments in Bowling Alone with Alexis de Tocqueville’s observations of American life during the 1830s (65). Note that Toccqueville’s era basically covered the economic transition of America from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age. This was an age where the exodus of rural Americans into American cities to work in factories and financial centers represented mass migrations as well as increased productivity. Putnam continued laying the groundwork for his arguments as he described the shift from the industrial age to the Computer Age through a growing body of research on the sociology of economic development (66). Since Putnam’s ‘Bowling Alone’ appeared in 1995, Putnam’s Computer Age has already quickly shifted into the Internet Age starting in 1997 as Boyd and Ellison represented in their timeline ending 2006 (212). Note also that the Internet Age signified the start of a worldwide trend in globalization where offshore manufacturing plants and the off-shoring of many American jobs created a great impact on American lives and local communities as well as certain ways of doing work. In this light, this paper will now explore Putnam’s perception of American Society through the concepts of Social Capital and Social Networks or Social Networking. Definitions Putnam provided a definition of ‘Social Capital’ through an analogy with physical and human capital as the social scientists of the Industrial Age perceived the phenomena (67). For Putnam, physical and human capital pertain to â€Å"tools and training that enhance individual productivity† while social capital â€Å"refers to the features of a social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit† (67). Putnam’s central premise on social capital is that a person’s public and private life is heavily and immensely influenced by social connections and civic engagement (67). In support of this definition, Barish aptly provided a simplified and paraphrased version: †¦[I]t makes sense to understand Putnam’s techniques for describing and evaluating the American community†¦ His argument goes†¦ like this: A screwdriver is a valuable thing. It can help me build a house, or fix a car, and so it increases both my individual productivity and the collective productivity of my community. Similarly, any social connections that I have, whether with members of my bowling team, friends from the bar, co-members of the local Rotary club, or congregants from my synagogue increase my personal productivity and the productivity of my group. Just as the screwdriver is a piece of physical capital, the social contacts that I maintain constitute ‘social capital’ and are beneficial to both myself and bystanders in the community. † In another light, a literature review provided a more thorough definition of social capital in its broad, elastic, and indicative terms covering both its positive and negative indications (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe 1145). Broadly speaking, a 1988 definition of social capital refers to the accumulation of resources via the relationships among people (1145). It has also been noted that social capital has an elastic definition relative to the field of study it is being used in (1145). In such different fields, social capital is generally seen as both a cause and effect or more elaborately in a 1992 definition, as a sum of â€Å"resources, actual or virtual, that accrue to an individual or group by virtue of possessing a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition† (1145). Social capital is usually equated to beneficial results like â€Å"better public health, lower crime rates, and more efficient financial markets† (1145). Meanwhile, indicators of its decline are the following negative outcomes: â€Å"increased social disorder, reduced participation in civic activities† and escalating distrust among members of the community (1145). Having established the framework for understanding Putnam’s social capital, the next exploration will be on Putnam’s perspective on ‘Social Networks’. Amusingly, Putnam did not provide a formal definition of social networks but rather discussed or described its context as follows: 1. Vitally important â€Å"for job placement and many other economic outcomes;† 2. Highly efficient, highly flexible ‘industrial districts’ based on networks of collaboration among workers and small entrepreneurs;† and 3. â€Å"The consolidation of country post offices and small school districts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (66). With this context, it can now be discerned that Putnam’s focus on social networks is work-related or those that pertain to economic value or productivity. Additionally, since Putnam’s influential Bowling Alone in 1995, social capital and social networks have produced conceptual offshoots as Boyd and Ellison show in their 2008 definition of ‘Social Network Sites’ and its difference with ‘Social Networking Sites’ (211). In simple terms, Boyd and Ellison define social network sites as web-based services that enable people to show and tell about their social networks resulting in connections that will otherwise not happen among people with existing as well as previously existing offline connections in their line of work, schooling, community, family, former community and other specialized social groups (211). While Beer makes a fine argument on the broadness of Boyd & Ellison’s definition and that there is a need to classify and categorize Social Network Sites or SNS (517-9), it is evident that aside from the people that are involved in an existing social network, interests like bowling (Putnam) or content like videos in the case of YouTube (Beer 519) can bond together strangers with similar interests. These make the boundaries between social network sites versus social networking sites confusing as Boyd and Ellison attempted to differentiate (211). Distinctions With the above definitions, clear-cut distinctions are now discernible from the available body of work pertaining to social capital, social networks, and social networking compared with Putnam’s concepts. Firstly, social capital according to Putnam are built from an individual’s public and private life as shown by a person’s productivity through social connections and local community involvement. Quan-Hasse and Wellman also note that Putnam’s social capital is essentially limited to a neighborhood, city or a country. Moreover, Quan-Hasse and Wellman distinguishes Putnam’s concept of social connections as â€Å"interpersonal communication patterns, including† physical visits, face-to-face physical â€Å"encounters, phone calls and social events. † In addition, Quan-Hasse and Wellman distinguishes Putnam’s local community involvement, which is usually termed civic engagement, as the â€Å"degree to which people become involved in their community, both actively and passively, including such political and organizational activities as political rallies, book and sports clubs. In this regard, Putnam’s concept is distinctive mainly as geographically-knit in nature rather than geographically-dispersed. Secondly, from Putnam’s point of view, social networks are usually work-related or community-related where mutual benefits are produced as results or positive outcomes of a group activity or group activities involving physical actions or efforts. In this regard, Putnam’s concept is distinctive mainly as physical rather than virtual. Thirdly, based on Putnam’s perspective, social networks involve social bonds among people who see eye-to-eye, face-to-face, and physically in a geographically-knit location while social networks or social networking is social bonding and bridging among people who knew each other or even strangers in a geographically-knit or geographically-dispersed location. In this regard, Putnam’s concept is distinctive mainly as an interaction between people with prior connections versus total strangers. Social Capital’s Decline Putnam presented a doom and gloom scenario with the advent of the Electronic and/or Computer Age and its manifestations like the mailing list and television. He skillfully used facts and figures to illustrate that Social Capital has declined through the following manifestations: 1. low voter turnout and substantial statistical differences since the 1960s compared with the 1990s (67); 2. lower public meeting attendance in a town hall or in school (68); 3. lower trust in government (68); 4. ower membership in workers’ unions, parents-teachers associations, fraternities, religious organizations and other mainstream organizations (68-70); and 5. lower membership in organized bowling leagues and the unprecedented rise in solo bowling (70). Putnam argued that the decreased sales of pizza and beer among bowling lane proprietors is a fitting example of a negative economic trend due to the decline of social capital, when certain groups of people who bowl ed together now prefer to bowl alone. Noteworthy of Putnam’s five indicators that supported his argument is item 3. lower trust in government. All other indicators involve some form physical action or effort while trust is basically an abstract concept. Social Capital’s Rapid Growth Quan-Haase and Wellman carefully noted Putnam’s thesis about Social Capital’s decline and likewise identified C. S. Fischer’s counter-arguments against Putnam’s that: 1. Putnam’s measures of social capital’s decline are invalid and unreliable; and 2. he amount of decrease appeared to be substantial from the point of view of Putnam while Fischer argued that it is negligible and short-term. While Fischer’s counter-arguments against Putnam’s are not taking a 360 degree turn to illustrate the contrary, Fischer’s arguments subsequently fueled other arguments against Putnam’s contentions that showed the other side of the fence. Quan-Haase and Wellman insightfully observed: â€Å"The Putnam-Fischer debate is a continuation of a 150-year long tradition in the social sciences to see if community is declining or flourishing since the Industrial Revolution. In short, the economic changes brought about by technology like machines and electricity for the industrial revolution or television, electronic components and computers for the Electronic/Computer Age are quite moot and academic. Quan-Haase and Wellman are essentially saying that there will be a natural decline in the railroad business when automobiles replace the old mode of transport just like when trains replaced horses, and horses replaced walking. The natural decline in the older technology as it is replaced by a newer technology does not necessarily represent a decline in social capital rather it simply represents a decline in an old technology. Meaning, new measures are simply needed to accurately determine social capital’s decline or growth. And most likely, social capital has grown rapidly due to the newer technology rather than its opposite or contrary perspective whether these are supported with figures or not. Quan-Haase and Wellman are basically saying that Putnam’s facts and figures didn’t fit when social capital is evaluated from a historical perspective. Another worthy contention is that Social Capital has, on the contrary, rapidly grew. Since Putnam’s concepts are too focused on the adult population, Putnam failed to foresee a growing trend among the younger population getting involved in social network sites (Hargittai 280) and technological advancements providing suitable substitutes to face-to-face contact like the web-camera, online team gaming across different geographic locations, broadband, etc. Comparative Evaluations and Insights Putnam’s definition of social capital and his concept of social network are essentially encapsulated within a by-gone age. First, face-to-face encounters, physical activities, geographic cohesion and the nature of jobs and hence, productivity, have changed and are constantly changing. Second, Putnam’s view that only the adult population is capable of building social capital could be very limited. Third, social connections and civic engagements could have had transformed into a different form. Putnam laid the groundwork for his thesis with great leverage on Tocqueville’s observation of the Industrial Revolution in America. This groundwork has made his argument shaky and his definition of social capital quite narrow, failing to recognize that societies, hence social capital, in fact evolve as new technologies appear from the Stone Age, to the Iron Age, to the Bronze Age and so forth. Cooperation, collaboration and productivity normally improve as new technologies appeared throughout history. Hunting bands now became metropolitan cities with millions of residents. Caves now became mega-structures of skyscrapers that house thousands of humans. The examples would be endless. First, face-to-face encounters are now possible across great geographic distances through video conferencing, net meetings, and the like as teams of people work together across different time zones and different countries. Social Networks and Social Networking are not necessarily limited to websites but could also include the other technological tools that would facilitate communication, collaboration and cooperation. Thus, Putnam’s social network, which has a local flavor, has now become global. Moreover, various workers across the different U. S. States can now work collaboratively and cooperatively. Moreover, leisure time has also taken new dimensions. While bowling leagues may no longer be in fashion because bowling is in fact an individual sport rather than a team sport, new forms of recreation that encourage teamwork are now available as online games. Physical activities have likewise taken a new and robust meaning. Individuals now have a wider range of options when, where, and with whom they are going to spend their time with. Ticket reservations for vacations and other leisurely activities with groups of people now take lesser time to execute. Of course, Putnam’s argument that trust in government has declined, and this appears to be strong, exemplifies a decrease in social capital,. Yet from a different angle the same facts and figures would actually prove the contrary. Social Capital would have had in fact increased because greater civic engagement is now possible through the power of television and the media. That the low trust in government is simply saying that society is now more aware of what government is doing through television rather than through an actual attendance in a town hall. Moreover, society has become more efficient through the membership dues derived from mailing lists because these huge funds can finance professional lobbyists that would maximize a person’s civic engagement. A highly paid professional lobbyist with huge funds representing a huge membership can do more compared to a group of individual amateurs representing a small group of people in a community. Second, exactly because of social networks and social networking, the youth are now actively involved in a variety of social activities online including collaborative projects, group assignments, net events, and online team sports. Third, social connections and civic engagements have now transformed into a different form. Group chats through the Internet are now possible among friends that are located at great geographic distances where they can view each other’s faces. Downloading forms and information from a government website is now more efficient compared to actually attending a town hall meeting. Moreover, social network sites are actually populated by people who have prior physical connections with one another rather than total strangers. Conclusion Putnam appears to have overlooked the effects of the various economic transformations brought about by technology that transforms society during the course of history. Thus, making his definition of social capital unresponsive to the changing times. However, this paper finds that Putnam’s general definition of social capital as referring â€Å"to the features of a social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit† is accurate and sound. The finding of this paper is that Putnam’s drawback appears to have occurred in his exposition of the general definition. This exposition provided metes and bounds that are geographic in nature, physical in nature, and pits people who have already established prior social connections versus total strangers. Migrations due to the nature of jobs, the highly evolved efficiency of transport systems, academic choices and suburban development have essentially dispersed people geographically. Social Network Sites basically strengthens these former social bonds. Most noteworthy also is that technological advances are now providing suitable substitutes that solve geographic and physical limitations making productivity more efficient through better communication, cooperation, and collaboration. The best evidence in terms of facts and figures that social capital has indeed been built up by online social networking is the phenomenal growth and popularity of social network and networking sites. Another is the exponential trade volume growth on Ebay. Of course, the only difference in these observations with Putnam’s definition is on how Putnam elaborated his ideas. He built his groundwork and framework of understanding on a local and physical aspect that ultimately made him unable to foresee the economic, and thus social, transformations taking on a global flavor: that somehow, everyone is connected and affected with and by another. This is the same reason why civic engagements have also likewise taken a worldwide scope in such organizations as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund and even through international causes like the fight against global warming and world hunger.