American Government Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

American Government - Personal Statement Example In the United States, according to PLU (n.d.), President Bush has been an advocate of pro-outsourcing policies and supporter of free trade. The President believes that the country benefits from outsourcing in the long run although there are short-run disadvantages in the system. Bush’s administration calls the system as a new way of doing international business. Crisis created by outsourcing. The Heffner’s (2010) study said that over the past years, 3.7 million manufacturing job in the U.S. have been lost because the workers cannot compete with the rate of third world’s wages. For example, he cited the salary of an engineer in US is $100,000, while this amount is already equivalent of 3 engineers in the third world. Hemphil (n.d.) calculated the cost of IT and telecommunication work in US as $100 per hour while same work could be done in India or China at $20 per hour. Rees, 2004, an author of labor policies, said that the effect of outsourcing was felt by employ ees who lost their jobs, and to others who were forced to accept low paying jobs because of changes. There are also social costs and disadvantages caused by painful dislocations and separation of families. On the government side, the government tends to lose income taxes for jobs outsourced in other countries plus the investment and capital transferred elsewhere.

Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism Essay Example for Free

Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism Essay Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, three of the world’s most dynamic and ancient religions developed in India around the same time. Though each borrowed from, evolved because of, or came into conflict with each other: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism are more than religions, but cross-sections of an entire culture and time period. Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism have many a huge impact on eastern life as we know it. The interactions between humans and environment that these religions have had have been phenomenal. Jainism being the oldest of the three has 12-18 million followers(jaindharmonline.com). Jain migrated from India to other countries beginning with them migrating to Britain and British colonies. In the beginning, a number of â€Å"Gujarati† Jains migrated to coastal towns of East Africa and later moved inland, particularly to Kenya, to open businesses. The Jain community in India represents an affluent and influential minority of the population.Jains now mostly reside in north-east Africa. Buddhism, on the other hand, is the sixth largest religion by population. It has about 367 million followers and is7% of the worlds population(cia.gov). Buddhism spread along land routes of the Silk Road, it underwent profound change. There were great overland trade routes in those days and in later centuries too, that joined China even to the Mediterranean. Along these routes Buddhism spread to northwest India and beyond, along the east-west Silk Route. Hinnduisms origin is much more shrouded though, in terms of its religious development there are now two basic theories that attempt to explain how Hinduism first developed within India, and they both draw on the famous â€Å"ekam sat viprah bahudah vandanti verse† for their effectiveness. One suggests that at some time towards the end of the Indus Valley Civilization a group of nomadic people called the Aryans moved into northern India from the steppes of central Europe or even Asia Minor while the other theory suggests that Hinduism emerged out of India itself(Dasa). The beliefs for these three religions are mostly the same in essence, they were all founded on the beliefs of peace and prosperity. They are also known as â€Å"The Paths of Enlightenment†. Hinduism ,though believed by many to be a polytheistic religion, the basis of Hinduism is the belief in the unity of everything. This totality is called Brahman. The purpose of life is to realize that we are part of God and by doing so we can leave this plane of existence and rejoin with God. This enlightenment can only be achieved by going through cycles of birth, life and death known as samsara. Ones progress towards enlightenment is measured by his karma. This is the accumulation of all ones good and bad deeds and this determines the persons next reincarnation. Jainism has many similarities to Hinduism and Buddhism which developed in the same part of the world. They believe in karma and reincarnation as do Hindus, but they believe that enlightenment and liberation from this cycle can only be achieved through asceticism. In Buddhism, nirvana is freedom from the cycle of rebirth, when a being turns into a state of non-being, or Sunya, looses its identity and becomes nothing. These religions were all derived out of India which used the caste system for their government. The buildings made for these religions were all complex and amazing in nature. Buddhists temples were mostly built in natural environments, such as forests and tops of hills. Hindu temples were built in more urban environments and used red paints for most of their buildings and temples. And Jain temples were also built in more urban places and used beige and gold paints for their buildings and temples. These religions expanded in many different ways, they all originated in India, and started spreading throughout the world. The two that are most know today are Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism still has about 16 million followers though. Buddhist temples were built along the Silk Road for prayer for the travelers. Hindu kept most of their temples inside of India unlike the Jainist that moved to northern Africa. It spread outside of Magadha starting in the Buddhas lifetime, and with the reign of the Buddhist Mauryan Emperor Asoka, spread across Nepal straight down to China and all the way to Japan and became one of the dominant religions in these parts of Asia(Chung).Hinduism is a religion] of the Indian subcontinent of India, with 80.5% of the population identifying themselves as Hindus. The vast majority of Hindus in India belong to Vaishnavite and Shaivite denominations(Thompson Patts) As part of the reaction against Hinduism during its early years, Buddhism rejected the caste system and other forms of social stratification and instead set up an essentially egalitarian society. There are only two religiously important social groups: the monks, who have dedicated their lives to full time pursuit of religious goals, and everyone else. The monks, as a group, are called the sangha(uwacadweb.uwyo.edu). When the Aryans moved into northwest India, they imposed a caste system to organize the new society created by their arrival. The Hindus then put together a hierarchy of four varnas, which later was expanded to include a fifth category. The caste system, which the Hindus followed, initially served to maintain rigid social boundaries between the invaders and the previous inhabitants. By 80 A. D. the Jains were divided into two sects. The Svetambara or white clad live mainly in northern India today(Sprunger). They are more liberal in their interpretation of Mahavirals teaching regarding nudity and allow their monks to wear a white garment. Women are also allowed in their religion and monasteries accepting the possibility that they may find salvation(Sprunger).

The Blocking of Viber in Saudi Arabia

The Blocking of Viber in Saudi Arabia Mansour Alaithan Ali alakalifa INTRODUCTION What’s Viber ? Viber  is a app for instant messaging  also for Voice over IP  (VoIP) for smart phones  owned by Viber Media. Not only voice messaging but also users able send and receive images, video and audio media messages, Viber was founded by four  Israeli partners and they are Talmon Marco, Igor Megzinik, Sani Maroli and Ofer Smocha. Viber Mediais registered as a Cyprus company in  Las Vegas  and its development centers located in Belarus  and  Israel. The foundeders of the company are Talmon Marco  and Igor Megzinik, who are friends from the  Israel Defense Forces. The company is running from Israel, with lot of the app’s developments outsourced to Belarus in order to lower labor-costs. It was founded in 2010, with the four Israeli co-owner of the company who have each increased their exploitation by more than 30 times on the startups $900 million sale to  Rakuten. What happened? In March Saudi government have warned encrypted messaging services like Viber and others that would be blocked if they don’t provided a means to be monitored. The head manager Marco had refused to provide the requested data to Saudi officials. It was expected that Vibers free voice calls and text messaging service is no longer working in Saudi Arabia is not entirely unexpected. Telecoms regulator of Saudi Arabia had warned them also warned Skype and WhatsApp .they would be blocked if they did not provide the date requested . Saudis and expatriates that lives in Saudi Arabia were prompted by this warning to protest against this move. Others started to censor their messages, in case they were already being monitored. The head manager told BBC that Saudi IPS and mobile operator begun to asking for information about the internal workings of the service a couple of months ago of that time . Circumventing the problem: Marco said Viber had faced the same problem of blocking the app in other county. There, he said he believed the motive was political, but in Saudi Arabia it was unclear whether commercial interests might also be at stake. Marco ( the head of the messaging application) Viber has said people in Saudi Arabia have had basic freedoms taken away, after his service was blocked there. So we face here a freedom of speech problem . The head manager Marco told the BBC he did not know the reason for the move, but that Viber would be restored soon. So this problem rises couple of question, like what is the meaning of freedom of speech, what are the limits and law in Saudi Arabia, and what the ethical issue did Viber rises by not providing information. what is the meaning of freedom of speech Freedom of speechis the civil right to connect ones opinions and ideas. The word freedom of expressionis occasionally used synonymously, but contains any act of seeking, getting and telling information or ideas, nevertheless the medium used. Rules restrict speech with varying limits. Common limits on speech relate to slander, libel,  obscenity,  sedition,  pornography, incitement,  fighting words,  classified information,  hate speech,  copyright violation,  trade secrets,  non-disclosure agreements,  right to be forgotten,  right to privacy, public security,  public nuisance,  public order, campaign finance reform  and  oppression. Whether these limits can be defensible under the harmbe contingent upon whether manipulating a third partys opinions or activities harmfully to the second party founds such harm or not. The words offense principle is also usedto grow the range of free speech limits to forbid forms of expression where they are measured offensive to people, different interest groups or persons. For example, freedom of speech is limited in many rules to broadly different grades bysystems, religiousor  incitement to ethnic or racial hatredrules. Privacy Privacy is the gift of an individual or group to separate themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby definite themselves selectively. The limits and content of what is measured private vary among cultures and individuals, but share common themes. When something is private to a person, it usually means that something is integrally special or sensitive to them. The domain of privacy partly overlays security, which can include the ideas of appropriate use, as well as defense of information. Privacy may also take the procedure of bodily integrity. The right not to be subjected to illegal invasion of privacy by the government, businesses or individuals is part of many countries privacy laws, and in some cases, compositions. Almost all countries have laws which in some way bound privacy. An example of this would be law concerning assessment, which normally require the distribution of information about personal income or earnings. In some countries individual privacy may clash with freedom of speech laws and some laws may need public expose of information which would be measured private in other countries and cultures. Privacy may be willingly sacrificed, normally in exchange for professed benefits and very often with exact dangers and losses, while this is a very strategic view of human relations. In the business world, a person may agree personal details (frequently for advertising purposes) in order to bet on winning a prize. Private information which is voluntarily shared but then stolen or misused can chief to identity theft. what are the limits and law in Saudi Arabia Human rights in Saudi Arabia are proposed to be created on the Hanbali Islamic religious laws under complete rule of the Saudi royal family. Saudi Arabia has a Counter-Radicalization Program the drive of which is to fight the spread and appeal of intemperate beliefs among the general populous and to impart the true values of the Islamic faith, such as tolerance and moderation. This tolerance and control has been termed into problem by The Baltimore Sun, based on the reports from Amnesty International regarding Raif Badawi. Speech, the press and other methods of communicative media, containing television and radio broadcasting and Internet reception, are actively censored by the government to prevent political opposition and anything deemed, by the government, to be offensive to the Wahhabi culture or Islamic morality. In 2008, a noticeable Saudi blogger and reformist Fouad al-Farhan was caged for posting comments online that were dangerous of Saudi business, religious and media figures, signifying a move by the government to step up its censorship polices of the Internet within its limits. Online social media has progressively come under government search for dealing with the forbidden topics. In 2010 a Saudi man was punished and given jail time for his sexually suggestive YouTube video making. That same year another man was also caged and ordered to pay a fine for arrogant about his sex life on television. And there is a lot of other examples happened with similar problems. It show that the low in Saudi Arabia does not tolerate any action that against the religion or the security of the country in anyway and allowing a free call like Viber and other that share tons of information without being monitor by the government is can cause an infringement of the rules in Saudi Arabia . That’s add a pros to the Saudi Arabia side that they have a right to ask for information. It’s the country rights to track down and search for crimes and protect the religions lows. But still one problem is the privacy of the people and that’s a pros in Viber side. So how this issue is unethical to privacy and what are the limits and the concept of privacy in Saudi Arabia Privacy in Saudi Arabia Data Safety under Shariah Values Shariah ethics protect each individual’s right to privacy and forbid any assaults thereon. In Shariah principles, revelation of secrets is forbidden except inter alia where the owner of the relevant secret agrees to such confession or if the public attention requires so. The Holy Qu’ran and the Sunnah do not specify a consequence for revelation of secrets; however, as clarified above, such release may be punishable by a value that a judge, in his discretion, deems right and fair. Such consequence may include a fine, imprisonment or scarcity of certain rights such as suspension of a practicing license. Data Protection under Saudi Arabian Law In general, there is no exact data protection law in KSA. Therefore, in the absence of specific necessities on data protection, Saudi Arabian courts and adjudicatory bodies will understand data privacy abuses under general Shariah principles, which are, as described above, often sent in general terms and afford courts and adjudicatory bodies huge discretion. We understand, however, that a new individual data protection law is under review by the Shura Council Discussions and Recommendations The Saudi government should have the right to protect its people and the whole system. Meanwhile the Viber wants to give the privacy to its user which is what people needs. Saudi Arabia follows the Shariah which proved the privacy to people , and that why it should and not block it just to monitor the users private message in KSA , and by return it and unblock the service , they’ve done the right thing . Conclusions Saudi Arabia tried to provide the security to people but did not puts in count the other basic fundamental right which is providing privacy to people. References: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22806848 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viber#Company http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia#Freedom_of_press_and_communication Data Protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Primer Noor Al-Fawzan and Omar Elsayed

The Great Gatsby Essay -- Literary Analysis, F. Scott Fitzgerald

In the 1920s the values and morals of the majority of America were changing from very conservative to extremely liberal. People became more interested in what benefited them most, while disregarding what the cost would be. This is what essentially gave this era the title of â€Å"The Roaring Twenties†. The total rebellion of people changing from having a great set of morals and values to being corrupt and materialistic entirely reshaped the start of this era. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Nick Carraway to show the worldly view of what good values and morals should be against the skewed values of Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby. Nick Carraway is portrayed by Fitzgerald as a small town guy from the Middle West that, while purpose-driven, isn’t focused as much on being wealthy as being successful. This is very evident when Nick’s new house is introduced. He describes it by saying, My house was an eye-sore, but it was a small eye-sore and had been overlooked so I had a view of the water, a partial view of my neighbor’s lawn and the consoling proximity of millionaires – all for eighty dollars a month (Fitzgerald 9-10). Nick knows he does not have the biggest and best house on the block, and he doesn’t really care. He takes pride in the fact that he is making away for himself and getting to live in a first class neighborhood. Harold Bloom supports this when he says, â€Å"Compared to Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, Nick has modest means and modest desires† (1). These quotes both back up the fact that Nick is not a money-craving American. He is content with where he is in his life. Nick was also taught to be non-judgmental and to use his mind to succeed. The readers see this when Nick repeats father’s is advise when he is younger an... ...ay the wide difference between good and right morals and values of the 1920s and corrupt and superficial morals and values of that era. The â€Å"Roaring Twenties† was becoming full of people that are focused solely on satisfying their own wants and desires, instead of what would propel them further in life. The world had just gotten out of a war and was enjoying every minute of its life. It was a total change from people who had been extremely conservative, always living life by the book, to a whole new generation of liberals who would change the way Americans lived their life. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a great example of the diversity of values at that time. He made sure to include every criteria, from old money to new money, humbleness and pride, and true love versus love for money, these are all aspects that help to form a persons morals and values.

Response Journal for “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro Essay

Alice Munro’s â€Å"Boys and Girls† tries to view a young girl’s rite of passage into womanhood, through a limited feminist perspective. The narrator battles with conformity on a 1940’s Canadian Fox Farm. As this time period was still centred on male dominance, her desire to become a powerful woman wastes away when she finally submits to the rules that society has imposed on her. The story is written in first person narration and is seen through the eyes of a young and free-spirited girl. The themes of this story are self-discovery, stereotypes, and rebellion. To portray these themes, literary devices such as allusion, similes and situational irony were used. Allusion is present in the line â€Å"his favourite book in the world was Robinson Crusoe,† as the author attempts to portray the father’s inventive nature by relating it to a well-known novel. Similes can be seen in the narrator’s descriptions of her environment as she states that the â€Å"snowdrifts curled around the house like sleeping whales,† to bring to attention the howling of the winds. Situational irony is evident throughout the story because the narrator despises her mother for being a woman and working in the house, but in the end, she too develops into a woman and takes on the roles of the title. This story of inequality between the sexes appropriately opens with a detailed account of the narrator’s father. The narrator describes every aspect of her father’s life, including his occupation, and even his friends. Throughout this first part of the story, the narrator’s mother is virtually inexistent, outside her disapproval of her husband’s pelting business. The reader is left uncertain about the mother’s whereabouts, but is aware that the father figure is somewhat of an idol in the narrator’s mind. As a young girl, the narrator, holding on to her carefree spirit and strong sense of individualism, is unaware of the constraints of her gender. Although she is the main character, the narrator is not given a name. This seems to enhance her lack of purpose in society, and stresses that the attitude of the narrator is not that of just one woman, but women in general. Munro’s decision to allow the narrator to remain nameless assists in the progress and significance of the character. The narrator’s brother, however, is given the name of Laird. Synonymous with â€Å"lord,† the boy’s name plays an important role in outlining the rules society has forced upon the narrator. This name symbolizes society’s favouritism towards men, and how the male child was superior in the eyes of the parents. The fact that the narrator remained anonymous, whilst her brother was given the name of Lord, signifies the difference between the sexes at the time. It is quite odd that Munro used the girl to portray the feelings of female stereotyping of this story. Munro captures the attention of her audience through the lines, â€Å"It was an odd thing to see my mother down at the barn. She did not often come out of the house unless it was to do something- hang out the wash or dig potatoes in the garden.† These lines are full of sexism and serve only to relay the common roles that women were forced into. Although aware that the girl would much rather spend time with her father, the family constantly attempts to encourage her to act as a proper girl should. The fact that the narrator idolizes her father, just provides further proof of her strive to gain equality. As the girl grows older, the pressure from her family becomes more intense. The narrator’s grandmother comes off as the perfect example of the how women were thought of at the time. Having been raised in a time where the rules imposed on women were even stricter, the grandmother best voices what the attitude of a girl should be. The narrator, however, refuses to listen to the advice offered to her, and responds with defiance. The girl still seems to believe that if she does not conform to society’s rules, she can hold on to her freedom and will somehow be able to escape with her individuality. It is only through the killing of the horse, Flora, that the narrator finally assumes her appropriate gender roles and enters her rite of passage. To help Flora escape her inevitable fate, the narrator leaves the gate open. It seems as though the narrator believed that it was the gate that held Flora back from the freedom she was entitled to. Flora, however, could never escape her fate and was eventually caught and killed. Through Flora’s death,  the narrator comes to realize that her acts of disobedience will always be in vain because her fate is unavoidable. The gate symbolizes the girl’s hope of liberation outside of the farm. The war against society could not be won, so she gives up and proceeds to help her mother with dinner. By assuming the roles of a woman, she completes her rite of passage into womanhood. The killing of Flora also leads to Laird’s rite of passage, though in his case this is the cause of different reasoning. Whereas the narrator learns that she cannot escape her fate, Laird visualizes a new life for himself. He reaches maturity by priding himself in his kill, symbolized by the horse’s blood. He boasts to his mother about the blood on his arm, and feels as though he is finally man enough to stand beside his dad. This is part of the symbolism behind the name â€Å"Boys and Girls,† as the contrasting natures of the two children are portrayed. In order to advance her feminist viewpoint, Munro touches upon only the minor aspects of the female stereotypes. She focuses on the girl’s newfound interest for fashion, beauty and decor to portray her femininity, rather than the harsher traits that were frequently placed on women. The author uses this limited feminism to stress the fact that this protest and change were the actions of a mere child that had not yet seen the full effects of prejudice. When taking into consideration the time period and setting, it can be clearly understood why the narrator and her brother both conformed to their gender-specific roles. As the world entered into the Second World War, women replaced their husbands in the workforce and started gaining recognition. However, because this story takes place in the rural side of Canada, the war’s social impact does not seem to have yet reached this area. The narrator’s mother being just a simple housewife causes the narrator to have a negative bias towards her, illustrating how women are looked down upon by society. Through her ultimate disapproval of her father’s inhumane occupation, the narrator reveals a side that is driven by emotion. Her concern for the helpless animal’s well-being displays her affectionate and loving character. Alice Munro’s story of â€Å"Boys and Girls† is an enlightening tale of the struggle that each child undergoes in discovering their own identity. The author insists throughout the story that the narrator’s acceptance of her place in society is influenced by her family and setting. Her resistance is useless because she has no choice but to conform into a proper woman. She is forced to hide her yearning for individualism in order to be socially acceptable. Current literature uses the feminist approach to convey the views of oppressed women, but Munro’s use of the limited amount of feminism allows the reader to make up their own opinion on the matter.

Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay Sample

Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay Sample The Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay The Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay The celebrity culture continues to be elevated significantly. The culture, which according to Marshall (2006) involves the elevation of personalities into the public limelight, has become deeply entrenched in societies, which is partly so due to the role played by it in the mass media. In the past, avenues such as TV and radio stations were the most popular channels. However, in the present times, technology has opened its doors for the use of social media to propagate the culture in various ways. The current paper explores para-social interaction, celebrity status and political power, van Krieken’s celebrity society, new social media, celebrities, as well as religion and celebrities. Para-Social Interaction Among the most notable features of the new mass media is the face-to-face illusion created by the performing artists. The circumstances of responses to the celebrities are comparable to those across primary groups (Donald, Wohl 2006). Thus, viewers perceive the illustrious artists as if they are within the same sphere. Hence, the para-social relationship is defined by the personal association that the new mass media creates. For example, if looking at television shows, the image that is presented relies on appearance and gesture nuances which capture attention of ordinary social imaginations. In the above mentioned instances, actors often face spectators and employ directness in addressing or talking. The approach influences the latter into thinking that they are directly engaged, at a personal level. On its part, the audience responds by actively participating in the shows through subtle insinuations. The process goes on, as performers alter their behaviours to suit their audiences , and vice versa. The conversational simulacrum, involving ‘give and take’, constitutes para-social interaction (Donald, Wohl 2006). Such interactions are not subject to sense, effort and responsibility governance on the audience. Spectators are free to withdraw from engagement any moment. However, if the involvement continues, the relationship provides a framework for adding some fantasy. Differences are encountered based on experiences which often demonstrate the lack of reciprocity, although the audience can do nothing about the concern. The audience is also at a disadvantage because it can only withdraw from engagements, if unsatisfied. In the present times, programs full of celebrity rumors keep increasing. In such shows, petty issues form the agenda for discussion. Surprisingly, large numbers of people are addicted to following the programs for entertainment or to catch up on fashion trends. In this regard, the social relationship conveys a message that largely centers on challenging social norms. Thus, individuals who feel that the time has come to escape from the confines of routine are more likely to find the shows attractive. In the case of radio and TV, the persona reflects archetypal indigenous individual of the scene that the media presents (Donald, Wohl 2006). Besides attempting to portray the character as familiar and intimate, pervasiveness and closeness are also thoroughly put into consideration. Surprisingly, such personae claim they have intimacy with crowds, comprising of strangers. Hence, the intimacy is an imitation that is aimed at satisfying the protracted goals. Nevertheless, the high number of recipients seems happy about the association. The fact that the members who form the audience are invited using some informal channels show that celebrities are interested in ‘deceiving’ them into believing that they are relating at a personal level. Thus, through the creation and enhancement of fantasy, celebrities are in a position to generate many followers who ensure that the culture is sustained. The intimacy bond is integral for the development of a personal relationship between the celebrity and audience (Donald, Wohl 2006). The bottom-line lies in the creation of an intimacy illusion, since the relationship between the two parties is definitely one-sided. In creating the illusionary image, the persona duplicates gestures and conversational styles that are visible only in face-to-face encounters. The trend accounts for the high level of casualness that invitations of concerts take. The idea is to create an impression among fans that they are engaged personally. Similarly, spectators maintain small talks that demonstrate that indeed the connection is individual-based. Celebrity Status Political Power Both social and political fields keep changing with time. In the present times, celebrities are using their popularity or elevated images to influence public opinion. Given the high level of fame that such personalities enjoy, their public utterances on various issues normally alter the way the public assesses matters proposed or supported by politicians (Merkel 2013). It is apparent that celebrities have the public attention. Hence, when they raise objections to matters affecting the people, chances of swaying opinions increase significantly. Despite the growing influence of celebrities, it is arguable that their power does not match that of politicians in shaping public opinion on governance issues. On the contrary, celebrities seem to hold more power regarding social matters, such as fashion. Nevertheless, their role in politics continues to rise. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most notable celebrities who have managed to take their influence from the celebrity status to publ ic office. The need for information is central towards the decision whether celebrities should play a role in politics. Given that information is useful in decision-making, the public needs its possession to arrive at sound choices. However, not all the individuals are equally informed. As a result, such persons are likely to make poorly deliberated decisions and celebrities emerge and influence them. However, such occurrences always happen, given the fact that high levels of apathy continue to affect many democracies. The implication is that the influence from celebrities on politics is growing in stature, although it might not inform audiences on what is right. In practice, celebrity figures are more likely to support their friends, instead of important issues or principles. However, in cases where celebrities base their support for issues on principle, they are likely to have a significant influence on politics. Another concern is that celebrity influence might deny a common person of a chan ce to assess issues being addressed by blindly taking the position being supported by the popular stars (Merkel 2013). Taking into consideration that a big percentage of people do not follow political debates, they are highly likely to take similar positions of those taken by celebrity figures. The connection between celebrities and politics lies on the former’s ability to provoke both positive and negative reactions on social and political matters. However, sometimes they exploit their statuses to access certain provisions or privileges, as well as support from political figures in a bid to further their personal political activism. According to Merkel (2013), celebrity power is viewed in terms of the possessions of popular personalities that allow them to form social capital that they use when engaging the public. Owing to the power that celebrities have, they are able to publically tangle in hegemonic negotiations and struggles. Celebrities are constructions that are maintained through a combination of industry promotional activities and subordinates, such as people. In the absence of the two categories, celebrities cannot exist. The author proposes the need to investigate how celebrities influence audiences in creating meaning and understanding issues under discussion. In his observations Merkel (2013) claims that through their social status, politicians have found that star personalities are useful in creating a certain image on voters. The development explains the preference for such figures in political campaigns and other political activities. Van Krieken’s Celebrity Society Van Krieken (2012) has explored the celebrity society. According to van Krieken (2012), celebrity figures attract wide attention from the media (films, internet, books, magazines and television). The above author observes that the emergency of modernity is central to the rise of a new crop of star figures who are dominating social life. van Krieken (2012) also demonstrates that, as a culture, celebritism is beyond the Hollywood activities, given that it is a long-running historical process that started with art, theatre and print press. By looking outside the precincts of the existing accounts of the celebrity culture, van Krieken (2012) focused on the constantly changing social structures and practices. Further, van Krieken (2012) assesses moral grammar, political economy, legal order, and the construction of self-identity based on attention, recognition and distribution of visibility. The author explains that the contemporary celebrity culture is a product of the court society which emerged after the democratization of a number of functions that were carried out by the aristocracy/ruling class. Similarly, van Krieken (2012) observes that the ‘economics of attention’ has risen to play a significant role in the development of the celebrity society. Attention is proving to be critical and valuable in the current information/digital age. In the court society, social associations are structured on the lines of the princely or royal system that was dominant across Europe in the Middle Ages. The court society presented a form of social organization that placed some individuals on top of others. The emergency of alternative leadership to aristocracy placed an emphasis on hard work, rather than ascription. Despite all the attempts to bring rationality to social life, bourgeois which was the alternative leadership failed to accomplish the mission, as anticipated, given some form of irrationality remained as reflected in celebrity worship. With the advancement in information technology and the development in social media, a show-off culture has developed among people all over the world. In particular, the young generations have sunk into the habit of sharing their new possessions on platforms, such as Instagram. Star figures, on such avenues, enjoy massive following. As a result, it is easy to find celebrities positing their activities and items on the sites from time to time. Through acts of this nature, the culture of consumerism is supported and taken to a new level. Van Krieken (2012) argued that although the concept of culture has its virtues, it lacks adeptness unless given a particular and an unusual definition. The author cites the inability to capture aspects that go beyond values, attitudes, behavior, ways of life, and cognitive orientations in order to understand economic, social and political structures and institutional bases of experience, such as what emanates from the celebrity customs. Reasoning alongside celebrity lines tends to demonstrate that a given obsession about a select class of people in the society. Although acknowledging that celebrity is a politically institutionalized phenomenon, van Krieken (2012) argued that social structuring is also critical towards understanding the assigning, distribution and organization of the status. In essence, van Krieken (2012) sees the celebrity culture as an institutionalized social life. New Social Media and Celebrities Without a doubt, social media has emerged as a leading contributor to the glorification of the celebrity culture. The media uses its ability to set and dictate agendas to thrust celebrities into the public domain. As a result, it is not surprising that social media has radically brought the culture into focus. Despite a number of issues taking place at a time, stories on tabloids and magazines gravitate on celebrity life, as observed by North, Bland Ellis (2005). It is fascinating that instead of concentrating on issues affecting tangible issues, media outlets are attentive to the celebrity syndrome. However, celebrity coverage remains trivial, and it also lacks in substance. For example, informing society about the clothes that a musician adorns amounts to pure trivia. In the present times, the celebrity culture has become tied to the new social media. The relationship between the two parties is mutually beneficial and, sometimes, destructive. The celebrity culture is profoundly entrenched in the media, such that in the absence of the latter, the former ceases to exist. By running constant updates about celebrity persons, the media attracts many followers. In the current times, having a big numbers of flowers enhances the ability of an entity to secure sales and marketing contracts. As a result, a lot of followers are beneficial both to celebrities and social media, as the relationship between the parties helps in to generate revenue. Apart from benefits, such as those listed above, some downsides are witnessed as well. In particular, the media always keeps a close check on celebrity figures, such that the individuals in question lack the freedom to go about their daily lives without scrutiny. Moreover, the media seems to be more focused on negativ e stories than productive ones. The media does not worry about criticism, so longer is generates viewer or visitor traffic. Although almost all celebrities can thank the media for the role it plays in elevating them into stardom, such personalities can also raise their concerns about the role of such avenues in bringing them down. Figures, such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, are examples of the role of both the media in undermining artists. Taking Spears as an example, she was labeled a sensational figure but once her career nosedived, the same media began tearing her apart. In practice, it is commonly remarked that, â€Å"no publicity is bad publicity†. However, negative publicity is only productive if the star in question is viewed as a product. Thus, social media will carry stories to generate traffic on their sites. By sensationalizing stories, the media is able to create content and attract visitors with the intention of elevating its position as a largely visited site. The overall aim is to convince marketers that such a platform is the best tool to reach a high number of existing and potential customers. Such a culture perpetuates commercial imperialism because social media outlets do not pay attention to the feelings of the celebrities. On the contrary, generation of revenue is what matters for the media platforms. It appears that at the personal level, the relationship between the media and celebrities is not necessarily positive, although the association between the two in a commercial sense is largely satisfactorily. Religion and Celebrity The relationship between religion and celebrity culture emerges based on a number of observations. Citing Emily Durkheim, Marshall (2006) observed that religion’s power to unite a community was influential because it provided what he termed as collective effervescence (state of excitement). However, the role of religion dwindles as morality centered on individualism advances. The equilibrium principle sets into operation to counterbalance the changes in order to ensure stability when the place of religion comes under threat in societies. Accordingly, it is a rational development that a decline in the influence of religion results in a new development that is based on celebrity worship. As it was mentioned above, religion generates an effervescence feeling in people. Thus, in the face religion’s declining power, star performers in various fields rise to fill the void left. Academic studies have shown that celebrity culture is assuming the place of religion. Arguing based on research, Arnould and Thompson (2005) found that the DNA structuring of human beings predisposed them to be social beings. As pointed earlier, religion’s primary role is to provide leadership, an aspect that coincides with the human nature of following. Based on the above account, following star performers is a natural process for people, since celebrities are individuals who have excelled in different spheres of life. In the eyes of the audiences/followers, the artists who scale high levels of success in life are worthy emulating. This is the case because they are viewed as role models. Hence, it is arguable that celebrity worship is similar to religion because the two play the same function of providing leadership about life. Ideally, religion should provide leadership regarding what individuals are expected to do (McCutcheon, Scott, Arugate and Parker 2006). Conventionally, religion shaped people’s lives, given that it provided values and norms for people to abide by. Celebrity figures have also taken the role, since a big percentage of their followers focus on matching their lives. Thus, it is arguable that celebrity worship equates to religion. McCutcheon, Scott, Arugate and Parker (2006) observed that historically, societies always collected in crowds to follow those viewed as capable of leadership. As a result, celebrity worship has existed from ancient times, just as religion did. However, nowadays, the media has blown the issue out of proportion. Regardless of such variations, it is apparent that the culture of celebrity worship competes with that of religion, given that both attempt to provide guidelines on leading life. Evolutionary biology is also among the fields that assist in demonstrating the connection between celebrity culture and religion. Referring to evolutionary biology, McCutcheon, Scott, Arugate and Parker (2006) observed that human beings always aspire to emulate people who do excel in a given fields. Such a trend was present even during prehistoric times, as individuals who outperformed others earned respect. For instance, successful hunters were viewed as heroes. However, following the end of the significance of such practice, their prowess lost value. In the current times, people count on top performers whom they rank as role models. Fundamentally, its performance is a major factor in evaluating the contribution of people. In conclusion, it is held that religion and celebrity culture have many similarities, although the latter seems to be on an upward trend while the former is on a decline.

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When I first started reading â€Å"Into the Wild,† I thought to myself, â€Å"Why exactly is this boy leaving everything that he knew and loved to go on this journey?† Put himself in complete danger by hitchhiking his way ALONE to Alaska. He gave up all of his possessions and the $25,000 that he had saved up to charity. What was the point? In the end, it shows that the only way that this story could’ve turned out, was him lying dead and decomposing and found by a moose hunter. How else could the story have turned out besides that way? McCandless had nothing. Nothing at all, nothing to support himself in any way whatsoever. In the beginning of this book, there is an author’s note, basically telling everyone the story plot and what will, in the end, happen to this young man on his way to â€Å"living off the wild.† It tells his real name, Christopher Johnson McCandless, also, it tells that he had given $25,000 in saving to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Chris McCandless came from what most people would like to call a â€Å"well-to-do† family on the East Coast. The boy was probably no more than 19 years old, but was on his way to a life of his own by hitchhiking to Alaska into the wilderness. He graduated from Emory University in the summer of 1990, but shortly afterwards; McCandless was not seen for quite some time by his family and peers. He had invented a new life for himself by now wandering across North America in search of himself. His family had no idea where he was or even where to start looking. McCandless was a stubborn young man and did not mesh well with what was considered modern society. He was captivated by the writings of Leo Tolstoy. He admired how the great novelist had a life of wealth and privilege. Chris McCandless was out in the wilderness for sixteen weeks. In the end, he was found by a moose hunter, dead... Free Essays on Exploratory Essay Free Essays on Exploratory Essay When I first started reading â€Å"Into the Wild,† I thought to myself, â€Å"Why exactly is this boy leaving everything that he knew and loved to go on this journey?† Put himself in complete danger by hitchhiking his way ALONE to Alaska. He gave up all of his possessions and the $25,000 that he had saved up to charity. What was the point? In the end, it shows that the only way that this story could’ve turned out, was him lying dead and decomposing and found by a moose hunter. How else could the story have turned out besides that way? McCandless had nothing. Nothing at all, nothing to support himself in any way whatsoever. In the beginning of this book, there is an author’s note, basically telling everyone the story plot and what will, in the end, happen to this young man on his way to â€Å"living off the wild.† It tells his real name, Christopher Johnson McCandless, also, it tells that he had given $25,000 in saving to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Chris McCandless came from what most people would like to call a â€Å"well-to-do† family on the East Coast. The boy was probably no more than 19 years old, but was on his way to a life of his own by hitchhiking to Alaska into the wilderness. He graduated from Emory University in the summer of 1990, but shortly afterwards; McCandless was not seen for quite some time by his family and peers. He had invented a new life for himself by now wandering across North America in search of himself. His family had no idea where he was or even where to start looking. McCandless was a stubborn young man and did not mesh well with what was considered modern society. He was captivated by the writings of Leo Tolstoy. He admired how the great novelist had a life of wealth and privilege. Chris McCandless was out in the wilderness for sixteen weeks. In the end, he was found by a moose hunter, dead...