Discrimination Of The African Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Discrimination Of The African Americans - Essay Example However, the development in Southern part of America has been slow due to the presence of the ethnic group of African American. They are the people who faced dominance and low status in the nation due to their skin color. They have been deprived of various rights affecting their social and economic position1. The life of the people in this period has been was different and the amenities received depended a lot on their ethnicity and race. In this essay, the history and life of the African American are depicted who are facing challenges since 1877. In the year 1928, the life of the native people and the African Americans is dissimilar due to the presence of strong governance giving rise to inequality and a lack of self-esteem along with respect. In the current situation i.e. 1928, as an undergraduate student at Howard University, the perceived highs and lows of African Americans are being explored with the argument in between the period of 1877 to 1928. The African Americans live majo rly in the south and the prevailing challenging situation in the nation is affecting the lives of farmers. The jobs that are provided to the people of higher ranks are in the mines, tobacco, and ores. The blacks are deprived of every facility even if they have the potential than the whites. The educated blacks are positioned under the whites in order to suppress them. The position of the blacks although large in number is suppressed by the whites-only because of their color. Moreover, the women of the African American origin are forced to work for the whites as slaves. This is one of the low points faced by African Americans since 1877. This implies that according to the whites, the skin color is the only criteria for the people to get a job and status in the society irrespective of the fact the person has enormous potential2.

Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics Essay Example for Free

Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics Essay Liberalism remains hugely influential in British Politics, moulding the value systems and policies of all the mainstream political parties.’ Discuss. The prime focus of Liberalism is freedom and liberty; the type of liberty they strive for depends, however, on which of the two types of Liberalism is being referred to. Firstly; classical Liberalism, believing in negative freedom and progressive Liberalism leaning more towards positive freedom. I would argue that Liberalism does still have an influence in British politics; however I would not go as far as to say that it is ‘hugely’ influential. Firstly, I would outline that the Labour Party is possibly the least liberal in their political approach. Their manifesto does not set out many liberal policies due to their economical stance. The fact that Labour is traditionally a moderately socialist party, concentrating on equality within society and for this reason, they would steer away from the free-market and limited government intervention approaches that liberals may take to politics. The limited government that Classical liberals see as ideal would not appeal to the Labour party as they strive for the equality of their citizens and would feel that they need to impose policies, such as their policy on housing set out in their 2010 manifesto ‘No stamp duty for first-time buyers on all house purchases below  £250,000 for two years, paid for by a five per cent rate on homes worth more than  £1 million.’ This policy shows a socialist side to New Labour, highlighting a ‘from each according to his ability, to each according to his need’ ideology within Labour politics. However, progressive liberalism may be seen to have had more of an influence on Labour Party politics. The fact that the Labour party believes in imposing policies of equality on society implies that they value positive freedom. Policies put forward such as the Equality Bill; which has been justified as a consolidation measure bringing different strands of anti-discrimination law together while implementing EU directives; highlight the controlled aspect of the Labour party’s equality regime. It could be argued that in the past, aspects of Liberalism, although neither truly Classical or Progressive, such as Neo-Liberalism have had a significant influence on British politics as well as the policies and value systems of the Conservative party in particular. During Thatcher’s time in office, she highlighted an ideal of a pragmatic means to progress. The Thatcherite Conservative party saw Neo-Liberalism as an obvious way to adapt to the constantly changing nature of modern political thought. Tony Blair’s New Labour could also be seen as a Neo-Liberal third way government, on both a social and economic scale. The current Conservative party however, seem to be significantly less affected by Liberalism. Arguably, the free-market ideals that Cameron appears to hold are seen as Neo-Liberal; however, it is apparent that in the current coalition government that Britain is currently led by, this free-market and Neo-Liberal philosophy has been limited to the catch-all demands of mainstream politics. This is apparent in Conservative economic policies such as that put forward in their 2010 pre-general election manifest: ‘A five per cent pay cut for Ministers followed by a five-year freeze, and a 10 per cent reduction in the number of MPs.’ This policy in itself shows how Cameron’s Conservative party are trying to appeal to the masses in controlling the pay of ministers. This does not necessarily denote a free-market approach to the economy and does not play into the meritocratic values that have been seen in the Conservative party in the past. It could also be argued however, that more prominent economic policies put forward in the Conservative manifesto pre-2010 have shown that Cameron’s Conservatives are moving toward the Neo-Liberal, Thatcherite ideology that the Conservative party once had. Although this may not have been the case when Cameron first became the leader of the Conservative party in 2005, aspects of his party’s general election manifesto in 2010, such as: ‘Reduce welfare dependency’ and ‘Stopping tax credits to families with incomes over  £50,000’ have proven to have shown the party’s shift back towards Thatcherite economic politics. These policies show a move back towards meritocratic society and a distinct step away from the ‘something for nothing’ culture that has emerged in modern Britain. Finally, the Liberal Democrats; both by name and by nature; are arguably more influenced by Liberalism than any other mainstream political party. Progressive Liberalism can be seen clearly in certain aspects of their recent policies, on education for example: ‘Cutting class sizes to ensure children get the individual attention they need.’ This is a fine example of how the Liberal Democrats would like to impose positive liberty and freedom on its citizens; cutting class sizes would increase individual attention and therefore arguably create more freedom and liberty for pupils in the long-term. It could also be argued however, that the Liberal Democrats are no longer such a liberal party, but more of a third way political party; much like the Conservative and Labour parties who have shifted towards the centre of political ideals and values in order to also become more ‘catch-all’ and appeal to the masses. In conclusion, I would argue that broadly Liberalism is not hugely influential in British politics as a whole and does not necessarily mould the value systems and policies of all the mainstream political parties. However, I would argue that liberalism still remains influential in certain specific parts of each party’s policies and value systems; therefore remaining an influential force, to an extent, in British politics.

The Fixer: Irony :: Bernard Malamud The Fixer

The Fixer: Irony Irony is an overpowering force in Bernard Malamud's The Fixer. The sequence of events which Yakov Bok goes through makes the entire novel ironic. The chief irony of the novel lies in the fact that what Bok is attempting to escape, he cannot escape. To understand the irony in the novel, it is necessary to examine two major events in the circular life of Yakov Bok. Bok is attempting the escape his life in the shetl. He is wrongly persecuted for a ritual murder and attempts to escape his physical and mental torture. In each case, Bok is attempting to escape his Jewishness. The novel has an overall ironic tone. Bok leaves the shetl in which he has lived the majority of his life to go to Kiev. In Kiev Bok hopes to find opportunities for work and education. Mainly, though, Bok seeks relief from his earlier shame of being cuckolded. While in the shetl Bok sees himself as a victim of his wife's barrenness (Unger 447 ). The irony lies in the fact that that even after escaping the shetl and being in a different kind of hell, prison, Bok's life in the shetl comes back to haunt him. Bok learns of a child that Raisl has had with her lover and gives his bitter sentence of "a black cholera upon her" ( Malamud 254 ). The one thing that might have given him happiness in his life before has now gone to someone else. This event brings Yakov shame that he could not father a child with Raisl while another man could. Thus, the problems of the shetl which Bok has tried so desperately to escape have come back to haunt him once again. Bok's life is very circular. Later in the novel, Raisl visits Yakov in prison in an attempt to end her own ostracism in the shetl. Yakov could here exact some kind of revenge upon Raisl by allowing her to be ostracized for having an illegitimate child the way he was ostracized for being cuckolded. However, Yakov eventually signs the document which says "I declare myself to be the father of Chaim, the infant son of my wife Raisl Bok... Please help the mother and child, and for this, amid all my troubles, I'll be grateful" ( 262). Bok, now having on paper what he once wanted most, a son, cannot enjoy it.

The Impact of Global Warming on Human Health Essay -- Environmental Gl

The Impact of Global Warming on Human Health   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the world, the presence of particular diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on the local climate. Extreme variation in temperature can directly, and indirectly, cause the loss of human life. The threat of a gradual increase in temperature could be catastrophic to the world, as we know it. In 1999, a heat wave killed more than 250 people in Chicago alone (Union of Concerned Scientists). Many consider such an event as a natural disaster. However, scientists warn the average global temperature has increase 0.5  ° F in the past 40 years. This is half of the total increase in surface temperature, 1 °F, since the late 19th century. At its current rate, the global temperature could rise 2 ° to 6 °F in the next 100 years (Union of Concerned Scientist).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Such a drastic increase in the rate of temperature increase is due to the industrial revolution. In the past 40 years, the world has seen a drastic increase in population and the use of fossil fuels (gasoline, oil, coal or natural gas). These fuels are used to run our cars, heat and cool our homes, manufacture goods in our factories and to ship goods for worldwide consumption. The focus, until lately, has been to produce maximum product at a minimum price to maximize profit. Little to no care was taken to minimize the amount of fossil fuels used in the production of goods. Recently, it has become evident that such practices lead to the production of greenhouse gases. Whenever fossil fuels are burned for energy, greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide builds up in the earth’s atmosphere (Union of Concerned Scientists).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason why greenhouse gases have increased is due to the decrease in the amount of plant life, commonly called deforestation. Plant life is the only thing known on earth to consume carbon dioxide. However, due to the need of raw materials (wood and paper pulp), industrial nations tend to cut down more trees than they can reforest (Fuller 454). Also, toxins produced as a by-product of industrialization have killed plant life. Therefore, a greater amount of carbon dioxide is being produced at the same time less carbon dioxide is being consumed, leading to dangerous consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The combination of pollutants and deforestation has lead to what is commonly called the Greenhouse Effect. The term... ...ure on the government to create legislation that will save the environment as well as keep our energy rates low and stable. Such legislation is almost impossible. A good first step for the government would be to create effective, mass public transportation such as the train and subway systems of Europe. However, we the residents of this planet, also must do our part to reduce our role in polluting the environment. After all, we are the ones who have to live with, or die from, the consequences of our actions. Works Cited Buchholz, Rogene A. Principles of Environmental Management. (1984). Christianson, Gale E. Greenhouse: The 200-Year Story of Global Warming. (1999). Fuller, Jim. â€Å"Ministers Unable to Reach Agreement at Climate Change Conference†. November 25, 2005. Http://globalchange.gov/news/hague_conference_2005_1125.html Leggett, Jeremy. The Climate Time Bomb: Signs of Climate Change from The Greenpeace Database (Amsterdam, Netherlands: Stichting Greenpeace Council, 1994). Revkin, Andrew. Global Warming: Understanding the Forecast.(2004). Union of Concerned Scientist. â€Å"Safeguarding the web of life: Global Environment†. June 29, 2006. http://www.uscusa.org

A Traveler’s Guide to Gifts and Bribes

Financial Management Policy Professor: Ms. Gleason A Traveler's Guide to Gifts and Bribes Harvard Business Review Why might bribery become a problem for U. S. managers working in foreign countries? The FCPA was structured to help U. S. companies understand what bribery is, and what is or is not acceptable behavior at home and in other countries. The confusing issue is that even with this guidance, it is not always clear what exactly is to be considered a bribe. Under the Act, not all payments are deemed to be bribes. FCPA doesn’t forbid payments to lesser figures, it allows bribes to facilitate ongoing business activities, as there is no monetary guideline it requires companies to keep reasonable records of the transaction. Brides given to influence political decisions are banned and usually small payments that are designed to get a foreign official to perform a non-discretionary function. The distinction between the two is blurred. Confounding this is that many U. S. business people do not know what is permitted and what is not, as there is no clear guidance. As there is no clear guidance on what you can and can’t do working with foreign countries a lot of U. S. Managers could actually be offering bribes that should actually be banned. This creates no equal opportunity for everyone; the foreign company will go with whomever’s bribe seems to be greater. This will create a huge problem because this is where a lot of U. S. manger will cross the line just to win the business. What are the major features of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)? The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) was enacted in 1977 and substantially revised in 1988. The FCPA generally prohibits corrupt payments to foreign officials. To complement this prohibition, the FCPA has accounting provisions that require maintenance of transparent and complete financial records. The Justice Department enforces the anti-bribery provisions, while the Securities and Exchange Commission has jurisdiction over the accounting requirements. The key provisions of the FCPA are as follows: (Hart, 2001)    * The FCPA prohibits payments (including promises to pay) of anything of value to nfluence, corruptly (with corrupt intent), the discretion of a foreign official to do something in violation of his or her official duty; to obtain, retain, or direct business; or to gain any improper advantage. * The FCPA prohibits indirect payments, as well. These provisions also apply to acts of a non-U. S. representative that is attributable to the U. S. party. * The FCPA exempts â€Å"facilitating† payments. These are usually small payments that are designed to get a for eign official to perform a non-discretionary function. The Justice Department can pursue criminal sanctions of up to $2 million per count for legal entities, with individuals facing fines of up to $250,000 per violation and imprisonment up to five years. Civil penalties may also apply at a rate of $10,000 per violation for an entity or individual. Additional fines by an SEC civil enforcement action may apply. * FCPA conviction can result in the party being debarred from U. S. government contracts, prevented from participating in the securities industry, and barred from loan programs of certain U. S. and international lenders. In addition, there may be tax ramifications. * Compliance should be reflected in international agreements. (It is not sufficient, however, to state in an agreement that the FCPA applies and is part of the agreement). * FCPA    require corporations to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. Why might the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act create a competitive disadvantage for U. S. firms? Many believe that the FCPA has created a competitive disadvantage for the U. S. s, historically, both the Europeans and Japanese have and continue to use payments to key foreign officials as a promotional device to attract and win business contracts. The U. S. Justice Department has been lobbying the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for greater international enforcement. When the U. S. stood completely alone in its legislative quest to curtail foreign bribery, the catastrophic scenario did not materialize. â€Å"As the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted four years after the implementation of the FCPA in a study called the Impact of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act on U. S. Business; claims that U. S. companies have lost sales†¦are difficult, if not impossible, to substantiate and quantify† (Graham, 1984). Further, a paper published in the Journal of International Business used published data to test the competitive disadvantage theory and found that â€Å"the FCPA had not negatively affected the competitive position of American industry in the world marketplace† (Graham, 1984). Even then, when the American industry was the only one worldwide facing these kinds of restrictions, anti-bribery laws did not negatively impact their export performance or market share. In today’s world, several markets where such an act may exist may provide a competitive disadvantage include those of China, the Middle East, Africa, and other emerging markets. This is in part due to the lack of similar laws in these markets and tradition based business practices where bribery, gratitude, or gift given is a norm. â€Å"Unfortunately, in the context of China, this has the potential to place American companies in a position where they must decide between violating the FCPA and losing Chinese business† (Shira, 2010). Even though China does have written anti-bribery laws on the books; these laws are poorly enforced and are routinely violated by Chinese and foreign companies. The desire to increase a company’s competitiveness in the face of such adversity may be tempting. Despite criticism of it, FCPA has benefitted honest U. S. firms by reducing unfair competition among other American firms which comprise about 80 percent of the world’s true multinationals. Despite original reluctance, the current trend among nations appears to be to follow the U. S. ead in cracking down on corrupt dealings between firms and governments in international trade. In the spring of last year, the United Kingdom passed its own act, the Bribery Act of 2010. Describe the three non-Western traditions that can lead to confusion regarding â€Å"gifts† vs. â€Å"bribes. † Three non-Western traditions that can be cause for confusion are the inner circle, future favors, and the gift exchange. The inn er circle refers to the notion in â€Å"developing nations of classifying outsiders into some form of â€Å"ins† and â€Å"outs† (Fadiman, 1986). For example in the Middle East, Central and South American, as well as, African countries there is a tendency for the upper class to view itself as the â€Å"Elites† of the society and often times take the view that they are above the law (or certain laws do not apply to them). They retain the view that certain procedures are not applicable to them and are entitled to circumvent these via their stature, position, or personal connections. Future favors relates to the notion of relationships within the inner circle here it is â€Å"assumed that any individual under obligation to another has entered a relationship in which the first favor must be repaid in the future† (Fadiman, 1986). Again this can notion relates to many countries within the Middle East, as well as, Far East countries such as Japan, India, and Indonesia. Gift given relates to payoffs as a continuous exchange of gifts. â€Å"In many non-Western commercial circles, particularly Moslem and Asian countries, the tradition of gift giving has evolved into a modern business tool intended to create obligation as well as affection. Gift giving in these cultures may therefore operate in two dimensions: one meant to provide short-term pleasure; the other, long-range bonds† (Fadiman, 1986). Through personal observation, for example, company executives may be presented with an invitation to a traditional banquet. This not only is intended as an â€Å"ice breaker†, but also serves as a sense of pride on the part of the giver and may be viewed negatively if rejected. What are some suggestions for managers who want to give bribes without violating the FCPA? One suggestion I found interesting is based on an interpretation of facilitation given by Howard Sklar (2011): â€Å"When someone asks me whether a payment is a facilitation payment, I ask only one question: what are you trying to get? If what you’re trying to get is a decision, it’s a bribe. If you’re trying to get something you’re legally entitled to (processing an application, for example), it’s a facilitation payment†. However, even facilitation payments are considered bribes, for though one part of the FCPA exempts such payments the control and record keeping provisions do not. The fact of the matter is, that corporations should not be engaged in bribery, facilitation payments, or gift given but rather concentrate on the merits of their product or services. Any company that wishes to do so can attempt to hide these within discretionary funds. This not only would still be in violation of the law, but also in breach of their responsibility to their stakeholders. What is more important? I believe is the thorough understanding of your markets culture, language, and traditions. A better understanding of these provides a competitive advantage over others. While there may exist some gray areas here, for instance, paying a gratuity to low level government workers in some countries who rely on such payments as part of their salary. Reciprocating in kind to a gift based on cultural norms, the dollar value has to be taking into consideration. One has to consider what is minimal and what could be construed as excessive. As Fadiman (1986), describes in the case study, corporations should â€Å"device appropriate responses to pay-off requests†. One method that can be used as means to bypass such requests and also to promote good relations is to use a donation strategy. That is to appeal to the â€Å"national element† by offering to assist for example an orphanage, or provide local schools with supplies, or help built a hospital. References Fadiman, J. A. (July-august, 1986) A Travelers Guide to Gifts and Bribes Retrieved May 3, 2011 from Harvard Business Review, Graham, J. L (Winter, 1984) The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: A New Perspective Retrieved May 3, 2011 from http://www. jstor. org/pss/154278 Hart, H. (July 31, 2001) Anti-Corruption Provisions of the U. S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Retrieved May 3, 2011 from http://www. hollandhart. com/articles/FCPA. pdf Shira, D. (October 14, 2010) U. S. Business, China and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Retrieved May 4, 2011 from http://www. china-briefing. com/news/2010/10/14/u-s-business-china-and-the-foreign-corrupt-practices-act. htm Sklar, H. M. (February 07, 2011) On Facilitation Payments Retrieved May 5, 2011 from http://openairblog. wordpress. com/2011/02/07/on-facilitation-payments/

Outsourcing Information Systems †Current Issues Research Paper (400 Level Course)

Outsourcing Information Systems – Current Issues Research Paper (400 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Outsourcing Information Systems Current Issues Research Paper (400 Level Course) How many times have you heard about â€Å"the dangers of outsourcing†? However in reality it is nothing more than a beautiful campaign slogan because most of America would jump on your wagon and proclaim that you truly have the working man in your heart. However the federal government’s household survey shows more than 139 million Americans are working today and the unemployment rate is holding steady at a relatively low % 5.5, even with taking growth into account. So where are all the Americans that have lost their job to an over seas country that refuses to accept â€Å"level playing field†? The reality is that the playing field is tipped our way. The United States has the best educated, most productive, most adaptive workforce in the world. Because of this and our policy of free trade, â€Å"outsourcing† is actually far overshadowed by something we hear much less about, â€Å"insourcing.† Insourcing is the process by which foreign firms hire workers here in the United States. This is not just limited to the Honda workers in Ohio and BMW employees in South Carolina. But rather our entire GNP shows that without every country in the world wanting to do business in the United States we would not be the country we are. However the issue of outsourcing is more than a table conversation because it truly is a study of economics. First you must identify the costs advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing as it relates to your specific business or function within your business that could potentially be modified. Creativity mixed with a solid understanding of your business, clients, future, and growth is a must before you consider any option. Decide what to outsource, what should be kept in house, and how to select and manage suppliers and vendors effectively. Since outsourcing is fast approaching a $200 billion dollars business, executives are asking â€Å"Which skills should be outsourced and which should be kept in house?† Most experts provide advice on keeping in-house the high-value skills, or the processes that are important to the business, but they leave out specific details so these questions remain up to your specific business. Again, know your business, know your clients, and try to forecast your future in the market. Because this topic is so over analyzed and beat to death there is a tremendous amount of information on the subject. White papers on outsourcing, outsourcing literature, and a checklist based on several years of research are all easy to obtain. Try to avoid mistakes that other companies have made and many are still making but do everything to capitalize on the right decisions made by others. Furthermore understand the intricate networks of international suppliers, their strengths and weaknesses as well as their strategies and tactics. In addition, understand the political and cultural caveats that you are potentially introducing to your clients if part of your plan is to outsource a function that involves customer interaction. Research Papers on Outsourcing Information Systems - Current Issues Research Paper (400 Level Course)PETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaOpen Architechture a white paperIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWResearch Process Part OneDefinition of Export Quotas

Gladwell and Gopnik Essays

Gladwell and Gopnik Essays Gladwell and Gopnik Essay Gladwell and Gopnik Essay With America’s history of people fighting for their rights, we have become accustomed to the idea that activism needs to be extreme; to cause riots, have aggression, and for people to be put in jail to make a point. We have created an image that there needs to be a fierce willingness to fight, in order for activism to be effective. As Malcolm Gladwell describes in â€Å"Why the Revolution Should not be Tweeted†, he reminds us of what ‘real’ activism is and how other generations have risked their lives to make a difference, in both their lives and the future of America. He does not think that activists can be considered true activists if they are non-violent when protesting for their rights. However, Gladwell should consider that protesting is a process that doesn’t start off as being violent and aggressive. The first stages of a successful protest involve acknowledging the problem. In the other text, â€Å"Bumping into Mr. Ravioli†, Adam Gopnik claims that technology pushes people apart because of a busy-ness affect that it creates. What he does not realize is that he used technology as a resource to help him become a more understanding father. After recognizing a problem with his daughter and her imaginary friend, he reaches out to his sister, a developmental psychologist, through phone calls and emails. While it does keep us too busy sometimes, social media has benefits to it. It is a tool that can be used to exchange information, teach its users, and continually raise awareness. Once our generation is able to realize the benefits of social media and use it to its advantage while minimizing its cons, it can prove to Gladwell that tweeting, or Facebook-ing isn’t useless. : It is a tool that has the potential to bring activism to another level. The idea that social media has a weak tie to activism should be reconsidered since social media was created to bring their users together. One person cannot work alone with any big task. For example, Gopnik, who willingly gave himself the task to understand why his daughters imaginary friend always left her. He realized that he needed help, and his sister, a developmental psychologist seemed to be the best person to answer his questions. â€Å"I emailed my sister for help with the Ravioli issue-how concerned should we be? and she sent me back an email, along with an attachment, and, after several failed cell phone connections, we at last spoke on a land line. (Gopnik 154)† Here Gopnik reached out for a helping hand; in return through the use technology, he was able to get in contact with his sister and was able to get information from her from California to New York. Through email and telephone they were a ble to talk to one another from across the country. Their conversation is significant enough to prove that through the easy access of a telephone Gopnik and his sister were able to eventually reach a conclusion to what the problem was. If he had not reached to his sister, who was not only family but a professional it would have taken him longer to answer his own question himself. He would have to research for this information manually, either through the internet or even the library. The Facebook and Twitter features also have similar features as phone calls and emails in which they are able to send messages quickly but it’s greatest feature is that it is able to access a larger group than just one person. The reason is because Facebook and Twitter are made public to its users to network and become more familiar with our acquaintances. The sociologist Mark Granovetter has observed and stated that â€Å"Our acquaintances- not our friends- are our greatest source of new ideas and information (Gladwell 137). † The more acquaintance’s we get means the more people to help give new ideas, opinions and even observations about†¦anything really. Even though Gopnik’s sister was a family member, Granovetter would agree that through their electronic communication they were able to collaborate on one idea. Not only was Gopniks sister a professional, but she was also someone who wasnt a part of the New York lifestyle, which is why she was able to catch onto why Mr. Ravioli, the imaginary friend, was always on a run. She could observe from afar. In order for activism to be strong, it needs more than one person and one idea. The more people or acquaintance’s that are reached, the stronger the support system is. In order to have an even stronger system we need our supporters to understand and believe in the action that is being protested. Social media is capable with not only getting in contact with other people but it allows you to grab those people’s attentions in many different ways. These followers need to be convinced and taught about the different options that they can be given. Many people follow trends, and with social media being a big part of the trend it makes it easier to have an audience. It is easy for people to invite people to a group, or event on Facebook or even having a following of tweeters on Twitter because people are able to add descriptions. In this descriptions majority of people who are protesting are able to write who they are, what the problem is, give ideas of solutions to the problem and overall a way to convince their readers to press ‘Like’, ‘re-tweet’, ‘Follow’ or ‘Attend’. With their explanation they can create a bandwagon of supporters and build a strong willed support system. Gladwell used the example of the Bhatia needing a bone-marrow transplant. Even though people helped by signing up for a donor registry and sending in a cotton swab to a hospital, he still believed that â€Å"it doesn’t involve financial or personal risk (Gladwell 138)†. Once we are able to read between the lines, then we are able to realize that even though there was no real action being made thousands of people became more aware of why people needed bone-marrow transplants, or even how to help to donate to the cause. This is where social media is a key to gaining supporters. The more people that are exposed to a cause then the more people get involved or are willing to help it out. Going back to Gopnik, if he hadn’t asked his sister for help he wouldn’t have realized the reason for his daughter’s sadness. She stated â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"I’m sure that doesn’t occur anywhere in the research literature. That sounds completely New York (Gopnik 155)† His sister made an observation, Olivia was influenced by her surroundings especially the New York aspect of it. Gopnik reached out to his sister for help, and in return he not only received help but he got in return even more than he expected. His sister taught him about the impact of the New York lifestyle. Even though his article does not tell his readers how he actually solved the problem, he is now more aware of his daughter then he ever was before. People are capable of teaching others, and even though the cry for a matching bone marrow was to benefit one person it’s story and what it taught its readers is capable to benefit many others. The efficiency of social media and it’s networking gives people more time to consider new ways to help its people. With the help of Facebook’s groups and Twitter’s hash tags it is easy to donate to a cause with just a click of a button. â€Å"The Facebook page of the Save Darfur Coalition has 1,282,339 members who have donated an average of nine cents apiece. (Gladwell 138)†That means that the Save Darfur Coalition group alone was able to raise $115,410. 51 which could have been used to buy food, fresh water, forms of shelter and clothing for the people in Darfur that were suffering. Using this Facebook group in particular, people weren’t even familiar with the group leader or all of the people invited, were able to donate their small gifts and raised more than enough money for one group. Many causes or activist’s, especially similar one to these, are not able to do much without money or donations from other people. This is why many organizations look to fundraising since many things come with a price. Gopnik’s realization about his daughter’s imaginary friend is an important story to many people, especially his fellow New York families. Through his use of observation, story and research he wrote the article â€Å"Bumping into Mr. Ravioli† which has reached even the internet. Even though he did not explain how he solved the situation, nor did he raise any money he was able to use his strength that thousands of people have read online. If we were to research this article we can find it attached or posted on peoples Tumblr, Xanga’s, Facebook notes and more. Gopnik’s way of helping people was to expose our population the effects of the everyday lifestyle and the children who feel neglected. Olivia still hopes to have him(Mr. Ravioli) to herself someday (Gopnik 160). † Gopnik’s parting words leaves hope for his readers, and that there is a solution to the problem. The reason for these small gestures, whether its raising money or just telling a story is to give hope to its people, the followers and the suffer-ers. There are many ways that social media can benefit in this hope, people just need to be creative. Our generation spends a lot of time on different types of social media’s, and with that knowledge people should take advantage of the trend that is going on. Once people understand that there is more to Facebook and Twitter than just being able to be in contact with friend’s lives then there is a possibility that activism can have a stronger support system then ever before. There are many resources that allow people to be a part of something without giving much effort and even though Gladwell doesn’t believe that this is a form of activism, it is only a small step for our generation. He even expresses that social media has its perks a few times in his own argument that social media shouldn’t be used in a revolution so he too hints that there is potential. There are other ways of using social media as a part of being an activist; people just need to be a part of it. There is much potential in it, with the use of networking, informing and raising money for the cause. Gopnik may not fully support technology because it is a barrier with relationships, through technology he was able to make an opportunity to create a relationship with his own daughter, Olivia. We just need to take a step forward, think outside the box and become more useful to the cause rather than just sitting and clicking away.