UK referendum on changing its voting system.

UK referendum on changing its voting system.

Abstract

After the general election of 2010, there was a Conservative Liberal Democratic Coalition Agreement that prompted the referendum on the alternative vote in the United Kingdom. This was a vote that was held nationwide on 5^th May 2011, on a Thursday which
was a date that coincided with the day of local elections in most of the areas about the method of choosing the MPs. The referendum was based on the people’s take as far as replacing the current simple plurality method with the method of ‘alternative vote’. However, the proposal of introducing the alternative vote was eventually rejected by the people. Notably, this was the second referendum that was held nationwide in the country following one in 1975 concerning EC. The difference was that the first was based on an issue that was post legislative whereas this second referendum gave the people the chance of voting on a domestic legislator in which the EC was not concerned. The referendum drew a large base of people who were allowed to make a decision on the matter in hand. These included all the Irish, British and the Commonwealth citizens who were above the age of eighteen and who lived in Britain. Those British citizens who lived outside Britain were also allowed to cast their vote. The members of the House of Lords, who under normal circumstances do not always vote, were also allowed to vote. The referendum attracted a 42.2 percent turnout, with 32 percent of the electorate voting for the change while 68 percent of the electorate voted against the alternative vote. In the counting districts, the yes votes above the 50 percent mark were achieved in just ten out of the 4400 counting districts. (Robinson, 200)

Introduction

The British referendum offered the electorate a chance to change the electoral system especially within the family of majoritarian. This move was to see a shift to the model of alternative vote from the current single member plurality. The factions that were in the ‘yes’ campaign included those organizations in the democracy sector as well as the small parties that were largely associates with the proportional representation advocacy in the United Kingdom. The turn of events can just be well explained by a relation to the social choice theory and in respect to the structures of political opportunity and the frame analysis that are interpersonally related. The Electoral Reform Society, Liberal Democrats and other factions who had in the earlier days criticized the introduction of the alternative vote changed their stance and were now campaigning in favor of the alternative vote. This behavior therefore led to the lack of direction and clarity in their objectives, which led to the ultimate failure. It was seen as a double standard on the part of the parties. (Felsenthal & Machover, 2012)

Details of the referendum

The referendum had to undergo various legal processes and legislative processes before the actual organization of the referendum, especially on the issues ranging from the legislation, the stands taken and the questions that were at hand. The shaping of the campaign process can best be related to the social choice theories. (Contiades, 2011)

A brief on the legislation

There was a provision for holding the referendum under the parliamentary voting system and constituencies act of 2011. Contained were also the changes that would have resulted from the adoption of the alternative vote system. The law had to be passed before the referendum took place, and Elizabeth II put the royal assent to the bill on the 16^th February the year 2011. The act made a provision for the referendum on the system of voting for the elections of the parliamentary seats. (Contiades, 202)

Question

The referendum was based on the question as to whether there should be a replacement of the First Past the Post model of elections to a new model of the Alternative Vote in the general elections. The referendum required a simple answer, yes or no and there was a simple majority requirement for either side to carry the day. The question was in English and in Wales; it appeared in the Welsh language. This was to ensure that the result of the referendum was an accurate one as given by the electorate. (LLC Books, 2010)

Campaign positions

The campaigns pitted the coalition partners on opposite sides, with the Conservatives opposing the alternative vote model while the Liberal Democrats were in support for it. Interestingly, the members who were aligned to the Conservative party ended up supporting the alternative vote in the referendum, going in contravention to the formal position of the Conservative Party. In the election of its leaders, the Conservative Party applies the successive ballots system which is referred to as another form of the alternative vote system, which they were supporting. In their elections, there is the process of eliminating the candidate with fewest votes in every round of elections.

There were debates that were elicited by the referendum, with the debate seeing an entry of the academic individuals. Many people and intellectuals contributed to the debate that preceded the referendum, with these engagements being done through social networking, blogs and through the mainstream networking. Several organizations added their voices to the debate, with two distinct factions rising; those in support of the fairer vote or alternative vote, and those who were against the introduction of the alternative vote. Celebrities like Billy Bragg threw their weight to the debate. Actors and actresses were also vocal in as far as the campaign for and against the bill were concerned. A number of bishops and churches were in support of the alternative vote with some of the bishops in England lie Rt. Rev Michael Langrish; Rev Colin Buchanan among others supported the yes campaign.

The social choice theory’s contribution to the debate

According to Flaschel(2012), the social choice theory bases on the fact that people are able to be hampered to reach a good decision that is best for them even when there seems to be no agreements that are enforceable. It is a more of a non cooperative game theory that is characterized by a decision theory in which agents agree are in an agreement to be bound by the outcome of any social process such as a voting process. The 2011 referendum in UK was an extension of this theory and the social theory played a vital role in the debate that preceded the referendum. The theory basically bases on the fact that people may have preferences that are asymmetric, with some who may have a preference for the status quo while others preferring the alternative, but at the end there is need for there to be an aggregation of everyone’s preference.

A hypothesis can be formed based on the debate that preceded the referendum. For instance, the collective choices as were observed are the alternatives that can be regarded as being the best for a sample perspective of an individual 1. A model can then be developed regarding hoe the preferences of the individuals were influenced hence prompting the individual to make a choice. These parameters that might have affected the choice of individual 1 may be his or her social and economic background, or the economic or income status. The models can be tested using various observables which include the parameter values and the choices that are realized. The positive political theory models are the premise that is basically applied as opposed to the preferences based on individuals. However, possessing the knowledge of how the preferences of the various individuals are determined by a number of parameters that are exogenous, there is still need for a theory that can explain how there is the difference and a conflict in the preferences of individuals being translated ultimately to choices on policies as was the case in the United Kingdom.  (Russell& Cohn, 2012)

Social choice algorithm

The collection of the ordinal preferences marks the starting point for the social choice algorithm, similar to what Arrow points to in the Arrow’s theorem. The situation that was presented to the British electorates in the referendum can be likened to a social choice problem, whose purpose is to give a map from the orders of preferences for every individual voter in the UK. This is used to produce n order of social preference through the use of some algorithm. This information can be used to do a variety of things. For instance, the initial ‘first past the post’ model that was used by the British in their electoral process can be used as a start to the ordinal preferences. Through this method, there is a count on the first place ranking for every option where the rank bearing the biggest count is counted first and there is a declaration on the indifferences to the rest of the options that are available. In the run up for the United Kingdom referendum, there were various advocacies for the representation proportions which have been conflicting and which have not been working in similar ways. The Conservatives supported the electoral system that involved the alternative vote which was also known as the Australian debate as it is a system that is used in the election of legislatures in Australia. (Barrington, 2012)

Debate based on social choice

There were debates that the alternative vote system was much more complex than the FPTP system of voting in which was done through voting for one’s second choice as a way of voting against the third choice. As Kelly(1988) observes, the strategic voting was seen as involving the knowledge of what the outcome was bound to be and being used as a way to change the vote that one wished to cast. It was argued that the system involved the knowledge of the actual percentages and using them to coordinate well with the others, ensuring that other people are made to switch. This mode was considered to be harder especially in cases where everyone else voted on a strategic basis and in disguise of the preferences that they truly have. This was seen as a theory of games which would complicate issues in the voting process by those who were against the alternative vote system. The debate preceding the referendum was characterized by arguments that strategic voting mattered less in the practice under the alternative vote mode. (Elster &  Hylland, 1989)

There were other debates that raged concerning the voting system as was proposed in the referendum. Some people had a view that any system of voting that selected single candidates with respect to the districts leaned towards promoting a state of two parties. The basis of this argument is on the law of Duverger which is a theorem and is based on a lot of assumptions. This elicits contention on whether the law is good or not hence illustrating the gap that exists between the conclusion and the analysis of the real issues on the ground. Much debate was based on the idea that two party systems was not good for the United Kingdom as it would eventually lead to the disenfranchisement of the people. This was seen to eventually lead to the people voting to the smaller parties. However, there are those who had a view that they are good as this would lead to the governing majority which would in turn create a lot of stability in the United Kingdom. Moreover, there were others like the Liberal Democrats who laid claims of creating stability through dramatic shifts in the entire way in which parties ruled as opposed to the ruling coalitions’ quantitative shifts. Based on the social choice theories, these claims cannot be fully backed especially with the solid analysis that is characterized by the strategic voting patterns. (Turpin, & Tomkins, 2011)

Social choice perspective

The fundamentals of the social choice theory are representative of the behaviorism and various psychologies of external control. The choice theory does not view individuals as having being shaped up by the punishments and rewards, but suggests the fact that people have some capacity of choice making and exercising the control of their lives. The debate preceding the referendum was overtly based on this argument. Those factions that were both campaigning for either side were basing their reasons on the social theory, where they were emphasizing the importance of choice and the fact that the electorate were presented by the chance to choose from two options. The intellectuals and politicians alike acknowledged the fact that the most important thing in the referendum was making choices by individuals which would eventually be taken as a collective decision by the electorate in the United Kingdom. (Loveland, 2012)Just like the choice theory indicates, the motivation of individuals is always gotten from what the individuals need or want at a particular moment. In this aspect, maintaining and building positive relationships especially with the people whom an individual shares with the same vision is vital. Those sharing the same dream and goal are usually motivated to work collaboratively. This was the case in the run up to the referendum. The debate was characterized by two sharply contrasting opinions, with one side being the ‘yes’ team and the other one against the alternative vote. These two factions each were arguing out their points and views differently. Throughout the discussions, those who shared the same view were alike and were connected in some manner to their policies. At that same time, all the leading campaigners were interested in appealing to the electorate that their views on the referendum were the correct ones and they were trying to influence the voting decisions by the electorate. (Riley, 1988)

The referendum was eventually to produce an analysis of the combined interests, welfares and preferences for the individuals in the electorate and term that as a collective decision of the people of the United Kingdom. This greatly shaped the way the debate on the referendum shaped up. The main interest of the parties which were campaigning was to influence individuals as it was clear that it was the individuals’ choices that were ultimately going to shape the collective results of the referendum process. (Bogdano, 1981)

Conclusion

The social choice theory is based on the analysis of the decisions that are made between the collections of the various alternatives that are made by collecting a given number of voters who bear different opinions. The choices from the entire groups should eventually reflect the individual voters’ desires to a possible extent. Throughout the debate before the referendum, individuals were expressing their reasons behind the choices of supporting the alternative vote model or rejecting it with a view of convincing various individuals throughout the electorate to vote their way in the referendum. The fact was that the side that was to gunner a simple majority was to carry the day. This meant that individuals were to make choice and the choices were to eventually determine the course of the referendum which ultimately would have to be considered as the collective choice of the electorate. (Rowley, 1993)

Work cited

Barrington, L. Comparative Politics: Structures and Choices. New York: Cengage Learning, 2012 

Bogdanor, V. The People and the Party System: The Referendum and Electoral Reform in British Politics. Great Britain: CUP Archive, 1981

Contiades, X. Comparative Constitutional Amendment. New York: Routledge, 2012

Contiades, X. Engineering Constitutional Change: A Comparative Perspective on Europe, Canada and the USA. New York: Routledge, 2012

Elster, J. & Hylland, A. Foundations of Social Choice Theory. New York: CUP Archive, 1989

Felsenthal, D. & Machover, M. Electoral Systems: Paradoxes, Assumptions, and Procedures. New York: Springer, 2012

Flaschel, P. Roads to Social Capitalism: Theory, Evidence, and Policy. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012

Kelly, J. Social choice theory: an introduction. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1988 

LLC Books. Electoral Reform in the United Kingdom: Representation of the People Acts, Reform Act 1832, Representation of the People Act 1948. General Books LLC, 2010 – 9

Loveland, I. Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Human Rights: A Critical Introduction. UK: Oxford University Press, 2012

Riley, J. Liberal Utilitarianism: Social Choice Theory and J.S. Mill's Philosophy.  New York: CUP Archive, 1988

Robinson, C. Electoral Systems and Voting in the United Kingdom. Great Britain: Edinburgh University Press, 2010

Rowley, C. Social Choice Theory: The aggregation of preferences. Edward Elgar, 1993

Russell, J, & Cohn, R. Results of the United Kingdom Alternative Vote Referendum 2011. Tbilisi State University, 2012

Turpin, C. & Tomkins, A. British Government and the Constitution: Text and Materials. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2011

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Useful Guidance for Studying Aboard

Useful Guidance for Studying Aboard

Introduction

One is usually delighted with the fact that you are going to be studying abroad, away from home. Having moved from my home country to California for a period of four years, I had the experience of all the processes and preparations involved in this venture. It is good to note that studying abroad is not just like any other usual visit, but it entails living in a place far away from home for as long as the course takes. Without much preparation, this can turn to be an expedition full of stress. This is the reason as to why you should make adequate preparations before leaving. Going abroad definitely means a change of country, culture, food, traditions, language and so more.

1.      Preparations before departure

   There are various aspects of preparations before you leave for your study abroad. First, there is need to establish the reputation of the institution where you are going to study. This is important because there will be no refund once you have paid in the institution. You should make sure that you are fully enfranchised with most information about the institution and that you have made the correct choice of institution to study in. try to find out information about whether there is support given by the government or any available insurance for the foreign students.

Be sure to be aware of your accommodation arrangements and the place for your stay in the destination country. Prior preparation for a place to stay will work out better for you instead of waiting until when you arrive for your studies. Many countries do have a reserved place for international students to stay in on arrival though it may not be suitable for you. This is always aimed at making sure that the international students adapt to the destination environment before finally moving out on their own. Going there before studies commence and settling down in a place to live will help you adapt fast and easily.

Communication is a vital aspect of living in a foreign country. There is therefore need to find out the language that is used in the country where you are going to be studying in for instance, if English is your second language yet it is the language of use in the destination country, you will have to make plans to start learning the language slowly. Knowing the basics of the language will give you an advantage like being able to make friends faster and adapting to life in the destination country.

Mental preparation is the basic necessity of studying abroad. Leaving ones country for a foreign land needs you to be well prepared to handle the challenges that will come with it. This is even because you will be leaving your friends that you were used to for another foreign place where you will not know anybody. This calls for the strength of the mind and preparation.

Ultimately, the main aim of travelling abroad is to study. This focus should not be lost. You need to be actively involved in the various aspects of life in the university. You can do this through being academically aggressive and finding out about other additional courses that you can do. Find more about the events and competitions in the institution to ensure that you get to register in those that interest you because some of them may be having deadlines for applications which may be due before you get to the institution.

2.      Adaptation to the life style in the new environment.

Adapting to the lifestyle in a new environment is usually a challenge to most people, especially when you are in an environment where you do not know anyone. This is the scenario you will find yourself in once you land in the destination country that you are going to study in. there are however various ways and steps that you can take to help you adapt easily to life abroad and to carry out your study with less strains and stress.

  

You need to take your time and get accustomed with your new environment. Now that you have arrived in a foreign country and have already registered at your institution of your choice, you will have to learn a lot about your new environment and the responsibilities that lie ahead of you. It is advisable to move in to where you will be living days before you commence your studies. This will accord you enough time to know your environment, neighborhood and to know the general organization of where you will be staying before you start your studies.

It will be important to realize that at first everything around you will seem to be interesting since you have just moved in. however, you must be alive to the fact that this is set to change with time as you will be getting used to the place. Where you once called abroad will now change to be your actual home. The excitement will soon fade away and you will have to cope with the usual scenes that surround you. You will be feeling lonely and secluded for the first few weeks or even months. Do not try to live in denial but be speaking out about how you feel to other people that you feel are friendly to you. Handling emotions in a foreign country is the main solution of enjoying one’s stay in a land far away from home. In the institution, ensure that you make as many friends as possible to make you have a sense of belonging and not to be bored all the times.

Do not stop connecting with your family members and friends back in your home country. Always make some effort to find time to talk to those you endear and who you left behind at home. In doing so, you will reconnect with those back at home and you will be sharing with them your new experiences and livelihood in the foreign land. This will help ease the pressure of solitude as through telling them about your new home, you will get to be used to the environment and you will not be feeling like missing home all the times.

The best way to adapt in a new institution is getting in touch with those that are already there. Once you arrive in the institution and foreign country, make a point of meeting as much people as you can. Staying in the house or room will not make you any comfortable. You need to be going out regularly and meeting people so as to share your experiences and learn more about them. You need to learn to work with the culture and not to stand against it. Observation will help you a great deal to you as you will get to know how to respond to certain situations following the manner in which other natives respond to the situations. Always ask the local residents in cases when you do not know what to do, after all, you will be having a lot bunch of classmates around you. During your adaptation period, do not always rush into doing things or making decisions which you are not sure of.

3.      How to overcome homesickness

 Studying abroad needs preparation for homesickness. No matter how prepared and excited one is, feelings about missing home are bound to occur. It is important to note that for students who are studying abroad, feeling of being lonely, sad and bored are not unusual. However, you should make an effort of dealing with these feelings of homesickness before they get a toll on you and distract you from your main aim of studying in your new institution. 

  

You must be prepared for homesickness. This is the only way through which you can handle home sickness well. In getting prepared, you need to carry with you some of that will be reminding you about home. You can have some pictures of your home, family members and friends. Having some of the favorite music CDs that you like listening to will be healthy. You can also carry with you a favorite magazine. All these will help you have a close feeling of being home.

Building a network of friends and colleagues is important. While studying abroad is vital, the friends and colleagues will help in combating the feeling of being lonely. When you spend some time with your friends and colleagues, you will have a feeling of belonging and this will reduce the desire for your home. While abroad, always immerse yourself in the main activity that took you there, that is studying. However, there are a lot of additional activities that you can participate in outside the class work. Engaging in a lot of activities will keep you busy and take away the feeling of loneliness and homesickness. To do this, you can look for some part time job or internship to cover up for the free time that you will be having off your class work.

Sharing with others about personal feelings is an important step of dealing with homesickness. You should build friendship with the students who are studying abroad and who you have same feelings about leaving your home countries. You can always share how you feel and therefore feel better. In other circumstances, visiting a counselor can do a great help in dealing with home sickness. At your study institution, look out for the counseling services offered so that you can be guided on how to manage and handle homesickness.

Always stay in contact with your parents, family members and friends back at home. Staying connected to those you treasure and love will give you a sense of belonging. You can be sending them mails and photos online just to feel valued with those you left back at home. In that same sense, always feel and think positively about all the experiences that you encounter. You need to be appreciating the role of all the challenges as helping you to grow even stronger. Making a list of the exciting things that you have encountered in your stay in the foreign land can help you handle homesickness. Whenever you feel like you are missing home, looking at the list will give you a reason to be happy with your new dwelling place.

Do not be all by yourself. Find other interests that are non academic or academic that will help you bond with people. You can go out to movies, join a sports team, attend night schools, and attend parties and orchestras in the country. The more you become occupied and busy, the lesser you will think of home. Go out and find people who share a lot of common things with you. As much as you should be relating to the locals, find foreigners and be close to the so as to learn from them how they managed to handle cultural shock. Ensure that you do not visit home in the first five months or so of your stay to avoid breaking the adaptation that you were yet to fully achieve.

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Is Evolution a Gradual Process?

Introduction

The change of biological populations through inherited characteristics and over successive generations is referred to as evolution. Through evolution, there is a rise of diversity in the various biological levels from species, various individual organisms and the molecules like protein and the DNA. Charles Darwin is known to the father of evolution. It is believed that the life in earth underwent evolution from a common ancestor over 3.8 billion years ago. Darwin was the first scientist to propone the evolution theory and he presented his argument on a natural selection basis. In his natural selection, Darwin observes that there are three main facts that characterize evolution. The first fact is that there are more off springs that are always produced and that can survive possibly. The second characteristic of this selection is that the individuals vary in terms of their traits and thus, leading to a difference in terms of survival rate and the rate of reproduction. The last observation of this natural selection is that the different traits in individuals are hereditary and can be passed from one individual to the other. Eventually, when the individuals die, there is a replacement by a progeny of other individuals that are more adapted to survive in the environment. There have been two major divergent views concerning the nature of evolution. These two views have given rise to two major sides, one insisting the evolution is a gradual process while the other disputing this fact and observing that evolution is occurs in a mode of punctuated equilibrium. (Muehlenbein, 2010).

Evolution as a gradual process

Charles Darwin, who is also the father and proponent of the evolution theory, believes that evolution was as a result of a slow and a gradual process. He had a belief that this process took a stepwise mode as opposed to being perfectly smooth. In the support for evolution being a gradual process, Darwin indicated that the species took time to evolve and accumulate small variations. This gradualism was further ascertained by the recording of fossils of the changes that are incrementally small within the various species. However, there was the inability to find a number of the intermediate forms, a development that Darwin and other scientists blamed on the gaps that exist in the records of fossils.

Those in support for gradualism indicate that evolution is a variation and a selection that happened in a more gradual manner. Evolution is termed to be gradual because it is often very hard to notice over a short period of given time. There are small variations that do take place in the organisms that eventually make them be better fit to be in the selected environment more than the initial parent organisms. Moreover, organisms with traits that are more helpful do survive in the environment and those with traits that are less helpful end up dying off. The population is bound to change over a long period of time, with this change being gradual. This school of thought believes that evolution is a gradual process that takes place slowly, constantly and consistently. The proponents of the model of gradual evolution believe that the species that are progenitor are the ones that do give rise to other new species yet there is no mechanisms that specially account that account for the numerous new species or genera that are of higher classification. Notably, there is just the accumulation of the various changes attributed to the alleles which are small and found in the pools of genes. (Hall, 2011)

Charles Lyell and James Hutton’s geological based findings indicated that gradualism basically builds to the fact that the mall changes that are built up over a long time are responsible for the large changes that are seen in individuals and in organisms. This perspective is based on the processes of geology and formed the base for Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. This is the idea that he adapted and therefore came to conclusion that evolution is a process that takes place over a long time span for the ultimate change to be observable. In support of this view by Darwin and other proponents of the fact that evolution is a gradual support is the records obtained from fossils. There are numerous fossils which prove these transitional features and ascertain the fact that there are structural adaptations that species develop in the process of transforming into species that are more adaptable and fit to survive in the naturally selected environment. Gradual evolution has further been supported by the geologic time scale which shows that there has been a change in the species since the time that life was incepted in the Earth. This change has taken place over millions of years.

Evolution is not a gradual process

There has been a school of thought that believes that it is a misconception to term evolution as to be a gradual process. This school of thought is based on the factor that evolution occurs in a punctuated mode. This is the mode whereby there is an increment in the changes more that the time that is seen in discrete intervals. This school of thought holds the view that there is most of the time when there is no virtual change on the organisms, thus, dismissing the fact that evolution takes place gradually. According to those who oppose the gradual evolution, they think that the changes seen as a result of evolution often occur in spurts.

According to this view, evolution occurs in punctuation where there are certain periods when the changes are very little or basically not there while in other periods the changes that occur are huge and more pronounced. These changes are believed to occur usually as a result of mutational processes in the genes. The mutations are believed to occur randomly and not inherited by the off springs from the previous generations but are often passed to the next generation. This argument holds that despite the danger of mutations, they do serve an important function in equilibrium that is punctuated and are vital in the survival of individuals in their environments. The mutations are always very important for the purposes of the survival of the individuals and there is usually a change over a short period of time, creating a difference between those who have these traits or mutations and the individuals who do not have them.

This argument based on evolution by punctuation is based on the fact that there are instances or periods when the changes in individuals occur rapidly over a given time. Later, these changes subside and this is followed by a long time of stability and inactivity in as much as changes are concerned. (Mayr, 199)

The argument against gradual evolution is majorly based on the manner in which the changes occur. The punctuated equilibrium bases its argument on the fact that mutations are responsible for the ultimate large changes that are experienced in organisms. However, those in this thought observe that mutation can be rapid and lead to a change in the organisms but can also be cause by sudden changes in the environment. This may force the species to expedite the changes in order to conform to the new environment which may be harsh in order for the species to survive.

Conclusion

Despite the two varying arguments, there is one thing that both schools of thoughts hold, this is the fact that evolution is a process that is taking place and that it occurs over a long period of time. The only point of dispute is on the mode of the change of structures in the species. Those holding on to gradual evolution insist on the gradual rise in formation of the new species from progenitor species while those for punctuated evolution insist on the fact that there are varied changes at various times. They base their argument on the fact that species experience changes at given periods at rapid speed while in other periods there is less or no change at all. Evolution is actually a gradual change as there cannot be variations in the structural developments of the different species. The changes are often effected at very slow pace and take several years to be observed. Further, this gradual change is always as a result of the off spring species developing traits that are more adapted to their new environment and that are more advanced than those of the parent species. 

References

Hall, B. (2011). Evolution: Principles and Processes. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. 

Mayr, E. (1997). Evolution and the Diversity of Life: Selected Essays. New York: Harvard University Press, 1997

Muehlenbein, M. (2010). Human Evolutionary Biology. UK: Cambridge University Press.

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Effects of social media relationships

Introduction

Social media has impacted on the 21^stcentury’s communication. There has been advancement in the way people engage in various aspects of their lives. The social media has transformed the median and modes for shopping, networking and gathering of information in less than a decade. Many people have been drawn into the use of the social media, thus, there is an increase in information traffic in the internet. For instance, facebook has close to one billion users, twitter having around 150 million people twitting everyday among other blogs. Through the social media, people get to interact across the globe hence creating a lot of impact on the relationships. Facebook incidentally has 50 percent of the 8oo million users log in on a daily basis, and each having approximately one hundred and thirty friends. The trend in communication in today’s society has become computer meditated and people cannot imagine life without twitter, facebook, smart phones or other social media. This trend has advanced the level of communication hence setting a shift in the mode of interaction between families, friends and lovers from the early ways to a digital bases system. This shift has caused both positive and negative impacts in relationships and fuelled the ability of making relationships between individuals. (Gallo, 2011)

Break ups in relationships

With the increase in the use of social sites lie Twitter and Facebook in our interactions on a daily basis, there is a question as to whether the use of such sites is responsible for the twists and turns in relationships. The sites are indeed responsible for the falling out of various relationships as a result of behaviors that are inappropriate that are acquired from using the sites. However, there is still a question as to whether the sites are to blame for this or whether we as the users should be held accountable and be responsible with or behaviors. The truth is that there are emergence of more brake ups in relationships with the increase of communication among peers and friends via the social sites. A lot of studies have pointed to the fact that the social media is responsible for a number of break ups in marriages and relationships. This is basically because most people spend most of their time in social media conversing with individuals of the opposite sex. This does lead to lack of trust and creation of jealousy among people in relationships thereby causing a fall out between them.

Facebook and relationships

Wood, (2011) states that Facebook specifically has been harmful in a lot of relationships. This is because through it there has been a lot of suspicion and jealousy among those in relationships. Facebook and other social networks make starting of relationships a very easy thing. People can interact and start affairs easily from the comfort of their couches and agree to start relationships. However, the same Facebook also ends relationships very easily as various research has indicated that Facebok is responsible for lot breakups.

There are comments and postings especially to the opposite sex that do cause a lot of jealousy and lack of trust at first glance. These posting that are done to opposite sex individuals are the causes of havoc in relationships that are sometimes experiencing other problems. Through social media, there is an increase in the opportunity to meet people on the other side of the world who you could not have met in real life. This has increased the levels of cheating in relationships. People have developed bad behavior in their relationships. However, it is important to note that the social networks do not force people to engage in acts that they do not want to engage in and therefore the responsibility lies squarely on us who are using the sites. This means that people have to be accountable for all that they do in the social media and do not blame the social media for their cheating. Through the social media, people have been engaging in unfaithfulness. Having Facebook and Twitter accounts have definitely has a lot of impacts in relationships; impacts that are more often than not mounting to a lot of conflicts. (Al-Deen & Hendricks, 2011)

Starting relationships

Apart from affecting existing relationships, the social sites also increase the ability of people to start romantic affairs. Actually nearly one third of the population using the social sites agrees to the fact that it is possible to start a romantic relationship through the social sites. This eventually points to the fact that Facebook communications and can grow from the status of more than just a friend request to a serious affair. This is usually geared if the individual in question has flashy profiles to his picture like for example, being a C.E.O or other fancies responsibilities. For those who are single or not ties to relationships, this is a pro on their side. This is because through the social sites, opportunities for dating are opened up and they have a variety of people to engage with in open dating before settling down in a serious and committed affair. However, this is prone to cause problems to those who are already in commitment relationships as it makes them prone to unfaithfulness. It has been referred to as putting the kid in a store of candy and instructing the kid not to taste the candy itself. Committed relationships are always faced with lack of trust and jealousy in the event that social media is used by either party.

Misinterpretation

People spend a lot of their time chatting and communicating in Facebook. This activity causes a lot of stir especially when it involves people of the opposite sex and the mate does not know about it or even does not know them. The mates do feel insecure and lose the trust they had in their mate simply because of involvement in Facebook. There have been arguments concerning whether mates should be privy to the friends that their fellows engage in. this has a lot of curses as well as blessings in our relationships. It could be good but also bad in a larger extent. This is because as humans, we have the tendency of analyzing things a lot and in details that nay be misrepresented. This can lead to making conclusions based on assumptions hence creating a lot of mistrust and jealousy in relationships unnecessarily. In this case, one would be better off not monitoring or having any idea as concerning the online friends and communication that his or her mate has through the various social networks.
Through Facebook and Twitter, there is a lot of flirting between individuals of the opposite sex, which could be disastrous to ones relationship. These are the same problems that would be experienced in the event that these things are done in the real world aside from the social networks. In this case, it is considered that one person’s unfaithfulness should not be tagged or attributed to the use of social media because the same would have happened in the usual world outside Facebook or Twitter. It is therefore concluded that one’s behavior in social network is the same one went out of the social network.

Misinterpreting the posts in social networks is also a cause for rocking relationships. For instance, a guy can post in a girls wall that he longs for meeting her that particular night. The boyfriend of the lady may see the post and feel jealous maybe because he may interpret the post to mean that his girlfriend has been having another affair with the guy who posted in her wall. In this case, social media is responsible for the breakups in relationships. Other private conversations in social media have ended up causing problems in the relationships. Trust is most often than not lost in the relationships. (Bryfonski, 2011)

Conclusion

Some may argue that Facebook, Twitter and other social sites are not to blame for the problems experienced in relationships but one thing is clear; they contribute towards mistrust, jealousy and cheating. All these contribute to the ending of a lot of relationships. This is especially because most of the posts made by individuals and those made on the walls of individuals are seen by the other partner. Also, one cannot control and has less control over what other are to post in the walls therefore there is always a risk of having something suspicious being posted in ones wall that may be responsible for ending the relationships.

References

Al-Deen, H, Hendricks, J. (2011). Social Media: Usage and Impact. UK: Lexington Books.

Bryfonski, D. (2011). The Global Impact of Social Media. Greenhaven Press.

Gallo, C. (2011). The Effects of the Internet on Social Relationships: Therapeutic Considerations. Bloomington: IUniverse. 

Wood, J. (2011). Communication in Our Lives. NY: Cengage Learning.

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Controversial aspect of Christianity

Controversial aspect of Christianity

Introduction

Christianity is considered as an Abrahamic and monotheistic religion that is based on the teachings and the life of Jesus. These developments and accounts are given in the New Testaments writings and canonical gospels. They are also recorded in the Old Testament and the believers in this faith and in Jesus Christ are referred to as Christians. The sole belief is that Jesus is the one and only true son of God, and that He is the savior of the humankind as was prophesied in the books of the Old Testament. Jesus is believed to be the Messiah or the Christ. The ecumenical creeds of the earlier times express the foundation of the Christianity theology, which predominantly was accepted by those who are the following of Christ Jesus. Jesus suffering, death, burial and resurrection are professed in these professions and it is believed that through His death, then the Christians have a remission of their sins. There is an emphasis that Jesus ascended into heaven and is reigning from there alongside the Father, who is God. The history of Christianity can as well be traced back in the first century, in which it began as a Jewish sect. the Middle East’s Levant Religion is believed to be the mother of Christianity, which later spread to Asia, Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia. This was later to expand into other regions, making its way into the Roman Empire into the Fourth century. Despite Christianity having huge following, there are several controversies that have rocked this religion. (Martyn, 1924)

Scriptural irregularities

There have been problems in the Biblical scriptures, which are inherent in the fundamentalist and literalist interpretation. There have been questions with regards to whether some of the scriptures make sense. Some have argued that an Omnipotent God, as is the attribute to the Christianity God, should and is supposed to see into it that such contradictions and irregularities do not exist in the bible. However, I think that inconsistencies should not necessarily be viewed to be contradictions despite the fact that the two terms are usually referred to as being synonymous. My belief is that these inconsistencies just amount to the lack of uniformity, steady continuity, regularity or ultimate agreement in the verses that are cited. There are a number of contradictions that have been listed in the Bible.

For instance, in GE 1:3-5, it is stated that ‘On the first day, God created light, then separated light and darkness.’ A look at GE 1:14-19 give a contradictory statement, that the sun that separates night and day was created on the fourth day. A further look at GE 1:11-12, 26-27, man was created after the trees. However, GE 2:4-9 indicate that the trees were created after Man was created. In GE 1:20-21, 26-27, the scriptures indicate that man was created after the birds were created but this fact is contradicted by GE 2:7, 19 in which Man was created before birds. More of these controversies are in GE 1:24-27, where the scriptures state that the Man was created after the animals were created but GE 2:7, 19 indicate the other way round. The creation scriptures bear more contradiction in GE 1:31, where it is indicated that God was indeed pleased with his creation but in GE 6:5-6, the scriptures indicate that God was not pleased with his creation. There are also a lot of contradictions on the attributes of God across the scriptures. In DT 32:19-27, GE 4:15, and IS 34:8 God is described as a vengeful god, EX 15:3 and IS 42:13, He is describe to be a consuming fire: in EX 20:5, 34:14 and in DT 4:24, 5:9,  32:21 God is a jealous god. However, in 1JN 4:8, 16, and 2CO 13:11, 14,  God is described as love, with GA 5:22-23 describing God’s fruits as being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Kaatz, 2012)

Doctrinal disputes

There are disputes in Christianity based on the theology and evangelical doctrine fundamentalists. The first dispute is based on the fact that there is disunity among the believers who are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. There has been claims that Christians need the Holy Spirit in order to help them understand the bible and to interpret it well. However, it is controversial for the same Holy Spirit filled Christians to disagree on countless number of doctrines and to have different interpretation of the same Bile, yet they are filed with the same Holy Spirit. Other doctrinal disputes include the issue of Sabbath Day. There are some who believe that Sabbath Day is on a Saturday, basing their beliefs on the Old Testament. Others believe that Sabbath Day is on a Sunday as indicated in New Testament in Corinthians 16:2 while there are others who insist that Sabbath Day can be any day in the week. There are Christians who insist that baptism is supposed to be a requirement for salvation while others believe that it acts just as an outward sign and is not considered to be part of the actual salvation. Speaking in tongues is considered as a sign of salvation and spirit filling while others believe that this is a sign of the devil’s work. There have been controversies on salvation, with some insisting that salvation cannot be lost but others insist that one loses salvation once in sin. (White, 2005)

Christianity and modernity

Constant conflicts have been elicited by modernity, in which religion and Christianity has tended to respond to. Scientists believe in providing the correct technical explanations of the natural phenomena. There have been responses that the Bible should be viewed as a complementary aspect for what science presents to the modern world. For instance, when God is spoken about to be riding in thunder clouds, this is to show the power and might of God, a different description to the hydrological cycle. Christianity has also offered response to the scientific ability to predict the structure of the nature. Christianity indicates that science is unable to offer an evaluation of the origin of nature and cannot answer the questions related to the functioning of the universe. Furthermore, it is observed that science cannot ascertain the temporarily of the laws of nature and the Creator’s ability to change these laws. In my view, modernity has failed in the attempt to present Christianity as fictions as more people are still into religious beliefs and Christianity. In Fact, Christianity is greatly benefiting from the modernity criticisms as there is a renewal in confidence in Christianity by the people.

Christianity and contemporary issues.

Christianity and the Bible have various takes on the contemporary social issues. Among them is marriage. According to Christianity, marriage is a God ordained act and is a plan by God of providing companionship that is intimately bonded, provides an avenue for procreation and should be respected. These views are expressed in Gen. 2: 18 and in Eph. 6: 1-2. The Bible also has some responses to sexuality and sexual ethics. It is believed that sex is only acceptable in the boundaries of marriage as that is the time that man and woman are to become one in flesh. Sexual immorality is condemned as the body is considered to be honorable and holy. These principles are applicable to homosexuality, adultery and premarital sex. They are contained in Eph. 5: 31 and 1 Thess. 4: 3-5. Finally, the bible talks of obedience to the government and civil authorities by stating that they are God ordained and that people should respect the government. This is echoed in Rom. 13:1-7 and in Mat 22:21. In some instances, the Bible talks of obeying God rather than the men in Acts 5: 29. (Burnap, 1935) 

Work cited

Burnap, G. Lectures on the doctrines of Christianity: in controversy between Unitarians and other denominations of Christians. Maryland: Wm. R. Lucas & R.N. Wight, 1835

Kaatz, K. Early Controversies and the Growth of Christianity. California: ABC-CLIO, 2012 

Martyn, H. Controversial tracts on Christianity and Mohammedanism. California: J. Smith, 1824 

White, E. The Great Controversy: The Conflict of the Ages in the Christian Dispensation. Kessinger Publishing, 2005 

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