Detailed research proposal-Role of social media on the 2011 london Essay

Detailed research proposal-Role of social media on the 2011 london riots - Essay Example In recent years, since the dawn of the Arab Spring, it has also become a means of informing the public about political issues and of rallying the public towards collective action. This was very much apparent in 2011 when various riots and demonstrations were organized, spurred on, and won with the primary help of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The so-called Facebook Revolution was seen in Egypt when various demonstrations against the ruling government were staged by the general population with the help of Facebook. This was also seen in London in 2011 from August 6-11 when various events led to various demonstrations in the British capital. During the riots and demonstrations, many of those participating did not cover their faces, even posing for pictures while they made off with stolen goods and posting them in the social networking sites (BBC, 2011). There are different theories which would help explain the impact of the social media on the 2011 London riots. On e of these theories includes the social movement theory which indicates a useful foundation in understanding the movement of individuals with the end goal of managing collective actions and problems relating to individual movement participation (Dewey, et.al., 2012). This theory presents a context upon which the role of the social media can be further understood. Political struggles can manifest in different incarnations, including protest, collective action and contention (Tilly, 2011). Protests express shared ideals which are often observed in street politics. For collective action, this occurs where a specific group shares interests and acts based on such interests. Finally, contention includes making claims with parties also making demands affecting collective interests. The social movement theory argues that communities having strong network ties are more likely to go through collective actions as compared with those having weak ties. Strong social ties in networks often enable initial calls for participation in social movements, and later they ease the way towards participation as they decrease issues in mobilization. McAdam and Paulsen (1993) also argue that strong social ties help recruit individuals, as well as serve as effective communication tools in spreading messages for social movements across networks. To a large extent, just as the social media was used to draw in more participants, the social media also became a tool by which these rioters were apprehended for their illegal actions. The utility of the social media worked both ways (Denef, et.al., 2013). Cases of looting and vandalism were actually resolved by the police by looking through Flickr and Facebook, looking through galleries of pictures in order to identify perpetrators. Most of the riots were also organized and triggered through Twitter. At some point, Twitter was described as a tool for promoting gang violence (Williams, 2011). However, evidence also indicates that the riots were i nspired by postings based on daily news from the media (Williams, 2011). Based on these circumstances, it would be logical to conclude that the social media has had a major role in the outcome of the 2011 London riots. The impact here refers to how the social media has helped in spreading word-of-mouth, impacting on the largest number of

The economic performance of London compared to that of the rest of the Essay

The economic performance of London compared to that of the rest of the UK since 2000 - Essay Example a great concentration of professional and wholesale financial businesses.5 This form of business enables London in specific and the UK in general to benefit from international trade. London as an economic hub exports businesses to the rest of the UK. Notably, the world class nature of these businesses gives London a competitive advantage when it comes to engaging in business with the rest of the nation. Considering that London is one of the premier world cities, its economic performance in terms of financial a business services helps the entire nation through tax revenues received from public spending. Undoubtedly, London’s economy is strong and as such it benefits the rest of the UK. During financial year 2002/2003, London generated $ 2 billion and $ 9 billion more in taxes than it received from public spending. However, London economy experienced relative slow down in 2002 compared to the rest of the UK economy making the overall UK public sector debt move from $ 15 billion to $ 25 within the same period.6 London economy varies from that of the rest of the country. Even though London is popular with its unique financial services, its economy is not only hinged on financial activities, but has other revenue generating activities including management and business consultancy activities which it score highly in specialization index. This kind of ranking not only shows how London supplies such services to the other parts of the UK but also to other countries. Other economic activities which makes London rank highly in economic performance compared to other UK cities include tourism, telecommunications and consultancy services among many others. Such sectoral specialization has indeed helped London to contribute to over half of the UK’s exports for activities such as...This essay critically assess the economic performance of London in the years 2000-2010 and compares with that of the rest of the UK There has been mixed views regarding the economic relationship between London and the rest of the UK. Some people argue that, London grows at the expense of the rest of the country while other hold the view that London is the focal point of the UK economy. This study found that most big businesses were established and are based in London, but at the same time they have established branches to other parts of the country. London population comprises of the young generation which in real sense migrates not only from foreign countries, but also from other cities and rural areas. Notwithstanding the recent global financial crisis, London remains a dynamic city in the world due to its living appeal and commercial superiority. Undeniably, London is the UK’s leading base for export oriented employment, high value businesses and therefore, its position relative to other UK cities portrays no sign of abating. London economy relies on sectors with faster growth in productivity. As such, faster growth in output per person and rise in wages is equally expected to be higher. London boasts as a hub for some of the big financial institutions and health facilities. The presence of major businesses coupled with increased economic activities has enabled London generate the bigger part of the national revenues. However, inequality gap between rich and the poor continues to widen as the economic conditions worsens.