Category: Revolution

Introduction

The invention of the engine-powered airplanes is one of the most significant technological inventions of the last century. This innovation led to a revolution in the transportation industry as it provided the fastest means to travel to any destination in the world. Over the course of its existence, the airline industry has not had many major technological breakthroughs.

The most important breakthrough in the industry occurred in the 1950s and this was in the form of the invention of the jet engine and its subsequent adoption in commercial planes. Jet engines led to a significant change in the way the airline industry operated and prompted the growth of air travel. This has led to some people referring to the widespread adoption of jet engine as the jet revolution.

This paper will set out to demonstrate that the introduction of jet engines revolutionalized air transport and led to the development of some unique commercial and regulatory issues in the air industry. The paper will provide a brief historical overview of the airline industry and discuss the significance of the jet engine.

Brief Historical Overview

The modern era of air transport began in 1903 when the Wright Brothers successfully flew their prototype aircraft. The success of this pioneers paved the way for the advancement of powered, sustained, and controlled flight. The development of aircrafts received a major boost during the First World War.

During this war, the Britons and Germans endeavoured to improve their aircrafts in order to gain an advantage in the war. By the end of the war, fighter plans that could fly at higher altitudes and greater speeds had been created. These planes had a high carrying capacity and they were modified into passenger and freight aircrafts after the war.

The jet engine was invented by Frank Whittle, a member of the Royal Air Force. He patented his design in 1930 and through the decade, he carried out numerous tests on the design. The first turbojet aeroplane was the Heinkel He, which flew in 1939 and it was designed by the German inventor Hans von Ohain.

This marked the birth of the jet engine and in the years following the war, the technology was refined for use on a commercial scale. The jet engine became a major challenger of the established piston-engine types that dominated commercial air travel in the 1940s and 1950s.

Jet engines continued to operate together with piston engines and it was only after 1958 that the jet revolution took root. Brooks (1967) asserts that the jet revolution proper started in 1958 with the commissioning of the first turbojet airliner, the Boeing 707 and the DH Comet. These jet engine airplanes plied the Trans-Atlantic route.

Issues with Introduction

The jet engine did not enjoy success in its early years of use in the civilian markets. Mowery and Rosenberg (1999) state that the in the early 1950s, the technology had significant uncertainties in its performance. The major airlines did not support the jet engine due to a number of disasters associated with this technology.

In 1952, metal fatigue in jet powered aircrafts operated by British Overseas Airline Corporation led to a series of crashes. In these early years of commercial airline operations, the general population was wary of air travel. Reports of accidents further alienated the population from air travel. This led to the initial commercial failure of the jet engine.

However, jet engine technology had been fine-tuned by the end of the 1950s. The significant advantages attributed to this new technology led to a positive response especially by people in the industry.

Mowery and Rosenberg (1999) highlight that the increased productivity attributed to jet engines led to great enthusiasm by most people involved in the airline industry. The increased capacity of the big jets meant that greater profits could be realized from air travel and sustainable growth could be achieved.

Implications of the Jet Revolution for Airlines

The jet engine contributed to the growth of the airline industry as it encouraged more people to make use of air travel. The quality of flight from piston-engine airplanes was poor and most people preferred to make use of the slower traditional forms of transportation such as train and ship for long distant travel. The quality of air travel increased dramatically with the development of the jet engine.

Brooks (1967) documents that because of the increased comfortability of air travel; there was a marked increase in air traffic especially across the North Atlantic.

The market of the air industry was also expanded by the jet engine. The OECD (2010) notes that the jet revolution increased the commercial viability of airlines by promoting growth in the tourism industry. Due to the lower cost of flying, the European tourist industry in the 1960s experienced a boom.

The viability of air travel was guaranteed by the jet revolution. In the decades before the revolution, the air industry was heavily dependent on government subsidies. Before the 1960s, most airlines did not exhibit operating profits and governments did not make any money from the industry.

The jet revolution led to an increase in the overall economy of the industry and airlines started to show operating profits that make it possible for the industry to cover almost all the costs of providing air transport. The introduction of jet engines considerably shortened travel times and this had a positive impact on demand.

The OECD (2010) notes that while the fuel consumption of jet engines was higher than that of the piston-engines, these engines offered improved energy efficiency and higher carrying capacities. Airlines could therefore make more profit on one trip.

The airline industry was able to compete favourably with established freight transporters such as rail and ships. The jet engine led to an increase in the power to weight ration of the plane and this increased the payload that an airplane could handle.

Bigger planes with higher load capacities could be built since the jet engines were capable of providing the energy required to operate this crafts. Because of the increased power-weight ratio offered by jet engines, it was possible to construct wide-bodied jets in the late 1960s and these machines could carry significant amounts of freight for long distances (OECD 2010).

The jet engine also encouraged the consolidation of major airlines. Before the jet revolution, there were a significant number of airlines in operation all over the world. Small airlines were able to maintain a fleet of small aircrafts and remain profitable. However, the introduction of jet engines led to the development of larger and more expensive airplanes.

These machines were technically sophisticated and required more financing than the piston engine types that had been used before the jet revolution.

Brooks (1967) asserts that the nature of jet engine planes forced airlines to consolidate themselves into fewer and stronger companies that could afford the larger more expensive aircrafts. Government also actively persuaded smaller airlines in their country to join into stronger groups in order to benefit from the advantages offered by jet engines.

The jet engine caused some airlines to be pushed out of the market due to the price advantage. While jet engine aircrafts were at first more expensive to operate due to the increased fuel consumption and the high capital cost of obtaining the aircraft, the operational cost decreased over the years (Mowery & Rosenberg 1999).

By the 1970s, the jet revolution had pushed real airfares downwards leading to the decline in profitability for smaller operates.

Regulatory Issues

In its initial years, the jet revolution prompted greater government regulation to ensure that the industry was sustainable. Adoption of jet engines led to the emergence of various competing airlines within a short duration of time. These airlines engaged in aggressive competition with each other as they sort to increase their market share in the industry.

Brooks (1967) reveals that this aggressive competition threatened the future viability of more airline companies as they were forced to reduce their prices in order to remain competitive. These actions led to some form of government intervention in the industry. The greater regulation by the government ensured that the fierce competition did not render the airline industry uneconomic.

The jet engine revolution promoted the move towards widespread deregulation in the air transport industry. The close relationship between the airline industry and the state experienced a change, tens of airlines were privatized to some level, and the airline market was liberalized. This opened up the industry to competition and led to the collapse of some of the smaller carriers.

The jet revolution promoted the development of the hub and spoke network, which is today the most widely used network. Even before the prevalence of jet engines, this form of network that was centred on major airports was in operation.

However, regulations by local authorities deterred the expansion of airlines. The jet revolution contributed to deregulation, which led to the adoption of hub and spoke networks nationally and internationally.

Discussion and Conclusion

With a history of a bit over a century, air transportation has grown to be the most significant component of the global transportation system. The Jet revolution was the most significant leap in aeronautical technology. The airline industry is yet to witness a technological innovation that is as dramatic as the jet revolution.

Even so, improvements have been made on the fuel efficiency of the jet engines and engineers have worked on reducing the noise pollution caused by jet engines. However, none of these developments is as dramatic and influential to the airline industry as the jet revolution was 6 decades ago.

This paper set out to discuss the significance of the jet revolution on air travel. The paper has demonstrated that the introduction of the jet engine made it possible for airplanes to travel faster and at an overall reduced operating cost.

The jet revolution contributed in making air travel the cheapest and most efficient form of public transportation across long distances. The benefits brought about by the jet engine continue to be enjoyed by the world today.

References

Brooks, PW 1967, ‘The development of Air transport’, Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 163-183.

Mowery, DC & Rosenberg, N 1999, Paths of Innovation: Technological Change in 20th-Century America, Cambridge University Press, Oxford.

OECD 2010, Globalisation, Transport and the Environment, OECD Publishing, London.

Introduction

Most of the technologies enjoyed by humankind today such as the Internet are not attributable to giants or great entrepreneurs. The book “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” gives a detailed analysis of the achievements of different inventors such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Robert Noyce. These geniuses used their efforts and resources to create what is known as the digital revolution. This report presents the book’s summary and insights that can be borrowed to support my goals.

Summary of the Book

Walter Isaacson begins by examining the achievements and contributions of innovators whose breakthroughs in the fields of computer science and technology transformed the world. Ada Lovelace presented and applied the concept of computer programming. He managed to come up with innovative features and products that led to numerous inventions. The author goes further to describe how the invention of the integrated circuit (IC) opened new doors for the development of personal computers (Isaacson 34).

The combined efforts by different innovators made it easier for them achieve their goals. For example, Paul Allen and Bill Gates delivered consequential results at Microsoft. This was also the same case for Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs at Apple. Most of the programmers and innovators were passionate about their gals without focusing on profits (Isaacson 139). They developed appropriate cultures that heartened their followers to pursue the intended goals. The concept of creativity empowered them to work hard and eventually achieve the intended aims.

Most Interesting Things

The reader can identify various interesting aspects from the book. The first fascinating observation is that the current world of digital technology did not happen or develop overnight (Isaacson 26). The field has been evolving for many decades since the time of great thinkers such as Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace. The efforts and activities of these innovators made it possible for numerous gains to be made in the future.

The second interesting thing is that most of the achievements made in the world of technology were possible because of the combination of ideas and skill-sets. For instance, some engineers collaborated with mathematicians to achieve their aims in innovation. Additionally, some people with managerial skills made it possible to empower others in an attempt to emerge successful (Menuez 54). These collaborative strategies made it easier for the innovators to achieve these accomplishments.

The third observation is the fact that the individuals described in the text were mostly driven by passion and hard work. They never focused on profits or financial gains. It was after realizing their objectives that they established powerful business empires (Isaacson 78). Another thing is that many entrepreneurs and innovators contributed to the current nature of digital technology.

Helpful Takeaways

This book presents various lessons that can make it possible for many people to succeed in their lives and careers. The first takeaway is the concept of teamwork. The personalities described in the text were able to achieve their goals due to the power of teamwork. Such efforts resulted in positive results within the shortest time possible. The second takeaway is the importance of enthusiasm (Sidhu 101). When a person is passionate about his or her goals, it will be easier to work hard and eventually achieve desirable outcomes.

The third lesson gained from the book is that of leadership. It is agreeable that most of these innovators were geniuses or ambitious. However, the concept of leadership was at the center of their respective models. The leadership was either personal or organizational. Individuals who embrace the concept will be achieve their goals much faster and emerge successful (Menuez 82).

My Future Goals

My future goal is to start a company and support it until it becomes successful. The firm’s goal will be to offer superior services and products to the customers. The company will be deigning advanced apps and software products depending on the needs of the clients. I will also engage in lifelong learning to acquire powerful competencies that can make the business successful. This goal is possible since more people are focusing on the power of modern technologies such as the Internet (Sidhu 63).

Insights from the Author

The ideas presented in the book will be used as guiding principles to support my aims. For instance, the notion of teamwork will be applied in every department to foster innovation and productivity. The lessons learned from the initiatives adopted by these innovators can promote coordination and collaboration. Leadership can support every follower and employee in an attempt to deliver meaningful results within the shortest time possible (Sidhu 92).

Concluding Remarks: Additional Ideas

The book by Isaacson shows clearly how people cannot understand the present without examining the past. The world has benefited from the selfless contributions of the great innovators, engineers, and programmers discussed in the text. I would read more books about the lives of these innovators in order to acquire new ideas that can make me successful. I would also encourage more people to read the text in an attempt to develop new concepts that can support their professional and personal goals.

Works Cited

Isaacson, Walter. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Menuez, Doug. Fearless Genius: The Digital Revolution in Silicon Valley 1985-2000. Simon and Schuster, 2014.

Sidhu, Inder. The Digital Revolution: How Connected Digital Innovations are Transforming Your Industry, Company, and Career. Pearson Education, 2016.

Introduction

Robotic technologies develop every day with an increasing pace. In machine industries, robots have been used for decades. However, their capabilities surpass the needs of an assembly line. Nowadays, mechanic laborers can take jobs in any professional sphere. People use robots in agriculture, building, packaging, medicine, and food production. There are even mechanical singers and musicians. Technologies get cheaper every day what leads to the wide spread of robots. Company owners are willing to let robots do the job because mechanical laborers do not ask for salaries and never get tired. According to the recent evaluations, robots can replace around 35% of human jobs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of robots on the labor market, their influence on the employment rates and economy, and explore possible cooperation of robots and humans.

Jobs for Robots

The lack of human resources in the middle of the 20^th century and the development of industrial technologies led to the appearance of robots. People used mechanical laborers on assembly lines and in work with potentially dangerous objects. Siciliano and Hatib claim that “the early robots built in the 1960s stemmed from the confluence of two technologies: numerical control machines for precise manufacturing, and teleoperators for remote radioactive material handling (2). Since then, robots developed on a daily basis to penetrate every sphere of human activity. Nowadays, people use mechanical laborers not only in the industries, but also in various other spheres. Robots help to grow fruits and vegetables, milk cows, construct houses, make surgery, cook meals, prepare items for shipping, and explore the world.

Advantages of Robots

The advantages of mechanical laborers are widely known among the employers. Owners of big and small companies use robots because they ask only for regular maintenance. A mechanical laborer will not demand monthly salary and extra holidays. Industrial robots can work twenty-four hours seven days in a week. Due to the latest designs, they rarely make mistakes with correct setup and settings. It is easy to discern and eliminate the reasons for failure in the work of robots. Robots can work in the chemical industry, dealing easily with dangerous toxins. It is possible to reassign a robot for a different purpose, rebuild, and enhance it in short time.

Robots are Silent Workers

The efficiency of human work depends on the multitude of factors. Mechanical laborers decrease this number to a short range of conditions. They do not get bored on their places and do not try to entertain themselves in their working hours. Robots do not suffer from psychological stress due to the routine manual activities. They never fall in love, feel sorrow, or arrive at work drunk. Some robots never actually leave their work and do not complain about that. They do not need a change in their surroundings to refill their energy. Robots do not complain about their work conditions but can always show what hinders their productivity. Mechanical laborers do not search for other job opportunities and do not ask their employers for promotion. In fact, they just silently do what they are programmed to do.

Robots on Labor Market

According to the recent report by Deloitte, “around one-third of jobs in the UK are at “high risk” of being displaced by automation over the next two decades” (Armellini and Pike). Robots have been doing blue-collar work for decades. They assemble cars, carry heavy loads, mix chemicals, and collect samples of materials. Their work has become much more sophisticated with the development of new technologies. Nowadays, the artificial intellect allows them to do highly sophisticated tasks. Robots can work days and nights without pauses for sleep and rest. People working in companies cannot beat their pace. Mechanical workers do not need long education to achieve good results. Young specialists cannot acquire job experience because they are less skilled (Kernaghan 486).

Robots and Economy

The prices on robots capable of simple manual tasks are falling steadily. This situation can lead to the automatization of the whole industries. In the nearest future people will be able to purchase goods on virtual market platforms and receive them from robotized delivery system. The sorting departments can also be fully automatized. Due to the use of robots, the daily workload is rising steadily, pushing small enterprises without robots to work extra hours. This inevitably leads to the financial domination of big corporations over other representatives of the industry. People will need to buy robots only to start their businesses. The automatization of particular industries will lead to great rates of unemployment and support income inequality in the society (Acemoglu and Restrepo). The owners of robots will earn a lot of money while others will fight for jobs.

Robots and Humans

People cannot deny the positive impact of robots in many spheres of life. Modern technologies make it possible to save patients with serious tumors. Medical robots can assist doctors and perform surgery. Shah et al. claim that “robots offer stability, accuracy, integration with modern imaging technology, greater range of motion, and telesurgery” (12). The capabilities of artificial intellect make business communication as fast as possible. Some offices already use virtual assistants that can read and answer emails (West 1). Robots help scientists in collecting samples and exploring dangerous places around the globe.

Conclusion

The developing technologies allow robots to penetrate any sphere of human existence. Mechanical laborers and virtual assistants change the life of people completely. Fast automatization leads to the extinction of whole industries and huge rates of unemployment. Companies with robots dominate in their spheres. Nevertheless, a wise implementation of robotization ascertains better life for the society as a whole.

Works Cited

Acemoglu, Daron, and Pascual Restrepo. “Robots and Jobs: Evidence from US Labor Markets.” SSRN. Web.

Armellini Mauricio, and Tim Pike. “Robot Revolution: The Economics of Automation.” Welforum. Web.

Kernaghan, Kenneth. “The Rights and Wrongs of Robotics: Ethics and Robots in Public Organizations.” Canadian Public Administration, vol. 57, no. 4, 2014, pp. 485-506.

Shah, Jay, et al.. “The History of Robotics in Surgical Specialties.” American Journal of Robotic Surgery, vol.1, no.1, 2014, pp. 12-20.

Siciliano, Bruno, and Oussama Khatib, editors. Springer Handbook of Robotics. Springer, 2016.

West, Darrell M. What Happens if Robots Take the Jobs? The Impact of Emerging Technologies on Employment and Public Policy. Centre for Technology Innovation at Brookings, 2015.

Introduction

Many years ago, whenever a social grouping wanted to pass complains that had been neglected, there existed a group of people well known to each other and with enough courage to resist over the complains. This was and still is referred to as activism. This group then mobilized people to resist and demonstrate.

However, there are those who were afraid to join such groups. Over a period of time social media, including Facebook and Twitter emerged with a gradual growth.

The growth of Social media thus has caused a great revolution in world of social activism. This has been advantageous to the less privileged and the powerless, those who are afraid of joining activists groups, since it is an effective means to air their opinions, to collaborate and coordinate as they pass their critical concerns (Gladwell 314).

This has provided an accommodation for a bigger majority as compared when people group themselves physically to resist over something, which in turn referred to as activism. From history until the world today, Facebook and twitter has purposely supported resisting groups in the course of their demonstrations.

Many of the demonstrations conducted earlier would not have succeeded without social media, for instance in Iran. According to Gladwell, without twitter and Facebook the people of Iran would not have felt empowered and confident (314). In addition, today social activists do not focus on causes but rather on their tools including Facebook and Twitter.

On the other hand, over the past years, social media had a low popularity, which has increased greatly over time. With many reacting to this to this growing technology, it is clear that communication lacks history, or may be, had little of importance to consider (Gladwell 316). However, this tends to do away with the meaning of activism, which involves people committing themselves to a group in person for the sake of subsequent connection. In this, everybody connects to the other so long as both participate in the group.

Social media lacks such great tie between the participating individuals, which makes activism more concrete. This paper seeks to find out which of these two sides of social media brings the larger effect. It tends to find out whether technology changes the course of history or it is what people do.

The meaning of Activism

The upheaval of social media has made people to lose the meaning of activism. Activism includes values, a structure of operation, commitment, and a strong personal connection to the movement involved. Activism requires one to give his personal basic details including contacts. An activist movement could only take in a well know person and not a stranger.

In the past, one needed to know at least one person in the movement for him/her to join. Activism goes to the extent of training the members of the movement, organizing retreats for the members to interact, formalizing the operation procedures, dividing labor, having a committee and small groups, each with a task to carry out in the movement. It also included authorities, which control and oversee the group.

Social media and activism/social change

Social media has however changed the original meaning of activism. It ignores the strong bond between members of an activist movement. All platforms of social media are on basis of very weak bonds. This includes Facebook and Twitter. They involve people who do not know one another and who have never met. The highest level of bonding is of acquaintances.

It includes many people who try to pursue a common course jointly at the level of friendship, which has never worked. This is because in reality no one can have over two thousand friends. In other words, it is getting strength in the pool of weak ties.

According to Gladwell, “Social media cannot provide what social change has always required” (315). It is easy to post on Facebook or twitter but this differs with what the effect is on the situation in question. Social change requires direct connection and face-to-face interaction(s), which social media cannot provide. Social media cannot unite freshmen to the extent of resisting. This level needs activism as we see in A&T freshmen.

In addition, social media ignore the hierarchical organization of the traditional activism. It involves a network, which differs from hierarchical structures in the fact that many, not a sole authority, control networks. With this nature, social network arrives at a decision through census and the bonds of people involved are loose.

This is what Gladwell refers to as “strength in weak ties” (319). There are no face-to-face interactions and thus there is little or no trust among the members of the network. This shows that social media can only thrive in a low risk situation.

In Cairo, Tahirir square, people greatly embraced internet, twitter, Smartphone, and Facebook to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak (Gladwell 329). On realizing this, Mubarak blocked the internet. However, crowds against him increased even with the government restricting the use of internet. This is simply because only 19% of the population had a connection to the social media.

The same scenario replicates in Iran, where very few people had the access to the social Medias (Facebook and twitter). However, with such media missing, people still networked and grouped themselves. This shows that activism is not all about Social Media.

Communication and history

Actually, social media works as a promoting factor:

The marvels of communication technology in the present have produced a false consciousness about the past-even a sense that communication has no history or had nothing of importance to consider before the days of television and the internet”(Gladwell, 316).

Activism in college freshmen was there long time ago before twitter and Facebook. This is to show that freshman needed more of activism not the social media to complete the resistance. As a freshman today, one needs activism and communication only to motivate and support. For example if a freshman wants to organize a strike, he will get people he knows to initiate the strike.

Social media and the powerless in the society

It also shows that activism is about individuals knowing each other and forming powerful bonds with each other. “With Facebook and twitter and the like, the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate and raise their concerns” (Gladwell 314). With a college freshman, it would be hard to pass on grievances or resistance. It will require a social Media to pass such information and resistance.

High risk activism as a strong- tie phenomenon

With the growing technology on social media, many have transformed their thinking. Many think that to have a friend on twitter or Facebook is the same as having a friend they know at a personal level.

It has put off the fact that activism requires a special kind of commitment where people know each other well. This is why Gladwell says that “…high risk activism is a strong- tie phenomenon” (318). For a freshman, it would be so dangerous to pass resistance information just to anyone on your Facebook or twitter page.

Some trust is important to the people to which such information is sent. There needs to be a strong tie between the people to involve a sensitive message or rather information. Unlike social media, activism has a limited room for conflicts and mistakes and errors.

Many have used social media to rally opposition against the government as in Egypt. A Google employee went to jail for passing opposition messages through Facebook (Gladwell 329). The twitter revolution has greatly helped in ousting Ben Ali of Tunisia as well as in supporting the peace protests in Iran.

These social Medias have been very useful in other cases of resistance all over the world. It true that social media connects people. Facebook, twitter and the internet has become an unbeatable source of information since their invention in the recent past.

If it were not for the technological advancement in communication, Mubarak Hosni would still be reining waiting for free and fair elections (Gladwell 330). This however should have had a backup plan like a snicker net to get information to the public in the event of disconnected internet, insecurity at the media stations or even burn up of newspapers.

Conclusion

With the rapid advancement in technology, specifically on social media, the advent of Facebook, twitter and the internet has greatly affected change in the history. However, this does not mean that technology can change the course of history.

On the contrary, the activities that people carry out using the social media are the ones that change the course of history. Technology is just used as a motivating factor towards the change of the course of history. Many people have used social media to gain more support quickly in carrying out their activities to change some aspects in their societies.

Many demonstrations have eased by use of appropriate technology. The greater effect of technology is the facilitation of revolution in the world of activism. In the world today, many are embracing the use of social media to influence people’s decisions, as well as to gather support thus changing the course of human history.

Works Cited

Gladwell, Malcom. “Small Change: Why Revolution will not be Tweeted.” In Graff,

Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russell Durst. They Say-I Say. New York: Norton Publishers. 2008. Print.

Introduction

The global revolution in mobile as well as Internet technology has drastically changed the way we live and operate. Many people in the world today use a mobile phone for different communication purposes. Usually, the mobile phones use one of the many mobile data networks available.

Drawing from a study by Gregory (1), most mobile phone applications make use of bandwidth. This has prompted telecommunication companies throughout the world to think about upgrading to the most modern generation of mobile data network.

While some people are comfortable with 4G services, 5G technology is slowly taking shape and will soon replace 4G networks. According to Jain, Agrawal, and Awasthi (569), 5G technology is bound to make a significant contribution to the world of communication and greatly improve communication.

This paper provides an overview of 5G technology and the major improvements that could be made to it.

Description of 3G Wireless Technology

Generally, 5G is a term that is used to refer to the fifth generation of mobile networks and is not associated with any particular standard. Apparently, the discussion surrounding 5G technology can be placed in tow broad categories.

In one category 5G wireless technology is regard as a service-led technology that consolidates 2G, 3G, and 4G Wi-Fi services designed to offer greater coverage and access to mobile services.

The second view is driven by a step-by-step change in data speed as well as order of magnitude reduction in end-to-end latency. Based on a study by Kaplan (1), 5G is described as the very first network designed to enable versatility and scalability.

As explained by Kaplan (1), 5G wireless networks are considered to be very powerful and able to provide high quality data services to clients. Considering that a 5G wireless network integrates communication and computing technologies, it has the capability to handle huge amounts of data quite efficiently.

Features of 5G Wireless Technology

As pointed out by Jain, Agrawal, and Awasthi (570), the 5G wireless technology has quite a number of advanced technological features that make it very powerful as far as communication is concerned.

It is alleged that 5G technology will be so advanced that it will be possible to link the whole world through a wireless worldwide web (Jain, Agrawal & Awasthi 570).

The technology will make it possible for people all over the world to experience a very high bandwidth and a level of call data transmission never witnessed in the past. It will also offer high quality services in the area of production and offering support to different forms of electronic transactions.

With 5G wireless technology, users are presently able to use mobile phones equipped with a huge amount of memory for storage as well as a camera.

The technology also makes it possible to connect mobile phones to laptops in order to access broadband Internet.

Because of the 5G wireless technology, present day mobile phones closely resemble handheld computers more than phones do as they are equipped with cameras, video players and MP3 players among others.

How 5G Compares with 4G/LTE

With 5G, clients may be allowed to juggle between two different activities at the same time. This makes it possible for individuals who are interested in more than one activity to comfortably switch from one activity to another. On the contrary, 4G/LTE networks do not have such a capability.

According to the research findings 5G networks are capable of offering bandwidth capacities that are far much higher than those offered by 4G/LTE networks. In addition, 5G networks are able to effectively manage connections for numerous mobile phone devices.

Whereas 4G/LTE networks make it possible for customers to access data while on the move, 5G networks delight users with fast speed connections that can be relied upon (Mundy 1). Despite the fact that 4G/LTE offers good speeds, they are not in any way comparable to the speeds offered by the 5G networks.

Ostensibly, 5G networks are also associated with the reduced latency, a feature that is not available in 4G/LTE networks. Further, it is alleged that 5G networks will be able to reach places that are completely hidden and out of communication.

Jain, Agrawal, and Awasthi (573) also talk about a number of differences between 5G and 4G wireless technologies. In their study, they established that unlike 4G/LTE, 5G provides dynamic information access as well as wearable devices that have artificial intelligence capabilities.

While 4G/LTE has the capability to support data bandwidth in megabytes only, 5G wireless technology offers support for data bandwidth in gigabytes.

While speeds provided by 4G/LTE are increased to keep up with data access demands used by various services, 5G technology provides a very high speed technology as well as efficient use of available bandwidth.

In addition, 5G wireless technology includes large phone storage capacity and dialing speed. Our phones can also be connected to laptops in order to access efficient data services.

With 5G wireless technology, bandwidth provided per frequency channel goes up to 28 gigahertz while this is only 100 megahertz for 4G/LTE networks. While concatenated codes are used to detect errors in 4G/LTE networks, the high quality service offered by 5G wireless networks is based on a policy designed to avoid error.

Prospect Analysis of 5G Wireless Technology

According to Kaplan (1), it is presumed that as 5G technologies continue to develop, mature users will be able to enjoy faster speeds and access to required services. Superior mobile devices with greater processing capability will, thus, be able to take advantage of the improved technology.

Despite the fact that more bandwidth will be available for the use by everybody, it is only the smart mobile phones that will be able to take advantage of the benefits associated with the 5G technology.

In the future, it is likely that a very powerful communications network will be built around the 5G network. In order to ensure that devices are always online, it presumed that the design of the mobile devices will incorporate a charging system.

While a shift to 5G wireless technology is helpful, it is imperative for users to be aware of the fact that a number of hurdles will have to be overcome if the benefits are to be fully realized.

Despite the fact that there are a number of spectrum bands that can potentially be used to meet the requirements of 5G wireless networks, there are efforts being made to provide higher frequency spectrums.

In order to make use of a bandwidth that is higher than 6 gigahertz, operators will be expected to invest in new technologies to avoid disappointments.

Conclusion

In this paper, various issues about 5G wireless networks have been discussed. As pointed out in this paper, 5G wireless networks provide highly advanced features that make it possible for users to enjoy excellent call and data services.

In spite of the fact that several developments with regards to the advancement of 5G technology have been made over the years, a number of challenges have also been encountered along the way.

One of the challenges has to do with the fact that investors are compelled to provide powerful infrastructure in order to meet the heavy demands of 5G technology.

Regardless of the difficulties and high demands that are associated with the implementation and subsequent use of 5G wireless networks, the benefits that come accompany the investment service as a motivation for investors to go to any length to implement the technology and enjoy improved services.

In the future, it is presumed that 5G wireless networks, will create a global wireless web that will be used to carry out all the kinds of transactions and improve the performance of e-commerce and other related services.

As this trend continues, it is very likely that 5G wireless technology will dominate the call and data services throughout the world.

As earlier pointed out, users are currently able to use mobile phones with cameras and a huge amount of memory, and it is possible owing to the existence of 5G technology. Among other issues, the technology facilitates the connection of mobile phones to laptops for improved data access services.

Today, we have mobile phones that resemble handheld devices as a result of 5G technology. Mobile phones are now able to offer numerous features and services to users that makes it possible to accomplish much more work than earlier.

Works Cited

Gregory, M. A. Explaining 5G Wireless Technology, 2015. Web.

Jain, S., Agrawal, N. & Awasthi, M. “5G – The Future of Mobile Wireless Communication Networks.” Advance in Electronic and Electric Engineering, 3.5 (2013): 569 – 574. Print.

Kaplan, K. Will 5G Bring New Dimensions to Our Wireless World? 2015. Web.

Mundy, J. What is 5G? 5G vs 4G and Future of Mobile Networks, 2014. Web.

Introduction

Ireland is a country among European countries that have been sexually repressed from the 1900s to late 1990s. Ireland was found to be more liberal when it came to issues of sex and cohabitation before marriage. Sexual revolution in Ireland was a social movement that posed a great challenge to the traditional ethics related to sexuality and associations between people in the entire continent. This happened back in the 1950s to 1980s. Most of the sexual practices that did not portray any ethical standards in Ireland were liberalized.

These practices reduced ethical standards because they almost drained the Irish culture leaving the state under the western culture. Some of these legalized practices include abortion practices, contraception and pills, sex outside marriage, homosexuality, high sexual acceptance outside traditional heterosexual, nakedness in public without no fear, and monogamous relationships (Wilson and Donnan, p. 43).

Although the sexual revolution gained its stability after 1950s, its roots in Ireland can be traced back as far as 1866. This was as a result of the age of reasoning due to enlightening of most people. This was meant for intellectuals and mobilized the power of reason in order to reform the society within Ireland.

It also led to enhanced and advanced technological and social knowledge. This age of enlightening among people enhanced promotion of science and intellectual interchange and opposition of traditional practices like superstition, intolerance and abuses in church and the entire state. The liberation of sexual practices was also a result of the era of Queen Victoria. This was a period of peace, prosperity, and self confidence nationally (Wilson and Donnan, p. 45).

Evolution and development of sexual liberation in Ireland

Sexual revolution in Ireland came as a development of the modern world but led to a great loss power of virtues and moral values especially in the Christian religion. Modernity in Ireland came as a result of the western culture that was introduced after nullifying the tradition and culture in Ireland.

This was due the advanced technology from the education and familiarization of manufacture of products that were used to enhance the sexual revolution. This led to rise of permissive societies in Ireland that accepted sexual freedom and experimenting of the sexual practices.

This made sexual acts be liberalized and become rampant in the whole world. This was well portrayed in matters that were meant to separate the state from sexual matters and cause rejection to such practices like marriage, control of birth practices, as well as adultery (Wilson and Donnan, p. 21).

Most of sexual practices spread due to the increased technology in the media services like the discovery of television in the 1950s which promoted means of communication in the entire state. Therefore, it was easy to pass information and convey new ideas to many people within a short period. This was also enhanced by the development of other mass media devices like newspapers, radios and other media services.

This also assisted in conveying of messages and new information to people in the entire state. All this promoted the growth and expansion of the sexual revolution in Ireland. One of the sexual liberation practices that came to being as a result of media was the pill which was used by women as a means of birth control. This enabled women to have access to easy and reliable means of preventing fusion of gametes during and after performing a sexual activity.

This promoted the sexual revolution because most women and girls in the teenage stage engaged in sexual activity. This is because they were sure of failing to get pregnant after any sexual activity. This increased immoral practices both with married and unmarried people in Ireland. Another practice that evolved was obstetrics which was a medical specialty meant to care for women during the prenatal period, bearing of the child and also during the postnatal period.

This led to a reduction in death and an increment in life expectancy for women in Ireland. In turn, this increased the rate at which women could perform sexual activities hence promoting the sexual revolution period. All this caused the evolution and spread of the sexual revolution in Ireland (Godbeer, p. 45).

Causes of rapid spread of the sexual revolution

Sexual revolution emerged due to a number of factors which were contributed by the people who lived in Ireland. First, the advancement of science and technology was one of the major causes of the spread of the sexual revolution as it led to manufacturing of better methods of birth control pills.

This led to increased knowledge of design and production of condoms that were used by young teenagers to control premarital pregnancies. In turn, this encouraged sexual activities in the entire state. Secondly, improved medication, healthcare, expansion of the pharmaceutical industry was also a major contribution as it led to discovery and perfection of the pill as a birth control method. This increased the sexual activities among the teens since taking pills enabled them avoid pregnancy.

Thirdly, increased sexual revolution was caused by increased literacy in the world. World wide literacy made people in Ireland discover new ideas pertaining sexual activity. This led to increased spread of sexual practices in the state. Fourth, failure to observe religious norms and rules was a major cause of the spread of the sexual revolution in Ireland. People neglected biblical teachings and abandoned all the biblical laws and notions.

This made them embark on utilizing the modernized western culture which in turn led to the rapid spread of the sexual liberation. The emerging of the free love culture where people were taught on the power of love and the beauty of sexual acts as part of the student life in school caused continued spread of sexuality in Ireland (Godbeer, p.160)

Overall Impact of the sexual revolution in Ireland

The evolution and spread of sexual liberation in Ireland is said to have changed the lives of men and women than any other revolution that ever existed in the state. It has had a great impact both to the married people and young girls and boys in the adolescence stage. People ended up engaging in risky sexual practices especially for young girls and boys.

It led to changing of behaviors and ethics leading to low ethical standards in Ireland. There were noted shifts in social attitudes and behaviors within the state. Sexual liberation resulted to premarital pregnancies that affected the girls who never had knowledge of use of contraceptives. Sexually transmitted diseases accompanied by depression and emotional consequences were also consequences which arose from this sexual liberation.

Emotional consequences were as a result of heart break pains from long term relationships which created a sense of betrayal and low self esteem. Most people thought that contraceptives were helpful; however, they could only act as birth control methods but could not reduce the risk of diseases. The spread of sexual liberation led to increased use of anal and oral sex among adolescents in Ireland which in turn resulted to increased spread of sexual infections (Godbeer, p.171).

The spread of the Human Immune Deficiency virus was rapid due to increased sexual practices among adolescents and married couples. It also led to the spread of cervical cancer where about 11000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer. Among those diagnosed, about 3700 of them died out of it. It has been noticed that most of the people affected by the liberation of sexual practices in Ireland are the Irish women. This has also affected young girls who are still in the teenage stage (Bradley, p. 96).

This has in turn led to most recorded death rates in the entire state. Rapid spread of sexual liberation also led to most of the unmarried men and women between the ages of 20 to 25 years having many sexual partners. This was common in Ireland until late 1990s. Most of the people in Ireland lived unmarried lives as a result of this so that they could have many sexual partners. The increased freedom of the use of pill as a contraceptive was dangerous because it led to increased “sexualization” among the young girls.

Again, the increased freedom of choice on sexual matters destroyed families in the state hence most of the children could not be brought up in the right manner. In addition, there were a lot of divorce cases noticed during the sexual revolution even up to 2000s where most of the married people divorced and children ended up being brought up by single parents and others by unmarried couples.

This made most children lose one side of the parental love. Sexual revolution also led to shifting of most people from religion and encouraging secularization. In a general sense, sexual revolution has affected millions of people in Ireland causing a notable disturbance in the community and influencing the future society at large. This is because Ireland had already become a site of immoral behavior (Bradley, p. 98-103).

Effects of the sexual revolution to women lives in Ireland

As it has been discussed in literature, women in Ireland have been found to be most affected by the evolution and spread of sexual liberation. A significant number of women have been affected by the infections that occur as a result of sexual activities with infected men. Some of these are the sexually transmitted diseases like cervical cancer and AIDS. This is because most of the men could have several partners that were unmarried and could end up being unmarried.

Although sexual revolution has been seen to have great negative impact to women’s lives, the evolution of pills has helped to empower women in the state which has in turn caused a change in the entire world. Sexual liberation has led to most of early marriages among the ladies in Ireland. This has in turn caused most women not to go through the education system in Ireland leading to high levels of illiteracy.

Sexual liberation has also led to unmarried mothers becoming desperate. This is as a result of increased premarital pregnancies which were common among the teens. Again, it also led to increased immoral behaviors amongst young ladies. In addition, the freedom in sexual matters helped women in the places of work. The evolution of the pill gave married women the freedom to choose the number of children they could wish to bear (Bradley, p.122).

End of the sexual liberation in Ireland

The spread of sexual practices in Ireland increased at a high rate between early 1980s to1990s. Records show that most of the affected groups during this period were still women and unmarried girls. This was indicated by the high rate of teen pregnancies recorded during this period.

This went on at this high rate until 1991 when the rate of premarital pregnancies started to decline up to date. However, records of birth rates in Ireland and most parts of Europe show that teenage birth rate is still the leading as compared to the women birth rates (Wilson and Donnan, p. 134).

Conclusion

From the discussion on sexual revolution in Ireland, it has been found that women were highly affected by this period. This has been indicated by the high rate of deaths recorded in the state which was a result of the sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, gonorrhea and syphilis among others.

Despite the negative impacts of the sexual revolution to women, there are also positive effects arising from the use of some sexual practices introduced during this period. Some of these were use of contraceptives which were found to be helpful to women as it helped reduce the pregnancies and birth rates.

It also helped young girls to reduce premarital pregnancies. On the other hand, men were also affected by the sexual revolution because having sex with those who were infected still transmitted the diseases. Again, the sexual revolution posed a great danger to the community and society at large. This is because of the increased freedom of sexual activities that led to destruction of norms and ethical standards in the state.

Works Cited

Bradley, Anthony. Gender and Sexuality in Modern Ireland. Amherst: Univ. of Massachusetts Press, 1997. Print.

Godbeer, Richard. Sexual Revolution in Early America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004. Print.

Wilson, Thomas M. and Hastings Donnan. The Anthropology of Ireland. Oxford: Berg, 2006. Print.

Introduction

The 21st century is the age of information and mass media. With the government and corporate control over the internet vanning, an individual’s actions today can achieve that which 50 years ago was considered impossible. Access to information provided new tools to reach out to millions of people worldwide in order to fight discrimination, violence, and racism. The newly discovered freedom of speech caused a major shift in public opinion, supplanting the power of dominant population in America to suppress, exploit, and belittle the country’s minorities. The result of such shifts was the protest of Colin Kaepernick, who opposed the flag of a nation that allowed for innocent people of color to be gunned down by police with impunity.

Socio-Cultural Causes Behind Kaepernick’s Protest

In order to understand the magnitude and bravery behind Kaepernick’s protest, it is important to realize the pressure placed on every single media representative in the entertainment industry. Sports athletes, musicians, and actors provide entertainment for large groups of people. It also makes them slaves to public opinion, since they must speak what the public wants them to hear, lest they lose popularity and employment. By putting himself on the line, Kaepernick risked his career and employment in the forty-niners’ sports club. There are several reasons as to why he did it.

The first reason is the violence against black people that had been escalating in the past 5 years. According to the FBI bulletin, black victims of police violence constitute 25% of the entire group, despite comprising roughly 13% of the entire population (Payne). One of the most famous examples of institutionalized police brutality included the apprehension of Ferguson riots in 2014, which resulted in 1 death, 10 injuries, and over 300 arrests (Payne). The awareness of multiple acts of police brutality across the US was made possible because of social media and the Internet, which helped collect proof and share information between many people.

The second factor that contributed to Kaepernick’s impact was the existence of various social movements promoting racial and gender equality. One of these major groups is Black Lives Matter, which helps shape the public opinion by exposing various injustices and violations against the black community by the government, the educational system, the businesses, and the law enforcement. The organization exists since 2013, and during the four years before Kaepernick’s incident, it managed to gain significant exposure and promote the rights of black people across the US (Virk).

The last factor revolves around sustainability. Fifty years ago, any activist challenging the status quo could be effectively suppressed by being fired and shunned by the predominantly white community. Black rights leaders did not see any government support and had to rely on their own supporters to promote the cause. Because of this factor, it required figures like Martin Luther King Jr. as well as massive boycotts and demonstration to make a dent in the public opinion.

Although Kaepernick was expelled from the forty-niners for his action, he received support and endorsements from numerous companies, one of the being Nike (Virk). His image was used to facilitate a social awareness campaign, which was in line with the company’s views on social responsibility (Draper and Belson).

Effects of Kaepernick’s Protest

Two years from now, the effects of Kaepernick’s protest can finally be evaluated with a degree of certainty. The player suffered, as ever since being fired from the club, he did not find a different sporting team. Aside from participation in Nike’s social awareness advertisement, he did not have any major contracts (Payne). For an athlete, 2 years off the field is akin to a death sentence. It shows that going up against the established “status quo” still has a price. However, his sacrifice was not in vain, as it sent ripples across American society. Many other athletes have joined Kaepernick in the act of protest, refusing to salute the American flag, which, in their view, stands for discrimination, slavery, and violence against black people.

President Trump’s spiteful reaction to Kaepernick’s protest, as seen on twitter, could also be seen as an achievement, as it helped expose the man’s true opinions about police violence, riots, and gender inequality in general. Even though 2 years have passed, Kaepernick’s actions are still mentioned during mid-term elections by politicians and pundits on both sides of the spectrum (Payne). The change that Kaepernick and other athletes risked their careers for will not happen overnight, but it is happening. The public has not forgotten, and there is a debate going on, meaning that the conditions and the treatment of black people in the US are going to change for the better.

Conclusions

Kaepernick’s protest was the result of a variety of causes that happened beforehand. Although the continuous violence against black communities by the police was the triggering event, the groundwork was laid by the invention and use of social media, the creation of dedicated organizations to protect black rights, and the continuous fight for liberty and equality that has been going on in the US since 1954. Although the impact of his actions was not as apparent as Martin Luther King’s, the ocean is made out of droplets. The more people like him speak up, the more likely it is for change to happen.

Works Cited

Draper, Kevin, and Ken Belson. “Colin Kaepernick’s Nike Campaign Keeps N.F.L. Anthem Kneeling in Spotlight.” The New York Times. 2018. Web.

Payne, Marissa. “Colin Kaepernick Refuses to Stand for National Anthem to Protest Police Killings.” The Washington Post. 2016. Web.

Virk, Kameron. “Take a Knee: Aspiring NFL Players on Colin Kaepernick’s Protests.” BBC News. 2019. Web.

Introduction

Ever since the agrarian, industrial and scientific revolution, the world has been experiencing a lot of changes that have affected the lifestyles, cultures and beliefs of every society in the world. It is due to these changes that people started to fight for human rights, democracy, equality and so on.

Ever since its early days of establishment, USA has been known to be a nation that contains intellectual and rational individuals. These individuals conatin the knowledge and skills required to make a great nation. As a result, the nation has been renowned for its excellence. The main basis of this excellence has been the sustainable education system of the country coupled with favourable social structures that aimed at developing the cognitive capacity of individuals to a great level.

However, with the rapid advancement in technology that has been experienced in the last few decades, the level of rationalism and intellectuality of the people of the United States has become questionable. Is the country losing its intellectual and rational ways? This is the question that many people keep on asking themselves.

Some believe that the citizens of the country have become ignorant while others believe that the country is in the middle of a literacy revolution. These claims have come about due to the changes that are being experienced in the print and visual media. Initially, people used to utilize a lot of print materials. Students used to read poems, books, novels, journals and so on within and outside the class.

This trend has however changed and now individuals are doing more of watching than reading. At the same time, the internet, especially the social media has changed the manner in which individuals interact, think and write. Due to this fact, a study should be conducted to determine the effects of this advancement of the intellectual capacity of the nation. This essay therefore explores the effects of these developments on the intellectual and rationality capacity of individuals of the United States.

Ignorance or New Literacy

Severalarguments have been raised pertaining to whether Americans are becoming ignorant to literacy or they are undergoing a great revolution. Several scholars have come up with their theories and opinions pertaining the issue. In her book, The Age of American Unreason, Susan Jocoby states that Americans have changed the manner in which they think and perceive things (Jacoby 1).

According to her, much of the problems that the nation is facing have been due to the ignorance that has risen from the public. This ignorance has come about due to the changes in that the society is experiencing. There has been a rapid decline in the use of print media by the public for the last three or so decades (Jacoby 5).

People are not reading as much as they used to back in the day. Instead, the spend much of their time watching television, playing video games and surfing the internet. The number of 17 year olds who read nothing other than their course material has doubled between 1984 and 2004 (Jacoby 6). Due to this fact therefore, these individuals do not have the relevant knowledge and skills that are required to build and sustain a great nation. Susan therefore blames technology for the problems that the nation is currently facing.

On the other hand, Thompson and McKean believe that the nation is undergoing an intellectual revolution. According to them, the intensity of this change is so great that it will result to the creation of more rational and intellectual individuals that the nation had never had before. All this can be attributed to the introduction of new technology. Through the use of the internet and social media, individuals have had the chance to read and write about a lot of issues (Thompson 3).

This has in turn developed them into great writers. At the same time, social media and networks such as tweeter and facebook has given them a chance to easily associate and socialize with one another. This has made it easier for them to share information and ideas. These changes have thus made them understand life in a better perspective by being able to define the problem and come up with solutions (McKean 5).

Personally, I tend to believe that technology has increased the thinking capacity of individuals. It has enable people to view issues from a different perspective. At the same time, the flow of information and ideas is much easier. People are now exposed to a lot of things than before.

This has made them to be more intellectual and rational individuals. The state should therefore put much emphasis on the use of technology. A lot of studies and research should therefore be conducted to ensure that technology is used in a way that will bring about positive change to the people of the United States.

Conclusion

An intellectual revolution is going on in the United States. This change aims at producing rational individuals who are more learned and ready to face the challenges of life. This change has resulted to a decline in the utilization of print media and an increase in the use of visual media. The nation is therefore not suffering from any intellectual problem.

Works Cited

Jacoby, Susan. How Dumb can we Get?Incurable-Insomniatic. Web.

McKean, Erin. Redefining Definitions. NYTimes.com. Web.

Thompson, Clive. The New Literacy. Wired Magazine. Web.

Revolutions often arise from growing discontent with poverty, inequality, and other similar phenomena. A revolution is a complex process that unexpectedly emerges from a social system that is declining in many areas at once. People maintain the same beliefs to fight those who disagree with them. In general, revolutions seem to be instruments of change and transformation achieved after the struggle against oppression. The main reasons for the emergence of revolutions are the lack of financial resources in households, authoritarian regimes, geographical location, and an absence of freedom when it comes to human rights. A striking example is a recent revolution in Kyrgyzstan when the people revolted because they were dissatisfied with the results of the elections. This country will be compared with its neighbors, while the other country with revolution to compare with neighbors will be Myanmar.

The hypothesis tested through data collection is:

“Neighboring with nondemocratic countries and low income, freedom, and democracy inside the country leads to revolutions”.

Dependent variable: Number of revolutions in the last 10 years.

Independent variable: Neighbor countries (geographical location).

The method used to research the hypothesis is the most similar system design for the examples to prove or disprove it. GDP per capita, political regimes, and human rights (based on the Freedom House rating) are used to describe the current situation in the considered country and its neighbors.

According to the data received, indeed, the neighbors of Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar have also had revolutions over the past 10 years. Various reasons can lead to these revolutions, since there is no obvious correlation with the number of revolutions in the country (“Countries and Territories”) neither in the indicators of human rights, nor in GDP per capita, nor in the political regime. Nevertheless, it is the geographical position that becomes the determinant by which one can partly judge the possibility of a revolution in the country. This hypothesis is only partially confirmed: the proximity to countries where the revolution has been proven, while low incomes, political regimes or gross product per capita require additional research, an increase in the sample, so that correct conclusions can be drawn.

Works Cited

“Countries and Territories.”Freedom House, Web.

“GDP per Capita (Current US$) – China.”Data, Web.

“GDP per Capita (Current US$) – Kyrgyz Republic.”Data, Web.

“GDP per Capita, (Current US$) – Kazakhstan.”Data, Web.

“GDP per Capita, (Current US$) – Tajikistan.”Data, Web.

“GDP per Capita, (Current US$) – Uzbekistan.”Data, Web.

“Insights by Industry.” GlobalEDGE, Web.

Article Summary

Patel et al., in the article ‘Ending Africa’s Hunger’, illustrate that about a billion of world population consumes less than 1,900 calories of food per day. This largely deplorable situation necessitates devising of strategies to increase agricultural production. Africa has large agricultural fields and hence, if agricultural productivity per acre of land can be increased, the registered deficits can be tackled.

One of the agricultural productivity improvement strategies introduced is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiative called “Green Revolution”. Green Revolution is a multibillion-dollar initiative aimed at revamping the African agriculture sector. The Foundation has already spent more than $ 1.3 billion on agricultural developments and grants in Africa, all with the aim of solving the African hunger problem (Patel et al.).

Despite the millions of dollars being spent, it seems the Green Revolution strategy is not a viable solution. A person’s nutritional demands have expanded overtime due to changing lifestyles and plant genetics. Hunger in Africa results more from soil infertility and ineffective distribution strategies rather than individual farmer efforts.

Green Revolution was a strategy hatched in the United States. The idea was implemented after the USA noted that hunger likely pushed the urban and rural poor population to demand changes in global politics.

After its success in countries such as India, Philippines, Pakistan and Turkey; food production in those countries increased, it was hoped that the idea would yield similar success in Africa. Patel et al. argue that Green Revolution was practised on a large scale in China. However, when China withdrew from the initiative, South America was affected and hunger in South America increased by 20%.

The increase in food production as a result of Green revolution was not that simple, and it was linked to other social issues. For example, peasants were removed from their lands to pave the way for commercial farming. Therefore, green revolution strategies enhanced agricultural production while leading to creation of slums.

Other social and economic problems such as; persistent use of pesticides, reduction in water levels in rivers due to irrigation activities and other unregulated agricultural practices led to environmental degradation (Patel et al.). In India, where the Green Revolution was practised on a large scale, it caused environmental and economic issues prompting farmers to revert to old farming practices.

In Africa, the Green Revolution strategy has extensively embraced technologically driven farming methods approach in achieving its objectives. About $1.3 billion has been invested in technology with about 30% being directed towards developing seed technologies, training women and providing infrastructure to source food locally (Patel et al).

Criticism against Technology-Based Approaches

The article heavily criticizes technology-based approaches to agricultural productivity improvement. However, the kind of technologies employed and their application seems controversial. Lack of credible agricultural research institution and reduced government investment in the agricultural sector in African countries makes such an approach not very credible.

The hunger challenge is caused by lack of strong government instruments in addressing agricultural challenges in the sector. Lack of government commitment is evidenced in the relative government underinvestment in the sector. Lack of capacity by African governments to invest in technology makes the agricultural strategies employed in the green revolution not very sustainable.

Even before the Green Revolution initiative, Africa used to export about 1.3 million tons of foods in 1960’s. Such levels of food production were made possible by the World Bank because it had forced most African countries to accept International Development Loan, which is costly in repayment.

Technology Argument

Green Revolution technology presents a different viewpoint or a totally radical departure from traditional approach. It is argued that technology has enhanced more agricultural production through necessitating high yielding seeds and production of synthetic fertilizers to sustain agricultural production. Green Revolution has advanced cause for use of Genetically Modified Seed so as to increase production.

However, generally speaking, genetically modified foodstuffs have social and environmental problems or questions. Embracing technology means issues such as soil and water pollution, use of synthetic fertilizer in agriculture, greenhouse effects and unemployment are unavoidable.

Due to the mentioned issues, many African countries have adamantly held on to or embraced traditional farming methods, which are considered safe and eco-friendly. For example, in Kenya, farmers and researchers have developed a local solution to curb the risk of striga, a parasitic weed, which is a challenge to African farmers. The focus on local and traditional methods is a strategy aimed at enhanced food security in an eco-friendly manner

Bias

The green revolution was well-intended. However, the Green Revolution technology has brought about challenges in various aspects. Implementing the technology in an African context means more people will lose their lands and create a landless society. Employing the strategy leads to need for more land to support large scale commercial farming.

Consequently, the technology will promote or lead to social problems in society. A large percentage of the African population solely depends on agriculture as a source of employment. The Green Revolution technology will decrease direct employment avenues exploited by a majority of Africans.

Works Cited

Patel Raj, Holt-Giménez, Eric and Shattuck, Annie. Ending Africa’s Hunger, 2009 15th July 2011. Web <https://foodfirst.org/>