" SUGAR HAS A VERY BAD REPUTAION", IS IT SO ?

Sugar has a very bad reputation when it comes to creating a nutritious & balanced diet . Too much sugar can cause a range of serious health problems, including diabetes, dementia, and obesity. BUT DO YOU KNOW?

Sugar is the form of carbohydrate. The body breaks down this carbohydrates into sugar. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which enters the bloodstream and acts as a source of energy . Some sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and lactose, occur naturally in foods and drinks. Added sugars refer to any sugars in foods that are not naturally occurring, such as sugar in baked goods. Foods or drinks may also contain highly processed sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup.

Naturally occurring sugars come with a variety of Naturally occurring sugars come with a variety of nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. For example, alongside fructose, fruit contains fiber and various vitamins and minerals. Most foods and drinks that contain added sugars, such as chocolate and soda, lack these nutrients. Nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. For example, alongside fructose, fruit contains fiber and various vitamins and minerals. Most foods and drinks that contain added sugars, such as chocolate and soda, lack these nutrients.

HEALTHIER SUGAR

You think sugar is not healthy ? It is ! Fruits contain natural sugar , which is a healthy source of sugar for our body . Eating a serving of fruit, such as a banana, apple, peach, plum or handful of grapes, is a nutritious and low-calorie snack that can boost the sugars in your body before exercise or help replenish them after exercise. Fructose is a simple sugar, so it can give you a quick burst of energy. Sugars in dairy foods, such as milk and yogurt, are healthy choices, too, because the foods provide other nutrients, such as protein and calcium, in your diet. Complex carbs contain beneficial sugars, as well, so include whole grains and starchy vegetables in your diet.

UNHEALTHIER SUGAR

Added sugar is the sugar which is unhealthy & it leads to storage of fats in you body which leads to health problems. Added sugar is generally present in cold drinks , soda , backed food , etc. This type of sugar may give you quick energy but doesn’t provide you with healthy nutrients , which leads to storage of it in our body .

All in all we can say that it depends on us , which is our preference , added sugar or natural sugar , & our preference will decide our health .

India and Afghanistan

From exit of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, India may soon counter a condition in which it would have no presence in the country. Not even diplomatic presence. This is going to be the reversal of a long friendship. Afghanistan is vital to India’s strategic interest.

In 1947, right after independence, India concluded a Treaty of Friendship with Afghanistan which opened up diplomatic relations. During 1950s and 60s, India strengthen its diplomatic ties with Afghanistan. India’s first and most significant interest is to ensure that Pakistan does not gain anything from Afghanistan. If it happens, it will be disastrous to the regional security of India. Pakistan on the other hand, refuse the transit rights to India over Pakistan to reach Afghan. India has used alternative way from Chahbahar port in Iran to reach landlock Afghanistan.

India has built roads, dams, consulates, electricity transmission lines, schools and hospitals etc. Some of the projects by India in Afghaistan are-
1. Salma Dam: the 42MW dam in Herat province of Afghanistan. The hydropower and irrigation project inaugrated by PM modi in 2016. It is also known as the ‘Afghan-India Friendship Dam’.
2. Zaranj-Delaram Highway: 218 km long highway built by Border Roads Organisation, located close to the border with Iran. This highway is of strategic important to India as it provides an alternate route to Afghanistan via Iran.
3. Afghan Parliament: built in 2015, it was inaugrated by PM Modi in his visit to Afghanistan. Even one block in this building is dedicated to the former prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
4. Electricity Infrastructure: some projects by India in Afghan like 220kV DC transmission like in Baghlan province. Also some telecommunications infrastructure is restored by indian contractors and workers.
5. Health: India has reconstructed “Indira Gandhi Institute for Child Health in 1985, i.e. a children’s hospital. It has also built some clinics in different provinces of Afghanistan.
6. Other projects: Apart from the above mentioned projects, some other contributions from Indian side like, benches and desks to schools, solar panels in villages, sulabh toilet blocks, transportation buses etc.

Currently both the sides are working together on Shatoot Dam project in Kabul district, with an aim to provide safe drinking water to 2 million people. Some other projects are still going on. India has provided $3 billion estimated assistance to Afghanistan.

India and Afghanistan

From exit of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, India may soon counter a condition in which it would have no presence in the country. Not even diplomatic presence. This is going to be the reversal of a long friendship. Afghanistan is vital to India’s strategic interest.

In 1947, right after independence, India concluded a Treaty of Friendship with Afghanistan which opened up diplomatic relations. During 1950s and 60s, India strengthen its diplomatic ties with Afghanistan. India’s first and most significant interest is to ensure that Pakistan does not gain anything from Afghanistan. If it happens, it will be disastrous to the regional security of India. Pakistan on the other hand, refuse the transit rights to India over Pakistan to reach Afghan. India has used alternative way from Chahbahar port in Iran to reach landlock Afghanistan.

India has built roads, dams, consulates, electricity transmission lines, schools and hospitals etc. Some of the projects by India in Afghaistan are-
1. Salma Dam: the 42MW dam in Herat province of Afghanistan. The hydropower and irrigation project inaugrated by PM modi in 2016. It is also known as the ‘Afghan-India Friendship Dam’.
2. Zaranj-Delaram Highway: 218 km long highway built by Border Roads Organisation, located close to the border with Iran. This highway is of strategic important to India as it provides an alternate route to Afghanistan via Iran.
3. Afghan Parliament: built in 2015, it was inaugrated by PM Modi in his visit to Afghanistan. Even one block in this building is dedicated to the former prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
4. Electricity Infrastructure: some projects by India in Afghan like 220kV DC transmission like in Baghlan province. Also some telecommunications infrastructure is restored by indian contractors and workers.
5. Health: India has reconstructed “Indira Gandhi Institute for Child Health in 1985, i.e. a children’s hospital. It has also built some clinics in different provinces of Afghanistan.
6. Other projects: Apart from the above mentioned projects, some other contributions from Indian side like, benches and desks to schools, solar panels in villages, sulabh toilet blocks, transportation buses etc.

Currently both the sides are working together on Shatoot Dam project in Kabul district, with an aim to provide safe drinking water to 2 million people. Some other projects are still going on. India has provided $3 billion estimated assistance to Afghanistan.

Types of Software

Software categories are groups of software. They allow software to be understood in terms of those categories, instead of the particularities of each package. Different classification schemes consider different aspects of software. 

  1. System Software

 System software is a collection of programs written to service other programs.
 Ex. Compilers, Editor, operating system, drivers etc

2. Real – Time Software

 Software that monitors or analyzes or controls real-world events as they occur is called real time.
 Elements of real-time software include a data gathering component that collects and formats
information from an external environment, an analysis component that transforms information as
required by the application.
 A control/output component that responds to the external environment and a monitoring component
that coordinates all other components so that real-time response can be maintained.
 Ex. Weather Forecasting

3. Application Software

 Application software consists of standalone programs that solve a specific business need.
 Application software is used to control the business function in real-time.
 Application software processes business or technical data.

 Ex. Transaction Processing, Sales Processing, Manufacturing Software etc.

4. Engineering/Scientific Software

 Characterized by “number crunching” algorithms.
 Application software is set of programs designed for engineering and scientific purposes.
 Applications range from astronomy to volcano logy, from automotive stress analysis to space shuttle
orbital dynamics, and from molecular biology to automated manufacturing.
 Ex. Computer Aided Design (CAD), system stimulation etc.

5. Embedded Software

 Intelligent products have become common place in nearly every consumer and industrial market.
 Embedded Software resides within product and is used to control products and systems for the
consumer.
 Embedded software can perform limited and esoteric functions.
 Ex. Keypad control for a microwave oven, digital functions in an automobile such as fuel control,
dashboard displays, and braking systems.

6. Product line Software

 Designed to provide a specific capability for use by many different customers.
 Product line software can focus on a limited and esoteric marketplace.
 Ex. Word processing, spreadsheet, CG, multimedia, etc.

7. Web Based Software

 The Web pages retrieved by a browser are software that incorporates executable instructions and data.
 Web apps can be little more than a set of linked hypertext files.
 It evolves into sophisticated computing environments that not only provide standalone features,
functions but also integrated with corporate database and business applications.

8. Artificial Intelligence Software

 AI software makes use of non-numerical algorithms to solve complex problems that are not amenable
to computation or straightforward analysis
 Ex. Robotics, expert system, game playing, pattern recognition, theorem providing etc.

Types of Software

Software categories are groups of software. They allow software to be understood in terms of those categories, instead of the particularities of each package. Different classification schemes consider different aspects of software. 

  1. System Software

 System software is a collection of programs written to service other programs.
 Ex. Compilers, Editor, operating system, drivers etc

2. Real – Time Software

 Software that monitors or analyzes or controls real-world events as they occur is called real time.
 Elements of real-time software include a data gathering component that collects and formats
information from an external environment, an analysis component that transforms information as
required by the application.
 A control/output component that responds to the external environment and a monitoring component
that coordinates all other components so that real-time response can be maintained.
 Ex. Weather Forecasting

3. Application Software

 Application software consists of standalone programs that solve a specific business need.
 Application software is used to control the business function in real-time.
 Application software processes business or technical data.

 Ex. Transaction Processing, Sales Processing, Manufacturing Software etc.

4. Engineering/Scientific Software

 Characterized by “number crunching” algorithms.
 Application software is set of programs designed for engineering and scientific purposes.
 Applications range from astronomy to volcano logy, from automotive stress analysis to space shuttle
orbital dynamics, and from molecular biology to automated manufacturing.
 Ex. Computer Aided Design (CAD), system stimulation etc.

5. Embedded Software

 Intelligent products have become common place in nearly every consumer and industrial market.
 Embedded Software resides within product and is used to control products and systems for the
consumer.
 Embedded software can perform limited and esoteric functions.
 Ex. Keypad control for a microwave oven, digital functions in an automobile such as fuel control,
dashboard displays, and braking systems.

6. Product line Software

 Designed to provide a specific capability for use by many different customers.
 Product line software can focus on a limited and esoteric marketplace.
 Ex. Word processing, spreadsheet, CG, multimedia, etc.

7. Web Based Software

 The Web pages retrieved by a browser are software that incorporates executable instructions and data.
 Web apps can be little more than a set of linked hypertext files.
 It evolves into sophisticated computing environments that not only provide standalone features,
functions but also integrated with corporate database and business applications.

8. Artificial Intelligence Software

 AI software makes use of non-numerical algorithms to solve complex problems that are not amenable
to computation or straightforward analysis
 Ex. Robotics, expert system, game playing, pattern recognition, theorem providing etc.

Facts about the Kalki avatar of Vishnu

In Hinduism, Lord Vishnu is one of the triumvirates of God namely Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Among these three triumvirates of God Lord Brahma is believed to be the creator of the universe, Lord Maheshwar, i.e., Lord Shiva is known to the destroyer and Lord Vishnu is believed to be the preserver or protector of the whole universe.

According to Hindus, it is said that Lord Vishnu came to earth many times as a human being for restoring the balance between the good and evil. It is said that Lord Vishnu has already incarnated in the earth about twenty-five times and Lord Kalki will be the last and final incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Hindus depicted the picture of Lord Vishnu as reclining on a large snake bed in the Cosmos Ocean where he is in deep meditative sleep along with Lakshmi who is offering her service to the Lord Vishnu.

Apart from that in the portrait of Lord Vishnu, it is seen that a lotus blossomed from the belly of Lord Vishnu and gave birth to Lord Brahma. In the portrait, it is also seen that Lord Brahma who has created the world is paying his respect to the Lord Vishnu.

But the appearance of Kalki Avatar of Lord Vishnu is believed to be the Lord of the universe and in Hinduism, the picture of Lord Kalki is portrayed as the Lord is riding on his horse Devadatta with a sword in his hand. This appearance of Lord Kalki is found in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

It is said that the main mission of Lord Kalki to appear on the earth would be to destroy Koli which would signify an evil person. The main motive of Lord Kalki would be to destroy all barbarians and thieves from the earth and make the earth peaceful place to live in.

Apart from that, it is also said that Lord Kalki would defeat the Kings called to Koli and hand over the rule to Devapi and Maru the religious king of Koli yugas.

It is believed that Lord Kalki will descend to earth during Baisakha month. It is usually said that Lord Kalki will appear on the earth on the 12th day after the full moon day.

That means it can be guessed that he will appear at any time from 26th April to 15th May. It is also predicted that the Lord Kalki will be born to a man who would be named Visnu Yasa and his mother would be named as Sumati.

It is also believed that Lord Kalki would go to Sinhala and marry the Padma and would start his conjugal life.

Thus, these were some of the lesser known facts of the Kalki Avatar. The Last Avatar by Vishwas Mudagal is one of the most popular books on the Kalki Avatar. Read it to know more about how the Kalki Avatar will save a world that is destined to destroy itself.

Facts about the Kalki avatar of Vishnu

In Hinduism, Lord Vishnu is one of the triumvirates of God namely Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Among these three triumvirates of God Lord Brahma is believed to be the creator of the universe, Lord Maheshwar, i.e., Lord Shiva is known to the destroyer and Lord Vishnu is believed to be the preserver or protector of the whole universe.

According to Hindus, it is said that Lord Vishnu came to earth many times as a human being for restoring the balance between the good and evil. It is said that Lord Vishnu has already incarnated in the earth about twenty-five times and Lord Kalki will be the last and final incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Hindus depicted the picture of Lord Vishnu as reclining on a large snake bed in the Cosmos Ocean where he is in deep meditative sleep along with Lakshmi who is offering her service to the Lord Vishnu.

Apart from that in the portrait of Lord Vishnu, it is seen that a lotus blossomed from the belly of Lord Vishnu and gave birth to Lord Brahma. In the portrait, it is also seen that Lord Brahma who has created the world is paying his respect to the Lord Vishnu.

But the appearance of Kalki Avatar of Lord Vishnu is believed to be the Lord of the universe and in Hinduism, the picture of Lord Kalki is portrayed as the Lord is riding on his horse Devadatta with a sword in his hand. This appearance of Lord Kalki is found in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

It is said that the main mission of Lord Kalki to appear on the earth would be to destroy Koli which would signify an evil person. The main motive of Lord Kalki would be to destroy all barbarians and thieves from the earth and make the earth peaceful place to live in.

Apart from that, it is also said that Lord Kalki would defeat the Kings called to Koli and hand over the rule to Devapi and Maru the religious king of Koli yugas.

It is believed that Lord Kalki will descend to earth during Baisakha month. It is usually said that Lord Kalki will appear on the earth on the 12th day after the full moon day.

That means it can be guessed that he will appear at any time from 26th April to 15th May. It is also predicted that the Lord Kalki will be born to a man who would be named Visnu Yasa and his mother would be named as Sumati.

It is also believed that Lord Kalki would go to Sinhala and marry the Padma and would start his conjugal life.

Thus, these were some of the lesser known facts of the Kalki Avatar. The Last Avatar by Vishwas Mudagal is one of the most popular books on the Kalki Avatar. Read it to know more about how the Kalki Avatar will save a world that is destined to destroy itself.

What is Social Conformity ?

The society maintains its order by means of the Normative system .
Normativity is the phenomenon in human societies of designating some actions or outcomes as good or desirable or permissible and others as bad or undesirable or impermissible. A norm in this normative sense means a standard for evaluating or making judgments about behavior or outcomes.

Normative system refers to the system of rules which the people are expected to accept , obey and appreciate .

When the people act in consonance with the norms they become “Conformists “.

People often choose to conform to society rather than to pursue personal desires – because it is often easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than forging a new one.

Norms which are implicit, specific rules, shared by a group of individuals .
Conformity is action that is oriented to social norms and falls within the range of behaviour permitted by the norms .

Hence , conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.
Unwillingness to conform carries the risk of social rejection. Conformity strongly affects humans of all ages.

Conformity implies behaving in accordance with the norms .
It implies that the individual consciously approves of a particular behaviour and is presented to follow the same .


___________________________________________

Types of Conformity :-


Kelman stated three different types of conformity:

Compliance (or group acceptance)

According to Kelman, , this occurs
when an individual accepts influence because he hopes to achieve a favorable reaction from another person or group. He adopts the induced behavior because….he expects to gain specific rewards or approval and avoid specific punishment or disapproval by conformity “

Compliance stops when there are no group pressures to conform, and is therefore a temporary behavior change.

Internalization (genuine acceptance of group norms)
According to Kelman , this occurs ‘

when an individual accepts influence because the content of the induced behavior – the ideas and actions of which it is composed – is intrinsically rewarding. He adopts the induced behavior because it is congruent [consistent] with his value system”


This is the deepest level of conformity where the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief system. This means the change in behavior is permanent. Internalization always involves public and private conformity. A person publicly changes their behavior to fit in with the group, while also agreeing with them privately.


Identification (or group membership)

According to Kelman , this occurs

when an individual accepts influence because he wants to establish or maintain a satisfying self-defining relationship with another person or group.”

Individuals conform to the expectations of a social role, e.g.doctorsv, lawyers , nurses, police officers. It is similar to compliance as there does not have to be a change in private opinion.
___________________________________________

Causes of Conformity:-

Harry Johnson established a few causes of Conformity to the social norms .
Some of them are :-

Socialisation :- it is through the process of socialisation that social norms are internalised by the individuals. Hence , norms become an inseparable part of their personality . Proper social training always supports conformity.

Hierarchy of Norms :- Norms are ranked in order of precedence . The hierarchy of norms as well their time and place aspect is part of culture .
For instance , a soldier may be put to such a conflicting situation in which either he will have to attend to the needs of the ailing mother who is on the deathbed or rush to the battle ground to attend to the urgent call of the army .
The hierarchy values and norms of his society help the soldier to make the appropriate decision.

It is through the socialisation hierarchy aspects of the norms are learnt . If the different aspects of the culture system are properly integrated an individual will have no difficulty in following the expected forms of behaviour .

Social Control :- Various formal as well as Informal means of social control help the socialised actor to imagine and anticipate what would happen to him if he violated the norms . Thus sanctions lead to conformity even though they are not actually applied .

Ideology :- People’s conformity to group norms depends to some extent upon the ideas and ideology that they hold . The norms partly express broader values that are more purely and precisely emphasized in ideology . Ideology strengthens faith in the existing system. Ideology adds to the norms themselves a kind of an “Intellectual ” support . Hence helps to motivate people to conform to its norms.

Vested Interest :- Conformity to social norms does not always depend upon idealistic motives alone . Sometimes , due to vested interest or self – interest also people conform to them . Norms define rights as well as obligations . They protect our rights also .
Some of the rights protect the exclusion of other members . Those who enjoy such advantages are likely to be satisfied with the norms that protect them . Hence , they support these norms with a greater sense of conviction than the disadvantaged persons . Property rights are a good example in this regard.

Other causes

Robert Bierstedt gives four causes for the question – ” why we conform to the norms “
Some causes are :-

• Indoctrination :- We conform to the norms simply because we have been indoctrinated to do so . Indoctrinated refers to the process of injecting into the personality of the child the group norms . The norms that are indoctrinated become a part and parcel of the personality of the individual. Conformity to the norms becomes very natural because of indoctrination.

Habituation :- What is customary is likely to become habitual in many cases . Some norms are indoctrinated in the beginning , but they become habitual practices afterwards.
We are taught to wash our hands and mouth before and after meals but after a while it becomes a matter of habit . Repetition makes a practice a habit and most of the folkways come to be rooted in the individual in this way .
Habituation reinforces the norms and guarantees the regularity of conformity.

Utility :- Norms help us interact with others with much comfort and ease . We appreciate the unity of norms and hence we conform to them . In many social situations we realised the utility of the norms to which we conform.

Group Identification :– We conform to the norms of our own social groups rather than to those of groups to which we do not belong . We thus conform to the norms because conformity is a means of group identification . By conformity to the norms we express our identification with the groups .
Sometimes , some groups even conform to some irritating folkways because they are their own and they identify them with their society and their own social groups.

___________________________________________

Social Control and Conformity

Social control ” refers to various ways and means by which a group or society attempts to achieve social order . Social Order could be achieved by making the people accept and follow the group norms . Behaving in accordance with norms or rules can be referred to as Conformity.

Thus , one of the main purposes of social control is conformity . Social control also involves the processes and means whereby deviations from social norms are limited by the group.

Conformity to institutionalised norms is ,of course , ‘normal ‘. The individual having internalised the norms , feels something like to need to conform.

Both internalised need and sanctions are effective in bringing about conformity .
Conformity is achieved by two different ways –
: Immediate conformity which is the result of social pressure or control
: Long term result of conformity which is the product of socialisation .

Social factors constrain the individual to follow the group pattern . The reason an individual greatly values group life is because the group provides us many advantages and satisfaction.

The social control towards conformity is always in terms of the prevailing norms .
Many individuals who don’t agree with certain norms accept and conform to them outwardly . Those who are not convinced of them lack the power to resist them .

Thus in conformity we find two factors which may or may not be consistent :compliance and conviction .

“Conformity without conviction occurs when the individual cannot withdraw from the group or values much his membership in the group and does not wish to offend or is afraid of the consequences of non Conformity. “

Group norms are actually group standards which the members are encouraged to imitate or follow . But some deviation is bound to be there in every group.

As the deviation from the norm becomes greater the more serious the offence becomes in the eyes of the group and the more serves becomes the penalty .

Conformity influences the formation and maintenance of social norms, and helps societies function smoothly and predictably by the self-elimination of behaviors seen as contrary to unwritten rules.

Hence, for social control it’s important to have social conformity where deviations from social norms are limited by the group .

What is Social Conformity ?

The society maintains its order by means of the Normative system .
Normativity is the phenomenon in human societies of designating some actions or outcomes as good or desirable or permissible and others as bad or undesirable or impermissible. A norm in this normative sense means a standard for evaluating or making judgments about behavior or outcomes.

Normative system refers to the system of rules which the people are expected to accept , obey and appreciate .

When the people act in consonance with the norms they become “Conformists “.

People often choose to conform to society rather than to pursue personal desires – because it is often easier to follow the path others have made already, rather than forging a new one.

Norms which are implicit, specific rules, shared by a group of individuals .
Conformity is action that is oriented to social norms and falls within the range of behaviour permitted by the norms .

Hence , conformity is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.
Unwillingness to conform carries the risk of social rejection. Conformity strongly affects humans of all ages.

Conformity implies behaving in accordance with the norms .
It implies that the individual consciously approves of a particular behaviour and is presented to follow the same .

___________________________________________

Types of Conformity :-

Kelman stated three different types of conformity:

Compliance (or group acceptance)

According to Kelman, , this occurs
when an individual accepts influence because he hopes to achieve a favorable reaction from another person or group. He adopts the induced behavior because….he expects to gain specific rewards or approval and avoid specific punishment or disapproval by conformity “

Compliance stops when there are no group pressures to conform, and is therefore a temporary behavior change.

Internalization (genuine acceptance of group norms)
According to Kelman , this occurs ‘

when an individual accepts influence because the content of the induced behavior – the ideas and actions of which it is composed – is intrinsically rewarding. He adopts the induced behavior because it is congruent [consistent] with his value system”

This is the deepest level of conformity where the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief system. This means the change in behavior is permanent. Internalization always involves public and private conformity. A person publicly changes their behavior to fit in with the group, while also agreeing with them privately.

Identification (or group membership)

According to Kelman , this occurs

when an individual accepts influence because he wants to establish or maintain a satisfying self-defining relationship with another person or group.”

Individuals conform to the expectations of a social role, e.g.doctorsv, lawyers , nurses, police officers. It is similar to compliance as there does not have to be a change in private opinion.
___________________________________________

Causes of Conformity:-

Harry Johnson established a few causes of Conformity to the social norms .
Some of them are :-

Socialisation :- it is through the process of socialisation that social norms are internalised by the individuals. Hence , norms become an inseparable part of their personality . Proper social training always supports conformity.

Hierarchy of Norms :- Norms are ranked in order of precedence . The hierarchy of norms as well their time and place aspect is part of culture .
For instance , a soldier may be put to such a conflicting situation in which either he will have to attend to the needs of the ailing mother who is on the deathbed or rush to the battle ground to attend to the urgent call of the army .
The hierarchy values and norms of his society help the soldier to make the appropriate decision.

It is through the socialisation hierarchy aspects of the norms are learnt . If the different aspects of the culture system are properly integrated an individual will have no difficulty in following the expected forms of behaviour .

Social Control :- Various formal as well as Informal means of social control help the socialised actor to imagine and anticipate what would happen to him if he violated the norms . Thus sanctions lead to conformity even though they are not actually applied .

Ideology :- People’s conformity to group norms depends to some extent upon the ideas and ideology that they hold . The norms partly express broader values that are more purely and precisely emphasized in ideology . Ideology strengthens faith in the existing system. Ideology adds to the norms themselves a kind of an “Intellectual ” support . Hence helps to motivate people to conform to its norms.

Vested Interest :- Conformity to social norms does not always depend upon idealistic motives alone . Sometimes , due to vested interest or self – interest also people conform to them . Norms define rights as well as obligations . They protect our rights also .
Some of the rights protect the exclusion of other members . Those who enjoy such advantages are likely to be satisfied with the norms that protect them . Hence , they support these norms with a greater sense of conviction than the disadvantaged persons . Property rights are a good example in this regard.

Other causes

Robert Bierstedt gives four causes for the question – ” why we conform to the norms “
Some causes are :-

• Indoctrination :- We conform to the norms simply because we have been indoctrinated to do so . Indoctrinated refers to the process of injecting into the personality of the child the group norms . The norms that are indoctrinated become a part and parcel of the personality of the individual. Conformity to the norms becomes very natural because of indoctrination.

Habituation :- What is customary is likely to become habitual in many cases . Some norms are indoctrinated in the beginning , but they become habitual practices afterwards.
We are taught to wash our hands and mouth before and after meals but after a while it becomes a matter of habit . Repetition makes a practice a habit and most of the folkways come to be rooted in the individual in this way .
Habituation reinforces the norms and guarantees the regularity of conformity.

Utility :- Norms help us interact with others with much comfort and ease . We appreciate the unity of norms and hence we conform to them . In many social situations we realised the utility of the norms to which we conform.

Group Identification :– We conform to the norms of our own social groups rather than to those of groups to which we do not belong . We thus conform to the norms because conformity is a means of group identification . By conformity to the norms we express our identification with the groups .
Sometimes , some groups even conform to some irritating folkways because they are their own and they identify them with their society and their own social groups.

___________________________________________

Social Control and Conformity

Social control ” refers to various ways and means by which a group or society attempts to achieve social order . Social Order could be achieved by making the people accept and follow the group norms . Behaving in accordance with norms or rules can be referred to as Conformity.

Thus , one of the main purposes of social control is conformity . Social control also involves the processes and means whereby deviations from social norms are limited by the group.

Conformity to institutionalised norms is ,of course , ‘normal ‘. The individual having internalised the norms , feels something like to need to conform.

Both internalised need and sanctions are effective in bringing about conformity .
Conformity is achieved by two different ways –
: Immediate conformity which is the result of social pressure or control
: Long term result of conformity which is the product of socialisation .

Social factors constrain the individual to follow the group pattern . The reason an individual greatly values group life is because the group provides us many advantages and satisfaction.

The social control towards conformity is always in terms of the prevailing norms .
Many individuals who don’t agree with certain norms accept and conform to them outwardly . Those who are not convinced of them lack the power to resist them .

Thus in conformity we find two factors which may or may not be consistent :compliance and conviction .

“Conformity without conviction occurs when the individual cannot withdraw from the group or values much his membership in the group and does not wish to offend or is afraid of the consequences of non Conformity. “

Group norms are actually group standards which the members are encouraged to imitate or follow . But some deviation is bound to be there in every group.

As the deviation from the norm becomes greater the more serious the offence becomes in the eyes of the group and the more serves becomes the penalty .

Conformity influences the formation and maintenance of social norms, and helps societies function smoothly and predictably by the self-elimination of behaviors seen as contrary to unwritten rules.

Hence, for social control it’s important to have social conformity where deviations from social norms are limited by the group .

Why we still need to be careful.

The world has suffered from Corona virus from last year and it’s still recovering from it. Where many countries have came up with the vaccination and are trying their best to vaccinate the citizens many are still suffering from the virus and its different variants.

Among these only India also stands fighting the virus with all that the country can do. Where the government is trying to keep up with the vaccination process, at the same time at many places vaccines are still not available. On coming to registering for the vaccination, it becomes a hard task for common people to do that as the site comes as server down or there are no slots available for vaccination.

This all is happening when India still hasn’t came out of the impact of the second wave of corona that the country  faced. The  lockdown has just been lifted and there are claims about having a third wave around October as well.  While there are claims also made that it will be better control  this time but the pandemic will still be a public health threat for another year.

kid telling tourist to wear mask in viral video

The vaccination may provide some measure of immunity but according to different sources India has vaccinated only 5% of its total population, But experts have claimed that the vaccination will pick up speed and we will be able to provide vaccination to everyone.

Most of the states have took up the restrictions and have started preparing for the third wave. But there has been alarm raising things going on as the huge crowd can be seen in different states on different occasion.  There has been pictures of markets, parks and hill stations where crowd can be seen and people are enjoying the places without following the appropriate guidelines.

At the peak of its second wave India reported over 400000 new cases daily along with shortage of vaccine, hospital beds, medicines, oxygen. Over 380000 people have been reported dead due to corona so far.

Due to consistence news of corona variants that have been reported all over the world are also a subject of concern. The delta variant of the corona virus which was first identified  in India, is fast becoming the dominant variant globally due to its increased transmissibility.

We all need to be aware of the situation and need to follow the guidelines for sure. people need to get vaccination and be aware of the fact that it does not harm to people and it for our own good.

 Thank you for reading.

stay healthy, stay safe.

Why we still need to be careful.

The world has suffered from Corona virus from last year and it’s still recovering from it. Where many countries have came up with the vaccination and are trying their best to vaccinate the citizens many are still suffering from the virus and its different variants.

Among these only India also stands fighting the virus with all that the country can do. Where the government is trying to keep up with the vaccination process, at the same time at many places vaccines are still not available. On coming to registering for the vaccination, it becomes a hard task for common people to do that as the site comes as server down or there are no slots available for vaccination.

This all is happening when India still hasn’t came out of the impact of the second wave of corona that the country  faced. The  lockdown has just been lifted and there are claims about having a third wave around October as well.  While there are claims also made that it will be better control  this time but the pandemic will still be a public health threat for another year.

kid telling tourist to wear mask in viral video

The vaccination may provide some measure of immunity but according to different sources India has vaccinated only 5% of its total population, But experts have claimed that the vaccination will pick up speed and we will be able to provide vaccination to everyone.

Most of the states have took up the restrictions and have started preparing for the third wave. But there has been alarm raising things going on as the huge crowd can be seen in different states on different occasion.  There has been pictures of markets, parks and hill stations where crowd can be seen and people are enjoying the places without following the appropriate guidelines.

At the peak of its second wave India reported over 400000 new cases daily along with shortage of vaccine, hospital beds, medicines, oxygen. Over 380000 people have been reported dead due to corona so far.

Due to consistence news of corona variants that have been reported all over the world are also a subject of concern. The delta variant of the corona virus which was first identified  in India, is fast becoming the dominant variant globally due to its increased transmissibility.

We all need to be aware of the situation and need to follow the guidelines for sure. people need to get vaccination and be aware of the fact that it does not harm to people and it for our own good.

 Thank you for reading.

stay healthy, stay safe.

History of McDonald’s

A man named Patrick McDonald opened a small food stand called “The Airdome” in Monrovia, California in the late 1930s. The stand served burgers and orange juice that cost ten and five cents, respectively. By 1940, Patrick’s sons Dick(Richard) and Mac(Maurice) McDonald had inherited and been operating their father’s small business, and moved the restaurant’s location in San Bernardino, California.

It was in the year 1948 where the true foundations of McDonald’s lay. When Mac and Dick McDonald realized that the burgers became more sought-after and successful sellers than their BBQ’s, the brothers reorganized their business into a burger restaurant. Their present menu since the refurbishing consisted of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, soft drinks, apple pies and milkshakes. It was quite a simple menu compared to their previous BBQ offering, but the very simplicity gave the business astounding success.

The ambitious Ray Kroc

Enter Ray Kroc into the picture. Kroc was a milkshake machine salesman who found out that the McDonald brothers had previously bought eight of his multi-mixer milkshake makers. Fueled by curiosity, he decided to visit McDonald’s San Bernardino restaurant where all of eight milkshake machines were installed. This was in 1954 when the brothers were enjoying their franchising success.

Kroc saw the immense potential of McDonald’s and had plans to expand it with more franchising throughout the country. Despite Mac and Dick’s initial refusal, Kroc still went out of his way with the right to open more McDonald’s branches throughout the country. When his first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, Kroc integrated his company to McDonald’s in 1955. This is where the foundation of McDonald’s Corporation was established.

When McDonald’s phenomenal success started to kick off, Ray Kroc set bigger, farther sights. In 1961, the ambitious businessman bought the entire company from the brothers for a total of $2.7 million. He had the goal of making McDonald’s restaurants the country’s number one fast food chain. In 1963, the mascot Ronald McDonald was created and designed to attract the little ‘uns. McDonald’s went public in 1965.

With Kroc and his people’s innovative marketing ideas, adaptability to respond to the demand of their customers, new introductions and additions to their menu (such as their breakfast menus and the “Happy Meal”, which offers free toys for the kids with every purchase), McDonald’s grew more rapidly than ever. In 1968, the Big Mac was born and has remained the chain’s signature best-seller.

McDonald’s Today

Today, McDonald’s maintains over 34,000 restaurants around the world, serving up everything from Breakfast McMuffins to unique dishes like the McShrimp. One of the world’s truly global corporations, McDonald’s restaurants can be found in countries as far abroad as Indonesia and Egypt, where the company has a special halal menu.

This rapid expansion has earned the company both praise from business analysts and scorn from cultural preservationists, who claim that McDonald’s has pushed its way into countries that didn’t want it. The company’s ethics aside, its success as a global franchise is undeniable, and it is one of the 20th century’s biggest successes.

History of McDonald’s

A man named Patrick McDonald opened a small food stand called “The Airdome” in Monrovia, California in the late 1930s. The stand served burgers and orange juice that cost ten and five cents, respectively. By 1940, Patrick’s sons Dick(Richard) and Mac(Maurice) McDonald had inherited and been operating their father’s small business, and moved the restaurant’s location in San Bernardino, California.

It was in the year 1948 where the true foundations of McDonald’s lay. When Mac and Dick McDonald realized that the burgers became more sought-after and successful sellers than their BBQ’s, the brothers reorganized their business into a burger restaurant. Their present menu since the refurbishing consisted of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, soft drinks, apple pies and milkshakes. It was quite a simple menu compared to their previous BBQ offering, but the very simplicity gave the business astounding success.

The ambitious Ray Kroc

Enter Ray Kroc into the picture. Kroc was a milkshake machine salesman who found out that the McDonald brothers had previously bought eight of his multi-mixer milkshake makers. Fueled by curiosity, he decided to visit McDonald’s San Bernardino restaurant where all of eight milkshake machines were installed. This was in 1954 when the brothers were enjoying their franchising success.

Kroc saw the immense potential of McDonald’s and had plans to expand it with more franchising throughout the country. Despite Mac and Dick’s initial refusal, Kroc still went out of his way with the right to open more McDonald’s branches throughout the country. When his first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, Kroc integrated his company to McDonald’s in 1955. This is where the foundation of McDonald’s Corporation was established.

When McDonald’s phenomenal success started to kick off, Ray Kroc set bigger, farther sights. In 1961, the ambitious businessman bought the entire company from the brothers for a total of $2.7 million. He had the goal of making McDonald’s restaurants the country’s number one fast food chain. In 1963, the mascot Ronald McDonald was created and designed to attract the little ‘uns. McDonald’s went public in 1965.

With Kroc and his people’s innovative marketing ideas, adaptability to respond to the demand of their customers, new introductions and additions to their menu (such as their breakfast menus and the “Happy Meal”, which offers free toys for the kids with every purchase), McDonald’s grew more rapidly than ever. In 1968, the Big Mac was born and has remained the chain’s signature best-seller.

McDonald’s Today

Today, McDonald’s maintains over 34,000 restaurants around the world, serving up everything from Breakfast McMuffins to unique dishes like the McShrimp. One of the world’s truly global corporations, McDonald’s restaurants can be found in countries as far abroad as Indonesia and Egypt, where the company has a special halal menu.

This rapid expansion has earned the company both praise from business analysts and scorn from cultural preservationists, who claim that McDonald’s has pushed its way into countries that didn’t want it. The company’s ethics aside, its success as a global franchise is undeniable, and it is one of the 20th century’s biggest successes.

Why mental health is important?

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Mental health is very interesting and underrated topic. People always care and think about their physical illness and usually cares about physical health. but mental health is as important as any other health issue. because without a good mental health, no one can be happy in their life.

According to WHO,” Mental health is state of well being in which the indivisual realizes his/her abilities”.it includes our emotional and social well being . it affects our thinking and how we react to a particular situation. but if these health issues are not taken seriously they can led to many serious diseases, such as depression. Any other person cannot predict or realize about your mental health because he cannot know what is going on in our mind, and the best way to overcome this problem is to share that problems with others. We can share it with our parents, brother ,sister or even friends ,if we are not comfortable with family members .

Factors that cause mental health problems

There can be many factors that are responsible for our mental health problem such as:-

1.Loneliness -it can be a factor of mental illness. neglecting a particular person , feeling him lonely everywhere can be a cause of mental illness.

2.Trauma or any bad experience of childhood: if a person has suffered a huge loss or have experienced any abuse or something else, it is very difficult for him to forgot it and move on. some move on with it but some are not able to forget it which led to mental illness.

3.genetics: mental illness can also be passed through genes. If a family member like father , grandfather or any other member has already experienced mental health problem, it can be passed into others.

4. Due to poverty or employment: mental problems can be also due to poverty in ones’ house or unemployment like if a young man has responsibility to feed his family members but he is not able to find a descent job, it can led to mental illness of that man.

5. a person having a long term physical health problem since many years can be affected by mental illness.

There are many other reasons of people having mental illness , one more reason nowadays is experienced by students due to studies and exam pressure. they are not able to cop up with that stress.

Different ways to overcome mental health issue:-

there are several ways to fight against mental illness some of the mare:-

1. Meditation : it is considered as a very powerful weapon against mental illness.

2.We should learn how to response to particular situation:- we should make our mind ready for any situation without panicking much. it will make our mind strong.

3. We should act wisely wherever our patience is tested and we should always avoid self criticism because it will have a adverse effect in our process to overcome mental health issue.

4. We should always surround ourselves with good people who understands us to whom we ca share our life problems and other things.

5. But if we are not able to cop up with it, we should immediately talk to family members and consult a doctor.

Why mental health is important?

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Mental health is very interesting and underrated topic. People always care and think about their physical illness and usually cares about physical health. but mental health is as important as any other health issue. because without a good mental health, no one can be happy in their life.

According to WHO,” Mental health is state of well being in which the indivisual realizes his/her abilities”.it includes our emotional and social well being . it affects our thinking and how we react to a particular situation. but if these health issues are not taken seriously they can led to many serious diseases, such as depression. Any other person cannot predict or realize about your mental health because he cannot know what is going on in our mind, and the best way to overcome this problem is to share that problems with others. We can share it with our parents, brother ,sister or even friends ,if we are not comfortable with family members .

Factors that cause mental health problems

There can be many factors that are responsible for our mental health problem such as:-

1.Loneliness -it can be a factor of mental illness. neglecting a particular person , feeling him lonely everywhere can be a cause of mental illness.

2.Trauma or any bad experience of childhood: if a person has suffered a huge loss or have experienced any abuse or something else, it is very difficult for him to forgot it and move on. some move on with it but some are not able to forget it which led to mental illness.

3.genetics: mental illness can also be passed through genes. If a family member like father , grandfather or any other member has already experienced mental health problem, it can be passed into others.

4. Due to poverty or employment: mental problems can be also due to poverty in ones’ house or unemployment like if a young man has responsibility to feed his family members but he is not able to find a descent job, it can led to mental illness of that man.

5. a person having a long term physical health problem since many years can be affected by mental illness.

There are many other reasons of people having mental illness , one more reason nowadays is experienced by students due to studies and exam pressure. they are not able to cop up with that stress.

Different ways to overcome mental health issue:-

there are several ways to fight against mental illness some of the mare:-

1. Meditation : it is considered as a very powerful weapon against mental illness.

2.We should learn how to response to particular situation:- we should make our mind ready for any situation without panicking much. it will make our mind strong.

3. We should act wisely wherever our patience is tested and we should always avoid self criticism because it will have a adverse effect in our process to overcome mental health issue.

4. We should always surround ourselves with good people who understands us to whom we ca share our life problems and other things.

5. But if we are not able to cop up with it, we should immediately talk to family members and consult a doctor.