The Role of Social Media Essay Example Pdf - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2542 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Analytical essay Tags: Social Media Essay Did you like this example? Introduction This research investigates the role of social media in marketing in order to determine whether companies should focus all their marketing efforts on social media platforms. The term social media is used to refer to a group of internet based web 2.0 applications that enable users to interact, communicate and share content including video, text and graphics. Popular social media applications include social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, photo sharing sites like Instagram and Flickr, social tagging sites such as Digg and video creating and sharing sites such as YouTube. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Role of Social Media Essay Example Pdf" essay for you Create order Social media marketing leverages the potential of social media applications to promote a company and its products or services. Social media marketing is a trend that is growing rapidly as companies begin to realise the strategic importance of social media as a tool to engage consumers, create relationships and develop brand loyalty in a cost effective and efficient manner. Given the advantages of social media marketing, there is growing pressure on companies to adopt social media marketing. In order to determine if companies should focus all their marketing efforts on social media, this research will discuss the advantages of using social media as well as challenges of using it. Advantages of social media marketing The use of social media in marketing presents compelling arguments that companies cannot afford to ignore. These include social media marketing as a cost effective way to reach a wider audience, the shift from transactional to relational marketing and the exponential growth of social media. Social media marketing is cost effective Social media marketing is a cost effective way to reach a wider target. KirtiÃ…Å ¸ and Karahan (2011) have argued that in the post-recession era, companies are focused on cutting costs, particularly advertising costs. Social media allows companies to reach a wider target in a timely, more efficient and cost effective manner than would be achieved through traditional communication tools, such as T.V. In the US, a thirty second advert during the Super Bowl costs $4.5 million dollars and has the potential to only reach a certain percentage of the American market while the same amount of money could buy four days of Facebook Reach Blocks with a potential audience of 100 million (Johnson, 2015). Kaplan and Haenlein (2011) argue that social media has enabled viral marketing which allows companies to promote their products and services with a very low budget and still achieve levels of awareness similar to those that can only be achieved by expensive TV advertising. These researche rs present the case of Proctor and Gamble, which in 2010 uploaded a 30-second video via YouTube to promote its Old Spice brand. The video was viewed 23 million times in 36 hours. For companies like Proctor and Gamble which operate in competitive global markets, it would be extremely expensive to achieve this kind of awareness through traditional media like TV because they would have to advertise in each individual country. Social media transcends national boundaries and presents a single interface to reach every corner of the globe. No social media application illustrates this point more powerfully than Facebook. According to a report by Stenovec (2015), more than 1.39 billion people in the world log onto Facebook each month, therefore, if Facebook was a country, it would be the most populous country in the world as shown in. figure 1 below. Figure 1: How Big is Facebook (Stenovec, 2015) The exponential growth of social media Researchers argue that consumers are turning away from traditional sources of advertising like radio, TV and newspapers and the internet is now the number one source of media for consumers (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). Social media dominates the internet and leading social platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have become main stream. As shown in figure 2 below, Facebook has grown from 1 million users in 2004 to more than a billion in 2014. Twitter has also seen growth from 6 million registered users in 2008 to over 500 million in 2014, while Google+, Pinterest and Instagram have also increased their user bases. Morrison (2014) also reports that 93% of marketers use social media for business with Facebook, Twitter and Google+ being the top 3 media sites used by marketers. Figure 2: Social Media Growth (Morrison, 2014) The exponential growth of social media use has been referred to as a revolution (Benioff, 2012) and companies are expected to take part or risk being l eft behind. As stated by Neti (2011: 1) one cannot afford to have no presence on the social channels if the competitor is making waves with its products and services. Similarly, Liu and Smit (2011) state that it is important for a company to have presence and share of voice in social media and companies cannot afford not to engage in the race against competitors. Social media marketing is therefore seen as a way to gain competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive business environment. An example is the case of Coca Cola and Pepsi presented by Liu and Smit (2011). These two companies are traditional rivals for the global soft drink market and they have extended their battle to social media where they are actively pursuing promotional activities on various social networking sites (Telegraph.co.uk, 2010). With 93% of marketers being on social media (Morrison, 2014), this means that no company can afford to ignore social media marketing. Also, social media marketing represents huge potential for sales growth particularly in developing countries which have very high rates of mobile phone penetration, for instance, Liu and Smit (2011) state that the social media opportunity in China is massive with more than 40% of the 1.4 billion population using the internet regularly. Shift to relational marketing With the rise in social media, power has shifted from marketing managers to individuals and communities (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). Researchers have argued that while traditional media is about reaching the market, in the current marketing environment consumers expect to be active participants in the media process (Hanna, Rohm and Crittenden, 2011). Researchers also report that there has been a shift in marketing theory and practice with an emphasis on relational (two-way) marketing rather than transactional marketing (CsordÃÆ' ¡s et al, 2014). Relationship marketing is focused on identifying and retaining long term customers which is a more profitable proposition than constantly renewing a strong customer base. Hanna, Rohm and Crittenden (2011: 267) refer to the empowerment of consumers as bottom-up marketing which results from the development of connections among billions of people on social media every day. These connections build relationships that result in the creation of vast social networks which marketers can only access through conversations and engagement. One way social media enables relational marketing is through the creation of brand communities. de Vries et al (2012) state that companies can create brand fan pages on social networking sites where customers can interact with a company through comments or likes. This engagement helps to develop loyalty, commitment and emotional attachment to the brand, which in turn enhances the potential for electronic word of mouth (eWoM) marketing (Laroche et al, 2013). According to Fanpagelist.com (2015), a website that tracks the top users on Facebook and Twitter, the most famous brands in the world including Disney, McDonalds and Nike are all top corporate brands on Facebook and Twitter with millions of fans talking about them and following them as shown in figure 3 below. Figure 3: Top Brands on Facebook and Twitter (Fanpagelist.com, 2015) Challenges of social media marketing Despite the obvious advantages of social media marketing with regards to cost effectiveness, engaging and building relationships with customers and maximum exposure, some researchers have argued that social media is a tool for social interaction and is therefore not an effective tool for marketing (Martin, 2009; Drury, 2008). Companies also face challenges in implementing successful social media marketing strategies and achieving return on investment (ROI) from their initiatives. Companies like Coca Cola and Unilever have admitted that they have not achieved any impact on sales from their social media initiatives (Ritson, 2013). The challenge for marketers is how to measure ROI given that traditional (quantitative) methods of measurement are not applicable (Hoffman and Fodor, 2010). The challenge of measuring ROI has prompted a debate on whether companies should continue to invest in social media marketing given that the goal of marketing is to achieve quantifiable results in the f orm of increased sales and revenues (Fisher, 2009; Liu and Smit, 2011). Social media also faces competition from traditional marketing channels particularly TV which is still considered an important marketing tool despite the growth of social media. A recent study conducted by market analytics company MarketShare in partnership with Turner Broadcasting and Horizon Media (CTV Media, 2015) lists some significant findings which reveal that TV is still the most effective advertising medium. Firstly, when comparing advertising performance at similar spending levels, TV averaged four times the sales lifts of digital; Secondly, TV is the only medium that has maintained effectiveness at driving advertiser key performance indicators (KPIs) over the last five years and thirdly, TV enables marketers to optimise their spend by leveraging data sources such as website visits and inbound calls to improve TV advertising performance. Media as an integrated system Stephen and Galak (2009) have argued that all media types have an influence on each other and media operates as an integrated system. According to these researchers, an integrated media approach is consistent with the literature on integrated marketing communication where a companys advertising and promotions are coordinated across channels in order to achieve organisational goals. This view proposes that advertising in one channel can increase the effectiveness of promotions in other channels, for instance, social media fans can generate a buzz over an unknown product/service thus creating awareness that in turn generates traditional media activity. The value of integrating media is being recognised by companies. Hine (2013) reports that Dunkin Donuts has launched TV spots called #MyDunkin which is are made entirely from a single Vine (Twitters popular six-second social video format). Hine (2013) also states that other brands including virgin mobile are also combining twitter a nd TV by incorporating hashtags at the end of ads during major sports events. These hashtags allow consumers to converse with the companies in real time as well as creating brand recognition. Certain types of TV such as reality shows (such as @BBCTheVoiceUK) and live events (such as #BritAwards) lead to greater engagement because they ignite conversation on Twitter. Companies are also adding social media icons on their print media in order to drive consumers to the companys social media profile. Even on radio ads, companies are incorporating social media at the end of the advertisement by encouraging listeners to follow them on Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. Conclusion Given the exponential growth of social media and the fact that the internet is the preferred media of communication among customers, companies have no choice but to continue investing in social media marketing because this is where customers are. Social media also has cost advantages and provides a way for companies to engage with consumers, build relationships and develop brand loyalty. Companies cannot afford not to participate in social media marketing because competitors are already participating. However, this research finds that companies should not focus exclusively on social media marketing because traditional marketing, particularly, through the TV is still an effective way to reach consumers. This research also finds that companies are opting for an integrated approach, combining social media such as Twitter with traditional media such as TV in order to reach and engage more customers. In order to succeed in integrating social and traditional media, companies should deter mine their business and communication goals and identify their target markets. Companies should also determine where their target markets are and identify the most effective ways to connect and interact with them. Once a strong relationship has been established, consumers will be ready to trust and will begin to share positive information about the company and the brand with other people online, making the marketing strategy successful. References Benioff, M. (2012). Welcome to the social media revolution BBC News. [online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-18013662 CsordÃÆ' ¡s, T., Markos-Kujbus, E. and GÃÆ' ¡ti,, M. (2014). CsordÃÆ' ¡s, T., Markos-Kujbus, ÃÆ'†°., GÃÆ' ¡ti, M. (2014). The Attributes of Social Media as a Strategic Marketing Communication Tool. Journalism and Mass Communication, 4(1), pp.48-71. CTV Media, (2015). Why TV Is Still the Most Effective Advertising Medium Key findings from MarketShare study CTV Media. [online] Available at: https://www.ctvmedia.com/blog/index.php/2015/06/10/why-tv-is-still-the-most-effective-advertising-medium-key-findings-from-marketshare-study/ de Vries, L., Gensler, S. and Leeflang, P. (2012). Popularity of Brand Posts on Brand Fan Pages: An Investigation of the Effects of Social Media Marketing. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(2), pp.83-91. Drury, G. (2008). Opinion piece: Social media: Should marketers engage and ho w can it be done effectively?. J Direct Data Digit Mark Pract, 9(3), pp.274-277. Fan Page List, (2015). Top Brands on Facebook.. [online] Available at: https://fanpagelist.com/category/brands/ Fisher, T. (2009). ROI in social media: A look at the arguments. Journal of Database Marketing Customer Strategy Management, 16(3), 189-195. Hanna, R., Rohm, A. and Crittenden, V. (2011). Were all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem. Business Horizons, 54(3), pp.265-273. Hine, C. (2013). Dunkin Donuts Is Launching the First TV Ad Made Entirely From Vine. [online] AdWeek. Available at: https://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/dunkin-donuts-launching-first-tv-ad-made-entirely-vine-152267 Hoffman, D. L., Fodor, M. (2010). Can you measure the ROI of your social media marketing. MIT Sloan Management Review, 52(1), pp. 41-49. Johnson, L. (2015). What $4.5 Million Could Buy If Spent on Social Ads Instead of Super Bowl Spots. [online] AdWeek. Available at: ht tps://www.adweek.com/news/technology/what-45-million-could-buy-if-spent-social-ads-instead-super-bowl-spots-162485 Kaplan, A. and Haenlein, M. (2011). Two hearts in three-quarter time: How to waltz the social media/viral marketing dance. Business Horizons, 54(3), pp.253-263. KirtiÃ…Å ¸, A. and Karahan, F. (2011). To Be or Not to Be in Social Media Arena as the Most Cost-Efficient Marketing Strategy after the Global Recession. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 24, pp.260-268. Laroche, M., Habibi, M. and Richard, M. (2013). To be or not to be in social media: How brand loyalty is affected by social media?. International Journal of Information Management, 33(1), pp.76-82. Liu, F. and Smit, W. (2011). SOCIAL MEDIA DILEMMA | IMD. [online] Imd.org. Available at: https://www.imd.org/research/challenges/marketing-social-media-campaign-coca-cola-pepsi-fang-liu-willem-smit.cfm Mangold, W. and Faulds, D. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion m ix. Business Horizons, 52(4), pp.357-365. Martin, D. M. (2009). The entrepreneurial marketing mix. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 12(4), 391-403. Morrisson, K. (2014). The Growth of Social Media: From Passing Trend to International Obsession [Infographic]. [online] Adweek.com. Available at: https://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/the-growth-of-social-media-from-trend-to-obsession-infographic/142323 Neti, S. (2011). Social media and its role in marketing. International Journal of Enterprise Computing and Business Systems, 1(2), 1-15., 1(2), pp.1-15. Ritson, M. (2013). Social media ROI: Hype falls flat because buzz doesnt equal sales. [online] BRW. Available at: https://www.brw.com.au/p/marketing/social_media_sales_hype_falls_flat_QoOdTYgHJN0jBbjtzwPKfM Stephen, A. and Galak, J. (2010). The complementary roles of traditional and social media publicity in driving marketing performance.. 1st ed. [ebook] Fontainebleau, France: INSEAD working paper collec tion., pp.1-40. Available at: https://faculty-course.insead.edu/marketing_seminars/Seminars%202010-11/Andrew%20Stephen/Stephen_Galak_media_092910.pdf Stenovec, T. (2015). Facebook Is Now Bigger Than The Largest Country On Earth. [online] The Huffington Post. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/facebook-biggest-country_n_6565428.html Telegraph.co.uk, (2010). Pepsi vs Coke: advertising battle turns to social media. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7126053/Pepsi-vs-Coke-advertising-battle-turns-to-social-media.html

Euthanasi A Deliberate Act That Causes Death - 1462 Words

Euthanasia is a deliberate act that causes death undertaken by one person with the primary intention of ending the life of another person, in order to relieve that persons suffering. Assisted Suicide is serious issue in today’s society. It continues to impact the lives of the terminally ill adults and their families, as well as believers the right to die rights. The history of euthanasia and assisted suicide starts from Ancient Greek, physicians used to perform frequent abortions, voluntary and involuntary mercy killings. People supported voluntary death and physicians often gave their patients the poisons on their request. The ancients supported the voluntary killing, if it was done for the right reasons. For centuries physician-assisted suicide had been understood to mean the process where the relief of pain for the dying was the best way to ensure an â€Å"easy death†. By the nineteenth century euthanasia was then described as actual mercy killing. It is a controversy today whether or not euthanasia is inhumane or not. Many groups have come together against euthanasia stating no one should â€Å"play God†. Even today these groups and protest. Other groups who are pro euthanasia also come together and try to get euthanasia legalized in all states. Euthanasia is legalized in Washington, Oregon, Vermont, and Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Many have questioned this practice. It is a battle of ethics versus personal choice. Assisted Suicide is serious issue in today’s society. It

Energy Modelling Production of Economy

Question: Discuss about the Essay for Energy Modelling and Production of Economy. Answer: a) The central issue analysed in this paper is the elasticity of substitution between energy and other inputs in contribution to the countrys GNP. This paper examines the cost or benefit of the energy policy in terms of consumption or GNP in the input output framework. b) The perspective of the authors are that decrease in physical availability of the energy increase the energy cost, which further causes a proportionate loss in GDP. According to authors view, if energy-GNP ratio is assumed constant, i.e.; zero input substitutability, the increase in both energy and non-energy inputs are required for the increase in GDP. On the other hand, elasticity of substitutions is infinitely elastic if the input is perfectly substitutable. c) Substitutability among inputs is necessary otherwise; decrease in energy inputs would reduce the total production of the economy. Hence, the energy policy makers have to choose the right combination of energy and non-energy inputs, which maximises output with minimum cost (Pahlavan, Omid and Akram 2012). As suggested by the paper of Hogan and Manne (1979), reduction in energy supply may have only 1% loss in the economy, however, this loss is large for the economy in monetary terms. 2. Initial price of energy = $1 per unit Price of capital = $3 per unit and price of labour = $3 per unit. Quantity of energy (E) = 100 units, capital (K) = 150 units, labour (L) = 200 units New price of energy = $2, new energy quantity = 70 units, capital = 170 units and labour = 200 units Elasticity of substitution indicates that the degree of substitution between the two inputs (Zhelobodko et al. 2012). Elasticity of substitution between the two inputs is given by = In equilibrium, marginal rate of technical substitution (MRTS) between energy and labour is = price of energy / wage (Raurich, Sala and Sorolla 2012). = $1/ $3 = 0.33 New MRTS = $2 / $3 = 0.67 Change in MRTS = 0.67- 0.33 = 0.34 Initial E/L = 100/200 = 0.5 and after policy change = 70/200 = 0.35 Therefore, change in E/L = 0.35 - 0.5 = - 0.15, however modulus value is taken. Hence, = (0.15 / 0.5) / (0.34 / 0.33) = 0.3 / 1.03 = 0.29 b) Elasticity of substitution between capital and labour is = Initial K/L = 150 / 200 = 0.75, new K/L = 170 / 200 = 0.85 Change in K/L = (0.85 - 0.75) = 0.10 Initial MRTS = 2/3 = 0.67. As the price of the other inputs except energy remains same, the MRTS will be the same. Hence, = (0.10 / 0.75) / (0.67/ 0.67) = 0.13/ 1 = 0.13 c) The first reason for the difference in the elasticity is that substitutability between the labour and energy is greater compared to labour and capital. The figure indicates that is higher for E/L ratio compared to K/L ratio, as it may be that increase in energy induces producers to substitute energy with labour (Chen 2012). The second possible reason is that labour and capital are more complementary in nature compared to energy. Marginal productivity of input reflects the price of the inputs and the higher rate of substitution reflects greater substitutability among factors across different sectors of the economy (Klump, McAdam and Willman 2012). Case 1 Use of energy = 100 units and use of capital = 150 units, total production = 1000 units. a) New energy inputs = 120 units, new output level = 1200 units Production elasticity of electricity indicates the response in output level, when there is a change in the level of electricity used in production (Raurich, Sala and Sorolla 2012). Production elasticity of electricity = (proportional changes in output)*100 / (proportional changes in energy *100) = {(1200 - 1000) / 1000} / {(120 100) / 100} = 0.2 / 0.2 = 1 b) Production elasticity of capital implies changes of output in response to the changes in unit of capital used in production (Klump, McAdam and Willman 2012). Use of capital input remains unchanged to 150 units Therefore, elasticity = {(1200- 1000) / 1000} / {(150 150) / 150} = 0.2 / 0 = Case 2 Employment of capital has increased to 160 units with unchanged energy inputs. The production elasticity of electricity is = {(1200 - 1000) / 1000} / {(100 100) / 100} = 0.2 / 0 = Production elasticity of capital = {(1200- 1000) / 1000} / {(160 150) / 150} = 0.2 / 0.067 = 2.985 4. Introduction This study analyses the assumptions of neo classical production function critically. Neo-classical production function is the function of two inputs such as labour and capital. A Neo classical production function has several assumptions to simply the analysis. Cobb-Douglas production function is mostly used neo classical production function in economic analysis. Several authors have criticized some of the assumptions. Assumptions of neo classical production function The assumptions of neo classical production function are as follows: i) The production function is differentiable with positive marginal productivity of the factors o production. ii) The factors exhibit the law of diminishing returns. iii) The factors of production are substitutable among themselves in a perfectly competitive market. Factors are perfectly mobile. iv) Absence of externality in production Philosophical critics According to the claim of the heterodox economics, the nature of neo classical production function, the substitution effect has not much effect in real economy (Fuss and McFadden 2014). However, in the view of Chen (2012), Cobb-Douglas production function has many real life applications. Moreover, the production only considers the effect of change in capital and labour. It cannot explain the residual element of the production function such as technology in Solow growth model. Schefold (2014) stated that neo classical production function estimates elasticity of output with respect to labour and capital according to the. However, this method of measuring output elasticity is not the correct one. Practically this estimation shows the share of profit in production and share of wage in income. Another assumption of the neo-classical theorists is that both the product and factor market are perfectly competitive, which is unrealistic. There exist other types of market structure such as monopolistic competition, monopoly and oligopoly. Therefore, production function varies across different sectors of the economy (Davis 2013). The neo classical production function assumes perfect mobility among the factors, which is not always possible in reality. Some of the industries are capital intensive, whereas some of are labour intensive. Hence, the mobility of factors is constrained by their productivity and requirement in the industry (Felipe and McCombie 2014). As depicted by Dosi et al. (2014), mathematical model of Cobb-Douglas model has similarity with the equation of national accounting identity derivative. However, Schefold (2014) mentioned that Cobb-Douglas production function correctly establish relationship with the national accounts, if the wage share is constant and technological progress is considered in production function. Fuss and McFadden (2014) cited that technological progress in the neo classical production function has been assumed linear. Dosi et al. (2014) contradicted this view to state that technological progress fluctuates overtime. Every production process has some externalities irrespective of primary, secondary or tertiary sectors of the economy. The externality may be positive or negative. Therefore, the assumption of no externality is unrealistic. Conclusion The analysis of production function is an important concept in mainstream Neo classical economics. Main inputs in this production function are labour and capital. Technology is used in this model as a residual factor in the production. This factor facilitates the production process. Despite having numerous uses, many economists have criticised this production function due to some of its unrealistic assumptions. The report has critically analysed the limitations of these assumptions. References Chen, B.Y., 2012. Classification of $ h $-homogeneous production functions with constant elasticity of substitution.Tamkang Journal of Mathematics,43(2), pp.321-328. Davis, J.B., 2013.The theory of the individual in economics: Identity and value. Routledge. Dosi, G., Grazzi, M., Marengo, L. and Settepanella, S., 2014. Production theory: accounting for firm heterogeneity and technical change. Felipe, J. and McCombie, J.S.L., 2014. The aggregate production function:Not even wrong.Review of Political Economy,26(1), pp.60-84. Fuss, M. and McFadden, D. eds., 2014.Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications: Applications of the Theory of Production(Vol. 2). Elsevier. Klump, R., McAdam, P. and Willman, A., 2012. The normalized CES production function: theory and empirics.Journal of Economic Surveys,26(5), pp.769-799. Pahlavan, R., Omid, M. and Akram, A., 2012. Energy inputoutput analysis and application of artificial neural networks for predicting greenhouse basil production.Energy,37(1), pp.171-176. Raurich, X., Sala, H. and Sorolla, V., 2012. Factor shares, the price markup, and the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor.Journal of Macroeconomics,34(1), pp.181-198. Schefold, B., 2014. Marx, the Production Function and the Old Neoclassical Equilibrium: Workable under the Same Assumptions?. InContribution to the Conference What have we learnt on Classical Economy since Sraffa(pp. 16-17). Zhelobodko, E., Kokovin, S., Parenti, M. and Thisse, J.F., 2012. Monopolistic competition: Beyond the constant elasticity of substitution.Econometrica,80(6), pp.2765-2784.

The Modern Way of Recognizing the Power of Witchcraft Essay Example

The Modern Way of Recognizing the Power of Witchcraft Essay Witchcraft has been noted for many years as a major pagan practice that has primarily originated in Europe. To others, witchcraft is no laughing matter. Some investigators say that more than half the world’s population believes that witches are real and can influence the lives of others. Millions believe that witchcraft is evil, dangerous, and to be greatly feared. For example, a book about African religion states: â€Å"Belief in the function and dangers of bad magic, sorcery and witchcraft is deeply rooted in African life .  .  . Witches and sorcerers are the most hated people in their community. Even to this day there are places and occasions when they are beaten to death by the rest of the people.†(Cunningham, 1993, 16)In Western lands, however, witchcraft has donned a new mask of respectability. Books, television, and movies have done much to reduce the fear of witchcraft. Observes entertainment analyst David Davis: â€Å"Suddenly, witches are younger and cute r, definitely cuter. Hollywood is good at picking up on trends. .  .  . By making the witches cuter and more huggable, they can appeal to a larger audience, including women and younger kids.† (Sabin, 2006, 41) Hollywood knows how to turn any trend into a paying proposition.Some say that witchcraft has become one of the fastest growing spiritual movements in the United States. Throughout the developed world, an increasing number of people, inspired by feminist movements and disenchanted with mainstream religions, seek spiritual fulfillment in various forms of witchcraft. In fact, so numerous are the forms of witchcraft that people disagree even on the meaning of the word â€Å"witch.† However, professed witches often identify with Wicca—defined in one dictionary as â€Å"a pagan nature religion having its roots in pre-Christian Western Europe and undergoing a 20th-century revival.† (Sabin, 2006, 15) Consequently, many also refer to themselves as pagans or neo-pagans.Throughout history, witches have been hated, persecuted, tortured, even slain. Little wonder that modern practitioners of witchcraft are eager to improve their image. In one survey, dozens of witches were asked what message they most wanted to express to the public. Their answer, summarized by researcher Margot Adler, was: â€Å"We are not evil. We do not worship the Devil. We don’t harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. We are not weird. .  .  . You don’t have to be afraid of us. .  .  . We are much more similar to you than you think.† (Dunwich, 2000, 31)Witchcraft is prevalent in different parts of Africa. In South Africa, for example, witch doctors exert great power, and people take them very seriously. Recent cases reported in the press were of mobs burning alive people who were accused of causing lightning to strike fellow villagers!(Ai dan, 1991, 81) The local witch doctors accused innocent victims of these â€Å"unnatural† acts and then tied them to a tree to be burned. Such belief in sorcery or magic is likewise a worship of demons.However, witchcraft is not confined to Africa. In 1985, Herbert D.  Dettmer, serving a prison sentence at a correctional center in Virginia, U.S.A., was granted the right by the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to have access to clothing and articles so that he could practice his religion in prison. And what was his religion? According to the court record, he was a member of â€Å"the Church of Wicca (more commonly known as witchcraft).† (Sabin, 2006, 19)Consequently, Dettmer had the legal right to use in his worship sulfur, sea salt, or uniodized salt; candles; incense; a clock with an alarm; and a white robe.(Sabin, 2006, 88)   Yes, according to the indications, witchcraft is widespread in the West. The British newspaper Manchester Guardian Weekl y reported: â€Å"Five years ago, there were thought to be some 60,000 witches in Britain: today [1985] the number is estimated by some witches to have grown to 80,000. Prediction, the monthly magazine for astrology and the occult, has a circulation of 32,000.† (Aidan, 1991, 77)Proposal of Research DiscussionWith much history behind it witchcraft or Wicca, as noted to be its collective term, has so much to do with the culture of the people who originally developed the said pagan belief. Human interest on the said matter though never ceased to improve through the years. Today, the said pagan belief is even already considered as religion that is practiced by a certain group of people who are considered by many as a group of extraordinary individuals who could actually us magical powers.Mistakenly, media has presented the culture of Wiccan rituals to be fascinating and exceptionally accepted within the human society. Sad to say though, not all those media presentations depict th e real sense of Wiccan practices.This is the reason why the researcher of this paper aims to propose the study that would deal with the different issues regarding Wicca, its rituals, its practices, its beliefs and the culture behind it so as to be able to give a clearer view about the matter thus giving a much better understanding of the different arguments presented by many researchers regarding its validity as a religion and its authority as a major practice of human culture within the societies that it has already affected.Contrary to that stereotype, many modern self-proclaimed witches seem like ordinary people. Some are respected professionals, such as lawyers, teachers, writers, and nurses. There has been a worldwide resurgence of religious movements that seem to border on the occult, such as nature religions and neo-paganism. â€Å"You can go anywhere in Russia these days and witchcraft is a daily part of life,† said a police officer in that country. (Aidan, 1991, 54) The United States is home to an estimated 50,000 to 300,000 witches, or â€Å"Wiccans,† as some call themselves.Today the word â€Å"witch† is often used loosely and can mean different things to different people. The modern growth of witchcraft seems to be primarily related to a strain of goddess-worshiping, nature-based religion with a strong belief in psychic powers. Some witches are solitary—they practice their rituals alone, observing the change of seasons, phases of the moon, and other natural phenomena. Others worship and cast their spells in a coven, a group usually of 13 witches.It is true that in the West, public perception of witchcraft today is radically different from the attitudes that fostered the witch-burning of the Middle Ages. Sporadically, however, there are still outbursts of wanton violence against witches. For example, in early October 1998 in Indonesia, machete-wielding gangs lynched more than 150 people suspected of being witches. In Sout h Africa more than 2,000 cases of violence against witches, including 577 killings, were reported between 1990 and 1998. (Alupoaicei,2008, 21) In the face of such extremes—ranging from interest in witchcraft to hatred of witches- the present generation of humans remain fascinated about the mystery behind the said idea of religious affiliation that many are already a part of.Why the continuous growth of interest among the human population? What impels people to practice modern witchcraft? They claim that one factor is a reverence for nature and life. Some, in fact, are eager to explain that their worship does not include the sacrificing of animals in their rituals. Others say that they dabble in witchcraft as part of a search for people with whom they can share openness, trust, and common spiritual interests. â€Å"Everyone I know in the pagan movement is so friendly and open .  .  . They’re wonderful people,† says a modern witch (Alupoaicei, 2008, 91). And m any deny any involvement with Satan, asserting that there is  no all-evil deity in their religious structure.For many of them, the primary reason for becoming witches is a sense of spiritual emptiness and disenchantment with mainstream religions. Speaking of her coven, Phyllis Curott, a Wiccan high priestess, says: â€Å"All of us were dissatisfied with the teachings and practices of the religions with which we had been raised.† (Cunningham, 1993, 71) Modern witches, Curott explains, try to answer questions such as, ‘How can we rediscover the sacred?’ But is witchcraft the path to genuine spirituality?Certainly, through the research process that shall be handled within this study, the particular understanding of the different questions that are related to the validity of the practice of Wicca and the primary reasons why the said group of believers are viewed by the societies that they are living with. It is from this particular study that the clarification of s uch issues could be noted to be given. With the use of the different authenticated literature sources, this study is expected to give a clarified explanation of the different factors that contribute to the existence and reputation of the Wicca group in the humans society today.ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHYArin Murphy-Hiscock. (2005). Solitary Wicca For Life: Complete Guide to Mastering the Craft on Your Own. Provenance Press; 2 edition.The author of this reading focus on explaining the different issues that are related to the developments of Wicca practices from then up until the present years of human generation. Considerably, such practices are actually presented by the author as they compare from the earlier years of Wiccan practice towards the modern day rituals that they are doing.This would be much helpful for the research in explaining the different truths behind the developments of Wicca as the years of human generation advances and the progress of human culture continues to evolve .Scott Cunningham. (1993). Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Includes Authors Book of Shadows). Llewellyn Publications.A book based both on the personal experiences of the author himself and the explanations behind why and what the practices of the Wiccan affiliation do is the primary feature of this book. Likely the author wants to point out that understanding the said practices would give the observers a much in depth understanding of the beliefs of those practicing Wicca.This would be helpful in presenting the real base of Wicca and how people living within the said practice actually fare in their lives.Thea Sabin. (2006). Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy ; Practice (For Beginners (Llewellyns)). Llewellyn Publications.This book explains the basic explanations behind the Wiccan practice. Likely the idea of the author is to share a little light on how the practices of Wicca are actually useful to the human society if used well for better purposes.Gerina D unwich. (2000). The Wicca Spellbook: A Witchs Collection of Wiccan Spells, Potions, and Recipes. Citadel publishing.This gives a better view of the major spells and rituals that Wiccan believers are using to practice their religion. Likely, the said practices are presented in a way that they become more practical for the regular person’s use. This book is more of an instructional approach as to how Wicca becomes a practical source human power for several reasons that people may be interested in.Kelly, Aidan (May 1991). Crafting the Art of Magic, Book I: A History of Modern Witchcraft, 1939-1964. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.The art of magic has been presented by media as a simple matter that could be used by anyone who wants. Understandably though, magic, in this book, is presented as a certain source of extraordinary power that could only be used by the people who are able to use the said practice in a correct way.Marla Alupoaicei. (2008). Generation Hex: Understandi ng the Subtle Dangers of Wicca.   Harvest House Publishers.This reading shows the more negative side of the practices and rituals of Wicca. Many of the practices and rituals associated with modern witchcraft are strikingly similar to the uncanny aspects of Satanism. Hence, even so-called innocent curiosity can easily lead to occultism. Indeed, many have fallen prey to Satan’s evil influence in this way.Not to be ignored is the fact that occasionally practioners of modern witchcraft are drawn to it because they are hungry for power or revenge. â€Å"There are people who can call themselves witches and use it for fiendish purposes,† said Jennifer, a modern witch. In any event, both benign and vengeful witches are in danger of coming completely under the control of Satan and the demons.