Heroism occurs when a person tries to save another individual’s life, for instance by participate in a war in the process putting his or her life in a risk. Heroism seems to be a positive phenomenon, a value that is essential for human beings. However, it is an absolutist idea because it raises several doubts. This means that in some instance, it can be described as a positive phenomenon, while in others it is indifferent or negative. Many think that with time heroism will disappear or become outdated, and that it will have no place in the well-organized society. A society that demands that individuals should surrender these values becomes weak because heroes with these values are not given a chance to change society. Thus, heroism in necessary as it exposes the weakness of the organization of human societies. On the other hand, it is unnecessary as it endangers the life of heroes. Therefore, social change can be achieved via effort of the heroes to make meaning of their values and interests in a positive manner.
A hero is person who attains great things that are beyond the capacity of ordinary people. Heroes are vital to the society because they achieve great things that are often difficult for ordinary individuals who are willing to persist and make personal sacrifices to make this happen. Heroes are persons who upgrade the change of the society, culture or group and developed their exploits based on their human aspect that make them natural loners (Belohlavek, 2011). This make them incaplable to overcome challenges, that requires commitment and integrity and willingness to accept responsibility because they do not aociate with ociety effectively. According to Madigan and Delaney (2009), a hero is an individual of notable bravery or ability who is respected for courage deeds, noble qualities, dedication and achievements. For instance, athletes demonstrate these qualities. Sports heroes such as Albert Pujols and Arnold palmer among others are admired and idolized figures in their society. Albert Pujols is a hero to Travis due to his faith and determination to change his society via baseball. Meanwhile, Arnold Palmer is a golf hero who moved the sport into the international scene and made people to have positive feelings about the golf.
Similary, society tends to define the values and attributes that heroes need to possess.This projection is what makes them change agents in the society due to their ability to influence environments that recognize them change as heroes. Most of the time after the change has been achieved, heroes are no longer necessary. They return to their former responsibilities and the heroic action becomes part of their history. Meanwhile, they try to profit from their actions in order to occupy a leading role in the society depending on their deeds. When heroic actions end, it makes the beginning of history for the heroes, and monuments are built after their death.George Washington is a good example of such a hero. In other cases, heroes enter a conflict with the change of the society and they are eventually eliminated because they are viewed as a threat to the society. Che Guevara is an example of such a hero who threated the change of the Cuban society.
Leaders are believed to have personality that makes them the most influential people to bring change in the societies. For instance, a politician can be portrayed by the media as the most important hero in the society than other people. Meanwhile, their message to people can have more weight than those of a common citizen. Other goes for professional jobs such as doctors. Engineers and are executives of the major institutions. These heroes stand for various organizations and the unfortunate people in the society. Thus, opinions and positions of these leaders are more significant than that of average individual due to their power to influence people in the society. The social change is a attributed to these heroes at many levels. Leaders in the society are the ones who often become heroes and bring social change. Thus, in order to change society, it is good to use individuals who have close contact with people and command a lot of respect from community as agents of the change process. This indicates they are also at a position to propagate the influence of change most effectively.
Technological development is another factor that was invented by various heroes to bring change in the society. This factor manages to change society because it originates within it and produces significant alterations is the social structure. The technological change in the industrial society is improving at a great aped. For instance, the computer and the communication based electronic information technology has transformed American life in homes, family, schools and workplace (Morley, 2011). Although technology usage depends on income and education of the citizens, it has rapidly brought changes in various societies. However, advances in technology tend to increase the complexity of the individuals and the society at large. Therefore, most of societies have been changed technologically in a manner that few imagined. Heroes use rious technology to communicate and socialize with their fans. For example, facebook has affected the life of heroes in a poitive manner.
Likewise, the television and radio programs have greatly changed the society since they were invented. They have influenced culture in various societies and have been the significant agent of socialization. The perception of the ways heroes live life recently influenced by television because the televion tend to bring program that discusses the life and contribution of these heroes in the society. Programs based on social psychology are assisting heroes around the world to change their life in a positive manner. Rihana, Michael jackon among others are example of musians heroes who are targeted by various televion programs.
Social entrepreneurs are examples of heroes who contribute significantly in changing the society because they launch various organizations to improve education and other social facilities in their communities. They formulate new approaches to solve various social problems and new model than aim at creating wealth, enhance social well-being and re-establish the environment (Bomstein, 2004). They contribute in changing the livelihood of women in their societies via women empowerment project and solve various critical problems of the people. However, social entrepreneurs cannot change the society on their own. They require support from volunteers, advocates, communication specialists and advisors that can turn their idea into reality (Galinsky, 2011). They need to work together with supporters and donors who can formulate policies that benefit the society. Coder Dojo and Neuro Hero are examples of social entepreneurs who introduced a computer coding clas for chilldren that aimed at changing Irish society (Elkington and Hartigan, 2008). Their idea is believed to bring solutions to some of the adverse problem that Ireland encounter.
Meanwhile, people with fame can change the society. Currently, celebrities engage in various society projects that aim at changing their society in a positive manner.these can be musian, people with diability religious figures and political activists. They have influenced the world in different ways. For instance, Helen Keller overcame her challenges of coping with disability. She used her fame to educate others about the disabilities and raised find to support various projects and programs. Thus, her dedication to social change was extensive and managed to change the way people preserved the issue of the disability. In order to change the society, people need to change the society sector by contributing their canings, Opinions.There are several fame people such a musians and actors who due to their excellent careers became heroes and even idol of their socities. However, some of them destroy their careers and disappoint their fans with their behavior. They engage in scandals such as sex, drugs and alcohol that are a threat to the Society. Thee behavior can influence the society in the negative manner. For intance, diego maradona was in the past a hero of some people because of his success in soccer. However, he destroyed his career because of drugs, but he recovered and became Argentina’s manager. The challenges of fame are that it affects people who view themselves uccessful and inturn affect the society.
In conclusion, heroism is essential to the society because it helps to achieve potential things that are often complex for ordinary persons who are willing to persist and make personal sacrifices to make this happen. Heroes are viewed as agents of change in various societies because they influence the way people live. Thus, social change can be achieved if all heroes are involved because they are all affected by it.
References
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Delaney, T., & Madigan, T. (2009).The sociology of sports: an introduction. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co.
Elkington, J., & Hartigan, P. (2008). The power of unreasonable people: how social entrepreneurs create markets that change the world. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.
Galinsky, L. (2011). Not Everyone Should Be a Social Entrepreneur - Lara Galinsky - Harvard Business Review. HBR Blog Network Harvard Business Review. Retrieved January23,2013,from http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/not_everyone_should_be_a_socia.html
Morley, D. (2011). Understanding computers in a changing society (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Course Technology, Cengage Learning.
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