This week we will look at chapter 2 of the Power Paradox by Dacher Keltner and the Instagram of the United Nations at Geneva. Chapter 2 of this book talks about how power is earned and not given. There are four key principles when it comes to giving someone power. Those principles are “groups give power to those who advance the greater good, groups construct reputations that determine the capacity to influence, groups reward those who advance the greater good with status and esteem, and groups punish those who undermine the greater good with gossip”(Keltner 44).
Now how does this relate to the posting of the UN at Geneva on Instagram? Well, the UN itself is a force that tries to advance and promote the greater good of others. For example on February 6, 2020 they posted about female genital mutilation on its international awareness day (United Nations at Geneva. Photo of End FGM. Instagram, Photo by the UN Women, 6 Feb. 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ONNAnpPnz/). And on February 12, 2020 they posted a photo of the UN flag saying that we are all one on this Earth and need to work together to shape our future (United Nations at Geneva. Photo of UN Flag on Flagpole. Instagram, Photo by the UN at Geneva, 12 Feb. 2020, https://www.instagram.com/p/B8dm9cwJlvL/).
The UN at Geneva is a good organization to demonstrate these points with because everything they do is to try and advance the greater good of society thus giving them more power. The UN uses their platform to promote human rights and actions that would benefit the greater good instead of trying to benefit the few.
There is another quote in the reading that goes, “groups give us power when we are enthusiastic, speak up, make bold assertions, and express an interest in others” (Keltner 50). I believe this quote also goes along with the UN at Geneva because they are constantly speaking out for those who can not speak out themselves, they make bold assertions about human rights, and they are enthusiastic about it.
Although I did not see them trend this week on Instagram and my analysis of them trending last week was pretty American centric. There is always a possibility of them trending as we did see some international trends this week.
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