1) Which social networks are most important at this time in your life and why? What kind of social capital are you creating and what return do you expect on this investment? 2

1. Which social networks are most important at this time in your life and why? What kind of social capital are you creating, and what return do you expect on this investment?

A social network is more often referred to as a social structure comprising social actors such as organizations or people. One can classify social networks into two major groups; horizontal (Generic) and vertical (Marshall, 2020). One should understand that horizontal social networks are those social networks that have specific objectives, and they target all individuals who use such social networks as Facebook and Twitter. The main aim of such social networks is for entertaining purposes, providing information, and enabling communication among people. Vertical social networks are formed among people with the same interests, such as musicians, footballers, politicians, and many other people with the same interests (Marshall, 2020). It is therefore essential to understand that vertical social networks are the most important and necessary. People of the same interests come together to motivate, encourage, comfort, and empower each other towards a common goal that promotes growth, unity, and harmony.

On the other hand, social capital refers to the networks of relationships formed among people who work and live in a given society providing an enabling environment for the community to function optimally. Social capital involves the effective and proper functioning of the social groups through a shared sense of identity, values, norms, cooperation, and trust. The most crucial social capital at the society or group level is establishing guidelines and rules that control the behavior of the members and encourage members to work together to better society. Bijkerk (2014) notes that creating regulations and laws promotes good moral conduct in society and provides the basis for punishing lawbreakers. Rules and guidelines also promote harmony, understanding, and good relationships among members of the community.

2.  How does liberal feminism affect the experience of immigrant women? Is this a positive or negative influence? Give at least one example to support your answer.

Liberal feminism, popularly known as mainstream feminism, is the major branch defined by its concentration and focus on achieving gender equality through legal and political reforms within the foundation of liberal democracy.  Lewis (2019) states that the mandate of liberal feminism is to promote and push for gender equality in the public sector, better working conditions, ending gender segregation, and access to quality education.   The movement for liberal feminism also encourages men to take part in child support, considers marriage as an equal partnership between husband and wife, and advocates for abortion. Liberal feminism began in the 19^th Century and focused mainly on women's suffrage, access to education, and integration into the structures of progress and development within the public sphere. Liberal feminism, therefore, fights for immigrant women to get an education, better-paying jobs, and equal access to opportunities just like their counterpart men. Considering the main objective of liberal feminism, one can consider its influence as a positive influence that promotes equality and discourages discrimination towards immigrant women. The move also has seen men actively taking part in child support and led to the establishment of the Equal Rights Amendment Act, which requires countries to pass laws that promote gender equality through legislation. Without liberal feminism, many women and girls would experience a high level of abuse without legal intervention. For example, according to the United Nations Population Fund, UNPF, (2018), almost half of the immigrants worldwide are women and girls. Female immigrants face and experience significant risks such as trafficking, violence, and sexual exploitation, and they experience double discrimination as women and as immigrants. Through liberal feminism, Non-governmental organizations, human rights activists, and governments worldwide are striving to ensure that women are not discriminated against, treated with dignity, and given equal opportunities just like men. Liberal feminism has therefore played a significant role in promoting rights for immigrant women and girls.

3. Why do you think the author claims women have an easier time accessing social networks in Canada while men do not?

According to the statistics acquired in 2021 January, women had the highest percentage of social media use than men. For instance, for people aged between 13 to 17, females recorded 1.5%, while men recorded 1% of people using social media in that age bracket (Statista Research Department, 2021). Between individuals aged 18 to 24, women using social media stood at 7.3 compared to men at 6.5%. People with the age bracket of 25 to 34 led by 13%, while men stood at 12.7% of the people using social media. People aged 35 to 44 recorded 10% for women and 9.2% for men. Individuals using social media aged 45 to 54 recorded 8.1% for women and 6.5% for men. Those aged between 55 to 64 recorded 7.3% for women and 5.4% for men. For the people in Canada aged 64 years and above using social media, the women percentage stood at 6.9%, while that for men stood at 4.6% (Statista Research Department,2021). Therefore, it is clear from the statistics that women have an easier time accessing social networks than men. Some of the reasons provided are that women in Canada are likely to undertake do-it-yourself projects using digital platforms like YouTube, standing at 41% and 26% for women and men respectively, (McKinnon, 2019). More women also incorporate their fitness routines on digital platforms, 25%, compared to men at 20%.  It is also critical to note that women in Canada share more information on social media than men (McKinnon, 2019). 75% of women in Canada use social media daily compared to men at 62%. Due to these statistics, the author can easily claim that Canadian women have easier access to social media than men. Facebook leads by 77%, followed by LinkedIn at 35%, and thirdly Instagram. Twitter and Snapchat are fourth and fifth with 26% and 19%, respectively.