Social engagement describes participation that builds and strengthens social capital and norms. This usually involves activity (doing something), interaction (at least two people need to be involved) and social exchange (giving or receiving something from others). Two key characteristics of social engagement are a lack of compulsion from an external force and an absence of remuneration or receiving payment.
There is some evidence that due to modern communication technologies, especially social media, individuals around the world have become more engaged in distant or virtual communities, decreasing their involvement in their local communities.
The promotion of positive behaviour in and opportunities for social engagement are additionally seen as key goals in helping to shape positive attitudes in society’s youth.
Abundant evidence suggests that high levels of social engagement are also associated with improved individual happiness, health and general well-being.
Previously on these pages, I described historical aspects of Emirati society as they existed before the cultural changes that hit the country from the late 1970s onwards. Before that time, society was dominated by strong, extended family units and people appeared to be very much more socially engaged.
Cycles of activity, interaction and exchange occurred on a daily basis as hundreds of small communities sought cohesion, strengthened by everyone’s interdependent roles, from the senior village leaders to young children completing their chores.
All that began to change after the discovery of oil that led to the influx of foreign workers to build the country’s infrastructure and oil extraction sector, and the arrival of service workers from around the world in diverse fields such as education, banking and hospitality.
From being a group of independent emirates that had endured hard times after the collapse of the pearling industry, the UAE became one of the world’s largest oil producers. Despite successful attempts to diversify its economy in recent years, the UAE remains dependent upon oil exports for 30 per cent of its gross domestic product.
The oil years have delivered many benefits, including widespread affluence, as well as good schools, health care and infrastructure.
Unwittingly, this has also unleashed several documented negative social effects that collectively contribute towards a sense of dependence, social disengagement and learnt helplessness.
A lack of interest in learning and education, a disjunction in the popular mind between work and education and, indeed, between income and reward, are indicative of high per capita incomes, affluent lifestyles and rapid modernisation.
In plain speech, this means that income, the reward for labour, is no longer connected to work or effort. Numerous examples in recent years of the settlement of defaulting personal loans suggest a weakening in the link between actions and consequences, reducing overall personal responsibility and accountability.
This is played out by some young men who forsake higher education to secure the income necessary to buy “things” and eventually get married.
On the other hand, Emirati women perceive higher education as an opportunity to forge an independent career and to attract a more educated potential partner.
For the most part, modern married couples appear to chase quantity of life in the form of extravagant personal spending, often resulting in severe debt.
Quality of life, which includes feelings of self-worth, happiness and fulfilment appears to hold a much lower status in the minds of many young couples today.
Extended family interaction and exchange, though still very important, becomes difficult to manage as both partners may commute to neighbouring emirates for work or take a modern view in living away from the traditional extended family home.
In short, the appearance of the Emirati nuclear family living sometimes in isolation from the extended family unit has resulted, in part, in higher divorce rates due to a lack of family and community support for the couple.
Attached to social media, fatigued from the demands of balancing work and family life, and uncertain about the future, young Emiratis today, both single and married, are facing difficult life journeys despite the enormous reservoir of community goodwill and state-sponsored support systems established to assist them.
On the positive side, social engagement is observed in the volunteers who man the numerous Beit Al Khair booths around the country, and in the beach and wadi clean-ups by young Emiratis that deservedly attract media attention.
For example, youth-orientated programmes, such as Takatof and Sanid within the Emirates Foundation, provide opportunities for young Emiratis to volunteer for important social causes and to augment the national emergency response, thereby increasing social inclusion and individual engagement, leading to greater empowerment.
The country needs socially engaged youth who are ready to step up and grab their futures with both hands, eager to make their mark in a world they are helping to create.
Dr Peter J Hatherley-Greene is director of learning at Emarise
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
TV (UAE time);
OSN Sports: from 10am
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
More coverage from the Future Forum
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Juventus v Valencia, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
57%20Seconds
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Hamilton profile
Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
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MATCH INFO
Maratha Arabians 107-8 (10 ovs)
Lyth 21, Lynn 20, McClenaghan 20 no
Qalandars 60-4 (10 ovs)
Malan 32 no, McClenaghan 2-9
Maratha Arabians win by 47 runs
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions