Akon Research Paper

Introduction Bill Gates once said that “The point is not for the giver to have a good feeling, but for the people we’re trying to help to have a good feeling.” (Gates, 2012). This quote illustrates a few of the debates surrounding the roles celebrities play in development around the world. One of the questions is whether the charitable work that celebrities do is beneficial or detrimental to the issues that they are trying to address. While other questions focus more on whether the motives of celebrities are altruistic or self-serving and whether or not they need to try and help other people. The Senegalese-American rapper Akon is one celebrity that has been heavily involved in aid and development work through his charities ‘Konfidence’ and …show more content…
He is a well-known: Senegalese-American rapper, songwriter, businessman, and record producer. (Akon Biography, 2015). His ties to development go as far back to his childhood because while he was born in St. Louis Missouri his family moved shortly after he was born back to Koalack Senegal where he lived until he was seven years old. (Akon Biography, 2015). Akon’s mother Kine Gueye Thiam who is native to Senegal is well known for he not-for-profit work helping underprivileged children and helping Senegalese immigrants who moved to the United States. (Founder Biographies, 2015.) It can be well assumed that Akon was exposed to his mother’s humanitarian and charitable work from and early age and was then influenced by her work to become involved himself. He of course has ties to Africa with both his parents being native to Senegal which can explain for his interest in improving the lives of African Americans living in the United States and Africans living on the continent of …show more content…
The modernization theory can be summarized as a process that a society goes through to transition through modernization from a so called traditional society to a modern one. (Haslam, Schafer, & Beaudet, 2012). One can theorize that through the modernization theory Akon’s work and the development related work by other celebrities is a positive thing. There intentions are morally sound and their involvement in development can simply be seen as the right thing to do. If anything the celebrity status that comes with being a celebrity can enhance the concern related to development initiatives in foreign countries which in turn can get more people to become involved. (Biccum, 2011). Akon has used his celebrity status to successfully grab the attention of his fans to become interested in helping modernize Africa through the use of solar power which in a positive aspect of his involvement in development

Show More

Related Documents: Akon Research Paper

Gaga and I Essay