...Dealt a Bad Hand According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of today the unemployment rate in America is 4.9% which happens to be lower than all of last year. That being said, most people associate being poor with not having a job and that concept holds true most of the time. Although, that statement has some merit people forget about the idea of the the “working poor”. In David K. Shipler’s book titled The Working Poor: Invisible in America, he looks at people in many situations where they may have a job but are still below the poverty line or in serious debt. There are many different reasons for these people to be struggling whether it may be a lack of education, no support for their family, or something as simple as personal appearance....
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...Americans were either lower or working class citizens including European immigrants. In The Bitter Cry of Children by John Spargo and The Promise Land by Mary Antin, the two authors discuss the similarities and differences of the economic and social societies of the working class as well as the immigrants in America. Today, these documents are valuable to us because it describes the events in the 1900s like children working in dangerous situations and how new immigrants were settling into America. Both Spargo and Antin describe the 1900s as a time where two similar, yet different, classes wanted to head towards the same goal, despite their different starting points. These two documents were grouped together because they both described the economic struggles and the social similarities of each class. John Spargo illustrated the working class using children who worked in mines since their parents were unable to make enough money. Similarly, Antin...
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...factory that employs workers at very low wages, working for long hours and in poor working conditions. Most of the workers employed in sweatshops are not offered benefits, and in most cases, are illiterate. Sweatshops are not only bad for the workers and the countries they are located in but also bad for America and the rest of the world. The common argument put forward by supporters of sweatshops, like that in the article by Nicholas Kristof (2009), is that they help unskilled workers gain skills and then further develop the economy. While this might appear to make sense on paper, a deeper analysis proves otherwise. Those who make this assumption fail to understand that some of the sweatshop workers...
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...Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America Carmen Arvelo Northwestern State University SOWK 3350 Barbara Pierce PHD, LMSW, ACSW March 04, 2013 Abstract The author Barbara Ehrenreich sets out on her quest to decide for herself if the working women in America are able to survive on low paying jobs. Accomplishing this will mean living on only what she makes to pay the rent, groceries and gas. The author makes up her mind to seek employment in three different cities around America, Key West, Florida, Maine and Minnesota. Her reasons for choosing each these cities varies and she realizes very quickly that making ends meet in any of these cities will not be easy to do if not impossible on a low salary. The author meets numerous people, including Holly a maid in Maine that she befriends. Ehrenreich’s view of low wage workers helps her understand their situation around the country as she comes to the realization that one cannot afford nutritious food, a protected living enviroment and provide for health insurance all on low earnings. My paper will discuss the repercussions of low wages on the working poor as well as how they are viewed by society. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America The book Nickel and Dimed begins with the author, Barbara Ehrenreich (2011), contemplating how she will take on the task of living with limited money and assets as she has a Ph.D. in Biology, but her focus became social change. Ehrenreich must ground rules for her research...
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...During the mid-1860’s, America experienced many changes. Industrialization and a rapid increase of new immigrants led to changes in business and in every day life. Industrialization and immigration greatly impacted America during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, as this was a time of transition in both American society and in industry. After the American Civil War, the country was still largely an agrarian society. Industry had indeed taken root, but throughout many regions it was still far more common to find farms than factories. The effects of industrialization in Europe pushed many Europeans to move to America. They came for different reasons, some just for an opportunity to make more money and then move back to home and some came...
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...Lack of Money Narrowed Topic: Wage Gap/Working Poor Rationale for Research: My main goal is to inform my audience about the wage gap that lies in the way of moving up the financial latter. The wage gap has been statistically proven to affect many races, genders, and wealth class, yet no one is aware of it. The wage gap has hindered the working poor, whom are looking to move forward. Many times people are aware of this situation, but have no idea whom to see to prevent the repetition of this act. Sources: Article: “The Gender Wage Gap: An Explanation of Men's Elevated Wage Entitlement” is an article on why men have avoided the wage gap or worked through it. Article: “The Working Poor” explains the increasing differentiation of incomes and how the scale of relative poverty has increased. Many people have become poorer relative to more successful groups and fundamentally new opportunities. Book: The Wage Gap, gives various perspectives on controversial issues related to the wage gap gathered in one book of essays. Book: Understanding the gender gap: an economic history of American women, is data from the US Census, city directories and other sources to examine the differences between men and women in the US labor force and to survey the economic history of American women Book: The working poor: invisible in America goes into the lives of the factory workers, the store clerks, those with student loans, and many more who are working to pay off bills and borrowed money, but...
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...Introduction Do international economics of free trade important in the United States of America and in the world of different countries? Therefore, according to the article of "Embracing the Challenge of Free Trade: Competing and Prospering in a Global Economy", Ben S. Bernanke, who is the author and the Chairman of the Montana Economic Development Summit 2007 Butte, MT, had said," international trade in goods, services, and assets, like other forms of market-based exchange, allows us to transform what we have into what we need or want under increasingly beneficial terms. Trade allows us to enjoy both a more productive economy and higher living standards" (Bernanke). Free trade is very important as international economics will cause both advantages...
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...CHANGES 2 Abstract This report tells of the ratings of poverty in the United States and America. It tells how poverty is constantly changing the lives of men, women, and children on an everyday basis. It speaks of things we can do as a society to help support and change the lives of those living in poverty. Poverty And It’s Everyday Life Changes 3 Poverty is a very emotional and important issue in America. It is a fact that all social inequality creates poverty. There are generally two types of poverty that are discussed, which are relative poverty and absolute poverty .Relative poverty is the lack of resources of some people in relation to those who have more. Absolute poverty is the lack of resources that is life threatening. It has been reported by “Global Stratification “, that about one billion human beings, which is one person in six are at risk of absolute poverty (Sociology, Thirteenth Edition). In this wealthy country of the Unite States families still go hungry, and live in in adequate housing, and suffer poor health because of serious lack of resources. In 2002, it was reported by the Census Bureau that poverty in the United States was had reached a high of 35 million people (Rector and Johnson, 2004). It is fact that we as human beings must understand to not just focus on numbers, but the living conditions of our fellow citizens that the government deems to be poor. Many families lack of food, clothing, and reasonable shelter would be reason enough to suggest...
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... AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES Abstract This article reports the relationship between the United States immigrant and African- American families presented by Daniel Patrick Moynihan in his 1965 report to President Lyndon Johnson remains the most popular folk model for explaining success, failure and mutual aid in “poverty.” The Moynihan model is an enduring part of popular discourses on race, intensified by contemporary immigrant successes narratives. The participant observation research among homeless African-American families and Latin American families had participated in a small business creation in New York City which happened more than three years ago. When kinship norms are typically American, it is said that certain immigrant family forms are more suited to mutual aid crisis. The African- American family is misused as being dysfunctional. It gives an overview of the demographic of “poverty” and how these demographics have changed since 1979. It also considers trends that have emerged over the last few decades and reconsiders the successes and failures of past public policy. It also identifies the growing feminization of poverty and the growing Latino population as the primary challenges currently facing public makers in addressing the issue of poverty in America. “Poverty” levels among non-Hispanic...
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...Obesity In America | March 17 2012 | Sean Jackson | DeVry University | Obesity in America has become a rampant problem due to cheap fast food, poor nutritional teachings, and depression. Recent studies by scientists have shown that nearly one third of all Americans are obese, and that two thirds are overweight. If this trend continues, by the year 2030, over 50% of Americans will be obese. (http://www.npr.org/2011/05/19/135601363/living-large-obesity-in-america) Cheap fast food has become a staple in American lives. With the lifestyles of Americans having changed in the past century from housewife, working husband to working wife, working husband; finding time to cook a nutritious home meal for the family had been replaced by convenient methods called fast food. In the past 20 years the fast food industry has grown by billions of dollars. The average American spends thousands of dollars a year on fast food, whether it is a candy bar, soda, or an actual restaurant. The average fast food meal has almost 2,000 calories and contains more than a week’s amount of unsaturated fat and sodium. This causes obesity which leads to many serious health problems. Poor nutritional teachings are another reason for Obesity in Americans. Parent’s lives are so rushed that they are forced to feed their kids on the go. Kids are raised with this lifestyle so when they grow up all they know is eating on the go and never learn how to cook for themselves. Laziness from the parents and poor leadership...
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...of the labor laws and environmental practices these country need to adhere to; this can cause issues when trying to build a company and expand. 2) Wages of foreign countries are much less than what we have here; there labors laws are much different which can become more difficult for foreign based companies to try and implement themselves into new territory. When an American based company enters a new marketplace especially being that market place having costs wages that is less than ours makes it difficult to decide how you may proceed in making those offers to new employees that would be within reason. The question then becomes do you offer the new employees the same wages in America or do you offer them less because the market for the products in that country are not the same as those in America? It is the responsibility of the company to understand the wage situation before entering into a new market;...
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...life of a Lithuanian family moving to America and the hardships they faced there. Sinclair, a Socialist and a muckraker reporter wrote the novel in hopes of gaining supporters of the Socialist party. What he ended up doing was single handily cause the formation of the Food and Drug Administration after he showed the nation what was really happening with their food. Yet looking at the work as what it’s meant to be, an exposure of the negative effects of a capitalist society on the impoverished citizens, was Sinclair’s indictment a fair assessment. The novel The Jungle, follows the story of Jurgis Rudkus and his new family as they move to America in search of...
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...burned in the fire. If there had been safety regulations in the factory then there would have been fire escape doors like there are now in this generation. These immigrants came to America to work, so they could make their own American Dream possible. The American Dream wasn’t possible for the factory workers, because the safety regulations prohibited them from being happy at work. The American Dream for them was to be able to go to work and feel safe and secure in their workplace. Safety regulations in the factory would have allowed the workers to have the American Dream of being comfortable and safe in their work place, live the pursuit of happiness, and want to continue living and working in America. By having safety...
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...Industrialization after the Civil War in America Name: Institution: Date: The industrial revolution symbolizes most important turning point in human history. Almost every portion of daily life was influenced in some way. After the civil war, industrialization acquired an impulsive change of events that had a major concern on improving the life of America. After the civil war American industry changed radically. Machines were used as the main means of manufacturing thus replacing the hand labor. This led to high production of goods and also led to improvement in infrastructure. American economy became strong and this drove to her political stability (Hall, & Lindholm, 1999). Amongst the varied aspects of industrialization that influenced the US society, economy and politics between 1865 and 1920 is entrepreneurship. The United States experienced an outstanding swift economic growth after the civil war. For example the gross domestic product multiplied very fast and also its per capita product went up more than double. Second, technology advancement lead to invention of steam powered farm machinery which replaced the farm laborers in preparation of land. This fueled construction of communication and transport networks. For example railway lines were built thus enabling efficient transportation of products (Bensel, 2000). Third, Homestead Act was implemented. A considerable amount of land had been kept aside for cheap to migrated people from the west. Having adequate...
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...a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” It explains that a person does not know how another is living, until they actually live the same lifestyle. In the story, “Serving in Florida” by Barbara Ehrenreich, she is a journalist that prepares herself to write about the working-class life. She decides to step into the shoes of the working class and embody their way of life. She accomplishes this by working typical jobs such as waitressing and housecleaning and attempting to survive with the meager wages the jobs paid. She does this experiment to shed light and bring attention on how people in America are able live on minimum wage. Throughout her narrative, she uses vivid and specific details to evoke an emotional response and connects with the reader on a personal level. She wants to show the world how working-class people are living an unfortunate life. After her reading, I believe working-class employees are entitled to more financial attention. Working-class people can be defined as people who usually work either one job, or perhaps two jobs to maintain their livelihood. The working class usually lives pay check to paycheck. Majority of the time they are not going to school, but working full time. Some blue-collar jobs include waitressing, housecleaning, and retail sales. Some duties include washing dishes or serving food to customers. They work being paid the national minimum wage. They do not have a decent home but live in an apartment or in a trailer. Ehrenreich’s...
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