The Hole In The Net :: essays research papers

Our social safety net has a hole in it. The fibers of the net are decaying; the hole is getting bigger. More people are falling through, and the people with the least strength are holding the most of the weight. Three to four million Americans are homeless according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 5.5% cannot find jobs according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, and the figure is over twice that in the 20-24 year old age group, according to the Department of Education. A very slim minority of these people are sucking off the system, but the vast majority just had a bad break. Such is the story of Peter and Megan, as told by author Jonathan Kozol in his Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book Award winner Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America. Peter was a carpenter and she was a homemaker who raised their five children. They lived in a neat, working class apartment building in New York City. Peter did construction for public housing projects, and had a vast array of technical skills and tools: â€Å"I did carpentry. I painted. I could do wallpapering. I earned a living. We spent Sundays walking with our children on the beach.† It may sound like this was a happy family, living the American Dream. Perhaps they were -- they were self sufficient for all of the 12 years that they had been married, they had a steady income, a close and loving family, a home, and a chance for their children to do even better than they had done. Then the fire struck. They came racing home after hearing the news, only to find that everything had been destroyed. The children lost their pet dog and cat, Megan lost her grandmother’s china, but Peter perhaps lost the most: his tools. Since the fire, he has not had a job, because a carpenter without tools might as well not have eyes. He explained that for every job he had, he would add a new tool to his collection. But they all went up in the blaze. When Kozol first met them, they were living in a welfare hotel in New York, where they had been living for two years. They can’t get out because federal assistance programs (better known as welfare) tell them that their family limit for an apartment is $366 a month -- this with seven family members living in New York City. (In comparison, that’s about the rock bottom price for a week in a New York City one room motel.) In their two room â€Å"apartment†, the entire place is falling

Working and Poor Essay -- essays research papers

It’s difficult to imagine how some people hold multiple jobs to support their family and still live below the poverty line. The saying â€Å"the rich gets richer and the poor get poorer† has never been so evident in today’s society. With a growing percentage of people living below the poverty line, one has to question the government policies enacted to elevate the living standings for its people. Government policies great influence the everyday life of its people. It is difficult to enact common ground policies to satisfy the entire public since not everyone is on same financial level. Strategic plans should be sought out to ensure effectiveness to its targeted group by considering all the interests of the stakeholders and the impact that will affect these stakeholder groups. According to the free market theory, the government ultimately has the social responsibility to its public. The important task the government must face is to maximize the benefit at a minimized cost. It must approve and implement laws that benefit overall society while adhering strictly to its budget constraints. The underlying concept of the â€Å"good will prevail† is also prevalent in its policy effectiveness. Good implementations to benefit society will stay and the benefit will multiply with time. Bad policies will be questioned, debated, and eventually thrown out. The invisible hand will always bring the market back to equilibrium. The issues on employment greatly reflect a utilitarian view. Utilitarianism is often used to determine the conflict of interest. Often times the employer and the employees will encounter conflict of interests. Which side will ultimately come out on top depends on which side is perceived as the greatest and whether it will generate the greatest bottom line value or the greatest societal gain. The conflict of interest is utterly apparent in a layoff, where the employers are doing so to maximize profit and minimize cost by outsourcing all of its jobs overseas. The stakeholder, employees, suffers greatly from such an act. Utilitarianism often stresses the importance of increased productivity and profit, and reducing cost while improving quality. Many people lose sight of the true benefit or damage in the long run. The only consideration was the short term gain and profit. It is not surprising that families living under the poverty line often hold some of the mo... ...ic’s living conditions, while the general public has duties to cooperate and carry out functions to ensure the success of these policies. Universal moral norms such as honesty, fairness, compassion, integrity, etc., are often expected between the stakeholders. The government and the companies must assess environmental scanning and fully evaluate issues management to ensure the public and its employees are protected, while the policy serves its underlying purpose. It is a depressing realization that some people work very hard to support those around them and never get the benefits they deserve. Tax, education, and health care policies are often working against those who are less unfortunate. It is apparent that the poor keep on trailing further and further behind. It’s not surprising to learn that the policies enacted today haven’t proven as effective as originally intended. Everyday is a learning process and ongoing improvements must be made, especially in this fast paced, ever-changing environment. Poverty will never be eradicated, but with thorough analysis and evaluation, the overall living standard can be improved for many who are counting on the government to help them.

Green Capitalism Essay

Green Capitalism is a new approach for resolving the problem of environmental destruction while ensure the sustainable development of capitalism practices (Bess, 2000). The world is witnessing the effects of global warming. In addition, economic sustainability remains a major concern by the global community. Based on this, green capitalism concept dictates for use of green energy sources to support the economy (Bess, 2000). By ethics of care, individual humans must protect the environment for the good of the whole community. Critics have blamed capitalism for its exploitation of available resources without concern of the negative environmental implications of the same (Beaufoy, 1993). From an ethical point of view, green capitalism concept is quite limited in its practicability due to the fact that capitalism by its nature seeks to maximize profits regardless of associated consequences (Beaufoy, 1993). On the other side, green practices dictate for protection of the environment and its ecosystem. Thus, the theory of green capitalism remains a conflict between caring for the environment and maximization of capital (Beaufoy, 1993). True to the letter, the world is claimed to have enough renewable resources to sustain its population. Nevertheless, most of these resources like solar, wind, and tidal energies are unpredictable for supporting our current economic energy requirements. Still, the green capitalism concept advocates for reduced consumption of anti-green products in the community (Bess, 2000). This has an ethical implication of harming the global market capital, a claim that has been blamed for economic meltdown (Beaufoy, 1993). As a solution to these real concerns on green capitalism theory, there is need having in place other models of addressing the problem of environmental pollution. Just to note, the effects of capitalism are permanent trends that cannot be reversed if capitalism prevails. References Bess, M. (2000). Greening the Mainstream. Environmental History, 5, 12-18. Beaufoy, H. (1993). Case Study: The Green Office in Britain: A Critical Analysis. Journal of Design History, 6, 9-14.

Family Therapy Essay

The whole issue of preferred family structure in the United States is complex with potential debates ranging from human rights issues to personal preferences and compliance with societal requirements. Several issue under lies this interest in a human context. For instance, the perception that the nuclear family is the best family structure which should feature in all human societies and is the only family structure that can fulfill the requirements and functions of a family is facing a lot of challenges in the modern society (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005) this paper is written. It identifies and discusses the reasons why single parented family is more preferable to nuclear family in the United States. Nuclear family is defined as a traditional family which is made up of father, mother and children (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005). It was traditionally conceived after marriage and developed ties across generation to an extended family, which accommodated cousins, uncles, aunts and grand parents. The nuclear family is associated with many advantages which range from emotional to social and economical support. However, numerous studies indicate that in the recent past, the nuclear family structure has lost the originality and substance it deserved and alternative family structures are becoming more prevalent (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005). Several proposals have been put forth to explain this transformation top on the list being high divorce rates, same sex marriages and adoption of children. Current sociological statistics shows that nuclear family is losing prevalent in the United States because of its inadequacy to accommodate the diversified modern family arrangements. Available research shows that single parent family structure is increasingly high and 75% of all children in the United States spend a considerable amount of their life time in a single family (Stebbins, 2001). In a single family, there is only one parent in the family raising the children. In many a time, single parent family consists of a mother and the children. But to avoid being branded a feminist, the author of this paper finds it important to mention here that the number of single male parents is on the hike and cannot be ignored in this discussion. Several reasons have been put forth to explain why many people in United States prefer single parent family structure. From available statistics, many of the single parents are women who have never been married (Stebbins, 2001). The modern society has given women equal opportunities to pursue their careers. This is evidenced by the increasingly high number of women who have excelled in different careers including the male dominated ones. These women spend a considerable amount of their life time nurturing their careers to a point where if they have to wait until they get a potential partner, it mate be late for them to bear children. Advance in technology has enable women to bear children in absence intimacy with there male partners through artificial insemination (Sharp, & Yarber, 2010). They are given a chance to select a male partner who is willing to father the child without being emotionally attached. They raise the children according to their plans, values and standards and they stands to benefit from their parenting effort. The high rate of divorce in the United States has contributed heavily to the increased number of single parent families (Stebbins, 2001). Psychological research result indicates that conflict between parents creates the worst environment for the well being of children. Children built their characters from their parents and therefore domestic violence, for instance is emotionally and psychologically destructive to the children. Divorce and hence single family gives a solution to this problem and may guarantee the children a good future. Available information shows that despite the emotional feelings of loneliness, single parent families have many opportunities for the growth of children than in a two parent family (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005). References McGoldrick, M., & Carter, B. (2005). The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Sharp, P., & Yarber, A. (2010). Focus on Single-Parent Families: past, present, and Future. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Stebbins, L. (2001). Work and Family in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.

Reaction to Amistad Movie

Kaylan Earls March 22, 2013 COMM3820 Reaction To Amistad Amistad was a very touching movie and showed a lot of fight and determination from the West Africans and several others working to gain freedom for the slaves.. During the movie I felt that I to were experiencing the gruesome triumphs that the West African slaves experienced during their fight toward freedom. Though I have seen several movies dealing with race it is always interesting to learn more about history. Amistad showed how the West Africans stuck together and remained as one to fight for their freedom and be reunited with their families once again.An issue that really hit a spot was how the slaves had to continue to go back to trial after being given their freedom once before due to illegal captivation. I think because of history and how race had such a impact in past times, regardless if the slaves were illegally captivated, the White House made the decision based off what was right for only their sake. I think during those times African Americans were just seen for their color and were being enslaved just because just for that simple reason. Though it was great to see that the Mende people finally were granted their freedom after a third trial, t was not fair that they had to go through so much for something they were already given before. This film had a huge impact on my thinking about race. Being African American I know the marches and all that was put in to get to where we are today. It's so inspiring to see and makes me so much more appreciative that todays society is better than it was in the past. Though I am sure that there are still some racial problems it is not nearly as bad as before. I liked the movie because I feel like in a way it showed how we all should have been treated equally in a way because the Mende eople were enslaved for no reason. I think it relates to my life because their are still some that have their strong racist beliefs because of how they may have been raised. I t's scary to think of how life would be if I lived the life that some of my people did when they were alive. I think it would be safe to say that the society has come a long way and if we still dealt with the same issues we wouldn't have an African American President today. I believe that the film was a little gruesome but not at exaggerated at all with the in treatment of the blacks.The non-blacks seemed to have no sympathy in what they were doing, they were simply doing what they had do, because in their eyes it's life. There are many other films that show the same treatment to slaves. Only knowing some basic treatments I fully believe that the way the Mende people were treated in the movie is how they were treated realistically. As stated before, I really have a lot more appreciation for my race. My ancestors and so many others experienced some really hard times and had to deal with things that no human should ever have to deal with regardless of the color of their skin.Not that I never appreciated what my people have done for freedom, but it is always very inspiring and impactful to see how much went into a tremendous fight for freedom. In our generation now, not many know exactly what it was like to live the life that African Americans before we were born, so it's good that we have films that shows us and help us learn. I would hope that this movie had some type of impact on the society because it is a very touching film. No one now could ever put themselves in the shoes of those who actually experienced these times.I know that if it was hard to even watch the way the slaves were treated in the movie, I could only imagine what it was actually living it. This movie shows society that this treatment was unnecessary, there is no possible reason why African Americans were treated the way they were. Amistad was a touching, impactful movie and it would be a movie I recommend people to see, just to learn more about history. Today racial issues sometimes get over looked and to see a movie that shows how they use to be may make people become more aware of how they treat someone else that is a different race.

Mercury

Mercury International, Ltd is already at the forefront of the shoe manufacturing industry being in direct competition with the world’s biggest names in shoes manufacturing. These include Nike, Reebok and Puma. Thus, what they have to do is to sustain there marketing output, yet continue enhancing the way they compete with the present market. Relative to other leaders in the industry, they are very near behind, although Mercury shoes are unheard yet in other parts of the world. Having the same technological edge with other brands, there is a possibility that it can surpass others given the chance to maximize its potential using new marketing techniques. Several factors have contributed to Mercury International, Ltd’s performance. Although some of these are technological in nature, still the key factor to its growth is adhering to tested marketing principles. Some of these are; product innovations, making the most of market trend information, market expansion, and relying on concrete statistical data. But, to sustain the growth of a company, one has to remedy first the aspects or areas which keep the company grounded and not able to grow at the rate that it should be. Hence, an analysis on the factors prejudicial to the company and need to be improved is imperative. On the operational side of things, we cannot see much of a problem because it expanded its market to other countries, and having also product-development centers in China, Taiwan and Indonesia. The combined production capacity of these centers can very well meet consumer demands, at least in Asia alone. So there is a need to put up production centers in Europe and Latin American countries alone, so that Mercury’s products will be well distributed, and at the same time gain exposure to new markets. European and Latin American countries composed a very big share the shoe industry market, thus there’s a need for the company to capture these areas of the market. Its expenses can be further reduced by using technology. The fact that the company is at par with other company regarding the technology used in its production, it can reduced its expenses by mass-producing their products in a single period of time and later on put emphasis on its marketing, doing the production and marketing in phases. Eventually, all marketing processes could be covered, yet there would be no waste in effort and energy by doing different processes in a given time, thus big expenses can be avoided. On the financial side of its operations, an analysis on its financial and management reports gives a picture as to how the company is faring in the worldwide market. By the end of the year 2005, its total market share was only 9.1%; this information explains that there is still a huge chunk of the market that needs to be covered. Seeing this in the negative, it seems that the company is far from other companies in terms of market covered. But profitability cannot be measured by the size of the market covered alone, but through the actual profit made. A closer analysis of its income statement showed that there was a deficit of $10.13 million incurred during 2003 alone, and the succeeding combined income for the years 2004 and 2005 was barely able to compensate the 2003 deficit, the combined income being only $13.08 million. A growth of only $3.05 million was realized over the past three years. In essence, the company is not doing well financially. Â  Mercury Shoes, Ltd. can do much better that this. Yet, on the brighter side, we can glimpse from the financial reports that, at the least, there was a recorded growth between 2004 and 2005. This is enough for the management to persevere even harder to raise this notch to higher level. Perhaps, the company should put emphasis on the development of its operational system, because when its operations are exemplary, a good performance relating to its income will follow later. A complete operational overhaul is not needed. The company excels in other areas far better than other companies do. It has a technological edge over others, and its research and development is exemplary providing products to consumers with innovative technology. Almost 98% of human labor in the actual production of shoes and apparel has already been eliminated by robotic technology. Manufacturing is in an automated mode. These factors alone don’t justify the need to overhaul the operational system of the company completely. If changes are to be made, it should be done in the human resource and marketing divisions of the company. The brain of a particular organization lies in the management officials that lead the company. It is, therefore, logical to surmise that the failure of a company can be attributed to the leaders’ incapability. The marketing department also has the power to attract consumers to buy the company’s products, failure to do so justify their incompetence. The technological advantage, R & D programs, and the manufacturing process of the company should be retained. The rest should be change and improved for the benefit of the whole company. Generally, Mercury International, Ltd. has a potential in being a leader of the shoe and apparel manufacturing industry. What is has to do is to align its operations and processes into a single output force looking at a single objective. Although, the company hasn’t yet reached this stage of organizational development, with patience, cooperation, and continuous development of its product with the use of cutting-edge technology, it will eventually. What the management has to do is to sustain the over-all output to maintain its position yet continue to strive and develop further. The backbone of the company’s product line, the Boost Technology, TrailStep, and the Sweatless Training Apparel should further be strengthened, so that the company will have security on where to get its money for expenses when changes are to be made in other areas of the company. With the managerial officers having already the skills to effectuate changes on the company, what they have to do only is to use their skills at the utmost and steer the company to where it grows the most.

Brainstorming Six Thinking Hats Communications Essay

Brainstorming Six Thinking Hats Communications Essay Brainstorming is one of the best-known techniques for producing fresh ideas and approaching problems from innovative new angles. Brainstorming sessions are best done in small groups; participants are asked to leave their inner critic at the door and come up with the zaniest ideas possible. This challenge is based on a tool created by famous ‘lateral thinker’ Edward de Bono to improve decision making skills. The Six Thinking Hats technique is particularly useful for group brainstorming as it emphasises ‘what if?’ thinking rather than ‘what is’ assumptions. People or groups often tend to follow certain fixed ways of thinking. This technique involves looking at a problem or issue from a number of different perspectives, each represented by a different coloured hat, and giving each one equal weighting in a discussion. White hat (= objective) When you wear this hat, you focus on available information to see what you can learn from it. You try to fill any gaps in your knowledge. This is where you analyse past trends and extrapolate from historical data. Red hat (= emotions, feelings) When you wear the red hat you use intuition, gut reaction and emotion to respond to an issue or idea. You also try to think how other people will react emotionally to the issue, and try to understand their intuitive responses. Black hat (= negatives, points of caution) When you wear the black hat you are the pessimist. You are cautious and critical and try to find reasons that things will not work. It’s a useful perspective, since it highlights any weak points in a plan and enables you to either eliminate them, or prepare measures to counter problems should they arise. Black hat thinking makes plans more resilient. Yellow hat (= positive focus) The yellow hat is the positive thinking hat. When you wear this hat you seek harmony; its optimistic viewpoint enables you to see the value, benefits and further opportunities in a plan. Yellow ha t thinking helps you keep going when everything looks gloomy and difficult. Green hat (= generates new ideas or concepts) The green hat stands for creativity. Its mood is provocative, experimental, and explorative. Wear it to playfully spin ideas free of any judgement or criticism. Blue hat (= defines focus, control of thinking) The blue hat stands for process control. It sees the big picture. Wear this hat to chair a meeting, or to bring any of the other processes /thinking approaches [?] to order. During a typical Six Hats session you will flip between different hat ‘modes’: when ideas are slow in coming you’ll try green hat thinking; when the mood gets too pessimistic, switch to yellow hat thinking; when contingency planning is needed, put on your black hat, and so on. 3 How to Play 3.a Game Instructions The six animals on the right-hand riverbank are desperately looking for their thinking caps, which the wind has cheekily deposited on the left bank. Send the hats back to their respective owners by following the 6 ways of thinking, one at a time, all the way through from the left to the right.