Saturday, October 13, 2012
Gender Inequality
It is sad to still see gender inequalities in todays' society. A woman nowadays not only can run the home, but also works full time, runs errands; and still, men are seen as the patriarchs? I find that hard to believe. In the societies that have a mother and father (like my own household), everything is split in two equal parts, and we are both seen as the "patriarch" of the family, not one over the other. But still, women in 2012 are still being paid less money than their male counterparts in many fields of work. It is getting better than the 1970's to now; between 1970 and 2009, the ratio of men to women's earnings for full time, year round work has increased from 62 to 82.1%. Why, I do not understand, is it not 100% across the board? Women do just as much work in these fields as their male counterparts, and are getting treated unfairly when it comes to pay. I can only hope that 10-20 years from now, it will be equal.
Global Inequality
This past week we had to read chapters on Global Inequality, and I have to say that many in America just do not realize how good of a life they have. I am usually always talking about how minumim wage should be increased, when the subjec is brought up. We complain often about the "1%" of our country; apparently it is like this all around the world, but there are many that are MUCH worse off than we are.
Barbie dolls, as I read about in the text, is a very popular child's toy in this country; but did you know it has never been produced in this country? It is always made in the countries where they can get them the cheapest, usually the most stricken by poverty, where the workers make maybe $1 per day. Here in this country we have become so entitled and complain so easily. Our minimum wage workers "only" make $7 and change an hour. Some of these countries making our latest tech gadgets (cell phones, tablets, etc) that we HAVE to have it seems, have workers that only make pennies an hour. But the heads of these corporations making the gadgets, dolls, cars, etc are rolling in the dough; just like some of the CEO's of large companies in this country that we all seem to complain about.
I think if every American sat down and really researched how badly some other countries have it, and how easy we really do have it here, we would be complaining a whole lot less.
Barbie dolls, as I read about in the text, is a very popular child's toy in this country; but did you know it has never been produced in this country? It is always made in the countries where they can get them the cheapest, usually the most stricken by poverty, where the workers make maybe $1 per day. Here in this country we have become so entitled and complain so easily. Our minimum wage workers "only" make $7 and change an hour. Some of these countries making our latest tech gadgets (cell phones, tablets, etc) that we HAVE to have it seems, have workers that only make pennies an hour. But the heads of these corporations making the gadgets, dolls, cars, etc are rolling in the dough; just like some of the CEO's of large companies in this country that we all seem to complain about.
I think if every American sat down and really researched how badly some other countries have it, and how easy we really do have it here, we would be complaining a whole lot less.
How much does social class matter in the USA today?
Honestly, I do not think it matters as much today as it did years ago; or at least a lot less than it did years ago. Reading in my textbook, I was able to place myself right smack dab in the middle class group, but why should it matter?
Nowadays, it does not matter what class you are from. There are kids that grow up in the upper class, and get out on there own, and do horribly (unless they have a trust fund); there are also children that come from the lower class groups who go on to make it big in life (like our current President Of The United States). There are children you see on the news, who are borderline homeless, and go on to win full ride scholarships and become CEO's. Just because you are stuck with a "label" of Lower or Upper or even Middle Class, does not mean that is where you will be stuck for the rest of your life.
Growing up, most of my earlier childhood, we were poor, very much in the lower class. Today I am considered middle class. Not because of my upbringing, but because I was smart enough to go to school and push myself to become something in life. I would rather be lower class, and learn to appreciate the things in life by having to earn them, rather than be the child of a CEO, say of BP or Exxon-Mobile, have everything given to me, and not know what hard work is really all about.
I checked out the PBS site, People like us, and looked around. Even played the game to decorate a living room and what you pick supposedly shows what "Class" you are, or would be. I thought it was humorous, although tongue in cheek to say the least with some of the comments. Talk about stereotypical. Possessions should not dictate who we are or how we are looked at.
A study done in 1997 by Bynner, followed 9,000 people all born in 1970, to see who was coping the best with transitioning into adulthood (they were 26 at the time of the results), and it showed that those children with fathers in a professional field of work did better in transitioning. Yeah, no kidding! They probably had many things handed to them- if they had a hard time in the real world, mommy and daddy were there to help. If these children did not have a father figure in their lives, more than likely, their mother had to work full time, and they did not have a chance to be children; if anything, I would think it made them stronger.
Children of poverty are NOT doomed, in my opinion. They are only doomed if they make the wrong decisions in life, like crime, drugs, or becoming high school drop outs because they do not have a good mentor in their lives. Many children of poverty go on to be very successful in life, they just need to have the drive to succeed. I should know, I am living proof.
Nowadays, it does not matter what class you are from. There are kids that grow up in the upper class, and get out on there own, and do horribly (unless they have a trust fund); there are also children that come from the lower class groups who go on to make it big in life (like our current President Of The United States). There are children you see on the news, who are borderline homeless, and go on to win full ride scholarships and become CEO's. Just because you are stuck with a "label" of Lower or Upper or even Middle Class, does not mean that is where you will be stuck for the rest of your life.
Growing up, most of my earlier childhood, we were poor, very much in the lower class. Today I am considered middle class. Not because of my upbringing, but because I was smart enough to go to school and push myself to become something in life. I would rather be lower class, and learn to appreciate the things in life by having to earn them, rather than be the child of a CEO, say of BP or Exxon-Mobile, have everything given to me, and not know what hard work is really all about.
I checked out the PBS site, People like us, and looked around. Even played the game to decorate a living room and what you pick supposedly shows what "Class" you are, or would be. I thought it was humorous, although tongue in cheek to say the least with some of the comments. Talk about stereotypical. Possessions should not dictate who we are or how we are looked at.
A study done in 1997 by Bynner, followed 9,000 people all born in 1970, to see who was coping the best with transitioning into adulthood (they were 26 at the time of the results), and it showed that those children with fathers in a professional field of work did better in transitioning. Yeah, no kidding! They probably had many things handed to them- if they had a hard time in the real world, mommy and daddy were there to help. If these children did not have a father figure in their lives, more than likely, their mother had to work full time, and they did not have a chance to be children; if anything, I would think it made them stronger.
Children of poverty are NOT doomed, in my opinion. They are only doomed if they make the wrong decisions in life, like crime, drugs, or becoming high school drop outs because they do not have a good mentor in their lives. Many children of poverty go on to be very successful in life, they just need to have the drive to succeed. I should know, I am living proof.
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