Informal Jobs in Nicaragua

Informal Jobs in Nicaragua Freddy Espinoza Nicaragua is a third world nation located in Central America. The capital of Nicaragua is Managua. It is the biggest country of the region with an extension of 129,442 km2. Nevertheless its population is small in comparison with its size, only 6,071,042 habitants, although some cities like the capital, Managua, and Leà ³n are overpopulated. Nicaragua has had hard knocks in its economic history, but also has had good times. In the 60’s the economy of the country was good and increasing because of the industrialization but it started to decrease when people started to feel the oppression of the dictatorship. Also the economy was losing power because only the government and its allies had all the money; they were the largest owners of the industries while the rest of the population was poor. Then in 1972 the economy got worst because of the earthquake of that year which destroyed almost complete the downtown of the capital; many business and factories were destroyed so the production of the country decreased. In 1979 started the revolution (civil war) against the dictatorship Anastacio Somoza, causing a very low economic performance. During the revolution people were fighting in the rural areas therefore most of the croplands were destroyed. This caused the production of food to decrease and due to the shortage between the demand and the supply the prices were forced to increase in order to contract the demand. Also the revolutionaries were recruiting men in order to have more power and fight against the National Guard, which was the president’s personal army. The reclusion caused a lack of labor for the production of goods because they had almost all their people working in their guard. With this low production the inflation rate reached a percentage of 70% in 1979. The communist government of Daniel Ortega overthrew Somoza but they didn’t do something good for the economy. They stayed in the power by imposing strength and controlling the imports and exports, so the other countries with different thinking couldn’t export to Nicaragua because the government would not let their products come i nto the country. Due the political and economic crises in those times, Nicaragua’s external debt increased excessively, even more than its gross domestic product; being the debt impossible to pay. Since that time, government companies have been privatizing in order to reduce the external debt. Nowadays the economy has improved but there are still delimited works and unemployment creating a social-economic problem because many people have opted for informal jobs. Informal jobs are a type of work that occurs mostly in developing countries, these are characterized by employments that don’t comply with legal formalities. They are divided in two: wage employment and self-employment. In Nicaragua informal jobs are considered as people’s works which are not in the formal sector of the economy. These jobs are not recognized by the INSS (Instituto Nicaraguense de Seguridad Social) which control the requirements and rights of workers, or are people who decides to work by themselves and they don’t inscribe their business in the corresponded institution. In Nicaragua 63% of the population is considered poor, of that 63% the 43% is considered extremely poor and the 20% is considered poor. The education and sanitary conditions have increase but no too much, and almost the half of the population is unemployed. Half of the population doesn’t finish their studies. The level of education sometimes is until 6th grade but in rural areas it hardily reaches 4th grade Every company wants the best for its economy so they try to look for the best level of workers that they can have, that’s why everybody needs a curriculum is they want a job in a formal company and have a good salary. The relation of this whit informal jobs is that in Nicaragua many people don’t have a good grade of education and if they don’t study a major they are not going to be able to compete for good works because their lack of knowledge is going to impede them get a work that another person with a major in that work knows how to do it. We see that every time it is more important for a person to study a major and get degrees in it because in that way they can win the competition against others and get a better job. Unfortunately unemployment is everywhere and Nicaragua does not offer too many good works and they are many college graduates who are looking for a job or working in a different area of what they studied. When people don’t even find a job in another area, sometimes they are forced to work in the informal sector and it get worst for people who don’t have a major that’s why we see a lot of immigrants working in our neighbor country of Costa Rica and The United States. Sometimes the companies get advantage of this situation paying less or disrespecting the rights of workers. However they are people who look these problems and they decide to have self-employment because they prefer to earn their own money and work hard for a better future than feel their selves disrespected by someone else. In 2003 the INEC (Instituto Nicaraguense de Estadisticas y Censo) calculated that the amount of people working in informal Jobs according to their education was: 4% from college g raduates, 27% from high school, 46% from primary and 23% from any grade of education. Nowadays 79.2% of homes in Nicaragua have people working in the informal sector; and in many they are the principal income for the family. This information was given by the recent survey prepared by the firm M R, which by face to face interviews consulted 1,600 people over 16 years in all regions of the country. The rural population forms the biggest amount of people working in this sector; the cause of this is almost in its totality due the education because in rural areas the education is difficult because the teachers have to travel through difficult paths where the communication is difficult and in some places it does not even exist yet, the students have to walk large distances sometimes confronting dangerous rivers in order to get education but sometimes it is impossible to get in some days because in winter because the lack of communication routes and the river flow increases don’t let the student go to his destiny. Informal jobs in urban areas: Urban areas like Managua are characterized because you can find people from all the areas of the country that have come to the urban areas looking for a best future and good opportunities of work. Usually people from rural areas are the principal ones who emigrates to the urban areas looking for a best income but sometimes what they find is not what they thought. Due to their lack of education people hire them just like gardeners, guards, and mates earning a low salary and sometimes they don’t know their rights and are overexploited or they just do not denounced their bosses in order to don’t lose their jobs. In urban areas the biggest amount of informal jobs are seen in their local markets. Managua has 8 markets, being ‘el Mercado oriental’ the biggest market in the country and in Central America the new official data of the Corporacià ³n de Mercados de Managua (Commema) indicates that ‘el Mercado oriental’ is officially composed of 91 blocks. In these markets are estimated 35 thousand fixed traders and a similar amount of informal workers who works with baskets, wagons, and some ones who carry their products; these people are called itinerant workers. Meanwhile the itinerant workers work by themselves they are others who prefers to work for somebody else in the business of the markets, but the problem is that they also get in the informal sector because almost in all the cases they don’t get a formal contract and they are not inscribe in the INSS. These markets have a committee named CONMEMA which collect leases but they don’t collect any money f rom itinerant workers. Also they are many people who decided to create their own business at home and they create a â€Å"pulperà ­a†, this is basically a minimarket where you can find basic things that you forgot to buy in the supermarket commonly normal goods and inferior goods. In Managua and Masaya you usually are going to find â€Å"fritangas† at night, fritangas are small restaurants where you can find typical food and their food is characterized for being unhealthy but delicious; the fritangas are not registered or controlled by the ministry of health in the majority because they have emerged spontaneously and they are not famous enough to attract the attention of the institution, even though they are some others which comply with all the requirements and licenses. Actually fritangas have taken part of our culture and if you are a foreign you should try it when you visit Nicaragua. In the semaphores you will see the different products that the itinerant workers sell to the cars since fruits of the season until covers for cellphones and exotic animals like parrot. Government institutions like the MARENA (Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) have taken rules against the sale of exotic animals but they are still people selling. Also they are people who are glass cleaners, so they wait the semaphore to turn red in order to start working but sometimes they don’t get even a Cordoba. In these places we can even see the influence of child exploitation in informal jobs and homeless. Actually they have appeared women carrying newborn children and they ask for money to the cars and pedestrians, they do all these under the shining and hot sun of the tropic. They are other parents who came with their children to work and their children wait in the boulevard while the parents work, or they help their parents. The child exploitation also is reflected with paren ts that wait and watch their children since the boulevard, observing that they are working constantly either selling a product or begging. Child exploitation is common in informal jobs because it is the only place where children can work. According to Nicaraguan laws their age don’t let them work even they want to work because it is considered child exploitation so if they get a job in a formal business or company this can be demanded, meanwhile the informal sector is not controlled or regulated by any organization so they can work there with any problem while there is not an investigation. The situation in the semaphores is sad to see. Even though it has being show in national television programs and television reports, it is still seeing clearly that they are not changes and the situation continues. Informal jobs in rural areas: Rural areas have the biggest rate of informal jobs the causes are their level of education and the developed of the region. Because of the limited accessibility and the lack of infrastructure the economy activities are limited and it is based in agriculture and animal husbandry. In the most remote rural areas, people mostly harvest for their own consumption and the animal husbandry is scarce. Their income is only from the little amount of product that is left after they save enough products for consumption. The little money that they earn is used to buy clothes or a tool to improve their harvest. Commonly these people have only a cow and two chickens; although it is hard to believe they have learned to subsist just with that limitations some people continue doing it and they have family and are able to raise their children.

E.H. Sutherland: White Collar Crime

E.H. Sutherland: White Collar Crime What are some of the principal elements of E.H. Sutherlands contribution to the study of white collar crime? What are some of the limitations? What factors seem to have contributed to Sutherlands interest in white collar crime and to the relative disinterest of most other criminologists? E.H. Sutherland is widely considered the most important contributor to American criminology in the nations history. Among his many contributions, Sutherland is credited with coining the term white collar crime, formulating the theory of differential association, and contributing extensively to the study and formulation of laws concerning sexual psychopaths (Friedrichs, 2007). Sutherland differentiated himself from other professionals of his time because rather than focusing his efforts on explaining lower-class criminality, he sought to offer guidance and understanding on the criminality of middle-and upper-class people. Among Sutherlands inspirations was the work of E.A. Ross (1907) Sin and Society: An Analysis of Latter Day Iniquity (Geis and Goff 1987). the criminaloid: the businessman who committed exploitative, if not necessarily illegal, acts out of an uninhibited desire to maximize profit, all the while hiding behind a faà §ade of respectability and piety. Ross regarded these criminaloids as guilty of moral insensibility and held them directly responsible for unnecessary deaths of consumers and workers. Building on the research of Ross and others in the criminology field, Sutherland formulated his theory of differential association. He came to believe that his theory of differential association, which attributed criminality to a learning process, was precisely the type of general theory that could usefully explain both lower-class and upper-class crime (Friedrichs, 2007). The first recorded use of the term white collar crime was in Sutherlands landmark book entitled, White Collar Crime (1939). The book brings to the forefront the prevalence of criminal activity in some of the largest companies in the country. White Collar Crime focuses on the 70 largest U.S. manufacturing, mining, and mercantile corporations with respect to the legal decisions against them and the pervasiveness of immoral and corrupt business practices in the corporations (Friedrichs, 2007). Sutherlands research showed that 97% of the corporations were recidivists. That is, when they were caught and punished, they committed more crime. That compares to 50% or so of the individuals who commit new crime after being released from prison (Friedrichs, 2007 p. 2). In his book, Sutherland noted that corporate officials felt contempt for the law, and didnt want laws to be passed to control their harmful behavior; they didnt want the laws enforced and they didnt want to be punished personally if caught (Friedrichs, 2007). Although Sutherlands book and theories were seen as an important step in the right direction in terms of recognizing white collar crime and emphasizing the need for its enforcement, his theories did have some limitations. Among the shortcomings was his general label of white collar crime to all crimes concerning a corporation. Sutherland failed to differentiate between the crime done by white-collar employees against the corporation, and the crime done by the corporation acting as an individual company (Young, 1989). Friedrichs (2007) listed several other shortcomings: Sutherland overemphasized an individualistic framework (and social-psychological factors) and largely ignored social structural factors (e.g., capitalism, profit rates, and business cycles). He failed to make clear-cut distinctions among white collar crimes, and he did not adequately appreciate the influence of corporations over the legislative and regulatory processes. Which social developments may have contributed to a social movement against white collar crime, and which factors continue to act as constraints against any such movement? There have been a number of factors in the last century which have contributed to a social movement against white collar crime. The stock market crash of 1929 marked the start of the Great Depression and a renewed assault on the illegal activities of corrupt businesses, corporations, and politicians around the country. During this time of great suffering and unemployment by millions, the horrid business practices of many corporations were seen as being unethical. Many of these corporations formed their business models that were centered on profit at the expense of the workers, customers, and the country. Awareness of WCC and the public movement against it really came to the forefront again during the nineteen-seventies. The seventies saw a decline in public confidence of elected officials and businesses alike because of events such as the Vietnam War, the Watergate crimes of the Nixon White House, and some high-profile cases of corporate misconduct (Friedrichs, 2007). The biggest factor in my view, which has contributed to awareness and action against WCC, is the news media, and the Internet. Im not necessarily speaking of the nightly news shows of the networks which were the norm in the seventies, eighties, even into the mid-nineties. Im talking about the explosion of cable news and the Internet which provides 24 hr sources of news and information to the public. The round the clock pursuit by people to gather information on important topics and beat another network to the story has led to the uncovering and release of more important stories and information to the public than ever before. TV personalities and investigative shows such as Bill OReilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Dateline, and 60 minutes, and others make it their mission to uncover blatant abuses of power and illegal activity that can affect citizens around the country. These private citizens with the backing of their networks often uncover information that leads to criminal action taken against individuals, corporations, and politicians. The bottom line is that when citizens are made aware of the corruption and other abuses by powerful people or businesses, they have the power to (and often does) speak out. When citizens speak out, their elected officials should take note as should law enforcement. This chain of events is often the primary factor leading to arrests and convictions for acts of white collar crime and other similar instances of fraud, waste, and abuse. The advent of the Internet, cellular phones, and twenty-four hour cable news allows for instant access to information. People can talk, text, email, and fax information around the globe in an instant. The information flow allows us to search for nearly anything at anytime. This accessibility to information has made more people aware of the manner and frequency in which businesses, politicians, and others have abused their positions of trust and authority in order to gain financially at the expense of others. In the last decade alone the United States has seen some of the biggest companies come crashing down because of deceitful business practices designed to mislead the general public and help the company profit. Companies such as Enron, Adelphia, AOL/Time Warner, and WorldCom (to name a few) are prime examples of companies who have cooked their books to deceive consumers, investors, and the government (Patsuris, 2002). Despite the many factors which work against white collar crime, there will always be those corrupt individuals and companies who will seek to profit illegally through lies, deceit, and trickery. These powerful individuals use their wealth and positions of power to influence public officials into looking the other way or passing laws to benefit their interests. This is the biggest hindrance to stamping out white collar crime. The ability of the rich and powerful to corrupt public officials has and will continue to be the driving force which allows this type of illegal behavior to continue. Identify the principal agents who expose white collar crime in contemporary society. What factors motivate people to expose such crime, and what factors inhibit them from doing so? What specific policy measures can be adopted to encourage exposure of white collar crime? In regards to high level or corporate white collar crime the most likely method of exposure will come from an informer or whistle-blower from within the business or institution itself. Outside sources can contribute to investigations by uncovering or suspecting wrong doing. Often, these sources will come from the media, consumers, or concerned citizens. The informer will likely be an insider in the company who is involved in the criminal activity in some way. In return for their cooperation with law enforcement, the informer will likely seek compensation of one form or another, they may be given promises of leniency, immunity from prosecution, or a financial reward (Friedrichs, 2007). Another company insider who is a vital source of information to investigators is Whistle Blowers. These individuals are crucial sources of information needed for the detection, and ultimately the prosecution of many white collar crimes, especially when they are of the governmental and corporate varieties. Another common perpetrator of white collar crime and also important players in exposing it is through politicians and other elected officials. These officials are generally closely affiliated with business and community leaders who commit the majority of white collar crime, and as a result may be subject to the allure of money and power. Other sources which can be of assistance in uncovering instances of white collar crime are from the media, particularly investigative journalists. Investigative journalism can be a pain staking, time consuming, and expensive process. Because of the expense and resources necessary to conduct an in-depth investigation, many smaller newspapers or local television stations are reluctant or unable to undertake them (Friedrichs, 2007). Bigger TV networks or newspapers with strong financial backing and high subscribership or viewers are now the most likely people to break these stories of white collar criminals, particularly when they involve elected officials. There are a number of factors which ultimately govern a persons decision to expose their employers activities, or in many cases deter them from doing so. Some come forward because of their need for self-preservation, or for other altruistic reasons. They may be afraid they will be harmed either financially or physically due to the illegal actions of the person or company, or they can feel a moral sense to do what is right. The same logic holds true for not coming forward, due to fear of reprisal and potential for lost income, job, or physical retaliation or intimidation (Friedrichs, 2007). There can be a number of changes and improvements made to federal and state statutes in order to encourage people to come forward and expose acts of white collar crime. One of the most important and logical measures would be to provide financial protection for a person, because they will likely suffer greatly if they become an informant against their own company. They will likely have to quit their job or be let go. They will lose pay and put themselves and their family through a great deal of stress if the case is long and drawn out in court. I realize there are regulations in place that provide a whistleblower with a reward of a percentage of the judgment against a company or corporation (Friedrichs, 2007). These laws should be applied to many more cases and when possible the person providing the information should be subsidized during the trial to help them with their bills in return for their assistance. These are just a couple of the general ways in which people can be encourage d to come forward and expose white collar crime. What are some of the specific challenges in studying white collar crime relative to the study of conventional crime? Can white collar crime be studied scientifically, or does it require a different approach? White collar crime is much more difficult to study and investigate than traditional or conventional crime. WCC is generally not openly blatant like most conventional criminal activity. An officer can walk into a crime scene, see a badly beaten body and know with near certainty that a crime occurred. The same does not hold true if that same officer walks into an office and sees a man in a suit sitting at a desk typing on a computer. The effort necessary (in most cases) to discover then investigate instances of WCC are far greater than most traditional crimes. Among the many difficulties in studying WCC, is the most basic question: What exactly is white collar crime? WCC can include such a wide spectrum of actions and activities, encompassing different people, businesses, and physical areas that it is very difficult to define and uncover. Scholars studying WCC may choose to focus on one single aspect much like they would in a conventional crime; i.e. homicide investigator, vice, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This approach can lead to confusion and difficulty when attempting to study WCC. Another challenge in studying WCC is the access to research subjects, statistics, and support. Companies will likely be hesitant to allow a research project to be carried out on their company, unless the researcher can show them that it specifically benefits them and their organization. Statistics on WCC are difficult to come by because as Friedrichs (2007) stated there is no real white collar crime equivalent to uniform crime report data, which exist for conventional crime (p. 33). Researchers must obtain data from a number of sources and agencies then group it so the data can be studied. Finally, it will likely be difficult for a researcher to obtain support from their organization to conduct the WCC research. Large corporate structures and bureaucracies will likely feel that the study will hit too close to home and have some uneasiness when their support is requested (Friedrichs, 2007). Many of these groups are hesitant to lend their support because they feel the researcher will b end the data gathered to support their own preconceived notion and bias. The experiment, a method of exemplifying a positivistic or scientific approach, has to date seldom been used in the study of white collar crime (Friedrichs, 2007 p. 36). The classical experiments of setting specific variables vs. a control group do not necessarily apply when studying white collar crime. Experiments of free will and the effects of pressure from superiors or authority figures on a person or group in controlling their actions may have some usefulness in studying WCC. Critically evaluate the traditional, common claim that the general public perceives white collar crime to be less serious than conventional crime. What specific methodological questions can be raised about research on this question? Which specific factors have contributed to a growth in the perception that white collar crime is relatively serious? I feel that historically the general public at large views white collar crime as less serious because it is not as in your face as conventional crime. People have a fear of being robbed, assaulted, raped, or their children being kidnapped because these crimes are something tangible, they can see, feel, and be scared of. Most people do not wake up in the morning or walk down the street thinking; God please dont let a bad man manipulate his companys finances so they appear to have made billions more than they actually did. Most people do not think about the hidden harmful effects that respectable and powerful people can have on them and their lives. I do feel that the current reality is that white collar crime is as serious and can inflict as much if not more damage to all of us than conventional criminal activity. Each of us in our everyday lives feels the harmful effects of WCC, although many of us do not even realize we are suffering the results of these crimes. The impact of these crime are everywhere and they affect each of us, this reality is being felt now, perhaps more so than any time in our recent history. WCC has resulted in higher insurance premiums, extra money spent on security in the financial sector, bank fees, lost jobs, companies going bankrupt, higher prices of goods and services, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Over the years people have come to better understand the direct effects that all aspects of white collar crime have on them and their loved ones. Peoples lives can be turned upside down simply by a man in a shirt and tie taking a bribe then putting a check in a box to say a product is safe, when in reality it is not. I am 28 years old, in my lifetime I have seen numerous stories about recalls of defective or potentially dangerous products ranging from toys, cars, supplements, clothes, to laundry detergent. Many of these recalls are the results of people ignoring simple safety inspections and reports. Bernie Madoff stole billions of dollars from investors who thought they were investing with a respectable business man. Enron overstated their companies worth by more than $1.5 billion. They ultimately went bankrupt with many of their executives in prison and thousands of employees and investors losing their life savings (Net Industries, 2010). Cases such as these are prime examples of w hy the American public now view white collar crime as serious if not more so than conventional crime.

What Impact does Jasper Jones have on the Reader? Essays -- jasper jone

Jasper Jones is a coming of age novel that the author Craig Silvey has set in 1965, in the small town of Corrigan; thick with secrecy and mistrust. Charlie Bucktin, an innocent boy at the young age of thirteen, has been forced to mature and grow up over a life changing, challenging summer. With a little help from Jasper Jones, Charlie discovers new knowledge about the society and the seemingly perfect town that he is living in, as well as the people that are closest to him. The most important ideas and issues that Craig Silvey portrays in Jasper Jones are: coming of age and identity, injustice and racism. These themes have a great impact on the reader. While discovering and facing these new issues, Charlie and his best friend Jeffrey Lu gain a greater awareness of human nature and how to deal with the challenges that life can throw at you. One of Silvey’s major ideas in Jasper Jones is coming of age and identity; in this case, Charlie has been thrown into adulthood and forced to grow out of his immature, fearful self. During the novel Charlie starts to mature, show bravery and stand up for himself. This turn of events occur because Charlie chooses to help Jasper: â€Å"But I don’t turn back. I stay. I follow Jasper Jones. And I see it. And everything changes. The world breaks and spins and shakes.† (pg. 12). He made a choice between doing what was right and what he thought was fair. He knew Jasper would be immediately blamed for the death of Laura Wishart. The night Laura Wishart was found dead, Charlie changed as a person: he started to see everything in a different light, even his home life. He comes to terms with his mother; he realises that her personal issues are being taken out on him and dominating their family life. Ruth Buc... ... reader. Throughout the book, Charlie unfolds secrets and truths about the world and the society that he lives in; secrets and truths that cause him to grow up and transition into adulthood. He also makes a life changing decision and rebelled against was he thought was the right thing. This reflects his maturity and bravery throughout the journey he travels that summer. Charlie eyes suddenly become open to the injustice that the town of Corrigan demonstrates. He also comes to face the issue of racism; not only shown towards his best friend Jeffrey and the Lu family but to Jasper Jones as well. He realises the town of Corrigan is unwilling to accept outsiders. Charlie not only finds out things that summer about the people that surround him, but he also finds out who he is personally. Works Cited Silvey, C 2009, Jasper Jones, Allen & Unwin, Cross Nest N.S.W.

George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion Essay examples -- George Shaw Pygmalio

George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion G.B Shaw believed that people should not be limited by their birth, environment or speech. With reference to Act 1 & Act five of Pygmalion, show how Eliza finds her status affected by all of these factors. At the time George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion in 1912, many people were troubled with accents that prevented them from reaching high & in act 1, Eliza's character is an example of this. In act 1, we see how Eliza was very limited by her environment, her job, & her speech by the way that she was treated differently for who she was. The society at the time Pygmalion was written was very set & if you were born into a lower class family, you were not seen as anything better than that. Eliza was a lower class flower girl whose speech was not Standard English & difficult to understand. She came from the slum streets of London & was as clean as she could afford to be but to the upper class people she was 'worthless' & 'dirty'. Higgins was an upper class man who studied phonetics. He was written as someone who believed in the class system & that he should not associate with the likes of 'Eliza' who was 'just a flower girl' & a 'disgrace to the English language'. The play does reflect the society at the time & Shaw incorporated the way people treated other people into the play quite effectively. The Aynsford-Hills were a middle class family but whose status was slowly sliding down. In act 1, 'the daughter' has Higgins's view of lower class people & doesn't treat Eliza nicely just because she is a flower girl. Shaw wanted to include his thoughts on society, language & drama into Pygmalion. He thought society was unfair & that 'no one should be limited by his or h... ...closed on her, & she could never go back to who she was originally no matter how much she wanted to because she is seen as upper class so to be back selling flowers on the street would not be in her character anymore. I think she feels she is better off because she has a lot of knowledge from Higgins, more independence & the upper class status. At the end, just because of the way she spoke & the clothes she wore, she was automatically seen as upper class. She was not born into a wealthy family. She started off as a common flower girl & ended up as an upper class duchess but technically all that happened to her was that she was taught how to be a lady. So this proves that throughout the play Eliza's status was affected by her birth, environment & speech in a way that it completely changed the way she was judged by other people in the space of six months.

Dreams may not always come true :: essays research papers

â€Å"Dreams may not always come true, but they make life worthwhile.† Dreams are a part of everybody’s life, this term dream is widely used to express mental images of something we may want, or something we whish we where. Dreams usually are seen as false, or just a child’s thing however this is seen mainly as the dreams conflict with reality. Many films of the post-modernism era can be seen that you would have the stereotypical way of someone wishing for something and it comes true. Even so Dreams are worthwhile and this will be shown below: In the book looking for Alibrandi we see a typical year 12, student whom has never seen her father in her life and has always had the life long dream of meeting him. As we read further on we see that the father rejects the daughter at first but, with Jessie’s (Main Character) persistence her father finally accepts her and that her family is finally accepted. This is a perfect example of how a dream from childhood had stuck with a child and through tenacity she finally achieved her goal. The Biography on Mel Maninga is another example of how a dream of a little boy who wished that he could follow in his father’s footsteps came true with him following his dream. In the end Mel did achieve what he sought to achieve and that was to become a first grade footballer and you may say this was a generalization of that everyone’s may come true and that may be the case if the wish is not one of supernatural powers etc, point being Mel’s dream did not come easy, again this may be merely coincidental however all dreams don’t come easy within reason of course. In the Film â€Å"What A Girl Wants† we encounter that this tale is of a child who again contrary to Looking for Alibrandi, is similar in saying that it is about a young female who leaves her house and goes out and seeks her father who in this case is a person of importance. Here we envision the stereotypical motion picture of someone who dreams of something in this case, it would be of meeting her father, and that in the end she attains the satisfactions of bringing her nuclear family together and also gaining herself a male companion. In this motion picture we see that

Political Philosophy and User Responses Essay

1. The belief that a person’s fate can be closely attributed to his or her own efforts is KNOWN AS ________ AND IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE AMERICAN DREAM. a. populism b. equality c. individualism d. republicanism e. fatalism Grade: 1 User Responses: c. individualism Feedback: 2. Which of the following attributes is associated with capitalism, the economic system in America? a. Government should be involved in protecting the health of the financial industry over individual citizens’ rights. b. Government should allow the market economy to be free and unrestricted. c. Government should not obstruct individuals’ efforts to obtain property. d. Government should promote equality only to those who were born in the country. e. The national government should become more involved in state politics. Grade: 1 User Responses: c. Government should not obstruct individuals’ efforts to obtain property. Feedback: 3. ________ often predict the degree and type of political participation, which shapes political culture. a. Political values b. Demographic factors c. Community-oriented economics d. Individual incentives e. Group dynamics Grade: 0 User Responses: a. Political values Feedback: 4. Belief in which of the following ideals is part of the core of American political culture? a. Allegiance to parental homeland b. Strength in diversity c. Caste system d. Foreign diplomacy e. Government intervention Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1 2 Grade: 0 User Responses: c. Caste system Feedback: 5. Which of the following is advocated by socialism, which emphasizes planned economies over free market economies? a. Government ownership of key industries b. Private jobs over public programs c. Higher taxes for the poorest citizens d. Financial rewards for productivity e. Government investment in large corporations Grade: 1 User Responses: a. Government ownership of key industries Feedback: 6. Each individual’s political beliefs are rooted in ________ and ________. a. ideals; values b. core beliefs; experiential learning c. core beliefs; political attitudes d. partisan bias; values e. values; religion Grade: 0 User Responses: b. core beliefs; experiential learning Feedback: 7. Which of the following constitutes an element of the United States’ national political CULTURE? a. Belief that individualism hampers the overall strength of the country. b. The citizen class a man or a woman belongs to c. The notion that government is the basis for decisions that will affect all American citizens d. The idea that freedom is for those who earn it e. The rights and liberties citizens have Grade: 0 User Responses: a. Belief that individualism hampers the overall strength of the country Feedback: Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1 3 8. Communitarianism refers to a set of beliefs with a long history of impacting political culture in the United States. Communitarianism emphasizes the importance of ______ __. a. economic classes and communism b. agrarian practices c. limited government d. needs of the community over needs of the individual e. voting and democracy Grade: 0 User Responses: a. economic classes and communism Feedback: 9. In which way do Americans best express the essence of the American Dream? a. Their commitment to welfare programs b. Their universal support of limited government c. Their enthusiasm for capitalism d. By sending humanitarian aid overseas e. By regularly voting in elections Grade: 0 User Responses: d. By sending humanitarian aid overseas Feedback: 10. The term that refers to widely shared ideas about who should govern, toward what ends, and by what means is ________. a. subculture b. fundamentalism c. ideology d. political culture e. demography Grade: 1 User Responses: d. political culture Feedback: 11. What is the natural outcome of the United States’ history of immigration? a. A decline in diversity caused by the immigration rate b. Substantial racial and ethnic diversity in the American population c. The foreign-born form the majority of the U. S. population d. Domination by foreign countries e. Substantial racism and anti-immigrant feelings in the majority of the American population Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1 4 Grade: 1 User Responses: b. Substantial racial and ethnic diversity in the American population Feedback: 12. A belief in free markets, limited government, and self-reliance in economic affairs, combined with a belief in tradition, law, and morality in social affairs are values upheld by ________. a. socialists b. the modern Republican Party c.the Republican party historically d. modern libertarianism e. the Communist Party historically Grade: 0 User Responses: d. modern libertarianism Feedback: 13. A belief that individuals can provide stronger chances for economic and personal betterment for their children, if not for themselves, is part of the ________. a. American Dream b. Communist Manifesto c. American exceptionalism d. expectations of society e. American socialization Grade: 1 User Responses: a. American Dream Feedback: 14. Which of the following generally ensures that government follows the will of the people in a democratic system? a. Lobbying b. Elections c. Interest groups d. Initiatives e. Opinion polls Grade: 1 User Responses: b. Elections Feedback: Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1 5 15. One factor that has helped reduce political conflict over economic inequality in the United States is the strong belief in ________. a. equality of personal opportunity and individualism b. fate c. the promise of global competition for creating economic equality d. a strong work ethic creating equal rewards e. strong government intervention. Grade: 1 User Responses: a. equality of personal opportunity and individualism Feedback: 16. Most Americans would acknowledge that those with greater resources and connections to government officials are more likely to ________. a. participate in politics and be represented in government b. participate in a revolution c. become distrustful of the government d. be white-collar workers e. provide fewer opportunities to their kids than they had Grade: 1 User Responses: a. participate in politics and be represented in government Feedback: 17. While no single religion represents all Americans’ belief system, most of the FOUNDING POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES WAS________, WHICH HAS HAD LASTING EFFECTS ON THE LAWS AND POLITICAL CULTURE IN AMERICA. a. Jewish b. Muslim c. Catholic d. Protestant e. Pentecostal Grade: 0 User Responses: c. Catholic Feedback: 18. The fastest growing ethnic group in the United States is ________. a. Pacific Islanders b. Asian Americans c. African Americans d. Caucasians e. Hispanics Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1 6 Grade: 0 User Responses: b. Asian Americans Feedback: 19. Income ________ between the classes in the United States has risen steadily since the 1920s. a. caste system b. acquisition c. inflation d. inequality e. disbursement Grade: 1 User Responses: d. inequality Feedback: 20. Voters sharing any particular political belief have the greatest chance of shaping policy when they are ________. a. inspired b. registered c. canvassing d. dispersed e. concentrated Grade: 0 User Responses: b. registered Feedback: 21. Culture refers to ________. a. a series of expectations of a political system b. basic values about participating in a society c. a predisposition about participation in a group or a political system d. a way of thinking or a mode of behavior common to a group e. beliefs about a political system Grade: 0 User Responses: e. beliefs about a political system Feedback: Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1 7 22. The right to own private property is ________. a. more attainable for middle-income citizens in Europe b. not very important to most Americans c. guaranteed by the Constitution d. one of the economic incentives that motivates Americans to embrace capitalism e. only for those with wealth Grade: 0 User Responses: c. guaranteed by the Constitution Feedback: 23. Concerns about the level of_______ and its impact on regional politics and social cohesion from the 1920s to the 1950s resulted in many restrictions of ________ to the United States. a. immigration; entry b. education; immigration c. trade; economic growth d. terrorism; travel e. health regulations; entry Grade: 1 User Responses: a. immigration; entry Feedback: 24. A person who opposes government regulation of business is likely to be a ________. a. liberal b. communist c. socialist d. Green Party member e. conservative Grade: 1 User Responses: e. conservative Feedback: 25. The strength of the economy is directly tied to the monetary value of all goods and services produced in a nation each year, which is called the ________. a. mass production factor b. gross domestic product c. poverty line d. median household income e. Gini coefficients for the economy Take the Chapter 02 Exam Section: Intro to US Government F 2014 flanery,daniel Submitted:9/3/2014 1:38:33 AM Gradebook Grade: — Questions Attempted: 25/25 Submission No: 1/1.

Processed Foods and Its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic

Processed Foods and its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic Savannah Eisert English 214-54 Melanie Wise 15 April 2013 Eisert 1 Processed Foods and its Link to the Increasing Obesity Epidemic Lunchables, Twinkies, potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, or even a trip to McDonald’s after school are just few of the memorable foods as a child that always seemed so exciting and delicious. As a child, I wondered why these scrumptious foods were always just a treat, but never an every day meal on my diet that I could enjoy. But what I did not know was the dirty truth behind these foods: what they are really made out of.Behind food corporation doors lies the truth about processed foods, what they are really made out of, and why these corporations keep producing these foods. Through the years, scientists have found different ways to transform this corn so it becomes more useful and cheaper to produce. As the corporations became more and more money hungry, the less they cared about t he health of Americans and more about how much processed foods they could sell. Ultimately, this leads to the most increasing health issue America has been facing over the years, and to this day: obesity.According to HBO’s â€Å"The Weight of the Nation: Confronting America’s Obesity Epidemic,† over one-third of American adults (roughly about 36%) are obese, and about 12. 5 million children and adolescents (ages 2-19), or 17%, are obese. Over the years, as processed food production increased, so did obesity because of money hungry food corporations increasing this productivity and government doing nothing to help stop the unhealthy lifestyles processed food has created. Background Information on Processed Food Before figuring out why processed foods are a main factor to obesity, one must know what processed foods are and why they are bad.So what exactly are processed foods made out of? Michael Pollan goes into deep research about what these processed foods are m ade out of within his nonfiction book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. According to Michael Pollan, an average American consumes about one ton of corn per year, but not before being heavily processed by a processing plant, and then reassembled as soft drinks, breakfast cereals, or snacks (85). As Eisert 2 science progressively grew, so did the certain ingredients within processed foods. For example, high-fructose corn syrup is used in a majority of foods because it tastes exactly as sweet as sucrose.Pollan’s research states that high-fructose corn syrup today â€Å"is the most valuable food product refined from corn, accounting for 530 million bushels every year† (89). Because high-fructose corn syrup is easy to use and cheap to get, most food corporations use it to create the perfect masterpiece. For example, Pollan talks about how that the third age of processed foods â€Å"push[es] aside butter to make shelf space for margarine, replace fruit juice with juice drinks and then entirely juice-free drinks like Tang, cheese with Cheez Whiz, and whipped cream with Cool Whip† (91).With the help of high-fructose corn syrup, food alternatives can easily be made for the same satisfaction. Because of these processed foods, obesity begins to increase. But how exactly does processed food cause obesity? Michael Pollan investigates the truth behind food science and it’s ways to get people to eat more. Pollan states, â€Å"The power of food science lies in its ability to break foods down into their nutrient parts and then reassemble them in specific ways that, in effect, push our evolutionary buttons, fooling the omnivore’s inherited food selection system† (107).Since an average adult can eat only about fifteen hundred pounds of food a year, food corporations are trying to find ways to â€Å"get people to spend more money for the same three-quarters of tof a ton of food, or entice them to actually eat more than that† (Pollan 95). So if a person eats more than normal, his or her weight will increase as they are intaking more of these processed foods that entices people to eat more. But what specifically triggers a person’s body to eat more than they naturally should?Food systems in a person can â€Å"cheat by exaggerating their energy density, tricking a sensory apparatus that evolved to deal with markedly less dense whole foods† (Pollan 107). So by increasing this energy density in processed foods, obesity problems seen within America continue to rise. Eisert 3 The Increase in Processed Food and Obesity Over the Years The beginning of processed food did not recently happen, but has been around since the mid-1800’s. In Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma, he explains the journey of how corn developed to what it is today. In 1866, â€Å"corn syrup . . . ecame the first cheap domestic substitute for cane sugar† (Pollan 88). Then as corn refining started to be perfe cted, high-fructose corn syrup became quite popular. Pollan states that high-fructose corn syrup â€Å"is the most valuable food product refined from corn, accounting for 530 million bushels every year† (89). Once these different food processes were discovered, processed foods began making their way into the country. At first, the point of having processed food was to free â€Å"people from nature’s cycles of abundance and scarcity,† so to have food preserved longer (Pollan 91).But as time went on, the goal changed from â€Å"liberating food from nature† (Pollan 91) to â€Å"improve[ing] on nature† (Pollan 91). Since processed foods began to be so easy to make with the help of high-fructose corn syrup, the cost to make it was relatively cheap compared to the natural farmers. Pollans statistics show that â€Å"a dollar spent on a whole food such as eggs, $0. 40 finds its way back to the farmer . . . by comparison, George Naylor will see only $0. 04 of every dollar spent on corn sweeteners† (95). So ultimately, the increase in processed foods have to do with its easy and cheap ingredients.Based on Michael Pollan’s studies, he found out that many of the reasons why obesity has increased so much is due to the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup in the foods people eat. Pollan begins by saying that â€Å"corn accounts for most of the surplus calories we’re growing and most of the surplus calories we’re eating† (103). With today’s advanced technology, the country has gone from being able to process corn into two different things, to now creating over hundreds of things with the help of a processor and corn.Pollan’s statistics show that â€Å"since 1985, an American’s annual consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has gone from Eisert 4 forty-five pounds to sixty-six pounds† (104). On top of the high-fructose corn syrup people intake, the other sugars also must be accounted for. Therefore, this excessive amount of sugars in processed food is the main cause to the increase of obesity in America. Who is to Blame? Behind all the corn, the processing, and the food that results, is the man in charge: food corporations. Because of food corporations greed for money, processed foods have escalated out of control, causing a serious health epidemic: obesity.Michael Pollan, also author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, wrote an article for the New York Times called â€Å"Unhappy Meals. † Pollan makes a very convincing point at the beginning of the article that gives a serious blame to the people who created and have been continuing the making of processed foods: These novel products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related rule of thumb: if you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why?Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat (1). His claim is very much true because these food corporations try to trick the customers into thinking food products are okay to eat, when in reality, they are terrible for a person’s health in the long run. Food corporations have come to a point where they are more interested in how well their company is doing rather than the country’s health. So ultimately, the rise in obesity is because of these food productions little interest to care about the health of the country.In Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he proves that food corporations are only interested in the money rather than the well-being of the country. He says that a â€Å"cheaper agricultural commodities [are] driving food companies to figure out new and ever more elaborate ways to add value and so induce us to buy more† (Pollan 96). So if these companies are driven by the Eisert 5 cheap f ood productions, they will make sure sales to the people of the country increase, therefore increasing the obesity epidemic. Why blame these food corporations for the obesity epidemic?Aren’t they just trying to help the economy by selling the food they produce? Yes, this is very true, but that does not mean these corporations have the right to sell the country unhealthy, life threatening foods. According to Michael Pollan’s research in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, American’s high-fructose corn syrup intake has gone up from forty-five pounds to sixty-six pounds (104). Basically, Pollan states that Americans are â€Å"eating and drinking all that high-fructose corn syrup on top of the sugars we were already consuming† (104).Just because big corporations, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi figured out high-fructose corn syrup was a few cents cheaper than sugar, they completely switched from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup because â€Å"consumers didn’t see m to notice the substitution† (104). Pollan’s research shows that soda is most of the sixty-six pounds of high-fructose corn syrup that American consume, and by using the ingredient that causes obesity into one of the most popular drink is just cruel because food corporations target that area of consumption.So it is quite obvious the corporations do not care about the rise in obesity because they keep using high-fructose corn syrup in most of the foods consumed by Americans. In another study, George A Bray from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition makes interesting connections in his article â€Å"Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity† between the rise in obesity and the rising intake of high-fructose corn syrup in America.His studies show that â€Å"the consumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990, far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group† (Bray 537). With the rise in consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, the increase of obesity in America connects with these statistics. Bray also concludes that Eisert 6 â€Å"collective data suggest[s] that overconsumption of beverages sweetened with HFCS, [or high-fructose corn syrup,] and containing > 50% free fructose and the increased intake of total fructose may play a role in the epidemic of obesity† (542).Bray’s statistics support Pollan’s beverage assumptions because it goes to show that food corporations are willing to increase high-fructose corn syrup even if the epidemic of obesity increases with its increase in production. Resolution As more people become aware of the obesity epidemic in America, they wish to change their lifestyles in order to be healthy again. Even though these people know what is going on, they still do not change their lifestyles. But they have good reasons, according to Michael Pollan’s reasonings in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Pollan explains how the food corporations have â€Å"push[ed] our evolutionary buttons, fooling the omnivore’s inherited food selection system â€Å" (107). Even though humans are not meant to eat these foods, the sensory apparatus in within humans have evolved to always crave these processed foods. It has even gotten to a point where â€Å"people with limited money to spend on food would spend it on the cheapest calories they can find† (Pollan 108). These are perfect examples to why the processed food lifestyle continues, and why the epidemic of obesity continues to increase. So the real question is how does America resolve the epidemic of obesity?Yes, food corporations are to blame, but they will keep producing processed foods to help their economic success. So as a country, alternatives and powerful influences must be introduced in order to decrease obesity. Michael Pollan’s article â€Å"Unhappy Meals† in The New York Times, has lots of certain advi ce to steer away from the tricks of processed foods and have America move into a healthier lifestyle. He suggests that processed foods imply they are based around important nutrients to help support human health, when in reality it gives the opposite effects to the body.Eisert 7 Pollan does in fact state that the healthy lifestyle is â€Å"harder to do in practice, given the food environment we now inhabit and the loss of sharp cultural tools to guide us through it† (11), but he gives readers simple ways to start a healthy lifestyle. Some of the most simple advice includes â€Å"eat[ing] according to the rules of a traditional food culture† (Pollan 12). By eating natural foods that are locally grown and produced, one will know how it is being made and by whom, so there are no mysteries or health questions within these foods.Lastly, â€Å"avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable c) more than five in number — or that c ontain high-fructose corn syrup† (Pollan 11). Just by following these two simple steps, a person can make their health that much better by doing the little things to help themselves. Yes, there are other alternatives, but they become confusing and technical. If a person is simply aware of what is being put into their body, then a healthy lifestyle can be achieved. Even though people are personally trying to become healthier, what about the people that are not?They need influential and powerful support in order to avoid the obesity epidemic. The government would be the perfect influence to helping change the obesity epidemic. But in Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, the government does little to help even though they are aware of the issue: While the surgeon general is raising alarms over the epidemic of obesity, the president is signing farm bills designed to keep the river of cheap corn flowing, guaranteeing that the cheapest calories in the superma rket will continue to be the unhealthiest (108).So if the government won’t even help, who will? That is where the people come in. Becoming aware of the problem and knowing what a person is putting into their bodies will be the only way to end the increase in the production of processed food, and to furthermore decrease obesity. In conclusion, as processed food production increased, so did obesity because of money hungry food corporations increasing this productivity and government doing nothing to Eisert 8 help stop the unhealthy lifestyles processed food has created.Through the statistics found in the research it shows how the increases simultaneously occurred at the same time, therefore processed food is a major factor to an increase in obesity. Work Cited Bray , George A, Samara Joy Nielsen, and Barry M Popkin. â€Å"Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. † 2004 American Society for Clinical Nutrition. 79. 4 (2003): 537-543. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.. Ebbeling, Cara, Dorota B Pawlak, and David S Ludwig. â€Å"Childhood obesity: public-health crisis, common sense cure. † Lancet. 360. 331 (2002): 473–482. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. . Pollan, Michael. Omnivore's Dilemma. New York City: A Penguin Book, 2006. Print. Pollan, Michael. â€Å"Unhappy Meal. † New York Times. 28 01 2007: 1-12. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. . Research Paper Feedback In reading your research paper, I have considered the following features of the document. Any areas that need work are highlighted oIntroduction – grabs the readers’ attention; introduces the topic; contains a clear, strong thesis oContent – covers the topic fully; supports assertions with information from reliable sources; includes a reference page Organization – is logically organized; ideas are grouped and sequenced to aide the readers’ understanding oParagraph Development— ¶s contain specific examples/evidence (in the form of quotes and paraphrases) and explanations oTopic Sentences—introduce the subject of each paragraph; create idea bridges that link  ¶s to each other and/or thesis oTransitions—logical connections between ideas are clear & smooth oSentence Fluency—sentences are fluent and varied in construction and length (not choppy); quotes are smoothly incorporated oMLA Format—sources are cited; both inline citations and reference page citations conform to MLA style Proofreading—free of usage, punctuation, and grammatical errors. Here are the grades and what they mean: oAn â€Å"A† paper excels in all the areas listed above. The paper covers the topic fully and answers the readers’ questions. The paper uses evidence from multiple, credible sources to back up claims. Sources are cited according to MLA style guidelines. The writing is clearly organized, excellently developed, fluent, and nearly error free. oA â€Å"B† paper does a good job in all the areas above. The paper offers a thoughtful, complete response to the prompt. It is clearly organized and well developed.The sentences are consistently readable and fluent with few usage errors. Areas that need work are highlighted above. oA â€Å"C† paper is a competent response to the prompt, but may have weaknesses in one or more of the areas listed above. The weaknesses interfere with the successful communication of the writer’s ideas. Areas that need work are highlighted above. oA paper earns an â€Å"NP† if it does not answer the prompt and/or is seriously weak in one or more of the areas listed above. The paper’s weaknesses make it very difficult to read and/or understand. Areas that need work are highlighted above. Comments and Grade: