Shift Happens

After watching the video, I did wonder how much our world will change in just five years. Population growth is inevitable, but to think that while we are in school, for some people, the education they receive for the jobs they are training for will be out-of-date by the time they graduate. Although you cannot control the speed of innovation occurring, I do think the education system will need to be updated in order for people to be knowledgeable about their field by the time they graduate. Since I am not getting a technical degree, I am not sure how I would change the system or if it is even possible to do so. However, since many people will have had ten jobs by the time they are thirty-eight, I do think everyone should receive a well-rounded education, whether that being knowledgeable about different types of math, science or having students either double major or receiving a major and minor in contrasting fields.

I do think the continual improvements in information processing and it's availability are improving our lives. I think since the internet was invented people are being exposed to different cultures and ideas they may not have heard about in their community or in school. I also think information processing has helped the medical field by promoting organizations that help with charities and by allowing people in remote locations to receive necessary medical information. I also think the advancements in information processing will continue to help people all around the world. I think the information processing advancements have changed our society and will continue to modify societal norms, education, and the work and economic infrastructure of our world.

Urban/Suburban/Rural Life

Over the years, population has continued to increase causing the community we live in to change as well. I agree with the book that inner-city areas have become segregated and lack many resources. I also agree that suburbs farther away, around 40 miles, from cities have continued to grow. The town I live in now is a suburb that has greatly increased since I moved there eleven years ago. Since it is close to D.C., many people who work in D.C. live in our town. The suburbanization and growth of our town has influenced many business to open stores there. However, I do think the recession and the crash of the housing market either stopped people from moving to the suburbs or cause people to move out of the suburbs into cheaper areas. While the economy has improved I am do not think an era of urban renewal is occurring in cities. Especially after listening to Week Fourteen's podcast, it seems more city buildings are decaying rather than being upgraded. However, I do think there are more jobs in cities than in rural areas. With the increasing population, in the future there may be very few rural areas and more cities throughout the world. I think the growing suburbs could turn some places into cities while some rural areas turn into suburbs and cities become very overcrowded. It will be telling to see if one of the UN's estimated predictions for the world population is correct.

Who Has the Power?

Democracy and the Western push for others to conform to democratic governments has greatly influenced the world. For the most part, I agree with Mills's power elite theory on democracy. While the people in power in becoming more diverse in ethnicity and sex, I still believe the majority of the people in power are WASP-type men. However, I do not think that WASP-type men should be the only people in power. I think our society could greatly benefit from having women and people of different races become powerful political and social leaders. I also thinks Mills's idea that there are "three spheres" in which people move up the hierarchical ladder ring true today. For example many large business, especially those involved with military aspects, and their leaders often either run for office or make large contributions to a person that could really influence how likely they would win the election. Often politicians, such as previous presidents, often go into business with companies that were involved in their campaign/s or helped when they served their term. Since these companies have so much influence and are so influenced by political figures, military personnel may see it as beneficial if they also became close with both spheres. Thus, the process continues to repeat itself.

I also agree with most of Mills's idea about the three levels of power in the US. I do think the "power elite occupy the highest level" and interest groups are beneath the power elite. However, unlike Mills, I do think the mass population can have an effect on policy decisions. The system of checks and balances established many years ago ensures that the population can vote to repeal a law or impeach a leader. They are also the ones who vote to elect a politician to office or choose to support a company by buying their products. I think the mass population can have a large effect on how society functions and how the government and power elite operate. However, I think all aspects of society, including businesses, government officials, and citizens, influence the world we live in, in a variety of ways.

The Case of Walmart

After reading the textbook and watching the video, I feel that Walmart does have negative effects on the American economy and job market. While the low prices can save people money, I think placing factories in China takes away hundreds of jobs for Americans. Factory plants are now simply wasting land all over America because of the effects the demand for lower prices has created. Since goods are cheaper to produce overseas and create a cheaper product, American goods are losing value. I found the statement about America's trade deficit with China to be profound. If there is a way to produce goods China would buy in such large quantities, such as those that America buys from China, then I think this trade flow could greatly benefit both countries. I think Walmart has created a monopoly over selling products. The effects Walmart has had on big companies, such as Rubbermaid, seem harsh, demanding, and unrealistic. In order for many companies to grow and survive, they need to sell to Walmart at very low prices and in large amounts to make a profit off the low prices. Although Walmart provides great prices for many products, I think a slightly higher priced product could benefit more people because it would place less of a demand for products to be made overseas and would use more American materials.

Division of Labor and Second Shift

I thought the chart activity gave me more insight into how much work everyone in a family contributes. I was not surprised to see that my Mom does the majority of the tasks, especially the daily chores, such as cooking dinner and packing school lunches. While my Dad does do some chores, I definitely think my Mom has a second shift where the number of chores she does greatly outweighs how many chores my Dad does. The textbook mentioned how some wives are more willing to do chores, since the husband is the breadwinner and provides economic stability. I think this idea does apply to our family. When I interviewed my Mom for the gender inequality assignment, she even mentioned how she does not think there is inequality within the house because my Dad does other things, such as taking care of our finances. While I highly doubt that my parents would agree with this, I think it would be interesting to switch the dynamics and roles each person in the family plays for a few days, just to see how people handle the role reversals. If this were to happen, it would also be interesting to see the after effects, if there are any, of this activity and if people change how many daily chores they do.