Shift Happens

This video really made me think about our society today and how unbelievable it is that new technologies are being developed and changes are occurring every second. It made me imagine how society will be in the future especially when the video talked about how in years there will be a computer that has the intelligence of a human and that it's a possibility that it can possibly in the future have the intelligence of the human race!! I was really stunned when I read the facts about how in India and China the amount of students in honor roll is the same amount as just regular students in the US and how Nintendo spent more money on funding their product than the government did on education. The video almost makes me nervous for the future because I think about how different things can be, how easier or more difficult it can make our lives and how much money will be spent. Globalization plays a huge role in society today so after watching this video, it makes me think that different countries will so easily work together to impact our economy. As far as the government and education goes, people really need to realize how these statistics impact society and how embarrassing it is that our government and funding is putting such little emphasis on education.

Suburbs

After reading about the three types of areas; rural, suburbs and urban, I can quickly say that I have only lived in the suburbs my entire life. I was born and raised in Northern Virginia and have lived in my house since I was in kindergarten. Before that I still lived in Herndon but lived in a townhome. There are certain things that I like and dislike about living in the suburbs. I like that we are close to the city so I can quickly make a trip there for dancing, drinks, etc. but I also live in an area that is not too crowded, loud, and subjected to constant people traveling. From reading how areas are growing and changing, it made me think of my townhouse I lived in as a very young child. The neighborhood then was quiet and mainly Caucasian people and in a good area but over the years it has developed into a rough neighborhood consisting of Hispanics and the "poorer" people of the town. As we have read, low income neighborhoods tend to result in violence, crime, and less educated people.

Democracy

After reading about democracy and communism and radical approaches that people take to have their voice be heard, I know realize the extent of how complicated the government can truly be. I am happy with out democracy and appreciate that this form of government allows people to choose between two or parties when voting, let alone allowing us the right to vote. I think that at times it difficult to choose which party you would prefer to belong to especially if the candidate is making some arguments that you agree with and others that you completely agree with. When reading about the reasons why some people don't vote such as they can't make it to a voting poll station, I was surprised to read that the fact that a person can't decide who to choose for wasn't an option.

WalMart

Yes, I think that Walmart is good for America even though it does have its ups and downs. Walmart has very controversial issues however because of it’s low prices that result in low wages for workers. Walmart provides a variety of products from clothes, groceries, electronics and just everyday products that people use. This provides the customer who perhaps doesn’t made much money, a great place to shop at low prices that won’t put a dent in their wallet. These low prices then allows the customers to live comfortably and perhaps use their limited income on other things such as their children’s education, nice housing, and food. I thought it was very interesting to learn about the scanner that tracks the products and the sales trends and I can understand how this really improves sales for Walmart. I also was surprised to learn how one town was really made up of vendor companies that strive to become clients of Walmart and have their products sold at their stores nationwide.

The downside to the low prices and many products being produced overseas, is that the workers are being paid minimum wage and sometimes not in the best working conditions. The thing that confuses me is that if Walmart is such a huge company and they profit immensely each year, why can’t they pay their workers more accordingly?

Second Shift

I definitely agree with women having to endure the "second shift" if they are full time employees. I even feel like I have a second shift because when I come home from working 8-5, I have homework for three different classes and I have things to do such as running errands, going to the gym, cleaning up the house, cooking dinner, etc. When I read the chart that had the different errands, I found that the duties were mostly performed by my mother. She works part time as a substitute teacher and does all the shopping, cooking, and majority of the cleaning. My parents do split chores such as ironing, mowing the lawn, and other various things. I think that there are more gender designated chores but that women do deal with the "second shift", whereas men usually don't unless they live alone.

Religion

Secularization can be defined as the process of decline in the influence of religion. I am not sure that this is really impacting society that greatly because I have numerous coworkers, friends, and family that are religious and attend church. After reading the chapter, I learned that the actual over half of Americans who were involved in a survey said that they were "strong believers" in God (Giddens, 548). I also learned about the decline in church during your 20's but how it rises again in your 30'-40's and I completely agree with us. When I was younger and studying religion, I went to church every week but after I was confirmed and in my 20's I rarely go. I do think that if I ever have kids I will want them to go to church so this stays true to how many people start going back during their 30's. I think it's very hard to determine if secularization is a factor because there aren't many tests that are done about this, especially since the government isn't involved with questionnaires regarding religion. Also it's difficult to determine if people are attending church less since the numbers are constantly changing based on a variety of things such as age, job demands, family engagements, etc.

Japanese Americans

After reading the story about the internment of the Japanese Americans, I was disgusted to think that people could treat others in such a manner. Japanese were put into these camps just because of their race and the outrageous idea that just because of their race they were involved in the Pearl Harbor attack and many Japanese Americans homes were searched through by the FBI. I think that people get so distracted by a persons race and stereotypes that are put on people that they forget that their race or beliefs don't make them an awful person. I did like reading, that President Reagan publicly apologized, it just is awful that it even happened in the first place.