Decline in union membership in the U.S Research Paper

Decline in union membership in the U.S - Research Paper Example The pattern is irreversible, and it is unlikely that unions, as they exist, can survive the gathering economic storms. A History of Confrontation and Concession The history of labor unions in the United States can be traced as far back as 1765 and the Daughter’s of Liberty, a women’s organizational group who, through their making of cloth and other goods at home, supported the Revolutionary War movement. The first male trade unions formed in the late 18th century, and women workers began organizing in earnest in the 1820s. In general, and according to most trade union historians, the movement as a national power evolved after the Civil War with the National Labor Union (NLU) as the first federation of local groups, followed by its successors, the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor (AFL), still powerful and active today. An offshoot, the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, or "the Wobblies") came to being in the early twentieth century, often â€Å" using violence to promote the cause of unskilled workers† (History of U.S. Labor Unions, 2010, par 3). ... (AFL-CIO), which according to its official site now boasts 12.2 million members-- teachers and miners, firefighters and farm workers, bakers and engineers, pilots and public employees, doctors and nurses, painters and plumbers† (AFL-CIO, 2011, About Us, par. 2). Other groups over time have become part of the matrix, including public sector employees in hospitals, postal workers, municipal workers police and fireman. Counterbalancing unions in existence in the public sector, union membership today in the private sector has â€Å"fallen under 8%--levels not seen since 1932† (History of U.S. Labor Unions, 2010, par. 5) due to lack of interest, illegal workers and undoubtedly workers who are fearful of loosing jobs in a progressively diminishing job market. Outsourcing as a contributing issue can not be discounted. As Dubofsky and Dulles (2004) found, â€Å"the forces of economic liberalization, capital mobility, and globalization have affected measurably the material stand ard of living enjoyed by workers in the United States† (p. ix). Pros and Cons of Unions and Union Membership Since the Industrial Revolution, unions have  been credited with securing improvements in working conditions and wages. Beyond the obvious, in any discussion of unions one of the first points raised is exactly this: what are the benefits of unions and how do they represent the interests of the working person? Views are generally diverse, depending upon particular experiences and who is making the judgment. For instance, employers who wish more mobility in making economic decisions for their company or organization may find the demands of collective bargaining more than they can absorb, or, more than they are willing to absorb. On the other hand, a good collective bargainer can often come to

Yellowstone National Park Essay Example for Free

Yellowstone National Park Essay â€Å"Leisure, in its broadest sense, provides an excellent lens through which we can better understand contemporary Western society’s relationships with nature. † Such a thesis can be best understood through a socio-cultural exploration of the complex relationship of man with nature, and how it has evolved through time. Engaging the literature reveals that there is NO singular ‘nature’ as such, only a diversity of contested natures each â€Å"constituted through a variety of socio-cultural practices from which such natures cannot be plausibly separated† (Macnaghten and Urry, p. 1). For Williams (1972) the idea of ‘nature’ contains an enormous amount of human history, of which the current understanding derive from a complicate array of ideas, linked to may concepts of Western thought (i. e. modernity, democracy, romanticism, etc. ) The ways in which has historically been made singular, abstract and then personified provides key insights on how people thought about themselves, their place in the world, their relationships with each other and the land, their sense of general power and powerlessness in the shaping of their lifeworlds (Macnaghten and Urry, p. 8). In understanding human-nature relationships, a popular theme appears to be religious in tone – the Christian interpretation of the Genesis story. From Merchant (2003), one gets the idea that mankind’s attempt to return to Eden has been a driving force behind Western culture. In the Age of Enlightenment, this manifested in the European zeal to discover new territory, and transforming it into a new paradise through colonization (Adams and Mulligan, 2003; Merchant, 2003) From the patriarchal white European perspective, the New World is depicted as a hapless female in need of rescue. This narrative derived from the story of the Fall of Adam and Eve has been to the detriment of women and people of color (Merchant, 2003; Gibson, 2002). From an environmental frame, we are faced with the message that man ‘screwed up’ paradise, we’re still falling and if we don’t get our act together, things are bound to get worse and we instead get hell on earth (Rees, 2003) – as if we are witnessing endless reruns of Lord of the Rings’ â€Å"The Two Towers† or Star Wars’ â€Å"The Empire Strikes Back. † On the other hand, the mainstream frame on nature maintains that though we did make terrible blunders in managing resources, weve also accomplished a lot for human progress in terms of innovation, technology, and hard work (Porritt, 2005; Boyden, 2004) – a grace-saving â€Å"Return of the King† or â€Å"Return of the Jedi,† of sorts. Images of and references to nature as female, particularly as a â€Å"Mother,† are also found in popular culture. Roach (2003) uses three approaches – gender studies, psychoanalysis, and theology – to unearth the meanings behind the â€Å"Mother Nature† theme, which according to her are generally three: good mother (nurturing and life-giving), bad mother (i. e. gendered references to natural disasters), and hurt mother (repair-based pattern of reconnecting to nature). She illustrates the â€Å"bad mother† motif using an advertisement for the Nissan Pathfinder (a sport utility vehicle), urging the consumer to control your mother, as the SUV helps you control just about anything Mother Nature throws your way. The advertisement’s underlying message is the human conquest of nature and in a gendered manner, the male conquest of females, common throughout Western history and tradition: from Pandora and Eve’s fall from grace, to the Salem witch trials and Sigmund Freuds view of women as ‘morally inferior,’ among others. Movies have also shaped our perception of nature – the untamed, vengeful mother – as evidenced by the popularity of film genres with man-hunting beasts such as â€Å"Jaws† (a great white shark terrorizing a New England town) and â€Å"Anaconda† (a monstrous snake strikes a travelling party deep in the heart of the Amazon). On the other hand, films such as â€Å"Free Willy† tend to highlight Mother Nature’s nurturing side, as the young troubled boy Jesse befriends and develops a bond with fellow orphan Willy, an orca whale in the park aquarium. At the same time these films bring attention to the plight of endangered animals in the wild, and the need for humans to help and protect these creatures. Cartoons and animation targeting the young audience also have a consistent roster of animal characters – think of old Yogi Bear in Yellowstone National Park, Simba the Lion King in the plains of Africa, and more recently Nemo and his underwater exploits. In the end, Roach (2003) argues for the need to draw on other possible images for nature, including the home, as coupling nature too closely to gender affects both feminist and environmental causes negatively, to a certain degree. Cable channels such as Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and National Geographic also provide regular in-depth nature-oriented programs. In a way, these help inform and familiarize today’s largely urban-based generation with nature and ‘the wild,’ and are also powerful means of getting the environmental message across: we need to help save our planet, stop the destruction of ecosystems and protect endangered species. Music is also one influential component in garnering support for the environmental movement. Global concerts in support of environmental causes and projects feature top performers and tend to draw young crowds, such as the 2007 â€Å"Live Earth† concert series initiated by former US Vice-president Al Gore to bring attention to climate change. Overall, the utilization of mass media and technological advances help bring nature closer to people. A recent development is what has been referred to as ‘wildlife tourism,’ based on encounters with non-domesticated animals (Higginbottom, 2004). Tourism is recognized as a very large global business enterprise because people seem to really like travelling. And exotic places, where encounters with wildlife provide people new experiences, stimulate their emotions, and create different impressions, are fast gaining popularity. Wildlife tourism is a fairly recent, specialized aspect of this tourism phenomenon. From a historical perspective, only a generation or two ago, peoples encounter with animals was virtually everyday, with wildlife ubiquitous in the countryside. Today, visions of nature in its gloriously natural state are made available through television. Electronics is now the standard medium for people to experience the wild. Though people may not necessarily be physically in touch with nature, they might be connected mentally to certain aspects of wildlife. Thus in this way, wildlife tourism offers an opportunity to people to get closer to the virtual reality of experiencing nature as our ancestors did. Wildlife tourism provides urbanites the chance to renew their relationship with nature the promise of a different thrill when one faces lions in a safari, or scuba-diving and swimming with whale-sharks in the Pacific. In view of large-scale habitat destruction in the name of progress and development, wildlife tourism provides an essential appeal for governments to help conserve biodiversity. Wildlife tourism now appears to be an important phenomenon, one that has both negative and positive impacts on animals affected by such activities. Negative effects can be in short-term physiological/behavioral changes in individual animals or long-term, i. e. increasing mortality of entire populations which in turn affect the ecosystem. Thus, there is a need for wildlife tourism to be properly managed in a sustainable manner, so as to minimize the impact of animals and their ecosystems. Though people often assume that wildlife tourists tend to empathize with conservation efforts, even they can cause damage, as well as socially and environmentally irresponsible wildlife tour operators. Wildlife tourism is a modern form of leisure, one that augurs well for sustainable development if it could be properly managed and regulated. On a parting note, leisure in its various forms is shaped by our relationship with nature; particularly the way we interact with it, as influenced by our own understanding of nature and how it relates to human existence. Bibliography Adams, W. M. and Mulligan, M. eds. (2003) Decolonizing Nature: Strategies for COnservation in a Postcolonial Era. Sterling, Earthscan Publications. Boyden, S. (2004) The Biology of Civilization: Understanding Human Culture as a Force in Nature. Sydney, University of Sydney Press. Gibson, D. (2002) Environmentalism: Ideology and Power. New York, Nova Science. Higginbottom, K. ed. (2004) Wildlife Tourism: Impacts, Management and Planning. Victoria, Common Ground. Macnaghten, P. and Urry, J. (1998) â€Å"Rethinking nature and society† in Contested Natures. London, Sage. Merchant, C. (2003) Reinventing Eden: The Fate of Nature in Western Culture. London, Routledge. Porritt, J. (2005) Capitalism as if the World Matters. London, Earthscan. Rees, M. (2003) Our Final Century: Will Civilization Survive the Twenty-first Century? London, Arrow. Roach, C. M. (2003) Mother/Nature: Popular Culture and Environmental Ethics. Bloomington, Indian University Press. Williams, J. (1972) as cited by Macnaghten, P. and Urry, J. (1998) â€Å"Rethinking nature and society† in Contested Natures. London, Sage.

Pursuit of the American Dream in Catch Me If You Can and Blow Essay

Pursuit of the American Dream in â€Å"Catch Me If You Can† and â€Å"Blow† â€Å"Catch Me If You Can† is a true story based on a man who cheated large corporations out of their money, after growing up in a small town in poverty. â€Å"Blow† is very similar in that it is based on the true events of a man who worked the drug cartel for millions of dollars, after growing up with his parents in the slums. The main characters in these films both use two different schemes to accomplish the same goal, which is the â€Å"American Dream,† after being far from it during childhood. Based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr, â€Å"Catch Me If You Can† tells of a successful con artist who managed to pass himself off as several identities for personal gain. During high school, Frank Abagnale Jr. idolized his father, who was constantly in trouble with the IRS. When his parents separate, he runs away to Manhattan with $25 in his pocket. Frank is determined to regain his dad's losses and get his parents back together. Just a few years later, the FBI tracks him down in France. He's extradited, tried, and jailed for passing more than $2,000,000 in bad checks. Along the way, he had successfully posed as a Pan Am pilot, a pediatrician, and an attorney. Also, from nearly the beginning of this life of crime, he's been continuously pursued by an FBI agent, Carl Hanratty. George Jung is the son of a struggling small business owner. Seeing his family struggle to make ends meet and failing, George promises himself never to share a similar fate. Moving to California, he starts his own pot pushing operation in which he finds himself at both success and downfall. In prison, he meets a cellmate who introduces him into a partnership to the new market of co... ...men cheated the system and gained large amounts of profit while at it. Along with their sudden rise to power, both characters have their own downfalls. Frank Abagnale Jr. doesn’t have it so bad, as instead of serving his sentence behind bars, he works with the man who caught him. To this day he helps find over 80% of the fraudulent checks being passed through the system. George Jung is in jail and is coming out in the near future. All in all, both characters have made large impacts on the American Society, as they are famous for their devious actions. These men both grew up in poor areas where their family constantly had struggles, and instead of getting passed it, both tell themselves never to be like that again. Both men had the right idea to make it in life, but went about it in different ways, which were very similar, and produced the same outcome; punishment.

Explain Why Human Emotion May Be Regarded as a Powerful Component of Successful Advertising

Explain why human emotion may be regarded as a powerful component of successful advertising Consumer buying and use of goods in many cases is to pursue a kind of emotional satisfaction, or self image display. When some kind of commodity to meet the consumer's psychological needs or show the self image, which in the minds of consumers value may go far beyond the product itself. It is precisely because of this, the emotional appeal advertisement in modern society be born, in today is to flourish. Therefore, the emotional advertising appeal to consumers is the emotional or affective responses, convey goods to their added value or emotionally satisfying, the formation of consumer positive brand attitude. According to the different human emotion classification of affective advertising, emotional advertising into family love, love, friendship and affection, not only gives the product vitality and the characteristics of human nature, but also can arouse consumers nostalgic or longing for the emotional resonance, which can induce consumer goods purchasing motivation. For example: Friendship is a part of life. † Maxwell House Coffee: good stuff should be shared with friends. â€Å", this is Maxwell coffee launch of the advertisement language as into the Taiwan market, because the Nescafe has been occupy the market in Taiwan, Maxwell had to hand the emotion, coffee and friendship with together, won the recognition of consumers, so Maxwell coffee has successful entered Taiwan market. When people see a Maxwell House coffee, think of friends and share feeling, this feeling is really good.. References Olney. T. J. M. B. R. Consumer Responses to Advertising: The Effects of Ad Content, Emotions, and Attitude toward the Ad on Viewing Time . Vol. 17,No. 4(Mar,1991),pp. 440-453 Holbrook. M. B. J. The role of emotion in advertising

A College Degree Is Worth the Effort and Expense Essay

In today’s economy many people wonder if a college degree is worth the time, effort, and expense it takes to complete it. I, a twenty-seven year old who did not think it was worth it when I graduated from high school, have changed my position on the issue. I have had experience in today’s workforce and it is not easy to find a satisfying job with only a high school diploma and it is extremely difficult to find a job with decent pay and any benefits in which you have a chance of advancing in that career. These things are essential for a productive and fulfilling life. I believe that getting a college degree is well worth the time, effort, and expenses. A report by the Pew Research Center found that college graduates make about $550,000 more than high school graduates over the course of their careers (Cass). This shows the significantly larger income opportunities of having a college degree versus only a high school diploma. Imagine the difference of making $465,000 compared to $1,015,000 over a thirty year career? Breaking that down for $465,000 would be $15,500 a year, $1,291. 67 a month, $300. 39 a week, and $7. 51 a hour compared to $1,015,000 or $33,833. 33 a year, $2,819. 44 a month, $655. 68 a week, and $16. 39 a hour. It is a big difference! In today’s workforce we have an increase in unemployment. The unemployment rate in 2010 was 5. 4 percent for people with bachelor’s degrees and less for those with higher degrees, according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, 7 percent of those with associate’s degrees and 10. 3 percent of those with only a high school diploma were out of work (Cass). This shows that obtaining a college degree enhances chances of becoming gainfully employed. Charles Wallace also writes about the demands of our workforce and our need for college education. Wallace quotes a report that â€Å"estimates the economy will create about 47 million jobs by 2018, including 14 million new jobs and 33 million jobs replacing workers who leave or retire. About 33 percent of those jobs will require a bachelor’s degree and another 30 percent will require an associate’s degree or at least some college training. Only a third will be available to people with a high  school diploma or less. † The cost of college has increased more than many other things in today’s society, in fact â€Å"the cost of college has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, while housing costs and the overall Consumer Price Index have risen less than 25 percent† (Cass). However the rewards you can get from college still outweigh the effort and expense at least for now. The government is trying to help ease the burden, â€Å"starting in July 2014, loan recipients will have to devote only 10 percent of their income to loan repayments, rather than 15 percent. And those loans will be forgiven after 20 years, rather than the current 25 years† (Brooks). If the costs continue to rise so dramatically then the costs will eventually begin to outweigh the rewards. However when you look at the rewards you have to look at more than just the financial gains; there are many other rewards to consider such as health insurance, retirement plans, experience with more diverse cultures, and the positive self-improvements that come with college education. As Charles Nelson, writer of the essay, â€Å"Investing in Futures: the Cost of College† states, â€Å"degrees pay off in other ways too. College exposes students to new issues and subject areas; it helps students to consider the value of things that might otherwise seem pointless; college graduates may lead more rewarding lives, being more mentally engaged by their surroundings (333). I believe a college education is a very important investment. It outweighs the costs many times over. College education opens many doors and lasts a lifetime. It increases the ability to understand other societies, helps to explore options that may have never been considered before, and contributes to a greater sense of self fulfillment and self-worth.

Changes In The American Family Example

Changes In The American Family Example Changes In The American Family – Article Example CHANGES IN THE AMERICAN FAMILY The family structure that existed in the United s five decades ago was more traditional with the father considered full time laborer to provide for the family while the mother remained housewife. In the context of social theories of family structure and functions, things have taken a new shape. In the recent time there has been a significant influence of socio-economic and political factors in the working of the family (Wiseman, 2008). To begin with the marriage institutions, there are several social and political changes that explain increased divorce, separation which has seen unprecedented percentage of single parenting. This culture is a complete turn of events as compared to the previous stable and complete family of father, mother and children. Family in the past decade was centrally hinged on heterosexual relations between married couples with significant harsh punishment for deviants like gay and lesbians. This has changed in the United States s ociety where human rights groups lobby for legalization of such family structures (Wiseman, 2008). It is therefore evident that political environment may provide undesirable legal structures that has seen homosexual marriage relationships. This is one of the worst changes in the family structure as it evidently works outside the ordinary social limits and even ungodly.From the economic perspective, the changing socio-economic and political trend has made provision for the family a critical issue. There is a significant shift from keeping women home to take care of children to engaging them in labor market for additional income to supplement that of the man (Wiseman, 2008). This has seen children now being taken to daycare as both parents work. This has a positive result as it helps women to realize their potential and prove their worth to the society. The modern woman now helps in the overall welfare of the society through improved productivity to the economy and finds her way into politics to address the issue of women.ReferenceWiseman, D. (2008). The American family: Understanding its changing dynamics and place in society. Springfield, Ill: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher.

Free Essays on Magazine Culture

If Magazines can be called a barometer of popular culture, what modern cultural trends do they show? Has magazine culture been changing since the 1960’s? Can these changes be explained by changes in popular culture, and in what way? In answer to the question relating to magazines changing from the 1960’s, it’s hard for me to answer because I was not around then, and was not able to read any magazines that came out. However listening in class I do believe that they did change drastically from then until today. The magazines moved from unspecialized to specialized, in order to compete with other forms of media and to please their advertisers. Magazines also used the ideas of demographics and psychographics to get more readers involved in their particular magazine. Moreover things like the development of photojournalism and in depth personality profiles helped put magazines on the map of the mass communication market. This gave advantages to the magazines because they were able to sell more units to a specific audience, and receive more advertising dollars in the process, in contrary to a broad audience with a less specialized magazine like Time or Readers Digest. Magazines can be called a barometer of popular culture because it lets the public know what is going on in a particular interest such as, hair styles, snowboarding etc. We wouldn’t know what the latest fashion trends would be without media, and magazines contribute to that. Magazines like Seventeen or Maxim are prime examples of this. There are Magazines for almost any interest now days, and to keep up with the latest trends and materials you are almost forced into buying unit specialized magazines for your interests. These changes definitely can be contributed to a change in the popular culture. There is just more stuff to do then there was in the sixties. There is almost a need for specialization because of the broadness of events and interests that inv... Free Essays on Magazine Culture Free Essays on Magazine Culture If Magazines can be called a barometer of popular culture, what modern cultural trends do they show? Has magazine culture been changing since the 1960’s? Can these changes be explained by changes in popular culture, and in what way? In answer to the question relating to magazines changing from the 1960’s, it’s hard for me to answer because I was not around then, and was not able to read any magazines that came out. However listening in class I do believe that they did change drastically from then until today. The magazines moved from unspecialized to specialized, in order to compete with other forms of media and to please their advertisers. Magazines also used the ideas of demographics and psychographics to get more readers involved in their particular magazine. Moreover things like the development of photojournalism and in depth personality profiles helped put magazines on the map of the mass communication market. This gave advantages to the magazines because they were able to sell more units to a specific audience, and receive more advertising dollars in the process, in contrary to a broad audience with a less specialized magazine like Time or Readers Digest. Magazines can be called a barometer of popular culture because it lets the public know what is going on in a particular interest such as, hair styles, snowboarding etc. We wouldn’t know what the latest fashion trends would be without media, and magazines contribute to that. Magazines like Seventeen or Maxim are prime examples of this. There are Magazines for almost any interest now days, and to keep up with the latest trends and materials you are almost forced into buying unit specialized magazines for your interests. These changes definitely can be contributed to a change in the popular culture. There is just more stuff to do then there was in the sixties. There is almost a need for specialization because of the broadness of events and interests that inv...