...Social Problems in America America is one of the greatest countries in the world, but there is still some room for improvement. The social problems in this country have been a major focus in the media lately, and people are beginning to realize the issues that American citizens are facing. While the solutions to these problems are not yet clear, it is apparent that we must unite as a country in order to work through them. I believe that the three largest social problems in our country are violence, race issues, and poverty because these issues effect American families across the country every day. Violence in America is reaching an all-time high, and every day more people are victims of violent acts. The violence in this country seems to be becoming much more frequent and damaging. Mass shootings are happening quite often, and we all sit and watch the news in horror as the death tolls rise. According to our textbook, 68 percent of crimes are committed using guns (Kendall 15). While these acts of violence are extremely alarming, it is even more concerning that our country has begun to argue over how to end the violence. Some citizens and politicians feel that gun control laws will lessen the violence, while others feel that guns are not the issue. Our country is divided over the solution to this...
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...Steinberg, the “ethnic myth” and “culture of poverty” are discussed. Chapter three begins by questioning if ethnic values produce unequal ranks for different races, if arrival time generates different success and states how the variety in cultures is a starting factor not a result. Chapter four then goes into how if there on cultural values that are believed to make certain ethnicities successful then there must be cultural values that are preventing other races from success. It would be foolish to deny that there are values which promote success and others that do not but how that played into ethnic accomplishments compared to others is not the only factor to be taken into consideration. Life doesn’t work through destiny continuously favoring some groups over others but rather that those who are willing to put in the time and give up possibly favored parts of their life will eventually surpass those not making a devoted effort to success. It is important to evaluate an ethnic groups’ life prior to immigration to accurately explain majority achieved or failed culture mobility. If the ethnicity was relatively taught skills that aligned...
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...CHARTER OF THE AMERICAS (Adopted at the second plenary session, held on June 4, 2012, and reviewed by the Style Committee) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CONSIDERING that the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) provides that integral development encompasses the economic, social, educational, cultural, scientific, and technological fields through which the goals that each country sets for accomplishing it should be achieved; TAKING INTO ACCOUNT that the Inter-American Democratic Charter recognizes that democracy and social and economic development are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, and that promotion and observance of economic, social, and cultural rights are inherently linked to integral development, equitable economic growth, and the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in the states of the Hemisphere; RECOGNIZING that social justice and equity are essential for democracy; CONSIDERING that the Charter of the OAS establishes among its essential purposes to eradicate extreme poverty; CONSIDERING AS WELL that extreme poverty constitutes an obstacle to development and, in particular, to the full democratic development of the peoples of the Hemisphere; and that its elimination is essential and constitutes a common and shared responsibility of the American states; REAFFIRMING the determination and commitment of member states to urgently combat the serious problems of poverty, social exclusion...
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...group of immigrants who died in a refrigerated trailer when immigrating to America; The inspiration behind Sin Nombre came from that short film. In his first major production, Fukunaga continued his interest in the topic of immigration, and came up with the creation of Sin Nombre. The film follows both a young gangster of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, Casper, and young girl from Honduras, Sayra, on their difficult journey to America. Fukunaga’s overall reason for the film was to express the hardships Central American people face on their journey to America, in hopes that people could see immigration from a different light. The film is directed mainly towards citizens of America, Central America, and Mexico although it can spread to any area with controversial opinions of immigration. The constraints of the film include time, as the film lasted just 96 minutes, rating, the limited budget of an independent film, the dangerous filming locations in Central America and Mexico, and language— the film is spoken completely in spanish with english subtitles. These constraints were overcome, and the film went on to be nominated for 22 awards, winning 12 of those including multiple awards at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009, perhaps the most prestigious awards in the independent film world. Fukunaga bravely delivers the powerful and eye-opening story of the journey experienced by Central Americans immigrating to America: One that has previously been pushed behind...
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... 10-30-15 Poverty in the United States Arkansas is the second among states with the highest poverty rates, at 17.3 percent. The patterns of poverty in Arkansas have established and varied over time in relation to the physical characteristics of the state and to changes in economic and political behavior. Poverty is the high and low in different Arkansas counties. The counties with the highest poverty rates, in Arkansas, are Lee, Phillips, Lincoln, and Desha. The counties with the lowest poverty rates, in Arkansas, are Saline, Benton, Grant, and Lonoke. Only these four counties had poverty rates lower than the national average. Saline, Grant, and Lonoke counties benefit from their proximity to Little Rock (Maher, Daniel). In 2008 in Arkansas, most whites were in poverty. Within the population of those in poverty, whites made up most of the percentage in poverty. However, blacks came close with whites for being in poverty. Then, Latinos came last for being in poverty. Whites have obviously made up most of those in poverty (Maher, Daniel). Women and Children have made up a part of those in poverty in Arkansas. The gap of income variances between women and men means women are in more poverty then men are. In Arkansas, almost 19 percent of women are living in poverty, whereas only 14 percent of men are living in it. Children in Arkansas living in poverty under the age of 18 is almost 25 percent (Maher, Daniel). Arkansas, in poverty, is a difficult...
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...7) How and why did television shape the consumer culture of the 1950s? Television shaped the consumer culture in the 1950’s because this is when the market for televisions became larger. As the number of households with televisions increased, the way the networks targeted the audience changed. Television signals were able to reach further into rural areas so events (such as conventions) could be broadcasted to a wider audience. Television greatly influenced what society was talking about and therefore more and more genres started transferring onto the television. Consumers became more reliant on the television for not only news, but entertainment as well. 8) Why was the Montgomery bus boycott successful? The boycott was successful because it was a non-violent form of protest. The initiators of the boycott actively spread the word to other “blacks” in their neighborhoods and everyone took a stand against riding the buses. Since they came together as a race, the “blacks” were able to make an impact economically. The economic impact combined with their lack of retaliation to instigations from the white community drew attention from higher authorities. Finally, the issue was taken to court and racial segregation on buses was proven to be illegal. 9) Why were the civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, in April 1963 effective and important? The demonstrations in Birmingham were effective because King never gave up. When the African American adults were staying...
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...Assignment 1.2, “Facing Poverty with a Rich Girl’s Habits” by Kim: Revised Brionica Leary ENG 115 Professor Rachel Hays November 18, 2012 Suki Kim is the author of “Facing Poverty with a rich girl’s habits”, by Kim. In the essay she talks about how she learned to adapt to a new way of living after losing everything that her family once owned. She explains how she began to accept who she had become, and how her outlook on life changed after this transition had taken place. Kim realized that no matter where she was geographically in this world, that she was still the same person within her soul. Not only was she still the same person from within, but that her cultures and beliefs did not have to change because of where she resided in this world. Kim also came to peace with knowing that there were more people of her culture, who shared the same beliefs living in America as well. Kim’s main purpose in her writing was to explain to her audience that she had experienced a great deal of challenges adapting to different beliefs and cultures living in America, versus living in Korea. She stressed to her audience that it was challenging accepting a new way of living compared to what she had been taught, and was already accustomed to believing. Kim’s genre in this writing could be classified several ways. Overall, her genre was narrative. It was very explanatory. I would also consider it to be a memo. Her audience consisted of people of her race (Koreans), who had...
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...Poverty in America; Created or Inherited According to an article written by Barbara Ehrenreich “How I Discovered the Truth about Poverty”, society defines poverty by its ethnicity, culture and economic status. Ehrenreich accredited this discovery to Michael Harrington. Government assisted programs were design to be a temporary remedy for poverty, instead it is a crutch for others. The implication that poverty was not caused by “low wages or lack of jobs, but bad attitudes and faulty lifestyles” projects images of laziness (608). Society defines poverty by an individual capability to earn wages without the assistance and dependency on the government. Ehrenreich describes the history timeline of poverty, referencing Harrington’s book “The Other America”. Poverty was not acknowledged as a problem until, Harrington discovered that one quarter of the population who is “the inner-city black, Appalachian white, farm worker and the elderly” lives in poverty (609). Based on his analogy these categories of individual...
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...Analysis of the Term “American Exceptionalism” in the Current U.S. Culture A Reflections Paper Analysis of the Term “American Exceptionalism” in the Current U.S. Culture American Exceptionalism refers to the idea that the United States is significantly different from other countries. The concept has origins in the writings of French scholar Alexis de Toqueville who made observations during his visit to America in the nineteenth century (Mansfield, 2011). Also, Puritan John Winthrop's 1630 sermon "A Model of Christian Charity" led to the widespread belief in American folklore that the United States of America is God's country because it would become a "city upon a hill", watched by the world (John Winthrop: "A Modell of Christian Charity", 2007). Although the term does not necessarily imply superiority, many political leaders and writers have coined its use in that sense. Naturally, others hold the position that America is not really exceptional at all. In fact, after taking a cursory glance at some of the issues that our leaders are charged to correct, we can easily peel off the loftier label and replace it with a more humbling phrase. To begin, America’s hunger issue is a strong reason to reduce our loftier standing. It is not impressive that in a country without drought or famine and with enough food and money to feed the world twice over 1-in-8 of our own people struggle to put food on its table (Berg, 2009). Also, in 2010, 4.8 percent of all U.S. households...
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...If we diminish poverty, then we will receive less delinquency. Poverty and crime has been major issues in our society over the past few years. Do you think these two issues correlate to each other? I think society today does see poverty as a factor in crime rates and the correlation between each is valid. The cause and effect theory is: because of poverty, crime rates are high. If this is true, one way to solve crime is to solve poverty. The sociological perspective on this topic involves looking at the bigger picture. The structural functionalism for poverty is lack of education, unemployed, preferring to “live for the moment”, and resigning themselves to a culture of poverty (which nothing can be done to change their economic outcomes). We can solve poverty by; (1) understanding the factors that play into poverty and crimes, (2) advancing our education levels, and (3) lowering our unemployment rates. With these three solutions we can diminish poverty and receive less delinquency. (Macionis, 2010, p.59). According to census, in 2014 there were more than 45 million Americans living below the poverty line. A family of three making less than $19,790 year is considered living below the poverty level. $19,790 averages out to about 10$ per hour. (Gongoff, 2014, para. 2). A single mom working at minimum wages with two kids lives in poverty. A third of all poverty households are single mothers. Single mothers are more likely to become a victim of a crime. I found...
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...Eugene Harmon Poverty in Latin America Inequality: The Most Political and Economic Problem in Latin America Throughout the years, Latin America has experienced dramatic political, social, and economic changes amongst its numerous countries. As time went on, various leaders brought grand ideas to the table in hopes of bettering the region. However, in most cases, the outcome was far from grand, failing to address social conflicts that derived from deep inequality and high levels of poverty. Without successfully conquering the underlying causes of conflict within the region, change in a positive direction for Latin America does not exist. This paper will define inequality as the most political and economic problem that Latin American countries continue to face, and how inequality, discrimination, poverty, and crime violence stem from the underlying problem of inequality. As a result, social programs currently in place fail to properly address the issues of inequality and poverty within Latin America, thus being unsuccessful. In their literature review of the Southern Commands, Jorge Castaneda and Patricio Navia remind the reader that, “be it in the Caribbean heat or in the Andes-mountain cold, the uniform and lasting defining characteristic of Latin America is inequality” (82). They continue to explain that, “Latin America brings together – often within the same countries, same cities and occasionally even the same neighborhoods...
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...Bolivia Standing as only one of the two landlocked countries in South America, Bolivia contains some of the worlds most resourceful vegetation as well as remnants of ancient cultures. Although rich with natural resources, like most developing nations, poverty is a reality for a large majority of Bolivia. Along with having the challenge of being a developing region, Bolivia is landlocked. This, without a doubt, only adds to the difficult task the Bolivian economy faces. However, positive change is taking form in most third world regions of the earth. With everyday, more volunteer groups, private investments, and modern medicine aid countries like Bolivia with their domestic, economic, and political complications. Bolivia is divided into three major geographical groupings defined by the Andes. The first being the collection of mountains found in the West along with the Altiplano. The second major geographical region is located in the valleys formed from the eastern mountain slopes. These valleys provide a semi tropical environment allowing for appropriate agricultural activities. However, the third geographical area contain plains that stretch across 63% of the country. These eastern lowlands(plains) are also referred to as Oriente. The rest is virtually the Andes mountains that literally split the landlocked country in half. The smaller half of the country (majority Amerindian) consists of mountain and rock leaving little to no agriculture to be had. In contrast, the larger...
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...numerous hours going through academic journals to understand what may have been the motive behind her relocation to America. She was a daughter, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother to three generations. She was born in 1919 and passed away in 1997.She lived in Germany in her early childhood and moved to America in 1924. This made her a first generation American ancestor. In essay one, I explained the evolution of my family’s history and why they may have chosen to emigrate to America. Not only did I gather important information from Mildred’s child, Carol, but I also opened doors to new and unknown information through research on Germany. The time period this essay allocates is between 1904 and 1944. The time period that Mildred and her family immigrated to America may have been affected by the events that occurred around that time period. In 1914 World War 1 began. This may have driven the Zambelli family out of Germany. Around this time, Adolf Hitler’s authority sabotages over Germany and becomes a political catastrophe to the German nation. This historical event is explained in...
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...Social stratification exists in America because the wealth and power belongs to a small portion of the population. Wealthy people possess an enormous amount of power over the political system and are held in high esteem by our society. There is a general feeling that those who are wealthy and powerful are superior to the average person. Social stratification involves not only socio-economic inequality, but the belief system held by people in America. A stratified society exists when there is an unequal distribution of wealth, power and prestige. In American society, political power and wealth are not distributed equally (Johnson, 1996). Paul Krugman is an economist and author of the book, 'The Spiral of Inequality' (1996). Krugman believes corporate greed, the decline of organized labor and changes in the way goods are produced are the causes of the growing social and economic inequality in the United States (Anderson, 2003). There is an unspoken general agreement in America that certain occupations deserve higher wages and more respect. Professions, such as physicians, lawyers, athletes and actors, are held in high esteem, whereas custodians, waitresses and trash collectors are considered professions that are not worthy of respect or praise and require minimal skill or intelligence. America most definitely needs skilled physicians and lawyers, but it also needs custodians, trash collectors and others who perform much needed tasks in order for society to thrive and function...
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...Inequality: The Most Pressing Problem in Latin America Throughout the years, Latin America has experienced dramatic political, social, and economic changes amongst it’s numerous countries. As time went on, various leaders brought grand ideas to the table in hopes of bettering the region. However, in most cases, the outcome was far from grand, failing to address social conflicts that derived from deep inequality and high levels of poverty. Without successfully conquering the underlying causes of conflict within the region, change in a positive direction for Latin America does not exist. This paper will define inequality as the most pressing problem that Latin American countries continue to face, and how inequality, discrimination, poverty, and crime violence stem from the underlying problem of inequality. As a result, social programs currently in place fail to properly address the issues of inequality and poverty within Latin America, thus being unsuccessful. In their literature review of the Southern Commands, Jorge Castaneda and Patricio Navia remind the reader that, “be it in the Caribbean heat or in the Andes-mountain cold, the uniform and lasting defining characteristic of Latin America is inequality” (82). They continue to explain that, “Latin America brings together – often within the same countries, same cities and occasionally even the same neighborhoods – the wealth and prosperity of the most-industrialized nations in the world and the dispossession, despair and hopelessness...
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