...Retirement Planning and Social Security In the United States, we do not need to plan for retirement. Social Security will cover our needs when we retire. This is a common misconception among Americans simply because the Social Security program has been such a vital part of most everyone who has retired in our country for so many generations. We as Americans have grown to trust that our country is going to be not only able to give a portion back to us in our older years, but we feel it is our right as Americans to finally receive a little financial peace after a lifetime of labor and dedication. While all of these feelings are completely justified, there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves to ensure that freedom. We need to decide what exactly are our needs going to be at this point in our lives, and what we can realistically look forward to from Social Security, and finally educate ourselves on the alternatives and supplements that may be offered to us. Naturally you will want to know how long your retirement money will last you. First you must tackle an even tougher question; How long will you live? The life expectance for both men and women has increased over the past several years mostly due to such great strides in healthcare. If we only knew what to expect it would make planning much more precise. There are a few fun ways to gather an educated guess, by going to the Paul Beson Faculty Scholarships Aging Research Program you are able to fill out a life expectancy...
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...Retirement Planning and Social Security In the United States, we do not need to plan for retirement. Social Security will cover our needs when we retire. This is a common misconception among Americans simply because the Social Security program has been such a vital part of most everyone who has retired in our country for so many generations. We as Americans have grown to trust that our country is going to be not only able to give a portion back to us in our older years, but we feel it is our right as Americans to finally receive a little financial peace after a lifetime of labor and dedication. While all of these feelings are completely justified, there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves to ensure that freedom. We need to decide what exactly are our needs going to be at this point in our lives, and what we can realistically look forward to from Social Security, and finally educate ourselves on the alternatives and supplements that may be offered to us. Naturally you will want to know how long your retirement money will last you. First you must tackle an even tougher question; How long will you live? The life expectance for both men and women has increased over the past several years mostly due to such great strides in healthcare. If we only knew what to expect it would make planning much more precise. There are a few fun ways to gather an educated guess, by going to the Paul Beson Faculty Scholarships Aging Research Program you are able to fill out a life expectancy...
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...Society has now entered a new, postmodern age and we need new theories to understand it. Assess this view. (33 marks) Postmodernists argue that we are now living in a new era of postmodernity (an unstable, fragmented, media-saturated global village, where image and reality are indistinguishable.) In postmodern society, we define ourselves by what we consume. This is a fundamental break with modernity. They therefore take a relativist position. They argue that all views are true for those who hold them. No one has special access to the truth - including sociologists. All accounts of reality are equally valid and we should celebrate the diversity of views. Lyotard suggests that we have entered a new postmodern age and that new theories are required in our society. In postmodern society, knowledge is just a series of different ‘language games’ or ways of seeing the world. However postmodern society is preferable to modern society where meta-narratives claimed a monopoly of truth and sometimes sought to impose it by force, as in the Soviet Union. Postmodernity allows marginalised groups to be heard. Lyotard argues that old theories can no longer explain this society due to the fact that our postmodern society is characterised by these competing views of truth. Yet, Lyotard’s theory is self-defeating. He suggests that all theories are without truth, portraying that his theory is another that should not be believed. Baudrillard, in agreement with Lyotard, believes that society...
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...may find pratical value of my speech, I’d like to ask you a question first: who here hopes to live past age 60 or has parents or grandparents who did live or have lived past 60, raise your hand please. Ok, you are the people who may find pratical value in my speech. I believe the rest of you still find my speech enchanting. BACKGROUND Thanks to our medical and scientific advancements, our lives are getting longer. Nowdays, we have to face the cruel reality that we now have more old people and fewer young people than at any time in the past. That means that all those old people are more of a burden on the few young people, and that each old person has less individual value. Every year, it is estimated that 4 million elderly Americans are victims of physical, psychological or other forms of abuse, according to American Psychologycal Association. In HK, there were 454 elder abuse cases from January to September 2014. As Gail Donor, the chairman of Ontario’s Long Term Care Task Force points out: ”Our whole society does not value elders – we’ve started to think of elders as ‘takers’.” Hence, age discrimnation is everywhere. Older people are at a big disadvantage in job applications. Some employers believe that older workers are not as nimble as younger ones. Meanwhile, they're at a big disadvantage in hospitals. American hospitals have an explicit policy called age-based allocation of healthcare resources. That sinister expression means that if hospital resources...
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...technology is transforming the way we live, work, learn and play. Although the growing number of people complain that resource shortage and environmental pollution become serious due to the development of technology, it is undeniable that technology has made the world a better place to live. In my opinion, technology has made people's lives more comfortable. Firstly, the communication between people is becoming faster and easier. Using the internet，we can make friends from different countries and share our feelings with them online. Also, we can send E-mails to our friends in a few minutes Instead of writing letters or sending postcards, the Internet enables us to send E-mails to our friends in a few minutes and know the latest information worldwide immediately. Secondly, technology has made our lives more and more convenient. For example, at the beginning, people used to travel on foot which would take them a great amount of time and energy. But now we have cars, airplanes and high-speed trains which make our journey faster and more comfortable. With the help of modern transportation vehicles , people can go everywhere they prefer to. Finally, advanced medical treatment and technology lengthen people’s life.For example, at the stone age, our ancestors’ average age was about 25. However, after people discovered the mysteries of gene, many deceases which were considered detal before can now be treated and cured. Now people’s average age is two or three times of that time...
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...theory, which says that as we age and we are approaching to our final years, some of us will tend to withdraw from the lifestyle we have had previously, we may disengage ourselves from many activities, from our social life, and perhaps even from family and close friends. There are many reasons of why some people could be detached from their old loved life, as we grow older, we lose the capacity to do certain things, physically we can't do things we could do easily when we were 20 years old and we may disengage ourselves from certain activities out of necessity, for instance, your old friends have stop playing tennis and you are not able to play anymore with younger people because your speed has slow down, then, you will have to stop playing too. We may disengage because of some issues that could limit us with some social interaction like some illness which could lead to poor vision, poor hearing or even poor mobility, this would make our interaction more difficult. If you can’t hear properly what your friends say you may not feel comfortable or you feel bad because they have to keep repeating things to you, and instead prefer to remain at home reading a nice book. Maybe your health is good but not your friend’s health and that is the reason of why you don’t meet them any more, because they are not in a mood to see you or anybody else. Another reason of why someone may be disengagement is because of their geographical situation, maybe they live in a village where the...
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...Future of Healthcare University of Phoenix January 20, 2012 “Man is born to live, not prepare for life”. When we are born, we are raised to the familiarities of what we are surrounded by. The latest fashion trends, the latest music, the places to go, the phrases to say. We are not born to understand what we could have experienced had we been born 50 years prior to the date. We are born to live the life that is ahead of us. So is it fair to know that events that occurred prior to our existence can be the reason of our healthcare issues for the future? There are many issues that have occurred and are still occurring that impact the way our healthcare system works, whether it challenges the knowledge of healthcare workers or becomes a trend for future constant reoccurrences, it pushes our minds to think further about the situation. Aging is a trend we all experience, that has no solution except to accept it. As our population ages forward, more diseases are found and treated in the systems. “The so-called “baby boom” generation (people born between 1946 and 1964) is already having an effect on the health care system and it is expected to grow as the century progresses. The number of Americans age 65 and older (35 million in 2000) will rise by more than 19 million to54 million by 2020. From 2000 to 2050, the number of older adults will increase from 12.5% to20% of the U.S. population.” (Rensselar, 2006)In a matter of 20 years, there is a possible increase of 54 million adults...
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... October 3, 2012 Different cultures treat their elderly different, the Tiwi people who live on an Island off the northern coast of Australia. Their custom is when an old woman became too feeble to look after herself, to “cover her up.” This could only be done by her sons and brothers and all of them had to agree beforehand, since once it was done, they did not want any dissension among the brothers or clansmen, as that might lead to a feud. My mother was now completely, blind, she was constantly falling over logs or into fires, and they, her senior clansmen, were in agreement that she would be better out of the way. The method was to dig a hole in the ground in some lonely place, put the old woman in the hole and fill it with earth until only her head was showing. Unlike the Abkhasians , an agricultural people who live in a mountainous region of Georgia, a republic of the former Sovier Union as well as other cultures pay their elderly high respect and look to them for guidance. Industrialized countries have the highest percentage of elderly, with industrialization comes a higher standard of living, including more food, a purer water supply, and more effective ways of fighting the diseases that kill children. As a result, when a country industrializes, more of its people reach older ages. Many economists, in addition, have concluded that population aging will likely result in wrenching economic contraction in the affected...
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...educational system. We live in an ever evolving world with constant changes that are affecting every aspect of our lives daily. Our educational system has not been immune to these changes and shouldn’t be since these changes and our ability to adapt to these changes will determine our future academic success and our place in a global society. Trend 1: Diverse & Older Population America has always been a melting pot of diversity, but current statistics show that in the near future minorities will become the majority percentage of the population (Pearson, 2010). Immigration, legal and illegal, have been substantial for a long time now and is changing the needs that educational systems have to address. For example, the need for qualified and minority teachers who can teach English as a second language will and does continue to grow (Pearson, 2010). Educators will have to adapt to this also by being more sensitive to various cultures and perhaps re-evaluate the current curriculum to promote multicultural literacy. Furthermore, the number of people that will retire will be doubled by the year 2050 and there will be fewer people of working age paying into the tax system that helps support education and elder services (Pearson, 2010). Because of this, financial constraints most likely will limit some of the programs progress needed to implement these changes and meet the needs of the new and more diverse student body. When we have a larger aging population...
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...the reach of the US. However, looking at the facts we know now and not speculating too much, the life of a Chinese farmer will change minimally. Likely, as a Chinese farmer I would not live much beyond 50 years. The life expectancy in China for a healthy person is 72.54 years. For a farmer, the daily risks we encounter are much greater than those of higher social classes. My children have grown and married and my husband and I have 8 grandchildren. Our food source would remain much the same, eating primarily rice, eggs, and chickens. As we have gotten older, my husband and I are not able to keep the farm running on our own. Our oldest son has taken over the family farm and now provides for us, as is common in our culture. We help out as much as possible, but at our age it is difficult to farm like we use to. My husband and I are still able to take food from our farm to the market to trade for other goods, such as cloth and bowls that are needed. Our entertainment has not changed much. Our grandchildren entertain us the most. At this point in our lives, there are no great worries. Life has been good and to live until we are 70 years old is a great accomplishment. As a US software engineer in 2063, life is quite different. According to the CDC, I am likely to live until I am 77.9 years of age. Due to the increased medical technology in the US, as well as 50 years of research, I have been able to overcome and manage multiple age related ailments. I retired after a thirty year career...
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...The Activity theory This theory which was created by Havighurst in 1963 talks about if an older person continues to sustain an active part in society they will prolong their physical and mental health, such as social networking/ interaction which will make them more fulfilled with their lives. These activities will help an older person replace the roles that has now disappeared because of retirement. The activity theory is said to “reflects the functionalist perspective” this means that the income (money) that a middle age person developed should maintain them for later in life. The theory says to maintain a successful level of productivity is the success to a successful ageing experience, “the more you do the better you will age”. It suggests if you are active and engaged you will be happier and involved with what’s going on around you. The criticisms of the activity theory suggest that not all individuals want to be independent and care for themselves or want to be active, as they get older not all of them can access social networking like some with MG (Myasthenia Gravis), and those who don’t have the resources to leave their home or those who aren’t finically able to afford the activities. Some criticism about the theory is that you can’t wake up every day and do the same activities again; however I would say that they should dismiss this argument as I believe the theory is talking about doing different activities on different days, so you are able to experience more. The...
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...The internet age has completely transformed how society functions: from how we communicate to how we do business, from how we shop to how we bank, from how we digest news and media to how we travel and spend our leisure time. Even government oversight, and criminal elements, has had to adjust to the new threat landscape in the internet age. The new internet based economy has driven a shift in power from traditional brick and mortar business to online e-commerce based industries, and with it established a new social structure encompassing new definitions of bourgeoisie and proletariat. This new shift has consolidated the majority of power in the hands of just a few internet giants who hold the fate of our online identities in their hands. In this paper, I will discuss how the Internet Age has become monopolized by a few leading tech companies who now have unprecedented power, and how the Internet has fundamentally changed how our society functions. I will discuss the new class structures created based on Bourguise Author, market factors which led to this massive consolidation of power, based on concepts of neoliberalism argued by neoliberalism author, and new models of oppression of labor via social media based on arguments by Young. I will additionally discuss new vulnerabilities and risk of the Internet age, and methods of mitigating those risks in the future (WEAK…IMPROVE). A few leading tech companies have become the conglomerates of the internet age. They buy up competition...
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...TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT BY JONATHAN GUTIERREZ BSHS/325 6/17/2014 UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX In our early adult lives, a lot of us gets used to the routine of getting up in the morning, work till the evening, and come home for many years, but if we are lucky enough to reach the good age of 65, we get to retire, and that will change our roles and lives from here on end. During this time since we have no more jobs to worry, we have different roles in our social groups. In many TV shows it is common to see a grandma and grandpa, being put in a nursing home or living under the same roof as their kids and grandkids. Life at this stage is not all fun and relaxation; we have more health problems then our younger adult life, and we have to watch our diets to reduce any more problems to can give us complications. A question that arises at this age is “can I afford to retire, can I continue to work past 65”, many older people that is about to retire will wonder this question, because the social security might not be enough to sustain their old way of living when they had jobs. This is our later adulthood, its experiences, and expectations. We all had jobs that required us to set aside time for work, put food on the table and we do this for 40 something years, but now your retired. Retirement is great, but it takes a while to adjust to this new life, because when you first wake in your first day of retirement, you will find this great you all the time in the world to do whatever...
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...“The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship”. Andrew wanted to find a way for the rich and poor to help each other, but that did not happen throughout the Gilded Age. There were two ways to live during the gilded age either poor or wealthy, shown through their living and health conditions. The differences on how the poor and wealthy life during the Gilded Age can be seen through how they both lived. For instance, the wealthy lived comfortably in exclusive mansions,“Some of the richest urban residents lived in palatial mansions located in exclusive neighborhoods in the heart of the city-Fifth Avenue in New York…”. The wealthy...
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...EVERY NOW AND THEN Being one of the minorities sometimes makes you proud, especially, when that minority was once familiar, the one which was right in the eyes of the once young but now, for the young ones, we find it strange. Proud and sad. I had these mixed emotions when we had the activity “10 steps before sexual intercourse” June 21, 2012. Proudly, we were one of the minorities, one of the minorities who still live on the lessons given by our grandparents, one of the minorities who still believe that there should be a thing called marriage and value it by being a pure one on your first time, one of the minorities who were able to think what is supposed to be done by a Filipina woman knowing our culture, one of the minorities whom I can say are least influenced by the western culture as we call it. Sadly, we were one of the minorities who have thoughts and plans that are left behind in our age today, one of the minorities whom our age level would think are kill joys, one who still live up on the lessons from our parents and refuse to make mistakes on our own and learn our lessons then on. This is the first thing which I thought was once strange but now find it familiar. Courtship. Harana. A Philippine culture of courtship which is usually done at night, the guy will sing a song for the girl he’s trying to please. A scene so very familiar in the same country I live in at the time when my grandparents where in my age. I haven’t seen anyone do it nowadays, there may be...
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