The Working Poor Invisibe in America Essay Example

The Working Poor: Invisibe in America Essay Regardless if we are aware of it or not, not many Americans live the supposed American Dream of having a nice car, big house, well paying job, and have a secure family. In the renowned novel The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler he captures those Americans who live invisible in America that work so hard to suffer from the psychological effects of poverty. Not only does Shipler do that but he also indirectly talks about the â€Å"American Myth† and the â€Å"American Anti Myth through the lives on these individuals. † In The Working Poor Shipler goes on to explain both of the myths. Shipler states that the American Myth â€Å"still supposes that any individual from the humblest origins can climb to well-being† (Shipler, pg. 5), but the thing is that is not true because, there are many people who are humble that work hard and don’t go from rag to riches. The American myth has a demanding standard for both the nation and every resident that the nation† has to strive to make itself the fabled land of opportunity; the resident must strive to use that opportunity† (Shipler, pg. ). Not only that but the American myth also provides a means for laying blame; â€Å"if a person’s diligent work leads to prosperity(†¦) and anyone in society can attain prosperity through work, then the failure to do so is a fall from righteousness† (Shipler, pg. 6). George W. Bush also gave a voice to the myth weather he meant it or not that â€Å"people who work hard and make the right decision in life can achieve anything they want in America† (Shipler, pg. ), but when we examine examples in this book there are many of those who work hard in America but are hit with the circumstances of life and they fail or they are unable to achieve what they want in America; the land of prosperity for all. To the American Myth there is an opposite extreme the American Anti Myth â€Å"which holds the society largely responsible for the individual’s poverty† (Shipler, pg. 6). The ladder that is created in our society by racial discrimination and economic supremacy creates a condition of impoverished communities. As stated by Shipler â€Å"in reality, people do not fit easily into myths or anti myths. We will write a custom essay sample on The Working Poor: Invisibe in America specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Working Poor: Invisibe in America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Working Poor: Invisibe in America specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is just that the individuals in this novel are scattered along this spectrum of polar opposites, that each person’s life â€Å"is the mixed product of bad choices and bad fortune, of roads taken and roads cut off† (Shipler, pg. 6). The debate on welfare and other social policies has been shaped by the question on â€Å"how to define the individual’s role in his/her own poverty† (Shipler, pg. 7). The poor have less control over their private decisions; their personal mistakes have larger penalties, and their personal achievement only bring back a small reward. What many people do not realize such as employers is that the poor lack â€Å"hard skills† like the use of a computer and â€Å"soft skills† like interacting with people and peers. In the novel there are many Americans that depict the â€Å"American Myth,† for example Ann she was typical of the low wage working people ( Shipler, pg. 24-25), but the thing is Ann did not point fingers of blame at anyone, she excepted that she got herself into the situation that she is now. Even though she knew that the credit card companies rates were high she made the option of using them, but that is not because she had a choice or not but only because she had to. The lease on Ann truck was about to expire and her ex husbands child support of $100 was about to stop because her daughter was about to turn 18. Ann only had one option left which was bankruptcy but then she found out that she was too poor to file, so Ann had last option was to stop paying her credit cards, and loans so she could save up to go bankruptcy. When we look at Ann’s story and her struggle in life we see that Ann is an example of the Americans who are invisible in America. Ann tried to make her credit better by paying them off, but she eventually had to stop just so she could save up to file bankruptcy. Another individual in the novel that portrays the â€Å"American Myth† is Christie. She â€Å"did the job that this labor-hungry economy could not do without† (Shipler, pg. 39). Every morning she would drive her battered Volkswagen from public housing the child care center where she watched little children so their parents could go to work, but the ironic part about that was Christie â€Å"could not afford to put her own two children in the daycare center where she worked† (Shipler, pg. 9). Christie low income entitled here to food stamps and rental subsidy, â€Å"but whenever she get a little pay raise, government agencies reduced the benefits,† (Shipler, pg. 40) and Christie felt punished for working because she already did not earn that much and the food stamps she received was not enough to feed her and her children. So w hen the food stamps is reduced that is more money she has to take out of her little to nothing $330 check. Unless employers can and will pay a good deal to society’s essential labor, â€Å"those working hard at the edge of poverty [like Christie] will stay there† (Shipler, pg 46). Work didn’t work for Debra Hall either. Debra was one of the single mothers on welfare and everything seemed to change in her life except her material standard of living. Debra was hit by life circumstances after the birth of her daughter she was â€Å"launched [into] a twenty one year career of welfare checks and â€Å"under the table type jobs† as she put it,† (Shipler, pg. 46) and she was unable to finish school. Being black Debra also felt herself on the wrong end of subtle racial strains, because she felt like the employers were more lenient on the Hispanics, when she packed 3 boxes of bread the Hispanic lady next to her only did one and instead of the manger talking to the Hispanic lady about it the manger raises hell with her because of that ladys lack of speaking English. Debra did not want to continue her family line of low wage jobs, but every time she would ask â€Å"supervisors about the salary at their level, they’d answer vaguely, â€Å"It varies† she couldn’t get specific numbers† (Shipler, pg. 9). This lowered Debra’s confidence that she could ever move up in position and pay. Caroline Payne was a different version of the â€Å"American Myth. † Caroline had earned a college diploma, and she had gone from homeless shelters to owning her own home, even though it was owned mostly by the bank, but the only goal that she could not achieve was a well paying job. â€Å"Caroline was the forgotten story of prosperity in America† (Shipler, pg. 51). She was not the victim of racial discrimination, and she was not lazy. She was very punctual and considered a nice lady by her coworker and mangers at Wal-Mart. â€Å"But she did not move up. She never moved up. And that ceased to amaze her because it had been going on for so long† (Shipler, pg. 51). Caroline worked so hard trying to get ahead working different shifts whenever she could; she was always available. â€Å"The people who got promotions tended to have something Caroline did not. They had teeth. Caroline did not have teeth (†¦) her teeth had succumbed to poverty, to the years she could not afford a dentist† (Shipler, pg 52). Caroline was the face of the working poor, â€Å"marked by poverty generated handicap more obvious than most deficiencies but not different† (Shipler, pg. 53). Caroline life resembled a fallen ladder if she had not been poor, maybe she would have her teeth, if she did not lose her teeth, and maybe she would have not remained poor. What David Shipler meant by invisible in America is for those Americans who do the jobs that no one usually pays attention to, for those Americans who get left behind in Americas economic prosperity, or unnoticed and unaccounted for in our society. They are the ones who work at the edge of poverty, and they are essential to America’s prosperity, â€Å"but their well-being is not treated as an integral part of the whole† (Shipler, pg. 300). Instead these individuals are forgotten and left behind to struggle. In conclusion, poverty is a peculiar menacing thing: â€Å"a cause whose effects then cause the original cause or an effect whose causes are caused by the effect,† (Shipler, pg. 53) all depending on where the cycle begins. Through this novel David Shipler makes it easier for us to see how the invisible in America are a bundle of these causes and effects.

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To

Study Distractions You Should Say Yes To Most students (and their professors) are assured that distractions is something you should avoid - they keep you away from getting your tasks done on time, listening carefully to your tutor in class, and studying for important exams. But you cannot help it! When you have to study for several hours straight, your mind gets tired and trivial little things seem to become incredibly important. You switch your attention to a TV show, updating your software, or flipping through Facebook news. Well, these distractions cannot help you be more productive especially when you have an exam tomorrow. However, there are distractions that can actually boost your energy and help you improve your studying results. There are right distractions, which give you a mental rest. A short rest can strengthen and consolidate your memory and improve later learning. Here are some beneficial distractions for studying you can use for better productivity. You can clean your room and update your Windows later Physical Exercises When the body gets sluggish, so does the mind! Keep up with physical training during midterm exams to stay bright eyed and bushy tailed. Attending gym lets you switch over to another wavelength. It is beneficial since you give your brain a break from studying while refreshing your body. Late Night Time with Friends Make it a routine to have late-night events with your friends. Invite your friends for a movie or get some snacks together. This will help you stay efficient when you have to complete a task late at night because of the burning deadline. Just dont forget to go back to studying when you have to! Naps Short power naps can improve your productivity and memory. Allow yourself to catch small periods of sleep, but keep them to less than half an hour, or else your head will experience something like heaviness and it will be difficult to come back to your work. Long nap will also steal your time, and you need to finish your project before the deadline! Something Funny Do something that will make you laugh: whether it is watching an episode of Friends or your favorite stand-up show. Laughter reduces stress and releases endorphin, your bodys natural hormone of happiness! So take your mind off your textbooks for at least 30 minutes, laugh hard, and then come back to studying. Meal Your body and mind need energy. Take a break for a nice meal to replenish your energy supplies. It is true that most people retain more information if their stomach is full. Also, allow yourself to have some snacks while studying, but make it healthy. Replace biscuits and potato chips with nuts and dried fruits. Music The right kind of music is perfect for studying. It works as a right distraction that cuts down on useless distractions and helps you relax your mind and focus on your homework. Classical music for better concentration is a traditional productivity advice. Teaching Yourself Something Interesting If you are interested in fine arts, cinema or quantum physics - make a pause to read a couple of articles or books on the topics of your interest. This will keep your mind active and efficient while taking a small break from a boring textbook. Its like continuing your studying while taking a rest from your studying! Double win! Games and Puzzles Small games really work for most people. They keep your mind in an active thinking mode so you dont have to go through engage/disengage process. Yet, small games provide refreshing break because they are sufficiently different from studying work. So, from a practical point of view, we suggest that when students are faced with complicated and long tasks, such as large writing projects or midterm exams, it is crucial for them to take small breaks on themselves. Small breaks will help you get more energy and stay focused on the task! Work hard, rest hard and good luck! What other distractions do you find helpful? Share your experience in the comments!

Characteristics Of Gifted Underachievers Education Essay

Characteristics Of Gifted Underachievers Education Essay This selective review of literature aims to establish the characteristics of gifted underachievers, know the causative factors contributing to their underachievement, understand various strategies schools and teachers could adopt in reversing student underachievement, and present the implications of the aforementioned. Characteristics of gifted underachievers It is important for educators to have a clear understanding as to who are considered gifted underachievers in the classroom. Amazingly, the number of highly intellectual students who had not achieved well in school is as high as 50% (Schultz, 2005). Comprising this group is a large population of underserved or neglected talented students by gifted programs. If this number is not provided much needed attention, it is imperative therefore that this issue has to be addressed. A survey of existing literature seemed to disagree not only on the definition of underachievement but the legitimacy of categorizing gifted underachievement as an academic behavior. The controversial study in Moon (2004) sent shockwaves to the scientific community by stating that some researchers believed underachievement is simplistically attributed to test error. Yet scientists like Rimm have devoted their entire professional careers reversing underachievement. Chaffey (2004) emphasized that the underachievement definition adopted by the teacher will serve as basis for identifying underachievers and consequently the students receiving appropriate plan of action. Having successfully recognized gifted underachievers in the classroom will allow teachers’ expectations to be shifted upwards as research strongly suggests that improved academic performance in underachieving students is linked to high teacher expectations. Various studies point to its multi-faceted nature which has sometimes muddied educational experts in the field; but regardless of origin, underachievement is defined as the discrepancy between expected and actual ach ievement. Morando (2003) of the Columbiana Co. Educational Service Center said that gifted underachievers tend to be disorganized and their schoolwork is either incomplete or missing. Though IQ scores are very high compared to the average, there is a consistent decline in academic ability and exhibit disinterest in attending school. Moreover, the student may also be a loner, has low self-esteem, emotionally frustrated, and is economically disadvantaged. Lau and Chan (2001) described the motivational characteristics of underachieving junior high school students in Hong Kong after subjecting them to various measures namely Raven Progressive Matrices Test, vocabulary test, standardized achievement test, Marsh self description questionnaire, Causal dimension scale, Eccles and Wigfield’s expectancy value model, and Motivated strategies for learning questionnaire. The results demonstrated low academic self-concept, poor attainment value in learning as well as deficiencies in utiliz ing effective learning methods. The study also disproved the conclusion of Western researches that HK underachievers demonstrate maladaptive attribution patterns. Chow, Chow, and Ku-Yu (2003) conducted a case study involving five underachieving gifted students and used Whitmore’s checklist in characterizing their behaviors. The research yielded the following characteristics in the students: high external locus of control, negative attitude towards school, experience difficulty in establishing social relationships, set unworkable goals, attention deficit inside the classroom, resistance in following instructions, has a very varied range of interests, exhibits aggressive behavior, possesses low self-esteem, avoidant in trying out new activities, dedication in self-selected homework and assignments, dissatisfaction with achievement, dislike of memorization and drill, poor school work, and significant gap between quality of written and oral work.

Case Study Discussion Paper (Organisational change & transformation) Research

Case Study Discussion (Organisational change & transformation) - Research Paper Example How was change managed at Simmons? One of the most effective methods of ensuring a lasting change within an organization is to engage different stakeholders including employees in the overall process of change. This would mean that all the stakeholders are taken on board before any decision to take on the new changes within the organization is implemented. (Ragsdell, 2000). What is also significant to understand that in order to manage change effectively, it has to be communicated well and thus requires a great deal of effective communication in order to ensure that the real message is trickled down to the employees. (Almaraz, 1994). Any change management process therefore faces the fact that different people react differently to the change due to the fact that everyone has different fundamental needs which need to be fulfilled and the overall process of change can threaten such needs. What is also significant to understand that changes often result into loss- losses such as jobs, lo ss of position and organizational power etc and in such a situation, it becomes often difficult to accept such change and become part of it. (Paton,& McCalman, 2008). In order to overcome such situations, it is therefore critical that the overall process of change is managed properly and within an acceptable norm where losses are minimized while at the same time, the overall objectives are achieved with ease.(Stanleigh, 2008). It is also important to note that change often creates fears and therefore it is important that the overall process of managing fear is also managed properly. Employees often believe that the overall process of change would result into their job losses or make them redundant and therefore they may not fully accept the change and provide the kind of information and input required to make change successful. Leaders therefore will have to ensure that the fears of the individuals are managed properly and that individuals know how this change is going to affect the m positively. (Saka, 2003) A closer look at the overall affairs at Simmons would suggest that it was undergoing tremendous competitive pressures not only due to the fact that its major customers were out of the business but its overall approach was not centered on the consumers. This lack of focus on consumers therefore was not only costing them presently but it was its future which was at the risk also. Apart from this, the overall organizational structure at the firm was such that it resulted into the direct competition between different plants rather than fostering an overall process of collaboration between them. This situation therefore demanded a complete process of change management to be initiated at the firm. The overall process of change was managed at Simmons in rather an unconventional manner where the top management of the firm was first introduced to the concept. The CEO of the firm first shared the need for change with one individual and than the process of change man agement was initiated in order to ensure that the top management of the firm is on one page in terms of proposed changes in the future. As such the overall approach was a top down approach wherein the changes were first introduced at the top and then they were subsequently trickled down to the lower level. Changes were introduced at the higher level first wherein the top managemen

The Future World System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Future World System - Essay Example According to realists, anarchy and polarity are the two types of systems dominant on the globe today. Anarchy refers to a situation in which the state holds the ultimate power and authority. Polarity is concerned with the number of sates that exercise power over other states in the international arena states (Haas 235). The liberals are of the thought that the international system is anarchical in which individual states act out of self-interest in an effort to preserve their sovereignty (Haas 55). On their part, radicals view the international system as being characterized by stratifications pitting the haves and the have-nots against one another (Haas 251). This stratification is brought about by the availability of resources in individual states, whereby the states with a lot of resource exercise power over those with limited resources. Constructivists differ with the other theorist by asserting that international relations are not characterized by material resources, but rather by social norms (Haas 235). Polarity is a type of international relations system that is advanced by realists who argue that international politics are controlled by a certain number of states where power is concentrated, allowing these states to exert power over inferior states (Arreguin-Toft & Mingst 243). As such, there exist three forms of polarity that exist in international relations. A unipolar system is characterized by a situation in which a single state has absolute power over international politics. Currently, the United States is considered the most powerful state in the world, meaning that the international arena is unipolar. When two rival states are fairly equal and exercise the same level of influence over international affairs, then the international system is considered as bipolar. A perfect example of a bipolar system is the state of affairs after World War II which set the United States against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In a multipolar

The Whale Rider Essay -- Witi Ihimaera essays research papers

This book really grabbed me right from the beginning of the story. The story begins with the birth of fraternal twins, with the grandfather patiently awaiting the birth of the son. Right away I felt sadness when the mother and one of the twins die. The boy dies and the girl survives. The grandpa seems to not care about the girl who survived . He was longing for his grandson because he is from the Maori tribe and the tribe is waiting for the sign of a new chief to be born . The chief would lead the village and its community to greatness. Many elders have been born but none with the strength to be the next chief. The little girl was named Pai. The grandma of Pai took her home to raise her along with the grandfather. The grandfather showed right away that women or girls where less than a man. He longed for a new chief . This was grandpas goal in life right now. He could see that their tribe was going down hill .He had hoped one of his son’s would become the chief but neither one did. So grandpa was set on his grandson becoming the next chief  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .It was no secret that he blamed Pia for the death of his grandson. He felt by her birth she gave a curse to the tribe. He couldn’t see any truth or purpose in her having life over the grandson. He showed resentment toward her. As time went on , Pia seemed to be this stubborn, curious, and smart little tomboy . The grandfather didn’t like that pia was a tomboy . He wanted her to stay away from a...

Group Practice Manager on Administrative Applications

Group Practice Manager on Administrative Applications Group Practice Manager on Administrative Applications An Air Force (AF) military treatment facility (MTF) will normally have two or more group practice managers (GPM). The facility where this interview takes place has three; they are co-located at LakenheathHospital with duties equally divided between in and outpatient care areas. The duties of a GPM consist of assessing clinical business practices, forecasting demands on medical services, and determine how well the MTF is meeting the business plan. They are responsible for the evaluation of each provider regarding relative value unit (RVU) and relative weighted unit (RWU). Additionally, they are evolved in budgeting, marketing, strategic planning and lead facility initiatives addressing patient satisfaction of in and outpatient medical services (AFMS Kx, n. d. ). The GPMs interact with numerous administrative applications to achievesuccess at their job. This paper will discuss three key applications; Management Analysis and Reporting Tool (M2), United States Armed Forces Europe (USAFE) Decision Support System (DSS) and Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look (SG EGL) utilized by the GPM in assess data. M2 is a Business Objects query tool GPMs use to aid decision makers in overseeing military health system(MHS) operations. The benefits of M2, provides a detailed summary of population, clinical and financial data from all MHSworldwide. Data includes, purchased care, eligibility and enrollment data (Executive Information Decision Support, n. . ). GPMs use M2 to evaluate encounters, business practices, perform trend analyses, conduct patient, and provider profiling studies. This application also identifies areas of healthcare services paid to the private sector that are available at the MTF and transfers those services back to MTF. Disadvantages of this system identified by the GPM include, complicated excel spreadsheet s requiring extensive data cleanup and performing multiple pivots to present reportable data. Data lag time is forty to sixty days, so today the GPM can only assess data as recent as the end of February. This system is preferred to the Composite Health Care System (CHCS I), a Virtual Memory System (VMS) where ad-hoc reports are built, requiring clean up, then pasted in to Excel for more data clean-up and pivoting (Beyster & Economy, 2007). Another administrative application favored by GPMs is the Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look (SG EGL). SG EGL assesses MTF effectiveness of meeting measures in customer satisfaction, provider availability, appointment booking, business plan and the command’s overall performance. One innovation all three GPMs agree upon is SG EGL, this administrative application provides â€Å"Push Report,† which pre-builds graphics of the aforementioned data that they do not have to pivot down. The SG EGL website allows requested reports to be sent directly to e-mail inbox monthly (Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look, n. d. ). Reports received have the same information contained on the website, so the user receives information in a dashboard format that is easily copied into PowerPoint for presentation tothe hospital leadership. One limitations of SG EGL noted by the GPM is the same data lag time as M2. Another problem with this application is the website frequently is inoperative and if updates are implemented you may not be able to see data until the Pentagon figures out the issue. One of the strengths of the website regardless up or down the â€Å"Push Reports† are always sent and contain viable data. Another tool for analyzing data used by the GPM is DSS. DSS is located in Ramstein, Germany and supports USAFESG on data regarding medical services provided throughout USAFE. DSS is a team of informatics specialists that generate custom reports, create and manage web-based applications (USAFE DSS, n. d. ). GPMs find DSS a favorite place to request custom built reports not covered in other applications such as M2 or SG EGL. Additionally, the informatics experts have the ability to mined data and perform clean-up, the GPM would normally have to accomplish. The report is still received in excel format,but data is specific to the request. The negatives of DSS, if a requested report needs additional data fields added, the report has to be rebuilt to include the new fields. Furthermore, extensive directions must be given to guide the informatics section on building the report. Once the report is built to specifications the potential for assessment of data is tremendous. The administrative application discussed in this paper address just a few currently used by GPMs. There are additional unique databases at major commands (MAJCOM), developed to assess unique data requiring evaluation by the command. The development of unique databases occurs due tothe demand for quick acquisition of data â€Å"in real time. Unfortunately, development at the DoD level takes years for implementation and the user want current data, not data forty to sixty days out of date. GPMs at this facility greatly desire one administrative application to obtain tables, graphs and reports, but such an application is years in the making. References Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) Knowledge Exchange (Kx). (n. d). Group practice manager’s position description. Retrieved from https ://kx. afms. mil/kxweb/home. doAFAF (Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look n. d. SG EGL)Air Force Surgeon General’s Executive Global Look. (n. d. . SG EGL. Retrieved from https://egl. afms. mil/ (Beyster R J Economy P 2007 SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Comapny)Beyster, R. J. , & Economy, P. (2007). The SAIC solution: How we built an $8 billion employee-owned technology company. John Wiley & Sons, 88. (Executive Information Decision Support n. d. EIDS)Executive Information Decision Support. (n. d. ). EIDS. Retrieved from http://www. ha. osd. mil/peo/59810_Axiom_Bro_EIDS. pdf United States Armed Forces Europe (USAFE) Decision Support System (DSS). (n. d. ). Retrieved from https://sg2. usafe. af. mil/DSS/