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Estimated pharmaceutical market growth, 2010-2015 (IMS Health, 2011).
By Friday, November 22 (11:59 p.m. EST), students will be required to post a blog journal entry about a particular social problem/issue on a weekly basis related to the theme(s) discussed during the week. The post will thoroughly address the following: 
  1. A social problem or issue related to the theme of the week;
  2. A justification of why this particular social problem/issue was selected;
  3. An explanation of how this social problem/issue is relevant to the student AND to society;
  4. A description of the actions taken/that could be taken by the student to personally address/work on this social problem/issue; and
  5. Pose a question to classmates and instructor that is relevant to the blog post for the week.

Peer responses to this post are due on Wednesday, November 27 (11:59 p.m., EST).
Ajani irish
11/20/2013 04:53:23 am

Each month I am perplexed by silly interpretations of the jobs report that pop up in otherwise respectable news outlets around the country. The last one was a perfect example: With the economy creating 204,000 jobs, several reporters claimed that U.S. stocks were buoyed by a good jobs report.
First, the jobs report was downright rotten. Second, were the jobs numbers actually good, stocks would likely decline in anticipation of the Federal Reserve ending its $85 billion-a-month purchase of bonds and mortgages.
At first blush, 200,000 new jobs would be welcome news, as it is almost half the number of monthly jobs we need to return our labor markets to normal by the end of the decade. Alas, the Department of Labor publishes much more detailed data each month, and in that lurks dark shadows of a still-stagnant economy.
Last month more than 700,000 folks quit looking for work – more than three times the number who found jobs. Of those 200,000 net new job-holders, more than six in 10 had to settle for part-time jobs because of a weak economy. In normal times, that number is something like one in 20.
Voluntary part-time employment is dropping, but that is because more people who voluntarily work part time are moving to full-time positions. A healthy economy should have lots of folks who choose to work part time. For more than 220,000 workers to shift to full time in one month is likely evidence of heightened financial distress in many families.
Overall, part-time employment is holding steady, allowing Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to dismiss reporters who question whether the Affordable Care Act is weakening labor markets. So far this year, the majority of new jobs have been part-time positions to workers who want to work full time, while just last month more than 200,000 voluntary part-time workers shifted to full-time work. This is a sign that labor markets are weak, and weakening.
Perhaps the only good sign in the report is that manufacturing jobs accounted for the second-highest number of new jobs. Still, retail was No. 1 and motels No. 3.
The plain fact is that American labor markets are astonishingly weak, and the stock markets know this lessens pressure on the Federal Reserve to end its quantitative easing program – hence the stock market jump after Friday's dismal jobs report.
This article talks about the current job market and critiques it. The job market has always been a social issue because it effects peoples ability to live and provide. I chose it because it came out yesterday, so it was current. Also I felt it was controversial because it challenged what many would consider to be facts. Its hard to find an answer for a problem this large but we could help by challenging the government to create reform to support up & coming businesses and improve impoverished communities. If money can flow in these places more jobs will grow and more communities will improve.

My question to you all is do you think the writer was being too critical or bias?
Is his point valid?

Reply
11/20/2013 04:55:27 am

Here's the link
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131119/BUSINESS/311199998/1010

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Urban_Mason
11/21/2013 03:33:41 am

A social problem, effecting the world, right now as it spins; and to change this social problem, first requires that you really recognize the root of, all that which is felt to be in such disarray. This social problem, is so rooted, that to combat it will be of epic proportions, and that is this system of debt that the WEST has perpetuated. The far-EAST is taking full advantage of capitalism, couple that with communism you have a whole other issue. Now, this system of debt, is crippling the U.S. and the world at large. The continued use of paper money backed by no legitimate resource -so as to ensure the buying power of the dollar - has brought the U.S. to its neck in debt; and not just the U.S. This neocolonialism way to keep the masses 'enslaved' and entrapped in a consumer dependent economy has contributed to every social problem. For every dollar the U.S., privately owned, centralized bank prints out, we as the people owe this bank interest on that dollar. Hence, the debt ceiling debate that just took place Oct 17, 2013 with the passing of the 'Continuing Appropriates act, 2014'. To keep this brief, this debt cant keep climbing, especially if you want to be free of debt in your own personal life. The U.S. dollar is dying, as is the Euro, and oil rich countries know this. They know this because of the aggressive stance the WEST has taken in relation to the ARAB SPRING, which started December 2010. The WEST capitalized on these uprisings to take out leaders who were threatening to trade their oil in another currency, outside the dollar. These countries, which were breaking OPEC's(Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) standard of trading OIL ,in dollars; were and are being subjected by U.S. meddling in their social issues, because they are putting the dollar at risk. Qaddafi wanted to unite most parts North African and Sub-Saharan Africa countries under a currency made of GOLD, to be called the Dinar. There are other victim nations with which the U.S. is going to ensure, stay on the DOLLAR standard. How am I trying to make a change in this social problem, I buy precious metals that will always retain wealth. I just wish that my home country of Sierra Leone would take heed and nationalize its resources and create a central bank to retain its own resources, rid itself of the IMF and their predatory loans, and build interest from/off the country's wealth, a system of interest. Work, labor markets, and even healthcare are all effected by this system of debt with which, the U.S. Government and -other debt based economies- burdens its people with. 

Question to Peers:

What are some ways the U.S. can eliminate its debt?

Question to professor:

Do you feel that, raising taxes on the rich will help to relieve America's debt; or raise it on the rich, to ensure social programs get more funding?

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ifiyaR
11/27/2013 11:03:36 am

I think the US could prolly reduce outsourcing and have more in county production, like more "made in the US" products. Then that might be too expensive to maintain. Also maybe we should put more of a value on stones, gems and natural resources that the earth creates. Why? why not its going up in value slowly but surely is more valuable than paper money. I mean there are billionaire with coal money and petroleum money thats a smart way that creates the economic link to a stable economy but im not sure if it will decrease debt thats just some of my thoughts...

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Gema
11/21/2013 11:01:31 am

The social problem of increased inequality as a result of globalization, as described in our reading this week America Transformed, is something that needs more pro-activity. As the gap continues to get wider and wider, the rate of poverty will continue to increase, and this is a reason why this issue is important. It is scary to think that our children will have to possibly grow up and try to integrate into such an intensely competitive workforce, with possibly no fair chance of making a decent living wage. They may have to face the hourglass phenomenon, as discussed in America Transformed, that will limit their options and chances in the labor market. The U.S. occupational structure will not change back to a diamond shape with a plentiful middle sector if this issue is not tackled. As one writer suggests, globalization needs to be managed more effectively so that issues like, but not limited to, inequality can decrease not increase any further, as was the initial globalization predictions of neoliberals. Perhaps setting relief programs in place to assist people and countries affected by the negative effects of globalization can be a start to counter attack, and concentrating on any of the positive aspects of globalization so that they may prevail over the negative.

Question: If globalization was predicted to decrease inequality and and low wage employment in the U.S., where do you think it went wrong?

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Dakota Ayers
11/24/2013 11:28:19 am

In my opinion the increase in inequality stems from large businesses and corporations developing an extreme sense of greed. They feel they've not only earned their success and money but that they're entitled to more and become densitized to those they exploit and manipulate (laborers/workers/employees).

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Gisele
11/27/2013 06:52:15 am

Dakota,

This brings to mind what you said about working at a large hotel a few classes ago. Obviously, the problem of income inequality in the United States is connected to American corporations' tendency to exploit immigrant workers as part of the vicious cycle of globalization. When Americans are surveyed about income, these workers may not even be included because many do not hold U.S. citizenship - so in fact, the income gap between people in the United States may be even more severe than we know. You mentioned how the maids and hotel workers were rotated to different jobs every three months to keep them from receiving health care benefits, and how non-citizen restaurant workers were paid half the minimum wage for the same work citizen employees did, and how these disenfranchised workers in turn had to seek out second jobs to survive in the United States.Clearly American corporations are benefiting hugely from the flow of "illegal" immigrants into the United States, and this is contributing to the vast gaps in income seen in the new "hourglass" income model. The U.S. federal government has, at times, assumed a very lackadaisical attitude towards ensuring that immigrant workers get their rights, in large part because it is keenly aware of how these exploited millions contribute to corporations' huge earnings, and in turn to the wealth of CEOs and one-percenters, who prop up the U.S. in its current (misleading) status as the wealthiest nation on Earth. The U.S. draws in immigrants from less wealthy areas such as Southeast Asia and Latin America and turns them into the poorest, most disenfranchised Americans, creating a racialized underclass. Holistic federal monitoring of corporations' treatment of undocumented immigrant workers is in order; undocumented immigration is now a fact of the U.S. economy's functioning, and these workers should not be fired or deported once discovered to be working for corporations. Rather, sanctions should be put into effect on the corporations treating these workers unethically. Immigrants should be granted citizenship, and moreover, programs should be created to help them overcome language barriers, take care of their children and pay for education that will help to lift them out of minimum-wage positions now and in future generations, so the underclass status forced upon them will not persist.

Sharifur S
11/27/2013 08:16:09 am

I think some analysts did not foresee that globalization would create huge mega corporations which are far too big to effectively monitor at the highest levels like a CEO to manage. Basically, they're too giant for their own good. Another factor to consider is the military-industrial complex in the US and what effects it has on globalization. As I recall, virtually almost all factories in the US has ties to the the military. The same factories that makes car can also make tanks and artillery. I think shrinking the military-industrial complex and cutting their funds would reduce the inequality a bit. The funds could be used to invest in social problems, instead of making weapons.

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Ifiya Ranger
11/27/2013 11:10:06 am

I think it went wrong with the inequality aspect of it. Achieving the "American Dream" seemed like the best answer to better their lives and lives of their youths for the simple aspect of better education,healthcare and opportunities for the future. For the employer to pay low wages just makes everything not equal.

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Gema
11/21/2013 11:02:31 am

References:

Hytrek, G., & Zentgraf, K. (2008). American transformed . (pp. 112-125). New York, NY: Oxford University Press, USA.

Wirkkala, R. (2010). Positive and negative aspects of globalization. International Affairs Journal at UC Davis, Retrieved from http://www.davisiaj.org/

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Tamru D
11/22/2013 02:30:25 am

Globalization as we heard, has its ups and downs.
It is also important to know that globalization is the act of trading with products around the globe. Some of the products include: food, weapons, phones, cars, computers and many others. Unfortunately, there are also human beings that are being traded as well. One of these countries that took advantage of the globalization and imported workers from abroad is Qatar. There are many other countries that do that, but I want to focus on Qatar because Amnesty International is currently not only investigating, but also making governments and people around the world aware of the inhumane treatments of the immigrant workers in Qatar, especially in the soccer stadium construction sites for the 2022 FIFA World Championship. To give you all a short background, Qatar has been elected to host the 2022 Soccer World Cup tournament. The funny part is that they don’t have a single soccer stadium. So, they embarked a multibillion-dollar plan to build all necessary stadiums and the entire infrastructure that is needed to host such a big event. To do that, they imported many workers from around the world. Since then, Qatar has come under spotlight. According to Amnesty International, “some workers endure excessive and often dangerous working hours, squalid living conditions and have their payments withheld. One manager referred to workers as "cattle." In addition, they have dozens of deaths so far, and if the condition does not improve, Amnesty estimates that over 4000 workers will die before the first game has even started. This is extremely hard to believe, but it is really happening in front of all nations and political leaders. Yet, nobody has done substantial to relieve these poor immigrants. Most shockingly, the workers don’t even have the right to leave the country because their passports are in possessions of their employer. Because the employer will not give them their passports, they don’t have any other choice than being enslaved. This is really sad, and it makes me angry because all of the powerful nations don’t do anything to help them. The Human Rights Watch Groups and other organizations had suggested to boycott the World Cup 2022. I hope our Government will take any action and help this organizations to bring back the rights of the emigrant workers in Qatar.

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Dakota Ayers
11/24/2013 11:57:06 am

I think you forgot your question but I feel as though boycotting the event isn't good enough because that doesn't alter their present conditions.
I am curious as to what laws and regulations they have to follow in regards to employer-employee protocol, because I would assume it would be based upon the country they're in at that time, and if so why doesn't the Qatar government get involved? Not just for this particular example but for other situations similar to this.
Who's in charge of overseeing these sites?

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Tamru D
11/27/2013 09:03:40 am

Dakota,
Thank you for the reminder…. I totally forgot to give you all my questions.
So, my question is- why do you think the FIFA and Governments around the world is turning a blind eye on this issue?

Manyi F
11/27/2013 12:41:30 pm

I also agree that boycotting the event wont help or stop the fifa world cup from happening. The world cup is an event that is just as popular as the Olympics. Your post reminded me of an article i read, which was talking about the current world cup in brazil. The article talks about how brazil will not benefit from the world cup ,But instead Hurt it. Brazil will spend about 14 billion dollars on the world cup ,and none of it will go towards helping their citizens. So many people in brazil are paying higher taxes,higher transportation ,higher living cost and working dangerous jobs to prepare for the cup. After the world cup is over brazil will not profit from the world cup but instead hurt their economy .People in brazil have been protesting but their protesting wasn't enough and the world cup will still be held there.

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Sharifur S
11/22/2013 09:15:46 am

One problem that has always bothered me is inequality in regards to the wealth distribution. The fastest growing job sectors are the low paying wages. That means in the future me or my classmates or neighbors could be working in these jobs. Unequal distribution has always led to conflict if it lasts too long historically speaking. One of the main factors that led to the American revolt against British rule were the higher taxes and unequal burden sharing. If the wealth were more balanced they would less problems than today. The low wage jobs are barely enough to be called living wages. Therefore, I propose the minimum wage to be raised to $10.00 for all laborers, documented or undocumented. As the US is a consumer society, it would be good to give people more money to spend or save. Higher taxes for the top 1% and limits on the amount of total assets one can have. Set limits so a Ceo of a company cannot have a salary of 531-to-1 ratio compared to his employee. The Ceo can only have salary of 30-to-1 compared to the average worker in his company.

Question:
What other ways are that can reduce the income gap that exists in the US?

Works cited:
America Transformed by Gary Hytrek & Kristine Zentgraf for statistics

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Gisele
11/27/2013 07:09:02 am

Sharifur,

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. You mentioned that college-educated Americans, people like you and I, could be working low or minimum-wage jobs in the future due to the fast growth in low-paying job sectors. This brought to mind an article I read the other day; a woman recounting her experience of working at Abercrombie and Fitch mentioned that all the managers had bachelor's degrees, and and that a bachelor's degree was in fact a requirement to be a manager at the store. She explained that despite its low wages, people still actively sought out managerial positions at Abercrombie and Fitch, and that she personally knew managers with masters' degrees. These people could not find work that matched their qualifications, so they "chose" to work retail.

I think a ten-dollar minimum wage requirement is still too low, though. In "America Transformed", Hytrek and Zentgraf mention that if the minimum wage had grown proportionate to CEOs' pay, it would be approximately $22 (in 2000 dollars). Obviously, this large jump in hypothetical minimum wage has a lot to do with the astronomical spike in CEO pay - if CEOs' wages rise exponentially, so will the hypothetical ratio of what their workers should be paid. If every minimum wage worker were paid $22 and every CEO still paid his current salary, this would probably raise issues of inflation - I'm not very knowledgeable about economics, so I'll leave it at that. So perhaps what should happen is that CEO wages should be lowered to reflect the low pay of minimum wage workers, since CEO wages are already inflated. Then perhaps some meaningful discourse could occur in U.S. politics about the huge disparity in pay. The 30-to-1 limits you suggest put us back in the 1970s/early 80s according to Zentgraf and Hytrek, and while wages were certainly more equal then, that was not an ideal situation either. In summary: go all the way, or don't go at all.

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Nandi
11/27/2013 08:59:55 am

According to John D. Sutter of cnn these are just two steps that one might look at while thinking about overcoming the income gap in America.
1. Break down the social barriers
One of the reasons income inequality persists, says Michael Norton, an associate professor at Harvard, is that people don't realize how wide the gap between rich and poor has become. Credit masks poverty, and most of us are stuck in an income bubble -- we tend only to see and associate with people who are like us, economically.
A solution: We should get out of our collective comfort zone and create conversations across the income divide. Willis, the young woman in Lake Providence, says she wants to come back to her hometown to build a bridge across the lake that largely separates the richer folks on the north from the poorer folks on the south. If they talked more, they might support policies to help each other.

2. Improve public schools; unify them
There's no surer ticket out of poverty than a solid education. But that education has to be affordable (modern college isn't) and it has to be equally distributed. It would be impossible to argue that's true of America's public schools, which are supported by property taxes. Big houses equal better schools. And poorer kids, of course, lose out. That's a tragedy, and leads, according to a recent Stanford study, to poorer students who are years behind their richer peers.
In Lake Providence, richer kids go to a private school, which has no formal scholarship program. Poorer students go to a public school that does not perform as well. Education should be a great equalizer, not a source of division. The community would benefit from closing its private school, Briarfield Academy, and creating a shared asset in the public school system. Right now, as some locals

Source; CNN.COM/2013/10/29/OPINION/SUTTER-SOLUTIONS-INCOME-INEQUALITY

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Gema
11/27/2013 10:42:13 am

Sharif,

One idea that I have, which is easier said than done,
but basically to fight for rights of low wage workers. If they are going to be getting paid low wages, there should be laws in place that employers will guarantee them at least 40 hrs a week. This idea doesn't solve the problem as a whole, but it could be a start to reducing the income gap in a small way, and of course the fight should not stop there, low wage workers can't stop until there are equal rights and we see more of the diamond shape work force talked about in the America Transformed piece.

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Gema
11/27/2013 10:44:21 am

P.S.

In addition, people who earn middle/high wages or salaries need to be part of this fight!

Teddy m
11/27/2013 10:56:52 am

I agree that the minimum wage should be raised to $10. Also, another alternative would probably to allow more flexible with finanancial aid for upcoming students.

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Jen B.
11/22/2013 09:51:41 am

India has one of the world's fastest growing economies. But did you know that India also has the largest number of slaves in the world? Among them many are young women and girls. Bridal slavery has flourished all over India in the past couple of decades. Women and young girls are sold for as little as $120 to men who burden them with strenuous labor and physical and sexual abuse.

But first let’s take a look as to why this phenomenon of bridal slavery is occurring. First and foremost, we must look at a staggering statistic: About 50,000 female fetuses are aborted EVERY MONTH in India! Baby girls are often killed at birth, thrown into rivers, or left to die in garbage dumps. It is estimated that one million girls in India “disappear” every year.

Usually, when a couple weds it is tradition that they make a pilgrimage to a sacred temple to kneel and pray, not for wealth or success; they pray for a baby boy and to not have a girl. When the wife gets pregnant, there are tons of businesses all over India that offer ultrasounds; it is a thriving business. Ever since this technological advancement occurred abortions have risen in India. Even in poor rural villages there are technicians that carry portable ultrasounds to offer their services to pregnant women and their families. And what most couples are intrigued to find out is if they are having a girl; and if so, it most likely that it will lead to an abortion. There are many villages that have 7 women to 10 men ratio, and what’s even more disturbing is that in many areas there are mostly men seen in the street and barely any women. Lastly, most orphanages are full of females and no males.

So does there seem to be a systematic approach in parts of India to exterminate females? One main reason is a girl means a financial burden to a family. In India, a girl’s family has to pay a dowry to her husband’s family in order for her to wed him. It’s a long cultural tradition in India, which even new laws who make it illegal can’t seem to break. Thus, a girl means that a family will lose money, property, or cattle on the wedding day. On the contrary, a boy means the family will gain those things.

Therefore, the lack of females in comparison to men in India, especially in rural areas has led to bride trafficking of very young girls. As a result, young girls are lured under false pretenses, kidnapped, and some even sold by their own parents into marriage. After they are sold to the highest bidder, they are wedded to cruel men who make them work in the fields, clean, take care of elders, etc. and use them for sex and not only for themselves but for other men too. Unfortunately, many are sold over and over again to different men. Once this occurs, they are given the derogatory term of a “paros” which means purchased women; their enslavement brings with it a loss of social status. They have no property or means of their own, and nobody wants to give them jobs. They are considered outcasts.

Question: Since arranged marriages are legal in India, authorities must prove the women were forced into marriage in order to pursue arrests. What do you think local, state, and federal authority can do in India in order to stop this practice? What could we do in America to raise awareness?

Source: http://www.projectcensored.org/bridal-slaves-indias-bride-buying-country/

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Nandi
11/22/2013 10:35:14 am

Globalization is a social problem because; Globalization and Its Effect on Poverty Globalization has helped raise the standard of living for many people worldwide. It has also, however, driven many deeper into poverty. Small businesses and third world countries are not capable of updating their technology as often as their larger, wealthier counterparts. Unable to compete with multinational firms and wealthy nations, small businesses and third world countries and forced to do business locally, never growing and reaching their full potential. Technological advances are made daily throughout the world. However, it is expensive to rapidly make and transport these advances globally. This high production cost causes the consumer’s price to be unnecessarily high. Today, there are many countries in the world that cannot afford to pay such a high price for the latest technology, and by the time they can afford to pay, newer, more advanced technology exists. The democratization of technology benefits mainly the wealthier countries.
source; council on foreign relations

questions;
How do you believe globalizations damages local goods, services and cultures? What suggestions do you have that can limit these patterns if not stop it?

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Allyn Achah
11/26/2013 03:30:29 am

Local businesses are at a high risk of loosing their businesses because huge corporations are taking over.For example a company like McDonald's has franchises all over the world and because of its popularity, people will flock towards going to a restaurant like McDonalds than a local restaurant which may even be cheaper. Yes it creates jobs for the people living in that area but it robs the local businesses from the money they could be making. The only way to try putting an end to such patterns from continuing is to put rules in place that can protect local business from eventually running bankrupt and having to shut down.

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Gisele
11/27/2013 07:36:21 am

Your discussion about the harm caused by globalization to small businesses brought to mind a similar issue: the deleterious effects chain stores can have on small businesses and communities, and on the distant countries where they produce their goods. There are countless multinational chains that operate in the U.S. and across the world (McDonalds, KFC, Ikea), but for time's sake, I'd like to focus on Walmart.

Walmart, unlike Target, focuses its attention on rural areas, where most of its stores are located. Walmart features a dizzying array of low-price goods made by workers in countries like China, Bangladesh, Thailand and Mexico under sweatshop conditions for extremely low wages - cents per hour. Child labor is often involved in the making of these goods (celebrity Kathy Lee Gifford became extremely distressed when it was "discovered" that the line of clothing she made for Walmart was manufactured by child laborers). When Walmart stores open in rural areas, it is true that they offer jobs to these communities, which are often poor; however, they pay extremely low wages and require their employees to stand for hours on end, work shifts past midnight into morning, work unpaid overtime and cover multiple shifts consecutively if other employees are not present. Worst of all, they sell almost everything imaginable, ranging from clothing to food to auto services to eyeglasses, putting small, locally-owned, specialized stores swiftly out of business with the low prices they are able to provide through cheating employees and laborers of fair wages. The triple punch of outsourcing labor to "Third-World" countries (ignoring the possibility of employing American workers), forcing these foreign workers to labor in dangerous and unethical conditions, and putting small American businesses out of business makes Walmart a poisonous presence with deleterious effects on the global economy and, in fact, the global population. To put it in perspective: the five Walmart heirs together have more money than the bottom 150 million Americans. Walmart is now attempting to expand internationally in countries like China and India.

We have enough Walmarts in the world. In the United States, local governments should be given the tools to prevent Walmarts from opening in their communities. Unfortunately, local government officials' pockets are often lined with the bribes of developers, so on the state and federal scale, citizens should lobby Congress to raise the minimum wage. This way, when Walmart stores inevitably move into economically disadvantaged rural areas, they will at least provide ethical wages for their workers. The recent Bangladeshi garment factory scandal has also proved instructive: shoppers are boycotting stores that refuse to sign pledges saying they will build safe facilities for their workers, stop hiring child laborers, and pay equitable wages. Fast fashion retailers like Forever 21 and H&M have already begun to sign on. Walmart should be similarly boycotted until it agrees to the demands of citizens, who clearly care where their low-cost goods are coming from. With Walmart incurring higher costs from manufacturing goods and paying store workers, the corporation will not be able to so viciously outcompete small businesses and destroy local culture.

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Sharifur S
11/27/2013 08:32:28 am

In India there was a lengthy debate that giving permission for global corporations like Walmart and other super stores free access to the Indian market would devastate local markets with their cheap and subsidized prices. It's really a question of "are the low wages hurting the community or are the low prices helping the community?" I think the low wages and low prices hurt the economy in the long term. Large companies like Walmart have a monopoly on many goods, therefore they are able to out compete and dictate the price of goods. So local markets would not be able to compete or out sustain these global forces. However, local markets can smart by catering to a small niche of people or establish joint ventures with other businesses.

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Urban_Mason
11/27/2013 09:11:51 am

Globalization damages local goods, services and cultures in the sense that it is mass produced goods by eliminating the need for local growth, by that i mean the need for people in a locality to actually go out and produce goods. With manufactured goods coming in you stagnate the innovation and production of that locality. To limit these damages, one must stop consuming products made by a giant company and instead for focus on buying locally. We see it in America on a smaller scale, in Georgia many black owned businesses were patronized only by blacks so as to build within their own community, now blacks represent a high income demographic within the state. A lot of other cultures also only patronize within their own community, in turn making them a strong force.

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Jen B
11/27/2013 12:48:39 pm

I believe globalization mostly damages local goods and services here in the US due to outsourcing and technology. The main reason globalization is occurring is because of cheap labor available outside the US and when running a business most individuals want to spend the least money possible. Thus, most products that are made outside the US are purchased for import and it is cost effective for the business leaving them with a larger profit. Along with cheaper goods being brought into the country there is also cheaper services outside the US. This also has a negative impact on the US because it takes more individuals out of jobs, which leads to unemployment and that in turn effects the economy. I believe if we the government could impose certain regulations on a company making huge profits that could help narrow the gap that globalization creates among businesses. For example, limiting how much employment they can outsource or limiting how much they can import.

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Teddy m
11/27/2013 01:06:16 pm

Globalization damages local goods, services, and cultures in a number of ways. Although there are advantages to how globalization works, it is not fair for people who do not benefit from the system to suffer. In my opinion, one way to limit this is to at least boost mininum pay to $10.

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Dakota Ayers
11/22/2013 12:06:18 pm

Issues within the labor market include working conditions, employment, unemployment, and wages. Companies have departments and employees in charge of maintaining proper working conditions that suit the work environment, which is of course subject to change depending on the job. Whereas a construction site will have different working conditions than an office work-place. Enforcing a suitable work environment secures employee safety and comfort within the work-place. Conversely, employees in poor working conditions run the risk of experiencing a decline in their physical and mental health. Poor working conditions can range from harsh environmental conditions, such as those being experienced in the poultry and meatpacking plants. Enforcing a stable and proper work area must be corroborated not only by management but by the U.S. government as well. Workers in these meatpacking facilities are forced to work and keep up with speed of the processing lines (powered, operated, and paced by machines) or run the risk of being fired and replaced by individuals that can “perform the duties the job requires”. The work speed is so high and difficult that the workers have “defecated and urinated in their clothing while working on the line because employers deny reasonable bathroom use, violating workers’ rights to dignity”.
Pregunta…
1. Why doesn’t the government perform routine inspections of food distribution facilities they know have large amounts of product to allocate to the public?

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Melissa
11/22/2013 12:27:02 pm

A social problem is the minimizing of work spaces which means that instead of those 15 work space they are brought down to 10. Then what happens those five workers have no money to provide for their families and this leads to the possibility of being homeless. I choose this social problem because finding a job in this economy continues to get harder and harder as time continues to past. There are so many things as requirements that not everyone has had the chance to experience. Employers put the job of two people in one just to save money so instead of having two workers and paying both why not have one and just pay them. This social problem is relevant to me because soon when I want to enter the work force in my profession it is going to turn into serious competition. Even now just to get a regular minimum wage job there is a lot of searching and applying to do and hope to get a phone call. Minimizing jobs affect society as a whole because soon money will just be sitting in one place and millions of Americans will never get to see it. One thing we can do is those whole are employed not allow our bosses to over work just one particular person to reasonably distribute the working hours. Since many almost all people have families they want to spend time with so be fair to everyone's life. I understand that this a very competitive society but if everyone sits around trying to be better than everybody then we will get no where in evolving into good and better things.

What particular things do you think can be done to minimize the amount of work spaces taken away?

In what ways can we help one another in order to prevent poverty in progressing stages?

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Urban_Mason
11/27/2013 07:15:09 am

To answer your first question, i feel that if you want to ensure companies do not outsource or downsize work, then people need to stop consuming so much and learn to live within their means. People are so busy trying to "keep up with the Johnsons" that they start spending more than they have and cry foul when they are not being paid enough or cant find a decent paying job. Instead of fighting for those low wage positions that are being outsourced, Americans instead focus on, what they feel, is an income that will enable them to over-consume. If companies see that Americans are willing to work and live within their means, then companies will fight to create more jobs so that the populous will start consuming above said means.

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IfiyaR
11/27/2013 11:20:57 am

Work taken away from who? I wonder why people hate on each other then leads to high crime and overpopulated jail cells. I wish we could all just work together, you might not like it but its just expected. Technically we are working together right; the word identity? Maybe we could create a system that could improve the root of poverty. Thats also a good question what is the root of it? We could simply improve education system making it affordable to all also increase in promoting a healthier lifestyle to decrease the chances of disease.

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Jen B
11/27/2013 12:53:27 pm

I believe one thing we can do to minimize the amount of work space being taken away is minimizing the outsourcing of jobs. If the government could regulate this perhaps we could return jobs to Americans. I believe outsourcing and globalization are the main factors that have contributed to this social issue. Also, the evolution of the internet has also contributed to this issue; the internet allows companies to look and hire individuals outside the US for lower wages.

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Allyn Achah
11/22/2013 12:33:12 pm

Due to the advances in technology in the past few decades, communication has integrated countries and help enhance the ideologies of people around the world which led to the concept of globalization. Globalization has led to an interaction and integration among the people, companies and governments of different nations, usually for the purpose of international trade. Although globalization has brought many benefits to the world's economy, it has its disadvantages and drawbacks as well. Globalization has led to the diminishing number of smaller independent businesses which cannot compete with bigger corporations and businesses. Multinational corporations make better profits at the expense of the local businesses and enterprise which can be much needed and beneficial to the lower class in most countries. Secondly, globalization has corporations to seek maximization of profits and cheap labor. Corporations focus more on how much they can gain from paying the less amount of money rather than focusing on employees and making sure they demands are met as well. This concept has led to issues like child labor in countries like Bangladesh where families depend on income brought in by children in order to survive. Globalization has brought advantages to customers by providing a large range of products from around the world but it has destroyed local enterprises and culture in certain countries. Although we are able to identify the risks and opportunities associated with globalization, the phenomenon is still very difficult to eradicate nor find a clear and concise balance. Being that this is the world we currently live in, it is necessary for us as students to pay attention to such issues because the responsibility will be passed on to our generation to help make the world a better place. The change starts with us and our duty is to also educate others on the inequalities that exist in our society. A simple act like standing like forming a union at workplace to fight for employee’s rights is a step forward in making sure employees are treated better.
Question: Can you think of ways we can make sure that workers are appreciated and paid justifiably in a globalized world?

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Melissa
11/27/2013 11:19:20 am

To answer your question maybe laws can be made for workers rights to always receive at the least minimum wage no matter who the employer is. Just how we have in the united states each state has its assigned minimum wage. So these countries oversees should follow the same foot steps to still have control of outer resources. Where ever a person goes they should feel secure financially and shouldn't be abused in the work place.

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Tram T.
11/22/2013 12:33:15 pm

The minimum wage amount and the amount that is paid to non documented migrants is a big problem in society today. This social problem was selected because so many people are working three jobs at a time because they arent able to live off the minimum wage of 7.25 and at times they are paid even less. People that make the wage only make an annual salary of 15,000 a year; thats barely enough to support themselves let alone a family they need to take care of. Some students work minimum wage jobs and have to balance working and school to help support there families. At times non documented migrant workers receive below minimum wage may only depend on 4 dollars an hour. This issue needs to change, people should not have to support their families with only 15,000 a year. Thats equivalent to a school year in a state college. I think for this problem to change those who are living comfortably need to realize how little some people are getting paid. From there more people can be involved in changing the minimum wage.

Question:
If you could change the minimum wage, how much would you change it to? Why?

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Allyn Achah
11/26/2013 03:36:20 am

If I could change the minimum wage i would try to make sure that the annual income of each person who works 40 hours a week is border line of what is considered the poverty line.So that we do not have people living below the poverty line.I believe this will lead to a decent way of life and keep most people of the streets.Because there are people who work two jobs and still are considered poor.

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Melissa
11/27/2013 12:12:06 pm

Boy if I could change the amount of minimum wage I would change it to 11-15 an hour depending on experience required for the job. Because of everything that is required of a job calls for more than 7.25. We have to take in consideration the transportation used to and from work and all the extra things.

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Manyi F
11/27/2013 12:51:36 pm

If I could change minimum wage I would change it in away that a person can live and survive off of it. In my opinion 7.25 is not enough money for a person to get by. People have families and bills to pay and 7.25 and hour wont be enough to support these people. Minimum wage is a social problem that people don't really address. People are working long hours and hard jobs and not being paid enough.

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Adwoa
11/22/2013 12:43:54 pm

The social problem of the week dealt with heath care, immigration, and labor. Basically, people would migrate to the United States for better work opportunities and sometimes would get them, but they were extremely under payed for the amount of labor they had to do. Clearly, we all know this was wrong, but why didn't any of the documented people do anything to stop this act? Immigrants protested for their rights, papers, and to stay in this country, but people like the minutemen hated the idea of specifically Latinos in America so they killed many Latinos. All the Latinos wanted was a better life, but had so many hate crimes committed towards them. Documented Americans felt threatened by the Latinos because the thought they were going to lose their jobs being that the Latinos would do the same amount of work but at lower wages. So they didn't want to help the Latino people either.

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Rachel Zelaya
11/22/2013 12:45:48 pm

High cost healthcare is a huge social problem. It affects many families all over the United States. According to Health Care Statistics, In 2012, nearly half (46%) of adults ages 19 to 64, did not have health insurance for the full year (30%, or 55 million) or were underinsured and unprotected from high out-of-pocket costs (16%, or 30 million) (http://www.healthcareproblems.org/health-care-statistics.htm). Many families cannot afford healthcare unless it comes as a benefit from their job. More and more companies are taking away health benefits leaving more families uninsured. Families not being able to afford healthcare then leads to high medical bills when an emergency occurs, which then can lead to bankruptcy. It can also lead to major health issues within low income families. It seems that again, only the wealthy are not greatly affected. The cost of healthcare is just going to get higher and higher as the years progress.

What do you think can be done to lower the costs of healthcare?

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Gema
11/27/2013 10:34:06 am

Rachel,

I think that healthcare premiums should be based on income. It is not fair for someone who earns at best minimum wage is expected to pay the same as someone in "middle" or "upper class". Also, I think that all Dr.'s should be required to accept Medical Assistance, since most unemployed and/or people of low wage income usually struggle to find physicians/providers who accept their insurance.

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Nandi
11/27/2013 11:18:04 am

I totally agree with Gema! I think if premiums are based on income then this country would a much better healthcare system.

Manyi F
11/27/2013 12:58:46 pm

I also think that minimum wage should be based on income. Healthcare honestly should be available to everyone regardless of their income. Healthcare is a growing issue in the United states because the government can never come to an agreement. There are a lot people who do not have health insurance and cannot afford it .In my opinion nobody should be turn down on healthcare for no reason.

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Gisele
11/22/2013 01:03:29 pm

One social problem that relates to this week's theme is the growing income gap in the United States, namely the gap between those with a college education and those without. As noted by Gary Hytrek and Kristine Zentgraf in "America Transformed", in the 1970s, the average college graduate made 25% more than the average high school graduate. By 2000, that difference had increased to nearly 70%. Clearly there is a great problem in the United States with regards to the attainability of a college education: the problem of cost. In 2000, poor Americans cannot afford the astronomic cost of an American college education. Worryingly, the price of college education has risen along with the gap in income between the college educated and the non-college educated. This means that between the 1970s and today, not only were poor Americans making less than wealthy Americans, they were becoming increasingly unable to afford the higher education needed to lift them out of poverty, due to the near-expoential rise in the price of college education. This in turn helped lead the diamond-shaped income model, with a large amount of middle earners and a small amount of high and low earners, into its current form, an hourglass-shaped model with only two options: high-earning and cognitively intense (for the college-educated) or low-earning and labor intensive (for the non-college educated). Clearly, the inaccessibility of college education is a prime culprit in helping reshape the once healthily-constructed American income model into one of highly unequal extremes.

I chose community college for its low cost relative to prices at a four-year institution. When I transfer, I will not have debt; however, the last two years spent at a four-year institution will cost me tens of thousands of dollars, and I may become indebted as a result of taking out loans to pay for a degree - or, in other words, to pay for access to the cognitively-intense jobs that will allow me to live above the poverty line. Meanwhile, many of my friends with fine minds who cannot afford a college education are becoming plumbers or electricians, hoping to earn living wages in some of the last true profitable "careers" available to those without access to higher education. Others without college educations work multiple low-wage jobs in factories, warehouses or the service industry to survive. The "intellectual capital" of America is going to waste in the hourglass income distribution model, and the high cost of a college education is partly to blame. In "America Transformed", Hytrek and Zentgraf explain how this is leading to an increasingly stressed lower class, as poorer people struggle to pay rent and bills by working multiple jobs, often to the exclusion of time for their families and spouses. However, I would argue that while the lower classes are more intensely affected, those within reach of a college education are affected as well; they are stressed about how they will pay for their educations, stressed about obtaining jobs that pay well at the top end of the hourglass, and stressed for their acquaintances without college educations, whom they see working harder for less money. They themselves are often working harder for less money, but that is another discussion.

Movements like Occupy Wall Street have sprung up in previous years that rail against the 1% owning half of America's wealth. These have addressed the woes of a variety of economically struggling Americans, who place themselves in the 99% of earners. However, the 99% have more power than they believe, and they (we) must use it to voice concerns about the transformation of American earning. 99th percenters can start by complaining to colleges about reckless institutional spending - on new libraries, lounges, sports fields and entertainments - intended to attract students but with the ironic result of actually repelling them (due to the high tuition caused by colleges' spending). This accounts for a surprising amount of the high costs of tuition. Textbook corporations must also be lobbied against for the rackets they run, charging students hundreds of dollars per semester for books that can only be resold at a fraction of the price. There is a disturbing monopoly on knowledge occurring here.

How do you feel the two new extremes of earning in America have furthered fragmentation within the population? Do you think the U.S. can conceivably return to having a large middle class as it did post WWII? What were some of the reasons for the rise of the middle class that we can identify in hopes to bring it back?

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Sharifur S
11/27/2013 08:48:20 am

One major change since WWII is the military-industrial complex in the US. The US is gradually becoming more and more militarized as some people give up "liberty" for "security." If the US moved away from the military-industrial complex then we could avoid costly wars, creation of more innovative weapons of destruction, and a self destructive foreign policy that affects the domestic economy. The part of the US budget that is allocated for military should be used for social security, healthcare, and other social benefits. Unless the military-industrial complex is abolished, going back to post-WWII era might not be possible yet.

Another way could be the reduction of the private sector that employs most of the workers. The US could reduce the private sector and create more jobs in the public sector. The main reason for rise of the middle was due to surplus of living wages that paid the bill, enough to save, and to spend on consumer goods.

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Manyi F
11/22/2013 01:21:19 pm

One social problem that I would like to address is forced, or nonconsensual marriage.It is very different from arranged marriage.Forced marriage is when one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her willing. Forced marriage take place in south Asia, east Asia and Africa. Women and young girls are usually put into these forced marriages. Some of these Girls are as young as 13 and haven't even hit puberty yet.Forced marriage is another form a slavery which Andrew Cockburn did not address in his article "21st century saves". While in these force marriages ,they are Beaten , abused, raped and exploited.A number of those trying to escape unwanted unions have even become victims of honor based violence or committed suicide(BBC). Forced Marriage is a social problem that is not Widely address in the media. Every year thousands of women and young girls are put in to these forced marriages.Forced marriage needs to be stopped because it goes against a persons freedom. It is also a violation of human rights.

Question#1
Why are women and young girls usually put into these "Forced Marriage's"?

#2
Why is it so hard for them to get out of these marriage's?

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Dakota Ayers
11/24/2013 12:18:31 pm

I feel as though women have been highly targeted for forced marriage due to their constant devaluation in society. Seen as prey as opposed to human, sex objects rather than loved ones, and in order to really address the issue we must acknowledge that some young men and boys are also forced into relationships, this is not just an issue of gender, but human rights as a whole.

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Allyn Achah
11/26/2013 03:44:38 am

In countries where such things happen,young girls are forced into marriages because they viewed more as property to their father.Sometimes they are married off to families in exchange for cows and sometimes, to settle the debts of their families. Because this is a norm in this part of the world, it is unusual and a taboo for a young girl to run away because she doesn't know any better, and also, would not want to make her father or family mad.

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Teddy m
11/27/2013 08:25:43 am

I like the points you made about forced marriages and how it is usually overlooked as a minor problem in several parts of the world. I believe women are vulnerable to fall into these slavery-like systems because of the patriarchal culture we live in today. It is almost as if women do not have the privilege to really do what they want or object to what they believe is truly wrong.

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Tamru D
11/27/2013 08:51:34 am

Manyi,
You mention a really important issue. Unfortunately, forced marriages in many so-called “third world” countries is just a part of a very long tradition. But as we evolve, so too does our knowledge and understanding of this cruel tradition. For example, forced marriage is still a common practice in many rural areas of Ethiopia. However, the younger generation has now become more aware on how inhuman this practice is and they are trying to educate their parents and communities. Unfortunately, it will take a long time to get completely rid of it since it has been around for such a long time. So, you are absolutely right that it is wrong. But the main reason for this practice is in my point of view tradition. Of course, there are also different incentives for parents when they give away their daughter. However, I don’t believe that the incentives are the major reasons

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Nandi
11/27/2013 11:00:15 am

The causes of early and forced marriage are complex, interrelated and dependent on individual circumstances and context. But the practice is driven by these main factors:
gender inequality – women and girls often occupy a lower status in societies as a result of social and cultural traditions, attitudes, beliefs that deny them their rights and stifle their ability to play an equal role in their homes and communities
poverty – in families on a low income, girls may be viewed as an economic burden. The perception of girls’ potential to earn an income as comparatively poor pushes girls out of their homes and into marriage
negative traditional or religious practices – in many countries the importance of preserving family ‘honour’ and girls’ virginity is such that parents push their daughters into marriage well before they are ready. There is a belief that marriage safeguards against ‘immoral’ or ‘inappropriate behaviour’
failure to enforce laws – sometimes families are not even aware they are breaking the law. In some countries early marriage is so prevalent, prosecutions are seldom brought
conflicts, disasters and emergencies – disasters and emergencies increase economic pressures on households and many families that wouldn’t previously have considered early marriage turn to it as a last resort.
What are the consequences of early and forced marriage?
Early and forced marriage contributes to driving girls into a cycle of poverty and powerlessness. They are likely to experience:
violence, abuse and forced sexual relations – women who marry younger are more likely to be beaten and to believe that husbands can justify it
poor sexual and reproductive health – child brides are more likely to contract HIV than their unmarried counterparts because of their greater sexual exposure, often with an older husband who by virtue of his age is more at risk of being HIV positive
illiteracy and lack of education – girls tend to drop out of school shortly before or when they get married. There is a commonplace view that once a girl is married she has crossed the threshold into adulthood and no long needs an education.

Source; www.plan-uk.org/early-and-forced-m

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Teddy m
11/23/2013 07:40:36 am

Although economic globalizations benefit the production of Alliances, such as lowering the cost of the production of goods, primary transactions of immigrant services may lead to numerous fragmentations to our society. For example, the standards that Unions make to search for low-wage immigrant workers ultimately leads to the inequity of advantaged and disadvantaged workers. Local disadvantaged workers will more than likely run to an end from their working jobs in due time, limiting the number of ways to survive financially. On the other hand, low-wage immigrant workers are kept longer because they are of interest in highly developed countries. Also, the strategic development of immigrant trade is vital to government revenue.

Question: Is the benefits of lower production goods and better government income worth the price of abused disadvantaged labor workers?

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Urban_Mason
11/27/2013 09:18:16 am

While many people report on the fact that lower income peoples are working lower paid jobs, none focus on the fact that growing economies are also reaching out to developed nations for their brightest and seemingly more educated counter-parts. In china for example, their economy is growing ten fold, and multinational companies have based production there; there is a push by the Peoples Republic to start bringing well educated American business people over to base not only their production but also their headquarters.

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Gema
11/27/2013 10:27:28 am

Hi Teddy,

I don't think that it is worth the price. No one should suffer abuse, inequality, poverty, and overall injustice for the benefit of others. Unfortunately the system is currently in place, and has been for such a long time that a lot of these workers are knowingly taking what jobs are available over no job at all. Do you think there are ways to have the population as a whole benefit from the globalized economy?

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Jen B
11/27/2013 12:59:29 pm

I believe the lower production of goods and better government income is not worth the price of abused disadvantaged labor worker because at the end of the day these individuals are being exploited and not compensated for their work. This also keeps a tight leash on employers who are legal because they lose faith in their employer and job. If perhaps they wish to strike or protest they perhaps will be afraid to knowing that there are low-wage immigrants waiting to take their jobs. And this does not include the ripple effects it has on the economy and society.

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IfiyaR
11/27/2013 10:41:15 am

Some people come to the US for the "pursuit of happiness " known phrase in the United States of Declaration of Independence. What identifies all human right to have independence. Unemployment in the labor markets in the US. This would be a social problem that effect the labor markets in the US because this causes the consequences of immigrants to come to US to fill the gap of unemployment, chance of better healthcare and also for cheap labor. US has by far the highest poverty gap between rich and poor, so to think to come to the states for the pursuit of happiness means that the US may in a sense fulfill some gaps for the immigrants,but still not to be able to support the American dream. Alot of the times the average wage for all workers in the economy can vary from the increase in immigration can lead to the rise in average wage workers. Immigration may not affect the overall employment outcomes of existing workers, but it may impact on the employment outcomes of specific educational groups.
I believe immigrants can have a difficult time coming to the states to create the best life for the family then leads to the identity of the extreme poverty exerts pressure towards crime. We are all in the same boat to create a better life, but it sometimes rooted to future issues. This may have potential detrimental effects in the long run, ie. in the article by Sassen shows the justification of immigration she states "the growing use of offshore production to lower costs also contributes to the
creation of conditions in the highly developed countries that may lead to the demand for and recruitment of "low-wage immigrant workers", given the growing pressure
among firms and countries to lower costs to remain competitive. The
internationalization of both manufacturing production and agriculture has contributed to the weakening of unions and has generally led to the search for
low-wage workers inside the developed countries." That is understandable to prevent spending so much money and also create globalization.

Question: Access to US labor markets for immigrants creates the idea of having the "America Dream", but there are a bunch of effects that may come to the choice of leaving a labor market of poverty,income and inequality. What guarantees the accountability for a better life? How can students and employees not be effected by the consequences of a greater problem, the basic privilege seen by migrants is not always what it seems how do we create a balance?

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IR
11/27/2013 10:50:56 am

Sources:
"The Labour Market effects of Immigration"http://www.migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/briefings/labour-market-effects-immigration
Sassen, Saskia "Making of International Migrants" (2007)

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Adwoa
12/4/2013 04:27:49 pm

I feel as though underpaying the undocumented is selfish and wrong. People should put themselves in that persons shoe and understand the circumstances. This is a social problem because it also deprives the undocumented from other opportunities like gaining healthcare benefits. The least America could do for the undocumented is provide them with benefits like healthcare in case of injuries especially being that they are over worked and under payed, this could also be a way of them working for their citizenship.

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