SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT BUSY LIFE IN AMERICA Marissa Rejali
SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT BUSY LIFE IN AMERICA Marissa Rejali Sociology 1020
Table of Contents: ■ Reflection Page ■ Article 1 Summary ■ Article 2 Summary ■ Chart 1 ■ Chart 2 ■ Book Summary
Reflection Busy life in American imply a vast number of things, from an economic view to a view related to the quickly increasing population. I know that Americans are creating more and more jobs with the advancement of technologies, much like the spike in employment during the industrial revolution of the last two centuries. More jobs and less unemployment means a growing economy, which raises the standard of living in America. I know from watching the countless number of downtown Salt Lake City housing projects pop up that urbanization is increasing, which can also be a description of a bustling city with an increasing immigration status. As Americans become more integrated with various cultures and races, social issues become more important to address. Local residents, protesters, local government officials and even the supreme courts are increasing their horizons of addressing political and social issues head on, and with great capacity. This last year alone I watched racial protests happen due to the increasing awareness of police injustices towards Black Americans, I watched the supreme court demand gay marriage as a constitutional right, and I've watched countless debates for the prison relocation in Utah. I would say that as of now, Busy life in America relates directly to our strong economy and increasing technological advances, as well as a more diverse and ever expanding population.
Article: “Americans: Overworked, Overstressed” This article focuses on the progressive rate of change in the American professional BY DEAN SCHABNER, ABC NEWS MAY 2015 industries over the last few generations, which stems from a need for job security in an ever-changing economy. A main theme throughout this article is the rise in employment for women, which contributes to a shift in responsibility for household obligations among families. Not only does this impact sociological gender roles, but it allows men who would have otherwise been expected to be the main bread winner of a family to work less. This means that although Americans have recorded working less hours in “whitecollar” jobs, the amount of people in the workforce has increased drastically since the 1990’s. Citation: Schabner, Dean. "Americans: Overworked, Overstressed. " ABC News Network, May 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Article: “In search of lost time, Why is everyone so busy? ” Featured in The Economist, by anonymous This article takes a deep look into the shortened daily work hours of the typical American businessperson, and what less hours at the office means for future generations. “Social psychologists began to fret: whatever would people do with all their free time? ” As Americans adapt to advancements in communication and transportation, more people are working home, working shorter hours, or outsourcing their business projects to international agencies. This is an expected outcome as American cities continue to grow, and according to this article, the more people become sensitive to time management financially, the more coveted a person’s time becomes. As the standard of living increases, the workplace environment undergoes a social shift that limits leisure time in the office, which contributes to a busy-life mindset. In summary, good time management and outsourcing can lead to better business, which in turn makes for a better, busier economy. Citation: "Why Is Everyone so Busy? " The Economist Newspaper, 20 Dec. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Religious Decline As life in America becomes more busy, people start to show a decline in religious beliefs. This graph shows how drastically the rate of religious activity has decline in America since the 1950’s. Citation: "The Great Decline: 60 Years of Religion in One Graph. " The Great Decline: 60 Years of Religion in One Graph. N. p. , n. d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
College Attendance in Utah Economic stability is consistent with college graduation rates, however student loan debt can be potentially volatile to a progressive economy. This graph shows the rate at which student debt is growing since the early 1990’s. Citation: "What's the Best Way to Save for College? " Daily Capital. N. p. , 31 Mar. 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Book Summary: “The Working Poor: Invisible in America” by David K. Shipler This book highlights the lifestyles of America’s working immigrants and minorities, with emphasis on the struggle between illegal immigration and the rising poverty rate, as well as the frustration for poor American families struggling to provide a better life for themselves. Not only does this book reiterate the “Social Problems” text for this class on a dramatic scale, but it provides solutions to these problems in ways I haven’t yet been exposed to. Shipler writes with an analytical eye, keen on finding out where poverty stems from, and the mistakes that society makes to keep people in tied up in a vicious cycle of financial stress. Citation: Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America. New York: Knopf, 2004. Print.
Reflection 2 Busy Life in America is a subject with infinite branches; our country is ever expanding, and the population is continuing to grow exponentially. After this semester's research, I have learned that as cities grow, more diversity is apparent throughout the nation, which includes a multitude of social problems that come attached. Throughout generations, Americans have evolved into becoming more socially accepting people, with emphasis on equality, and embracing cultural diversity. Business has increased as technologies advance, creating more opportunity for all kinds of minds to come together to better society. Many urban problems that have resulted from America's rapid lifestyle, with the majority centered around substance abuse problems and religious conflicts. I was very interested to learn about the statistics regarding welfare users, homelessness and how those numbers correlated with the amount of mentally ill persons, and I was also interested to learn about the massive lack in healthcare for those in need of treatment, who usually turn to improperly self-medicating with recreational drugs. Overall I feel like busy life in America is a good thing, as it provides exposure to problems that would possibly take much longer to be made apparent in our society, which supplies room for solutions to said problems, sooner rather than later. Busy life in America also provides for a strong economy, which attributes to the educational standards of our society. By having a business-oriented lifestyle culture in America, we are setting a precedent for a opportunistic and modern society for future generations to come.
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