Myth/Opportunity
On page 348, #3, Kendall says the media use "thematic framing" and "episodic framing" in portraying poor Americans. Define these terms in your own words and discuss whether the media typically portray the poor as "deviant" or "other" (according to pp. 330-346).
Episodic framing looks at specific events, or episodes, while thematic framing attempts to put those events in broader context. For example, a news story on high rates of unemployment would be thematic framing, because it discusses a national, and even global problem, over which the individual has no control. The poor economy is blamed on corporate America and the greed and mismanagement of large organizations such as financial institutions. With episodic framing, specific examples are used and not placed into the greater context. It is easy, then, for the media to portray the poor as lazy, uneducated and irresponsible, putting the blame for their poverty back on them, without considering circumstances, some or even all of which might not be under their control. Television programs often glorify the rich and famous, and present a skewed view of the number of people who actually live that way in the United States. There is the implication that people who are poor make that choice because they would rather live on public assistance, use drugs, or in some other way demonstrate they do not "have what it takes" to be rich.
2- On page 356, #2, Newman and Chen point out the vulnerability of individuals in the Missing Class to economic downturns. Discuss how Valerie Rushing, Tomas Linares, or Gloria Hall may have fared in the recession that began in 2008.vWhich of them was most at risk, which least, and why? (according to pp. 349-365).
Valerie had a job with the Long Island Railroad. Her job was least vulnerable in the recession because the commuter train is a necessity....
Horatio Alger According to author Harlon L. Dalton, the Horatio Alger myth is not simply a myth because it is about a fictional character, but because people have dangerously believed it to be true as a sociological fact for far too many years. The myth suggests that demonstrating one's merit is enough to allow a person to attain success, and implies that people 'deserve' their position in life. African-Americans, of course,
According to both testimonials and statistics, educated people report higher levels of personal happiness and job satisfaction. In her book, Nickel and Dimed, comfortably wealthy author Barbara Ehrenreich reports being taken out for a "$30 lunch and some understated French country-style place" and discussing "future articles I might write for [the editor of Harpoer's] magazine" (1). It is lunching with this editor from Harpers that she decides to take on
interview of an individual who belongs to a culture different from that in Maryland. The interview explains the cultural differences between United States of America (USA) and his country. Furthermore, the paper casts light upon the experiences that he and his immediate family has had because of his stay in USA. Demographic Information The interviewee belongs to Germany and lives in Maryland. He has spent his life in various states of
Such ads have become increasingly common within the last fifty or so years, as other elements of cultural life tell Americans that the western frontier is closed. Therefore, commercialism is playing off our yearning for a new frontier, one which we can still romanticize. The next step of the western frontier is through the World Wide Web. As print advertising has moved into massive online advertising, the western romanticized image
The United States is one of the only nations in the world with such a style of government, although its structure and adaptability make it perhaps the best national power structure, especially for a country the size and diversity of the United States (Manis). Most other governments of the world are unitary, meaning that the centralized government as complete sovereignty, and can alter or abolish lower government institutions at
Industrial Revolution rearranged the nature of business and society during the turn of the 20th century, the definition of success also changed. Today, the general conception of "success" has evolved to mean an income of millions of dollars as a result of a highly usable product that itself evolves with time. Some of the most common icons of success today live and work in the computer, electronic, and information
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