Reflections and Feedback

1. When the project was first introduced I was nervous about having my writing be public; however, blogging has made me more comfortable with having other people read my journal entries. Having my writing be public has also forced me to make my writing as strong as it could be (not that I don’t do that already…).

2. The process of learning how to create and maintain a blog was simple. The program for creating my own blog was clear and easy to follow. I was able to catch on a lot quicker than I had thought. There weren’t many challenges I had except when it came to using google docs, but other tan that the “blogger” website was easy. As for my successes, I learned how to blog! I never thought I would be putting up my own website for the public to view; knowing I had my own site made the project more exciting.

3. The researching process was difficult at times but in the end I seemed to always find the material I was looking for. The list of passwords and usernames you gave us made using the databases easy to log on to from home. Also, the directions posted on the class blog were clear and always told me exactly which website I need to use for my research and how I can get there.

4. I really liked the freedom the final presentation allowed us. I especially liked the feature of adding in youtube videos, it made all the presentations more interesting. I thought the best part of the final presentation was that we were able to “show” our information instead of having to tell/write about what we learned.
Using good docs was a little frustrating for me because I would constantly be signed off for no reason, but every time I was signed off my material was always saved. Also, I made two photostory presentations, thinking that I would be able to import them into my Google doc, but unfortunately youtube would not let me upload them so I ended up not being able to put them into my final presentation.

5. I felt what I learned was directly connected with what I read, wrote, and presented about. The blog responses were just like our journal responses, but I knew that they were being shared with the public.

6. The postings on the class blog really made it easy to follow directions and understand what I needed to be doing; it served as my assignment notebook for the three weeks! Also, having both, Mr. Kramer and Mr. Rigler, walking around and be available to help with any technical glitches or questions made the project run smoother. When we were researching for a book I found it very useful having both librarians there.

7. In the beginning of the project blogging was hard because I really liked the “private” aspect of my journal, so moving from having a private place to write to writing for the entire world to see was a bit drastic and hard to get used to, but I think everyone adjusted well. Also, I really like not having to bring home our binders and books! I think revisiting our blogs in the future and using them to post on would be fun. No, as of now I do not plan on maintaining my blog, but I do plan I showing my friends and family what I have created and have them view it! I already showed my parents my blog. They really enjoyed being able to see what I have been doing in class!

Reflections and Feedback

1. When the project was first introduced I was nervous about having my writing be public; however, blogging has made me more comfortable with having other people read my journal entries. Having my writing be public has also forced me to make my writing as strong as it could be (not that I don’t do that already…).
2. The process of learning how to create and maintain a blog was simple. The program for creating my own blog was clear and easy to follow. I was able to catch on a lot quicker than I had thought. There weren’t many challenges I had except when it came to using google docs, but other tan that the “blogger” website was easy. As for my successes, I learned how to blog! I never thought I would be putting up my own website for the public to view; knowing I had my own site made the project more exciting.
3. The researching process was difficult at times but in the end I seemed to always find the material I was looking for. The list of passwords and usernames you gave us made using the databases easy to log on to from home. Also, the directions posted on the class blog were clear and always told me exactly which website I need to use for my research and how I can get there.
4. I really liked the freedom the final presentation allowed us. I especially liked the feature of adding in youtube videos, it made all the presentations more interesting. I thought the best part of the final presentation was that we were able to “show” our information instead of having to tell/write about what we learned.
Using good docs was a little frustrating for me because I would constantly be signed off for no reason, but every time I was signed off my material was always saved. Also, I made two photostory presentations, thinking that I would be able to import them into my Google doc, but unfortunately youtube would not let me upload them so I ended up not being able to put them into my final presentation.
5. I felt what I learned was directly connected with what I read, wrote, and presented about. The blog responses were just like our journal responses, but I knew that they were being shared with the public.
6. The postings on the class blog really made it easy to follow directions and understand what I needed to be doing; it served as my assignment notebook for the three weeks! Also, having both, Mr. Kramer and Mr. Rigler, walking around and be available to help with any technical glitches or questions made the project run smoother. When we were researching for a book I found it very useful having both librarians there.
7. In the beginning of the project blogging was hard because I really liked the “private” aspect of my journal, so moving from having a private place to write to writing for the entire world to see was a bit drastic and hard to get used to, but I think everyone adjusted well. Also, I really like not having to bring home our binders and books! I think revisiting our blogs in the future and using them to post on would be fun. No, as of now I do not plan on maintaining my blog, but I do plan I showing my friends and family what I have created and have them view it! I already showed my parents my blog. They really enjoyed being able to see what I have been doing in class!

Adam Sherman's Final Presentation

One of the many presentations I chose to look at was Adam’s final presentation. I wanted to look at his presentation because so much of our world is greatly affected by the media and entertainment. It was very interesting to see how Sherman explored this concept. Within his presentation it discussed all about “the Life and Views of Theater and Film”. The most interesting aspect I pulled away from the presentation was that movie and show producers main goal is to please the auidience; however, they often hurt others in the process of doing so. In other words, the entertainment industry has been widely known to push the envelope. For example, often times it makes assumption considering celebrities and their lives. Not only do they make the assumptions, but the media goes forth and presents these assumptions to the world. I cant even begin to imagine my life in the public eye.- my blog is the only part of my life that I want public!

kimmy's Final Presentation

Kimmy’s Final presentation was very interesting. As a working women myself her presentation makes me feel very grateful for the people who made the workplace what it is today. I thought it was amazing to find out that during the war an increase of about 57% of women held men’s jobs. However, when the men returned from war women were forced to give-up their jobs and go back to their families. I cant imagine going from feeling powerful and worthy, then later being forced to go back to feeling unworthy. In the video it discussed how women’s roles have evolved. In the earlier years the roles of women primarily revolved around working at home; times have changed and now many women are known to be very involved in the workforce, and even be CEO’s of a company. The video clip included within the presentation discusses how men feel about women’s power advancing. Because of how much women have developed I can understand why men may sometimes feel inferior; however, America must continue to reamin equal. In no way do I feel that women have become more powerful than men. If anything, I feel that men are still looked at as the main source of income provider for a family; this is how my family is set-up. Overall, women in the workplace have advanced tremendouslym, and I think that message was clearly conveyed through kimmy’s final presentation. Girls my age are now able to work towards going to college and earning a well paying job, instead of being forced to be a homemaker.

Jamie's Final Presentation

I chose to view My Blog Log's final presentation because i was very interested in the environment. This past year my sister became really involved in saving the earth. She would always tell my family to reclye, and when we did not she would remind us that we were killing our home. After watching Jamie's presentation i am even more persuaded to "save our earth" and use the "3 R's"- REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE. Our environment is clearly suffering from pollution. By using the 3 R's we are using simple, but effective, mechanisms to helping our erth last longer. As much as i enjoyed watching Jamie's video, what had the greatest impact me was her first set of pictures in the begining of the presentation. The pictures made me disgusted and horrified. It really made me think about rethinking the next time i feel the urge to throw a wrapper on the ground or throw a can in the trash. I now know what is affected by me doing so. It is a horrible fact that our environment is suffering so much. By watching her final presentation i am now more inspired to make a change and create a difference by taking the steps listed in her presentation in hopes to helping create a more happy, healthy earth for all to live on for a long long long time!

Works Cited

"Child labor." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.

Florence Kelley " Obstacles to Enforcing Child Labor Laws," Annals of American History. [Accessed February 2, 2010.]

Franklin D. Roosevelt " First Inaugural Address," Annals of American History. [Accessed February 22, 2010].

Greenhouse, Steven, and Michael Barbaro. "An Ugly Side of Free Trade: Sweatshops in Jordan.(Business/Financial Desk)." The New York Times. (May 3, 2006): C1(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 10 Feb. 2010 .

Labour, Children's World Congress on Child. "An International Declaration Against Child Exploitation." At Issue: Child Labor and Sweatshops. Ed. Ann Manheimer. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 10 Feb. 2010 source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=deer63488&version=1.0>.

Radley Balko. "Sweatshops Benefit Children." At Issue: Do Children Have Rights?. Ed. Jamuna Carroll. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 8 Feb. 2010 .

Samuel Gompers " The Laborer's Right to Life," Annals of American History. [Accessed February 21, 2010].

"Women in the workplace." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com/.

Yezierska, Anzia. “America and I.” Jewish Stories: Ilan Stavans. New York: Oxford, 1998. 69-77. Print

History Analysis

Labor seems to be a topic requiring much attention. Today, Barack Obama lists the topic as one of the most important issues to be dealt, "jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010, and that's why I'm calling for a new jobs bill tonight" (State of the Union Address). In the past labor was a large part of life. The Great Depression was a time in which people’s lives were drastically changed. It was because of the leaders, movements, and laws that were created to help fight the five year labor battle. Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the union hope during the Great Depression. In his first Inaugural Speech he said, “Our greatest primary task is to put people to work”. By FDR making this his primary focus he was able to have the country work together, putting people to go back to work, eventually making the economy more stable. Along with setting a goal, he also supported the country when they needed it the most. For example, FDR would frequently have fireside chats and talk with the country to reassure the nation. In his inaugural speech he stated, “This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper”. This shows Roosevelt’s ability to provide hope to a nation in despair. His hopeful outlook allowed for the US to see an ending point to a painful five years. Not only was it Roosevelt’s personality which played a role in helping the country get out of the Depression but it was also ideas such as The New Deal plan which helped get the US back on their feet. The New Deal’s goal was to create the best balance “among all producing segments- agriculture, capital, industry, workers in the industry, the services, and the segment engaged in transportation and distribution, there would be almost no limit to our consuming capacity”. The New Deal allowed people to recognize a goal, and collectively work to get out of the Depression. Another way the nation was able to fix the problems of the Great Depression was by forming labor Unions. Labor Unions were a group of angered workers who fought for their rights in the workplace. During the Great Depression wages were cut, people were laid off, and hours were increased. These conditions became unfair and the laborers became angered; as a result they banned together and created Labor Unions. One of the very first Labor Union formed was the Cannery and Agricultural Workers Industrial Union (CAWIU). This Union acted out against the government and eventually became powerful in creating a change. One of the largest strikes the CAWIU led was the Cotton Strike. This strike was known to be very effective, “wages for picking cotton had fallen by 60%, from one dollar to forty cents per one hundred pounds picked…the CAWIU succeeded in increasing wages to seventy-five cents per one hundred pounds picked and gained recognition for the union”. This shows that people recognized times were unfair, but by people fighting a change was created eliminating unfair treatment. Among this large Union group were women. Women in the workplace during the era of the 1900’s were treated much differently than men. The Women’s Suffrage Movement changed this; enabling women to take on roles other than “inn and tavern keepers, laundresses and domestic workers, nursemaids, prostitutes, fish sellers, and merchants, and sometimes even landowners”. This change was established by women creating organized self-help groups. It was known that, “More than sixteen percent of women could be found in the workplace in 1880. By 1900, that figure had increased to twenty-one percent”. This statistics was partly due to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Along with women, children also faced difficult times in the workplace. Children were forced to go to work and help out their families financially. Because the economy was so poor and jobs were scarce children were forced to work in factories with poor conditions, cheap wages, hard/dangerous work, and long hours. It was known that “One out of every three American factory workers was between the ages of seven and 12. These children often worked 10- and 12-hour days in dangerous and unsanitary conditions”. This statistic shows how popular child labor was during the Great Depression era. It took on a major role in stabilizing the economy but was a horrifying concept. If children worked 11 hours a day their average work week would consist of 77 hours of work. Today, the average work week is 46-48 hours a week. This means, children were working about 30 more hours than people do today. This shows how horrifying and harsh conditions were back then. After recognizing that working such long hours under bad conditions is harmful, amendments and acts such as the Child Labor Amendment, National Industrial Act and Fair Labor Standard Act were established. These acts and amendments allowed children to have the ability to go to school and be a kid. Overall, the workplace is an important evolving topic area within America. It is what keeps our economy stable and allows people to live happily. Unfortunately much of American’s happiness is defined by the amount of money one posses and the only way one earns a consistent flow of money is by working. Furthermore, work is a fact of life that has been around for forever and will continue to stick around. Through the good times and the bad it always seems as if America has managed to hold together and “work” through the tough times.

Current Event Analysis

Unfortunately, child labor is still problem worldwide. Although America has found a way to control this problem within, there are still problems happening outside our door. Third world countries are struggling the most with eliminating child labor. Within two of the articles I read it revealed stories of young children who were trapped in Child Labor systems. One of the articles was expressed from the point of view of the father who expressed grateful and happy feelings when discussing his daughter working in a sweatshop. He says it is the only way the family is able to stay off the streets. This example shows why Child Labor has the possibility to be beneficial. Child labor is necessary because many poor families are found to look to the children for financial support. Without child labor there is a greater possibility for children to take on more dangerous work roles, such as prostitution. Taking away sweatshops and child labor would create a higher percent of people unemployed and worse off. Conversely, sweatshops and child labor are dangerous and strip people of their rights. An article told a story about a boy who felt stuck in the Child Labor system, “My identity has been taken by the company. I have no freedom to move to other places”. This shows how labor forces have become the boss of people’s lives. Companies have found a way to trick laborers into working for them, but backfire on them back stripping them from their identity. Working up to twenty hours a day for less than two dollars an hour under horrible conditions is immoral, even if it does help stabilize the economy. This is why people such as the government, parents, and children must do all they can to eliminate sweatshops and child labor. This elimination process states by spreading of awareness, criminalizing child labor and sweatshops, and creating an allegiance with other governments where this issue is apparent the world becomes closer to banning sweatshops and child labor. All over the world sweatshops as well as child labor still exist. Clearly the way sweatshops are run is immoral, but then what is the solution to this problem if sweatshops help to stabilize the economy? In places such as third world countries children know they have an option, “kids worked or they went hungry”. The key way to ban sweatshops and child labor is by eliminating this option. The first step in this process is stabilizing the economy. By stabilizing an economy before putting an end to sweatshops and child labor, America will help to stop the immoral acts of sweatshops without harming the financial status of the country. All over the world this has been tried to be done, but changing the economy is no easy task; the United States specifically knows first-hand how difficult this can be. When the United States was suffering from an economic crash during the Great Depression the workplace resulted to sweatshops and child labor. After the financial situation was more controlled, it was easier to stop the use of sweatshops and child labor. Today, the United States has made a strong effort to stop sweatshops as well as keep children in school instead of work. So far, within the United States this has been successful; however, outside the doors of the US countries struggle. Although the United States has decreased the amount of child labor and sweatshops it still continues to trade with other countries where these issues are apparent and common; therefore, the US is inadvertently supporting child labor and sweatshops. Sweatshops and child labor are horrifying concepts but there are some benefits to the issues. Now, the question is how does America continue to earn the benefits from sweatshops and child labor, but ban the immoral actions?

Literature Analysis

Anzia Yezierska wrote the short story, America and I. Anzia moved from a Polish ghetto to the Lower East Side of Manhattan and writes many different short stories from the point of view of immigrants. This particular short story, America and I, was about an immigrant from Russia who moved to America in hopes to find more opportunities; however, when she arrived in America she was deeply disappointed. She quickly found her perception of what America would be like was far off. In the beginning of the story she states what she thought America was like, “Ach! America! From the other end of the earth from where I came, America was a land of living hope, woven of dreams, aflame with longing and desire” (68). America was known to be “the land of opportunity” which is what the immigrant hoped to find. This perfect land meant that it would be easy to find work and earn good money so that they would be able to live a life of happiness. This quote shows what America was perceived as to “outsiders”. Because America had a good reputation, immigrants from all over the world wanted to move so that they could have the chance to live the “American dream”. First thing first, the character knew that they needed to have money in order to live this dream lifestyle, “Bit from my high visions, my golden hopes, I had to put my feet down on earth. I had to have food and shelter. I had to have the money to pay for it”. This quote shows in order to be able to live the lifestyle people dream about money is needed, and the only way people earn money is by getting a job. Therefore, right away the character entered America and was forced to find a job. The first job she found was working for an American family. She explains how excited she was to earn her wages after her first full month of work, “Like a prisoner in his last night in prison, counting the seconds that will free him from his chains, I trembled breathlessly for the minute I’d get the wages in my hand” (70). This shows how important money is to Americans. Labor is money, money is survival, survival is happiness.
People often forget how important jobs are in America. The saying, “amount of money does not define happiness” is a saying in which everyone wants to believe, but finds it hard because most things in life have a price. So, how do people find happiness if they must work? Within the article Anzia Yezierska discovers the key to happiness, “Happiness is only by working at what you love” (74). If a person enjoys their work and is passionate about it then one will be happier. Anzia Yezierska was a great example of this; right when she came into America she had to find work in order to stay off the streets, so she found a job in which she had no passion or love for and laboriously worked. She knew this way of life was not the one in which she had hoped America would have in store for her. This example shows if love for work is not found then happiness will never be established. Because Anzia was never given the chance to discover what she loved, she was never happy, showing that in order for people to be happy they must work with something they enjoy.
Later in the story the main character quits working for the American family because she wants to earn a consistent income so that she would be able to live a life of her own, instead of dictated by the American family. She quickly transitions to work in a sweatshop of a Delancey Street basement sewing on buttons. Working in this sweatshop gave her the freedom she wanted, but wasn’t nearly enough to allow her to live the “American Dream”, “The money I earned was hardly enough to pay for bread and rent. I didn’t have a room to myself. I didn’t even have a bed” (72). This little amount of money earned shows the typical wage for people working in sweatshops. Her hours she worked were long and laborious and the conditions in which she worked were poor. Working in sweatshops were not peoples first choice, however the need for money was so high that people were forced to work under bad condition, for low wages and long hours.
Coming to America was not all that people originally thought it would be. Work was a part of a harsh lifestyle. Through the story it was stressed how much labor is a part of lives, whether by choice or not. Work is the only way people earn a consistent income, and because money is an American necessity.

Yezierska, Anzia. “America and I.” Jewish Stories: Ilan Stavans. New York: Oxford, 1998. 69-77. Print

15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town

“15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town” shares the true story of a boy named Imani Mulumeo Derwa, a 15-year old boy who left his life in Walungu, Congo and headed for Bisie to help support his family financially. Imani’s dream was to finish high school and go on to college; however his dream was far off considering he had only finished fourth-grade before he needed to drop-out and leave town to make money. Unfortunately, what he thought the town of Bisie could provide for him was not reality. After a long journey, Imani arrived in Bisie only to find himself, “trapped in a web of debt and despair”. In Bisie, on his first day of work he recorded in his journal that he had earned less than 50 cents after working 2.1 hours; later he said “I wanted to keep track of what I earn, but so far I really haven’t earned anything”. This meant that Imani had no place to sleep, no food to eat, no clothes to wear, no shoes on his feet, no place to play, and no family for love. So, Imani looked to other people to temporarily help support him with things such as a home and food. However, this backfired on Imani because he could not come up with the money he owed the people who temporarily supported him- he was taunted and stuck in a place he no longer wanted to be. Out of all the days of the week Thursdays were the worst because that was when the soldiers came and collected taxes, about a dollar from each person, but that was a whole day’s wages; so, when he did not have the money he would hide out in the forest. Hiding out in the forest was dangerous and risky because it was known, “if you don’t pay they will kill you”, but it was his only choice because he had no money. Unfortunately, because Congo has a poor government it is easy for something, such as what is happening in Bisie, to occur. It was said, “Every Thursday, he must hand over a day’s wages to Col. Samy Matumo’s men, who control the mountain and illegally extract taxes from every enterprise here”. This is an example of what is happening in our world today. Everyday children are trapped within a system and have no way to get out, “Although Imani wants to leave, he has no money t to pay the taxes along the road. And his creditors would send soldiers to arrest him if he tried to escape”. Imani, as we as many other children, are working, “48- hour shifts in narrow, airless tunnels, with no safety gear beyong their dim healamps”. Many of these place where the children work have horrible condition and often the dangerous work leads to death, “cae-ins are common, and toxis gasses fill the tunnels at times, sickening workers. It is impossible to say how many workers have been injured or killed because there are no authorities here the keep track”. Living in America and hearing IMani’s story and his situation makes me feel so fortunate to be able to live the way I do. No child, or adult, should have to live “15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town”. Although it is not America’s problem, it is a responsibility of the whole world to help out each other. If this is going on behind closed doors and America has the capability to help, even if it is in some small way, we should do so, for the sake of the poor young children suffering.

Polgreen, Lydia. "15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town.(National Desk)(Imani Mulumeo Derwa)." The New York Times. 158. 54496 (Nov 16, 2008): NA(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 21 Feb. 2010 .

An Ugly Side of Free Trade: Sweatshops in Jordan

It has been recorded that people working in factories in Jordan are working as much as 120 hours per week, meaning that a worker is only given 48 hours a week off. This astonishing statistic is currently supported by America. In the article it says, “Jordan’s apparel industry exported 1.2 billion dollars to the united states last year”. By continuing to import products from Jordan, a place where sweatshops are common, the United States is saying that it is okay for people to work under horrible conditions, for little pay and long hours. In reality, the United States made a point in banning sweatshops because it is understood that working “20-hour days, of not being paid for months and of being hit by supervisors and jailed when they complain” is morally wrong; however, by trading with Jordan the united States is making it clear that they believe sweatshops are okay as long as they are in other countries. Not only is the United States businesses and government paying for sweatshops to continue to run, but so are citizens of the US. How many people shop at Kohls, Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, Sears, or Target? Investigators found workers from other countries who confess that they worked in a sweatshop for one of the stores listed above. Not only have these people been found guilty for working in sweatshops, but they also said that they were stripped of their rights while working. For example, a man named Amman worked in one of the factories in Jordan. He explained how he was stripped of his identity by the company, “My identity has been taken by the company. I have no freedom to move to other places”. Factories in Jordan promised workers one thing, but broke the promise for the benefit of the company, harming the worker. This article is an example of how horrifying sweatshops are and why United States banned them from existing in their country. Although they were banned, the United States continues to support the other countries where sweatshops exist by trading with them.

Greenhouse, Steven, and Michael Barbaro. "An Ugly Side of Free Trade: Sweatshops in Jordan.(Business/Financial Desk)." The New York Times. (May 3, 2006): C1(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 10 Feb. 2010 .

An International Declaration Against Child Exploitation

My previous blog discussed how sweatshops are necessary for economic growth in third world countries; conversely, this article explains how imperative it is to eliminate child labor. The government, parents, and children themselves can do in order to see that child labor is banned and that the world begins to start to treat the children with dignity and respect instead of misusing them. One of the reasons why it is so important for parents as well as people involved in the government to help out is because children do not have a voice. In reality, children are considerably small forces because they have limits; for example, children are unable to vote. I believe if America has the right to set these limits on children, then the government as well as parents must be willing to be the voice of children. Without voices problems such as child labor will continue on causing pain to many young children.
The article suggests that the governments major role in this banning process. A part of this role the government must start off by listening to the children and ‘making the issues of children a priority and include the children in the decision-making that affects our lives”. By working closely with the children then government is able to incorporate their voices and what they want; after all, it is the children’s country as well! After listening to the children hopefully people will better understand how child labor is a crime. I believe by criminalizing child labor people will begin to think of it in a different, more intense way allowing people to recognize the importance of correcting and eliminating it. Another way the government could help to ban child labor is by working with other governments where child labor is occurring. In the article is discusses creating a “Nation Plan of Action” to end child labor. Having the nation come together creates a compelling force which will hopefully stop the misuse of children.
Along with the government, children need the support and help from the parents. Parent’s major role in this issue is to listen to the children, love them, and respect them, and treat them with dignity; by doing so children will realize how important they are in the world.
Finally, what children should do themselves: spread awareness. Although children do not have as much authority as the government or adults, but they do have another form of persuasion that is efficient. Children must use the media, art, dance, music, and drama to spread this awareness and to educate others. By doing so people will understand how important it is that this issue be stopped.
Although a lot of America does not hear of sweatshops and child labor as a major problem, it is. The fact of the matter is that it happens behind closed doors. This unfortunate fact must be faced and changed to help the children of the nation to live happily!

MLA:Labour, Children's World Congress on Child. "An International Declaration Against Child Exploitation." At Issue: Child Labor and Sweatshops. Ed. Ann Manheimer. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 10 Feb. 2010 source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=deer63488&version=1.0>.

Sweatshops Benefit Children

I am strongly against the idea of child labor; however, I inadvertently support the system every day. For example, every time I go shopping, play a game, use a computer, etc I become a child labor and sweatshop fan. Ask yourself, how often you look at a T-shirts tag and read "made in China". That label represents a factory from another country in which child labor policies are practiced. Our world has become highly dependent on trade; consequently, America has become supporters of child labor indirectly because child labor is not illegal in other countries. By trading with other countries and not fully understanding the work ethic in which the product is coming from, then consumers begin to support child labor. Most of our trade comes from third world countries. Sweatshops and child laborers are necessary in third world countries because they prosper their economy. As horrifying as child labor and sweatshops may be, this article suggests if we ban them then the country will suffer more financially, and third world countries must do all they can to keep their economies running! The article included a conversation between a reporter and a father from Thailand about work and how he is able to stay away from a life of poverty. The father told the reporter that his daughter, Darin, who is fifteen, works in a factory in Bangkok (Thailand) making clothing for export to America. To the reporters’ surprise, the father told them that she only made two dollars a day and worked nine-hour shifts, six days a week. This means that Darin is working fifty-four hours a week! The reporters compared this work ethic theirs- forty hour max workweeks, sick leave, and vacation. The reporters looked at their work ethic as gold, whereas the man thought that his daughter was being treated fairly and given good pay. America realizes that two dollars a day isn’t even minimum wage, whereas two hours a day is “good pay” in Thailand. Although Darin must work in a sweatshop for less than minimum wage, for long hours and under dangerous conditions, it is better than living on the streets, homeless. Taking away sweatshops would lead to more problems because “sweatshops are a crucial and necessary step in most economies’ evolution to prosperity”. People living in third world countries look to sweatshops for opportunities because people, especially children, knew they had two choices, “kids worked, or they went hungry”. This shows that although sweatshops and child labor is an appalling concept it is necessary for the county which means that the only way third world countries will be able to eliminate child labor and sweatshops is by creating a more stable economy. Therefore, shutting down all of the sweatshops and stopping children from working is not a solution to this problem. In the article it discussed s situation which went about shutting down factories to stop child labor and change the ways of sweatshops. However, this plan backfired and resulted in people “in crime, begging, or working as prostitutes”. This shows that although sweatshops are extreme ways of earning money, without them people would result to working in even more extreme circumstances. Overall, no matter how horrifying child labor and sweatshops are in reality an economy in trouble depends on them for financial aid.

MLA:Radley Balko. "Sweatshops Benefit Children." At Issue: Do Children Have Rights?. Ed. Jamuna Carroll. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 8 Feb. 2010 .

America and I Response

Much of the American lifestyle is based off of work. It is very difficult for one to live without money, and the only way people get money is by earning it through their work. An immigrant from Russia shares her story on what it was like coming to America, what she thought was the land of happiness and opportunity, and how she was able to survive. Anzia Yezierska's short story, America and I, takes the reader through the roller coaster ride through America. Back in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds America had a reputation for being the "land of living hope, woven of dreams, aflame with longing and desire" (68). Part of why this was thought was because it was common knowledge that one could easily find work. Life I know it to be today is much different. The unemployment rate has significantly risen ever since America plunged into a recession. Today, many unemployed Americans are stressing about how they are going to be able to feed their family, keep a roof over their heads, and clothes for their bodies or as Anzia Yezierska put it, “Money to buy a new shirt on my back- shoes on my feet” (70). Not having a job is a scary and unstable thought. The necessities such as food and shelter are supported by work, without work there is no way one could earn money to receive these basic necessities. This shows how important jobs and work is to America, it ultimately is what keeps the country running. More specifically, it is the work of the people that keeps America successful. This work is not always easy. Especially back then, our country had immigrants and the unemployed placed in sweat shops and factories which people worked for maniy hours a day and low wages. Yezierska explained how her life simply consisted of work, “while the morning was still dark I walked into a dark basement. And darkness met me when I turned out of the basement” (72). This idea of long hours, hard work, little pay was not exactly what Anzia Yezierska had in mind as the perfect America. What she longed for was, “My America, where I would work for love and not for a living” (72). If only America was based off of that people all over the world would be happier with their lives. This notion of happiness was discovered when Yezierska realized, “Happiness is only by working at what you love” (74). Personally I was fascinated by how true this statement she shared was. After reading this story I question how many American's are currently happy with their lives and work? My answer, not very many. Unfortunately the pressure of finding a well paying job and need for efficiency often times overtakes the idea of doing work in which people love to do. It was soon understood in the story that the welfare men is actually the real America.


Yezierska, Anzia. “America and I.” Jewish Stories: Ilan Stavans. New York: Oxford, 1998. 69-77. Print

workplace

New Deal

America’s most difficult times in the workplace were faced during the Great Depression era which included about five years of suffering. It was the people such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt who got America out of the rough times and back on track. The Great Depression was a times when America went into recession. The economy was “unbalanced” meaning that there was too much production and not enough consumption. Therefore, people had to be laid off, wages had to be lowered, and tax prices needed to be altered. The New Deal was and act put in place to fix this imbalance and get the economy back to the way it was. The New Deals goal was to create the best balance “among all producing segments- agriculture, capital, industry, workers in the industry, the services, and the segment engaged in transportation and distribution, there would be almost no limit to our consuming capacity”. It is common knowledge that perfection is impossible, but the New Deal suggested that everything such as “all administration and all popular effort must be directed toward that goal instead of away from that goal”. By working towards a common goal, collectively it would be easier to create a change. The New Deal was put in place when the world was virtually run by “individualism” (people working for themselves) because everything was chaos. There was the “let-us-alone” gang which fought against the government and wanted the individualism to continue on. However, it was quickly realized that the government was the only group that could help get the people out of this tough situation, so the “let-us-along” gang quickly turned around during 1921 and 1929 and “became the guiding principle of government administration”. The nation finally recognized the only way to get out of their situation was if they worked together. Therefore, with the help of the New Deal, the government, the “let-us-alone” gang as well as the other people, balanced perfection was the goal people strived for; by doing so the nation was able to get back on track and put people back to work.

Personal Reflection

Within the course of five days I have come to learn a lot about “labor”. There are many key aspects that particularly stood-out which caused me to be more focused on certain aspects within labor rather than other topics. For example, I was extremely surprised when I read an article that stated that people had to work SIXTEEN hours a day during the Great Depression. This number amazed me; especially compared to the average work hours in the twentieth century (6-8 hourrs a day).
As I was going through the general background and history of the research topic, “labor”, I found it easiest to focus in on and relate to “child labor”. As I am currently a sixteen year old student searching for a well paying, few hours a week job, I find it extremely hard to imagine my life revolving around my work at this young age instead of around school material. I find it to be unfortunate that child laborers must focus on their work rather than basic knowledge because i understand first-hand how beneficial the material learned in school is in life. I take my education very seriously and find it unfortunate that the children trapped in “child labor” are unable to obtain this education, which is why I chose to narrow my research topic down the “Child Labor”.

Child Labor

This year at Deerfield High School students were given the chance to sign up for a course called “Tech Campus” which is a class that allows students to have hands-on experience with the field of work one is interested in. Tech Campus is not offered to students in grades lower than nine because throughout those younger years of schooling, according to schools curriculum, students should still be receiving “general” education instead of pin-pointing out a job right away. Our school system chooses not to offer Tech Campus to the younger students so that the children are able to have time during their younger years of development to gain general knowledge on aspects and useful key ideas to know in life, allowing children to lead more successful futures. However, not all school systems are designed in this way. In fact, about sixty years ago the school system was designed in an opposite manner; Instead of blocking out the early education years for general education, children would jump right into the work environment. This idea of throwing young children and having them work is a part of “child labor”. The children were removed from gaining general knowledge in school and instead became laborers working for little pay, long hours, and under bad conditions. However, this notion of “child labor” was looked upon by England as, “a good thing that the children should learn to work. We are carrying on schools to teach them to work”; In other words, the children’s life is based off of work. Being a child myself, I understand and recognize the importance of basing my education off of the general knowledge learned, and continue to learn. It is unfortunate that the child labor takes away from the ability to increase one’s knowledge about skills necessary in life.
As i was reading i came across this passage that really hit home, "Two years ago I saw 150 children working illegally at 20 minutes past 10 o'clock at night in a perfectly reputable dry goods store in the city of New York on the Saturday night before Christmas. If one of those children had stolen any small article, a doll or a penknife, the heavy hand of the law would have carried that child promptly into the Juvenile Court. But 150 children were robbed of sleep in violation of the law; and the merchant, their employer who robbed them, has never been prosecuted to this day, and will never be prosecuted."

Why have we endured being left with no official means of ready comparison of the statutes of the different states and the prosecutions of violations of the child labor law in the different states?

MLA: Florence Kelley " Obstacles to Enforcing Child Labor Laws," Annals of American History. <http://america.eb.com/america/article?articleId=386709>[Accessed February 2, 2010.]

FDR's First Inaugural Address

In Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inaugural speech he stated, “This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper”, allowing all of America to regain hope. Roosevelt played a major role during the Great Depression and positively changed to the workplace. My very first blog was about Obama’s inaugural speech and what his hopes were for our nation today, considering we are currently in a bit of a crisis ourselves. Within his inaugural speech Obama made “putting people back to work” his main goal for 2010. Similarly, during the Great Depression era Roosevelt recognized this problem within the US as well and stated, “Our greatest primary task is to put people to work”. Both presidents felt the need to make the unemployment rate decrease clearly symbolizing the importance work is in America. Roosevelt recognizes how terrible times are and how people must feel scared, frustrated and uneasy. However he reassures the people by stated, “These dark days will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves and to our fellowmen”. He suggests, by working together collectively, for you and for others, the nation has a better chance in success.

Franklin D. Roosevelt " First Inaugural Address," Annals of American History. <http://america.eb.com/america/article?articleId=386936&query=Roosevelt-+Great+Depression>[Accessed February 22, 2010].

Samuel Gompers " The Laborer's Right to Life," Annals of American History. <http://america.eb.com/america/article?articleId=386362&query=Samuel+Gompers>[Accessed February 21, 2010].