Americans now spend more time shopping then attending religious services or even reading a book. With ads around every corner on billboards, in catalogs, television, and on banners on our favorite Internet site, “How can one not become addicted?” The media is reinventing holiday’s mainly to entice the consumer to spend money. Let's take a look at Christmas for example. It's based more on consumerism now then of love and family bonding. Companies come out with the newest toys and gadgets around this time, and with product placement have kids around the country going insane.
The scene when the charity collectors visit Scrooge is an example of this. It is in this scene on Christmas Eve, where he is asked to make “some slight provision for the poor and destitute, which suffer greatly at the present time.” The men are endeavoring to raise funds to buy the poor some basic necessities, with this time of year being chosen because “it is a time, of all others, when want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices”. Dickens strong and values centered around helping the less fortunate is exemplified in this with the Christmas period being no better time for the wealthy and the more fortunate to help. Secondly Christmas is used to
Zaretsky says that the family, also known as the nuclear family, cannot meet all the needs of a family and that it is just an illusion. Furthermore, the family are known as a unit of consumption meaning that the family helps capitalism by buying goods and generating profit hence maintaining capitalism. Advertisers urge families to have the latest, new product and children use pester powers influenced by the media, to persuade parents to buy more for their children. Children who do not have the latest products may be bullied and stigmatised by their peers. All in all,
There is a saying that “the more, the merrier” since any religion will be more influential or believable by the locked in effect, like rich get rich. Moreover, teenagers tend to believe what their friends like to believe no matter what they truly like by peer pressure. As a result, what they think will be eroded by school pray before they are mature enough to think. The Constitution bans the establishment of state religion and also prohibits Congress from interfering with the free exercise of religion. Could these provisions ever conflict with each other?
Christmas today is simply about making money and mass commercialism. AS 21st century citizens, we have forgotten its true message and meaning in life.” For many centuries gifts have been exchanged at Christmas and New Year, but as the years go on do we still understand the true meaning of Christmas? This essay will help discover the answer, using factors such as; Christmas in the C20th compared to Christmas now, what families did then compared to now and how shops make money and commercialize. For many years gifts have been exchanged at Christmas and New Year. By the early C20th, the availability of a huge range of gifts for both children and adults had increased dramatically.
The article “The Cashless Society Almost Here and With Some Very Sinister Implications” contends that the government is currently setting in place a global disaster that will push us into a cashless society. How would a cashless economy be different from our paper money and coin system? The author, Patrick Henningsen, demonstrates that the world as we know it will be dramatically different. The ease of electronic systems has made using paper money unpopular. While swiping your credit card at your local retailer seems like a good idea, there is a much deeper implication of a cashless society.
Globalization and Outsourcing The economic globalization strategy of outsourcing is more of a disadvantage to Canadians because of reasons like quality issues, losing jobs and transportation. The author’s interpretation of this image can be portrayed as a negative response to outsourcing. In a literal way it shows Santa Clause reading a story on Toxic toys that were produced in China right before Christmas. In a metaphorical way the source could be interpreted as Canada shouldn’t rely on China to outsource all their products in case something should go wrong, for example: toxic substances in toys. I agree with the perspective of the author, I believe outsourcing is more of a disadvantage to Canadian’s.
Children of families that receive government assistance are more likely to have children as teenagers and are in turn are more likely to receive more government assistance because they are not financially stable. The families can’t afford the people they already have in their family, so having more children interferes with their current children’s rights, tax payers’ rights, and the rights of future children brought into this socioeconomic class. It takes away the children’s right to quality experiences and proper parenting. Proper parenting is in no way saying that these people are bad parents, however, they are not setting a good example if they are not thinking about the financial well-being of their family. These government costs could be greatly reduced by distributing birth control to all men and women at no cost to them.
We can get involved with some the homeless programs through local organizations at homeowners associations, schools, sororities, and fraternities, but we must defeat homelessness. If combating homelessness means higher taxes to prevent families living under bridges, living in cardboard make shift homes, eating discarded scrapes, and then let’s pay higher taxes. We need to provide more family shelters, so the children get an education and the parents regain some of their dignity and find employment. Employment of the homeless would not only take them off the streets, but also would strengthen the economy. Homeless people all around the world stopped believing in ruby slippers a long time ago, because they know that fairy tales will not get them out of their predicament.
It is inevitable to think that during this economy recession a four days school week could be a cost saving measure; however, it is a big mistake to take away one day of school since it will affects parents, child, staff and the country in many different ways. Gregory A Shmidt’s essay, “We Like the Four-Day Week”, explains how the switch to a four days schedule could be beneficial for the staff, students and budget savings. But, he didn’t mention how that system will affect parents’ pockets. U.S.A Today editorial board questions how reducing one day of school will be a saving if parents will be spending more on day care “what about the family cost of day care for a child home alone on a weekday?” (307). In fact, parents regularly work five days a week leaving their kids in school for those days.