Week 14: Who Has the Power?

During our reading this week, we were asked to discuss which theory of democracy, described in Chapter 14, rings truest today: Democratic Elitism, Pluralist Theories, or The Power Elite.

Democratic Elitism sounds about right, because it is hard for decision-making to occur in such a large society, with each citizen weighing in on each law. So, it just makes sense that we hire or vote for people we trust or believe in to make the day-to-day decisions, and step in occasionally to make the big ones – like who our leaders should be. However, when I was growing up, I always heard of our society referred to as a “Republic” in this context and I find it interesting that I have yet to read that word in this chapter. The two-party system is concerning, because I do believe that there is strong support for Independent and Green party candidates, but “strong” support is just not enough. It needs to be overwhelming enough to enter into a race against the two other parties.

Pluralist theories can also explain our government. Lobbyists represent interest groups and spend their days on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers to make sure their groups’ opinions are heard. My brother-in-law is actually a lobbyist in the health care field and he makes lobbying seem like a very noble profession. He lobbies for Physical Therapists (PTs) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNWs). He makes sure that PTs and CNWs have the same rights and benefits that other, more established health care professionals have. I do believe that the pluralist theory fits, but I don’t think it is the whole picture.

I actually really like how the theory of The Power Elite is described in our text. It just seemed “right”. I think a lot of how I feel stems from being married to an Ivy League graduate with an MBA who now runs a bank. But it is so true. The only way he got his job is from the contacts he has met along the way. It’s all in the networking. That’s the only way to get a job at the highest levels these days. No filling out employment applications and going in on blind interviews. At the top, people know each other or know about each other. Yes, sometimes in America, if you know the right people, you can end up in highly powerful positions.

In conclusion, I do think that The Power Elite fits the bill as far as this assignment goes, but I also think there are hints of Democratic Elitism and Pluralism tossed in.

Week 13: Is Wal-Mart Good for America?

This question is tough because I think, after watching the Frontline piece, that Wal-Mart is good and bad for America. It’s basically an unanswerable question. If I were one of those exuberant participants at that large shareholder meeting, I might say that of course Wal-Mart is good for America – it’s good for me! If I were one of the workers who had lost their jobs at US manufacturing plants because Wal-Mart decided to go with a Chinese supplier instead, I’d say, heck no, Wal-Mart is hurting America.

It really depends on what side you’re on. America is a big country, full of many different people. I would like to believe that those factory workers could get a job at Wal-Mart and be fine and move on with their lives. You could argue that when you step back and look at this situation from a global, macro scale, China should make the goods and we should purchase them, and that’s just how it’s going to parse out. Maybe Americans just weren’t meant to be manufacturing anything. Maybe we’re supposed to be the sellers, the consumers, the idea-generators, the educators, and the bankers, but assembly-line production of goods is not what we’re good at as a people.

This could be a normal progression of how things are eventually going to shake out globally. The Wal-Mart executives don’t think they’re doing anything wrong and, on the contrary, they think they’re doing everything RIGHT. I do believe in “buying American” and I do believe in supporting your local businesses, but I have to admit, when I need a pair of socks, I’m off to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is good for my wallet. I know its trading policies with China and its shrewd way of pitting suppliers against one another to get to the lowest price, just so that they can have a higher markup, is rough to see. But that’s the way businesses work. They’re innovating and they’re leading the way to a new standard of practice for retailers.

There’s nothing we can do but try to do what the small manufacturer in Ohio did – go to Congress and try to get China to change their prices. Our government needs to take a stronger stance against China and their low wages and terrible working conditions. Make them pay more to their employees and treat them better, which would drive up the prices of the goods they churn out. If their prices were brought up a little higher, there may be some American manufacturers that could start competing again.

Week 12: The Second Shift Checklist

This topic is actually very much top-of-mind in my family right now. I decided to take this sociology course and other prerequisites as a step toward maybe going back to work one day soon. Since I’m a stay-at-home mom (SAHM), it really doesn’t bother me that the majority of the checkmarks on the sheet were in my own column. However, my husband and I talk about this all the time: How do we shift those checkmarks into his column once I do start working? Actually, now that I’m taking two courses this semester and performing all these duties, I’m really starting to feel what it might be like when I actually do take that step. Sometimes, when it’s Sunday afternoon and I have two papers to write before midnight (ahem) and the house is a disaster and I have no idea what I’m making for dinner, I think I’m making the wrong decision to go back to work. Sometimes my kids tell me they want me to stop working on my papers or reading my textbooks and “pay attention” to them. My oldest has even flat-out told me that she doesn’t want me to go back to work.

As far as the checklist goes, my husband does unload the dishwasher occasionally, and he can somewhat be counted on to mow the lawn. He and I share a lot of things, like shoveling snow and mowing the lawn. He gets the kids up but I get them dressed. He makes the oldest ones breakfast and takes them to school and I make the youngest one breakfast and take him to school. I pay the bills, but he worries about them. He likes me to drive when we go on family outings or vacations because he just doesn’t like to drive. And he’s completely inept when it comes to home repairs or electronics, so those are in my column too. So, there were not a lot of checkmarks in his column at all, but again, I’m home for a reason - so I can be here 100% for my kids and husband, so I shouldn’t complain too much (but I do!).

My husband actually works long hours at a bank and comes home tired and stressed out. I, on the other hand, go to the gym, read my textbooks, write papers, take tests, get coffee with friends, drive my kids to their activities, make dinner, and put everyone to bed. Is it unfair? Well, yes, most days I can’t believe that I graduated from college and worked for many years at a high-paying job, only to be relegated to dishwasher-loader and pajama-folder. I have many friends who are in the same situation as me, and we all kind of feel like we’re missing out on something. Yet we all admit that we are very fortunate to have the ability to stay home. We all believe we are doing what is best for our children. When I told my other SAHM friends that I wanted to go back to school and become a nurse, they all told me it was going to be a challenge and that they don’t see how they could ever attempt such an endeavor (“But good for you!”).

 

So, for now, I'm okay having a "second shift" because it allows me time during the day with my kids - volunteering at their schools, being there for them when they are sick, etc. And at night, that's when the laundry and homework gets done. My husband provides the paycheck so we can go on nice vacations and live in a nice neighborhood. The checklist is going to have to change when I start working again and that is my major source of concern. Because of his job, I will be the one picking the kids up from school when they are sick and I will be the one taking a day off from work to attend the parent teacher conference and Thanksgiving parents program. How that is all going to work is still very much a mystery to me.

Week 11: Is Society Secularizing?

I do not think that our society and/or the world is currently secularizing. As our textbook stated, more and more people are being drawn to religion because of uncertainties in their own lives. People need something to hold onto to give them hope in these troubling times. It may seem that, in many ways, religion is taking a back seat to other institutions in our society, such as education and technology, but more and more, people are looking for meaning through spirituality.

I, personally, have always considered myself removed completely from religion. I have a Catholic mother and Methodist father who decided to raise their children, as I like to call it, “Commercial Christians.” In other words, we worshipped the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, but never stepped foot in a church. But here’s the funny thing: my brother, sister, and I all married Catholics and all three of us send our children to Catholic schools. So, I, in a sense, embody the idea that we are not secularizing, but instead are becoming more religious. Will I convert and become a Catholic? Maybe. My children hate the idea of me someday burning in Hell while they sit up in Heaven.

My problem with embracing religion of any kind is that, as an adult, it’s so hard to suddenly decide to believe that there are one or many all-powerful beings that created the universe and are shaping your life in any way. It seems kind of silly to me. I truly believe that if I had been brought up as a child to believe in Jesus, I would not have a problem. But at this point, I really can’t see it happening any time soon. 

I have discussed this topic with a few of my friends who live in the South and are extremely religious and I’ve explained to them how I feel. What they all agree is that I probably just haven’t had a reason yet to grasp onto religion. Each of my devoutly Christian friends has said that there has been some sort of traumatic event in their lives that has driven them to find meaning or a purpose in life. They’ve turned to religion when they needed something to hold onto. I, on the other hand, have never had a close relative die, I’ve never been in a near-death situation, and I’ve lived a pretty nice life so far, not really wanting for anything. I don’t feel the need to have religion at this point.

But, going back to the purpose of this blog entry, I do believe there are many people right now fighting poverty, economic distress, and different crises in their lives that almost certainly are looking for something to give it all meaning. And that’s why I believe religion is continuing to grow throughout the world and we are not secularizing.