Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Illness and Dying intro
From when i was a child i was never taught much about illness and dying; i only knew them as taboo topics that aren't very enjoyable and shouldn't be approached. Eventually through school and by other means i was exposed to much more information on illness and dying. This gave me the perspective on it that i have today. I feel that some of the social norms about death and illness is where you're taken when sick or dead. throughout human history the procedures and locations applied to the sick/dying have changed in various ways but one things that remained constant is the place the dead is taken is roughly the same for everyone within a society, and the same goes for the place people take the sick. in africa at some time period a sick person may have been sent to a witch doctor and that would be where anyone who was sick in the society was taken to. Now you are simply taken to a hospital where current doctors can tend to your needs. One unusual thing i would have to say about my thoughts on illness and dying is that i don't feel either of these things when not applied to me affect me emotionally at all.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Chapter Homeworks 4-7
Fast Food Nation:
(sorry for the late post on these.. just found my flash drive, this is all i have.)
Chapter 4- "Success"
Fast food restaurants continued to expand cities like Pueblo, Colorado That before to the opening of many fast food restaurants didn't have pretty much anything; are starting to catch up to the more industrialized cities within Colorado. Fast food restaurants have used the method of franchising to expand their individual businesses but now currently run them focused around real estate because it gives them more control over their franchises.
This chapter focused on all sides of the franchise process and touches on how the fast food restaurants have become stricter with how franchises run their businesses. It also shows the fast food chains from the franchises perspective which is more innocent and is more like the story of a person trying to make a living compared to the company who is leasing space to the franchise takes advantage of the franchise itself and the workers.
Chapter 5- "Why the fries taste so good"
jr simplot rose from the humble profession of a potato farmer, to easily one of the largest potato distributing companies. Following that, the amazing success of Mcdonalds and the franchise's need for potatoes to make french fries gave Simpolt the opportunity to be their provider and make a lot of money. Since it was in the best interest of the potato companies to be suppliers for fast food restaurants they sold the potatoes at drastically lower prices in turn helping them and fast food restaurants make tons of money. Although in turn they ended up hurting lots of common farmers who now are run out of business or make very little profit because its difficult to compete with the rising monarchs of the potato industry. The fries originally had more saturated fat than a hamburger, per every ounce. This was due to the oil that they were fried in; The oil the french fries are made in gives them the signature taste that buyers love but is very unhealthy.
The chapter does a nice job of illustrating how the nature of the fast food industry in itself is exploitive and the more the fast food restaurants discover ways to maximize profits while paying a meager amount for supplies; the more people who work for the companies and other workers related to their businesses in some way are hurt and continue to face more difficulties. The maximization of profits for fast food restaurants comes at the expense of many farmers and workers incomes and livelihoods'. It is a very basic example of the rich only benefiting and the poor left to suffer.
Chapter 6- "On the Range"
The meat packing industry has done very similar things to farmers as what has the fast food restaurants did to the potato farmers. Dominant meat packing companies have taken over the market, and have been basically running local (traditional) farmers out of business. The chicken industry specifically is regulated by large companies. Many (traditional) farmers are in debt and have very little control over the product that they were once proud to supply. Mcdonalds has successfully ended the time in which a local (traditional) farmer can grow crops and make a decent profit from the cattle and crops they possess.
In the chapter the author feels some sympathy towards small scale farm workers because more industrialized/dominant companies have as i stated before; run them out of business. Mcdonalds along with other big fast food restaurants are dependent on the exploitation of these people and therefore could care less about many workers profit to ensure they maximize their own. Another example of what i think of as a Pac-Man mentality.
Chapter 7- "Cogs in the great machine"
The meat packing industry essentially gave the job of packing meat to a low skill factory worker, blatantly similar to McDonalds "speedee system". This transformed the meat packing industry and hurt the workers. The revised meat packing system enabled the owners of these companies to take advantage of their workers more easily and efficiently ceteris paribus their profit increases. Modernized meat packing plants are cautious of labor unions and do their best to prevent any unnecessary unrest within the workers that could result in a cut in their profits. The modern meat packing industry has also deeply impacted many small communities in negative ways.
The chapter again illustrates different parts of the food industry as a whole that are relevant to the fast food industry; just like the fast food industry the meat packing companies often exploit and mistreat their employees. It expresses how the intentions/goals of the executives of these companies are purely financial and they would most likely go to many lengths and would be willing to step on the heads of many people to increase their profits.
(sorry for the late post on these.. just found my flash drive, this is all i have.)
Chapter 4- "Success"
Fast food restaurants continued to expand cities like Pueblo, Colorado That before to the opening of many fast food restaurants didn't have pretty much anything; are starting to catch up to the more industrialized cities within Colorado. Fast food restaurants have used the method of franchising to expand their individual businesses but now currently run them focused around real estate because it gives them more control over their franchises.
This chapter focused on all sides of the franchise process and touches on how the fast food restaurants have become stricter with how franchises run their businesses. It also shows the fast food chains from the franchises perspective which is more innocent and is more like the story of a person trying to make a living compared to the company who is leasing space to the franchise takes advantage of the franchise itself and the workers.
Chapter 5- "Why the fries taste so good"
jr simplot rose from the humble profession of a potato farmer, to easily one of the largest potato distributing companies. Following that, the amazing success of Mcdonalds and the franchise's need for potatoes to make french fries gave Simpolt the opportunity to be their provider and make a lot of money. Since it was in the best interest of the potato companies to be suppliers for fast food restaurants they sold the potatoes at drastically lower prices in turn helping them and fast food restaurants make tons of money. Although in turn they ended up hurting lots of common farmers who now are run out of business or make very little profit because its difficult to compete with the rising monarchs of the potato industry. The fries originally had more saturated fat than a hamburger, per every ounce. This was due to the oil that they were fried in; The oil the french fries are made in gives them the signature taste that buyers love but is very unhealthy.
The chapter does a nice job of illustrating how the nature of the fast food industry in itself is exploitive and the more the fast food restaurants discover ways to maximize profits while paying a meager amount for supplies; the more people who work for the companies and other workers related to their businesses in some way are hurt and continue to face more difficulties. The maximization of profits for fast food restaurants comes at the expense of many farmers and workers incomes and livelihoods'. It is a very basic example of the rich only benefiting and the poor left to suffer.
Chapter 6- "On the Range"
The meat packing industry has done very similar things to farmers as what has the fast food restaurants did to the potato farmers. Dominant meat packing companies have taken over the market, and have been basically running local (traditional) farmers out of business. The chicken industry specifically is regulated by large companies. Many (traditional) farmers are in debt and have very little control over the product that they were once proud to supply. Mcdonalds has successfully ended the time in which a local (traditional) farmer can grow crops and make a decent profit from the cattle and crops they possess.
In the chapter the author feels some sympathy towards small scale farm workers because more industrialized/dominant companies have as i stated before; run them out of business. Mcdonalds along with other big fast food restaurants are dependent on the exploitation of these people and therefore could care less about many workers profit to ensure they maximize their own. Another example of what i think of as a Pac-Man mentality.
Chapter 7- "Cogs in the great machine"
The meat packing industry essentially gave the job of packing meat to a low skill factory worker, blatantly similar to McDonalds "speedee system". This transformed the meat packing industry and hurt the workers. The revised meat packing system enabled the owners of these companies to take advantage of their workers more easily and efficiently ceteris paribus their profit increases. Modernized meat packing plants are cautious of labor unions and do their best to prevent any unnecessary unrest within the workers that could result in a cut in their profits. The modern meat packing industry has also deeply impacted many small communities in negative ways.
The chapter again illustrates different parts of the food industry as a whole that are relevant to the fast food industry; just like the fast food industry the meat packing companies often exploit and mistreat their employees. It expresses how the intentions/goals of the executives of these companies are purely financial and they would most likely go to many lengths and would be willing to step on the heads of many people to increase their profits.
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