Maura Weir final draft multimodal essay

Maura Weir
Professor Lutz
English 151
October 25, 2011 

                                                       America's Unemployment Rate

What is Unemployment?

• In economics, unemployment refers to the condition and extent of joblessness within an economy, and is measured in terms of the unemployment rate, which is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force. Unemployment means not having a job or being out a work.
• If many Americans are out of work, then they can not give back to the economy, which then could lead to more unemployed people. Unfortunately this cycle can go on and on.

     Throughout Americas history with unemployment, there has been an on going debate with the causes, consequences, and solutions. In our present day the unemployment rate is at 9.1%. This is a high percentage when looking at back at our Nations history of unemployment. Over the past year the unemployment rate has remained high. Here are the state unemployment rates over the past year. According to Don peck from the Atlantic Magazine "The unemployment rate hit 10 percent in October, and there are good reasons to believe that by 2011, 2012, even 2014, it will only decline a little."  Don Peck. Unemployment should not be this high. With so many people out of work, so many families are being hurt. Individual families are not the only ones hurting, but so is our economy.  
     Being an individual who has had a family member who has been affected by unemployment, I have witnessed first hand the negative impact that such an event causes on an entire family.  Individual families are not the only ones hurting, but so is our economy. Our economy is suffering because so many people are out of work, which means fewer people are left to give back to our economy. When people are making money, they spend it, which helps our economy grow. If no one is investing their money into the economy, what does this mean for the future of the economy?


What causes unemployment
     There are many causes to unemployment but here are two of the main reasons.

• Minimum wage is one of the more obvious job deterrents.  If it costs more to hire someone than the job is worth, the job will not exist. However, minimum wage will only cause unemployment in labor markets where the minimum wage is higher than the equilibrium wage. Be- cause the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour is much lower than the average hourly wage of about $18.80 that was earned by American workers in 2009, any unemployment caused by the $7.25 per hour minimum wage is most likely to fall on low-skilled workers who earn low wages due to their low productivity. These workers are mostly teenagers, adults who did not complete high school, and immigrants with low levels of education and poor English proficiency. For members of such groups, recent research suggests that a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage will cause a 1 to 3 percent decline in employment. (Principles of Microeconomics. McGraw-Hill Create p. 261).
•  U.S. jobs are lost because of globalization of re- source markets. In recent years U.S. firms have found the outsourcing of work abroad to be increasingly profitable. This is called offshoring- shifting work previously done by American workers to workers located in other nations. Where off- shoring occurs, some of the value added in the production process accrues to foreign countries rather than the United States. So part of the income generated from the production of U.S. goods is paid to foreigners, not to American workers. (Principles of Microeconomics. McGraw-Hill Create p. 300). 

Who does unemployment affect the most?

• Although the unemployment rate is high for everyone, it hits different races, genders, and age groups differently. Month after month, the jobs report brings only disappointing news to African-Americans desperately seeking work. The unemployment rate for African Americans is double the unemployment rate of Whites. The unemployment rate for African-Americans is 19.2 percent. Discrimination continues to play a role in  Black unemployment, despite the fact that many people would choose to deny it. According to Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, there are sociological factors that contribute to this. For example if you compare African-American college graduates with non-African-American college graduates, the African-Americans still have a higher unemployment rate. In America in our time, the color of someones skin should not hinder their chances of employment.
  
  
  
  
• The age group that has the highest unemployment rates are teens. Teen unemployment is three times the national unemployment rate. There are a couple reasons why  unemployment for teens is increasing. Teens are usually more unskilled and inexperienced.  

     As a college student, I, as well as many of my peers go home, or other places in search for a summer job, in the month of July. Therefore, it is not surprising that there has been a huge jump in unemployment every July for the last three years following an increase in the minimum wage, as individuals fight for employment. Ironically, those hit the hardest by minimum wage generated unemployment are the same ones who were supposed to benefit from such artificial increases — minorities and youth. Minimum wage is a serious job killer.  If businesses cant afford to employ a teenager that is unskilled. If you were a manager looking to higher someone you would automatically choose the person with the most experience, which is most likely an older person. With the unemployment rate so high, many older workers are looking for minimum wage jobs, which are usually the jobs teens work. The high minimum wage law is another factor that contributes to teens being out of work. Businesses can not afford to have inexperienced teens working.

• As we are slowly recovering from the recession. Women have been suffering more. The job recovery rate for men is higher then the job recovery rate for women. Men gained more jobs then women did, which makes women's unemployment rate higher.  However, men did loose more jobs during the recession. This means after the recession more men could be hired back to work.

What is President Obama doing to help the Unemployment rates?

• In this video President Obama is explaining the Job Bill that he is currently trying to get to pass. President Obama is trying to pass a Jobs Bill. He has been lobbying for aggressively against Republican opposition since unveiling it a month ago. According to Obama this bill will reduce payroll taxes on workers and employers, extend benefits to long-term unemployed people, spend money on public works projects and help states and local governments keep teachers, police officers and firefighters on the job. He proposed paying for the plan mainly by closing loopholes for oil and gas companies and raising taxes on individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000. But with Republicans opposed to much of the new spending in the bill and to tax hikes even on millionaires, the legislation stands no chance of getting through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives in its current form, even if Senate Democrats were able to muster the necessary Republican support to get it through the Senate.

     I believe this plan could help stop the unemployment rate and help the people who help us: the fire fighters, teachers, and police officers.  My question to President Obama is this: If he knows this bill will not pass through the Republican led House of Representatives, why doesn't he come up with a new bill that both the Republicans and Democrats can agree on. The time he is wasting on this bill could have been spent on a new plan to reduce the high unemployment rate.

Will the high unemployment rate affect Obama in the upcoming election?

• Unemployment was high when Barack Obama took office and it’s gotten substantially higher. Does that mean he won’t get re-elected? The unemployment rate when Obama took office was 7.8%. Now it is 9.1%. An article in today’s Times notes, for example, that “no American president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has won a second term in office when the unemployment rate on Election Day topped 7.2 percent.” The 7.2 percent figure refers to Ronald Reagan, who resoundingly won a second term when the unemployment rate was at that number in November 1984. For Obama to be re-elected he needs to explain the unemployment problem to the American people.  So we will just have to wait for the next election and see what happens for President Obama.

    As you can see from my blog, unemployment is an on going debate that needs to end soon. There are many reasons why unemployment exists. The very high unemployment rate affects many people. Not only does it affect the people who are unemployed, but it also affects their families. We need to get a lower percentage of unemployed people to keep America out of another recession. There needs to be more jobs created to keep the economy growing. 

Works Cited

"America's Effective Unemployment Rate at 18.7%?" The Washington Note. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

"American Unemployment Rate Steady at 9.1% Beating Tepid Expectations." Flap's Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 

     24 Oct. 2011. 

"Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports actually 16.2% of US population now unemployed." 

     Venturocket Blog . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

Principles of Microeconomics. N.p.: n.p., n.d. VitalSource Bookself. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.


"Six years into a lost decade." Economist 399.8745 (2011): 28.Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

"The return of structural unemployment concerns." The Economist. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

"U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls Rise in September, Unemployment Rate Steady." Trading Economics. N.p., n.d.

     Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

Warsh, Kevin, and Jed Bush. "A New Strategy for Economic Growth."Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition 10 Aug. 2011: A15. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

"'We Can’t Wait” for Democrats to Work with Republicans on Jobs." Speaker Blog. John 

     Boehner, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

Maura Weir Homework #15

The topic I chose was America's unemployment rate. The first blog i found is called Obama on unemployment: Congress needs 'to get on board'. This blog had a speech given by President Obama. In his speech he talked about his idea for job creation. President Obama addressed a Labor Day crowd in Detroit. He was talking to congress and said that they should get on board with his plan.

The next blog i found is called America's economy increasingly knowledge-based. This blog was written by Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor. This blog discussed the outlook on jobs. "Higher-skilled jobs that require more education are clearly the future for the United States in the worldwide economy" (Chao). She also talked about how education plays an important role in unemployment.

The next blog i found was called Employers added no jobs in August, signaling economy is still at risk of another recession. This blog talks about Americas economy in August and how it did not improve or decline. "Without more jobs to fuel consumer spending, economists say another recession would be inevitable. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of economic growth."
Like a wobbling bicycle, "you either reaccelerate or you fall over, said James O'Sullivan, chief economist at MF Global. "Something has to give." The blog then goes on to talk about Obama's position on unemployment.

The fourth blog i found was called African-American Middle Class Eroding As Unemployment Rate Soars. This blog was posted by John Roberts. This blog discusses African American unemployment rate. "The unemployment situation across America is bad, no doubt. But for African-Americans in some cities, this is not the great recession. It's the Great Depression". This blog has a video too.

Maura Weir Homework #13

     While reading Pearson's text pages 293-297 I found two hot spots. The first hot spot I found was "Avoid Engfish Writing, or Structure without Surprise" (Ramage Bean Johnson 295). I have never heard of the saying "engfish"and that's what made this stand out to me.  In high school every essay I had to write was the standard five paragraph essay. It was easy to write, but very very boring. When I would have to proof read others I would fall asleep. However this kind of essay structure made it east to prove your thesis statement.
     The next hot spot I found was "Nutshelling" Your argument as an Aid to Finding a Structure"(Ramage Bean Johnson 297). While I was reading the questions on how to nutshell an argument I thought it would be very helpful with the paper we have coming up. I will definitely  use this aid to help me prepare my argument.

Maura Weir homework #12

     While reading chapter five in the Pearson text I found two hot spots. The first hot spot i found was "Sometimes it is helpful to think of these two kinds of gist statements as "what it does" statements and "what it says" statements"(Ramage, Bean and Johnson 113). I have never been told to do this and i wish someone would have because it sounds very helpful. Sometimes when I write long papers I forget what I am trying to prove. Using this technique would help me keep on track and help me make the point I am trying to make. The next hot spot I found was "A thesis for a strong response essay should map out for readers the points that you want to develope and discuss. These points should be risky and contestable; you thesis should surprise your readers wiht something new or challenging"(Ramage, Bean and Johnson 120). I thought this was a good hot spot because when i read papers with a bad thesis statement  I automatically tune out. On the other hand, when I read good thesis statements it makes me want to keep reading the paper.
     While reading chapter nine in the Pearson text i found two more hot spots. The first hot spot i found was "students typically express strong personal opinons but have trouble justifying their opinions with reasons and evidence and often create short, undeveloped arguments that are circular, lacking in evidence, and insulting to those who disagree" (Ramage, Bean and Johnson 208). I found this hot spot because I typically am one of those people. I have a hard time justifying my reasons. It is hard for me to put my ideas into words. I also have a hard time sticking to my opinion because I hear people out and sometimes they are more persuasive than I am. The next hot spot i found was "factual data can provide persuasive support for your arguments" (Ramage, Bean and Johnson 214). When i am arguing someone i like to hear the facts and not just their opinion. When people use facts it makes their argument more reliable.

Maura Weir Homework #10

Double Entry Research Log
10/3/11

"Techo Ride." PC Magazine (June-July 2007): n. pag. PDF file.

Magazine Article

This article is about navigation systems in cars, and how they track people. It talks about how a U.S. Govenor was going 91 mph before he crashed. He was in trouble because the tracking system caught him.

"New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's SUV was doing 91 mph moments before the accident that nearly killed him. We know, because a black box told us so."(Pg. 1 on PDF)

"If you're worried about an encroaching brave new world in which our every action in a car is monitored, you're too late."(Pg. 1 on PDF)  -good quote to use as in attention getter.

 Then the article compares the good with the bad in having car trackers. -I think having car trackers is a good idea.
The paragraph on the  govenors case is a good one-i should use it.
Questions tracking on cars.
 This article was not very useful. I don't think i will use it a lot during my paper.

Second Source
10/3/11

Richardson, Michelle. "Is Big Brother Watching?" Vindy. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2011. 

<http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/sep/12/is-big-brother-watching/>. 

 An article on a website.
This article begins talking about how surveillance has expanded since 9/11. It says that even innocent American are labeled as terrorists. It also goes into the fourth amendment.  -This page starts out against big brother watching.
“If you’re not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.”(Pg. 1 of website) -Some people ask this question.
 Then the article talks about how innocent people are sometimes targets. Then this quote comes “If you’re not doing anything wrong, why is the government snooping on you?”( pg. 1 of website)- use these quotes.
After 9/11, Congress hastily passed the Patriot Act, the first of many changes to surveillance laws making it easier for the government to spy on you without having any evidence, or even suspicion you’ve done something wrong, often with no meaningful judicial oversight.  - Good paragraph in the article, i should use this.
This is a very useful and informational article. I will refer to this article a lot, but not too much, when i am writing my paper.

Maura Weir Homework #9

What are the positive effects of legalizing marijuana?

What are the postive /negative sides of "big brother watching"?

Maura Weir homework #8

     While watching Suheir Hammad i noticed how she used ethos, pathos, and logos. I noticed the use of ethos because she was very passionate about what she was saying. She was very persuasive while reciting her poem especially when she said "We did not vilify white men when they bombed Oklahoma" (Hammad 2:32). Her whole point in her poem is that her and her people are all associated with Osama Bin Laden and the terrorists of 9/11, when they did nothing wrong. She is saying that when white men commit a crime all white people are not associated with them and it is unfair. You can tell by watching this video Suheir Hammad uses pathos, because of the emotion in her voice. When she speaks she speaks with passion. She also uses logos in her poem. She reasons with the people in the audience but  especially when she says " I don't give a f*** about Bin Laden, his vision of the world don't represent me, or those i love" (Hammad 3:29). I think that's when her audience really got involved and really started listening to what she said.
     I find Suheir Hamad very persuasive, because she speaks with emotion, like she actually cares about what she is saying. She shows power when she speaks. I thought the audience found her persuasive too, because they clapped and screamed for her arguments. She reasoned with her audience which made them respond to her more. I think she had a strong argument because a lot of people agree with her.

Maura Weir homework #7

      One of the hot spots i found while reading The Pearson text chapters 3 and 5 was “Keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view” (Reader 107).  One of the important things while writing an exploratory essay is asking questions instead of writing a thesis. By asking questions you can keep the essay more interesting and intriguing the the reader. The audience can decide how they want to interpret the paper instead of you telling them what is going on in the paper. 

     Another hot spot i found was "The essential move for exploratory thinking and writing is to keep a problem alive through consideration of multiple solutions or points of view"(Ramage, Bean, Johnson 107). I think this is one of the smartest things you can keep in mind while writing an essay. Multiple solutions keeps the audience guessing. If i know the end to something before i read it i don't find the essay interesting and i immediately tune out. When reading an essay i find it more intriguing when there are multiple points of view. I enjoy hearing from different people and points of view  in the essay. 
     The last hot spot i found was  "Instead of doing your research then beginning to write, “Your exploratory essay records the history of your researching and thinking process” (Reader 113). In high school i was taught to do the opposite, that is why this quote stuck out to me. Before i would start a paper i would have to write an outline and bring in the books i found my research in and show them to my teacher. I did not enjoy this because i found it more helpful to do research while writing my paper.
 
      

Maura Weir homework #6

While reading Bros before Hos by Kimmel i found "The Real Guys Top Ten List" (Kimmel 4) to be really funny. It was funny because i found it so typical for guys. The first one saying "boys dont cry" is so not true. I live with two guys and i have seen both of them cry countless times. The other one saying "size matters" is veyr true for guys. I feel like guys live by this quote. All of my guy friends try to be the "biggest". My brother who is a sophomore in high school is small for his age and he has been taking protein for a couple years now, just so he can get "big". The other rule i thought was funny was "I dont stop to ask for directions". I laughed at this one because whenever me and my family go on road trips my dad refuses to ask anyone for directions even if it means a fight with my mom.
 The next hot spot i found was in the violence and restoration section. "The guy code and the boy code before it, demands a lot, that boys and young men shut down emotionally, that they suppress compassion, and inflate ambition...If  they embrace the code, they will finally be in charge and feel powerful" (Kimmel 55). This section in the reading was hard for me to read because i thought it was very sad. It talked about how violence was the answer. The boys would resort to fighting because of the dissappointment. I have heard so many stories of young boys resorting to violence when tehy thought they didnt fit in and i think it is sad and should stop.

Maura Weir Homework #5

     While watching the video "Doofy Husbands: Target Women" I thought it was very funny but over exaggerated. The part i find the funniest is when she is talking about a guy before he is married. Before the guy is married he will try and impress his girl friend, but as time goes by he is comfortable with her so he doesn't try as hard. But the part i found exaggerated was when she says "we work, we take care of our children, and we do it all without a shread of help from those lumbering man beasts know as husbands." In our day i do believe that men help take care of a family. I don't think men are incapable of taking care of a family.
     While watching Troopes vs. Women i found her to be very sarcastic. I agree with some of her points but others are are like the other video, sarcastic. I like the one quote by her when she says that women have their own brilliant and creative endeavors. I believe that we have our own ideas but her sarcasm makes it seem like we are only her for men. I think she went a little over board when she was talking about Hollywood movies. I have seen movies where the guys help the girls or where the girl is the hero in the movie.

Homework #4 August and Tannen

      In Eugene August's essay, Real Men Don't: Anti-Male Bias in English, i found that his statement, "As our boy grows he faces threats and taunts if he does not take risks or endure pain to prove his manhood"(August 134), to be true. I especially saw this in grade school and high school. In grade school if a guy wouldn't take a dare or refuses to fight someone he is usually considered a "coward" or "scardy cat". The boy would be ostrasized. A quote i dont really believe was ""When a young man marries, he will be required by law and social custom to support his wife and children" (August 136). In this day in age I have seen many women as the bread winners of their families. My mom and dad make an equal amount of money and most of the days my dad cooks the meals and my mom is doing the yard work. Other than my last quote I was convinced by Augusts article because it made me think of the boy as a victim and  English being prejudicial against men.
     I loved reading  Deborah Tannen's essay There is No Unmarked Woman, but this might be because I am a girl. I wan guys to realize what girls have to go through in the morning to get ready for the day. We have to do our hair put on our make up choose an outfit, because if we dont were considered a slob. My high school was an all girls high school and we had to wear uniforms. Although every girl was wearing the same shirt and skirt we each had our own unique style which Tannen agrees with "Instead of concentrating on the discussion I found myself looking at the three other women at the table, thinking how each had a different style and how each style was coherent" (Tannen 140). Each girl at my school wore her hair a different way, some had colorful socks and some had white, some wore make up and others didn't, but however someone looked I would always notice and judge them based on there appearance. Although i mainly agree with this article i don't agree with Tannen when she says "...I felt sad to think that we women didn't have the freedom to be unmarked that the men sitting next to us had" (Tannen 145). I believe that men are marked too, just not as much as women. Some men try to look good and others don't but they are both marked as either put together or sloppy.

Maura Weir Homework #3

In reading pages 64-69 in Everything's a Text i found four hot spots. One of the hot spots i found was the quote "They have nonetheless had their own worlds to grow up in and they arrive on our campuses as young adults, with opinions and languages and plans already in their minds" (Melzer, Shaugnessy 65.) This stuck out to me because i just arrived on a campus as a young adult and now i have to learn how to depend on myself and get away from always reaching out to my parents for handouts and always relying on them to fix my problems. Another hot spot o came across was “Writing is a complex, multi-layered process that can include both the personal and the academic.” (Melzer Coxwell-Teague 64). I found this interesting because in high school i always had to write to get a good grade on a paper. I never had time to write something personal for myself. I don't even think i know how to express something for myself. Now that i am in college and have a lot more alone time i think i am going to start writing to express my ideas and whats on my mind. The third hot spot that i  discovered while reading was a question asked in the text. "Who's the storyteller in your family? Relate a story frequently told. How has that person/story influenced you?"(Melzer, Coxwell, Teague 66). When i was reading this i immediately thought about my grandma. She is always telling me stories about how i acted when i was little, how i looked, or even the funny things i would say as a child. The last hot spot i came across was the quote “I would invite you to think about what experiences, both positive and negative, have shaped your understanding or misunderstanding of literacy” (Melzer, Coxwell-Teague 67). This caught my eye because last year i wrote a really bad research paper. As my teacher was grading it he called me up to his desk and told me that it was my worst writing. I was shocked because i thought i did a good job on it. When i reread my paper i realized it was not my best and that i could write better. The next paper i wrote i thought about the comments he made on my last paper and i wrote an A paper!

Maura Weir homework #2

     While reading chapter one in Everythings a Text i found this hot spot, “When you compose in college and beyond, your audience with always influence the way you compose and what you say” (Melzer Coxwell-Teague 13). This stuck out to me because of the class discussion about Malcom X. He made his writings based on his different audiences. It is very important to write for a particular audience. I believe it is very important to know who you are writing to. When you write to a particular audience the audience will find the material much more interesting. They will stay focused on your writing. Your writing will be much more interesting to the audience if it is written towards them. Another hot spot i found was the coca cola advertisement from the 1980s. I found it cool that coca cola made an add that showed how blacks and whites were equal.
     While reading chapter one of Pearson Custom Library English Mercury Reader i found this hot spot stated by John C. Bean, June Johnson and John D. Ramage, “writers write because they have something new or surprising or challenging to say in response to a question,” (Bean, Johnson and Ramage 8). I found this interesting because in high school i used thesis statements to start writing my papers but i never even thought to use a question. From reading this quote i noticed that a question could open up so many new ideas to write your paper. It opens you to multiple view points. It also gets the reader involved and they can have their own opinion about your paper.
     

Maura Weir Amy Tan "Mother Tongue"

     In the essay "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan I believe that she uses open form prose. If she was using closed form prose it would follow a strict pattern. Amy allows us to imagine what is going on. She paints us a picture of what is going on and how she feels. The use of open prose is evident when she is describing the scene where Amy has to pretend she is her mother while talking to the stock broker. Amy gives examples of how her mother would say things, and then how Amy actually said them. For example "My mother...whispering loudly "why dont he send me check, already two weeks late. So mad he lie to me, loosing me money." And then I would say in perfect language, "yes I'm getting rather concerned you had agreed to send the check two weeks ago but it hasn't arrived."(Tan 115). She also shares her personal experience when she is talking about how her friends heard the way her mother talked. For example "Yet some of my friends tell me they understand 50 percent of what my mother says. Some say they understand 80 to 90 percent. Some say the understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese"(Tan 114).
     I believe this essay is written for people like us. We are going through changes right now, like she was. When she is talking its like she is trying to relate to people her age. If she was talking to a younger group she would use a simpliar way to state things. If she was talking to an older group of people she would use less examples. She tries to put things in a perspective of an adolescent.
     I believe this essay conforms with the genre conventions of an essay because Amy Tan presents personal experiences and paints us a picure of what is actually going on. She gives examples of what she is trying to say to make the image more clear.