Friday, February 14, 2020

Should the government increase the minimum wage Essay

Should the government increase the minimum wage - Essay Example t employers could not afford these federally mandated pay raises and would be forced to lay-off workers and that most persons who make the minimum wage are teenager or temporary workers, not heads of households with a dependent family to support. This discussion examines the benefits of raising the minimum wage not only for those workers who would gain monetarily but to employers as well and the economy as a whole. Currently, the minimum wage stands at $5.15 per hour. Congress recently voted itself another pay raise but killed a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $7.50 an hour. â€Å"Raising the minimum wage to $7.50 would positively affect the lives of more than eight million workers, including an estimated 760,000 single mothers and 1.8 million parents with children under 18† (Dobbs, 2006). This modest increase would only have put minimum wage earners near the poverty line, about $16,000 for a family of three (Poverty Guidelines, 2006). As a result of the inaction by Congress, these eight million American workers will not be able to provide the most basic needs for their families. In 2002, the U.S. Census reported that approximately 2.6 million full-time, year-round workers were subsisting at wages that placed them below the poverty line (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003, p. 7). The minimum wage has not been raised in seven years, the longest time span since the law first went into eff ect in 1938. This decline in the real value of the minimum wage over the last seven years translates into lower real wages for millions of workers and contributes to the income gap between poor working families and the middle class. Raising the minimum wage would allow those who make minimum salaries to keep up with inflation. It would help those that need it the most such as single mothers and minorities. In addition, it would cause a ‘ripple effect’ in that wages would also increase for those that make just above the minimum. In 1968, a full-time employee who earned

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Compare and Contrast (Society) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare and Contrast (Society) - Essay Example She advocates for individual satisfaction in a marriage rather than sticking in a marriage for a lifetime because it is what society requires. Slater on the other hand, analyses the consequence of self esteem and its effects on a human being. She examines the distinctiveness of people with high and low self esteem. Society norms in both cases are predictable and easily determined. As Kipsin says when one is married they are expected to exercise obedience, compromise and stay as a couple for a lifetime. She argues that such an expectation from society in the modern world is somehow unrealistic. She argues that modern love maximizes on submission and minimizes freedom. She feels that a marriage should be build on freedom and wanting more (755). She feels that marriage is like having a soldier watching over someone all the time. To her traditional societies allowed household dictators and petty tyrants in the private sphere of a family. She believes that love should be subjected to othe r forms of emotional life than subjugation. To her, a marriage necessitates a sophisticated working acquaintance of the intricacies of mutuality (752). Mutuality according to Kipsin id to recognize your partners need and strive to fulfill them. She further says one should meet these needs to the satisfaction of your partner such that you become their desire thus attaining intimacy. She argues that mutuality requires communication so that your partner can understand your needs, desires and even sensitivities. She contradicts these with traditional societies where marriage was considered a business enterprise between families. Partners who hardly knew each other get married not because of their mutual interests but because of family interests. Thus, she argues these relationships were not based on love thus expecting them to last a lifetime in unreasonable. She argues that the main thing is for one to be happy and if society if a marriage is not working one should leave. She says that one cannot be tied in an unhappy union when she can be happily on her own. Society tends to judge people who are separated or divorced as ill-behaved, but she says this should not be the case thus should be avoided. In addition, she says that one should not be seen as lacking character because she is alone but be given their space. She beholds individualism something that society is against. Society always works as a collective unit where all are inclusive. That is why if one is not married, they begin to question. According to Slater, self esteem is a challenge to many American people. She uses research works by scientists like Baumeister and Emler to analogize her views. She argues that self admiration is crucial in the pursuit of contentment. She says that self esteem is not the maim reason why people feel good about themselves but how they relate with others. She uses research work done to analyze high and low self-esteem. She adds that low self esteem is not a dangerous aspect of life. Low self esteem is not the cause of poor academic performance since people with low self esteem tend to do well in life like others and even do better because they try harder (859). In discussing her views, Kipsins encounters several challenges that sway from society expectations. Marriage is a respectable institution in society and to gather the courage to argue about it is difficult. Kipsin boldly tackles marriage