Group+One+Lit.+Review

= = = = = = = = =Group One - Wiki Five.= =Social Change: Child Maltreatment in Foster Homes=

=Introduction=

=
The purpose of this research is to analyze child maltreatment in foster care homes through the lens of symbolic interactionsm in order to positively impact the world. Foster children are usually brought into selfless, loving families to live in a safe and nurturing environment; some foster children, however, are living in an abusive foster home. We will look at this issue through the lens of the symbolic interactionist theory. By doing so, our focus will be to change interactions between foster care families and the communities that they live in so that everyone can prevent, recover from, and stop child maltreatment. ======

=
First this group is going to explain symbolic interactionism and how it pertains to our research question. Second, we are going to review previous literature concerning the topic. From there, we will research and state data that will allow us to understand and interpret causes of child maltreatment in foster care. Our wiki will conclude with proposals necessary to implement in order to prevent child maltreatment on the community level. The research question for this topic is: How can you impact the world? ======

=Theory= Symbolic interactionists see the world through a series of symbolic meanings which guide people’s behavior (class notes 2010). These symbolic meanings allow people to develop their roles in society and permit them to understand their responsibilities to society. Each individual has a perceived idea of their role or entity which influences interactions and behaviors amongst society as a whole.

Symbolic interactionists look at variables such as symbolic meanings and the interactions of persons within a society. Symbolic meanings are subject to change and can be modified through these interactions with others in society. The interactions between the local community and the child-welfare system and foster care families are variables that we will specifically be analyzing. By understanding roles that people in the community must hold, they can modify the behaviors of themselves, the people within that community, and children currently living in foster care homes. The community can best do this through positive and productive interactions in programs and organizations for foster care families.

=
 It is difficult to pinpoint causes of child maltreatment. There could be any number of reasons, including family dysfunction, inadequate communication skills, issues with aggression, emotions, or self-control, economic hardship, and parents who are ill-prepared for the task of raising children. Child maltreatment may exist because of stress caused by too many demands. Each of these possible reasons for child maltreatment is due to interactions with society and the ability to act toward things on the basis of their symbolic meaning. Often parents do not realize that they are neglectful, the symbolic meaning in the word neglect that they use is inherited through their interactions with others. They may not know differently, especially if they grew up in and interacted with an abusive family. ======

=
 Symbolic interactions advocate that to resolve this social problem, we as individuals need to change the symbolic meanings we attach to our roles and influences in the community. Local communities and the child welfare system need to interact with each other by means of programs and organizations to prevent and stop abuse within that community. By radically changing the interaction between the local community and all who are involved with the foster care process, the symbolic meaning of the words family, community, and responsibility will change and thus influence the people's behavior within that community. New behaviors such as positive relationships with neighbors, a sense of responsibility to one another, and the necessity to act when they become aware of problems within their community, will create an environment where abuse and neglect cannot occur. ======

=Literature Review= The social issue in question is foster care maltreatment. Children currently living in foster homes have already experienced much turmoil in their lives. Foster care homes are meant to be a safe, loving, caring place where healing and personal growth can occur for children who were originally deprived of the nurturing environment that a family should provide. Unfortunately, some foster homes neglect their responsibilities to provide this home for the child. Society must be concerned of this crisis because abuse in all forms is a threat to society. Community members must heed to the problems that the community is experiencing because it negatively impacts the world we live in. Society is created through the everyday interactions of individuals; negative interactions impact the children’s future relationships with the community and society at large. Children who are abused by their families do not have the positive interactions necessary to properly develop their future role in society. Children in foster care homes must be the concern of all the members of society.

Foster care is usually done by responsible, selfless, and loving families, however, there are homes in which foster children experience abuse. There are preventative measures in place so that the chances of abuse occurring can be minimal; families looking to foster children go through rigorous training, background checks, and even visits from officials to prepare them to raise children and to prevent abusive families from fostering (Huspeni and Newsome). Positive interactions between the child welfare system and future foster parents prevent child maltreatment by influencing the behavior of the future families and by instilling a positive symbolic attachment to the meaning of family.

A good thing is that cases of abuse in foster care are minimal compared to other cases of abuse. Statewide in Texas there are 70 cases, while El Paso County has 10,000 annual reports. The downside is that foster care abuse is occurring and there are measures that can be taken by the community to prevent abuse from continuing. The public is concerned about these situations. They want to be more informed about possible abuse cases in order to protect children. However, currently there are minimal, if any, ways in which the community can be directly involved with the child welfare system. The only information that they know of is what is made public in the news. “A state audit found ‘significant problems’ in the state’s foster care system and on the heels of two foster care deaths in the Denver area” (Huspeni and Newsome). Problems that are exposed in society would lend to change in that problem, but only if people work together to fix the problem. Some people who are not involved directly with child welfare services state that the child-welfare system does not adequately look after the children in their legal care (Huspeni and Newsome). Currently, the community’s role in the situation is to examine the problems and state them without becoming involved in the solution. There is no direct interaction between the community members and child welfare system. For example: a concerned citizen may call the services or a hotline when they observe signs of abuse, but not see the outcomes of their call, portraying to the community member a system that does not adequately look after the children in their legal care. The community as a whole is concerned about these issues, but because there are virtually no interactions between the community and social workers and foster care families, this concern becomes moot when they feel that their action is ignored or makes no impact on the current problem. Even people who are closely tied to the child in foster care feel that they do not have the adequate interactions necessary to change the situation. One parent saw signs of abuse while his son was in foster care, but he states that his complaints were ignored (Huspaini and Newsome). Productive interaction between those involved and the system will influence how the system acts toward complaints and what action is taken to investigate child maltreatment.

There are symbolic meanings to the roles community members play in society and because they currently are isolated from the child welfare system, they are not expected to interact with the child welfare system. Any attempt at interaction does not give the community member the sense of satisfaction that they aided in, and can have influence on the lives of these children. Huspeni and Newsome state that the public feels as though it should have access to more information regarding foster homes. The foster care system insists that private information is readily available to all people whom it may concern. For example, “neighbors can’t find out from police what happened after complaints of child abuse, as they could for a stolen lawn mower” (Huspeni and Newsome). Privacy laws prevent current involvement in the lives of foster care children. If the community members were involved in the child care process in a different way, pertinent information would be more readily available to them. Privacy laws have a purpose: to protect foster children and foster parents from being harmed by the natural family, but if the community has symbolic attachments to other families within that community, they can work to protect them from any harm. People do not fully understand the impact they can have when they properly take on the role of a concerned citizen. Society is inclined to act toward things on the basis of their symbolic meanings, therefore community members should be given the opportunity to interact with child welfare system, changing the meaning of their role in this situation. If the community is involved with the programs, they can understand the system; this interaction will influence their behavior and responsibility to their community. If the community is involved and aware, child maltreatment can be spotted correctly and quickly. A problem noted with the notification of abuse is that “often, reports of child abuse are made maliciously by people seeking to get estranged spouses or foster parents in trouble” (Huspeni and Newsome). When the community is involved, such false allegations can be fixed by the community’s true statement that there is no abuse. The community can properly state the truth because they are aware of the happenings in their community. If there are signs of abuse, this can be corrected because of the positive interactions within that community. Complaints can be taken to a Quality Insurance Team or a citizens review board and, “when abuse is substantiated in foster care, children are removed from the home” (Huspeni and Newsome).

According to 2008 child maltreatment statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it takes an average of 41 days from the report of maltreatment to the onset of services to start an investigation. Factors for this delay are organizational problems within child-welfare services; poor communication and inefficient interaction. The problem also stems from the lack of bodies needed to complete the process in a timely manner. For instance, a social worker with multiple responsibilities for each case will finish the work necessary to start an investigation in a shorter amount of time if they had proper interaction with others in the system. If more individuals are properly interacting and communicating on one case they will shorten the number of days that it takes before an investigation can begin. Problems also stem from unnecesary interaction within the child-welfare system. For instance, there are inefficient steps and people needed in order to start an investigation, prolonging the process. An emphasis needs to be put on time; the clock is literally ticking for children in abusive homes and a change in the symbolic meaning of time can save children’s lives.

Types of child maltreatment in foster care homes are listed in the pie chart below (according to the 2008 Child Maltreatment Statistics by the US. DHHS): The most common form of abuse is neglect. The biggest issue concerning neglect is that often, adults do not realize that they are neglecting the child. The adults have incorrect symbolic attachments of their responsibilities to the child that they are raising. Neglect does not only come in physical forms, emotional neglect stems from this inability to provide for the child’s emotional needs. The graph encompasses emotional neglect in the 59.9% but separates this from that of psychological maltreatment, which consists of 2.7% of all foster care abuse. Adults must be in-tune with the emotional needs of the child and this comes from positive interaction with them as well as working to attach positive symbolic meanings to “family” “love” and “support.” Physical abuse accounts for 14.3% of all cases, and medical neglect accounts for 1.2% of all cases; negative interaction with the child is the source of this abuse.

=
Statistics in 2008 state that foster parents are responsible for 0.3% of all child maltreatment cases (U.S. DHHS). This type of abuse can be prevented with positive interactions between the community and foster care families and child welfare services. Furthermore, foster parents accounted for 0.5% of all child fatalities in 2008 (U.S. DHHS). These tragedies occur because there is a lack of involvement from influential people in the community, also because foster parents who abuse their child to the point of fatality do not have appropriate symbolic attachments to their responsibilities. ======  Organizations must evaluate the reason they exist and implement improvements to be certain they are reaching their purpose through the most efficient method. Problems stem from lack of efficient interaction between members in that organization. These failures “ typically arise from larger institutional problems, including steep authority gradients that can make subordinates afraid to question a superior” (qtd. in Fatalities 740). Symbolic attachments to positions such as authoritative figures hinder people in less powerful positions in more ways than simply questioning a superior. These improper interactions are the source of multiple problems that impede on an organizations success. For instance: inability to ask for help, poor communication, and obstruction of cooperative problem solving between authoritative figures and those in more subordinate positions. Therefore, o rganizations must change the way people are expected to interact with each other.

=
 Currently there are two organizations working to promote positive interaction within the community. The first is an organization called Big Brothers Big Sisters; it is an organization that works to pair any child with a mentor. They state in their vision that they are working toward building “successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to brighter futures, better schools, and stronger communities for all” (Big Brothers). By interacting with youth, they provide the support and accountability that the child needs. Positive mentoring can have significant impact on symbolic attachments to every aspect of the child’s life; school, home, peers, even adults, and friends. The organization does what they call Community-based Mentoring. They pair up someone from the community with an adolescent and they spend one-on-time with each other doing things that they enjoy. Positive interaction and support builds the community and creates networks in which the whole community can become a part of the children’s lives. This interaction modifies the behaviors of children and mentors, who benefit from the everyday interactions that they go through. Another organization working to influence families is the Covenant Kid’s Manor Inc, they are a Christian non-profit agency. They work to establish residential group homes for children in foster care. They work to attach symbolic meanings to a better quality life for children who have been placed in foster care. They specialize in keeping siblings together when they are removed from the home because they recognize the importance of the unique interaction between family members and the symbolic meanings of family bonds. They work to create opportunities for the children to participate in community activities such as cultural and athletic events. This organization looks for positive interaction within the community to influence the child’s lives. ====== = = =Our Solution=

=
When signs of child maltreatment are exposed, it takes an average of 41 days from the report of maltreatment to the onset of services to start an investigation. Interactionists want to improve this response time because children who are abused in homes must be removed from this negative interaction. In order to improve the response time we must work to eliminate organizational problems within child-welfare services which stem from poor communication and inefficient interaction.. The problem stems from the lack of bodies needed to complete the process in a timely manner. For instance, a social worker with multiple responsibilities for each case will finish the work necessary to start an investigation in a shorter amount of time with the proper interaction with others in the system. More individuals will be working to properly interact and communicate on one case, thus they will shorten the number of days that it takes before an investigation can begin. Problems also stem from unnecessary interaction within the child-welfare system. For instance, there are inefficient steps and people needed in order to start an investigation, prolonging the process. An emphasis needs to be put on time; the clock is literally ticking for children in abusive homes and a change in the symbolic meaning of time can save children’s lives.This step is crucial to stopping child maltreatment because we need to find the children who are being abused and take them out of the abusive home as quickly as possible, the negative interactions and symbolic attachments to lives impacts the child's future and we need to work stop this harm. ======

=
 Foster care families must be involved in the community, this interaction is crucial to building a positive home environment. It works to positively influence the children and their behaviors and also the family they live with in order to prevent any type of child maltreatment. The community should know each other because it will make everyone more involved and aware of the interactions that occur in all households. Symbolic interactionists will implement activities where the community can interact. The activities work to engage all members of community. These activities consist of block parties, “meet new member of the community,” workshops (especially on spotting and reporting abuse), and recreation. Block parties are a good way to interact with the members of the community. We are working to promote stronger bonds with the people who take part in this event. This bond causes many people to become involved in each others lives making them aware of the needs of each individual in the community. Not only do block parties provide social interaction and the create bonds within the community but at these parties there will be funding such as free-will donations from community member to raise money to promote awareness. The community that share meals together change the symbolic meaning of their town, they all can work to implement symbolic attachments to their relationships with fellow neighbors and community members. ======

=
Interactionists will make sure that new members of the community feel welcome in this community. The activity that will be applied is a new and upbeat celebration of the new members’ arrival. This festivity will consist of multiple forms of interactions within the current members of the community and the new member/members of the community. This party, “Meet the New Members!” will spark a beginning friendship between the new members and the current members. This will make the neighborhood work together and become more attentive to the families in the community and the interactions within those families. This small token of welcome is crucial especially for any families that take in foster care children. These children will have the support and know it right away through the meet and greet. The entire community will invest in, and interact with each other. ======

=
We will work provide mini workshops and recreation activities for adults and for children in the community. These workshops supply positive interactions that construct more communication, responsibility, and knowledge of who the children are and who the adults are in the community. When children are involved in activities in the community they can positively interact with everyone and thus influence their behaviors. Children and adults can be involved in community led activities such as softball games, basketball games or other activities. Recreation weekends with the community will foster fun interaction with all individuals in their community that will cultivate symbolic meanings of togetherness and support from their community.These meaning will promote action from individuals in the community if they become aware of any issues like child maltreatment. ======

=
 We also want to implement workshops that will inform children about child abuse, sitting the kids down and explaining to them what neglect is and what to do if they are involved in a situation where abuse occurs. We want them to be able to know that they can talk to a trusted adult and that there are trusted adults throughout their community. We want them to know the warning signs and know that they can talk to somebody. These interactive workshops will influence the children's behavior and allow them to recognize things that maybe an adult cannot. Making this issue known to the children increase the possibilities of them finding help if they or their friends are being abused. Funding will come from donations from our local community, local companies and volunteer work from the community to make these work-shops available. Adult work-shops will provide interactions that will consist of meetings about the neighborhood and activities that must be implemented in order to build a strong community. This all day work-shop will give the adults the opportunity to become aware of situations like child abuse within their community. Power point presentations will be showed on child maltreatment and other issues that every community faces. After the learning work-shop of the present issues, the adults will have a one-on-one “practice” with each other so they know what to do in a situation when they come across a child who may be abused. This interaction gives parents and adults the opportunity to gain knowledge about the issue and work to stop child maltreatment. In order to provide incentives to come to these workshops, funding will be able to give each family 100 dollars for home improvements and other opportunities given by our supporting companies. The money will come from benefactors, from the community businesses, and the fund-raising from donations within the other community events like the block party. People act toward their own symbolic attachments to things and incentives will influence them to participate in these work-shops. ======

=
 The most prominent activity that will provide the most effective interaction for children is involvement in the “Big Brothers Big Sisters” organization. They build successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them. By interacting with youth, they provide the support and accountability that the child needs. Positive mentoring can have significant impact on symbolic attachments to every aspect of the child’s life; school, home, peers, even adults, and friends. The organization does what they call Community-based Mentoring, they pair up someone from the community with an adolescent and they spend one-on-time with each other doing things that they enjoy. Positive interaction and support builds the community and creates networks in which the whole community can become a part of the children’s lives. This interaction modifies the behaviors of children and mentors, who benefit from their everyday interactions. All children in the community can benefit from this organization We will create an offshoot of this organization by implementing a program specifically for children in foster care homes. By providing the children with a mentor from the community, that child can interact with real mentors who can be involved in the child’s life. ======

=
 The purpose of all of these projects is to impact the world on a community level; first and foremost to prevent child neglect and abuse by making everyone in that community aware and responsible for each other’s lives. We also are looking to heal the wounds that child maltreatment can cause through personal interaction with children who have suffered neglect and maltreatment. We want to help children who have experienced neglect by: developing a quicker response time for social workers who see signs of neglect so we can find children who suffer from neglect, by developing preventative measures for future foster care providers and by providing positive interaction with these children through our community programs so we can impact their lives positively. We want to change the symbolic meaning of local communities by influencing, supporting, and educating them on social issues so they realize their responsibilities to the children. By becoming involved in our organizations with their time (being a big brother/sister), talent (developing preventative measures and work with kids) and treasure, all members of the community can work to prevent, heal, and stop child maltreatment. ====== = = = = = = = = =<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Annotated Bibliographies: =

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">AB 1. ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Huspeni, Dennis and Brian Newsome. "Private lives, public impact: Laws meant to protect foster kids keep details of their stories secret." The Gazette. Colorado Springs, CO. EBSCO. 04 November 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. ======

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Findings:
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Foster care is usually done by well-meaning, loving families. There are, however, homes in which the children in care experience abuse. Welfare is required to keep such information completely private; nevertheless, the public is concerned about these situations. They want to be more informed about possible abuse cases in order to protect children, and some even go so far as to say that the child-welfare system does not adequately look after the children in their legal care. ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In fact, “a state audit found ‘significant problems’ in the state’s foster-care system and on the heels of two foster-care deaths in the Denver area” (Huspeni and Newsome). An attorney described the public’s view of foster parents is that “Foster parents are bad” (Huspeni nd Newsome). ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Although the public feels as though it should have access to more information regarding foster homes, the foster-care system insists that private information is readily available to all people whom it may concern. For example, “neighbors can’t find out from police what happened after a complain of child abuse, as they could for a stolen lawn mower” (Huspeni and Newsome). Privacy laws were made for a purpose, though, and that is to protect foster children and foster parents from being harmed by the natural family. ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">One problem caseworkers struggle with is determining if, after having received a repot of child abuse, whether or not the abuse has truly occurred. Cases of abuse in foster care are minimal compared to other cases of abuse – 70 statewide, while the El Paso Country has annually 10,000 reports. ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In determining a case of abuse, officials use doctor assessments, interviews with the child away from the parents, and, perhaps most of all, intuition (Huspeni and Newsome). It is unfortunate that “often, reports of child abuse are made maliciously by people seeking to get estranged spouses or foster parents in trouble” (Huspeni and Newsome). ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">One parent saw signs of abuse while his son was in foster care, but he alleges that his complaints were ignored. Complaints can be taken to a Quality Insurance Team or a citizens review board and, “when abuse is substantiated in foster care, children are removed from the home” (Huspeni and Newsome). ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">A state audit of child welfare services discovered “missing paperwork, tardy investigations and communication breakdowns between groups. . . [there are] ‘significant problems’ in ensuring the safety of children in foster care” (Huspeni and Newsome). A states representative finds problems with the communication and closed confidentiality. ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**Summary:** Nevertheless, the child-welfare system believes that the officials are doing the best they can to protect privacy while protected children. After all, families looking to foster children go through rigorous training, background checks, and even visits from officials to prepare them and to prevent abusive families from fostering. Still, officials are working to improve the system and wipe out the chance of a foster child being abused while in the child welfare system. ======

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Fatalities and the Organization of Child Care in the United States." JSTOR. October 2005. Web. 30 April 2010.
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Child fatalities steaming from maltreatment have been formally brought to our attention in recent years. In doing so, we have recognized a few key issues with the organization of caregivers in their own homes. Compared to child care done in centers, in-home caregivers work alone. “There is no hierarchy, little training, and no clear organizational boundaries separating the care arrangement from the private world” (Fatalities 732). ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">“Research investigating mistakes in different types of organizations has found that the work culture affects the incidence and nature of errors” (Fatalities 740). Depending on the type of organization, there are certain incidences that are more prevalent. ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Certain child fatalities occur because there is a lack of communication. “These failures themselves typically arise from larger institutional problems, including steep authority gradients that can make subordinates afraid to question a superior. Finally, norms of professional autonomy and protectiveness can hamper the weeding out of the unskilled” (qtd. in Fatalities 740). Therefore, if we changed the way people are expected to interact with each other, they will in most cases comply and consequently provide the means of adequately supervising child caregivers. ======

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Center caregivers with considerable education are at an advantage over minimally educated, in-home caregivers. “Almost half of center teachers have college degrees, compared to only 11 percent of licensed family day care providers". "Training shows the same pattern. Less than 1 percent of center teachers have been found to have no training in early childhood development"..."as compared with roughly half of family day care providers” (qtd. in Fatalities 745). Caregivers who have more education are more knowledgeable to children’s particular needs and are therefore likely to recognize them and prevent maltreatment from happening. ======

=Group One - Wiki Three=

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> __**1.**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__**Introduction to the Problem:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> The purpose of our research is to deduce if the American Dream is equally available to all American citizens. The American Dream in this <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; font-weight: normal;"> sense is an idea which states that all people can succeed through hard work, and that all people have the potential to live contented, successful lives. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">We will look at this issue through the lens of the social conflict theory. By doing so, our focus will be to conclude whether there is equality or inequality of the availability of the American Dream by means of tension between groups (Witt 2009; 15).

We will start by explaining the social conflict theory and how it pertains to our main question. Then we will move on to explain previously published literature. From there we will research and state data that will allow us to compare who is currently living our definition of American Dream. Our wiki will conclude with the results of our research and our answer to the main question. The main question for this topic: Is the American Dream equally available to all American citizens?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__**2. Theory:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Social conflict theorists understand society as a power struggle in terms of the tension between groups over the unequal distribution of power and the allocation of resources. They consider how the status quo is established and maintained  and who benefits and who suffers from existing system. The conflict perspective, by its nature, is critical of the existing social arrangements and affirms that social institutions provide a context within which inequality can be maintained (Class notes 2010).

Social conflict theorists look at variables such as resources (employment and personal networks), and rewards (income and authoritative positions). Through this perspective, the observation of the social arrangements in society will direct one to recognize if the American Dream is uniformly available to all American citizens.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__**3. Literature Review:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">In the United States there are multiple reasons for the evident inequality that people experience. The existing system thrives on the social institutions that organize the power distribution. Inequality stems from factors such as one’s own status, their economic state, and access to resources.

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Family is the primary social institution that dispenses one’s race, age, gender, and socioeconomic status, which is the base of all inequality and power struggles in the United States. “Improved research techniques in the last two decades [ …] suggest a considerably greater influence from family background, perhaps twice what was believed in earlier years” (Jackson 60). These influences directly affect the ability for people to reach the American Dream. Family, as a social institution limits an individual’s ability to achieve a higher economic status “Less privileged children lack the opportunities to excel" (Jackson 60). The chances of poverty increase or decrease depending on the type of education and home-life that a person has. "Between 11% to 15% of Americans have lived below the poverty line in any given year" (Rank 159). The individuals that experience this cycle are the typically the proletariats, or working class in the American work institution. =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The risk of becoming impoverished depends on the status of an individual, such as “age, race, gender, family structure, community of residence, education, work skills, and physical disabilities” (Rank 159). Studies show that families rarely stay impoverished for an extended period of time. They are able to climb above the poverty line after only a couple years of experiencing destitution; however, time and again, the very same families who just pulled themselves out of poverty find that poverty has once more overtaken them (Rank 159). This constant fluctuation of income is clear evidence of their limited access to resources. =====

=
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">People in elevated positions have more access to resources and thus greater control of the overall distribution of wealth. These individuals draw power from the proletariat’s willingness to obey authority of another person (Witt 2009). Families born in inner cities will have a more difficult time achieving the American Dream. “People of similar economic status share neighborhoods, schools, colleges, houses of worship, and places of recreation such as parks or bars” (Jackson 59). Through the mentioned social institutions, people are trapped within positional inequalities; this prohibits the vertical mobility of those who are born and live in inner cities. “We […] perceive inequality among individuals or organizations; among segments of a population, such as ethnicities or those in rural versus urban areas; among positions, such as occupation or locations in a hierarchy; and among nations” (Jackson 59). Without the ability to move into the nearby wealthy “out-groups,” individuals from inner cities have difficulty moving into positions that are occupied by those possessing power. The following statement establishes the blatant significance of network connections: “Research shows that parents’ income, wealth, education, occupation, and residential location all affect one’s place in the economic hierarchy. Privileged positions in these hierarchies offer children not only direct financial support but cultural and interpersonal skills, personal connections, high aspirations, and some insurance against inevitable missteps. Scientific explanations often overlook this last factor, which might include, early tutoring, psychological intervention, drug rehabilitation, or legal protection” (Jackson 60). Evidently, the American Dream is not equally attainable by everyone. ===== <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> The wealthy are less likely to become impaired when unfortunate situations occur. They provide their own safty net and thus are not as greatly affected by the labor market (Rank 162) When an unexpected emergency such as divorce or illness transpires, the wealthy have resources of money and personal connections to vanquish the challenging time and come out not too far behind, financially speaking. An unwealthy person lacks such lush resources. When similar situations arise, the latter falls into debt, and then poverty. Likewise is the case of the labor market – there are not enough full-time, high-paying jobs in the United States for everyone. The wealthy are more likely to receive a college education (Witt 219) and thus have better work skills that qualify them for higher positions (Rank 159), they are going to be more valuable to their company and thus not have as high of a risk of being laid-off. This is compared to a person lower on the social spectrum – without a college education, he or she is going to have less valuable work skills for a business or company and will be more readily laid-off; thus considered by his or her employers to be replaceable. Last, the safety net which should exist to help working class families when they are on the verge of becoming impoverished does not exist. Government funding is only available for those under the poverty line. Whereas the wealthy can fail but still have the resources to recover quickly, the working class can only be caught in a slow and painful downward spiral into poverty (Rank 161).

By age 75, “59 percent [of Americans] will have spent at least a year below the poverty line during their adulthood, while 68 percent will have faced at least a year in near poverty” (Rank 160). Additionally, by age 65 “approximately two-thirds will have, as adults, received [government] assistance for at least a year, while 40 percent will have used a welfare program in at least five separate years” (Rank 160). Of those listed, the cause of their impoverished situation is based on, and affected by, variables such as race, age, education, and work skills. “For example, inheritance, obstacles to social mobility, and the economy together sustain wealth inequalities” (Jackson 60). These variables prohibit Americans from having equal access to the American Dream.

In order to conduct ethical, precise, and productive research, group one used informational graphs about wealth distribution, unemployment, wages, and poverty as our guide to correctly answer the question: Is the American Dream equally available to all American citizens? Through the use of the graphs we conducted appropriate steps to answer the question. We looked for how the American Dream affects society through the social conflict perspective. First, we mapped out our purpose by clearly stating the problem and what exactly we were looking for in our research: specifically, inequality of power that stems from people's statuses, economic states, and access to resources. We used internet resources provided to us by our professor to obtain general knowledge of our subject: (wealth distribution, unemployment, wages, and poverty graphs that compared ages, ethnicity, sex, and more).The research articles and the graphs emphasize how power distribution affects the society and how the society works according to the authority of wealth as it gives the researcher an in-depth view on the topic.
 * __4. Methods:__ **

By analyzing the following data, the social conflict perspective will determine the distribution of resources through independent and dependent variables.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The distribution of wealth shows an increase in income: the top 10% are proportionately earning more than the bottom 90% of Americans. Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 2000 is 46.2% and the income shares for the bottom 90% is 53.9% in 2000. Also, t he percentage of the total American income growth received by the top 5% from 1970-1999 was 5.1%. The growth of the bottom 20% from 1970-1999 was -1.5% and the growth of 3rd quintile from 1970-1999 was -2%. The independent variable is the increase of the income and the dependent variable is the percent of shares earned.

The wage graphs demonstrate the percentage of low wage workers between men and women, and among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian workers. Out of the 52.1% of total workforce in males there are 43% with low wages and out of the 47.9% of total work force in females have 57% with low wages. The 67.4% of the total workforce in Whites have 56% with low wages. The 11.4% of the total workforce in Blacks have 14.7% with low wages. The 14.8% of the total workforce in Hispanics have 23.4% with low wages and the 4.6% of the total workforce in Asians have 3.8% with low wages. The independent variable is the total work force and the dependent variables are the low wage workers.

Below is the graph stating the unemployment rates in five year intervals. The independent variables are the shifting rates and the dependent variables are the years. Below is a chart of the unemployment rate for February of 2010 by gender and race for all persons over the age of sixteen. The independent variables are <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> the shifting rates and the dependent variables are race.

The poverty graphs state that in 1982 Blacks had the highest rate of poverty at 35%. More than twenty years later in 2006 they still had the highest rate of poverty at 23.5%. The poverty rate of Whites, non-Hispanic, was 10% in 1982 and had decreased to 7% in 2006. The poverty rate of Hispanics was 29.5% in 1982, which decreased to 21% in 2006. In all of these cases the race is the independent variable and the percentage of poverty is the dependent variable.

T he poverty of children in the United States had 26.6% before taxes and transfers, and decreased to 21.9% after taxes and transfers. In France, 27.7% of children lived in poverty before taxes, and 7.59% were still living in poverty after taxes. In Germany, 18.2% of children lived in poverty before taxes, and 10.2% were still living in poverty after taxes. In The United Kingdom, 25.4% of children lived in poverty before taxes, and 15.4% were still living in poverty after taxes. In Canada. 22.8% of children lived in poverty before taxes, and 14.9% were still living in poverty after taxes. The independent variables in question are the rates of poverty before taxes and transfers and the after taxes and transfers. The dependent variable is the percentage of poverty that remains.

__Hypothesis:__ Some American citizens have greater access to resources, such as wealth and higher statuses and these individuals have a superior advantage to living the American Dream than those who have less access to organizational resources.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">** __5. Results:__ **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Group one concludes that inequality is present in America. Not every American has an equal chance to reach the American Dream.

The distribution of wealth shows an increase in income: the top 10% are earning more than the bottom 90% of Americans over time. Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 1980 = 34% Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 1990 = 39.6% Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 2000 = 46.2% Income shares for the bottom 90% of Americans in 1980 = 66% Income shares for the bottom 90% of Americans in 1990 = 60.4% Income shares for the bottom 90% of Americans in 2000 = 53.9%

The reason for the steady increase for the wealthy and the steady decline in all of those who are not is because the wealthy have resources such as direct connections to people who work in the stock market, thus being able to readily attain any advice on stockholdings; also, they are able to afford personal stock analyzers. Americans in the bottom 90% cannot afford these advisors or do not have these connections, so therefore they lack the necessary information to wisely invest in the stock market.

The percentage of the total American income growth received by the top 5% from 1970-1999 was 5.1%. The growth of the bottom 20% from 1970-1999 was -1.5% and the growth of 3rd quintile from 1970-1999 was -2%. The independent variable is the increase of the income and the dependent variable is the percent of shares earned.

The cause of this trend is due to the fact that wealthy people provide their own safety net, whereas as those who are impoverished somewhat have safety nets provided by the government, somewhat being the fact that their income growth decreased by 1.5%. However, the working class does not have any safety nets, and thus their income growth has fallen even more than those who are living in poverty. Those who are wealthy have more control over income resources so therefore they can control the hikes in pay whereas the working class and the poor cannot control this factor and thus see decreases in their income. The wage graphs demonstrate the percentage of low wage workers between men and women, and among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian workers. Out of the total workforce consists of 52.1% of the workforce. Out of this 52.1% of men, there are 43% with low wages. The total work force consists of 47.9% of women. Out of this 47.9%, there are 57% of women who receive low wages.

There are more men in the workforce because there is a power struggle between men and women, one that continues on from the past. Women have worked hard to shorten the gap, and although this discrepancy is only by five percent, more women are receiving low wages compared to men because more women are getting paid less than men.

67.4% of the total workforce consists of Whites and 56% of them are receiving low wages. 11.4% of the total workforce consists of Blacks and 14.7% of them are receiving low wages. 14.8% of the total workforce consists of Hispanics and 23.4% of them are receiving low wages and 4.6% of the total workforce consists of Asians and 3.8% are receiving low wages. The independent variable is the total work force and the dependent variables are the low wage workers.

When there is a higher number of a certain race in the total workforce, they proportionally have more people who are receiving low wages. As companies look for people to work for them, they have the power to choose who works for them and because they want to create a diverse work environment, races who have more people representing their race have a harder time finding jobs that pay better than low wage because the companies are only looking for a certain number of people thus causing a power struggle within their race.

Graph 2 states the unemployment rates in five year intervals from 1970 to 2009. The independent variables are events in the economy and global interaction that affects the dependent variables which are the number of people who are unemployed. There are many explanations for the varying unemployment rates in the United States. The economic situation varies according to who is running it. The power elite have control over the United States government, and therefore have control over all of the resources directed to the American Citizens. They dictate “who gets what, when and how” and thus controlling the unemployment rates (Class notes 2010).

The unemployment rate for February of 2010 by gender and race for all persons over the age of sixteen. The independent variables are the specific races and the dependent variables are the shifting rates of unemployment.

Women have lower unemployment rates than men because of the different types of jobs that are available for each according to the status quo. Women are more likely to work part time than men, making them less vulnerable to job cuts. More women are present in the education and health care fields and they experienced little to no job cuts in 2010. Men make up the majority of the construction and manufacturing fields, these positions were cut dramatically thus affecting men’s unemployment rates. Society sees men as more powerful and stronger than women. They therefore are empoyed in the hard labor occupations and, because the housing market crashed, these men find themselves with no work. Women are deemed more willing to take the part time jobs which are less likely to get cut over the full time employees because they require fewer benefits. Men receive the brunt of unemployment because of the lingering sexism that was strong in the United States less than one hundred years ago. The poverty graphs state that in 1982 Blacks had the highest rate of poverty at 35%. More than twenty years later in 2006 they still had the highest rate of poverty at 23.5%. The poverty rate of Whites, non-Hispanic, was 10% in 1982 and had decreased to 7% in 2006. The poverty rate of Hispanics was 29.5% in 1982, which decreased to 21% in 2006. In all of these cases the race is the independent variable and the percentage of poverty is the dependent variable.

The rationales behind these statistics lie in the power struggle that continues to exist for blacks in the United States. More Blacks live in the inner cities than in any other area, and therefore have less access to resources. Blacks find it nearly impossible to rise above the poverty line, they cannot afford the education needed to receive higher paying jobs and thus continue to have the highest unemployment rate.

In the United States, there are 26.6% of children living in poverty before taxes and transfers, this rate decreases to 21.9% after taxes and transfers. In France, 27.7% of children live in poverty before taxes, and 7.59% are still living in poverty after taxes. In Germany, 18.2% of children live in poverty before taxes, and 10.2% are still living in poverty after taxes. In The United Kingdom, 25.4% of children live in poverty before taxes, and 15.4% are still living in poverty after taxes. In Canada, 22.8% of children live in poverty before taxes, and 14.9% are still living in poverty after taxes. The independent variables in question are the rates of taxes and transfers depending on the aid provided by each Country’s government. The dependent variable is the percentage of poverty that remains.

The power elite and the wealthy control most resources, and therefore it is not in the children’s power to raise themselves out of poverty. Money given to families for the welfare of the children in the United States is inadequate compared the aid that other countries give. These countries are able to pull a significant number of children out of poverty; the power distribution in the United States doesn’t allow for this.

Some American citizens have greater access to resources, such as wealth and higher statuses and these individuals have a superior advantage to living the American Dream than those who have less access to organizational resources. The structure of American society presents a false impression of the idealistic goal of the American Dream, pointing to examples of inequality rooted in class and race which states that the American Dream is not equally attainable for all American citizens.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: normal;"> Rank, Mark R. (2003). “As American as Apple Pie: Poverty and Welfare.” Contexts.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">**Main Question**: How normal is it for a family to be impoverished in the United States, and what can we do to lessen the problem of poverty?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Poverty in America is often viewed as something that happens to single mothers, black men in the inner-city, and the homeless, to name a few. However, as research has shown, it is more likely that an American will experience poverty or near-poverty at least once in his or her lifetime. As seen in part from the Census Bureau, assistance from the public and the government, such as welfare, is used by many people in their lifetimes.
 * Findings:**

Although the chances of poverty may increase or decrease depending on the type of education, home-life, etc. that a person might have, "between 11% to 15% of Americans have lived below the poverty line in any given year" (Rank 159). The level of risk in becoming impoverished depends on the status of an individual, such as "age, race, gender, family structure, community of residence, education, work skills, and physical disabilities" (Rank 159). Studies show that families rarely stay impoverished for an extended period of time; rather, they are able to climb above the line after a couple years. Often, however, they become impoverished once again (Rank 159).

Using a study that was done over 25 years, it was discovered that, by age 75, “59 percent [of Americans] will have spent at least a year below the poverty line during their adulthood, while 68 percent will have faced at least a year in near poverty” (Rank 160). Additionally, by age 65 “approximately two-thirds will have, as adults, received [government] assistance for at least a year, while 40 percent will have used a welfare program in at least five separate years” (Rank 160). These percentages merely take into account Americans as adults, disregarding the years they may have spent impoverished as children.

There are several reasons poverty rates may be so high. First is “time” – as many families would be able to support themselves for only a month without income (Rank 161), unexpected emergencies such as divorce, illness and injury, eat up the money that is needed for basic necessities. Another is “the safety net:” the American government lacks any sort of assistance to help families when they are on the verge of becoming impoverished. This is much different that Europe and Canada who have along with a safety net, a lower risk of poverty than the United States (interestingly, the United States also has a high rate of incarceration – after removing this variable, unemployment seems to be much less an issue than it actually is (Rank 163)). Without assistance, American families work more than Europeans, yet still do not ear as much as the latter does with the government’s help. "The United States devotes far fewer resources to assisting the economically vulnerable" (Rank 161) than do other countries; it is implied that the wealthy, of course, have enough resources to help themselves. While Finland was able to reduce it’s poverty rate from 33% to 4%, the United States has done no more than 29% to 18% (Rank 162). A third reason is “the labor market” (Rank 162). There are simply not enough jobs that are full-time and that pay high enough to allow people to be above the poverty line. This is much more of a problem than in other countries.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Summary: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">In order to combat this problem of poverty, Americans must first come to the realization that it is highly likely that they will experience it firsthand. The idea that the impoverished are only the homeless, single parents, and minority groups in general must be erased. Poverty is a problem that hurts American by impairing health, race relations, and children (Rank 163). Therefore, no one can escape it. In order to solve the problem, the labor market and social policies must be re-evaluated and improved. Implementing morality and justice through concern for the welfare of others must be used in order to allow the rich resources America has to unlock it’s potential.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jackson, Robert Max. (2007). “Inequalities.” Contexts.

**Main Question:** Why do inequalities exist, and what part do they play in determining who the impoverished are? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Inequalities and equalities are understood by people's different experiences of inequality, which the moral implications of the act are judged. Inequality is apart of our everyday life, having experiences everyday. The experience's meaning differs according to status. People of the similar status tend to have more contact, treating each other equally and creating their own worldview understanding. Why people of the same status interact more is simply because they find comfort in sharing the same rationales. They ration their status shortages as unjust, while their status privileges as just. According to the reading, "In social science's formalization of these experiences, inequality refers to systematic distinctions that we can rank... and which concern valued qualities (such as wealth, prestige, education, and security)," and continues to say, "We may perceive inequality among individuals or organizations; among segments of population, such as ethnicities or those in rural verses urban areas; among positions, such as occupations or locations or locations in a hierarchy; and among nations" (Jackson 59). Meanwhile, “People of similar economic status share neighborhoods, schools, colleges, houses of worship, and places of recreation such as parks or bars” (Jackson 59). This shows how people tend to stick with their own kind. This makes inequalities obvious since those of similar statuses cluster together. As stated before, inequalities are perceived in different ways. Two different types of inequalities are "inequalities of positions" and "inequalities of individuals," which differ. Unequal social locations that are examples of positions are occupations or ranks of wealth. The status is given to the person with the position, along with authority and privileges. The privileges and authority is lost when the person leaves the position. Personal characteristics, skin color and sex for example, are what makes positional inequalities differ from status inequalities (59).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Findings: **

Although there are different systems of inequalities, social theorists find it difficult to clearly differentiate them because the systems all work at the same time. Race, gender, parents' status, occupation, wealth, and education all influence a person's status, working and mixing with each other. They all play a role in one's experience (60). Status inequalities are always combined with positional inequalities. Without unequal control over resources, positional inequalities, other inequalities do not matter. The article gives the example, "In a factory... inequality between owners, managers, foreman, and line workers exist even if people's race, sex, and age have no effect on the way they are treated. But if all positions in an organization have the same authority and salary, even if people are prejudiced, they cannot sustain any significant inequality within the organization based on race or sex, as there is nothing for one group to withhold from another" (Jackson 60). People tend to take on an economic hierarchy in their lifetimes, ending near the position their parents held. This occurs even if there are no explicit status barriers (60). It is found a parents' wealth, income, education, occupation, and residential location does affect the eventual economic status of the person. In the past two decades, much different from that of 1950s to the 1980s, research found there is great influence from family background. The influence of parental status is very important. If a child is less privileged, that child does not have, or lacks, the opportunities to excel (60). Similarly, “improved research techniques in the last two decades [ …] suggest a considerably greater influence from family background, perhaps twice what was believed in earlier years” (Jackson 60), while “less privileged children lack the opportunities to excel" (Jackson 60). “Research shows that parents’ income, wealth, education, occupation, and residential location all affect one’s place in the economic hierarchy. Privileged positions in these hierarchies offer children not only direct financial support but cultural and interpersonal skills, personal connections, high aspirations, and some insurance against inevitable missteps. Scientific explanations often overlook this last factor, which might include, early tutoring, psychological intervention, drug rehabilitation, or legal protection” (Jackson 60).

People interpret inequalities differently, which the article states, "How people experience and respond to inequality depends on what they believe causes it, how avoidable it is, and how unfair it seems" (Jackson 60). Much, depends on uncontrollable situations such as wealth of parents and grandparents and the economy:“For example, inheritance, obstacles to social mobility, and the economy together sustain wealth inequalities” (Jackson 60).

To avoid inequality is impossible. Tension is inescapable between people who are high ranking and people below them in every system. This tension, or inequality, is necessary in our lives according to sociologists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore. The article states their argument saying, "... positions in a modern economy carry unequal rewards because higher rewards are needed to attract trained and motivated people to fill the jobs important to society's functioning. In short, inequality is necessary to keep things running" (Jackson 61). When a person is doing an exceptional job, the employers increase the person's salary to keep him or her. The author of the article agrees with the sociologists' theory to an extent arguing, "... the theory neglects the influence of power on rewards, does not explain how jobs become functionally important, ignores organizations' need to maintain authority relations, and does not identify the mechanisms that would produce functional outcomes" (Jackson 61). In conclusion, inequalities matter a great deal to everyone. Most people, ordinary and scholarly, underestimate how important inequality is. Jackson explains the importance saying, "Inequalities pervade all our relationships, in families, in the workplace, even in anonymous public contexts" (Jackson 61). Jackson ends his article with an eye-opening comment: "We all react to the promised rewards and the brutal constraints of inequality just as surely, and usually as thoughtlessly, as rats in a maze" (Jackson 61).

Inequalities are apart of everyday life and are inescapable. There are different areas in which we can experience inequalities, such as "inequalities of positions" and "inequalities of individuals." Along with these labeled inequalities, status' play a major role within each. The author believes we need inequality to keep everything functioning properly to an extent, but really emphasizes throughout the article the importance the role of inequality plays in all of our lives, who many of us do not realize.
 * Summary:**

Worksheet Statistics
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Wealth: 1. 1. Compare the percentage of total American income received by the top 20% of Americans and the bottom 80% from 1970-1999. Top 20% of Americans had 41.3% of income in 1970. Top 20% of Americans had 48% of income in 1999. Bottom 80% of Americans had 5.6% of income in 1970. Bottom 80% of Americans had 4.1% of income in 1999. 2. 2. Compare the income growth of the top 5% to the bottom 20%. How about the middle (3rd) quintile? Growth of top 5% from 1970-1999 = 5.1% Growth of bottom 20% from 1970-1999 = -1.5% Growth of 3rd quintile from 1970-1999 = -2% 3. 3. Compare the changes in income shares for the top 10% and the bottom 90% Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 1980 = 34% Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 1990 = 39.6% Income shares for the top 10% of Americans in 2000 = 46.2% Income shares for the bottom 90% of Americans in 1980 = 66% Income shares for the bottom 90% of Americans in 1990 = 60.4% Income shares for the bottom 90% of Americans in 2000 = 53.9% 4. 4. How does this translate to real dollars? While everyone is experiencing an increase in income, the top 10% are proportionately earning more than the bottom 90% of Americans. 5. 5. What is the difference in measuring income and wealth? Compare the percentage of income and percentage of net worth owned by the bottom 90% and top 10%. Income is what a person brings in through a job. Wealth is income plus any assets and minus any debts. Income of top 10% in 2004 = 42.5% of total incomes Net worth of top 10% in 2004 = 71.2% of total Income of bottom 90% in 2004 = 57.5% Net worth of bottom 90% in 2004 = 28.7% 6. 6. Compare the percentage of wealth owned by the top 20% and bottom 80% from 1962-2004. Pay particular attention to 2000-2004, our most recent period of strong economic growth. Top 20% wealth percentages: 1962 – 81% 1983 – 81.3% 1989 – 83.5% 1998 – 83.4% 2001 – 84.4% 2004 – 84.7% Bottom 80% wealth percentages: 1962 – 19.1% 1983 – 18.7% 1989 – 16.5% 1998 – 16.6% 2001 – 15.6% 2004 – 15.3% Unemployment: 1. 1. Chart the unemployment rate in 5 year intervals from 1970 to 2009. 2. 2. Chart the unemployment rate for Feb 2010 by gender and race for all persons over 16 years old. 3. 3. How many people are looking for jobs when compared to the number of jobs that are available? 4. 4. Compare the unemployment rates for white, black and Hispanic Americans since the beginning of the recession. 5. 5. Compare the unemployment rates for men and women since the beginning of the recession. 6. 6. Compare the likelihood of getting a call-back for African Americans without a criminal record and whites with a criminal record.

1. Chart the unemployment rate for Feb 2010 by gender and race for all persons over 16 years old.

Gender: 12.2% - men 8.5% - women Race: 19.1% - White 32.8% - Black 26.4% - Hispanic 16.5% - Asian

2. How many people are looking for jobs when compared to the number of jobs that are available?

As of December 2008 there were 6 people looking for a job per every job opening

3. Compare the unemployment rates for white, black and Hispanic Americans since the beginning of the recession.

Now: 9% - whites 16.2% - blacks 12.9% - Hispanics Wages: 1. 1. How many Americans currently possess good jobs? As of 2008, 27.6% 2. 2. Compare the percentage of White, Hispanic, Black and Asian Americans with good jobs. White – 31.5% Hispanic - 14.4% Black – 21.8% Asian – 28.1% 3. 3. How does this rate vary when education is included? Whites always have the highest percentage of good jobs, but all races percentages of good jobs increases as their education level increases. 4. 4. Compare the percentage change in the number of people who have good jobs between men and women. Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics? Percentage change from 1979-2008 Men (-15.2%) Women (3.1%) White (-4.7%) Blacks (-5.2%) Hispanics (-9.7%) 5. 5. How does the minimum wage compare to the average wage of Americans historically? 6. 6. If you started working for minimum wage in 1962 and retired in 2007 (before the recession) what would have happened to your real earnings during that period? 7. 7. During which years would a person making minimum wage be able to support a family of three above the poverty line? 8. 8. Compare the percentage of low wage workers between men and women, and among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian workers (keep in mind these categories’ percentage of the total workforce to determine if any group is disproportionately represented). 1. Compare the percentage of low wage workers between men and women, and among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian workers (keep in mind these categories’ percentage of the total workforce to determine if any group is disproportionately represented). · Out of the 52.1% of total workforce in males there are 43% with low wages and out of the 47.9% of total work force in females have 57% with low wages. The 67.4% of the total workforce in Whites have 56% with low wages. The 11.4% of the total workforce in Blacks have14.7% with low wages. The 14.8% of the total workforce in Hispanics have 23.4% with low wages and the 4.6% of the total workforce in Asians have 3.8% with low wages. = = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Poverty: 1. In which country do you have the highest odds of being poor? How about being poor as a child? · You have the highest odds of being poor in the United States. Being poor as a child you have the highest odds in the United States also. 2. Compare the impact of taxes and transfers on poverty in the United States with France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada. · The poverty of children in the United States had 26.6% before taxes and transfers then it went to 21.9% after taxes and transfers, France had 27.7% before then 7.59% after, Germany had 18.2% before then 10.2% after, United Kingdom had 25.4% before then 15.4% after, Canada had 22.8% before then 14.9% after. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">3. How are single moms effected by poverty? · <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Single mothers are effected by poverty because they cannot afford health insurance, child care, and housing. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Group One - Wiki Two= <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"> __**1. Introduction to the Problem:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The purpose of this research is to analyze crisis pregnancy centers through the lens of the symbolic interactionist theory in order to find the best practices for these centers. The symbolic interactionist perspective “generalizes about the everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole” (Witt 2009; 14). There are explicit forms of symbolic meanings in society that guide and influence people’s behaviors. Individuals do not develop these meanings inherently, rather, they are negotiated through interactions with others (class notes 2010). First, this group is going to explain symbolic interactionism and how it can be applied to best practices for crisis pregnancy centers. Second, we are going to review previous literature concerning the topic. Next, we are going to analyze data that has been gathered in order to find the best practices for crisis pregnancy centers. Then we will conclude with the results of the research as well suggestions for best practices.

The main question for this topic is: What are the best practices for crisis pregnancy centers located in rural communities?

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__**2. Theory:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Symbolic interactionists see the world through a series of symbolic meanings which guide people’s behavior (class notes 2010). These symbolic meanings allow society to develop their values. Each individual has a perceived idea of a role or entity which influences interactions and behaviors amongst society as a whole.

Symbolic interactionists look at variables such as symbolic meanings. Meanings are subject to change and can be modified through interactions with others in society, specifically, interactions between the crisis pregnancy centers and the women they work with. By understanding roles that people hold, crisis pregnancy centers can work to influence these symbolic meanings, thereby influencing people’s specific values and thus, hopefully, change people’s behaviors. Crisis pregnancy centers can best do this by interacting with individuals in society that are dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__**3. Literature Review:**__ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Crisis pregnancy centers must be prepared to interact with all different ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses of women that could possibly walk into their centers. “Black women and poor women have higher rates of unintended pregnancy” (Henshaw 1998). Crisis pregnancy centers need to look at the community that they are in and adapt their services to meet the needs of every client so they can successfully relate to each woman. Examples would be having bilingual people on staff so they can converse and share information with Hispanic women in their area. The centers could better influence women (and possibly change their minds so they do not have an abortion) if the crisis pregnancy centers successfully communicated with the women. Crisis pregnancy centers could also offer the best counseling for women who have already had an abortion if they know how to best interact with them.

When symbolic interactionists examine both the phrase “unintended pregnancy” and women’s specific roles in society, they determine how these influences greatly impact the woman’s consideration in terminating her pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy is defined as “the woman had been practicing contraception when she became pregnant, if she had not wanted to become pregnant until a later time, or if she had wanted no more children ever” (Henshaw 1998). If a woman states that she has an unintended pregnancy, she has thus attached a negative symbolic meaning toward her state. Crisis pregnancy centers should interact with these women to change the symbolic meaning of her pregnancy from that of a negative circumstance to that of a positive circumstance.

Crisis pregnancy centers will better interact with pregnant women by fully understanding the different roles that the women may have. One common role is that of an espoused woman. “Among married women, 31% of pregnancies were unintended and 78% among never-married women. Only 37% of married women who had unintended pregnancies ended them by abortion, compared with 60-65% of unmarried women” (Eglene 2000). Purely analyzing the woman’s position of being a wife allows one to see how simply that role changes her view on the symbolic meaning of the word “unintended pregnancy.” The likelihood of choosing abortion decreases when the woman has the social interactions of a spouse or a family. It is also very interesting to note that, “the pregnancy rate among never-married women (91 per 1,000) was about the same as that of married women (95 per 1,000)” (Henshaw 1998). However, the outcomes of these pregnancies reflect differences and the expectations that come with their roles in society: “Almost half of pregnancies among formerly and never-married women ended in abortion (47% and 41%, respectively), compared with only 11% of those among married women” (Henshaw 1998). As mentioned before, abortion rates are much lower in instances where the woman has the role of a wife; this could be that an expectation of the role “wife” lends to that of motherhood, whereas an unmarried woman would have an expectation from society not to be a mother. Crisis pregnancy centers should recognize the different roles of women in society and work to influence those unmarried by linking their ascribed status of womanhood with their motherhood, rather than focusing on the women not having the achieved status as a wife.

Symbolic interactionists’ main focus is to change the meaning that the woman attaches to her pregnancy. Crisis pregnancy centers should encourage women to learn to become strong, stable mothers even before giving birth. Some ways in which the option of motherhood or adoption can be introduced to a woman is to have the client take care of a baby doll that simulates the behavior and attitudes of a real baby. This interaction with the doll is a good indicator to help the pregnant woman come to a decision on either becoming a mother to her child, or deciding that she is not ready to be a mother. If the pregnant woman decides she is not ready to raise a child, the crisis pregnancy center would encourage adoption. According to the literature, crisis pregnancy centers could change the woman’s values regarding adoption; "The pregnant woman needs to see that she's giving the child the gift of a family," Pierson says, "not that she's giving the adoptive couple the gift of a child. She is being a very good parent by making a good plan for the child"(Mathews-Green 1996). Instead of the woman forming in her mind the symbolic meaning of adoption implies that she is giving two random people her baby, she could instead think that she is giving a good family to her child. This small change in the woman’s values could make her more likely to give her baby up for adoption. Many women are disillusioned into thinking that putting their child up for adoption labels them as a bad parent, when in fact it is probably one of the best decisions for their child that they would ever make. Her role is no longer that of a “bad parent” but now it is a role of caring individual in society. Crisis pregnancy centers must focus on the best way that adoption will influence the pregnant mother and focus on the best option for the baby.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In order to conduct ethical, precise, and productive research, group one used the best practices research article as our guide to find the best practices for crisis pregnancy centers. The article states that the three steps needed in research are: ** “ **formulation of the question, gathering preliminary information, and conducting in-depth interviews” (Eglene 2000 ; 2). First we mapped out our purpose by clearly stating the problem and what exactly we were looking for in our research: we specifically looked for best practices for crisis pregnancy centers through the symbolic interactionist perspective and the ways that the crisis pregnancy centers interacted with women. We began our research by using internet resources provided to us by our professor to obtain general knowledge of our subject: (crisis pregnancy centers and the women who receive services from them). The research article emphasizes that interviews are perhaps one of the most important aspects of research as it gives the researcher an in-depth view on the topic. Of our research group, we chose the person we felt was most comfortable communicating with people on the phone, as well as the most meticulous and efficient note taker. With the compilation of answers to each of the interview questions from other groups in our Sociology class, our group chose information from the interviews that best answered our research question and developed a chart of the answers and from there found the most effective ways of changing the values and behaviors of pregnant women.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__4. Method:__ **

b. He or she always greets his or her clients with love and work to find what their needs may be and how to meet them. c. They talk about their lifestyle. Bring up the topics of marriage (the sacramental nature of it) and about baptizing or dedicating (according to the clients faith) their children. d. He or she always lets the clients know that they deserve the best e. May refer to their faith life and call their priest or pastor in to talk f. He or she reminded me that the clients do have free- will, and so he or she can only encourage the clients. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">a. Prayer and fasting b. Rely and remain in church, sacraments, and holiness c. Coming together and in agreement d. Make phone calls to promote what their crisis center believes in e. Speak their minds to the senators and legislation on such topics. ||
 * CPC || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">How much emphasis do you place on instilling a new set of values in your clients? || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">How have you overcome obstacles (the pressures that the media puts on society)? ||
 * 1 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">It can be hard to instill values because the women may only be there for a half hour to an hour. But if time allows we advise them to be healthy and teach them about abstinence. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">We have overcome these obstacles by having volunteer advocates who are trained help the women. They help the women sort out their options, they listen, and volunteer to talk with her to the people she is close to. ||
 * 2 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">A large emphasis...Christian/non-profit organization by choice so the government can’t control what they can and cannot do/say. Don’t shove, but don’t compromise the core values of Care Net. Share values with the clients and treat their needs like good Christians. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Local media doesn’t see the value in teaching the importance of abstinence only sex education. it effects the health of teens (43% of chlamydia cases are from teens in Cadillac). Care Net teaches good decision making, because “it’s all about the choices you make.” (Sex can lead to cervical cancer/abortion.) The media tries to label Care Net as an “unrealistic, right wing institution” when they’re just trying to help. ||
 * 3 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">They offer a Christian perspective and information to all, but they do not push anything on anyone. If people are open to new information, they will give them more information. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">These obstacles are overcome through education, which is performed through expos and speaking at various places. ||
 * 4 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">A LOT. We pray with the clients when they are here with pregnancy tests. We talk to them about values of family life. The Lord is a real big part of our ministry. We present the gospel. Most of these girls seem to appreciate it. We talk to them about joining churches whatever their religion may be. We <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">want them to see that they have value and the only person who can protect their hearts is themselves and at times the Lord. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">We try to counsel the girls and talk to the girls about abstinence. We have videos that we send to the counselors at the local high schools. We also try to speak of spirituality. A lot of girls have been peer pressured into having sex so we try to show them that they don’t have to continue down this road and teach them how to say “no.” ||
 * 5 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">A strong emphasis. If they are not getting upset on the topic. They usually have not chosen an abstinent lifestyle. We take an hour with the clients and discuss talking about ideas such as living a chaste lifestyle. We pass out cards relating to living a chaste life. We give abstinence classes and life skills classes, discussing how to take care of yourself, living with a roommate, cleaning, budgeting, building up self-esteem, etc. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">I haven’t yet. For the most part we are blessed in our community. We are lucky because the community stands were we do on pro-life issues. Our hospitals do not do abortions. The main one does not refer abortions. The schools are very open to our advertising. No obstacles necessarily are open to what we do. Finding good dedicated people to volunteer is an ongoing obstacle. ||
 * 6 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">A huge emphasis is placed on instilling a new set of values in the women. A lot of girls or women who are already Catholic are taught that God has brought good out of this situation by bringing a precious life into this world. St. Gianna’s tries to build up their Catholic faith if they are already Catholic. Others who originally weren’t Catholic sometimes convert and enter the Church. That is one of St. Gianna’s goals: renewed moral life. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">They try to promote healthy body image by countering it with positive affirmation. Often after these women have had their children they struggle with body image. Occasionally they will have a type of class, for example Theology of the Body or healthy eating. The example of the house mothers influences these women as well. Family is more than welcome to visit and even stay at the home for a time. Of course, nobody is forced to stay there-that would just ruin the goal of St. Gianna’s by making it more of a prison than a place of refuge. ||
 * 7 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">a. He or she spends a great deal of time and prayer on this subject.
 * 8 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Honestly, we are a Christ centered organization and would love to see peoples lives change due to making better choices. That is not our focus however. We tell them what we believe but mostly work on helping them through their crisis. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Honestly, we are a Christ centered organization and would love to see peoples lives change due to making better choices. That is not our focus however. We tell them what we believe but mostly work on helping them through their crisis. ||
 * 9 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Much emphasis is put on changing generational cycles. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Mass media teaches “if it feels good, do it.” We strongly urge our clients to seek out God’s will for their lives. And we have many obstacles but prayer is the essential key. ||
 * 10 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">They don’t put much emphasis because there just isn’t enough time! Some clients only have their lunch period to come in and talk. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">They try to be user friendly. By going in to schools and into health classes, they make people aware of what they are about and that they are an outlet. ||
 * 11 || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">We consider a lifestyle that is healthy and good for them and the society one of highest goals. We really like to have the opportunity to help them find that. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">We have to keep opening up to new ideas on how to get the word out and our board of directors. A few who are on the board are into websites like Facebook and other forms of blogging. ||

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The best practices for crisis pregnancy centers are as follows: Some interviews stated that initial meetings with women are typically brief and time is working against them when they meet a woman in need. Crisis pregnancy centers must implement programs that will bring the woman back to the center so they can discuss values that will change the woman’s lifestyle. Seven out of the eleven crisis pregnancy centers stated that they provide abstinence classes and life skills classes. These classes discuss how to take care of yourself, how to live with a roommate, how to clean, how to budget, and how work on building one’s self-esteem. Crisis pregnancy centers can offer their support through these classes so that the pregnant woman can gain knowledge of real life scenarios, how to be responsible, how to be a good parent, and how they can be successful in their parenthood. Every single crisis pregnancy center put an immense emphasis on implementing strong moral values so that these women can work through this crisis and live better lives. The data tells us that the most effective practice is a one-on-one discussion with the woman. They need to first and foremost be there for the woman by being a source of support and encouragement. They need to fully communicate with the woman and lift her up emotionally, so that she trusts the centers and knows that they want the best for her. Through this bond, crisis pregnancy centers can then understand how the woman feels about herself, her pregnancy, and her role in the baby's life; from there they can influence her to make the best decision for her and her baby. Crisis pregnancy centers need to provide service throughout the woman’s pregnancy as well as after the baby is born so that the woman can overcome her crisis and provide a stable lifestyle for her family.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">__5. Results:__ **

In order to let the community know that there are crisis pregnancy centers there to offer support for women, the best and most successful way to overcome the media, who says that sex is an everyday occasion and has no consequences, is by word of mouth. Nine out of eleven of the centers confirmed that the women who receive their services will tell other friends about their experience at the crisis pregnancy centers. Word of mouth is also spread by posters, brochures, videos, billboards, and networking such as facebook. In conclusion, crisis pregnancy must give women the encouragement needed in order to become a good parent and aid the woman in making the right decision for herself and for her baby. We are certain that these best practices will allow crisis pregnancy centers to deeply impact many lives, especially those of women and their unborn children.

**__Annotated Bibliographies__**
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Henshaw, Stanley. "Unintended Pregnancy in the United States". <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Family // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Planning Persepectives // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">. Web. 30 January/February 1998. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> How do the rates of unintended pregnancies affect the number of abortions?
 * Main Question**:

Statistics of the number of births and abortions were collected over the years 1982, 1988, and 1995 to determine the number of unwanted pregnancies in 1994. Estimations and calculations were used in conjunction with the statistics. These numbers were then used to estimate those numbers in porportion to the number of women who became unintentionally pregnant, had an abortion performed, or both. Women between the ages of 18-24, who were unmarried, low-income, Black or Hispanic, were most likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Such pregnancies are the main reason abortion and unplanned birth occur. Miscarriages were largely excluded from the study, which instead used statistics that reflected concrete decisions in continuing or termininating pregnancies.
 * Findings**:

Unintended pregnancies were defined as such if contraception had been used by the woman when pregnancy had occured, if pregnancy had been unwanted at the time, or if she never wanted to become pregnant. In contrast, intended pregnancies were defined as those in which contraceptives had not been used and women claimed indifference to becoming pregnant. Additionally, all abortions were considered unintended pregnancies.

Slightly more than half of unintended pregnancies ended in abortion (54% to 46%) than birth. While comparing statistics, it is clear that women who consider their pregnancy as unwanted are much more likely to use contraceptives and use abortion as an alternative to carrying their child full-term. Additionally, "the proportion of all pregnancies that were unintended caried sharply by age, with teenagers younger than 18 having the highest percentage (82-83%). The proportion decreased with rising age, dropping to 33% among women aged 30-34, and then increased again, reaching 51% among women aged 40 and older" (Henshaw 1998). Those numbers must be compared to the fact that women between the ages of 20 and 29 are most likely to be pregnant, married, have an income well below the federal poverty level, and be white or non-Hispanic.

Race and income play a large role in determining the number of unintended and intended pregnancies. Racial differences include three times the number of black women becoming unintionally pregnant compared to White women, while Hispanics are more likely to become pregnant, whether intentionally or unintentionally, then any other race. Likewise, women in poverty are much more likely than women with average incomes to become unintionally pregnant and terminate their pregnancy.

While pregnancy rates of never-married and married woman were surprisingly similar, "almost half of pregnancies among formerly and never-married women ended in abortion (47% and 41%, respectively), compared with only 11% of those among married women" (Henshaw 1998). However, married women are increasingly more likely to terminate their pregnancies, possibly because of the family needing two incomes to survive instead of just the husband's. Therefore, although "only about half of unintended pregnancies are terminated by abortion" (Henshaw 1998), the majority of women terminating their pregnancies are unmarried.

To decrease the number of unintended pregnancies in order to save costs of individuals and society as a whole, understanding who becomes pregnant unintentionally. From these statistics, it appears that women who are poor, black, or Hispanic are most likely to have a pregnancy they may want terminate. While abortion may not be an alternative for many (the rates of unintended pregnancies increased during the years studied and the number of people terminating their pregnancy decreased, perhaps due to youth receiving messages of anti-abortion), women are becoming more aware of the accessibility of contraceptive services. Some believe that spreading the use of such services, as they become easier to obtain, will decrease the number of unintended pregnancies.
 * Summary:**

Mathewes-Green, Frederica. "Pro-Life Dilemma." <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Policy Review. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"> Web. July 1996.

How do we make the option of adoption more known to the young ladies who seek the help of crisis pregnancy centers?
 * Main Question:**


 * Findings**: After helping women who come to crisis pregnancy centers, many volunteers become concerned with these new mothers’ futures. It is often the case that these ladies get put on the list for public housing, obtain welfare, and generally struggle to make ends meet (Mathewes-Green 1996). With the child in the picture it’s difficult to find a job that supports the woman enough to allow for housing, a car, day care, food, etc. So now, crisis pregnancy centers are exploring their options of how to help unwed mothers and their new babies to have the best future possible. “The movement once focused narrowly on saving unborn babies; now it emphasizes giving the mother practical support so she can save her own child.” (Mathewes-Green 1996). What are the options? In a poll done by the Family Research Council in 1995, they found that “Twenty-nine percent thought her best choice was to place the child for adoption. Slightly fewer, 24 percent, felt she should marry the father of the child. Eleven percent thought single-parenting was her best course. Only 8 percent recommended abortion.” (Mathewes-Green 1996). These finding are far from reality though. About 46 percent of pregnancies to unwed mothers ended in abortion, while 44 percent carried their child to term (with 2 percent putting the baby up for adoption), 10 percent is attributed to miscarriage (Mathewes-Green 1996). From these numbers it is apparent that while many people think that adoption is best for these unwed mothers, the mothers themselves either are not introduced to this option, or choose to reject it.

Regarding adoption, "The pregnant woman needs to see that she's giving the child the gift of a family," Pierson says, "not that she's giving the adoptive couple the gift of a child. She is being a very good parent by making a good plan for the child." (Mathewes-Green 1996). Many women are disillusioned into thinking that putting their child up for adoption labels them as a bad parent, when in fact it is probably one of the best decisions for her child that she would ever make.

Some ways in which the option of adoption can be introduced to women at crisis pregnancy centers is to have the clients take care of a baby doll that simulates the behavior and attitudes of a real baby. The CPCs can also focus on abortion-minded women; they have been known to be more open to the idea of adoption. One CPC sets up a table at their local abortion clinic. “If cars pause on the way in, Bell hands the passengers a packet containing information about adoption and profiles of prospective adoptive couples. Many passengers stop to talk, then leave without entering the clinic.” (Mathewes-Green 1996).

Overall, we can see that many women may not be open to the idea of putting their child up for adoption. The general public recognizes it as the best option for, both, the mother and the child, though. We need to support both these women and crisis pregnancy centers in their journey to save unborn babies, and to promise the best future possible for them.
 * Summary:**

Eglene, Ophelia. “Conducting Best and Current Practices Research: A Starter Kit.” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Center for Technology in Government. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Web. January 2000. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">

What are the best ways to conduct research in best practices learned by observing positive and negative outcomes from other agencies?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Authors’ Main Question: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Findings: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The examination process of successes and failures of companies facing problems, as well as meeting with others who have had such experiences, is a vital aspect in completing proper research. However, many people make such statements as claiming to be unique and knowing how to solve the problem, thus avoid researching similar projects.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The three steps in such research are: " <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">formulation of the question, gathering preliminary information, and conducting in-depth interviews” (Eglene 2000; 2). In formulating the question, think about the problem or goal being researched. Try rewriting the question in several ways. Think about related and unrelated topics in order to narrow the research. Ask: What we call it, what someone else might call it, issues that may be associated with it, and issues to exclude from it (Eglene 2000; 2). In the gathering preliminary information step, use cost-effective methods such as the library or the internet for research (using the different vocabulary in searching). Brainstorm people and organizations who might be able and willing to help. Compare similar and dissimilar organizations and problems with the one being researched. Last, find organizations which use the technologies or management methods that may prove useful in the research being performed (Eglene 2000; 3). This should be done using a table: The left hand column should include Same Problem on the top and Different Problem but Promising Method or Technology on the bottom, with Same Kind of Organization and Different Kind of Organization across the top. The interviews are perhaps one of the most important aspects of research; it gives the researcher an in-depth view. In asking questions, the interviewer should:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"> There are many tips for internet searching: Quotation marks (to find an exact phrase); AND (to ensure the results contain both terms searched); OR (in using synonyms); + (includes all words); - (discludes a selected word); * (truncates a word); Combination (use a combination of those listed above) (Eglene 2000; 6).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Feel comfortable talking to people and asking for help and advice
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Be able to describe your project accurately, but briefly
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Identify the right person to talk to. If the person you are talking to does not seem knowledgeable enough, asking to be directed to someone who knows more about the issue will save time and frustration on both sides
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ask targeted questions: "What do you know about...? Who in your organization knows about...? Can you tell me more about how you...?"
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Know how and when to ask difficult questions (usually about problems and failures)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a standard method for documenting the interview results (Eglene 2000; 4)

Conducting research that produces solid results must be done in a careful, thought-out manner. Using successes and mistakes from past organizations as a starting point helps prevent mess-ups and suggests possible ways to succeed. The internet and the library may be used for preliminary research, whereas in-depth interviews with learned professionals are necessary for qualified findings. Without the proper knowledge, research will be done improperly and thus will show improper results.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Summary: **

___

=**Group One - Wiki One**=

=**INTRODUCTION:**= Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. We have studied and researched the health problem and viewed different statistics on the subject. The articles provided us with reasons as to why the rising obesity may be occurring. Some of the few are gender, age, socioeconomic status, racial or ethnic groups, or geographic regions. The articles provided statistics and ratings that prove their beliefs on the subject. The articles, also, present preventions to the growing health problem.

=**THEORIES:**= Along with reading the articles, we have created our own theories to the issue at hand. We have found some of our theories to match those of the articles. The social conflict theory, which emphasizes the distribution of power and allocation of resources, is the theory we thought would fit best with the obesity issue. We put into perspective the status quo people may establish and follow. Another aspect we considered is the socioeconomic status of people. Which class has more obese people? We thought the rich may have less since they can afford the expensive equipment, organic food, and personal trainers to stay in shape. One more issue we would study that may effect the growing obesity epidemic is home life. Would someone with a harsh home-life and with stressful situations tend to eat more? As a group, we have brainstormed different ideas as to why obesity is a growing epidemic in America, and have come to find some are actual real reasons according to statistics found in the articles.

=**LITERATURE REVIEW:**= <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Obesity has become a growing problem in the United States since the 1970's (Wang and Beydoun). There are many factors that contribute to obesity. Namely, race/ethnicity, lower income and education, location, age, gender, common foods, and technology (Wang and Beydoun; Finkelstein, Ruhm, and Kosa).

Asian Americans have a much lower occurrence of obesity, about one fifth of the men and one to four percent of the total fifteen percent of women in America (Wang and Beydoun). Black women were found to be about twice as obese as compared to White and Mexican-American women.

Lower income and education level directly correlates with obesity. “The prevalence of obesity were 27.4 percent, 23.2 percent, 21.0 percent, and 15.7 percent for persons with less than a high school education, a high school degree, some college, and college or above, respectively" (Wang and Beydoun). Also, for lower income families they cannot afford the same fitness club memberships and healthy food as their richer counterparts can.

The environment where a person lives has the ability to impact their weight gain. In the southeastern United States there is the highest prevalence of obesity in the country (Wang and Beydoun). This might have to do with cultural foods, typical jobs, or lifestyles in that part of the U.S.

It has been shown that age and gender play a large part in determining obesity. Men have a lower rate of obesity than women and according to the NHANES, kids ages 2-5 had an increase from 7.2 to 10.3 percent obesity ages 6-11 increased by triple the amount from 6.5 to 15.8 percent. Aged 12-19 obesity prevailed from 5.0 percent to 16.1 percent (Wang and Beydoun).

We believe that a large part of determining obesity has to do with foods consumed. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Until recently, <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> obesity was almost unheard of as many more people were suffering from the lack of food rather than too much of it. However, now obesity is the second leading cause of death at 400,000 causalities every year (Finkelstein et. al). Why is that? The number of calories taken in has increased, due partially to snacking (Finkelstein et. al). It has also become the case that the prices of healthy, non-processed foods have increased (Finkelstein et. al), thus allowing rich people the luxury of affording them while poorer people cannot, and thus the poor people have higher rates of obesity. Serving sizes have also increased, “the trend toward large portion sizes, perhaps due to falling food prices, [that] only serves to exacerbate this problem” (Finkelstein et. al).

Out of all these contributing factors, technology has been labeled as "primarily responsible" (Finkelstein et. al). Television is not necessarily the problem, rather it seems that computers, video games, and snacks consumed while watching shows has the bigger affect (Finkelstein et. al). Many people recognize this and are starting to take action.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, collaborate with towns and communities to fight the growing obesity epidemic. They recommend different strategies to aid in the prevention of obesity on the community level, specifically in the United States. It exposes the rising obesity epidemic by stating statistics that can no longer be ignored:

“Approximately two thirds of U.S. adults and one fifth of U.S. children are obese or overweight. During 1980–2004, obesity prevalence among U.S. adults doubled, and recent data indicate an estimated 33% of U.S. adults are overweight, 34% are obese, including nearly 6% who are extremely obese. The prevalence of being overweight among children and adolescents increased substantially during 1999–2004, and approximately 17% of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight” (Kahn et. al 2009; 1).

The CDC continues to inform the reader of the many health risks involved; “Being either obese or overweight increases the risk for many chronic diseases [for example,] heart disease, type [two] diabetes, certain cancers, and stroke” (Kahn et. al 2009; 1). The article then specifies the problem, “although diet and exercise are key determinants of weight, environmental factors beyond the control of individuals (including lack of access to full-service grocery stores, high costs of healthy foods, and lack of access to safe places to play and exercise) contribute to increased obesity rates by reducing the likelihood of healthy eating and active living behaviors” (Kahn et. al 2009; 1-2). This statement emphasizes the social conflict perspective and appropriately states the factors that can only be improved at the community and local level.

The most compelling and pertinent strategies involve the promotion of healthy food and beverage choices, and making widely available healthy food options that are affordable for the lower class and those in poverty stricken areas. This includes lowering the prices of healthier foods and beverages, “and providing discount coupons, vouchers redeemable for healthier foods, and bonuses tied to the purchase of healthier foods. Pricing strategies create incentives for purchasing and consuming healthier foods and beverages by lowering the prices of such items relative to less healthy foods” (Kahn et. al 2009; 7). Pricing strategies can be used in schools. For instance, “decreasing the prices of healthier foods sold in vending machines and in cafeterias and increasing the price of less healthy foods and beverages at concession stands” (Kahn et. al 2009; 7).

Research has also stated that more than half of the television advertisements that children watch are food related; making a push to limit the number of said advertisements in government facilities and schools; with the hopes that other communities will follow suit, so that the kids are no longer bombarded with unhealthy fast food commercials.

Backed up by constant research, other strategies work to encourage and mandate physical activity among children and youth, as well as the push for developing safe places to play and exercise. They propose several changes in sidewalks, bike lanes, as well as a “half-mile network distance of at least one outdoor public recreational facility [from a residential community]” (Kahn et. al 2009; 17). The problem is the town and the communities need to have money and resources in order to keep their towns safe. America tends to place factories in lower income areas, making the air nearly un-breathable for children with asthma, who are trying to play on the playground that is in the middle of two factories. These types of things need to be addressed, and the social conflict perspective looks at who is suffering and attempts to change the problem.

The CDC calls for the state government to create polices that will work to prevent obesity in children and decrease the current statistics. School districts could collaborate with The Center for Disease Control to increase the amount of physical activity among the students in the public school system. Changes such as requiring that Physical Education be a part of the school curriculum as well as a requirement of, “a minimum of 150 minutes per week of PE in public elementary schools and a minimum of 225 minutes per week of PE in public middle schools and high schools throughout the school year as recommended by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education in 2006” (Kahn et. al 2009; 14). However it costs money to have PE programs and schools with more money have been able to implement this with resources such as gym equipment, teachers, coaches, and even a gym. A strategy to encourage breastfeeding is one of the most intriguing, as noted evidence states that “Breastfeeding has been linked to decreased risk of pediatric overweight in multiple epidemiologic studies” (Kahn et. al 2009; 13). Encouraging breastfeeding could be as simple as designating private places specifically for women to breastfeed their infants.

A generation ago, women were told by the industry that you were not a good mother if you breastfed your child, and the only way to properly nourish your child was to use baby formula. Who profits? The industry; they banked on women who decided not to breastfeed because of these advertisements. Studies on the health benefits are striking; there is a push to bring back breastfeeding your children. However the billions that the formula people are making allots for this power struggle of who benefits and who suffers from this current system; obviously obese children are suffering. Such changes like the promoting the health benefits of breastfeeding could increase the number of women who choose to breastfeed their babies. This change could then lend to a decrease in current obesity rates. One can clearly see who suffers in the current system as far as obesity rates in the lower classes as well as their limited accessibility to healthy foods. Communities can work to lower obesity rates by making changes so that those who currently cannot benefit will soon be able to. The structure of our society could aid rather than hurt obesity statistics if communities work toward the prevention of obesity and the recovery of healthy lifestyles.

=**METHODS:**=

There are many ways to research why obesity occurs. We could observe people who are on welfare and see if their low income has a correlation to obesity. We could also look at the income of obese people and compare these two findings. Another thing to observe would be the classes of people who play sports. It is a thought that perhaps people on a higher income play sports more than poor people and therefore get the extra exercise. This might be a good thing to research to see if costly equipment and personal trainers has in impact on obesity rates. We should also observe the price of food. The price of healthy food has increased and is less available to poor people. For a cheap meal it's easy to stop at McDonald's, and if one does this often enough there is a high chance of obesity. One last thing to observe would be the stress between the rich and the poor and how they handle the food intake. When a person is stressed, do they eat it out? Or perhaps they burn it off at the gym. This would be an interesting thing to explore.

There are many aspects that are still unexplored in regards to the growing problem of obesity in the United States. We should all do our part by spreading awareness to people, in hopes that everyone will consciously make an effort to stop this unfortunate calamity.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;">Article One: **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Youfa Wang and May A. Beydoun The Obesity Epidemic in the United States—Gender, Age, Socioeconomic, Racial/Ethnic, and Geographic Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> Obesity is on the rise! Through multiple researches on obesity, national studies show that obesity is a constant growth in America ever since the 1970’s (Page 1).According to World Health Organization, obesity is a disease to which a person has to much body fat that affects the person’s heath in a negative way. Through a simple set of math calculations any one can determine if he or she is overweight or obese. This process is called Body Mass Index (B.M.I.) Another way to determine obesity is by measuring the waist circumference which is tested to be more sufficient than the BMI (Page 2).But the real question that this article stresses is how obesity affects every gender, age, class status, racial/ethnic groups, and areas around the United States. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Findings: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"> Racial/ethnic obesity differs between each group. Asian Americans obesity is much lower than national average. Only one fifth of the Asian American men are part of the increase of obesity. Asian American women are only one percent to four percent of the total fifteen percent in America (Page 4). During 1999-2002 non-hispanic Black women were 20 percent more obese than white women (77.2 percent vs. 57.2 percent, and 49.0 percent vs.30.7 percent) and more than 50 percent of non-Hispanic Black women aged 40 years or older, were obese. Among African-American women they are more than twice obese amount than among White and Mexican-American women (13.5 percent vs. 5.5percent and 5.7 percent) (Page 4). Out of the children who were overweight, 65 percent were white females and 84 percent were black females and they all became obese adults (Page 15). Blacks had a higher rate than whites. Education and social status has a lot to do with obesity. The lower income and the lower education a person has the more likely it is for them to be obese. “The prevalence of obesity were 27.4 percent, 23.2 percent, 21.0 percent, and15.7 percent for persons with less than a high school education, a high school degree, some college, and college or above, respectively (44) (Page 6).” According to Add Health, they say that it is hard for lower income people to take part on sports or physical activities and be involved in good exercise so in turn the increases of obesity goes up (Page 19). The food in America is a low priced unhealthy intake like soda drink, snack foods, and fast-food restaurants, not to mention, the amount of food has increased to larger sizes. It is easier for people to remain healthier if they shop at supermarkets rather than independent groceries stores because supermarkets supply for healthy food choices. It is hard, however, for those who cannot afford to buy expensive healthy food just like it is hard for those who have a lower income to be involved in sports (Page 19). To determine obesity in geographic regions most of the study is done by a random sample of phone surveys. Each health department in each state has them call randomly to residence and take surveys about their weight (Page 2). Through a research group called NHANES they set up a linear graph to collect data on obesity and they determined that two thirds of 20 year olds were overweight in 2004 which 32.42 percent were obese and 4.8 percent were extremely obese (Page 3). The southeastern part of the United States has the highest prevalence of obesity in the United States compared to the Midwest, and the West Coast (Page 7). Through trends across the United States, the average BMI went up but three entities, 24.4 to 27.6 kg/m2 in men and from 25.3 to 28.2 kg/m2 in women (Page 3). Age and gender plays a huge role in the differences of obesity. Men tend to have a lower rate of increase in obesity but females are higher than males. According to NHANES kids ages 2-5 had an increase from 7.2 to 10.3 percent obesity ages 6-11 increased by triple the amount from 6.5 to 15.8 percent. Aged 12-19 obesity prevailed from 5.0 percent to 16.1 percent (Page 10). <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Summary: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;"> America needs to stop this epidemic now because it is increasing. As Americans become more obese health problems increase: more heath care, more food intake, and more taxes are possible; lists of problems are starting to occur if they have not already. The United States need to put together physical activity programs to keep people fit that contain minimal to no prices so that the increase of obesity goes down. Also America needs to put more restrictions on the food processing to have healthier choices. The amount of food a grown man eats compare to how much a child eats is going to be different. The growth between ethnic/racial groups is going to be different because of food choices. The area to which people grow up is going to influence the way people eat and exercise, and the income a person makes can sway the decision of healthy food choices and keeping fit. Overall, there are many differences among ages, gender, racial/ethnic groups, and social status because each group is different and has different eating habits, activity participation, and body weight (Page 19).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Author’s Main Question: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;">Article Two: **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;"> Annual Review of Public Health. 26. 239-57 <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 20px;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;">Authors’ Main Question: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;"> This study researched how obesity rates, specifically in the United States, have grown at an alarming rate, the negative impacts, and the reasons for the increase. It does not only affect the health of our country, but every aspect of it. Until recently, obesity was almost unheard of as many more people were suffering from the lack of food rather than too much of it. However, now obesity is the second leading cause of death at 400,000 causalities every year (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 240). The authors question why the increase has occurred, and in doing so, they examine common-sense views, whether or not they hold up, and the problems our country is having as a result of this epidemic. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 20px;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;">Findings: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;"> Surprisingly, what has been about the same since the 1970s is the amount of physical energy people use (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 242); thus, this rules out a cause stemming from how jobs have changed from manual labor to being less strenuous. The number of calories have frequently increased since that same decade (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 242), often due to snacking (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 243). Moreover, the prices of healthy foods (such as fruits and vegetables) are much higher than prepackaged, easy-to-fix meals, which are also mass-produced and calorie-dense (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 245). Additionally, there is “the trend toward large portion sizes, perhaps due to falling food prices, [that] only serves to exacerbate this problem” (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 252) of obesity. Also found was a lack of self-control in obese individuals. Technology has not directly affected the increase of obesity; however, because of the snacking that occurs while on the computer, playing video games, and watching shows, technology has been pointed at as being “primarily responsible” (Finkelstein et al 2005; 249). Both doctor visits and an increase in medical care costs have gone up since obesity grew more widespread. Those who are classified as obese visit the doctor for reasons pertaining to their weight 38% more often than people of healthy weights (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 247). Also, 5% of health insurance paid by companies is for obese problems (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 247). While researching lifetime medical costs, it was found that “4.3% of lifetime costs are attributable to obesity, compared with an annual estimate between 5.6% and 7.0%” (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 248). <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 20px;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;">Summary: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;"> There has been a rapid increase in obesity rates in the last several decades. All in all, the reason appears to be that people consume more calories: Food is attainable, cheap, easy to fix, and often calorie-dense than in the past. With more opportunities to eat, such as while using the technology that has developed along with the rise of obesity, people are losing their ability to use self-control while eating more snacks than ever before. Obesity can be a problem for a country. People who are obese have more health problems than people with healthy weights. This leads to an increase of doctor visits and a rise in the cost of healthcare, which affects individuals and companies alike. People are likely to be unable to help themselves; as a result, the researchers suggest that “interventions will need to be multifaceted to have the best chance of success” (Finkelstein et. al 2005; 253). In performing our own research, we should find a way to distribute healthy foods more fairly. This can be done by finding ways to cheapen the prices of fruits, vegetables, and other foods with nutritious values. If obesity rates are brought down, health care costs will become lower as well, which would allow for the poor to be able to afford healthcare. All together, the health and wealth of the entire nation would increase and prosper.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 81%; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;">Article Three: **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;"> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “At a Glance” for February 2009 Obesity: Halting the Epidemic by Making Health Easier This article is about the obesity epidemic coursing through the United States. The obesity rates have doubled in adults and tripled in children. More than one third of the adults in the United States are obese, as well as 16% of children. There are numerous health consequences that can occur from obesity. These include but are not limited to: coronary heart disease, type-2 diabetes (which now occurs in children), and cancer (Page 1). To help diminish obesity and conditions related to this occurrence, Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) has created multiple state-wide programs. There are 23 states funded by CDC’s DNPAO to address the calamity of obesity. There are many important tasks of these new-founded programs in the states that include urging people to increase their physical activity, eat healthier, and decrease their television viewing hours. Fortunately, CDC supplies the training and technical assistance to the states (Page 2). Not only does CDC do many things to help people that are already obese, they also conduct and support research to help prevent obesity (Page 2). They are completing evidence based reviews of obesity interventions in three settings – medicare, work sites, and communities. And once the reviews are finished, CDC works hard to have translations of the evidence available for practitioners, communities, and the public. CDC also has created many new partnerships to help stop this obesity epidemic (Page 3). <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;">Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report //

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; line-height: normal;">Article Four: **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">

Khan, Laura K., Kathleen Sobush, Dana Keener, Kenneth Goodman, Amy Lowry, Jakub Kakietek, and Susan Zaro. "Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States." //Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report// RR-7 58 (2009): 1-32. Web.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Main Question:
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">What preventative measures can be taken to decrease the obesity epidemic in the United States?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The article recommends different strategies to aid in the prevention of obesity on the community level, specifically in the United States. It exposes the rising obesity epidemic by stating statistics that can no longer be ignored, “approximately two thirds of U.S. adults and one fifth of U.S. children are obese or overweight. During 1980–2004, obesity prevalence among U.S. adults doubled, and recent data indicate an estimated 33% of U.S. adults are overweight, 34% are obese, including nearly 6% who are extremely obese. The prevalence of being overweight among children and adolescents increased substantially during 1999–2004, and approximately 17% of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight” (Kahn et. al 2009; 1). The article continues to inform the reader on the many health risks involved. “Being either obese or overweight increases the risk for many chronic diseases [for example,] heart disease, type [two] diabetes, certain cancers, and stroke” (Kahn et. al 2009; 1). The article then specifies the problem, “although diet and exercise are key determinants of weight, environmental factors beyond the control of individuals (including lack of access to full-service grocery stores, high costs of healthy foods, and lack of access to safe places to play and exercise) contribute to increased obesity rates by reducing the likelihood of healthy eating and active living behaviors” (Kahn et. al 2009; 1-2). This statement emphasizes the social conflict perspective and appropriately states the factors that can only be improved at the community and local level. The most compelling and pertinent strategies involve the promotion of healthy food and beverage choices, and making widely available healthy food options that are affordable for the lower class and those in poverty stricken areas. This includes lowering the prices of healthier foods and beverages, “and providing discount coupons, vouchers redeemable for healthier foods, and bonuses tied to the purchase of healthier foods. Pricing strategies create incentives for purchasing and consuming healthier foods and beverages by lowering the prices of such items relative to less healthy foods” (Kahn et. al 2009; 7). Pricing strategies can be used in schools. For instance, “decreasing the prices of healthier foods sold in vending machines and in cafeterias and increasing the price of less healthy foods and beverages at concession stands” (Kahn et. al 2009; 7). Research has also stated that more than half of the television advertisements that children watch are food related; making a push to limit the number of said advertisements in government facilities and schools; with the hopes that other communities will follow suit, so that the kids are no longer bombarded with unhealthy fast food commercials. Backed up by constant research, other strategies work to encourage and mandate physical activity among children and youth, as well as the push for developing safe places to play and exercise. They propose several changes in sidewalks, bike lanes, as well as a “half-mile network distance of at least one outdoor public recreational facility [from a residential community]” (Kahn et. al 2009; 17). The problem is the town and the communities need to have money and resources in order to keep their towns safe. America tends to place factories in lower income areas, making the air nearly un-breathable for children with asthma trying to play on the playground that is in the middle of two factories. These types of things need to be addressed, and the social conflict perspective looks at who is suffering and attempts to change the problem. The article calls for the state government to create polices that will work to prevent obesity in children and decrease the current statistics. School districts could collaborate with The Center for Disease Control to increase the amount of physical activity among the students in the public school system. Changes such as requiring that Physical Education be a part of the school curriculum as well as a requirement of, “a minimum of 150 minutes per week of PE in public elementary schools and a minimum of 225 minutes per week of PE in public middle schools and high schools throughout the school year as recommended by the National Association of Sports and Physical Education in 2006” (Kahn et. al 2009; 14). However it costs money to have PE programs and schools with more money have been able to implement this with resources such as gym equipment, teachers, coaches, and even a gym. A strategy to encourage breastfeeding is one of the most intriguing, as noted evidence states that “Breastfeeding has been linked to decreased risk of pediatric overweight in multiple epidemiologic studies” (Kahn et. al 2009; 13). Encouraging breastfeeding could be as simple as designating private places specifically for women to breastfeed their infants.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">A generation ago, women were told by the industry that you were not a good mother if you breastfed your child, and the only way to properly nourish your child was to use baby formula. Who profits? The industry, they banked on women who decided not to breastfeed because of these advertisements. Studies on the health benefits are striking, there is a push to bring back breastfeed your child. However the billions that the formula people are making allots for this power struggle of who benefits and who suffers from this current system; obviously obese children are suffering. Such changes like the appropriateness of breastfeeding, could increase the number of women who choose to breastfeed their babies. This change could then lend to a decrease in current obesity rates. One can clearly see who suffers in the current system as far as obesity rates in the lower classes as well as their limited accessibility to healthy foods. Communities can work to lower obesity rates by making changes so that those who currently cannot benefit will soon be able to. The structure of our society could aid rather than hurt obesity statistics if communities work toward the prevention of obesity and the recovery of healthy lifestyles.